Millennials Seeking Healthcare: Examining the Degree to Which Patients Utilize Online Resources (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Landon Arensberg ◽  
Jessica Kalender-Rich ◽  
Jaehoon Lee ◽  
Cheryl Gibson

BACKGROUND According to the 2020 US Census, a Silver Tsunami is looming with more than 75.4 million persons aged 57-75 (known as “Baby Boomers”) expected to need more costly medical care. Future estimates, however, indicate a much larger wave of individuals is imminent, given the 83.1 million Millennials approaching adulthood who will be seeking medical care. Because Millennials differ from Baby Boomers in several ways, it is important to understand how this population finds their physician to gain insight into what might influence this decision. OBJECTIVE To determine the extent and influence online resources and reviews have on the younger generation as compared to elder generations. METHODS Between the months of May and July 2020 a cross-sectional paper-based survey was conducted at primary care and geriatric clinics located within a large urban academic medical center in the Midwest. RESULTS A sample of 284 patients completed the survey (44.35 ± 17.54 yrs old [range=18-90], 60.6% female, 57.4% white). Of Millennials (respondents aged 22-38 yrs), 67.2% read online reviews before choosing a physician. Millennials were significantly more likely to read online reviews before choosing a physician (P=0.004) and utilize online resources to search for a new physician (P<.001) than older patients. The majority of millennials were likely to be influenced by both negative reviews (59%) and positive reviews (71.3%). Female patients were more likely to read online reviews and use online resources compared to men, but the differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS Overall, Millennials are much more likely to research online reviews before choosing a physician. Other generations also use online resources to an extent but tend to use personal referrals. Across all age groups, negative online reviews were less influential in decision-making compared to positive ones. Therefore, a presence on review websites and search engines seems to only benefit one’s medical practice to capture the new wave of patients.

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 140
Author(s):  
Asra Al Fauzi ◽  
Christrijogo Sumartono Waloejo ◽  
Abdulloh Machin ◽  
Muhammad Ja'far Shodiq

This research was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and diagnosis of brain death among resident in Indonesia. This study used an observational analytic study with a cross-sectional study design using a questionnaire. The research subjects consisted of 132 level 2 (after 2 years of residency) and level 3 (after 4 years of residency) residents, the total sampling for which was taken from the departments of Neurosurgery, Anesthesiology, and Neurology at Dr. Soetomo Academic Medical Center Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia. Data were taken from November 2018 to January 2019. A total of 132 residents of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Anesthesiology participated in this study. From the series of studies, residents’ knowledge of the concept of brain death was in the sufficient category (41.7%), residents’ knowledge of the technical diagnosis of brain death was in the good category (40.2%), residents’ knowledge of brain death examination was in the less category (43.2%), and finally, it was found that the resident's knowledge of brain death was in a good category (35.6%). There were also significant differences in knowledge of brain death between Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Anesthesiologist Resident (P <0.001) and knowledge of brain death between level 2 and level 3 residents (P=0.032). In general, the Indonesian resident doctors’ knowledge of brain death is adequate, but knowledge of the clinical examination of brain death is still lacking. Further research must be carried out to promote knowledge of brain death in residents as well as professional doctors/specialists, so that the number of organ transplants, especially in Indonesia, will increase.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas R. Oyler, PharmD ◽  
Kristy S. Deep, MD ◽  
Phillip K. Chang, MD

Objective: To examine attitudes, beliefs, and influencing factors of inpatient healthcare providers regarding prescription of opioid analgesics.Design: Electronic cross-sectional survey.Setting: Academic medical center.Participants: Physicians, advanced practice providers, and pharmacists from a single academic medical center in the southeast United States.Main Outcome Measures: Respondents completed survey items addressing: (1) their practice demographics, (2) their opinions regarding overall use, safety, and efficacy of opioids compared to other analgesics, (3) specific clinical scenarios, (4) main pressures to prescribe opioids, and (5) confidence/comfort prescribing opioids or nonopioids in select situations.Results: The majority of the sample (n = 363) were physicians (60.4 percent), with 69.4 percent of physicians being attendings. Most respondents believed that opioids were overused at our institution (61.7 percent); nearly half thought opioids had similar efficacy to other analgesics (44.1 percent), and almost all believed opioids were more dangerous than other analgesics (88.1 percent). Many respondents indicated that they would modify a chronic regimen for a high-risk patient, and use of nonopioids in specific scenarios was high. However, this use was often in combination with opioids. Respondents identified patients (64 percent) and staff (43.1 percent) as the most significant sources of pressure to prescribe opioids during an admission; the most common sources of pressure to prescribe opioidson discharge were to facilitate discharge (44.8 percent) and to reduce follow-up requests, calls, or visits (36.3 percent). Resident physicians appear to experience more pressure to prescribe opioids than other providers. Managing pain in patients with substance use disorders and effectively using nonopioid analgesics were the most common educational needs identified by respondents.Conclusion: Most individuals believe opioid analgesics are overused in our specific setting, commonly to satisfy patient requests. In general, providers feel uncomfortable prescribing nonopioid analgesics to patients.


Author(s):  
Amanda B. Lykins ◽  
Natalie W. Seroka ◽  
Mark Mayor ◽  
Sarret Seng ◽  
Jacob T. Higgins ◽  
...  

Background: Although several studies have recently described compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) in nurses, few to date have examined these issues across nursing specialties. Such examination is needed to inform future nursing-subspecialty tailored interventions. Aims: To examine (1) differences in CS, BO, and STS across nursing specialties and (2) differences associated with demographic, work-related, and behavioral factors among nurses. Method: A secondary analysis of survey responses from nurses ( N = 350) at an academic medical center. Demographic, behavioral, work-related, and professional quality of life variables were analyzed using hierarchical regression analyses. Results: CS, BO, and STS scores significantly varied across specialties with emergency nurses experiencing significantly elevated rates of BO and STS, and lowest rates of CS; scores were also differentially associated with demographic, work-related, behavioral, and workplace violence variables. Conclusions: Key differences in CS, BO, and STS by nursing specialty suggests the importance of tailoring BO and STS mitigative interventions. BO and STS risk factors should be assessed in nurses (e.g., behavioral health problems and poor sleep quality) and specialty-specific interventions (e.g., reducing workplace violence exposure in emergency settings) may be considered to improve CS while reducing BO and STS among nurses.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Bradley ◽  
Michelle Keithline ◽  
Meghan Petrocelli ◽  
Mary Scanlon ◽  
Janet Parkosewich

Background Family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in acute care is not widespread. Patients are not likely to be asked about their wishes for family presence or if they wish to be the decision makers about who should be present. Objective To explore the perceptions of patients on general medical units and to find factors independently associated with family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Methods A cross-sectional study of 117 randomly selected adult patients was conducted at an academic medical center. Participants were interviewed via a survey to obtain information on demographics, knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, sources of information on resuscitation, and preferences for family presence. Results About half of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation was important (52.1%), that the participant should be the decision maker about who should be present (50.4%), and that the patient should give consent ahead of time (47.0%). Participants indicated that they would want an adult sibling, parents, or others (20.5%); spouse (14.5%); adult child (8.5%); close friend (5.1%); or companion (4.3%) present during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Younger participants (20–45 years old) were 6.28 times more likely than those ≥ 66 years old (P = .01) and nonwhite participants were 2.7 times more likely than white participants (P = .049) to want family presence. Conclusion Patients have strong preferences about family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and they should have the opportunity to make the decision about having family present.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan C Cho ◽  
Matthew P Crotty ◽  
Wesley D Kufel ◽  
Elias B Chahine ◽  
Amelia K Sofjan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Pharmacists with residency training in infectious diseases (ID) optimize antimicrobial therapy outcomes in patients and support antimicrobial stewardship (AS) programs. Although most ID residencies are accredited and assessed by certain standards, the degree to which these programs are similar is not known. Methods A 19-item, cross-sectional, multicentered, electronic survey was distributed via e-mail to pharmacy residency program directors (RPDs) of all 101 second-year postgraduate (PGY-2) ID residency programs in the United States. Results Survey responses were collected from 71 RPDs (70.3%); 64.8% were associated with an academic medical center and 97.2% focused primarily in adult ID. Rotations in the microbiology laboratory, adult AS, and adult ID consult were required in 98.6% of residency programs. Only 28.2% of responding programs required pediatric AS and pediatric ID consult rotations. Programs at academic medical centers were more likely to offer immunocompromised host ID consult (P = .003), pediatric ID consult (P = .006), and hospital epidemiology (P = .047) rotations but less frequently offered outpatient AS (P = .003), viral hepatitis clinics (P = .001), and travel medicine clinics (P = .007) rotations compared to programs at nonacademic medical centers. Residents were frequently involved in AS committees (97.2%), pharmacokinetic dosing of antimicrobials (83.1%), precepting pharmacy trainees (80.3%), and performing research projects (91.5%). Conclusions The PGY-2 ID pharmacy residency programs demonstrated consistency in required adult ID consult, antimicrobial management activities, committee service, and teaching and research opportunities. Pediatric experiences were less common. The PGY-2 ID residency programs prepare pharmacists to become antimicrobial stewards for adult patients.


Diagnostics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle de Araujo Torres ◽  
Anneliese Lopes Barth ◽  
Mariana Pires de Mello Valente ◽  
Paulo Pires de Mello ◽  
Dafne Dain Gandelman Horovitz

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of inborn errors of metabolism with an aggressive and usually fatal course. Therefore, early treatment is essential because the involvement of head and neck structures is almost always present in MPS. Our study aimed to retrospectively assess—via a chart review and a survey of caregivers—the history of ear, nose and throat (ENT) symptoms, the number of otolaryngology visits prior to diagnosis, and whether otolaryngologists diagnosed the disease in a cohort of MPS patients followed at an academic medical center. Twenty-three patients were evaluated. Age at diagnosis ranged from 0.2 to 33.0 years (median, 3.2 years). Prior to being diagnosed with MPS, 20/23 (87%) patients presented with at least one episode of otalgia, airway disorder, sleep disturbance, speech delay or suspected hearing loss. One patient had an adenotonsillectomy with paracentesis of tympanic membranes. Ten of the 23 patients (43%) were seen by an otolaryngologist before the diagnosis of MPS, none of which had the disease suspected during these visits. Notwithstanding limitations, our results suggest that increased awareness of MPS among otolaryngologists may allow for earlier diagnosis and better management of these patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 683-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Gabbard ◽  
Devin Johnson ◽  
Greg Russell ◽  
Shenita Spencer ◽  
Jeff D. Williamson ◽  
...  

Background: Persons with dementia (PwD) often have significant cognitive deficits and functional limitations, requiring substantial caregiver assistance. Given the high symptom burden and terminal nature of dementia, good prognostic awareness and integration of palliative care (PC) is needed. Objective: To evaluate prognostic awareness, disease, and PC understanding among caregivers of PwD and to assess for improvements in routine care. Design: A cross-sectional study of 2 cohorts at a single-academic medical center. Surveys were mailed to 200 caregivers of PwD in 2012 (cohort 1). Surveys were sent to new subset of caregivers of PwD (n = 80) in 2018 (cohort 2) to assess trends over time. Results: A total of 154 of caregivers completed the survey (response rate 55%). Compared to 2012, a higher proportion of caregivers in 2018 reported having conversations about prognosis with PwD’s physicians (25% in 2012 vs 45% in 2018; P = .027). However, a large percentage (43% in 2012 and 40% in 2018) of caregivers reported no understanding of the PwD’s prognosis. Despite most stating dementia was not curable, only 39% in 2012 and 52% in 2018 ( P = .015) understood that dementia was a terminal disease. In addition, only 32% in 2012 and 40% in 2018 ( P = .39) felt that they were knowledgeable about PC. Conclusions: Prognostic discussions between caregivers of PwD and the PwD’s physicians may be occurring more often; however, a high percentage of caregivers report a poor understanding about the terminal nature of dementia and the role of PC.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 658-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian C. Drolet ◽  
Charles H. Hyman ◽  
Kimeya F. Ghaderi ◽  
Joshua Rodriguez-Srednicki ◽  
Jordan M. Thompson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Physicians' perceptions of duty hour regulations have been closely examined, yet patient opinions have been largely unstudied to date. Objective We studied patient perceptions of residency duty hours, fatigue, and continuity of care following implementation of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education 2011 Common Program Requirements. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered between June and August 2013 to inpatients at a large academic medical center and an affiliated community hospital. Adult inpatients on teaching medical and surgical services were eligible for inclusion in the study. Results Survey response rate was 71.3% (513 of 720). Most respondents (57.1%, 293 of 513) believed residents should not be assigned to shifts longer than 12 hours, and nearly half (49.7%, 255 of 513) wanted to be notified if a resident caring for them had worked longer than 12 hours. Most patients (63.2%, 324 of 513) believed medical errors commonly occurred because of fatigue, and fewer (37.4%, 192 of 513; odds ratio, 0.56; P &lt; .01) believed medical errors commonly occurred as a result of transfers of care. Given the choice between a familiar physician who “may be tired from a long shift” or a “fresh” physician who had received sign-out, more patients chose the fresh but unfamiliar physician (57.1% [293 of 513] versus 42.7% [219 of 513], P &lt; .01). Conclusions In a survey about physician attributes relevant to medical errors and patient safety, adult inpatients in a large and diverse sample reported greater concern about fatigue and working hours than about continuity of care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynette Cederquist ◽  
Jamie Nicole LaBuzetta ◽  
Edward Cachay ◽  
Lawrence Friedman ◽  
Cassia Yi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Ethics consult services are well established, but often remain underutilized. Our aim was to identify the barriers and perceptions of the Ethics consult service for physicians, advance practice providers (APPs), and nurses at our urban academic medical center which might contribute to underutilization. Methods This was a cross-sectional single-health system, anonymous written online survey, which was developed by the UCSD Health Clinical Ethics Committee and distributed by Survey Monkey. We compare responses between physicians, APPs, and nurses using standard parametric and non-parametric statistical methods. Satisfaction with ethics consult and likelihood of calling Ethics service again were assessed using a 0–100 scale using a 5-likert response structured (0 being “not helpful at all” to 100 being “extremely helpful”) and results presented using box plots and interquartile ranges (IQR). Results From January to July 2019, approximately 3800 surveys were sent to all physicians, APPs and nurses with a return rate of 5.5—10%. Although the majority of respondents had encountered an ethical dilemma (85–92.1%) only approximately half had ever requested an Ethics consult. The primary reason for physicians never having requested a consult was that they never felt the need for help (41%). For APPs the primary reasons were not knowing an Ethics consult service was available (33.3%) or not knowing how to contact Ethics (27.8%). For nurses, it was not knowing how to contact the Ethics consult service (30.8%) or not feeling the need for help (26.2%). The median satisfaction score (IQR) for Ethics consult services rated on a 0–100 scale, from physicians was 76 (29), for AAPs 89 (49), and nurses 70 (40) (p = 0.62). The median (IQR) of likelihood of consulting Ethics in the future also on a 0–100 scale was 71 (47) for physicians, 69 (45) for APPs, and 61 (45) for nurses (p = 0.79). APP’s and nurses were significantly more likely than physicians to believe that the team did not act on the Ethics consult’s recommendations. Conclusions Based on the results presented, we were able to identify actionable steps to better engage healthcare providers—and in particular APPs and nurses—and scale up institutional educational efforts to increase awareness of the role of the Ethics consult service at our institution. Actionable steps included implementing a system of ongoing feedback that is critical for the sustainability of the Ethics service role. We hope this project can serve as a blueprint for other hospital-based Ethics consult services to improve the quality of their programs.


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