Journal of general internal medicine
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Healthcare-based social need screening and referral (S&R) among adult populations has produced equivocal results regarding social need resource connection. ⋯ Among VHA-enrolled Veterans, a high-intensity S&R intervention was associated with a non-statistically significant increase in connection to social need resources. Further study needed to establish S&R efficacy.
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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which have a reciprocal relationship compounded by obesity, are highly prevalent in the Middle East affecting morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. ⋯ This study highlights the critical need for routine screening of MASLD among Emirati patients with long-standing T2DM, given the high point prevalence of severe steatosis (~ 83%), predominantly among women in this population.
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Following the birth of Black Lives Matter, USA medical students advocated for greater commitment to health equity from their schools. In response to such concerns, in 2015, the Yale School of Medicine formed a committee for diversity, inclusion, and social justice and a committee on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex affairs. Based on their efforts, our Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee commissioned a student-faculty-led task force to survey the curriculum and make recommendations toward the creation of a health equity curriculum. We conducted a national review of reforms in medical schools' health equity curricula and reviewed health equity content throughout ours. ⋯ We designed best practices for incorporating health equity into the curriculum, and a plan for a health equity thread spanning all its core components. We identified that classroom teaching is not sufficient, and recommended a required experiential learning practicum responsive to community needs. Lastly, we made recommendations regarding faculty and housestaff health equity education given the critical role they play in undergraduate medical education.
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Prior to enrolling in medical Spanish courses, students typically acquire their Spanish skills either through formal second language education only (L2 learners) or by being exposed to Spanish during childhood at home (heritage learners). ⋯ High heritage exposure and advanced college-level study are correlated with medical Spanish proficiency, but not all students with high heritage Spanish exposure or college-level coursework are ready for Spanish-concordant care. Future work should further evaluate the proposed three-category heritage language exposure indicator with a larger sample and the effectiveness of educational activities to enhance medical Spanish proficiency for both L2 and heritage learners.