Treatment Approaches for Opioid Use Disorder Offered in US Substance Use Treatment Facilities.

This study compares medication and psychosocial treatments for opioid use disorder, as well as treatments offered at opioid and nonopioid treatment program facilities for commonly co-occurring substance use disorders and mental disorders.

Familial hypercholesterolemia care by Dutch pediatricians-mind the gaps.

PURPOSE: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) leads to elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Since the first functional and morphologic changes of the arterial wall occur in childhood, treatment should start early in childhood to mitigate the elevated risk of ASCVD. Pediatricians play an important role in the detection and care of children with FH. In this study, we aim to explore potential gaps in FH care amongst Dutch pediatricians, in order to enhance their knowledge and awareness of detecting and treating children with FH. METHODS: An anonymous online survey, deployed using Google Forms, including 26 closed and semi-closed questions on FH care in children was distributed by the Dutch Association of Pediatrics via a newsletter to which the majority of the practicing Dutch pediatricians subscribe. In addition, we requested that the pediatric departments of all Dutch hospitals in the Netherlands distribute this survey personally among their employed pediatricians. Respondents were instructed to answer the questions without any help or use of online resources. RESULTS: Between September 1st, 2023 and November 1st, 2023, 158 (an estimated 11% response rate) Dutch pediatricians completed the survey. They reported a median (IQR) of 15.0 (6.0-22.0) years of experience as a pediatrician, and 34 (21.5%) were working in academic hospitals. The majority (76.6%) of pediatricians correctly identified a typical FH lipid profile but 68 (43.0%) underestimated the true prevalence of FH (1:300). Underestimation and unawareness of the increased risk of FH patients for ASCVD were reported by 37.3% and 25.9% of pediatricians, respectively. Although 70.9% of the pediatricians correctly defined FH, only 67 (42.4%) selected statins and ezetimibe to treat severe hypercholesterolemia. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest significant gaps in knowledge and awareness of FH in children among Dutch pediatricians. FH care in children needs improvement through educational and training initiatives to mitigate the life-long risk of ASCVD from early life. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) leads to elevated LDL-cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). • The process of atherosclerosis starts in childhood • Pediatricians play an important role in the detection and treatment of children with FH. WHAT IS NEW: • Our results highlight significant gaps in care for children with FH amongst pediatricians and this may lead to suboptimal detection and treatment. • FH care in children needs improvement by educational initiatives to ultimately prevent ASCVD in adulthood.

Evidence-practice gap in treatment decisions about defective composite and amalgam restorations among Brazilian dentists

Better understanding of dentists' decision-making about defective restorations is needed to close the evidence-practice gap (EPG). This study aimed to quantify the EPG about defective restorations and identify dentist factors associated with this EPG. Methods: 216 dentists from São Paulo State, Brazil, completed a questionnaire about three clinical case scenarios involving defective composite restorations with cementum-dentin margins (case 1) and enamel margins (case 2), and an amalgam (case 3) restoration. Dentists were asked what treatment, if any, they would recommend, including preventive treatment, polishing, re-surfacing, or repairing the restoration, or replacing the entire restoration. Replacing the entire restoration in any of these three scenarios was classified as inconsistent with the evidence, comprising an EPG. Bivariate analyses using Chi-square, ANOVA, or multiple comparison tests were performed (p<.05). Results: for defective composite restorations, 49% and 55% of dentists chose to replace the entire restoration for cases 1 and 2, respectively. Twenty-nine percent of dentists chose to replace the entire amalgam restoration. Dentists were significantly more likely to choose to replace the defective amalgam restoration than the composite restoration with a defect at the cementum-dentin margins or the enamel margins (both at p < .001). Female dentists were more likely to choose a conservative treatment than male dentists for cases 1 (p=.034) and 2 (p=.009). Dentists with a higher percentage of patients interested in individualized caries prevention were also more conservative in case 1 (p=.045). Conclusion: a substantial EPG regarding treatment decisions for defective restorations exists, especially for composite restorations. This study adds to the international evidence that an EPG exists in this clinical area and that global strategies need to be developed to close the gap

Gaps in standardized postoperative pain management quality measures: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was an assessment of availability postoperative pain management quality measures and National Quality Forum-endorsed measures. Postoperative pain is an important clinical timepoint because poor pain control can lead to patient suffering, chronic opiate use, and/or chronic pain. Quality measures can guide best practices, but it is unclear whether there are measures for managing pain after surgery. METHODS: The National Quality Forum Quality Positioning System, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Indicators, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Measures Inventory Tool databases were searched in November 2019. We conducted a systematic literature review to further identify quality measures in research publications, clinical practice guidelines, and gray literature for the period between March 11, 2015 and March 11, 2020. RESULTS: Our systematic review yielded 1,328 publications, of which 206 were pertinent. Nineteen pain management quality measures were identified from the quality measure databases, and 5 were endorsed by National Quality Forum. The National Quality Forum measures were not specific to postoperative pain management. Three of the non-endorsed measures were specific to postoperative pain. CONCLUSION: The dearth of published postoperative pain management quality measures, especially National Quality Forum-endorsed measures, highlights the need for more rigorous evidence and widely endorsed postoperative pain quality measures to guide best practices.

Expert Consensus on Nail Procedures and Selection of CPT Codes.

BACKGROUND: Dermatologists specialize in treating conditions of the skin, hair, and nails; however, it is our experience that the field of nail diseases is the least discussed facet of dermatology. Even less acknowledged is the complexity of nail procedures and how best to accurately code for these procedures. OBJECTIVE: To convene a panel of experts in nail disease to reach consensus on the most accurate and appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes associated with the most commonly performed nail procedures. METHODS: A questionnaire including 9 of the most commonly performed nail procedures and potential CPT codes was sent to experts in the treatment of nail disease, defined as those clinicians running a nail subspecialty clinic and performing nail procedures with regularity. A conference call was convened to discuss survey results. RESULTS: Unanimous consensus was reached on the appropriate CPT codes associated with all discussed procedures. LIMITATIONS: Although this article details the most commonly performed nail procedures, many were excluded and billing for these procedures continues to be largely subjective. This article is meant to serve as a guide for clinicians but should not be impervious to interpretation in specific clinical situations. CONCLUSION: Billing of nail procedures remains a practice gap within our field. The authors hope that the expert consensus on the most appropriate CPT codes associated with commonly performed nail procedures will aid clinicians as they diagnose and treat disorders of the nail unit and encourage accurate and complete billing practices.

Temporal Trends in Revision Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty from 2008 to 2018: Gaps and Opportunities.

BACKGROUND: An overall assessment of how patient demographic characteristics and comorbidities are improving or worsening can allow better understanding of the value of revision total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify patient demographic characteristics and comorbidities trends and episode-of-care outcome trends from 2008 to 2018 in patients undergoing revision TJA. METHODS: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried to identify patient demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and episode-of-care outcomes in patients undergoing revision TJA from 2008 to 2018 (n = 45,706). Pairwise t tests and pairwise chi-square tests were performed on consecutive years with Bonferroni correction. Trends were assessed using the 2-tailed Mann-Kendall test of the temporal trend. RESULTS: Among patients undergoing revision TJA, there was no clinically important difference, from 2008 to 2018, in age, body mass index (BMI), percentages with >40 kg/m2 BMI, diabetes (18.8% to 19%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (4.1% to 5.4%), congestive heart failure within 30 days (0% to 1%), or acute renal failure (0% to 0.2%). However, modifiable comorbidities including smoking status (14.7% to 12.0%; p = 0.01), hypertension (66% to 26.0%; p = 0.02), anemia (34.5% to 26.3%; p < 0.001), malnutrition (10.4% to 9.3%; p = 0.004), and overall morbidity or mortality probability have improved, with a decrease in the hospital length of stay and 30-day readmission and a significant increase in home discharge (p < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Time-difference analysis demonstrated that the overall health status of patients undergoing revision TJA improved from 2008 to 2018. However, formal time-trend analysis demonstrated improvements to a lesser degree. The multidisciplinary effort to improve value-based metrics including patient comorbidity optimization and episode-of-care outcomes for primary TJA has been shown to potentially have an impact on revision TJA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Epidemiologic Research of Rare Cancers: Trends, Resources, and Challenges.

BACKGROUND: The goals of this project were to assess the status of NCI's rare cancer-focused population science research managed by the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), to develop a framework for evaluation of rare cancer research activities, and to review available resources to study rare cancers. METHODS: Cancer types with an overall age-adjusted incidence rate of less than 20 cases per 100,000 individuals were identified using NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program data. SEER data were utilized to develop a framework based on statistical commonalities. A portfolio analysis of DCCPS-supported active grants and a review of three genomic databases were conducted. RESULTS: For the 45 rare cancer types included in the analysis, 123 active DCCPS-supported rare cancer-focused grants were identified, of which the highest percentage (18.7%) focused on ovarian cancer. The developed framework revealed five clusters of rare cancer types. The cluster with the highest number of grants (n = 43) and grants per cancer type (10.8) was the cluster that included cancer types of higher incidence, average to better survival, and high prevalence (in comparison with other rare cancers). Resource review revealed rare cancers are represented in available genomic resources, but to a lesser extent compared with more common cancers. CONCLUSIONS: This article provides an overview of the rare cancer-focused population sciences research landscape as well as information on gaps and opportunities. IMPACT: The findings of this article can be used to develop efficient and comprehensive strategies to accelerate rare cancer research.See related commentary by James V. Lacey Jr, p. 1300.

Clinical Practices in Head and Neck Cancer: A Speech-Language Pathologist Practice Pattern Survey.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical practices of speech-language pathologists (SLP) treating head and neck cancer (HNC) patients range widely despite literature trending toward best practices. This survey study was designed to identify current patterns and assess for gaps in clinical implementation of research evidence. METHOD: A web-based survey was distributed to SLPs via listserv and social media outlets. Descriptive statistics and group calculations were completed to identify trends and associations in responses. RESULTS: Of 152 received surveys, the majority of respondents were hospital-based (86%) and had greater than 5 years of experience (65%). There was group consensus for the use of prophylactic exercise programs (95%), recommendations for SLP intervention during HNC treatment (75%), and use of maintenance programs post-treatment (97%). Conversely, no group consensus was observed for use of pre-treatment swallow evaluations, frequency of service provision, and content of therapy sessions. Variation in clinical decision making was noted in use of prophylactic feeding tubes and number of patients taking nothing by mouth during treatment. No associations were found between years of experience and decision-making practices, nor were any associations found between practice setting and clinical decision making. CONCLUSION: Despite the growing body of literature outlining evidence-based treatment practices for HNC patients, clinical practice patterns among SLPs continue to vary widely resulting in inconsistent patient care across practice settings. As compared to prior similar data, increased alignment with best practices was observed relative to early referrals, implementation of prophylactic intervention programs, and intervention with the SLP during the period of HNC treatment.

Birthweight measurement processes and perceived value: qualitative research in one EN-BIRTH study hospital in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Globally an estimated 20.5 million liveborn babies are low birthweight (LBW) each year, weighing less than 2500 g. LBW babies have increased risk of mortality even beyond the neonatal period, with an ongoing risk of stunting and non-communicable diseases. LBW is a priority global health indicator. Now almost 80% of births are in facilities, yet birthweight data are lacking in most high-mortality burden countries and are of poor quality, notably with heaping especially on values ending in 00. We aimed to undertake qualitative research in a regional hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, observing birthweight weighing scales, exploring barriers and enablers to weighing at birth as well as perceived value of birthweight data to health workers, women and stakeholders. METHODS: Observations were undertaken on type of birthweight scale availability in hospital wards. In-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 21) were conducted with three groups: women in postnatal and kangaroo mother care wards, health workers involved in birthweight measurement and recording, and stakeholders involved in data aggregation in Temeke Hospital, Tanzania, a site in the EN-BIRTH study. An inductive thematic analysis was undertaken of translated interview transcripts. RESULTS: Of five wards that were expected to have scales, three had functional scales, and only one of the functional scales was digital. The labour ward weighed the most newborns using an analogue scale that was not consistently zeroed. Hospital birthweight data were aggregated monthly for reporting into the health management information system. Birthweight measurement was highly valued by all respondents, notably families and healthcare workers, and local use of data was considered an enabler. Perceived barriers to high quality birthweight data included: gaps in availability of precise weighing devices, adequate health workers and imprecise measurement practices. CONCLUSION: Birthweight measurement is valued by families and health workers. There are opportunities to close the gap between the percentage of babies born in facilities and the percentage accurately weighed at birth by providing accurate scales, improving skills training and increasing local use of data. More accurate birthweight data are vitally important for all babies and specifically to track progress in preventing and improving immediate and long-term care for low birthweight children.

Gaps in Evidence-Based Therapy Use in Insured Patients in the United States With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

Background Evidence-based therapies are generally underused for cardiovascular risk reduction; however, less is known about contemporary patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results Pharmacy and medical claims data from within Anthem were queried for patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Using an index date of April 18, 2018, we evaluated the proportion of patients with a prescription claim for any of the 3 evidence-based therapies on, or covering, the index date ±30 days: high-intensity statin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, and sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. The potential benefit of achieving 100% adoption of all 3 evidence-based therapies was simulated using pooled treatment estimates from clinical trials. Of the 155 958 patients in the sample, 24.7% were using a high-intensity statin, 53.1% were using an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, and 9.9% were using either an sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. Overall, only 2.7% of the population were covered by prescriptions for all 3 evidence-based therapies, and 37.4% were on none of them. Over a 12-month period, 70.6% of patients saw a cardiologist, while only 18% saw an endocrinologist. Increasing the use of evidence-based therapies to 100% over 3 years of treatment could be expected to reduce 4546 major atherosclerotic cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death) in eligible but untreated patients. Conclusions Alarming gaps exist in the contemporary use of evidence-based therapies in this large population of insured patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. These data provide a call to action for patients, providers, industry, regulators, professional societies, and payers to close these gaps in care.

Undertreatment of primary hyperparathyroidism in a privately insured US population: Decreasing utilization of parathyroidectomy despite expanding surgical guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Primary hyperparathyroidism is associated with substantial morbidity, including osteoporosis, nephrolithiasis, and chronic kidney disease. Parathyroidectomy can prevent these sequelae but is poorly utilized in many practice settings. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the national Optum de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart Database. We identified patients aged ≥35 with a first observed primary hyperparathyroidism diagnosis from 2004 to 2016. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine patient/provider characteristics associated with parathyroidectomy. RESULTS: Of 26,522 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, 10,101 (38.1%) underwent parathyroidectomy. Of the 14,896 patients with any operative indication, 5,791 (38.9%) underwent parathyroidectomy. Over time, there was a decreasing trend in the rate of parathyroidectomy overall (2004: 54.4% to 2016: 32.4%, P < .001) and among groups with and without an operative indication. On multivariable analysis, increasing age and comorbidities were strongly, inversely associated with parathyroidectomy (age 75-84, odds ratio 0.50 [95% confidence interval 0.45-0.55]; age ≥85, odds ratio 0.21 [95% confidence interval 0.17-0.26] vs age 35-49; Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥2 vs 0 odds ratio 0.62 [95% confidence interval 0.58-0.66]). CONCLUSION: The majority of US privately insured patients with primary hyperparathyroidism are not treated with parathyroidectomy. Having an operative indication only modestly increases the likelihood of parathyroidectomy. Further research is needed to address barriers to treatment and the gap between guidelines and clinical care in primary hyperparathyroidism.

Outpatient healthcare utilization and prescribing patterns for herpes zoster in United States adults.

Little is known about health resource utilization and treatment patterns for herpes zoster (HZV) after the introduction of HZV virus vaccination. The objective of this study is to characterize trends in HZV utilization, racial disparities, and treatment patterns in the United States. Data from the 1993-2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed, including 15,400,000 weighted primary acute HZV visits in adults. Overall, the weighted frequency (95% confidence interval) of HZV visits increased from 1993-1998 to 2007-2015 (1,269,815 [565,455-1,974,175]-8,017,911 [6,424,491-9,611,331], P = 0.0001). HZV visits were associated with African-American (38.8% [35.8-41.7%] vs. 8.2% [7.4-9.0%]) and Hispanic race/ethnicity (12.6% [6.6-18.5%] vs. 8.0% [7.3-8.5%]), public insurance (42.7% [36.6-49.2%] vs. 33.7% [32.2-35.2%]) in comparison with all other visits. Oral antiviral agents were prescribed in 64.3% (58.1-70.1%) of HZV visits. HZV visits were associated with higher rates of opioid prescriptions compared to all other visits (18.4% [14.0-23.9%] vs. 6.1% [5.6-6.6%], P < 0.0001). The limitation is no data on HZV severity. HZV visits increased over time, even after introduction of HZV vaccines. There were significant racial/ethnic and healthcare disparities of, and high rates of opiate and corticosteroid prescriptions at HZV visits. Future efforts are needed to address these practice gaps, and encourage vaccination and evidence-based prescribing in HZV.

Epidemiology and treatment patterns for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma: a systematic literature review and gap analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several immuno-oncology (IO) agents targeting programmed death-1 or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/L1) are approved second-line therapy options for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC) previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy or first-line options in patients ineligible for cisplatin whose tumors express PD-L1 or for any platinum-based chemotherapy regardless of PD-L1 expression levels. However, literature on the epidemiology of la/mUC is limited, and real-world treatment patterns are not well established, especially with respect to therapies used following IO. OBJECTIVES: To (a) report the epidemiology of urothelial carcinoma (UC) and la/mUC; (b) identify and summarize the published literature on la/mUC treatment patterns, including IO and post-IO treatment; and (c) identify evidence gaps. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted using Cochrane dual-reviewer methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. Literature databases and selected congress abstracts (2017-2018) were searched for retrospective studies published January 2013-August 2018 in English reporting epidemiological and treatment data (all lines of therapy) for adult patients with la/mUC. RESULTS: Among 6,584 database references and 1,832 congress abstracts screened, 45 publications (29 manuscripts, 1 poster, 15 abstracts; reporting 37 unique studies) were retained. All studies related to treatment patterns, and the majority were from the United States (n = 17), Japan (n = 8), and the United Kingdom (n = 5). Epidemiological data were not identified among the searches thus online registries were leveraged. Among the identified publications, 21 (20 unique) reported on cisplatin versus non-cisplatin regimens, 14 (8 unique) on IO, and 9 (7 unique) on vinflunine. Cisplatin use varied both within and among countries (ranging from 18.4% in 1 U.S. study to 87.9% in 1 Japanese study). The use of IO was higher in later lines of therapy, ranging from 1.4% to 7.9% as first-line therapy to 57.8% as second-line and 64.4% as third-line therapy. Among studies reporting IO discontinuation rates, 41.4%-71% of patients were reported to discontinue IO across the studies, and the median time to discontinuation ranged from 2.7 to 5.8 months. Only 25%-35.5% of patients received subsequent therapy following IO discontinuation; post-IO treatments varied widely. CONCLUSIONS: Additional published data on the country-specific epidemiology of UC and la/mUC are needed, including rates of progression from early-stage disease to la/mUC. There was large variation in treatment rates, particularly cisplatin use, within and across countries. The few published real-world IO studies reported high levels of discontinuation with only a small percentage of patients receiving subsequent therapy. As IO therapies continue to be granted regulatory approval in countries outside the United States and novel therapies gain approval in the post-IO setting, the treatment paradigm for patients with la/mUC is shifting, and future studies with more recent data will be required. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by Astellas/Seagen. Hepp is an employee of and owns stock in Seagen. Shah was a contractor for Astellas Pharma at the time of the study and owns stock in Pfizer. Smoyer is an employee and shareholder of Envision Pharma Group, paid consultants to Seagen. Vadagam was an employee of Envision Pharma Group, paid consultants to Seagen, at the time of the study. Parts of these data have been presented at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 2019 Annual Meeting; May 18-22, 2019; New Orleans, LA.

Fecal Microbiota Transplants Annually and Their Positive Clinical Impact.

INTRODUCTION: Although fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a recommended, clinically efficacious, and cost-effective treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), the scale of FMT use in the United States is unknown. METHODS: We developed a population-level CDI model. RESULTS: We estimated that 48,000 FMTs could be performed annually, preventing 32,000 CDI recurrences. DISCUSSION: Improving access to FMT could lead to tens of thousands fewer C. difficile episodes per year.

"It might be a statistic to me, but every death matters.": An assessment of facility-level maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response systems in four sub-Saharan African countries.

BACKGROUND: Maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response (MPDSR) systems aim to understand and address key contributors to maternal and perinatal deaths to prevent future deaths. From 2016-2017, the US Agency for International Development's Maternal and Child Survival Program conducted an assessment of MPDSR implementation in Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. METHODS: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods research design was used to assess MPDSR implementation. The study included a desk review, policy mapping, semistructured interviews with 41 subnational stakeholders, observations, and interviews with key informants at 55 purposefully selected facilities. Using a standardised tool with progress markers defined for six stages of implementation, each facility was assigned a score from 0-30. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed from the 47 facilities with a score above 10 ('evidence of MPDSR practice'). RESULTS: The mean calculated MPDSR implementation progress score across 47 facilities was 18.98 out of 30 (range: 11.75-27.38). The team observed variation across the national MPDSR guidelines and tools, and inconsistent implementation of MPDSR at subnational and facility levels. Nearly all facilities had a designated MPDSR coordinator, but varied in their availability and use of standardised forms and the frequency of mortality audit meetings. Few facilities (9%) had mechanisms in place to promote a no-blame environment. Some facilities (44%) could demonstrate evidence that a change occurred due to MPDSR. Factors enabling implementation included clear support from leadership, commitment from staff, and regular occurrence of meetings. Barriers included lack of health worker capacity, limited staff time, and limited staff motivation. CONCLUSION: This study was the first to apply a standardised scoring methodology to assess subnational- and facility-level MPDSR implementation progress. Structures and processes for implementing MPDSR existed in all four countries. Many implementation gaps were identified that can inform priorities and future research for strengthening MPDSR in low-capacity settings.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Care Continuum Outcomes and HCV Community Viral Loads Among Patients in an Opioid Treatment Program.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains endemic among people who use drugs (PWUD). Measures of HCV community viral load (CVL) and HCV care continuum outcomes may be valuable for ascertaining unmet treatment need and for HCV surveillance and control. METHODS: Data from patients in an opioid treatment program during 2013-2016 were used to (1) identify proportions of antibody and viral load (VL) tested, linked-to-care, and treated, in 2013-2014 and 2015-2016, and pre- and postimplementation of qualitative reflex VL testing; (2) calculate engaged-in-care HCV CVL and "documented" and "estimated" unmet treatment need; and (3) examine factors associated with linkage-to-HCV-care. RESULTS: Among 11 267 patients, proportions of HCV antibody tested (52.5% in 2013-2014 vs 73.3% in 2015-2016), linked-to-HCV-care (15.7% vs 51.8%), and treated (12.0% vs 44.7%) all increased significantly. Hispanic ethnicity was associated with less linkage-to-care, and Manhattan residence was associated with improved linkage-to-care. The overall engaged-in-care HCV CVL was 4 351 079 copies/mL (standard deviation = 7 149 888); local HCV CVLs varied by subgroup and geography. Documented and estimated unmet treatment need decreased but remained high. CONCLUSIONS: After qualitative reflex VL testing was implemented, care continuum outcomes improved, but gaps remained. High rates of unmet treatment need suggest that control of the HCV epidemic among PWUD will require expansion of HCV treatment coverage.

Substance use service availability in HIV treatment programs: Data from the global IeDEA consortium, 2014-2015 and 2017.

BACKGROUND: Substance use is common among people living with HIV and has been associated with suboptimal HIV treatment outcomes. Integrating substance use services into HIV care is a promising strategy to improve patient outcomes. METHODS: We report on substance use education, screening, and referral practices from two surveys of HIV care and treatment sites participating in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium. HIV care and treatment sites participating in IeDEA are primarily public-sector health facilities and include both academic and community-based hospitals and health facilities. A total of 286 sites in 45 countries participated in the 2014-2015 survey and 237 sites in 44 countries participated in the 2017 survey. We compared changes over time for 147 sites that participated in both surveys. RESULTS: In 2014-2015, most sites (75%) reported providing substance use-related education on-site (i.e., at the HIV clinic or the same health facility). Approximately half reported on-site screening for substance use (52%) or referrals for substance use treatment (51%). In 2017, the proportion of sites providing on-site substance use-related education, screening, or referrals increased by 9%, 16%, and 8%, respectively. In 2017, on-site substance use screening and referral were most commonly reported at sites serving only adults (compared to only children/adolescents or adults and children/adolescents; screening: 86%, 37%, and 59%, respectively; referral: 76%, 47%, and 46%, respectively) and at sites in high-income countries (compared to upper middle income, lower middle income or low-income countries; screening: 89%, 76%, 68%, and 45%, respectively; referral: 82%, 71%, 57%, and 34%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Although there have been increases in the proportion of sites reporting substance use education, screening, and referral services across IeDEA sites, gaps persist in the integration of substance use services into HIV care, particularly in relation to screening and referral practices, with reduced availability for children/adolescents and those receiving care within resource-constrained settings.

Association of guideline publication and delays to treatment in pediatric status epilepticus.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether publication of evidence on delays in time to treatment shortens time to treatment in pediatric refractory convulsive status epilepticus (rSE), we compared time to treatment before (2011-2014) and after (2015-2019) publication of evidence of delays in treatment of rSE in the Pediatric Status Epilepticus Research Group (pSERG) as assessed by patient interviews and record review. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected dataset from June 2011 to September 2019 on pediatric patients (1 month-21 years of age) with rSE. RESULTS: We studied 328 patients (56% male) with median (25th-75th percentile [p25-p75]) age of 3.8 (1.3-9.4) years. There were no differences in the median (p25-p75) time to first benzodiazepine (BZD) (20 [5-52.5] vs 15 [5-38] minutes, p = 0.3919), time to first non-BZD antiseizure medication (68 [34.5-163.5] vs 65 [33-142] minutes, p = 0.7328), and time to first continuous infusion (186 [124.2-571] vs 160 [89.5-495] minutes, p = 0.2236). Among 157 patients with out-of-hospital onset whose time to hospital arrival was available, the proportion who received at least 1 BZD before hospital arrival increased after publication of evidence of delays (41 of 81 [50.6%] vs 57 of 76 [75%], p = 0.0018), and the odds ratio (OR) was also increased in multivariable logistic regression (OR 4.35 [95% confidence interval 1.96-10.3], p = 0.0005). CONCLUSION: Publication of evidence on delays in time to treatment was not associated with improvements in time to treatment of rSE, although it was associated with an increase in the proportion of patients who received at least 1 BZD before hospital arrival.