Pain, Analgesic Use, and Patient Satisfaction With Spinal Versus General Anesthesia for Hip Fracture Surgery : A Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

The REGAIN (Regional versus General Anesthesia for Promoting Independence after Hip Fracture) trial found similar ambulation and survival at 60 days with spinal versus general anesthesia for hip fracture surgery. Trial outcomes evaluating pain, prescription analgesic use, and patient satisfaction have not yet been reported.

OBJECTIVE

To compare pain, analgesic use, and satisfaction after hip fracture surgery with spinal versus general anesthesia.

DESIGN

Preplanned secondary analysis of a pragmatic randomized trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02507505).

SETTING

46 U.S. and Canadian hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients aged 50 years or older undergoing hip fracture surgery.

INTERVENTION

Spinal or general anesthesia.

MEASUREMENTS

Pain on postoperative days 1 through 3; 60-, 180-, and 365-day pain and prescription analgesic use; and satisfaction with care.

RESULTS

A total of 1600 patients were enrolled. The average age was 78 years, and 77% were women. A total of 73.5% (1050 of 1428) of patients reported severe pain during the first 24 hours after surgery. Worst pain over the first 24 hours after surgery was greater with spinal anesthesia (rated from 0 [no pain] to 10 [worst pain imaginable]; mean difference, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.12 to 0.68]). Pain did not differ across groups at other time points. Prescription analgesic use at 60 days occurred in 25% (141 of 563) and 18.8% (108 of 574) of patients assigned to spinal and general anesthesia, respectively (relative risk, 1.33 [CI, 1.06 to 1.65]). Satisfaction was similar across groups.

LIMITATION

Missing outcome data and multiple outcomes assessed.

CONCLUSION

Severe pain is common after hip fracture. Spinal anesthesia was associated with more pain in the first 24 hours after surgery and more prescription analgesic use at 60 days compared with general anesthesia.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

Display and perception of risk: Analysis of decision support system display and its impact on perceived clinical risk of sepsis-induced health deterioration

Despite acknowledging the value of clinical decision support systems (CDSS) in identifying risk for sepsis-induced health deterioration in-hospitalized patients, the relationship between display features, decision maker characteristics, and recognition of risk by the clinical decision maker remains an understudied, yet promising, area. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between CDSS display design and perceived clinical risk of in-hospital mortality associated with sepsis. The study utilized data collected through in-person experimental sessions with 91 physicians from the general medical and surgical floors who were recruited across 12 teaching hospitals within the United States. Results of descriptive and statistical analyses provided evidence supporting the impact of display configuration and clinical case severity on perceived risk associated with in-hospital mortality. Specifically, findings showed that a high level of information (represented by the Predisposition, Infection, Response and Organ dysfunction (PIRO) score) and Figure display (as opposed to Text or baseline) increased awareness to recognizing the risk for in-hospital mortality of hospitalized sepsis patients. A CDSS display that synthesizes the optimal features associated with information level and design elements has the potential to enhance the quantification and communication of clinical risk in complex health conditions beyond sepsis.

Effect of Ventral vs Dorsal Spinal Surgery on Patient-Reported Physical Functioning in Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction worldwide. It remains unknown whether a ventral or dorsal surgical approach provides the best results.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a ventral surgical approach compared with a dorsal surgical approach for treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy improves patient-reported physical functioning at 1 year.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Randomized clinical trial of patients aged 45 to 80 years with multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy enrolled at 15 large North American hospitals from April 1, 2014, to March 30, 2018; final follow-up was April 15, 2020.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomized to undergo ventral surgery (n = 63) or dorsal surgery (n = 100). Ventral surgery involved anterior cervical disk removal and instrumented fusion. Dorsal surgery involved laminectomy with instrumented fusion or open-door laminoplasty. Type of dorsal surgery (fusion or laminoplasty) was at surgeon's discretion.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was 1-year change in the Short Form 36 physical component summary (SF-36 PCS) score (range, 0 [worst] to 100 [best]; minimum clinically important difference = 5). Secondary outcomes included 1-year change in modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association scale score, complications, work status, sagittal vertical axis, health resource utilization, and 1- and 2-year changes in the Neck Disability Index and the EuroQol 5 Dimensions score.

RESULTS

Among 163 patients who were randomized (mean age, 62 years; 80 [49%] women), 155 (95%) completed the trial at 1 year (80% at 2 years). All patients had surgery, but 5 patients did not receive their allocated surgery (ventral: n = 1; dorsal: n = 4). One-year SF-36 PCS mean improvement was not significantly different between ventral surgery (5.9 points) and dorsal surgery (6.2 points) (estimated mean difference, 0.3; 95% CI, -2.6 to 3.1; P = .86). Of 7 prespecified secondary outcomes, 6 showed no significant difference. Rates of complications in the ventral and dorsal surgery groups, respectively, were 48% vs 24% (difference, 24%; 95% CI, 8.7%-38.5%; P = .002) and included dysphagia (41% vs 0%), new neurological deficit (2% vs 9%), reoperations (6% vs 4%), and readmissions within 30 days (0% vs 7%).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy undergoing cervical spinal surgery, a ventral surgical approach did not significantly improve patient-reported physical functioning at 1 year compared with outcomes after a dorsal surgical approach.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02076113.

Patient-Centered Approach to Develop the Patient's Preferences for Prostate Cancer Care (PreProCare) Tool

Objectives. To describe the development of our Patient Preferences for Prostate Cancer Care (PreProCare) tool to aid patient-centered treatment decision among localized prostate cancer patients. Methods. We incorporated patient and provider experiences to develop a patient preference elicitation tool using adaptive conjoint analysis. Our patient-centered approach used systematic literature review, semistructured patient interviews, and provider focus groups to determine the treatment attributes most important for decision making. The resulting computer-based PreProCare tool was pilot tested in a clinical setting. Results. A systematic review of 56 articles published between 1995 and 2015 yielded survival, cancer recurrence, side effects, and complications as attributes of treatment options. We conducted one-on-one interviews with 50 prostate cancer survivors and 5 focus groups of providers. Patients reported anxiety, depression, treatment specifics, and caregiver burden as important for decision making. Providers identified clinical characteristics as important attribute. Input from stakeholders’ advisory group, physicians, and researchers helped finalize 15 attributes for our PreProCare preference assessment tool. Conclusion. The PreProCare tool was developed using a patient-centered approach and may be a feasible and acceptable preference clarification intervention for localized prostate cancer patients. The PreProCare tool may translate into higher participant engagement and self-efficacy, consistent with patients’ personal values.

Informatics and interaction: Applying human factors principles to optimize the design of clinical decision support for sepsis

In caring for patients with sepsis, the current structure of electronic health record systems allows clinical providers access to raw patient data without imputation of its significance. There are a wide range of sepsis alerts in clinical care that act as clinical decision support tools to assist in early recognition of sepsis; however, there are serious shortcomings in existing health information technology for alerting providers in a meaningful way. Little work has been done to evaluate and assess existing alerts using implementation and process outcomes associated with health information technology displays, specifically evaluating clinician preference and performance. We developed graphical model displays of two popular sepsis scoring systems, quick Sepsis Related Organ Failure Assessment and Predisposition, Infection, Response, Organ Failure, using human factors principles grounded in user-centered and interaction design. Models will be evaluated in a larger research effort to optimize alert design to improve the collective awareness of high-risk populations and develop a relevant point-of-care clinical decision support system for sepsis.

Patient-Centered Preference Assessment to Improve Satisfaction With Care Among Patients With Localized Prostate Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE

To study the effectiveness of the Patient Preferences for Prostate Cancer Care (PreProCare) intervention in improving the primary outcome of satisfaction with care and secondary outcomes of satisfaction with decision, decision regret, and treatment choice among patients with localized prostate cancer.

METHODS

In this multicenter randomized controlled study, we randomly assigned patients with localized prostate cancer to the PreProCare intervention or usual care. Outcomes were satisfaction with care, satisfaction with decision, decision regret, and treatment choice. Assessments were performed at baseline and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, and were analyzed using repeated measures. We compared treatment choice across intervention groups by prostate cancer risk categories.

RESULTS

Between January 2014 and March 2015, 743 patients with localized prostate cancer were recruited and randomly assigned to receive PreProCare (n = 372) or usual care (n = 371). For the general satisfaction subscale, improvement at 24 months from baseline was significantly different between groups ( P < .001). For the intervention group, mean scores at 24 months improved by 0.44 (SE, 0.06; P < .001) from baseline. This improvement was 0.5 standard deviation, which was clinically significant. The proportion reporting satisfaction with decision and no regret increased over time and was higher for the intervention group, compared with the usual care group at 24 months ( P < .05). Among low-risk patients, a higher proportion of the intervention group was receiving active surveillance, compared with the usual care group ( P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Our patient-centered PreProCare intervention improved satisfaction with care, satisfaction with decision, reduced regrets, and aligned treatment choice with risk category. The majority of our participants had a high income, with implications for generalizability. Additional studies can evaluate the effectiveness of PreProCare as a mechanism for improving clinical and patient-reported outcomes in different settings.

"Implications of cost-sharing for observation care among Medicare beneficiaries: a pilot survey"

Background

Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized under observation status have significant cost-sharing responsibilities under Medicare Part B. Prior work has demonstrated an association between increased cost-sharing and health care rationing among low-income Medicare beneficiaries. The objective of this study was to explore the potential impact of observation cost-sharing on future medical decision making of Medicare beneficiaries.

Methods

Single-center pilot cohort study. A convenience sample of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized under observation status care was surveyed.

Results

Out of 144 respondents, low-income beneficiaries were more likely to be concerned about the cost of their observation stay than higher-income respondents (70.7% vs29.3%, p = 0.015). If hospitalized under observation status again, there was a trend among low-income beneficiaries to request completion of their workup outside of the hospital (56.3% vs 43.8%), and to consider leaving against medical advice (AMA) (100% vs 0%), though these trends were not statistically significant (p = 0.30).

Conclusion

The results of this pilot study suggest that low-income Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized under observation status have greater concerns about their cost-sharing obligations than their higher income peers. Cost-sharing for observation care may have unintended consequences on utilization for low-income beneficiaries. Future studies should examine this potential relationship on a larger scale.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-019-3982-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Knowledge and attitude for overactive bladder care among women: development and measurement

BACKGROUND

Overactive bladder (OAB) affects millions of women. It is important to assess knowledge and attitude in affected patients. The study objective was to develop surveys to assess OAB knowledge and OAB related attitude, and its association with OAB treatment status.

METHODS

Systematic literature review and qualitative analysis of patient and provider focus groups helped identify OAB knowledge and attitude survey items. We determined psychometric properties of the two surveys in a cross-sectional sample of 104 women, 27% of whom had received OAB treatment.

RESULTS

The OAB-knowledge survey consisted of 16 items and 3 condition-related concepts: perception of OAB; cause and information; and signs of OAB. The OAB-attitude survey consisted of 16 items and its concepts were treatment seeking; decision-making and effects. Both surveys demonstrated good construct validity and test-retest reliability ((≥ 0.60). In the cross-sectional validation sample, OAB-knowledge and attitude discriminated between those with different levels of ICIQ-UI scores. We observed some difference in the OAB knowledge, OAB attitude, and severity of symptoms between those treated for OAB vs. treatment naive.

CONCLUSIONS

OAB knowledge and attitude surveys provide a novel tool to assess OAB domains in women. Though we did not find statistical significance in OAB knowledge and attitude scores across treatment status, they may be potentially modifiable factors that affect OAB treatment uptake and treatment compliance. Refinement of these surveys in diverse sub-populations is necessary. Our study provides effect sizes for OAB knowledge and attitude. These effect sizes can help development of fully powered trials to study the association between OAB knowledge and attitude, type and length of treatment, treatment compliance, and quality of life, leading to interventions for enhancing OAB care.

Observation Status, Poverty, and High Financial Liability Among Medicare Beneficiaries

BACKGROUND

Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized under observation status are subject to cost-sharing with no spending limit under Medicare Part B. Because low-income status is associated with increased hospital use, there is concern that such beneficiaries may be at increased risk for high use and out-of-pocket costs related to observation care. Our objective was to determine whether low-income Medicare beneficiaries are at risk for high use and high financial liability for observation care compared with higher-income beneficiaries.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective, observational analysis of Medicare Part B claims and US Census Bureau data from 2013. Medicare beneficiaries with Part A and B coverage for the full calendar year, with 1 or more observation stay(s), were included in the study. Beneficiaries were divided into quartiles representing poverty level. The associations between poverty quartile and high use of observation care and between poverty quartile and high financial liability for observation care were evaluated.

RESULTS

After multivariate adjustment, the risk of high use was higher for beneficiaries in the poor (Quartile 3) and poorest (Quartile 4) quartiles compared with those in the wealthiest quartile (Quartile 1) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.31; AOR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.16-1.33). The risk of high financial liability was higher in every poverty quartile compared with the wealthiest and peaked in Quartile 3, which represented the poor but not the poorest beneficiaries (AOR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.10-1.24).

CONCLUSIONS

Poverty predicts high use of observation care. The poor or near poor may be at highest risk for high liability.

Patient-centred outcomes research: perspectives of patient stakeholders

Objective

To elicit patient stakeholders’ experience and perspectives about patient-centred care.

Design

Qualitative.

Setting

A large urban healthcare system.

Participants

Four patient stakeholders who are prostate cancer survivors.

Main outcome measures

Experience and perspectives of patient stakeholders regarding patient-centred care and treatment decisions.

Results

Our patient stakeholders represented a diverse socio-demographic group. The patient stakeholders identified engagement and dialogue with physicians as crucial elements of patient-centred care model. The degree of patient-centred care was observed to be dependent on the situations. High severity conditions warranted a higher level of patient involvement, compared to mild conditions. They agreed that patient-centred care should not mean that patients can demand inappropriate treatments.

Conclusions

An important attribute of patient-centred outcomes research model is the involvement of stakeholders. However, we have limited knowledge about the experience of patient stakeholders in patient-centred outcomes research. Our study indicates that patient stakeholders offer a unique perspective as researchers and policy-makers aim to precisely define patient-centred research and care.

Bacterial immune evasion via an IL-10 mediated host response, a novel pathophysiologic mechanism for chronic rhinosinusitis

BACKGROUND

Staphylococcus aureus is a frequently implicated pathogen in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). S. aureus may promote commensalism by downregulating pro-inflammatory T cell host responses via an IL-10 mediated pathway. This finding, coupled with the observation that S. aureus and CD8+ T cell numbers are inversely correlated in CRS mucosa, suggests that S. aureus may evade immune destruction via IL-10 induction. To support this hypothesis, we evaluated i) whether IL-10 levels differ in CRS compared to controls (CTL) using microarray and immunohistochemistry and ii) whether IL-10 levels correlate with S. aureus and CD8+ T cell levels.

METHODOLOGY

Sinus epithelial brush samples from 12 patients undergoing ESS for CRS and 10 CTLs underwent microarray analysis of IL-10 gene expression. Microarray results were verified on simultaneously obtained surgical biopsy samples by immunohistochemistry staining for IL-10. Potential mechanisms were assessed by immunohistochemistry for CD8+ T cells and S. aureus.

RESULTS

IL-10 gene expression was significantly higher in CRS vs CTL subjects at the time of surgery. Immunohistochemistry confirmed increased levels of intraepithelial IL-10. A strong inverse correlation was observed between intraepithelial IL-10 and CD8+ T cell levels as was intraepithelial IL-10 and S. aureus.

CONCLUSION

Elevated IL-10 levels in sinus mucosa may be a potential pathophysiologic feature of CRS in association with a significant downregulation of host CD8+ T cell levels. While S. aureus is believed to play a role in IL-10 induction, a comparatively weaker relationship between S. aureus and IL-10 levels suggests other bacterial species may also induce IL-10 production as a common survival strategy in CRS.

From Data to Improved Decisions: Operations Research in Healthcare Delivery

BACKGROUND

The Operations Research Interest Group (ORIG) within the Society of Medical Decision Making (SMDM) is a multidisciplinary interest group of professionals that specializes in taking an analytical approach to medical decision making and healthcare delivery. ORIG is interested in leveraging mathematical methods associated with the field of Operations Research (OR) to obtain data-driven solutions to complex healthcare problems and encourage collaborations across disciplines. This paper introduces OR for the non-expert and draws attention to opportunities where OR can be utilized to facilitate solutions to healthcare problems.

METHODS

Decision making is the process of choosing between possible solutions to a problem with respect to certain metrics. OR concepts can help systematically improve decision making through efficient modeling techniques while accounting for relevant constraints. Depending on the problem, methods that are part of OR (e.g., linear programming, Markov Decision Processes) or methods that are derived from related fields (e.g., regression from statistics) can be incorporated into the solution approach. This paper highlights the characteristics of different OR methods that have been applied to healthcare decision making and provides examples of emerging research opportunities.

EXAMPLES

We illustrate OR applications in healthcare using previous studies, including diagnosis and treatment of diseases, organ transplants, and patient flow decisions. Further, we provide a selection of emerging areas for utilizing OR.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a timely need to inform practitioners and policy makers of the benefits of using OR techniques in solving healthcare problems. OR methods can support the development of sustainable long-term solutions across disease management, service delivery, and health policies by optimizing the performance of system elements and analyzing their interaction while considering relevant constraints.

A patient advocate to facilitate access and improve communication, care, and outcomes in adults with moderate or severe asthma: Rationale, design, and methods of a randomized controlled trial

Few interventions to improve asthma outcomes have targeted low-income minority adults. Even fewer have focused on the real-world practice where care is delivered. We adapted a patient navigator, here called a Patient Advocate (PA), a term preferred by patients, to facilitate and maintain access to chronic care for adults with moderate or severe asthma and prevalent co-morbidities recruited from clinics serving low-income urban neighborhoods. We describe the planning, design, methodology (informed by patient and provider focus groups), baseline results, and challenges of an ongoing randomized controlled trial of 312 adults of a PA intervention implemented in a variety of practices. The PA coaches, models, and assists participants with preparations for a visit with the asthma clinician; attends the visit with permission of participant and provider; and confirms participants' understanding of what transpired at the visit. The PA facilitates scheduling, obtaining insurance coverage, overcoming patients' unique social and administrative barriers to carrying out medical advice and transfer of information between providers and patients. PA activities are individualized, take account of comorbidities, and are generalizable to other chronic diseases. PAs are recent college graduates interested in health-related careers, research experience, working with patients, and generally have the same race/ethnicity distribution as potential participants. We test whether the PA intervention, compared to usual care, is associated with improved and sustained asthma control and other asthma outcomes (prednisone bursts, ED visits, hospitalizations, quality of life, FEV1) relative to baseline. Mediators and moderators of the PA-asthma outcome relationship are examined along with the intervention's cost-effectiveness.

The Unmet Need for Postacute Rehabilitation Among Medicare Observation Patients: A Single-Center Study

BACKGROUND

Medicare beneficiaries admitted under observation status must pay for postacute inpatient rehabilitation (PAIR) services, out of pocket, at potentially prohibitive costs.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if there is an unmet need for PAIR among Medicare observation patients and if this care is associated with longer hospital stay and increased rehospitalization.

DESIGN/SETTING

Observational study using electronic medical record and administrative data from a regional health system.

PATIENTS

1323 community-dwelling Medicare patients admitted under observation status.

MEASUREMENTS

Summary statistics were calculated for demographic and administrative variables. Physical therapy (PT) and case management recommendations for a representative sample of 386 medical records were reviewed regarding need for PAIR services. Linear regression was used to measure the association between PT recommendation and hospital length of stay, adjusting for ICD-9 (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision) diagnosis, age, sex, and provider. Chi-square test was used to determine the association between PT recommendation and 30-day hospital revisit.

RESULTS

Of the 1323 study patients, 11 (0.83%) were discharged to PAIR facilities. However, 17 (4.4%) of the 386 patients whose charts were reviewed received a recommendation for this care. Adjusted mean hospital stay was longer (P ⟨ 0.001) for patients recommended for rehabilitation (75.9 h) than for patients with no PT needs (46.8 h). In addition, the 30-day hospital revisit rate was higher (P = 0.037) for the patients who had been recommended for rehabilitation (52.9%, 9/17) than for those who had not (25.4%, 30/118).

CONCLUSIONS

Medicare observation patients' potential need for PAIR services is 5- to 6-fold higher than their use of these services. Observation patients recommended for this care may have worse outcomes. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2017;12:168-172.

Comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analyses frequently agree on value

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, known as PCORI, was established by Congress as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to promote evidence-based treatment. Provisions of the ACA prohibit the use of a cost-effectiveness analysis threshold and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) in PCORI comparative effectiveness studies, which has been understood as a prohibition on support for PCORI's conducting conventional cost-effectiveness analyses. This constraint complicates evidence-based choices where incremental improvements in outcomes are achieved at increased costs of care. How frequently this limitation inhibits efficient cost containment, also a goal of the ACA, depends on how often more effective treatment is not cost-effective relative to less effective treatment. We examined the largest database of studies of comparisons of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness to see how often there is disagreement between the more effective treatment and the cost-effective treatment, for various thresholds that may define good value. We found that under the benchmark assumption, disagreement between the two types of analyses occurs in 19 percent of cases. Disagreement is more likely to occur if a treatment intervention is musculoskeletal and less likely to occur if it is surgical or involves secondary prevention, or if the study was funded by a pharmaceutical company.

Impact of Cost Sharing on Therapeutic Substitution: The Story of Statins in 2006

Background

Cost sharing is widely used to encourage therapeutic substitution. This study aimed to examine the impact of increases in patient cost‐sharing differentials for brand name and generic drugs on statin utilization on entry into the Medicare Part D coverage gap.

Method and Results

Using 5% Medicare Chronic Condition Warehouse files from 2006, this quasi‐experimental study examined patients with hyperlipidemia who filled prescriptions for atorvastatin or rosuvastatin between January and March 2006. Propensity score matching and difference‐in‐difference regressions were used to compare changes in statin utilization for the study group (patients who were not eligible for low‐income subsidies [non–LIS] and had generic‐only gap coverage) to those of a control group (LIS patients who faced the same cost sharing before and during the Part D coverage gap). In the final sample, 801 patients in the study group were matched to 801 patients in the control group. We found that, compared to the control group, the study group had a larger decline in any monthly brand‐name statin use (−0.24 30‐day fills, P<0.001). This was only partially offset by increased monthly generic statin use (+0.06 30‐day fill, P<0.001), with an overall drop in any monthly statin use (−0.18 30‐day fills, P<0.001). Overall adherence with statins declined (OR 0.81, P<0.001), and statin discontinuation increased (OR 1.62, P<0.001) in the study group as compared to the control group.

Conclusions

Increases in cost‐sharing differentials for brand name and generic drugs on coverage gap entry were associated with discontinuation of statins in Medicare Part D patients with hyperlipidemia.

Laminectomy plus Fusion versus Laminectomy Alone for Lumbar Spondylolisthesis

BACKGROUND

The comparative effectiveness of performing instrumented (rigid pedicle screws affixed to titanium alloy rods) lumbar spinal fusion in addition to decompressive laminectomy in patients with symptomatic lumbar grade I degenerative spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis is unknown.

METHODS

In this randomized, controlled trial, we assigned patients, 50 to 80 years of age, who had stable degenerative spondylolisthesis (degree of spondylolisthesis, 3 to 14 mm) and symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis to undergo either decompressive laminectomy alone (decompression-alone group) or laminectomy with posterolateral instrumented fusion (fusion group). The primary outcome measure was the change in the physical-component summary score of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36; range, 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better quality of life) 2 years after surgery. The secondary outcome measure was the score on the Oswestry Disability Index (range, 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more disability related to back pain). Patients were followed for 4 years.

RESULTS

A total of 66 patients (mean age, 67 years; 80% women) underwent randomization. The rate of follow-up was 89% at 1 year, 86% at 2 years, and 68% at 4 years. The fusion group had a greater increase in SF-36 physical-component summary scores at 2 years after surgery than did the decompression-alone group (15.2 vs. 9.5, for a difference of 5.7; 95% confidence interval, 0.1 to 11.3; P=0.046). The increases in the SF-36 physical-component summary scores in the fusion group remained greater than those in the decompression-alone group at 3 years and at 4 years (P=0.02 for both years). With respect to reductions in disability related to back pain, the changes in the Oswestry Disability Index scores at 2 years after surgery did not differ significantly between the study groups (-17.9 in the decompression-alone group and -26.3 in the fusion group, P=0.06). More blood loss and longer hospital stays occurred in the fusion group than in the decompression-alone group (P<0.001 for both comparisons). The cumulative rate of reoperation was 14% in the fusion group and 34% in the decompression-alone group (P=0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with degenerative grade I spondylolisthesis, the addition of lumbar spinal fusion to laminectomy was associated with slightly greater but clinically meaningful improvement in overall physical health-related quality of life than laminectomy alone. (Funded by the Jean and David Wallace Foundation and others; SLIP ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00109213.).

Race or Resource? BMI, Race, and Other Social Factors as Risk Factors for Interlimb Differences among Overweight Breast Cancer Survivors with Lymphedema

Introduction. High BMI is a risk factor for upper body breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) onset. Black cancer survivors are more likely to have high BMI than White cancer survivors. While observational analyses suggest up to 2.2 times increased risk of BCRL onset for Black breast cancer survivors, no studies have explored race or other social factors that may affect BCRL severity, operationalized by interlimb volume difference (ILD). Materials and Methods. ILD was measured by perometry for 296 overweight (25 > BMI < 50) Black (n = 102) or White (n = 194) breast cancer survivors (>6 months from treatment) in the WISER Survivor trial. Multivariable linear regression examined associations between social and physical factors and ILD. Results. Neither Black race (-0.26, p = 0.89) nor BMI (0.22, p = 0.10) was associated with ILD. Attending college (-4.89, p = 0.03) was the strongest factor associated with ILD, followed by having more lymph nodes removed (4.75, p = 0.01), >25% BCRL care adherence (4.10, p = 0.01), and years since treatment (0.55, p < 0.001). Discussion. Neither race nor BMI was associated with ILD among overweight cancer survivors. Education, a proxy for resource level, was the strongest factor associated with greater ILD. Tailoring physical activity and weight loss interventions designed to address BCRL severity by resource rather than race should be considered.

Treatment preference and patient centered prostate cancer care: Design and rationale

Prostate cancer is a slow progressing cancer that affects millions of men in the US. Due to uncertainties in outcomes and treatment complications, it is important that patients engage in informed decision making to choose the "optimal treatment". Patient centered care that encompasses informed decision-making can improve treatment choice and quality of care. Thus, assessing patient treatment preferences is critical for developing an effective decision support system. The objective of this patient-centered randomized clinical trial was to study the comparative effectiveness of a conjoint analysis intervention compared to usual care in improving subjective and objective outcomes in prostate cancer patients. We identified preferred attributes of alternative prostate cancer treatments that will aid in evaluating attributes of treatment options. In this two-phase study, in Phase 1 we used mixed methods to develop an adaptive conjoint task instrument. The conjoint task required the patients to trade-off attributes associated with treatments by assessing their relative importance. Phase 2 consisted of a randomized controlled trial of men with localized prostate cancer. We analyzed the effect of conjoint task intervention on the association between preferences, treatment and objective and subjective outcomes. Our conjoint task instrument can lead to a values-based patient-centered decision aid tool and help tailor treatment decision making to the values of prostate cancer patients. This will ultimately improve clinical decision making, clinical policy process, enhance patient centered care and improve prostate cancer outcomes.

Understanding the Racial and Ethnic Differences in Cost and Mortality Among Advanced Stage Prostate Cancer Patients (STROBE)

The aims of the study were to understand the racial/ethnic differences in cost of care and mortality in Medicare elderly with advanced stage prostate cancer.This retrospective, observational study used SEER-Medicare data. Cohort consisted of 10,509 men aged 66 or older and diagnosed with advanced-stage prostate cancer between 2001and 2004. The cohort was followed retrospectively up to 2009. Racial/ethnic variation in cost was analyzed using 2 part-models and quantile regression. Step-wise GLM log-link and Cox regression was used to study the association between race/ethnicity and cost and mortality. Propensity score approach was used to minimize selection bias.Pattern of cost and mortality varies between racial/ethnic groups. Compared with other racial/ethnic groups, non-Hispanic white patients had higher unadjusted costs in treatment and follow-up phases. Quintile regression results indicated that in treatment phase, Hispanics had higher costs in the 95th quantile and non-Hispanic blacks had lower cost in the 95th quantile, compared with non-Hispanic white men. In terminal phase non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics had higher cost. After controlling for treatment, all-cause and prostate cancer-specific mortality was not significant for non-Hispanic black men, compared with non-Hispanic white men. However, for Asians, mortality remained significantly lower compared with non-Hispanic white men.In conclusion, relationship between race/ethnicity, cost of care, and mortality is intricate. For non-Hispanic black men, disparity in mortality can be attributed to treatment differences. To reduce racial/ethnic disparities in prostate cancer care and outcomes, tailored policies to address underuse, overuse, and misuse of treatment and health services are necessary.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy surgical trial: randomized, controlled trial design and rationale

BACKGROUND

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction in the world. There are significant practice variation and uncertainty as to the optimal surgical approach for treating CSM.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether ventral surgery is associated with superior Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary outcome at the 1-year follow-up compared with dorsal (laminectomy/fusion or laminoplasty) surgery for the treatment of CSM, to investigate whether postoperative sagittal balance is an independent predictor of overall outcome, and to compare health resource use for ventral and dorsal procedures.

METHODS

The study is a randomized, controlled trial with a nonrandomized arm for patients who are eligible but decline randomization. Two hundred fifty patients (159 randomized) with CSM from 11 sites will be recruited over 18 months. The primary outcome is the Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary score. Secondary outcomes include disease-specific outcomes, overall health-related quality of life (EuroQOL 5-dimension questionnaire), and health resource use.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

This will be the first randomized, controlled trial to compare directly the health-related quality-of-life outcomes for ventral vs dorsal surgery for treating CSM.

DISCUSSION

A National Institutes of Health-funded (1R13AR065834-01) investigator meeting was held before the initiation of the trial to bring multiple stakeholders together to finalize the study protocol. Study investigators, coordinators, and major stakeholders were able to attend and discuss strengths of, limitations of, and concerns about the study. The final protocol was approved for funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (CE-1304-6173). The trial began enrollment on April 1, 2014.

Implementing Lung Cancer Screening Using Low-Dose Computed Tomography: Recommendations From an Expert Panel

Implementation of effective and efficient population-based CT lung cancer screening will require involvement and coordination of stakeholders across the health care system.

Abstract C31: Racial/ethnic differences in cancer survivorship: The example of breast cancer-related lymphedema severity

Introduction: Breast-cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) is a persistent adverse outcome of cancer treatment that affects the physical health and quality of life of up to 1 in 3 of the 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the US. For those with BCRL, known predictors of progression include BMI, type of surgery and radiation treatment, each of which is independently associated with race/ethnicity. Observational studies have found that Black/African-American women are more likely than Whites to develop BCRL, but no studies have explored the association of race/ethnicity with BCRL severity.

Method: The WISER Survivor Trial has collected baseline data from 149 overweight (BMI≥25) women with upper body BCRL (61% White; 39% African-American). Ordinal logistic regression modeling was used to explore the associations of known predictors of lymphedema progression and race/ethnicity with lymphedema grade (0-3).

Results: In univariate analysis, higher age at breast cancer surgery, being African-American, and having had chemotherapy or radiation therapy were significantly associated with higher lymphedema grade. Multivariate analysis revealed that race mediates the relationship between BMI and lymphedema grade such that being African-American AND having an elevated BMI is associated with higher lymphedema grade while elevated BMI is not associated with higher lymphedema grade among White women, such that at equivalent BMI, African-American women were 20% more likely to have a higher lymphedema severity (OR=1.20 [1.00, 1.44]; p=0.043).

Discussion: These findings point to a need for clinicians to be aware of increased risk of lymphedema for overweight African-American female breast cancer survivors. The cause of the observed interaction of African-American race/ethnicity and BMI on lymphedema severity remains to be elucidated. Previous studies have observed a relationship of higher lymphedema grade with higher costs to care for the condition, as well as worse functional ability of the upper body. Therefore, increased odds of higher lymphedema grade among African-American women with elevated BMI could contribute to a meaningful difference in the burden of breast cancer survivorship for this underserved minority population. To further elucidate this relationship, prospective collection on health-care costs for breast cancer survivors with lymphedema is warranted. This work has implications to affect care for and quality of life of up to 1 in 3 of the 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the US who have BCRL.

Citation Format: Lorraine T. Dean, Taehoon Kim, Matthew Herling, Justin Brown, J Sanford Schwartz, Kathryn Schmitz. Racial/ethnic differences in cancer survivorship: The example of breast cancer-related lymphedema severity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C31. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-C31

Durability of class I American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical practice guideline recommendations

IMPORTANCE

Little is known regarding the durability of clinical practice guideline recommendations over time.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize variations in the durability of class I ("procedure/treatment should be performed/administered") American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline recommendations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Textual analysis by 4 independent reviewers of 11 guidelines published between 1998 and 2007 and revised between 2006 and 2013.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

We abstracted all class I recommendations from the first of the 2 most recent versions of each guideline and identified corresponding recommendations in the subsequent version. We classified recommendations replaced by less determinate or contrary recommendations as having been downgraded or reversed; we classified recommendations for which no corresponding item could be identified as having been omitted. We tested for differences in the durability of recommendations according to guideline topic and underlying level of evidence using bivariable hypothesis tests and conditional logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of 619 index recommendations, 495 (80.0%; 95% CI, 76.6%-83.1%) were retained in the subsequent guideline version, 57 (9.2%; 95% CI, 7.0%-11.8%) were downgraded or reversed, and 67 (10.8%; 95% CI, 8.4%-13.3%) were omitted. The percentage of recommendations retained varied across guidelines from 15.4% (95% CI, 1.9%-45.4%) to 94.1% (95% CI, 80.3%-99.3%; P < .001). Among recommendations with available information on level of evidence, 90.5% (95% CI, 83.2%-95.3%) of recommendations supported by multiple randomized studies were retained, vs 81.0% (95% CI, 74.8%-86.3%) of recommendations supported by 1 randomized trial or observational data and 73.7% (95% CI, 65.8%-80.5%) of recommendations supported by opinion (P = .001). After accounting for guideline-level factors, the probability of being downgraded, reversed, or omitted was greater for recommendations based on opinion (odds ratio, 3.14; 95% CI, 1.69-5.85; P < .001) or on 1 trial or observational data (odds ratio, 3.49; 95% CI, 1.45-8.41; P = .005) vs recommendations based on multiple trials.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The durability of class I cardiology guideline recommendations for procedures and treatments promulgated by the ACC/AHA varied across individual guidelines and levels of evidence. Downgrades, reversals, and omissions were most common among recommendations not supported by multiple randomized studies.

Treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in adults: synopsis of the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association cholesterol guideline

DESCRIPTION

In November 2013, the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) released a clinical practice guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce cardiovascular risk in adults. This synopsis summarizes the major recommendations.

METHODS

In 2008, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) IV to update the 2001 ATP-III cholesterol guidelines using a rigorous process to systematically review randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses of RCTs that examined cardiovascular outcomes. The panel commissioned independent systematic evidence reviews on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals in secondary and primary prevention and the effect of lipid drugs on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events and adverse effects. In September 2013, the panel's draft recommendations were transitioned to the ACC/AHA.

RECOMMENDATIONS

This synopsis summarizes key features of the guidelines in 8 areas: lifestyle, groups shown to benefit from statins, statin safety, decision making, estimation of cardiovascular disease risk, intensity of statin therapy, treatment targets, and monitoring of statin therapy.

Validity of utility measures for women with urge, stress, and mixed urinary incontinence

OBJECTIVE

We sought to evaluate the construct validity of 3 health status classification system instruments-Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI-3), EuroQol (EQ-5D), and Short Form 6D (SF-6D)-and a visual analog scale (VAS) for measuring utility scores in women with urge, stress, and mixed urinary incontinence.

STUDY DESIGN

Utility scores were measured in 202 women with urinary incontinence. Pelvic floor symptom severity and quality of life were measured using the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire, respectively. Construct, discriminant, and concurrent validity were evaluated.

RESULTS

Significant correlations were noted between utility scores and the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (r = -0.22 to -0.42, P < .05) and the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (r = -0.32 to -0.50, P < .05). Mean utility scores were significantly lower for women with urge or mixed incontinence compared to stress incontinence for the EQ-5D (0.71 ± 0.23, 0.73 ± 0.26, and 0.81 ± 0.16, respectively, P = .02) and the SF-6D (0.76 ± 0.12, 0.74 ± 0.12, and 0.81 ± 0.11, respectively, P = .02) but not the HUI-3 or the VAS. There was a clinically important difference in utility scores (>0.03) between women with urge or mixed incontinence as compared to stress incontinence for the HUI-3, EQ-5D, and SF-6D but not the VAS. Utility preference scores were significantly lower for women with combined urinary and fecal incontinence (0.69-0.73) than urinary incontinence alone (0.77-0.84, P < .01).

CONCLUSION

The HUI-3, EQ-5D, and SF-6D, but not the VAS, provide valid measurements for utility scores in women with stress, urge, and mixed urinary incontinence.

Effects of scanning (routine health information exposure) on cancer screening and prevention behaviors in the general population

Research on health information exposure focuses primarily on deliberate information-seeking behavior and its effects on health. By contrast, this study explores the complementary and perhaps more influential role of health information acquired through exposure to routinely used sources, called scanning. The authors hypothesized that scanning from nonmedical sources, both mediated and interpersonal, affects cancer screening and prevention decisions. The authors used a nationally representative longitudinal survey of 2,489 adults 40 to 70 years of age to analyze the effects of scanning on 3 cancer screening behaviors (mammography, prostate-specific antigen [PSA], and colonoscopy) and 3 prevention behaviors (exercising, eating fruits and vegetables, and dieting to lose weight). After adjustment for baseline behaviors and covariates, scanning at baseline predicted weekly exercise days 1 year later as well as daily fruit and vegetable servings 1 year later for those whose consumption of fruits and vegetables was already higher at baseline. Also, among those reporting timely screening mammogram behavior at baseline, scanning predicted repeat mammography. Scanning was marginally predictive of PSA uptake among those not reporting a PSA at baseline. Although there were strong cross-sectional associations, scanning did not predict dieting or colonoscopy uptake in longitudinal analyses. These analyses provide substantial support for a claim that routine exposure to health content from nonmedical sources affects specific health behaviors.

Cancer patients' trade-offs among efficacy, toxicity, and out-of-pocket cost in the curative and noncurative setting

BACKGROUND

When making treatment decisions, cancer patients must make trade-offs among efficacy, toxicity, and cost. However, little is known about what patient characteristics may influence these trade-offs.

METHODS

A total of 400 cancer patients reviewed 2 of 3 stylized curative and noncurative scenarios that asked them to choose between 2 treatments of varying levels of efficacy, toxicity, and cost. Each scenario included 9 choice sets. Demographics, cost concerns, numeracy, and optimism were assessed. Within each scenario, we used latent class methods to distinguish groups with discrete preferences. We then used regressions with group membership probabilities as covariates to identify associations.

RESULTS

The median age of the patients was 61 years (range, 27-90 y). Of the total number of patients included, 25% were enrolled at a community hospital, and 99% were insured. Three latent classes were identified that demonstrated (1) preference for survival, (2) aversion to high cost, and (3) aversion to toxicity. Across all scenarios, patients with higher income were more likely to be in the class that favored survival. Lower income patients were more likely to be in the class that was averse to high cost (P<0.05). Similar associations were found between education, employment status, numeracy, cost concerns, and latent class.

CONCLUSIONS

Even in these stylized scenarios, socioeconomic status predicted the treatment choice. Higher income patients may be more likely to focus on survival, whereas those of lower socioeconomic status may be more likely to avoid expensive treatment, regardless of survival or toxicity. This raises the possibility that insurance plans with greater cost-sharing may have the unintended consequence of increasing disparities in cancer care.

Functional outcome instruments used for cervical spondylotic myelopathy: interscale correlation and prediction of preference-based quality of life

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

There is limited literature comparing different functional outcome measures used for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

PURPOSE

To determine the correlation among five functional outcome measures used in CSM patient assessment and their ability to predict preference-based quality of life (QOL).

STUDY DESIGN/SETTING

Prospective observational study.

PATIENT SAMPLE

Patients, aged 40 to 85 years, with CSM and cervical spinal cord compression at two or more levels from degenerative spondylosis were enrolled from seven sites over a 2-year period.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The modified Japanese Orthopedic Association scale, Oswestry neck disability index (Oswestry NDI or Oswestry), Nurick scale, norm-based short-form 36 physical component summary, and EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) were collected.

METHODS

The Jean and David Wallace foundation provided funding for this study. Cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients undergoing either anterior or posterior surgery were prospectively followed with five different functional outcome measures over 1 year. Correlations among scales were tested using the Spearman rank correlation test. The sensitivity and specificity of each scale for predicting the global index of the EQ-5D were determined, and receiver-operating characteristic analysis was used to compare each scale's ability to discriminate QOL.

RESULTS

A total of 106 patients were initially enrolled; 103 were operated on for CSM and followed for 1 year. Their ages ranged from 40 to 82 years (mean 61.9), and 61.3% were men. Correlations among the various functional outcome instruments were all highly significant (p<.001), but the degree of correlation varied greatly. Correlation between the EQ-5D scale and the Nurick scale was the least (Spearman rho 0.5539); correlation was the highest with the Oswestry NDI (Spearman rho 0.8306). The Oswestry NDI also had the greatest ability to discriminate favorable from adverse QOL compared with the other outcome instruments (p=.023).

CONCLUSIONS

Preference-based quality-of-life instruments, such as the EQ-5D, are important measures for studying spinal disorders. Among the various commonly used outcome instruments for CSM, the Oswestry NDI is the most predictive of preference-based QOL.

Cost concerns of patients with cancer

PURPOSE

Health care providers are accustomed to identifying populations for whom cost-related concerns may be a significant barrier, such as the poor, but few empiric data have been collected to substantiate such assumptions, particularly among insured patients.

METHODS

Patients with cancer from academic and community hospitals completed a questionnaire that included closed-ended items concerning demographic variables, optimism, numeracy, and concerns about present and future medical costs. In addition, they answered open-ended questions regarding cost concerns and medical expenses.

RESULTS

Nearly all (99%) participants were insured. In response to the closed-ended questions, 30.3% of patients reported concern about paying for their cancer treatment, 22.3% reported that their family had made sacrifices to pay for their care, and 8.3% stated that their insurance adequately covered their current health care costs, and 17.3% reported concerns about coverage for their costs in the future. On open-ended questions, 35.3% reported additional expenses, and 47.5% reported concerns about health care costs. None of the assessed patient characteristics proved to be a robust predictor across all cost-related concerns. There was a strong association between the identification of concerns or expenses on the open-ended questions and concerns on closed-ended questions.

CONCLUSION

Cost concerns are common among patients with cancer who have health insurance. Health care providers may alleviate concerns by discussing cost-related concerns with all patients, not only those of lower socioeconomic status or those without insurance. A closed-ended screening question may help to initiate these conversations. This may identify potential resources, lower distress, and enable patients to make optimal treatment decisions.

Information seeking from media and family/friends increases the likelihood of engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors

The amount of cancer-related information available to the general population continues to grow; yet, its effects are unclear. This study extends previous cross-sectional research establishing that cancer information seeking across a variety of sources is extensive and positively associated with engaging in health-related behaviors. The authors studied how active information seeking about cancer prevention influenced three healthy lifestyle behaviors using a 2-round nationally representative sample of adults ages 40-70 years (n = 1,795), using propensity scoring to control for potential confounders including baseline behavior. The adjusted odds of dieting at follow-up were 1.51 (95% CI: 1.05, 2.19) times higher for those who reported baseline seeking from media and interpersonal sources relative to nonseekers. Baseline seekers ate 0.59 (95% CI: 0.28, 0.91) more fruits and vegetable servings per day and exercised 0.36 (95% CI: 0.12, 0.60) more days per week at 1-year follow-up compared with nonseekers. The effects of seeking from media and friends/family on eating fruits and vegetables and exercising were independent of seeking from physicians. The authors offer several explanations for why information seeking predicts healthy lifestyle behaviors: information obtained motivates these behaviors; information sought teaches specific techniques; and the act of information seeking may reinforce a psychological commitment to dieting, eating fruits and vegetables, and exercising.

Principles for planning and conducting comparative effectiveness research

Aims: To develop principles for planning and conducting comparative effectiveness research (CER). Methods: Beginning with a modified existing list of health technology assessment principles, we developed a set of CER principles using literature review, engagement of multiple experts and broad stakeholder feedback. Results & conclusion: Thirteen principles and actions to fulfill their intent are proposed. Principles include clarity of objectives, transparency, engagement of stakeholders, consideration of relevant perspectives, use of relevant comparators, and evaluation of relevant outcomes and treatment heterogeneity. Should these principles be found appropriate and useful, CER studies should be audited for adherence to them and monitored for their impact on care management, patient relevant outcomes and clinical guidelines.

Anxiety and depression among cancer survivors: the role of engagement with sources of emotional support information

This study explores cancer survivors' engagement with information about emotional support from doctors, interpersonal sources, and the media and examines to what extent such engagement affects subsequent self-reported anxiety and depression. Patients with colorectal, breast, or prostate cancer (n = 1,128) were surveyed over 3 years following diagnosis. Using lagged logistic regression, we predicted the odds of experiencing anxiety or depression based on earlier engagement with sources of emotional support, adjusting for prior symptoms and confounders. Among those reporting anxiety or depression (n = 476), we also asked whether information engagement affected the severity of those symptoms. Participants obtained information about emotional support from multiple sources, but most often from physicians. Discussions with physicians about emotional support increased the odds of cancer survivors subsequently reporting anxiety or depression by 1.58 times (95% CI: 1.06 to 2.35; p = 0.025), adjusted for prior symptoms and confounders. Scanning from media sources was also significantly associated with increased odds of reporting emotional symptoms (OR=1.72; 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.87; p = 0.039). However, among those who reported symptoms, doctor-patient engagement predicted slightly reduced interference of these symptoms with daily activities (B = -0.198; 95% CI: -0.393 to -0.003; p = 0.047). Important implications for health communication research and practice are discussed.

Effect of the Medicare Part D coverage gap on medication use among patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia

BACKGROUND

Prior studies of the Medicare Part D coverage gap are limited in generalizability and scope.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of the coverage gap on drugs used for asymptomatic (antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs) and symptomatic (pain relievers, acid suppressants, and antidepressants) conditions in elderly patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

DESIGN

Quasi-experimental study using pre-post design and contemporaneous control group.

SETTING

Medicare claims files from 2005 and 2006 for 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries.

PATIENTS

Part D plan enrollees with hypertension or hyperlipidemia aged 65 years or older who had no coverage, generic-only coverage, or both brand-name and generic coverage during the gap in 2006. Patients who were fully eligible for the low-income subsidy served as the control group.

MEASUREMENTS

Monthly 30-day supply prescriptions available, medication adherence, and continuous medication gaps of 30 days or more for antihypertensive or lipid-lowering drugs; monthly 30-day supply prescriptions available for pain relievers, acid suppressants, or antidepressants before and after coverage gap entry.

RESULTS

Patients with no gap coverage had a decrease in monthly antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drug prescriptions during the coverage gap. Nonadherence also increased in this group (antihypertensives: odds ratio [OR], 1.60 [95% CI, 1.50 to 1.71]; lipid-lowering drugs: OR, 1.59 [CI, 1.50 to 1.68]). The proportion of patients with no gap coverage who had continuous medication gaps in lipid-lowering medication use and antihypertensive use increased by an absolute 7.3% (OR, 1.38 [CI, 1.29 to 1.46]) and 3.2% (OR, 1.35 [CI, 1.25 to 1.45]), respectively, because of the coverage gap. Decreases in use were smaller for pain relievers and antidepressants and larger for acid suppressants in patients with no gap coverage. Patients with generic-only coverage had decreased use of cardiovascular medications but no change in use of drugs for symptomatic conditions. No measures changed in the brand-name and generic coverage groups. Results of sensitivity analyses were consistent with the main findings.

LIMITATION

Because this study was nonrandomized, unobserved differences may still exist between study groups.

CONCLUSION

The Part D coverage gap was associated with decreased use of medications for hypertension and hyperlipidemia in patients with no gap coverage and generic-only gap coverage. The proposed phasing out of the gap by 2020 will benefit such patients; however, use of low-value medications may also increase.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

Penn-Pfizer Alliance and American Heart Association.

The impact of risk information exposure on women's beliefs about direct-to-consumer genetic testing for BRCA mutations

Despite an increase in direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing, little is known about how variations in website content might alter consumer behavior. We evaluated the impact of risk information provision on women's attitudes about DTC BRCA testing. We conducted a randomized experiment; women viewed a 'mock' BRCA testing website without [control group (CG)] or with information on the potential risks of DTC testing [RG; framed two ways: unattributed risk (UR) information and risk information presented by experts (ER)]. Seven hundred and sixty-seven women participated; mean age was 37 years, mean education was 15 years, and 79% of subjects were white. Women in the RG had less positive beliefs about DTC testing (mean RG = 23.8, CG = 25.2; p = 0.001), lower intentions to get tested (RG = 2.8, CG = 3.1; p = 0.03), were more likely to prefer clinic-based testing (RG = 5.1, CG = 4.8; p = 0.03) and to report that they had seen enough risk information (RG = 5.3, CG = 4.7; p < 0.001). UR and ER exposure produced similar effects. Effects did not differ for women with or without a personal/family history of breast/ovarian cancer. Exposing women to the potential risks of DTC BRCA testing altered their beliefs, preferences, and intentions. Risk messages appear to be salient to women irrespective of their chance of having a BRCA mutation.

PD02-02: A Decision Analysis of Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy in Women Undergoing Treatment for Sporadic Unilateral Breast Cancer

Background:

The intent of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) is to improve survival after a diagnosis of unilateral breast cancer by reducing the risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC). CPM rates are rising among women with sporadic breast cancer, despite limited evidence that its benefits outweigh its harms. Although CPM is highly effective in reducing a woman's risk of CBC, the competing mortality risk from a patient's index breast cancer may offset its benefits. Furthermore, any examination of CPM needs to consider quality of life effects.

Methods:

We developed a Markov decision analytic model to estimate the effect of CPM in women with newly diagnosed unilateral breast cancer. The primary outcomes examined were gains in life expectancy (LE) and quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) for CPM compared with no CPM in 18 hypothetical cohorts of 45-year old women. Data from the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) was used to generate AJCC stage and molecular subtype-specific estimates of the risk of developing distant metastases from an index breast cancer. A correction factor was applied to account for the omission of relevant systemic therapy (including trastuzamab) in some women in the BCCA cohort. Additional model parameters, including utilities (quality of life weights) for breast cancer and CPM health states, were identified from the published medical literature. LE and QALE estimates were not discounted in the base case. Univariate sensitivity analysis was used to examine the impact of plausible variation in the key model parameters on model results.

Results:

CPM improved LE in all cohorts (range: 0.06 - 0.54 years, Table 1). AJCC stage had more effect on LE than molecular subtype (stage I mean, 0.43 years, stage III mean, 0.11 years). However, after adjusting for quality of life, a strategy of no CPM was favored in all cohorts. Univariate sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the only model parameter that influenced the outcome of QALE was the utility for health after CPM. In the base case the utility after CPM was 0.81 (compared to 0.85 for No CPM). The preferred strategy did not change from No CPM to CPM unless the utility after CPM exceeded 0.83. Model results were otherwise stable across the ranges of the key parameters examined, including the risk of distant metastases resulting from a patient's index breast cancer by stage and subtype, duration of survival with metastatic breast cancer, and the risk of CBC.

Conclusions:

The primary drivers of survival after unilateral breast cancer are stage at diagnosis and molecular subtype. Our model demonstrates that CPM confers modest additional LE gains, even in women with early-stage, favorable-subtype breast cancer. Furthermore, this modest benefit is negated if one assumes a small reduction in quality of life due to CPM. The decision to pursue CPM as part of treatment of unilateral breast cancer should include consideration of both patient specific breast cancer characteristics and individual preferences.

Performing a Cost Analysis in Spine Outcomes Research

BACKGROUND:

Medical cost analysis is increasingly important, but the methodology is complex and varied.

OBJECTIVE:

To illustrate how different cost analysis methodologies influence conclusions generated from data from a prospective nonrandomized trial for treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

METHODS:

Patients 40 to 85 years of age with degenerative cervical spondylotic myelopathy were enrolled from 7 sites over 2 years (2007–2009). Patients were treated with ventral or dorsal fusion surgery, and outcomes were measured to 1 year postoperatively. A hospital-based cost analysis was performed using Medicare cost-to-charge ratios (CCRs) multiplied by hospital charges from the index hospitalization (CCR method). A society-based cost analysis was performed by estimating costs from the index hospitalization using Medicare coding reimbursement (the Medicare reimbursement method). A separate outpatient cost analysis was performed on a subset of 20 patients.

RESULTS:

Of the 85 patients analyzed, 72 had 1-year follow-up. The CCR method showed a difference in upfront direct costs between the dorsal and ventral approaches ($27 942 ± 14 220 vs $21 563 ± 8721; P = .02). Overall upfront direct costs with the Medicare reimbursement method were not different. With the CCR method, the ventral approach dominates an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio analysis. With the Medicare reimbursement method, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for ventral surgery is $34 533, the cost of 1 additional quality-adjusted life-year gained by using ventral instead of dorsal surgery. In the subanalysis, outpatient costs were less after ventral surgery than dorsal surgery ($1997 ± 1211 vs $4734 ± $2874; P = .006).

CONCLUSION:

The choice of cost methodology may substantially influence the final results of an economic study.

Seeking cancer-related information from media and family/friends increases fruit and vegetable consumption among cancer patients

Previous research suggests positive effects of health information seeking on prevention behaviors such as diet, exercise, and fruit and vegetable consumption among the general population. The current study builds upon this research by examining the effect of cancer patients' active information seeking from media and (nonmedical) interpersonal sources on fruit and vegetable consumption. The results of this longitudinal study are based on data collected from a randomly drawn sample from the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry, comprising breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer patients who completed mail surveys in the fall of 2006 and 2007. There was a 65% response rate for baseline subjects (resulting n = 2013); of those, 1,293 were interviewed one year later and 845 were available for final analyses. We used multiple imputation to replace missing data and propensity scoring to adjust for effects of possible confounders. There is a positive effect of information seeking at baseline on fruit and vegetable servings at follow-up; seekers consumed 0.43 (95% CI: 0.28 to 0.58) daily servings more than nonseekers adjusting for baseline consumption and other confounders. Active information seeking from media and interpersonal sources may lead to improved nutrition among the cancer patient population.