Identifying and Predicting Subgroups of Veterans With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Based on Distinct Configurations of Postconcussive Symptom Endorsement: A Latent Class Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify distinct subgroups of veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) based on configurations of postconcussive symptom (PCS) endorsement, and to examine predictors of subgroup membership. SETTING: Outpatient Veterans Health Administration (VHA). PARTICIPANTS: Veterans with clinician-confirmed mTBI who completed the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI), determined using the Comprehensive Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluation database. Individuals who tended to overreport symptoms were excluded via an embedded symptom validity scale. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study leveraging national VHA clinical data from 2012 to 2020. Latent class analysis (LCA) with a split-sample cross-validation procedure was used to identify subgroups of veterans. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine predictors of subgroup membership. MAIN MEASURES: Latent classes identified using NSI items. RESULTS: The study included 72 252 eligible veterans, who were primarily White (73%) and male (94%). The LCA supported 7 distinct subgroups of veterans with mTBI, characterized by diverging patterns of risk for specific PCS across vestibular (eg, dizziness), somatosensory (eg, headache), cognitive (eg, forgetfulness), and mood domains (eg, anxiety). The most prevalent subgroup was Global (20.7%), followed by Cognitive-Mood (16.3%), Headache-Cognitive-Mood (H-C-M; 16.3%), Headache-Mood (14.2%), Anxiety (13.8%), Headache-Sleep (10.3%), and Minimal (8.5%). The Global class was used as the reference class for multinomial logistic regression because it was distinguished from others based on elevated risk for PCS across all domains. Female (vs male), Black (vs White), and Hispanic veterans (vs non-Hispanic) were less likely to be members of most subgroups characterized by lesser PCS endorsement relative to the Global class (excluding Headache-Mood). CONCLUSION: The 7 distinct groups identified in this study distill heterogenous patterns of PCS endorsement into clinically actionable phenotypes that can be used to tailor clinical management of veterans with mTBI. Findings reveal empirical support for potential racial, ethnic, and sex-based disparities in PCS among veterans, informing efforts aimed at promoting equitable recovery from mTBI in this population.

Factors Influencing Adherence to Insomnia and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatments among Veterans with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To understand factors influencing adherence to recommended treatment for insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). METHOD: Semi-structured interviews (n = 49) with 29 clinical stakeholders and 20 Veterans were conducted. Clinical stakeholders included Veterans Health Administration providers and policymakers involved in the management of mTBI and/or sleep disorders. Veterans included those with a clinician-confirmed mTBI with a recent history of insomnia disorder and/or OSA treatment. Themes were identified using a Descriptive and Interpretive approach. RESULTS: Barriers to sleep disorder treatment adherence included factors associated with the patient (e.g., negative appraisal of treatment benefit), intervention (e.g., side effects), health conditions (e.g., cognitive challenges), health care system (e.g., limited availability of care), and socioeconomic status (e.g., economic instability). Similarly, facilitators of adherence included patient- (e.g., positive appraisal of treatment benefit), intervention- (e.g., flexible delivery format), condition- (e.g., accommodating cognitive impairments), health care system- (e.g., access to adherence support), and socioeconomic-related factors (e.g., social support). CONCLUSIONS: Interviews revealed the multi-faceted nature of factors influencing adherence to sleep disorder treatment among Veterans with mTBI. Findings can inform the development of novel interventions and care delivery models that meet the complex needs of this population.

Facility-Level and Racial Disparities in Access to Inpatient Psychiatric Occupational Therapy Services in the Veterans Health Administration.

IMPORTANCE: Veterans receiving inpatient psychiatric services with limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs) benefit from occupational therapy, yet disparities in access are unknown. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether ADL limitations, an indicator of occupational therapy need, was associated with inpatient psychiatric occupational therapy utilization in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and whether this relationship differs by facility characteristics. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of VHA data. Modified Poisson regression modeled occupational therapy utilization as a function of ADL limitations, facility characteristics, and covariates. Interactions estimated whether the relationship between ADL limitations and occupational therapy utilization differed across facility characteristics. SETTING: VHA inpatient psychiatric setting. PARTICIPANTS: Veterans receiving VHA inpatient psychiatric care from 2015 to 2020 (N = 133,844). OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Occupational therapy utilization. RESULTS: Veterans with ADL limitations were more likely to receive occupational therapy. Veterans receiving care in facilities with higher complexity and greater inpatient psychiatric care quality were more likely to receive occupational therapy. Additionally, Black veterans were less likely to receive occupational therapy relative to their White, non-Hispanic counterparts. Interactions indicated that the extent to which ADL limitations drove access to occupational therapy utilization was weaker within facilities with higher complexity and care quality. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Veterans with ADL limitations were more likely to access inpatient psychiatric occupational therapy, suggesting that such services are generally allocated to veterans in need. However, findings indicate disparities in access across patient-level (e.g., Black race) and facility-level (e.g., facility complexity) factors, informing efforts to eliminate barriers to accessing these valuable services. Plain-Language Summary: This is the first study, to our knowledge, to examine disparities in access to inpatient psychiatric occupational therapy in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The study findings show that access to inpatient psychiatric occupational therapy is partly driven by the needs of the patient. However, nonclinical factors, such as a patient's race and the characteristics of the facility at which they receive care (complexity, number of psychiatric beds available, and the quality of psychiatric care), are also important drivers of access. Identifying factors influencing access to these valuable services is the first step in developing strategies that reduce barriers to access for veterans in need.

Suicide risk among veterans using VHA justice-involved services: a latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND: Justice-involved Veterans experience notable risk for psychosocial stressors (e.g., homelessness) and psychiatric multimorbidity, which can result in complex clinical presentations. However, research examining how such factors coalesce to impact risk for suicide remains limited. METHODS: We conducted a latent class analysis of 180,454 Veterans accessing Veterans Health Administration (VHA) justice-related services from 2005 to 2018. RESULTS: A four-model class membership solution was identified. Among these classes, risk for suicide was highest among Veterans with greater psychiatric burden, with risk most notable among those with high VA service use. Veterans seeking healthcare primarily focused on substance use disorders or with low psychiatric burden and service use had a lower risk for suicide. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric multimorbidity is salient as it relates to suicide among Veterans accessing VHA justice-related services. Further evaluation of existing VHA services for this population and methods of augmenting and enhancing care for justice-involved Veterans with histories of co-occurring psychiatric conditions may be beneficial in facilitating suicide prevention efforts.

Intensive Outpatient Program Response Among Service Members With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Change Between Distinct Post-Concussive Symptom Subgroups.

OBJECTIVE: Among service members (SMs) with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) admitted to an intensive outpatient program (IOP), we identified qualitatively distinct subgroups based on post-concussive symptoms (PCSs) and characterized changes between subgroups from admission to discharge. Further, we examined whether co-morbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) influenced changes between subgroups. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental. Latent transition analysis identified distinctive subgroups of SMs and examined transitions between subgroups from admission to discharge. Logistic regression examined the effect of PTSD on transition to the Minimal subgroup (low probability of any moderate-very severe PCS) while adjusting for admission subgroup designation. SETTING: National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS: 1141 active duty SMs with persistent PCS despite prior treatment (N=1141). INTERVENTIONS: NICoE 4-week interdisciplinary IOP. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Subgroups identified using Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory items at admission and discharge. RESULTS: Model fit indices supported a 7-class solution. The 7 subgroups of SMs were distinguished by diverging patterns of probability for specific PCS. The Minimal subgroup was most prevalent at discharge (39.4%), followed by the Sleep subgroup (high probability of sleep problems, low probability of other PCS; 26.8%). 41% and 25% of SMs admitted within the Affective (ie, predominantly affective PCS) and Sleep subgroups remained within the same group at discharge, respectively. The 19% of SMs with co-morbid PTSD were less likely to transition to the Minimal subgroup (odds ratio=0.28; P<.001) and were more likely to remain in their admission subgroup at discharge (35.5% with PTSD vs 22.2% without). CONCLUSIONS: Most of SMs achieved symptom resolution after participation in the IOP, with most transitioning to subgroups characterized by reduced symptom burden. SMs admitted in the Affective and Sleep subgroups, as well as those with PTSD, were most likely to have continuing clinical needs at discharge, revealing priority targets for resource allocation and follow-up treatment.

Unmet Need for Outpatient Occupational Therapy Services Among Veterans With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in the Veterans Health Administration: The Role of Facility Characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether participation restrictions, an indicator of need for occupational therapy (OT), was associated with outpatient OT utilization in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) among Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), and whether this relation differs by facility characteristics. DESIGN: In a secondary analysis of national VHA data, we used modified Poisson regression to model OT utilization (yes/no) as a function of participation restrictions (Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory Participation Index [M2PI]), facility characteristics, and covariates. Facility characteristics included complexity, geographic region, and self-reported access to specialty care. Covariates included prior OT utilization, sociodemographic factors, injury characteristics, and spatial access (eg, drive time). Interactions estimated whether the relation between participation restrictions and OT utilization differed across facility characteristics. SETTING: Outpatient setting in the VHA. PARTICIPANTS: 8684 Veterans with a clinician-confirmed mTBI who received outpatient VHA care between 2012 and 2020 (N=8684). INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): OT utilization was measured within a year of M2PI administration using VHA administrative data. RESULTS: Many Veterans who did not receive OT reported participation limitations, indicating unmet need for OT (eg, 67% with leisure restrictions). Participation restrictions were associated with increased likelihood of receiving OT (risk ratio [RR]=1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.006-1.019), suggesting a tendency for Veterans' OT-related needs to be satisfied. However, interactions indicated that this was not the case among Veterans receiving care in lower complexity facilities, and those in the South. Veterans with longer drive times were less likely to receive OT (RR=0.82; 95% CI=0.744-0.904). CONCLUSIONS: Participation restrictions were associated with OT utilization, yet many Veterans with mTBI who may have benefited did not receive such care. Specific barriers to accessing OT (eg, OT practitioner supply) should be investigated. Novel care models can ensure access to OT services among Veterans seeking care at less-resourced and/or geographically distant VHA facilities.

Barriers and Facilitators to the Adoption of Evidence-Based Interventions for Adults Within Occupational and Physical Therapy Practice Settings: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: Synthesize data regarding barriers and facilitators of adoption (ie, adoption determinants) of evidence-based occupational (OT) and physical therapy (PT) interventions within real-world practice. Whether evidence varied across disciplines, settings, and use of theoretical frameworks was also examined. DATA SOURCES: Literature published from database inception to December 9, 2022, in OVID MEDLINE, EMBASE, OVID PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. STUDY SELECTION: Original research including: (1) stakeholder insight into adoption determinants; (2) discrete evidence-based interventions delivered/supervised by an OT and/or PT; (3) intervention recipients aged 18 or older; and (4) data regarding adoption determinants. Two reviewers independently screened and evaluated studies for inclusion, with a third resolving discrepancies. Of the 3036 articles identified, 45 articles were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were extracted by a primary reviewer, independently evaluated by a second reviewer, and conflicts were resolved via group consensus. DATA SYNTHESIS: A descriptive synthesis approach was used to categorize adoption determinants according to constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. 87% of studies were published after 2014. Many studies: described PT interventions (82%); were within the outpatient setting (44%); had data gathered after implementing the intervention (71%); and did not report use of a theoretical framework to inform data collection (62%). Lack of available resources (64%) and knowledge/beliefs about the intervention (53%) were the most common barrier and facilitator, respectively. Variability in adoption determinants was observed according to discipline, setting, and use of a theoretical framework. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest a recent surge of scientific investment in understanding adoption determinants for evidence-based OT and PT interventions. Such knowledge can inform efforts aimed at improving OT and PT quality, thereby enhancing patient outcomes. However, our review highlighted gaps with significant implications for the delivery of evidence-based OT and PT within real-world practice settings.

Are Social Determinants of Health Associated With Onset of Rehabilitation Services in Patients Hospitalized for Traumatic Brain Injury?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of community-level social determinants of health (SDoH) on the onset of occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) services among individuals hospitalized for traumatic brain injury (TBI). SETTING: 14 acute care hospitals in the state of Colorado. PARTICIPANTS: We studied 5825 adults with TBI. DESIGN: In a secondary analysis of de-identified electronic health record data, we performed multivariable logistic and linear regressions to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for the likelihood of receiving services and duration to initiation of services among those who received them. MAIN MEASURES: Community-level SDoH, receipt of rehabilitation services, and onset of rehabilitation services. RESULTS: Multivariable logistic and linear regressions revealed that those in top quartiles for community income were associated with duration to OT services, ranging from OR = 0.33 [05% CI, 0.07, 0.60] for quartile 2 to 0.76 [0.44, 1.08] for quartile 4 compared with those with the lowest quartile. Only the top quartile differed significantly for duration to PT services (0.63 [0.28, 0.98]). Relative to those with below the median community percentage of high school degree, those with above the median were associated with duration to PT services only (-0.32 [-0.60, -0.04]). Neither community percentage with bachelor's degree nor rural-urban designation was associated with duration to either therapy service. CONCLUSION: Further research is needed to determine whether our SDoH variables were too diffuse to capture individual experiences and impacts on care or whether community-level education and income, and rurality, truly do not influence time to therapy for patients hospitalized with TBI. Other, individual-level variables, such as age, comorbidity burden, and TBI severity, demonstrated clear relationships with therapy onset. These findings may help therapists evaluate and standardize equitable access to timely rehabilitation services.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Deaths by Suicide, Drug Overdose, and Opioid-Related Overdose in a National Sample of Military Members With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, 1999-2019.

OBJECTIVE: To examine racial and ethnic differences in suicide and drug and opioid-related overdose deaths among a population-based cohort of military service members who were diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) during military service. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Military personnel receiving care within the Military Health System between 1999 and 2019. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 356 514 military members aged 18 to 64 years, who received an mTBI diagnosis as their index TBI between 1999 and 2019, while on active duty or activated. MAIN MEASURES: Death by suicide, death by drug overdose, and death by opioid overdose were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes within the National Death Index. Race and ethnicity were captured from the Military Health System Data Repository. RESULTS: Overall crude rates were 38.67 per 100 000 person-years for suicide; 31.01 per 100 000 person-years for drug overdose death; and 20.82 per 100 000 person-years for opioid overdose death. Crude and age-specific rates for military members who self-identified as Other were higher than all other racial/ethnic groups for all 3 mortality outcomes. Adjusting for age, suicide rates for those classified as Other were up to 5 times that of other racial/ethnic groups for suicide, and up to 11 and 3.5 times that of other race/ethnicity groups for drug and opioid overdose death, respectively. CONCLUSION: Findings extend previous knowledge regarding risk for suicide and deaths by drug overdose among those with mTBI and highlight new important areas for understanding the impact of race and ethnicity on mortality. Methodological limitations regarding classification of race and ethnicity must be addressed to ensure that future research provides a better understanding of racial and ethnic disparities in suicide and drug overdose mortality among military members with TBI.

Research Letter: Traumatic Brain Injury Among Veterans Accessing VA Justice-Related Services.

OBJECTIVE: Risk for traumatic brain injury (TBI) within both the Veteran population and among individuals with a history of criminal justice involvement is notably high. Despite this, research examining TBI among Veterans with a history of criminal justice involvement (ie, justice-involved Veterans) remains limited. The sequelae of TBI can impact justice-involved Veterans' engagement in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) justice-related services (ie, Veterans Justice Outreach and Health Care for Re-entry Veterans), thus potentially increasing risk for recidivism and impacting psychosocial functioning. As such, further understanding of TBI risk among justice-involved Veterans has the potential to inform the need for tailored screening and interventional efforts within VA justice-related service settings. We sought to better understand relative risk for TBI diagnosis among male and female Veteran recipients and nonrecipients of VA justice-related services. SETTING: Electronic medical record data for Veterans accessing VA services from 2005 to 2018. PARTICIPANTS: 1517 447 (12.48% justice-involved) male and 126 237 (8.89% justice-involved) female Veterans. DESIGN: A cross-sectional examination of national VA electronic medical record data. Sex-stratified analyses were conducted to examine relative risk of TBI diagnosis based on use of VA justice-related services. MAIN MEASURES: Documented TBI diagnosis was the main outcome. Covariates included VA service use, age, race, and ethnicity. RESULTS: Both male and female Veterans using VA justice-related services were more likely to have a documented TBI diagnosis in their electronic VA medical record. Associations were attenuated, yet maintained significance, in all adjusted and sensitivity models. CONCLUSIONS: Given potential risk for TBI, enhancing and tailoring care for justice-involved Veterans may be critical to facilitating rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. Examination of existing services within justice-related settings and methods of augmenting care is an important next step.

Predicting Receipt and Types of Occupational Therapy Services for Patients with Arousal Deficits in the Neuro Critical Care Unit.

Occupational therapy has been identified as a required service in the neuro critical care unit (NCCU), however who receives occupational therapy services and what services they receive are not well understood. We sought to determine if arousal deficits impacted patients' likelihood to receive an occupational therapy evaluation or specific types of occupational therapy interventions in the NCCU. When compared to patients without arousal deficits, patients who were experiencing agitation or light sedation, but not deep sedation, were more likely to receive occupational therapy interventions in the therapeutic activities category. Arousal deficits were not associated with receipt of occupational therapy services or occupational therapy interventions in the self-care or therapeutic exercise categories. Determining predictors of occupational therapy services will help ensure the timely delivery of services by improving the allocation of resources and identifying potential gaps in care.

Factors Influencing the Implementation of Guideline-Recommended Practices for Postconcussive Sleep Disturbance and Headache in the Veterans Health Administration: A Mixed Methods Study.

OBJECTIVE: Understand barriers and facilitators of implementing recommended practices for postconcussive sleep disturbance and headache, as outlined in the Veterans Administration/Department of Defense 2016 Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). DESIGN: Convergent parallel mixed methods. SETTING: Ten national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty VHA stakeholders (14 clinicians; 4 researchers; 2 policymakers), 55% of whom were affiliated with a VHA polytrauma rehabilitation center (N=20). INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Stakeholders rated the quality of recommendations for sleep disturbance and headache using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation-Recommendations Excellence instrument. A descriptive analysis of item scores was performed to understand the following features of the recommendations: (1) clinical credibility (eg, evidence quality), (2) alignment with stakeholder values, and (3) implementability. We conducted semistructured interviews with stakeholders and used descriptive and interpretive analyses to reveal emergent themes. After analyzing the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation-Recommendations Excellence and qualitative interview data, we synthesized the results into coherent conclusions (ie, meta-inferences) by comparing and contrasting respective findings. RESULTS: Stakeholders highlighted that the mTBI CPG includes features that reflect clinical priorities (eg, alignment with veteran preferences), making it an appropriate standard of care and facilitating its implementation. However, stakeholders also identified that the design of the mTBI CPG, along with provider-level (eg, knowledge) and facility-level (eg, resources) factors, may create barriers for implementation. In addition to these potential barriers, stakeholders noted a lack of comprehensive and systematic efforts designed to promote the uptake of these recommendations. Findings also revealed stakeholder recommendations for addressing potential barriers (eg, decision support). CONCLUSIONS: With the recent release of the 2021 mTBI CPG, decision makers are encouraged to incorporate information gathered from previous implementation efforts to promote adherence to updated recommendations. Study findings, including recommended changes suggested by stakeholders, offer information that can be leveraged to design such efforts and promote care quality and associated outcomes for veterans with mTBI.

Mobility Status and Acute Care Physical Therapy Utilization: The Moderating Roles of Age, Significant Others, and Insurance Type.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether a direct measure of need for physical therapy (PT), mobility status, was associated with acute care PT utilization and whether this relationship differs across sociodemographic factors and insurance type. DESIGN: In a secondary analysis of electronic health records data, we estimated logistic regression models to determine whether mobility status was associated with acute care PT utilization. Interactions between mobility and both sociodemographic factors (sex, age, significant other, minority status) and insurance type were included to investigate whether the relationship between mobility and PT utilization varied across patient characteristics. SETTING: Five regional hospitals from 1 health system. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 60,459 adults admitted between 2014 and 2018 who received a PT evaluation. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Received acute care PT; Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care "6-Clicks" measure of mobility. RESULTS: Half of patients who received a PT evaluation received subsequent treatment. Patients with mobility limitations were more likely to receive PT. Interaction terms indicated that among patients with mobility limitations, those who (1) were younger, (2) had significant others, and (3) had private insurance (vs public) were more likely to receive PT. Among patients with greater mobility status, older patients and those without a significant other were more likely to receive PT. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between acute care PT need and utilization differed across sociodemographic factors and insurance type. We offer potential explanations for these findings to guide efforts targeting equitable distribution of beneficial PT services.

Activities of Daily Living Performance and Acute Care Occupational Therapy Utilization: Moderating Factors.

IMPORTANCE: Hospitalized patients who have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) benefit from occupational therapy services; however, disparities in access to such services are understudied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether need (i.e., limited ADL performance) predicts acute care occupational therapy utilization and whether this relationship differs across sociodemographic factors and insurance type. DESIGN: A secondary analysis of electronic health records data. Logistic regression models were specified to determine whether ADL performance predicted use of occupational therapy treatment. Interactions were included to investigate whether the relationship between ADL performance and occupational therapy utilization varied across sociodemographic factors (e.g., age) and insurance type. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 56,022 adults admitted to five regional hospitals between 2014 and 2018 who received an occupational therapy evaluation. INTERVENTION: None. Outcomes and Measures: Occupational therapy service utilization, Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care "6-Clicks" measure of daily activity. RESULTS: Forty-four percent of the patients evaluated for occupational therapy received treatment. Patients with lower ADL performance were more likely to receive occupational therapy treatment; however, interaction terms indicated that, among patients with low ADL performance, those who were younger, were White and non-Hispanic, had significant others, and had private insurance (vs. public) were more likely to receive treatment. These differences were smaller among patients with greater ADL performance. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Greater need was positively associated with receiving occupational therapy services, but this relationship was moderated by age, minoritized status, significant other status, and insurance type. The findings provide direction for exploring determinants of disparities in occupational therapy utilization. What This Article Adds: Acute care occupational therapy utilization is driven partly by patient need, but potential disparities in access to beneficial services may exist across sociodemographic characteristics and insurance type. Identifying potential determinants of disparities in acute care occupational therapy utilization is the first step in developing strategies to reduce barriers for those in need.

Activities of Daily Living Performance and Acute Care Occupational Therapy Utilization: Moderating Factors.

IMPORTANCE: Hospitalized patients who have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) benefit from occupational therapy services; however, disparities in access to such services are understudied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether need (i.e., limited ADL performance) predicts acute care occupational therapy utilization and whether this relationship differs across sociodemographic factors and insurance type. DESIGN: A secondary analysis of electronic health records data. Logistic regression models were specified to determine whether ADL performance predicted use of occupational therapy treatment. Interactions were included to investigate whether the relationship between ADL performance and occupational therapy utilization varied across sociodemographic factors (e.g., age) and insurance type. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 56,022 adults admitted to five regional hospitals between 2014 and 2018 who received an occupational therapy evaluation. INTERVENTION: None. Outcomes and Measures: Occupational therapy service utilization, Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care "6-Clicks" measure of daily activity. RESULTS: Forty-four percent of the patients evaluated for occupational therapy received treatment. Patients with lower ADL performance were more likely to receive occupational therapy treatment; however, interaction terms indicated that, among patients with low ADL performance, those who were younger, were White and non-Hispanic, had significant others, and had private insurance (vs. public) were more likely to receive treatment. These differences were smaller among patients with greater ADL performance. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Greater need was positively associated with receiving occupational therapy services, but this relationship was moderated by age, minoritized status, significant other status, and insurance type. The findings provide direction for exploring determinants of disparities in occupational therapy utilization. What This Article Adds: Acute care occupational therapy utilization is driven partly by patient need, but potential disparities in access to beneficial services may exist across sociodemographic characteristics and insurance type. Identifying potential determinants of disparities in acute care occupational therapy utilization is the first step in developing strategies to reduce barriers for those in need.

Predicting Community Discharge for Occupational Therapy Recipients in the Neurological Critical Care Unit.

IMPORTANCE: Occupational therapy in the neurological critical care unit (NCCU) may enable safe community discharge by restoring functional ability. However, the influence of patient characteristics and NCCU occupational therapy on discharge disposition is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine how patient factors and receipt of occupational therapy predict discharge disposition for NCCU patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional cohort study of electronic health records data from adults admitted to the NCCU between May 2013 and September 30, 2015. SETTING: NCCU in a large urban academic hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Adults age 18 yr or older (N = 1,134) admitted to the NCCU. Outcomes and Measures: Using logistic regression with discharge disposition as the dependent variable, we entered sex, age, length of stay (LOS), baseline Glasgow Coma Scale score, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, and receipt of occupational therapy services as predictor variables. RESULTS: Of NCCU patients, 39% received occupational therapy. Younger age, shorter LOS, lower comorbidity burden, and not receiving occupational therapy services increased the likelihood of discharge to the community. Men who received occupational therapy were less likely to be discharged to the community than men who did not receive occupational therapy. As age increased, differences in the probability of community discharge decreased between recipients and nonrecipients of occupational therapy services. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Our results suggest that patients receiving occupational therapy services in the NCCU may have a lower likelihood of community discharge. However, these findings may result from therapist's consideration of the safest discharge location to ensure the greatest balance between independence and support. What This Article Adds: This study's findings suggest that receipt of occupational therapy in the NCCU is associated with higher likelihood for noncommunity discharge (i.e., to inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, or long-term care). However, activity limitations and comorbidity burden may be greater for recipients of occupational therapy, and these NCCU patients are presumably less prepared for community discharge.

Follow-Up Analyses From a Wait-List Controlled Trial of Occupational Therapist-Delivered Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Among Veterans With Chronic Insomnia.

IMPORTANCE: Veterans often experience chronic insomnia, and professionals capable of delivering effective interventions to address this problem are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of the Restoring Effective Sleep Tranquility (REST) program, an occupational therapist-led cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) intervention to treat sleep problems among post- 9/11 veterans. DESIGN: Wait-list controlled trial with 3-mo follow-up. SETTING: Community-based veteran support program in a Mountain West university. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen post-9/11 veterans with sleep disturbances who were assigned to either the REST intervention or a wait-list control group. Outcomes and Measures: Sleep-related, health-related, and participation-related patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and daily sleep diary variables. RESULTS: Wait-list controlled trial benefits included improved sleep-related (e.g., sleep disturbance), health-related (e.g., depression), and participation-related (e.g., meaningful activity) PROs. Findings were confirmed after participants in both the intervention and the control groups (n = 13) received the REST intervention, including improved daily sleep diary outcomes (e.g., sleep efficiency). All gains were maintained at 3 mo. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Occupational therapy practitioners with advanced training in CBT-I have the potential to safely deliver an effective CBT-I intervention to veterans with sleep disturbances in a community-based setting. What This Article Adds: Occupational therapy practitioners with sleep-related education and training can positively affect the well-being of their clients through improving sleep participation.

Learning Health Systems Can Promote and Sustain High-Value Occupational Therapy.

In the current policy context, the occupational therapy profession must act to promote and sustain high-value care. Stakeholders have delineated efforts, such as defining and measuring high-quality care processes or promoting the adoption of evidence into practice, that can enhance the value of occupational therapy services. There is a growing recognition, however, that low-value care is the product of deficiencies within health care systems and is therefore most amenable to system-level solutions. To date, the specific nature of system-level changes capable of identifying and rectifying low-value occupational therapy has yet to be elucidated. In this "The Issue Is. . ." column, we introduce occupational therapy to the Learning Health System concept and its essential functions. Moreover, we discuss action steps for occupational therapy stakeholders to lay the foundation for Learning Health Systems in their own professional contexts. What This Article Adds: This article is the first to outline concrete action steps needed to transform occupational therapy practice contexts into Learning Health Systems. Such a transformation would represent a system-level change capable of fostering the delivery of high-value occupational therapy services to clients in a variety of practice settings.

Participation Mediates the Relationship Between Postconcussive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation Among Veterans.

IMPORTANCE: Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and associated symptoms are at risk for suicide. Postconcussive symptoms (PCS) may heighten risk for suicidal thoughts by limiting veterans' participation. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether participation mediates the relationship between PCS and suicidal ideation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, exploratory design. Structural equation models were used to investigate whether participation mediated the relationship between PCS and suicidal ideation. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Veterans with mTBI (N = 145). OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The Ohio State University TBI Identification Method was used to establish mTBI diagnosis. We identified latent variables for PCS and participation using the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory and select domains of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36, respectively. We used the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation to measure the presence of suicidal ideation. RESULTS: Participation mediated the relationship between PCS and the presence of suicidal ideation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.09, p = .011). More severe PCS were associated with lesser participation (ß = -.86, p < .001); greater participation was associated with lower odds of suicidal ideation (OR = 0.92, p = .007). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: PCS may heighten risk for suicidal thoughts among veterans by limiting successful participation, a primary target of occupational therapy intervention. Thus, the results suggest that occupational therapy practitioners can play a substantial role in suicide prevention services for veterans with mTBI. Preventive services could mitigate suicide risk among veterans with mTBI by enabling sustained engagement in meaningful and health-promoting activity (e.g., reasons for living) and targeting PCS. What This Article Adds: Researchers have proposed that occupational therapy practitioners can help prevent veteran suicide by supporting their engagement in meaningful, health-promoting activity and by targeting suicide risk factors within their scope of practice. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to offer empirical support for such proposed suicide prevention efforts. Although additional research is needed, these results are promising and highlight a distinct role for occupational therapy in suicide prevention.

Change in Activity Performance Mediates the Relationship between Occupational Therapy Utilization and Discharge Disposition among Adults with Traumatic Brain Injuries.

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 435 adults with TBI who received occupational therapy services in an acute care trauma center hospital. Outcome measures were (1) occupational therapy utilization based on billed minutes of occupational therapy evaluation and treatment (low vs. high); (2) Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) "6-Clicks" to assess activities of daily living level of assistance; and (3) Discharge disposition (community vs. institution). Community discharge included home and supported living facilities. Institutional discharge involved long term care, rehabilitation facility, short term hospital, and skilled nursing facility. Results indicated that change in ADL performance, between admission and discharge, partially mediated the relationship between occupational therapy utilization and community discharge (OR= 0.80, p = .003). High occupational therapy utilization (vs. low) was associated with greater change in ADL performance (ß = 0.39, p < .001). Greater change in ADL performance was associated with lower odds of community discharge (OR= 0.96, p <.001). Independent of change in ADL performance, higher occupational therapy utilization was associated with significantly lower odds for community discharge (OR = 0.57, p = 0.023). In conclusion, patients who received more occupational therapy were less likely to be community discharged, as mediated by change in ADL performance. This result can provide direction for future research exploring acute care occupational therapy utilization and discharge disposition.