Association Between the Affordable Care Act and Emergency Department Visits for Psychiatric Disease.

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) utilization for psychiatric disease is increasing, and a lack of health insurance has been identified as a potential cause of preventable or avoidable ED use. Through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more uninsured individuals gained health insurance; however, the effects of increased health insurance coverage on ED utilization for psychiatric disease have not been examined.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal, cross-sectional analysis of data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, the largest all-payer ED database in the US, which contains data on over 25 million ED visits each year.

Mental Health and Substance Misuse-Related Emergency Department Discharges in Urban Counties of North Carolina.

Background: National evidence suggests that there is considerable variation between regions in emergency department utilization for routine health care needs. Many emergency departments are poorly equipped to manage the needs of patients with mental health or substance misuse diagnoses, who could often be more effectively managed in other settings. We sought to quantify differences in the frequency of mental health and substance misuse-related emergency department encounters across urban counties in North Carolina.

Reliability, validity and factor structure of the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale-Revised (ASAS-R).

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: Self-care agency is a fundamental concept in nursing and health care research. Having self-care agency enhances an individual's health-promoting behaviours and/or specific capabilities for chronic disease self-management. The purpose of this study was to continue the development and psychometric testing of the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency - Revised (ASAS-R).

Factor analysis of the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale in American adults with diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: The purpose of this methodological secondary data analysis study is to examine the reliability, construct validity, and dimensionality of the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale (ASAS) in an American sample of adults with diabetes mellitus.

Methods: The sample consisted of 141 insulin-requiring adults with diabetes mellitus recruited from a Diabetes Care Center in the southern United States. The ASAS, along with Hurley's Insulin Management Diabetes Self-efficacy and Insulin Management Diabetes Self-care Scales, was used in the study to determine convergent validity, thus contributing to the construct validity of the ASAS.

Essential educational content for advanced practice in psychiatric consultation liaison nursing.

Psychiatric Consultation Liaison Nursing (PCLN), an advanced practice subspecialty of psychiatric mental health nursing, has evolved over the last 4 decades in response to increased recognition of the importance of psychophysiological interrelationships and their impact on wellness, physical illness, and recovery. PCLN specialists practice in many countries although there are few PCLN programs in schools of nursing. This article defines PCLN, reviews its history, and recommends essential educational content for inclusion in a master's curriculum to prepare graduates for competent and effective PCLN practice.