J Am Board Fam Med
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Patients with chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) are common and have a high degree of morbidity. Previous studies document clinician frustration and variability in CNCP management. We conducted this study to gather in-depth clinicians' views about factors that affect management of CNCP. ⋯ Guidelines and increased continuing medical education alone are unlikely to be the solutions to the challenges of CNCP management. Increased evidence for recommendations and resources for more comprehensive care management are needed.
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In 2001, community health center (CHC) leaders in Oregon established an organization to facilitate the integration of health information technology, including a shared electronic health record (EHR), into safety net clinics. The Oregon Community Health Information Network (shortened to OCHIN as other states joined) became a CHC information technology hub, supporting a network-wide EHR with one master patient index, now linked across >40 safety net organizations serving >900,000 patients with nearly 800,000 distinct CHC visits. ⋯ The Safety Net West "community- based laboratory," based at OCHIN, is positioned to become an important resource for many studies including: evaluation of the real-time impact of health care reform on uninsured populations; development of new models of primary care delivery; dissemination and translation of interventions from other EHR-based systems (e.g., Kaiser Permanente) into the community health setting; and analyses of factors influencing disparities in health and health care access. We describe the founding of Safety Net West, its infrastructure development, current projects, and the future goals of this community-based PBRN with a common EHR.
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The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) concept recently has garnered national attention as a means of improving the quality of primary care. Preventive services are one area in which the use of a PCMH is hoped to achieve gains, though there has been limited exploration of PCMH characteristics that can assist with practice redesign. The purpose of this study was to examine whether first-contact access characteristics of a medical home (eg, availability of appointments or advice by telephone) confer additional benefit in the receipt of preventive services for individuals who already have a longitudinal relationship with a primary care physician at a site of care. ⋯ In the primary care home, first-contact accessibility adds benefit, beyond continuity of care with a physician, in improving receipt of preventive services. Amid increasing primary care demands and finite resources available to translate the PCMH into clinic settings, there is a need for further studies of the interplay between specific PCMH principles and how they perform in practice.
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Use of cannabis is often an under-reported activity in our society. Despite legal restriction, cannabis is often used to relieve chronic and neuropathic pain, and it carries psychotropic and physical adverse effects with a propensity for addiction. This article aims to update the current knowledge and evidence of using cannabis and its derivatives with a view to the sociolegal context and perspectives for future research. ⋯ Family physicians need to be cognizant of such changing landscapes with a practical knowledge on the pros and cons of medical marijuana, the legal implications of its use, and possible developments in the future.
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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin and soft tissue infections have been documented with increasing frequency in both team and individual sports in recent years. It also seems that the level of MRSA skin and soft tissue infections in the general population has increased. ⋯ We documented an overall skin infection rate of 5.3% among high school football players over a single season. Our results suggest that skin and soft tissue infection may not be widespread among high school athletes in northeast Ohio.