JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Crude mortality rates at the time of hospital discharge are commonly used to assess the quality of care provided to patients hospitalized following trauma. ⋯ Hospital discharge death rates are incomplete measures of death frequency for injured patients. Designation of the cause of death, especially among older, hospitalized, injured patients often reflects preexisting medical conditions. Adequate assessment of mortality following trauma requires measurement of the frequency of death following hospital discharge.
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Previous studies have documented that cancer patients tend to overestimate the probability of long-term survival. If patient preferences about the trade-offs between the risks and benefits associated with alternative treatment strategies are based on inaccurate perceptions of prognosis, then treatment choices may not reflect each patient's true values. ⋯ Patients with metastatic colon and lung cancer overestimate their survival probabilities and these estimates may influence their preferences about medical therapies.
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Significant symptoms of depression are common in the older community-dwelling population. Although depressive symptoms and disability may commonly occur in the same person, whether depressive symptoms contribute to subsequent functional decline has not been elucidated. ⋯ This study provides evidence that older persons who report depressive symptoms are at higher risk of subsequent physical decline. These results suggest that prevention or reduction of depressed mood could play a role in reducing functional decline in older persons.