Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Oct 2024
A Qualitative Study of Transportation-Related Barriers to HIV Care in South Carolina.
Addressing structural barriers to care for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the southern United States is critical to increase rates of viral suppression and to reduce existing HIV disparities. This qualitative study aimed to describe transportation-related barriers experienced by people living with HIV in South Carolina, understand perceived effects of transportation vulnerability on HIV care, and explore strategies used by individuals to overcome transportation-related challenges. ⋯ This study offers insight for the development of transportation interventions to improve equitable access to HIV care for people living with HIV in South Carolina. It also calls attention to the ways in which transportation vulnerability, HIV-related stigma, and disability status intersect to create unique challenges for some people living with HIV.
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Southern medical journal · Oct 2024
Exploring Bias in Health Care: Using Art to Facilitate a Narrative Medicine Approach among Third-Year Medical Students.
Teaching medical students about biases in health care poses challenges due to the complexity of modifying preexisting beliefs and the possibility of triggering strong emotional reactions. Narrative medicine fosters reflection and discussion among healthcare providers, and visual thinking strategies (VTS) enable providers to improve diagnostic ability through close and methodical examination of art. This study investigated the effectiveness of a session integrating narrative medicine and VTS to enhance third-year medical students' understanding of bias in health care. ⋯ Combining narrative medicine and VTS in a single session offers a promising approach for discussing bias in healthcare education. Through reflective experiences and art interpretation, students demonstrated an awareness of often interconnected strategies to identify and mitigate bias while caring for patients. Future next steps for this study involve exploring longitudinal impacts and integrating narrative medicine strategies throughout the medical school curriculum.
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Southern medical journal · Oct 2024
Optimizing Dermatological Care Triage in a Safety-Net Hospital: Retrospective Analysis of Diagnoses and In-Person Referrals.
Teledermatology is a cost-effective and efficient approach to delivering care and is particularly beneficial for patients with limited access to specialized services. Considering the rapid expansion of telehealth, it is crucial to focus on optimization. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the triaging of dermatologic care in an electronic consultation (e-consultation) service in a safety-net hospital. ⋯ E-consultation services seem well suited for certain concerns, and underserved populations can be evaluated by teledermatology.
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Southern medical journal · Oct 2024
Association of Socioeconomic Variables with Primary Cesarean Section.
Socioeconomic characteristics may be associated with cesarean section (CS) rates. We probe the relationship between socioeconomic variables and primary cesarean section (PCS) by studying indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) in a population-based study in New York City. ⋯ Patient preferences in favor or against CS may be related to SES. There may be conflicts between obstetric care that is maximally beneficial and a patient's desire for delivery mode. Clinicians should be aware of the potential implications of this dilemma.
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In response to worldwide shortages of N95 masks during the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 pandemic, various strategies have been used. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend several strategies, including simple isolation to reprocessing methods using vaporized hydrogen peroxide to guide reuse of masks up to five times. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) quantitative fit testing was performed after five trials of donning and doffing in one cohort of new masks and two cohorts of repeatedly sterilized "duckbill"-type N95 masks. ⋯ These data show the variability of NIOSH fit testing results of both new and sterilized masks. The mask recycling program of our partner health systems thus discarded these types of masks due to the variable failure rate. Health systems should consider individual evaluation to inform their overall policies on mask reuse and recycling.