Use of a medication reminder may increase adherence to antidepressant medications in college students.

Decreases in circulating hsCRP have been associated with increased physical activity and exercise training, although the ability of exercise interventions to reduce hsCRP and which individuals benefit the most remains unclear. This meta-analysis evaluates the ability of exercise to reduce hsCRP levels in healthy individuals and in individuals with heart disease. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted that included exercise interventions trials from 1995 to 2012. Forty-three studies were included in the final analysis for a total of 3575 participants. Exercise interventions significantly reduced hsCRP (standardized mean difference −0.53 mg/L; 95% CI, −0.74 to −0.33). Results of sub-analysis revealed no significant difference in reductions in hsCRP between healthy adults and those with heart disease (p = .20). Heterogeneity between studies could not be attributed to age, gender, intervention length, intervention type, or inclusion of diet modification. Exercise interventions reduced hsCRP levels in adults irrespective of the presence of heart disease.

Pressure injuries negatively affect patients physically, emotionally, and economically. Studies report that pressure injuries occur in 69% of inpatients who have undergone a surgical procedure while hospitalized. In 2012, we created a nurse-initiated, perioperative pressure injury risk assessment measure for our midwestern, urban, adult teaching hospital. We retrospectively applied the risk assessment to a random sample of 350 surgical patients which validated the measure. The prospective use of the risk assessment and prevention measures in 350 surgical patients resulted in a 60% reduction in pressure injuries compared with the retrospective group. Our findings support the use of a multipronged approach for the prevention of health care-associated pressure injuries in the surgical population, which includes assessment of risk, implementation of evidence-based prevention interventions for at-risk patients, and continuation of prevention beyond the perioperative setting to the nursing care unit.

Purpose: Evaluate impact of physician referral to health coaching on patient engagement and health risk reduction. Design: Four-year retrospective, observational cohort study with propensity-matched pair comparisons. Setting: Integrated delivery and finance system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sample: 10 457 adult insured members referred to health coaching by their physician; 37 864 other members identified for health coaching through insurer-initiated outreach. Intervention: Practice-based, technology-supported workflow and process for physician prescribing of health coaching during regular office visit, with follow-up on patient’s progress and implementation supports. Measures: Patient engagement based on completion of pre-enrollment assessment, formal enrollment in health coaching, completion of required sessions, health risk levels, and number of health risks pre- and post-health coaching referral. Analysis: Difference-in-difference analysis to assess change in health risk levels and number of health risks pre- and post-health coaching and probability weighting to control for potential confounding between groups. Results: Members referred by a physician were significantly more likely to enroll in a health coaching program (21.0% vs 6.0%, P < .001) and complete the program requirements (8.5% vs 2.7%, P < .001) than when referred by insurer-initiated outreach; significant within group improvement in health risk levels from baseline ( P < .001) was observed for both the groups. Conclusions: Patients are significantly more likely to engage in health coaching when a referral is made by a physician; engagement in health coaching significantly improves health risk levels.