Increasing Follow-Up Rates at a Free Clinic.

This project aimed to increase the follow-up visit rates at a free medical clinic and evaluate the effects of SMS messaging on follow-up adherence, regardless of whether patients scheduled their follow-up appointments prior to leaving the clinic or if they received paper reminder cards. The use of the SMS application increased overall follow-up rate by 7%. This project supports that patients who received reminder messages via the SMS application kept their follow-up appointments consistently.

Increase Adherence to Psychotropic Medication Through Motivational Adherence Therapy: A Quality Improvement Project.

Background: Non-adherence to psychiatric mediations is a nationwide problem for people diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI). National non-adherence rates for psychotropic medications are estimated to range from 50% to as high as 75%. The project site data is reflective of the national data.

Marginal decision-making in the treatment of refractory epilepsy.

Objective: Epilepsy surgery is one of the most effective treatments in modern medicine. Yet, it remains largely under-utilized, in spite of its proven efficacy. The referrals for epilepsy surgery are often delayed until it is too late to prevent the detrimental psychosocial effects of refractory seizures.

Arterial stiffness in HIV-infected youth and associations with HIV-related variables.

Children and young adults infected with HIV are at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, scarce data exist on the utility of non-invasive methods to diagnose subclinical CVD, such as pulse wave velocity (PWV), a non-invasive measure of arterial stiffness. The objectives of this study were to assess the relationship of carotid-femoral PWV with subclinical atherosclerosis measured by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), compare measurements to healthy controls, and evaluate variables associated with PWV in HIV-infected youth.

Exploring the relationship between eating disorder symptoms and substance use severity in women with comorbid PTSD and substance use disorders.

Background: Eating disorders (ED) and substance use disorders (SUD) commonly co-occur, especially in conjunction with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet little is known about ED and ED symptoms in women presenting to addiction treatment programs.

Objective: We examined the association between ED symptoms and substance use frequency and severity in a sample of women with a DSM IV diagnosis of current SUD and PTSD enrolled in SUD treatment.

Method: Participants were 122 women from four substance abuse treatment sites who participated in a multi-site clinical trial through the National Institute of Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network (NIDA CTN).

Perceptions of academic health science research center personnel regarding informed consent processes and therapeutic misconception.

Introduction: Instrumentation exists to measure voluntariness and misunderstanding in informed consent processes. However, research personnel's perspectives about using instrumentation to measure therapeutic misconceptions in research participants has not been reported. We designed a workshop to promote research personnel knowledge of emerging instrumentation and to study the perceptions of research personnel regarding such instruments.

A systems-level approach to resolve tension between research misconduct and confidentiality.

The author examines methods of resolving tensions between confidentiality and research conduct and methods of avoiding these tensions. He mentions universities are obligated to address misconduct allegations and considers how to do this while respecting confidentiality between patient and therapist. He comments an underlying aspect of research ethics is a core commitment to honesty and states students are obligated to self-report even when patient-therapist confidentiality restricts reporting.

Practices and Perceptions of Family Practice Residency Directors toward International Medical Graduate Applicants: A National Survey.

Purpose - International Medical Graduates (IMGs) are increasingly filling Family Medicine residency positions. (1) To what extent are residency programs recruiting and accepting IMG applicants? (2) What are program directors' perceptions of IMG applicants? (3) What program characteristics are associated with their practices and perceptions? Methods - A 2002 national survey of Family Medicine program directors assessed program demographics and directors' recruiting practices and perceptions regarding IMG applicants. Results - Although 88% of respondents would rank IMG applicants, only 40% agreed that they would perform as well as U.

Pediatric Resuscitation: Evaluation of a Clinical Curriculum.

Objective: To assess the impact of a 6-hour pediatric resuscitation curriculum on the comfort levels of resident physicians' evaluation and treatment of critically ill pediatric patients.

Methods: An evaluation instrument assessed resident comfort levels, measured on a seven digit Likert scale ranging from significantly uncomfortable to significantly comfortable, in 13 areas of pediatric resuscitation. To complete the curriculum, residents had to demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and procedural skills during mock resuscitation scenarios and on both written and oral examinations.