Journal of primary care & community health
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Practice GuidelineGuidelines for Frontline Health Care Staff Safety for COVID-19.
This document establishes safety guidelines for physicians, nurses, and allied health care and facility staff who may be exposed to patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a health care facility. SARS-CoV-2 infection is highly contagious and places health care workers at risk for infection resulting in coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Physicians, nurses, and allied health care and facility staff in all frontline environments must be provided and utilize necessary personal protective equipment (PPE). ⋯ The establishment of these guidelines is necessary in this viral pandemic since such directives can create a standard of safety that is universally accepted. These guidelines establish a framework to provide consistency among health care facilities and staff from the time the staff member arrives at the health care facility until they return home. These guidelines provide a practical description of the minimum necessary protection for physicians, nurses, and allied health care and facility staff against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyPatient-Reported Outcomes from a 1-Year, Real-World, Head-to-Head Comparison of OnabotulinumtoxinA and Topiramate for Headache Prevention in Adults With Chronic Migraine.
Chronic migraine (CM) is associated with impaired health-related quality of life and substantial socioeconomic burden, but many people with CM are underdiagnosed and do not receive appropriate preventive treatment. OnabotulinumtoxinA and topiramate have demonstrated efficacy (treatment benefit under ideal conditions) for the prevention of headaches in people with CM in clinical trials, but real-world studies suggest markedly different clinical effectiveness (treatment benefit based on a blend of efficacy and tolerability). This study sought to evaluate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of onabotulinumtoxinA versus topiramate immediate release for people with CM. ⋯ OnabotulinumtoxinA treatment had more favorable real-world effectiveness than topiramate on depression, headache impact, functioning and daily living, activity, and work productivity. The overall study results suggest that the beneficial effects on a range of PROs are the result of improved effectiveness when onabotulinumtoxinA is used as preventive treatment for CM.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Rigorous Hand Hygiene Practices Among Health Care Workers Reduce Hospital-Associated Infections During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The experiences of these recent months have left us with as many new questions as they have given us new solutions. The main question that infection prevention and control department is having these days is "Why have hospital-associated infections (HAIs) reduced during COVID-19 pandemic?" What is the one unique strategy that has brought decline in increasing HAIs? Would it be appropriate to say that rigorous hand hygiene practices among health care workers (HCWs) have reduced HAIs in a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan? This commentary is written to understand the effect of rigorous hand hygiene among HCWs on number of HAIs during COVID-19 pandemic. Given the seriousness of this outbreak, it was observed that the hand hygiene has occupied a new place of importance in the minds of HCWs. ⋯ The increased consumption of hand sanitizers was reflected in improved hand hygiene practices. A reduction was observed in the number of HAIs after the COVID-19 outbreak, and we assume that the dip in HAIs is associated with the improvement in hand hygiene practices in the recent months. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, these trends reassure us that hand hygiene compliance by HCWs alone can be effective in reducing HAIs in a hospital setting.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Lost in Transition: Pharmacist Roles in Identifying and Evaluating Medication-Related Problems During Hospital Discharge Follow-up Visits in a Primary Care Setting.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate medication-related problems (MRPs) found during hospital discharge transitions of care visits in a primary care setting. Design, Settings, and Participants: This retrospective cohort took place within a federally qualified health center (FQHC) where pharmacists are part of the interprofessional transitions of care team to help patients transition back to primary care after being discharged from the hospital. Pharmacists utilized standardized forms to document MRPs, potential and adverse drug events, and interventions made during the visit. ⋯ Conclusion: Pharmacists serve a unique role during transitions of care by identifying MRPs. Pharmacists are an integral part of a patient's health care team by making recommendations or interventions related to these MRPs. FQHCs and other primary care settings should consider integrating pharmacists into a collaborative transitions of care team.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Comparative StudyChanges in Primary Care Visits in the 24 Weeks After COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders Relative to the Comparable Time Period in 2019 in Metropolitan Chicago and Northern Illinois.
In this brief report, we characterize pediatric primary care service utilization in metropolitan Chicago over the first 24 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic response in relation to the comparable time period in 2019. ⋯ Recovery of well child and immunization visits suggests that practice-level efforts and policy change can ensure children receive recommended care as the pandemic evolves.