Annals of family medicine
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Annals of family medicine · Sep 2019
Associations of Subjective Memory Complaints and Simple Memory Task Scores With Future Dementia in the Primary Care Setting.
Family physicians need simple yet comprehensive algorithms to discriminate between community-dwelling older persons who are at increased risk of dementia and those who are not. We aimed to investigate associations between incident dementia and responses to a single question regarding subjective memory complaints (SMC) combined with scores on 2 simple memory tests that are easy to use in the primary care setting. ⋯ In persons with SMC, the strength of the association between future dementia and an imperfect MMSE-5 score depends substantially on the VAT score.
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Annals of family medicine · Sep 2019
Potential for Reducing Time to Referral for Colorectal Cancer Patients in Primary Care.
An optimal diagnostic process in primary care is pivotal for reducing cancer-related disease burden. This study aims to explore reasons for long times to referral for Dutch colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in primary care. ⋯ Long time to referral for CRC in primary care is mainly related to low cancer suspicion. There is potential for reducing the longest times to referral for patients with CRC in primary care, with earlier reconsideration of the initial hypothesis and implementation of strict follow-up consultations.
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Annals of family medicine · Sep 2019
Patient-Physician Agreement in Reporting and Prioritizing Existing Chronic Conditions.
In this study, we aimed to assess (1) the agreement between patient self-reports and general practitioner (GP) reports of the chronic conditions affecting the patients and (2) the agreement between patients and GPs on health priorities in a primary care setting. ⋯ Agreement between patients and their GPs varied widely depending on the diseases reported. Low agreement on health priorities suggests a need for improvement to ensure better alignment between patient and physician perspectives.
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Although the public's essential capacity for self-rule in the United States lies in the power of the ballot, there exist many barriers to voting, particularly for marginalized communities. These barriers cultivate less representative government and less inclusive public policy. ⋯ With augmented, unbiased voter participation, elections would yield government that is more representative and public policy that is more equitable, while reducing costly and preventable health disparities. Health organizations can promote comprehensive, nonpartisan voter engagement through registration, mobilization, education, and protection of all voters.
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Annals of family medicine · Sep 2019
Interventions Addressing Food Insecurity in Health Care Settings: A Systematic Review.
Based on the recognition that food insecurity (FI) is associated with poor health across the life course, many US health systems are actively exploring ways to help patients access food resources. This review synthesizes findings from studies examining the effects of health care-based interventions designed to reduce FI. ⋯ Although a growing base of literature explores health care-based FI interventions, the low number and low quality of studies limit inferences about their effectiveness. More rigorous evaluation of FI interventions that includes health and utilization outcomes is needed to better understand roles for the health care sector in addressing FI.