Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Patient Completion Of Laboratory Tests To Monitor Medication Therapy: A Mixed-Methods Study, Shira Fischer, Terry Field, Shawn Gagne, Kathleen Mazor, Peggy Preusse, George Reed, Daniel Peterson, Jerry Gurwitz, Jennifer Tjia

Jennifer Tjia

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the contribution of patient behavior to incomplete laboratory monitoring, and the reasons for patient non-completion of ordered laboratory tests remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To describe factors, including patient-reported reasons, associated with non-completion of ordered laboratory tests. DESIGN: Mixed-Methods study including a quantitative assessment of the frequency of patient completion of ordered monitoring tests combined with qualitative, semi-structured, patient interviews. PARTICIPANTS: Quantitative assessment included patients 18 years or older from a large multispecialty group practice, who were prescribed a medication requiring monitoring. Qualitative interviews included a subset of show and no-show patients prescribed a cardiovascular, anticonvulsant, or …

Self-Reported Colorectal Cancer Screening Of Medicare Beneficiaries In Family Medicine Vs. Internal Medicine Practices In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Study, Angela (Young) Higgins, Anna R. B. Doubeni, Karon L. Phillips, Adeyinka O. Laiyemo, Becky A. Briesacher, Jennifer Tjia, Chyke A. Doubeni

Jennifer Tjia

BACKGROUND: The benefit of screening for decreasing the risk of death from colorectal cancer (CRC) has been shown, yet many patients in primary care are still not undergoing screening according to guidelines. There are known variations in delivery of preventive health care services among primary care physicians. This study compared self-reported CRC screening rates and patient awareness of the need for CRC screening of patients receiving care from family medicine (FPs) vs. internal medicine (internists) physicians.

METHODS: Nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized beneficiaries who received medical care from FPs or internists in 2006 (using Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey). The main …

Interest In Breast Cancer Chemoprevention Among Older Women, Jennifer Tjia, Ellyn Micco, Katrina Armstrong

Jennifer Tjia

OBJECTIVES: The study aim is to describe interest in breast cancer chemoprevention among older women without a history of breast cancer and to determine whether aging-related factors such as diminished life expectancy, increasing comorbidity and medication burden attenuate chemoprevention interest. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: University of Pennsylvania Health System. PARTICIPANTS: Four-hundred fifty-seven community-dwelling women aged 60-65 years old who were potentially eligible for breast cancer chemoprevention according to guidelines linking risk and eligibility to age. MEASUREMENTS: Interest in breast cancer chemopre vention, Gail model breast cancer risk, perceived breast cancer risk, breast cancer worry, self-reported health status and comorbidities, and …