The Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN) is a community of Wisconsin primary care physicians and university researchers working together to answer important questions that affect primary care practice, its physicians and their patients. Your gift, whatever the amount, will help us to answer questions like these:

Researchers have learned that the antibiotic azithromycin can be an effective treatment for some forms of adult asthma. A recently published meta-analysis of 12 randomized, controlled trials of macrolides (like azithromycin) for the long term management of asthma in adults found benefits for symptoms, quality of life, bronchial hyper-reactivity and peak flow. This meta-analysis includes two WREN studies:

In fact, low literacy could be hazardous to your health. Researchers partnered with Wisconsin Literacy, Inc. and three community-based Wisconsin literacy councils to conduct six focus groups of low literate adults to explore how low literacy impacts their health and health care. What researchers learned is that low literate adults have trouble understanding verbal and written health instructions, they commonly make mistakes taking medications, and they sign consent forms that they do not understand.

Providing care to patients can be a complex process, especially when patients come in the doctor’s office with many different health care issues. The more complex the visit, the more likely an error might be made. This study investigated the relationships between the complexity of the problems that patients presented, a physician’s workload, quality of care and medical errors.

Learn more about this project: Mental Workload & Medical Error in Primary Care Practice

Elderly patients are a vulnerable group that is at greater risk of being injured as a result of safety hazards. In this study, researchers are observing physician and elderly patients during clinic visits to identify and report on potential safety hazards and to develop approaches for eliminating these hazards.

Learn more about this project: Proactive Risk Assessment of Primary Care of the Elderly

WREN doctors and researchers are already busy answering these and many other questions that affect Wisconsin community medical practices. You can help us answer these questions with your gift. Every gift, big or small, will help us make a difference.

Please make a gift today. Every gift, big or small, will help us make a difference.

Wisconsin Research & Education Network (WREN)

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Please make a gift today. Every gift, big or small, will help us make a difference.