Glycosylated haemoglobin and prognosis in 10,536 people with cancer and pre-existing diabetes: a meta-analysis with dose-response analysis.

AIMS: To assess whether glycaemic control is associated with prognosis in people with cancer and pre-existing diabetes. METHODS: In this pre-registered systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42020223956), PubMed and Web of Science were searched on 25th Nov 2021 for studies investigating associations between glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and prognosis in people with diabetes and cancer. Summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) for associations between poorly controlled HbA1c or per 1-unit HbA1c increment and cancer outcomes were estimated using a random-effects meta-analysis. We also investigated the impact of potential small-study effects using the trim-and-fill method and potential sources of heterogeneity using subgroup analyses. RESULTS: Fifteen eligible observational studies, reporting data on 10,536 patients with cancer and pre-existing diabetes, were included. Random-effects meta-analyses indicated that HbA1c ≥ 7% (53 mmol/mol) was associated with increased risks of: all-cause mortality (14 studies; RR: 1.14 [95% CI: 1.03-1.27]; p-value: 0.012), cancer-specific mortality (5; 1.68 [1.13-2.49]; p-value: 0.011) and cancer recurrence (8; 1.68 [1.18-2.38; p-value: 0.004]), with moderate to high heterogeneity. Dose-response meta-analyses indicated that 1-unit increment of HbA1c (%) was associated with increased risks of all-cause mortality (13 studies; 1.04 [1.01-1.08]; p-value: 0.016) and cancer-specific mortality (4; 1.11 [1.04-1.20]; p-value: 0.003). All RRs were attenuated in trim-and-fill analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that glycaemic control might be a modifiable risk factor for mortality and cancer recurrence in people with cancer and pre-existing diabetes. High-quality studies with a larger sample size are warranted to confirm these findings due to heterogeneity and potential small-study effects. In the interim, it makes clinical sense to recommend continued optimal glycaemic control.

Comorbidity health pathways in heart failure patients: A sequences-of-regressions analysis using cross-sectional data from 10,575 patients in the Swedish Heart Failure Registry.

BACKGROUND: Optimally treated heart failure (HF) patients often have persisting symptoms and poor health-related quality of life. Comorbidities are common, but little is known about their impact on these factors, and guideline-driven HF care remains focused on cardiovascular status. The following hypotheses were tested: (i) comorbidities are associated with more severe symptoms and functional limitations and subsequently worse patient-rated health in HF, and (ii) these patterns of association differ among selected comorbidities. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The Swedish Heart Failure Registry (SHFR) is a national population-based register of HF patients admitted to >85% of hospitals in Sweden or attending outpatient clinics. This study included 10,575 HF patients with patient-rated health recorded during first registration in the SHFR (1 February 2008 to 1 November 2013). An a priori health model and sequences-of-regressions analysis were used to test associations among comorbidities and patient-reported symptoms, functional limitations, and patient-rated health. Patient-rated health measures included the EuroQol-5 dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaire and the EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). EQ-VAS score ranges from 0 (worst health) to 100 (best health). Patient-rated health declined progressively from patients with no comorbidities (mean EQ-VAS score, 66) to patients with cardiovascular comorbidities (mean EQ-VAS score, 62) to patients with non-cardiovascular comorbidities (mean EQ-VAS score, 59). The relationships among cardiovascular comorbidities and patient-rated health were explained by their associations with anxiety or depression (atrial fibrillation, odds ratio [OR] 1.16, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.27; ischemic heart disease [IHD], OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.32) and with pain (IHD, OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.38). Associations of non-cardiovascular comorbidities with patient-rated health were explained by their associations with shortness of breath (diabetes, OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.32; chronic kidney disease [CKD, OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.38; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], OR 95% CI 1.84, 1.62 to 2.10) and with fatigue (diabetes, OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.42; CKD, OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.38; COPD, OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.50 to 1.91). There were direct associations between all symptoms and patient-rated health, and indirect associations via functional limitations. Anxiety or depression had the strongest association with functional limitations (OR 10.03, 95% CI 5.16 to 19.50) and patient-rated health (mean difference in EQ-VAS score, -18.68, 95% CI -23.22 to -14.14). HF optimizing therapies did not influence these associations. Key limitations of the study include the cross-sectional design and unclear generalisability to other populations. Further prospective HF studies are required to test the consistency of the relationships and their implications for health. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of distinct comorbidity health pathways in HF could provide the evidence for individualised person-centred care that targets specific comorbidities and associated symptoms.

Consumer segmentation and time interval between types of hospital admission: a clinical linkage database study.

Background: Healthcare policies target unplanned hospital admissions and 30-day re-admission as key measures of efficiency, but do not focus on factors that influence trajectories of different types of admissions in the same patient over time. Objectives: To investigate the influence of consumer segmentation and patient factors on the time intervals between different types of hospital admission. Research design, subjects and measures: A cohort design was applied to an anonymised linkage database for adults aged 40 years and over (N = 58 857). Measures included Mosaic segmentation, multimorbidity defined on six chronic condition registers and hospital admissions over a 27-month time period. Results: The shortest mean time intervals between two consecutive planned admissions were: 90 years and over (160 days (95% confidence interval (CI): 146-175)), Mosaic groups 'Twilight subsistence' (171 days (164-179)) or 'Welfare borderline' and 'Municipal dependency' (177 days (172-182)) compared to the reference Mosaic groups (186 days (180-193)), and multimorbidity count of four or more (137 days (130-145)). Mosaic group 'Twilight subsistence' (rate ratio (RR) 1.22 (95% CI: 1.08-1.36)) or 'Welfare borderline' and 'Municipal dependency' RR 1.20 (1.10-1.31) were significantly associated with higher rate to an unplanned admission following a planned event. However, associations between patient factors and unplanned admissions were diminished by adjustment for planned admissions. Conclusion: Specific consumer segmentation and patient factors were associated with shorter time intervals between different types of admissions. The findings support innovation in public health approaches to prevent by a focus on long-term trajectories of hospital admissions, which include planned activity.

Measuring Patient Safety in Primary Care: The Development and Validation of the "Patient Reported Experiences and Outcomes of Safety in Primary Care" (PREOS-PC).

PURPOSE: We set out to develop and validate a patient-reported instrument for measuring experiences and outcomes related to patient safety in primary care. METHOD: The instrument was developed in a multistage process supported by an international expert panel and informed by a systematic review of instruments, a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies, 4 patient focus groups, 18 cognitive interviews, and a pilot study. The trial version of Patient Reported Experiences and Outcomes of Safety in Primary Care (PREOS-PC) covered 5 domains and 11 scales: practice activation (1 scale); patient activation (1 scale); experiences of patient safety events (1 scale); harm (6 scales); and general perceptions of patient safety (2 scales). The questionnaire was posted to 6,736 patients in 45 practices across England. We used "gold standard" psychometric methods to evaluate its acceptability, reliability, structural and construct validity, and ability to discriminate among practices. RESULTS: 1,244 completed questionnaires (18.5%) were returned. Median item-specific response rate was 91.3% (interquartile range 28.0%). No major ceiling or floor effects were observed. All 6 multi-item scales showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.75-0.96). Factor analysis, correlation between scales, and known group analyses generally supported structural and construct validity. The scales demonstrated a heterogeneous ability to discriminate between practices. The final version of PREOS-PC consisted of 5 domains, 8 scales, and 58 items. CONCLUSIONS: PREOS-PC is a new multi-dimensional patient safety instrument for primary care developed with experts and patients. Initial testing shows its potential for use in primary care, and future developments will further address its use in actual clinical practice.

The implications of living with heart failure; the impact on everyday life, family support, co-morbidities and access to healthcare: a secondary qualitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to use secondary analysis to interrogate a qualitative data set to explore the experiences of patients living with heart failure. METHODS: The data-set comprised interviews with 11 patients who had participated in an ethnographic study of heart failure focusing on unplanned hospital admissions. Following an initial review of the literature, a framework was developed with which to interrogate the data-set. This was modified in light of analysis of the first two interviews, to focus on the rich data around patients' perceptions of living with heart failure, managing co-morbidities, accessing healthcare and the role of their family and friends, during their illness journey. RESULTS: Respondents described how the symptoms of heart failure impacted on their daily lives and how disruption of routine activity due to their symptoms caused them to seek medical care. Respondents disclosed the difficulties of living with other illnesses, in addition to their heart failure, particularly managing multiple and complex medication regimes and negotiating multiple appointments; all expressed a desire to return to their pre-morbid, more independent lives. Many respondents described uncertainty around diagnosis and delays in communication from their healthcare providers. The importance of family support was emphasised, but respondents worried about burdening relatives with their illness. CONCLUSION: Living with heart failure causes disruption to the lives of sufferers. Facilitation of access to healthcare, through good communication between services and having a strong support network of both family and clinicians can reduce the impact of heart failure on the lives of the patient and those around them.

"Sometimes we can't fix things": a qualitative study of health care professionals' perceptions of end of life care for patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Although heart failure has a worse prognosis than some cancers, patients often have restricted access to well-developed end of life (EoL) models of care. Studies show that patients with advanced heart failure may have a poor understanding of their condition and its outcome and, therefore, miss opportunities to discuss their wishes for EoL care and preferred place of death. We aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of health care professionals (HCPs) working with patients with heart failure around EoL care. METHODS: A qualitative in-depth interview study nested in a wider ethnographic study of unplanned admissions in patients with heart failure (HoldFAST). We interviewed 24 HCPs across primary, secondary and community care in three locations in England, UK - the Midlands, South Central and South West. RESULTS: The study revealed three issues impacting on EoL care for heart failure patients. Firstly, HCPs discussed approaches to communicating with patients about death and highlighted the challenges involved. HCPs would like to have conversations with patients and families about death and dying but are aware that patient preferences are not easy to predict. Secondly, professionals acknowledged difficulties recognising when patients have reached the end of their life. Lack of communication between patients and professionals can result in situations where inappropriate treatment takes place at the end of patients' lives. Thirdly, HCPs discussed the struggle to find alternatives to hospital admission for patients at the end of their life. Patients may be hospitalised because of a lack of planning which would enable them to die at home, if they so wished. CONCLUSIONS: The HCPs regarded opportunities for patients with heart failure to have ongoing discussions about their EoL care with clinicians they know as essential. These key professionals can help co-ordinate care and support in the terminal phase of the condition. Links between heart failure teams and specialist palliative care services appear to benefit patients, and further sharing of expertise between teams is recommended. Further research is needed to develop prognostic models to indicate when a transition to palliation is required and to evaluate specialist palliative care services where heart failure patients are included.

Managing patients with heart failure: a qualitative study of multidisciplinary teams with specialist heart failure nurses.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of health care clinicians working in multidisciplinary teams that include specialist heart failure nurses when caring for the management of heart failure patients. METHODS: We used a qualitative in-depth interview study nested in a broader ethnographic study of unplanned admissions in heart failure patients (HoldFAST). We interviewed 24 clinicians across primary, secondary, and community care in 3 locations in the Midlands, South Central, and South West of England. RESULTS: Within a framework of the role and contribution of the heart failure specialist nurse, our study identified 2 thematic areas that the clinicians agreed still represent particular challenges when working with heart failure patients. The first was communication with patients, in particular explaining the diagnosis and helping patients to understand the condition. The participants recognized that such communication was most effective when they had a long-term relationship with patients and families and that the specialist nurse played an important part in achieving this relationship. The second was communication within the team. Multidisciplinary input was especially needed because of the complexity of many patients and issues around medications, and the participants believed the specialist nurse may facilitate team communication. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the role of specialist heart failure nurses in delivering education tailored to patients and facilitating better liaison among all clinicians, particularly when dealing with the management of comorbidities and drug regimens. The way in which specialist nurses were able to be caseworkers for their patients was perceived as a method of ensuring coordination and continuity of care.

Variations in patient-reported physical health between cardiac and musculoskeletal diseases: systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies.

Population-based assessments of physical health are important to evaluate healthcare resource allocation. Normative data on the level of physical impairments attributable to specific diseases and severity levels within these diseases is critical to interpreting such data. Our objective, by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis, was to test the hypothesis that specific diseases which form cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disease spectra are associated with gradients of physical impairments. We examined a cardiovascular disease spectrum which consisted of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and heart failure, and a musculoskeletal disease spectrum of lower back pain, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Using Medline, EMBASE and CINAHL databases, articles which had examined these morbidities and used either the SF-12 or SF-36 in general or primary care populations were selected; data was extracted independently by three reviewers. Study characteristics were described and the mean physical component summary scores of the SF-12 or SF-36 was analysed by disease, using random-effects meta-analysis. The association between disease and physical health (mean physical component summary scores) was assessed using multilevel meta-regression analysis, adjusting for age, health setting, country, disease definition and SF-12 or 36 format. From this search, 26 articles were identified, yielding 70 separate estimates of mean physical component summary scores across the morbidities from 14 different countries. For the selected conditions, pooled unadjusted mean physical component summary scores were: 44.4 for hypertension, 38.9 for ischaemic heart disease, 35.9 for heart failure, 39.5 for lower back pain, 36.0 for osteoarthritis and 36.5 for rheumatoid arthritis. The adjusted meta-regression showed mean physical component summary score difference for ischaemic heart disease of -4.6 (95 % confidence interval -6.0 to -3.2) and heart failure -7.5 (-9.1 to -5.9) compared to the hypertension category. For osteoarthritis -4.2 (-5.3 to -3.0) and rheumatoid arthritis -3.9 (-9.5 to 1.6) compared to the lower back pain category. Our findings provide the benchmark norms for the differences in physical health within and between disease spectra. Improved characterisation of the relative impact of individual conditions on physical health will facilitate public health assessments of chronic diseases as well as assessments of interventions using functional patient-reported outcomes.

Heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease multimorbidity at hospital discharge transition: a study of patient and carer experience.

BACKGROUND: Care for patients with multimorbidity represents a major challenge not only for patients and carers but to health-care systems. Hospital discharge transition is a critical point at which challenges for multimorbidity may amplify. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of the study was to explore the experiences of heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) multimorbid patients and their carers on hospital discharge. Secondary objectives included identification of gaps in the health care of multimorbidity and optimal solutions from patients and carers' perspectives. DESIGN: Mixed methods were applied to collect data using patient self-completion questionnaire from an adapted version of the American Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey and in-depth interviews. SETTING: Participants were recruited from two cardiology and respiratory wards at a large regional hospital in England, and all had a multimorbidity diagnosis of COPD and HF. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Findings revealed that patients experienced difficulties in their communication with health-care professionals and there were specific challenges with information about medication. Qualitative descriptions revealed that experiences fell into two main categories: (i) information transfer to patients with multimorbidity in terms of issues with medication and clarity of information on diagnosis and (ii) communication and continuity of care after discharge. Respondents highlighted gaps in the management of patients with multimorbidity of HF and COPD at the critical time of care transition. They suggested the need for a comprehensive, coordinated and integrated approach to incorporate patients, carers and staff preferences for treatment on discharge from hospital.

Associations between cardiovascular disease severity, osteoarthritis co-morbidity and physical health: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between cardiovascular disease severity and OA co-morbidity on physical health. METHODS: A baseline questionnaire was mailed to 9676 patients aged ≥40 years from UK family practices. A priori exclusive morbidity groups were constructed as follows, based on records 3 years before baseline: (i) reference group--neither cardiovascular disease nor OA; (ii) cardiovascular disease severity index groups--with hypertension, ischaemic heart disease or heart failure without OA; (iii) OA index group without cardiovascular disease and (iv) co-morbid severity groups with hypertension, ischaemic heart disease or heart failure with OA. Adjusted associations between morbidity groups and physical health [mean physical component summary (PCS) score based on the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12)] compared with the reference group were assessed using linear regression methods. RESULTS: A total of 5426 patients responded to the baseline questionnaire (56% response). The adjusted mean difference in PCS score between the reference group and the cardiovascular disease index were -2.4 (95% CI -3.4, -1.4) for hypertension, -5.3 (-6.3, -4.3) for ischaemic heart disease and -11.8 (-13.6, -9.9) for heart failure. The difference in the score for the index OA group was -5.6 (-6.5, -4.6). Estimates for co-morbid OA groups were -6.8 (-7.9, -5.7) for hypertension, -9.1 (-10.6, -7.6) for ischaemic heart disease and -12.8 (-16.0, -9.7) for heart failure. CONCLUSION: In cardiovascular populations with differing severity, the co-morbid addition of OA was associated with incrementally poorer physical health, but such interactions were less than additive.

Multi-drug therapy in chronic condition multimorbidity: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Older populations often suffer from multimorbidity and guidelines for each condition are often associated with recommended drug therapy management. Yet, how different and specific multimorbidity is associated with number and type of multi-drug therapies in general populations is unknown. AIM: The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the current evidence on patterns of multi-drug prescribing in family practice. METHODS: A systematic review on six common chronic conditions: diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), osteoarthritis and depression was conducted, with a focus on studies which looked at any potential combination of two or more multimorbidity. Studies were identified from searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED) and the Health Management Information Consortium (HMIC) databases from 1960 to 2013. RESULTS: A total of eleven articles were selected based on study criteria. Our review identified very few specific studies which had explicitly investigated the association between multimorbidity and multi-drug therapy. Relevant chronic conditions literature showed nine observational studies and two reviews of comorbid depression drug treatment. Most (seven) of the articles had focused on the chronic condition and comorbid depression and whether antidepressant management had been optimal or not, while four studies focused on other multimorbidities mainly heart failure, COPD and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Very few studies have investigated associations between specific multimorbidity and multi-drug therapy, and most currently focus on chronic disease comorbid depression outcomes. Further research needs to identify this area as key priority for older populations who are prescribed high levels of multiple drug therapy.

Mosaic segmentation, COPD and CHF multimorbidity and hospital admission costs: a clinical linkage study.

BACKGROUND: How multimorbidity and socio-economic factors influence healthcare costs is unknown. Geo-demographic profiling system, Mosaic, which adds to socio-economic factors, provides the potential for an investigation of the relationship with multimorbidity, and their influence on healthcare costs. METHODS: Using chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic heart failure (CHF) registers from 53 general practices for a population aged 40 years and over in Stoke-on-Trent, England (N = 10,113), were linked to hospital admissions data and Healthcare Resource Groups as a measure of hospital cost (2007-09). Eleven Mosaic groups were linked on the basis of individual patients' post codes. RESULTS: The COPD and CHF multimorbid group (n = 763) had the highest proportion with at least one hospital admission in the 3-year time period (n = 550, 72%), compared with the index COPD (56%) and CHF (66%) groups. Multimorbid patients had significantly higher mean costs for hospital admission (£4896) compared with the index COPD (£2769) or CHF (£3876). The associations between multimorbid groups and hospital admission costs compared with index groups varied by different Mosaic groups. CONCLUSIONS: CHF and COPD multimorbidity is associated with high costs, and average hospital admission costs vary by Mosaic segmentation. Multimorbidity and Mosaic provide an innovative basis for developing and targeting healthcare interventions in high-hospital-cost patients.

The relationship of individual and neighbourhood deprivation with morbidity in older adults: an observational study.

The objective was to determine the relative association of social class and neighbourhood deprivation with primary care consultation for eight morbidities. In 18,047 survey responders aged ≥50 years, living in more deprived neighbourhoods was independently associated with new consultation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischaemic heart disease, diabetes, asthma and depression. Lower social class was associated with diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. No such associations were found with otitis media, osteoarthritis or upper respiratory tract infection. These findings suggest a role of social environment in certain morbidities and indicate the importance of identifying and acting on neighbourhood deprivation to reduce health inequalities.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chronic kidney disease progression: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely regarded as one risk factor, which influences chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. However, previous literature reviews have not quantified the risk in moderate to severe CKD patients. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the strength of association between chronic NSAID use and CKD progression. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational general practice or population studies featuring patients aged 45 years and over. The electronic databases searched were MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, AMED, BNI and CINAHL until September 2011 without date or language restrictions. Searches included the reference lists of relevant identified studies, WEB of KNOWLEDGE, openSIGLE, specific journals, the British Library and expert networks. For relevant studies, random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the association between NSAID use and accelerated CKD progression (estimated glomerular filtration rate decline ≥ 15 ml/min/1.73 m2). RESULTS: From a possible 768 articles, after screening and selection, seven studies were identified (5 cohort, 1 case-control and 1 cross-sectional) and three were included in the meta-analysis. Regular-dose NSAID use did not significantly affect the risk of accelerated CKD progression; pooled odds ratio (OR) = 0.96 (95%CI: 0.86-1.07), but high-dose NSAID use significantly increased the risk of accelerated CKD progression; pooled OR = 1.26 (95%CI: 1.06-1.50). CONCLUSIONS: The avoidance of NSAIDs in the medium term is unnecessary in patients with moderate to severe CKD, if not otherwise contraindicated. As the definition of high-dose of NSAID use remains unclear, the lowest effective dose of NSAIDs should be prescribed where indicated.

Acute heart failure presentation, management, and outcomes in cancer patients: a national longitudinal study.

AIMS: Currently, little evidence exists on survival and quality of care in cancer patients presenting with acute heart failure (HF). The aim of the study is to investigate the presentation and outcomes of hospital admission with acute HF in a national cohort of patients with prior cancer. METHODS AND RESULTS: This retrospective, population-based cohort study identified 221 953 patients admitted to a hospital in England for HF during 2012-2018 (12 867 with a breast, prostate, colorectal, or lung cancer diagnosis in the previous 10 years). We examined the impact of cancer on (i) HF presentation and in-hospital mortality, (ii) place of care, (iii) HF medication prescribing, and (iv) post-discharge survival, using propensity score weighting and model-based adjustment. Heart failure presentation was similar between cancer and non-cancer patients. A lower percentage of patients with prior cancer were cared for in a cardiology ward [-2.4% age point difference (ppd) (95% CI -3.3, -1.6)] or were prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor antagonists (ACEi/ARB) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction [-2.1 ppd (-3.3, -0.9)] than non-cancer patients. Survival after HF discharge was poor with median survival of 1.6 years in prior cancer and 2.6 years in non-cancer patients. Mortality in prior cancer patients was driven primarily by non-cancer causes (68% of post-discharge deaths). CONCLUSION: Survival in prior cancer patients presenting with acute HF was poor, with a significant proportion due to non-cancer causes of death. Despite this, cardiologists were less likely to manage cancer patients with HF. Cancer patients who develop HF were less likely to be prescribed guideline-based HF medications compared with non-cancer patients. This was particularly driven by patients with a poorer cancer prognosis.

Impact of a Prior Cancer Diagnosis on Quality of Care and Survival Following Acute Myocardial Infarction: Retrospective Population-Based Cohort Study in England.

BACKGROUND: An increasing proportion of patients with cancer experience acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We investigated differences in quality of AMI care and survival between patients with and without previous cancer diagnoses. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study using Virtual Cardio-Oncology Research Initiative data. Patients aged 40+ years hospitalized in England with AMI between January 2010 and March 2018 were assessed, ascertaining previous cancers diagnosed within 15 years. Multivariable regression was used to assess effects of cancer diagnosis, time, stage, and site on international quality indicators and mortality. RESULTS: Of 512 388 patients with AMI (mean age, 69.3 years; 33.5% women), 42 187 (8.2%) had previous cancers. Patients with cancer had significantly lower use of ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (mean percentage point decrease [mppd], 2.6% [95% CI, 1.8-3.4]) and lower overall composite care (mppd, 1.2% [95% CI, 0.9-1.6]). Poorer quality indicator attainment was observed in patients with cancer diagnosed in the last year (mppd, 1.4% [95% CI, 1.8-1.0]), with later stage disease (mppd, 2.5% [95% CI, 3.3-1.4]), and with lung cancer (mppd, 2.2% [95% CI, 3.0-1.3]). Twelve-month all-cause survival was 90.5% in noncancer controls and 86.3% in adjusted counterfactual controls. Differences in post-AMI survival were driven by cancer-related deaths. Modeling improving quality indicator attainment to noncancer patient levels showed modest 12-month survival benefits (lung cancer, 0.6%; other cancers, 0.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Measures of quality of AMI care are poorer in patients with cancer, with lower use of secondary prevention medications. Findings are primarily driven by differences in age and comorbidities between cancer and noncancer populations and attenuated after adjustment. The largest impact was observed in recent cancer diagnoses (<1 year) and lung cancer. Further investigation will determine whether differences reflect appropriate management according to cancer prognosis or whether opportunities to improve AMI outcomes in patients with cancer exist.

Clustering long-term health conditions among 67728 people with multimorbidity using electronic health records in Scotland.

There is still limited understanding of how chronic conditions co-occur in patients with multimorbidity and what are the consequences for patients and the health care system. Most reported clusters of conditions have not considered the demographic characteristics of these patients during the clustering process. The study used data for all registered patients that were resident in Fife or Tayside, Scotland and aged 25 years or more on 1st January 2000 and who were followed up until 31st December 2018. We used linked demographic information, and secondary care electronic health records from 1st January 2000. Individuals with at least two of the 31 Elixhauser Comorbidity Index conditions were identified as having multimorbidity. Market basket analysis was used to cluster the conditions for the whole population and then repeatedly stratified by age, sex and deprivation. 318,235 individuals were included in the analysis, with 67,728 (21·3%) having multimorbidity. We identified five distinct clusters of conditions in the population with multimorbidity: alcohol misuse, cancer, obesity, renal failure, and heart failure. Clusters of long-term conditions differed by age, sex and socioeconomic deprivation, with some clusters not present for specific strata and others including additional conditions. These findings highlight the importance of considering demographic factors during both clustering analysis and intervention planning for individuals with multiple long-term conditions. By taking these factors into account, the healthcare system may be better equipped to develop tailored interventions that address the needs of complex patients.

Comorbidity Cohort (2C) study: cardiovascular disease severity and comorbid osteoarthritis in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Two of the commonest chronic diseases experienced by older people in the general population are cardiovascular diseases and osteoarthritis. These conditions also commonly co-occur, which is only partly explained by age. Yet, there have been few studies investigating specific a priori hypotheses in testing the comorbid interaction between two chronic diseases and related health and healthcare outcomes. It is also unknown whether the stage or severity of the chronic disease influences the comorbidity impact. The overall plan is to investigate the interaction between cardiovascular severity groups (hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and heart failure) and osteoarthritis comorbidity, and their longitudinal impact on health and healthcare outcomes relative to either condition alone. METHODS: From ten general practices participating in a research network, adults aged 40 years and over were sampled to construct eight exclusive cohort groups (n = 9,676). Baseline groups were defined on the basis of computer clinical diagnostic data in a 3-year time-period (between 2006 and 2009) as: (i) without cardiovascular disease or osteoarthritis (reference group), (ii) index cardiovascular disease groups (hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and heart failure) without osteoarthritis, (iii) index osteoarthritis group without cardiovascular disease, and (vi) index cardiovascular disease groups comorbid with osteoarthritis. There were three main phases to longitudinal follow-up. The first (survey population) was to invite cohorts to complete a baseline postal health questionnaire, with 10 monthly brief interval health questionnaires, and a final 12-month follow-up questionnaire. The second phase (linkage population) was to link the collected survey data to patient clinical records with consent for the 3-year time-period before baseline, during the 12-month survey period and the 12 months after final questionnaire (total 5 years). The third phase (denominator population) was to construct an anonymised clinical data archive for the study five year period for the total baseline cohorts, linking clinical information such as diagnosis, prescriptions and referrals. DISCUSSION: The outcomes of the study will result in the determination of the specific interaction between cardiovascular severity and osteoarthritis comorbidity on the change and progression of physical health status in individuals and on the linked and associated clinical-decision making process in primary care.

Development of 2 Short Patient-Report Questionnaires of Patient Safety in Primary Care.

OBJECTIVES: The Patient Reported Experiences and Outcomes of Safety in Primary Care (PREOS-PC) is a valid and reliable instrument (61 items across 5 domains) of patients' perceptions of safety. Stakeholder feedback has supported shorter versions for improving choice and facilitating uptake of routine patient-centered evaluation. We sought to develop 2 shorter versions of PREOS-PC: one including the shortest possible scales that met established measurement performance standards and a screening version including a single item per domain. METHODS: A total of 1244 patients from 45 general practices across England completed PREOS-PC questionnaires. All scale items in PREOS-PC underwent Item Response Theory analysis, applying standard criteria for the item reduction. Cognitive debriefing from 10 patient interviews allowed for the assessment of the instruments' readability. The instruments' psychometrics properties were reassessed in a validation sample of 1557 patients in 21 English general practices. RESULTS: "PREOS-PC Compact" includes 25 items and 2 open-ended questions across the 5 domains, 44% of the length of the original instrument. "PREOS-PC Screen" consists of 6 items: the best-performing single items for 2 domains, 1 item modified from original items for each of the remaining 3 domains, and 1 open-ended question. The evaluation of the instruments confirmed they were acceptable to patients and met standards for readability; construct, convergent, and divergent validity; and reliability. CONCLUSIONS: PREOS-PC Compact meets high-performance standards while reducing patient burden for routine monitoring of patient safety in primary care. PREOS-PC Screen is a concise tool apt for incorporation into audits and to target more in-depth review as needed.

Measuring multimorbidity in research: Delphi consensus study.

Objective: To develop international consensus on the definition and measurement of multimorbidity in research. Design: Delphi consensus study. Setting: International consensus; data collected in three online rounds from participants between 30 November 2020 and 18 May 2021. Participants: Professionals interested in multimorbidity and people with long term conditions were recruited to professional and public panels. Results: 150 professional and 25 public participants completed the first survey round. Response rates for rounds 2/3 were 83%/92% for professionals and 88%/93% in the public panel, respectively. Across both panels, the consensus was that multimorbidity should be defined as two or more long term conditions. Complex multimorbidity was perceived to be a useful concept, but the panels were unable to agree on how to define it. Both panels agreed that conditions should be included in a multimorbidity measure if they were one or more of the following: currently active; permanent in their effects; requiring current treatment, care, or therapy; requiring surveillance; or relapsing-remitting conditions requiring ongoing care. Consensus was reached for 24 conditions to always include in multimorbidity measures, and 35 conditions to usually include unless a good reason not to existed. Simple counts were preferred for estimating prevalence and examining clustering or trajectories, and weighted measures were preferred for risk adjustment and outcome prediction. Conclusions: Previous multimorbidity research is limited by inconsistent definitions and approaches to measuring multimorbidity. This Delphi study identifies professional and public panel consensus guidance to facilitate consistency of definition and measurement, and to improve study comparability and reproducibility.