Schizophrenia and retention in HIV care among adults insured through Medicaid in the United States: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: People with schizophrenia spectrum disorders are at elevated risk of HIV, and people with both HIV and schizophrenia are at elevated risk of death compared to individuals with either diagnosis alone. Limited research has assessed the HIV care cascade, and in particular retention in care, among people with HIV (PWH) and schizophrenia in the U.S.

Clinician's perceptions and experiences with tobacco treatment in people who use cannabis: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Global demand for the treatment of cannabis use disorder has increased significantly, prompting a need to understand effective strategies for addressing concurrent cannabis and tobacco use. This study focuses on clinicians' experiences and perceptions in delivering tobacco cessation services to people who use cannabis.

Methods: Fifteen participants (12 females, 3 males) participated in three homogenous focus groups, including two groups with extensive experience in providing tobacco cessation among the substance use population in Catalonia, Spain, and one group of clinicians without such experience.

Improving Completion Rates of Transcranial Doppler Ultrasounds in Children With Sickle Cell Disease Using Quality Improvement Efforts: In-Clinic versus Population-Based Assessments.

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) screening is essential for stroke prevention in children with sickle cell disease (SCD), but screening rates are low nationally. We use Medicaid administrative claims to assess TCD completion rates before and after a 12-month QI initiative to improve rates in the Pacific Sickle Cell Regional Collaborative (PSCRC). We found an increase in TCD screening rates for QI participant sites (52.

A systematic review of participant diversity in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy trials.

A lack of diverse and representative participant samples in mental health intervention research perpetuates mental health disparities. This issue has become a salient concern in studies of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAT), which is emerging as a promising mental health intervention. This systematic review evaluates the reporting, representation, and analysis of participant sociodemographic characteristics in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PAT.

Mortality and Function After Hip Fracture or Pneumonia in People With and Without Dementia.

Background: The extent to which disruptive surgical or medical events impact mortality and function is critical for anticipatory planning and informing goal-aligned care.

Methods: Using Health and Retirement Study data (2008-2018), we employed propensity score matching to compare the impact of hospitalization for hip fracture (a surgical event) or pneumonia (a medical event) among people with dementia to two groups: (1) people with dementia who did not experience these events; and (2) people without dementia who experienced an event. Dementia status was determined using validated cognitive assessments (Hurd method); hip fracture and pneumonia were identified from Medicare claims.

Family physicians' perspectives on outcomes, processes, and policies in dementia care.

The rapid rise in numbers of people living with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) poses major challenges to health systems and policy. Although primary care clinicians provide ongoing medical care for 80% of affected individuals, they face persistent barriers to providing high-quality dementia care. We conducted qualitative interviews with family physicians ( = 20) to understand what core outcomes they consider most important and what care processes and systems and policy strategies they propose to achieve them.

Prevalence and Patterns of Social Media Use in Early Adolescents.

Objective: To describe patterns of social media use, including underage (under 13 years) use and sex differences, in a diverse, national sample of early adolescents in the U.S.

Methods: We analyzed the social media use data in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (2019-2021, Year 3), which includes a national sample of early adolescents in the U.

Cognitive Trajectory Before and After Cataract Surgery: A Population-Based Approach.

Background: Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure performed for older US adults. Cataracts are associated with poor cognition and higher rates of dementia, but whether cataract surgery improves cognition for US older adults is not known. We examined the relationship between cataract surgery and long-term change in cognition in the Health and Retirement Study, a population-based study of older US adults linked with Medicare billing data.

Emergency department and inpatient interhospital transfers for patients with status epilepticus.

Objective: Interhospital transfers for status epilepticus (SE) are common, and some are avoidable and likely lower yield. The use of interhospital transfer may differ in emergency department (ED) and inpatient settings, which contend with differing clinical resources and financial incentives. However, transfer from these two settings is understudied, leaving gaps in our ability to improve the hospital experience, cost, and triage for this neurologic emergency.

Dissemination of the Care Ecosystem Collaborative Care Model for Dementia.

Background: Dementia represents a growing healthcare challenge in the United States. The Care Ecosystem, an effective collaborative care model, bridges medical and social care needs for individuals with dementia. The purpose of this study was to describe how the Care Ecosystem has been disseminated and the lessons learned from this experience.

Impact of extended-course oral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in established Long COVID: a case series.

Background: Prior case series suggest that a 5-day course of oral Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) benefits some people with Long COVID, within and/or outside of the context of an acute reinfection. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no prior case series of people with Long COVID who have attempted longer courses of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir.

Methods: We documented a case series of 13 individuals with Long COVID who initiated extended courses (>5 days; range: 7.

Long COVID in transgender and gender nonbinary people in the United States.

Despite recommendations in the US National Research Action Plan on Long COVID, gender identity is rarely reported in research and surveillance used to guide public health programming and clinical care. We analyzed data from a cross-sectional study of COVID-19 in a nationwide sample of transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people (N = 2,134). Participants were surveyed between June 14, 2021 and May 1, 2022.

Associations of prenatal urinary melamine, melamine analogues, and aromatic amines with gestational duration and fetal growth in the ECHO Cohort.

Melamine, its analogues, and aromatic amines (AAs) were commonly detected in a previous study of pregnant women in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort. While these chemicals have identified toxicities, little is known about their influences on fetal development. We measured these chemicals in gestational urine samples in 3 ECHO cohort sites to assess associations with birth outcomes (n = 1,231).

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder in Pediatric Liver Transplant Patients.

Introduction: Following liver transplantation (LT), adequate nutrition is essential, as malnutrition may contribute to slower growth in pediatric patients and put patients at risk of complications following transplant. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder characterized by restrictive eating patterns that compromise nutrition. Patients with ARFID may have significant difficulty meeting nutritional needs due to fear of gastrointestinal distress, making it especially difficult to manage in patients following LT.

Opinion & Special Articles: Beyond Pronouns-Educating Trainees on the Impact of Language on Gender Inclusivity in Neurologic Practice.

Language plays an important role in ensuring gender inclusivity within neurology. Despite progress in language inclusivity, such as the emergence of explicit pronouns, more remains to be done. Historically, sex and gender have been used interchangeably, but they are, in fact, distinct concepts.

Framework for developing self-actualization skills in young adults with autism.

Purpose: Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (YAASD) often lack the skills needed for successful adult living and subsequently develop lower quality of life and health in adulthood. Therefore, we developed a framework to support resilience and improve quality of life in YAASD, which will be used to develop a life-skills curriculum for YAASD.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study of YAASD, parents of YAASD and service providers recruited from agencies that serve YAASD using Grounded Theory.

Physician-Patient Communication about Novel Drugs and High-Risk Medical Devices.

Background: After a new drug or medical device is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), physician-patient communication about benefits and risks is critical, including whether the product was approved through an expedited pathway based on limited evidence. In addition, physician reporting of drug- and device-related adverse events in real-world use is necessary to have a complete safety profile. We studied physician-reported communication and safety-reporting practices related to drugs and devices.

"FBT Is for the Rich": A Qualitative Study Examining Clinicians' Experiences and Perceptions of Treatment Access and Engagement for Diverse Families in Family-Based Treatment.

Objective: Family-based treatment (FBT) is the leading evidence-based treatment for adolescent eating disorders, but research exploring access and engagement in FBT is sparse. This paper focuses on findings from a broader study, specifically addressing the social determinants of health (SDH) impeding access and engagement in FBT for diverse families (i.e.

Representative Organ Doses from Computed Tomography (CT) Exams from a Large International Registry.

Estimation of absorbed organ doses used in computed tomography (CT) using time-intensive Monte Carlo simulations with virtual patient anatomic models is not widely reported in the literature. Using the library of computational phantoms developed by the University of Florida and the National Cancer Institute, we performed Monte Carlo simulations to calculate organ dose values for 9 CT categories representing the most common body regions and indications for imaging (reflecting low, routine, and high radiation dose examinations), stratified by patient age (in children) and effective diameter (in adults, using "diameter" as a measure of patient size). Our sample of 559,202 adult and 103,423 pediatric CT examinations was prospectively assembled between 2015-2020 from 156 imaging facilities from 27 healthcare organizations in 20 U.

Patterns in California Ambulance Patient Offload Times by Local Emergency Medical Services Agency.

Importance: Ambulance offload delays are a timely and crucial issue with implications for patients, emergency medical services (EMS) agencies, hospitals, and communities. Published data on recent patterns in ambulance patient offload times (APOTs) are sparse.

Objective: To examine patterns in APOT by California local EMS agency and variation between and within local agencies.

Examining the interactive associations of cannabis and alcohol outlets with self-harm injuries in California: a spatiotemporal analysis.

Background: Cannabis use and alcohol use are associated with self-harm injuries, but little research has assessed links between recreational cannabis outlet openings on rates of self-harm within communities or the interactions of cannabis outlets with the density of alcohol outlets. We estimated the associations of recreational cannabis outlets, alcohol outlets, and their interaction on rates of fatal and nonfatal self-harm injuries in California, 2017-2019.

Methods: Using California statewide data on recreational cannabis outlets, alcohol outlets, and hospital discharges and deaths due to self-harm injuries, we conducted Bayesian spatiotemporal analyses of quarterly ZIP code-level data over 3 years, accounting for confounders and spatial autocorrelation.

Nurse practitioner race and ethnicity and interest in independent primary care practice and serving Medicaid enrollees.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are important providers of primary care to underserved populations, particularly in areas with lower physician supply. In 2023, California implemented new regulations aimed at improving access to care, especially primary care services, by providing a pathway for NPs to practice without formal supervision after 3 years of practice and without any physician relationship after 5 years of practice. This study used data from a representative survey of California-licensed NPs fielded in late 2022 to examine NPs' current practice and intentions following implementation of the new regulations.