Annals of family medicine
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2014
Changes in office visit use associated with electronic messaging and telephone encounters among patients with diabetes in the PCMH.
Telephone- and Internet-based communication are increasingly common in primary care, yet there is uncertainty about how these forms of communication affect demand for in-person office visits. We assessed whether use of copay-free secure messaging and telephone encounters was associated with office visit use in a population with diabetes. ⋯ Before and after a medical home redesign, proportional increases in secure messaging and telephone encounters were associated with additional primary care office visits for individuals with diabetes. Our findings provide evidence on how new forms of patient-clinician communication may affect demand for office visits.
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2014
Practice environments and job satisfaction in patient-centered medical homes.
We undertook a study to evaluate the effects of medical home transformation on job satisfaction in the primary care setting. ⋯ Medical home transformations that emphasize quality and open communication while minimizing office chaos may offer the best chances of improving job satisfaction.
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2014
A school-based study of adolescent all-terrain vehicle exposure, safety behaviors, and crash experience.
More youth are killed every year in the United States in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes than on bicycles, and since 2001, one-fifth of all ATV fatalities have involved victims aged 15 years or younger. Effectively preventing pediatric ATV-related deaths and injuries requires knowledge about youth riding practices. Our objective was to examine ATV use, crash prevalence, and riding behaviors among adolescent students in a rural state. ⋯ Three-fourths of youths surveyed were exposed to ATVs. The majority of riders had engaged in unsafe behaviors and experienced a crash. Given this widespread use and the potentially considerable morbidity of pediatric ATV crashes, prevention efforts, including anticipatory guidance by primary care clinicians serving families at risk, should be a higher priority.