Journal of general internal medicine
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Perceived quality of care, receipt of preventive care, and usual source of health care among undocumented and other Latinos.
Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States and experience persistent disparities in access to and quality of health care. ⋯ In this national sample, undocumented Latinos were less likely to report receiving blood pressure and cholesterol level checks, less likely to report having received excellent/good quality of care, and more likely to receive no health/health-care information from doctors, even after adjusting for potential confounders. Our study shows that differences in nativity/immigration status should be taken into consideration when we discuss perceived quality of care among Latinos.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Influence of patient race on physician prescribing decisions: a randomized on-line experiment.
Prior research reports black patients have lower medication use for hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes. ⋯ Racial differences in outpatient prescribing patterns for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes are likely attributable to factors other than prescribing decisions based on patient race.
-
Comparative Study
Impact of localizing physicians to hospital units on nurse-physician communication and agreement on the plan of care.
A significant barrier to communication among patient care providers in hospitals is the geographic dispersion of team members. ⋯ Although nurses and physicians were able to identify one another and communicated more frequently after localizing physicians to specific patient care units, there was little impact on nurse-physician agreement on the plan of care.
-
Review
Basic biomedical sciences and the future of medical education: implications for internal medicine.
The academic model of medical education in the United States is facing substantial challenges. Apprenticeship experiences with clinical faculty are increasingly important in most medical schools and residency programs. This trend threatens to separate clinical education from the scientific foundations of medical practice. ⋯ Understanding the scientific foundations of medical practice and the ability to apply them in the care of patients separates the physician from other health care professionals. The de-emphasis of biomedical science in medical education poses particular dangers for the future of internal medicine as the satisfaction derived from the application of science to the solving of a clinical problem has been a central attraction of the specialty. Internists should be engaged in the ongoing discussions of medical education reform and provide a strong voice in support of rigorous scientific training for the profession.