Social Determinants and Health Equity Activities: Are They Connected with the Adaptation of AI and Telehealth Services in the U.S. Hospitals?

In recent decades, technological shifts within the healthcare sector have significantly transformed healthcare management and utilization, introducing unprecedented possibilities that elevate quality of life. Organizational factors are recognized as key drivers in technology adoption, but involvement of hospitals in community-oriented activities and promotion of health equity are underexplored. This study investigated the impact of community social determinant activities and health equity activities on the adoption of AI and telehealth services within U.

Dose-response Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Kidney Cancer Risk Differs According to Glycemic Status: A Nationwide Cohort Study of 9.4 Million Individuals.

Purpose: Previous studies suggested an association between alcohol consumption and reduced kidney cancer risk. Given a potential interaction between alcohol's insulin-sensitizing effect and hyperglycemia-related insulin resistance, we aimed to assess whether the dose-response association between alcohol intake and kidney cancer risk varies based on glycemic status.

Materials And Methods: This nationwide cohort study analyzed data from 9,492,331 adults who underwent a national health screening program in 2009 and were followed until 2018.

Racial disparities and socioeconomic factors associated with post-acute rehabilitation facility utilization among Nevadans with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and extremity fractures: insights of age-friendly and dementia-friendly state planning in U.S.

Background: Falls and extremity fractures often occur in people living with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD). In post-fracture care, these patients are cared for either at rehabilitation facilities or their homes. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic limited the utilization of rehabilitation facilities.

Validity of a Classification System for the Levels of Maternal Care.

Objective: To assess the content validity of the classification of maternal level of care of the American Hospital Association Database for research use.

Methods: This was a secondary data analysis where we classified the maternal level of care in the 2018 American Hospital Association Database and linked this to birth hospitalizations from five states in the 2016 and 2017 State Inpatient Databases: Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, and Washington. We compared maternal level of care classification with birth volume quartiles, hospital size quartiles, and teaching status to predict the birth hospital for women with high OCI (Obstetric Comorbidity Index) scores and hospital-to-hospital transfers.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated with the Utilization of Digital Health Technologies Among Informal Caregivers: A Nationwide Study in the USA, 2022.

Background: Informal caregivers can leverage digital health technologies to support their own health while also assisting patients, particularly those with mental or physical challenges. This study investigated the sociodemographic factors associated with the use of digital health technology among informal caregivers.

Methods: Data from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) were examined for this cross-sectional study.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Telehealth and In-Person Primary Care Visits for People Living with Alzheimer's Disease-Related Disorders in the State of Nevada.

To people living with Alzheimer's Disease-Related Disorders (ADRD), timely and coordinated communication is essential between their informal caregivers and healthcare providers. In provider shortage areas, for example, the state of Nevada, telehealth can be an effective primary care delivery alternative to in-person visits. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of telehealth visits for people living with ADRD in the state of Nevada, a decision-analytic Markov model was developed from healthcare system perspectives with a 10-year horizon/1-year cycle.

Prediabetes persistence or remission and subsequent risk of gallbladder cancer: A nationwide cohort study.

Background & Aims: Hyperglycemia is associated with an increased risk of gallbladder cancer (GBC), potentially by inhibiting gallbladder motility and inducing prolonged cholestasis. Although intermediate hyperglycemia (or prediabetes) is highly reversible, evidence is lacking about whether prediabetes persistence or remission is associated with an altered GBC risk.

Methods: This nationwide cohort study included 6058,662 adults without diabetes or cancer who underwent national health examinations twice in 2-year intervals between 2009 (S1) and 2011 (S2) and were followed-up until 2018.

Emergency Department Visits Among Adolescents for Intentional Assault, Firearm, Poison, and Self-Harm Injuries Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States.

Purpose This study aimed to examine changes in adolescent emergency department (ED) visits for firearm, poison, self-harm, and intentional assault injuries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify sociodemographic factors influencing these variations. Methods Utilizing the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), the study analyzes data for intentional self-harm, poison-related, intentional assaults, and firearm injuries from 2019 to 2021 in adolescents aged 10 to 18 years. A difference-in-differences analysis was conducted to investigate the potential impacts of COVID-19 on injury-associated ED visits, accounting for adjustments related to year, patient factors, and hospital characteristics.

Enhancing Telehealth Accessibility for Older Adults in Underserved Areas: A 4M Framework Approach.

Telehealth has emerged as a vital alternative to traditional healthcare delivery, particularly for rural and underserved populations. While efforts to enhance telehealth accessibility have primarily focused on technological solutions, the effectiveness of its telehealth and the role of physician training in bridging racial and ethnic disparities in telehealth usage remains underexplored. This study evaluates the impact of a trained-physician-delivered, age-friendly telehealth model on healthcare accessibility and outcomes.

Increasing Emotional Distress and Use of Health Services among Hospitality Industry Workers During and After the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Objective: To examine the emotional distress situation among hospitality industry workers and their access to and use of health care including telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A survey was administered on the Qualtrics platform both in English and Spanish from November 18, 2020, to November 30, 2020, through the Culinary Workers Union in Nevada. A total of 1182 union members participated in the survey, of whom 892 completed the survey.

Prescription Painkiller Misuse in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Adults Ages 50 and Older: Trends and Correlates in a National Sample, 2015-2019.

: Older adults, an increasingly diverse segment of the United States population, are a priority population for prescription painkiller misuse. This study documents trends and correlates of prescription painkiller misuse among Hispanic and non-Hispanic adults ages 50 and older. : A secondary analysis of adults 50 years and older across 5 cohorts using the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (unweighted  = 16,181, 8.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Financial Impact of 30-Day Readmissions for Selected Medical Conditions: A Focus on Hospital Quality Performance.

Background: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) established the Hospital Quality Initiative in 2010 to enhance patient safety, reduce hospital readmissions, improve quality, and minimize healthcare costs. In response, this study aims to systematically review the literature and conduct a meta-analysis to estimate the average cost of procedure-specific 30-day risk-standardized unplanned readmissions for Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), Heart Failure (HF), Pneumonia, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), and Total Hip Arthroplasty and/or Total Knee Arthroplasty (THA/TKA).

Methods: Eligibility Criteria: This study included English language original research papers from the USA, encompassing various study designs.

Socioeconomic factors associated with use of telehealth services in outpatient care settings during the COVID-19.

Background: To examine potential changes and socioeconomic disparities in utilization of telemedicine in non-urgent outpatient care in Nevada since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional analysis of telemedicine used the first nine months of 2019 and 2020 electronic health record data from regular non-urgent outpatient care in a large healthcare provider in Nevada. The dependent variables were the use of telemedicine among all outpatient visits and using telemedicine more than once among those patients who did use telemedicine.

Validation of a measure of hospital maternal level of care for the United States.

Background: Lack of a validated assessment of maternal risk-appropriate care for use in population data has prevented the existing literature from quantifying the benefit of maternal risk-appropriate care. The objective of this study was to develop a measure of hospital maternal levels of care based on the resources available at the hospital, using existing data available to researchers.

Methods: This was a secondary data analysis.

Telehealth Utilization and Good Care among Informal Caregivers: Health Information National Trends Survey, 2022.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth services. Informal caregivers provide vital support to family and friends. Studying telehealth among informal caregivers is crucial to understanding how technology can support and enhance their caregiving responsibilities, potentially enhancing telehealth services for them as well as their patients.

Changes in characteristics of inpatient respiratory conditions from 2019 to 2021 (before and during the COVID-19 pandemic).

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in the number of individuals with respiratory conditions that require hospitalization, posing new challenges for the healthcare system. Recent respiratory condition studies have been focused on the COVID-19 period, with no comparison of respiratory conditions before and during the pandemic. This study aimed to examine hospital-setting respiratory conditions regarding potential changes in length of stay (LOS), mortality, and total charge, as well as socioeconomic disparities before and during the pandemic.

Assessment of cardiopulmonary point-of-care ultrasound objective structured clinical examinations in graduating anesthesiology residents across multiple residency programs.

Study Objective: To implement and assess a cardiopulmonary point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in a large cohort of graduating anesthesia residents.

Design: Observational cohort study.

Setting: University-affiliated hospitals.

Racial and Ethnic Disparity in 4Ms among Older Adults Among Telehealth Users as Primary Care.

Telehealth has been widely accepted as an alternative to in-person primary care. This study examines whether the quality of primary care delivered via telehealth is equitable for older adults across racial and ethnic boundaries in provider-shortage urban settings. The study analyzed documentation of the 4Ms components (What Matters, Mobility, Medication, and Mentation) in relation to self-reported racial and ethnic backgrounds of 254 Medicare Advantage enrollees who used telehealth as their primary care modality in Southern Nevada from July 2021 through June 2022.

Outcomes of Childbirth Education for Women With Pregnancy Complications.

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between pregnancy outcomes and childbirth education, identifying any outcomes moderated by pregnancy complications. This was a secondary analysis of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, Phase 8 data for four states. Logistic regression models compared outcomes with childbirth education for three subgroups: women with no pregnancy complications, women with gestational diabetes, and women with gestational hypertension.