Screening for Osteoporosis to Prevent Fractures: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.

Importance: Osteoporotic fractures are associated with psychological distress, subsequent fractures, loss of independence, reduced ability to perform activities of daily living, and death.

Objective: The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a systematic review to evaluate the evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for osteoporosis to prevent fractures in adults 40 years or older with no known diagnosis of osteoporosis or history of fragility fracture.

Population: Adults 40 years or older without known osteoporosis or history of fragility fractures.

An implementation trial to mAnage siCkle CELl disEase through incReased AdopTion of hydroxyurEa in Nigeria (ACCELERATE): Study protocol.

Background: Despite the proven efficacy of evidence-based healthcare interventions in reducing adverse outcomes and mortality associated with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a vast majority of affected individuals in Africa remain deprived of such care. Hydroxyurea (HU) utilization among SCD patients in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) stands at less than 1%, while in Nigeria, approximately 13% of patients benefit from HU therapy. To enhance HU utilization, targeted implementation strategies addressing provider-level barriers are imperative.

The use of telehealth technology for lifestyle modification among patients with hypertension in Nigeria and Ghana.

Introduction: Sedentary lifestyle and consumption of an unhealthy diet are significantly associated with hypertension in Nigeria and Ghana. Increasing the uptake of physical activity and diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been a challenge in the region. This study aimed at assessing the effect of a mobile health intervention (mhealth) on physical activity, and fruits and vegetables intake in patients with hypertension in Nigeria and Ghana.

Specialty-Based Ambulatory Quality Improvement Program: A Specialty-Specific Ambulatory Metric Project.

Background And Objectives: Healthcare is increasingly being delivered in the outpatient setting, but robust quality improvement programs and performance metrics are lacking in ambulatory care, particularly specialty-based ambulatory care.

Methods: To promote quality improvement in ambulatory care, we developed an infrastructure to create specialty-specific quality measures and dashboards that could be used to display providers' performance across relevant measures to individual providers and institutional leaders.

Results: The products of this program include a governance and infrastructure for specialty-specific ambulatory quality metrics as well as two distinct dashboards for data display.

Moving forward: scaling-up the integration of an HIV and hypertension program in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

As people living with HIV experience increased life expectancy, there is a growing concern about the burden of comorbid non-communicable diseases, particularly hypertension. This brief describes the current policy landscape on the management of HIV and hypertension in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, stakeholder engagement meetings, and the resulting five policy recommendations rooted in an ongoing research study designed to integrate hypertension management into HIV care across primary health centers in the State. In order to identify the current gaps in integrated care, discussion sessions with three stakeholder groups (i.