Journal of general internal medicine
-
"Before medically advised" (BMA) discharges are rising among hospitalized people with opioid use disorder (OUD) and associated with worse outcomes. However, little is known about BMA discharge among the growing share of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries with OUD. ⋯ BMA discharge among Medicare beneficiaries with OUD is associated with fragmented patterns of post-discharge care, and increased readmissions and deaths relative to home discharges. Efforts are needed to address the drivers and consequences of BMA discharge among individuals with OUD in Medicare.
-
Over 60 million patients in the USA have limited English proficiency (LEP) and experience barriers in care. Still, there exists no standardized method of monitoring the utilization of language interpreting services (LIS). ⋯ The study provides vital insights into language service preferences, frequency, and duration. These findings emphasize the need for standard methods in monitoring LIS usage to enhance patient outcomes for LEP patients.
-
The Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM) has a long-standing history of publishing manuscripts focused on health equity and is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in scientific writing and publishing. This is extremely important in the current climate where false narratives and attacks on DEI and health equity are rampant. To demonstrate their commitment to DEI and health equity, the JGIM Editors-in-Chief created an inaugural DEI Advocacy Team. ⋯ The team strives to advocate for diversity among the editorial board and staff; foster an inclusive environment where all contributions are valued; and facilitate increased and equitable opportunities for publishing of scholarly work by underrepresented groups in medicine. To operationalize their goals, the JGIM DEI Advocacy Team created the 5TDEI Conceptual Framework (team, tools, tracking, transparency, training). This perspective provides a statement from the inaugural JGIM DEI Advocacy Team on how we envision promoting health equity, diversity, and inclusion in medical and scientific writing and publishing of research in JGIM.