Enrollee Experience with Providers in the Arkansas Medicaid Expansion Program.

BACKGROUND: Patient ratings of their healthcare experience as a quality measure have become critically important since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA enabled states to expand Medicaid eligibility to reduce uninsurance nationally. Arkansas gained approval to use Medicaid funds to purchase a qualified health plan (QHP) through the ACA marketplace for newly eligible beneficiaries. OBJECTIVE: We compare patient-reported satisfaction between fee-for-service Medicaid and QHP participants. DESIGN: The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) was used to identify differences in Medicaid and QHP enrollee healthcare experiences. Data were analyzed using a regression discontinuity design. PARTICIPANTS: Newly eligible Medicaid expansion participants enrolled in Medicaid during 2013 completed the Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey in 2014. Survey data was analyzed for 3156 participants (n = 1759 QHP/1397 Medicaid). MEASURES: Measures included rating of personal and specialist provider, rating of all healthcare received, and whether the provider offered to communicate electronically. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the enrollees were controlled for in the analyses. METHODS: Regression-discontinuity analysis was used to evaluate differential program effects on positive ratings as measured by the CAHPS survey while controlling for demographic and health characteristics of participants. KEY RESULTS: Adjusted logistic regression models for overall healthcare (OR = 0.71, 95%CI = 0.56-0.90, p = 0.004) and personal doctor (OR = 0.68, 95%CI = 0.53-0.87, p = 0.002) predicted greater satisfaction among QHP versus Medicaid participants. Results were not significant for specialists or for use of electronic communication with provider. CONCLUSIONS: Using a quasi-experimental statistical approach, we were able to control for observed and unobserved heterogeneity showing that among participants with similar characteristics, including income, QHP participants rated their personal providers and healthcare higher than those enrolled in Medicaid. Access to care, utilization of care, and healthcare and health insurance literacy may be contributing factors to these results.

Study design and implementation of the PRecision Medicine In MEntal health Care (PRIME Care) Trial.

Genomic testing has the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce patient care costs by personalizing medication selection. Commercial pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing for psychotropic and other medications is widely available and promoted as a means to implement "precision medicine." Despite evidence that genetic variation affects the metabolism of psychotropic medications, the clinical utility of these test results has not been established. Moreover, implementing such testing in routine clinical care is complex, requiring informatics support and a systematic approach to patient and provider education. The PRIME Care program is designed to bridge this gap, applying both clinical trials and implementation science methods to conduct a program of research. It is centered on a large, pragmatic randomized clinical trial (RCT) in which 2000 Veterans with a major depressive disorder (MDD) and their health care providers are randomized together to receive PGx test results at the beginning of an episode of care or 6 months later. We hypothesize that providers who receive the PGx test results will prescribe an antidepressant guided by the PGx findings and Veterans whose care is guided by PGx testing will experience higher rates of remission from MDD. If the results of the trial replicate those of prior PGx studies, which provided preliminary evidence of the utility of PGx guided prescribing, it would strongly support using a precision medicine approach to treat MDD. This program of research is also evaluating dissemination influencers, other biomarkers (e.g., genetic variation associated with depression response), and the health care cost implications of PGx testing. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03170362.

Psychometric Properties of the Assessment of Perceived Access to Care (APAC) Instrument.

Valid measures of perceived access are needed to measure whether health care systems are providing adequate access. This research reports on the psychometric properties of the Assessment of Perceived Access to Care (APAC), which was administered to 1004 Community Health Center patients screening positive for psychiatric disorders. Known-group validity was good, with 6 of the 8 hypothesized associations between social determinants of access and perceived access being significant (P < .01). Better access was significantly (P < .01) correlated with more outpatient mental health visits, indicating good convergent validity. The test-retest Pearson correlation coefficient (0.64) was statistically significant (P < .01). The APAC has acceptable psychometric properties.

Virtual reality graded exposure therapy with arousal control for the treatment of combat related posttraumatic stress disorder: a follow up case series.

Important challenges confronting DOD/military medical care are that of maintaining or increasing quality of care and increasing the effectiveness of treatments for warriors diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) secondary to their combat deployments to Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Virtual Reality Graded Exposure Therapy with Arousal Control (VR-GET) has demonstrated a positive treatment effectiveness resulting in significant reductions of PTSD symptom severity. This positive treatment effectiveness has been maintained for up to 22 weeks after VR-GET therapy was completed. A robust methodology for the assessment of Virtual Reality efficacy suggests that the ideal time for follow-up begins at twelve months. Others have suggested that follow-up should occur between two and four years post treatment. In this report we describe the outcome of VR-GET for the treatment of combat-related PTSD with three warriors between five and seven years following their having completed treatment.

Electrokinetic stringency control in self-assembled monolayer-based biosensors for multiplex urinary tract infection diagnosis.

Rapid detection of bacterial pathogens is critical toward judicious management of infectious diseases. Herein, we demonstrate an in situ electrokinetic stringency control approach for a self-assembled monolayer-based electrochemical biosensor toward urinary tract infection diagnosis. The in situ electrokinetic stringency control technique generates Joule heating induced temperature rise and electrothermal fluid motion directly on the sensor to improve its performance for detecting bacterial 16S rRNA, a phylogenetic biomarker. The dependence of the hybridization efficiency reveals that in situ electrokinetic stringency control is capable of discriminating single-base mismatches. With electrokinetic stringency control, the background noise due to the matrix effects of clinical urine samples can be reduced by 60%. The applicability of the system is demonstrated by multiplex detection of three uropathogenic clinical isolates with similar 16S rRNA sequences. The results demonstrate that electrokinetic stringency control can significantly improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the biosensor for multiplex urinary tract infection diagnosis. FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR: Urinary tract infections remain a significant cause of mortality and morbidity as secondary conditions often related to chronic diseases or to immunosuppression. Rapid and sensitive identification of the causative organisms is critical in the appropriate management of this condition. These investigators demonstrate an in situ electrokinetic stringency control approach for a self-assembled monolayer-based electrochemical biosensor toward urinary tract infection diagnosis, establishing that such an approach significantly improves the biosensor's signal-to-noise ratio.

Reality graded exposure therapy with physiological monitoring for the treatment of combat related post traumatic stress disorder: a pilot study.

A high percentage of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) combat veterans have been diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during and following their respective combat tours. Virtual Reality (VR) treatment has been documented as an exceptional treatment for anxiety disorders and specifically for PTSD. An Office of Naval Research (ONR) funded pilot study, completed by the Virtual Reality Medical Center and Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), investigated the use of Virtual Reality Graded Exposure Therapy (VR-GET) study with participants who had been diagnosed with PTSD following their combat deployments. A significant reduction in PTSD symptoms severity was noted. Implications for treatment with VR-GET and future research areas of investigation, including the use of VR-GET with smart phones and the internet, are suggested.

Cost effectiveness of virtual reality graded exposure therapy with physiological monitoring for the treatment of combat related post traumatic stress disorder.

Virtual Reality Graded Exposure Therapy (VRGET) is an effective treatment for combat-related PTSD. We summarize the outcomes of a VRGET pilot study with 12 participants who completed one to multiple combat tours in support of the War on Terrorism and who were subsequently diagnosed with combat-related PTSD. Details of the collaborative program amongst the Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC), Office of Naval Research, the Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) and the Navy Hospital Camp Pendleton are discussed as is the VRGET outcomes of significant reductions in PTSD symptoms severity. We also described the estimated cost-effectiveness of VRGET for the treatment of combat-related PTSD, as contrasted to Treatment as Usual (TAU) for combat-related PTSD.

Combat related post traumatic stress disorder: a multiple case report using virtual reality graded exposure therapy with physiological monitoring.

The current report summarizes case studies from an Office of Naval Research (ONR) funded project to compare the effects of Virtual Reality Graded Exposure Therapy (VRGET) with a treatment as usual control condition in active-duty Navy Corpsmen, Navy SeaBees and Navy and Marine Corps Support Personnel. Details of the collaborative program between the Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC) and Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) will be discussed.

Combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder: a case report using virtual reality exposure therapy with physiological monitoring.

The current report summarizes a case study from an Office of Naval Research (ONR) funded project to compare the effects of virtual reality graded exposure therapy (VRGET) with cognitive behavioral group therapy in active-duty corpsmen. Details of the collaborative program between the Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC) and Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) will be discussed.

Design and implementation of the telemedicine-enhanced antidepressant management study.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence-based practices designed for large urban clinics are not necessarily transportable into small rural practices. Implementing collaborative care for depression in small rural primary care clinics presents unique challenges because it is typically not feasible to employ on-site mental health specialists. The purpose of the Telemedicine-Enhanced Antidepressant Management (TEAM) study was to evaluate a collaborative care model adapted for small rural clinics using telemedicine technologies. The purpose of this paper is to describe the TEAM study design. METHOD: The TEAM study was conducted in small rural Veterans Administration community-based outpatient clinics with interactive video equipment available for mental health, but no on-site psychiatrists/psychologists. The study attempted to enroll all patients whose depression could be appropriately treated in primary care. RESULTS: The clinical characteristics of the 395 study participants differed significantly from most previous trials of collaborative care. At baseline, 41% were already receiving primary care depression treatment. Study participants averaged 5.5 chronic physical health illnesses and 56.5% had a comorbid anxiety disorder. Over half (57.2%) reported that pain impaired their functioning extremely or quite a bit. CONCLUSIONS: Despite small patient populations in rural clinics, enough patients with depression can be successfully enrolled to evaluate telemedicine-based collaborative care.