Southern medical journal
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Significant attention has been directed at evaluating reimbursement rates to orthopedic surgeons for various surgical procedures. To evaluate patients' understanding of the surgeon reimbursement process, studies using patient surveys have been conducted to determine patients' perceptions of orthopedic surgeon compensation. To date, there has been no systematic review to consolidate the data of these studies. ⋯ Patients consistently overestimate how much orthopedic surgeons are reimbursed for common orthopedic procedures. The results of this systematic review suggest that patients may value these procedures more than what Medicare reimburses. Such information may help educate the public, direct policy, and increase transparency between orthopedic surgeons and patients.
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2020
An Examination of Racial Disparities in Inpatient Consultations.
To determine whether racial disparities occurred among specialty and allied health inpatient consultations for patients admitted to adult hospital services at an academic hospital. ⋯ Processes within the healthcare setting studied did not contribute to racial differences in consultation services. Our findings suggest that implicit racial bias may not be a factor when ordering consultations, but the findings are more likely affected by more appropriate factors such as the patient's age, length of stay, and complexity/severity of illness score.
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2020
Rate of Food Insecurity Among Households with Children with Sickle Cell Disease is Above the National Average.
Despite studies demonstrating the negative impact of food insecurity on health in children, limited research has been done to assess the prevalence and sequelae of food insecurity in sickle cell disease (SCD). We tested the hypothesis that food insecurity is common in children with SCD and is associated with increased SCD morbidity. ⋯ In a tertiary care medical center in Tennessee, one in five households with children with SCD were assessed as food insecure, with a substantial discordance between caregiver and child assessment of food insecurity.
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2020
Obesity and Severe Obesity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Prevalence and Risk Factors.
Research suggests a high prevalence of obesity in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), but the prevalence of severe obesity and its association with risk factors unique to this population remain undetermined. This study sought to compare the prevalence of severe obesity in children with ASDs to that of the general population and investigated associated risk factors for obesity in this population. ⋯ The prevalence of severe obesity in children with ASDs was higher with increasing age, and in the 6- to 11-year-old age group, was significantly higher than in the general population. Healthcare providers should address diet and exercise early as part of a comprehensive management plan for children with ASDs.
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2020
Increasing the Rural Workforce of Family Medicine Physicians: A Community-Focused Approach.
There is an increased need for Family Medicine physicians who make up approximately 40% of the primary care work. In this article the authors share perspective on how to engage the community in increasing the rural workforce of Family Physicians. Suggestions include introducing the school to the community in which it lives, matching the applicant to the needs of the community and not just the needs of the school, including community members as part of the admissions process and recruiting applicants primarily from inside the state.