Journal of general internal medicine
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The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has contributed to growing demand for mental health services, but patients face significant barriers to accessing care. Direct-to-consumer(DTC) telemedicine has been proposed as one way to increase access, yet little is known about its pre-pandemic use for mental healthcare. ⋯ As the burden of psychiatric disease grows, DTC telemedicine offers one solution for extending access to mental healthcare. While most encounters were one-off, evidence of some continuity in psychiatry and therapy visits-as well as overall high patient satisfaction-suggests potential for broader DTC telemental health use.
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Observational Study
Influenza vaccination and mortality among adults with heart failure in an integrated healthcare delivery system, 2009-2018.
Influenza infection can result in decompensation or exacerbation of heart failure (HF) symptoms, hospitalization, and death. ⋯ Influenza vaccination in HF patients was associated with a lower risk of mortality during the influenza season. Our findings provide support for recommendations of universal influenza vaccination in patients with HF.
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Inpatient addiction medicine consultation services (AMCS) have grown rapidly, but there is limited research of their impact on patient outcomes. ⋯ There was a reduction in 90-day all-cause mortality for the AMCS intervention group compared to matched controls, although the impact on hospital utilization was mixed. AMCS are systems interventions that are effective tools to improve patient health and reduce all-cause mortality.