Annals of family medicine
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Firearm violence is a rising cause of death in the US. More than 38,000 individuals die annually from firearm violence. The estimated annual cost of firearm injuries were $174.1 billion. ⋯ Forms of firearm violence may be associated with various health related risk factors and consequences. Findings from NJ can inform NJ and other states of prevention and intervention initiatives that are locally relevant. By better understanding forms of firearm violence and their factors among various populations, we can develop tailored prevention and intervention strategies in clinical settings and communities. Clinical safety protocols are needed for individuals with risk factors, such as suicidal ideations, youth violence, and IPV.
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
Skin cancer prevention: knowledge and perceptions of a nationwide sample of youth.
Context: Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States and incidence continues to rise. The leading risk factor for skin cancer is sun exposure in adolescence. Given this, sun protection in young adults is an effective way to reduce the occurrence of skin cancer. ⋯ Conclusions: Youth in our nationwide sample understand both the short and long term risks of sun exposure and believe that sun protection is important. Though nearly all reported sunscreen use, youth struggle with implementation of consistent sun protective behaviors with a large number reporting numerous sunburns. These youth reported insights can inform more effective strategies to improve the use of sun protection by youth.
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
The primary care COVID-19 integrated pathway: a quantitative study of rapid response to health and social impacts of COVID-19.
Context: The first wave of COVID-19 in Calgary, Alberta health zone accelerated Primary Care (PC) integration. Specifically, it connected Family Physicians (FPs) with their counterparts in the broader health system to deliver wraparound patient care through a COVID-19 Integrated Pathway (CIP). A key element of the CIP included a data sharing platform that facilitated the provision of test results directly to the FP identified by patients. ⋯ The majority of patients were referred to local PC networks where follow-up was conducted using the CIP: 3223 (43%) already had their own FP, 2448 (32%) were successfully attached to an FP, and 1899 (25%) of these patients were monitored by C4 physicians - these patients either did not have FP or their FP was not available to follow the patient. 8.6% of these patients visited ED and 3.1% were hospitalized. More than 80% of these patients had at least of 5 visits with their FP. Conclusion: Data suggest that the CIP facilitated primary care based management of patients with COVID-19.
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
Utilizing primary care to engage patients on opioids in a psychological intervention for chronic pain.
Context: Chronic pain, one of the most prevalent issues encountered in primary care, is often treated with opioid prescriptions. Overuse of these medications can cause overdose and death, creating a dire need for alternative treatment methods. Psychological interventions are effective for improving pain and distress, yet are underutilized. ⋯ This suggests that engaging patients who are on opioids in a psychological treatment for chronic pain, specifically in a primary care setting, may increase utilization. However, this may be true for women, but not men. Further work needs to be done to identify methods to increase psychological intervention engagement among all patients receiving opioids, but especially men.
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
PPE portraits: patient and clinician experiences at a COVID-19 testing site.
Context: The COVID-19 pandemic mandated personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare settings, obscuring clinician faces and expressions, and depersonalizing patient care experiences. PPE Portraits (affixing a clinician's photo to the front of PPE) was first introduced in 2015 during the West Africa Ebola epidemic, and has been shown to help maintain patient-provider connection at times when patients may be fearful, isolated, and unable to identify clinicians caring for them. Objective: To evaluate patient and clinician experiences with PPE Portraits. ⋯ Conclusion: PPE Portraits humanized the COVID-19 testing experiences for patients and clinicians during a time of fear. Clinicians recommended PPE Portraits for other healthcare settings that require PPE. Future research could assess how PPE Portraits promote patient-provider connection and trust.