Postpartum readmission associated with severe maternal morbidity: A systematic review.

Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is now conceptualized to identify life-threatening events prior to maternal mortality worldwide. SMM could occur either during delivery hospitalization or arising from postpartum readmission (PPR). Apart from increase in medical cost and extended length of hospital stay during delivery, women with SMM also carry higher risk for postpartum readmission for management of delivery related complications or comorbidities.

Opioid agonist treatment programs and hepatitis C virus elimination in Taiwan: Ways of expanding the care cascade in screening and treatment.

Background: One key population related to achieving the global goal of hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination is people who inject drugs (PWID). By surveying opioid agonist treatment (OAT) programs nationwide in Taiwan, this study aimed to examine (1) the current status of HCV care cascade provision by OAT programs and (2) the opinions of the programs' directors on integrating the HCV care cascade into OAT programs.

Methods: From September to November 2022, questionnaires were sent via administrative networks to case managers for information on daily operation and routine booking and to directors for information on the HCV care cascade of 185 OAT programs.

Nurse-led intervention to improve oral mucosal health of intubated patients in the intensive care unit: A prospective study.

Background: This prospective study aimed to explore the effectiveness of an oral care intervention with Tegaderm on the oral mucosal health of intubated patients.

Methods: A total of 70 intubated patients were included and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups, clean water brushing teeth (n = 23), brushing teeth combined with mouthwash (BTM) (n = 23), and brushing teeth combined with mouthwash and Tegaderm (BTMT) (n = 24). The Oral Mucositis Assessment Scale (OMAS) was applied to evaluate the patient's oral mucosal health before and after oral care intervention.

Changing or Retaining Direct Oral Anticoagulant After Ischemic Stroke Despite Direct Oral Anticoagulant Treatment.

Background: The optimal antithrombotic strategies for patients with atrial fibrillation who experience ischemic stroke (IS) despite direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy remain inconclusive. This study compared outcomes for patients with DOAC treatment failure who changed or retained their prestroke DOAC.

Methods And Results: This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from the National Health Insurance Research Database from 2012 to 2020.

Enhanced Primary Care for People With Serious Mental Illness: A Propensity Weighted Cohort Study.

People with serious mental illness (SMI) have high rates of cardiometabolic illness, receive low quality care, and experience poor outcomes. Nevertheless, studies of existing integrated care models have not consistently shown improvements in cardiometabolic health for people with SMI. This study assessed the effect of a novel model of enhanced primary care for people with SMI on cardiometabolic outcomes.

Rural-Urban Differences in the Utilization of Hospital-Based Care for Women of Reproductive Age.

To investigate rural-urban differences in hospital-based care utilization among women of reproductive age (18-44 years). Rural-urban differences were estimated for hospital outpatient visits, emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and associated expenditures both overall and by insurance status, by analyzing a nationally representative sample of women of reproductive age from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2006-2015). The study sample consisted of 48,114 women of reproductive age.

Effect of Enhanced Primary Care for People with Serious Mental Illness on Service Use and Screening.

Background: Strategies are needed to better address the physical health needs of people with serious mental illness (SMI). Enhanced primary care for people with SMI has the potential to improve care of people with SMI, but evidence is lacking.

Objective: To examine the effect of a novel enhanced primary care model for people with SMI on service use and screening.

Determinants of rural-urban differences in health care provider visits among women of reproductive age in the United States.

Background: Rural health disparities and access gaps may contribute to higher maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Understanding and addressing access barriers for specialty women's health services is important in mitigating risks for adverse childbirth events. The objective of this study was to investigate rural-urban differences in health care access for women of reproductive age by examining differences in past-year provider visit rates by provider type, and quantifying the contributing factors to these findings.

Cabozantinib (XL184) and R428 (BGB324) Inhibit the Growth of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC).

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a deadly disease for which no effective targeted therapeutic agent has been approved. Both AXL and c-MET have been reported to be independent prognostic factors for ESCC. Thus, inhibitors of AXL/c-MET might have great potential as targeted therapy for ESCC.

Telehealth In Health Centers: Key Adoption Factors, Barriers, And Opportunities.

Telehealth services have the potential to improve access to care, especially in rural or urban areas with scarce health care resources. Despite the potential benefits, telehealth has not been fully adopted by health centers. This study examined factors associated with and barriers to telehealth use by federally funded health centers.

Correlates Between Health Beliefs and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profiles in the Development of Metabolic Syndrome in Taiwan.

Differences in sociodemographic variables, health beliefs, and a healthy lifestyle all contribute to the varied prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). We investigated the associations among MetS-related risk factors and performed a cross-sectional study, recruiting 1741 Taiwanese residents aged ≥30 years, between August 2014 and August 2015. Data were obtained on sociodemographic factors, health beliefs, and health-promoting lifestyle profiles using questionnaires.

[Effectiveness of an Interdisciplinary Health Education Intervention on Metabolic Syndrome in Community Residents: A Study of Four Towns in Northern Taiwan].

Background: Metabolic syndrome, a widespread condition in Taiwan, increases the risks of cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in Taiwan after cancer. Thus, this health problem is a priority issue of concern.

Training Psychologists for Rural Practice: Exploring Opportunities and Constraints.

Purpose: To examine trends in the psychologist workforce and training opportunities, including factors that may influence the decision of clinical psychologists to practice in rural settings.

Methods: We use a mixed-methods approach to examine the psychologist workforce nationally and in North Carolina (NC), including (1) an analysis of the location of programs awarding doctoral degrees; (2) an analysis of the practice, demographic, and educational characteristics of the psychologist workforce; and (3) interviews with directors of doctoral programs in clinical psychology to understand where current graduates are getting jobs and why they may or may not be choosing to practice in rural communities.

Findings: Fewer than 1% of programs and institutions awarding doctoral degrees in psychology in the United States are located in rural areas.

The influence of an external breast prosthesis on the posture of women after mastectomy.

Background: Previous literatures showed no evidence that wearing an external breast prosthesis may prevent changes in body posture in women who underwent mastectomy.

Objective: To determine whether the weight of an external breast prosthesis can contribute to posture changes in women post mastectomy.

Methods: Fifty-one women with unilateral mastectomy (age 58 ± 11.

Health care utilization from chemotherapy-related adverse events among low-income breast cancer patients: effect of enrollment in a medical home program.

Background: Chemotherapy-related health care utilization by breast cancer patients can be expensive for payers and patients. This study evaluated the patient-centered medical home program Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) in terms of its potential to reduce health care utilization associated with chemotherapy-related adverse events (AEs).

Methods: Early-stage breast cancer cases diagnosed during the 5-year period 2003-2007 were identified in the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry; these cases were then linked to North Carolina Medicaid claims data.

Is medical home enrollment associated with receipt of guideline-concordant follow-up care among low-income breast cancer survivors?

Background: Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) initiated an innovative medical home program in the 1990 s to improve primary care in Medicaid-insured populations. CCNC has been successful in improving asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular outcomes but has not been evaluated in the context of cancer care. We explored whether CCNC enrollment was associated with guideline-concordant follow-up care among breast cancer survivors.

[Improving patient safety: acupuncture therapy administered in the rehabilitation department].

Background: Therapies that combine Chinese and western medicine is applied particularly often on patients in rehabilitation departments to reduce disease and illness recovery times. Acupuncture (fine needle piercing) is a widely applied traditional Chinese therapeutic approach. However, accidents including leaving needles in the patient's body and patient fainting due to carelessness or inadequate nursing training have raised concerns about the efficacy of acupuncture.