Publications by authors named "Juana Alvarez"
Latinos with serious mental illness (SMI) experience health and health care disparities and may benefit from interventions that improve access to, coordination of, and receipt of primary care services. The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of Latinos with SMI and at risk for cardiovascular disease participating in Bridges to Better Health and Wellness (B2BHW), a culturally-adapted health care manager intervention delivered in a public outpatient mental health clinic. A total of 29 Latino participants completed a post-intervention survey that included an open-ended question about the three things they liked most about B2BHW; a subset of 16 participants participated in one of three post-intervention focus groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and initial impact of bridges to better health and wellness (B2BHW), a culturally-adapted health care manager intervention for Hispanics with serious mental illness (SMI). Thirty-four Hispanics with SMI and at risk for cardiovascular disease were enrolled. Mixed-linear models were used to examine changes over 12-months on patient activation, self-efficacy, patient-rated quality of care, receipt of preventive primary care services, and quality of life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFScope: 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a furanic compound produced in heat-processed foods by nonenzymatic browning reactions. HMF has been demonstrated to be hepato- and nephrotoxic in animals with a link to its metabolite 5-sulfooxymethylfurfural (SMF). To date little is known about either the formation of SMF from ingested HMF or the formation of DNA adducts in animals or human beings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Health-care manager interventions improve the physical health of people with serious mental illness (SMI) and could be widely implemented in public mental health clinics. Local adaptations and customization may be needed to increase the reach of these interventions in the public mental health system and across different racial and ethnic communities. In this study, we describe how we used the collaborative intervention planning framework to customize an existing health-care manager intervention to a new patient population (Hispanics with SMI) and provider group (social workers) to increase its fit with our local community.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis mixed-methods study examines the primary health care experiences of Hispanic patients with serious mental illness. Forty patients were recruited from an outpatient mental health clinic. Participants reported a combination of perceived discrimination and stigmatization when receiving medical care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo date, hepatotoxicity with anti-TNF therapy has been associated with concomitant liver-toxicity drugs, infection or malignant diseases. We report the case of one patient with spondyloarthropathty who presented severe liver dysfunction related to infliximab. After the second infusion serum controls showed an slightly increase of transaminases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF