Background: Diagnostic point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an ACGME requirement in emergency medicine and critical care training programs. Though many POCUS applications are equally relevant to internal medicine (IM), there are no formal guidelines for IM residencies and few faculty use POCUS in their own practice. Hence, the optimal method to teach POCUS to IM residents [...]

Background: Third year medical students (MS3s) have not regarded the Pediatrics Clerkship at our institution with as high praise as other clerkships. Students cite a relative lack of teaching on the floors from pediatric residents as a key etiology. Interestingly, said residents endorse a desire to teach more. The most common barriers cited are time, [...]

Background: More than 300,000 older adults are hospitalized in the US annually for hip fracture. While operative repair is recommended in most individuals, perioperative complications account for significant morbidity and mortality. Co-management programs for hip fracture care are effective in reducing mortality, as well as in-hospital complications, length of stay (LOS), readmission rate, and cost. [...]

Background: Although Hospice has been associated with improved symptom management, quality of life, lower costs and length of survival in terminally ill patients, it is underutilized. The primary outcome of this study was to examine the relationship between hospice enrollment status and hospital readmissions in elderly patients with solid tumors. Secondary outcomes were length of [...]

Background: Pneumonia (PNA) is the fourth most common diagnosis for hospital admissions in the United States. Although the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) defines PNA as requiring specific clinical features (cough, fever, sputum production and pleuritic chest pain) along with radiographic imaging confirmation, older adults can present with non-specific symptoms. Furthermore, in a landmark [...]

Background: In Japan, a “super-aged” society, the rate of end-stage dysphagia in the elderly is increasing. Artificial hydration and nutrition (AHN) can be used for such patients, although it may not improve mortality or quality of life. The many downsides of AHN are not always well explained to patients and their families, resulting in routine [...]

Background: Delirium prevention by multicomponent interventions is proven, with strong evidence confirming its effectiveness in both medical and surgical populations. Identifying high risk patients is very important for resource allocation and utilization. Risk factors for delirium are broadly classified into predisposing and precipitating factors. Combinations of these risk factors precipitate delirium and hence a prediction [...]

Background: Hospital-acquired disability (HAD) is common, and a key contributor to this process is low hospital physical activity. This study examines whether objective measures of hospital physical activity from wearable accelerometers can be used to predict HAD. Methods: Prospective observational study of community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 60 years, admitted to an academic hospital’s general [...]

Background: Delirium is associated with high morbidity and mortality in hospitalized older adults. Sleep is a modifiable risk factor for delirium. Eye masks (EMs) and earplugs (EPs) have been shown to improve sleep and effective reduce delirium in the ICU. This study examines the clinical usability of this intervention component in general medicine patients. We [...]

Background: The number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in the U.S is projected to reach 16 million by 2050. Currently, they account for 3.2 million hospital admissions per year and over 75% of hospitalized persons with ADRD display Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). The study aimed to evaluate management [...]