Internal medicine journal
-
Internal medicine journal · Sep 2023
Influence of side effect information on patient willingness to take medication: consequences for informed consent and medication adherence.
Medication side effect information can create negative patient expectations of side effects, but such information is considered crucial to informed consent. The current study investigated the effect of informing participants of different numbers of medication side effects. Willingness to take the medication was highest for those informed of one or four compared with none or 26 side effects, and memory of side effects was also more accurate. Findings suggest that informing patients of some, but not several, side effects may optimise both medication adherence and accuracy of informed consent.
-
Internal medicine journal · Sep 2023
The development of Jack Jumper ant venom immunotherapy: our 25 years' experience.
Jack Jumper ant venom allergy is a uniquely Australian medical issue. The stinging ant is a leading cause of insect venom allergy in south-eastern Australia. An effective venom immunotherapy-based treatment was successfully developed by the Tasmanian Jack Jumper Allergy Research group. This paper provides a synopsis of our 25 years' research journey in developing this evidence-based treatment modality.
-
Internal medicine journal · Sep 2023
Tuberculosis and Diabetes: increased hospitalisations and mortality associated with renal impairment.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) triples a person's risk of active tuberculosis (TB) and is associated with increased mortality. It is unclear whether diabetes status and/or the associated renal dysfunction is associated with poor TB outcomes in New Zealand, which has high diabetes screening. ⋯ Diabetes is associated with higher TB hospitalisation and mortality; however, this is likely mediated by increased age and chronic kidney disease.