Journal of general internal medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Using Nudges to Reduce Missed Appointments in Primary Care and Mental Health: a Pragmatic Trial.
Missed appointments ("no-shows") are a persistent and costly problem in healthcare. Appointment reminders are widely used but usually do not include messages specifically designed to nudge patients to attend appointments. ⋯ Appointment reminder letters incorporating brief behavioral nudges were ineffective in improving appointment attendance in VA primary care or mental health clinics. More complex or intensive interventions may be necessary to significantly reduce missed appointments below their current rates.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of a National VHA Medical Scribe Pilot on Provider Productivity, Wait Times, and Patient Satisfaction in Cardiology and Orthopedics.
Section 507 of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 mandated a 2-year pilot study of medical scribes in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), with 12 VA Medical Centers randomly selected to receive scribes in their emergency departments or high wait time specialty clinics (cardiology and orthopedics). The pilot began on June 30, 2020, and ended on July 1, 2022. ⋯ Given the potential improvements in productivity and wait times with no change in patient satisfaction, our results suggest that scribes may be a useful tool to improve access to VHA care. However, participation in the pilot by sites and providers was voluntary, which could have implications for scalability and what effects could be expected if scribes were introduced to the care process without buy-in. Cost was not considered in this analysis but is an important factor for future implementation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Yoga Versus Education for Veterans with Chronic Low Back Pain: a Randomized Controlled Trial.
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The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is in need of population health approaches to address overweight and obesity-related diseases. BMI serves as a simple, blunt metric to monitor these efforts. However, emerging research has demonstrated that healthcare weigh-ins contribute to weight stigma which paraodoxically is associated with weight gain. An alternative metric is urgently needed for VHA's MOVE!® Weight Management Program and other eating- and weight-related services. ⋯ Findings support the reliability and construct validity of the WE-QOL Scale. The WE-QOL Scale has potential to provide a standardized population health metric that could be used as a screening tool and clinical reminder to identify, refer, and assess outcomes for Veterans with weight and disordered eating issues. Future research could be targeted at using this measure to improve patient care and quality of care.
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Housing security is a key social determinant of behavior related to health outcomes. ⋯ The REDD-CAT Housing Security Measure provides a reliable and valid assessment of housing affordability, safety, and home features in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Future work is needed to establish the clinical utility of this measure in other clinical populations.