Test characteristics of point-of-care ultrasonography in patients with acute kidney injury.

Background: Acute kidney injury is a common disorder that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Point-of-care ultrasonography (PoCUS) is an imaging modality performed at the bedside and is used to assess for obstructive causes of acute kidney injury. Little is known about the test characteristics of PoCUS in patients with acute kidney injury.

Start spreading the news: a deliberate approach to POCUS program development and implementation.

While there is an expanding body of literature on Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) pedagogy, administrative elements that are necessary for the widespread adoption of POCUS in the clinical environment have received little attention. In this short communication, we seek to address this gap by sharing our institutional experience with POCUS program development and implementation. The five pillars of our program, selected to tackle local barriers to POCUS uptake, are education, workflow, patient safety, research, and sustainability.

An overview of Internal Medicine Point-of-Care Ultrasound rotations in Canada.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a growing part of internal medicine training programs. Dedicated POCUS rotations are emerging as a particularly effective tool in POCUS training, allowing for longitudinal learning and emphasizing both psychomotor skills and the nuances of clinical integration. In this descriptive paper, we set out to review the state of POCUS rotations in Canadian Internal Medicine training programs.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of 3 months of weekly rifapentine and isoniazid compared to isoniazid monotherapy in a Canadian arctic setting.

Objective: To assess the cost effectiveness of once weekly rifapentine and isoniazid for 12 weeks (3HP) to the current standard care for latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI) in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Design: A cost-effectiveness analysis using a Markov model reflecting local practices for LTBI treatment.

Setting: A remote Canadian arctic community with a high incidence of TB.

Social determinants of health among residential areas with a high tuberculosis incidence in a remote Inuit community.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant health burden among Inuit in Canada. Social determinants of health (SDH) play a key role in TB infection, disease and ongoing transmission in this population. The objective of this research was to estimate the prevalence of social determinants of Inuit health as they relate to latent TB infection (LTBI) among people living in residential areas at high risk for TB in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Gender and racial disparities in adherence to statin therapy: a meta-analysis.

Background: Significant disparities exist in cardiovascular outcomes based on race/ethnicity and gender. Rates of evidence-based medication use and long-term medication adherence also appear to be lower in racial subgroups and women but have been subject to little attention. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of race/ethnicity and gender on adherence to statin therapy for primary or secondary prevention.

Medicare Part D's effect on the under- and overuse of medications: a systematic review.

Objectives: To evaluate the literature regarding the effect of Medicare Part D on the under- and overuse of specific medications and corresponding health outcomes.

Design: Systematic review.

Setting: Medline search of the peer-reviewed literature from January 1, 2006, to October 8, 2010.

Are caregivers adherent to their own medications?

Objective: To explore caregiver adherence to chronic medications and predictors of appropriate medication use.

Design: Descriptive, nonexperimental, cross-sectional study.

Setting: United States in May 2009.

The consequences of requesting "dispense as written".

Background: All US states have adopted generic substitution laws to reduce medication costs. However, physicians may override these regulations by prescribing branded drugs and requesting that they are dispensed as written. Patients also can make these requests.

Online social networking by patients with diabetes: a qualitative evaluation of communication with Facebook.

Background: Several disease-specific information exchanges now exist on Facebook and other online social networking sites. These new sources of knowledge, support, and engagement have become important for patients living with chronic disease, yet the quality and content of the information provided in these digital arenas are poorly understood.

Objective: To qualitatively evaluate the content of communication in Facebook communities dedicated to diabetes.

Changes in drug use and out-of-pocket costs associated with Medicare Part D implementation: a systematic review.

Medicare Part D was implemented 4 years ago. Despite the fact that public-use Part D data were unavailable until late 2008, researchers have used alternate data to examine the effect of Part D on drug use and out-of-pocket costs. In a systematic review of Medline from 2006 to October 2009, the literature about drug use and costs after implementation and during the transition period and coverage gap was summarized.