Internal Medicine Commons^™

Proceedings Of 2016 Aurora Scientific Day

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

This supplement includes select abstracts presented at the 42nd annual Aurora Scientific Day research symposium, held May 25, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Aurora Scientific Day provides a forum for original research conducted by faculty, fellows, residents, students and other allied health professionals affiliated with Aurora Health Care, a not-for-profit health system comprised of integrated hospitals and clinics across eastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois.

Lack Of Cross-Reactivity Allergy Following A Switch From Alirocumab To Evolocumab, Matthew D. Stryker, Michael Kane, Robert Busch

Excerpts in Pharmacy Research Journal

The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) gene and gain-of-function mutations were first described in 2003. The gain-of-function mutations observed were associated with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in the 400’s, in addition to premature cardiovascular disease. Subsequent loss-of-function experiments conducted in mice demonstrated marked reductions in plasma cholesterol levels in the absence of PCSK9. Physiologically, PCSK9 serves as a chaperone protein and functions to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor recycling; consequently, less LDL-C is removed from circulation and serum lipid concentrations become elevated. Inhibition of PCSK9 prevents LDL receptor degradation and preserves receptor recycling to the hepatocyte surface; this in …

The Carefirst Patient-Centered Medical Home Program: Cost And Utilization Effects In Its First Three Years, Alison Cuellar, Lorens A. Helmchen, Gilbert Gimm, Jay Want, Sriteja Burla, Bradley Kells, Iwona Kicinger, Len M. Nichols

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Background

Enhanced primary care models have diffused slowly and shown uneven results. Because their structural features are costly and challenging for small practices to implement, they offer modest rewards for improved performance, and improvement takes time.

Objective

To test whether a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model that significantly rewarded cost savings and accommodated small primary care practices was associated with lower spending, fewer hospital admissions, and fewer emergency room visits.

Design

We compared medical care expenditures and utilization among adults who participated in the PCMH program to adults who did not participate. We computed difference-in-difference estimates using two-part multivariate generalized …

Vitamin D Supplementation: Preventing Fractures, Courtney L. Carn, Michael S. Doherty

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: To assess the ability of vitamin D supplementation in preventing musculoskeletal fractures. Methods: Systematic literature review using Google Scholar search terms “vitamin D supplementation” and “preventing hip fractures” from 2006-2015. Only RCTs, meta-analysis, and clinical guidelines were included. Results: Our search resulted in one meta-analysis and two randomized controlled trials. Conclusion: The summation of our investigation into vitamin D deficiency and the presence of musculoskeletal fractures has proven to be relatively inconclusive. The resulting data from our three studies did not provide any definitive proof that improved vitamin D levels correlates with better bone health.

Education Intervention Of Preconception Screening In Primary Care, Tracy Schuler

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: The risk of a poor pregnancy outcome among women of reproductive age in Providence, Rhode Island is indicated by the high rates of unintended pregnancies, low multivitamin use prior to pregnancy, obesity, and smoking. Although recommended, health professionals often fail to routinely screen and educate women of reproductive age for preconception risk factors. Purpose: Evaluate the efficacy of an educational intervention on preconception risk factors, lifestyle modifications, and current screening recommendations; and introduce a preconception tool and education sheet among a population of health care providers. Method: Preconception health material and a modified preconception screening tool …

Translating Knowledge For Action Against Stroke--Using 5-Minute Videos For Stroke Survivors And Caregivers To Improve Post-Stroke Outcomes: Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial (Movies4stroke)., Ayeesha Kamran Kamal, Adeel Khoja, Bushra Usmani, Nargis Asad, Asma Ahmed, Iqbal Azam, Sarah Saleem, Saleem Sayani

Department of Medicine

Background: Two thirds of the global mortality of stroke is borne by low and middle income countries (LMICs). Pakistan is the world’s sixth most populous country with a stroke-vulnerable population and is without a single dedicated chronic care center. In order to provide evidence for a viable solution responsive to this health care gap, and leveraging the existing >70 % mobile phone density, we thought it rational to test the effectiveness of a mobile phone-based video intervention of short 5-minute movies to educate and support stroke survivors and their primary caregivers.

Methods: Movies4Stroke will be a randomized control, outcome assessor …

Facilitating Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Familiarity Among Vermont Primary Care Providers, Michael Ohkura

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Please see the updated version of this presentation: Ohkura, Michael; Bonefant, Nicholas; and Upton, Michael D., "A Sex-Positive Approach to Healthcare, and Truvada as HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)" (2018). College of Medicine Faculty Publications. 3. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comfac/3

Nationally, incidence of new HIV infections has hovered around over 50,000 per year and men who have sex with men (MSM) carry the largest burden. In Vermont, 56% of individuals newly diagnosed are MSM, with 25% of diagnoses among youth ages 13-24 years old. Despite the proven efficacy and approval of daily Truvada (emtricitabine + tenofovir) as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV infection, …