Original Article

Effects of Religious Involvement on HIV Management Outcomes Among HIV-Positive Adults in Central North Carolina

Objectives: The goals of this pilot cross-sectional study were to determine the feasibility of and begin measuring the effect of religious institution affiliation on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinical outcomes in the southern United States, a region marked by later initiation of antiretroviral therapy, higher HIV-related morbidity, and higher mortality…

Invited Commentary

Commentary on “A Professional Well-Being Continuum: Broadening the Burnout Conversation”

The concept of physician wellness has attracted significant attention in recent years, as well it should. Statistics suggest that, depending on your specialty, 55% to 72% of physicians are experiencing what is frequently referred to as “burnout.”1 Although some may argue that burnout is common among many individuals in today’s…

Original Article

Effects of Maternal Carbohydrate and Fat Intake on Fetal Telomere Length

Objectives: Telomere length can be affected by dietary factors in adults. We investigated the association between maternal carbohydrate and fat intake during pregnancy and telomere length in neonatal cord blood leukocytes. We hypothesized that high fat consumption and high carbohydrate consumption would be associated with shortened fetal telomere length. Methods:…

Original Article

Risk, Outcomes, and Predictors of Clostridium difficile Infection in Lymphoma: A Nationwide Study

Objective: The risk of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has not been well studied in patients with lymphoma. We thus sought to determine the risk of CDI in hospitalizations with lymphoma along with its trend, outcomes, and predictors using a large database. Methods: Hospital discharge data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample…

Original Article

OPEN: Expenditures and Quality: Hospital- and Health System–Affiliated Versus Independent Physicians in Virginia

Objectives: The American Medical Association has reported that 2016 was the first year in which fewer than half (47.1%) of all practicing physicians owned their own practice. Across the United States, there has been consolidation of physicians and hospital and health systems, resulting in questions about the effect of this…

Original Article

Homicide in the South: Higher Rates Among Whites and Fewer Racial Disparities

Objective: Describe southern US homicide rates in whites and blacks between 1999 and 2015. Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Multiple Cause of Death Files provided mortality rates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for non-Hispanic whites (NHW) as well as non-Hispanic blacks and African Americans (NHB). Results: Overall,…

Perspectives

A Professional Well-Being Continuum: Broadening the Burnout Conversation

Physician burnout is a significant concern that is garnering much-needed attention. Researchers and leaders in health care also have been focusing more on physician wellness. We believe, however, that physician well-being is more nuanced than being either burned out or well (or burned out or not), and the complexities of…

Original Article

Contemporary Geographic Variation and Sociodemographic Correlates of Hysterectomy Rates Among Reproductive-Age Women

Objective: For decades hysterectomy rates have famously demonstrated unexplained geographic variation. The aim of this study was to identify county-level correlates of hysterectomy rates among reproductive-age women. Methods: Using county-level data from multiple sources, linked with claims-based surveillance data of every hysterectomy performed among women ages 20 to 44 in…

Letter to the Editor

Do Teaching-Focused Medical Schools Perpetuate the Thinking That Black Faculty Should Not Be Researchers?

To the Editor: In attempts to address concerns about a physician shortage, there has been an increase in the number of US medical schools. Many of these schools are community based and have been created with a focus on teaching to increase the numbers of primary care physicians and a…

Original Article

Mobile Health (mHealth) Use or Non-Use by Residents of West Virginia

Objective: To compare mobile health (mHealth) usage by residents of West Virginia with national estimates. Methods: Pew Research Center data from its Internet and American Life Project were accessed for secondary data analysis. These data, available to the public, are a probability sample of Internet use in the United States,…

Original Article

Birth Weight and Risk of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Arizona, Illinois, and Kentucky

Objective: To confirm the previously reported increased risk of leukemia among macrosomic children (those with birth weight >4 kg). Methods: Birth certificates of Arizona, Illinois, and Kentucky children diagnosed as having acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) before age 5 years were matched with birth certificates from leukemia-free children of the same…

Original Article

Group Battlefield Acupuncture in Primary Care for Veterans with Pain

Objective: To obtain preliminary data on the short- and intermediate-term effects of battlefield acupuncture (BFA) on self-reported pain intensity in a relatively large cohort of veterans to assess whether a more comprehensive clinical trial evaluation is warranted. Methods: The treatment, in an outpatient group setting, consisted of up to five…

Original Article

Protocol to Improve Genotyping of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Diagnosed Using EBUS-TBNA

Objectives: Targeted therapies for non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) are based on the presence of driver mutations such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) translocation. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided-transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a first-line modality for diagnosing and staging NSCLC. A quality improvement…

Original Article

Provision of Buprenorphine to Pregnant Women by For-Profit Clinics in an Appalachian City

Objectives: This study was undertaken to confirm that patient reports on buprenorphine medication-assisted therapy in for-profit buprenorphine clinics in our community were personally costly. We contacted all 17 for-profit clinics in our community and confirmed the patient reports that a significant financial payment of ≤$100 was required for each visit….

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