Background: Delirium is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and health care costs in the hospital setting secondary to increased length of stay and poor long term outcomes (1,2). A systematic review of different delirium prediction models found limitations with these models including derivation from small patient populations, lack of heterogeneity, accuracy and reliability as noted [...]

Background: While delirium may affect patients of any age, delirium prevention and management protocols have focused mostly on the elderly, as older adults (>65 years old) are more vulnerable to developing delirium. Delirium has been reported in 19-31% of younger adults during their hospital stay, and 15-56% of older adults.There is lack of literature on [...]

Background: Although hip fractures in the elderly are largely due to osteoporosis, rates of treatment for osteoporosis after fragility fracture have been reported as

Background: More than two million people are evaluated for syncope each year in the United States, and approximately 30-40% of these patients are hospitalized for further costly investigation. Total annual cost of syncope related hospital evaluation is estimated to be over 2 billion dollars. The most common cause of syncope is reflex mediated. It does [...]

Background: Addressing the needs of the geriatric population is critical, as “baby boomers” comprise a larger proportion of hospitalized patients. Hospitalists increasingly care for these complex geriatric patients. The “BEERS Criteria” are evidence-based guidelines that encourage medication safety by describing potentially inappropriate and harmful medications (PIMS) among geriatric patients. BEERS guidelines recommend that with a [...]

Background: Diagnostic errors are common and associated with high patient morbidity and mortality. Cognitive- and system-factors are known contributors to such errors. Diagnostic checklists that target cognitive and behavioral aspects have been suggested as potential ways to reduce diagnostic error. However, little is known about the content of these checklists and their approaches. Methods: We [...]

Background: Female physicians are a high-risk group for unintentional weaning, with poor access to lactation stations as one of the reported reasons. Less than half of female physicians are breastfeeding at 6 months, and only 29% are exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months. Often female physicians are pumping in their office, while less than 20% are [...]

Background: The US has a heavy burden of deaths from opioid overdoses, and New Mexico is not excepted from this. Treatment options for opioid use disorder (OUD) are buprenorphine/naloxone (“Suboxone”), methadone, naltrexone, counseling, and/or behavioral therapy. Long-acting oral opioids like Suboxone, are the most effective methods for treating opioid withdrawal and OUD. They are often [...]

Background: Sexual harassment and gender discrimination are common in medical practice. Hospital medicine is a relatively young and evolving specialty and less is known about their prevalence in this field. This study aims to evaluate the experiences of academic hospitalists regarding this topic. Methods: An anonymous Qualtrics Survey was emailed to hospitalists in the participating [...]

Background: The social determinants of health (SDOH) are variable factors, including living conditions, employment environments, and social circumstances that influence peoples’ health and can cause health disparities in communities (WHO, 2019). Physicians recognize the importance of SDOH and understand that social factors impact the health outcomes of their patients; however, they may be hesitant to [...]