Identifying Patterns of Primary Care In-Person and Telemedicine Use in the Veterans Health Administration: A Latent Class Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The Veterans Health Administration increased synchronous telemedicine (video and telephone visits) in primary care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine veteran use patterns of in-person and telemedicine primary care when all modalities were available. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort analysis. We performed a latent class analysis of primary care visits over a 1-year period to identify veteran subgroup (i.e., class) membership based on amount of primary care use and modality used. Then, we used multinomial logistic regression with a categorical outcome to identify patient characteristics associated with class identification. PARTICIPANTS: A random national sample consisting of 564,580 primary care empaneled veterans in June 2021. MAIN MEASURES: Latent class membership. KEY RESULTS: We identified three latent classes: those with few primary care visits that were predominantly telephone-based (45%), intermediate number of visits of all modalities (50%), and many visits of all modalities (5%). In an adjusted model, characteristics associated with the "few" visits class, compared to the intermediate class, were older age, male sex, White race, further driving distance to primary care, higher Gagne, optimal internet speed, and unmarried status (OR 1.002, 1.52, 1.13, 1.004, 1.04, 1.05, 1.06, respectively; p < .05). Characteristics associated with membership in the "many" visits class, compared to the intermediate class, were Hispanic race, higher JEN Frailty Index and Gagne (OR 1.12, 1.11, 1.02, respectively; p < .05), and higher comorbidity by Care Assessment Need score quartile (Q2 1.73, Q3 2.80, Q4 4.12; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Veterans accessing primary care in-person or via telemedicine do so primarily in three ways: (1) few visits, predominantly telephone; (2) intermediate visits, all modalities, (3) many visits, all modalities. We found no groups of veterans receiving a majority of primary care through video.

Examination of the Shoulder for Beginners and Experts: An Update.

Compared with other joints in the body, examination of the shoulder continues to be a challenge for practitioners, whether they be trainers, physical therapists, primary care physicians, or orthopedic surgeons. There are many reasons for this challenge, the primary being the highly complex architecture of bony and soft-tissue anatomy which allows for the greatest range of motion of any joint of the body. As a result, the clinical examination as Ralph Hertel, MD, has commented "perhaps it is just not easy." His comment reflects that one cannot just expect to understand how to interpret the examination unless the observer has some knowledge of how the shoulder complex works, how to perform the basics of the examination, how to interpret radiographs, and how to integrate these variables into a diagnosis. This chapter will attempt to delineate the principles which make the shoulder examination more attainable, plus highlight the areas where a combination of factors is necessary to arrive at a diagnosis.

Changes in Primary Care Quality Associated With Implementation of the Veterans Health Administration Preventive Health Inventory.

Importance: The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in primary care delivery. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) launched the Preventive Health Inventory (PHI) program-a multicomponent care management intervention, including a clinical dashboard and templated electronic health record note-to support primary care in delivering chronic disease care and preventive care that had been delayed by the pandemic. Objectives: To describe patient, clinician, and clinic correlates of PHI use in primary care clinics and to examine associations between PHI adoption and clinical quality measures. Design, Setting, and Participants: This quality improvement study used VHA administrative data from February 1, 2021, through February 28, 2022, from a national cohort of 216 VHA primary care clinics that have implemented the PHI. Participants comprised 829 527 veterans enrolled in primary care in clinics with the highest and lowest decile of PHI use as of February 2021. Exposure: Templated electronic health record note documenting use of the PHI. Main Outcomes and Measures: Diabetes and blood pressure clinical quality measures were the primary outcomes. Interrupted time series models were applied to estimate changes in diabetes and hypertension quality measures associated with PHI implementation. Low vs high PHI use was stratified at the facility level to measure whether systematic differences in uptake were associated with quality. Results: A total of 216 primary clinics caring for 829 527 unique veterans (mean [SD] age, 64.1 [16.9] years; 755 158 of 829 527 [91%] were men) formed the study cohort. Use of the PHI varied considerably across clinics. The clinics in the highest decile of PHI use completed a mean (SD) of 32 997.4 (14 019.3) notes in the electronic health record per 100 000 veterans compared with 56.5 (35.3) notes per 100 000 veterans at the clinics in the lowest decile of use (P < .001). Compared with the clinics with the lowest use of the PHI, clinics with the highest use had a larger mean (SD) clinic size (12 072 [7895] patients vs 5713 [5825] patients; P < .001), were more likely to be urban (91% vs 57%; P < .001), and served more non-Hispanic Black veterans (16% vs 5%; P < .001) and Hispanic veterans (14% vs 4%; P < .001). Staffing did not differ meaningfully between high- and low-use clinics (mean [SD] ratio of full-time equivalent staff to clinician, 3.4 [1.2] vs 3.4 [0.8], respectively; P < .001). After PHI implementation, compared with the clinics with the lowest use, those with the highest use had fewer veterans with a hemoglobin A1c greater than 9% or missing (mean [SD], 6577 [3216] per 100 000 veterans at low-use clinics; 9928 [4236] per 100 000 veterans at high-use clinics), more veterans with an annual hemoglobin A1c measurement (mean [SD], 13 181 [5625] per 100 000 veterans at high-use clinics; 8307 [3539] per 100 000 veterans at low-use clinics), and more veterans with adequate blood pressure control (mean [SD], 20 582 [12 201] per 100 000 veterans at high-use clinics; 12 276 [6850] per 100 000 veterans at low-use clinics). Conclusions and Relevance: This quality improvement study of the implementation of the VHA PHI suggests that higher use of a multicomponent care management intervention was associated with improved quality-of-care metrics. The study also found significant variation in PHI uptake, with higher uptake associated with clinics with more racial and ethnic diversity and larger, urban clinic sites.

Worldwide adherence to ACCP guidelines for thromboprophylaxis after major orthopedic surgery: A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Increased risk of venous thromboembolism following major orthopedic surgery (MOS) is well described. The American Academy of Chest Physician (ACCP) has generated evidence-based recommendations for thromboprophylaxis; however, there is a gap between guidelines recommendations and clinical practice. The aim of this study is to compare worldwide adherence rates to the last 4 editions of ACCP guidelines for thromboprophylaxis after MOS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review of literature and meta-analysis was performed. Studies reporting adherence to ACCP guidelines between January 2004 and October 2014 were included. Adherence rates after MOS for in-hospital (IH), extended (EXT), and global thromboprophylaxis (in-hospital plus extended) were assessed. RESULTS: Of 3993 titles, 13 studies reporting data of 35,303 patients were selected. Studies assessing the 6th, 7th or 8th editions of ACCP guidelines were found. No studies evaluating the 9th edition were available. For MOS, global adherence rates for the 6th, 7th and 8th editions were 62% (95% CI: 61%-63%), 70% (95% CI: 69%-71%), and 42% (95% CI: 41%-43%), respectively. Likewise, in-hospital adherence was 52% (95% CI: 50%-54%), 51% (95% CI: 50%-52%) and 85% (95% CI: 84%-86%). For extended prophylaxis, adherence rates were reported only for the 8th edition (59%; 95% CI: 58%-60%). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to ACCP recommendations for thromboprophylaxis during hospitalization has increased over time. Nevertheless, adherence rates to global thromboprophylaxis decrease due to an insufficient implementation of recommendations after discharge.

COVID-19, embarazo, vacunas y lactancia materna / COVID-19, pregnancy, vaccines and breastfeeding

Las mujeres embarazadas o en período de lactancia han sido excluidas de los ensayos clínicos sobre vacunas contra SARS-CoV-2, evitando así la obtención de datos sólidos que permitan determinar la seguridad e inmunogenicidad de las vacunas en esta población, a la vez que se han asociado peores resultados maternos ­ fetales. La evidencia acerca de la seguridad e inmunogenicidad en esta población es limitada, en base a estudios observacionales, con pocos casos y en mujeres vacunadas con plataformas ARNm, en las cuales no se ha descrito por ahora una mayor asociación a eventos adversos relacionados a vacunas, como tampoco, variaciones significativas en la respuesta inmunológica en comparación a la población no embarazada. También existen datos que documentan la adquisición de anticuerpos transplacentarios, considerándose de bajo riesgo la posibilidad de transmisión vertical. Se hacen necesarios ensayos clínicos que permitan precisar recomendaciones basadas en evidencia para esta población, en un contexto de utilización de emergencia de vacunas contra SARS-CoV-2. (AU)

Pregnant or breastfeeding women have been excluded from clinical trials on vaccines against SARSCoV-2, thus avoiding obtaining solid data to determine the safety and immunogenicity of vaccines in this population, as well as being associated worse maternal-fetal outcomes. The evidence about safety and immunogenicity in this population is limited, based on observational studies, with few cases and in women vaccinated with mRNA platforms, in which a greater association to adverse events related to vaccines has not been described or significant variations in the immune response compared to the non-pregnant population. There are also data that document the acquisition of transplacental antibodies, considering the possibility of vertical transmission as low risk. Clinical trials are necessary to evidence-based recommendations for this population, in a context of emergency use of vaccines against SARSCoV-2. (AU)

Cost-Effectiveness of a Care Program for HIV/AIDS Patients Affiliated with a Health Insurer in Colombia, Comparing Three Health Care Providers Nationwide.

BACKGROUND: In Colombia, HIV and AIDS constitute one of the major diseases of high cost to the health system, making necessary health risk management of patients with this disease through comprehensive health care programs with their respective evaluation of results. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of a care program for patients with HIV/AIDS affiliated to a health insurer in Colombia, comparing their results in three Health care provider (HCP). METHODS: The study population corresponded to a cohort of patients older than 18 years with HIV/AIDS and affiliated to a health insurer in Colombia during 2011 and 2012. A cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis of a health care program for this population was performed on the basis of a Markov model, in which quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and life-years gained were assessed. This analysis was conducted from the insurer perspective. The time horizon was life expectancy. A discount rate of 3% was applied. RESULTS: Drugs accounted for 80.54% of care costs. The average annual cost of patients in health state 5 was 3 times higher than that of patients in state 1. HCP A compared with HCP B generated an additional 1.53 QALYs, with a rate of incremental cost-effectiveness of $2400 per QALY gained. HCP C showed a dominated behavior. The variables that most influence the uncertainty were the cost of HCP A in health state 5 (55.52%) and the cost of HCP B in state 3 (27.51%). CONCLUSIONS: HCP A is a very cost-effective option considering a threshold of 1 time the per-capita gross domestic product.

Effectiveness and safety of the enhanced recovery program in colorectal surgery: overview of systematic reviews / Efectividad y seguridad del programa multimodal perioperatorio en cirugía colorrectal: Revisión sistemática de revisiones

Abstract Introduction Multimodal enhanced recovery programs are a new paradigm in perioperative care. Objective To evaluate the certainty of evidence pertaining to the effectiveness and safety of the multimodal perioperative care program in elective colorectal surgery. Data source: A search was conducted in the Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases, up until February 2020. Eligibility criteria Systematic reviews that take into account the perioperative multimodal program in patients with an indication for colorectal surgery were included. The primary outcomes were morbidity and postoperative deaths. The secondary outcome was hospital length of stay. Study quality and synthesis method The reviews were evaluated with AMSTAR-2 and the certainty of the evidence with the GRADE methodology. The findings are presented with measures of frequency, risk estimators, or differences. Results Six systematic reviews of clinical trials with medium and high quality in AMSTAR-2 were included. Morbidity was reduced between 16 and 48%. Studies are inconclusive regarding postoperative mortality. Hospital length of stay was reduced by an average of 2.5 days (p <0.05). The certainty of the body of evidence is very low. Limitations The effect of the program, depending on the combination of elements, is not clear. Conclusions and implications Despite the proven evidence that the program is effective in reducing global postoperative morbidity and hospital stay, the body of evidence is of very low quality. Consequently, results may change with new evidence and further research is required.

Resumen Introducción Los programas multimodales de cuidado perioperatorio son nuevos paradigmas de atención en salud, particularmente en el paciente quirúrgico. Objetivo Evaluar la certeza en la evidencia de la efectividad y seguridad del programa multimodal perioperatorio en cirugía colorrectal electiva. Fuente de datos Se consultaron las bases de datos Medline, EMBASE y Cochrane hasta febrero de 2020. Criterios de elegibilidad Se incluyeron revisiones sistemáticas que consideraron como intervención el programa multimodal perioperatorio en pacientes con indicación de cirugía colorrectal. Los desenlaces primarios fueron morbilidad y mortalidad postoperatoria. El desenlace secundario fue estancia hospitalaria. Evaluación de los estudios y método de síntesis La calidad de las revisiones fue evaluada con AMSTAR-2 y la certeza de la evidencia con la metodología GRADE. Los hallazgos se presentan con medidas de frecuencia, estimadores de riesgo o diferencias. Resultados Se incluyeron seis revisiones sistemáticas de ensayos clínicos de media y alta calidad en AMSTAR-2. La morbilidad se redujo entre el 16 y el 48 %. Para la mortalidad postoperatoria no se reportan diferencias a favor del programa. La estancia hospitalaria se redujo en promedio 2,5 días (p < 0,05). La certeza del cuerpo de la evidencia es muy baja. Limitaciones El efecto del programa en función de combinación de elementos no es claro. Conclusiones e implicaciones A pesar de que la evidencia sugiere que el programa es efectivo en la reducción de morbilidad postoperatoria global y estancia hospitalaria, el cuerpo de la evidencia es de muy baja calidad, por lo que los resultados podrían cambiar con nueva evidencia. Se requieren nuevas investigaciones.

Relación del insomnio con el deterioro cognitivo y bienestar subjetivo en adultos mayores / Relationship of insomnia with cognitive impairment and subjective well-being on older adults / Relação da insônia com déficit cognitivo e bem-estar subjetivo em idosos

Antecedentes: el insomnio es uno de los trastornos del sueño más prevalentes en adultos mayores, provocando un impacto físico, psicológico y social. Estudios reportan que el insomnio se asocia con somnolencia, disfuncionalidad física diurna, depresión, ansiedad, deterioro cognitivo y una mala percepción de bienestar subjetivo, representando un grave problema en el primer nivel de atención. Objetivo: determinar la relación entre el insomnio con deterioro cognitivo y bienestar subjetivo en una población de adultos mayores. Método: se llevó a cabo un estudio analítico y comparativo en una población de 107 adultos mayores de la Ciudad de México. Se aplicaron instrumentos de valoración gerontológica: la Escala Atenas de insomnio, el Índice de calidad del sueño de Pittsburgh, el Mini-examen del estado mental de Folstein, la Escala de Satisfacción con la vida de Diener y la Escala de Afecto positivo y Afecto negativo. En el análisis estadístico se calcularon frecuencias y porcentajes, χ² y t de Student, y como estimador de riesgo se empleó razón de momios con IC del 95%, así mismo, se realizaron pruebas de correlación de Pearson. Resultados: se encontró una prevalencia de insomnio del 57%, mala calidad del sueño del 76% y deterioro cognitivo del 24%. De los adultos mayores insomnes, 31% presentaron deterioro cognitivo (p=0.045) y 31% baja satisfacción con la vida (p=0.001). En relación con la dimensión afectiva del bienestar subjetivo, tuvieron puntajes menores de afecto positivo (33±9 vs 37±9, p=0.020) y puntaciones más altas de afecto negativo (21±9vs 16±6, p=0.002). De los adultos mayores con mala calidad del sueño, 30% presentaron deterioro cognitivo (p=0.017) y 27% baja satisfacción con la vida (p=0.001), y presentaron puntuaciones menores en el afecto positivo (33±9vs 39±8, p=0.005)en comparación con los adultos mayores con buena calidad del sueño. Se observó que 28% de los adultos mayores con sueño ≤6 horas presentaron baja satisfacción con la vida (p=0.042). También se encontró que el insomnio y la mala calidad del sueño fueron factores de riesgo para el deterioro cognitivo con una razón de momios de 1.52 y 4.05, respectivamente. En las pruebas de correlación se encontró que el insomnio y la mala calidad del sueño tuvieron correlaciones negativas con la funcionalidad cognitiva, la satisfacción con la vida y el afecto positivo, por otro lado, se observaron correlaciones positivas con el afecto negativo. La duración del sueño se correlacionó negativamente con la satisfacción con la vida. Conclusiones. nuestros resultados sugieren una relación entre el insomnio con deterioro cognitivo y baja satisfacción con la vida. Asimismo, los adultos mayores con insomnio tienen menor afecto positivo y mayor afecto negativo.

Background: insomnia is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders in older adults, causing physical, psychological and social impact. Studies report that insomnia is associated with sleepiness, daytime physical dysfunction, depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment and a poor perception of subjective well-being, representing a serious problem at the first level of care. Objective: to determine the relationship between insomnia with cognitive impairment and subjective well-being in a population of older adults. Methods: an analytical and comparative study was carried out in a population of 107 older adults in Mexico City. Gerontological assessment instruments were applied: the Athens Insomnia Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Folstein's Mini-Mental State Examination, the Diener's Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale. In the statistical analysis, frequencies and percentages, χ² and Student's t test were calculated, and odds ratios with 95% CI were used as risk estimators, as well as Pearson correlation tests. Results: a prevalence of insomnia of 57%, poor sleep quality of 76% and cognitive impairment of 24% was found. Of the insomniac older adults, 31% presented cognitive impairment (p=0.045) and 31% low life satisfaction (p=0.001). In relation to the affective dimension of subjective well-being, they had lower scores of positive affect (33±9 vs 37±9, p=0.020) and higher scores of negative affect (21±9 vs 16±6, p=0.002). Of the older adults with poor sleep quality, 30% had cognitive impairment (p=0.017) and 27% low life satisfaction (p=0.001), and had lower scores on positive affect (33±9 vs 39±8, p=0.005) compared to older adults with good sleep quality. It was observed that 28% of older adults with sleep ≤6 hours presented low life satisfaction (p=0.042). Insomnia and poor sleep quality were also found to be risk factors for cognitive impairment with odds ratios of 1.52 and 4.05, respectively. Correlation tests found that insomnia and poor sleep quality had negative correlations with cognitive functioning, life satisfaction and positive affect, on the other hand, positive correlations were observed with negative affect. Sleep duration was negatively correlated with life satisfaction. Conclusions: our results suggest a relationship between insomnia with cognitive impairment and low life satisfaction. Also, older adults with insomnia have lower positive affect and higher negative affect.

Introdução: A insônia é um dos distúrbios do sono mais prevalentes em idosos, causando impactos físicos, socias e psicológicos. Estudos reportam que a insônia está relacionada à sonolência, disfuncionalidade física diurna, depressão, ansiedade, deterioro cognitivo e uma má percepção do bem-estar subjetivo, representando um grave problema no primeiro nível de atenção. Objetivo: Determinar a relação entre a insônia com o comprometimento cognitivo e o bem-estar subjetivo em uma população de idosos. Método: Foi realizado um estudo analítico e comparativo em uma população de 107 idosos da Cidade do México. Foram usados instrumentos de valoração gerontológica como a Escala de Insônia de Atenas, o Índice de Qualidade do Sono de Pittsburgh, a Mini Exame do Estado Mental de Folstein, a Escala da Satisfação com a Vida de Diener e a Escala de Afeto Positivo e Negativo. Na análise estatística foram calculadas frequências e porcentagens, χ² e t de student, e como estimador de risco, foi usada a razão de chance (OR) com IC do 95%, bem como provas de correlação de Pearson. Resultados: Foi descoberta uma prevalência de insônia de 57%, má qualidade do sono de 76% e déficit cognitivo de 24%. Dos idosos insones 31% apresentaram déficit cognitivo (p=0,045) e 31% baixa satisfação com a vida (p=0,001). Em relação à dimensão afetiva do bem-estar subjetivo, tiveram pontuações menores de afeto positivo (33±9 vs 37±9, p=0,020), e pontuações mais altas de afeto negativo (21±9 vs 16±6, p=0,002). Dos idosos com má qualidade do sono, 30% apresentaram deterioro cognitivo (p=0,017) e 27% baixa satisfação com a vida (p=0,001) apresentaram pontuações menores no afeto positivo (33±9 vs 39±8, p=0,005) em comparação com os idosos com boa qualidade do sono. Observou-se que, 28% dos idosos com sono ≤6 horas apresentaram baixa satisfação com a vida (p=0,042). Também se descobriu, que a insônia e a má qualidade do sono foram fatores de déficit cognitivo, com uma razão de chance (OR) de 1,52 e 4,05 respectivamente. Nas provas de correlação, encontrou-se que a insônia e a má qualidade do sono tiveram correlações negativas com a funcionalidade cognitiva, a satisfação com a vida e o afeto positivo, por outro lado, foram observadas correlações positivas com o efeito negativo. A duração do sono foi correlacionada negativamente com a satisfação com a vida.

Estudio de costo-efectividad del programa de vacunación contra Brucella abortus en bovinos en el departamento de Nariño / Cost-effectiveness analysis of the vaccination program against bovine Brucella abortus in the Department of Nariño.

Objetivo. Determinar la eficiencia del programa de vacunación en bovinos contra Brucella abortus en el departamento de Nariño, desde la perspectiva de la Sociedad de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Nariño (Sagán). Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un estudio costo-efectividad empleando un modelo determinístico, el horizonte de tiempo fue desde la vacunación de los animales hasta que inician producción (24 meses). Se construyó un modelo de la historia natural de la enfermedad basado en revisión de literatura; los costos se establecieron desde la perspectiva de Sagán en el año 2008, se utilizó la menor efectividad de la vacuna reportada en la literatura y el escenario más conservador de la enfermedad mediante un análisis de sensibilidad en las principales variables. Resultados. Se encontró que la vacuna cepa 19 en una cohorte hipotética de 100.000 animales y con una prevalencia de la enfermedad de 8,6% permite un ahorro de $1.302.670.935. Al analizar la razón costo-efectividad incremental se observa que en las diferentes variables el programa de vacunación es dominante y se produce una relación costo-efectividad favorable en los diversos resultados en salud analizados. Conclusiones. El programa de control y erradicación de brucelosis en el departamento de Nariño con vacuna cepa 19 es eficiente desde la perspectiva de Sagán.

Objective: A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted for the control and eradication program of bovine Brucellosis using the vaccine against strain 19 in the Department of Nariño (Colombia). Materials and methods: A cost-effectiveness study was conducted using a deterministic model with a hypothetic cohort of 100.000 animals, the time horizon was from the time of vaccination until the animals go into production (24 months). A model of the natural history of disease was constructed with data extracted from literature review, the costs were established from the perspective of SAGAN in 2008, the lowest effectiveness figure for the vaccine was used with a conservative illness scenario, and a sensitivity analysis was performed for the prevalence variables, milk price, and the cost and coverage of the vaccine. Results: A favorable cost-effectiveness relation for the different health outcomes analyzed within this work (Abortions, temporal infertility, mortality, prenatal mortality, milk and meat Production) was found. Conclusions: The Brucellosis control and eradication program in the Department Nariño against strain 19 is efficient from SAGAN´s perspective; this program should count with support on the part of relevant institutions for the epidemiologic vigilance of this disease.