Publications by authors named "Moran W"

A change in mechanism was observed in the hypervalent iodine-mediated cyclization of -alkenylamides when the carbon chain between the alkene and the amide increased from two to three atoms. In the latter case, cyclization at the amide nitrogen to form the pyrrolidine ring was favored over cyclization at the amide oxygen. A DFT study was undertaken to rationalize the change in mechanism of this cyclization process.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a patient navigator in a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) for managing uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) among primary care patients.
  • Implementation of this navigator led to significant improvements, with a roughly 40% reduction in uncontrolled systolic blood pressure (SBP) and a 30% reduction in uncontrolled hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels after 12 months.
  • The findings suggest that having a dedicated patient navigator can greatly enhance blood pressure and glycemic control without differences based on race or poverty levels.
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Background: We examined the association of objective measures of cardiometabolic risk with progression to a high-risk for advanced fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) at initially low- and indeterminate-risk for advanced fibrosis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of primary care patients with MASLD between 2012 and 2021. We evaluated patients with MASLD and low- or indeterminate-risk Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4) scores and followed them until the outcome of a high-risk FIB-4 (≥2.

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Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1a) medications have been shown in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to have consistent and impressive effectiveness in lowering hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and weight, but limited data exist on the efficacy of GLP-1a medications in clinical practice. We studied the association between GLP-1a therapy and changes in weight and HbA1c in a real-world patient population. In this retrospective cohort study of patients seen in a primary care clinic between 2012 and 2021, we examined the change in weight and HbA1c over 12 months in a cohort of patients with at least one prescription for a GLP-1a.

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Objective: We aimed to determine the association of statins with progression to a high risk for advanced fibrosis in primary care patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Design: This retrospective cohort study of electronic health record data included patients with MASLD and an initial low or indeterminate risk for advanced fibrosis, determined by Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4) score (<2.67).

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Objectives: For successful Naloxone Leave Behind (NLB) programs, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) must identify patients at-risk for opioid overdose. We describe the first year of Vermont's NLB program and report rates of EMS documentation of at-risk patients with subsequent distribution of NLB kits in the subgroup of those refusing transport to an emergency department (ED).

Methods: This retrospective cohort review of all EMS encounters over 1 year compared on-scene EMS documented to retrospective chart reviewidentified at-risk patients eligible for NLB kit dispersal.

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Background: Lung cancer screening with annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) in high-risk patients with exposure to smoking reduces lung cancer-related mortality, yet the screening rate of eligible adults is low. As hospitalization is an opportune moment to engage patients in their overall health, it may be an opportunity to improve rates of lung cancer screening. Prior to implementing a hospital-based lung cancer screening referral program, this study assesses the association between hospitalization and completion of lung cancer screening.

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Objectives: Interhospital transfer (IHT) and in-hospital delirium are both independently associated with increased length of stay (LOS), mortality, and discharge to facility. Our objective was to investigate the joint effects between IHT and the presence of in-hospital delirium on the outcomes of LOS, discharge to a facility, and in-hospital mortality.

Methods: This was a single-center retrospective cohort study of 25,886 adult hospital admissions at a tertiary-care academic medical center.

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Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate opioid use trajectories among a sample of 10,138 Medicaid patients receiving one of six index surgeries: lumbar spine, total knee arthroplasty, cholecystectomy, appendectomy, colon resection, and tonsillectomy.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Administrative claims data.

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Background: Although tobacco use is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality, its use remains widespread among adults within the United States. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products are effective aids that improve rates of tobacco cessation. Many smokers interact with the medical system, such as during hospitalization, without their tobacco use addressed.

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Background And Goals: The Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4) has demonstrated a strong association with severe liver disease (SLD) outcomes in primary care, but previous studies have only evaluated this relationship using 1 or 2 FIB-4 scores. In this study, we determined the association of FIB-4 as a time-varying covariate with SLD risk using time-dependent Cox regression models.

Study: This retrospective cohort study included primary care patients with at least 2 FIB-4 scores between 2012 and 2021.

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Article Synopsis
  • Statins are medicines that help lower bad cholesterol, but they aren't used a lot in people with chronic liver disease (CLD).
  • In a study of primary care patients, 354 out of 2119 had CLD, and the use of statins was similar for patients with and without CLD.
  • Although CLD patients weren't less likely to get statins, there is still a need to help more people with this condition get the medicine they need.
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Background: As recommendations for non-invasive fibrosis risk assessment in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) emerge, it is not known how often they are performed in primary care.

Aims: We investigated the completion of confirmatory fibrosis risk assessment in primary care patients with NAFLD and indeterminate-risk or greater Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4) and NAFLD Fibrosis Scores (NFS).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study of electronic health record data from a primary care clinic identified patients with diagnoses of NAFLD from 2012 through 2021.

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Introduction: Delirium or a fall are associated with many negative outcomes including increased length of stay (LOS) and discharge to a facility; however, this relationship is incompletely understood.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of all hospitalizations in a large, tertiary care hospital evaluated the effect of delirium and a fall on the outcomes of LOS and risk of being discharged to a facility.

Results: The study included 29,655 hospital admissions.

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Context: Remote patient monitoring (RPM) for diabetes and hypertension may reduce barriers to patient care, leading to improved disease control and decreased morbidity and mortality.

Program: We describe the implementation of a community-academic partnership to improve diabetes and hypertension control for underserved populations using RPM.

Implementation: In 2014, our academic medical center (AMC) began working with community health centers (CHCs) to implement a centrally monitored RPM program for patients with diabetes.

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Background: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) has long provided a cue for chronic liver disease (CLD) diagnostic evaluation, but the Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4), a serologic score used for predicting advanced fibrosis risk in CLD, may provide an alternative signal.

Objective: Compare the predictive performance of FIB-4 with ALT for severe liver disease (SLD) events while adjusting for potential confounders.

Design: Retrospective cohort study of primary care electronic health record data from 2012 to 2021.

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Methods: A cross-sectional study using delirium screening and falls reports was used to measure the association between delirium and falls. All inpatient data from August, 2018, to January, 2020, at a large academic medical center were analyzed. A multivariable logistic regression of 29,655 hospital admissions was used to understand the association between in-hospital delirium and falls.

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A simple catalytic electrosynthetic protocol for oxidative transformations mediated by hypervalent iodine reagents has been developed. In this protocol, electricity drives the iodine(I)/iodine(III) catalytic cycle enabling catalysis with generated hypervalent iodine species, thereby eliminating chemical oxidants and the inevitable chemical waste associated with their mode of action. In addition, no added electrolytic salts are needed in this process.

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Patients admitted via interhospital transfer (IHT) experience increased risk-adjusted mortality, adverse events, length of stay, and discharge to facility; however, the etiology is not well understood. We hypothesize that IHTs are more likely to experience in-hospital delirium as compared with admissions to the hospital via the emergency department (ED) and clinic. This is a cross-sectional study of all adult admissions to medical, surgical, neurological, and obstetrics and gynecology services at an academic medical center who were screened for delirium between August 2018 and January 2020.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study conducted a retrospective review of South Carolina Medicaid patients to analyze opioid use patterns following lumbar surgery and identify risk factors for chronic opioid use.
  • Results indicated that patients fell into five distinct groups based on their postoperative opioid consumption, with a significant portion (32.2%) exhibiting sustained high use.
  • Key risk factors for higher opioid use included prior opioid use, younger age, longer hospital stays, and certain comorbid conditions, with 76.4% of patients categorized as chronic opioid users.
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Inference and hypothesis testing are typically constructed on the basis that a specific model holds for the data. To determine the veracity of conclusions drawn from such data analyses, one must be able to identify the presence of the assumed structure within the data. In this paper, a model verification test is developed for the presence of a random walk-like structure in the variations in the frequency of complex-valued sinusoidal signals measured in additive Gaussian noise.

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Background: Patients with delirium have increased hospital length of stay (LOS), morbidity and mortality. Impact of delirium on postacute care (PAC) utilization is not fully characterized. Impact of screening for delirium on general medicine patients is unknown.

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Background: The past 5 years have witnessed a concerted national effort to assuage the rising tide of the opioid misuse in our country. Surgical procedures often serve as the initial exposure of children to opioids, however the trajectory of use following these exposures remains unclear. We hypothesized that opioid exposure following appendectomy would increase the risk of persistent opioid use among publicly insured children.

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Background And Aims: The Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) can reliably assess fibrosis risk in patients with chronic liver disease, and advanced fibrosis is associated with severe liver disease (SLD) outcomes. However, CLD is underdiagnosed in primary care. We examined the association between FIB-4 risk strata and the incidence of SLD preceding a CLD diagnosis while considering incident CLD diagnoses as competing risks.

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Background: The Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4)non-invasively assesses fibrosis risk in chronic liver disease (CLD), but underdiagnosis limits FIB-4's application in primary care.

Objective: To evaluate the association of FIB-4 risk with hazard of severe liver outcomes in primary care patients with and without diagnosed CLD.

Design: Retrospective cohort study of primary care data from 2007 to 2018.

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