Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is underdiagnosed in patients with heart disease, however, there has been controversy surrounding whether it is a cardiovascular risk factor or not. To determine the prognostic significance of SCH in Heart Failure (HF) with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) we followed a cohort of patients for 9 years. Methods: In this retrospective [...]

Background: Patients with cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who have achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) currently undergo indefinite imaging every 6-12 months to screen for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although current research shows there is liver remodeling with regression of fibrosis/cirrhosis after HCV treatment, it is unclear if improvements in the features of cirrhosis [...]

Background: Disparities in screening mammography use persist among low-income women, even those who are insured, despite the proven mortality benefit. We evaluated the prevalence of breast cancer screening non-adherence among hospitalized women and their receptivity to inpatient screening mammography as a novel approach to increase breast cancer screening rate. Methods: A cross sectional study was [...]

Patient Satisfaction Correlates with Direct Cost per Case for Hospitals   Andre D. Kumar MD, Monisha Shah MPH, and Lisa Shieh MD, PhD 1Department of Medicine, Stanford University Healthcare, Stanford, CA 94301   Background: Patient satisfaction scores are directly tied to hospital reimbursement via Medicare. The HCAPS assessment is a national survey that measures patient [...]

Background: The institute of Medicine’s (IOM) landmark report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health” outlines recommendations that position nurses to influence the future of health care. Implementation of nurse residency programs is one of the recommendations. In particular the report states “health care organizations should take actions to support nurses’ completion of a [...]

Background: Patient recruitment for randomized clinical trials is often challenging, especially when the alternatives being studied may require significant changes or have large consequences for the patient. We describe our experience recruiting patients for a clinical trial comparing the Comprehensive Care Program (CCP), a care delivery model in which physicians focus their practice on caring [...]

Background: Reducing readmission rates may only be successfully realized if all factors that influence readmissions are thoughtfully considered. Beyond medical elements, nontraditional risk factors such as social and environmental variables may be associated with a higher likelihood of being readmitted.  In this study we evaluated the effect of distance between home and ‘key resources’ on [...]

Background: Oligella urethralis is an organism which is normally isolated as a commensal from the genitourinary tract. Clinical infection due to this organism is rarely reported in the literature. We hereby report a case series of six patients with oligella urethralis infection. We studied the clinical features, antibiotic susceptibility and clinical outcome in these patients. [...]

Background: Making the hospital discharge process faster and more predictable may help improve patient flow, reduce delays in admitting new patients, and increase hospital capacity. Some hospitals have implemented initiatives to promote timelier discharges as ways to improve hospital throughput.  We conducted a national survey of academic medical centers addressing the prevalence, importance, and effectiveness [...]

Background: Select studies in the past have described significantly increased risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Increased atherosclerosis as well as microvascular involvement with recurrent focal ischemia and subsequent fibrosis are the proposed mechanisms. Our study aims to shed further light on SSc as an independent risk factor for [...]