Journal of general internal medicine
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Successful transitions of care require communication between inpatient and outpatient physicians. The discharge summary is the main communication tool used by physicians during these transitions. ⋯ Clinical training programs and healthcare systems must optimize discharge summaries for PCPs to achieve goals of providing high-quality care that improves population health.
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COVID-19 vaccination is estimated to have averted more than 2.4 million deaths globally. In the United States (U. S.) alone, more than 120,000 deaths and 700,000 hospitalizations are reportedly estimated to have been prevented during the first six months of the vaccine campaign. ⋯ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While tenure is designed to protect those with contrarian views, we believe that the University has an ethical obligation to condemn misleading statements that put public health at risk. Herein, we explore the challenges of managing misinformation disseminated by someone who is simultaneously a tenured professor at a public, state-supported university, and a politically appointed public health official.
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The Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) care model, a care coordination program for patients experiencing a fragility fracture, is proven to improve management of patients with an osteoporotic fracture, but treatment initiation gaps persist. ⋯ An FLS including centralized outreach and care coordination significantly improved patient follow-up, DXA, and medication initiation. Addition of de-centralized pharmacist consultation further improved medication initiation rates.
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Smoking rates among people living with behavioral health conditions (BHC) range from 30 to 65% and are 2-4 times higher than rates found in the general population. Starting tobacco treatment during a hospital stay is effective for smoking cessation, but little is known regarding treatment response among inpatients with BHC. ⋯ When offered tobacco treatment, hospitalized patients with BHC were as likely as people without BHC to accept and engage in treatment. However, patients with BHC were less likely to report abstinence compared to those without BHC. Hospitals are a feasible and promising venue for tobacco treatment among inpatients with BHC. More studies are needed to identify treatment approaches that help people with BHC achieve long-term abstinence.
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Exploring Clinical Lessons Learned by Experienced Hospitalists from Diagnostic Errors and Successes.
Diagnostic errors cause significant patient harm. The clinician's ultimate goal is to achieve diagnostic excellence in order to serve patients safely. This can be accomplished by learning from both errors and successes in patient care. However, the extent to which clinicians grow and navigate diagnostic errors and successes in patient care is poorly understood. Clinically experienced hospitalists, who have cared for numerous acutely ill patients, should have great insights from their successes and mistakes to inform others striving for excellence in patient care. ⋯ The study identifies key lessons learned from the errors and successes encountered in patient care by clinically experienced hospitalists. These findings may prove helpful for individuals and groups that are authentically committed to moving along the continuum from diagnostic competence towards excellence.