SMJ // February 2012, Volume 105 - Issue 2

Original Article

Efficacy of Early Clinical Evaluation in Predicting Direct Home Discharge of Elderly Patients After Hospitalization in Internal Medicine

Objectives: Early evaluation of direct home discharge (DHD) after hospitalization of elderly patients is important to organize discharge planning quickly. Many scores, scales, and indices have been developed to improve discharge planning. Is clinical judgment better than functional status, comorbidity, or cognitive function scales in predicting DHD of elderly patients…

Original Article

Medical Student Education Improvement Using a Resident-Driven Student Rotation

Small community-based residency teaching programs are often entrusted with the task of instructing medical students. In these small programs, sufficient teaching instruction for medical students can be hindered by an ever-increasing workload and lack of a structured curriculum. We designed a resident-supervised rotation for medical students in our department while…

Invited Commentary

Commentary on Medical Student Education Improvement Using a Resident-Driven Student Rotation

“See one, do one, teach one.” This phrase was ingrained in my memory during my training and it is one I have used when training residents. At one time, the central pedagogy of medical education, this model is quickly being replaced by a more patient-centric version. “See one, simulate many,…

Original Article

EMR Use Among Rural and Urban Alabama Family Medicine Physicians

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the adoption of electronic medical records (EMR) by rural and urban Alabama family medicine physicians. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated EMR use among Alabama family medicine physicians (N = 1197). Results: Half (49.3%) of the physicians surveyed reported using EMR in…

Original Article

Correlates of Vitamin D Insufficiency in an Affluent Adult Population

Objectives: Vitamin D is necessary for bone health and calcium metabolism. Vitamin D deficiency may play a role in coronary artery disease, some cancers, autoimmune disease, and glucose tolerance. Vitamin D deficiency may be prevalent even among affluent US adults. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review study of 287…

Review

Aspirin in Primary and Secondary Prevention in Elderly Adults Revisited

Despite the frequency and long duration of aspirin use, its role in primary and secondary prevention in older adults is not well studied. This review takes a critical look at the available literature on aspirin efficacy in elderly adults, and some relevant guidelines for practicing physicians are suggested.

Review

Osteoporosis in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

The medical care of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) originates in primary care physicians’ offices. With the move toward the deinstitutionalization of these individuals in the 1970s and 1980s and the increasing longevity of this population, more adults with disabilities are living in the community. Primary care providers need to…

Review

Cardiac Stress Testing for the Diagnosis and Management of Coronary Artery Disease: A Reference for the Primary Care Physician

Choosing the appropriate stress test is important in the workup of patients with possible myocardial ischemia. This choice often is challenging and sometimes confusing because of the plethora of tests and guidelines available. We present a broad overview of commonly available stress tests and indications to help physicians select the…

Review

Using the Antinuclear Antibody Test to Diagnose Rheumatic Diseases: When Does a Positive Test Warrant Further Investigation?

The anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) test is ordered commonly as a screening test for rheumatic diseases. Although ANA positivity is highly sensitive for certain rheumatic diseases, the presence of ANA is nonspecific and can be associated with numerous nonrheumatic factors, including environmental exposures, malignancies, drugs, and infections. This article describes a…

Letter to the Editor

From Beagles to the Bedside: Jonathan Rhoads and Parenteral Nutrition

To the EditorThis year marks the 45th anniversary of the landmark study that changed the paradigm for the nutritional management of malnourished patients. In the Harrison Laboratories at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Surgery, Jonathan Rhoads and his colleagues demonstrated that parenteral nutrition (PN) could provide the sole nutritional…

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