Biomedical subjects

Richard Leman

Publications and source records attributed to Richard Leman.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Collaboration between Oregon's chronic disease programs and Medicaid to decrease smoking among Medicaid-insured Oregonians with asthma.

BACKGROUND: Environmental tobacco smoke is a leading environmental asthma trigger and has been linked to the development of asthma in children and adults. Smoking cessation and reduced exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke are key components of asthma management. We describe a partnership involving two state agencies and 14 health plans; the goal of the partnership was to decrease smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke among Medicaid-insured Oregonians with asthma. CONTEXT: Oregon's asthma rate is higher than that of the national population, and approximately one third of Oregonians with asthma smoke. The Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Program (HPCDP) in the Oregon Department of Human Services has collaborated with the Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP) to promote preventive care at the population level. METHODS: Two HPCDP programs--the Oregon Asthma Program and the Oregon Tobacco Prevention and Education Program--worked with OMAP to launch the statewide Asthma-Tobacco Integration Project in 2003. A primary focus of the project is the development of partnerships among health plans, health care providers, and large health care organizations to integrate asthma management and smoking control through systems innovations and provider education. OMAP and its participating health plans also decided to focus cessation efforts on its members with chronic diseases. In addition, HPCDP has collaborated with OMAP to distribute educational tools and information about tobacco's impact on asthma morbidity to Oregon's health care providers who serve low-income Oregonians. CONSEQUENCES: The partnership between OMAP and HPCDP program staff members has allowed them to discuss problems, leverage resources, and obtain support for many public health initiatives. In addition, OMAP-HPCDP collaboration on educational workshops and outreach to health care providers has helped convince quality improvement specialists and administrators about the importance of addressing smoking among patients with asthma. The Asthma-Tobacco Integration Project has also led to formative research aimed at increasing community involvement in promoting tobacco-free environments. INTERPRETATION: Collaboration between HPCDP and OMAP has been an important factor in Oregon's successful smoking cessation efforts in general and in recent efforts to address tobacco use among Oregonians with asthma.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an American Indian population.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although reports of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections without healthcare exposure are increasing, population-based data regarding nasal colonization are lacking. We assessed the prevalence of and risk factors for community-associated MRSA nasal carriage in patients of a rural outpatient clinic. DESIGN: A cross-sectional population survey was conducted through random sample and stratification by community of residence. Recent healthcare exposure (ie, hospitalization, dialysis, or healthcare occupation) and other risk factors for MRSA carriage were assessed. Cultures of the nares were performed. Community-associated MRSA was defined as MRSA carriage without healthcare exposure. SETTING: A predominantly American Indian community in Washington. PATIENTS: Those receiving healthcare from an Indian Health Service clinic. RESULTS: Of 1,311 individuals identified for study, 475 (36%) participated. Unsatisfactory culture specimens resulted in exclusion of 6 participants. In all, 128 (27.3%) of 469 participants had S. aureus. Nine (1.9%) of 469 had MRSA carriage; of these, 5 had community-associated MRSA (5 of 469; overall community-associated MRSA carriage rate, 1.1%). MRSA carriage was associated with antimicrobial use in the previous year (risk ratio [RR], 7.2; P = .04) and residence in a household of more than 7 individuals (RR, 4.5; P = .03). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis indicated that 5 (55%) of 9 MRSA carriage isolates were closely related, including 3 (60%) of 5 that were community associated. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of community-associated MRSA colonization was approximately 1% in this rural, American Indian population. Community-associated MRSA colonization was associated with recent antimicrobial use and larger household.

Arizona↗

PubMed2004

Surveillance systems monitoring HIV/AIDS and HIV risk behaviors among American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Few published reports describe patterns of occurrence of HIV/AIDS among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people nationally. Data from national surveillance systems were examined to describe the spread of HIV/AIDS and the prevalence of HIV-related risk behaviors among AI/AN people. These data indicate that HIV/AIDS is a growing problem among AI/AN people and that AI/AN youth and women are particularly vulnerable to the continued spread of HIV infection.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

An outbreak of community-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infections in southwestern Alaska.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated a large outbreak of community-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in southwestern Alaska to determine the extent of these infections and whether MRSA isolates were likely community acquired. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Rural southwestern Alaska. PATIENTS: All patients with a history of culture-confirmed S. aureus infection from March 1, 1999, through August 10, 2000. RESULTS: More than 80% of culture-confirmed S. aureus infections were methicillin resistant, and 84% of MRSA infections involved skin or soft tissue; invasive disease was rare. Most (77%) of the patients with MRSA skin infections had community-acquired MRSA (no hospitalization, surgery, dialysis, indwelling line or catheter, or admission to a long-term-care facility in the 12 months before infection). Patients with MRSA skin infections were more likely to have received a prescription for an antimicrobial agent in the 180 days before infection than were patients with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus skin infections. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that the epidemiology of MRSA in rural southwestern Alaska has changed and suggest that the emergence of community-onset MRSA in this region was not related to spread of a hospital organism. Treatment guidelines were developed recommending that beta-lactam antimicrobial agents not be used as a first-line therapy for suspected S. aureus infections.

Adolescent↗