Psychosocial issues and quality of life of parenting partners of young women with breast cancer.

Purpose: Data are lacking about the association between quality of life (QOL) and psychosocial issues of partners of young women with breast cancer who co-parent dependent children.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of partners of women with breast cancer diagnosed at age ≤ 40. Among those partners reporting at least one dependent child under 18 years old at the time of diagnosis, we used multiple linear regression to examine associations between partner QOL and sociodemographic and psychosocial factors, and the patient's cancer stage and time since diagnosis.

Optimal Staffing Models To Care For Frail Older Adults In Primary Care And Geriatrics Practices In The US.

Different staffing configurations in primary and geriatric care practices could have implications for how best to deliver services that are essential for a growing population of older adults. Using data from a 2018 survey of physicians (MDs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) working in primary and geriatric care, we assessed whether different configurations were associated with better or worse performance on a number of standard process measures indicative of comprehensive, high-quality primary care. Practices with a large concentration of MDs had the highest estimated labor costs.

Partners of young breast cancer survivors: a cross-sectional evaluation of psychosocial concerns, coping, and mental health.

Purpose: Evaluation of psychosocial concerns, coping style, and mental health in partners of young (diagnosed at ≤40 years) survivors of early-stage breast cancer (BC).

Design: Cross-sectional; partners participated in a one-time survey.

Sample: 289 participants; most were male, white, working full-time, college educated, with median age of 43 years, parenting children <18 years old.

Physician and nurse practitioner perceptions of social worker and community health worker roles in primary care practices caring for frail elders: Insights for social work.

Social workers (SW) and community health workers (CHW) have emerged as key workforce personnel in efforts to care for elders in the U.S. However, little is known about the presence and roles of SW and CHW in primary care practices.

Oral health and cancer screening in long-term care nursing facilities: Motivation and opportunity as intervention targets.

Objective: The objective of this study is to propose empirically and conceptually supported interventions that might increase the capability and opportunity to provide of oral hygiene care and oral cancer screening in long-term nursing care facilities.

Background: Improving the oral health in the older adult population is a priority of the Healthy People 2020 initiative. Poor oral health disproportionably affects older populations, which indicates lower participation in regular oral health care (OHC) that includes screening and early detection of oral cancer.

Developing content for an interprofessional training on fear of cancer recurrence (FCR): Key informant interviews of healthcare professionals, researchers and cancer survivors.

Background: Growing numbers of cancer survivors are receiving healthcare through primary care practitioners, who often lack cancer-specific expertise to effectively treat survivors' concerns. Addressing that gap, this study aimed to develop content for a training on fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), a common concern in survivorship.

Methods: Grounded in naturalistic inquiry, 42 key-informant interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed for themes.

Impact of an Interprofessional Primary Care Training on Fear of Cancer Recurrence on Clinicians' Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, Anticipated Practice Behaviors, and Attitudes Toward Survivorship Care.

There are an estimated 15.5 million cancer survivors in the United States, with numbers projected to increase. Many cancer survivors are receiving survivorship care in primary care settings, yet primary care providers report a need for additional training on addressing medical and psychosocial concerns of cancer survivors.

Advancing Social Work Education for Health Impact.

Social work education plays a critical role in preparing social workers to lead efforts that improve health. Because of the dynamic health care landscape, schools of social work must educate students to facilitate health care system improvements, enhance population health, and reduce medical costs. We reviewed the existing contributions of social work education and provided recommendations for improving the education of social workers in 6 key areas: aging, behavioral health, community health, global health, health reform, and health policy.

Administrators' Perceptions of Oral Health Care and Cancer Screening in Long-Term Care Nursing Facilities.

An estimated 1.7 million adults in the United States more than the age of 65 reside in long-term care nursing facilities (LTCNFs), and only 17% of them receive dental care. More than 83% of LTCNF residents require assistance with oral care.

Psychosocial risk factors and Alzheimer's disease: the associative effect of depression, sleep disturbance, and anxiety.

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia is a neurodegenerative condition, which leads to impairments in memory. This study predicted that sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety increase the hazard of AD, independently and as comorbid conditions.

Methods: Data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center was used to analyze evaluations of 12,083 cognitively asymptomatic participants.

Classifying Adverse Events in the Dental Office.

Background: Dentists strive to provide safe and effective oral healthcare. However, some patients may encounter an adverse event (AE) defined as "unnecessary harm due to dental treatment." In this research, we propose and evaluate two systems for categorizing the type and severity of AEs encountered at the dental office.

Decreasing hazards of Alzheimer's disease with the use of antidepressants: mitigating the risk of depression and apolipoprotein E.

Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease, manifesting in clinically observable deficits in memory, thinking, and behavior that disproportionately affects older adults. Susceptibility genes, such as apolipoprotein ε4, have long been associated with an increased risk of AD diagnosis. Studies have shown associations between depression and increased risk of AD development.

The Social Security Administration's Compassionate Allowances Initiative: Condition Spotlight on Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) Compassionate Allowances List (CAL) was created in 2008, generating a mechanism within SSA for identifying diseases and other medical conditions that by definition meet social security's standards for disability benefits. Currently, over 200 conditions are included in this expedited review program, though few of them are neurodevelopmental in nature. Exploration of a novel method for inclusion of additional conditions on CAL was undertaken using one condition as an exemplar.

Variability in Clinical and Anatomical Manifestation of Velocardiofacial Syndrome Presents Diagnostic and Policy Uncertainty.

Objective: This study examined the complexity and myriad clinical manifestations and expressions of velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS). It aimed to determine if VCFS invariably met the three disability criteria for the Compassionate Allowance List (CAL) program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Methods: A systematic evaluative review of the literature found in 10 academic databases was completed.

Smith-Magenis Syndrome and Social Security Administration's Compassionate Allowances Initiative: An Evaluative Review of the Literature.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) launched the Compassionate Allowances List (CAL) in 2008. This created a mechanism for expediting review and delivery of disability benefits, while decreasing application backlog. This study hypothesized that developmental disorders, such as Smith-Magenis syndrome, may meet criterion for inclusion.

How dental team members describe adverse events.

Background: Although some patients experience adverse events (AEs) resulting in harm caused by treatments in dentistry, few published reports have detailed how dental providers describe these events. Understanding how dental treatment professionals view AEs is essential to building a safer environment in dental practice.

Methods: The authors interviewed dental professionals and domain experts through focus groups and in-depth interviews and asked them to identify the types of AEs that may occur in dental settings.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms and Apolipoprotein E: Associations with eventual Alzheimer's disease development.

Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the result of neurodegeneration, which manifests clinically as deficits in memory, thinking, and behavior. It was hypothesized that neuropsychiatric symptoms and the apolipoprotein E genotype increase the likelihood of Alzheimer's disease development.

Methods: Utilizing data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center, information from evaluations of 11,453 cognitively intact participants was analyzed.

Associations between depression, sleep disturbance, and apolipoprotein E in the development of Alzheimer's disease: dementia.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative brain disease that causes cognitive impairment and dementia. Within the US, AD is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, affecting 1 in 10 people over the age of 65. Sleep disturbance has been called a "public health epidemic" and, like depression, is a prodromal symptom of AD but may also contribute to the risk of developing AD.

Interdisciplinary medical social work: a working taxonomy.

Findings from a year-long exploratory study aimed at describing universal functions of medical social work with interdisciplinary teams in acute care settings are reported here. A universal taxonomy of interdisciplinary social work skills and competencies was empirically identified through a participatory action research framework. Findings support previous conceptual descriptions of medical social work's overarching and historical role to help interdisciplinary teams in acute care to consider patients' home environment, knowledge, beliefs, culture, and resources during assessment, treatment, and discharge planning.

Disease Management of Early Childhood Caries: ECC Collaborative Project.

Until recently, the standard of care for early childhood caries (ECC) has been primarily surgical and restorative treatment with little emphasis on preventing and managing the disease itself. It is now recognized that surgical treatment alone does not address the underlying etiology of the disease. Despite costly surgeries and reparative treatment, the onset and progression of caries are likely to continue.

Early performance in a humanistic medicine course as a predictor of dental students' later clinical performance.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that dental students' early ability to demonstrate a humanistic approach with patients is associated with later clinical performance. A first-year humanistic medicine course, Patient Doctor I (PDI), at Harvard School of Dental Medicine combines training in conducting the medical interview with human values, placing a high value on strengthening relationships with patients and emphasizing empowerment, respect, and strong communication skills. Retrospective data were collected in the following domains: PDI course evaluations, admissions information, National Board Dental Examination Parts I and II scores, and Promotions Committee and faculty evaluation scores for hand skills and humanistic and interactive patient-student skills.

Cancer screening barriers for community-based older Hispanics and Caucasians.

Despite advances in screening and early detection, ethnic minority populations, ages 65 and older, are less likely than Caucasians to participate in cancer screening services. Empirical research indicates that older ethnic minorities have cultural values that influence their behaviors. Addressing culturally relevant communication to better understand those values may increase participation in cancer screening.

Assessing early performance in the patient-doctor relationship in dental education.

In addition to current admissions criteria, the assessment of qualities related to humanistic medicine may help predict clinical and academic performance in dental education. The objective of this feasibility study was to develop and assess the reliability of a coding scheme to quantify and rate qualitative formative narratives describing individual student performance in a medical interview course that utilizes principles of humanistic medicine. A mixed method, using focus groups and individual interviews, was used to develop a coding strategy.

A randomized trial comparing the effect of two phone-based interventions on colorectal cancer screening adherence.

Background: Early-stage diagnosis of colorectal cancer is associated with high survival rates; screening prevalence, however, remains suboptimal.

Purpose: This study seeks to test the hypothesis that participants receiving telephone-based tailored education or motivational interviewing had higher colorectal cancer screening completion rates compared to usual care.

Methods: Primary care patients not adherent with colorectal cancer screening and with no personal or family history of cancer (n = 515) were assigned by block randomization to control (n = 169), tailored education (n = 168), or motivational interview (n = 178).