The Role of Informatics in Implementing Guidelines for Chronic Opioid Therapy Risk Assessment in Primary Care: A Narrative Review Informed by the Socio-Technical Model.

Approximately 2 million Americans live with opioid use disorder (OUD), most of whom also have chronic pain. The economic burden of chronic pain and prescription opioid misuse runs into billions of dollars. Patients on prescription opioids for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) are at increased risk for OUD and overdose.

What do you do when your loved one is ill? The line between physician and family member.

Conventional wisdom and professional ethics generally dictate that physicians should avoid doctoring family members because of potential conflicts of interest. Nevertheless, cross-sectional surveys find that the practice is commonplace. Physicians have unique opportunities to influence their family member's care because they possess knowledge and status within the health care system; however, when physicians participate in the care of family members, they must not lose objectivity and confuse their personal and professional roles.

Effects of advanced practice nursing on patient and spouse depressive symptoms, sexual function, and marital interaction after radical prostatectomy.

A secondary analysis of a prospective randomized clinical trial with repeated measures was conducted to examine the effects of a standardized nursing intervention on patient and spouse depressive symptoms, sexual function, and marital interaction. Another purpose of this study was to determine if, over time, differences existed in men and their spouses' levels of depressive symptoms, sexual function, and marital interaction following radical prostatectomy. Spouses reported significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms and significantly more marital interaction distress compared to patients.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea/vomiting and functional status in women treated for breast cancer.

Nausea and vomiting are among the most distressing symptoms for cancer patients treated with chemotherapy even with the widespread use of 5-HT3 antagonists. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is composed of 4 major components: acute nausea, delayed nausea, acute vomiting, and delayed vomiting. Determining the relationship of each component of CINV on the functional status of women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer was the purpose of this study.

Exercise manages fatigue during breast cancer treatment: a randomized controlled trial.

Fatigue is the most prevalent and debilitating symptom experienced by breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy and few evidence-based treatments are available to manage this distressing side-effect. The purpose of this multi-institutional randomized controlled trial was to determine the effects of exercise on fatigue levels during treatment for breast cancer. Sedentary women (N=119) with Stage 0-III breast cancer receiving outpatient adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy were randomized to a home-based moderate-intensity walking exercise program or to usual care for the duration of their cancer treatment.

Adherence to moderate-intensity exercise during breast cancer therapy.

Purpose: The aims of this pilot study were the following: 1) to examine patterns of adherence to a brisk walking program in women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy for newly diagnosed breast cancer using a prospective, randomized, controlled experimental design; 2) to examine the influence of disease symptoms and treatment side effects on exercise levels; and 3) to suggest methods that may improve future clinical trials of moderate-intensity exercise in similar populations.

Description Of Study: Fifty-two patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer were randomly assigned to one of two treatment arms: usual care or usual care plus exercise. Those assigned to the exercise group received a standardized, self-administered, home-based brisk walking intervention in addition to usual care.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Nausea and vomiting (N&V) is among the most distressing side effects of chemotherapy, despite the development of more efficacious antiemetic agents. As many as 60% of patients who receive cancer chemotherapy experience some degree of N&V. However, the actual incidence is difficult to determine with accuracy because of the variety of drugs, doses, and health conditions of the patients who receive cancer treatments.