Determining indications for adult vaccination: patient self-assessment, medical record, or both?

Context: Eight or more vaccines may be indicated for adults in the United States. Determining if any vaccines are needed requires integrating information on the patient's demographic and behavioral risk factors and health status, the health status of the patient's close contacts, and the patient's immunization history. This process can be time consuming for providers and their staff.

Cultural sensitivity and informed decision making about prostate cancer screening.

Because informed consent for prostate cancer screening with prostate specific antigen (PSA) is recommended, we determined how African Americans, Hispanics, and Caucasians want information about screening with PSA and the digital rectal exam (DRE) presented in culturally sensitive brochures specific for each group. We analyzed focus group discussions using content analysis and compared themes across groups in a university outpatient internal medicine practice setting. The participants were twenty couples with men age 50 and older who participated in four focus groups.