Beijing, May 1, 2017: The Spring 2017 issue a special issue entitled "The Global Burden of Preventable Cancer Mortality", Guest Editor: Roger J. Zoorob, includes an editorial, seven original research articles, one review article and two China Focus articles addressing various topics in family medicine in both China and internationally.
The first featured article in this issue is an original research article entitled "Self-reported preferences for patient and provider roles in cancer treatment decision-making in the United States." by authors Kiara K. Spooner, Charles C. Chima, Jason L. Salemi, Roger J. Zoorob, whose findings from a nationally representative sample of the adult US population provide additional evidence that cancer treatment decision-making role preferences differ by individuals' sociodemographic and health characteristics. While these intrinsic characteristics are not modifiable during a single clinical encounter, the results highlight the importance of providers' assessment, awareness, and discussion of patient preferences for their participation in their own care. For enhanced quality of cancer treatment decision-making and patient-centered care, these findings also identify opportunities to improve existing strategies and decision-making support tools so they are more responsive to the needs and preferences of the patient population. The second featured article is an original research article entitled "Unplanned hospitalizations for metastatic cancers: The changing patterns of inpatient palliative care, discharge to hospice care, and in-hospital mortality in the United States." by authors Jason L. Salemi, Charles C. Chima, Kiara K. Spooner, Roger J. Zoorob. The authors characterize predictors and assess trends in inpatient mortality and the provision of palliative and hospice services to metastatic cancer patients who experience unplanned hospitalization. Unplanned hospitalization in this population has been shown to be an indication of increased risk of death in the short term, thereby warranting consideration of alternatives to intensive and potentially invasive end-of-life care when such a trigger event is experienced. The authors found that over the 10-year period from 2002 to 2011, even though there were rapid increases in the provision of inpatient palliative care services and discharge to hospice care among these patients, only a minority of patients received these services. These findings suggest a continuation of aggressive care even as patients near the end of life. We recommend screening protocols in hospitals to identify cancer patients who are likely to benefit from palliative care and those who will be good candidates for hospice referrals.
Other articles published in the issue include:
Roger J. Zoorob: The global burden of preventable cancer mortality
Maria C. Mejia de Grubb, Barbara Kilbourne, Katy Kilbourne, Michael Langston, Lisa Gittner, Roger J. Zoorob, Robert Levine: Socioeconomic, environmental, and geographic factors and US lung cancer mortality, 1999-2009
Baqar A. Husaini, Robert S. Levine, Phillip Lammers, Pam Hull, Meggan Novotny, Majaz Moonis: Smoking, depression, and hospital costs of respiratory cancers: Examining race and sex variation
Haijun Wang, Maria C. Mejia de Grubb, Sandra J. Gonzalez, Mohamad Sidani, Jianping Ma, Roger J. Zoorob: Temporal trends in colorectal cancer incidence among Asian American populations in the United States, 1994-2013
William Huang, Larissa Grigoryan: Student self-assessment versus preceptor assessment at the midpoint of a family medicine clerkship
Anjali Aggarwal, Jason L. Salemi, Bernice Yap, Jennifer Mattas, Sameer Naik, Roger J. Zoorob, Hamisu M. Salihu: Modified Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics course: Feasibility, trainee satisfaction, and sustainability potential
Sandra J. Gonzalez, Maria C. Mejia de Grubb, Robert S. Levine: Primary and secondary prevention of colorectal cancer: An evidence-based review
Lap Kin Chiang, Cheuk-Wai Kam, Kin-Chung Michael Yau, Lorna Ng: Characteristics of patients with erectile dysfunction in a family physician-led erectile dysfunction clinic: Retrospective case series
Qi Xu, Jieyan Shen, Rong Shi, Hui Zhao: Ten year risk assessment of ischemic cardiovascular disease and intervention analysis among middle-aged residents with moderate risk and above in a Shanghai-based community
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Family Medicine and Community Health is a stringently peer-reviewed, open access journal in its fifth year of publication. FMCH aims to promote timely communication of medical knowledge and skills that translate into better modalities of care globally. It focuses on family medicine; community health; chronic disease management; community nursing; hospice care; paramedics; epidemiology; education and training; and community health policy worldwide.
Led internationally by Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Wei Wang, MD, PhD, FFPH, of Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, upcoming special issue topics include: E-Health in Community Healthcare, Cancer Research and Aging Care and Mental Health and Medical Care Quality Control. Roger J. Zoorob, MD, MPH, FAAFP, Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, serves as U.S. Editor.
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Family Medicine and Community Health