Cognitive Remediation to Facilitate Independent Living in Persons With Serious Mental Illness.

Many people with serious mental illness (SMI) experience cognitive disabilities and poor independent living skills which limit their ability to live independently in the community. This study examined the feasibility and initial effectiveness of integrating a new cognitive remediation program, Thinking Skills for Life (TSL), into independent living skills training programs in four secure residential treatment facilities (SRTFs) to facilitate discharge to more independent living situations. Participants were 30 individuals in the SRTF, of whom 11 were forensically committed to the SRTF.

Opioid Allergy Cross-Reactivity: A Retrospective Study Across Three Opioid Classes.

IgE-mediated opioid hypersensitivities, or true allergies, are rare and most adverse reactions to opioids can be attributed to side effects or to pseudo-allergies. Given that immune-mediated allergies to opioids are uncommon, literature regarding cross-reactivity among opioid classes are limited. This retrospective study aimed to determine the rates of cross-reactivity and tolerance among patients with previously documented opioid allergy or adverse drug reaction (ADR) across three opioid drug classes (natural, semisynthetic, and synthetic opioids).

Considerations for the Treatment of Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals in Colon and Rectal Surgery.

Sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) experience critical barriers to health care access and have unique health care needs that are often overlooked. Given the rise in individuals identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, colorectal surgeons are likely to care for increasing numbers of such individuals. Here, we discuss key barriers to health care access and research among SGM populations and outline approaches to address these barriers in clinical practice.

Developing a Bilingual Health Education Program to Identify and Address Healthcare Misinformation in a Border Community.

El Paso Health Education and Awareness Team (EP-HEAT®) is a bilingual program focused on increasing health awareness and dispelling health-related misinformation in the U.S.-Mexico border region.

Access to Primary Care Telemedicine and Visit Characterization in a Pediatric, Low-Income, Primarily Latino Population: Retrospective Study.

Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has been widely integrated into primary care pediatrics. While initial studies showed some concern for disparities in telemedicine use, telemedicine uptake for pediatric patients in a low-income, primarily Latino community over a sustained period has yet to be described.

Objective: We aimed to assess the relationship between demographics, patient portal activation, and telemedicine visits, as well as characterize diagnoses addressed in telemedicine, in a low-income, primarily Latino population over time.