Frailty and Long-Term Health Care Utilization After Elective General and Vascular Surgery.

Importance: Surgical quality improvement efforts have largely focused on 30-day outcomes, such as readmissions and complications. Surgery may have a sustained impact on the health and quality of life of patients considered frail, yet data are lacking on the long-term health care utilization of patients with frailty following surgery.

Objective: To examine the independent association of preoperative frailty on long-term health care utilization (up to 24 months) following surgery.

Taking risk to heart: An evaluation of cardiometabolic risk and screening guideline adherence in outpatients with spinal cord injury.

Objectives: To evaluate cardiometabolic disease (CMD) in outpatients with spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D). The study aims were to (1) estimate the prevalence of CMD risk factors in a cohort of Canadian adults with SCI/D; (2) assess whether the frequency of CMD screening aligns with evidence-based guidelines; and (3) gain a preliminary understanding of the barriers to CMD screening and/or treatment within a rehabilitation program setting.

Design: Quality improvement initiative involving chart review extracting the presence of and frequency of screening for four CMD risk factors (obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus).

Antihypertensive Deprescribing and Cardiovascular Events Among Long-Term Care Residents.

Importance: The practice of deprescribing antihypertensive medications is common among long-term care residents, yet the effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unclear.

Objective: To compare the incidence of hospitalization for myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke among long-term care residents who are deprescribed or continue antihypertensive therapy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This comparative effectiveness research study used target trial emulation with observational electronic health record data from long-term care residents aged 65 years or older admitted to US Department of Veterans Affairs community living centers between October 1, 2006, and September 30, 2019, and taking at least 1 antihypertensive medication.

Contraception knowledge among college women in the Southeast United States.

: The purpose of this study was to explore contraceptive awareness among college women in the Southeast United States. This study sheds light on the gaps in contraceptive use found in college women and can be used to improve educational interventions on college campuses. : College-age women ages 18-25 completed in-depth qualitative interviews over Zoom.