JAMA internal medicine
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JAMA internal medicine · Feb 2015
ReviewPatients' expectations of the benefits and harms of treatments, screening, and tests: a systematic review.
Unrealistic patient expectations of the benefits and harms of interventions can influence decision making and may be contributing to increasing intervention uptake and health care costs. ⋯ The majority of participants overestimated intervention benefit and underestimated harm. Clinicians should discuss accurate and balanced information about intervention benefits and harms with patients, providing the opportunity to develop realistic expectations and make informed decisions.
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JAMA internal medicine · Feb 2015
Comparative StudyOutcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest treated by basic vs advanced life support.
Most out-of-hospital cardiac arrests receiving emergency medical services in the United States are treated by ambulance service providers trained in advanced life support (ALS), but supporting evidence for the use of ALS over basic life support (BLS) is limited. ⋯ Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who received BLS had higher survival at hospital discharge and at 90 days compared with those who received ALS and were less likely to experience poor neurological functioning.
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JAMA internal medicine · Feb 2015
Comparative StudyMortality and treatment patterns among patients hospitalized with acute cardiovascular conditions during dates of national cardiology meetings.
Thousands of physicians attend scientific meetings annually. Although hospital physician staffing and composition may be affected by meetings, patient outcomes and treatment patterns during meeting dates are unknown. ⋯ High-risk patients with heart failure and cardiac arrest hospitalized in teaching hospitals had lower 30-day mortality when admitted during dates of national cardiology meetings. High-risk patients with AMI admitted to teaching hospitals during meetings were less likely to receive PCI, without any mortality effect.