Journal of general internal medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Smoking cessation interventions for patients with depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
We conducted a systematic literature review of smoking cessation interventions for patients with histories of depressive disorders or current significant depressive symptoms. We examined the comparative effectiveness of smoking cessation strategies on abstinence rates, differential effects of cessation strategies by depression status (i.e., history positive vs. current depression), and differential effects by gender. ⋯ Few trials enrolled smokers with current depression. Most of data identified were from subgroup analyses of patients history-positive for depression. However, several promising interventions exist. Healthcare providers should consider encouraging their patients with significant depressive symptoms or depression histories to seek smoking cessation services that include NRT and behavioral mood management.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Symptoms of anxiety and cardiac hospitalizations at 12 months in patients with heart failure.
Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalization. Clinical and socio-demographic factors have been associated with cardiac admissions, but little is known about the role of anxiety. We examined whether symptoms of anxiety were associated with cardiac hospitalizations at 12 months in HF patients. ⋯ The current study found no significant association between symptoms of anxiety and cardiac hospitalizations at 12 months in HF patients. In contrast, clinical indicators (i.e., NYHA class III and a history of HF-related hospitalizations) were significantly associated with admissions due to a cardiac cause. Future studies are warranted to investigate the importance of symptoms of anxiety in HF using a larger sample size and a longer follow-up duration.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Governance around quality of care at hospitals that disproportionately care for black patients.
Hospital boards of directors can play a pivotal role in improving care, yet we know little about how the boards of hospitals that disproportionately serve minority patients engage in this issue. ⋯ Board chairpersons of black-serving hospitals report less expertise with quality of care issues and are less likely to give high priority to these issues than board chairpersons of non-black-serving hospitals. Interventions to engage and educate board members in issues of quality and racial disparities may be needed to improve quality and reduce disparities in care.
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Comparative Study
Traditional expectations versus US realities: first- and second-generation Asian Indian perspectives on end-of-life care.
Although end-of-life care preferences vary across racial/ethnic groups, little is known about how cultural values affect end-of-life care preferences among South Asian immigrants and their offspring in the US. ⋯ Traditional cultural values, such as duty to family, greatly influenced end-of-life care preferences and retained importance across generations. Clinicians caring for Asian Indian patients at the end of life may be better able to assess care preferences after exploring the complex interplay between traditional expectations and specific social realities for each patient. Particular attention should be given to attitudes toward death and suffering, family duty, and preferences for information disclosure and decision making.