Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · May 2014
Comparative Study Observational StudyPhysicians caring for physicians: the perspective of the primary care physician.
How physicians provide longitudinal primary care to physician-patients (ie, physicians as patients) has not been well studied. The potential challenges of providing care to physician-patients include maintaining professional boundaries and adhering to practice guidelines. The objective was to explore the differences in identifying how physicians perceive caring for physicians-patients in the longitudinal setting versus caring for other patients in the general population. ⋯ Physicians perceive caring for physician-patients as different and rewarding, although some find that it provokes anxiety. Many are willing to make concessions regarding scheduling and testing. With increasing experience, the anxiety decreased as did the need to follow protocols and maintain boundaries. Further investigation is needed to determine the impact of physician experience and training on the quality of care for physician-patients.
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Southern medical journal · May 2014
Geographic variations of racial/ethnic disparities in cervical cancer mortality in Texas.
To examine how racial/ethnic disparities of cervical cancer mortality vary geographically and to identify factors contributing to the variation. ⋯ Findings from this study could allow cervical cancer intervention programs to more clearly identify areas that would reduce disparities in cervical cancer outcomes.
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There is a lack of reliable serum biomarkers for routine use in the diagnostic workup of people with traumatic brain injury. Multiple biomediators and biomarkers have been described in the pertinent literature in recent years; however, only a few candidate molecules have been associated with high sensitivity and high specificity for risk stratification and outcome prediction after traumatic brain injury. This review was designed to provide an overview of the state of the art regarding established serum biomarkers in the field and to outline future directions of investigation.
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2014
Risk factors for inadequate colonoscopy bowel preparations in African Americans and whites at an urban medical center.
Poor bowel preparation leads to inadequate examinations and shorter surveillance intervals for colorectal cancer screening. Previous studies regarding risk factors for inadequate preparation have not included large numbers of African Americans. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of inadequate bowel preparation on initial and follow-up colonoscopy in a large, racially diverse patient population. ⋯ Improving the quality of colonoscopy bowel preparation is important for colorectal cancer prevention, especially in high-risk populations such as African Americans.