Overuse and Misuse of Inhaled Corticosteroids Among Veterans with COPD: a Cross-sectional Study Evaluating Targets for De-implementation.

BACKGROUND: Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use among patients with COPD increases the risk of pneumonia and other complications. Current recommendations limit ICS use to patients with frequent or severe COPD exacerbations. However, use of ICS among patients with COPD is common and may be occurring both among those with mild disease (overuse) and those misdiagnosed with COPD (misuse). OBJECTIVE: To identify patients without identifiable indication for ICS and assess patient and provider characteristics associated with potentially inappropriate to targeted in de-implementation efforts DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional study of patients with COPD in the Veterans Affairs (VA) system with recent spirometry. PARTICIPANTS: After setting an index date, we identified individuals with a clinical diagnosis of COPD who had spirometry completed in the prior 5 years. We excluded individuals with an appropriate indication for ICS based on the 2017 GOLD statement, including asthma and a recent history of frequent or severe exacerbations. MAIN MEASURES: ICS use without identifiable indication KEY RESULTS: We identified 26,536 patients with COPD without an identifiable indication for ICS. Nearly » of patients (n = 6330) filled ≥2 prescriptions for ICS in the year prior to the index date. We found that older age (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] 1.06 per decade, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.08), white race (APR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.19), and more primary care visits (APR 1.05 per visit, 95% CI 1.03-1.07) were associated with increased likelihood of potentially inappropriate use. Primary care clinic complexity and provider training were not associated with ICS use. Among patients misdiagnosed with COPD, we found that 14% used ICS. CONCLUSIONS: Potentially inappropriate ICS use is common among patients with and without airflow obstruction who are diagnosed with COPD. We identified patient comorbidities and patterns of healthcare utilization that increase the likelihood of ICS use that could be targeted for system-level de-implementation interventions.

Predictors of adherence to inhaled medications among Veterans with COPD.

BACKGROUND: Factors contributing to medication nonadherence among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: To identify patient characteristics that are predictive of adherence to inhaled medications for COPD and, for patients on multiple inhalers, to assess whether adherence to one medication class was associated with adherence to other medication classes. DESIGN: Cohort study using data from Veteran Affairs (VA) electronic databases. PARTICIPANTS: This study included 2,730 patients who underwent pulmonary function testing between 2003 and 2007 at VA facilities in the Northwestern United States, and who met criteria for COPD. MAIN MEASURES: We used pharmacy records to estimate adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), ipratropium bromide (IP), and long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) over two consecutive six month periods. We defined patients as adherent if they had refilled medications to have 80 % of drug available over the time period. We also collected information on their demographics, behavioral habits, COPD severity, and comorbidities. KEY RESULTS: Adherence to medications was poor, with 19.8 % adherent to ICS, 30.6 % adherent to LABA, and 25.6 % adherent to IP. Predictors of adherence to inhaled therapies were highly variable and dependent on the medication being examined. In adjusted analysis, being adherent to a medication at baseline was the strongest predictor of future adherence to that same medication [(Odds ratio, 95 % confidence interval) ICS: 4.78 (3.21-7.11); LABA: 6.56 (3.89-11.04); IP: 13.96 (9.88-19.72)], [corrected] but did not reliably predict adherence to other classes of medications. [corrected]. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with COPD, past adherence to one class of inhaled medication strongly predicted future adherence to the same class of medication, but only weakly predicted adherence to other classes of medication.

Adherence to long-acting inhaled therapies among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

BACKGROUND: Long-acting inhaled medications are an important component of the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), yet few studies have examined the determinants of medication adherence among this patient population. OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify factors associated with adherence to long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) among patients with COPD. METHODS: We performed secondary analysis of baseline data collected in a randomized trial of 376 Veterans with spirometrically confirmed COPD. We used electronic pharmacy records to assess adherence, defined as a medication possession ratio of ≥0.80. We investigated the following exposures: patient characteristics, disease severity, medication regimen complexity, health behaviors, confidence in self-management, and perceptions of provider skill. We performed multivariable logistic regression, clustered by provider, to estimate associations. RESULTS: Of the 167 patients prescribed LABA, 54% (n = 90) were adherent to therapy while only 40% (n = 74) of 184 the patients prescribed ICS were adherent. Higher adherence to LABA and ICS was associated with patient perception of their provider as being an "expert" in diagnosing and managing lung disease [For LABA: OR = 21.70 (95% CI 6.79, 69.37); For ICS OR = 7.93 (95% CI 1.71, 36.67)]. Factors associated with adherence to LABA, but not ICS, included: age, education, race, COPD severity, smoking status, and confidence in self-management. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to long-acting inhaled medications among patients with COPD is poor, and determinants of adherence likely differ by medication class. Patient perception of clinician expertise in lung disease was the factor most highly associated with adherence to long-acting therapies.

The validity of using ICD-9 codes and pharmacy records to identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Administrative data is often used to identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), yet the validity of this approach is unclear. We sought to develop a predictive model utilizing administrative data to accurately identify patients with COPD. METHODS: Sequential logistic regression models were constructed using 9573 patients with postbronchodilator spirometry at two Veterans Affairs medical centers (2003-2007). COPD was defined as: 1) FEV1/FVC <0.70, and 2) FEV1/FVC < lower limits of normal. Model inputs included age, outpatient or inpatient COPD-related ICD-9 codes, and the number of metered does inhalers (MDI) prescribed over the one year prior to and one year post spirometry. Model performance was assessed using standard criteria. RESULTS: 4564 of 9573 patients (47.7%) had an FEV1/FVC < 0.70. The presence of ≥1 outpatient COPD visit had a sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 67%; the AUC was 0.75 (95% CI 0.74-0.76). Adding the use of albuterol MDI increased the AUC of this model to 0.76 (95% CI 0.75-0.77) while the addition of ipratropium bromide MDI increased the AUC to 0.77 (95% CI 0.76-0.78). The best performing model included: ≥6 albuterol MDI, ≥3 ipratropium MDI, ≥1 outpatient ICD-9 code, ≥1 inpatient ICD-9 code, and age, achieving an AUC of 0.79 (95% CI 0.78-0.80). CONCLUSION: Commonly used definitions of COPD in observational studies misclassify the majority of patients as having COPD. Using multiple diagnostic codes in combination with pharmacy data improves the ability to accurately identify patients with COPD.

Obesity and COPD: associated symptoms, health-related quality of life, and medication use.

BACKGROUND: There is little data about the combined effects of COPD and obesity. We compared dyspnea, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), exacerbations, and inhaled medication use among patients who are overweight and obese to those of normal weight with COPD. METHODS: We performed secondary data analysis on 364 Veterans with COPD. We categorized subjects by body mass index (BMI). We assessed dyspnea using the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea scale and HRQoL using the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire. We identified treatment for an exacerbation and inhaled medication use in the past year. We used multiple logistic and linear regression models as appropriate, with adjustment for age, COPD severity, smoking status, and co-morbidities. RESULTS: The majority of our population was male (n = 355, 98%) and either overweight (n = 115, 32%) or obese (n = 138, 38%). Obese and overweight subjects had better lung function (obese: mean FEV(1) 55.4% ±19.9% predicted, overweight: mean FEV(1) 50.0% ±20.4% predicted) than normal weight subjects (mean FEV(1) 44.2% ±19.4% predicted), yet obese subjects reported increased dyspnea [adjusted OR of MRC score ≥2 = 4.91 (95% CI 1.80, 13.39], poorer HRQoL, and were prescribed more inhaled medications than normal weight subjects. There was no difference in any outcome between overweight and normal weight patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite having less severe lung disease, obese patients reported increased dyspnea and poorer HRQoL than normal weight patients. The greater number of inhaled medications prescribed for obese patients may represent overuse. Obese patients with COPD likely need alternative strategies for symptom control in addition to those currently recommended.

The effects of smoking cessation on the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations.

BACKGROUND: Smoking cessation has been demonstrated to reduce the rate of loss of lung function and mortality among patients with mild to moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is a paucity of evidence about the effects of smoking cessation on the risk of COPD exacerbations. OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine whether smoking status and the duration of abstinence from tobacco smoke is associated with a decreased risk of COPD exacerbations. DESIGN: We assessed current smoking status and duration of smoking abstinence by self-report. Our primary outcome was either an inpatient or outpatient COPD exacerbation. We used Cox regression to estimate the risk of COPD exacerbation associated with smoking status and duration of smoking cessation. PARTICIPANTS: We performed a cohort study of 23,971 veterans who were current and past smokers and had been seen in one of seven Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care clinics throughout the US. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In comparison to current smokers, ex-smokers had a significantly reduced risk of COPD exacerbation after adjusting for age, comorbidity, markers of COPD severity and socio-economic status (adjusted HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.75-0.87). The magnitude of the reduced risk was dependent on the duration of smoking abstinence (adjusted HR: quit < 1 year, 1.04; 95% CI 0.87-1.26; 1-5 years 0.93, 95% CI 0.79-1.08; 5-10 years 0.84, 95% CI 0.70-1.00; > or = 10 years 0.65, 95% CI 0.58-0.74; linear trend <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation is associated with a reduced risk of COPD exacerbations, and the described reduction is dependent upon the duration of abstinence.

Poor Outcomes Among Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease With Higher Risk for Undiagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the LOTT Cohort.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Evaluate consequences of intermediate to high risk of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Using data from the Long Term Oxygen Treatment Trial (LOTT), we assessed OSA risk at study entry among patients with COPD. We compared outcomes among those at intermediate to high risk (modified STOP-BANG score ≥ 3) relative to low risk (score < 3) for OSA. We compared risk of mortality or first hospitalization with proportional hazard models, and incidence of COPD exacerbations using negative binomial regression. We adjusted analyses for demographics, body mass index, and comorbidities. Last, we compared St. George Respiratory Questionnaire and Quality of Well-Being Scale results between OSA risk groups. RESULTS: Of the 222 participants studied, 164 (74%) were at intermediate to high risk for OSA based on the modified STOP-BANG score. Relative to the 58 low-risk individuals, the adjusted hazard ratio of mortality or first hospitalization was 1.61 (95% confidence interval 1.01-2.58) for those at intermediate to high risk of OSA. Risk for OSA was also associated with increased frequency of COPD exacerbations (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.10-2.89). Respiratory symptoms by St. George Respiratory Questionnaire were 5.5 points greater (P = .05), and Quality of Well-Being Scale scores were .05 points lower (P < .01) among those at intermediate to high risk for OSA, indicating more severe respiratory symptoms and lower quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals with COPD, greater risk for undiagnosed OSA is associated with poor outcomes. Increased recognition and management of OSA in this group could improve outcomes.

Differences in health care utilization at the end of life among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and patients with lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: We sought to examine health care resource utilization in the last 6 months of life among patients who died with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared with those who died with lung cancer and to examine geographic variations in care. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed as having COPD or lung cancer, who were seen in 1 of 7 Veteran Affairs medical centers primary care clinics and who died during the study period. Our outcome of interest was health care resource utilization in the last 6 months of life. RESULTS: In the last 6 months of life, patients with COPD were more likely to visit their primary care providers but had fewer hospital admissions compared with patients with lung cancer. Patients with COPD had twice the odds of being admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), 5 times the odds of remaining there 2 weeks or longer, and received fewer opiates and benzodiazepine prescriptions compared with patients with lung cancer. There were geographic variations in the use of ICUs for patients with COPD but not for those with lung cancer. Total health care costs were $4000 higher for patients with COPD because of ICU utilization. CONCLUSIONS: In the last 6 months of life, patients with COPD were more likely to have had a primary care visit and been admitted to an ICU but less likely to receive palliative medications compared with patients with lung cancer. We found significant geographic variability in ICU utilization but only for patients with COPD.

Beta-blockers as single-agent therapy for hypertension and the risk of mortality among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PURPOSE: To assess the association between the type of antihypertensive medication and all-cause mortality among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: The cohort comprised 1966 patients (mean [+/- SD] age, 65.8 +/- 10.7 years) enrolled in general internal medicine clinics at seven Veterans Affairs medical centers between December 1996 and October 1999. Patients had a diagnosis of both COPD and hypertension and were receiving single-agent antihypertensive therapy. RESULTS: Compared with calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers were associated with a decrease in mortality from any cause after adjusting for propensity for having been prescribed a beta-blocker (hazard ratio = 0.57; 95% confidence interval: 0.33 to 0.89). The association was similar when beta-blockers were compared with all other antihypertensive medications, and the decreased risk of mortality was apparent among patients with pre-existing cardiac disease. Restriction of analyses to long-acting calcium channel blockers or to patients who used beta-agonists did not affect the point estimates. Exposure to the remaining classes of antihypertensive agents was not associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: Beta-blockers may have beneficial effects in patients who have COPD, pre-existing cardiac disease, and hypertension. Beta-blockers may not be contraindicated among patients with COPD.

A controlled trial of including symptom data in computer-based care suggestions for managing patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is common and associated with considerable morbidity and cost, yet physician adherence to treatment guidelines is suboptimal. We conducted a randomized controlled study to determine if adding symptom information to evidence-based, computer-generated care suggestions would affect treatment decisions among primary care physicians caring for outpatients with heart failure at two Veterans Affairs medical centers. METHODS: Physicians were randomly assigned to receive either care suggestions generated with electronic medical record data and symptom data obtained from questionnaires mailed to patients within 2 weeks of scheduled outpatient visits (intervention group) or suggestions generated with electronic medical record data alone (control group). Patients had to have a diagnosis of heart failure and objective evidence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. We assessed physician adherence to heart failure guidelines, as well as patients' New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, quality of life, satisfaction with care, hospitalizations, and outpatient visits, at 6 and 12 months after enrollment. RESULTS: Patients in the intervention (n = 355) and control (n = 365) groups were similar at baseline. At 12 months, there were no significant differences in adherence to care suggestions between physicians in the intervention and control groups (33% vs. 30%, P = 0.4). There were also no significant changes in NYHA class (P = 0.1) and quality-of-life measures (P >0.1), as well as no differences in the number of outpatient visits between intervention and control patients (6.7 vs. 7.1 visits, P = 0.48). Intervention patients were more satisfied with their physicians (P = 0.02) and primary care visit (P = 0.02), but had more all-cause hospitalizations at 6 months (1.5 vs. 0.7 hospitalizations, P = 0.0002) and 12 months (2.3 vs. 1.7 hospitalizations, P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Adding symptom information to computer-generated care suggestions for patients with heart failure did not affect physician treatment decisions or improve patient outcomes.

Association between chronic heart failure and inhaled beta-2-adrenoceptor agonists.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports suggest an association between beta-agonists and the risk of incident chronic heart failure (CHF). We sought to examine the association between inhaled beta-agonists and risk of incident and nonincident heart failure. METHODS: We performed a nested case-control study within the Ambulatory Care Quality Improvement Project (ACQUIP). Case subjects were defined as having had a hospitalization with a primary discharge diagnosis of CHF. Controls were randomly selected from the ACQUIP cohort. The exposure was the number of beta-agonist canisters filled in the 90 days before an index date. RESULTS: After adjusting for potentially confounding factors, there appeared to be no association between the use of inhaled beta-agonists and the risk of heart failure (1-2 canisters per month, OR 1.3 [95% CI 0.9, 1.8], > or =3 canisters per month, 1.1 [95% CI 0.8, 1.6]). However, among the cohort that had a history of CHF, there appeared to be a dose-response association between the number of inhaled beta-agonists and the risk of hospitalization for chronic heart failure (1-2 canisters per month, adjusted OR 1.8 [95% CI 1.1, 3.0], > or =3 canisters per month, adjusted OR 2.1 [95% CI 1.2, 3.8]). CONCLUSION: beta-Agonists did not appear to be associated with incident heart failure but were associated with risk of CHF hospitalization among those subjects with a previous CHF diagnosis. Although a causal relationship cannot be inferred from these findings, further research is warranted to determine the safety and effectiveness of inhaled beta-agonists for patients with CHF.

Risk of mortality and heart failure exacerbations associated with inhaled beta-adrenoceptor agonists among patients with known left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies suggest that myocardial beta(2)-adrenoceptors may be important in chronic heart failure. We sought to determine if use of selective beta(2)-agonists was associated with hospitalization for heart failure and all-cause mortality. METHODS: We studied a cohort of patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). The outcome was the first hospitalization with a primary diagnosis of chronic heart failure or death from any cause. The exposure was the average number of beta-agonist canisters filled per month in the 90 days prior to and 15 days after enrollment. RESULTS: Among 1,529 subjects, the relative risk (RR) of chronic heart failure hospital admission associated with inhaled beta-agonists followed a dose-response relationship: RR for one canister per month, 1.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9 to 2.0), RR for two canisters per month, 1.7 (95% CI, 1.2 to 2.5), and RR for three canisters per month, 2.1 (95% CI, 1.4 to 3.1). The RR of death demonstrated a similar finding: RR for one canister per month, 0.9 (95% CI, 0.5 to 1.5), RR for two canisters per month, 1.3 (95% CI, 0.9 to 2.1), and RR for three canisters per month, 2.0 (95% CI, 1.3 to 3.1). Adjusting for potential confounding factors did not affect the estimates. CONCLUSION: Among subjects with LVSD, inhaled beta-agonists were associated with an increased risk of heart failure hospitalization, and all-cause mortality. Clinicians should carefully consider the etiology of dyspnea when prescribing beta-agonists to patients with LVSD.

Preferences for death and dying among veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

RATIONALE: Studies identify common factors important for a "good death." However, it is important for clinicians to individualize end-of-life care by eliciting patients' preferences. We sought to determine preferences for death and dying among veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by performing a cross-sectional study. Participants (n = 376) completed a preferences about death and dying questionnaire. RESULTS: Common themes ranked as most important by veterans include health care costs (86.6%) and avoiding strain on loved ones (78.8%). Unique items include being unafraid of dying (67.1%) and having discussed your treatment preferences with your clinician (59.3%). CONCLUSION: Preferences for death and dying are consistent among individuals with life-limiting illness, thus should be incorporated as core components in all end-of-life care planning. We identified unique preferences important to patients with COPD. This study suggests that clinicians need to engage in end-of-life discussions to learn about individual preferences to improve the patients' dying experience.

The effect of end-of-life discussions on perceived quality of care and health status among patients with COPD.

BACKGROUND: Despite strong preferences for discussions about end-of-life care, patients with COPD do not often have these discussions with their providers. Our objective was to determine whether patients who reported having end-of-life discussions also reported higher perceived markers of quality of care and health status. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of data collected at baseline for a trial to improve the occurrence and quality of end-of-life communication in patients with COPD was conducted. The primary exposure was self-reported acknowledgment of having discussions about end-of-life planning with their physicians. The primary outcome measures were patient-reported quality of care and satisfaction with care, which were dichotomized as best imaginable quality of care vs other ratings of quality and highest satisfaction vs other ratings of satisfaction. We adjusted for confounding factors, including patient and provider characteristics, using logistic regression clustered by provider. RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-six patients were enrolled, of whom 55 (14.6%) reported having end-of-life discussions. Individuals who reported having end-of-life discussions with their physicians were significantly more likely to rate their quality of care as the best imaginable (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.05-4.09) and to be very satisfied with their medical care (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.10-3.55). Discussions were more likely to have occurred among patients with worse health status as measured by St. George Respiratory Questionnaire total and impact scores. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who reported having end-of-life care discussions with their physicians had higher perceived quality of care and satisfaction with their physicians. Discussing end-of-life care with patients who have COPD may improve their perceived overall quality of and satisfaction with care.

A randomized trial to improve communication about end-of-life care among patients with COPD.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with COPD consistently express a desire to discuss end-of-life care with clinicians, but these discussions rarely occur. We assessed whether an intervention using patient-specific feedback about preferences for discussing end-of-life care would improve the occurrence and quality of communication between patients with COPD and their clinicians. METHODS: We performed a cluster-randomized trial of clinicians and patients from the outpatient clinics at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System. Using self-reported questionnaires, we assessed patients' preferences for communication, life-sustaining therapy, and experiences at the end of life. The intervention clinicians and patients received a one-page patient-specific feedback form, based on questionnaire responses, to stimulate conversations. The control group completed questionnaires but did not receive feedback. Patient-reported occurrence and quality of end-of-life communication (QOC) were assessed within 2 weeks of a targeted visit. Intention-to-treat regression analyses were performed with generalized estimating equations to account for clustering of patients within clinicians. RESULTS: Ninety-two clinicians contributed 376 patients. Patients in the intervention arm reported nearly a threefold higher rate of discussions about end-of-life care (unadjusted, 30% vs 11%; P < .001). Baseline end-of-life communication was poor (intervention group QOC score, 23.3; 95% CI, 19.9-26.8; control QOC score, 19.2; 95% CI, 15.9-22.4). Patients in the intervention arm reported higher-quality end-of-life communication that was statistically significant, although the overall improvement was small (Cohen effect size, 0.21). CONCLUSIONS: A one-page patient-specific feedback form about preferences for end-of-life care and communication improved the occurrence and quality of communication from patients' perspectives. TRIAL REGISTRY: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00106080; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Patient-clinician communication about end-of-life care topics: is anyone talking to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

BACKGROUND: Reports describe patient and health care system benefits when clinicians engage in end-of-life conversations with patients diagnosed with life-limiting illnesses, yet most clinicians focus on life-preserving treatments and avoid conversations about end-of-life care. We describe patient-clinician communication practices about end-of-life care in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using self-report questionnaires to: (1) characterize the content of patient-clinician communication about end-of-life care from the patient perspective, including topics that were not addressed and ratings of the quality of the communication for topics discussed and (2) determine whether clinician characteristics was associated with the absence of specific communication items addressed. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of outpatients (n = 376) who completed the Quality of Communication (QOC) questionnaire (outcome measure). The primary exposure was clinician training. We used logistic regression. All tests were two-tailed and p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Clinicians (n = 92) were staff physicians (33.7%), physician trainees (35.9%), and advanced practice nurses (30.4%). Patients were older (mean age, 69.4 years, standard deviation [SD] 10.0); white (86%) men (97%) with severe COPD (mean forced expiraory volume in 1 second [FEV(1)] percent predicted 50%, SD 20). All end-of-life topics were underaddressed. Four topics were not addressed 77%-94% of the time. None of the QOC items varied significantly by clinician type in adjusted logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS: All end-of-life communication topics were underaddressed by clinicians, regardless of training, with four topics particularly unlikely to be discussed. End-of-life topics that are important to patients should be targeted for an intervention to facilitate improvement in clinicians' communication skills and practice and may improve patient satisfaction with clinician communication.

The association of depression and preferences for life-sustaining treatments in veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

CONTEXT: Depressive symptoms are common among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and may modify patients' preferences for life-sustaining therapy. Examining the relationship between patient preferences for life-sustaining treatments and depressive symptoms is important for clinicians engaging in end-of-life care discussions. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether a history of depression or active depressive symptoms is associated with preferences for life-sustaining therapies among veterans with COPD. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 376 veterans who participated in a randomized trial to improve the occurrence and quality of end-of-life communication between providers and patients. Depressive symptoms were assessed by self-reported history and the Mental Health Index-5 survey. Preferences for mechanical ventilation (MV) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were assessed using standardized instruments. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to adjust for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Participants were older men with severe COPD. A substantial proportion of participants noted that they would want MV (64.2%) or CPR (77.8%). Depressive history and active symptoms were not associated with preferences for MV and CPR either before or after adjusting for confounding variables. CONCLUSION: Depressive history and active symptoms among veterans with severe COPD were not associated with their decisions for life-sustaining treatments. Clinicians caring for patients with COPD should understand the importance of assessing and treating patients with depressive symptoms, yet recognize that depressive symptoms may not be predictive of a patient declining life-sustaining treatments.

Patient-clinician communication: associations with important health outcomes among veterans with COPD.

BACKGROUND: High quality patient-clinician communication is widely advocated, but little is known about which health outcomes are associated with communication for patients with COPD. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study of 342 veterans enrolled in a randomized controlled trial, we evaluated the association of communication, measured with the quality of communication (QOC) instrument, with subject-reported quality of clinician care, breathing problem confidence, and general self-rated health. We measured these associations using general estimating equations and adjusted odds ratios (OR) of patient-reported outcomes associated with one-point changes in QOC scores. RESULTS: Nearly one-half of the subjects reported receiving the best imaginable care (47%), whereas fewer reported being confident with their breathing problems all the time (29%) or in very good or excellent health (15%). General communication was associated with best-imagined quality of care (OR, 4.29; 95% CI, 2.84-6.48; P < .001) and confidence in dealing with breathing problems all the time (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.34-2.25; P < .001) but not general self-rated health (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.92-1.55; P = .19). Specific clinician behaviors with larger associations with higher quality care included listening, caring, and attentiveness. The associations between general communication and quality care increased over time (P for interaction .03). CONCLUSIONS: Communication between patients and clinicians is associated with quality of care and confidence in dealing with breathing problems, and this association may change over time. Attention to specific communication strategies may lead to improvements in the care of patients with COPD.

Inhaled corticosteroids and risk of lung cancer among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Lung cancer is a frequent cause of death among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We examined whether the use of inhaled corticosteroids among patients with COPD was associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer. METHODS: We performed a cohort study of United States veterans enrolled in primary care clinics between December 1996 and May 2001. Participants had received treatment for, had an International Classification of Disease, 9th edition, diagnosis of, or a self-reported diagnosis of COPD. Patients with a history of lung cancer were excluded. To be exposed, patients must have been at least 80% adherent to inhaled corticosteroids. We used Cox regression models to estimate the risk of cancer and adjust for potential confounding factors. FINDINGS: We identified 10,474 patients with a median follow-up of 3.8 years. In comparison to nonusers of inhaled corticosteroids, adjusting for age, smoking status, smoking intensity, previous history of non-lung cancer malignancy, coexisting illnesses, and bronchodilator use, there was a dose-dependent decreased risk of lung cancer associated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS dose < 1,200 mug/d: adjusted HR, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-1.90; ICS dose >or= 1,200 microg/d: adjusted HR, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.96). Changes in cohort definitions had minimal effects on the estimated risk. Analyses examining confounding by indication suggest biases in the opposite direction of the described effects. INTERPRETATION: Results suggest that inhaled corticosteroids may have a potential role in lung cancer prevention among patients with COPD. These initial findings require confirmation in separate and larger cohorts.

Development of a quantifiable symptom assessment tool for patients with chronic bronchitis: the Chronic Bronchitis Symptoms Assessment Scale.

Clinical trials that rely solely on physiologic outcomes may underestimate effects of interventions on patients' symptoms and well-being. We sought to develop and validate an instrument to reliably assess symptom severity and frequency in therapeutic trials for patients with chronic bronchitis. We performed a series of psychometric studies that determined instrument content and assessed validity and reliability. The final version of the Chronic Bronchitis Symptoms Assessment Scale (CBSAS) comprised 15 scored items (16 items total). The instrument demonstrated strong reliability with moderate to high item correlations with total scores (0.41-0.80) and an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.91. As expected, scores were at the bottom of the range for patients without a history of previous lung disease, and no ceiling effect was seen in the most severely obstructed patients. The CBSAS demonstrated statistically significant and moderate to strong association with spirometry, (post bronchodilator, % pred FEV1, r = -0.42, % pred FVC, r = -0.50), SGRQ (total, r = 0.67) and SOBQ (r = 0.50). The Chronic Bronchitis Symptoms Assessment Scale is an easy to administer, once daily or once weekly, valid and reliable outcome measure for assessing symptom severity among patients with chronic bronchitis.