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Purpose To assess the impact of a clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) embedded within a rheumatology clinic at a large academic medical center on the prescription capture rate at the health-system specialty pharmacy. Methods Initially low prescription capture rates for the health-system specialty pharmacy led to the integration of a CPS in the main campus rheumatology clinic. Benchmarking was completed by assessing the prior prescription capture rate using electronic medical record analytics and Loopback Analytics (a database of prescription capture for the health-system specialty pharmacy). The existing workflows for both the rheumatology clinic and specialty pharmacy were observed with regard to biologic medication ordering and processing. Strategies for an updated workflow for biologic ordering with the incorporation of an embedded CPS in the rheumatology clinic were designed. This new workflow was established with key stakeholders, including the CPS, rheumatology providers, clinic staff, and pharmacy technicians. Once the workflow was established, all parties were educated and updated, including rheumatology providers, nursing staff, and specialty pharmacy staff. Prescription capture rate was monitored on a monthly basis. Results Prescription capture increased from 13.16% before pharmacist implementation (October to December 2021) to 35.42% after pharmacist implementation (October to December 2022) (P = 0.019). During the same periods, the revenue generated increased from $43,222.89 to $135,198.70 (P = 0.224) and the proportion of prescriptions initially sent to the health-system specialty pharmacy compared to other specialty pharmacies increased from 37% to 79% (P < 0.001) with CPS implementation. Conclusion Expansion and implementation of pharmacy services by integrating a CPS in a rheumatology ambulatory clinic increased prescription capture and pharmacy revenue while optimizing patient care. We hope to expand similar CPS services to other clinics within the health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital approaches to support advance care planning (ACP) documentation and sharing are increasingly being used, with a lack of research to characterise their design, content, and use. This study aimed to characterise how digital approaches are being used to support ACP documentation and sharing internationally. A scoping review was performed in accordance with the JBI (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute) guidelines and the PRISMA 2020 checklist, prospectively registered on Open Science Framework (). MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ACM Digital, IEEE Xplore and CINAHL were searched in February 2023. Only publications in English, published from 2008 onwards were considered. Eligibility criteria included a focus on ACP and electronic systems. Out of 2,393 records, 34 reports were included, predominantly from the USA (76.5%). ACP documentation is typically stored in electronic health records (EHRs) (67.6%), with a third (32.4%) enabling limited patient access. Non-standard approaches (n = 15;44.1%) were the commonest study design of included reports, with outcome measures focusing on the influence of systems on the documentation (i.e. creation, quantity, quality, frequency or timing) of ACP information (n = 23;67.6%). Digital approaches to support ACP are being implemented and researched internationally with an evidence base dominated by non-standard study designs. Future research is needed to extend outcome measurement to consider aspects of care quality and explore whether the content of existing systems aligns with aspects of care that are valued by patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Technological burden and medical complexity are significant drivers of clinician burnout. Electronic health record(EHR)-based population health management tools can be used to identify high-risk patient populations and implement prophylactic health practices. Their impact on clinician burnout, however, is not well understood. Our objective was to assess the relationship between ratings of EHR-based population health management tools and clinician burnout. Methods: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of 2018 national Veterans Health Administration(VA) primary care personnel survey, administered as an online survey to all VA primary care personnel (n = 4257, response rate = 17.7%), using bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Our analytical sample included providers (medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physicians' assistants) and nurses (registered nurses, licensed practical nurses). The outcomes included two items measuring high burnout. Primary predictors included importance ratings of 10 population health management tools (eg. VA risk prediction algorithm, recent hospitalizations and emergency department visits, etc.). Results: High ratings of 9 tools were associated with lower odds of high burnout, independent of covariates including VA tenure, team role, gender, ethnicity, staffing, and training. For example, clinicians who rated the risk prediction algorithm as important were less likely to report high burnout levels than those who did not use or did not know about the tool (OR 0.73; CI 0.61-0.87), and they were less likely to report frequent burnout (once per week or more) (OR 0.71; CI 0.60-0.84). Conclusions: Burned-out clinicians may not consider the EHR-based tools important and may not be using them to perform care management. Tools that create additional technological burden may need adaptation to become more accessible, more intuitive, and less burdensome to use. Finding ways to improve the use of tools that streamline the work of population health management and/or result in less workload due to patients with poorly managed chronic conditions may alleviate burnout. More research is needed to understand the causal directional of the association between burnout and ratings of population health management tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: First, to analyze the relationship between value-based payment (VBP) program participation and documentation burden among office-based physicians. Second, to analyze the relationship between specific VBP programs (eg, accountable care organizations [ACOs]) and documentation burden. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analyses of US office-based physicians in 2019 and 2021. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from the National Electronic Health Records Survey to measure VBP program participation and our outcomes of reported electronic health record (EHR) documentation burden. We used ordinary least squares regression models adjusting for physician and practice characteristics to estimate the relationship between participation in any VBP program and EHR burden outcomes. We also estimated the relationship between participation in 6 distinct VBP programs and our outcomes to decompose the aggregate relationship into program-specific estimates. RESULTS: In adjusted analyses, participation in any VBP program was associated with 10.5% greater probability of reporting more than 1 hour per day of after-hours documentation time (P = .01), which corresponded to an estimated additional 11 minutes per day (P = .03). Program-specific estimates illustrated that ACO participation drove the aggregate relationship, with ACO participants reporting greater after-hours documentation time (18 additional minutes per day; P < .001), more difficulty documenting (30.6% more likely; P < .001), and more inappropriateness of time spent documenting (21.7% more likely; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Office-based physicians participating in ACOs report greater documentation burden across several measures; the same is not true for other VBP programs. Although many ACOs relax documentation requirements for reimbursement, documentation for quality reporting and risk adjustment may lead to a net increase in burden, especially for physicians exposed to numerous programs and payers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research has examined a comprehensive set of predictors when evaluating discharge placement decisions for infants exposed to substances prenatally. Using a previously validated medical record data extraction tool, the current study examined prenatal substance exposure, infant intervention (i.e., pharmacologic, or non-pharmacologic), and demographic factors (e.g., race and ethnicity and rurality) as predictors of associations with discharge placement in a sample from a resource-poor state (N = 136; 69.9% Non-Hispanic White). Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to examine whether different classes emerged and how classes were differentially related to discharge placement decisions. Logistic regressions were used to determine whether each predictor was uniquely associated with placement decisions. Results of the LCA yielded a two-class solution comprised of (1) a Low Withdrawal Risk class, characterized by prenatal exposure to substances with low risk for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and non-pharmacologic intervention, and (2) a High Withdrawal Risk class, characterized by a high risk of NAS and pharmacologic intervention. Classes were not related to discharge placement decisions. Logistic regressions demonstrated that meth/amphetamine use during pregnancy was associated with greater odds of out of home placement above other substance types. Future research should replicate and continue examining the clinical utility of these classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite the high prevalence of typical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), approximately 30% of patients have functional esophageal disorders (FED) on ambulatory reflux monitoring, which may include reflux hypersensitivity (RH; defined as physiologic acid exposure but temporally correlated symptoms of reflux), or functional heartburn (FH; defined as physiologic acid exposure and negative symptom correlation). There are limited epidemiological data characterizing these conditions. We investigated demographic and socioeconomic factors as well as medical comorbidities which may predispose to FED versus pathologic GERD. Methods: Adult patients with reflux symptoms for at least 3 months were studied with 24-h pH-impedance testing from 11/2019 to 3/2021. Participants were categorized into pathologic GERD, FH, or RH using pH-impedance data and reported symptom correlation. Demographic data, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, zip code, insurance status, and medical comorbidity data were retrospectively retrieved from the electronic medical record on all participants. Results: 229 patients were included. Non-Hispanic Asian ethnicity (OR 5.65; p = 0.01), underweight BMI (OR 7.33; p = 0.06), chronic pain (OR 2.33; p < 0.01), insomnia (OR 2.83; p = 0.06), and allergic rhinitis (OR 3.90; p < 0.01) were associated with a greater risk for FED. Overweight BMI (OR 0.48; p = 0.03) and alcohol use (OR 0.57; p = 0.06) were associated with a decreased risk for FED. Discussion: This is the first report of a greater risk of FED in patients with underweight BMI, insomnia, chronic pain, allergic rhinitis, or of Asian or Hispanic ethnicities. The weak associations between female gender and anxiety are corroborated in other studies. Our findings enable clinicians to better screen patients with reflux for this disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the number of people with heart failure and treatment complexity increases, many hospitals are implementing Advanced Heart Failure Intensive Care Units (AHFICU). However, little evidence concerning the clinical characteristics of people admitted to AHFICUs exists. Understanding the clinical characteristics of people admitted to the AHFICU will assist nurses with implementing tailored interventions to ensure high‐quality care delivery. Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of people who are admitted to and discharged from an AHFICU. Study Design: Baseline data from a longitudinal descriptive study were collected on adults (N = 43) admitted to an AHFICU. Heart failure severity, self‐management ability, cognition, sleep quality, and other clinical characteristics were assessed. Results: Most study participants were New York Heart Association functional class IV (n = 24) or class III (n = 14), indicating poor functional capacity. Over half had mild cognitive impairment and poor sleep quality was prevalent (92.7%). Participants had adequate levels of heart failure knowledge, but low levels of heart failure self‐management decision‐making and ability. Conclusions: Interventions to address the unique clinical characteristics of AHFICU patients include sleep hygiene, integration of cognitive, sleep, and self‐management assessments into the electronic medical record. Addressing the unique clinical needs of people with heart failure will lead to patient‐centered, evidence‐based, and safe care. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Understanding characteristics of this population addresses this evidence gap and targeted clinical interventions to address unique discharge needs of this population are proposed. Sleep quality education should be done throughout hospitalization on sleep strategies and self‐management coaching to facilitate adoption of new sleep routines. Healthcare providers should ensure each patient has care support upon discharge and take cognitive status into consideration during teaching. Addressing self‐management readiness should include providing scenarios as part of discharge preparation. Providers must include addressing comorbidities and how they may affect heart failure self‐management, such as teaching about sleep apnea device use and encouraging compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute musculoskeletal infection affects >1 in 6,000 children in the United States annually. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of musculoskeletal infection, but it traditionally requires contrast and anesthesia for children, delaying management. A rapid MRI protocol involves MRI without anesthesia and with limited non-contrast sequences optimized for fluid detection and diffusion-weighted images to identify abscesses. We hypothesized that a rapid MRI protocol would improve imaging and treatment efficiency for pediatric patients undergoing musculoskeletal infection evaluation without substantially affecting accuracy. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study of patients undergoing evaluation for musculoskeletal infection before (60 patients in the traditional cohort [TC]) and after (68 patients in the rapid cohort [RC]) implementation of the rapid MRI protocol. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were extracted from electronic health records, and statistical comparisons were performed. Results: The anesthesia rates were 53% for the TC and 4% for the RC, and the contrast administration rates were 88% for the TC and 0% for the RC. The median time to MRI after ordering was 6.5 hours (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0 to 8.6 hours) for the TC and 2.2 hours (95% CI, 1.4 to 3.6 hours) for the RC (p < 0.01). The median duration of MRI was 63.2 minutes (95% CI, 56.8 to 69.6 minutes) for the TC and 24.0 minutes (95% CI, 21.1 to 29.5 minutes) for the RC (p < 0.01). The median hospital length of stay was 5.3 days (95% CI, 3.7 to 6.9 days) for the TC and 3.7 days (95% CI, 1.9 to 4.1 days) for the RC (p < 0.01). The median hospital charges were $47,309 (95% CI, $39,137 to $58,769) for the TC and $32,824 (95% CI, $22,865 to $45,339) for the RC (p < 0.01). Only 2 positive cases of musculoskeletal infection in the RC were missed on the initial imaging, but these instances were not attributable to the rapid protocol itself. Although 10 of 68 rapid MRI scans resulted in nondiagnostic outcomes due to patient motion, only 6 of 68 required repeat MRI with anesthesia. Conclusions: In patients evaluated for musculoskeletal infection, the rapid MRI protocol eliminated contrast and minimized anesthesia while improving MRI access and decreased scan and interpretation times, hospital length of stay, and hospital charges. The rapid MRI protocol had high sensitivity for diagnosing musculoskeletal infection and a low rate of imaging failure. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: In the United States, a comprehensive national breast cancer registry (CR) does not exist. Thus, care and coverage decisions are based on data from population subsets, other countries, or models. We report a prototype real-world research data mart to assess mortality, morbidity, and costs for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: With institutional review board approval and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) compliance, a multidisciplinary clinical and research data warehouse (RDW) expert group curated demographic, risk, imaging, pathology, treatment, and outcome data from the electronic health records (EHR), radiology (RIS), and CR for patients having breast imaging and/or a diagnosis of breast cancer in our institution from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2020. Domains were defined by prebuilt views to extract data denormalized according to requirements from the existing RDW using an export, transform, load pattern. Data dictionaries were included. Structured query language was used for data cleaning. RESULTS: Five-hundred eighty-nine elements (EHR 311, RIS 211, and CR 67) were mapped to 27 domains; all, except one containing CR elements, had cancer and noncancer cohort views, resulting in a total of 53 views (average 12 elements/view; range, 4-67). EHR and RIS queries returned 497,218 patients with 2,967,364 imaging examinations and associated visit details. Cancer biology, treatment, and outcome details for 15,619 breast cancer cases were imported from the CR of our primary breast care facility for this prototype mart. CONCLUSION: Institutional real-world data marts enable comprehensive understanding of care outcomes within an organization. As clinical data sources become increasingly structured, such marts may be an important source for future interinstitution analysis and potentially an opportunity to create robust real-world results that could be used to support evidence-based national policy and care decisions for breast cancer. This institutional data mart is a template for collecting real-world breast cancer outcomes in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To create a data-driven definition of post-COVID conditions (PCC) by directly measure changes in symptomatology before and after a first COVID episode. Materials and methods: Retrospective cohort study using Optum® de-identified Electronic Health Record (EHR) dataset from the United States of persons of any age April 2020-September 2021. For each person with COVID (ICD-10-CM U07.1 "COVID-19" or positive test result), we selected up to 3 comparators. The final COVID symptom score was computed as the sum of new diagnoses weighted by each diagnosis' ratio of incidence in COVID group relative to comparator group. For the subset of COVID cases diagnosed in September 2021, we compared the incidence of PCC using our data-driven definition with ICD-10-CM code U09.9 "Post-COVID Conditions", first available in the US October 2021. Results: The final cohort contained 588,611 people with COVID, with mean age of 48 years and 38% male. Our definition identified 20% of persons developed PCC in follow-up. PCC incidence increased with age: (7.8% of persons aged 0–17, 17.3% aged 18–64, and 33.3% aged 65+) and did not change over time (20.0% among persons diagnosed with COVID in 2020 versus 20.3% in 2021). For cases diagnosed in September 2021, our definition identified 19.0% with PCC in follow-up as compared to 2.9% with U09.9 code in follow-up. Conclusion: Symptom and U09.9 code-based definitions alone captured different populations. Maximal capture may consider a combined approach, particularly before the availability and routine utilization of specific ICD-10 codes and with the lack consensus-based definitions on the syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural injuries remain a major concern in North America, with a fatal injury rate of 19.5 deaths per 100,000 workers in the United States. Numerous research efforts have sought to compile and analyze records of agricultural-related injuries and fatalities at a national level, utilizing resources, ranging from newspaper clippings and hospital records to Emergency Medical System (EMS) data, death certifications, surveys, and other multiple sources. Despite these extensive efforts, a comprehensive understanding of injury trends over extended time periods and across diverse types of data sources remains elusive, primarily due to the duration of data collection and the focus on specific subsets. This systematic review, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, consolidates and analyzes agricultural injury surveillance data from 48 eligible papers published between 1985 and 2022 to offer a holistic understanding of trends and challenges. These papers, reporting an average of 25,000 injuries each, were analyzed by database source type, injury severity, nature of injury, body part, source of injury, event/exposure, and age. One key finding is that the top source of injury or event/exposure depends on the chosen surveillance system and injury severity, underscoring the need of diverse data sources for a nuanced understanding of agricultural injuries. This study provides policymakers, researchers, and practitioners with crucial insights to bolster the development and analysis of surveillance systems in agricultural safety. The overarching aim is to address the pressing issue of agricultural injuries, contributing to a safer work environment and ultimately enhancing the overall well-being of individuals engaged in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past 2 decades, health care has witnessed technological and pharmacological advancements leading to innovations in diabetes management. Despite these advances, published guidelines, and treatment algorithms, most people with diabetes remain above glycemic targets. Thus, the authors designed a novel care model aimed at improving several causative factors, including therapeutic inertia, limited access to endocrinology and cardiovascular specialists, time constraints, and complexity in incorporating clinical practice guidelines. The model involves collaboration between the diabetes specialty team and primary care providers (PCPs). The intervention reviewed uncontrolled diabetes data and the patient's electronic medical record (EMR) and sent personalized, evidence-based recommendations to the provider using the task function in the EMR. Other services (eg, diabetes education) were utilized to optimize patient care to achieve optimal glycemic targets and address cardiometabolic risk. The overall mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) decreased pre-post intervention by almost 1%, and 52.1% (347 of 666) of the cohort had ≥−0.5% change in HbA1c post-intervention. All pathways exhibited a decrease in HbA1c. Team-based approaches to managing diabetes patient care were the most effective. The interventions effectively utilized the resources across the health system without placing additional load or burden on primary care or diabetes specialty care teams. In the future, the authors hope to address the limitations of the current gap caused by increasing diabetes numbers, decreasing availability of PCPs and endocrinologists, and fee-for-service models using the innovative specialty consultant–primary care connection and knowledge exchange offered by this novel model, which can only be sustained with payer's support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transgender individuals are known to be at a higher risk for certain chronic conditions compared to cisgender individuals. Similarly, research also shows justice-involved individuals have a higher risk of chronic conditions compared to non-justice-involved individuals.Aim: This study aims to investigate the differences in chronic disease diagnoses between transgender and cisgender individuals who either utilized healthcare services provided by a US county health system or who were incarcerated in the same county’s jail. Method: We leveraged electronic health record data from a United States county health system, including data from the local jail, to evaluate the difference in diagnosis of certain chronic conditions among transgender and cisgender individuals. We also compared individuals who experienced incarceration and those who did not. Results: We found transgender individuals experiencing recent incarceration were more likely to be diagnosed with substance use disorder, HIV/AIDS, and Hepatitis C than cisgender individuals. Transgender individuals not experiencing recent incarceration were more likely to be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, seizure disorder, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder than cisgender individuals. Conclusion: These results highlight how transgender individuals may be disproportionately impacted by certain diseases within and outside carceral settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe insurance patterns and discontinuity during pregnancy, which may affect the experiences of the pregnant person: their timely access to care, continuity of care, and health outcomes. Data Sources and Study Setting: Data are from the PROMISE study, which utilizes data from community‐based health care organizations (CHCOs) (e.g., federally qualified health centers that serve patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay) in the United States from 2005 to 2021. Study Design: This descriptive study was a cohort utilizing longitudinal electronic health record data. Data Collection/Extraction Methods: Insurance type at each encounter was recorded in the clinical database and coded as Private, Public, and Uninsured. Pregnant people were categorized into one of several insurance patterns. We analyzed the frequency and timing of insurance changes and care utilization within each group. Principal Findings: Continuous public insurance was the most common insurance pattern (69.2%), followed by uninsured/public discontinuity (11.8%), with 6.4% experiencing uninsurance throughout the entirety of pregnancy. Insurance discontinuity was experienced by 16.6% of pregnant people; a majority of these reflect people transitioning to public insurance. Those with continuous public insurance had the highest frequency of inadequate prenatal care (19.5%), while those with all three types of insurance during pregnancy had the highest percentage of intensive prenatal care (16.5%). The majority (71.7%–81.2%) of those with a discontinuous pattern experienced a single insurance change. Conclusions: Insurance discontinuity and uninsurance are common within our population of pregnant people seeking care at CHCOs. Our findings suggest that insurance status should be regarded as a dynamic rather than a static characteristic during pregnancy and should be measured accordingly. Future research is needed to assess the drivers of perinatal insurance discontinuity and if and how these discontinuities may affect health care access, utilization, and birth outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women in the U.S. military are now authorized to serve in direct combat occupations. This may increase their risk of combat injuries, such as concussion, in future conflicts. Knowledge of sex differences in health profiles after concussion is paramount for military medical planning efforts. The purpose of this study was to assess sex-related differences in health profiles among U.S. military personnel following deployment-related concussion. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of service members who sustained a concussion during combat deployment between 2004 and 2013. Postinjury diagnoses were abstracted from outpatient encounters in electronic health records for 24 months after concussion. We used hierarchical clustering to identify clusters, termed "health profiles," and logistic regression to determine whether sex predicted membership in the health profiles. Results: The study sample included 346 women and 4536 men with deployment-related concussion. Five postinjury health profiles were identified and classified as no morbidity, back pain, tinnitus/memory loss, posttraumatic stress disorder/postconcussion syndrome, and multimorbidity. Women relative to men had higher odds of membership in the back pain (odds ratio [OR] = 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05–1.67) and multimorbidity profiles (OR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.03–2.00) and lower odds than men in the tinnitus/memory loss profile (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.42–0.91). Conclusions: Postinjury health profiles among U.S. service members differ by sex following deployment-related concussion, particularly with a higher burden of multimorbidity among women than men, which may require interdisciplinary care. Women also had higher odds of membership in the back pain profile and lower odds in the tinnitus/memory loss profile than men. To prepare for future military operations where women may have greater exposure to combat, continued research elucidating health-related sex differences after deployment-related concussion is imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background During the 2022–2023 influenza season, the United States experienced the highest influenza-associated pediatric hospitalization rate since 2010–2011. Influenza A/H3N2 infections were predominant. Methods We analyzed acute respiratory illness (ARI)–associated emergency department or urgent care (ED/UC) encounters or hospitalizations at 3 health systems among children and adolescents aged 6 months–17 years who had influenza molecular testing during October 2022–March 2023. We estimated influenza A vaccine effectiveness (VE) using a test-negative approach. The odds of vaccination among influenza-A–positive cases and influenza-negative controls were compared after adjusting for confounders and applying inverse-propensity-to-be-vaccinated weights. We developed overall and age-stratified VE models. Results Overall, 13 547 of 44 787 (30.2%) eligible ED/UC encounters and 263 of 1862 (14.1%) hospitalizations were influenza-A–positive cases. Among ED/UC patients, 15.2% of influenza-positive versus 27.1% of influenza-negative patients were vaccinated; VE was 48% (95% confidence interval [CI], 44–52%) overall, 53% (95% CI, 47–58%) among children aged 6 months–4 years, and 38% (95% CI, 30–45%) among those aged 9–17 years. Among hospitalizations, 17.5% of influenza-positive versus 33.4% of influenza-negative patients were vaccinated; VE was 40% (95% CI, 6–61%) overall, 56% (95% CI, 23–75%) among children ages 6 months–4 years, and 46% (95% CI, 2–70%) among those 5–17 years. Conclusions During the 2022–2023 influenza season, vaccination reduced the risk of influenza-associated ED/UC encounters and hospitalizations by almost half (overall VE, 40–48%). Influenza vaccination is a critical tool to prevent moderate-to-severe influenza illness in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. A−β+ ketosis-prone diabetes (KPD) in adults is characterized by presentation with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), negative islet autoantibodies, and preserved β-cell function in persons with a phenotype of obesity-associated type 2 diabetes (T2D). The prevalence of KPD has not been evaluated in children. We investigated children with DKA at "T2D" onset and determined the prevalence and characteristics of pediatric A−β+ KPD within this cohort. Methods. We reviewed the records of 716 children with T2D at a large academic hospital and compared clinical characteristics of those with and without DKA at onset. In the latter group, we identified patients with A−β+ KPD using criteria of the Rare and Atypical Diabetes Network (RADIANT) and defined its prevalence and characteristics. Results. Mean age at diagnosis was 13.7 ± 2.4 years: 63% female; 59% Hispanic, 29% African American, 9% non-Hispanic White, and 3% other. Fifty-six (7.8%) presented with DKA at diagnosis and lacked islet autoantibodies. Children presenting with DKA were older and had lower C-peptide and higher glucose concentrations than those without DKA. Twenty-five children with DKA (45%) met RADIANT A−β+ KPD criteria. They were predominantly male (64%), African American or Hispanic (96%), with substantial C-peptide (1.3 ± 0.7 ng/mL) at presentation with DKA and excellent long-term glycemic control (HbA1c 6.6% ± 1.9% at follow-up (median 1.3 years postdiagnosis)). Conclusions. In children with a clinical phenotype of T2D and DKA at diagnosis, approximately half meet criteria for A−β+ KPD. They manifest the key characteristics of obesity, preserved β-cell function, male predominance, and potential to discontinue insulin therapy, similar to adults with A−β+ KPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary care physician shortage in the United States is a well-known problem within academic medicine and predicted to only worsen in the coming decades. Understanding the reasons why Internal Medicine residents do not pursue professions within general internal medicine, specifically primary care, is of the utmost importance to countering the profound dearth of primary care physicians. This study not only provides insight into the differences between residents' perceptions of their training in the outpatient and inpatient settings but also ties in objective clinic measures to highlight that the commonly cited reasons for resident dissatisfaction with primary care training may not tell the entire story. Objectives: Internal Medicine (IM) residents have reported dissatisfaction with continuity clinic (CC) training, which may contribute to the increasing shortage of primary care physicians. Studies show balancing inpatient and outpatient duties as a driver of dissatisfaction, but few studies have compared CC with inpatient (IP) training, following transition to an X + Y model, or assessed the impact of show rates, continuity, and telemedicine use on resident perceptions. The aim of this study was to adapt a validated survey to compare residents' perceptions of their CC with their inpatient medicine training and examine the impact of objective clinic measures on training. Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional study included a survey that was sent to 152 residents at an academic IM program in May–June 2021. Clinic measures such as show versus no-show rates, continuity with the residents' own patients, and visit modality were obtained through the electronic health records at Veterans Affairs and non–Veterans Affairs CCs. Results: The survey response rate was 78% (118/152). Residents were more satisfied with inpatient general medicine rotations than their CC experience (4.5 vs 3.3 on a 5-point scale, P < 0.001). Residents were more likely to pursue a profession in inpatient IM than in primary care (3.7 vs 2.3, P < 0.001). No correlation was found between higher show rates, continuity with patients, or proportion of visits conducted through telemedicine and resident satisfaction with CC. Conclusions: This study aligns with previous findings of IM resident dissatisfaction with CC training while adding a side-by-side comparison to inpatient training and including objective CC data. We identified new areas for improvement of CC training, including residents' medical knowledge through review of quality metrics, making CC representative of real-world practice, and mentorship from faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With more than 20 million adults experiencing a major depressive episode in 2020, depression is one of the most widespread and costly illnesses in the United States. Local problem: An audit of medical records at an outpatient psychiatric clinic revealed that none of the patients (0/56) were receiving standardized depression screening at follow-up appointments. Methods: An 8-week rapid cycle Plan-Do-Study-Act model for change was used to spearhead a quality improvement (QI) project for effective depression care. The QI project comprised ongoing data collection through chart audit every 3 days, which drove tests of change (TOC). Team engagement surveys were also assessed for change in team engagement scores. Interventions: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression, and an effective care log (ECL) measured effective depression care. Every 2 weeks, a TOC was implemented, which guided further iterative changes throughout the project. Results: Effective depression care increased to 74% over the course of the project, surpassing the initial aim of 50%. Completion rates of the PHQ-9 (76%) and ECL (91%) increased. Team engagement (27.1) also increased over the course of the project. Conclusions: This project improved effective depression care. The success was largely due to the iterative TOCs, ECL, and team engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuromyelitis optic spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare demyelinating, autoimmune disease and the burden in United States is not well characterized. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the 2022 US prevalence of NMOSD. Methods: We constructed a cross-sectional study using aggregated electronic health record data for 25.7 million patients who had a 2022 clinical encounter. The data originated from the TriNetX US Collaborative Network of 55 healthcare organizations that span all 50 states. NMOSD prevalence was determined by querying for age-interval, sex, and race combinations, with direct standardization to the 2022 US Census data. Results: There were 1772 NMOSD patients among 25,743,039 patients for a prevalence of 6.88/100,000. Prevalence was the highest in Blacks (12.99/100,000) who represented 27.7% of NMOSD patients, then Asians (9.41/100,000and Whites (5.58/100,000). Among females, the prevalence of NMOSD was 9.48/100,000, and Black and Asian females had a 2.65- and 1.94-times higher prevalence than White females. In males, the prevalence of NMOSD was 3.52/100,000 and it did not differ by race. We observed a 3/5:1 female-to-male ratio in NMOSD. The age- and sex-adjusted 2022 estimate of persons with NMOSD in the United States was 15,413 females and 6233 males. Conclusion: We estimate that there were near 22,000 Americans living with NMOSD in 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal: Patients engaged in self-care through information technology can potentially improve the quality of healthcare they receive. This study aimed to examine how electronic health record (EHR) system functionalities help hospitals mediate the impact of patient engagement on quality outcomes--notably, readmission rates. Methods: A pooled cross-sectional study design employed data containing 3,547 observations from general acute care hospitals (2014--2018). The breadth of patient engagement functionalities adopted by a hospital was used as the independent variable and the degree of EHR presence was used as the mediating variable. Mean time to readmission for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), pneumonia, and heart failure were the dependent variables. The Baron and Kenny method was used to test mediation. Principal Findings: Patient engagement was associated with reduced AMI readmission rates both directly and via EHR system presence. Mediation effects were present, in that a 1-unit increase in patient engagement through EHR system presence was associated with a 0.33% decrease in AMI readmission rates (p < .05). For other disease categories (heart failure and pneumonia), a significant effect was not found. Practical Applications: For hospitals with a comprehensive EHR system, patient engagement through information technology can potentially reduce readmission rates for some diseases. More research is needed to determine which specific clinical conditions are amenable to quality improvement through patient engagement. Synergies between patient engagement functionalities and an EHR system positively affect quality outcomes. Therefore, practitioners and hospital managers should leverage hospital investments made in their EHR system infrastructure and use it to engage patients in self-care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To characterize sliding-scale insulin (SSI) use in US nursing homes (NHs) before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional study. A total of 129,829 US NH residents on SSI (01/2018-06/2022) across 12 NH chains with a common electronic health record system. Among all residents with at least 1 administration of SSI documented in the electronic medication administration record, we described resident demographics, frequency of SSI monotherapy vs combination therapy with another diabetes medication, number of daily capillary blood glucose readings ("fingersticks"), and hypoglycemia (capillary blood glucose <70 mg/dL) and hyperglycemia after first SSI use. We used interrupted time series analysis (ITS) with segmented linear regression models to examine whether the monthly prevalence of SSI use changed at and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020). There were 129,829 unique NH residents with SSI use [51% women, average age 71.3 (SD 11.7) years]. Of these, 36% of residents received SSI monotherapy and 64% received SSI combination therapy. Residents on SSI received an average of 3.96 (SD 1.41) fingersticks per day. Overall, 26% of SSI users experienced a hypoglycemic event within 30 days of the first SSI dose. The ITS analysis identified a step decrease in the rate of SSI use following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (43 fewer SSI users per 1000 insulin users) but no change in overall trend over time from before the onset of the pandemic. SSI use and fingerstick burden are high in NH residents. Hypoglycemia occurred commonly among residents on SSI. Future research should compare the safety and effectiveness of SSI monotherapy vs other diabetes medication regimens to guide person-centered prescribing decisions in NHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic health records (EHRs) have been increasingly adopted in clinical practices across the United States, providing a primary source of data for clinical research, particularly observational cohort studies. EHRs are a high-yield, low-maintenance source of longitudinal real-world data for large patient populations and provide a wealth of information and clinical contexts that are useful for clinical research and translation into practice. Despite these strengths, it is important to recognize the multiple limitations and challenges related to the use of EHR data in clinical research. Missing data are a major source of error and biases and can affect the representativeness of the cohort of interest, as well as the accuracy of the outcomes and exposures. Here, we aim to provide a critical understanding of the types of data available in EHRs and describe the impact of data heterogeneity, quality, and generalizability, which should be evaluated prior to and during the analysis of EHR data. We also identify challenges pertaining to data quality, including errors and biases, and examine potential sources of such biases and errors. Finally, we discuss approaches to mitigate and remediate these limitations. A proactive approach to addressing these issues can help ensure the integrity and quality of EHR data and the appropriateness of their use in clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinician empathy positively impacts patient outcomes. Few studies have assessed the effects of different types of empathic expression. Objective: To describe how families respond when clinicians express empathy in different ways. Design: Prospective, mixed-methods cohort. Setting/Subjects: English and interpreted pediatric inpatient care conferences at a U.S. quaternary hospital between January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2021. Measurements: Directed content analysis of clinician empathic statements and family responses. Results: Of 29 patient-family dyads, 11 (39%) used language interpretation. In response to 80 clinician empathic statements, families expressed agreement or shared more 84% (67/80) of the time. Families shared more about their perspective in response to explore statements 71.4% (10/14) of the time, in response to validate statements 61% (17/28) of the time, and in response to respect/support statements 39% (11/28) of the time. Conclusion: Certain types of empathic statements may be more effective at prompting families to share more about their perspective, a key element of shared decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In the absence of access to surveillance system data, single-source administrative databases are often used to study health care utilization and health outcomes among people with sickle cell disease (SCD). We compared the case definitions from single-source administrative databases with a surveillance case definition to identify people with SCD. Materials and Methods: We used data from Sickle Cell Data Collection programs in California and Georgia (2016-2018). The surveillance case definition for SCD developed for the Sickle Cell Data Collection programs uses multiple databases, including newborn screening, discharge databases, state Medicaid programs, vital records, and clinic data. Case definitions for SCD in single-source administrative databases varied by database (Medicaid and discharge) and years of data (1, 2, and 3 years). We calculated the proportion of people meeting the surveillance case definition for SCD that was captured by each single administrative database case definition for SCD, by birth cohort, sex, and Medicaid enrollment. Results: In California, 7117 people met the surveillance case definition of SCD from 2016 through 2018; 48% of this group was captured by the Medicaid case definition and 41% by the discharge case definition. In Georgia, 10 448 people met the surveillance case definition of SCD from 2016 through 2018; 45% of this group was captured by the Medicaid case definition and 51% by the discharge case definition. These proportions differed by years of data, birth cohort, and length of Medicaid enrollment. Practice Implications: The surveillance case definition identified twice as many people with SCD as the single-source administrative database definitions during the same period, but trade-offs exist in using single administrative databases for decisions on policy and program expansion for SCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on the development of a standardized, laboratory result-based hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance cascade for public health jurisdictions. It identifies elements for constructing a population-level HCV cascade, as well as the important data-to-share opportunities measured by a laboratory result-based HCV cascade. It informs about the funding to support health departments to implement laboratory result-based HCV cascades and cites limitations of HCV cascade.

Through automated electronic health record (EHR) data extraction and analysis, this project systematically quantified actual care delivery for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and evaluated alignment with current evidence-based recommendations. Utilizing EHR data for over 8000 children with CP, we developed an approach to define and quantify receipt of optimal care, and pursued proof-of-concept with two children with unilateral CP, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level II. Optimal care was codified as a cluster of four components including physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) care, spasticity management, physical therapy (PT), and occupational therapy (OT). A Receipt of Care Score (ROCS) quantified the degree of adherence to recommendations and was compared with the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PEDS QL). The two children (12 year old female, 13 year old male) had nearly identical PMR and spasticity component scores while PT and OT scores were more divergent. Functional outcomes were higher for the child who had higher adjusted ROCS. ROCSs demonstrate variation in real-world care delivered over time and differentiate between components of care. ROCSs reflect overall function and quality of life. The ROCS methods developed are novel, robust, and scalable and will be tested in a larger sample. Optimal practice, with an emphasis on integrated multidisciplinary care, can be defined and quantified utilizing evidence-based recommendations. Receipt of optimal care for childhood cerebral palsy can be scored using existing electronic health record data. Big Data approaches can contribute to the understanding of current care and inform approaches for improved care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes ranks seventh in morbidity and mortality in the United States. In addition, more than 25 million Americans living with diabetes depend on community health centers (CHCs) for primary care. Local problem: Preimplementation data in a group of CHCs indicated poor adherence to standards of care practices as recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) with quarterly A1c (33.1%), annual serum laboratory tests (66.6%), and annual urine microalbumin (26.5%). Methods: Using a pre- and postimplementation comparison method, a NP-led practice improvement project was conducted in a group of CHCs, which sought to (1) identify adherence to ADA care standards; (2) determine whether an intervention could affect adherence to ADA standards; and (3) compare pre- and postimplementation occurrences of hemoglobin A1c greater than 7.1% and greater than 9%. Intervention: Intervention composed of an educational component, standing orders to facilitate care practice changes, and electronic health record utilization changes. Results: Postimplementation data reveal statistically significant improvements in quarterly hemoglobin A1c (93.6%), annual serum laboratory tests (96.5%), and annual urine microalbumin screening (85.5%). Conclusions: Improvements in translation to care for standardized guidelines facilitate improvements in health outcomes for patients. This project demonstrated improvements that can decrease the morbidity and mortality experienced by persons living with diabetes and being seen within a CHC. In addition, this project demonstrated that advanced practice nurses have the training and occupy a unique position within health care to spearhead initiatives for translation of evidence into care practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frailty represents an integrative prognostic marker of risk that associates with a myriad of age-related adverse outcomes in older adults. As a concept, frailty can help to target scarce resources and identify subgroups of vulnerable older adults that may benefit from interventions or changes in medical management, such as pursing less aggressive glycaemic targets for frail older adults with diabetes. In practice, however, there are several operational challenges to implementing frailty screening outside the confines of geriatric medicine. Electronic frailty indices (eFIs) based on the theory of deficit accumulation, derived from routine data housed in the electronic health record, have emerged as a rapid, feasible and valid approach to screen for frailty at scale. The goal of this paper is to describe the early experience of three diverse groups in developing, implementing and adopting eFIs (The English National Health Service, US Department of Veterans Affairs and Atrium Health—Wake Forest Baptist). These groups span different countries and organisational complexity, using eFIs for both research and clinical care, and represent different levels of progress with clinical implementation. Using an implementation science framework, we describe common elements of successful implementation in these settings and set an agenda for future research and expansion of eFI-informed initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research indicates home health nurses (HHNs) worry that current home health care trends are threatening their ability to provide high-quality nursing care. High-quality nursing requires patient-centered and culture-sensitive care. These 2 attributes are indicators of high-quality nursing care. In this qualitative study, 20 HHNs were interviewed to discover their insights into 2 research questions: What barriers affect HHNs' ability to provide patient-centered, culture-sensitive, high-quality nursing care and how do these barriers affect HHNs and patients? Participants were professional HHNs who provided skilled intermittent care to diverse patient populations in their homes. Participants believed that a lack of time, high productivity requirements, pay-per-visit compensation, documentation burden, EMR systems, and the "industrialization" of HHNs' practice create structural barriers to high-quality home health nursing. Medicare was perceived as contributing to the barriers with burdensome documentation requirements and regulations that impeded holistic patient-centered care. Nurse participants indicated that the effects of these barriers were nurse stress, burnout, moral distress, and intent to leave; lower patient outcomes and satisfaction; and healthcare disparities. Additional research about the structural barriers were reviewed and found to support the nurses' perceptions of barriers to high-quality nursing care. In a value-based purchasing system, agencies need to support high-quality nursing care by tackling the barriers to its practice. To address the barriers comprehensively, agencies can institute policies that mirror the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Pathway to Excellence ®. Medicare policy makers should examine how present policies adversely affect high-quality nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this viewpoint, we discuss retention in care for people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and call into question the methodology used to characterize retention, as well as the definitions themselves. Optimal retention for people with HIV (PWH) is defined in multiple ways by major healthcare leaders in the United States, typically focusing on appointment attendance or laboratory work. Yet, these definitions rely on in-person encounters, an approach to care that is becoming less common due to the rise of telehealth visits, particularly in light of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Our recent work showed that relying on electronic health records to identify PWH who were not retained in care not only failed to capture the nuances of modern HIV medical treatment engagement, but also led to misidentification of patients' retention status due to limitations in the record system. As such, we recommend a reevaluation of how HIV medical care retention is defined and reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Real-world evidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) messenger RNA (mRNA) booster effectiveness among patients with immune dysfunction are limited. Methods We included data from patients in the United States National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) who completed ≥2 doses of mRNA vaccination between 10 December 2020 and 27 May 2022. Immune dysfunction conditions included human immunodeficiency virus infection, solid organ or bone marrow transplant, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. We defined incident COVID-19 BTI as positive results from laboratory tests or diagnostic codes 14 days after at least 2 doses of mRNA vaccination; and severe COVID-19 BTI as hospitalization, invasive cardiopulmonary support, and/or death. We used propensity scores to match boosted versus nonboosted patients and evaluated hazards of incident and severe COVID-19 BTI using Cox regression after matching. Results Among patients without immune dysfunction, the relative effectiveness of booster (3 doses) after 6 months from the primary (2 doses) vaccination against BTI ranged from 69% to 81% during the Delta-predominant period and from 33% to 39% during the Omicron-predominant period. Relative effectiveness against BTI was lower among patients with immune dysfunction but remained statistically significant in both periods. Boosted patients had lower risk of COVID-19–related hospitalization (hazard ratios [HR] ranged from 0.5 [95% confidence interval {CI},.48–.53] to 0.63 [95% CI,.56–.70]), invasive cardiopulmonary support, or death (HRs ranged from 0.46 [95% CI,.41–.52] to 0.63 [95% CI,.50–.79]) during both periods. Conclusions Booster vaccines remain effective against severe COVID-19 BTI throughout the Delta- and Omicron-predominant periods, regardless of patients' immune status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditional methods for benchmarking dietitian productivity are time‐consuming and fail to accurately measure the total time spent providing nutrition care. An electronic health record (EHR)‐based tool that allows for daily tracking of both face‐to‐face and patient care coordination time for dietitians was created. We assessed whether it provided consistent, continuous measurement of time and productivity. Methods: This tool was created in an independent paediatric academic healthcare system in the USA. Time spent by dietitians in face‐to‐face settings and care coordination were tracked. Changes in time spent between the years 2013–2016 versus 2018–2019 were also analysed. Results: The outpatient dietitian spent a mean total of 66.4 min per patient (37.8 ± 6.0 min in face‐to‐face care and 28.6 ± 5.2 min in care coordination). The total times and fractions spent on face‐to‐face and care coordination time varied by specialty. Comparison of the two periods of time revealed 75% more productivity on average of dietitians in different outpatient settings after including care coordination tracking. In addition, dietitians were more likely to document time spent in 5‐min increments after the institution of this methodology as opposed to 15‐min increments. Conclusions: An EHR‐based tool that facilitates the documentation of both face‐to‐face time and patient care coordination time is feasible and enables consistent, continuous measurement of time and productivity. The real‐time data from this tool can be used to support adequate dietitian staffing and be used to create a multicentre database to measure the actual time dietitians need to provide care and generate consistent staffing benchmarks. Key points: An electronic health record (EHR)‐based tool that facilitates the documentation of both face‐to‐face time and patient care coordination time is feasible and enables consistent, continuous measurement of time and productivity.Outpatient dietitians spend varying amounts of time on face‐to‐face care versus and care coordination depending on the specialty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several clinical trials support the efficacy of music therapy (MT) for improving outcomes in hospitalized patients, but few studies have evaluated the real-world delivery and integration of MT across multiple medical centers. This article describes the rationale, design, and population characteristics of a retrospective study examining the delivery and integration of MT within a large health system. Methods: A retrospective electronic health record (EHR) review was conducted of hospitalized patients seen by and/or referred to MT between January 2017 and July 2020. MT was provided across ten medical centers, including an academic medical center, a freestanding cancer center, and eight community hospitals. Discrete demographic, clinical, and MT treatment and referral characteristics were extracted from the EHR, cleaned, and organized using regular expressions functions, and they were summarized using descriptive statistics. Results: The MT team (average 11.6 clinical fulltime equivalent staff/year) provided 14,261 sessions to 7378 patients across 9091 hospitalizations. Patients were predominantly female (63.7%), White (54.3%) or Black/African American (44.0%), 63.7 ± 18.5 years of age at admission, and insured under Medicare (51.1%), Medicaid (18.1%), or private insurance (14.2%). Patients' hospitalizations (median length of stay: 5 days) were primarily for cardiovascular (11.8%), respiratory (9.9%), or musculoskeletal (8.9%) conditions. Overall, 39.4% of patients' hospital admissions included a mental health diagnosis, and 15.4% were referred to palliative care. Patients were referred by physicians (34.7%), nurses (29.4%), or advanced practice providers (24.7%) for coping (32.0%), anxiety reduction (20.4%), or pain management (10.1%). Therapists provided sessions to patients discharged from medical/surgical (74.5%), oncology (18.4%), or intensive care (5.8%) units. Conclusions: This retrospective study indicates that MT can be integrated across a large health system for addressing the needs of socioeconomically diverse patients. However, future research is needed to assess MT's impact on health care utilization (i.e., length of stay and rates of readmission) and immediate patient-reported outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Few studies have evaluated racial and ethnic differences in several immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) or overlap syndrome (the co-occurrence of ≥ 2 IMIDs). We assessed associations between race and ethnicity and prevalence of IMIDs and overlap syndrome using US claims and electronic health records from 2021. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of 10.8 million adults. METHODS: We identified the 10 most prevalent IMIDs among frequently discussed IMIDs. We estimated associations between the 5 most prevalent IMIDs and overlap syndrome in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian and Black adults using non-Hispanic White adults as the referent and stratifying by sex and age (20-39, 40-59, and ≥ 60 years). RESULTS: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), multiple sclerosis (MS), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were the most prevalent IMIDs in all races and ethnicities. We observed positive associations (P < .0001) between Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black adults and SLE, Asian women of all ages and Asian men younger than 60 years and SLE, Black women younger than 60 years and MS, and Hispanic and non-White women 60 years or older and RA. Hispanic and non-White adults of all age groups had inverse associations (P < .0001) with IBD. Non-Hispanic Black adults of all ages and Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian women 40 years or older had inverse associations (P < .0001) with psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis. Overlap syndrome was rare among all groups, with some variation in which IMIDs co-occurred. CONCLUSIONS: We found racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence and co-occurrence of IMIDs in this sample of US adults. Because misdiagnoses are relatively frequent for patients with IMIDs, awareness of racial and ethnic variations in IMIDs could aid early diagnosis and improve disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To identify the relationship between patient-centered communication and portal offers and use among insured adult patients and to understand the role of patient-centered communication in equitable access to portals. STUDY DESIGN: Using data from 4 cycles of the Health Information National Trends Survey across 2017-2022, we determined how patient-centered communication and sociodemographic characteristics of adult insured patients in the US are associated with offers of and access to online patient portals. METHODS: We conducted multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine associations of patient-centered communication and sociodemographic characteristics of adult insured patients in the US with offers of and access to online patient portals. RESULTS: Across the period of 2017-2022, approximately two-thirds of insured adult patients on average reported being offered a patient portal, and approximately half reported accessing a portal. Patients with lower-than-average patient-centered communication and those who are men, are Hispanic, have less than a college degree, and have no internet are less likely than their counterparts to report being offered or accessing a portal. CONCLUSIONS: Although patient-centered communication is an important factor in facilitating patient portal offers and access, it does not appear to be a driver of demographic divides in portal use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A lack of onsite clinical trials is the largest barrier to participation of cancer patients in trials. Development of an automated process for regional trial eligibility screening first requires identification of patient electronic health record data that allows effective trial screening, and evidence that searching for trials regionally has a positive impact compared with site‐specific searching. Methods: To assess a screening framework that would support an automated regional search tool, a set of patient clinical variables was analyzed for prescreening clinical trials. The variables were used to assess regional compared with site‐specific screening throughout the United States. Results: Eight core variables from patient electronic health records were identified that yielded likely matches in a prescreen process. Assessment of the screening framework was performed using these variables to search for trials locally and regionally for an 84‐patient cohort. The likelihood that a trial returned in this prescreen was a provisional trial match was 45.7%. Expanding the search radius to 20 miles led to a net 91% increase in matches across cancers within the tested cohort. In a U.S. regional analysis, for sparsely populated areas, searching a 100‐mile radius using the prescreening framework was needed, whereas for urban areas a 20‐mile radius was sufficient. Conclusion: A clinical trial screening framework was assessed that uses limited patient data to efficiently and effectively identify prescreen matches for clinical trials. This framework improves trial matching rates when searching regionally compared with locally, although the applicability of this framework may vary geographically depending on oncology practice density. Plain Language Summary: Clinical trials provide cancer patients the opportunity to participate in research and development of new drugs and treatment approaches. It can be difficult to find available clinical trials for which a patient is eligible.This article describes an approach to clinical trial matching using limited patient data to search for trials regionally, beyond just the patient's local care site.Feasibility testing shows that this process can lead to a net 91% increase in the number of potential clinical trial matches available within 20 miles of a patient.Based on these findings, a software tool based on this model is being developed that will automatically send limited, deidentified information from patient medical records to services that can identify possible clinical trials within a given region. To increase patient access to clinical trials, a prescreening framework was developed using deidentified data elements extracted from patient electronic health records to identify likely clinical trials in a regional manner. Feasibility testing shows that this framework effectively performs trial eligibility screening using limited patient data and improves trial matching rates because of regional search capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal: As of January 1, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires most U.S. hospitals to publish pricing information on their website to help consumers make decisions regarding services and to transform negotiations with health insurers. For this study, we evaluated changes in hospitals' compliance with the federal price transparency rule after the first year of enactment, during which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services increased the penalty for noncompliance. Methods: Using a nationally representative random sample of 470 hospitals, we assessed compliance with both parts of the hospital transparency rule (publishing a machinereadable price database and a consumer shopping tool) in the first quarter of 2022 and compared its baseline level in the first quarter of 2021. Using data from the American Hospital Association and Clarivate, we next assessed how compliance varied by hospital factors (ownership, number of beds, system membership, teaching status, type of electronic health record system), market factors (hospital and insurer market concentration), and the estimated change in penalty for noncompliance. Principal Findings: By early 2022, 46% of hospitals had posted both machine-readable and consumer-shoppable data, an increase of 24% from the prior year. Almost 9 in 10 hospitals had complied with the consumer-shoppable data requirement by early 2022. Larger hospitals and public hospitals had lower probabilities of baseline compliance with the machine-readable and consumer-shoppable requirements, respectively, although public hospitals were significantly more likely to become compliant with the consumer-shoppable requirement by 2022. Higher hospital market concentration was also associated with higher baseline compliance for both the machine-readable and consumer-shoppable requirements. Furthermore, our analyses found that hospitals with certain electronic health record systems were more likely to comply with the consumer-shoppable requirement in 2021 and became increasingly compliant with the machine-readable requirement in 2022. Finally, we found that hospitals with a larger estimated penalty were more likely to become compliant with the machine-readable requirement. Practical Applications: Longitudinal analyses of compliance with the federal price transparency rule are valuable for monitoring changes in hospitals' behavior and assessing whether compliance changes vary systematically for specific types of hospitals and/or market structures. Our results suggest a trend toward increased hospital compliance between 2021 and 2022. Although hospitals perceive the consumer-shopping tools as being the most impactful, the value of this information depends on whether it is comprehensible and comparable across hospitals. The new price transparency rule has facilitated the creation of new data that have the potential to significantly alter the competitive landscape for hospitals and may require hospital leaders to consider how their organizational strategies change concerning their engagement with payers and patients. Finally, greater price transparency is likely to bolster national policy discussions related to price variation, affordability, and the role of regulation in healthcare markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This large type 1 diabetes cohort study showed that insulin pump utilization has increased over time and that use differs by sex, insurance type, and race/ethnicity. Insulin pump use was associated with more optimal A1C, increased use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and lower rates of diabetic ketoacidosis and severe hypoglycemia. People who used an insulin pump with CGM had lower rates of acute events than their counterparts who used an insulin pump without CGM. These findings highlight the need to improve access of diabetes technology through provider engagement, multidisciplinary approaches, and efforts to address health inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed and validated a claims-based algorithm that classifies patients into obesity categories. Using Medicare (2007–2017) and Medicaid (2000–2014) claims data linked to 2 electronic health record (EHR) systems in Boston, Massachusetts, we identified a cohort of patients with an EHR-based body mass index (BMI) measurement (calculated as weight (kg)/height (m)2). We used regularized regression to select from 137 variables and built generalized linear models to classify patients with BMIs of ≥25, ≥30, and ≥40. We developed the prediction model using EHR system 1 (training set) and validated it in EHR system 2 (validation set). The cohort contained 123,432 patients in the Medicare population and 40,736 patients in the Medicaid population. The model comprised 97 variables in the Medicare set and 95 in the Medicaid set, including BMI-related diagnosis codes, cardiovascular and antidiabetic drugs, and obesity-related comorbidities. The areas under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve in the validation set were 0.72, 0.75, and 0.83 (Medicare) and 0.66, 0.66, and 0.70 (Medicaid) for BMIs of ≥25, ≥30, and ≥40, respectively. The positive predictive values were 81.5%, 80.6%, and 64.7% (Medicare) and 81.6%, 77.5%, and 62.5% (Medicaid), for BMIs of ≥25, ≥30, and ≥40, respectively. The proposed model can identify obesity categories in claims databases when BMI measurements are missing and can be used for confounding adjustment, defining subgroups, or probabilistic bias analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) is the most popular tool used to triage patients in the US and abroad. Evidence has shown that ESI has its limitations in correctly assigning acuity. To address this, AI can be incorporated into the triage process, decreasing the likelihood of assigning an incorrect ESI level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Tinea capitis is a common pediatric superficial dermatophyte infection associated with lower socioeconomic status, overcrowded environments, and poor hygiene internationally. Nevertheless, to the authors' knowledge, no studies in the United States have reported an association between tinea capitis diagnoses and diagnostic codes for social determinants of health (SDOH). The objectives of the present study were to analyze the diagnostic and treatment approach and frequency of SDOH diagnostic codes in order to assess the presence of racial disparities in the treatment of pediatric patients aged 0 to 18 years diagnosed with tinea capitis. Methods: This study comprised a retrospective analysis using the TriNetX electronic health record database of de-identified pediatric tinea capitis data in ambulatory and emergency settings. The data evaluated demographics, SDOH diagnostic codes, medication codes, and procedure codes. Results: Analysis of 19,677 patients (17,471 [88.8%] ambulatory and 2206 [11.2%] emergency encounters) demonstrated that a low frequency of patients had a confirmatory test for tinea capitis (ie, potassium hydroxide prep or fungal culture; 5.5%), prescription for dual therapy (25.2%), or SDOH diagnostic codes (5.5%). Patients with races classified as Black (odds ratio = 0.48, 95% confidence interval = 0.41-0.57, p < 0.001) and "other" (odds ratio = 0.52, 95% confidence interval = 0.33-0.81, p = 0.004) had a lower likelihood of having an ambulatory encounter, but a higher likelihood of receiving dual therapy. Conclusions: This study found that diagnostic testing, dual therapy, and SDOH diagnostic codes were underutilized for pediatric patients diagnosed with tinea capitis. In addition, patients of races classified as Black and "other" were more likely to be diagnosed in emergency encounters, but had a higher likelihood of receiving dual therapy regardless of encounter type. Further research is needed to determine how to improve the management of tinea capitis and better understand its relationship with SDOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Of >1 million births 2017-2021, 55% were born to mothers who had Tdap vaccination. • Maternal Tdap vaccination uptake peaked at gestational age of 27-32 weeks. • Of >750,000 births 2017-2021, 33% were born to mothers with influenza vaccination. • Maternal influenza vaccination uptake correlated with peak influenza months. • Maternal vaccine uptake estimates may improve estimation of future vaccine impact. Assessment of maternal vaccine coverage is important for understanding and quantifying the impact of currently recommended vaccines as well as modeling the potential impact of future vaccines. However, existing data lack detail regarding uptake according to week of gestational age (wGA). Such granularity is valuable for more accurate estimation of vaccine impact. To summarize contemporary maternal Tdap vaccination uptake, overall, yearly, and by wGA, and maternal influenza vaccination uptake, overall, by influenza observation year, immunization month, and delivery month, in the US. Female patients 18-49 years of age with a pregnancy resulting in a live born infant (i.e., delivery) between 2017 and 2021 were selected from the Optum electronic health records (EHRs) database. Recently published gestational age algorithms were utilized to estimate wGA. Of 1,021,260 deliveries among 886,660 women between 2017-2021, 55.1% had Tdap vaccination during pregnancy; vaccine coverage varied slightly by year (2017: 56.6%; 2018: 55.2%; 2019: 55.2%; 2020: 54.7%; 2021: 52.1%). Most (64.4%) maternal Tdap vaccinations occurred 27-32 wGA; 79.5% occurred during the entire 10-week recommended vaccination window (27-36 wGA). In the evaluation of influenza vaccination uptake (n=798,113 deliveries; 714,841 women), 33.5% of deliveries had influenza vaccination during influenza observation years 2017-2021, most (73.0%) of which occurred during influenza peak activity months (October-January) with approximately one-quarter (27.0%) of vaccinations having occurred during the off-peak months, mostly in September. In this large contemporary analysis of EHR data, uptake of Tdap vaccination during pregnancy was consistent with previously published estimates; notably, most vaccination occurred early in the recommended 27-36 wGA window. Maternal influenza vaccination uptake largely correlated with peak influenza activity months and not gestational age. These study findings may have important implications for estimating the potential uptake and impact of future maternal vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has yet to be fully elucidated how differing populations of obstetric patients adapted to the disruptions in perinatal care and postpartum support from the COVID‐19 pandemic. We surveyed an enriched sample of socioeconomically advantaged patients to understand the influence of COVID‐19 on their perinatal care experience, well‐being, and coping. Methods: We surveyed pregnant and postpartum patients (n = 6140) at a large academic medical center in the Midwest of the United States using the Coronavirus and Perinatal Experiences instrument in Spring 2021. Results: The survey was sent to 6141 pregnant and postpartum patients; 1180 (17.8%) respondents completed the survey, including 256 who were pregnant and 834 postpartum. Most pregnant patients experienced no changes in their prenatal care with 16.5% indicating somewhat worsened care. In the postpartum cohort, 37.5% stated their care had somewhat worsened. In describing influences on stress and mental health, 58.1% of postpartum respondents stated it was moderately, and 17.4% significantly, worse. The pandemic had a somewhat or moderately negative influence for 72.7% of respondents, with 11.0% stating these effects were extremely negative. Both cohorts characterized a range of coping strategies, most commonly, talking with friends and family (76.3%). Conclusion(s): Even among this sample of socioeconomically advantaged patients, respondents indicated that the pandemic disrupted many facets of their medical care and daily life, especially social activities and postpartum support. Our findings suggest that counseling on coping and adaptation strategies for stressors and increased health systems support be part of perinatal care during public health emergencies for all demographic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity (PA) improves quality of life and prevents chronic disease, yet many adults are inactive. Planning with health care providers in the form of exercise "prescriptions" may increase PA, but the role of individual psychosocial factors within exercise prescription programs is not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe the role of self-regulation strategies (e.g., goal setting, self-monitoring, reinforcements) in PA behavior change within the context of an exercise prescription program. Patients at a large, Federally Qualified Health Center with an on-site exercise facility (ie, "Wellness Center") referral were eligible to exercise with a personal fitness advisor. Self-reported PA and use of 15 self-regulation strategies were measured via survey at two time points and merged with electronic health records and attendance data. Patients (n = 151) were, on average, 50.3 ± 13.3 years and mostly female (76.8%). Almost one-third (30.5%) were Hispanic/Latino, 48.3% were non-Hispanic Black, and 20.5% were non-Hispanic white. Participants completed 10.7 ± 12.0 in-person exercise sessions with a fitness advisor. Between baseline and follow-up, the self-regulation strategies that had the largest change in frequency over time were keeping track of PA (p < 0.001), thinking about surroundings (p < 0.001), rewarding yourself for PA (p < 0.001), making PA more enjoyable (p < 0.001), setting goals (p < 0.001), and trying different kinds of PA (p < 0.001). Among exercise prescription program participants, the total self-regulation strategies score was significantly associated with physical activity at follow-up (p = 0.04). Leveraging self-regulatory skill-building activities within the context of exercise prescription programs in clinical settings may provide a personalized and multicomponent approach to PA promotion. Self-regulation strategy training for fitness advisors and/or health care providers has great potential for supporting long-term health behaviors like PA for managing chronic disease among underserved patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hereditary gelsolin (AGel) amyloidosis is a systemic disease that is characterised by neurologic, ophthalmologic, dermatologic, and other organ involvements. We describe the clinical features with a focus on neurological manifestations in a cohort of patients with AGel amyloidosis referred to the Amyloidosis Centre in the United States. Methods: Fifteen patients with AGel amyloidosis were included in the study between 2005 and 2022 with the permission of the Institutional Review Board. Data were collected from the prospectively maintained clinical database, electronic medical records and telephone interviews. Results: Neurologic manifestations were featured in 15 patients: cranial neuropathy in 93%, peripheral and autonomic neuropathy in 57% and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome in 73% of cases. A novel p.Y474H gelsolin variant featured a unique clinical phenotype that differed from the one associated with the most common variant of AGel amyloidosis. Discussion: We report high rates of cranial and peripheral neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome and autonomic dysfunction in patients with systemic AGel amyloidosis. The awareness of these features will enable earlier diagnosis and timely screening for end-organ dysfunction. The characterisation of pathophysiology will assist the development of therapeutic options in AGel amyloidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is reported to have changed injury patterns, prevalence, and outcomes across multiple institutions in the United States. Interpretation of aggregate data is difficult because injury patterns vary between urban and rural hospitals and the implementation of locoregional public health policies and guidelines in response to COVID-19 differed. To prepare our trauma system for future societal shutdowns, we compared injury patterns and outcomes of injured children and adolescents at a single pediatric trauma center before and during the first 2 y of the COVID-19 pandemic. We abstracted demographic, injury, and outcome data for injured children and adolescents (age <15 y) who required admission using our hospital trauma registry and the electronic medical record. We compared differences prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic using univariate analysis. To address confounding variables, we also analyzed in-hospital mortality using a multivariable regression. We observed an increase in the number of injured children requiring admission during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the prepandemic era. Among injury types sustained, we observed an increase in firearm and nonfirearm related penetrating injuries (P < 0.001) during the first year, but not the second year, of the COVID-19 pandemic. Controlling for several confounding variables, we also observed an increase in in-hospital mortality (P = 0.04) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychosocial and socioeconomic burden of the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the rise in penetrating injuries and the odds of in-hospital mortality among a cohort of children and adolescents who were admitted to our hospital following injury. This data may be used to prepare our trauma system for future societal shutdowns through data informed resource utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed predictors of stable HIV viral suppression in a racially diverse sample of persons living with HIV (PWH) in the southern US. A total of 700 PWH were recruited from one of four HIV clinics in Metro Atlanta, GA. Data were collected from September 2012 to July 2017, and HIV viral loads were retrieved from EMR for 18 months. The baseline visits and EMR data were used for current analyses. Durable viral suppression was categorized as 1. Remain suppressed, 2. Remain unsuppressed, and 3. Unstable suppression. The number of antiretroviral medications and age were significantly associated with durable viral suppression. Older age, fewer ART medications and availability of social support were positively associated with durable viral suppression over the 18-month observation period. Findings suggest that regimen complexity is potentially a better predictor of viral suppression than self-reported medication adherence. The need for consensus on the definition of durable viral suppression is also urged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anticoagulants including direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are among the highest-risk medications in the United States. We postulated that routine consultation and follow-up from a clinical pharmacist would reduce clinically important medication errors (CIMEs) among patients beginning or resuming a DOAC in the ambulatory care setting. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention for reducing CIMEs. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Participants: Ambulatory patients initiating a DOAC or resuming one after a complication. Intervention: Pharmacist evaluation and monitoring based on the implementation of a recently published checklist. Key elements included evaluation of the appropriateness of DOAC, need for DOAC affordability assistance, three pharmacist-initiated telephone consultations, access to a DOAC hotline, documented hand-off to the patient's continuity provider, and monitoring of follow-up laboratory tests. Control: Coupons and assistance to increase the affordability of DOACs. Main measure: Anticoagulant-related CIMEs (Anticoagulant-CIMEs) and non-anticoagulant-related CIMEs over 90 days from DOAC initiation; CIMEs identified through masked assessment process including two physician adjudication of events presented by a pharmacist distinct from intervention pharmacist who reviewed participant electronic medical records and interview data. Analysis: Incidence and incidence rate ratio (IRR) of CIMEs (intervention vs. control) using multivariable Poisson regression modeling. Key Results: A total of 561 patients (281 intervention and 280 control patients) contributed 479 anticoagulant-CIMEs including 31 preventable and ameliorable ADEs and 448 significant anticoagulant medication errors without subsequent documented ADEs (0.95 per 100 person-days). Failure to perform required blood tests and concurrent, inappropriate usage of a DOAC with aspirin or NSAIDs were the most common anticoagulant-related CIMEs despite pharmacist documentation systematically identifying these issues when present. There was no reduction in anticoagulant-related CIMEs among intervention patients (IRR 1.17; 95% CI 0.98–1.42) or non-anticoagulant-related CIMEs (IRR 1.05; 95% CI 0.80–1.37). Conclusion: A multi-component intervention in which clinical pharmacists implemented an evidence-based DOAC Checklist did not reduce CIMEs. NIH Trial Number: NCT04068727 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early identification of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a clinical and research imperative. Use of diagnostic codes for MCI and AD identification has limitations. We used clinical notes to supplement diagnostic codes in the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (VAHS) electronic health records (EHR) to identify and establish cohorts of Veterans recorded with MCI or AD. Methods: Targeted keyword searches for MCI ("Mild cognitive impairment;" "MCI") and AD ("Alz*") were used to extract clinical notes from the VAHS EHR from fiscal year (FY) 2010 through FY 2019. Iterative steps of inclusion and exclusion were applied until searches achieved a positive predictive value ≥ 80%. MCI and AD cohorts were identified via clinical notes and/or diagnostic codes (i.e., including Veterans recorded by "Notes Only," "Notes + Code," or "Codes Only"). Results: A total of 2,134,661 clinical notes from 339,007 Veterans met the iterative search criteria for MCI due to any cause and 4,231,933 notes from 572,063 Veterans met the iterative search criteria for AD. Over the 10-year study period, the number of clinical notes recording AD was generally stable, whereas the number for MCI more than doubled. More Veterans were identified for the MCI or AD cohorts via clinical notes than by diagnostic codes, particularly in the AD cohort. Among Veterans identified by having "Notes + Code" for MCI, the number first recorded by a code was lower than the number first recorded by a note until FY 2015 and then gradually became comparable after FY 2015. Among Veterans identified by having "Notes + Code" for AD, the number first recorded by a note was more than double the number first recorded by a code AD in each of the FYs. Conclusions: Clinical note-based identification captured more Veterans recorded with MCI and AD than diagnostic code-based identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]