Background: Central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) are a substantial source of morbidity and mortality. A previous meta-analysis of 1,976 CLABSI cases showed an odds ratio for in-hospital death of 2.75 (CI 1.86-4.07).[1] CLABSIs have also been associated with higher hospital costs and longer length of stay (LOS).[2] Methods: Data was collected from all CLABSI [...]

Background: The American Society of Hematology (ASH) advises against routine thrombophilia testing in hospitalized patients with new venous thromboembolism (VTE) due to the potential for inaccurate results during the acute phase of the disease. Thrombophilia testing is generally reserved for outpatient follow-up, once the acute event has resolved. However, testing may be appropriate in specific [...]

Background: The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) enables Medicare-certified hospitals to provide inpatient-level care at home through their Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) initiative. A CMS report on 9/30/24 revealed demographic differences between AHCAH patients and traditional inpatients from the same hospitals. AHCAH patients were more likely to be white, live in [...]

Background: Obesity is an important risk factor for common chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. However, obesity has been associated with better outcomes for patients with sepsis. The underlying pathophysiologic basis for this obesity paradox is unclear. We sought to assess patient characteristics, quality of care, and clinical outcomes of patients with obesity [...]

Background: UNC’s hospitalist service admits on average 9 patients per week with alcohol use disorder (AUD). UNC does not have a standardized inpatient screening tool for assessing risk of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS) nor standardized treatment protocol for AWS. In the 6 months prior to our study, 30% of inpatients at UNC with AUD in [...]

Background: Hospital-at-home programs deliver hospital-level care in the comfort of patients’ homes, offering an innovative alternative to traditional hospitalization. These programs have gained traction since the COVID-19 pandemic and Medicare’s expanded reimbursements for virtual visits. Studies have demonstrated that they effectively manage heart failure with outcomes comparable to traditional hospital care. In 2020, Kaiser Permanente [...]

Background: Glycemic control is crucial in the intensive care setting to reduce morbidity and adverse outcomes.1 The debate over methods for achieving this control highlights the risks of hypoglycemia and unclear management parameters.2 Continuous glucose monitoring software, like Glucommander, helps manage blood sugar safely and prevents hypoglycemic events.3,4 Generally, maintaining euglycemia with insulin improves outcomes [...]

Background: Since the pilot program for the hospitalist system was initiated in September 2016 in South Korea, hospitalists have provided specialized care to hospitalized patients and played a crucial role as experts in inpatient care. It is essential to analyze patient perceptions of hospitalist services to identify areas for improvement, as well as to study [...]

Background: Capturing appropriate clinical documentation allows providers to best approach treating patients and can also be utilized for quality monitoring of outcomes within health systems. Mortality measures are used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for reimbursement and payment. (1) Observed mortality includes all deaths which occur in the hospital during a [...]

Background: Effective discharge instructions are critical for safe patient transitions to outpatient care. However, patients may misunderstand the information they receive, particularly those with complex plans and limited English proficiency. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Solutions for Patient Safety recommend discharge instructions that outline the patient’s primary issue, care steps, signs of worsening, where [...]