Patient Primary Care Physician Research Articles

Bezoars: Culprits of gastrointestinal obstruction that may lead to surgical intervention and potentially surgical complications

Key Clinical MessageBezoars can cause gastrointestinal obstruction and may require surgery. Surgery carries the risk of complications. Medical professionals should perform detailed history in diet and behaviors for patients presenting with abdominal pain to identify risk factors for bezoars, then educate these patients and their families about risks and complications of bezoars.AbstractBezoars are solid masses of undigested material that can cause obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract. There are different types of bezoars; phytobezoar, trichobezoar, pharmacobezoar, lactobezoar, and bezoars containing tissue paper or polystyrene foam. This case report is of a 13‐year‐old Hispanic male who suffered a postsurgical complication after removal of bezoar. He had a past surgical history of appendectomy and presented to the hospital with a 1‐day history of right lower quadrant abdominal pain associated with fever and diarrhea. X‐radiation images and computed tomography scans aided in the diagnosis of pelvic abscess as a complication of postsurgical enterotomy and closure of the enterotomy to remove bezoar from the small bowel. The initial bezoar removal and the postsurgical complication of pelvic abscess resulted in the patient staying for 19 days in the hospital. At discharge, the patient and his guardian were advised to follow up with the patient's primary care physician and surgical team. The patient made an uneventful recovery. He did not experience any long‐term complications and fully recovered. This report demonstrates that although bezoars are rare, they can cause significant obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract leading to the need for management, such as surgery, which carries its own risks. It is important to note that the postsurgical complication of pelvic abscess can occur due to surgery itself and not because of bezoar specifically. Abdominal surgery in general poses the risk of pelvic abscess. The consideration is to expectantly decrease the occurrence of bezoars so that consequently there will not be a need for surgery in removal of bezoars due to obstruction. The effects of bezoars can be prevented through educating the community and addressing underlying psychiatric disorders.

The value of relationships in healthcare

Many interactions between buyers and sellers occur in the context of relationships. In healthcare markets, the patient-primary care physician (PCP) relationship is one common example. I provide evidence that patient-PCP relationships are valued by patients and are good for patients’ health. In response to an exogenous loss of a longstanding PCP, adverse events increase: patient mortality increases by 4%, emergency department visits increase by 4%, and hospital admissions increase by 3%. Adverse events increase with the length of the exiting PCP-patient relationship, suggesting that relationships contain non-transferable information that positively impacts patients’ health.

MRI AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR LOW BACK PAIN: ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS-OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common health problems among the population all over the world including all age groups. LBP has become an epidemiological burden globally. It is the number one cause of years leading with disability. The most common age group affected includes 31-50 years. Advanced imaging studies, including computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are frequently ordered in the setting of LBP. Structural abnormalities are commonly identied by CT and MRI in patients complaining of low back pain, however, these ndings are also found in asymptomatic patients. [1] The study aims to evaluate the cause of low back pain using MRI as a diagnostic tool. This is an observational study conducted in The Department of Radiology, at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, Trichy. The study was conducted over a period of 1 month. The study population size is 100 and includes the 10-70 years age group. Low back pain can have a variety of underlying causes, including spinal pathologies and other abnormal ndings involving organs beyond the spine. While spinal or vertebral pathologies can contribute the majority to LBP, they may not always be signicantly associated with it. As a result, MRI should not be the rst line of investigation for LBP. Instead, a comprehensive evaluation should be conducted to identify all possible pathologies. It is crucial to work closely with the patient's primary care physician to determine the most appropriate course of investigation and treatment for each case of low back pain.

Use of an Automated Discharge Instruction Module to Improve Outpatient Follow-Up for Emergency Department Patients with Elevated Blood Pressure.

Hypertension is often incidentally discovered in the emergency department (ED); these patients may benefit from close follow-up. We developed a module to automatically include discharge instructions for patients with elevated blood pressure (BP) in the ED, aiming to improve 30-day follow-up. This study sought to determine if automated discharge instructions for patients with elevated blood pressure in the ED improved 30-day follow-up with a patient's primary care physician (PCP). We developed an automated module with standardized instructions for patients with elevated BP. These were read upon discharge, and e-mailed to the PCP. We analyzed 193 patients during a 1-month interval after implementation, and 207 during 1-month the year prior. The groups were compared using Fisher's exact test. Thirty-day follow-up was 52.2% pre-implementation and 48.4% post-implementation, with no significant difference noted. For patients without known hypertension, follow-up slightly improved, but not significantly. For hypertensive patients, follow-up rates significantly decreased post-implementation. Despite implementation of automated discharge instructions, we found no improvement in 30-day follow-up. Patients without hypertension trended towards improved follow-up, possibly being more attentive to new abnormal BP readings. However, known hypertensive patients followed-up at a lower rate, which was unexpected and requires further investigation.

Improving Physical Health Data Provided on Discharge Summaries From Sheffield Home Treatment Team

AimsThe aim of this QIP was to identify whether the information obtained during routine physical health reviews was being adequately handed over during discharge from the Sheffield Home Treatment Team within discharge summaries. Individuals with serious mental illness have a significantly higher all-cause mortality rate than those without, much of which is due to preventable physical health conditions. Due to this, the Home Treatment Team aims to complete a Physical Health Review (PHR) for every patient under their care as per guidelines. It is important that these examinations are performed, however, it is equally important that the results of PHRs are communicated to the patient's primary care physician upon discharge. Communication between services is vital for continuity of care and to ensure that identified problems are managed effectively. On discharge, relevant data from these investigations should be communicated to the service user's registered GP surgery for appropriate follow-up care. Performing investigations without informing the service user's primary physician is an inefficient use of resources and may result in unnecessary repeated investigations and procedures. There is not currently an official system in place to assure that the investigations and results of PHRs are summarised and communicated upon discharge.MethodsThere were two steps taken in this stage of the QIP. First, a questionnaire was distributed to all members of the Sheffield Home Treatment Team, including medics, nurses, and STR workers. The responses were compiled and analysed to form the criteria and standards for an audit of previous discharges. Following this, an audit was performed for the months of June-July 2021, data were kindly collected by junior doctors. This data looked to determine whether previous discharges met the criteria and standards set by the questionnaire.ResultsThe results of the audit showed that the discharges did not meet the standards set, with many containing little to no information. Only 49% of the service users with physical health reviews had any information provided on discharge. Of these, the contents of the summaries were varies and inconsistent, resulting in a significant amount of information becoming unavailable to the service user's GPs.Conclusion1.The current system is insufficient in terms of handing over physical health information collected during investigations performed by the Home Treatment Team.2.A proposed solution will be implemented in the coming months.3.A re-audit will be performed to complete the audit cycle and assess the efficacy of the proposed solution.

Exploring hospital-based health information technology functions for patients with Alzheimer's Disease and related Dementias.

This study investigated whether hospital-adopted health information technology (HIT) is associated with a reduction in the frequency of preventable emergency department (ED) visits for patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). We used data from the 2015 State Emergency Department Databases, Area Health Resources File, and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Information Technology Supplement. We employed multivariable logistic regression models to examine the variation of the likelihood of having preventable ED visits by hospitals' adoption of HIT functions and adjusted for patient, hospital, and county-level factors. We focused on hospital-HIT functions related to patient engagement, routine integration and availability of electronic clinical information, frequency of hospital reported use of electronic patient information, and the provision of electronic notification to the patient's primary care provider. Approximately 23% of ADRD patients went to a hospital that often used electronic records from outside providers, and 75% of ADRD patients went to a hospital that provided electronic notification to the patient's primary care provider. Regression results showed that hospital reported use of electronic patient health information from outside providers (OR=0.88; p<0.001), provision of electronic notification to the patient's primary care physician inside and outside of the system (OR=0.91; p=0.013), and hospital-HIT patient engagement functionalities (OR=0.90; p<0.001) were associated with significantly lower preventable ED visit rates. The results of our study suggest that certain types of HIT functionalities may be useful for reducing preventable ED visits for ADRD patients.

Transitional care management visits to improve coordination of care.

This report aimed to determine whether transitional care management (TCM) services, provided by Inspira Care Connect, LLC (ICC), a Track 1 Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organization, were effective in reducing 30-day readmission rates, observation stay days, and emergency department visits, along with mortality rates, total costs, and frequency of primary care physician (PCP) visits among Medicare beneficiaries served by ICC. In accordance with TCM programming, ICC contacted the majority of patients telephonically within 48business hours after discharge from an inpatient setting and scheduled a face-to-face visit with the patient's PCP within 1 to 14 days after discharge from an inpatient setting. The patients were provided with non-face-to-face services as needed throughout the 30-day period. The effectiveness of the TCM model was measured using a retrospective propensity score matching design, which allowed for an accurate comparison between those who received TCM and similar ICC Medicare beneficiaries who did not. The analysis utilized Medicare parts A and B claims from January 1, 2016, to December 31,2017. Patients who received TCM had lower 30-day readmission rates than those who did not (P < .05). The services provided to ICC Medicare patients through the TCM model may have enhanced the ability to identify problems at an earlier stage, resulting in the prevention of complications and unnecessary utilization of costly health care services.

The Contribution of Patient, Primary Care Physician, and Primary Care Clinic Factors to Good Bone Health Care.

Patient, provider, and system factors can contribute to chronic care management and outcomes. Few studies have examined these multilevel associations with osteoporosis care and outcomes. We examined how key process and structural factors at the patient, primary care physician (PCP), and primary care clinic (PCC) levels were associated with guideline concordant osteoporosis pharmacotherapy, daily calcium intake, vitamin D supplementation, and weekly exercise sessions at 52 weeks following enrollment in a cluster randomized controlled trial. We conducted a secondary analysis of observational data from 1 site of the trial. The study sample included 1996 men and women ≥ 50 years of age at the time of recruitment following completion of a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan and who had complete data at baseline and 52 weeks. Our primary independent variable was "relationship continuity": the DXA-ordering provider was the patient's PCP. Hierarchical linear and logistic regression accounted for patient, provider, and primary care clinic characteristics. In multivariable regression analyses, relationship continuity (ie, the PCP ordered the study DXA) was associated with higher average daily calcium intake and likelihood of vitamin D supplementation at 52 weeks. No PCP or primary care clinic factors were associated with osteoporosis care. The relationship continuity, in which the provider ordering a DXA is the patient's PCP and therefore also presents the results of a DXA, may help to promote patient behaviors associated with good bone health.

Adrenal Insufficiency Caused by Chronic Corticosteroid Use, Identified through Medication Therapy Management

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of adrenal insufficiency caused by chronic corticosteroid treatment.Summary: This case study describes a 71-year-old Caucasian woman diagnosed with secondary adrenal insufficiency (SAI). She had a long history of multiple medical problems that affected her quality of life. The pharmacist reviewed 18 years (2001-2018) of medical records, including her corticosteroid usage history. The patient had been receiving chronic medium-high dose inhaled corticosteroids for asthma, with intermittent oral prednisone for exacerbations. The pharmacist suspected a possible SAI or tertiary adrenal insufficiency (TAI) caused by hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis suppression induced by chronic corticosteroid use. After discussions with the patient's primary care physician and a screening adrenal function test, the patient was referred to an endocrinologist, and the diagnosis was confirmed. Low-dose hydrocortisone (<30 mg daily) was prescribed; the patient had improvements in mood, skin hyperpigmentation, and asthma symptoms, which eliminated the routine visits to the emergency room/clinic during the winter season.CONCLUSION: The case illustrated the benefits of utilizing a pharmacist's expertise. A consultant pharmacist can identify an underdiagnosed and rare condition, corticosteroid-induced adrenal insufficiency, through comprehensive medication review in a community medication therapy management service setting.

Recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis.

The purpose of this study is to examine risk factors for recurrence of diabetic ketoacidosis and determine interventions to prevent future admissions. Review article. Recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious and not uncommon health problem. Diabetic ketoacidosis is associated with severe morbidity and mortality and hospital admissions due to this problem constitute a serious economic burden on the healthcare system. Younger age at diabetic ketoacidosis onset, poor baseline glycemic control and elevated HbA1C, patient comorbidities, depression, alcohol or substance abuse, particularly active cocaine use, have been associated with recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis. In addition, socioeconomic factors (such as ethnic minority status, use of public health insurance and underinsurance), psychosocial, economic, and behavioral factors (including financial constraint, stretching a limited insulin supply, and homelessness) have been all reported to be associated with readmission among diabetic ketoacidosis patients. Identifying high-risk patients during the first diabetic ketoacidosis admission and performing relevant interventions (repeated instructions of insulin use, social help and involvement of family members in medical treatment, collaboration with the patient's primary care physician in order to establish a close and frequent follow up program) may help prevent future admissions. Further studies need to take place to determine whether early interventions with those factors prevent future admissions.

Seizing the Window of Opportunity to Enhance Resident Skills in the Inpatient Setting.

Seizing the Window of Opportunity to Enhance Resident Skills in the Inpatient Setting.

Case Report: Vitamin A Deficiency and Nyctalopia in a Patient with Chronic Pancreatitis

Vitamin A deficiency is a known concern in developing countries, but it is often overlooked in developed regions. A history of conditions causing alimentary malabsorption should be considered when patients present with complaints of nyctalopia. A case of vitamin A deficiency with nyctalopia in a patient with chronic pancreatitis including pertinent diagnostic testing, treatment, and management is presented. The intent is to draw attention to the condition as a differential diagnosis for nyctalopia due to increased prevalence of conditions causing malabsorption. A patient with a history of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic tumor presented with symptoms of nyctalopia and xerophthalmia. Given his systemic history, testing was ordered to determine serum vitamin A levels and retinal function. After results had confirmed depleted vitamin A levels and diminished retinal function, treatment with both oral and intramuscular vitamin A supplementation was initiated to normalize vitamin A levels and improve retinal photoreceptor function. Subjective improvement in symptoms was reported shortly after beginning supplementation, and ultimately, vitamin A levels and retinal function showed improvement after intramuscular treatment. Detailed case history and a careful review of systems along with serum vitamin A testing and, if available, electroretinography to assess retinal function can help to make a definitive diagnosis. With appropriate comanagement with the patient's primary care physician, it is possible for those with nyctalopia to begin vitamin A supplementation and regain retinal function.

Can Claims Data Algorithms Identify the Physician of Record?

Claims-based algorithms based on administrative claims data are frequently used to identify an individual's primary care physician (PCP). The validity of these algorithms in the US Medicare population has not been assessed. To determine the agreement of the PCP identified by claims algorithms with the PCP of record in electronic health record data. Electronic health record and Medicare claims data from older adults with diabetes. Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with diabetes (N=3658) ages 65 years and older as of January 1, 2008, and medically housed at a large academic health system. Assignment algorithms based on the plurality and majority of visits and tie breakers determined by either last visit, cost, or time from first to last visit. The study sample included 15,624 patient-years from 3658 older adults with diabetes. Agreement was higher for algorithms based on primary care visits (range, 78.0% for majority match without a tie breaker to 85.9% for majority match with the longest time from first to last visit) than for claims to all visits (range, 25.4% for majority match without a tie breaker to 63.3% for majority match with the amount billed tie breaker). Percent agreement was lower for nonwhite individuals, those enrolled in Medicaid, individuals experiencing a PCP change, and those with >10 physician visits. Researchers may be more likely to identify a patient's PCP when focusing on primary care visits only; however, these algorithms perform less well among vulnerable populations and those experiencing fragmented care.

Primary Care Physician Involvement in Shared Decision Making for Critically Ill Patients and Family Satisfaction with Care.

An intensive care unit (ICU) patient's primary care physician (PCP) may be able to assist family with certain ICU shared medical decisions. We explored whether families of patients in nonopen ICUs who nevertheless report involvement of a patient's PCP in medical decision making are more satisfied with ICU shared decision making than families who do not. Between March 2013 and December 2015, we administered the Family Satisfaction in the ICU 24 survey to family members of adult neuroscience ICU patients. We compared the mean score for the survey subsection regarding shared decision making (graded on a 100-point scale), as well as individual survey items, between those who reported the patient's PCP involvement in any medical decision making versus those who did not. Among 263 respondents, there was no difference in mean overall decision-making satisfaction scores for those who reported involvement (81.1; SD = 15.2) versus those who did not (80.1; SD = 12.8; P = .16). However, a higher proportion reporting involvement felt completely satisfied with their 1) inclusion in the ICU decision making process (75.9% vs 61.4%; P = .055), and 2) control over the care of the patient (73.6% vs 55.6%; P = .02), with no difference regarding consistency of clinical information provided by the medical team (64.8% vs 63.5%; P = 1.00). Families who report involvement of a patient's PCP in medical decision making for critically ill patients may be more satisfied than those who do not with regard to specific aspects of ICU decision making. Further research would help understand how best to engage PCPs in shared decisions.

Informing primary care physicians of patients&amp;#39; involvement in clinical trials carried out at a specialist care level

Background: Patients enrolled in clinical trials continue to have frequent contacts with primary care physicians because of comorbidities or toxicities. The aim of the present study was to analyze the information provided at different levels, when participants are included in clinical trials organized at a specialized care level. The purpose was to verify if informing the patient's primary care physician is contemplated in the inclusion process. Methods: The authors conducted a cross-sectional study that included the clinical trials approved in the last 2 years by the hospital's Institutional Review Board. In addition, some of the participants in the included clinical trials were interviewed in order to check their knowledge of the type of research taking place. Results: In total, 67 protocols and the accompanying informed consent documents were reviewed. Half of the reviewed protocols (48%) did not provide participants with an identification card. Regarding the role of the primary care physician, 68.6% of clinical trials (46/67) had taken it into account in different ways. In only four trials, the method used to contact the primary care physician was documented. In total, 20 participants were interviewed. Only 3 (15%) knew the title of the study in which they were participating, 14 (70%) were aware of their illness and 6 (30%) did not know how to answer any of these two questions. Almost all participants in the study knew the name of the physician who was the principal investigator in the trial. Conclusion: Information given to health care practitioners, who are not directly involved in clinical trials conducted by specialized medical staff, is still scarce. In our clinical setting, patients participating in clinical trials have a low awareness of such studies. Keywords: informed consent, clinical trials, family physician, wallet card

Solving One of Graduate Medical Education's Problems: A Loss of Thoroughness

Solving One of Graduate Medical Education's Problems: A Loss of Thoroughness

Electronic medication complete communication strategy for opioid prescriptions in the emergency department: Rationale and design for a three-arm provider randomized trial

BackgroundThousands of people die annually from prescription opioid overdoses; however there are few strategies to ensure patients receive medication risk information at the time of prescribing. ObjectivesTo compare the effectiveness of the Emergency Department (ED) Electronic Medication Complete Communication (EMC2) Opioid Strategy (with and without text messaging) to promote safe medication use and improved patient knowledge as compared to usual care. MethodsThe ED EMC2 Opioid Strategy consists of 5 automated components to promote safe medication use: 1) physician reminder to counsel, 2) inbox message sent on to the patient's primary care physician, 3) pharmacist message on the prescription to counsel, 4) MedSheet supporting prescription information, and 5) patient-centered Take-Wait-Stop wording of prescription instructions. This strategy will be assessed both with and without the addition of text messages via a three-arm randomized trial. The study will take place at an urban academic ED (annual volume>85,000) in Chicago, IL. Patients being discharged with a new prescription for hydrocodone-acetaminophen will be enrolled and randomized (based on their prescribing physician). The primary outcome of the study is medication safe use as measured by a demonstrated dosing task. Additionally actual safe use, patient knowledge and provider counseling will be measured. Implementation fidelity as well as costs will be reported. ConclusionsThe ED EMC2 Opioid Strategy embeds a risk communication strategy into the electronic health record and promotes medication counseling with minimal workflow disruption. This trial will evaluate the strategy's effectiveness and implementation fidelity as compared to usual care. Trial registrationThis trial is registered on clinicaltrials.gov with identifier NCT02431793.

Predictive value of perfusion defects on dual energy CTA in the absence of thromboembolic clots

BackgroundTo determine the predictive value of volumetrically measured lung perfusion defects (PDvol) and right ventricular dysfunction on dual-energy computed tomography angiography (DE-CTA) for predicting all cause mortality in patients suspected of pulmonary embolism (PE) but without evident thromboembolic clot on CTA. Methods448 patients underwent DE-CTA on a 64-channel DSCT system between January 2007 and December 2012 for suspected PE, of which 115 were without detectable thromboembolic clot on CTA. Diagnostic performance for identifying patients at risk of dying was evaluated using ROC analysis. All-cause mortality was assessed via the hospital electronic medical records and/or consultation of the patient or the patient's primary care physician via phone call interviews. Sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and area under the curve (AUC) were determined for PDvol (volume of perfusion defects/total lung volume), transverse right ventricular to left ventricular diameter ratios (RV/LV) and for the combination of both tests. ResultsMortality was 38% within the investigated time period of 6 months. Patients who died had significantly higher PDvol (PDvol 28 ± 13% vs. 19 ± 12%, p < 0.001) and a non-significant difference in transverse RV/LV ratio (1.14 ± 0.37 vs. 1.06 ± 0.22, p = 0.159). The AUC was 0.71 for PDvol, 0.53 for RV/LV ratio, and 0.67 for the combination of PDvol and RV/LV ratio. PDvol remained a significant predictor after correcting for age. ConclusionsIn the absence of thromboembolic clots, PDvol at DE-CTA appears to be predictive for all cause mortality.

Cardiovascular Comorbidity in Inflammatory Rheumatological Conditions.

Approximately 1.5 million adults in Germany suffer from an inflammatory rheumatological condition. The most common among these are rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis-above all axial spondyloarthritis, including ankylosing spondylitis (Bekhterev's disease) and psoriatic arthritis. These systemic inflammatory diseases often affect the heart as well. This review is based on pertinent articles retrieved by a selective literature search, on current European guidelines, and on the authors' clinical experience. Rheumatic inflammation of cardiac structures can manifest itself as pericarditis, myocarditis, or endocarditis. The heart valves and the intracardiac conduction system can be affected as well, leading to AV block. Functional sequelae, e.g., congestive heart failure, can arise as a consequence of any inflammatory rheumatic disease. The long-term mortality of rheumatic diseases is elevated predominantly because of the increased risk for cardiovascular comorbidities. The cardiovascular risk profile should therefore be re-evaluated regularly (e.g., at 5-year intervals) in cooperation with the patient's primary care physician. The cardiovascular manifestations of rheumatic disease, such as pericarditis, myocarditis, and vasculitis, are treated initially with high-dose glucocorticoids and then over the long term with maintenance drugs such as methotrexate and azathioprine. Biological agents are sometimes used as well. In patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, the elevated cardiovascular risk should be kept in mind and preventive measures should be initiated early. This subject should be further studied in controlled trials so that the treatment options for patients with cardiac involvement can be evaluated.

Does patient time spent viewing computer-tailored colorectal cancer screening materials predict patient-reported discussion of screening with providers?

The main aim is to examine whether patients' viewing time on information about colorectal cancer (CRC) screening before a primary care physician (PCP) visit is associated with discussion of screening options during the visit. We analyzed data from a multi-center randomized controlled trial of a tailored interactive multimedia computer program (IMCP) to activate patients to undergo CRC screening, deployed in primary care offices immediately before a visit. We employed usage time information stored in the IMCP to examine the association of patient time spent using the program with patient-reported discussion of screening during the visit, adjusting for previous CRC screening recommendation and reading speed.On average, patients spent 33 minutes on the program. In adjusted analyses, 30 minutes spent using the program was associated with a 41% increase in the odds of the patient having a discussion with their PCP (1.04, 1.59, 95% CI). In a separate analysis of the tailoring modules; the modules encouraging adherence to the tailored screening recommendation and discussion with the patient's PCP yielded significant results. Other predictors of screening discussion included better self-reported physical health and increased patient activation. Time spent on the program predicted greater patient-physician discussion of screening during a linked visit.Usage time information gathered automatically by IMCPs offers promise for objectively assessing patient engagement around a topic and predicting likelihood of discussion between patients and their clinician.