J Am Board Fam Med
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"Social determinants of heath" (SDHs) are nonclinical factors that profoundly affect health. Helping community health centers (CHCs) document patients' SDH data in electronic health records (EHRs) could yield substantial health benefits, but little has been reported about CHCs' development of EHR-based tools for SDH data collection and presentation. ⋯ Standardizing SDH data collection and presentation in EHRs could lead to improved patient and population health outcomes in CHCs and other care settings. We know of no previous reports of processes used to develop similar tools. This article provides an example of 1 such process. Lessons from our process may be useful to health care organizations interested in using EHRs to collect and act on SDH data. Research is needed to empirically test the generalizability of these lessons.
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Recent support has been shown for physicians to recommend e-cigarettes to patients who are trying to quit smoking. Supporters of this recommendation argue that e-cigarettes are not combustible products and are less harmful and more effective cessation products than regular cigarettes, with less inherent risk. Those who oppose this idea argue that little reliable evidence suggests that e-cigarettes are better cigarette cessation devices than currently available nicotine replacement therapies, and that they pose as much risk as cigarettes. This study was conducted to explore family physicians' perceptions of recommending e-cigarettes as smoking cessation aids to patients who smoke cigarettes. ⋯ The results suggest that most family physicians do not recommend e-cigarettes for smoking cessation, citing lack of evidence on effectiveness and uncertainty regarding short- and long-term safety.
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Despite accumulating evidence about the harm of polypharmacy in family medicine, few studies have investigated factors related to polypharmacy. The objective of this study was to explore factors related to physicians' prescribing behavior. ⋯ Conscious consideration concerning the number of medications and benefit/risk information, as well as using the Beers List, were associated with less polypharmacy and fewer PIMs.
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Integrating oral health care and primary care is a priority for improving population health. Primary care physicians (PCP) are filling expanded roles within oral health care to secure strong overall health for their patients. ⋯ Regardless of the roles that they play, family physicians can contribute a great deal to the success of integration models.
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The aim of this study is to describe factors associated with noncompletion of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) therapy. ⋯ Patients at risk of progression to active tuberculosis with factors associated with noncompletion may benefit from interventions that enhance adherence to LTBI therapy. These interventions could include enhanced outreach, incentive programs, or home visits.