Journal of general internal medicine
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Every year, millions of US adults return home from prison or jail, and they visit the emergency department and experience hospitalizations at higher rates than the general population. Little is known about the primary conditions that drive this acute care use. ⋯ Medical and mental health needs appear to contribute equally to increased acute care utilization among those with recent criminal legal involvement. This underscores the need to identify and test interventions which comprehensively address both medical and mental health conditions for individuals returning to the community to improve both health care access and quality.
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According to the American Association of Blood Banks, a Type and Screen (T&S) is valid for up to three calendar days. Beyond a limited number of clinical indications such as a transfusion reaction, repeat T&S testing within 3 days is not warranted. Inappropriate repeat T&S testing is a costly medical waste and can lead to patient harm. ⋯ Our intervention successfully reduced duplicate T&S testing using a two-pronged electronic health record intervention. The success of this low effort intervention across a diverse health system provides a framework for similar interventions in various clinical settings.
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Programs to screen for social and economic needs (SENs) are challenging to implement. ⋯ Under one-third of patients obtaining care at an FQHC expressed interest in community resources for SENs. After program refinements, rates of follow-up with interested patients substantially increased.