Journal of general internal medicine
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'Food is Medicine', a rapidly growing innovative intervention, has been shown to improve the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, due to the unique characteristics of Chinese dietary culture, it remains unclear whether such intervention measures can be implemented in China. ⋯ There are presently several potential barriers to future implementing 'Food is Medicine' to manage people living with T2DM. But there are also clear opportunities to develop a context-tailored 'Food is Medicine' intervention in China.
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Narrative medicine (NM) emphasizes the vital role healthcare stories play in conveying patients' experiences and expanding health professionals' reflective capacity. Though predicated on inclusivity, social justice, and equality, NM programs do not tend to include communities with marginalized health narratives due to a paucity of trained facilitators. ⋯ We successfully recruited and engaged participants from minoritized communities to facilitate NM sessions. Future efforts should focus on objective assessments of skills, and more in-depth research using focus groups, observation, and key informant interviews.
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Extreme and inequitable heat exposures cause weather-related deaths. Associations between maximum daily temperature and individual-level healthcare utilization have been inadequately characterized. ⋯ Significant heat-related utilization occurred among individuals with heat-sensitive clinical conditions compared with those without. Demographic characteristics (e.g., older) and specific clinical conditions (e.g., liver failure) demonstrated higher utilization. In real-time, chronic disease management programs could proactively identify at-risk individuals for interventions which reduce heat-related morbidity and healthcare utilization.