Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2023
STI Testing among Medicaid Enrollees Initiating PrEP for HIV Prevention in Six Southern States.
The purpose of this study was to measure sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing among Medicaid enrollees initiating preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent human immunodeficiency virus. Secondary data are in the form of Medicaid enrollment and claims data in six states in the US South. ⋯ Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends STI testing at least every 6 months for PrEP users, our analysis of Medicaid data suggests that STI testing occurs less frequently than recommended in populations at elevated risk of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2023
An Electronic Medical Record Pocket Guide for Incoming Internal Medicine Interns: Perceptions and Impact on Patient Information Gathering.
The transition from medical student to intern is associated with a significant increase in workloads and responsibilities. This includes using the electronic medical record (EMR), which can lead to challenges in information gathering and patient care; however, no formal residency interventions exist in the use of an EMR for information gathering, with most EMR training occurring in the clinical setting. The present study aimed to improve information gathering on patient care and enhance the confidence of Internal Medicine interns in information gathering. ⋯ The use of an EMR guide was well received among Internal Medicine interns and led to increased completeness in patient information gathering. Residency programs may benefit from developing an EMR guide to improving the transition of interns during residency.
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2023
Racial Disparities in Preterm Birth among Pregnant Women with Obesity.
We assessed the impact of obesity and racial disparities on preterm birth (PTB) in the United States and sought to determine whether obesity widens the racial-ethnic disparity gap in preterm birth with a focus on non-Hispanic Black and White women. ⋯ Our work further contributes to the growing knowledge of the existence of health disparity among the Black population.
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2023
Perceived Stress, Cortisol Responses, and the Effect of Social Networks among Uninsured Free Clinic Patients.
Stress among free clinic patients is an important issue to address in health care. Evaluating the differences between perceived stress and physiological stress will help healthcare professionals to better understand the stress and coping management skills that will improve health outcomes for underserved populations. The aim of this study was to accelerate research to better understand the biological and psychological aspect of stress in health disparities. ⋯ The result of this study provides awareness to healthcare promoters and educators concerning the health of uninsured patients. More specifically, this study provides a foundation to understand the salivary cortisol levels and the relation to perceived stress among this population. Further studies are needed to measure salivary cortisol repeatedly during a period of time among a larger population to better understand the reasons behind normal cortisol level manifesting along with chronic stress.
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2023
A Strict Patient Selection Protocol Could Be the Key to Success for Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery (TAMIS).
In recent years, the local excision of benign rectal lesions or early-stage rectal cancers using minimally invasive surgical techniques has replaced radical interventions that caused impairment in patients' quality of life. The aim of the present study was to investigate the feasibility of transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS), as well as its excision quality, its oncologic outcomes, and its impact on anorectal function. ⋯ TAMIS seemed to be a feasible technique with adequate oncologic outcomes and high excision quality, which preserved patients' quality of life. The impact of TAMIS on anorectal function after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer should be further investigated, however.