Search

This article presents the findings of a study on the integration of respiratory specialists into primary care settings to improve the care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study found that integrating specialists led to improved adherence to treatment guidelines and had a positive impact on patients' quality of life, COPD exacerbations, and hospitalizations. However, the difference in outcomes between virtual integration and real integration was not clinically significant. The study suggests further research is needed to fully understand the effectiveness of integrating specialists into primary care. [Extracted from the article]

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a UK cohort study which enrolled participants at risk of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI, defined as a positive result for either of the two interferon gamma release assays). Binomial regression with a log link was used to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs for the relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and LTBI. Adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index and the presence of other immunocompromising conditions, DM was associated with a 15% higher prevalence of LTBI (adjusted PR=1.15, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.30, p=0.025). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PREDICT is registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01162265). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]