Journal of general internal medicine
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Analysis of Clinical Criteria for Discharge Among Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19: Development and Validation of a Risk Prediction Model.
Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 can clinically deteriorate after a period of initial stability, making optimal timing of discharge a clinical and operational challenge. ⋯ This large retrospective study identified several factors associated with post-discharge readmission or death in models which performed with good discrimination. Patients 7 or fewer days since test positivity and who demonstrate potentially reversible risk factors may benefit from delaying discharge until those risk factors resolve.
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Previous literature has explored the relationship between television viewing and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults; however, there remains a paucity of longitudinal data describing how young adult television viewing relates to premature CVD events. ⋯ In this prospective cohort study, greater television viewing in young adulthood and annual increases in television viewing across midlife were associated with incident premature CVD events, particularly CHD. Young adulthood as well as behaviors across midlife may be important periods to promote healthy television viewing behavior patterns.
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The opioid overdose epidemic disproportionately impacts people experiencing homelessness. Outpatient-based opioid treatment (OBOT) programs have been established in homeless health care settings across the USA, but little is known about the success of these programs in engaging and retaining this highly marginalized patient population in addiction care. ⋯ In this study, over half initially engaged with the OBOT program, with initial engagement emerging as a strong predictor of subsequent OBOT program attendance. Interventions aimed at enhancing initial OBOT program engagement, including those focused on housing and buprenorphine initiation, may improve longer-term outcomes in this marginalized population.
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Substance misuse is common among cancer survivors and can negatively impact cancer outcomes. ⋯ There is a clear opportunity to address substance misuse-particularly alcohol misuse-among cancer survivors. Such efforts should focus on populations with a high prevalence of substance misuse (e.g., cervical and head and neck cancer survivors) and have strong potential to improve cancer-specific and overall health outcomes.
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How Healthcare Providers Decide on a Referral Location in Telephone Triage: A Cross-sectional Study.
Approximately 25% of patients that present to the emergency department (ED) do so after contact with a healthcare professional. Many of these patients could be effectively managed in non-ED ambulatory settings. Aligning patients with safe and appropriate outpatient care has the potential to improve ED overcrowding, patient experience, outcomes, and costs. Little is understood about how healthcare providers approach triage decision-making and what factors influence their choices. ⋯ Triage decision-making for healthcare providers is influenced by many factors related to clinical resources, care coordination, patient factors, and clinician factors. The complex considerations involved yield variability in triage decisions that is largely unexplained by descriptive physician factors.