Background: Cocaine use disorders are a significant public health challenge, contributing to cardiovascular, neurological, and psychiatric complications. Chronic use exacerbates these risks and increases addiction rates. This study evaluates global, regional, and national trends in the burden of cocaine use disorders from 1990 to 2019 to inform targeted intervention strategies. Methods: Using the Global Burden [...]

Background: Alcohol poses a significant public health concern, contributing to acute and chronic health complications, including organ damage, neurological impairments, and increased mortality. Excessive alcohol consumption can result in poisoning. This study analyzed trends and disparities in mortality rates due to toxic effects of alcohol among different demographics and geographical regions from 1999 to 2020 [...]

Background: Guidelines recommend symptom triggered therapy for management of alcohol withdrawal. The most commonly use assessment scale is the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment, Revised (CIWA-Ar). CIWA-Ar has been criticized however for relying on patient self-report, and alternative scales have been developed that incorporate vital signs to be more objective, including the Minnesota Detoxification Scale (MINDS) [...]

Background: Excellent onboarding processes can promote employee engagement, satisfaction and retention (1), yet there is minimal research about optimal practices for onboarding hospitalists (2). With potential PHM workforce challenges looming, it is essential to understand the current landscape of onboarding in PHM. Methods: We surveyed leaders of PHM groups about their onboarding practices. The survey, [...]

Background: Physician burnout is associated with negative outcomes for physicians, patients, and organizations. In our urban, academic medical center, 32% of hospitalist faculty report experiencing burnout at least once weekly. Clinical practice as a hospitalist involves dealing with medical acuity, diagnostic and therapeutic uncertainty, and complex interpersonal interactions, all of which may contribute to emotional [...]

Background: Growth of physician owned hospitals (POH) in the United States has been restricted since the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Federal policy makers wanted to restrict POH, due to concerns that POH may cherry pick healthier patients, treat fewer Medicaid patients, and have higher service utilization. Data has shown an unclear [...]

Background: Hospitalist models have grown significantly since their inception in the mid-1990s. However, despite their widespread presence, hospitalists’ optimal workflows remain poorly studied and defined. This gap is particularly concerning given the increasing complexity of hospitalized patients. Without a clear understanding of optimal hospitalist work design, clinicians face an increased risk of unsafe workloads and [...]

Background: Caring for multiple patients with complex needs, especially those with behavioral and psychosocial challenges, can contribute to burnout and dissatisfaction in clinical work [1]. A recent internal survey of hospitalists within our division identified managing such patients as the primary barrier to sustainable clinical work. However, the definition of “complexity” varies between hospitalists and [...]

Background: Poisoning by narcotics is a major global health concern, driven by the widespread misuse of opioids, synthetic drugs, and other narcotics. The ongoing opioid epidemic has significantly increased the prevalence of narcotic poisoning, highlighting the need for preventive measures, education, and access to life-saving treatments like naloxone. This study analyzed trends and disparities in [...]

Background: The overdose epidemic in the United States has seen a significant rise in deaths associated with antidepressants in the last two decades. This study examines mortality trends related to antidepressants in adults aged >25 years between 1999 and 2020 across various demographics. Methods: Analysis of poisoning by anti-depressants-related deaths in the US from the [...]