J Am Board Fam Med
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Review Meta Analysis
Clinical Diagnosis of Bordetella Pertussis Infection: A Systematic Review.
Bordetella pertussis (BP) is a common cause of prolonged cough. Our objective was to perform an updated systematic review of the clinical diagnosis of BP without restriction by patient age. ⋯ The clinician's overall impression was the most accurate way to determine the likelihood of BP infection when a patient initially presented. Clinical decision rules that combine signs, symptoms, and point-of-care tests have not yet been developed or validated.
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Controversy surrounds treatment for localized prostate cancer (LPC). ⋯ Significant LPC knowledge gaps existed across groups, with greater knowledge gaps among black men. The association of decision-making difficulty with knowledge was independent of race. Better patient education is needed, but may not alleviate men's decision-making difficulty due to inherent scientific uncertainty.
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Health coaching is potentially a practical method to assist patients in achieving and maintaining healthy lifestyles. In health coaching, the coach partners with the patient, helping patients discover their own strengths, challenges, and solutions. ⋯ Medical assistants can be trained to assist patients with lifestyle changes that are associated with improved health and weight control.
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Little is known about the attitudes toward and adoption of telehealth services among family physicians (FPs), the largest primary care physician group. We conducted a national survey of FPs, randomly sampled from membership organization files, to investigate use of and barriers to using telehealth services. ⋯ Telehealth use was limited among FPs. Many of the barriers to using telehealth services cited by FPs are amenable to policy modification.
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Nonadherence to medicines contributes to poor health outcomes, especially for patients with complicated medicine regimens. We examined adherence among patients at a family health center and the impact that barriers to getting medicines and negative beliefs about medicines have on adherence. ⋯ Negative beliefs about medicines are as prevalent in this population as external barriers to accessing medicines, but negative beliefs were more significantly associated with adherence than external barriers. Physicians should identify and address patients' negative beliefs about medicines to improve adherence rates.