Summer - The Permanente Journal

Summer 2005

The Permanente Journal

Summer 2005 - Volume 9 Number 3

Clinical Medicine

Preparing for Successful Surgery: An Implementation Study
Manuel Diaz, MD; Brad Larsen, CRNA
This overview of the implementation of a mind-body program for surgical patients discusses the program, its challenges, and its successes.

A Quarter Century of Hospice Care: The Southern California Kaiser Permanente Experience
Mario Milch, MD; Richard D Brumley, MD
As a pioneer in hospice care, the KP Southern California Region looks for ways to improve service and to overcome remaining barriers.

High-Quality Asthma Care: It's Not Just About Drugs
Harold J Farber, MD
The importance of communication, mutual problem solving, and follow-up is emphasized in this thoughtful and important article on long-term asthma care.

Malnutrition in the Elderly: A Multifactorial Failure to Thrive
Carol Evans, RNP, MS, M
This presentation emphasizes the importance of taking a multidisciplinary approach that treats pathology and uses social and dietary forms of intervention when addressing malnutrition in the elderly.

Chronic Pain is a Chronic Condition, Not Just a Symptom
Christine E Whitten, MD; Kristene Cristobal, MS
This second article in a continuing series on pain management emphasizes the importance of helping patients return to improved functioning and independence.

Bariatric Surgery in the KP Northwest Region: Optimizing Outcomes by Using a Multidisciplinary Program
Keith H Bachman, MD; Brenda Buck, RD; Julie Hanna, LCSW; Tamara J Mucha, PT; Mary Lou Greenwood, RN, BSN; David Moiel, MD
This article describes the KPNW multidisciplinary bariatric surgery program and its short- and long-term success.

Health Systems

From Standardized Patient to Care Actor: Evolution of a Teaching Methodology
James T Hardee, MD; Ilene K Kasper, MS
The history of the standardized patient in medical education is outlined as well as the progress to care actor and presents a framework for using the care actor to teach clinician-patient communication.

Case Study

Corridor Consult
How Can We Reduce the Incidence of Contrast-Induced Acute Renal Failure?
Baudelio Herrada, MD; Jay Agarwal, MD; Antoine C Abcar, MD
A case study illustrates the incidence of contrast-induced acute renal failure, its treatment, and its prevention.

Special Feature: Spirituality Symposium

At the Kaiser Permanente Primary Care Conference held in March 2005, a diverse panel met to illuminate the areas of mind, body, and spirit in clinical practice. This is a collection of excerpted and edited transcripts from this symposium including the question and answer panel discussion.