Going the Extra Mile: How High School Staff Use Informal Strategies to Support, Protect, and Care for LGBTQ+ Students

BACKGROUND

High school staff can play a key role in supporting students with LGBTQ+ identities through informal strategies; however, more research is needed to understand how staff are employing these strategies.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured interviews, collecting information on informal strategies used to support students identifying as LGBTQ+ from a diverse sample of 23 school staff from high schools across the United States.

RESULTS

Staff employed informal support strategies across social ecological levels: within the school community, staff interacted with parents/guardians of students and advocated for more inclusive policies. Within the classroom, staff created inclusive physical environments, implemented inclusive curricula, and employed bullying prevention strategies. Interpersonally, staff listened to and affirmed students and collaborated to employ support strategies. Intrapersonal qualities, including having a personal connection to the LGBTQ+ community and demonstrating open-mindedness, facilitated staff efforts to support students.

CONCLUSIONS

Supporting staff in the implementation of the strategies we identified could foster more inclusive school environments, advancing equity for students identifying as LGBTQ+.

Comparing strategies for prehospital transport to specialty care after cardiac arrest

Outcomes are better when patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are treated at specialty centers. The best strategy to transport patients from the scene of resuscitation to specialty care is unknown.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study. We identified patients treated at a single specialty center after OHCA from 2010 to 2021 and used OHCA geolocations to develop a catchment area using a convex hull. Within this area, we identified short term acute care hospitals, OHCA receiving centers, adult population by census block group, and helicopter landing zones. We determined population-level times to specialty care via: (1) direct ground transport; (2) transport to the nearest hospital followed by air interfacility transfer; and (3) ground transport to air ambulance. We used an instrumental variable (IV) adjusted probit regression to estimate the causal effect of transport strategy on functionally favorable survival to hospital discharge.

RESULTS

Direct transport to specialty care by ground to air ambulance had the shortest population-level times from OHCA to specialty care (median 56 [IQR 47-66] minutes). There were 1,861 patients included in IV regression of whom 395 (21%) had functionally favorable survival. Most (n = 1,221, 66%) were transported to the nearest hospital by ground EMS then to specialty care by air. Patient outcomes did not differ across transport strategies in our IV analysis.

DISCUSSION

We did not find strong evidence in favor of a particular strategy for transport to specialty care after OHCA. Population level time to specialty care was shortest with ground ambulance transport to the nearest helicopter landing zone.

Effectiveness evaluation of a hypertension management program in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)

The objective of this study was to examine effectiveness of a Hypertension Management Program (HMP) in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). From September 2018 through December 2019, we implemented HMP in seven clinics of an FQHC in rural South Carolina. A pre/post evaluation design estimated the association of HMP with hypertension control rates and systolic blood pressure using electronic health record data among 3,941 patients. A chi-square test estimated change in mean control rates in pre- and intervention periods. A multilevel multivariable logistic regression model estimated the incremental impact of HMP on odds of hypertension control. Results showed that 53.4% of patients had controlled hypertension pre-intervention (September 2016-September 2018); 57.3% had controlled hypertension at the end of the observed implementation period (September 2018-December 2019) (p < 0.01). Statistically significant increases in hypertension control rates were observed in six of seven clinics (p < 0.05). Odds of controlled hypertension were 1.21 times higher during the intervention period compared to pre-intervention (p < 0.0001). Findings can inform the replication of HMP in FQHCs and similar health care settings, which play a pivotal role in caring for patients with health and socioeconomic disparities.

A Mixed-Methods Approach for Evaluating Implementation Processes and Program Costs for a Hypertension Management Program Implemented in a Federally Qualified Health Center

Team-based care approaches are effective at improving hypertension control and have been used in clinical practice to improve hypertension outcomes. This study implemented and evaluated the Hypertension Management Program (HMP), which was originally developed in a high-resource health setting, in a health system with fewer resources and a patient population disproportionately affected by hypertension. Our objectives were to describe how a health system could adapt HMP to meet their needs and calculate total program costs. HMP uses a team-based, patient-centered approach involving clinical pharmacists who contribute to managing patients who have hypertension and ultimately preventing premature death due to uncontrolled hypertension. HMP has 10 components (e.g., EHR patient registries and outreach lists, no copayment walk-in blood pressure checks). Our project involved implementing the key components of HMP in a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in South Carolina. Adaptations from the key components of HMP were made to fit the participants' settings. A mixed-methods evaluation assessed implementation processes, program costs, and implementation facilitators and barriers. From September 2018 to December 2019, clinical pharmacists conducted 758 hypertension management visits (HMVs) with 316 patients with hypertension. Total program costs for HMP were $325,532 overall and $16,277 per month. Monthly cost per patient was $3.62. The high engagement among clinical pharmacists, along with provider engagements, followed up by the subsequent referral of patients to HMP, facilitated the implementation process. Staff members observed improvements in hypertension control, which increased participation buy-in. Barriers included staff turnover, the perception among some providers that HMP took too much time, as well as perception of HMP as a pharmacy-specific initiative. A team-based, patient-centered approach to hypertension management can be adapted for FQHCs or similar settings that serve patient populations disproportionately affected by hypertension.

Treatment of Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus: A Review

PURPOSE

Super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) presents management challenges due to the absence of randomized controlled trials and a plethora of potential medical therapies. The literature on treatment options for SRSE reports variable success and quality of evidence. This review is a sequel to the 2020 American Epilepsy Society (AES) comprehensive review of the treatment of convulsive refractory status epilepticus (RSE).

METHODS

We sought to determine the effectiveness of treatment options for SRSE. We performed a structured literature search (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL) for studies on reported treatments of SRSE. We excluded antiseizure medications (ASMs) covered in the 2016 AES guideline on the treatment of established SE and the convulsive RSE comprehensive review of the 2020 AES. Literature was reviewed on the effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation, ketogenic diet (KD), lidocaine, inhalation anesthetics, brain surgery, therapeutic hypothermia, perampanel, pregabalin (PGB), and topiramate in the treatment of SRSE. Two authors reviewed each therapeutic intervention. We graded the level of the evidence according to the 2017 classification scheme of the American Academy of Neurology.

RESULTS

For SRSE (level U; 39 class IV studies total), insufficient evidence exists to support that perampanel, PGB, lidocaine, or acute vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is effective. For children and adults with SRSE, insufficient evidence exists to support that the KD is effective (level U; 5 class IV studies). For adults with SRSE, insufficient evidence exists that brain surgery is effective (level U, 7 class IV studies). For adults with SRSE insufficient, evidence exists that therapeutic hypothermia is effective (level C, 1 class II and 4 class IV studies). For neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, insufficient evidence exists that therapeutic hypothermia reduces seizure burden (level U; 1 class IV study). For adults with SRSE, insufficient evidence exists that inhalation anesthetics are effective (level U, 1 class IV study) and that there is a potential risk of neurotoxicity.

CONCLUSION

For patients with SRSE insufficient, evidence exists that any of the ASMs reviewed, inhalational anesthetics, ketogenic diet, acute VNS, brain surgery, and therapeutic hypothermia are effective treatments. Data supporting the use of these treatments for SRSE are scarce and limited mainly to small case series and case reports and are confounded by differences in patients' population, and comedications, among other factors.

Advancing health information technology roadmaps in long term care

BACKGROUND

Our purpose is to provide evidence that health information technology should be a mainstay of all future health and social support services for older people globally, both within and across community and residential care services.

METHODS

This work was conducted in two phases. In phase I, the authors conducted a focused exploration by selecting a convenience sample of four long term care health information technology roadmaps, developed by members of four different long term care health information technology collaboratives in United States, Australia, United Kingdom, and New Zealand. During Phase II the research team carried out an extensive systematic review of existing literature sources (2000-2018) to support roadmap assumptions.

RESULTS

Using converging domains and content, we offer recommendations among five aged care roadmap domains: Strategy/Vision, Continuing Care Community, Services and Support Provided, External Clinical Support, and Administrative. Within these domains we provide recommendations in five content areas: Innovation, Policy, Evaluation, Delivery Systems and Human Resources. We recommend future strategies for LTC HIT roadmaps that include 61 emphasis areas in aged care in these content areas and domains.

CONCLUSIONS

The roadmap provides a navigation tool for LTC leaders to take a strategic and comprehensive approach as they harness the potential of health information technologies to address the challenges and opportunities of LTC in the future.

Building consensus toward a national nursing home information technology maturity model

OBJECTIVES

We describe the development of a nursing home information technology (IT) maturity model designed to capture stages of IT maturity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study had 2 phases. The purpose of phase I was to develop a preliminary nursing home IT maturity model. Phase II involved 3 rounds of questionnaires administered to a Delphi panel of expert nursing home administrators to evaluate the validity of the nursing home IT maturity model proposed in phase I.

RESULTS

All participants (n = 31) completed Delphi rounds 1-3. Over the 3 Delphi rounds, the nursing home IT maturity staging model evolved from a preliminary, 5-stage model (stages 1-5) to a 7-stage model (stages 0-6).

DISCUSSION

Using innovative IT to improve patient outcomes has become a broad goal across healthcare settings, including nursing homes. Understanding the relationship between IT sophistication and quality performance in nursing homes relies on recognizing the spectrum of nursing home IT maturity that exists and how IT matures over time. Currently, no universally accepted nursing home IT maturity model exists to trend IT adoption and determine the impact of increasing IT maturity on quality.

CONCLUSIONS

A 7-stage nursing home IT maturity staging model was successfully developed with input from a nationally representative sample of U.S. based nursing home experts. The model incorporates 7-stages of IT maturity ranging from stage 0 (nonexistent IT solutions or electronic medical record) to stage 6 (use of data by resident or resident representative to generate clinical data and drive self-management).

Applicability of long-term electroencephalography in pre-mortem diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: A case report

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease accounts for more than 90% of all sporadic prion disease cases. The molecular MM2 genotype has been divided into cortical and thalamic subtypes based on structures involved and is characterized clinically by progressive dementia without ataxia or typical electroencephalography changes. Proposed diagnostic criteria for MM2 cortical type sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease include progressive dementia, cortical hyper-intensity on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, increased cerebrospinal fluid 14-3-3 protein level, and the exclusion of other types of dementia. The presence of periodic discharges on electroencephalography in MM2 cortical type were reported in 42% of the cases. We are reporting a case of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease cortical MM2-type presenting with rapid cognitive decline, who survived 8 months since symptom onset. Brain imaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and long-term electroencephalography monitoring were obtained and diagnosis was confirmed by autopsy. Short-term electroencephalography recording, performed 5 months after symptom onset, demonstrated diffuse background slowing without epileptiform activity. Long-term video electroencephalography monitoring demonstrated generalized slowing, maximum in bilateral frontal areas, which intermittently would become rhythmic (1-2 Hz) without hemispheric predominance. If the findings do not clearly meet the proposed clinical criteria for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the use of long-term electroencephalography could increase the sensitivity. We question whether the lack of the characteristic findings on electroencephalography in some cases could be due to insufficient time of recording. Application of long-term electroencephalography monitoring increases the sensitivity of electroencephalography and the certainty of pre-mortem diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

A Novel Method for the Treatment of Bilateral Hypogastric Aneurysms Using Hybrid Polytetrafluoroethylene Graft

Open aortic aneurysm repair in the setting of bilateral hypogastric aneurysms is technically challenging. We present a novel technique for open surgical repair for bilateral hypogastric aneurysms using the Gore hybrid vascular graft (GVHG; W. L. Gore and Associates Inc, Flagstaff, Arizona). The GVHG is an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft with a nitinol stent at 1 end designed for hemodialysis access. The GVHG has been also been used for aortic debranching and treatment of occlusive disease. We describe the first report using GVHG to repair hypogastric aneurysms.

Potential epidemiologic, economic, and budgetary impacts of current rates of hepatitis C treatment in medicare and non-medicare populations

We forecast the health and budgetary impact of hepatitis C (HCV) treatment on the Medicare program based on currently observed rates of treatment among Medicare and non‐Medicare patients and identify the impact of higher rates of treatment among non‐Medicare populations. We developed a computer microsimulation model to conduct an epidemiologic forecast, a budgetary impact analysis, and a cost‐effectiveness analysis of the treatment of HCV based on three scenarios: 1) no treatment, 2) continuation of current‐treatment rates, and 3) treatment rates among non‐Medicare patients increased to match that of Medicare patients. The simulated population is based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. HCV progression rates and costs were calculated in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program Medicare 5% claims data from the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study and published literature. We estimate that 13.6% of patients with HCV in the United States are enrolled in Medicare, but 75% will enter Medicare in the next 20 years. Medicare patients were over 5 times as likely to be treated in 2014‐2015 as other patients. Medicare paid over $9 billion in treatment costs in both 2015 and 2016 and will total $28.4 billion from 2017‐2026. Increasing treatment rates among non‐Medicare patients would lead to 234,000 more patients being treated, reduce HCV mortality by 19%, and decrease Medicare costs by $18.6 billion from 2017‐2026. We find that treatment remains cost‐effective under most assumptions, costing $31,718 per quality adjusted life year gained. Conclusion: Medicare treats a disproportionately large share of HCV patients. Continued low rates of treatment among non‐Medicare HCV patients will result in both reduced and deferred treatment, shifting future treatment costs to Medicare while increasing overall medical management costs, morbidity, and mortality. (Hepatology Communications 2017;1:99‐109)

Building on a national health information technology strategic plan for long-term and post-acute care: comments by the Long Term Post Acute Care Health Information Technology Collaborative

The LTPAC (Long Term Post Acute Care) Health Information Technology (HIT) Collaborative consists of an alliance of long-term services and post-acute care stakeholders. Members of the collaborative are actively promoting HIT innovations in long-term care settings because IT adoption for health care institutions in the United States has become a high priority. One method used to actively promote HIT is providing expert comments on important documents addressing HIT adoption. Recently, the Office of the National Coordinator for HIT released a draft of the Federal Health Information Technology Strategic Plan 2011-2015 for public comment. The following brief is intended to inform about recommendations and comments made by the Collaborative on the strategic plan.

Still seeking the legal EHR. The push for electronic records increases, the record management questions remain

Electronic health records are edging into the mainstream, but they still have one foot outside the law. Many EHR systems struggle to create credible and compliant business records, and with major initiatives like the ARRA incentive program pushing their adoption, now is the time to get the electronic legal record right.

APOE epsilon4 is associated with postictal confusion in patients with medically refractory temporal lobe epilepsy

This study examined the relationship between the APOE epsilon4 allele and postictal confusion in patients with medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Patients with at least one epsilon4 allele (n=22) were three times more likely to exhibit postictal confusion (68%) than the 63 patients without epsilon4 (43%). These preliminary results demonstrate that APOE epsilon4 is associated with an increased risk of postictal confusion in patients with medically intractable TLE, suggesting possible dysfunction in neuronal recovery mechanisms.

An estimation of intrapartum-related perinatal mortality rates for booked home births in England and Wales between 1994 and 2003

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to obtain the best estimate of intrapartum-related perinatal mortality (IPPM) rates for booked home births.

DESIGN

A population-based cross-sectional study.

SETTING

England and Wales.

SUBJECTS

All births in England and Wales, including home births (intended or unintended) occurring between 1994 and 2003.

METHODS

All IPPM data were derived from the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health. Denominators were derived by using unintended home births and transfer rates from home to hospital, from previous studies, with sensitivity analyses. IPPM rates were calculated for the three following subgroups: (a) the completed home birth group, (b) the transferred group and (c) the unintended home birth group.

OUTCOME

IPPM rate.

RESULTS

The overall IPPM rate for England and Wales improved between 1994 and 2003. However, data to obtain a precise estimate of IPPM rate for booked home birth were not available. The average IPPM rate for all births in the study period was 0.79 per 1000 births (95% CI 0.77-0.81), and the estimated IPPM rate for booked home births was 1.28 or 0.74 per 1000 births, depending on the method of calculation (range 0.49-1.47). The IPPM rates for the completed home birth group appeared to be lower throughout the study period compared with the unintended home birth groups. Those women who had booked for a home birth, but later needed to transfer their care for a hospital birth, appeared to have the highest risk of IPPM in the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study need to be interpreted with caution due to inconsistencies occurring in the recorded data. However, the data do highlight two important features. First, they suggest that IPPM rates for home births do not appear to have improved over the study period examined, even though rates did so overall. Second, although the women who booked for home births and had their babies at home seemed to have a generally low IPPM rate, those who required their care to be transferred to hospital did not. Women who book for home births should be offered comprehensive evidence-based information about the potential benefits, risks and uncertainties associated with their choice of birthplace by the healthcare professional responsible for supporting their decision. It is of considerable concern that the data recorded nationally in England and Wales do not provide accurate information about when and why a transfer from home to hospital booking occurs and about their outcomes.