Journal of general internal medicine
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Half of women undergoing mammography have dense breasts. Mandatory dense breast notification and educational materials have been shown to confuse women, rather than empower them. ⋯ Findings highlight the benefits of a brief interactive educational exposure as well as misperceptions that persisted. Results demonstrate the need for an evidence-based, accessible intervention that is easy to understand for patients.
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Observational Study
Racial and Regional Disparities in Outcomes Among Veterans Initially Adherent to Oral Antidiabetic Therapies: an Observational Cohort Study.
Adherence to prescribed medications is connected with, but is not a guarantee of, improved disease management and health outcomes. It remains unclear whether underlying health disparities exist among patients adherent to therapy and whether differences in outcomes vary by race and residential areas of the country. ⋯ Despite adherence to therapy, differences in outcomes are likely among veterans with diabetes based on race and geography. Localized analyses may uncover specific social determinants contributing to differences in outcomes.
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Multicenter Study
Adherence to the SEP-1 Sepsis Bundle in Hospital-Onset v. Community-Onset Sepsis: a Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.
Sepsis is the leading cause of in-hospital death. The SEP-1 sepsis bundle is a protocol for early sepsis care that requires providers to diagnose and treat sepsis quickly. Limited evidence suggests that adherence to the sepsis bundle is lower in cases of hospital-onset sepsis. ⋯ Inpatients with hospital-onset sepsis receive different management than individuals with community-onset sepsis. It remains to be determined whether system-level factors, provider-level factors, or factors related to measurement explain the observed variation in care or whether variation in care affects outcomes.
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Inappropriate antibiotic use for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) is an ongoing problem in primary care. There is extreme variation in the prescribing practices of individual physicians, which cannot be explained by clinical factors. ⋯ Physicians report that nonclinical factors frequently influence their decision to prescribe antibiotics for URTI. Physician concerns regarding antibiotic side effects and patient satisfaction are important factors in the decision-making process. Changes in the health system addressing both physicians and patients may be necessary to attain desired prescribing levels.