Journal of general internal medicine
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The Institute of Medicine calls for physicians to engage patients in making clinical decisions, but not every patient may want the same level of participation. ⋯ This population-based study demonstrates that people vary substantially in their preferences for participation in decision making. Physicians and health care organizations should not assume that patients wish to participate in clinical decision making, but must assess individual patient preferences and tailor care accordingly.
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To determine whether phlebotomy contributes to changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels in hospitalized general internal medicine patients. ⋯ Phlebotomy is highly associated with changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels for patients admitted to an internal medicine service and can contribute to anemia. This anemia, in turn, may have significant consequences, especially for patients with cardiorespiratory diseases. Knowing the expected changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit due to diagnostic phlebotomy will help guide when to investigate anemia in hospitalized patients.
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Few studies have examined the factors associated with depression in informal caregivers of HIV-infected persons. ⋯ High caregiver burden was strongly associated with depression among HIV-infected individuals' informal caregivers, who themselves had difficult life circumstances. Informal caregivers of HIV patients may be in need of both mental health services and assistance in caregiving.
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To determine how well a single question of self-reported erectile dysfunction compares to a gold standard clinical urologic examination. ⋯ Our single-question self-report accurately identifies men with clinically diagnosed ED, and may be useful as a referral screening tool in both research studies and general practice settings.