Comparative Effectiveness of Psychotherapy vs Antidepressants for Depression in Heart Failure: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Heart failure (HF) affects more than 6 million adults in the US and more than 64 million adults worldwide, with 50% prevalence of depression. Patients and clinicians lack information on which interventions are more effective for depression in HF.

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of behavioral activation psychotherapy (BA) vs antidepressant medication management (MEDS) on patient-centered outcomes inpatients with HF and depression.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness trial was conducted from 2018 to 2022, including 1-year follow-up, at a not-for-profit academic health system serving more than 2 million people from diverse demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic backgrounds. Participant included inpatients and outpatients diagnosed with HF and depression, and data were analyzed as intention-to-treat. Data were analyzed from 2022 to 2023.

Interventions

BA is an evidence-based manualized treatment for depression, promoting engagement in personalized pleasurable activities selected by patients. MEDS involves the use of an evidence-based collaborative care model with care managers providing coordination with patients, psychiatrists, and primary care physicians to only administer medications.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was depressive symptom severity at 6 months, measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-Item (PHQ-9). Secondary outcomes included physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL), measured using the Short-Form 12-Item version 2 (SF-12); heart failure-specific HRQOL, measured using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire; caregiver burden, measured with the Caregiver Burden Questionnaire for Heart Failure; emergency department visits; readmissions; days hospitalized; and mortality at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Results

A total of 416 patients (mean [SD] age, 60.71 [15.61] years; 243 [58.41%] male) were enrolled, with 208 patients randomized to BA and 208 patients randomized to MEDS. At baseline, mean (SD) PHQ-9 scores were 14.54 (3.45) in the BA group and 14.31 (3.60) in the MEDS group; both BA and MEDS recipients experienced nearly 50% reduction in depressive symptoms at 3, 6, and 12 months (eg, mean [SD] score at 12 months: BA, 7.62 (5.73); P < .001; MEDS, 7.98 (6.06); P < .001; between-group P = .55). There was no statistically significant difference between BA and MEDS in the primary outcome of PHQ-9 at 6 months (mean [SD] score, 7.53 [5.74] vs 8.09 [6.06]; P = .88). BA recipients, compared with MEDS recipients, experienced small improvement in physical HRQOL at 6 months (mean [SD] SF-12 physical score: 38.82 [11.09] vs 37.12 [10.99]; P = .04), had fewer ED visits (3 months: 38% [95% CI, 14%-55%] reduction; P = .005; 6 months: 30% [95% CI, 14%-40%] reduction; P = .008; 12 months: 27% [95% CI, 15%-38%] reduction; P = .001), and spent fewer days hospitalized (3 months: 17% [95% CI, 8%-25%] reduction; P = .002; 6 months: 19% [95% CI, 13%-25%] reduction; P = .005; 12 months: 36% [95% CI, 32%-40%] reduction; P = .001).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this comparative effectiveness trial of BA and MEDS in patients with HF experiencing depression, both treatments significantly reduced depressive symptoms by nearly 50% with no statistically significant differences between treatments. BA recipients experienced better physical HRQOL, fewer ED visits, and fewer days hospitalized. The study findings suggested that patients with HF could be given the choice between BA or MEDS to ameliorate depression.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03688100.

The Association Between Korean American Nurse and Primary Care Provider Burnout, Areas of Worklife, and Perceptions of Pandemic Experience: Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Korean immigrants are among the fastest-growing ethnic minority groups and make up the fifth-largest Asian group in the United States. A better understanding of the work environment factors and its impact on Korean American nurse and primary care provider (PCP) burnout may guide the development of targeted strategies to help mitigate burnout and workplace stressors, which is critical for the retention of Korean American nurses and PCPs to promote better alignment of national demographic trends and meet patients' preference for cultural congruence with their health care providers (HCPs). Although there is a growing number of studies on HCP burnout, a limited number of studies specifically focus on the experience of ethnic minority HCPs, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

In light of these gaps in literature, the aim of this study was to assess burnout among Korean American HCPs and to identify work conditions during a pandemic that may be associated with Korean American nurse and PCP burnout.

METHODS

A total of 184 Korean American HCPs (registered nurses [RNs]: n=97; PCPs: n=87) practicing in Southern California responded to a web-based survey between February and April 2021. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, Areas of Worklife Survey, and Pandemic Experience & Perceptions Survey were used to measure burnout and work environment factors during the pandemic. A multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess work environment factors associated with the 3 subcategories of burnout.

RESULTS

No significant differences were found in the level of burnout experienced by Korean American nurses and PCPs. For RNs, greater workload (P<.001), lower resource availability (P=.04), and higher risk perception (P=.02) were associated with higher emotional exhaustion. Greater workload was also associated with higher depersonalization (P=.003), whereas a greater (professional) community (P=.03) and higher risk perception (P=.006) were associated with higher personal accomplishment. For PCPs, greater workload and poor work-life balance were associated with higher emotional exhaustion (workload: P<.001; worklife: P=.005) and depersonalization (workload: P=.01; worklife: P<.001), whereas only reward was associated with personal accomplishment (P=.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study underscore the importance of strategies to promote a healthy work environment across multiple levels that recognize demographic variation among Korean American RNs and PCPs, potentially influencing their burnout mitigation needs. A growing recognition of identity-informed burnout experiences across frontline Korean American RNs and PCPs argues for future explorations that capture nuance both across and within this and other ethnic minority nurse and PCP groups. By recognizing and capturing these variations, we may better support the creation of targeted, burnout-mitigating strategies for all.

Bounce-Back: Predicting Acute Readmission From Inpatient Rehabilitation for Patients With Stroke

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to identify demographic, medical, and functional risk factors for discharge to an acute hospital before completion of an inpatient rehabilitation program and 7- and 30-day readmissions after completion of an inpatient rehabilitation program.

DESIGN

This cohort study included 138,063 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of new onset stroke discharged from an inpatient rehabilitation facility from June 2009 to December 2011. Multivariate models examined readmission outcomes and included data from 6 mos before onset of the stroke to 30 days after discharge from the inpatient rehabilitation facility.

RESULTS

In the acute discharge model (n = 9870), comorbidities and complications added risk, and the longer the stroke onset to admission to inpatient rehabilitation facility, the more likely discharge to the acute hospital. In the 7-day (n = 4755) and 30-day (n = 9861) readmission models, patients who were more complex with comorbidities, were black, or had managed care Medicare were more likely to have a readmission. Functional status played a role in all three models.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that certain demographic, medical, and functional characteristics are associated differentially with rehospitalization after completion inpatient rehabilitation. The strongest model was the discharge to the acute hospital model with concordance statistic (c-statistic) of 0.87.

Symptomology following mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2

Despite demonstrated efficacy of vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), widespread hesitancy to vaccination persists. Improved knowledge regarding frequency, severity, and duration of vaccine-associated symptoms may help reduce hesitancy. In this prospective observational study, we studied 1032 healthcare workers who received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine and completed post-vaccine symptom surveys both after dose 1 and after dose 2. We defined appreciable post-vaccine symptoms as those of at least moderate severity and lasting at least 2 days. We found that symptoms were more frequent following the second vaccine dose than the first (74% vs. 60%, P < 0.001), with >80% of all symptoms resolving within 2 days. The most common symptom was injection site pain, followed by fatigue and malaise. Overall, 20% of participants experienced appreciable symptoms after dose 1 and 30% after dose 2. In multivariable analyses, female sex was associated with greater odds of appreciable symptoms after both dose 1 (OR, 95% CI 1.73, 1.19-2.51) and dose 2 (1.76, 1.28-2.42). Prior COVID-19 was also associated with appreciable symptoms following dose 1, while younger age and history of hypertension were associated with appreciable symptoms after dose 2. We conclude that most post-vaccine symptoms are reportedly mild and last <2 days. Appreciable post-vaccine symptoms are associated with female sex, prior COVID-19, younger age, and hypertension. This information can aid clinicians in advising patients on the safety and expected symptomatology associated with vaccination.

Evaluation of Team-Based Learning to Increase Nurses' Knowledge of the Ventricular Assist Device

Ventricular assist devices (VAD) are used to extend life expectancy for patients with advanced heart failure. Approximately 102 hospitals nationwide have a VAD program, but the majority implant only a small number of devices each year. This low-volume and high-acuity patient population can create concerns for maintaining nursing knowledge skill levels. Nursing staff from a step-down telemetry floor in a large urban hospital completed an Individual Readiness Assessment Test to assess their knowledge and accuracy in the care of mechanical circulatory support patients using the Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique. The nurses were then assigned to small groups and worked as a team to complete the same test known as the Group Readiness Assessment Test. Study results suggest that team-based learning was effective in increasing knowledge of mechanical circulatory support. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2021;52(1):13-20.].

Personalized treatments for depressive symptoms in patients with advanced heart failure: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial

Objectives

Heart Failure is a chronic syndrome affecting over 5.7 million in the US and 26 million adults worldwide with nearly 50% experiencing depressive symptoms. The objective of the study is to compare the effects of two evidence-based treatment options for adult patients with depression and advanced heart failure, on depressive symptom severity, physical and mental health related quality of life (HRQoL), heart-failure specific quality of life, caregiver burden, morbidity, and mortality at 3, 6 and 12-months.

Methods

Trial design. Pragmatic, randomized, comparative effectiveness trial.

Interventions. The treatment interventions are: (1) Behavioral Activation (BA), a patient-centered psychotherapy which emphasizes engagement in enjoyable and valued personalized activities as selected by the patient; or (2) Antidepressant Medication Management administered using the collaborative care model (MEDS).

Participants. Adults aged 18 and over with advanced heart failure (defined as New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II, III, and IV) and depression (defined as a score of 10 or above on the PHQ-9 and confirmed by the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview for the DSM-5) selected from all patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who are admitted with heart failure and all patients presenting to the outpatient programs of the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. We plan to randomize 416 patients to BA or MEDS, with an estimated 28% loss to follow-up/inability to collect follow-up data. Thus, we plan to include 150 in each group for a total of 300 participants from which data after randomization will be collected and analyzed.

Conclusions

The current trial is the first to compare the impact of BA and MEDS on depressive symptoms, quality of life, caregiver burden, morbidity, and mortality in patients with depression and advanced heart failure. The trial will provide novel results that will be disseminated and implemented into a wide range of current practice settings.

Registration

ClinicalTrials.Gov Identifier: NCT03688100.

Systems Addressing Frail Elder Care: An Implementation Study

SAFE CareTM was developed at one hospital and found to be an effective care model for frail older adults. SAFE CareTM includes nurse screening for frailty risks, multidisciplinary assessments, team huddles and care recommendations. Underlying implementation is an organizational change process. Study aim was to evaluate the implementation and outcomes of SAFE CareTM in three additional hospitals. Two units from each hospital were randomized to SAFE CareTM or usual care. Process evaluation employed semi-structured interviews. Inpatients were aged 65+ years with positive frailty risks (N = 1,151). Outcomes evaluated ICU admission, length of stay (LOS), and discharge destination. All outcome analyses were conducted with intention to treat models. Patients were on average 80 years old, 54% female, 58% Caucasian, 83% English speaking, with 3.4 positive frailty risks. Median LOS was 4.2 days, 6.5% ICU admissions, 32% discharge institutional care. Hospitals differed in patient demographics and outcomes. While no differences between treatment groups in patient demographics, intervention patients had more frailty risks and longer expected LOS. 62% of intervention unit patients received intervention. There were no univariate treatment effects on outcomes. In multivariate analysis, intervention unit patients had shorter LOS. While hospitals reported different experiences, all reported challenges in preparing the electronic health record to support SAFE CareTM. Staff reported increased interprofessional team communications. Differences among the hospitals in patients and organizational attributes argue strongly that implementation should be tailored to meet varying institutional needs while common measures and processes underlying implementation should be followed closely.

Depression and Coleman Care Transitions Intervention

The Coleman Care Transitions Intervention (CTI) is a "Patient Activation Model." Depression can be a barrier to activation and may challenge CTI. This study addressed whether CTI coaches modified the intervention for older adults who screened positive for depression. Over 4,500 clients in a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services demonstration completed screening for depression with the PHQ-9; one in five screened positive (score = 9+). Our findings suggest that coaches modified CTI and played a more directive role for clients who screened positive for depression, resulting in similar 30-day readmission rates among patients who screened positive for depression risk and those who did not. That finding stands in contrast to the widely reported higher readmission rates among people screening positive for depression.

Abstract NS13: Road to Recovery after Stroke: Understanding Predictors of Discharge Destination, Functional Independence, and Quality of Life after Hospital Discharge

Introduction: Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability and affects 795,000 people in the U.S. each year. This study was conducted to enhance knowledge of outcomes during recovery and the options for participating in rehabilitation and preventive care during patients’ transitions to the community. Comprehensive Stroke Certification charges hospitals with the task of expanding knowledge of functional and quality of life outcomes for all stroke patients through the continuum examining effects of stroke severity, functional impairment, and patient characteristics on discharge destinations, functional independence, and quality of life after discharge.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of an acute stroke quality improvement database which includes measures collected by MedTel Outcomes LLC on all stroke patients one month after discharge. Included, is the Functional Independence Measure and standardized quality of life and participation measures. In the database are standardized measures from the medical record such stroke type, Modified Rankin score, and acute functional independence measure score for 719 patients with a 30-day follow-up phone assessment for functional and quality of life measures from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012.

Preliminary Findings: Over 75% of patients had hemiparesis, & over 90% survived 30-days post discharge and were living in the community. At follow-up, mostwere independent in self-care, and half were independent in mobility excluding stairs. Those with right brain involvement had a complicated, slower recovery. Those with left brain involvement,had lower functional scores and a higher percentage of them were not living in the community, rather, living in institutions.

Conclusions: All patients experiencing a stroke should have evidence-based information on their options & what to expect during their recovery during their transitions into the community. The data base is useful as a source of outcome data for comparative effectiveness and to build a regional collaborative outcomes database for Comparative Effectiveness Research and quality benchmarking. Findings can be used to understand the functional trajectory of recovery based on severity of stroke and other factors.

A randomized controlled trial of exercise to improve outcomes of acute hospitalization in older adults

OBJECTIVE

Older adults hospitalized for nondisabling diagnoses can lose functional ability. Lack of exercise or physical activity during the acute illness and recovery may be contributory. This study evaluated whether increased exercise in hospital and afterward would shorten length of stay and improve physical function at 1 month.

DESIGN

A randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

A 700-bed community-based hospital with academic and teaching programs.

PARTICIPANTS

Three hundred patients (mean age 78.2 years +/- 5.6) with nondisabling medical and surgical diagnoses who were admitted to an acute care hospital between December 1990 and April 1992. All patients had an expected length of stay 5 or more days, were ambulatory before admission, and were not expected to die within 12 months.

INTERVENTION

A hospital-based general exercise program was administered to intervention patients along with encouragement to continue the program, self-administered, at home.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary outcome was hospital length of stay. Secondary outcomes at 1 month post-discharge included measures of physical function and other general health indicators.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in length of stay between treatment and control groups controlling for baseline characteristics and diagnoses. The intervention was associated with better function in instrumental activities of daily living (beta = .433 (95% CI, 0.044-0.842)) at 1 month but no change in perceived general health status and other measures of physical function.

CONCLUSIONS

An exercise program started during hospitalization and continued for 1 month did not shorten length of stay but did improve functional outcome at 1 month.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and human immunodeficiency virus-associated white matter lesions in AIDS: magnetization transfer MR imaging

PURPOSE

To determine the magnetization transfer features of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated white matter lesions (WML) (hereafter, HIV-WML) on magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Conventional MR imaging and magnetization transfer MR imaging were performed in 21 AIDS patients with 42 areas of white matter hyperintensity on MR images (13 patients had 25 PML lesions, eight patients had 17 WML). The magnetization transfer ratio was calculated for each lesion.

RESULTS

Compared with normal-appearing white matter (magnetization transfer ratio = 47.9%), both PML and HIV-WML showed reduced magnetization transfer ratio. The magnetization transfer ratio was significantly lower in PML lesions (magnetization transfer ratio = 26.1%) than in HIV-WML (magnetization transfer ratio = 38.0%, P < .0001), and there was no overlap in the magnetization transfer ratio between PML lesions and HIV-WML. The separation in magnetization transfer ratio between the two lesion types was valid for lesion as small as 0.5 cm2.

CONCLUSION

The larger reduction in magnetization transfer ratio for PML lesions is most likely due to demyelination, whereas the reduction in HIV-WML may be associated primarily with gliosis. PML lesions appear to cause strong reductions in magnetization transfer ratio early in the course of disease. Magnetization transfer MR imaging is a noninvasive tool that improves the differentiation between PML and HIV-WML in patients with AIDS.

Metabolite abnormalities in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) lesions using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS).

DESIGN

CSF polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection for JC viral (JCV) DNA; MRI and localized 1H MRS in the PML lesions, normal-appearing contralateral brain regions (CONTRA), and in matched brain regions of normal subjects.

SETTING

University-affiliated medical center.

PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS

20 AIDS patients with clinical diagnosis of PML, 16 had tissue and/or CSF evidence of JCV infection; 20 age-matched normal subjects.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Metabolites from 1H MRS: N-acetyl aspartate (NA), creatine (CR), choline-containing compounds (CHO), myoinositol (MI), glutamine/glutamate (GLX), lactate, and lipids.

RESULTS

CSF PCR for JCV DNA showed 86% sensitivity. MRI showed characteristic demyelinating lesions; commonest locations were frontal lobe and cerebellum. 1H MRS in the lesions showed decreased NA (-35%; p < 0.0001) and CR (-18%; p = 0.003), increased CHO (+28%; p = 0.0005), occasional increased MI, and excess lactate (15/20 lesions) and lipids (18/20). In the CONTRA, MRS showed trends for increased CR (+15%), CHO (+15%), MI (+13%), and lower GLX (-9%; p = 0.02). Six patients, studied longitudinally (4-18 months), showed progressive spectroscopic changes; two patients with longest survival showed the highest MI.

CONCLUSIONS

These MRS findings are consistent with neuropathologic observations of neuronal loss, cell membrane and myelin breakdown, and increased glial activity in PML lesions. The CONTRA abnormalities may be due to remote effects of PML or direct HIV-1 infection. 1H MRS may be useful for characterization and follow-up evaluation of PML lesions.

Silent ischemic cardiomyopathy and left coronary ostial stenosis secondary to radiation therapy

A 55-year-old woman presented with profound congestive heart failure 23 years following mediastinal radiation. Ejection fraction (EF) was 35%. Symptoms markedly improved and EF increased to > 55% following saphenous vein bypass for > or = 80% ostial left main stenosis. Radiation therapy, a known risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis, may present with reversible severe silent ischemia.

Brain lesions in patients with AIDS: H-1 MR spectroscopy

PURPOSE

To evaluate the role of proton (hydrogen-1) magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy in the differential diagnosis of focal brain lesions in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-six men with 35 AIDS-related brain lesions underwent MR imaging and localized H-1 MR spectroscopy. Lesions consisted of 11 toxoplasmic abscesses, 12 progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathic lesions, eight lymphomas, and four cryptococcomas. Metabolite peak areas in the lesions were compared with those in the contralateral hemisphere in each patient.

RESULTS

H-1 MR spectroscopic findings showed significantly different biochemical profiles for each diagnostic group (P = .0001) with regard to N-acetyl compounds, total creatine pool, choline-containing compounds, myoinositol, and lactate. H-1 MR spectroscopy alone helped correctly diagnose 94% (84% with jackknifed classification) of the brain lesions, without overlap between toxoplasmosis and lymphoma.

CONCLUSION

H-1 MR spectroscopy is a sensitive and potentially specific noninvasive adjunctive method for differential diagnosis of focal brain lesions in AIDS.

Headache in HIV-1-related disorders

To define the causes, clinical significance and characteristics of headaches in HIV-1-related disorders, we studied 49 consecutive HIV-1 infected patients who presented with headache. Work-up included CT scans, cerebrospinal fluid examinations (in the absence of a contraindication) and serologic studies. Overall, 40 of 49 patients (82 percent) had an identifiable serious cause of headache. Cryptococcal meningitis (39 percent) and CNS toxoplasmosis (16 percent) were the leading headache etiologies. Serious causes were more likely in patients diagnosed with AIDS prior to presentation but also occurred in most patients in early stages of infection. Based on this study, we suggest that patients with HIV-1 infection must be managed with a high index of suspicion when they present with new onset headaches.

Patterns of care related to age of men with prostate cancer

A chart review study was done of 242 Stages A2 to D1 cancer patients to determine whether the age of patients with prostate cancer influenced their physicians' management strategies. Ten hospitals of varying size, medical-school affiliation, and patient socioeconomic status participated in this study. Patterns of prostate cancer care were examined using sets of branching logic standards in the form of criteria maps. A chart-based comorbidity index was used to control for the effect of coexisting diseases on cancer management. Regression models indicated that patient age affected the intensity of both the diagnostic evaluation and therapy, even after controlling for independent factors such as comorbid disease and individual hospital differences. Patients aged 75 years and older had significantly less intensive clinical staging workups and use of surgical and radiation therapies compared with patients aged 65 to 74 years and patients aged 50 to 64 years. In conjunction with similar results noted in studies of elderly patients with other malignancies, these results suggest that age bias is likely to be widespread. Physicians need to consider life expectancy, the ability of the patient to tolerate diagnostic procedures and therapies, and the quality of life in making treatment decisions.

Effect of 8-bromo-cyclic guanosine monophosphate on intracellular pH and calcium in vascular smooth muscle

Endothelium-dependent vasodilators, nitrates, and atrial natriuretic factor relax blood vessels by increasing vascular cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). The mechanisms by which cGMP relaxes vascular smooth muscle (VSM) are not known. Since contraction of VSM is associated with increased intracellular calcium and pH, we hypothesized that cGMP may decrease vascular tone by lowering ionized, intracellular calcium [( Ca2+]i) and pH. We used microfluorometry to measure cGMP-induced changes in intracellular calcium and pH of cultured A7r5 VSM cells after stimulation with contractile agonists. A cGMP analogue, 8-Br-cGMP, blocked vasopressin- but not thrombin-stimulated increases in [Ca2+]i. High extracellular potassium concentrations [( K+]) increased [Ca2+]i, but the attenuation of [Ca2+]i by 8-Br-cGMP was not statistically significant. 8-Br-cGMP also attenuated vasopressin- but not thrombin-stimulated alkalinization of VSM cells. cGMP may decrease vascular tone by decreasing [Ca2+]i and pH, but these changes are dependent on the contractile agonist studied.