Journal of general internal medicine
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Significant racial and ethnic differences along several dimensions of patients'experiences with hospital care have been previously documented. However, the relationship between these differences and possible differences in processes of care has not been well described. ⋯ Our findings suggest that hospitals should pursue hiring a culturally diverse work force and should collect racial and ethnically specific data about satisfaction with care including satisfaction with availability of social workers and interpreters.
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Completing pre-transplant evaluations may be a greater barrier to renal transplantation for blacks with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) than for whites. ⋯ Instrumental support networks may facilitate completing renal pre-transplant evaluations. Clinical interventions that supplement instrumental support should be evaluated to improve access to renal transplantation. Access to supplemental insurance may also promote complete evaluations for black patients.
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Little is known regarding how providers should use information about intimate partner violence (IPV) to care for depressed patients. Our objective was to explore what depressed IPV survivors believe about the relationship between abuse, mental health, and physical symptoms and to elicit their recommendations for addressing depression. ⋯ Understanding a patient's IPV history may allow providers to develop a better therapeutic relationship. To treat depression adequately, it is important for providers to reassure patients that they believe their physical symptoms; to communicate respect for patients' intelligence, experience, and complexity; and to share control.
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Clinical prediction rules (CPR) are tools that clinicians can use to predict the most likely diagnosis, prognosis, or response to treatment in a patient based on individual characteristics. CPRs attempt to standardize, simplify, and increase the accuracy of clinicians' diagnostic and prognostic assessments. The teaching tips series is designed to give teachers advice and materials they can use to attain specific educational objectives. ⋯ Teaching with these tips will help physicians appreciate the importance of applying evidence to their every day decisions. In 2 or 3 short teaching sessions, clinicians can also become familiar with the use of CPRs in applying evidence consistently in everyday practice.
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Approximately half of the US population has marginal or inadequate health literacy, a measure highly associated with health outcomes. This measure is often linked to age and education, but recent evidence from patients with chronic heart failure suggests that much of age-related variability in health literacy can be explained by cognitive abilities (e.g., working memory, processing speed). ⋯ When controlling for cognitive and sensory variables, the association of age and education with STOFHLA scores was dramatically reduced. Thus, future interventions aimed at improving self-care for patients with low health literacy should aim to reduce demands on patients' cognitive abilities.