Journal of general internal medicine
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Evaluation of the PHQ-9 Item 3 as a screen for sleep disturbance in primary care.
Sleep disturbance is a significant problem for adults presenting to primary care. Though it is recommended that primary care providers screen for sleep problems, a brief, effective screening tool is not available. ⋯ Item 3 of the PHQ-9 shows promise as a screener for sleep problems in primary care. Using this one-item of a popular screening measure for depression in primary care allows providers to easily screen for two important issues without unnecessarily adding significant burden.
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Association between statins given in hospital and mortality in pneumonia patients.
Statins are prescribed to lower cholesterol, but also have anti-inflammatory properties. Some observational studies suggest that statins may reduce mortality from sepsis. ⋯ Inpatient treatment with statins is associated with a modest reduction in pneumonia mortality outside of intensive care.
-
Comparative Study
Use of an appreciative inquiry approach to improve resident sign-out in an era of multiple shift changes.
Resident duty hour restrictions have resulted in more frequent patient care handoffs, increasing the need for improved quality of residents' sign-out process. ⋯ Resident views toward sign-out are diverse, and accuracy of written records may be limited. Consecutive sign-outs are associated with degradation of information. An appreciative-inquiry approach capitalizing on exemplar residents was effective at creating standards for sign-out.
-
Comparative Study
Resident physician well-being and assessments of their knowledge and clinical performance.
Medical knowledge and clinical performance ratings are major criteria for assessing the competence of resident physicians. However, these assessments may be influenced by residents' mental health. The relationship between residents' well-being and empathy and assessments of their global performance remains unclear. ⋯ Most dimensions of resident well-being were not associated with residents' knowledge scores and assessments of their clinical performance by other members of the health care team, which supports the trustworthiness of these measures. Nonetheless, correlations of resident empathy and burnout with assessments completed by peers and supervising residents suggest that some ratings of residents may be influenced by interpersonal factors.
-
Editorial Comment
From the editors' desk: it's the social determinants, stupid.