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Objective:To assess the clustering properties of residential urban food environment indicators across neighbourhoods and to determine if clustering profiles are associated with diet outcomes among adults in Brooklyn, New York.Design:Cross-sectional.Setting:Five neighbourhoods in Brooklyn, New York.Participants:Survey data (n 1493) were collected among adults in Brooklyn, New York between April 2019 and September 2019. Data for food environment indicators (fast-food restaurants, bodegas, supermarkets, farmer’s markets, community kitchens, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program application centres, food pantries) were drawn from New York databases. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify individuals’ food access-related profiles, based on food environments measured by the availability of each outlet within each participant’s 800-m buffer. Profile memberships were associated with dietary outcomes using mixed linear regression.Results:LPA identified four residential urban food environment profiles (with significant high clusters ranging from 17 to 57 across profiles): limited/low food access, (n 587), bodega-dense (n 140), food swamp (n 254) and high food access (n 512) profiles. Diet outcomes were not statistically different across identified profiles. Only participants in the limited/low food access profile were more likely to consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) than those in the bodega-dense profile (b = 0·44, P < 0·05) in adjusted models.Conclusions:Individuals in limited and low food access neighbourhoods are vulnerable to consuming significant amounts of SSB compared with those in bodega-dense communities. Further research is warranted to elucidate strategies to improve fruit and vegetable consumption while reducing SSB intake within residential urban food environments.

During cancer treatments, patients often defer primary care and comorbidity management, which may not be optimal for overall health when patients transition into survivorship. We sought to quantify primary care utilization among cancer survivors who are ≥2 years post cancer treatments. Nine hundred fifty-one cancer survivors were included in this national, prospective cohort study using the Regional Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) data. Nearly all (91.6%) cancer survivors had at least one annual PCP visit and most (54.6%) had a PCP as their dominant provider. These findings underscore the urgent need for smooth handoffs from oncology back to primary care.

PURPOSE: Black and Hispanic individuals with diabetes receive less recommended diabetes care after cancer diagnosis than non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). We sought to determine whether racial/ethnic minorities with diabetes and cancer were at increased risk of diabetes-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations compared with NHW. METHODS: Using SEER cancer registry data linked to Medicare claims from 2006 to 2014, we included Medicare beneficiaries age 66+ years diagnosed with incident nonmetastatic breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer between 2007 and 2012 who had diabetes. Our primary outcome was any diabetes-related ED visit or hospitalization 366-731 days after cancer diagnosis. Using Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard models, we examined whether risk of ED visits or hospitalizations was higher for racial/ethnic minorities compared with NHW. RESULTS: We included 40,059 beneficiaries with mean age 75.5 years (standard deviation 6.3), 45.6% were women, and 28.9% were non-White. Overall, 825 (2.1%) had an ED visit and 3,324 (8.3%) had a hospitalization related to diabetes in the 366-731 days after cancer diagnosis. Compared with NHW, Black individuals were more likely to have ED visits (2.9% v 2.0%; P < .0001) and hospitalizations (11.7% v 7.8%; P < .0001). Adjusting for potential confounders, Black (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.35) individuals had a higher risk of any ED visit or hospitalization compared with NHW. CONCLUSION: Black individuals with diabetes and cancer were at increased risk for diabetes-related ED visits and hospitalizations in the second year after cancer diagnosis compared with NHW even after accounting for confounders.

Objective To describe the types of decision-making support interventions offered to racial and ethnic minority adults diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer and to draw any associations between these interventions and patient-reported quality of life (QoL) outcomes. Methods We conducted literature searches in five bibliographic databases. Studies were screened through independent review and assessed for quality. Results were analyzed using inductive qualitative methods to determine thematic commonalities and synthesized in narrative form. Results Searches across five databases yielded 2496 records, which were screened by title/abstract and full-text to identify 10 studies meeting inclusion criteria. The use of decision aids (DAs), trained personnel, delivery models and frameworks, and educational materials were notable decision-making support interventions. Analysis revealed six thematic areas: 1) Personalized reports; 2) Effective communication; 3) Involvement in decision-making; 4) Health literacy; 5) Social support; and 6) Feasibility in clinical setting. Conclusion Evidence suggests decision-making support interventions are associated with positive outcomes of racial and ethnic minorities with patient-reported factors like improved patient engagement, less decisional regret, higher satisfaction, improved communication, awareness of health literacy and cultural competence. Practice implications Future decision-making interventions for racial and ethnic minority cancer patients should focus on social determinants of health, social support systems, and clinical outcomes like QoL and survival.

Background The long-term prevalence and risk factors for post-acute COVID-19 sequelae (PASC) are not well described and may have important implications for unvaccinated populations and policy makers. Objective To assess health status, persistent symptoms, and effort tolerance approximately 1 year after COVID-19 infection Design Retrospective observational cohort study using surveys and clinical data Participants Survey respondents who were survivors of acute COVID-19 infection requiring Emergency Department presentation or hospitalization between March 3 and May 15, 2020. Main Measure(s) Self-reported health status, persistent symptoms, and effort tolerance Key Results The 530 respondents (median time between hospital presentation and survey 332 days [IQR 325–344]) had mean age 59.2±16.3 years, 44.5% were female and 70.8% were non-White. Of these, 41.5% reported worse health compared to a year prior, 44.2% reported persistent symptoms, 36.2% reported limitations in lifting/carrying groceries, 35.5% reported limitations climbing one flight of stairs, 38.1% reported limitations bending/kneeling/stooping, and 22.1% reported limitations walking one block. Even those without high-risk comorbid conditions and those seen only in the Emergency Department (but not hospitalized) experienced significant deterioration in health, persistent symptoms, and limitations in effort tolerance. Women (adjusted relative risk ratio [aRRR] 1.26, 95% CI 1.01–1.56), those requiring mechanical ventilation (aRRR 1.48, 1.02–2.14), and people with HIV (aRRR 1.75, 1.14–2.69) were significantly more likely to report persistent symptoms. Age and other risk factors for more severe COVID-19 illness were not associated with increased risk of PASC. Conclusions PASC may be extraordinarily common 1 year after COVID-19, and these symptoms are sufficiently severe to impact the daily exercise tolerance of patients. PASC symptoms are broadly distributed, are not limited to one specific patient group, and appear to be unrelated to age. These data have implications for vaccine hesitant individuals, policy makers, and physicians managing the emerging longer-term yet unknown impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11606-021-07379-z.

BACKGROUND: Healthy lifestyle is associated with reduced all-cause mortality, but it is not known whether this association persists for individuals with high medication burden. We examined the association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and all-cause mortality across different degrees of polypharmacy. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of 20,417 adults aged ≥45 years from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort study. The primary exposure was healthy lifestyle (adherence to Mediterranean diet, physical activity, smoking abstinence, sedentary behavior avoidance, and composite healthy behavior score [HBS]). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Strata of medication burden were based on the number of medications taken (no polypharmacy:0–4, polypharmacy:5–9, hyperpolypharmacy:≥10). We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to examine the association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and mortality within each medication burden stratum; and examined for interactions with age. RESULTS: The healthiest category of each lifestyle behavior, except sedentary behavior avoidance among the hyperpolypharmacy group, was associated with lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 95% confidence interval [95%CI]) regardless of medication burden: Mediterranean diet (no polypharmacy: HR 0.77, polypharmacy: HR 0.78, hyperpolypharmacy: HR 0.85, physical activity (no polypharmacy: HR 0.87, polypharmacy: HR 0.82, hyperpolypharmacy: HR 0.79, smoking abstinence (no polypharmacy: HR 0.40, polypharmacy: HR 0.45, hyperpolypharmacy: HR 0.52, and sedentary behavior avoidance (no polypharmacy: HR 0.88, polypharmacy: HR 0.86, hyperpolypharmacy: HR 0.95. Higher HBS was inversely associated with all-cause mortality within each medication burden stratum (no polypharmacy: HR 0.52, polypharmacy: HR 0.55, hyperpolypharmacy: HR 0.69. Although there was an interaction with age among those with no polypharmacy and those with polypharmacy, point estimates for HBS followed a graded pattern whereby higher HBS was incrementally associated with improved mortality across all age strata. CONCLUSION: Greater adherence to a healthy lifestyle was associated with lower all-cause mortality irrespective of medication burden and age.

Background Racial/ethnic disparities in the utilization of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) have been reported for patients with hematologic malignancies, but population‐based data are lacking for lymphoma patients. The objective of this study was to determine whether racial and ethnic disparities exist in the utilization of autologous HCT for lymphoma in the United States. Method We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data linked to Medicare fee‐for‐service claims. We included Medicare beneficiaries aged 66+ years with Hodgkin or Non‐Hodgkin lymphomas diagnosed between 2008 and 2015. The primary outcome was time‐to‐autologous HCT. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate racial/ethnic differences in utilization. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation with chained equations. Results We included 40,605 individuals with lymphoma. A total of 452 autologous transplants were performed. In the unadjusted model, Non‐Hispanic Black patients were 51% less likely to receive a transplant than Non‐Hispanic White patients (95% CI, 0.26–0.96; p = 0.04). After adjusting for age at diagnosis and sex, Non‐Hispanic Black patients were 61% less likely to receive a transplant (95% CI, 0.20–0.76; p = 0.01). However, observed differences attenuated and became non‐significant after adjustment for socioeconomic factors (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.32–1.21; p = 0.16) and disease‐specific factors (aHR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.30–1.12; p = 0.11), separately. In the fully adjusted model, we also did not observe a statistically significant association between Non‐Hispanic Black race/ethnicity and receipt of transplant (aHR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.28–1.05; p = 0.07). Conclusion In this population‐based cohort study of lymphoma patients, Non‐Hispanic Black patients were less likely to receive autologous HCT compared to Non‐Hispanic White patients, but this difference was partially explained by socioeconomic and disease‐specific factors., Non‐Hispanic Black patients diagnosed with lymphoma between 2008 and 2015 were 51% less likely to receive an autologous transplant compared to Non‐Hispanic White patients. This difference was partially explained by socioeconomic and disease‐specific factors.

Objective To identify individual-level factors associated with hospital readmission among individuals with SSc-associated pulmonary hypertension (SSc-PH). Methods Individuals enrolled in the Pulmonary Hypertension Assessment and Recognition of Outcomes in Scleroderma (PHAROS) registry contributed clinical data related to SSc-PH disease severity and hospital admissions. Readmission was defined as a subsequent hospitalization within 12 months of any hospital discharge. Characteristics were compared between individuals with and without readmissions using Fisher’s exact test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, or Kruskal–Wallis test. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations between clinical predictors and likelihood of readmission. Results Of 572 individuals with SSc-PH enrolled in PHAROS, 54% had ≥1 hospitalizations between 2005 and 2016. Among individuals ever-hospitalized, 34% had ≥1 readmission. Individuals with vs without readmissions had shorter median (IQR) time between index hospitalization date and next PHAROS visit [37 (3, 80) vs 81 (42, 136) days, P Conclusion The strongest predictor for 12-month readmission was an index hospitalization reason related to PH. Home oxygen use was associated with lower odds of readmission. Future studies should determine whether testing for the need for home oxygen mediates the risk of readmission in SSc-PH.

Background The clinical course of COVID-19 includes multiple disease phases. Data describing post-hospital discharge outcomes may provide insight into disease course. Studies describing post-hospitalization outcomes of adults following COVID-19 infection are limited to electronic medical record review, which may underestimate the incidence of outcomes. Objective To determine 30-day post-hospitalization outcomes following COVID-19 infection. Design Retrospective cohort study Setting Quaternary referral hospital and community hospital in New York City. Participants COVID-19 infected patients discharged alive from the emergency department (ED) or hospital between March 3 and May 15, 2020. Measurement Outcomes included return to an ED, re-hospitalization, and mortality within 30 days of hospital discharge. Results Thirty-day follow-up data were successfully collected on 94.6% of eligible patients. Among 1344 patients, 16.5% returned to an ED, 9.8% were re-hospitalized, and 2.4% died. Among patients who returned to the ED, 50.0% (108/216) went to a different hospital from the hospital of the index presentation, and 61.1% (132/216) of those who returned were re-hospitalized. In Cox models adjusted for variables selected using the lasso method, age (HR 1.01 per year [95% CI 1.00–1.02]), diabetes (1.54 [1.06–2.23]), and the need for inpatient dialysis (3.78 [2.23–6.43]) during the index presentation were independently associated with a higher re-hospitalization rate. Older age (HR 1.08 [1.05–1.11]) and Asian race (2.89 [1.27–6.61]) were significantly associated with mortality. Conclusions Among patients discharged alive following their index presentation for COVID-19, risk for returning to a hospital within 30 days of discharge was substantial. These patients merit close post-discharge follow-up to optimize outcomes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11606-021-06924-0.

Many cancer survivors with co-morbid diabetes receive less diabetes management than their non-cancer counterparts. We sought to determine if racial/ethnic disparities exist in recommended diabetes care within 12 months of an incident breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer diagnosis. Because co-morbid diabetes decreases long-term survival, identifying predictors of guideline-concordant diabetes care is important. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry linked to Medicare claims, we included beneficiaries aged 67+ years with diabetes and incident, non-metastatic breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer between 2008 and 2013. Primary outcomes were diabetes care services 12 months after diagnosis: (1) HbA1c test, (2) eye exam, and (3) low-density lipoprotein (LDL) test. Using modified Poisson models with robust standard errors, we examined each outcome separately. We included 34,643 Medicare beneficiaries with both diabetes and cancer. Mean age at diagnosis was 76.1 (SD 6.2), 47.2% were women; 35% had breast, 24% colorectal, and 41% prostate cancer. In the 12 months after incident cancer diagnosis, 82.4% received an HbA1c test, 55.3% received an eye exam, 77.8% had an LDL test, and 42.0% received all three tests. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks were 3% (95% CI 0.95–0.98) less likely to receive a HbA1c test, 10% (95% CI 0.89–0.92) less likely to receive a LDL test, and 8% (95% 0.89–0.95) less likely to receive an exam eye. Blacks and Hispanics were 16% (95% CI 0.81–0.88) and 7% (0.88–0.98) less likely to receive all three tests, after accounting for confounders. Racial/ethnic differences persisted across cancer types. Blacks and Hispanics with breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer and diabetes received less diabetes care after cancer diagnosis compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Differences were not explained by socio-economic factors or clinical need. Our findings are concerning given the high prevalence of diabetes and poor cancer outcomes among racial/ethnic minorities. The next step in this line of inquiry is to determine why minorities are less likely to receive comprehensive diabetes care in order to develop targeted strategies to increase receipt of appropriate diabetes management for these vulnerable populations.

Background More fragmented ambulatory care (i.e., care spread across many providers without a dominant provider) has been associated with more subsequent healthcare utilization (such as more tests, procedures, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations) than less fragmented ambulatory care. It is not known if race and socioeconomic status are associated with fragmented ambulatory care. Methods We conducted a longitudinal analysis of data from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, using the REGARDS baseline visit plus the first year of follow-up. We included participants ≥65 years old, who had linked fee-for-service Medicare claims, and ≥ 4 ambulatory visits in the first year of follow-up. We used Tobit regression to determine the associations between race, annual household income, and educational attainment at baseline and fragmentation score in the subsequent year (as measured with the reversed Bice-Boxerman Index). Covariates included other demographic characteristics, medical conditions, medication use, health behaviors, and psychosocial variables. Additional analyses categorized visits by the type of provider (primary care vs. specialist). Results The study participants (N = 6799) had an average age of 73.0 years, 53% were female, and 30% were black. Nearly half had low annual household income (p Conclusions Among Medicare beneficiaries, blacks had less fragmented ambulatory care than whites, due to lower utilization of specialty care. Future research is needed to determine the effect of fragmented care on health outcomes for blacks and whites.

Background Chronic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (CHP) is caused by an immune mediated response in the lung tissue after exposure to an inhaled environmental antigenic stimulant. We previously documented the ways in which CHP impacts patients’ lives and have now developed a disease-specific instrument, the CHP-HRQOL instrument, to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The objective of this study was to assess content validity for the CHP-HRQOL. Methods Cognitive interviews were conducted among adults with CHP. The instrument was revised and refined between each round of interviews. Feedback was obtained on the instructions, items, response options, and recall period. Items where participants had difficulty with comprehension, wording, or misinterpretation were marked by the interviewer and participant feedback was reviewed to make revisions, add or delete items when appropriate. Readability statistics were calculated using Flesch-Kincaid grade level and reading ease scores. Results Ten participants were interviewed over three rounds, with revisions made to the questionnaire in an iterative process. In the initial 39 item instrument, we identified 7 items where two or more participants reported difficulty. Participants preferred a four-week recall period (compared to a two-week recall period) and response options with a 5-point response scale. The final version of the CHP-HRQOL includes 40 items with a median reading level between 6th and 7th grade. Conclusion The CHP-HRQOL instrument demonstrated high content validity and is ready for psychometric testing in further validation studies.

Background Previous studies have suggested that highly fragmented ambulatory care increases the risk of subsequent hospitalization, but those studies used claims only and were not able to adjust for many clinical potential confounders. Objective The objective of this study was to determine the association between fragmented ambulatory care and subsequent hospitalization, adjusting for demographics, medical conditions, medications, health behaviors, psychosocial variables, and physiological variables. Design Longitudinal analysis of data (2003-2016) from the nationwide REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, linked to Medicare fee-for-service claims. Subjects A total of 12,693 Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older from the REGARDS study who had at least 4 ambulatory visits in the first year of observation and did not have a hospitalization in the prior year. Measures We defined high fragmentation as a reversed Bice-Boxerman score above the 75th percentile. We used Cox proportional hazards models to determine the association between fragmentation as a time-varying exposure and incident hospitalization in the 3 months following each exposure period. Results The mean age was 70.4 years; 54% were women, and 33% were African American. During the first year of observation, participants with high fragmentation had a median of 8 ambulatory visits with 6 providers, whereas participants with low fragmentation had a median of 7 visits with 3 providers. Over 11.8 years of follow-up, 6947 participants (55%) had a hospitalization. High fragmentation was associated with an increased hazard of hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio=1.18; 95% confidence interval: 1.12, 1.24). Conclusion Highly fragmented ambulatory care is an independent risk factor for hospitalization.

Background and Purpose: Social determinants of health (SDOH) have been previously associated with incident stroke. Although SDOH often cluster within individuals, few studies have examined associations between incident stroke and multiple SDOH within the same individual. The objective was to determine the individual and cumulative effects of SDOH on incident stroke. Methods: This study included 27 813 participants from the REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) Study, a national, representative, prospective cohort of black and white adults aged ≥45 years. SDOH was the primary exposure. The main outcome was expert adjudicated incident stroke. Cox proportional hazards models examined associations between incident stroke and SDOH, individually and as a count of SDOH, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: The mean age was 64.7 years (SD 9.4) at baseline; 55.4% were women and 40.4% were blacks. Over a median follow-up of 9.5 years (IQR, 6.0–11.5), we observed 1470 incident stroke events. Of 10 candidate SDOH, 7 were associated with stroke ( P Conclusions: Incremental increases in the number of SDOH were independently associated with higher incident stroke risk in adults aged

Although several risk calculators are available to determine risk for readmission following a heart failure (HF) hospitalization, none provide information on cause-specific readmission. Understanding risk for cause-specific readmission could aid in developing a targeted approach to reducing readmissions. We sought to determine if a simple cardiac co-morbidity count could identify individuals at high risk for a cardiovascular (CV) readmission following a HF hospitalization. Using the Nationwide Readmissions Database, we examined nonfatal hospital discharges with a principal diagnosis of HF. We calculated a 0 to 3 cardiac co-morbidity count based on the presence of coronary artery disease, atrial arrhythmia, and/or ventricular arrhythmia. We used a multinomial logistic regression to determine if the cardiac co-morbidity count was independently associated with CV readmission or non-CV readmission, adjusting for patient- and hospital-level confounders. In 380,075 discharges, 28% had a co-morbidity count of 0, 47% had a count of 1, 23% had a count of 2, and 2% had a count of 3. In a fully adjusted model, cardiac co-morbidity count was independently associated with CV readmission: compared with individuals with a count of 0, the relative risk for those with a count of 1 was 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23 to 1.31); for those with a count of 2 was 1.40 (95% CI: 1.35 to 1.46); and for those with a count of 3 was 1.36 (95% CI: 1.23 to 1.51). Cardiac co-morbidity count was not independently associated with non-CV readmission. In conclusion, we found that a simple cardiac co-morbidity count was independently associated with increased risk of CV but not non-CV readmission.

Background Diabetes places patients with cancer at an increased risk of infections, hospitalizations, and mortality. The objective of the current study was to characterize diabetes care management patterns among patients with cancer in the year before and, separately, after cancer diagnosis. The authors hypothesized that diabetes care declines after a diagnosis of cancer. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry linked to Medicare claims data was used. The authors included diabetic beneficiaries aged ≥65 years who were diagnosed with incident, nonmetastatic breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer between 2008 and 2013. Controls were diabetic Medicare beneficiaries in SEER regions who did not have cancer. Cases were matched to controls based on age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and diabetes severity. Primary outcomes were diabetes care received over 12 months: 1) hemoglobin A1c testing; 2) eye examination; and 3) low-density lipoprotein testing. Using a difference-in-difference (DID) approach, the authors examined use differences 12 months before to after diagnosis for patients with cancer and controls. To avoid capturing testing related to diagnosis and not diabetes management, the authors implemented a 90-day washout period (45 days before and/or after diagnosis). Results A total of 32,728 diabetic patients with cancer and 32,728 matched noncancer controls were included. After diagnosis, patients with cancer were found to have modest, but significantly lower, rates of diabetes care use compared with controls. Patients with cancer had greater declines in hemoglobin A1c testing (DID, 2.4%; 95% CI, 1.7%-3.0%), low-density lipoprotein testing (DID, 4.3%; 95% CI, 3.6%-5.0%), and receipt of all diabetes indicators (DID, 2.7%; 95% CI, 1.8%-3.5%) 12 months before to after diagnosis. Conclusions Compared with controls, less diabetes care use was observed among patients with cancer in the year after diagnosis. Understanding and addressing the reasons for this may improve outcomes in this population.

BACKGROUND Patients with chronic conditions are treated by many providers, which can increase the risk of communication gaps across providers and potential harm to patients. However, to the authors' knowledge, the extent of fragmented care among this population is unknown. In the current study, the authors sought to determine whether cancer survivors have more fragmented care than noncancer controls and to quantify the extent of fragmentation. METHODS Data from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study linked to Medicare claims were used. The authors included beneficiaries with continuous Part A and B coverage for 12 months at the time of their baseline REGARDS survey. The primary outcome of the current study was claims-based fragmentation over 12 months, which was calculated using the reversed Bice-Boxerman Index so a higher score reflected greater fragmentation. Unadjusted differences in fragmentation were compared between cancer survivors and controls. Beta regression models were used to estimate associations between cancer status and fragmentation, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS The authors included 4922 participants aged ≥65 years at baseline. Of these patients, approximately 21% were cancer survivors. Survivors had a median of 11 visits (interquartile range, 7-15 visits) with 5 providers compared with controls, who had a median of 9 visits (interquartile range, 6-14 visits) with 4 providers (P

For high-price drugs, Medicare Part D beneficiaries who do not receive a low-income subsidy must pay a percentage of the drug's price for each medication fill. Without that subsidy, which lowers out-of-pocket spending, beneficiaries typically pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a single fill. We estimated the proportion of Part D beneficiaries in fee-for-service Medicare, with and without a subsidy, who do not initiate treatment (that is, do not fill a new prescription) with high-price Part D drugs newly prescribed for four conditions. Examining 17,076 new prescriptions issued between 2012 and 2018 for Part D beneficiaries from eleven geographically diverse health systems, we found that beneficiaries receiving subsidies were nearly twice as likely to obtain the prescribed drug within ninety days as those without subsidies. Among beneficiaries without subsidies, we observed noninitiation for 30 percent of prescriptions written for anticancer drugs, 22 percent for hepatitis C treatments, and more than 50 percent for disease-modifying therapies for either immune system disorders or hypercholesterolemia. Our findings support current legislative efforts to increase the accessibility of high-price medications by reducing out-of-pocket expenses under Medicare Part D, particularly for beneficiaries without low-income subsidies.

Cancer fatalism-the belief that death is inevitable when cancer is present-has been identified as a barrier to cancer screening, detection, and treatment. Our study examined the relationship between self-reported cancer fatalism and adherence to cancer screening guidelines of the breasts, cervix, colon, and prostate among a diverse sample of urban-dwelling adults in Brooklyn, New York. Between May 2019 and August 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of adults 40 + years of age (n = 2,341) residing in Brooklyn neighborhoods with high cancer mortality. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the odds of reporting cancer screening completion across three fatalistic cancer belief categories (low, med, high). Participants' median age was 61 (IQR 51, 71) years, 61% were women, 49% self-identified as non-Hispanic black, 11% Hispanic, 4% Asian, and 6% more than one race. There were no statistically significant differences in the proportion of low, some, or high fatalistic beliefs identified among male respondents compared to women. Among women, we observed that high fatalistic cancer beliefs were associated with higher odds (OR 2.01; 95% CI 1.10-3.65) of completing breast but not cervical (1.04; CI 0.55-1.99) or colon (1.54; CI 0.88-2.69) cancer screening. Men with high fatalistic cancer beliefs had a trend towards lower odds of prostate screening (OR 0.53: 95% CI 0.18-1.57) compared to men with low fatalistic beliefs, but neither was statistically significant. Findings suggest that high fatalistic cancer beliefs may be an important factor in cancer screening utilization among women. Further examination in longitudinal cohorts with a larger sample of men may be needed in order to identify any significant effect.

IntroductionThe involvement of a cardiologist in the care of adults during a hospitalization for heart failure (HF) is associated with reduced rates of in-hospital mortality and hospital readmission. However, not all patients see a cardiologist when they are hospitalized for HF. Since reasons for this are not entirely clear, we sought to determine whether social determinants of health (SDOH) are associated with cardiologist involvement in the management of adults hospitalized for HF. We hypothesized that SDOH would be inversely associated with cardiologist involvement in the care of adults hospitalized for HF.MethodsWe included adult participants from the national REasons for Geographic And Racial Difference in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort, who experienced an adjudicated hospitalization for HF between 2009 and 2017. We excluded participants who were hospitalized at institutions that lacked cardiology services (n=246). We examined nine candidate SDOH, which align with the Healthy People 2030 conceptual model: Black race, social isolation (0–1 visits from a family or friend in the past month), social network/caregiver availability (having someone to care for them if ill), educational attainment < high school, annual household income < $35,000, living in rural areas, living in a zip code with high poverty, living in a Health Professional Shortage Area, and residing in a state with poor public health infrastructure. The primary outcome was cardiologist involvement, a binary variable which was defined as involvement of a cardiologist as the primary responsible clinician or as a consultant, collected via chart review. We examined associations between each SDOH and cardiologist involvement using Poisson regression with robust standard errors. Candidate SDOH with statistically significant associations (pResultsWe examined 876 participants hospitalized at 549 unique US hospitals. The median age was 77.5 years (IQR 71.0-83.7), 45.9% were female, 41.4% were Black, and 56.2% had low income. Low household income (ConclusionsAdults with low household income were 11% less likely to have a cardiologist involved in their care during a hospitalization for HF. This suggests that socioeconomic status may implicitly bias the care provided to patients hospitalized for HF.

Background: It is not known which social determinants of health (SDOH) impact 30-day readmission after a heart failure (HF) hospitalization among older adults. We examined the association of 9 individual SDOH with 30-day readmission after an HF hospitalization. Methods and Results: Using the REGARDS study (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke), we included Medicare beneficiaries who were discharged alive after an HF hospitalization between 2003 and 2014. We assessed 9 SDOH based on the Healthy People 2030 Framework: race, education, income, social isolation, social network, residential poverty, Health Professional Shortage Area, rural residence, and state public health infrastructure. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause readmission. For each SDOH, we calculated incidence per 1000 person-years and multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios of readmission. Among 690 participants, the median age was 76 years at hospitalization (interquartile range, 71–82), 44.3% were women, 35.5% were Black, 23.5% had low educational attainment, 63.0% had low income, 21.0% had zip code–level poverty, 43.5% resided in Health Professional Shortage Areas, 39.3% lived in states with poor public health infrastructure, 13.1% were socially isolated, 13.3% had poor social networks, and 10.2% lived in rural areas. The 30-day readmission rate was 22.4%. In an unadjusted analysis, only Health Professional Shortage Area was significantly associated with 30-day readmission; in a fully adjusted analysis, none of the 9 SDOH were individually associated with 30-day readmission. Conclusions: In this modestly sized national cohort, although prevalent, none of the SDOH were associated with 30-day readmission after an HF hospitalization. Policies or interventions that only target individual SDOH to reduce readmissions after HF hospitalizations may not be sufficient to prevent readmission among older adults.

Collecting symptom, function, and adverse event (AE) data directly from children and adolescents undergoing cancer care is more comprehensive and accurate than relying solely on their caregivers or clinicians for their interpretations. We developed the pediatric patient-reported outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (Ped-PRO-CTCAE) measurement system with input from children, parents, and clinicians. Here, we report how we determined the recommended Ped-PRO-CTCAE item scoring approach.Data from 271 patients were analyzed using three scoring approaches: (a) at the AE attribute (frequency, severity, interference) using ordinal and dichotomous measures; (b) a weighted composite AE item score by AE attribute (0.5 - frequency; 1.0 - severity; 1.5 - interference); and (c) overall number of AEs endorsed. Associations of each AE attribute, AE item score, and overall AE score with the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric measures were examined. The ability of the overall Ped-PRO-CTCAE AE score to identify patients with PROMIS symptom T-scores worse than reference population scores was assessed. Clinician preference for score information display was elicited through interviews with five pediatric oncology clinical trialists.The diverse scoring approaches yielded similar outcomes, including positive correlations of the Ped-PRO-CTCAE attributes, AE item score, and the overall AEs score with the PROMIS Pediatric measures. Clinicians preferred the most granular display of scoring information (actual score reported by the child and corresponding descriptive term).Although three scoring approaches yielded similar results, we recommend the AE attribute level of one score per Ped-PRO-CTCAE AE attribute for its simplicity of use in care and research.

Social vulnerabilities increase the risk of developing hypertension and lower life expectancy, but the effect of an individual’s overall vulnerability burden is unknown. Our objective was to determine the association of social vulnerability count and the risk of developing hypertension or dying over 10 years and whether these associations vary by race. We used the REGARDS study (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) and included participants without baseline hypertension. The primary exposure was the count of social vulnerabilities defined across economic, education, health and health care, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context domains. Among 5425 participants of mean age 64±10 SD years of which 24% were Black participants, 1468 (31%) had 1 vulnerability and 717 (15%) had ≥2 vulnerabilities. Compared with participants without vulnerabilities, the adjusted relative risk ratio for developing hypertension was 1.16 (95% CI, 0.99–1.36) and 1.49 (95% CI, 1.20–1.85) for individuals with 1 and ≥2 vulnerabilities, respectively. The adjusted relative risk ratio for death was 1.55 (95% CI, 1.24–1.93) and 2.30 (95% CI, 1.75–3.04) for individuals with 1 and ≥2 vulnerabilities, respectively. A greater proportion of Black participants developed hypertension and died than did White participants (hypertension, 38% versus 31%; death, 25% versus 20%). The vulnerability count association was strongest in White participants ( P value for vulnerability count×race interaction: hypertension=0.046, death=0.015). Overall, a greater number of socially determined vulnerabilities was associated with progressively higher risk of developing hypertension, and an even higher risk of dying over 10 years.

The relationship between psychological stress and heart failure (HF) has not been well studied. We sought to assess the relationship between perceived stress and incident HF.We used data from the national REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a large prospective biracial cohort study that enrolled community-dwellers aged 45 years and older between 2003 and 2007, with follow-up. We included participants free of suspected prevalent HF who completed the Cohen 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). Our outcome variables were incident HF event, HF with reduced ejection fraction events, and HF with preserved ejection fraction events. We estimated Cox proportional hazard models to determine if PSS-4 quartiles were independently associated with incident HF events, adjusting for sociodemographics, social support, unhealthy behaviors, comorbid conditions, and physiologic parameters. We also tested interactions by baseline statin use, given its anti-inflammatory properties.Among 25,785 participants with a mean age of 64 ± 9.3 years, 55% were female and 40% were Black. Over a median follow-up of 10.1 years, 1109 ± 4.3% experienced an incident HF event. In fully adjusted models, the PSS-4 was not associated with HF or HF with reduced ejection fraction. However, PSS-4 quartiles 2-4 (compared with the lowest quartile) were associated with incident HF with preserved ejection fraction (Q2 hazard ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.88; Q3 hazard ratio 1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.95; Q4 hazard ratio 1.41, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.92). Notably, this association was attenuated among participants who took a statin at baseline (P for interaction = .07).Elevated perceived stress was associated with incident HF with preserved ejection fraction but not HF with reduced ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND Previous work found that Black patients experience worse care coordination than White patients. OBJECTIVE The aim was to determine if there are racial disparities in self-reported adverse events that could have been prevented with better communication. RESEARCH DESIGN We used data from a cross-sectional survey that was administered to participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study in 2017-2018. SUBJECTS REGARDS participants aged 65+ years of age who reported >1 ambulatory visits and >1 provider in the prior 12 months (thus at risk for gaps in care coordination). MEASURES Our primary outcome was any repeat test, drug-drug interaction, or emergency department visit or hospitalization that respondents thought could have been prevented with better communication. We used Poisson models with robust standard error to determine if there were differences in preventable events by race. RESULTS Among 7568 REGARDS respondents, the mean age was 77 years (SD: 6.7), 55.4% were female, and 33.6% were Black. Black participants were significantly more likely to report any preventable adverse events compared with Whites [adjusted risk ratio (aRR): 1.64; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.42-1.89]. Specifically, Blacks were more likely than Whites to report a repeat test (aRR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.38-2.29), a drug-drug interaction (aRR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.46-2.12), and an emergency department visit or hospitalization (aRR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.01-2.08). CONCLUSIONS Black participants were significantly more likely to report a preventable adverse event attributable to poor care coordination than White participants, independent of demographic and clinical characteristics.