Journal of general internal medicine
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Checkup visits (i.e., general health checks) can increase preventive service completion and lead to improved treatment of new chronic illnesses. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, preventive service completion decreased in many groups that receive care in safety net settings. ⋯ In this large FQHC cohort, checkup completion markedly decreased during the pandemic. Checkup completion was associated with preventive service completion, chronic illness detection, and initiation of chronic illness treatment.
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The FDA issued a "black box" warning regarding risks of fluoroquinolones in 2008 with updates in 2011, 2013, and 2016. ⋯ During this era of "black box" warnings, there was a decline in fluoroquinolone use for hospital-treated UTI with a concomitant decline in fluoroquinolone resistance and rise in ceftriaxone use. Efforts to restrict use of a medication class may lead to compensatory increases in use of a single alternative agent with changes in antimicrobial resistance profiles.
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COVID-19 vaccination is estimated to have averted more than 2.4 million deaths globally. In the United States (U. S.) alone, more than 120,000 deaths and 700,000 hospitalizations are reportedly estimated to have been prevented during the first six months of the vaccine campaign. ⋯ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While tenure is designed to protect those with contrarian views, we believe that the University has an ethical obligation to condemn misleading statements that put public health at risk. Herein, we explore the challenges of managing misinformation disseminated by someone who is simultaneously a tenured professor at a public, state-supported university, and a politically appointed public health official.
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Smoking rates among people living with behavioral health conditions (BHC) range from 30 to 65% and are 2-4 times higher than rates found in the general population. Starting tobacco treatment during a hospital stay is effective for smoking cessation, but little is known regarding treatment response among inpatients with BHC. ⋯ When offered tobacco treatment, hospitalized patients with BHC were as likely as people without BHC to accept and engage in treatment. However, patients with BHC were less likely to report abstinence compared to those without BHC. Hospitals are a feasible and promising venue for tobacco treatment among inpatients with BHC. More studies are needed to identify treatment approaches that help people with BHC achieve long-term abstinence.