Articles: health.
-
The purpose of this study was to evaluate if an electronic health record (EHR) self-scheduling function was associated with changes in mammogram completion for primary care patients who were eligible for a screening mammogram using U.S. Preventive Service Task Force recommendations. ⋯ EHR-based self-scheduling was associated with a significant increase in mammogram completion among primary care patients. Self-scheduling can be a low-cost, scalable function for increasing preventive cancer screenings.
-
Alcohol consumption contributes to excess morbidity and mortality in part through the development of alcohol-related medical conditions (AMCs, including alcoholic cardiomyopathy, hepatitis, cirrhosis, etc.). The current study aimed to clarify the extent to which risk for these outcomes differs as a function of socioeconomic position (SEP), as discrepancies could lead to exacerbated health disparities. ⋯ Using comprehensive national registry data, these analyses demonstrate that individuals with lower levels of education and/or income are at higher risk of developing AMC. These associations persist even when accounting for a range of sociodemographic, psychiatric, and familial risk factors. Differences in risk could contribute to further health disparities, potentially warranting increased screening and prevention efforts in clinical and public health settings.
-
The U.S. has the highest infant mortality rate among peer countries. Restrictive abortion laws may contribute to poor infant health outcomes. This ecological study investigated the association between county-level infant mortality and state-level abortion access legislation in the U.S. from 2014 to 2018. ⋯ State-level abortion law restrictiveness is associated with higher county-level infant mortality rates. The Supreme Court decision on Dobbs versus Jackson and changes in state laws limiting abortion may affect future infant mortality.
-
In Brazil, many individuals with tuberculosis (TB) do not receive appropriate care due to delayed or missed diagnosis, ineffective treatment regimens, or loss-to-follow-up. This study aimed to estimate the health losses and TB program costs attributable to each gap in the care cascade for TB disease in Brazil. ⋯ In this study, we observed that delays to diagnosis, post-disease sequelae and treatment loss to follow-up were primary contributors to the TB burden of disease in Brazil. Reducing delays to diagnosis, improving healthcare after TB cure, and reducing treatment loss to follow-up should be prioritized to improve the burden of TB disease in Brazil.
-
Jails annually incarcerate millions of people with health problems, yet jail healthcare services have not been well described. ⋯ Nearly 30% of surveyed jails routinely lacked on-site healthcare providers and in most other jails providers' on-site presence was modest. Jails relied heavily on LPNs and officers for care, resulting in missed opportunities for care and potentially endangering incarcerated persons.