Does Screening or Providing Information on Resources for Intimate Partner Violence Increase Women's Knowledge? Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Screening for IPV in health care settings might increase women's knowledge or awareness around its frequency and its impact on health. When IPV is disclosed, assuring women it is not their fault should improve their knowledge that IPV is the perpetrator's responsibility. Providing information about IPV resources may also increase women's knowledge about the availability of solutions.

Health perceptions and symptom burden in primary care: measuring health using audio computer-assisted self-interviews.

Purpose: To assess the relationships among somatic symptoms and health perception measures in data collected from the implementation of audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) technology in a primary care clinic of a safety-net healthcare system.

Methods: We approached 2,848 English- or Spanish-speaking patients to complete an ACASI-administered survey before their clinic appointment between April 2011 and July 2012. We administered the National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Health-10 assessing General Self-Rated Health (GSRH), Global Physical and Mental Health; Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) assessing symptom burden; and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2).

Effect of screening for partner violence on women's quality of life: a randomized controlled trial.

Context: Although partner violence screening has been endorsed by many health organizations, there is insufficient evidence that it has beneficial health outcomes.

Objective: To determine the effect of computerized screening for partner violence plus provision of a partner violence resource list vs provision of a partner violence list only on women's health in primary care settings, compared with a control group.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A 3-group blinded randomized controlled trial at 10 primary health care centers in Cook County, Illinois.

Comparative cost analysis of housing and case management program for chronically ill homeless adults compared to usual care.

Objective: To assess the costs of a housing and case management program in a novel sample-homeless adults with chronic medical illnesses.

Data Source: The study used data from multiple sources: (1) electronic medical records for hospital, emergency room, and ambulatory medical and mental health visits; (2) institutional and regional databases for days in respite centers, jails, or prisons; and (3) interviews for days in nursing homes, shelters, substance abuse treatment centers, and case manager visits. Total costs were estimated using unit costs for each service.

Comparison of screening and referral strategies for exposure to partner violence.

Background: Although under debate, routine screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) is recommended in health care settings. This study explored the utility of different screening and referral strategies for women exposed to IPV in primary health care.

Methods: Using a randomized controlled trial design we compared two screening strategies (health care providers [HCP] versus audio computer-assisted self-interviews [A-CASI]) and three referral strategies (HCP alone, A-CASI referral with HCP endorsement, and A-CASI alone).

Concordance in the measurement of quality of life and health indicators between two methods of computer-assisted interviews: self-administered and by telephone.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to establish the concordance for quality of life (QOL), disability, and use of health service indicators between two modes of computer-assisted interviews: audio-computer-assisted self-interview (A-CASI) and computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI). High concordance between these modes of data collection would allow comparisons and interchangeable use in cross-sectional or longitudinal assessments.

Methods: Adult English-speaking women (n = 126) were enrolled from women's health clinics at a public hospital.

Using computer decision support to increase maternal postpartum tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccination.

Objective: To evaluate whether use of a computer-based clinical decision-support algorithm that used data stored in the electronic medical record increased administration of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine to postpartum women.

Methods: We performed a before and after cohort study of postpartum women at an urban public teaching hospital. We compared the frequency of Tdap vaccination during the preintervention (October 1, 2008-January 14, 2009) and postintervention (January 15-April 30, 2009) time periods.

Ethnic disparities in asthma morbidity in Chicago.

Rationale: The role of ethnicity and socioeconomic status in explaining variations in asthma morbidity is unclear.

Objectives: To describe the magnitude of ethnic disparities in asthma morbidity in Chicago and to determine whether differences in socioeconomic status explain these disparities.

Methods: We conducted a survey of 561 school-age children and 353 young adults with asthma and measured their self-reported ethnicity, socioeconomic status (using 11 variables), and asthma morbidity (symptom frequency, asthma-specific quality of life, and frequency of severe asthma exacerbations).

Effect of a housing and case management program on emergency department visits and hospitalizations among chronically ill homeless adults: a randomized trial.

Context: Homeless adults, especially those with chronic medical illnesses, are frequent users of costly medical services, especially emergency department and hospital services.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a case management and housing program in reducing use of urgent medical services among homeless adults with chronic medical illnesses.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Randomized controlled trial conducted at a public teaching hospital and a private, nonprofit hospital in Chicago, Illinois.

The health impact of supportive housing for HIV-positive homeless patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: We assessed the health impact of a housing and case management program, the Chicago Housing for Health Partnership, for homeless people with HIV.

Methods: HIV-positive homeless inpatients at a public hospital (n = 105) were randomized to usual care or permanent housing with intensive case management. The primary outcome was survival with intact immunity, defined as CD4 count > or = 200 and viral load < 100,000.

Improving asthma self-efficacy: developing and testing a pilot community-based asthma intervention for African American adults.

Background: Low-income African American adults in Chicago have disproportionately high asthma morbidity and mortality rates. Interventions that improve asthma self-efficacy for appropriate self-management behaviors might ultimately improve asthma control in this population.

Objective: We sought to pilot test an intervention to improve asthma self-efficacy for appropriate self-management behaviors.

Predictors of first and second dose acceptance of hepatitis B vaccine among STD clinic patients.

Our goal was to identify attitudinal, behavioural and pragmatic factors predictive of receipt of the first and second doses of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine. In this study, 431 adult sexually transmitted disease clinic patients with no reported history of prior HBV vaccination or infection completed a computer-assisted questionnaire, then were offered free HBV vaccine. Those who accepted were scheduled for follow-up doses.

A 6-item brief measure for assessing perceived control of asthma in culturally diverse patients.

Background: A concise yet accurate measurement tool is needed for use in research and practice in asthma self-management perceptions across culturally diverse patient populations.

Objectives: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the 11-item Perceived Control of Asthma Questionnaire (PCAQ) and to derive a brief, psychometrically sound, and culturally sensitive measure using item response theory.

Methods: The PCAQ was administered as one of a battery of measures to 375 adults with asthma as part of an ongoing larger project studying asthma disparities.

Assessing the Perceived Stress Scale for African American adults with asthma and low literacy.

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a widely used measure of stress that has not been validated in asthma patients. The psychometric properties of the PSS were explored using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory. Study 1 involved 312 ambulatory care patients with asthma who completed the PSS during a routine visit.

Detection of chlamydial and gonococcal urethral infection during jail intake: development of a screening algorithm.

Objectives: To determine risk factors for chlamydial or gonococcal urethral infection among adult male detainees at Cook County Jail. To develop a screening algorithm with high sensitivity and specificity for detection of urethral infection.

Study Design: We interviewed adult male detainees and tested them for chlamydial or gonococcal urethral infection during jail intake from June 24 through July 29, 2004.

Normalization of cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities after neurosyphilis therapy: does HIV status matter?

To identify factors that affect normalization of laboratory measures after treatment for neurosyphilis, 59 subjects with neurosyphilis underwent repeated lumbar punctures and venipunctures after completion of therapy. The median duration of follow-up was 6.9 months.

Cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities in patients with syphilis: association with clinical and laboratory features.

Objective: To define clinical and laboratory features that identify patients with neurosyphilis.

Methods: Subjects (n=326) with syphilis but no previous neurosyphilis who met 1993 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for lumbar puncture underwent standardized history, neurological examination, venipuncture, and lumbar puncture. Neurosyphilis was defined as a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) white blood cell count >20 cells/ microL or reactive CSF Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test result.