Journal of general internal medicine
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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.
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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.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Governance around quality of care at hospitals that disproportionately care for black patients.
Hospital boards of directors can play a pivotal role in improving care, yet we know little about how the boards of hospitals that disproportionately serve minority patients engage in this issue. ⋯ Board chairpersons of black-serving hospitals report less expertise with quality of care issues and are less likely to give high priority to these issues than board chairpersons of non-black-serving hospitals. Interventions to engage and educate board members in issues of quality and racial disparities may be needed to improve quality and reduce disparities in care.