Publications by authors named "L M Hicks"
Objective: To explore the role of local public health organisations in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted. Peer-reviewed and grey literature from countries within the organisation for economic co-operation and development was searched between 1999 and 2023 using the concepts of local public health, AMR and AMS.
Objective: To evaluate South Asian (SA) and White (WH) inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) phenotypes, and to explore treatment approach variations between these cohorts in the UK using the IBD BioResource database.
Design: Differences between WH and SA IBD patients were analysed using demographic, phenotypic and outcome data. Drug utilisation patterns and surgical outcomes were assessed in propensity score-matched (PSM) cohorts with multivariable logistic regression, Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis.
Background: Feedback reports summarizing clinician performance are effective tools for improving antibiotic use in the ambulatory setting, but the effectiveness of feedback reports in the hospital setting is unknown.
Methods: Quasi-experimental study conducted between December 2021 and November 2023 within a pediatric health system measuring the impact of clinician feedback reports delivered by email and reviewed in a monthly meeting on appropriate antibiotic use in children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We used an interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) to estimate the immediate change and change over time in the proportion of CAP encounters adherent to validated metrics of antibiotic choice and duration, then used Poisson regression to estimate intervention effect as a rate ratio (RR).
Description of national antibiotic prescribing rates in U.S. long-term care facilities, 2013-2021.
Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- Long-term care pharmacy data from 2013 to 2021 was analyzed to assess antibiotic prescribing trends in U.S. facilities.
- The study found that overall antibiotic prescribing rates decreased during this period, with significant reductions in the use of fluoroquinolones and macrolides.
- Monitoring antibiotic usage in long-term care can reveal chances to improve how these medications are prescribed.
Article Synopsis
- Laparoscopy is commonly used to investigate pelvic pain, but many patients end up with no clear diagnosis, leading to unmet expectations and emotional distress.
- A study involving interviews with 15 patients revealed themes such as the desire for diagnosis, hope as a coping mechanism, and challenges with communication and mental health post-procedure.
- The findings stress the need for effective pre- and postoperative counseling from clinicians to better prepare patients for the possibility of inconclusive results and to address their mental health concerns.