Archives of internal medicine
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Sepsis is common, highly morbid, and costly, yet little is known about differences in the care or outcomes of patients with sepsis across hospitals. We sought to characterize variations in hospital spending and mortality rates and to determine whether higher levels of spending are associated with better hospital survival. ⋯ Hospital spending and adjusted mortality rates for patients with sepsis vary substantially, but higher hospital expenditures are not associated with better survival. Efforts to enhance the value of sepsis care could be modeled on hospitals that achieve lower-than-expected mortality and costs.
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Physician counseling is effective in promoting healthy behavior. We evaluated whether patient reports of physician acknowledgment of overweight patients' weight status are associated with the patients' perceptions of their own weight and desire to lose weight. ⋯ Among patients who were overweight or obese, patient reports of being told by a physician that they were overweight were associated with more realistic perceptions of the patients' own weight, desire to lose weight, and recent attempts to lose weight.