Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

BMJ Open 2022 Jun 30;12(6):e062357. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Objectives: This study aimed to quantify the health system cost of the first 2 years of a Breast Cancer Early Detection (BCED) programme in a rural district in Rwanda. We also aimed to estimate the cost of implementing the programme in other districts with different referral pathways and identify opportunities for enhanced cost efficiency.

Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis using time-driven activity-based costing, based on timed patient clinical encounters, retrospective patient data and unit costs of resources abstracted from administrative and finance records. Read More

BMJ Mil Health 2022 Jun 30. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

RAMC, British Army, London, UK.

Urology 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Department of Urology, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY, USA.

Objective: To describe litigation patterns of transurethral surgery in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia including verdicts, types of lawsuits, plaintiff claims, and timing of the claims.

Methods: Data was gathered by searching for litigation cases between January 1, 1980 and December 1, 2021 in the Westlaw legal database using keywords for transurethral surgeries for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Extracted data included case type, general description of the plaintiffs and defendants, plaintiff claims, and whether the claim involved preoperative, perioperative, or postoperative management, verdict, and indemnity awards. Read More

Int J Drug Policy 2022 Jun 27;106:103774. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Department of Communication N308 Integrative Learning Center 650 N. Pleasant St. University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Cannabis is the most commonly used drug during pregnancy, excluding alcohol and tobacco, in the United States. Cannabis consumption during pregnancy is increasing along with greater legal and social acceptance.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative content analysis of 23 in-depth interviews with pregnant and lactating people in Massachusetts, a state that legalized cannabis for adult use in 2016. Read More

Orthop Nurs 2022 May-Jun 01;41(3):229-236

Allen S. Keener, OTD, MS, OTR/L, ATP, Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY.

With orthopaedic surgery, there is a risk of poor outcomes such as pain, decreased mobility, and decreased function, particularly if patients do not receive adequate preoperative and postoperative orthopaedic education. Healthcare education delivered via telehealth can be individualized to the patient's specific situation and health literacy level and is accessible, convenient, and timely for patients and providers. The purpose of this article is to combine two models of best practice, the EDUCATE model of patient education and Bashshur's Taxonomy of Telehealth, to describe a framework for improving delivery of preoperative and postoperative orthopaedic education. Read More

Orthop Nurs 2022 May-Jun 01;41(3):203-210

Jeannine Roth, PhD, RN, Clinical Educator, Harbor Regional Health, Grays Harbor Community Hospital, Aberdeen, WA.

For adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), participating in physical activity (PA) can be difficult due to functional limitations that not only affect an adolescent's ability or willingness to participate in PA but also create particular social concerns. Research in the area of PA and adolescents with CP is limited. This research study utilized hermeneutic phenomenology to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the lived experiences of 14 adolescents with CP who participated in PA. Read More

J Consult Clin Psychol 2022 Jun;90(6):503-512

National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Health Care System.

Objective: Prolonged exposure (PE) therapy is a first-line posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment, but the manualized 90-min session format constitutes a barrier to adopting PE in most settings because they use 60-min sessions for scheduling and billing. We examined whether 60-min PE sessions were as effective and efficient as 90-min PE sessions.

Method: In total, 160 active-duty military personnel with PTSD were randomized to 8-15 sessions of 60- or 90-min PE sessions and assessed pre- and posttreatment, and 3- and 6-month posttreatment, using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 5th edition [DSM-5] (CAPS-5). Read More

Psychiatr Q 2022 Jun 30. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

This review of current literature demonstrates the psychological implications of skin conditions. Skin conditions of varying severity can impact the quality of patients' lives and have psychiatric consequences. This impact provides a need for healthcare providers to consider the psychological implications of one's skin conditions and their effect on quality of life. Read More

Exp Physiol 2022 Jun 30. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

New Findings: What is the topic of this review? The treatment of exertional heat stress, from initial field care through the return-to-activity decision, is reviewed. What advances does it highlight? Clinical assessment during field care using AVPU and vital signs to gauge recovery Approaches to field cooling and end of active cooling Shared clinical decision making for return to activity recommendations ABSTRACT: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a potentially fatal condition characterized by central nervous system dysfunction and body temperature often but not always >40°C that occurs in the context of physical work in warm or hot environments. In this paper, we review the continuum of care, from initial recognition and field care to transport and hospital care, and finally return to duty considerations. Read More

Qual Health Res 2022 Jun 30:10497323221110801. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

HIV Mental Health Research Unit, Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, 37716University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

The prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment (H-NCI) is concerning. Individuals on effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) may still be at risk for H-NCI as they experience longer life expectancies. There are, however, few professionals with knowledge and skills to identify H-NCI, in low- and middle-income countries. Read More

Mil Med 2022 Jun 30. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

Department of Behavioral Health, Child and Family Behavioral Health Services, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96859, USA.

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-threatening genetic illness in the United States. People with CF as well as their caregivers are up to three times more likely to report experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety than those without CF. In 2016, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the European Cystic Fibrosis Society came together to form the International Committee on Mental Health in CF and released guidelines outlining behavioral health (BH) screening recommendations for patients with CF and at least one primary caregiver. Read More

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2022 Jun 1. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Translational & Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Background & Aims: Healthcare service provision in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is often designed to meet targets set by healthcare providers rather than those of patients. It is unclear whether this meets the needs of patients, as assessed by patients themselves. This nationwide study assessed patients' experience of IBD and the healthcare they received, aiming to identify factors in IBD healthcare provision associated with perceived high-quality care. Read More

Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2022 Jun 30:1-5. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

Institute of Disaster and Emergency Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.

Robotics have important applications in the field of disaster medical rescue. The deployment of urban rescue robots at the earthquake site can help shorten response time, improve rescue efficiency and keep rescue personnel away from danger. This discussion introduces the performance of some robots in actual rescue scenarios, focuses on the current research status of robots that can provide medical assistance, and analyzes the merits and shortcomings of each system. Read More

Psychooncology 2022 Jun 29. Epub 2022 Jun 29.

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan.

Objectives: To reduce cancer care disparities, this study aimed to clarify the difficulties in cancer care for people with mental disorders as perceived by cancer care providers.

Methods: Cancer care providers at 17 designated cancer hospitals in Japan were surveyed using mail questionnaires. Respondents were asked to rate 29 items related to difficulties or insufficiencies in cancer care for patients with mental disorders on a five-point Likert scale. Read More

J Telemed Telecare 2022 Jun 29:1357633X221106041. Epub 2022 Jun 29.

Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 12350University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

Introduction: Endocrinology workforce data demonstrate a substantial gap in the number of practicing endocrinologists, a phenomenon particularly affecting patients with diabetes in rural, financially challenged, underserved areas. We evaluated the concept that retired endocrinologists could re-enter practice part time and utilize telemedicine in collaboration with personnel in Federally Qualified Community Health Center clinics to conduct an intensive self-management program and provide 6-month concurrent care for patients with diabetes.

Methods: The program involved intensive glucose control measures and education in diabetes, nutrition, and lifestyle changes over a 6-month period. Read More

Front Psychiatry 2022 13;13:863232. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) and public safety personnel (PSP) across the globe have continued to face ethically and morally challenging situations during the COVID-19 pandemic that increase their risk for the development of moral distress (MD) and moral injury (MI). To date, however, the global circumstances that confer risk for MD and MI in these cohorts have not been systematically explored, nor have the unique circumstances that may exist across countries been explored. Here, we sought to identify and compare, across the globe, potentially morally injurious or distressful events (PMIDEs) in HCWs and PSP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

J Appalach Health 2021 25;3(3):7-21. Epub 2021 Jul 25.

Division of Natural Sciences, Walter State Community College.

Background: In mid-March 2020, very few cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the Central Blue Ridge Region, an area in Appalachia that includes 47 jurisdictions across northeast Tennessee, western North Carolina, and southwest Virginia. Authors described the emergence of cases and outbreaks in the region between March 18 and June 11, 2020.

Methods: Data were collected from the health department websites of Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia beginning in mid-March for an ongoing set of COVID-19 monitoring projects, including a newsletter for local healthcare providers and a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) dashboard. Read More

J Law Biosci 2022 Jan-Jun;9(1):lsac017. Epub 2022 Jun 25.

Boston University, Boston, USA.

Clinical ethicists hold near consensus on the view that healthcare should be provided regardless of patients' past behaviors. In classic cases, the consensus can be explained by two key rationales-a lack of acute scarcity and the intractability of the facts around those behaviors, which make discrimination on past behavior gratuitous and infeasible to do fairly. Healthcare providers have a duty to help those who can be helped. Read More

J Appalach Health 2019 6;1(2):31-43. Epub 2019 Jul 6.

East Tennessee State University.

Introduction: Diet and nutrition play an important role in a child's health and reduce the risk of numerous health problems including obesity. Dietary habits can be difficult to modify in children, particularly in Appalachia, where access to affordable, healthy foods is limited.

Purpose: To examine barriers to healthy eating among Appalachian youth. Read More

J Appalach Health 2020 15;2(2):67-79. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Background: People who live in rural Appalachia experience a wide variety of problems when seeking access to health care. Health care disparities continue to be one of the most complex and prevalent problems, and many barriers exist for impoverished men and women such as a lack of education, complications with health insurance, and personal distrust of healthcare providers.

Purpose: A critical gap in the literature is the unheard voice of persons in rural underserved areas. Read More

J Appalach Health 2020 15;2(2):49-55. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

University of Kentucky.

Introduction: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) enacted on March 23, 2010 significantly impacted access to healthcare for people living with HIV (PLWH). Expansion of care was accomplished in three areas: eliminating exclusions for pre-existing conditions, elimination of lifetime caps on healthcare expenditures, and expansion of Medicaid eligibility.

Purpose: This study evaluated the impact of state implementation of the ACA Medicaid expansion on referral to HIV care at a Ryan White federally funded clinic in Kentucky (University of Kentucky Bluegrass Care Clinic [UK BCC]). Read More

J Appalach Health 2021 25;3(4):29-44. Epub 2021 Oct 25.

School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL.

Introduction: There is a high demand for audiologists throughout the United States. Previous research has supported an additional demand for these providers within Appalachia.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine if Appalachia has a disproportionally high demand for audiologists compared to the rest of the United States. Read More

J Pain Res 2022 23;15:1787-1796. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

KANTAR China, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

Background: While there is an extensive body of research regarding pain and its treatment in developed countries, little research on this topic has been performed in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the diagnosis, treatment, and treatment satisfaction in individuals with pain in urban China using real-world data.

Methods: All respondents from the 2013, 2015, and 2017 China National Health and Wellness Survey were included in the analysis and were classified into diagnosed and undiagnosed groups according to their self-reported physician diagnosis or experience in the past month. Read More

J Appalach Health 2020 17;2(4):64-81. Epub 2020 Nov 17.

Harvard Medical School,

Background: The 2016 President's Cancer Panel called for projects focusing on improving cancer symptom management using connected health technologies (broadband and telecommunications). However, rural communities, like those in Appalachia, may experience a "double burden" of high cancer rates and lower rates of broadband access and adoption necessary for connected health solutions.

Purpose: To better understand the current landscape of connected health in the management of cancer symptoms in rural America. Read More

J Appalach Health 2020 1;2(4):82-85. Epub 2020 Sep 1.

University of Kentucky.

The is dedicated to reviewing various types of media related to contemporary concepts that affect the health of Appalachia. As the opioid-related overdose deaths ravish Appalachia, now more than ever, we each must devote energy to understanding addiction and pathways to recovery. Dr. Read More

JAAD Int 2022 Sep 20;8:82-88. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.

Background: Previous studies have found the increasing use of patient satisfaction scores by patients and insurance payers. Less is known about how patient mental health affects health care satisfaction.

Objective: To examine the association between baseline mental health and health care satisfaction among adults with alopecia. Read More

Front Allergy 2022 2;3:889221. Epub 2022 Jun 2.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Background: Type 2 inflammation underlies the chronicity of disease in subgroups of patients with asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and atopic dermatitis (AD), that often co-exist. Although several studies have investigated the unmet needs of asthma, AD and CRSwNP as such, little is known about the similarities and differences in experiences and perspectives of the current management of patients with comorbid Type 2 inflammatory diseases.

Aims: To improve insight into the common and organ-specific needs of patients with Type 2 inflammation and comorbidities, allowing the formulation of recommendations to better address these needs in the future. Read More

Korean J Transplant 2020 Jun;34(2):71-77

Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected 1,029,968 people in Asia as of May 16, 2020. Although Asia was the first continent to be affected, many countries in the region continue to battle COVID-19, which challenges the way transplant programs provide their services. Given the diversity of healthcare systems in Asia, the countermeasures in response to COVID-19 are as potentially diverse. Read More

Patient Prefer Adherence 2022 22;16:1499-1509. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.

Background: The growing access and use of mobile technology provide new tools for diabetic care and management. Mobile-based technology (mHealth) is considered as a useful tool to deliver healthcare services as a makeshift alternative for consultations and follow-up of diabetic patients. Therefore, this study aimed to scrutinize the willingness to receive mHealth messages and its associated factors among diabetic patients at Mizan Tepi University Teaching Hospital (MTUTH). Read More