Applying the Chronic Care Model to Improve Patient Activation at a Nurse-Managed Student-Run Free Clinic for Medically Underserved People.

This article describes a practice change intended to improve patient activation, also described as self-care management, in a sample of uninsured and underinsured patients with one or more chronic diseases who received care at a nurse-managed student-run free clinic project. Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Individuals with chronic illnesses may be uninsured or underinsured and often do not receive adequate medical management, resulting in complications and unnecessary hospitalizations.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Versus Aortic Valve Bypass: A Comparison of Outcomes and Economics.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is currently offered to patients who are high-risk candidates for conventional surgical aortic valve replacement. For the past 37 years, off-pump aortic valve bypass (AVB) has been used in elderly patients at our center for this similarly high-risk group. Although TAVR and AVB were offered to similar patients at our center, comparisons of clinical outcomes and hospital economics for each strategy were not reported.