The relationship between Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) and death from cardiovascular disease or opioid use in counties across the United States (2009-2018).

BACKGROUND: Death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been a longstanding public health challenge in the US, whereas death from opioid use is a recent, growing public health crisis. While population-level approaches to reducing CVD risk are known to be effective in preventing CVD deaths, more targeted approaches in high-risk communities are known to work better for reducing risk of opioid overdose. For communities to plan effectively in addressing both public health challenges, they need information on significant community-level (vs individual-level) predictors of death from CVD or opioid use. This study addresses this need by examining the relationship between 1) county-level social determinants of health (SDoH) and CVD deaths and 2) county-level SDoH and opioid-use deaths in the US, over a ten-year period (2009-2018). METHODS: A single national county-level ten-year 'SDoH Database' is analyzed, to address study objectives. Fixed-effects panel-data regression analysis, including county, year, and state-by-year fixed effects, is used to examine the relationship between 1) SDoH and CVD death-rate and 2) SDoH and opioid-use death-rate. Eighteen independent (SDoH) variables are included, spanning three contexts: socio-economic (e.g., race/ethnicity, income); healthcare (e.g., system-characteristics); and physical-infrastructure (e.g., housing). RESULTS: After adjusting for county, year, and state-by-year fixed effects, the significant county-level positive SDoH predictors for CVD death rate were, median age and percentage of civilian population in armed forces. The only significant negative predictor was percentage of population reporting White race. On the other hand, the four significant negative predictors of opioid use death rate were median age, median household income, percent of population reporting Hispanic ethnicity and percentage of civilian population consisting of veterans. Notably, a dollar increase in median household income, was estimated to decrease sample mean opioid death rate by 0.0015% based on coefficient value, and by 20.05% based on effect size. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides several practice and policy implications for addressing SDoH barriers at the county level, including population-based approaches to reduce CVD mortality risk among people in military service, and policy-based interventions to increase household income (e.g., by raising county minimum wage), to reduce mortality risk from opioid overdoses.

The dynamics of trust and communication in COVID-19 vaccine decision making: A qualitative inquiry.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists coordinated a complex immunization effort that developed and distributed vaccines by December 2020. This study aimed to explain COVID-19 vaccination decision-making process to inform vaccine communication with patients and the public. Building on quantitative research on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, we conducted a grounded theory study, collecting 30 qualitative interviews with employees at a U.S. university that provided vaccine eligibility in December 2020. Analysis followed the Sort and Sift, Think and Shift method. Participants who had chosen to receive the vaccine and those who had not both described five factors that impacted their decision-making: emotional response, understanding, personal values, culture, and social norms. Across these factors, we identified three cross-cutting themes: time, trust, and communication tactics. In a time of emerging science and changing answers, the constant introduction of new information created information overload for participants. COVID-19 vaccine development was a "grand experiment globally," which required trust, not only knowledge, to overcome hesitancy. The complex information environment surrounding COVID-19 vaccination requires multi-level intervention that cannot rely on knowledge translation alone. We need to help patients build trusting relationships with experts that can create scaffolding for future information processing.

Patient Decision-Making About Self-Disclosure of a Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Effective self-management of type 2 diabetes requires receiving support, which can result from disclosing the diagnosis to a support network, including coworkers, family, and friends. As a primarily invisible disease, diabetes allows people to choose whether to disclose. This study qualitatively explores the factors that influence a person's decision to disclose diabetes to others. Methods: Research coordinators recruited 22 interview participants, ranging in age from 32 to 64 years, whose medical records included a diagnosis code for type 2 diabetes. Participants received care from one of two U.S. medical centers. Semi-structured interviews lasted approximately 1 hour and were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. Verification strategies such as memo-keeping and maintaining methodological coherence/congruence were used throughout analysis to promote rigor. Results: In patients' descriptions of their decision-making processes regarding whether to disclose their diagnosis, six themes emerged. Three motivations prompted open disclosure: 1) to seek information, 2) to seek social support, and 3) to end the succession of diabetes, and the other three motivations prompted guarded disclosure: 4) to prepare for an emergency, 5) to maintain an image of health, and 6) to protect employment. Conclusion: Based on our findings, we recommend three communicative actions for clinicians as they talk to patients about a diabetes diagnosis. First, clinicians should talk about the benefits of disclosure. Second, they should directly address stereotypes in an effort to de-stigmatize diabetes. Finally, clinicians can teach the skills of disclosure. As disclosure efficacy increases, a person's likelihood to disclose also increases. Individuals can use communication as a tool to gain the knowledge and support they need for diabetes self-management and to interrupt the continuing multigenerational development of diabetes within their family.

Creating a Centralized Infrastructure to Facilitate Medical Education Research.

PURPOSE: Building research capacity and increasing scholarly productivity are identified needs of the specialty of family medicine. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has increased the scholarly requirements for residency programs, placing even more pressure on faculty to be productive in the scholarly realm. The Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) was created by volunteer members of the specialty with shared interests in overcoming barriers and increasing scholarly production. METHODS: CERA has developed the infrastructure and expertise to regularly conduct omnibus surveys of key family medicine educational leaders. Proposals are centrally collected and competitively chosen. The omnibus survey process includes collaboration with experienced mentors, centralized institutional review board clearance, pilot testing, and centralized data collection. The survey results are disseminated back to research teams for presentation and publication of the findings. RESULTS: To date, over 115 research teams have had their projects included in CERA omnibus surveys. Projects have been led by research teams from across the country and with a wide variety of research experience. This collaborative work has resulted in more than 75 scientific presentations and over 55 peer-reviewed papers in the medical literature. The raw data are now available online and serve as a repository for future secondary analysis and as an educational resource. CONCLUSIONS: The CERA infrastructure has allowed a large number of research teams to conduct meaningful scholarship at a fraction of the typical cost in terms of time and energy. CERA has expanded family medicine research by removing barriers for teams with limited experience or resources.

Interprofessional education in graduate medical education: survey study of residency program directors.

BACKGROUND: The overarching purpose of this study is to examine the current trends in interprofessional education (IPE) within graduate medical education in the Unites States. METHODS: A survey was sent to program directors across with different specialties between March and April 2016. The survey was completed by 233 out of 1757 program directors, which represents a response rate of 13.3%. RESULTS: IPE is currently being used by over 60% of the GME program directors that completed the survey. The median number of IPE hours is 60. Classroom learning (70.8%) and team-based approaches (70.1%) to patient care are the two most common forms of IPE. The two most prevalent reasons for implementing IPE are improving collaboration (92.2%) and communication (87%). More than half of the program directors agreed or strongly agreed that lack of time both for teachers (54.4) and for residents (51.5%) are barriers to IPE. About one third of the respondents whose programs do not include IPE are interested in implementing some IPE in the future. CONCLUSION: IPE in its varying formats has been implemented as a training model by many residency programs. Further studies are needed to explore the comparative effectiveness of the different modalities of IPE.

Gray Hair.

In this narrative medicine essay, a chair of a family medicine department views the wide generation gap between him and his medical students as an unexpected turn from what he had imagined he would feel upon becoming a senior physician.

Family Medicine-Specific Practice-Based Research Network Productivity and Clinical and Translational Sciences Award Program Affiliation.

OBJECTIVE: Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are groups of practices that work together to conduct research. Little is known about the degree to which PBRNs may be achieving success. This is the first general survey of family medicine-based PBRN directors in the United States and Canada to examine research productivity outcomes of PBRNs and explore the association between Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program affiliation and PBRN outcomes. METHODS: The Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance conducted the survey and e-mailed it to 102 PBRN directors from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's registration. RESULTS: A total of 54 (56%) PBRN directors responded to the survey. PBRNs with an affiliation with a CTSA program were more likely to report completion of quality improvement research and participation in multiple PBRN collaboration research projects. PBRNs affiliated with CTSA programs were less likely to report maintaining funding as a significant barrier. CONCLUSIONS: CTSA involvement with PBRNs results in family physician scientists' completing research and disseminating this research through publication. Also, PBRNs with CTSA partnerships have more funding availability. PBRN partnership with a CTSA is beneficial in furthering research in family medicine.

Constructing and Communicating Privacy Boundaries: How Family Medicine Physicians Manage Patient Requests for Religious Disclosure in the Clinical Interaction.

Religion/spirituality (R/S) is an important component of some patients' psychosocial framework when facing illness. While many patients report an increased desire for R/S dialogue in clinical interaction, especially when facing a frightening diagnosis, some physicians report discomfort talking about R/S and hold various beliefs regarding the appropriateness of such discussions. Not only do physicians manage conversations centering on patient disclosures in the clinical visit, they must also navigate requests to share their own personal information. Farber et al. (2000) found that over a 12-month period nearly 40% of physicians reported that patients asked questions that transgressed professional boundaries. This article uses Petronio's communication privacy management theory as a lens through which to situate our understanding of how family medicine physicians construct and communicate privacy boundaries in response to patient requests for religious disclosure. Results provide an in-depth theoretical understanding of issues surrounding religious disclosure in the medical visit and expand the discussion on health care providers' personal and professional privacy boundaries as documented by Petronio and Sargent (2011). Implications for health care training and practice are discussed.

Dyspareunia in women.

Dyspareunia is recurrent or persistent pain with sexual activity that causes marked distress or interpersonal conflict. It affects approximately 10% to 20% of U.S. women. Dyspareunia can have a significant impact on a woman's mental and physical health, body image, relationships with partners, and efforts to conceive. The patient history should be taken in a nonjudgmental way and progress from a general medical history to a focused sexual history. An educational pelvic examination allows the patient to participate by holding a mirror while the physician explains normal and abnormal findings. This examination can increase the patient's perception of control, improve self-image, and clarify findings and how they relate to discomfort. The history and physical examination are usually sufficient to make a specific diagnosis. Common diagnoses include provoked vulvodynia, inadequate lubrication, postpartum dyspareunia, and vaginal atrophy. Vaginismus may be identified as a contributing factor. Treatment is directed at the underlying cause of dyspareunia. Depending on the diagnosis, pelvic floor physical therapy, lubricants, or surgical intervention may be included in the treatment plan.

Enuresis in children: a case based approach.

Enuresis is defined as intermittent urinary incontinence during sleep in a child at least five years of age. Approximately 5% to 10% of all seven-year-olds have enuresis, and an estimated 5 to 7 million children in the United States have enuresis. The pathophysiology of primary nocturnal enuresis involves the inability to awaken from sleep in response to a full bladder, coupled with excessive nighttime urine production or a decreased functional capacity of the bladder. Initial evaluation should include a history, physical examination, and urinalysis. Several conditions, such as constipation, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, chronic kidney disease, and psychiatric disorders, are associated with enuresis. If identified, these conditions should be evaluated and treated. Treatment of primary monosymptomatic enuresis (i.e., the only symptom is nocturnal bed-wetting in a child who has never been dry) begins with counseling the child and parents on effective behavioral modifications. First-line treatments for enuresis include bed alarm therapy and desmopressin. The choice of therapy is based on the child's age and nighttime voiding patterns, and the desires of the child and family. Referral to a pediatric urologist is indicated for children with primary enuresis refractory to standard and combination therapies, and for children with some secondary causes of enuresis, including urinary tract malformations, recurrent urinary tract infections, or neurologic disorders.

Social connectedness and diabetes self-management across the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods study.

INTRODUCTION: Structural social connectedness is the structure and size of a person's social network, including whether persons live with or have regular contact with others. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted structures that facilitate social connectedness. This study investigated how a person's structural social connectedness influenced diabetes self-management strategies through the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: The study followed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. First, quantitative data were collected via surveys of 54 patients living with diabetes (67% female, Mage of 60 [12] years) in 2021. Then in 2022, we interviewed 25 patients (64% female, Mage of 62 [9] years) as a follow-up to the survey to help explain quantitative findings. Longitudinal mixed methods analysis integrated both phases to offer a holistic view of the factors influencing diabetes self-management. RESULTS: A full-factorial analysis of covariance tested home and workplace social connectedness effects onto glycemic control and four self-management measures. In integrated analysis, researchers categorized patients into four groups by level of home and workplace social connectedness. Individuals with home social connectedness were more likely to overcome pandemic-related self-management challenges than those without home social connectedness. Although the workplace provided social connectedness, it imposed structural barriers to self-management. DISCUSSION: Structural social connectedness influenced how patients navigated diabetes self-management challenges through the COVID-19 pandemic. Results suggest clinicians should consider how home and workplace connectedness interact to facilitate or impede patient self-management. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A Focus on Climate Change and How It Impacts Family Medicine.

This issue highlights climate change, its effects on patients, and actions clinicians can take to make a difference for their patients and communities. The issue also includes several reports on current trends in family physician practice patterns and the influence of practice structure. Four articles focus on controlled or illicit substances. Noteworthy among them is the description of an innovative yet simple device that allows patients to safely discard unused opioids. Other research covers adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), smoking cessation programs, and the impact of Medicare reimbursement rates on influenza vaccination.

Lingering Impact of COVID-19, Preventive Care Considerations, and US Health System Challenges.

This issue includes articles on the lingering impact of COVID-19, often negative but occasionally positive, on patients, treatment, practices, and health care personnel. Other articles inform on prevention, such as awareness of lung cancer screening among women undergoing screening mammography; failures on sports preparticipation physicals; advance care planning as prevention; and screening for social risk factors. Another article reports on patient experiences of legal recreational cannabis in Washington State. There is a review of perinatal depression recognition and treatment. Two articles separately identify the difficulties of the congressionally created Medicare Advantage & Pharmaceutical Benefit Managers.

Research to Improve Clinical Care in Family Medicine: Big Data, Telehealth, Artificial Intelligence, and More.

This issue highlights changes in medical care delivery since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and features research to advance the delivery of primary care. Several articles report on the effectiveness of telehealth, including its use for hospital follow-up, medication abortion, management of diabetes, and as a potential tool for reducing health disparities. Other articles detail innovations in clinical practice, from the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to a validated simple risk score that can support outpatient triage decisions for patients with COVID-19. Notably one article reports the impact of a voluntary program using scribes in a large health system on physician documentation behaviors and performance. One article addresses the wage gap between early-career female and male family physicians. Several articles report on inappropriate testing for common health problems; are you following recommendations for ordering Pulmonary Function Tests, mt-sDNA for colon cancer screening, and HIV testing?