Articles: patients.
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Nov 1985
Comparative StudyChronic pain in spinal cord injury: comparison between inpatients and outpatients.
Chronic pain is a common clinical finding in spinal cord injury (SCI), with a reported incidence of between 45% and 90%. This figure was obtained by using nonstandardized pain evaluation and for mostly inpatient populations. Because of the shortcomings of previous investigations and the wide range of reported incidence, a study was conducted using self-rating pain measurement, an activity check list, and a drug-use rating scale. ⋯ Statistical analysis showed an incidence of chronic pain and decreased activity of 60% among inpatients and of 16.6% in outpatients. The drug-use rating scale was also significantly higher among inpatients while outpatients had a higher level of physical activity than inpatients. Whether these differences are causally related to the patient's hospitalization is difficult to determine.
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Research findings indicate cost savings associated with home care hospices, while hospital-based hospices can be as expensive as conventional care. Based on National Hospice Study data, this article identifies the characteristics of patients admitted to hospital-based and home care hospices in those areas of the country where a choice of hospice model was possible. Multivariate logistic regression indicates that the significant discriminating factors between the two patient populations relate to the availability of supportive care at home and the severity of nursing care problems at the time of hospice entry. Reinforcing selected pre-existing differences, an examination of prehospice had longer episodes of care than was the case for home care hospice patients.
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Although we have efficacious treatment for hypertension many patients do not take their medication or even follow through with their physician visits, thereby negating potential benefits. Detecting patients who do not take their medications is as important as diagnosing and treating the hypertension itself. This paper outlines methods of detecting and 'treating' non-compliance and discusses the role of the physician/patient relationship in compliance.