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Katharine C Garvey,1 Jonathan A Finkelstein,2,3 Lori M Laffel,1,4 Victoria Ochoa,1 Joseph I Wolfsdorf,1 Erinn T Rhodes1 1Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, 2Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, 3Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, 4Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Section, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA Background: The purpose of this study was to describe the current status of adult diabetes care in young adults with type 1 diabetes and examine associations between health care transition experiences and care utilization. Methods: We developed a survey to assess transition characteristics and current care in young adults with type 1 diabetes. We mailed the survey to the last known address of young adults who had previously received diabetes care at a tertiary pediatric center. Results: Of 291 surveys sent, 83 (29%) were undeliverable and three (1%) were ineligible. Of 205 surveys delivered, 65 were returned (response rate 32%). Respondents (mean age 26.6 ± 3.0 years, 54% male, 91% Caucasian) transitioned to adult diabetes care at a mean age of 19.2 ± 2.8 years. Although 71% felt mostly/completely prepared for transition, only half received recommendations for a specific adult provider. Twenty-six percent reported gaps exceeding six months between pediatric and adult diabetes care. Respondents who made fewer than three diabetes visits in the year prior to transition (odds ratio [OR] 4.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–16.5) or cited moving/relocation as the most important reason for transition (OR 6.3, 95% CI 1.3–31.5) were more likely to report gaps in care exceeding six months. Patients receiving current care from an adult endocrinologist (79%) were more likely to report at least two diabetes visits in the past year (OR 6.0, 95% CI 1.5–24.0) compared with those receiving diabetes care from a general internist/adult primary care doctor (17%). Two-thirds (66%) reported receiving all recommended diabetes screening tests in the previous year, with no difference according to provider type. Conclusion: In this sample, transition preparation was variable and one quarter reported gaps in obtaining adult diabetes care. Nevertheless, the majority endorsed currently receiving regular diabetes care, although visit frequency differed by provider type. Because locating patients after transition was incomplete, our findings suggest the need for standardized methods to track transitioning patients. Keywords: type 1 diabetes mellitus, health care delivery, young adults, transition to adult care

Objective: To examine characteristics of the transition from pediatric to adult care in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes and evaluate associations between transition characteristics and glycemic control.Research Design and Methods: We developed and mailed a survey to evaluate the transition process in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes, aged 22 to 30 years, receiving adult diabetes care at a single center. Current A1C data were obtained from the medical record.Results: The response rate was 53% (258 of 484 eligible). The mean transition age was 19.5 ± 2.9 years, and 34% reported a gap >6 months in establishing adult care. Common reasons for transition included feeling too old (44%), pediatric provider suggestion (41%), and college (33%). Less than half received an adult provider recommendation and <15% reported having a transition preparation visit or receiving written transition materials. The most recent A1C was 8.1 ± 1.3%. Respondents who felt mostly/completely prepared for transition had lower likelihood of a gap >6 months between pediatric and adult care (adjusted odds ratio 0.47 [95% CI 0.25-0.88]). In multivariate analysis, pretransition A1C (β = 0.49, P < 0.0001), current age (β = -0.07, P = 0.03), and education (β = -0.55, P = 0.01) significantly influenced current posttransition A1C. There was no independent association of transition preparation with posttransition A1C (β = -0.17, P = 0.28).Conclusions: Contemporary transition practices may help prevent gaps between pediatric and adult care but do not appear to promote improvements in A1C. More robust preparation strategies and handoffs between pediatric and adult care should be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In response to the selective pressure of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, increased asymptomatic carriage of antibiotic-nonsusceptible nonvaccine serotypes (NVTs) has been observed. Possible mechanisms include de novo acquisition of resistance, serotype switching, introduction of new clones, and expansion of existing clones.Methods: To investigate the process of increased antibiotic nonsusceptibility among replacing serotypes, we applied multilocus sequence typing to samples of 126 and 222 pneumococci collected in 2001 and 2004, respectively, from the nasopharynges of children <7 years of age in 16 Massachusetts communities.Results: We found no evidence of penicillin resistance due to either serotype switching or de novo acquisition. Nonetheless, resistance increased through the expansion of previously recognized clones of NVTs, particularly in serotypes 19A, 15A, and 35B. In 19A, several unrelated clones increased in frequency, whereas, in the other 2 serotypes, single resistant lineages were responsible for the increased prevalence of resistant strains.Conclusions: The decreased prevalence of antibiotic resistance with the introduction of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is likely to be partially eroded over time as vaccine-included serotypes are replaced by resistant clones of NVTs. The clinical significance of this will depend on the pathogenic potential of replacing clones to cause local (e.g., otitis media) or invasive disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to 1) describe child care staff knowledge and beliefs regarding upper respiratory tract infections and antibiotic indications and 2) evaluate child care staff reported reasons for a) exclusion from child care, b) referral to a health care provider, and c) recommending antibiotics for an ill child. METHODS: A longitudinal study based in randomly selected child care centers in Massachusetts. Staff completed a survey to assess knowledge regarding common infections. For six weeks, staff completed a record of absences each day, describing the reason for an absence, and advice given to the parents regarding exclusion, referral to a health care provider, and obtaining antibiotics. Exclusions for the specific illness/symptom were defined as appropriate or inappropriate based on national guidelines. RESULTS: A large proportion of child care staff incorrectly believed that antibiotics are indicated for bronchitis (80.5%) and green rhinorrhea (80.5%) in children. For 82.2% of absences, the circumstances or reasons for the absence were discussed with a child care staff member. Of 538 absences due to illness that child care staff discussed with parents, there were 45 inappropriate exclusions (8.4% of illnesses discussed), 91 appropriate exclusions (16.9% of illnesses discussed), and 402 cases (74.7%) in which no recommendation for exclusion was made. CONCLUSIONS: Misconceptions regarding the need for antibiotics for URIs are common among child care staff. However, day care staff do not pressure parents to seek medical attention or antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Measures based on the use of either antiinflammatory and/or reliever medications have been used to evaluate clinical performance in asthma.Objective: We compared the association between 2 asthma prescription measures (APMs) and subsequent risk of emergency department (ED) asthma visits.Design: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of automated pharmacy and healthcare utilization data from 3 large geographically diverse managed care organizations.Participants: We studied children, 3 to 15 years of age, with at least 1 encounter for asthma (hospitalization, ED, or ambulatory care), at least 1 dispensing of an asthma medication, and continuous enrollment between June 1996 and July 1997.Measures: Two performance measures were derived for patients with persistent asthma: 1) the proportion of individuals who have received controller therapy and 2) the ratio of dispensed controller to dispensed reliever medications. Children with persistent asthma were identified using the Health Employers Data Information System (HEDIS) criteria of the National Committee on Quality Assurance definition. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess independent effects in models for ED visits.Results: Among children with persistent asthma, the dispensing of a controller was associated with a significantly lower risk of an ED visit as compared with children not dispensed a controller (odds ratio, 0.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.4). An association between the ratio of controller to reliever dispensing and the risk of subsequent ED visit was also observed, however, the underlying level of reliever dispensing modified the relationship. Among children with persistent asthma, the ratio of controller to reliever dispensing was inversely associated with risk of ED visit among children dispensed <4 relievers/person-year but no significant relationship was seen among children dispensed > or =4 relievers/person-year.Conclusion: Among children with persistent asthma, the use of an asthma prescription measure (APM) can help stratify children based on their risk of future adverse events. The HEDIS measure, the dispensing of a controller medication among a population with persistent asthma, and the controller to reliever ratio are associated with the risk of subsequent ED visit. However, the association between the ratio measure and risk for ED visit is modified by the underlying level of reliever dispensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: High rates of antibiotic prescribing to children contribute to antibiotic resistance in the community. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with other national and state level organizations, have actively promoted more judicious prescribing for children. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess changes in the rate of antibiotic prescribing from 1996-2000 in 9 US health plans, patterns of diagnosis and treatment responsible for these trends, and changes in the use of first-line antimicrobial agents. DESIGN/METHODS: We analyzed claims data for dispensed medications and physician visits from 9 health plans. Each provided data on 25,000 children aged 3 months to <18 years enrolled between September 1, 1995, and August 31, 2000. Antibiotic dispensings were linked with an ambulatory visit claim to assign diagnosis. Antibiotic dispensings per person-year (antibiotics/p-y) were calculated for the age groups 3 months to <3 years, 3 years to <6 years, and 6 years to <18 years. The contribution of each diagnosis to changes in the overall rate of antibiotic use was determined. Generalized linear mixed models were used to test for trend and assess differences in rates by site. RESULTS: From 1996-2000, antibiotic rates for children 3 months to <3 years decreased from 2.46 to 1.89 antibiotics/p-y (24%); for children 3 years to <6 years from 1.47 to 1.09 antibiotics/p-y (25%); and for children 6 to <18 years from 0.85 to 0.69 antibiotics/p-y (16%). The reduction varied among health plans from 6% to 39% for children 3 months to <3 years. A decrease in prescriptions for otitis media accounted for 59% of the total decrease, and was primarily accounted for by a decrease in the rate of diagnosis of this condition. The proportion of first-line penicillins increased from 49% to 53%, with health plans with the lowest initial rates increasing most. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic prescribing decreased significantly between 1996 and 2000, concurrent with decreased frequency of diagnosis of potential bacterial infections, especially otitis media. Attention by public health and professional organizations and the news media to antibiotic resistance may have contributed to changes in diagnostic thresholds, resulting in more judicious prescribing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To determine self-reported adherence to national asthma guidelines for children by primary care physicians in managed care; and, to analyze sources of variation in these practices by physician specialty and managed care practice type.Design. A survey of 671 primary care physicians (pediatricians and family physicians) practicing in 3 geographically diverse managed care organizations (MCO). Domains of interest included asthma diagnosis, pharmacotherapy, patient education and follow-up, and indications for specialty referral. Item formats included self-reports of usual practice and responses to case vignettes.Results. A total of 429 (64%) physicians returned surveys, 22 of whom did not meet criteria for inclusion in the analysis. Most respondents had both heard of (91%) and read (72%) the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guidelines. For diagnosis, 75% reported routine use of office peak flow measurement, but only 21% used spirometry routinely. Family physicians were more likely than pediatricians to use spirometry in diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] = 5.9), and less likely to recommend daily peak flow measurement (OR = .3). The median reported frequency of providing written care plans was only 50%. Though inhaled corticosteroids were deemed very safe or safe by 93%, almost half had specific concerns regarding at least 1 side effect, most commonly growth delay. Primary care physicians' criteria for referral to an asthma specialist differed from those of the NAEPP panel in choosing to manage more severe patients without asthma specialist input. Family physicians were more likely than pediatricians to refer a child after a single hospitalization, 2 to 3 emergency department visits, after 2 exacerbations, or if the child was <3 years old and required daily medications. Responses to vignettes showed generally appropriate initial use of antiinflammatory agents, but reluctance to increase the dose in response to continued symptoms, and less frequent follow-up than recommended by the NAEPP.Conclusion. Most physicians for children report having read and adopted NAEPP guideline recommendations for asthma treatment, including generally appropriate use of medications. Opportunities for improvement exist in specific areas such as the use of written care plans, optimizing antiinflammatory dosing, and providing routine follow-up. Although physicians show evidence of awareness of national guidelines and knowledge consistent with much of their content, additional work is required to promote the use of self-management tools in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE. To describe the epidemiology, management, and outcomes of children with fever in pediatric primary care practice. PATIENTS. A cohort of 20 585 children 3 to 36 months of age cared for in 11 pediatric offices of a health maintenance organization between 1991 and 1994. METHODS. Using automated medical records we identified all office visits with temperatures >/=38 degrees C for a random sample of 5000 children, and analyzed diagnoses conferred, laboratory tests performed, and antibiotics prescribed. We also determined the frequency of in-person and telephone follow-up after initial visits for fever. Finally, we reviewed hospital claims data for the entire cohort of 20 585 to identify cases of meningitis, meningococcal sepsis, and death from infection. RESULTS. Among 3819 initial visits of an illness episode, 41% of children had no diagnosed bacterial or specific viral source. Of these, 13% with a temperature of 38 degrees C to 39 degrees C and 36% with a temperature of >/=39 degrees C received laboratory testing. Almost half (43%) received some documented follow-up care in the subsequent 7 days. Among the 26 970 child-years of observation in the entire cohort, 15 children (56 per 100 000 child-years) were treated for bacterial meningitis or meningococcal sepsis. Five had an office visit for fever in the week before hospitalization, but only 1 had documented fever >/=39 degrees C and received neither laboratory testing for occult bacteremia nor treatment with an antibiotic. CONCLUSION. The majority of febrile children in ambulatory settings were diagnosed with a bacterial infection and treated with an antibiotic. Of highly febrile children without a source, 36% received laboratory testing consistent with published expert recommendations, and short-term follow-up was common. Meningitis or death after an office visit for fever without a source was predictably rare. These data suggest that increased testing and/or treatment of febrile children beyond the rates observed here are unlikely to affect population rates of meningitis substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use, particularly among children, continues to be a public health priority. Previous intervention studies have been limited by size or design and have shown mixed results. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of a multifaceted, community-wide intervention on overall antibiotic use for young children and on use of broad-spectrum agents. In addition, we sought to compare the intervention's impact on commercially and Medicaid-insured children. METHODS: We conducted a controlled, community-level, cluster-randomized trial in 16 nonoverlapping Massachusetts communities, studied from 1998 to 2003. During 3 years, we implemented a physician behavior-change strategy that included guideline dissemination, small-group education, frequent updates and educational materials, and prescribing feedback. Parents received educational materials by mail and in primary care practices, pharmacies, and child care settings. Using health-plan data, we measured changes in antibiotics dispensed per person-year of observation among children who were aged 3 to <72 months, resided in study communities, and were insured by a participating commercial health plan or Medicaid. RESULTS: The data include 223,135 person-years of observation. Antibiotic-use rates at baseline were 2.8, 1.7, and 1.4 antibiotics per person-year among those aged 3 to <24, 24 to <48, and 48 to <72 months, respectively. We observed a substantial downward trend in antibiotic prescribing, even in the absence of intervention. The intervention had no additional effect among children aged 3 to <24 months but was responsible for a 4.2% decrease among those aged 24 to <48 months and a 6.7% decrease among those aged 48 to <72 months. The intervention effect was greater among Medicaid-insured children and for broad-spectrum agents. CONCLUSIONS: A sustained, multifaceted, community-level intervention was only modestly successful at decreasing overall antibiotic use beyond substantial secular trends. The more robust impact among Medicaid-insured children and for specific medication classes provides an argument for specific targeting of resources for patient and physician behavior change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: More than half of Medicaid enrollees are now in managed care. Scant information exists about which policies of practice sites improve quality of care in managed Medicaid. Children with asthma are a sentinel group for Medicaid quality monitoring because they are at elevated risk for adverse outcomes. The objective of this study was to identify practice-site policies and features associated with quality of care for Medicaid-insured children with asthma. METHODS: A prospective cohort study with 1-year follow-up was conducted in 5 health plans in California, Washington, and Massachusetts. Data were collected via telephone interviews with parents at baseline and 1 year, surveys of practice sites and clinicians, and computerized databases. The practice site survey asked about policies to promote cultural competence, the use of several types of reports to clinicians, support for self-management of asthma, case management and care coordination, and access to and continuity of care. Quality of care was evaluated on the basis of 5 measures: 1) preventive medication underuse based on parent report; 2) the parent's rating of asthma care; 3) the 1-year change in the child's asthma physical status based on a standardized measure; 4) preventive medication underprescribing based on computerized data; and 5) the occurrence of a hospital-based episode. RESULTS: Of the 1663 children in the study population, 67% had persistent asthma at baseline based on parent report of symptoms and medications. At 1-year follow-up, 65% of the children with persistent asthma were underusing preventive medication based on parent report. In multivariate analyses, patients of practice sites with the highest cultural competence scores were less likely to be underusing preventive asthma medications based on parent report at follow-up (odds ratio [OR]: 0.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06-0.41 for the highest vs lowest categories) and had better parent ratings of care. The use of asthma reports to clinicians was predictive of less preventive medication underprescribing based on computerized data (OR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.16-0.69), better parent ratings of care, and better asthma physical status at follow-up. Patients of practice sites with policies to promote access and continuity had less underuse of preventive medications (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.34-0.93). Among the 83 practice sites, the practice site's size, organizational type, percentage of patients insured by Medicaid, mechanism of payment for specialty care, and other primary care features were not consistently associated with quality measures. CONCLUSIONS: Practice-site policies to promote cultural competence, the use of reports to clinicians, and access and continuity predicted higher quality of care for children with asthma in managed Medicaid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]