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Substance use and mental health problems are often underdiagnosed and undertreated in primary care. Veterans affairs facilities are using the Behavioral Telehealth Center (BTC) to provide evidence-based assessments for primary care patients via telephone. Whether participation in BTC services is associated with (1) increases in healthcare utilization and (2) decreases in symptoms based on behavioral health screening instruments, post-BTC services compared with pre-BTC services were investigated. Retrospective data were extracted for 1,820 patients who were referred to the BTC. Differences in utilization rates and symptom scores pre- and post-BTC services were tested using repeated measures analysis of covariance while controlling for relevant sociodemographic variables. Participants (1) utilized significantly more substance use and mental health treatment services and (2) had significantly lower alcohol and depression screening scores post-BTC services compared with pre-BTC services. This initial evaluation provides support that BTC services are associated with increased healthcare utilization and decreased alcohol and depressive symptoms.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11414-013-9338-y | DOI Listing |
JMIR Hum Factors
September 2025
Media Psychology Lab, Department of Communication Science, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) are a leading cause of death worldwide, yet first responder apps can significantly improve outcomes by mobilizing citizens to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation before professional help arrives. Despite their importance, limited research has examined the psychological and behavioral factors that influence individuals' willingness to adopt these apps.
Objective: Given that first responder app use involves elements of both technology adoption and preventive health behavior, it is essential to examine this behavior from multiple theoretical perspectives.
J Med Internet Res
September 2025
University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Background: Online postal self-sampling (OPSS) allows service users to screen for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by ordering a self-sampling kit online, taking their own samples, returning them to a laboratory for testing, and receiving their results remotely. OPSS availability and use has increased in both the United Kingdom and globally the past decade but has been adopted in different regions of England at different times, with different models of delivery. It is not known why certain models were decided on or how implementation strategies have influenced outcomes, including the sustainability of OPSS in sexual health service delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: In Armenia, a lower-middle-income country, cancer causes 21% of all deaths, with over half of cases diagnosed at advanced stages. Without universal health insurance, patients rely on out-of-pocket payments or black-market channels for costly immunotherapies, underscoring the need for real-world data to inform equitable policy reforms.
Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of patients who received at least one dose of an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) between January 2017 and December 2023 across six Armenian oncology centers.
JCO Glob Oncol
May 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
Purpose: Expanding high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage in resource-constrained settings is critical to bridging the cervical cancer gap and achieving the global action plan for elimination. Mobile health (mHealth) technology via short message services (SMS) has the potential to improve HPV vaccination uptake. The mHealth-HPVac study evaluated the effectiveness of mHealth interventions in increasing HPV vaccine uptake among mothers of unvaccinated girls aged 9-14 years in Lagos, Nigeria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJCO Glob Oncol
May 2025
Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Purpose: Breast cancer remains a significant public health challenge globally, as well as in India, where it is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in females. Significant disparities in incidence, mortality, and access to health care across India's sociodemographically diverse population highlight the need for increased awareness, policy reform, and research.
Design: This review consolidates data from national cancer registries, global cancer databases, and institutional findings from a tertiary care center to examine the epidemiology, clinical challenges, and management gaps specific to India.