Cancer prevention and control: a role for medical assistants?

This study aimed to assess medical assistants' willingness to engage in patient education and counseling about cancer prevention and control. A questionnaire was mailed to 402 medical assistants living in Maryland in June 2006 to assess attitudes and practices about counseling and educating patients on cancer prevention and control topics. Findings reveal that medical assistants are engaging patients in discussions about cancer prevention, with diet/nutrition and exercise being most often discussed.

Colorectal cancer screening preferences among African Americans: which screening test is preferred?

African Americans are diagnosed at late stages and suffer disproportionately higher mortality rates from colorectal cancer (CRC). Increasing their participation in CRC screening can help reduce these disparities. In-depth personal interviews were conducted with 60 African Americans to understand if CRC test preferences exist and to identify what attributes of screening tests influence test preferences.

Clinical review and epidemiology of headache disorders in US service members: with emphasis on post-traumatic headache.

Migraine or headache is a common problem in the active duty population, in the recently deployed service members, and is a cardinal symptom of traumatic brain injury. While there is increasing appreciation of the clinical burden of post-traumatic headache (PTHA) in the military traumatic brain injury population, there remain significant research gaps related to the epidemiology of PTHA, including lack of understanding of natural history, whether there are predisposing factors that predict the development or prognosis of headache post trauma and, most basically, the features that distinguish PTHA from other forms of chronic headache. Although diagnostic criteria for PTHA are included in the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edition, revised, these criteria are somewhat arbitrary and were not empirically defined.

The epidemiology of chronic daily headache.

Chronic daily headache (CDH) is a fairly common but disabling disorder that disproportionately affects women and afflicts individuals across all stages of adulthood. It is a dynamic disorder, marked by relatively high rates of remission and incidence. To some extent, this may be due to the accepted, but not empirically supported, cut-point of 15 headache days per month.

Preventive health patient education and counseling: a role for medical assistants?

Collaborative office-based team approaches may provide a unique means to increase the low rates of preventive services delivery. This study aimed to assess what role medical assistants may have in the delivery of preventive services to patients. A 35-item questionnaire was mailed to 402 medical assistants living in Maryland in July 2005.

Risk factors for headache chronification.

About 4% of the adult population and about 1% to 2% of children experience chronic attacks on a daily or near daily basis. While there is uncertainty about the biological mechanisms that lead to headache "chronification," the epidemiologic literature has provided some insight into modifiable and nonmodifiable factors that appear to influence risk of headache progression. This review summarizes the evidence from population-based studies related to the chronic daily headache phenotype, natural history, and risk factors that may influence incidence, prevalence, or prognosis.

Colorectal cancer screening and African Americans: findings from a qualitative study.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening has been found to be an effective tool for the control and prevention of this type of cancer, yet it is underutilized by African Americans. Consequently, African Americans with CRC are diagnosed at late stages and suffer disproportionately higher mortality rates for CRC.

Methods: To understand factors that influence the decision to participate in CRC screening, in-depth personal interviews were conducted with 36 African Americans in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.