Incident cardiovascular disease risk among older Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander liver cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant global health concern, particularly among Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) communities that face unique health challenges. Liver cancer disproportionately affects ANHPI populations and has intricate associations with CVD risks due to shared pathophysiological mechanisms and metabolic disturbances. However, the specific CVD risk profile of ANHPI liver cancer patients remains poorly understood. METHODS: Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data, we identified and matched 1150 ANHPI and 2070 Non-Hispanic White (NHW) liver cancer patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2017. We used the Fine-Gray sub-distribution hazard model to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) for CVD risks, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure, and stroke, among ANHPI liver cancer patients compared to NHW counterparts and among ANHPI subgroups. RESULTS: ANHPI liver cancer patients demonstrated a lower risk of IHD compared to NHW counterparts (HR, 0.65, 95 % CI, 0.50, 0.86), aligning with broader trends. Subgroup analysis revealed notable heterogeneity within ANHPI populations, with Southeast Asian (HR, 0.65, 95 % CI, 0.42, 1.00) and Chinese patients (HR, 0.53, 95 % CI, 0.33-0.83) exhibiting lower IHD risks compared to their NHW counterparts. However, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander liver cancer patients showed elevated risks of heart failure (HR, 3.16, 95 % CI, 1.35-7.39) and IHD (HR, 5.64, 95 % CI, 2.19-14.53) compared to their Chinese counterparts. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the complexity of CVD risks among ANHPI liver cancer patients. Addressing these disparities is crucial for improving cardiovascular outcomes and reducing the burden of CVD among ANHPI liver cancer patients.

Quality and Performance Measurement in Primary Diabetes Care: A Qualitative Study in Urban China.

BACKGROUND: Quality measurements in primary healthcare (PHC) have become an essential component for improving diabetes outcomes in many high-income countries. However, little is known about their implementation within the Chinese health-system context and how they are perceived by patients, physicians, and policy-makers. We examined stakeholders' perceptions of quality and performance measurements for primary diabetes care in Shanghai, China, and analyzed facilitators and barriers to implementation. METHODS: In-depth interviews with 26 key stakeholders were conducted from 2018 to 2019. Participants were sampled from two hospitals, four community healthcare centers (CHCs), and four institutes involved in regulating CHCs. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) guided data analysis. RESULTS: Existing quality measurements were uniformly implemented via a top-down process, with daily monitoring of family doctors' work and pay-for-performance incentives. Barriers included excluding frontline clinicians from indicator planning, a lack of transparent reporting, and a rigid organizational culture with limited bottom-up feedback. Findings under the CFIR construct "organizational incentives" suggested that current pay-for-performance incentives function as a "double-edged sword," increasing family doctors' motivation to excel while creating pressures to "game the system" among some physicians. When considering the CFIR construct "reflecting and evaluating," policy-makers perceived the online evaluation application - which provides daily reports on family doctors' work - to be an essential tool for improving quality; however, this information was not visible to patients. Findings included under the "network and communication" construct showed that specialists support the work of family doctors by providing training and patient consultations in CHCs. CONCLUSION: The quality of healthcare could be considerably enhanced by involving patients and physicians in decisions on quality measurement. Strengthening hospital-community partnerships can improve the quality of primary care in hospital-centric systems. The case of Shanghai provides compelling policy lessons for other health systems faced with the challenge of improving PHC.