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Le Bao V, Haworth A, Dowling J, Walker A, Arumugam S, Jameson M, Chlap P, Wiltshire K, Keats S, Cloak K, Sidhom M, Kneebone A, Holloway L. Evaluating the relationship between contouring variability and modelled treatment outcome for prostate bed radiotherapy. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:085008. [PMID: 38471173 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad3325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Objectives.Contouring similarity metrics are often used in studies of inter-observer variation and automatic segmentation but do not provide an assessment of clinical impact. This study focused on post-prostatectomy radiotherapy and aimed to (1) identify if there is a relationship between variations in commonly used contouring similarity metrics and resulting dosimetry and (2) identify the variation in clinical target volume (CTV) contouring that significantly impacts dosimetry.Approach.The study retrospectively analysed CT scans of 10 patients from the TROG 08.03 RAVES trial. The CTV, rectum, and bladder were contoured independently by three experienced observers. Using these contours reference simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) volumes were established. Additional CTVs were generated using an atlas algorithm based on a single benchmark case with 42 manual contours. Volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment plans were generated for the observer, atlas, and reference volumes. The dosimetry was evaluated using radiobiological metrics. Correlations between contouring similarity and dosimetry metrics were calculated using Spearman coefficient (Γ). To access impact of variations in planning target volume (PTV) margin, the STAPLE PTV was uniformly contracted and expanded, with plans created for each PTV volume. STAPLE dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were exported for plans generated based on the contracted/expanded volumes, and dose-volume metrics assessed.Mainresults. The study found no strong correlations between the considered similarity metrics and modelled outcomes. Moderate correlations (0.5 <Γ< 0.7) were observed for Dice similarity coefficient, Jaccard, and mean distance to agreement metrics and rectum toxicities. The observations of this study indicate a tendency for variations in CTV contraction/expansion below 5 mm to result in minor dosimetric impacts.Significance. Contouring similarity metrics must be used with caution when interpreting them as indicators of treatment plan variation. For post-prostatectomy VMAT patients, this work showed variations in contours with an expansion/contraction of less than 5 mm did not lead to notable dosimetric differences, this should be explored in a larger dataset to assess generalisability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viet Le Bao
- South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
| | - Annette Haworth
- Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Jason Dowling
- South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
| | - Amy Walker
- South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Sankar Arumugam
- South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Jameson
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- GenesisCare, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Phillip Chlap
- South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kirsty Wiltshire
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Keats
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kirrily Cloak
- South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mark Sidhom
- South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Lois Holloway
- South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
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Lodha A, Moser JJ, Walker A, Lodha A, Tang S, McAllister D. Association of epidural analgesia in labor with neurodevelopmental outcomes in premature infants born at <29 weeks of gestational age. J Perinatol 2024; 44:548-553. [PMID: 38355736 DOI: 10.1038/s41372-024-01893-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore associations between epidural administration to mothers in labor with neurodevelopmental outcomes at 3 years corrected age in preterm infants born <29 weeks gestational age. STUDY DESIGN Infants born <29 weeks gestational age between 2006 and 2012 were included. Our primary outcome was a composite of death or neurodevelopmental impairment at 3 years corrected age. Infants were divided into those whose mothers did or did not receive epidural analgesia in labor. Univariable and multivariable regression was used for analysis. RESULTS There were 548 infants in the no epidural analgesia group and 121 in the epidural analgesia group. The adjusted odds ratio (95%CI) of neurodevelopmental impairment or death in the epidural group was 1.25 (0.82-1.93). Propensity score-matched results were 1.32 (0.79-2.22). CONCLUSION Preterm infants born <29 weeks gestational age to mothers who received epidural analgesia during labor were not associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes at 3 years corrected age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arijit Lodha
- Medical Student, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J J Moser
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - A Walker
- Senior Consultant, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - A Lodha
- Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - S Tang
- Analyst, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Alberta Children's Hospital Neonatal Follow-up Clinic, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - D McAllister
- Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Davies J, Romualdez AM, Malyan D, Heasman B, Livesey A, Walker A, Pellicano E, Remington A. Autistic Adults' Priorities for Future Autism Employment Research: Perspectives from the United Kingdom. Autism Adulthood 2024; 6:72-85. [PMID: 38435326 PMCID: PMC10902279 DOI: 10.1089/aut.2022.0087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Background A growing body of research has sought to understand autistic people's research priorities. Several of these studies have identified employment as a key research priority. Yet, there have been a few attempts to identify specific, actionable priorities within this area. Methods Using an online survey, we asked 197 autistic people in the United Kingdom about their priorities for future autism-employment research. Results Participants spoke of their challenges in gaining and sustaining meaningful employment and called for researchers to conduct research that results in direct improvements to employment experiences. Regarding their research priorities, participants indicated a need for research covering all aspects of the employment lifecycle from accessing employment to transitioning out of employment. Importantly, participants also discussed how such research should be conducted: with autistic people as co-researchers and ensuring a diverse range of autistic people are listened to. Conclusion While much existing autism-employment research appears to align with the priorities outlined in this study, seemingly minimal attention has been paid to later stages of the work lifecycle (e.g., progressing into more senior job roles or transitioning out of work). By identifying disparities between autistic people's priorities and the research being conducted, we can support autistic people to drive the research agenda and ensure autism-employment research positively impacts the community it aims to serve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Davies
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Melissa Romualdez
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Danae Malyan
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brett Heasman
- School of Education, Language and Psychology, York St John University, York, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Livesey
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Walker
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Neurodiversity Works, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Pellicano
- Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Anna Remington
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Peters I, Nelson V, Deshpande S, Walker A, Hiatt J, Roach D, Erven T, Rajapakse S, Gray A. The assessment of the clinical impact of using a single set of radiotherapy planning data for two kilovoltage therapy units. Phys Eng Sci Med 2024; 47:49-59. [PMID: 37843767 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-023-01339-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Kilovoltage therapy units are used for superficial radiotherapy treatment delivery. Peer reviewed studies for MV linear accelerators describe tolerances to dosimetrically match multiple linear accelerators enabling patient treatment on any matched machine. There is an absence of literature on using a single planning data set for multiple kilovoltage units which have limited ability for beam adjustment. This study reviewed kilovoltage dosimetry and treatment planning scenarios to evaluate the feasibility of using ACPSEM annual QA tolerances to determine whether two units (of the same make and model) were dosimetrically matched. The dosimetric characteristics, such as measured half value layer (HVL), percentage depth dose (PDD), applicator factor and output variation with stand-off distance for each kV unit were compared to assess the agreement. Independent planning data based on the measured HVL for each beam energy from each kV unit was prepared. Monitor unit (MU) calculations were performed using both sets of planning data for approximately 200 clinical scenarios and compared with an overall agreement between units of < 2%. Additionally, a dosimetry measurement comparison was completed at each site for a subset of nine scenarios. All machine characterisation measurements were within the ACPSEM Annual QA tolerances, and dosimetric testing was within 2.5%. This work demonstrates that using a single set of planning data for two kilovoltage units is feasible, resulting in a clinical impact within published uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliana Peters
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Vinod Nelson
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shrikant Deshpande
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
- South West Sydney Clinical School, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Amy Walker
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
- South West Sydney Clinical School, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Joshua Hiatt
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dale Roach
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tania Erven
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Satya Rajapakse
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alison Gray
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
- South West Sydney Clinical School, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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5
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Baghirzada L, Walker A, Yu HC, Endersby R. The analgesic effect of transversalis fascia plane block after caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia with intrathecal morphine: a randomised controlled trial. Anaesthesia 2024; 79:63-70. [PMID: 37961945 DOI: 10.1111/anae.16173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
We aimed to test whether bilateral injection of bupivacaine 0.25% in the transversalis fascia plane reduced 24 h opioid dose after singleton caesarean section, under spinal anaesthesia with intrathecal morphine, compared with saline 0.9% injectate. We allocated randomly 52 women to bilateral injection of 20 ml saline 0.9% on arrival in the post-anaesthesia care unit and 54 women to bilateral injection of 20 ml bupivacaine 0.25% (with adrenaline 2.5 μg.ml-1 ). Mean (SD) cumulative morphine equivalent opioid dose 24 h after saline injection was 32.3 (28.3) mg and 18.7 (20.2) mg after bupivacaine injection, a mean (95%CI) difference of 13.7 (4.1-23.2) mg (p = 0.006). Median (IQR [range]) time to first postoperative opioid dose was 3.0 (1.5-10.3 [0.0-57.4]) h after saline 0.9% and 8.2 (2.7-29.6 [0.2-55.4]) h after bupivacaine 0.25% (p = 0.054). Transversalis fascia plane with bupivacaine 0.25% with adrenaline reduced postoperative pain at rest during 48 h (0-10-point scale) by a mean (95%CI) of 0.9 (0.2-1.6) points (p = 0.013) and on movement by 1.2 (0.4-2.1) points (p = 0.004). We conclude that transversalis fascia plane bupivacaine 0.25% with adrenaline reduces pain and opioid dose after caesarean section compared with saline 0.9%.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Baghirzada
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - A Walker
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - H C Yu
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - R Endersby
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
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Moutrie V, Walker A. Commissioning of a RayStation structure template for the iBEAM evo Couchtop. Phys Eng Sci Med 2023; 46:1803-1809. [PMID: 37615922 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-023-01311-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Accurate radiotherapy treatment planning requires attenuation through the treatment couch to be accounted for in dose calculation. This is commonly performed by using contouring tools to add a virtual structure in the shape of the treatment couch and assigning the preferred absorption properties. The RayStation treatment planning system (TPS) allows users to assign a material that comprises both an elemental structure and a physical density. The selection of such parameters should be made so that modelled attenuation through the couch closely matches measured data. When these measurements involve the use of plastic phantoms and rotational beams, the validity of the data is dependent upon aspects of TPS and linear accelerator performance that can be difficult to quantify. A fundamental measure of couch attenuation using an ionisation chamber in water and perpendicular beam geometry that required no gantry movement was implemented to eliminate the identified uncertainties. This data was used to determine the combination of elemental composition and density assigned to a modelled couch structure that provided the most accurate representation of beam attenuation in this simple geometry. The preferred material was then validated using a cylindrical phantom and rotational beams. The findings were equivalent between the static gantry with water phantom and rotating gantry with cylindrical phantom. Of the elemental compositions investigated, it was possible to achieve suitable agreement with the measured data for each option provided the density was optimised. Choice of the elemental composition was not observed to be an important factor in achieving a good model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaughan Moutrie
- South Western Sydney Cancer Services, Sydney, Australia.
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Amy Walker
- South Western Sydney Cancer Services, Sydney, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
- South West Sydney Clinical Campuses, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Michelet F, Smyth M, Lall R, Noordali H, Starr K, Berridge L, Yeung J, Fuller G, Petrou S, Walker A, Mark J, Canaway A, Khan K, Perkins GD. Randomised controlled trial of analgesia for the management of acute severe pain from traumatic injury: study protocol for the paramedic analgesia comparing ketamine and morphine in trauma (PACKMaN). Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2023; 31:84. [PMID: 38001541 PMCID: PMC10668487 DOI: 10.1186/s13049-023-01146-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prehospital analgesia is often required after traumatic injury, currently morphine is the strongest parenteral analgesia routinely available for use by paramedics in the United Kingdom (UK) when treating patients with severe pain. This protocol describes a multi-centre, randomised, double blinded trial comparing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of ketamine and morphine for severe pain following acute traumatic injury. METHODS A two arm pragmatic, phase III trial working with two large NHS ambulance services, with an internal pilot. Participants will be randomised in equal numbers to either (1) morphine or (2) ketamine by IV/IO injection. We aim to recruit 446 participants over the age of 16 years old, with a self-reported pain score of 7 or above out of 10. Randomised participants will receive a maximum of 20 mg of morphine, or a maximum of 30 mg of ketamine, to manage their pain. The primary outcome will be the sum of pain intensity difference. Secondary outcomes measure the effectiveness of pain relief and overall patient experience from randomisation to arrival at hospital as well as monitoring the adverse events, resource use and cost-effectiveness outcomes. DISCUSSION The PACKMAN study is the first UK clinical trial addressing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of ketamine and morphine in treating acute severe pain from traumatic injury treated by NHS paramedics. The findings will inform future clinical practice and provide insights into the effectiveness of ketamine as a prehospital analgesia. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN, ISRCTN14124474. Registered 22 October 2020, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN14124474.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Michelet
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
| | - M Smyth
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - R Lall
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - H Noordali
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - K Starr
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - L Berridge
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - J Yeung
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
- Critical Care Directorate, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - G Fuller
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - S Petrou
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - A Walker
- West Midlands Ambulance Services NHS Trust, Brierley Hill, Dudley, UK
| | - J Mark
- Yorkshire Ambulance Services NHS Trust, Wakefield, UK
| | - A Canaway
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - K Khan
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - G D Perkins
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
- Critical Care Directorate, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
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Kemp K, Avery P, Bryant R, Cross A, Danter K, Kneebone A, Morris D, Walker A, Whitley L, Dibley L. Clinical service delivery implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with Inflammatory bowel disease: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1195. [PMID: 37919710 PMCID: PMC10621133 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10181-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical services were severely disrupted, restricted, or withdrawn across the country. People living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - an auto-immune disorder for which medical treatment often results in immunosuppression, thus requiring regular monitoring-may have struggled to access clinical support. As part of a larger qualitative study, we investigated experiences of access to clinical services during the pandemic, and patient concerns about and preferences for services in the future. METHODS This exploratory qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore participants' experiences of clinical services across the UK during the pandemic. All data were collected remotely (March - May 2021) using online video-calling platforms or by telephone. Audio files were transcribed professionally and anonymised for analysis. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS Of the eight themes found across all data, four related specifically to accessing GP, local (district) hospital, and specialist (tertiary) referral services for IBD: 1) The Risk of Attending Hospital; 2) Missing Routine Monitoring or Treatment; 3) Accessing Care as Needed, and 4) Remote Access and The Future. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support other studies reporting changes in use of health services, and concerns about future remote access methods. Maintenance of IBD services in some form is essential throughout crisis periods; newly diagnosed patients need additional support; future dependence on IBD services could be reduced through use of treatment / self-management plans. As the NHS digitalises it's future services, the mode of appointment-remote (telephone, video call), or in-person - needs to be flexible and suit the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Kemp
- Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, UK.
- University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | | | - Ruby Bryant
- Patient and Public Involvement Group, Swansea, UK
| | - Amanda Cross
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, UK
| | | | | | - Deborah Morris
- East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Amy Walker
- South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, Warwick, UK
| | - Lisa Whitley
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Lesley Dibley
- Institute for Lifecourse Development, University of Greenwich, London, UK
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Sabo MT, Walker A, Elmi Assadzadeh G, Hildebrand KA. Rotator cuff outcomes and mental health indices: Correlation or causation? Shoulder Elbow 2023; 15:108-118. [PMID: 37974603 PMCID: PMC10649477 DOI: 10.1177/17585732221076027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Background Psychological factors such as catastrophizing, anxiety, and depression influence clinical outcomes in many conditions. Our purpose was to examine trends and associations between these and outcomes of rotator cuff surgery. Methods 148 patients (76 W:72 M, 55.1 ± 8.2 years) with unilateral symptomatic rotator cuff syndrome were followed for 1 year after surgery. The Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Score (WORC), the Pain Catastrophizing Score (PCS), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS) were administered. Evolution and associations of WORC, HADS and PCS scores were examined using uni- and multivariate analyzes. Results At 1 year, PCS, HADS-A, and HADS-D scores negatively correlated with WORC score (R = -0.6, -0.61, -0.69). The strength of correlation was lower between baseline PCS, HADS-A, and HADS-D scores and 1-year WORC score (R = -0.38, -0.43, -0.42). Prior anxiety diagnosis was associated with higher HADS-A scores at 2- and 6- weeks post-op (p = 0.013, 0.011). 106 participants experienced an improving HADS-D over the year of follow-up. Worse pre-op pain, WORC, PCS, HADS-A, HADS-D, cardiovascular disease and current smoking were associated with non-improving HADS-D. Discussion Patient-reported outcomes of rotator cuff surgery are associated with patient-reported anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing. In many, all outcome scores improved over time suggesting a two-way association between shoulder condition and psychological parameters. Level of evidence II.
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Affiliation(s)
- MT Sabo
- SCRUBS Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - A Walker
- Department of Anaesthesia, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - KA Hildebrand
- Department of Surgery, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Pryke-Hobbes A, Davies J, Heasman B, Livesey A, Walker A, Pellicano E, Remington A. The workplace masking experiences of autistic, non-autistic neurodivergent and neurotypical adults in the UK. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290001. [PMID: 37672533 PMCID: PMC10482295 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Masking entails hiding or concealing one's traits during social interactions. Research suggests that masking is particularly common for autistic people, though many non-autistic people also conceal aspects of their identity. Existing research has identified the key motivations and consequences of masking. No research to date, however, has considered how this might be affected by the social context in which masking is employed. This study compared the masking experiences of 285 autistic, 88 non-autistic neurodivergent and 99 neurotypical adults within a context in which masking is expected to be highly prevalent, namely the workplace. We used reflexive thematic analysis to explore the motivations, consequences, and contextual differences of workplace masking compared to other social contexts. Workplace masking was considered by participants in all three groups to be an adaptive response to a range of socially grounded workplace challenges and was usually employed as a strategy to safeguard against the threat of negative social and employment outcomes. Our non-autistic neurodivergent and autistic participants, however, reported experiencing unique pressures to mask, given the limited understanding of neurodiversity in workplaces and society more broadly. These findings have important implications for the wider masking literature and for workplace practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Pryke-Hobbes
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jade Davies
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brett Heasman
- School of Education, Language and Psychology, York St John University, York, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Livesey
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Walker
- Neurodiversity Works, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Anna Remington
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Davies J, Heasman B, Livesey A, Walker A, Pellicano E, Remington A. Access to employment: A comparison of autistic, neurodivergent and neurotypical adults' experiences of hiring processes in the United Kingdom. Autism 2023; 27:1746-1763. [PMID: 36597955 PMCID: PMC10375005 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221145377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autistic people are less likely to have a job than non-autistic people. One reason for this may be that hiring processes (e.g. job applications, interviews) can be challenging for autistic people. To better understand the experiences of hiring processes in the United Kingdom, we asked 225 autistic, 64 neurodivergent (but not autistic) and 64 adults with no reported area of neurodivergence questions about their experiences using an online survey. We found a range of similarities and differences in responses. For example, participants in all three groups were frustrated with the focus on social skills in recruitment and said they wanted more practical methods (e.g. work trials) that help them show their skills and abilities. Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent participants discussed the importance of the environment (e.g. the interview/assessment room) in improving experiences. Participants also discussed how employers can impact whether somebody decides to disclose their diagnosis or needs - or not. Autistic people experienced some barriers to successful recruitment that non-autistic people did not. For example, autistic people felt they had to hide their autistic traits to gain employment and many autistic people were worried about being discriminated against if they disclosed that they were autistic during the hiring process. To make experiences better, our participants said that employers should offer candidates different recruitment methods and give them more information about the hiring process. They also said employers should improve their understanding of autism and other hidden disabilities so they know the challenges that people might face during recruitment.
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Kennedy J, Parker M, Seaborne M, Mhereeg M, Walker A, Walker V, Denaxas S, Kennedy N, Katikireddi SV, Brophy S. Healthcare use attributable to COVID-19: a propensity-matched national electronic health records cohort study of 249,390 people in Wales, UK. BMC Med 2023; 21:259. [PMID: 37468884 PMCID: PMC10354936 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-02897-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To determine the extent and nature of changes associated with COVID-19 infection in terms of healthcare utilisation, this study observed healthcare contact 1 to 4 and 5 to 24 weeks following a COVID-19 diagnosis compared to propensity-matched controls. METHODS Two hundred forty nine thousand three hundred ninety Welsh individuals with a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test were identified from data from national PCR test results. After elimination criteria, 98,600 positive individuals were matched to test negative and never tested controls using propensity matching. Cohorts were split on test location. Tests could be taken in either the hospital or community. Controls were those who had tested negative in their respective environments. Survival analysis was utilised for first clinical outcomes which are grouped into primary and secondary. Primary outcomes include post-viral-illness and fatigue as an indication of long-COVID. Secondary outcomes include clinical terminology concepts for embolism, respiratory conditions, mental health conditions, fit notes, or hospital attendance. Increased instantaneous risk for positive individuals was quantified using hazard ratios (HR) from Cox regression, while absolute risk (AR) and relative risk were quantified using life table analysis. RESULTS Analysis was conducted using all individuals and stratified by test location. Cases are compared to controls from the same test location. Fatigue (HR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.34-2.25, p = < 0.001) and embolism (HR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.15-1.97, p = 0.003) were more likely to occur in all positive individuals in the first 4 weeks; however, anxiety and depression (HR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.73-0.95, p = 0.007) were less likely. Positive individuals continued to be more at risk of fatigue (HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.24-1.75, p = < 0.001) and embolism (HR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.13-2.02, p = 0.005) after 4 weeks. All positive individuals are also at greater risk of post-viral illness (HR: 4.57, 95% CI: 1.77-11.80, p = 0.002). Despite statistical association between testing positive and several conditions, life table analysis shows that only a small minority of the study population were affected. CONCLUSIONS Community COVID-19 disease is associated with increased risks of post-viral-illness, fatigue, embolism, and respiratory conditions. Despite elevated risks, the absolute healthcare burden is low. Subsequently, either very small proportions of people experience adverse outcomes following COVID-19 or they are not presenting to healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kennedy
- National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - M Parker
- National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, Wales, UK.
| | - M Seaborne
- National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - M Mhereeg
- National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - A Walker
- Datalab, Nuffield Dept of Primary Care Health Science, Radcliffe Primary Care Building, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - V Walker
- Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S Denaxas
- Institute for Health Informatics, UCL, London, UK
| | - N Kennedy
- National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - S V Katikireddi
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - S Brophy
- National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, Wales, UK
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Steele D, Walker A. 'Vancowax' for haemostasis and topical antibiotic post sternotomy. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2023; 105:385. [PMID: 36239947 PMCID: PMC10066641 DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2022.0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- D Steele
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - A Walker
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
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Posadas Ruiz J, Walker A, Zhu H, Bota-Rabassedas N, Wijeratne S, Connolly C, Wynes M, Sanchez-Espiridion B, Dacic S, Wistuba I, Lee J. PP01.53 Pathologic Response Assessment Tool – Architecting a Cloud-Based Tool to Streamline Logistics for Shipping, Tracking, Scoring, and Reporting. J Thorac Oncol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2022.09.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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15
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Bota-Rabassedas N, Wijeratne S, Connolly C, Wynes M, Sanchez-Espiridion B, Fujimoto J, Posadas J, Walker A, Zhu H, Dacic S, Travis W, Lee J, Kerr K, Glass C, Saqui A, Sholl L, Cooper W, Roden A, Poleri C, Chung JH, Lopez-Martin J, Borczuk A, Weissferdt A, Wistuba I. PP01.39 Infrastructure for Interobserver Variability Assessment of Pathologic Response (PR), in Surgical Resection Specimens Following Neoadjuvant Immune Check Point Inhibitor (ICI) Therapies in Early Stage NSCLC. J Thorac Oncol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2022.09.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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16
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Malone M, Radzieta M, Schwarzer S, Walker A, Bradley J, Jensen SO. In vivo observations of biofilm adhering to a dialkylcarbamoyl chloride-coated mesh dressing when applied to diabetes-related foot ulcers: A proof of concept study. Int Wound J 2022. [PMID: 36567138 DOI: 10.1111/iwj.14054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In this proof-of-concept study of twenty participants, we sought to determine if a DACC (Dialkylcarbamoyl chloride)-coated mesh dressing demonstrates an ability to adhere biofilm when placed on Diabetes Related Foot Ulcers (DRFUs) with chronic infection. The study also sought to determine if removal of the DACC-coated mesh dressings contributes to reducing the total number of bacteria in DRFUs, by exploring the total microbial loads, microbial community composition, and diversity. Standard of care was provided in addition to the application of DACC or DACC hydrogel every three days for a total of two weeks. Wound swabs, tissue curettage, and soiled dressings were collected pre and post-treatment. Tissue specimens obtained pre-treatment were analysed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and peptide nucleic acid fluorescent in situ hybridisation (PNA-FISH) with confocal laser scanning microscopy and confirmed the presence of biofilm in all DRFUs. SEM confirmed the presence of biofilms readily adhered to soiled DACC-coated mesh dressings pre- and post-treatment in all participants. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) demonstrated the mean total microbial load of DRFUs in 20 participants did not change after two weeks of therapy (pre-treatment = 4.31 Log10 16 S copies (±0.8) versus end of treatment = 4.32 Log10 16 S copies (±0.9), P = .96, 95% CI -0.56 to 0.5). 16 S sequencing has shown the microbial composition of DACC dressings and wound swabs pre- and post-treatment remained similar (DACC; R = -.047, P = .98, Swab; R = -.04, P = .86), indicating the microbial communities originate from the ulcer. Biofilms adhere to DACC-coated mesh dressings; however, this may not reduce the total microbial load present within DRFU tissue. Wound dressings for use in hard-to-heal wounds should be used as an adjunct to a good standard of care which includes debridement and wound bed preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Malone
- South West Sydney Limb Preservation and Wound Research, South West Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,High Risk Foot Service, Liverpool Hospital, South West Sydney LHD, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael Radzieta
- South West Sydney Limb Preservation and Wound Research, South West Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Saskia Schwarzer
- South West Sydney Limb Preservation and Wound Research, South West Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,High Risk Foot Service, Liverpool Hospital, South West Sydney LHD, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amy Walker
- High Risk Foot Service, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Justin Bradley
- High Risk Foot Service, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Slade O Jensen
- South West Sydney Limb Preservation and Wound Research, South West Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Pell R, Walker A, Ganti L, Quinones A, Vera A, Rosario J, Ragusa A. 196 An Infographic Utilized as a Just-In-Time Tool for Paramedic EKG Interpretation. Ann Emerg Med 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2022.08.220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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18
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Davies J, Heasman B, Livesey A, Walker A, Pellicano E, Remington A. Autistic adults’ views and experiences of requesting and receiving workplace adjustments in the UK. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272420. [PMID: 35930548 PMCID: PMC9355205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This article examines 181 autistic adults’ views toward, and experiences of, requesting and receiving workplace adjustments in the UK. Using an online survey, we collected both qualitative and quantitative data relating to individuals’ experiences. While the majority of participants perceived workplace adjustments to be important, many were not receiving them. Analysis of open-ended text responses highlighted specific challenges that autistic people face in requesting and receiving adjustments. Specifically, participants felt the onus fell on them to (1) identify their need for adjustments; (2) establish the specific adjustments that would be beneficial and (3) request adjustments from their employer. Yet, they reported struggling with this process. Participants also highlighted a range of social and organisational barriers to the successful implementation of workplace adjustments. Unsurprisingly, the lack of successfully implemented adjustments had far-reaching impacts on participants’ wellbeing as well as the choices they made about their future employment. These findings highlight the need for employers to take a more active role in the identification and implementation of workplace adjustments, as well as a need for more understanding and inclusive working environments that truly allow autistic employees to thrive in the workplace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Davies
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Brett Heasman
- School of Education, Language and Psychology, York St John University, York, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Livesey
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Walker
- Neurodiversity Works, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Anna Remington
- UCL Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Chen H, Walker A, Schollaert-Fitch K, Torok K, Jacobe H. 191 Clinical characteristics associated with functional abnormalities in pediatric and adult morphea: A cross-sectional study. J Invest Dermatol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.05.198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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20
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Walker A, Black S, Walocko F, Li X, Chong B. 181 Development of systemic lupus in patients with cutaneous lupus: A comparison of three classification criteria. J Invest Dermatol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.05.188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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21
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Walker A, Teske N, Zigler C, Jacobe H. 162 Validation of a patient-reported outcome measure in adults with morphea. J Invest Dermatol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.05.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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22
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Walker A, Chlap P, Causer T, Mahmood F, Buckley J, Holloway L. Development of a vendor neutral MRI distortion quality assurance workflow. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2022; 23:e13735. [PMID: 35880651 PMCID: PMC9588272 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.13735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
With the utilization of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in radiotherapy increasing, routine quality assurance (QA) of these systems is necessary. The assessment of geometric distortion in images used for radiotherapy treatment planning needs to be quantified and monitored over time. This work presents an adaptable methodology for performing routine QA for systematic MRI geometric distortion. A software tool and compatible protocol (designed to work with any CT and MR compatible phantom on any scanner) were developed to quantify geometric distortion via deformable image registration. The MR image is deformed to the CT, generating a deformation field, which is sampled, quantifying geometric distortion as a function of distance from scanner isocenter. Configurability of the QA tool was tested, and results compared to those provided from commercial solutions. Registration accuracy was investigated by repeating the deformable registration step on the initial deformed MR image to define regions with residual distortions. The geometric distortion of four clinical systems was quantified using the customisable QA method presented. Maximum measured distortions varied from 2.2 to 19.4 mm (image parameter and sampling volume dependent). The workflow was successfully customized for different phantom configurations and volunteer imaging studies. Comparison to a vendor supplied solution showed good agreement in regions where the two procedures were sampling the same imaging volume. On a large field of view phantom across various scanners, the QA tool accurately quantified geometric distortions within 17–22 cm from scanner isocenter. Beyond these regions, the geometric integrity of images in clinical applications should be considered with a higher degree of uncertainty due to increased gradient nonlinearity and B0 inhomogeneity. This tool has been successfully integrated into routine QA of the MRI scanner utilized for radiotherapy within our department. It enables any low susceptibility MR‐CT compatible phantom to quantify the geometric distortion on any MRI scanner with a configurable, user friendly interface for ease of use and consistency in data collection and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Walker
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia.,Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Phillip Chlap
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia.,Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia.,South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Trent Causer
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Illawarra Cancer Care Centre, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Faisal Mahmood
- Laboratory of Radiation Physics, Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jarryd Buckley
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia.,Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Illawarra Cancer Care Centre, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Lois Holloway
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia.,Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Institute of Medical Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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23
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Brighi C, Verburg N, Koh ES, Walker A, Chen C, Pillay S, de Witt Hamer PC, Aly F, Holloway LC, Keall PJ, Waddington DE. Repeatability of radiotherapy dose-painting prescriptions derived from a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging model of glioblastoma infiltration. Phys Imaging Radiat Oncol 2022; 23:8-15. [PMID: 35734265 PMCID: PMC9207284 DOI: 10.1016/j.phro.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging was used to derive dose-painting prescriptions in glioma. Dose prescriptions derived from magnetic resonance imaging are highly repeatable. Dose-painting plans are more repeatable than their dose prescriptions.
Background and purpose Glioblastoma (GBM) patients have a dismal prognosis. Tumours typically recur within months of surgical resection and post-operative chemoradiation. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) biomarkers promise to improve GBM outcomes by identifying likely regions of infiltrative tumour in tumour probability (TP) maps. These regions could be treated with escalated dose via dose-painting radiotherapy to achieve higher rates of tumour control. Crucial to the technical validation of dose-painting using imaging biomarkers is the repeatability of the derived dose prescriptions. Here, we quantify repeatability of dose-painting prescriptions derived from mpMRI. Materials and methods TP maps were calculated with a clinically validated model that linearly combined apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and relative cerebral blood volume (rBV) or ADC and relative cerebral blood flow (rBF) data. Maps were developed for 11 GBM patients who received two mpMRI scans separated by a short interval prior to chemoradiation treatment. A linear dose mapping function was applied to obtain dose-painting prescription (DP) maps for each session. Voxel-wise and group-wise repeatability metrics were calculated for parametric, TP and DP maps within radiotherapy margins. Results DP maps derived from mpMRI were repeatable between imaging sessions (ICC > 0.85). ADC maps showed higher repeatability than rBV and rBF maps (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.001). TP maps obtained from the combination of ADC and rBF were the most stable (median ICC: 0.89). Conclusions Dose-painting prescriptions derived from a mpMRI model of tumour infiltration have a good level of repeatability and can be used to generate reliable dose-painting plans for GBM patients.
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Duncan S, Walker A, Kumar S, Dundas K, Bell K, Wallis A, Surjan Y, Aly F, Lee M. Novel methodology to quantify dehydration in head and neck cancer radiotherapy using DIXON MRI. J Med Radiat Sci 2022; 69:448-455. [PMID: 35762562 DOI: 10.1002/jmrs.605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients are at risk of weight change, due to inadequate nutrition intake or dehydration, when receiving radiotherapy (RT). This study aimed to develop methodology to measure water content changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the head and neck region over the course of RT. METHODS Retrospective datasets of 54 patients were analysed. Eligible patients had been treated for HNC with cisplatin chemoradiation (CRT) or RT alone and underwent a minimum of 2 MRI scans from weeks 0, 3 and 6 of their treatment. Anatomical regions consisting of ≥90% water, on T2-weighted DIXON MRI sequences, were contoured. Water volume changes of all patients were evaluated, within an anatomically standardised external volume, by comparing the absolute water fraction volume (cc) (VEx90WF) and relative water fraction volume (%) (RelVEx90WF) at weeks 0 and 6 of RT. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference between the RelVEx90WF at weeks 0 and 6 (P = 0.005). However, no statistically significant difference was identified between weeks 0 and 6 VEx90WF (P = 0.064). There were no statistically significant differences identified between patients who received CRT versus RT alone. CONCLUSION This study developed a novel method for measuring changes in water fraction volumes over time, using T2-weighted DIXON MRIs. The methodology created in this study requires further validation through phantom imaging, with known fat and water values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Duncan
- Medical Radiation Science (MRS), School of Health Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.,Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amy Walker
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,South West Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Shivani Kumar
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,South West Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kylie Dundas
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,South West Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katherine Bell
- Dietetics Department, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew Wallis
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yolanda Surjan
- Medical Radiation Science (MRS), School of Health Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.,The University of Newcastle, College of Health and Wellbeing, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Farhannah Aly
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,South West Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark Lee
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,South West Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Wang A, Walker A, Niven D, Mirakhur A. Abstract No. 156 Fibrinogen level as a predictor of bleeding risk during catheter-directed thrombolysis. J Vasc Interv Radiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jvir.2022.03.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Abstract
CASE HISTORY A 1-year-old Border Terrier presented with acute onset of neurological signs and neck pain. CLINICAL FINDINGS Severe generalised ataxia, muscle tremors and cranial nerve deficits were noted. Multifocal brain lesions were suspected based on neurological examination. Computed tomography revealed an abdominal mass and cerebellar herniation through the foramen magnum. LABORATORY AND PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS Cytological and histopathological analysis of the abdominal mass revealed necrotising and granulomatous lymphadenitis with intralesional algal elements most consistent with Prototheca spp.. Culture of a sample from the mesenteric lymph node confirmed the presence of Prototheca spp. which was identified as P. bovis based on sequencing of a DNA fragment amplified by PCR. Following inadequate response to symptomatic therapy and poor prognosis, the dog was subjected to euthanasia. Histopathological evaluation of the central nervous system lesions, identified granulomatous meningitis and ventriculitis with the presence of intralesional algae. DIAGNOSIS Disseminated protothecosis with granulomatous meningitis and ventriculitis caused by Prototheca bovis (formerly P. zopfii gen. 2). CLINICAL RELEVANCE This is the first case report of disseminated protothecosis with central nervous system involvement in a dog in New Zealand.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Walker
- Veterinary Specialist Aotearoa, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - I MacEwan
- Veterinary Specialist Aotearoa, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - T Fluen
- Veterinary Specialist Aotearoa, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - M Hardcastle
- Gribbles Veterinary Pathology, Auckland, New Zealand
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Carr ME, Keenan KE, Rai R, Boss MA, Metcalfe P, Walker A, Holloway L. Conformance of a 3T Radiotherapy MRI Scanner to the QIBA Diffusion Profile. Med Phys 2022; 49:4508-4517. [PMID: 35365884 PMCID: PMC9543906 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To assess the technical performance of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) on a dedicated 3T radiotherapy scanner, using a standardized phantom and sequences. Investigations into factors that could impact the technical performance of ADC in the clinic were also completed, including changing the slice‐encoded imaging direction and the reference sample ADC value. Methods ADC acquisitions were performed monthly on an isotropic diffusion phantom over 1 year. Measurements of ADC %bias, coefficients of variation for short‐/long‐term repeatability and precision (CVST/CVLT and CVP), and b‐value dependency (Depb) were calculated. The measurements were then assessed according to the Quantitative Imaging Biomarker Alliance (QIBA) Diffusion Profile specifications. Results The average of all measurements over the year was within Profile recommended ranges. This included when testing was performed in different imaging directions, and on samples that had different ADC reference values (0.4–1.1 μm2/ms). Results in the axial plane for the central water vial included a bias of +0.05%, CVST /CVLT/CVP = 0.1%/ 0.9%/0.4% and Depb = 0.4%. Conclusions The technical performance of ADC on a radiotherapy dedicated MRI scanner over the course of 12 months was considered conformant to the QIBA Profile. Quantifying these metrics and factors that may affect the performance is essential in progressing the use of ADC clinically: ensuring that the observed change of ADC in a tissue is due to a physiological response and not measurement variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline E Carr
- Centre for Medical and Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia.,Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kathryn E Keenan
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, United States
| | - Robba Rai
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia.,Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia.,Institute of Medical Physics, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Michael A Boss
- American College of Radiology, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Peter Metcalfe
- Centre for Medical and Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia
| | - Amy Walker
- Centre for Medical and Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia.,Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia.,Institute of Medical Physics, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Lois Holloway
- Centre for Medical and Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia.,Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia.,Institute of Medical Physics, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.,South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Australia
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Abstract
Allergic rhinitis affects 20% of the population of the UK. It confers a significant health burden upon the individual as it affects the patient's quality of life and is associated with serious comorbidities including asthma, sinusitis and conjunctivitis. Owing to its prevalence, it has a significant economic impact through its effects on education, productivity and use of healthcare resources. This review focuses on the management of allergic rhinitis and potential future treatments, because of the lack of clear national guidelines and because this illness is often misdiagnosed and mismanaged. The article provides a comprehensive overview of allergic rhinitis and illustrates the assessment criteria for various subcategories.
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Affiliation(s)
- ZA Siddiqui
- Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery, University Hospital Lewisham, London, UK
| | - A Walker
- Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery, University Hospital Lewisham, London, UK
| | - MM Pirwani
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - M Tahiri
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - I Syed
- Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery, University Hospital Lewisham, London, UK
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Alzawad Z, Lewis FM, Walker A. Parents’ Challenges beyond the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Fraying at the Seams while Balancing between Two Worlds, Home and Hospital. Children 2022; 9:children9020267. [PMID: 35204987 PMCID: PMC8870095 DOI: 10.3390/children9020267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: The dominant tradition in studying parents’ responses to their child’s hospitalization in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is to focus on their immediate environment and their children’s well-being. This view of the parents’ experiences fails to describe the broader set of concurrent challenges beyond the PICU that parents carry with them into the PICU. Objectives: This study describes (a) parents’ reactions to juggling their two worlds, home and hospital, when their child is hospitalized in the PICU, and (b) the impact of this juggling on their lives. Methods: Fifteen parents whose child was admitted into a PICU at a tertiary medical center for children in the Pacific Northwest participated in semi-structured interviews. Data analysis and interpretation were guided by grounded theory. Results: The theory grounded in the data and integrated with the core category was Fraying at the Seams while Balancing between Two Worlds, Home and Hospital. Analyses revealed two categories: Bringing My Life to a Halt and Throwing Our Whole Life Off. Conclusion: Even though parents were physically and emotionally present with their child in the PICU, they felt frayed as they concurrently struggled with their physical distance from other children at home. This strain of living in two worlds caused feelings of inadequacy to fulfill their parental role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Alzawad
- College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Frances Marcus Lewis
- School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (F.M.L.); (A.W.)
- Public Health Sciences Division, Clinical Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Amy Walker
- School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (F.M.L.); (A.W.)
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30
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Brighi C, Keall PJ, Holloway LC, Walker A, Whelan B, de Witt Hamer PC, Verburg N, Aly F, Chen C, Koh ES, Waddington DEJ. An investigation of the conformity, feasibility, and expected clinical benefits of multiparametric MRI-guided dose painting radiotherapy in glioblastoma. Neurooncol Adv 2022; 4:vdac134. [PMID: 36105390 PMCID: PMC9466270 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdac134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background New technologies developed to improve survival outcomes for glioblastoma (GBM) continue to have limited success. Recently, image-guided dose painting (DP) radiotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy to increase local control rates. In this study, we evaluate the practical application of a multiparametric MRI model of glioma infiltration for DP radiotherapy in GBM by measuring its conformity, feasibility, and expected clinical benefits against standard of care treatment. Methods Maps of tumor probability were generated from perfusion/diffusion MRI data from 17 GBM patients via a previously developed model of GBM infiltration. Prescriptions for DP were linearly derived from tumor probability maps and used to develop dose optimized treatment plans. Conformity of DP plans to dose prescriptions was measured via a quality factor. Feasibility of DP plans was evaluated by dose metrics to target volumes and critical brain structures. Expected clinical benefit of DP plans was assessed by tumor control probability. The DP plans were compared to standard radiotherapy plans. Results The conformity of the DP plans was >90%. Compared to the standard plans, DP (1) did not affect dose delivered to organs at risk; (2) increased mean and maximum dose and improved minimum dose coverage for the target volumes; (3) reduced minimum dose within the radiotherapy treatment margins; (4) improved local tumor control probability within the target volumes for all patients. Conclusions A multiparametric MRI model of GBM infiltration can enable conformal, feasible, and potentially beneficial dose painting radiotherapy plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Brighi
- ACRF Image X Institute, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research , Sydney , Australia
| | - Paul J Keall
- ACRF Image X Institute, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research , Sydney , Australia
| | - Lois C Holloway
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research , Sydney , Australia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres , Liverpool , Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong , Wollongong, Australia
| | - Amy Walker
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research , Sydney , Australia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres , Liverpool , Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong , Wollongong, Australia
| | - Brendan Whelan
- ACRF Image X Institute, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research , Sydney , Australia
| | - Philip C de Witt Hamer
- Brain Tumor Center Amsterdam , Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam , The Netherlands
- Department of Neurosurgery , Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Niels Verburg
- Brain Tumor Center Amsterdam , Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam , The Netherlands
- Department of Neurosurgery , Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Farhannah Aly
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research , Sydney , Australia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres , Liverpool , Australia
| | - Cathy Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres , Liverpool , Australia
| | - Eng-Siew Koh
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research , Sydney , Australia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres , Liverpool , Australia
| | - David E J Waddington
- ACRF Image X Institute, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research , Sydney , Australia
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Hopkins C, Surda P, Walker A, Wolf A, Speth MM, Jacques T, Hox V, Van Gerven L, Santamaria-Gadea A, Segboer C, Lourijsen E, Turri-Zanoni M, Huart C, Rennie C, Green R, The Samter's Society TSS, Kelly CE, Knill A, Lund VJ, Fokkens WJ. EPOS 4 Patients. Rhinology 2021; 0:2946. [PMID: 34762718 DOI: 10.4193/rhin20.950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
EPOS2020 is the 4th and most recent version of the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps which was first published in 2005. It aims to provide the most up to date scientifically robust information on the topic published in the literature which has been critically analysed by an international group of clinicians drawn from all disciplines dealing with these problems together with patients. The guidelines offer evidence-based recommendations and care pathways for acute and chronic rhinosinusitis in both adults and children. Management of these diseases from the patients' perspective is an important part of EPOS2020. Not only is this included in the main document but, for the first time, we have produced a separate supplement dedicated to and in collaboration with patients, EPOS4Patients, which aims to provide information in an accessible format, to answer frequently asked questions about these diseases and their treatment options as well as including useful patient resources and websites. It has never been more important for patients to be actively involved in their care. Being well informed helps you to make the best decisions together with your doctor.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Hopkins
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Hospitals Trust, UK
| | - P Surda
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Hospitals Trust, UK
| | - A Walker
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - A Wolf
- Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - M M Speth
- Klinik für Hals-, Nasen-, Ohren- Krankheiten, Hals-und Gesichtschirurgie, Kantonsspital Aarau, Switzerland
| | - T Jacques
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - V Hox
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - L Van Gerven
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - C Segboer
- Dijklander Hospital, Hoom and Purmerend, The Netherlands
| | - E Lourijsen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Turri-Zanoni
- Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - C Huart
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - C Rennie
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, UK
| | - R Green
- Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK
| | | | | | - A Knill
- Patient representative, Opuscomms, London
| | - V J Lund
- Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, UCLH Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - W J Fokkens
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Shah K, Modi V, Gandhi H, Thyagaturu H, Walker A, Shirani J. Predictors of cardiac implantable electronic device infection in the United States. Eur Heart J 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab724.0290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) are important tools for managing arrhythmias, improving hemodynamics, and preventing sudden cardiac death. Device infection (DI) remains a significant complication of CIED and is associated with high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare cost.
Purpose
To analyze predictors of DI and its in-hospital outcomes.
Methods
National Inpatient Sample 2011–2018 database was analyzed for admissions for CIED implantation or DI. Baseline and hospital level characteristics were derived. The Chi-square test and student t-test were used for comparison of categorical and continuous variables respectively. Variables with p<0.20 from univariate analysis were included in the multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictors of DI.
Results
A total of 1,604,173 admissions for CIED implantations and 71,007 (4.4%) admissions for DI were reported during 2011–2018. There was no significant change in annual admissions for DI (range 8550 to 9307, p for trend=0.98). Those with DI were more likely to be male (69.3 vs 57%, p<0.001) and had higher Charlson comorbidity index score ≥3 (46.6%-vs-36.8%, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis identified post-procedural hematoma (odds ratio (OR)=3.96; 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=3.46–4.54), congestive heart failure (CHF; OR=2.80, 95% CI=2.66–2.96), age group 45–60 years (OR=2.46, 95% CI=2.30–2.63), malnutrition (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.85–2.15), coagulopathy (OR=1.75, 95% CI=1.64–1.86), end-stage renal disease (OR=1.65, 95% CI=1.53–1.78), atrial fibrillation (OR=1.42; 95% CI=1.35–1.49), non-Hispanic race (OR=1.25; 95% CI=1.16–1.36), coronary artery disease (OR=1.21; 95% CI=1.15–1.26), and thyroid disease (OR=1.15; 95% CI=1.09–1.12) [all p<0.001] as independent predictors of DI. Prevalence of CHF, malnutrition, and atrial fibrillation increased in those admitted with DI over the observation period as shown in Figure 1 (p for trend <0.001). Prevalence of diabetes mellitus also increased during the observation period although it was not an independent predictor of DI (p for trend <0.001). Pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis were most common complications in those with DI (4.1 and 3.6% respectively). Annual in-hospital mortality ranged from 3.9 to 5.7% (mean 4.4%, p for trend=0.07).
Conclusion
DI is relatively common and continues to be associated with high morbidity and mortality. Prevalence of DI has not changed significantly despite technical and technological advances in device implantation. Evaluation of risk factors for DI and management of modifiable comorbidities may be needed to reduce the incidence of this important complication of CIED implantation.
Funding Acknowledgement
Type of funding sources: None.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Shah
- St. Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem, United States of America
| | - V Modi
- St. Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem, United States of America
| | - H Gandhi
- Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, United States of America
| | - H Thyagaturu
- Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, United States of America
| | - A Walker
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - J Shirani
- St. Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem, United States of America
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Carr ME, Keenan KE, Rai R, Metcalfe P, Walker A, Holloway L. Determining the longitudinal accuracy and reproducibility of T 1 and T 2 in a 3T MRI scanner. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2021; 22:143-150. [PMID: 34562341 PMCID: PMC8598150 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.13432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To determine baseline accuracy and reproducibility of T1 and T2 relaxation times over 12 months on a dedicated radiotherapy MRI scanner. Methods An International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine/National Institute of Standards and Technology (ISMRM/NIST) System Phantom was scanned monthly on a 3T MRI scanner for 1 year. T1 was measured using inversion recovery (T1‐IR) and variable flip angle (T1‐VFA) sequences and T2 was measured using a multi‐echo spin echo (T2‐SE) sequence. For each vial in the phantom, accuracy errors (%bias) were determined by the relative differences in measured T1 and T2 times compared to reference values. Reproducibility was measured by the coefficient of variation (CV) of T1 and T2 measurements across monthly scans. Accuracy and reproducibility were mainly assessed on vials with relaxation times expected to be in physiological ranges at 3T. Results A strong linear correlation between measured and reference relaxation times was found for all sequences tested (R2 > 0.997). Baseline bias (and CV[%]) for T1‐IR, T1‐VFA and T2‐SE sequences were +2.0% (2.1), +6.5% (4.2), and +8.5% (1.9), respectively. Conclusions The accuracy and reproducibility of T1 and T2 on the scanner were considered sufficient for the sequences tested. No longitudinal trends of variation were deduced, suggesting less frequent measurements are required following the establishment of baselines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline E Carr
- Centre for Medical and Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia.,Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kathryn E Keenan
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Robba Rai
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia.,Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia.,South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Australia
| | - Peter Metcalfe
- Centre for Medical and Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia
| | - Amy Walker
- Centre for Medical and Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia.,Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia.,South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Australia
| | - Lois Holloway
- Centre for Medical and Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia.,Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Sydney, Australia.,South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Australia.,Institute of Medical Physics, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
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Mirajkar A, Logan G, Rivera M, Macintosh T, Walker A, Lebowitz D, Ganti L. 2 Racial Disparities in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19: An Observational Cohort Study. Ann Emerg Med 2021. [PMCID: PMC8335415 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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35
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Brighi C, Waddington D, Walker A, Holloway L, Aly F, Koh E, Keall P. OC-0398 Stability of multiparametric MR imaging biomarker-derived dose prescriptions for glioblastoma. Radiother Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8140(21)06885-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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36
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Hash J, Walker A, Ward T, Spieker S. 771 Sleep Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Practices among Mothers with a History of Perinatal Depression or Anxiety. Sleep 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsab072.768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
Tailored interventions could optimize sleep health for mothers with a history of perinatal depression or anxiety. The purpose of this study was to describe sleep health knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices among mothers who were previously treated for perinatal depression or anxiety, to inform future tailored sleep health interventions.
Methods
Mothers (N = 16) who had previously received treatment for perinatal depression or anxiety from a clinic serving low-resourced communities completed a single-occasion research home visit that included a demographics questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Interview data were analyzed using inductive content analysis, adapted from grounded theory.
Results
Mothers were, on average, 28.19 (SD = 7.71) years and had a child who was between 12 and 36 months. Of the mothers, 43.8% were White, 18.8% Black, 23.5% multiracial, 25.0% other race, 37.5% Hispanic, and 75.0% reported an annual household income of < $40,000. “Needing to focus on sleep” was the core construct that emerged from the interview data, which was comprised of three domains. The first domain, “Having pretty good sleep,” described mothers’ experiences of good sleep health including easily falling and staying asleep, feeling satisfied with their sleep, and feeling well-rested. The second domain, “Trying to get normal healthy sleep,” described mothers’ experiences of poor sleep health and its consequences for physical and mental health. The third domain, “Wondering how to get better sleep with everything going on,” described everyday realities that got in the way of good sleep health including child sleep problems, competing demands on time, irregular work schedules, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and significant life transitions around school/work and pregnancy/postpartum.
Conclusion
Findings showed a range of maternal sleep health experiences. Mothers’ sleep health overlapped with mental health and wellbeing, children’s sleep health, and social determinants of health. Future sleep health interventions for mothers with a history of perinatal depression or anxiety could include tailored approaches that build on existing maternal strengths, integrate with existing mental health care services and child sleep health interventions, address social determinants, and attend to significant life transitions.
Support (if any)
2018 Sigma/Rosemary Berkel Crisp Award; NINR (T32NR016913); NICHD (R01HD080851, U54HD083091).
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Barber J, Yuen J, Jameson M, Schmidt L, Sykes J, Gray A, Hardcastle N, Choong C, Poder J, Walker A, Yeo A, Archibald‐Heeren B, Harrison K, Haworth A, Thwaites D. Deforming to Best Practice: Key considerations for deformable image registration in radiotherapy. J Med Radiat Sci 2020; 67:318-332. [PMID: 32741090 PMCID: PMC7754021 DOI: 10.1002/jmrs.417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Image registration is a process that underlies many new techniques in radiation oncology - from multimodal imaging and contour propagation in treatment planning to dose accumulation throughout treatment. Deformable image registration (DIR) is a subset of image registration subject to high levels of complexity in process and validation. A need for local guidance to assist in high-quality utilisation and best practice was identified within the Australian community, leading to collaborative activity and workshops. This report communicates the current limitations and best practice advice from early adopters to help guide those implementing DIR in the clinic at this early stage. They are based on the state of image registration applications in radiotherapy in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), and consensus discussions made at the 'Deforming to Best Practice' workshops in 2018. The current status of clinical application use cases is presented, including multimodal imaging, automatic segmentation, adaptive radiotherapy, retreatment, dose accumulation and response assessment, along with uptake, accuracy and limitations. Key areas of concern and preliminary suggestions for commissioning, quality assurance, education and training, and the use of automation are also reported. Many questions remain, and the radiotherapy community will benefit from continued research in this area. However, DIR is available to clinics and this report is intended to aid departments using or about to use DIR tools now.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Barber
- Sydney West Radiation Oncology NetworkBlacktown and WestmeadNSWAustralia
- Institute of Medical PhysicsUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Johnson Yuen
- St George Cancer Care CentreSydneyNSWAustralia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical ResearchSydneyNSWAustralia
- South Western Clinical SchoolThe University of New South WalesSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Michael Jameson
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy CentresSydneyNSWAustralia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical ResearchSydneyNSWAustralia
- South Western Clinical SchoolThe University of New South WalesSydneyNSWAustralia
| | | | - Jonathan Sykes
- Sydney West Radiation Oncology NetworkBlacktown and WestmeadNSWAustralia
- Institute of Medical PhysicsUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Alison Gray
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy CentresSydneyNSWAustralia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical ResearchSydneyNSWAustralia
- South Western Clinical SchoolThe University of New South WalesSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Nicholas Hardcastle
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreVictoriaAustralia
- Physical SciencesPeter MacCallum Cancer CentreVICAustralia
| | - Callie Choong
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy CentresSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Joel Poder
- St George Cancer Care CentreSydneyNSWAustralia
- Physical SciencesPeter MacCallum Cancer CentreVICAustralia
| | - Amy Walker
- Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy CentresSydneyNSWAustralia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical ResearchSydneyNSWAustralia
- South Western Clinical SchoolThe University of New South WalesSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Adam Yeo
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreVictoriaAustralia
- RMIT UniversityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | | | | | - Annette Haworth
- Institute of Medical PhysicsUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - David Thwaites
- Sydney West Radiation Oncology NetworkBlacktown and WestmeadNSWAustralia
- Institute of Medical PhysicsUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
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Wachman EM, Houghton M, Melvin P, Isley BC, Murzycki J, Singh R, Minear S, MacMillan KDL, Banville D, Walker A, Mitchell T, Galimi-Hayes R, Jorgensen S, Gomes DR, Hodgins F, Whalen BL, Diop H, Gupta M. A quality improvement initiative to implement the eat, sleep, console neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome care tool in Massachusetts' PNQIN collaborative. J Perinatol 2020; 40:1560-1569. [PMID: 32678314 DOI: 10.1038/s41372-020-0733-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To support hospitals in the Massachusetts PNQIN collaborative with adoption of the ESC Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) Care Tool© and assess NOWS hospitalization outcomes. STUDY DESIGN Statewide QI study where 11 hospitals adopted the ESC NOWS Care Tool©. Outcomes of pharmacotherapy and length of hospital stay (LOS) and were compared in Pre- and Post-ESC implementation cohorts. Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts were used to examine changes over time. RESULTS The Post-ESC group had lower rates of pharmacotherapy (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.26, 0.46) with shorter LOS (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.76, 0.82). The 30-day NOWS readmission rate was 1.2% in the Pre- and 0.4% in the Post-ESC cohort. SPC charts indicate a shift in pharmacotherapy from 54.8 to 35.0% and LOS from 14.2 to 10.9 days Post-ESC. CONCLUSIONS The ESC NOWS Care Tool was successfully implemented across a state collaborative with improvement in NOWS outcomes without short-term adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisha M Wachman
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Mary Houghton
- Newborn Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patrice Melvin
- Center for Applied Pediatric Quality Analytics, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Breanna C Isley
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Rachana Singh
- Department of Pediatrics, Baystate Children's Hospital, Springfield, MA, USA
| | - Susan Minear
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Amy Walker
- Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Northampton, MA, USA
| | - Teresa Mitchell
- Department of Pediatrics, Mercy Medical Center, Springfield, MA, USA
| | | | - Selena Jorgensen
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daphne Remy Gomes
- Department of Neonatology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fran Hodgins
- Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bonny L Whalen
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Hafsatou Diop
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Munish Gupta
- Newborn Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
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Gallahue FE, Walker A. Twiddler's syndrome: The slow twist of a pruritic pacemaker. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2020; 1:674-675. [PMID: 33000097 PMCID: PMC7493487 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2000] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fiona E. Gallahue
- The Department of Emergency MedicineThe University of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Amy Walker
- The Department of Emergency MedicineThe University of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
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Kim S, Walker A, Okerlund D, Hsieh J. Intelligent Motion Correction Significantly Impacts The Volumes Of Calcium Blooming Artifacts For Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA). J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcct.2020.06.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Mistry R, Walker A, Kim D, Ofo E. Transoral robotic surgery for the benefit of patients with head and neck cancer of unknown primary: our experience at St George's University Hospital, London. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2020; 102:442-450. [PMID: 32347742 PMCID: PMC7388938 DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2020.0071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Head and neck carcinoma of unknown primary represents 1-5% of all head and neck cancers and presents a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. In approximately 40% of cases, a primary tumour location remains unknown despite investigation. With advancements in our understanding of the role of high-risk human papilloma virus in head and neck cancer, transoral robotic surgery presents an option for diagnosis and therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective case series from a single centre. Case notes were reviewed for 28 patients who had transoral robotic surgery for head and neck carcinoma of unknown primary between May 2015 and July 2019. RESULTS Transoral robotic surgery identified an oropharyngeal primary tumour in 19 of 28 (67.8%) patients. All oropharyngeal primaries were p16 positive. The base of tongue identification rate was 63.2%. Median length of inpatient stay postoperatively was 1.0 day. Normal oral intake resumed within 48 hours in 96% (27/28) of patients. Three patients (10.3%) suffered minor postoperative bleeds that were all managed conservatively. DISCUSSION The base of tongue primary identification rate (63.2%) in this series is consistent with that previously reported (43-63%; 95% confidence interval). Primary tumour identification rate if a patient is p16 positive is 86.3% (19/22), with 100% of these being oropharyngeal. We suggest future investigation into p16 status as a means of stratifying patients with head and neck carcinoma of unknown primary for transoral robotic surgery. CONCLUSION Transoral robotic base of tongue mucosectomy (or lingual tonsillectomy) is a promising technique that offers a high yield of positive identification for the primary tumour. It is well tolerated with minimal associated morbidity. Our findings are comparable with those in the current literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Mistry
- St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Tooting, London, UK
| | - A Walker
- St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Tooting, London, UK
| | - D Kim
- St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Tooting, London, UK
| | - E Ofo
- St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Tooting, London, UK
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Roy T, Banang-Mbeumi S, Boateng S, Chamcheu R, Walker A, Chamcheu J. 615 Inverse docking assisted identification of flavonols as c-Kit, CDK2 and mTOR inhibitors for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer management. J Invest Dermatol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2020.03.625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Shan S, Liney GP, Tang F, Li M, Wang Y, Ma H, Weber E, Walker A, Holloway L, Wang Q, Wang D, Liu F, Crozier S. Geometric distortion characterization and correction for the 1.0 T Australian MRI‐linac system using an inverse electromagnetic method. Med Phys 2020; 47:1126-1138. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.13979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Shan
- School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4067 Australia
| | - Gary P. Liney
- Department of Medical Physics Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre Liverpool NSW 2170 Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research Liverpool NSW 2170 Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
- South Western Sydney Clinical SchoolFaculty of Medicine University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Fangfang Tang
- School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4067 Australia
| | - Mingyan Li
- School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4067 Australia
| | - Yaohui Wang
- Institute of Electrical Engineering Chinese Academy of Science Beijing 100190 China
| | - Huan Ma
- School of Geophysics and Information Technology China University of Geosciences Beijing 100083 China
| | - Ewald Weber
- School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4067 Australia
| | - Amy Walker
- Department of Medical Physics Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre Liverpool NSW 2170 Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research Liverpool NSW 2170 Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
- South Western Sydney Clinical SchoolFaculty of Medicine University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Lois Holloway
- Department of Medical Physics Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre Liverpool NSW 2170 Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research Liverpool NSW 2170 Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
- South Western Sydney Clinical SchoolFaculty of Medicine University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
- Institute of Medical Physics Faculty of Science University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Qiuliang Wang
- Institute of Electrical Engineering Chinese Academy of Science Beijing 100190 China
| | - Deming Wang
- School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4067 Australia
| | - Feng Liu
- School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4067 Australia
| | - Stuart Crozier
- School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4067 Australia
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Vergidis P, Moore CB, Novak-Frazer L, Rautemaa-Richardson R, Walker A, Denning DW, Richardson MD. High-volume culture and quantitative real-time PCR for the detection of Aspergillus in sputum. Clin Microbiol Infect 2019; 26:935-940. [PMID: 31811917 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2019.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sputum culture is an insensitive method for the diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis. Growth of the organism allows identification of the causative species and susceptibility testing, both of which can inform treatment choices. The current practice is to culture an aliquot of diluted sputum. We assessed the value of culturing large volumes of unprocessed sputum, a method that we have termed high-volume culture (HVC). METHODS Specimens were processed by conventional culture (using an aliquot of homogenized, diluted sputum on Sabouraud agar at 37°C and 45°C for up to 5 days) and HVC (using undiluted sputum on Sabouraud agar at 30°C for up to 14 days). A separate specimen was tested by quantitative real-time PCR. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by the EUCAST standard. RESULTS We obtained sputum specimens from 229 individuals with the following conditions: chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (66.8%, 153/229), allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (25.3%, 58/229) and Aspergillus bronchitis (7.9%, 18/229). Individuals with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis were not included. The positivity rate of conventional culture was 15.7% (36/229, 95% CI 11.6%-21.0%) and that of HVC was 54.2% (124/229, 95% CI 47.7%-60.5%) (p < 0.001). The higher positivity rate of HVC was demonstrated regardless of administration of antifungal treatment. Quantitive real-time PCR had an overall positivity rate of 49.2% (65/132, 95% CI 40.9%-57.7%), comparable to that of HVC. CONCLUSION Detection of Aspergillus spp. in sputum is greatly enhanced by HVC. HVC allows for detection of azole-resistant isolates that would have been missed by conventional culture. This method can be performed in any microbiology laboratory without the need for additional equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Vergidis
- National Aspergillosis Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK; Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Division of Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - C B Moore
- Mycology Reference Centre Manchester, ECMM Excellence Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - L Novak-Frazer
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Mycology Reference Centre Manchester, ECMM Excellence Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - R Rautemaa-Richardson
- National Aspergillosis Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK; Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Mycology Reference Centre Manchester, ECMM Excellence Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - A Walker
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - D W Denning
- National Aspergillosis Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK; Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - M D Richardson
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Mycology Reference Centre Manchester, ECMM Excellence Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
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Hutchison M, Gittins J, Walker A, Moore A, Burton C, Sparks N. Washing table eggs: a review of the scientific and engineering issues. WORLD POULTRY SCI J 2019. [DOI: 10.1079/wps20030015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M.L. Hutchison
- ADAS Microbiology Department, Woodthorne, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton. WV6 8QT, United Kingdom
| | - J. Gittins
- ADAS Poultry Team, Woodthorne, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 8QT, United Kingdom
| | - A. Walker
- ADAS Gleadthorpe, Meden Vale, Mansfield, Notts. NG20 9PD, United Kingdom
| | - A. Moore
- ADAS Microbiology Department, Woodthorne, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton. WV6 8QT, United Kingdom
| | - C. Burton
- Silsoe Research Institute, Wrest Park, Silsoe MK45 4HS, United Kingdom
| | - N. Sparks
- Avian Science Research Centre, SAC, Ayr, KA6 5HW, United Kingdom
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Barlet B, Hauson A, Connors E, Colonna-Moseley A, Reszegi K, Sarkissians S, Walker A. C-31 A Meta-analysis Examining Fluency Measures in Depressed Elderly. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acz034.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Objective
Late-life depression (LLD) has been associated with cognitive impairments in domains such as memory, processing speed, and executive functions (e.g., initiation). However, it is unclear whether or not LLD is associated with language fluency difficulties that are often seen in some forms of dementia. Broadly, letter fluency is often observed to be associated with frontal deficits while category fluency is thought to be linked to temporal lobe dysfunction. Both tests are commonly used to assess language in older adults. The current meta-analysis examined potential differences between letter and category fluency in LLD and the robustness of previous findings in this population.
Data Selection
Investigators searched eight databases including PubMed and PsycINFO using terms such as “neuropsychol*,” “late-life,” and “depression.” Studies were excluded if participants were diagnosed with severe mental illness, neurological or other medical conditions that impact neurocognition.
Data Synthesis
Independent coders extracted data from 27 studies (k = 10 letter fluency, k = 17 semantic fluency). The effect size for semantic fluency was g = 0.64 (p < 0.001) with significant heterogeneity I² = 73.53% (Q = 60.45, df = 16, p < 0.001). The effect size for letter fluency was g = 0.49 (p < 0.001) also with significant heterogeneity I² = 52.08% (Q = 18.78, df = 9, p < 0.027).
Conclusions
Depressed individuals exhibited poorer performance on both category and letter fluency when compared to controls. This may indicate that depressed elderly individuals have difficulty with initiating verbal responses regardless of whether these responses rely on semantic networks or executive control.
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Pollard A, Hauson A, Stelmach N, Sarkissians S, Walker A, Cabral C, Wollman S, Hall M. A-25 Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test in Individuals with Cocaine Versus Methamphetamine Dependence. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acz034.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Objective
Research suggests that cocaine and methamphetamine differ in their impact on executive functions (EF). The Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) is used to assess working memory; a component of EF. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the difference between the effect of these two drugs on PASAT scores.
Data Selection
Three researchers independently searched nine databases (e.g., PsycINFO, Pubmed, ProceedingsFirst), extracted required data, and calculated effect sizes. Inclusion criteria identified studies that had (a) compared cocaine or methamphetamine dependent groups to healthy controls and (b) matched groups on either age, education, or IQ (at least 2 out of 3). Studies were excluded if participants were reported to have Axis I diagnoses (other than cocaine or methamphetamine dependence) or comorbidities known to impact neuropsychological functioning. Six articles were coded and analyzed for the current study.
Data Synthesis
Cocaine studies showed a medium statistically significant effect size (g = 0.370, p = 0.020), while methamphetamine did not (g = 0.198, p = 0.172). There was no heterogeneity in effect sizes for both drugs. Subgroup analysis found no significant difference between the two drugs on the PASAT (Q-between = 0.646, p = 0.421).
Conclusions
In contrast to methamphetamine, cocaine is associated with poorer performance on PASAT. This is in line with previous studies that found that cocaine had more significant impact on EF than methamphetamine. Given the preliminary nature of this meta-analysis and the small number of studies on the topic, future primary studies should directly contrast how these two drugs impact EF.
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Walker A, Hauson A, Sarkissians S, Pollard A, Flora-Tostado C, Stelmach N, Holt A, Wollman S, Hall M. A-17 Category Test performance in individuals with alcohol versus methamphetamine dependence. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acz034.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Objective
The Category Test (CT) has consistently been found to be sensitive at detecting the effects of alcohol on the brain. However, this test has not been as widely used in examining the effects of methamphetamine. The current meta-analysis compared effect sizes of studies that have examined performance on the CT in alcohol versus methamphetamine dependent participants.
Data selection
Three researchers independently searched nine databases (e.g., PsycINFO, Pubmed, ProceedingsFirst), extracted required data, and calculated effect sizes. Inclusion criteria identified studies that had (a) compared alcohol or methamphetamine dependent groups to healthy controls and (b) matched groups on either age, education, or IQ (at least 2 out of 3). Studies were excluded if participants were reported to have Axis I diagnoses (other than alcohol or methamphetamine dependence) or comorbidities known to impact neuropsychological functioning. Sixteen articles were coded and analyzed for the current study.
Data synthesis
Alcohol studies showed a large effect size (g = 0.745, p < 0.001) while methamphetamine studies evidenced a moderate effect size (g = 0.406, p = 0.001); both without statistically significant heterogeneity (I2 = 0). Subgroup analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the effect sizes from alcohol versus methamphetamine studies (Q-between = 5.647, p = 0.017).
Conclusions
The CT is sensitive to the effects of both alcohol and methamphetamine and should be considered when examining dependent patients who might exhibit problem solving, concept formation, and set loss difficulties in everyday living.
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Meda M, Gentry V, Walker A. Are perineal swabs required as part of initial staff screening in healthcare-associated Streptococcus pyogenes outbreaks? J Hosp Infect 2019; 102:241-242. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2018.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Hurley MV, Semple A, Sibley F, Walker A. Evaluation of a health trainer–led service for people with knee, hip and back pain. Perspect Public Health 2019; 139:308-315. [DOI: 10.1177/1757913919833721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Aims: Chronic knee, hip and back pain is extremely prevalent. Management guidelines emphasise maintaining physical activity and healthy weight to reduce pain and improve physical and mental wellbeing. Unfortunately, few people receive support to make lifestyle changes. We evaluated whether a health trainer—led ‘joint pain advice’ (JPA) service delivering person-centred lifestyle coaching was feasible, acceptable and effective for people with knee, hip and back pain. Methods: Feasibility of delivering a JPA service was assessed by documenting whether the health trainers could deliver JPA and its uptake. Nine health trainers delivered JPA. Participants were offered up to four appointments. At each appointment, health trainers gave people information about their condition, co-developed care plans, suggested self-management strategies and used behavioural change techniques (motivational interviewing, goal-setting and action planning) to increase physical activity and reduce body weight. Pain, function, physical activity and body mass index (BMI) were collected at baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 6 months. Focus groups captured people’s opinions of the service’s effectiveness, acceptability and usefulness. Results: Of the 105 people who enquired about JPA, 85 (81%) used the service, after which their physical activity and function improved, and pain, use of analgesia and BMI decreased. They felt more knowledgeable and better motivated to adopt and maintain healthier behaviours. They attributed these improvements to the JPA service, because of its better consultations and collaborative holistic approach. Only a minority attended all four appointments because they felt they received sufficient advice from the initial appointments. The health trainers gained knowledge and skills to support clients with musculoskeletal conditions. Conclusions: Using a holistic, patient-centred approach, health trainers can deliver lifestyle advice to people with chronic knee, hip or back pain safely, effectively and efficiently. The service was popular with recipients and health trainers, and helped people adopt healthier lifestyles that lead to reduced pain and other clinical improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- MV Hurley
- Musculoskeletal Programme, Health Innovation Network, London, UK
- Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, St George’s University of London and Kingston University, 6th Floor, Hunter Wing, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - A Semple
- Musculoskeletal Programme, Health Innovation Network, London, UK
| | - F Sibley
- Musculoskeletal Programme, Health Innovation Network, London, UK
| | - A Walker
- Musculoskeletal Programme, Health Innovation Network, London, UK
- Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, St George’s University of London and Kingston University, London, UK
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