Polysomnography remains the diagnostic gold standard for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but it cannot be easily performed in a timely fashion within the practice of a craniomaxillofacial surgeon. Hence, in this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to identify radiographic indicators that could predict obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis. We conducted a PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis, including 109 studies with 9817 participants (3509 controls, 6308 OSA patients), predominantly male (79% controls, 85% OSA patients).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination requires treating people who use drugs (PWUD), yet fewer than 10% of PWUD in the United States access HCV treatment and access is especially limited in rural communities.
Methods: We randomized PWUD with HCV viremia and past 90-day injection drug or non-prescribed opioid use in seven rural Oregon counties to peer-assisted telemedicine HCV treatment (TeleHCV) versus peer-assisted referral to local providers (enhanced usual care; EUC). Peers supported screening and pre-treatment laboratory evaluation for all participants and facilitated telemedicine visits, medication delivery, and adherence for TeleHCV participants.
Introduction: As the rural-urban cancer mortality gap widens, centering care around the needs of rural patients presents an opportunity to advance equity. One barrier to delivering patient-centered care at rural hospitals stems from limited analytic capacity to leverage data and monitor patient outcomes. This case study describes the experience of a public health cancer surveillance system aiming to fill this gap within the context of a rural cancer network.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This study assesses the feasibility of biomedical informatics resources for efficient recruitment of rural residents with cancer to a clinical trial of a quality-of-life (QOL) mobile app. These resources have the potential to reduce costly, time-consuming, in-person recruitment methods.
Methods: A cohort was identified from the electronic health record data repository and cross-referenced with patients who consented to additional research contact.
Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment for people who use drugs (PWUD) decreases injection drug use and injection equipment sharing. We examined changes in injection drug use and injection equipment sharing following HCV treatment in a randomized trial comparing peer-assisted telemedicine for HCV treatment (TeleHCV) versus peer-assisted usual care in rural PWUD. We hypothesize that TeleHCV reduces risky behaviors and peers facilitate this change.
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