Clinical Practice | April 2018

Accessing personal health records (PHRs) through mobile health apps could improve patient monitoring for chronic diseases, but utilization of mobile PHRs (mPHRs) remains low. Findings were published April 9 in JMIR Health and uHealth.

The implementation of an iPad application for colon cancer screening doubled the number of patients who underwent testing, according to a study published March 13 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

In the past month, two studies came to very different conclusions when examining if the human brain is capable of growing new neurons later in life. The first, published March 7 in Nature, found no evidence of neurogenesis in individuals older than 13 years old. But another study, released April 5 in Cell Stem Cell, claimed to find neuron generation in all the brains examined.

A recent small-sample survey published online March 22 in Genetics in Medicine found direct-to-consumer DNA tests may produce false-positives in 40 percent of variants when subjected to clinical confirmation testing.

A device worn like a visor can detect emergent large-vessel occlusion in patients with a suspected stroke with 92 percent accuracy, according to a study published March 6 in the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery.

A communication technology used as part of the intake procedure improved understanding and comprehensibility of low-educated patients in health-related questionnaires, according to a study published April 23 in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Interruptions in clinical workflow, occurring during electronic medical record documentation and direct patient care, could have adverse effects on patient care, according to a study published March 9 in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction.

A single-page form asking patients to list discussion points and goals improved patient satisfaction and physicians' ability to receive timely feedback, according to a study published April 14 in Neurosurgery.

A machine learning, real-time hand hygiene notification system improved participant adherence to 100 percent, according to a study published April 9 in the Journal of Hospital Infection.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota have developed a 3D printer capable of printing electronics directly onto the skin, according to a study published April 25 in Advanced Materials.

Scientists at Cedars-Sinai have recreated neurons in a dish to better analyze the brain’s role in obesity and to improve the development of personalized treatment. Findings were published in Cell Stem Cell.

Hypertension is called the “silent killer” because its lack of symptoms can often have lethal results for those who go on to experience heart attack or stroke. But recent work from NPR and Kaiser Health News focused on problems that arise from conversations between physicians and patients.

According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control, 71 percent of reusable medical scopes tested positive for bacteria.