Journal of general internal medicine
-
Gunshots affect those directly involved in an incident and those in the surrounding community. The community-level impact of nighttime gunshots, which may be particularly disruptive to the sleep of nearby community members, is unknown. ⋯ Nighttime gunshots are prevalent, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, and may have under-recognized effects on the surrounding community.
-
Compared to traditional Medicare (TM), Medicare Advantage (MA) plans impose out-of-pocket cost limits and offer extra benefits, potentially providing financial relief for MA enrollees, especially for those with food insecurity. ⋯ These findings suggest that the promise of financial protection offered by MA plans has not been fully realized, particularly for those with food insecurity.
-
There are well-documented racial/ethnic inequities in drug-related overdoses and access to evidence-based opioid use services nationally and in Boston, MA. ⋯ A racism lens was used during data interpretation to apply the themes at a broader population level. Through this lens, the identified barriers can be understood to have a disproportionate impact on people of color. Findings call for programmatic and policy solutions that address racism, break down stigma, and ensure equitable access to evidence-based services and social supports.
-
Severe hypoglycemia is a serious adverse drug event associated with hypoglycemia-prone medications; older patients with diabetes are particularly at high risk. Economic food insecurity (food insecurity due to financial limitations) is a known risk factor for hypoglycemia; however, less is known about physical food insecurity (due to difficulty cooking or shopping for food), which may increase with age, and its association with hypoglycemia. ⋯ Hypoglycemia prevention efforts among older patients with diabetes using hypoglycemia-prone medications should address food insecurity. Standard food insecurity questions, which are used to identify economic food insecurity, will fail to identify patients who have physical food insecurity only.