Financial Burden of Dental Care Among Patients With Head and Neck Cancer.

Importance: Patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) experience oral complications requiring substantial dental treatment. This treatment is commonly not reimbursed by medical insurers, presenting a potential financial burden for patients. Objective: To characterize the dental care needs and associated cost burden for patients with HNC. Design, Setting, and Participants: This survey study included Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA) members who were surveyed from March 23 to October 27, 2023, using Qualtrics. The survey was promoted using the HNCA's social media and email list. Data analysis was performed between October 2023 and May 2024. Main Outcomes and Measures: Main outcomes were oral and dental complications of cancer treatment among patients with HNC, the association of cancer treatment with dental care use, and costs of associated dental treatment. Results: Of 100 individuals administered the survey, 85 (85%) completed all required questions and were included in the analysis. Of 84 participants with age and sex data, 51 (61%) were aged 65 years or older and 45 (54%) were female. Of 85 respondents, 59 (70%) indicated that their current oral health was worse than before cancer treatment. Most respondents (73 of 85 [86%]) endorsed oral complications from cancer treatment, including xerostomia (66 of 73 [90%]), caries (35 of 73 [48%]), and oral mucositis (29 of 73 [40%]); 64 of 73 respondents (88%) required follow-up dental treatment. Overall, 4 of 28 (14%) before HNC treatment and 17 of 53 (32%) after treatment reported finances as the reason that not all recommended dental care was received. A total of 33 of the 85 respondents (39%) said that their postcancer dental care had caused them financial hardship. Individuals who were less likely to endorse financial hardship were more likely to have greater educational attainment (odds ratio [OR], 0.20; 95% CI, 0.06-0.58), higher income (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.11-0.94), increased pre-HNC dental visit frequency (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.10-0.86), same or better oral health after HNC (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.02-0.50), and lower out-of-pocket dental expenses after HNC (OR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.03-0.29). Conclusions and Relevance: In this survey study, most patients undergoing treatment for HNC required extensive dental treatment throughout cancer treatment; this treatment presented a financial burden for 39% of patients that was a limiting barrier to care. Since most private medical insurers do not reimburse for dental treatment, more comprehensive coverage deserves policy attention.

Clusters Based on Within-Treatment Symptom Trajectories as Predictors of Dropout in Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder.

Objective: Dropout rates are high in treatments for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs). We examined dropout predictors in PTSD-SUD treatment. Methods: Participants were 183 veterans receiving integrated or phased motivational enhancement therapy and prolonged exposure. Using survival models, we examined demographics and symptom trajectories as dropout predictors. Using latent trajectory analysis, we incorporated clusters based on symptom trajectories to improve dropout prediction. Results: Hispanic ethnicity (integrated arm), Black or African American race (phased arm), and younger age (phased arm) predicted dropout. Clusters based on PTSD and substance use trajectories improved dropout prediction. In integrated treatment, participants with consistently-high use and low-and-improving use had the highest dropout. In phased treatment, participants with the highest and lowest PTSD symptoms had lower dropout; participants with the lowest substance use had higher dropout. Conclusions: Identifying within-treatment symptom trajectories associated with dropout can help clinicians intervene to maximize outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01211106.

Treatment-related beliefs and reactions among trauma-focused therapy completers and discontinuers: A qualitative examination.

Prolonged exposure (PE) and cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are effective, but some patients do not respond adequately, and dropout rates are high. Patients' beliefs about treatment and perceptions of treatment components influence treatment outcomes and may be amenable to change through intervention. The present study sought to identify beliefs and reactions to PE and CPT that differentiated completers who screened negative for a PTSD diagnosis after treatment (PTSD-), completers who screened positive for a PTSD diagnosis after treatment (PTSD+), and discontinuers who attended six or fewer sessions. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes in qualitative data collected via retrospective semistructured interviews with 51 completers (19 PTSD- after treatment, 32 PTSD+ after treatment) and 66 discontinuers of PE/CPT. Participants were demographically diverse veterans across service eras. Treatment-related beliefs and reactions differentiating these groups included perceived helpfulness of treatment, self-efficacy in engaging in treatment, anticipatory anxiety and concerns, interpretations of ongoing symptoms, and perceived consequences of treatment on functioning. Further, some patterns seemed to differ in early treatment sessions compared to during the active components of treatment. Findings point to potentially malleable targets that could be intervened upon to improve trauma-focused treatment outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Dental caries and anthropometrics of children living in an informal floating Amazonian community: a cross-sectional pilot study

Abstract Aims: Increasing evidence supports a relationship between poor oral health and growth in children. Our objective was to assess the association between the presence of dental caries and anthropometric measurements of children residing in Claverito, a floating slum community in the Peruvian Amazon. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, presence of caries was assessed using dmft/DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth) scores and the SiC Index (mean dmft/DMFT of one-third of the study group with the highest caries score). Anthropometric categories for age-sex-specific z-scores for height and weight were calculated based on WHO standardized procedures and definitions. The association between SiC (measured by dmft/DMFT) and anthropometric measures was estimated using unadjusted and adjusted multivariable linear regression models. Critical value was established at 5%. Results: Our study population consisted of 67 children between the ages of 1 and 18 years old. Mean age was 9.5 years old (SD: 4.5), and the majority were female (52.2%). Almost all had dental caries (97.0%) and the mean dmft/DMFT score was 7.2 (SD: 4.7). The SiC Index of this population was 9.0. After adjusting for confounding variables, participants who had permanent dentition with the highest dmft/DMFT levels had statistically significant decreased height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) (p=0.04). Conclusions: We found an inverse linear association between SiC Index and height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) among children living in poverty in a floating Amazonian community in Peru. Children from under-resourced communities, like floating slums, are at high risk for oral disease possibly negatively impacting their growth and development.

Resumo Objetivos: Há cada vez mais evidências apoiando uma relação entre a saúde bucal precária e o crescimento das crianças. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar a associação entre a presença de cárie dentária e medidas antropométricas de crianças residentes em Claverito, uma comunidade flutuante de favelas na Amazônia peruana. Métodos: Para este estudo transversal, a presença de cárie foi avaliada utilizando os escores dmft/DMFT (dentes cariados, ausentes, preenchidos) e o Índice SiC (média dmft/DMFT de um terço do grupo de estudo com a maior pontuação de cárie). As categorias antropométricas para pontuações z específicas de idade e sexo para altura e peso foram calculadas com base nos procedimentos e definições padronizados da OMS. A associação entre SiC (medido por dmft/DMFT) e medidas antropométricas foi estimada usando modelos de regressão linear multivariável não ajustados e ajustados. O valor crítico foi estabelecido em 5%. Resultados: A população do estudo consistia de 67 crianças entre 1 e 18 anos de idade. A idade média era de 9,5 anos (DP: 4,5), e a maioria era do sexo feminino (52,2%). Quase todas tinham cárie dentária (97,0%) e a média da pontuação dmft/DMFT foi de 7,2 (DP: 4,7). O índice SiC desta população era de 9,0. Após ajuste para variáveis confusas, os participantes que tinham dentição permanente com os níveis mais altos de dmft/DMFT tinham diminuído estatisticamente a pontuação z de altura por idade (HAZ) (p=0,04). Conclusões: Encontramos uma associação linear inversa entre o Índice SiC e as pontuações z de altura por idade (HAZ) entre crianças que vivem na pobreza em uma comunidade amazônica flutuante no Peru. Crianças de comunidades com poucos recursos, como favelas flutuantes, correm alto risco de contrair doenças orais, possivelmente impactando negativamente seu crescimento e desenvolvimento.