Journal of general internal medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Implementing an EMR-Based Referral for Smoking Quitline Services with Additional Provider Education, a Cluster-Randomized Trial.
Despite evidence of their effectiveness, free smoking quitlines are underused. The best way to educate providers about and encourage use of quitlines is not established. We examined if electronic medical record (EMR)-integrated best practices alerts (BPAs) with or without additional provider education resulted in increased quitline referrals. ⋯ An EMR-based BPA can improve the number of referrals to quitline services, though more work is needed to improve providers' use of quitlines and low patient acceptance of services. Trial Registration NIH Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03229356.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Anthropomorphic Character Animations Versus Digital Chalk Talks in a Resident Diabetes Pharmacotherapy Curriculum: a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Animation in medical education has boomed over the past two decades, and demand for distance learning technologies will likely continue in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, experimental data guiding best practices for animation in medical education are scarce. ⋯ SCS and DCTs both led to learning within a multimodal curriculum, but SCS significantly enhanced learner experience. Animation techniques exemplified by both SCS and DCTs have roles in the medical educator toolkit. Selection between them should incorporate context, learner factors, and production resources.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
An Intensive Intervention to Reduce Readmissions for Frequently Hospitalized Patients: the CHAMP Randomized Controlled Trial.
A small number of patients are disproportionally readmitted to hospitals. The Complex High Admission Management Program (CHAMP) was established as a multidisciplinary program to improve continuity of care and reduce readmissions for frequently hospitalized patients. ⋯ Frequently hospitalized patients experienced reductions in utilization over time. Though most outcomes showed no difference, CHAMP was associated with higher readmissions compared to a control group, possibly due to consolidation of care at a single hospital. Future research should seek to identify subsets of patients with persistently high utilization for whom tailored interventions may be beneficial.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of Peer Benchmarking on Specialist Electronic Consult Performance in a Los Angeles Safety-Net: a Cluster Randomized Trial.
Since the advent of COVID-19, accelerated adoption of systems that reduce face-to-face encounters has outpaced training and best practices. Electronic consultations (eConsults), structured communications between PCPs and specialists regarding a case, have been effective in reducing face-to-face specialist encounters. As the health system rapidly adapts to multiple new practices and communication tools, new mechanisms to measure and improve performance in this context are needed. ⋯ The pandemic has shed light on clinicians' commitment to professionalism and service as we rapidly adapt to changing paradigms. Interventions that appeal to professional norms can help improve the efficacy of new systems of practice. We show that specialists' performance can be measured and improved with feedback using aspirational norms.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Patients' Reactions to Letters Communicating Collateral Findings of Pragmatic Clinical Trials: a National Web-Based Survey.
Collateral findings in pragmatic clinical trials are findings that may have implications for patients' health but were not generated to address a trial's primary research questions. It is uncertain how best to communicate these collateral findings to patients. ⋯ Signatory and level of detail about collateral findings did not substantially affect people's intentions to take the recommended action of contacting their doctor. Deciding whether to include a description of the pragmatic clinical trial requires a trade-off between transparency and more difficulty understanding the contents of the letter.