Primary Care Commons^™

Sports-Related Concussion Management And Guideline Awareness In The Primary Care Setting, Stephanie K. Eble, Oleksandra Pashchenko, William Patterson, Christina T. Holt, William Dexter, Kristine Karlson

Journal of Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

Referral Patterns For Pediatric Sports-Related Concussion In One New England Health Care System, Joseph Benert, Amy Haskins Phd, Christina T. Holt, Krystian Bigosinski

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Patients with concussion may benefit from care provided by professionals from multiple disciplines based on the constellation of symptoms being reported. This study analyzed referral patterns from primary care and sports medicine clinicians for pediatric patients with sports-related concussion in one health care system.

Methods: A retrospective chart review identified referrals placed to physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, optometry, psychology, neuropsychology, audiology, neurology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, psychiatry, and sports medicine for pediatric patients with sports-related concussion. These patients were evaluated at MaineHealth family medicine, internal medicine/pediatrics, pediatrics, and sports medicine clinics in southern Maine between February 2019 and June …

Association Between Primary Care Provider Status And Preventive Health Care Among People Who Inject Drugs, E Katherine Nenninger, Katherine Sharp, Bianca Bustamente, Kim Murray, Kinna Thakarar

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: People who inject drugs (PWID) are at increased risk for preventable, communicable infections, such as hepatitis B. Preventive care, such as hepatitis B vaccination, is often delivered through primary care providers (PCPs). However, PWID may not have access to PCPs and, therefore, may receive preventive care through other sites. We aimed to characterize PCP and preventive care use among PWID in Maine.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of PWID hospitalized with infections associated with injection drug use in Maine from January 2019 to May 2020. Descriptive analyses were used to identify characteristics of participants, rates of screening, and …

Missed Opportunities: Documentation And Referral Rates Among Children And Adults With Obesity, Heidi Walls, Christina Holt, Amy Haskins Phd, Williams Dexter

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Our study reports rates of obesity documentation on the problem list (PL) and numbers of referrals to obesity medicine specialists and dietitians among pediatric and adult patients with obesity.

Methods: All pediatric and adult patients with obesity seen at 14 primary care clinics between 7/1/2017 and 6/30/2019 were evaluated for inclusion of obesity on the PL and referrals to obesity medicine specialists or dietitians.

Results: For children with BMI >95% for age, obesity was documented in 31.2%, and 12.5% received a referral. For adults with BMI >30, obesity was documented in 54.2%, and 8.4% received a referral. Significantly more …

The Implementation Of Telemedicine In The Covid-19 Era, Rebecca K. Bell, Katherine Badger, Kerri L. Barton Mph, Michael Kohut Phd, Michael Clark Md

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: During the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020, social distancing policies called for health care providers to turn to telemedicine platforms for most of their patient encounters. We aimed to better understand the experiences and perspectives of patients and providers who used telemedicine in the primary care setting.

Methods: This study included semi-structured interviews with patients and providers who participated in telemedicine visits during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients (n = 14) were from a rural Maine practice and providers (n = 10) were from practices within 100 miles of a tertiary care center. The interviews were analyzed …

Evaluation Of Pharmacist- Or Nurse-Driven Long-Acting Insulin Titration Protocol In Adult Primary Care Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Ruth Manzi, Corinn Martineau, Carmine Laporta, Mary Muca, Samantha Marrier, Donald Medd, Jennifer Aronson

Journal of Maine Medical Center

INTRODUCTION

Studies have supported protocolized insulin titration to optimize insulin therapy. We implemented a long acting insulin titration (LAIT) protocol in a primary care setting to aid patients achieve optimal control of their diabetes. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the performance of the LAIT protocol.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis included patients ≥18 years with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and a hemoglobin A1c (A1C) >8% who were managed as outpatients at clinics within our health care system. We collected demographic and clinical data before and after a patient’s enrollment in the LAIT protocol. Our primary outcome measure was …

Fresh Fruits And Vegetables Really Do Keep The Doctor Away: Symptomatic Vitamin Deficiency In A Middle Aged Man, Matthew J. Turnquist Md, Christina Holt Md, Msc

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction

We present a clinical case of symptomatic vitamin deficiency typically seen only in resource limited environments or alcoholics, presenting in an adult male with frequent oral intake, but limited diet of prepared foods, as well as co-occurring pernicious anemia.

Clinical Findings

The patient presented with complaints of ascending paresthesia leading to near syncope, lower extremity edema and hyperpigmentation on his anterior legs bilaterally which had been present for years.

Diagnosis and interventions

He was found to have mixed B12, thiamine, and folate deficiency. These were attributed to a combination of nutritional deficiency due to a diet of exclusively cooked …

Using Physician Champions To Extend The Reach Of The Let’S Go! 5-2-1-0 Obesity Prevention Program In Clinical Practice, Michael Dedekian, Jackie Vine, Jonathan Fanburg, Naomi Anderson Schucker, Victoria Rogers

Journal of Maine Medical Center

ABSTRACT

Introduction: There is limited evidence for large scale interventions to address childhood obesity. Let’s Go! is a Maine-based obesity prevention program that deploys a consistent message across multiple community settings to encourage children and families to make healthy choices. This report describes implementation of Let's Go! in primary care offices.

Methods: Consideration for physician champion recruitment included previous involvement with Let’s Go! and ensuring statewide geographic coverage. Champions received standardized training and became local leaders in obesity prevention and treatment. 13 champions engaged 99 practices at baseline; 71 practices were engaged all 4 years (2012-2015). Data were analyzed on …

Physician Gender Impact On Obesity Care In The Academic Ambulatory Setting, Peggy R. Cyr Md, Christina Holt Md, Msc, Amy Haskins Phd, Karyn King Md, Robert Post Md, Derjung M. Tarn, Arch Mainous Phd

Journal of Maine Medical Center

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess a nationally representative sample of academic family physicians to determine whether personal physician characteristics are associated with attitudes towards and care of overweight and/or obese patients.

METHODS: Questions pertaining to physician’s interactions with overweight and obese patients was administered as the 2012 Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey to academic family physicians. We analyzed self-reported demographic responses physicians gave with the main outcome the association between self-reported likelihood of engaging in weight loss discussions with overweight or obese patients and physicians’ personal characteristics …