Sustainment of the TeleSleep program for rural veterans.

Background: In fiscal year 2021, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provided care for sleep disorders to 599,966 Veterans, including 189,932 rural Veterans. To further improve rural access, the VA Office of Rural Health developed the TeleSleep Enterprise-Wide Initiative (EWI). TeleSleep's telemedicine strategies include tests for sleep apnea at the Veteran's home rather than in a sleep lab; Clinical Video Telehealth applications; and other forms of virtual care. In 2017 and 2020, VHA provided 3-year start-up funding to launch new TeleSleep programs at rural-serving VA medical facilities. Methods: In early 2022, we surveyed leaders of 24 sites that received TeleSleep funding to identify successes, failures, facilitators, and barriers relevant to sustaining TeleSleep implementations upon expiration of startup funding. We tabulated frequencies on the multiple choice questions in the survey, and, using the survey's critical incident framework, summarized the responses to open-ended questions. TeleSleep program leaders discussed the responses and synthesized recommendations for improvement. Results: 18 sites reported sustainment, while six were "on track." Sustainment involved medical centers or regional entities incorporating TeleSleep into their budgets. Facilitators included: demonstrating value; aligning with local priorities; and collaborating with spoke sites serving rural Veterans. Barriers included: misalignment with local priorities; and hiring delays. COVID was a facilitator, as it stimulated adoption of telehealth practices; and also a barrier, as it consumed attention and resources. Recommendations included: longer startup funding; dedicated funding for human resources to accelerate hiring; funders communicating with local facility leaders regarding how TeleSleep aligns with organizational priorities; hiring into job classifications aligned with market pay; and obtaining, from finance departments, projections and outcomes for the return on investment in TeleSleep.

Travel Burden as a Measure of Healthcare Access and the Impact of Telehealth within the Veterans Health Administration.

BACKGROUND: Travel is a major barrier to healthcare access for Veteran Affairs (VA) patients, and disproportionately affects rural Veterans (approximately one quarter of Veterans). The CHOICE/MISSION acts' intent is to increase timeliness of care and decrease travel, although not clearly demonstrated. The impact on outcomes remains unclear. Increased community care increases VA costs and increases care fragmentation. Retaining Veterans within the VA is a high priority, and reduction of travel burdens will help achieve this goal. Sleep medicine is presented as a use case to quantify travel related barriers. OBJECTIVE: The Observed and Excess Travel Distances are proposed as two measures of healthcare access, allowing for quantification of healthcare delivery related to travel burden. A telehealth initiative that reduced travel burden is presented. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational, utilizing administrative data. SUBJECTS: VA patients with sleep related care between 2017 and 2021. In-person encounters: Office visits and polysomnograms; telehealth encounters: virtual visits and home sleep apnea tests (HSAT). MAIN MEASURES: Observed distance: distance between Veteran's home and treating VA facility. Excess distance: difference between where Veteran received care and nearest VA facility offering the service of interest. Avoided distance: distance between Veteran's home and nearest VA facility offering in-person equivalent of telehealth service. KEY RESULTS: In-person encounters peaked between 2018 and 2019, and have down trended since, while telehealth encounters have increased. During the 5-year period, Veterans traveled an excess 14.1 million miles, while 10.9 million miles of travel were avoided due to telehealth encounters, and 48.4 million miles were avoided due to HSAT devices. CONCLUSIONS: Veterans often experience a substantial travel burden when seeking medical care. Observed and excess travel distances are valuable measures to quantify this major healthcare access barrier. These measures allow for assessment of novel healthcare approaches to improve Veteran healthcare access and identify specific regions that may benefit from additional resources.

Sleep disorders among rural Veterans: Relative prevalence, comorbidities, and comparisons with urban Veterans.

PURPOSE: To describe and compare demographic characteristics and comorbidities of rural and urban Veterans diagnosed with sleep disorders, and to evaluate whether rurality is a disparity for sleep care among Veterans. METHODS: Numbers of Veterans with sleep disorders and comorbid conditions were determined using the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA's) Corporate Data Warehouse, a database that contains detailed clinical information for all Veterans who receive VA health care. Comparisons between urban and rural Veterans were conducted for fiscal years (FY) 2010-2021. FINDINGS: The prevalence of diagnosed sleep disorders was similar among rural and urban Veterans from FY2010 to 2021 and increased for both groups during this time period. The prevalence of chronic pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and diabetes mellitus was higher for rural Veterans with sleep disorders compared to their urban counterparts. From 2012 to 2021, the percentage of rural Veterans who received sleep care at VA facilities was lower than the percentage of urban Veterans who received VA sleep care during the same time span. CONCLUSIONS: Although rural Veterans exhibited a higher prevalence of 3 comorbid conditions associated with sleep disorders, the prevalence of sleep disorder diagnoses was similar between rural and urban Veterans. Therefore, it is possible that sleep disorders are underdiagnosed among rural Veterans. The fact that rural Veterans received VA sleep care at a lower rate compared to urban Veterans indicates that rurality is a disparity in access to care in this population. VA is addressing this disparity through a variety of programs, including telehealth initiatives.

Study protocol to assess de-implementation of the initial provider encounter for diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea: the DREAM (Direct Referral for Apnea Monitoring) Project.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a very common and serious health condition which is highly prevalent among U.S. military Veterans. Because the demand for sleep medicine services often overwhelms the availability of such services, it is necessary to streamline diagnosis and treatment protocols. The goals of this study are to, (1) assess the efficacy of de-implementing the initial provider encounter for diagnosis and treatment of OSA; (2) determine the negative predictive value (NPV) of home sleep apnea testing (HSAT); (3) develop HSAT usage recommendations for various at-risk patient populations. METHODS: This is a large, pragmatic study that will take place in 3 VA sleep medicine programs: San Francisco, CA; Portland, OR; and Pittsburgh, PA. All Veterans referred for new sleep apnea evaluations at these sites will be included in this four-year study. Outcomes will include time from referral for OSA to sleep testing and treatment; positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment adherence measures; patient-reported clinical outcomes and measures of satisfaction; determination of the NPV of HSAT; HSAT usage recommendations for at-risk patient populations. DISCUSSION: The DREAM (Direct Referral for Apnea Monitoring) Project will inform sleep medicine providers and clinical organizations regarding strategies to streamline diagnosis and treatment protocols for OSA. Results of this study should have significant impact on clinical practices and professional guidelines. Trial registration The majority of this project is an observational study of clinical procedures. Therefore, clinical trial registration is not required.

Diagnostic and Treatment Considerations in Restless Legs Syndrome Complicated by Diabetic Neuropathy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Diabetic neuropathy from type I diabetes (DMI), type II diabetes (DMII), or gestational diabetes commonly occurs concurrently with restless legs syndrome (RLS) with an estimated prevalence in DMII specifically of 17.7 to 45%. The diagnosis of RLS can be obscured by symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, which may be similar to those of RLS, but also by other RLS mimics, including nocturnal leg cramps or akathisia. The purpose of this review is to outline a framework for considering comorbid diabetic neuropathy and RLS by discussing RLS and its association with peripheral nerve disease, diabetes, and sleep disruption. Treatment for patients with both diabetic neuropathy and RLS may differ from treatment of persons with solely RLS or diabetic neuropathy; key points in this difference are discussed. Finally, a treatment algorithm is provided to guide the approach to treating patients with comorbid RLS and diabetic neuropathy. RECENT FINDINGS: There have been several revisions of the RLS diagnostic criteria which in addition to the main four essential criteria of having (1) an urge to move the legs which is (2) exacerbated by rest, (3) relieved temporarily by movement, and (4) occurs in the evening or night time, now includes a consideration for RLS mimics, requiring that (5) symptoms not be explained by any other symptoms. Additionally, the treatment of both diabetic neuropathy and RLS has evolved to focus first on controlling the blood glucose, avoiding exacerbating medications, supplementing with iron if serum ferritin is low, and starting pharmacotherapy with alpha-2-delta ligands such as gabapentin or pregabalin. Knowledge of the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy with RLS, revised RLS diagnostic criteria, and a general treatment algorithm for the combination of peripheral neuropathy and RLS is critical to providing appropriate care to patients suffering from these two diseases.

Failure Mode and Effect Analysis: Engineering Safer Neurocritical Care Transitions.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Inter-hospital patient transfers for neurocritical care are increasingly common due to increased regionalization for acute care, including stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. This process of transfer is uniquely vulnerable to errors and risk given numerous handoffs involving multiple providers, from several disciplines, located at different institutions. We present failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) as a systems engineering methodology that can be applied to neurocritical care transitions to reduce failures in communication and improve patient safety. Specifically, we describe our local implementation of FMEA to improve the safety of inter-hospital transfer for patients with intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage as evidence of success. METHODS: We describe the conceptual basis for and specific use-case example for each formal step of the FMEA process. We assembled a multi-disciplinary team, developed a process map of all components required for successful transfer, and identified "failure modes" or errors that hinder completion of each subprocess. A risk or hazard analysis was conducted for each failure mode, and ones of highest impact on patient safety and outcomes were identified and prioritized for implementation. Interventions were then developed and implemented into an action plan to redesign the process. Importantly, a comprehensive evaluation method was established to monitor outcomes and reimplement interventions to provide for continual improvement. RESULTS: This intervention was associated with significant reductions in emergency department (ED) throughput (ED length of stay from 300 to 149 min, (p < .01), and improvements in inter-disciplinary communication (increase from pre-intervention (10%) to post- (64%) of inter-hospital transfers where the neurological intensive care unit and ED attendings discussed care for the patient prior to their arrival). CONCLUSIONS: Application of the FMEA approach yielded meaningful and sustained process change for patients with neurocritical care needs. Utilization of FMEA as a change instrument for quality improvement is a powerful tool for programs looking to improve timely communication, resource utilization, and ultimately patient safety.

Cost and Outcomes Analysis of Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy (Aneurysmal Type 1 Neovascularization) Treatment Strategies.

Purpose: This work compares the relative cost utility of ranibizumab and aflibercept with and without verteporfin photodynamic therapy (vPDT) for the treatment of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Methods: A retrospective cost and outcomes analysis of the PLANET (Efficacy and Safety of Intravitreal Aflibercept for Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy) and EVEREST II (Efficacy and Safety of Ranibizumab With or Without Verteporfin Photodynamic Therapy for Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy) studies was performed. Clinical utilization and outcomes were based on data from these clinical trials, and costs were obtained from Medicare fee schedules. Cost utility was derived from published visual outcomes and expressed as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Cost per QALY and cost per line of vision gained for each treatment strategy (in US dollars) were assessed as the main outcome measure. Results: The 1-year facility (nonfacility) costs per QALY were $295,744.41 ($260,088.19), $209,574.09 ($182,831.77), $211,072.63 ($188,425.33), and $212,275.22 ($189,703.05) for ranibizumab as-needed monotherapy, ranibizumab as-needed with combination therapy, aflibercept monotherapy, and aflibercept with delayed vPDT combination therapy, respectively. Conclusions: Ranibizumab as-needed monotherapy was the least clinically effective and least cost efficient over 1 year. Ranibizumab as-needed with combination therapy, aflibercept monotherapy, and aflibercept with deferred vPDT combination therapy all had similar overall cost utility at 1 year. If bevacizumab were to be substituted for ranibizumab, the cost per QALY could be reduced by approximately a factor of 5, showing the benefit of bevacizumab for increasing the cost utility of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy treatment.

Suicidal thought and behavior in individuals with restless legs syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is associated with an unrelenting urge to move at night, which can cause chronic sleeplessness, depression, and despondency; thus increasing risk of suicide. We aimed to determine frequency of suicidal ideation and behavior in RLS. METHODS: RLS and control participants were recruited through community and RLS Foundation advertisements. RLS diagnosis was confirmed using the Cambridge-Hopkins RLS Questionnaire and severity was assessed using the International RLS Study Group Severity Scale (IRLSS). Lifetime suicidal ideation (plan) and behavior (attempt) was assessed using the Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-revised. The Brief Lifetime Depression Scale evaluated lifetime depression history. Forward stepwise logistic regression determined the odds of suicidal ideation or behavior. RESULTS: In this study, 192 RLS and 158 control participants were comparable for age, sex, race, and other potential demographic confounders. In general, RLS was moderate-to-severe (mean IRLSS 26.4 ± 7.5). Significantly more RLS than control participants had lifetime suicidal ideation or behavior (27.1% vs. 7.0%; p < 0.00001) or lifetime depression history (65.6%% vs. 22.8%; p < 0.00001). The odds of having a lifetime suicidal ideation or behavior was higher in those with RLS [2.80 (1.29,6.11)], even after accounting for depression and other confounders. In RLS, the odds of lifetime suicidal ideation or behavior was increased if there was lifetime depression [7.37 (2.65,20.47)] or if RLS in the past was severe or very severe [2.36 (1.03,5.40)]. CONCLUSIONS: Lifetime suicidal ideation or behavior is prevalent in RLS sufferers, and its likelihood is dependent on RLS severity and depression history.

Hemicrania Continua: a Clinical Perspective on Diagnosis and Management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Hemicrania Continua (HC) is a daily and persistent form of headache that is characterized by side-locked pain which is continuous, varies in severity and can be associated with conjunctival injection, lacrimation, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, eyelid edema, forehead or facial sweating and miosis and/or ptosis. RECENT FINDINGS: Functional imaging studies have shown activation of subcortical structures such as the posterior hypothalamus and dorsal rostral pons, which are known to disinhibit the trigeminal autonomic reflex, a reflex responsible for autonomic outflow through trigeminal efferents. A similar pathway activation is seen in other Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TAC) which solidifies HC as a TAC. While we also discuss promising treatments in our review, more evidence is needed before making them a standard of therapy for HC. This article aims to review the recent research on the diagnosis and clinical management of this potentially underdiagnosed primary headache disorder.

Spindle activity in young children with autism, developmental delay, or typical development.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether spindle activity differs in young children with and without autism. METHODS: We investigated differences in spindle density, duration, and oscillatory features in 135 young children with autism, developmental delay without autism (DD), or typical development (TD) and secondarily assessed the dimensional relationship between spindle density and both cognitive ability and social functioning. RESULTS: Compared to TD, both spindle density (Cohen d 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-1.37) and duration (Cohen d 0.58, 95% CI 0.15-1.01) were significantly decreased in autism. Spindle density was also significantly reduced in autism compared to DD (Cohen d 0.61, 95% CI 0.13-1.09). Decreased spindle frequency in autism compared to both TD (Cohen d 0.47, 95% CI 0.04-0.90) and DD (Cohen d 0.58, 95% CI 0.10-1.06) did not survive correction. The DD group did not differ significantly from the TD group on any spindle parameter. These results, suggesting a relationship between spindle density and autism but not DD, were further illustrated in exploratory analyses, wherein nonverbal ratio IQ (RIQ) and the Vineland Socialization domain standard score were strongly correlated with spindle density in the full sample (r = 0.33, p ≤ 001 and r = 0.41, p ≤ 001, respectively) but not within group. After nonverbal RIQ was accounted for, the relationship between spindle density and Vineland Socialization remained statistically significant (r = 0.23, p < 0.01). However, Vineland Socialization scores accounted for the relationship between spindle density and nonverbal RIQ (r = 0.04, p = 0.67). CONCLUSION: In a large cohort of young children with autism, spindle density was reduced compared to groups of age-matched children with DD or TD. Alterations in the maturational trajectory of spindles may provide valuable insight into the neurophysiologic differences related to behavior in disorders of neurodevelopment.

Chiari Headache.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chiari malformations (CM) are a group of neuroanatomical pathologies resulting from overcrowding of the hindbrain. The purpose of this review is to characterize Chiari headache (CH) and describe diagnosis and treatment of the condition. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent research has helped solidify the criteria for diagnosis of CH. Imaging studies have expanded our understanding of the morphological features producing them and helped to better characterize the pathophysiology. Additionally, identifying this unusual headache disorder accurately has helped with specific treatment options. CH is a disabling condition which can effect multiple domains of a patient's life. The diagnostic criteria has improved, and we now have a better understanding of the pathophysiology and imaging findings associated with CH. Future research is warranted to find new treatment options for individuals suffering from this condition.

Olfactory sulcal depth and olfactory bulb volume in patients with schizophrenia: an MRI study.

The current report used structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to objectively measure olfactory bulb volume and olfactory sulcal depth in patients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia and healthy controls. Additional measures were obtained to assess olfactory function. The olfactory bulb and sulcus were manually traced on structural 3T MRIs for 25 right-handed male patients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia and 25 matched male healthy controls. A sub-set of subjects received the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). Olfactory bulb volume was significantly decreased in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls, as was their performance on the UPSIT. Additionally, a positive correlation was seen in patients between right bulb volume and UPSIT scores. Overall, our findings support earlier research studies showing morphometric and functional changes in the olfactory system in patients with schizophrenia.