Geriatrics Curricula for Internal and Family Medicine Residents: Assessing Study Quality and Learning Outcomes.

Background: Prior reviews of geriatrics curricula for internal medicine (IM) and family medicine (FM) residents have not evaluated study quality or assessed learning objectives or specific IM or FM competencies.

Objective: This review of geriatrics curricula for IM and FM residents seeks to answer 3 questions: (1) What types of learning outcomes were measured? (2) How were learning outcomes measured? and (3) What was the quality of the studies?

Methods: We evaluated geriatrics curricula that reported learning objectives or competencies, teaching methods, and learning outcomes, and those that used a comparative design. We searched PubMed and 4 other data sets from 2003-2015, and assessed learning outcomes, outcome measures, and the quality of studies using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) methods.

Characterization, risk stratification and the hypertension control rate at hospital-based clinics: a survey of 25,336 hypertensives in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Objective: To characterize hypertensive patients living in metropolitan cities in China.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey conducted in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The eligibility criteria included outpatients 35-85 years of age with a systolic blood pressure (SBP) of ≥140 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of ≥90 mmHg or both and/or patients receiving antihypertensive medications.

Characteristics of advanced cancer patients with cancer-related fatigue enrolled in clinical trials and patients referred to outpatient palliative care clinics.

Context: Limited published data exist on whether characteristics of patients with advanced cancer enrolled in cancer-related fatigue clinical trials (CCTs) differ from patients in outpatient palliative care clinics (OPCs).

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of two groups of patients with advanced cancer and moderate-to-severe fatigue: patients in CCTs and patients at an OPC.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 337 patients who were enrolled in one of five CCTs for advanced cancer patients at The University of Texas M.

Assessing the quality of evidence from randomized, controlled drug and nutritional supplement trials conducted among nursing home residents between 1968 and 2004: what can we learn?

Background: An estimated 1.5 million residents of nursing homes (NH) in the United States were prescribed an average of 7 to 8 medications each month. However, it is unknown which of these prescribed drugs and nutritional supplements have been tested for use among NH residents who often have distinct and complex needs compared with other geriatric patients.