A New Measure of Health Numeracy: Brief Medical Numbers Test (BMNT).

Background: Approximately half of Americans have inadequate health literacy, which leads to poorer health outcomes. Health numeracy is an important component of literacy, which reflects one's ability to understand and manipulate numbers. This is especially important for transplant candidates, as adherence to medical recommendations is essential for posttransplant care.

Health Literacy Status Affects Outcomes for Patients Referred for Transplant.

Background: It is hypothesized that limited health literacy affects outcomes for patients referred for transplant; however, research has not examined this for all types of end-stage organ disease.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether health literacy and cognitive impairment were related to listing for transplant and posttransplant outcomes.

Methods: Chart reviews were conducted on 398 patients who completed a required psychiatric evaluation before transplant listing.

The effects of a novel psychological attribution and emotional awareness and expression therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain: A preliminary, uncontrolled trial.

Objective: Current psychological and behavioral therapies for chronic musculoskeletal pain only modestly reduce pain, disability, and distress. These limited effects may be due to the failure of current therapies: a) to help patients learn that their pain is influenced primarily by central nervous system psychological processes; and b) to enhance awareness and expression of emotions related to psychological trauma or conflict.

Methods: We developed and conducted a preliminary, uncontrolled test of a novel psychological attribution and emotional awareness and expression therapy that involves an initial individual consultation followed by 4 group sessions.

Health literacy in patients referred for transplant: do patients have the capacity to understand?

Adequate levels of health literacy are needed for transplant recipients to be able to understand and comply with medical recommendations. However, little is known about health literacy among transplant candidates. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the levels of health literacy and cognitive functioning among patients being evaluated for various types of transplantation.

To eat or not to eat; is that really the question? An evaluation of problematic eating behaviors and mental health among bariatric surgery candidates.

Problematic eating behaviors, such as emotional eating, and food addiction, may affect weight; however, little is known about these eating behaviors, especially among those seeking bariatric surgery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of problematic eating behaviors and to investigate their relationship with other eating behaviors, body mass index (BMI), and psychiatric symptoms. There were 142 patients who completed a required psychiatric evaluation prior to bariatric surgery.

Postsurgical patient-controlled opioid self-administration is greater in hospitalized abstinent smokers than nonsmokers.

Objective: To compare 24-hour postsurgical patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in smokers and nonsmokers.

Design: Patients completed a presurgical questionnaire inquiring about sleep, nicotine and other substance use, and comorbid disorders. Nicotine use was discontinued on hospital admission on the day of surgery.