The Impact of the Patient-Centered Medical Home on Asthma-Related Visits to the Emergency Room: A Fixed Effects Regression Approach.

Objective To estimate the effect of a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) intervention on asthma-related emergency room (ER) visits of pediatric patients. Methods Patients receiving care at pediatric primary care practices participating in the Florida Pediatric Medical Home Demonstration Project as well as pediatric patients treated at non-participating clinics were identified from 4 years of claims and enrollment data. We estimate several fixed effects logistic regression models using one pre-treatment year and three post-treatment years to investigate whether asthma-related ER visits decreased because of the PCMH intervention. Results The estimation suggests that the intervention did have a negative effect on asthma-related ER visits in the earlier part of the intervention (OR 0.34; 95% CI 0.16-0.73). However, this effect was not detected in the later years. Because fixed effects models require repeated observations on the same individual, we believe our estimations of the PCMH model's impact is more accurate than previous studies. Conclusion for Practice Reducing asthma ER visits is a task that might be immediately actionable for PCMH practices, or those undergoing transformation. Our results adds to the others suggesting positive impacts of the PCMH.

Heat shock protein 70 is required for optimal liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in mice.

Liver regeneration is a complex process that restores functional tissue after resection or injury, and it is accompanied by transient adenosine triphosphate depletion and metabolic stress in hepatic parenchymal cells. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) functions as a chaperone during periods of cellular stress and induces the expression of several inflammatory cytokines identified as key players during early liver regeneration. We, therefore, hypothesized that Hsp70 is required for the initiation of regeneration. Investigations were carried out in a 70% partial hepatectomy mouse model with mice lacking inducible Hsp70 (Hsp70(-/-)). Liver regeneration was assessed postoperatively with the liver weight/body weight (LW/BW) ratio, and sera and tissues were collected for analysis. In addition, the expression of Hsp-related genes was assessed in a cohort of 23 human living donor liver transplantation donors. In mice, the absence of Hsp70 was associated with a reduced postoperative LW/BW ratio, Ki-67 staining, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) expression in comparison with wild-type mice. TNF-α expression was also reduced in livers from Hsp70(-/-) mice after induction with lipopolysaccharide (1 mg/kg). Clinically, the transcription of multiple Hsp genes (especially Hsp70 family members) was up-regulated after donor hepatectomy. Together, these results suggest that the early phase of successful liver regeneration requires the presence of Hsp70 to induce TNF-α. Further studies are required to determine whether Hsp70 contributes to liver regeneration as a chaperone by stabilizing specific interactions required for growth signaling or as a paracrine inflammatory signal, as can occur in models of shock.

Assessing patient experiences in the pediatric patient-centered medical home: a comparison of two instruments.

The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a model of care that has been promoted as a way to transform a broken primary care system in the US. However, in order to convince more practices to make the transformation and to properly reimburse practices who are PCMHs, valid and reliable data are needed. Data that capture patient experiences in a PCMH is valuable, but which instrument should be used remains unclear. Our study aims to compare the validity and reliability of two national PCMH instruments. Telephone surveys were conducted with children who receive care from 20 pediatric practices across Florida (n = 990). All of the children are eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program. Analyses were conducted to compare the Consumer Assessment of Health Plan Survey-Patient-Centered Medical Home (CAHPS-PCMH) and the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN) medical home domain. Respondents were mainly White non-Hispanic, female, under 35 years old, and from a two-parent household. The NS-CSHCN outperformed the CAHPS-PCMH in regard to scale reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficients all ≥0.81 vs. 0.56-0.85, respectively). In regard to item-domain convergence and discriminant validity the CAHPS-PCMH fared better than the NS-CSHCN (range of convergence 0.66-0.93 vs. 0.32-1.00). The CAHPS-PCMH did not correspond to the scale structure in construct validity testing. Neither instrument performed well in the known-groups validity tests. No clear best instrument was determined. Further revision and calibration may be needed to accurately assess patient experiences in the PCMH.

Safety of Home Discharge With a Chest Tube After Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction Complicated by Persistent Airleak.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of pneumothorax after bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) using Zephyr (Pulmonx Corporation) endobronchial valves is ~26%. Many patients who develop a postprocedural pneumothorax require chest tube placement. If a persistent airleak is present, patients tolerating waterseal can be discharged home with a mini-atrium with a low risk of empyema. METHODS: Data were collected on patients from the Epic (Epic System Corporation) electronic medical record between July 2019 and November 2022. Our retrospective study reviewed a total of 102 BLVR procedures. Twenty-six of these procedures were complicated by a pneumothorax post-BLVR (25%). After 24 procedures, patients were discharged home with a chest tube after a persistent airleak. The primary endpoint of the study was the incidence of intrapleural infection in this population. The secondary endpoint was the average length of time the chest tube was in place until outpatient removal. RESULTS: Out of the 24 discharge events, 2 events (8.3%) were complicated by an intrapleural infection before chest tube removal. The average number of days requiring a chest tube until outpatient removal was 16.9 days, which is similar to the duration observed in patients discharged home with a chest tube after lung volume reduction surgery. CONCLUSION: Discharging patients home with a chest tube after BLVR therapy is safe and may reduce hospital length of stay. Our study shows the incidence of intrapleural infection after home discharge with a chest tube after BLVR is low.

Pulmonary vascular dysfunction without pulmonary hypertension: A distinct phenotype in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary vascular dysfunction in the absence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been observed in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We describe the prevalence and etiology of elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) without PH among patients with IPF. Hemodynamic, echocardiographic, and functional respiratory imaging (FRI) data was compared between patients with IPF without PH with normal (<3 wood units) and elevated PVR (≥3 wood units). Mortality between these two groups were compared to patients with IPF and PH. Of 205 patients with IPF, there were 146 patients without PH, of whom 114 (78.1%) had a normal PVR and 32 (21.9%) who had a high PVR. Functional testing and hemodynamics were similar in the two groups, except for the cardiac index which was significantly lower in patients with a high PVR (2.3 vs. 2.6 L/min/m2; p = 0.004). Echocardiographic comparison demonstrated a higher tricuspid regurgitant velocity in those with a high PVR (3.4 vs 3.0 m/s; p = 0.046). FRI revealed proportionately fewer large vessels as a proportion of the vasculature in the patients without PH and elevated PVRs. Among patients without PH, PVR was associated with increased mortality. In conclusion, patients with IPF without PH but a high PVR appear to be a distinct phenotype with a prognosis between those with and without PH, likely reflecting the continuum of vascular dysfunction. The basis for this unique hemodynamic profile could not be definitively discerned although FRI suggested an aberrant anatomical vascular response.

Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction: A Clinical Review.

Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) for the treatment of emphysema was originally developed in the early 2000s as a minimally invasive alternative to lung volume reduction surgery. Endobronchial valves for BLVR are an advancing "guideline treatment" in the treatment of advanced emphysema. Placement of small, one-way valves into segmental or subsegmental airways can induce lobar atelectasis for portions of diseased lung. This results in the reduction of hyperinflation along with improvements in diaphragmatic curvature and excursion.

Left Atrial Posterior Wall Thrombus After Posterior Wall Ablation.

Background: Posterior wall isolation for recurrent atrial arrhythmia is a commonly used technique to achieve long-term freedom from atrial fibrillation. Despite the widespread use of posterior wall isolation, its long-term effects on left atrial function are unknown. Specifically, the effect of isolated atrial walls on stasis and risk of thrombus has not been established. We present the case of a patient who developed a left atrial posterior wall thrombus after a posterior wall isolation attempt. Case Report: A 67-year-old female with a complex electrophysiologic history was found to have a left atrial posterior wall thrombus when she presented for a third ablation attempt for drug-refractory macroreentrant left atrial tachycardia 5 weeks after a posterior wall isolation attempt. The patient had a number of risk factors that could have been associated with the unusually located thrombus: hypertension, low ejection fraction, mitral valve disease, and recurrence and sustained duration of symptomatic atrial fibrillation. After the patient had 3 weeks of anticoagulation treatment, transesophageal echocardiography showed no left atrial thrombus, and she underwent successful reisolation of the posterior wall. The third ablation was successful, and the patient developed no complications of stroke, transient ischemic attack, or systemic embolization throughout her treatment course. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this case is the second report of a left atrial posterior wall thrombus in this setting. The patient's complex and specific set of risk factors likely led to this rare finding. Although left atrial posterior wall thrombus after ablation is rare, in patients with specific risks or a combination of factors that could lead to such a clot, visualizing the left atrium in these patients may be beneficial to minimize the risk of systemic embolization.

Echocardiography in Congenital Heart Disease.

As the prevalence of adult congenital heart disease continues to grow secondary to advances in surgical and diagnostic techniques, it is important for a physician to supplement their examinations with non-invasive imaging techniques to assess their patients. Although a number of these patients have regular cardiology followup, some may be new patients that do not even know their cardiac history. Echocardiography has proven to be a useful tool for this purpose and its utility has expanded drastically with the development of better technology and newer techniques. In this article, we highlight some of these advancements including 2D echocardiography, agitated saline, contrast echocardiography, stress, and 4D, in addition to how each modality can help assess key aspects of the structure and function of a congenital heart defect.

Association between medical home characteristics and staff professional experiences in pediatric practices.

BACKGROUND: The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model has been touted as a potential way to improve primary care. As more PCMH projects are undertaken it is critical to understand professional experiences as staff are key in implementing and maintaining the necessary changes. A paucity of information on staff experiences is available, and our study aims to fill that critical gap in the literature. METHODS: Eligible pediatric practices were invited to participate in the Florida Pediatric Medical Home Demonstration Project out which 20 practices were selected. Eligibility criteria included a minimum of 100 children with special health care needs and participation in Medicaid, a Medicaid health plan, or Florida KidCare. Survey data were collected from staff working in these 20 pediatric practices across Florida. Ware's seven-point scale assessed satisfaction and burnout was measured using the six-point Maslach scale. The Medical Home Index measured the practice's medical home characteristics. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted. In total, 170 staff members completed the survey and the response rate was 42.6%. RESULTS: Staff members reported high job satisfaction (mean 5.54; SD 1.26) and average burnout. Multivariate analyses suggest that care coordination is positively associated (b = 0.75) and community outreach is negatively associated (b = -0.18) with job satisfaction. Quality improvement and organizational capacity are positively associated with increased staff burnout (OR = 1.37, 5.89, respectively). Chronic condition and data management are associated with lower burnout (OR = 0.05 and 0.20, respectively). Across all models adaptive reserve, or the ability to make and sustain change, is associated with higher job satisfaction and lower staff burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Staff experiences in the transition to becoming a PCMH are important. Although our study is cross-sectional, it provides some insight about how medical home, staff and practice characteristics are associated with job satisfaction and burnout. Many PCMH initiatives include facilitation and it should assist staff on how to adapt to change. Unless staff needs are addressed a PCMH may be threatened by fatigue, burnout, and low morale.