Discharge before noon: An urban legend
Prenoon discharge is rapidly becoming a universal goal, without much evidence that the required effort produces benefit in any hospital outcome. It may be too late to explore differences among institutions, to study variations in the definition of "early" discharge, or to question this urban legend. The American Journal of Medicine
(5/2015) Share: 
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Racial identity and stress
African-Americans' experiences with high levels of racial discrimination across ages 17 to 19 years forecast heightened cytokine levels at the age of 22 years, but this association did not emerge for youths with positive racial identities. A positive racial identity may play a role in keeping stress from "getting under the skin." Journal of Adolescent Health
(5/2015) Share:
Cancer burden in dialysis
Despite reports of increased risk of cancer in the dialysis population, contemporary estimates are scant and incomplete. In this month's issue of AJKD, Butler and colleagues report annual incidence rates (1996-2009) of cancer in U.S. adults receiving in-center hemodialysis. Compared with the general U.S. population, dialysis patients were substantially more likely to develop cancer (standardized incidence ratio of 1.42), with the highest risk seen for cancers of the kidney, renal pelvis and bladder. American Journal of Kidney Diseases
(5/2015) Share:
Measurement of inappropriate medication use in clinical trials
Measurement of inappropriate medication use events in clinical trials (such as abuse and misuse) is important to characterize a medication's abuse potential. However, no "gold standard" assessment of inappropriate use events has been identified. Observations in this critical review article suggest that available instruments are not well suited for assessing inappropriate use within clinical trials and that further efforts are needed to develop reliable and valid measuring instruments. The Journal of Pain
(5/2015) Share:
Economic factors in suicide prevention for middle-aged U.S. adults
Suicide rates have been increasing among middle-aged adults in the U.S., with a sharp escalation since 2007. This study examined trends in suicide circumstance and method among adults to determine whether suicides with circumstances related to economic crises increased disproportionately between 2005 and 2010. Suicide circumstances related to job, financial and legal problems were found to be most common among individuals aged 40 to 64 years, increasing from 32.9% in 2005 to 37.5% by 2010. There was also an increase in the use of suffocation, which is a method more likely to be used in economic-related suicides. Efforts that target employers and link the unemployed to mental health resources are warranted. (Available for CME credit.) American Journal of Preventive Medicine
(5/2015) Share:
Organized physical activity in long-term care
Physical therapists (PTs) agree that physical activity is good for residents in long-term care, but what are the barriers that keep them from organizing activities, and what do they know about the WHO guidelines for physical activity in long-term care? Researchers from Belgium found while 71% of PTs were convinced of the benefits of physical activity, 84% were not familiar with the WHO guidelines. Motivators for (promoting physical well-being of residents) and barriers against (lack of time) organizing physical activity were identified. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
(5/2015) Share:
Enoxaparin vs. warfarin
The authors of this study concluded the use of enoxaparin tends to shorten hospitalization and lower cost of care. However, at 3.5 months there appear to be numerically higher (but statistically insignificant) rates of left ventricular thrombus in the enoxaparin group. The American Journal of Cardiology
(5/1/2015) Share:
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Study: Women more likely to be hospitalized after asthma attack
A study in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology found that women were 60% more likely than men to be admitted after being treated for an asthma attack in the emergency department despite having similar risk factors. The analysis of data on 2,000 asthma patients found that 36% of the women had been hospitalized for the condition while 32% of the men had. HealthDay News
(5/5) Share:
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CMS revises electronic clinical quality measures for 2016
The CMS has updated some of the clinical quality measures that will be reported electronically by providers for 2016 under the EHR Incentive Programs, the Physician Quality Reporting System and the Inpatient Quality Reporting Program. The change affects 64 measures for providers and 29 for hospitals, according to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. ONC officials also announced that the updated eCQMs can only be validated with the open-source Cypress testing tool. Healthcare IT News
(5/5) Share:
Physicians want a nudge toward better patient care
Focus groups of Midwest primary care and specialty physicians said to operate more efficiently, they need health care organizations to give them tools to make the best care decisions, help promote relationships and communication, and encourage low-tech but high-touch care. While physicians wanted to be nudged toward cost-conscious and patient-centered care, they still wanted policies that preserve and promote their clinical judgment. Health Affairs Blog
(4/30) Share:
Study links burnout, satisfaction of physicians to leadership
A Mayo Clinic survey of 2,813 physicians and scientists revealed a 3.3% decline in the odds of burnout and a 9% increase in satisfaction among physicians for every 1-point increase in the composite leadership rating of their supervisors. The findings also found an association between burnout and satisfaction at the division or department level with the mean composite leadership score of each division or department chair. BeckersHospitalReview.com
(5/4) Share:
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CDC reports record-low birth rates in the U.S. in 2013
A drop in the teen birth rate to 26.5 births for every 1,000 teenagers ages 15 to 19 contributed to an almost 1% decline in the number of births in the U.S. in 2013, according to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics that was published in Pediatrics. The report also revealed a 1% decline in the general fertility rate to 62.5 births for every 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. HealthDay News
(5/5) Share:
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Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burdens behind us."
-- Samuel Smiles, writer Share:
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