Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2021
Changes in For-Profit Medication-Assisted Therapy Clinics in an Appalachian City.
This study is a follow-up to previous research regarding buprenorphine medication-assisted therapy (MAT) in Johnson City, Tennessee. For-profit MAT clinics were surveyed to determine changes in tapering practice patterns and insurance coverage during the last 3 years. ⋯ The concept of tapering buprenorphine during pregnancy appears to have become a standard of care for this community, as representatives state it is offered at all of the clinics that were contacted. Representatives from three clinics stated the clinics require tapering, even though national organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society of Addiction Medicine do not recommend this approach. Although patients who have government or other insurance are now able to obtain buprenorphine with no expense at numerous clinics, the high cost for uninsured patients continues to create an environment conducive to buprenorphine diversion.
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2021
Using a Resident-Led School Outreach Program to Improve Knowledge of All-Terrain Vehicle Safety.
During the past decade, all-terrain vehicle (ATV)-related injuries treated in US emergency departments decreased by 33%, down to approximately 100,000 injuries in 2016. In comparison, the number of children evaluated for ATV injuries in the Children's of Alabama emergency department more than doubled between 2006 and 2016, counter to the national trend. The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines state that ATV operators should be at least 16 years old; however, children younger than 16 continue to represent almost one-third of all ATV-related injuries nationwide, and nearly all of the injuries to children in Alabama. ⋯ The STARs program dramatically improved short-term ATV safety knowledge, and many participants reported they were likely to subsequently use the safe practices presented. School-based programs, such as STARs, may help increase ATV safety awareness and change behaviors in high-risk age groups. This training may be successfully provided by various motivated individuals, including medical residents.
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2021
Psychiatric Comorbidity and Associated Professional Mental Health Utilization among Students in Recovery from Addiction in Southern Collegiate Recovery Communities.
This pilot study explores the additional psychiatric problems and their associated professional mental health utilization by students in recovery from addiction in collegiate recovery communities (CRCs) across the US South. The article has three goals: introduce CRCs to a broad medical audience; identify coexisting psychiatric concerns among students in CRC programs; and determine these students' type, rate, and location of professional mental health services. ⋯ This pilot study suggests that a significant number of students in southern CRCs have additional psychiatric problems that require professional mental health services.
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyAttended Automated Office Blood Pressure Measurement Versus Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in a Primary Healthcare Setting in Chile.
As part of the HEARTS in the Americas initiative, Chilean primary healthcare centers have implemented novel hypertension management strategies, including new diagnostic approaches. This study evaluated the concordance between attended automated office blood pressure (AOBP) measurements with an oscillometric device and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). ⋯ Attended AOBP alone may not be sufficient for adequate classification, diagnosis, and management of hypertension in Chile or other countries with similar demographics.
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2021
Improving Fecal Immunochemical Testing Rates for Colon Cancer Screening in the Outpatient Setting.
The amount of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening using the noninvasive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) at a federally qualified health center, Five Rivers Health Clinic (Dayton, Ohio), has been low historically. Our quality improvement (QI) project aimed to improve CRC screening adherence in eligible patients who opted for FIT. ⋯ The compliance rate for FIT completion and return more than doubled among our clinic patients after using a three-component QI intervention. Except for a difference in race, the lack of association between demographic and clinical characteristics with either pre-I/post-I group or return/no return of the FIT card leads us to conclude that our QI program for increasing FIT compliance is effective. Other settings where CRC screening is a prominent component of preventive care may benefit from adopting a similar QI intervention.