Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Prediction Of Dengue Disease Severity Among Pediatric Thai Patients Using Early Clinical Laboratory Indicators, James A. Potts, Robert V. Gibbons, Alan L. Rothman, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Stephen J. Thomas, Pra-On Supradish, Stephenie C. Lemon, Daniel H. Libraty, Sharone Green, Siripen Kalayanarooj

Sharone Green

BACKGROUND: Dengue virus is endemic in tropical and sub-tropical resource-poor countries. Dengue illness can range from a nonspecific febrile illness to a severe disease, Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS), in which patients develop circulatory failure. Earlier diagnosis of severe dengue illnesses would have a substantial impact on the allocation of health resources in endemic countries. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We compared clinical laboratory findings collected within 72 hours of fever onset from a prospective cohort children presenting to one of two hospitals (one urban and one rural) in Thailand. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to develop diagnostic algorithms using different …

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation And Mortality: Nih-Aarp Diet And Health Study, Jacqueline M. Major, Chyke A. Doubeni, Neal D. Freedman, Yikyung Park, Min Lian, Albert R. Hollenbeck, Arthur Schatzkin, Barry I. Graubard, Rashmi Sinha

Chyke A. Doubeni

PURPOSE: Residing in deprived areas may increase risk of mortality beyond that explained by a person's own SES-related factors and lifestyle. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and all-cause, cancer- and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-specific mortality for men and women after accounting for education and other important person-level risk factors. METHODS: In the longitudinal NIH-AARP Study, we analyzed data from healthy participants, ages 50-71 years at study baseline (1995-1996). Deaths (n = 33831) were identified through December 2005. Information on census tracts was obtained from the 2000 US Census. Cox models estimated hazard …

Improving The Health Of Diabetic Patients Through Resident-Initiated Group Visits, Chris Wheelock, Judith A. Savageau, Hugh Silk, Scott Lee

Judith A. Savageau

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Group visits have the potential to benefit patients with chronic illnesses. Our objective was to implement resident-run diabetic group visits that would improve patient education and help patients become more involved in their care. METHODS: We developed systems to promote, coordinate, and lead the visits. Residents' responsibilities were delegated through a preparation checklist. A standardized progress note was developed to encourage patient goal setting and to track relevant laboratory test results. To evaluate our program, we conducted surveys to determine patients' behavioral changes and satisfaction levels and assessed the effect on group visit participants' glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) …

Community Dimensions And Hpsa Practice Location: 30 Years Of Family Medicine Training, Suzanne B. Cashman, Judith A. Savageau, Warren J. Ferguson, Daniel H. Lasser

Judith A. Savageau

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to assess practicing family physicians' confidence and participation in a range of community-related activities. Additionally, we assessed the strength of the relationship between the physicians' reported medical school and residency training in community-related activities and their current community activities, as well as whether they were practicing in an underserved location. METHODS: All 347 graduates of the University of Massachusetts Family Medicine Residency were surveyed about practice location and type, involvement and training in community work, confidence in community-related skills, and sociodemographic characteristics. Analyses were conducted by residency graduation decade (1976-1985, 1986-1995, and 1996-2005). RESULTS: …

Lesson In A Pill Box: Teaching About The Challenges Of Medication Adherence, Darlene M. O'Connor, Judith A. Savageau, David B. Centerbar, Kimberly N. Wamback, Jennifer S. Ingle, Nicole J. Lomerson

Judith A. Savageau

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Medication mismanagement is a serious health issue affecting elders and people with disabilities, who often manage multiple medications. This project's goal was to educate medical and nursing students about the challenges patients face when managing complex medication regimens.

METHODS: A total of 104 first-year medical students and 40 second-year nursing students were randomly assigned to participate in a 1-week regimen of mock prescriptions or to read a description of the regimen and make predictions about what the experience would be like had they participated.

RESULTS: Quantitative results in combination with qualitative information suggest that the students taking …

The Effect Of Medical Students' International Experiences On Attitudes Toward Serving Underserved Multicultural Populations, Michael A. Godkin, Judith A. Savageau

Judith A. Savageau

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the effect of international electives on the attitudes of preclinical and clinical-year medical students with respect to serving underserved multicultural populations. METHODS: A self-assessment instrument was used to measure attitudes of 146 students before and after participating in international electives. The same attitudinal items were also analyzed at two time intervals for 18 students who completed international electives as preclinical students and 76 class cohorts who did not. RESULTS: Analyses show that the effect of international experiences is different for preclinical students and clinical students. For both groups, however, these experiences can develop and support perceptions and …

Chronic Disease Medication Use In Managed Care And Indemnity Insurance Plans, Randall S. Stafford, Stephen M. Davidson, Harriet Davidson, Heidi Miracle-Mcmahill, Sybil L. Crawford, David Blumenthal

Sybil L. Crawford

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of managed care on the use of chronic disease medications. DATA SOURCE: Claims data from 1997 from two indemnity and three independent practice association (IPA) model managed care insurance plans. RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of claims data. DATA COLLECTION: Adult patients with diabetes mellitus (DM, n = 26,444), congestive heart failure (CHF, n = 7,978), and asthma (n = 9,850) were identified by ICD-9 codes. Chronic disease medication use was defined through pharmacy claims for patients receiving one or more prescriptions for drugs used in treating these conditions. Using multiple logistic regression we adjusted for …