Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2022
Association of Referral Source and Substance Use with Hepatitis C Virus Outcomes at a Southern Academic Medical Center.
Therapeutic advances make the cure of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection achievable for individuals aware of their diagnosis who can access care. Identifying barriers to accessing care is critical to achieve population-level HCV elimination and improve the cascade of care from diagnosis to cure. ⋯ Active substance use, mental health disease, and referral from an emergency department or obstetrics-gynecology provider were associated with a lower odds of presenting for evaluation and initiation of HCV treatment. Innovative models to improve access to care and increase outreach to vulnerable populations will be essential to eliminate HCV.
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2022
Role of Socioeconomic Factors on Physical and Mental Distress Reported by Alabama Adults with COPD.
Educational attainment, income, and race play significant roles in managing and treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of these socioeconomic factors and others on the physical and mental distress reported by patients with COPD living in Alabama. ⋯ Public health and healthcare practitioners across Alabama should use these analyses to direct more targeted, high-yield interventions that will address existing health disparities among state residents living with COPD.
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2022
Is It All COVID-19? Resident Distress and Reasons for It in 2020.
For resident wellness, it is important to understand and discern the relative contributions of each factor to resident stress. ⋯ Both positive and negative changes in resident stress status occurred during the pandemic period. Traditional residency stressors remained and because all of the factors were affected by both the pandemic and residency training, efforts to mitigate the negative effects of both need to continue.