Treating loss-to-follow-up as a missing data problem: a case study using a longitudinal cohort of HIV-infected patients in Haiti.

Background: HIV programs are often assessed by the proportion of patients who are alive and retained in care; however some patients are categorized as lost to follow-up (LTF) and have unknown vital status. LTF is not an outcome but a mixed category of patients who have undocumented death, transfer and disengagement from care. Estimating vital status (dead versus alive) among this category is critical for survival analyses and program evaluation.

New uses of old technology: Can nurse-pagers improve communication between resident-physicians and nurses.

Background: Alphanumeric paging is underutilized, despite being the standard mode of communication between physicians and nurses at many hospitals across the United States.

Objective: We hypothesized that an educational program designed to teach optimal alphanumeric paging behavior in conjunction with providing nurses with alphanumeric pagers would improve the quality and efficiency of nurse pages.

Methods: We implemented an educational program to teach nurses about optimal alphanumeric paging, defined as including four important components-patient identification, clinical scenario, sender identification, and callback number.

Outcomes after antiretroviral therapy during the expansion of HIV services in Haiti.

Background: We report patient outcomes after antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in a network of HIV facilities in Haiti, including temporal trends and differences across clinics, during the expansion of HIV services in the country.

Methods: We assessed outcomes at 12 months after ART initiation (baseline) using routinely collected data on adults (≥15 years) in 11 HIV facilities from July 2007-December 2013. Outcomes include death (ascertained from medical records), lost to follow-up (LTF) defined as no visit > 365 days from ART initiation, and retention defined as being alive and attending care ≥ 365 days from ART initiation.

Increasing Incidence and Unique Clinical Characteristics of Spinning-Induced Rhabdomyolysis.

Objective: To compare outcomes of spinning-induced rhabdomyolysis to those with exertional rhabdomyolysis from other physical activities.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic medical center, single-center.

A Mixed-Methods Study of Pain-related Quality of Life in Sickle Cell Vaso-Occlusive Crises.

The quality of care for sickle cell disease patients hospitalized with a vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is poor, resulting in staggeringly high healthcare resource utilization. To evaluate in-patient care for VOC, we conducted a mixed-methods study of all adult sickle cell disease patients admitted with a VOC from 2010-2012. We quantitatively assessed the quality of care for all patients, and qualitatively studied a subset of frequently admitted patients.

(Re)turning the pages of residency: the impact of localizing resident physicians to hospital units on paging frequency.

Background: Geographic localization of physicians to patient care units may improve communication, decrease interruptions, and reduce resident workload. This study examines whether interns on geographically localized patient care units receive fewer pages than those on teams that are not.

Methods: The study is a retrospective analysis of the number of pages received by interns on 5 internal medicine teams: 2 in a geographically localized model (GLM), 2 in a partial localization model (PLM), and 1 in a standard model (SM) over 1 month at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell.

The patient care circle: a descriptive framework for understanding care transitions.

Background: Reducing hospital readmissions depends on ensuring safe care transitions, which requires a better understanding of the challenges experienced by key stakeholders.

Objective: Develop a descriptive framework illustrating the interconnected roles of patients, providers, and caregivers in relation to readmissions.

Design: Multimethod qualitative study with 4 focus groups and 43 semistructured interviews.

Anemia in general medical inpatients prolongs length of stay and increases 30-day unplanned readmission rate.

Objectives: Anemia, either chronic or newly developed in the hospital as a result of underlying disease and/or phlebotomy, is seen commonly among general medical inpatients, and its impact on the quality and efficiency of care is unknown.

Methods: This study investigated the relation among hemoglobin level, length of stay, and 30-day unplanned readmission rates in a cohort of 314 general medical inpatients 18 years old and older admitted to a teaching hospital during a period of 4 months in a large urban academic medical center, using retrospective chart review of the electronic health record.

Results: Anemia was common among this cohort of general medical inpatients (44.