Role of Uncertainty in Illness and Coping Strategies in Advance Directive Completion in Patients With End-stage Liver Disease.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the associations among advance directives (ADs) completion, coping, uncertainty in illness, and optimism and pessimism in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). BACKGROUND: Although associations among ADs, coping, and uncertainty have been studied in patients with other life-limiting illnesses, these concepts have not been studied together in patients with ESLD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were recruited at 2 health care institutions as part of a larger prospective study. They were enrolled if they had a diagnosis of nonhepatocellular carcinoma ESLD, Sodium Model for End-Stage Liver Disease ≥15, and no prior history of liver transplantation. Uncertainty, coping, optimism, and pessimism were assessed using the Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Adults, Revised Ways of Coping Checklist, and Life Orientation Test-revised. AD documentation at the time of study enrollment was retrospectively extracted from patient medical records. RESULTS: In the sample [N = 181; median age = 57 y, 115 (64%) males], male sex [odds ratio (OR) = 4.66; 95% CI: 1.53, 14.17], being listed or under evaluation for liver transplantation (OR = 3.09; 95% CI: 1.10, 8.67), greater Sodium Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.20), and greater uncertainty (OR = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.07) were positively associated with AD documentation. Higher coping avoidance was negatively associated with AD documentation (OR = 0.915; 95% CI: 0.840, 0.997). CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should consider the role of uncertainty and coping measures to improve patient-specific advance care planning conversations and expand opportunities for all patients with ESLD to file an AD, especially women and patients not listed or under evaluation for transplantation.

Prospective telehealth analysis of functional performance, frailty, quality of life, and mental health after COVID-19 hospitalization.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a global pandemic with poorly understood long-term consequences. Determining the trajectory of recovery following COVID-19 hospitalization is critical for prioritizing care, allocating resources, facilitating prognosis, and informing rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate recovery following COVID-19 hospitalization. METHODS: Participants age 18 years or older who were hospitalized for ≥24 h due to COVID-19 completed phone/video call virtual assessments (including the 10-time chair rise test) and survey forms at three time points (2-6, 12, and 18 weeks) after hospital discharge. Univariate logistic and linear regression models assessed the associations of the outcomes with primary predictors (categorical age, sex, race/ethnicity group, and categorical pre-hospitalization frailty) at baseline; the same were used to assess differences in change from week 2-6 (continuous outcomes) or outcome persistence/worsening (categorical) at last contact. RESULTS: One hundred nine adults (age 53.0 [standard deviation 13.1]; 53% female) participated including 43 (39%) age 60 or greater; 59% identified as an ethnic and/or racial minority. Over 18 weeks, the mean time to complete the 10-time chair rise test decreased (i.e., improved) by 6.0 s (95% CI: 4.1, 7.9 s; p < 0.001); this change did not differ by pre-hospital frailty, race/ethnicity group, or sex, but those age ≥ 60 had greater improvement. At weeks 2-6, 67% of participants reported a worse Clinical Frailty Scale category compared to their pre-hospitalization level, whereas 42% reported a worse frailty score at 18 weeks. Participants who did not return to pre-hospitalization levels were more likely to be female, younger, and report a pre-hospitalization category of 'very fit' or 'well'. CONCLUSIONS: We found that functional performance improved from weeks 2-6 to 18 weeks of follow-up; that incident clinical frailty developed in some individuals following COVID-19; and that age, sex, race/ethnicity, and pre-hospitalization frailty status may impact recovery from COVID-19. Notably, individuals age 60 and older were more likely than those under age 45 years to return to their pre-hospitalization status and to make greater improvements in functional performance. The results of the present study provide insight into the trajectory of recovery among a representative cohort of individuals hospitalized due to COVID-19.

Early Intervention for LGBTQ Health: A 10-Hour Curriculum for Preclinical Health Professions Students.

Introduction: Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) face significant health disparities and barriers to accessing care. Patients have reported provider lack of knowledge as one of the key barriers to culturally responsive, clinically competent care. Many US and Canadian medical schools still offer few curricular hours dedicated to LGBTQ-related topics, and medical students continue to feel unprepared to care for LGBTQ patients. Methods: We developed a 10-hour LGBTQ health curriculum for preclinical medical and physician assistant students. The curriculum included lectures and case-based small-group discussions covering LGBTQ terminology, inclusive sexual history taking, primary care and health maintenance, and transition-related care. It also included a panel discussion with LGBTQ community members and a small-group practice session with standardized patients. Students were surveyed before and after completing the curriculum to assess for increases in confidence and knowledge related to LGBTQ-specific care. Results: Forty first- and second-year medical students completed the sessions and provided valid responses on pre- and postcourse surveys. Nearly all students initially felt unprepared to sensitively elicit information, summarize special health needs and primary care recommendations, and identify community resources for LGBTQ individuals. There was significant improvement in students' confidence in meeting these objectives after completion of the five sessions. Knowledge of LGBTQ health issues increased minimally, but there was a significant increase in knowledge of LGBTQ-related terminology. Discussion: Our 10-hour LGBTQ health curriculum was effective at improving medical students' self-confidence in working with LGBTQ patients but was less effective at increasing LGBTQ-related medical knowledge.

A model for small heat shock protein inhibition of polyglutamine aggregation.

Polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat expansions that lead to the formation of amyloid aggregates are linked to several devastating neurodegenerative disorders. While molecular chaperones, including the small heat shock proteins (sHsp), play an important role in protection against protein misfolding, the aberrant protein folding that accompanies these polyQ diseases overwhelms the chaperone network. By generating a model structure to explain the observed suppression of spinocerebellar ataxia 3 (SCA3) by the sHsp αB-crystallin, we have identified key vulnerabilities that provide a possible mechanism to explain this heat shock response. A docking study involving a small bioactive peptide should also aid in the development of new drug targets for the prevention of polyQ-based aggregation.