Arch Med Sci
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Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospital readmission. Medicare home health services provide intermittent skilled nursing care to homebound Medicare beneficiaries. We examined whether discharge home health referral is associated with a lower risk of 30-day all-cause readmission in HF. ⋯ Hospitalized HF patients who received discharge home health services referral had a higher risk of 30-day and 1-year all-cause readmission and all-cause mortality, but not of HF readmission.
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Few large-scale investigations on genotype (GT) distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Hunan Province, China, are reported. ⋯ HCV GT1 was the most predominant HCV genotype in Hunan Province, and GT6 and GT3 accounted for a significant percentage, especially in young patients. The HCV distribution pattern was more similar to those of the regions in south China.
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The aim of this study was to assess quality of life among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated as outpatients. The specific question was: does the quality of life of RA patients depend on demographic variables and clinical variables? ⋯ The study results may be helpful for further health-related studies on quality of life among RA studies and in making therapeutic decisions concerning quality of life improvement.
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We aim to highlight the utility of this model in the analysis of the psycho-behavioral implications of family cancer, presenting the scientific literature that used Leventhal's model as the theoretical framework of approach. ⋯ This model can generate interventions that are conceptually clear as well as useful in regulating the individuals' behaviors by reducing the risk of developing the disease and by managing as favorably as possible health and/or disease.
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Clinical studies have revealed that fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of drugs can have a better effect on blood pressure than free-equivalent combinations (FECs). Our objectives were to perform an up-to-date assessment of the effectiveness of FDCs and FECs in antihypertensive therapy, to provide more accurate results by using a stratified meta-analysis. ⋯ In comparison with FECs, the FDC treatment is associated with a significant improvement in the cooperation between a doctor and a patient and with increased patients' adherence to the treatment schedule.