Benzodiazepine Use Disorder: Common Questions and Answers.

In the United States, more than 30 million adults have reported taking a benzodiazepine within the past year. Misuse-use of a drug in a way that a doctor did not direct-accounts for 17.2% of all benzodiazepine use. Family physicians face challenges when balancing the patient's perceived benefits of benzodiazepines with known risks and lack of evidence supporting their use. Benzodiazepines cause significant central nervous system-related adverse effects including sedation, confusion, memory loss, depression, falls, fractures, and motor vehicle crashes. Factors that increase the risk of adverse effects and misuse are other substance use disorders, using concomitant central nervous system medications, and central nervous system or pulmonary diseases. Compared with intermittent use, chronic daily use in older adults is associated with a higher risk of falls, fractures, hospitalizations, and death. Withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, and agitation are common and often prolonged. Adjunctive treatment with antiepileptics, antidepressants, and pregabalin has been shown to lessen withdrawal symptoms. Deprescribing benzodiazepines for patients who use them chronically should be individualized with slow tapering over weeks to months, or longer, to minimize the intensity of withdrawal symptoms. Incorporating behavioral interventions, such as cognitive behavior therapy, improves deprescribing outcomes.

Measuring Satisfaction and Usability of FaceTime for Virtual Visits in Patients with Uncontrolled Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The interconnection capabilities of mobile device platforms offer the opportunity for efficient delivery of healthcare and afford the potential to increase access to patients with chronic diseases. With the increased incidence of diabetes mellitus in the United States, innovative strategies to improve access to healthcare teams are necessary. The aim of this study was to determine satisfaction and usability of patients and diabetes care team members with videoconferencing capabilities using an iPad®2 (Apple, Cupertino, CA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were provided an iPad2 with videoconferencing capabilities using FaceTime® (Apple) (n=34). Patients were scheduled virtual visits with a multidisciplinary diabetes care team. Participants were given a 12-item survey at Day 90 of study enrollment. Members of the diabetes care team were provided a five-item survey at Days 30, 90, and 180 of the study period. RESULTS: Sixty-five percent of patients reported satisfaction using FaceTime for visits. Seventy-six percent of patients agreed that FaceTime was effective in improving diabetes. Overall satisfaction with technology declined over the study period among members of the diabetes care team. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide practical information on using video technology to conduct chronic disease care. Overall, patients and the diabetes care team reported positive ratings in terms of usability and satisfaction with selected technology for virtual visits. Although limitations using FaceTime virtual visits exist, FaceTime has potential to increase patient access to a multidisciplinary care team. Additional research is warranted to determine economic and clinical outcomes for two-way visual technology.

Health literacy and health outcomes in diabetes: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Low health literacy is considered a potential barrier to improving health outcomes in people with diabetes and other chronic conditions, although the evidence has not been previously systematically reviewed. OBJECTIVE: To identify, appraise, and synthesize research evidence on the relationships between health literacy (functional, interactive, and critical) or numeracy and health outcomes (i.e., knowledge, behavioral and clinical) in people with diabetes. METHODS: English-language articles that addressed the relationship between health literacy or numeracy and at least one health outcome in people with diabetes were identified by two reviewers through searching six scientific databases, and hand-searching journals and reference lists. FINDINGS: Seven hundred twenty-three citations were identified and screened, 196 were considered, and 34 publications reporting data from 24 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Consistent and sufficient evidence showed a positive association between health literacy and diabetes knowledge (eight studies). There was a lack of consistent evidence on the relationship between health literacy or numeracy and clinical outcomes, e.g., A1C (13 studies), self-reported complications (two studies), and achievement of clinical goals (one study); behavioral outcomes, e.g., self-monitoring of blood glucose (one study), self-efficacy (five studies); or patient-provider interactions (i.e., patient-physician communication, information exchange, decision-making, and trust), and other outcomes. The majority of the studies were from US primary care setting (87.5 %), and there were no randomized or other trials to improve health literacy. CONCLUSIONS: Low health literacy is consistently associated with poorer diabetes knowledge. However, there is little sufficient or consistent evidence suggesting that it is independently associated with processes or outcomes of diabetes-related care. Based on these findings, it may be premature to routinely screen for low health literacy as a means for improving diabetes-related health-related outcomes.

Awareness of Racial Disparities in Diabetes Among Primary Care Residents and Preparedness to Discuss Disparities with Patients.

Many healthcare providers lack the awareness of health disparities among their patients that precedes action to improve outcomes. Limited health disparities training is a probable contributor. We assessed primary care residents' awareness of racial and ethnic disparities in diabetes, their perceived preparedness to discuss health disparities with patients, and their preferences for training and resources to improve their preparedness. Primary care residents (n = 98) affiliated with two teaching hospitals in North Carolina were invited to complete a 20-question health disparities survey. Fifty-two residents completed the survey (response rate = 53%). Most were non-Hispanic White (54%) and had ≤ 50% African American patients in their panel (65%). Although 83% were aware of higher diabetes prevalence among African Americans, only 31% felt prepared to discuss diabetes health disparities with patients. Their primary concerns included not having information for the discussion (58%) and being unsure how to share information in a way that is easy for patients to understand (48%). Perceived preparedness to discuss health disparities did not differ significantly by primary care resident race or percentage of African American patients in their panel. Residents indicated that having information regarding how to discuss and address health disparities would make them feel more prepared. Cultural competency training and experiential learning were the most preferred methods to learn how to identify and address health disparities. Future health disparities training should focus on improving residents' preparedness to address health disparities in their clinical practice using culturally relevant communication tools and experiential learning opportunities.

Electronic Health Record Effects on Work-Life Balance and Burnout Within the I3 Population Collaborative.

BACKGROUND: Physician burnout is a problem that often is attributed to the use of the electronic health record (EHR). OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of burnout and work-life balance satisfaction in primary care residents and teaching physicians, and to examine the relationship between these outcomes, EHR use, and other practice and individual factors. METHODS: Residents and faculty in 19 primary care programs were anonymously surveyed about burnout, work-life balance satisfaction, and EHR use. Additional items included practice size, specialty, EHR characteristics, and demographics. A logistic regression model identified independent factors associated with burnout and work-life balance satisfaction. RESULTS: In total, 585 of 866 surveys (68%) were completed, and 216 (37%) respondents indicated 1 or more symptoms of burnout, with 162 (75%) attributing burnout to the EHR. A total of 310 of 585 (53%) reported dissatisfaction with work-life balance, and 497 (85%) indicated that use of the EHR affected their work-life balance. Respondents who spent more than 6 hours weekly after hours in EHR work were 2.9 times (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-4.4) more likely to report burnout and 3.9 times (95% CI 1.9-8.2) more likely to attribute burnout to the EHR. They were 0.33 times (95% CI 0.22-0.49) as likely to report work-life balance satisfaction, and 3.7 times (95% CI 2.1-6.7) more likely to attribute their work-life balance satisfaction to the EHR. CONCLUSIONS: More after-hours time spent on the EHR was associated with burnout and less work-life satisfaction in primary care residents and faculty.

Stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: are we following the guidelines?

BACKGROUND: Warfarin therapy substantially reduces stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF), yet medical literature reports it is only prescribed in 15-60% of eligible patients. No current national benchmarks for warfarin use in AF patients exist, and it is unclear whether the reported poor compliance represents current rates within primary care practices. The primary study objective was to measure the rate of warfarin use in eligible, high-risk AF patients in a large southeastern group family practice. Secondary objectives were to report the demographics, stroke-risk profiles, contraindications, and reasons for discontinuation of warfarin therapy METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on all active patients with documented AF in a large southeastern group family practice/residency between July 1, 2000 and June 30, 2002. Data was abstracted on warfarin use, contraindications, stroke risk, and reasons for discontinuation. RESULTS: Four hundred ninety-one (491) patients were identified from the electronic billing system as potential study subjects. Two hundred eighty-three (283) patients met study criteria, with 210 patients considered to be at high-risk of stroke without contraindications to warfarin therapy. Ninety-four percent (198/210) of these patients were prescribed warfarin during the study period, and 87% (172/198) continued warfarin throughout the study period. CONCLUSION: Family physicians in this practice prescribe warfarin in AF more frequently than published rates demonstrating that high rates of physician adherence to standards are achievable in primary care. Most patients in this setting were considered high-risk for stroke.