Professional practices of dentists and unscheduled dental care in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (France)

In a context of saturation of private dental practices and medical demography issues, responses to requests for emergency dental care are a poorly documented problem. In partnership with the Observatoire Regional de la Santé, the URPS Chirurgiens-Dentistes Nouvelle-Aquitaine, a union, conducted a survey of private dentists in May and June 2022. The objective was to estimate the volume of requests for unscheduled dental care and to describe the responses provided by professionals. More than eight out of ten professionals said they were often called upon for unscheduled care and more than four out of ten set aside specific time slots to provide it. More than a quarter of them said they provided care in 90 percent of cases, in response to requests of this type, and 40 percent provided care in at least half of the cases. For most professionals, the average waiting time for patients requesting unscheduled care was less than 24 hours. Respondents cited patient education as a general avenue for improvement, in addition to the creation of a specific pricing structure for unscheduled care. This survey provides a better understanding of the difficulties faced by professionals on a subject not yet investigated by the dental profession. It documents the acceptability of possible responses in terms of improving professional practices and institutional organizations.

Differences in healthcare costs over 10 years following discharge from military service by weight trajectory

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among military personnel has increased substantially in the past two decades. Following military discharge many personnel can receive integrated health care from the Veterans Health Administration. Prior research related to the economic impacts of obesity has not examined health care costs following the transition into civilian life following military discharge. To address this evidence gap, this study sought to compare longitudinal costs over 10 years across weight categories among VA enrollees recently discharged from the military.

Reconsidering performance management to support innovative changes in health care services

PURPOSE

A large number of studies indicate that coercive forms of organizational control and performance management in health care services often backfire and initiate dysfunctional consequences. The purpose of this article is to discuss new approaches to performance management in health care services when the purpose is to support innovative changes in the delivery of services.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The article represents cross-boundary work as the theoretical and empirical material used to discuss and reconsider performance management comes from several relevant research disciplines, including systematic reviews of audit and feedback interventions in health care and extant theories of human motivation and organizational control.

FINDINGS

An enabling approach to performance management in health care services can potentially contribute to innovative changes. Key design elements to operationalize such an approach are a formative and learning-oriented use of performance measures, an appeal to self- and social-approval mechanisms when providing feedback and support for local goals and action plans that fit specific conditions and challenges.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

The article suggests how to operationalize an enabling approach to performance management in health care services. The framework is consistent with new governance and managerial approaches emerging in public sector organizations more generally, supporting a higher degree of professional autonomy and the use of nonfinancial incentives.

Primary Care in the United States: Past, Present and Future

Even though a well-functioning primary care system is widely acknowledged as critical to population health, the number of primary care physicians (PCPs) practicing in the United States has steadily declined, and PCPs are in short supply. The reasons are multiple and include inadequate income relative to other specialties, excessive administrative demands on PCPs and the lack of respect given to primary care specialties during medical school and residency. Advanced practice nurses can augment the services of primary care physicians but cannot substitute for them. To change this situation, we need action on several fronts. Medical schools should give preference to students who are more likely to enter the primary care specialties. The income gap between primary care and other specialties should be narrowed. The administrative load placed on PCPs, including cumbersome electronic medical records, must be lessened. Insurers, including Medicare and Medicaid, must provide the resources to allow primary care physicians to act as leaders of multidisciplinary teams.

From a critique of the principle of autonomy to an ethic of heteronomy

Etymologically, autonomy is the ability to give oneself rules and follow them. It is an important principle of medical ethics, which can sometimes raise some tensions in the care relationship. We propose a new definition of ethics, the ethics of heteronomy: a self-normative, discursive and responsible autonomy. Autonomy cannot be considered without the responsibility each person must have towards others. In the care relationship, autonomy would be more the ability of each person to reach out to others than the ability to decide alone. The care relationship must be seen as an accompaniment of equals where each person allows the other to be rephrased. Autonomy would then no longer be absolute but relative to each situation. Being autonomous would become an ability for adaptation of the patient-doctor pair. The accompaniment allows the birth of a relationship of trust, giving the patient and the doctor the ability to touch and let themselves be touched, thus making each one progress in this reciprocal dialectic. The care relationship becomes the possibility of considering autonomy as a collective and not as an individual notion only. Paradoxically, by promoting the autonomy of the patient-doctor pair, they both develop their own autonomy.

Online description of services provided in adult survivorship programs across U.S. accredited cancer centers

PURPOSE

The American College of Surgeons Standard 4.8 requires an institution to implement a survivorship program to become a Commission on Cancer (CoC)-accredited cancer center. The online information offered by these cancer centers can help educate patients and their caregivers about available services. We assessed the content of survivorship program websites of CoC-accredited cancer centers in the United States.

METHODS

Of the 1245 CoC-accredited centers for adults, we sampled 325 institutions (26%) based proportionately on the 2019 new cancer cases by state. Website pages of the institutions' survivorship programs were assessed for information and services offered using the COC Standard 4.8. We included programs for adult survivors of adult- and childhood-onset cancers.

RESULTS

54.5% of the cancer centers did not have a survivorship program website. Of the 189 included programs, most were aimed at adult survivors in general, rather than those with specific cancer types. On average, five essential CoC-recommended services were described, most commonly nutrition, care plans, and psychology services. The least mentioned services were genetic counseling, fertility, and smoking cessation. Most programs described services offered to patients who had completed treatment, while 7.4% of described services for those with metastatic disease.

CONCLUSION

More than half of CoC-accredited programs did have information about cancer survivorship programs on their websites and when included, had variable and limited description of services.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

Our study provides an overview of online cancer survivorship services and offers a methodology that may be used by cancer centers to review, expand, and improve the information described on their websites.

Telemedicine in OMFS: a literature review of its potential and future prospects

In the backdrop of telemedicine's rise, this review explores its integration into oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS), especially given the healthcare access challenges faced by nearly 20% of the rural population in the United States of America. The study underscores the potential of telemedicine to address disparities in access to OMFS care, particularly in rural areas, by improving patient care, reducing travel needs, and fostering collaborative diagnosis and treatment. The findings advocate for broader adoption of telemedicine in OMFS, contingent upon supportive policy and infrastructure changes.

Mental Health Priorities in the Arab World: Insights From Jordan

War, geopolitical instability, and natural disasters have contributed to enormous unmet mental health needs in the Middle East and North Africa. Jordan is a middle-income country that needs internal and international stakeholder engagement and support to effectively provide mental health services to its citizens and to the millions of immigrants and refugees who reside there. This column presents a snapshot of the state of mental health care in Jordan and outlines areas for future investment. Potentially high-yield areas for development include digital health technology, integrated care, and youth-focused interventions.

Multilevel barriers and facilitators to widespread use of preconception carrier screening in the United States

PURPOSE

Although preconception reproductive genetic carrier screening (RGCS) is preferred to screening during pregnancy, population-wide preconception screening is not routinely performed in the United States. We explored the multilevel barriers to the widespread adoption of preconception RGCS in the United States via key informant interviews.

METHODS

Semi-structured virtual video interviews were conducted with 29 informants with a breadth of professional expertise between May and October 2022. Data collection and qualitative analyses were guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and socioecological model. Analysis focused on identifying barriers to delivering preconception RGCS at and across different levels of health care and exploring potential facilitators of preconception RGCS delivery.

RESULTS

Barriers to preconception RGCS were identified at the levels of test characteristics, patients and couples, clinicians and care teams, and the external health care and policy environments. Across the different levels of care delivery, 3 themes of barriers emerged: (1) fragmentation and inconsistencies hinder care delivery, (2) gaps in knowledge, misconceptions, and uncertainties about RGCS are pervasive, and (3) expanding preconception RGCS in the diverse US population presents unique implementation challenges. Potential solutions were detailed by informants.

CONCLUSION

Identifying individual and thematic barriers to preconception RGCS delivery may help to define strategies to alleviate obstacles.

Healthcare-related factors influencing symptom persistence, deterioration, or improvement in patients with persistent somatic symptoms: A scoping review of European studies

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review explored healthcare-related factors associated with symptom persistence, deterioration, or improvement in patients with persistent somatic symptoms (PSS) across Europe.

METHODS

Articles were systematically searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO by combining terms of PSS and healthcare-related factors. Studies published in English, German, Polish, or Dutch between 2000 and 2022 were included. Healthcare-related factors associated with PSS symptom course were investigated, and study quality assessed (Center for Evidence-Based Medicine Checklist, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale).

RESULTS

Of 8386 identified studies, 56 were included in the analysis. A significant knowledge gap was evident, as most studies lacked comprehensive healthcare descriptions with particularly unclear definitions of "treatments as usual" in RCTs. The only extractable healthcare factor according to Andersen's Behavioral Model was the treatment setting. Rates of PSS improvement split by care-levels were 38% in primary, 44% in secondary, 25% in mixed, and 71% in specialized care. Persistence rates were 57%, 50%, 75%, and 29% respectively. Deterioration was observed in 5% of primary and 6% of secondary care studies. Studies were skewed toward the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review shed light on the association between care levels and symptom outcomes in PSS patients. However, limited information in the current studies constrained our exploration of associations with other factors and symptom outcomes. Important aspects, like care availability, referral processes, and insurance coverage, are yet to be elucidated. Addressing these gaps is pivotal for developing targeted treatments across Europe, ultimately enhancing PSS patients' outcomes.

Rethinking Health and Health Care: How Clinicians and Practice Groups Can Better Promote Whole Health and Well-Being for People and Communities

A new National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, "Achieving Whole Health: A New Approach for Veterans and the Nation," redefines what it means to be healthy and creates a roadmap for health systems, including the Veterans Health Administration and the nation, to scale and spread a whole health approach to care. The report identifies 5 foundational elements for whole health care and sets 6 national, state, and local policy goals for change. This article summarizes the report, emphasizes the importance of preventive medicine, and identifies concrete actions clinicians and practices can take now to deliver whole health care.

Physician perspectives on chronic pain management: barriers and the use of eHealth in the COVID-19 era

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain is a highly prevalent and disabling condition which is often undertreated and poorly managed in the community. The emergence of COVID-19 has further complicated pain care, with an increased prevalence of chronic pain and mental health comorbidities, and burnout among physicians. While the pandemic has led to a dramatic increase in virtual health care visits, the uptake of a broader range of eHealth technologies remains unclear. The present study sought to better understand physicians' current needs and barriers in providing effective pain care within the context of COVID-19, as well as gauge current use, interest, and ongoing barriers to eHealth implementation.

METHODS

A total of 100 practicing physicians in British Columbia, Canada, completed a brief online survey.

RESULTS

The sample was comprised of physicians practicing in rural and urban areas (rural = 48%, urban = 42%; both = 10%), with the majority (72%) working in family practice. The most prominent perceived barriers to providing chronic pain care were a lack of interdisciplinary treatment and allied health care for patients, challenges related to opioid prescribing and management, and a lack of time to manage the complexities of chronic pain. Moreover, despite expressing considerable interest in eHealth for chronic pain management (82%), low adoption rates were observed for several technologies. Specifically, only a small percentage of the sample reported using eHealth for the collection of intake data (21%), patient-reported outcomes (14%), and remote patient monitoring (26%). The most common perceived barriers to implementation were cost, complexity, and unfamiliarity with available options.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide insight into physicians' ongoing needs and barriers in providing effective pain management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the potential for eHealth technologies to help address barriers in pain care, and strong interest from physicians, enhanced useability, education and training, and funding are likely required to achieve successful implementation of a broader range of eHealth technologies in the future.

Survivorship Navigation for Young Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

Young women treated for breast cancer experience unique concerns in follow-up. We developed a program to direct young breast cancer survivors to a dedicated survivorship visit and evaluated their experience.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Early-stage breast cancer patients diagnosed under age 45 within 1 year of completing breast surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy were systematically referred for a survivorship visit. Patients completed a one-time, post-visit survey about their experience.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine out of 89 (78%) eligible patients attended a survivorship visit, and 40 of those 69 (58%) completed the post-visit survey. Most respondents learned about the survivorship clinic after completing treatment (30/40; 75%) and reported the survivorship visit occurred at an appropriate time in their follow-up care (26/40; 65%). Of the 34 respondents who reported receiving a treatment summary and survivorship care plan, 30 indicated it would be helpful when visiting their primary care provider (88.2%). Participants reported gaining valuable knowledge about cancer treatment (28/38; 73.7%), side effects (32/39; 82.1%), and cancer surveillance (30/40; 75%), and discussed emotional health (32/40; 80%), exercise (38/40; 95%), and ongoing cancer surveillance (32/37; 86.5%). Several reported intentions to make changes to their follow-up oncology care (8/20; 40%), exercise routines (16/30; 53.3%), and emotional health care (15/22; 68.2%).

DISCUSSION

Survivorship visit navigation is feasible for young breast cancer patients. These visits can influence knowledge gained and intended future health plans and behaviors. Systematic approaches to survivorship care may improve the physical and mental health of cancer survivors. Future health care delivery research focused on survivorship is warranted.

A pragmatic digital health informatics based approach for aiding clinical prioritisation and reducing backlog of care: A study in cohort of 4022 people with diabetes

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The backlog of care in resource stretched healthcare systems requires innovative approaches to aid clinical prioritisation. Our aim was to develop an informatics tool to identify and prioritise people with diabetes who are likely to deteriorate whilst awaiting an appointment to optimise clinical outcomes and resources.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using data from electronic health care records we identified 6 risk-factors that could be addressed in 4022 people (52% male, 30% non-Caucasian) with diabetes attending a large university hospital in London. The risk-factors were new clinical events/data occurring since their last routine clinic visit. To validate and compare data-led prioritisation tool to a traditional 'clinical approach' a sample of 450 patients were evaluated.

RESULTS

Of the 4022 people, 549 (13.6%) were identified as having one or more risk events/factors. People with risk were more likely to be non-Caucasian and had greater socio-economic deprivation. Taking clinical prioritisation as the gold standard, informatics tool identified high risk patients with a sensitivity of 83% and lower risk patients with a specificity of 81%. An operational pilot pathway over 3 months using this approach demonstrated in 101 high risk people that 40% received interventions/care optimisation to prevent deterioration in health.

CONCLUSION

A pragmatic data-driven method identifies people with diabetes at highest need for clinical prioritisation within restricted resources. Health informatics systems such as our can enhance care and improve operational efficiency and better healthcare delivery for people with diabetes.

Clinicians' Perspectives on Equitable Health Care Delivery in Group Well-Child Care

OBJECTIVE

To explore clinicians' perspectives about the impact of group well-child care (GWCC) on equitable health care delivery.

METHODS

In this qualitative study, we conducted semistructured interviews with clinicians engaged in GWCC recruited via purposive and snowball sampling. We first conducted a deductive content analysis using constructs from Donabedian's framework for health care quality (structure, process, and outcomes) followed by inductive thematic analysis within these constructs.

RESULTS

We completed 20 interviews with clinicians who deliver or research GWCC in 11 institutions across the United States. Four major themes around equitable health care delivery in GWCC emerged from clinicians' perspectives: 1) shifts in power dynamics (process); 2) enabling relational care, social support, and a sense of community (process, outcome); 3) centering multidisciplinary care delivery around patient and family needs (structure, process, and outcomes); and 4) unaddressed social and structural barriers limit patient and family participation.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians perceived that GWCC enhances equity in health care delivery by shifting hierarchies in clinical visits and promoting relational, patient, and family-centered care. However, potential opportunities exist to further address provider implicit bias in group care delivery and structural inequities at the level of the health care institution. Clinicians underscored the need to address barriers to participation so that GWCC can more fully enhance equitable health care delivery.

Health care leaders' perspectives on the business impact of mobile health clinics

BACKGROUND

By analyzing how health care leaders in the United States view mobile health programs and their impact on the organization's bottom line, this study equips those who currently operate or plan to deploy mobile clinics with a business case framework. Our aim is to understand health care leaders' perspectives about business-related incentives and disincentives for mobile healthcare.

METHODS

We conducted 25 semi-structured key informant interviews with U.S. health care leaders to explore their views and experiences related to mobile health care. We used deductive and inductive thematic analysis to identify patterns in the data. An advisory group with expertise in mobile health, health management, and health care finance informed data collection and analysis.

RESULTS

In addition to improving health outcomes, mobile clinics can bolster business objectives of health care organizations including those related to budget, business strategy, organizational culture, and health equity. We created a conceptual framework that demonstrates how these factors, supported by community engagement and data, come together to form a business case for mobile health care.

DISCUSSION

Our study demonstrates that mobile clinics can contribute to health care organizations' business goals by aligning with broader organizational strategies. The conceptual model provides a guide for aligning mobile clinics' work with business priorities of organizations and funders.

CONCLUSIONS

By understanding how health care leaders reconcile the business pressures they face with opportunities to advance health equity using mobile clinics, we can better support the strategic and sustainable expansion of the mobile health sector.

Quality of Municipal Long-Term Care in Different Models of Care: A Cross-Sectional Study From Norway

The quality of care remains a critical concern for health systems around the globe, especially in an era of unprecedented financial challenges and rising demands. Previous research indicates large variation in several indicators of quality in the long-term care setting, highlighting the need for further investigation into the factors contributing to such disparities. As different ways of delivering long-term care services likely affect quality of care, the objectives of our study is to investigate (1) variation in structure, process and outcome quality between municipalities, and (2) to what extent variation in quality is associated with municipal models of care and structural characteristics. The study had a cross-sectional approach and we utilized data on the municipal level from 3 sources: (1) a survey for models of care (2) Statistics Norway for municipal structural characteristics and (3) the National Health Care Quality Indicator System. Descriptive statistics showed that the Norwegian long-term care sector performs better (measured as percentage or probability) on structure (85.53) and outcome (84.86) quality than process (37.85) quality. Hierarchical linear regressions indicated that municipal structural characteristics and model of care had very limited effect on the quality of long-term care. A deeper understanding of variation in service quality may be found at the micro level in healthcare workers' day-to-day practice.

(De-)centralized health care delivery, surgical outcome, and psychosocial health of transgender and gender-diverse people undergoing vaginoplasty: results of a retrospective, single-center study

PURPOSE

Previous research on genital gender-affirming surgery lacked to build a framework that took various surrounding factors into account. E.g., transgender health care services are delivered in both centralized (by one interdisciplinary institution) and decentralized settings (by different medical institutions spread over several locations). The present study investigated the effects of different structural and clinical aspects of gender-affirming genital surgery on psychosocial outcomes.

METHODS

We surveyed former transgender and gender-diverse people who completed a vaginoplasty between 2014 and 2018. 45 participants were included in the study. We calculated hierarchical linear regression analyses to assess the relationship between psychosocial outcome measures (gender congruence, mental health, quality of life) and different aspects of gender-affirming genital surgery (e.g., setting of service delivery). To address shortcomings regarding the small sample size, we applied a rigorous statistical approach (e.g., Bonferroni correction) to ensure that we only identify predictors that are actually related to the outcomes.

RESULTS

A non-responder analysis revealed no systematic bias in the recruitment procedure. Treatment satisfaction was a significant predictor for gender congruence. Moreover, we found the setting of service delivery (centralized, decentralized) to predict psychological health and the physical health dimension of quality of life. The effect sizes of our models were moderate to high, and models explained up to 26% of the total variance with a power up to 0.83.

CONCLUSION

The present study is an exploratory attempt into the manifold relationships between treatment-related factors (e.g., aesthetic outcome), the setting of service delivery, and their effects on gender-affirming genital surgery.

Defining the care delivery value chain and mapping the patient journey in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that impacts patients' quality of life. Sophisticated organization of care delivery drives quality improvement. Therefore, the study objective was establishing a validated process map of the care cycle for RA patients. Hence, increasing transparency and optimizing care delivery and identifying areas of improvement. To map the RA care cycle, the care delivery value chain (CDVC) approach was used as framework to document activities and resources systematically. A mixed method study was conducted where quantitative data on activities were collected from health records and unstructured interviews with medical staff were held. Consequently, the process map was separately validated in a consensus meeting with a delegation of the medical staff and patient advisory board. At the start of the care cycle, the focus is predominantly on defining the treat-to-target strategy and examining disease activity. Towards the monitoring phase, tapering medication and managing the disease through patient-reported outcome measures are becoming increasingly important. Although patient's functioning, quality of care and patient's evaluation of received care are monitored, reflection of CDVC and engaging patients in the evaluation process resulted in improvement actions on outcome and process level. Mapping the RA care cycle following a systematic approach, provides insight and transparency in delivered activities, involved resources and the engagement of patients and caregivers at multiple levels, contributing to a system facilitating value-based care delivery. The CDVC framework and applied methodology is recommended in other conditions. Future research will focus at assigning outcomes and costs to activities and evaluating interventions to explore patient value.

Community paramedic hospital reduction and mitigation program: study protocol for a randomized pragmatic clinical trial

BACKGROUND

New patient-centered models of care are needed to individualize care and reduce high-cost care, including emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations for low- and intermediate-acuity conditions that could be managed outside the hospital setting. Community paramedics (CPs) have advanced training in low- and high-acuity care and are equipped to manage a wide range of health conditions, deliver patient education, and address social determinants of health in the home setting. The objective of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of the Care Anywhere with Community Paramedics (CACP) program with respect to shortening and preventing acute care utilization.

METHODS

This is a pragmatic, hybrid type 1, two-group, parallel-arm, 1:1 randomized clinical trial of CACP versus usual care that includes formative evaluation methods and assessment of implementation outcomes. It is being conducted in two sites in the US Midwest, which include small metropolitan areas and rural areas. Eligible patients are ≥ 18 years old; referred from an outpatient, ED, or hospital setting; clinically appropriate for ambulatory care with CP support; and residing within CP service areas of the referral sites. Aim 1 uses formative data collection with key clinical stakeholders and rapid qualitative analysis to identify potential facilitators/barriers to implementation and refine workflows in the 3-month period before trial enrollment commences (i.e., pre-implementation). Aim 2 uses mixed methods to evaluate CACP effectiveness, compared to usual care, by the number of days spent alive outside of the ED or hospital during the first 30 days following randomization (primary outcome), as well as self-reported quality of life and treatment burden, emergency medical services use, ED visits, hospitalizations, skilled nursing facility utilization, and adverse events (secondary outcomes). Implementation outcomes will be measured using the RE-AIM framework and include an assessment of perceived sustainability and metrics on equity in implementation. Aim 3 uses qualitative methods to understand patient, CP, and health care team perceptions of the intervention and recommendations for further refinement. In an effort to conduct a rigorous evaluation but also speed translation to practice, the planned duration of the trial is 15 months from the study launch to the end of enrollment.

DISCUSSION

This study will provide robust and timely evidence for the effectiveness of the CACP program, which may pave the way for large-scale implementation. Implementation outcomes will inform any needed refinements and best practices for scale-up and sustainability.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05232799. Registered on 10 February 2022.

Implementation of a virtual and in-person hybrid hospital-at-home model in two geographically separate regions utilizing a single command center: a descriptive cohort study

BACKGROUND

As providers look to scale high-acuity care in the patient home setting, hospital-at-home is becoming more prevalent. The traditional model of hospital-at-home usually relies on care delivery by in-home providers, caring for patients in urban communities through academic medical centers. Our objective is to describe the process and outcomes of Mayo Clinic's Advanced Care at Home (ACH) program, a hybrid virtual and in-person hospital-at-home model combining a single, virtual provider-staffed command center with a vendor-mediated in-person medical supply chain to simultaneously deliver care to patients living near an urban hospital-at-home command center and patients living in a rural region in a different US state and time zone.

METHODS

A descriptive, retrospective medical records review of all patients admitted to ACH between July 6, 2020, and December 31, 2021. Patients were admitted to ACH from an urban academic medical center in Florida and a rural community hospital in Wisconsin. We collected patient volumes, age, sex, race, ethnicity, insurance type, primary hospital diagnosis, 30-day mortality rate, in-program mortality, 30-day readmission rate, rate of return to hospital during acute phase, All Patient Refined-Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG) Severity of Illness (SOI), and length of stay (LOS) in both the inpatient-equivalent acute phase and post-acute equivalent restorative phase.

RESULTS

Six hundred and eighty-six patients were admitted to the ACH program, 408 in Florida and 278 in Wisconsin. The most common diagnosis seen were infectious pneumonia (27.0%), septicemia / bacteremia (11.5%), congestive heart failure exacerbation (11.5%), and skin and soft tissue infections (6.3%). Median LOS in the acute phase was 3 days (IQR 2-5) and median stay in the restorative phase was 22 days (IQR 11-26). In-program mortality rate was 0% and 30-day mortality was 0.6%. The mean APR-DRG SOI was 2.9 (SD 0.79) and the 30-day readmission rate was 9.7%.

CONCLUSIONS

The ACH hospital-at-home model was able to provide both high-acuity inpatient-level care and post-acute care to patients in their homes through a single command center to patients in urban and rural settings in two different geographical locations with favorable outcomes of low mortality and hospital readmissions.

Redefining Cultural Competency: Practicing Cultural Humility

As humanity continues to evolve, so do new treatments and the need to continually reevaluate and improve health care delivery. Cultural competency is at the core of improving health care delivery. However, cultural competency has proven to have limitations as it relates to the importance of on-going self-awareness, understanding, and consciousness of our own biases, culture, and values in the delivery of culturally sensitive patient and family-centric health care. The limited understanding of the true definition of cultural competency has hindered and blurred the guidelines on how to best communicate with patients and families throughout their care and end of life. With cultural humility, health care professionals can begin to lean into cultural confidence with resilience and curiosity.

CML Outcomes and Care Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The study aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of health care and services to patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) accessing treatment through The Max Foundation.

RECENT FINDINGS

An online survey was developed and sent via email to 527 partner physicians who had active patients under their care in July 2020, asking about the disruption of health services with multiple-choice answers or a five-point ordinal scale. Data from The Max Foundation's Patient Access Tracking System (PATS®) was analyzed to evaluate program performance in 2020 compared with 2019. PATS® is used to track key patient information and supply chain data to ensure robust reporting, quality assurance, and safety. Among the 111 physicians who responded (20% response rate), 48% reported that someone on their team had contracted COVID-19. A total of 95 (85%) physicians reported at least some disruption of services to patients due to COVID-19, with 29 (26%) reporting frequent or complete disruption. Almost all physicians in the South Asia and Asia Pacific regions reported disruption (96% and 95%, respectively), compared with three quarters of physicians in Latin America. Institutions overcame challenges using a variety of solutions including telemedicine (60%), electronic prescriptions (45%), home delivery via courier services (31%), government workers (9%), and dispensation coordination with regional hospitals (14%). The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted services for CML physicians and patients worldwide. Overall, these disruptions did not appear to significantly affect The Max Foundation's ability to provide patients with access to treatment, as novel approaches in telemedicine, supply chain, and dispensing, as well as provision of guidance and support for physicians were utilized to overcame disruption of services.

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest within the United States: Now is the time for change

This review highlights the current evidence on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in cardiac arrest outcomes within the United States. Several studies demonstrate that patients from Black, Hispanic, or lower socioeconomic status backgrounds suffer the most from disparities at multiple levels of the resuscitation pathway, including in the provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillator usage, and postresuscitation therapies. These gaps in care may altogether lead to lower survival rates and worse neurological outcomes for these patients. A multisystem, culturally sensitive approach to improving cardiac arrest outcomes is suggested in this article.

The Frequency of Visual Field Testing in a US Nationwide Cohort of Individuals with Open-Angle Glaucoma

PURPOSE

Visual field testing that is not frequent enough results in delayed identification of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) progression. Guidelines recommend at least annual testing. It is not known how frequently patients with OAG across the United States receive visual field testing and how patient characteristics and circumstances influence this frequency. If US patients with OAG do not receive visual field tests frequently enough, interventions to increase this frequency or to develop other forms of testing visual function may reduce unidentified OAG vision loss.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

The TruvenHealth MarketScan Commercial Claims Database (IBM) contains demographic and claims data for > 160 million individuals across the United States from 2008 to 2017. We identified enrollees in the database with a recorded diagnosis of OAG (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification codes 356.1x and H40.1x, respectively). We excluded those aged < 40 years at the time of their first OAG diagnosis, those without at least 1 confirmatory OAG diagnosis at a subsequent visit, and those with < 4 years of follow-up data after OAG diagnosis.

METHODS

We calculated the number of visual field tests that each enrollee with OAG underwent per year and categorized the enrollees based on that number (0, > 0 to < 0.9, ≥ 0.9 to ≤ 1.1, > 1.1 to ≤ 2.1, and > 2.1). We used negative binomial regression to investigate the demographic or health variables that were associated with the frequency of visual field tests that enrollees with OAG received.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Frequency of visual field testing among enrollees with OAG.

RESULTS

Of the 380 029 enrollees included in the study, 33 267 (8.8%) did not receive a visual field test during the study period, 259 349 (68.2%) underwent > 0 to < 0.9 visual field tests per year, 42 129 (11.1%) underwent ≥ 0.9 to ≤ 1.1 visual field tests per year, 42 301 (11.1%) underwent > 1.1 to ≤ 2.1 visual field tests per year, and 2983 (0.8%) underwent ≥ 2.1 visual field tests per year. The median number of visual field tests per year was 0.63 (interquartile range, 0.33-0.88; mean, 0.65).

CONCLUSIONS

More than 75% of enrollees with OAG received < 1 visual field test per year and, thus, did not receive guideline-adherent glaucoma monitoring.

Comparing the Evaluation of Abdominal Pain in Adolescent Females at a Pediatric vs General Emergency Department

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to determine the rates at which gynecologic history and related exams are performed among adolescent females presenting with abdominal pain and whether the rates differ between patients seeking care at a pediatric compared with a general emergency department (ED).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of female patients aged 12-21 years who presented to the ED for a chief complaint of abdominal pain at either a single academic children's ED or a single general academic ED during 2016. We examined differences in the rates of gynecologic history and related exams between institutions, before and after adjustment with inverse probability weights.

RESULTS

A total of 837 females met the inclusion criteria for this study, and 627 patients were included in the adjusted analyses. Outcomes more commonly performed at the pediatric institution included documentation of contraception (28% at the general ED vs 43% at the pediatric ED, P < .001), sexually transmitted infection testing (32% at the general ED vs 42% at the pediatric ED, P = .04), and radiologic imaging (46% at the general ED vs 70% at the pediatric ED, P < .001). Outcomes that were more commonly performed at the general ED were pelvic exam (26% at the general ED vs 10% at the pediatric ED, P < .001) and complete blood count draw (67% at the general ED vs 39% at the pediatric ED, P < .001). No differences were observed between institutions in the documentation of menarche or sexual activity, the performance of a pregnancy test or CT scan, or the rate of subsequent ED/urgent care visits in the following year.

CONCLUSION

The rates at which gynecologic history and pelvic examination were performed in adolescent females presenting for abdominal pain at both a general ED and a pediatric ED were low and inconsistent. Providers should have a low threshold for testing for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. Pelvic examination and diagnostic lab testing should be performed when indicated in the setting of a clinically appropriate history. These efforts would ensure adequate evaluation of adolescent women and reduce unnecessary health resource utilization.

A prospective, randomized trial of patient-reported outcome measures to drive management decisions in hematology and oncology

Background

Clinicians have limited time during patient encounters which can result in patients' concerns not being addressed. This study's objective was to test whether an electronic patient-reported outcome quality of life tool (PROQOL) in which patients identify their primary concern during clinic visits improves cancer patient quality of life (QOL).

Patients and methods

This single center non-blinded prospective clinical trial randomized patients (2:1) to PROQOL versus usual care (UC). Two patient cohorts were enrolled: those with hematologic malignancies (multiple myeloma [MM] or light chain amyloidosis [AL]) and solid tumors (head and neck [H/N] or gynecologic [GYN] malignancies). Primary endpoint was patient-reported QOL at 12 months measured by a single-item Linear Analog Self-Assessment. Value to patients and impact on clinician workflow was measured using a "was it worth it" survey. The study was powered to detect a 0.5 standard deviation difference between groups.

Results

Overall 383 patients were enrolled, 171 with MM, 62 AL, 113 GYN, and 37 H/N between July 2016 and April 2018, with 12-month follow-up. There were 171 (44.6%) male patients and median age was 62 years (range 31-87). The most often selected concern was physical health (30.9%), and second was cancer diagnosis and treatment (29.1%). Mean QOL was 7.12 for PROQOL and 6.98 for UC (0-10 scale) at 12 months, with no between-group difference overall (p = 0.56) or within hematologic or solid tumor cohorts, respectively. Among patients, 74% thought the PROQOL tool was worthwhile, 86% would choose PROQOL again, and 81% would recommend it to others. Among clinicians, 95% responded that PROQOL was worthwhile and did not think that PROQOL negatively impacted their workflow.

Conclusions

Although we did not demonstrate a QOL difference between PROQOL and UC groups; the PROQOL tool held considerable value in identifying patients' main concerns over time and was worthwhile for patients and clinicians.

Clinicians' Perceptions of Collaborative Palliative Care Delivery in Chronic Kidney Disease

CONTEXT

Guidelines recommend palliative care for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), who experience a high pain and symptom burden, and receive intensive treatments that often do not align with their values. A lack of scalable specialty palliative care services has prompted calls for attention to primary palliative care, delivered in primary care and nephrology settings.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study were to 1) describe expectations for care to meet the palliative care needs of people living with CKD, and limitations to meeting those expectations in the current model, and 2) identify potential interventions to meet patients' palliative care needs.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured interviews with clinicians from primary care, nephrology, and palliative care to assess 1) reasonable expectations for meeting palliative needs, 2) barriers to integrating primary palliative care, and 3) potential intervention points.

RESULTS

Clinicians discussed their expectations for high-quality communication (e.g., discussing disease understanding, assessing goals of care) and better integration of palliative care services. Clinicians expressed barriers to delivering that care, including poor inter-clinician communication. To address barriers, clinicians outlined potential intervention points, such as building collaborative models of care, and structural triggers to identify patients who may be appropriate for palliative care.

CONCLUSION

Interventions to address gaps in palliative care delivery for people living with CKD should incorporate systematic identification of patients with palliative care needs and structural mechanisms to meeting those needs via specialty and primary palliative care.

Suboptimal nonmedical qualities of primary care linked with care avoidance among people who use drugs in a Canadian setting amid an integrated health care reform

BACKGROUND

People who use unregulated drugs (PWUD) often face significant barriers to-and thereby avoid seeking-health care. In Vancouver, Canada, a neighborhood-wide health care system reform began in 2016 to improve health care delivery and quality. In the wake of this reform, we sought to determine the prevalence of health care avoidance and its association with emergency department use among PWUD in this setting and examine patient-reported nonmedical qualities of health care ("responsiveness").

METHODS

The study derived data from two prospective cohort studies of community-recruited PWUD in Vancouver in 2017-18. Responsiveness was ascertained by the World Health Organizations' standardized measurements and we evaluated seven domains of responsiveness (dignity, autonomy, communication, confidentiality, prompt attention, choice of provider, and quality of basic amenities). The study used Pearson chi-squared test to examine differences in responsiveness between those who did and did not avoid care. The study team used multivariable logistic regression to determine the relationship between care avoidance due to past mistreatment and emergency department use, adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Among 889 participants, 520 (58.5%) were male, 204 (22.9%) reported avoiding health care, most commonly for chronic pain (47.4%). Overall, 6.6% to 36.2% reported suboptimal levels (i.e., not always meeting the expected quality) across all seven measured domain of responsiveness. Proportions reporting suboptimal qualities were significantly higher among those who avoided care than those who did not across all domains, including care as soon as wanted (51.0% vs. 31.8%), listened to carefully (44.1% vs. 20.4%), and involved in health care decision-making (27.9% vs. 12.7%) (all p < 0.05). In multivariable analyses, avoidance of health care was independently associated with self-reported emergency department use (adjusted odds ratio = 1.49; 95% confidence interval:1.01-2.19).

CONCLUSION

We found that almost a quarter of our sample of PWUD avoided seeking health care due to past mistreatment, and all seven measured domains of responsiveness were suboptimal and linked with avoidance. Individuals who reported avoidance of health care were significantly more likely to report emergency department use. Multi-level interventions are needed to remedy the suboptimal qualities of health care and thereby reduce care avoidance.

Factors Influencing Provider Behavior Around Delivery of Preconception Care

OBJECTIVE

Despite growing consensus about the clinical value of preconception care (PCC), gaps and disparities remain in its delivery. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing behavior of health care providers around PCC in outpatient clinical settings in the United States.

METHODS

Twenty health care providers who serve people of reproductive age were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Data was coded based on a modified Theoretical Domains Framework and analyzed using deductive content analysis.

RESULTS

We interviewed eight family medicine physicians, four obstetricians/gynecologists, seven nurse practitioners, and one nurse midwife. Overall, we found a wide variety in practices and attitudes towards PCC. Barriers and challenges to delivering PCC were shared across sites. We identified six themes that influenced provider behavior around PCC: (1) lack of knowledge of PCC guidelines, (2) perception of lack of preconception patient contact, (3) pessimism around patient "compliance," (4) opinion about scope of practice, (5) clinical site structure, and (6) reliance on the patient/provider relationship.

CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE

Overall, our findings call for improved provider understanding of PCC and creative incorporation into current health care culture and practice. Given that PCC-specific visits are perceived by some as outside the norm of clinical offerings, providers may need to incorporate PCC into other encounters, as many in this study reported doing. We amplify the call for providers to understand how structural inequities may influence patient behavior and the value of standardized screening, within and beyond PCC, as well as examination of implicit and explicit provider bias.

Synchronous Health Care Delivery for the Optimization of Cardiovascular and Renal Care in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The current care model of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications appears to be "asynchronous" with patient care divided by specialty. This model is associated with low use of guideline-directed medical therapies.

RECENT FINDINGS

The use of integrated care models has been well described in the management of patients with T2D; this usually includes an endocrinologist coupled with a nutritionist and nurse. However, physician-based care models are largely "asynchronous," whereby the patient requires multiple different siloed specialties to manage their health care. To date, there has been limited exploration of synchronous care delivery, i.e., whereby multi-comorbid patients with T2D are seen simultaneously by health care providers from endocrinology, cardiology, and nephrology to optimize use of guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMT). Given the rising complexity of patients with T2D, further research is needed on the role of synchronous health care delivery in optimizing the use of GDMT and improving patient outcomes.

Willingness to pay for a National Health Insurance (NHI) in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Background

Healthcare services in Saudi Arabia are provided free of charge to its citizens at the point of use. Recently, however, the government has realized that this model is unsustainable in the long run. Therefore, Saudi decision-makers are seeking to have a sustainable health system through the introduction of a contributory National Health Insurance that require making regular financial contributions from its members.

Objective

This study aims to explore the people’s willingness to pay for a National Health Insurance system in Saudi Arabia. The study also aims to understand the factors affecting their willingness or unwillingness to pay NHI, such as, their demographic and socio-economic characteristics, the type of their usual health care provider, and their satisfaction with the current healthcare services.

Methods

A cross-sectional study design with Contingent Valuation (CV) technique was used to measure the value of National Health Insurance based on an individual’s willingness to pay. The data were collected from 475 participants using an online survey via Google Forms between March 2021 and April 2021. Frequencies, logistic regression, and linear regression, were conducted to answer the research questions.

Results

The number of individuals who was willing to pay for NHI was higher than those who were not willing to pay (62.9, 95% CI = 58.4-67.3%) vs (37.1, 95% CI = 32.7-41.6%). A binomial test found this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). There was a significant association between the likelihood of paying for NHI and type of usual healthcare provider (OR = 3.129, 95% CI = 1.943-5.039, p < 0.001); as individuals using public health services were more likely to pay for NHI. Also, with satisfaction with health services (OR = 14.305, 95% CI = 3.240-63.153, p < 0.001), as individuals who were very satisfied with the healthcare services were more likely to pay for NHI. The median amount of money the people were willing to pay as a monthly contribution for NHI was 100 SAR (26.5 USD) with the average being 152 SAR (40 USD). There was a significant association between the maximum amount the participants were willing to pay and age, region, and education. Specifically, 30–39-year-olds were willing to pay more for NHI compared to participants aged 50 or older (ß = 103.55, 95% CI = 26.27- 199.29); participants from central region more than participants from northern region (ß = 70.71,95% CI = 2.14- 138.58); and participants with masters degree more than participants with PhDs (ß = 227.46, 95% CI = 81.59- 399.28).

Conclusion

This study provided some evidence that more people were willing to pay for NHI than those who declined. Individuals who frequently used public health services and were very satisfied with these services were more willing to pay for NHI. Younger population, those with master’s degree, and from the central region were willing to pay more amount of money for NHI. These results could help policy makers shape their decisions and anticipate problems that may arise with NHI implementation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13353-z.

Association of types of diabetes and insulin dependency on birth outcomes

BACKGROUND

Diabetes rates among pregnant women in the United States have been increasing and are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

AIM

To investigate differences in birth outcomes (preterm birth, macrosomia, and neonatal death) by diabetes status.

METHODS

Cross-sectional design, using linked Missouri birth and death certificates (singleton births only), 2010 to 2012 (n = 204057). Exposure was diabetes (non-diabetic, pre-pregnancy diabetes-insulin dependent (PD-I), pre-pregnancy diabetes-non-insulin dependent (PD-NI), gestational diabetes- insulin dependent (GD-I), and gestational diabetes-non-insulin dependent (GD-NI)]. Outcomes included preterm birth, macrosomia, and infant mortality. Confounders included demographic characteristics, adequacy of prenatal care, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, and previous preterm birth. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression assessed differences in outcomes by diabetes status.

RESULTS

Women with PD-I, PD-NI, and GD-I remained at a significantly increased odds for preterm birth (aOR 2.87, aOR 1.77, and aOR 1.73, respectively) and having a very large baby [macrosomia] (aOR 3.01, aOR 2.12, and aOR 1.96, respectively); in reference to non-diabetic women. Women with GD-NI were at a significantly increased risk for macrosomia (aOR1.53), decreased risk for their baby to die before their first birthday (aOR 0.41) and no difference in risk for preterm birth in reference to non-diabetic women.

CONCLUSION

Diabetes is associated with the poor birth outcomes. Clinical management of diabetes during pregnancy and healthy lifestyle behaviors before pregnancy can reduce the risk for diabetes and poor birth outcomes.

Health care burden and mortality of acute on chronic liver failure in Thailand: a nationwide population-based cohort study

Background

Accurate population-based data are required concerning the rate, economic impact, and long-term outcome from acute on chronic liver failures (ACLF) in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis.

We aimed to discover time trends for the epidemiology, economic burden, and mortality of ACLF in Thailand.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide, population-based, cohort study which involved all hospitalized patients with cirrhosis in Thailand during the period between 2009 and 2013, with data from the National Health Security Office. ACLF was defined by two or more extrahepatic organ failures in patients with cirrhosis. Primary outcomes were trends in hospitalizations, hospital costs, together with inpatient mortality.

Results

The number of ACLF hospitalizations in Thailand doubled between 3185 in 2009 and 7666 in 2013. The average cost of each ACLF hospitalization was 3.5-fold higher than for cirrhosis ($ 1893 versus $ 519). The hospital is paid using a diagnosis-related group (DRG) payment system that is only 15% of the average treatment costs ($ 286 from $ 1893). The in-hospital fatality rate was 51% for ACLF while the additional fatality rate was 85% up to 1 year. The ACLF organ failure trends indicated sepsis with septic shock and renal failure as the majority proportion. Age, the number and types of organ failure and male sex were predictors of ACLF death.

Conclusions and relevance

Cirrhosis and ACLF both represent substantial and increasing health and economic burdens for Thailand. These data can assist national health care policy stakeholders to target high-risk patients with cirrhosis for care.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-07574-6.

Understanding Autonomy in Patients with Moderate to Severe Asthma

BACKGROUND

Autonomy is the ability of patients to make informed medical decisions. Autonomy is rooted in disease state understanding. Medical ethics, especially the principle of autonomy, plays an important role in health care delivery when caring for diverse populations.

OBJECTIVE

To identify patient characteristics that influence autonomy.

METHODS

A total of 295 adults with moderate to severe asthma completed 2 surveys at the beginning of a 1-year randomized clinical trial. The Navigating Ability 2 and Inhaled Corticosteroids Knowledge questionnaires were combined to create a 21-question assessment of autonomy with possible scores ranging from 10 to 105. Linear regression was performed on the derived autonomy score predicted by patient baseline characteristics.

RESULTS

Comparison revealed statistically significant differences in baseline autonomy scores in patients who reported Spanish as their primary language (P = .01), patients with diabetes (P = .01), and those with depressive symptoms (P = .03) at -11.4 (95% CI, -20.5 to -2.3), -4.8 (95% CI, -8.3 to -1.3), and -3.1 (95% CI, -5.9 to -0.3) points, respectively. Non-Hispanic White participants on average were found to have 8.2 (95% CI, 4.5 to 12.0) points higher autonomy scores compared with non-Hispanic Black participants (Bonferroni-adjusted P < .01). Patients with higher functional health literacy had higher autonomy scores (coefficient = 0.24; 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.4; P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Autonomy is associated with comorbidities, demographics, and literacy. These results may reflect differences in social, educational, and economic opportunities encountered by patients. Further investigation is needed to assess and understand how socioeconomic and educational factors influence autonomy. By identifying differences in autonomy based on baseline patient characteristics, this project serves as an initial step in adjusting current and developing new treatment guidelines and interventions to improve patient autonomy.

Cultivating across "pockets of excellence": challenges to sustaining efforts to improve osteoporosis care

We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with clinicians involved in bone health care to understand the challenges of implementing and sustaining bone health care interventions. Participants identified individual- and system-level challenges to care delivery, implementation, and sustainment. We discuss opportunities to address challenges through a commitment to relationship- and infrastructure-building support.

PURPOSE

Osteoporosis and fracture-related sequalae exact significant individual and societal costs; however, identification and treatment of at-risk patients are troublingly low, especially among men. The purpose of this study was to identify challenges to implementing and sustaining bone health care delivery interventions in the Veterans Health Administration.

METHODS

We conducted interviews with endocrinologists, pharmacists, primary care physicians, rheumatologists, and orthopedic surgeons involved in bone health care (n = 20). Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. To determine thematic domains, we engaged in an iterative, qualitative content analysis of the transcripts.

RESULTS

Participants reported multiple barriers to delivering bone health care and to sustaining the initiatives designed to address delivery challenges. Challenges of bone health care delivery existed at both the individual level-a lack of patient and clinician awareness and competing clinical demands-and the system level-multiple points of entry to bone health care, a dispersion of patient management, and guideline variability. To address the challenges, participants developed initiatives targeting the identification of at-risk patients, clinician education, increasing communication, and care coordination. Sustaining initiatives, however, was challenged by staff turnover and the inability to achieve and maintain priority status for bone health care.

CONCLUSION

The multiple, multi-level barriers to bone health care affect both care delivery processes and sustainment of initiatives to improve those processes. Barriers to care delivery, while tempered by intervention, are entangled and persist alongside sustainment challenges. These challenges require relationship- and infrastructure-building support.

Provider Perspectives on Integrating Family Caregivers into Patient Care Encounters

OBJECTIVE

To examine and compare healthcare provider perceptions for integrating family caregivers into patient encounters and other processes of care by medical specialty.

DATA SOURCES/SETTING

Data were from nineteen interviews conducted in 2018, ten with primary care or palliative care providers and nine with proceduralists or interventionists in practices located in Minnesota, Florida, and Arizona.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a qualitative study using data collected from one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with physicians.

DATA COLLECTION

Using purposeful 'maximum variation' sampling to capture differences between primary and palliative care providers and proceduralists/interventionists, data were collected, reviewed, coded, and then analyzed using inductive content analysis with a constant comparison approach.

PRIMARY FINDINGS

Primary care providers described a lack of organizational and institutional resources to support caregivers. Accordingly, they were compelled to curb caregiver engagement in order to meet patients' clinical care needs within the time and workflow demands in encounters. Proceduralists and interventionists described the need to assess caregivers for suitability to provide care during intense periods of treatment. They reported having access to more formal organizational resources for supporting caregivers. Overall, providers described a paradox, where caregivers are seen as contributing value to patient encounters until they need training, education, or support to provide care, at which point they become burdensome and require more time and resources than are typically available.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight how organizational constraints inhibit caregiver engagement in patient encounters and influence provider attitudes about engaging caregivers and assessing their unmet needs. Findings also provide insights into challenges across practice types for implementing state and federal laws that promote caregiver engagement. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Crohn's and Colitis Canada's 2021 Impact of COVID-19 and Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Canada: Health Care Delivery During the Pandemic and the Future Model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had a profound impact on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) health care delivery. The implementation of necessary public health restrictions has restricted access to medications, procedures and surgeries throughout the pandemic, catalyzing widespread change in how IBD care is delivered. Rapid large-scale implementation of virtual care modalities has been shown to be feasible and acceptable for the majority of individuals with IBD and health care providers. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing barriers to accessing high-quality, multidisciplinary IBD care that addresses health care needs holistically. Continued implementation and evaluation of both synchronous and asynchronous eHealthcare modalities are required now and in the future in order to determine how best to incorporate these modalities into patient-centred, collaborative care models. Resources must be dedicated to studies that evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of eHealth-enhanced models of IBD care to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness, while increasing quality of life for persons living with IBD. Crohn's and Colitis Canada will continue to play a major leadership role in advocating for the health care delivery models that improve the quality of life for persons living with IBD.

ONBOARD: A Feasibility Study of a Telehealth-Based Continuous Glucose Monitoring Adoption Intervention for Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Background: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can improve glycemic control for adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) but certain barriers interfere with consistent use including cost, data overload, alarm fatigue, physical discomfort, and unwanted social attention. This pilot study aimed to examine feasibility and acceptability of a behavioral intervention, ONBOARD (Overcoming Barriers and Obstacles to Adopting Diabetes Devices) to support adults with T1D in optimizing CGM use. Methods: Adults (18-50 years) with T1D in their first year of CGM use were invited to participate in a tailored, multicomponent telehealth-based intervention delivered over four 60-min sessions every 2-3 weeks. Participants completed surveys (demographics; diabetes distress, Diabetes Distress Scale for adults with type 1 diabetes; satisfaction with program) and provided CGM data at baseline and postintervention (3 months). Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: Twenty-two participants (age = 30.95 ± 8.32 years; 59% women; 91% non-Hispanic; 86% White, 5% Black, 9% other; 73% pump users) completed the study. ONBOARD demonstrated acceptability and a high rate of retention. Moderate effect sizes were found for reductions in diabetes distress (P = 0.01, r = -0.37) and increases in daytime spent in target range (70-180 mg/dL: P = 0.03, r = -0.35). There were no significant increases in hypoglycemia. Conclusions: Findings show preliminary evidence of feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of ONBOARD for supporting adults with T1D in optimizing CGM use while alleviating diabetes distress. Further research is needed to examine ONBOARD in a larger sample over a longer period.

A tribute to Robert Croyle, PhD, Director, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences

At the beginning of Dr. Robert Croyle's 18th and final year as director of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), before his retirement in December 2021, it is fitting to review some of his and the division's many accomplishments and pay tribute to him as one of the government's most effective leaders. The focus of this article is on Dr. Croyle's contributions in the behavioral and related domains and his and the division's impact on the landscape of cancer control and population sciences. Dr. Croyle joined DCCPS in 1998 as associate director for behavioral research. He became acting director of DCCPS in 2001 and then director in 2003. DCCPS is a formidable NCI division, with broad mandates and responsibilities and many partners from multiple sectors. The division conducts and supports an integrated program of the highest-quality genetic, epidemiological, behavioral, social, applied, survivorship, surveillance, and health care delivery cancer research. The division's notable successes in implementation science and the dissemination of evidence-based findings and products, use of cancer research consortia, and partnerships across National Institutes of Health and with external federal and nongovernmental organizations are among many that reflect Dr. Croyle's visionary leadership.

Disparities in Health Care Delivery Systems

Racial disparities in health care systems exist in all phases of health care delivery. The Affordable Care Act has been unable to completely mitigate disparities in health care as the root cause (ie, socioeconomic inequality) remains unaddressed. Uninsured status, lack of transportation, high costs, health literacy, provider unavailability, lack of trust in the health system, and implicit bias block minority populations from obtaining deserved quality care. With the COVID-19 crisis, increased sensitivity and development of innovative approaches to provide accessibly and quality health care are necessary.

Primary care-based interventions to address the financial needs of patients experiencing poverty: a scoping review of the literature

BACKGROUND

It is broadly accepted that poverty is associated with poor health, and the health impact of poverty has been explored in numerous high-income country settings. There is a large and growing body of evidence of the role that primary care practitioners can play in identifying poverty as a health determinant, and in interventions to address it.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

This study maps the published peer-reviewed and grey literature on primary care setting interventions to address poverty in high-income countries in order to identify key concepts and gaps in the research. This scoping review seeks to map the tools in use to identify and address patients' economic needs; describe the key types of primary care-based interventions; and examine barriers and facilitators to successful implementation.

METHODS

Using a scoping review methodology, we searched five databases, the grey literature and the reference lists of relevant studies to identify studies on interventions to address the economic needs-related social determinants of health that occur in primary health care delivery settings, in high-income countries. Findings were synthesized narratively, and examined using thematic analysis, according to iteratively identified themes.

RESULTS

Two hundred and fourteen papers were included in the review and fell into two broad categories of description and evaluation: screening tools, and economic needs-specific interventions. Primary care-based interventions that aim to address patients' financial needs operate at all levels, from passive sociodemographic data collection upon patient registration, through referral to external services, to direct intervention in addressing patients' income needs.

CONCLUSION

Tools and processes to identify and address patients' economic social needs range from those tailored to individual health practices, or addressing one specific dimension of need, to wide-ranging protocols. Primary care-based interventions to address income needs operate at all levels, from passive sociodemographic data collection, through referral to external services, to direct intervention. Measuring success has proven challenging. The decision to undertake this work requires courage on the part of health care providers because it can be difficult, time-consuming and complex. However, it is often appreciated by patients, even when the scope of action available to health care providers is quite narrow.

Help when you need it: Perspectives of adults with T1D on the support and training they would have wanted when starting CGM

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to explore preferences that adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have for training and support to initiate and sustain optimal use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology.

METHODS

Twenty-two adults with T1D (M age 30.95 ± 8.32; 59.1% female; 90.9% Non-Hispanic; 86.4% White; diabetes duration 13.5 ± 8.42 years; 72.7% insulin pump users) who had initiated CGM use in the past year participated in focus groups exploring two overarching questions: (1) What helped you learn to use your CGM? and (2) What additional support would you have wanted? Focus groups used a semi-structured interview guide and were recorded, transcribed and analyzed.

RESULTS

Overarching themes identified were: (1) "I got it going by myself": CGM training left to the individual; (2) Internet as diabetes educator, troubleshooter, and peer support system; and (3) domains of support they wanted, including content and format of this support.

CONCLUSION

This study identifies current gaps in training and potential avenues for enhancing device education and CGM onboarding support for adults with T1D. Providing CGM users with relevant, timely resources and attending to the emotional side of using CGM could alleviate the burden of starting a new device and promote sustained device use.

Data and HIT systems in primary care settings: an analysis of perceptions and use

PURPOSE

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and other Health Information Technologies (HITs) pose significant challenges for clinicians, administrators and managers in the field of primary care. While there is an abundance of literature on the challenges of HIT systems in primary care, there are also practices where HITs are well-integrated and useful for care delivery. This study aims to (1) understand how exemplary primary care practices conceptualized data and HIT system use in their care delivery and (2) describe components that support and promote data and HIT system use in care delivery.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

This paper is a sub-analysis of a larger qualitative data set on exemplary primary care in which data was collected using in-depth interviews, observations, field notes and primary source documents from week-long site visits at each organization. Using a combination of qualitative analysis methods including elements of thematic analysis, discourse analysis, and qualitative comparison analysis, we examined HIT-related data across six exemplary primary care organizations.

FINDINGS

Three key components were identified that underlie engagement with data and HIT systems: data audience identification, defined data purpose and structures for participation in both data design and maintenance.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

Within the context of primary care, these findings have implications for effective integration of HIT systems into primary care delivery.

Organizational readiness for artificial intelligence in health care: insights for decision-making and practice

PURPOSE

Artificial intelligence (AI) raises many expectations regarding its ability to profoundly transform health care delivery. There is an abundant literature on the technical performance of AI applications in many clinical fields (e.g. radiology, ophthalmology). This article aims to bring forward the importance of studying organizational readiness to integrate AI into health care delivery.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The reflection is based on our experience in digital health technologies, diffusion of innovations and healthcare organizations and systems. It provides insights into why and how organizational readiness should be carefully considered.

FINDINGS

As an important step to ensure successful integration of AI and avoid unnecessary investments and costly failures, better consideration should be given to: (1) Needs and added-value assessment; (2) Workplace readiness: stakeholder acceptance and engagement; (3) Technology-organization alignment assessment and (4) Business plan: financing and investments. In summary, decision-makers and technology promoters should better address the complexity of AI and understand the systemic challenges raised by its implementation in healthcare organizations and systems.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

Few studies have focused on the organizational issues raised by the integration of AI into clinical routine. The current context is marked by a perplexing gap between the willingness of decision-makers and technology promoters to capitalize on AI applications to improve health care delivery and the reality on the ground, where it is difficult to initiate the changes needed to realize their full benefits while avoiding their negative impacts.

Update on Approaches to Improve Delivery and Quality of Care for People with Diabetes

To translate improvements in diabetes management into improved outcomes, it is essential to improve care delivery. To help guide clinicians and health organizations in their efforts to achieve these improvements, this article briefly describes key components underpinning effective diabetes care and six categories of innovations in approaches to improve diabetes care delivery: (1) team-based clinical care; (2) cross-specialty collaboration/integration; (3) virtual clinical care/telehealth; (4) use of community health workers (CHWs) and trained peers to provide pro-active self-management support; (5) incorporating screening for and addressing social determinants of health into clinical practice; and (6) cross-sectoral clinic/community partnerships.

The Waiting Game - How Cooperation Between Public and Private Hospitals Can Help Reduce Waiting Lists

Prolonged waiting to access health care is a primary concern for nations aiming for comprehensive effective care, due to its adverse effects on mortality, quality of life, and government approval. Here, we propose two novel bargaining frameworks to reduce waiting lists in two-tier health care systems with local and regional actors. In particular, we assess the impact of 1) trading patients on waiting lists among hospitals, the 2) introduction of the role of private hospitals in capturing unfulfilled demand, and the 3) hospitals’ willingness to share capacity on the system performance. We calibrated our models with 2008–2018 Chilean waiting list data. If hospitals trade unattended patients, our game-theoretic models indicate a potential reduction of waiting lists of up to 37%. However, when private hospitals are introduced into the system, we found a possible reduction of waiting lists of up to 60%. Further analyses revealed a trade-off between diagnosing unserved demand and the additional expense of using private hospitals as a back-up system. In summary, our game-theoretic frameworks of waiting list management in two-tier health systems suggest that public–private cooperation can be an effective mechanism to reduce waiting lists. Further empirical and prospective evaluations are needed.

Nurse practitioner led model of after-hours emergency care in an Australian rural urgent care Centre: health service stakeholder perceptions

Background

The challenges of providing and accessing quality health care in rural regions have long been identified. Innovative solutions are not only required but are also vital if effective, timely and equitable access to sustainable health care in rural communities is to be realised. Despite trial implementation of some alternative models of health care delivery, not all have been evaluated and their impacts are not well understood. The aim of this study was to explore the views of staff and stakeholders of a rural health service in relation to the implementation of an after-hours nurse practitioner model of health care delivery in its Urgent Care Centre.

Methods

This qualitative study included semi-structured individual and group interviews with professional stakeholders of a rural health service in Victoria, Australia and included hospital managers and hospital staff who worked directly or indirectly with the after-hours NPs in addition to local GPs, GP practice nurses, and paramedics. Thematic analysis was used to generate key themes from the data.

Results

Four themes emerged from the data analysis: transition to change; acceptance of the after-hours nurse practitioner role; workforce sustainability; and rural context.

Conclusions

This study suggests that the nurse practitioner-led model is valued by rural health practitioners and could reduce the burden of excessive after-hour on-call duties for rural GPs while improving access to quality health care for community members. As pressure on rural urgent care centres further intensifies with the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, serious consideration of the nurse practitioner-led model is recommended as a desirable and effective alternative.

The impact of the State Innovation Models Initiative on population health

In this paper, we examine the effects of the State Innovation Models Initiative (SIM) on population-level health status. SIM provided $250 million to six states in 2013 for broad delivery system reforms. We use data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for the years 2010-2016. Our sample is restricted to individuals ages 45 and older residing in 6 SIM and 15 control states. Treatment effects in a difference-in-difference design are estimated using a latent factor model for multiple indicators of health status. In addition to estimates for the primary sample, we obtain estimates for six subsamples based on strata of age, education, income, race and urban/rural status. We find that individuals in states that implemented SIM show significant improvements in health status. The effects of SIM are greater among older, Medicare eligible individuals, including those living in rural areas. The State Innovation Models Initiative, which provided financial incentives for states to implement health care delivery system reforms, led to population-level improvements in health status.