COVID-19 in Okayama Prefecture: Looking back and looking forward.

In Japan, clinical and experimental studies addressing COVID-19 have been increasing in number since early February 2020, with many case reports being published. Concurrently, many notifications and guidelines have been issued from the government and academic societies. Taking optimal measures at the prefectural level as well as the national level is necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Estimating Human Exposure to Rat Lungworm () on Hawai'i Island: A Pilot Study.

is a zoonotic, parasitic nematode causing angiostrongyliasis or rat lungworm disease. Clinical diagnosis in humans is currently confirmed by detection of parasite DNA in cerebrospinal fluid. This study estimated human exposure to in volunteer participants solicitated via public venues on east Hawai'i Island using blood-based tests.

Patient Perspectives in Comparing Hospitals for Childbirth: Insights from Hawai'i.

Childbirth is a national priority area for healthcare quality improvement. Patient perspectives are increasingly valued in healthcare, yet Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) perspectives of healthcare quality are often understudied, particularly from individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). Our study goal was to understand factors that consumers in Hawai'i, including AAPI and those with LEP, use to compare patient care in hospitals, especially for childbirth.

Gender Differences in the Rate of 30-Day Readmissions after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background: It has been reported that women have higher 30-day readmission rates than men after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, readmission after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ACS is a distinct subset of patients in whom gender differences have not been adequately studied.

Methods: Hawaii statewide hospitalization data from 2010 to 2015 were assessed to compare gender differences in 30-day readmission rates among patients hospitalized with ACS who underwent PCI during the index hospitalization.

Community-acquired and hospital-acquired medication harm among older inpatients and impact of a state-wide medication management intervention.

Background: We previously reported reduction in the rate of hospitalisations with medication harm among older adults with our 'Pharm2Pharm' intervention, a pharmacist-led care transition and care coordination model focused on best practices in medication management. The objectives of the current study are to determine the extent to which medication harm among older inpatients is 'community acquired' versus 'hospital acquired' and to assess the effectiveness of the Pharm2Pharm model with each type.

Methods: After a 3-year baseline, six non-federal general acute care hospitals with 50 or more beds in Hawaii implemented Pharm2Pharm sequentially.