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Researchers have evaluated the Assessment of Burden of Chronic Conditions (ABCC) scale, which was developed to improve care by facilitating shared decision making and self-management. The scale assesses and visualizes the patient’s experience of one or multiple chronic conditions, and integrates it in daily care. The researchers determined it is valid and reliable in people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma or type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). They compared the ABCC scale with other clinical questionnaires to assess validity, consistency and reliability.

In an article published in The Annals of Family Medicine, researchers from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and the University of Washington in Seattle examined the characteristics of family physicians who work collaboratively with behavioral health professionals (BHP). Prior evidence has demonstrated that integrating behavioral health into primary care can improve access to mental health care and patient health outcomes.

In a study published in The Annals of Family Medicine, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of multiple databases from 1995-2021 to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of commercially available tests that use vaginal swabs versus urine specimens to detect chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomonas. Although vaginal swabs are the recommended sample type by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),, the most used specimen among women is urine. The authors identified 28 eligible articles with 30 comparisons for CT; 16 comparisons for NG; and nine comparisons for TV.

Practitioner-supported, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help (MBCT-SH) is superior to standard recommended treatment for mild-to-moderate depression, according to a study published online March 22 in JAMA Psychiatry.

The HOPE Note Toolkit is being used in some healthcare systems to improve whole person care. In order to support clinics in the process of adopting the HOPE Note Toolkit in primary care, researchers tested a learning collaborative approach across 17 primary care clinics in the United States, including private practices and family medicine residency training programs. The collaborative used expert and peer supported practice improvement and action research to help clinical teams develop the skills and processes needed to conduct whole person integrative health visits using the toolkit.

Endogenous ghrelin is associated with longitudinal weight gain in girls and young women with anorexia nervosa, according to a study published online March 24 in JAMA Network Open.

Researchers examined the impact of a proactive patient education/recruitment program in a primary care setting on improving screening rates by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for lung cancer. They used a nurse navigator to help identify eligible patients for screening from the EMR and to contact them directly to provide preliminary pre-screening counseling and education on screening and smoking cessation.

Taxes on sugary drinks reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and unhealthy weight gain in pregnant women, reports a new UC San Francisco study of more than 5 million women.

A rock’n’roll myth has been debunked by researchers who discovered drugs don’t spark creativity. The University of Essex and Humboldt University of Berlin psychological study has revealed narcotics are the least effective way to inspire imagination. In a blow to fans of hard-living musicians, writers and artists, the research found that complex training programs, meditation and exposure to culture are the best ways to find a muse, with alcohol and pharmaceutical amphetamines such as Adderall failing to influence inspiration whatsoever.

For patients with nonsegmental vitiligo, continued improvement in seen during a long-term extension of ruxolitinib treatment, according to study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, held from March 17 to 21 in New Orleans.