The Financial Impact of an Inpatient Diabetes Management Service.

CONTEXT: Diabetes is a leading metabolic disorder with a substantial cost burden, especially in inpatient settings. The complexity of inpatient glycemic management has led to the emergence of inpatient diabetes management service (IDMS), a multidisciplinary team approach to glycemic management. OBJECTIVE: To review recent literature on the financial and clinical impact of IDMS in hospital settings. METHODS: We searched PubMed using a combination of controlled vocabulary and keyword terms to describe the concept of IDMS and combined the search terms with a comparative effectiveness filter for costs and cost analysis developed by the National Library of Medicine. FINDINGS: In addition to several improved clinical endpoints such as glycemic management outcomes, IDMS implementation is associated with hospital cost savings through decreased length of stay, preventing hospital readmissions, hypoglycemia reduction, and optimizing resource allocation. There are other downstream potential cost savings in long-term patient health outcomes and avoidance of litigation related to suboptimal glycemic management. CONCLUSION: IDMS may play an important role in helping both academic and community hospitals to improve the quality of diabetes care and reduce costs. Clinicians and policymakers can utilize existing literature to build a compelling business case for IDMS to hospital administrations and state legislatures in the era of value-based healthcare.

Retrospective analysis of bleeding events after central venous catheter placement in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

BACKGROUND: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a thrombotic disorder caused by severe deficiency of ADAMTS13. Platelets are transfused prophylactically in non-TTP patients for central venous catheter (CVC) with a count <20 × 109/L to prevent bleeding. However, transfusing platelets in TTP prior to CVC placement remains controversial due to concern for arterial thrombosis and mortality. At our center, platelet transfusion is contraindicated in TTP, therefore, we analyzed data for bleeding complications following CVC placement. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: 95 acute episodes of TTP were identified. Twenty-six episodes were excluded for insufficient documentation or no CVC placement. The charts of 69 remaining episodes were reviewed. RESULTS: Of 69 TTP episodes, nine (13 %) had bleeding after a CVC placement. Of these, seven bleeds were minor, and the two were major related to the technical issues during femoral venous access causing arterial bleeds. Median platelet count before the CVC placement among those experiencing bleeding complications was 12 × 109/L (range 3-44) as compared to median count of 15 × 109/L (range 4-257) in those who did not bleed (p = 0.258). Among 44 episodes with a platelet count <20 × 109/L, seven (16 %) had bleeds. CONCLUSION: Major bleeding complications following CVC placement in TTP is uncommon and most likely related to technical challenges. Median platelet count was similar in patients who bled versus those who did not, suggesting that platelet transfusion is unnecessary to correct platelet count prior to a CVC placement in TTP.

Teledermatology after COVID-19: key challenges ahead.

Teledermatology has been leveraged during the COVID-19 pandemic as a means of adopting novel ways to treat patients while reducing the risk of viral transmission. Although teledermatology offers benefits related to patient convenience and improved access to care, key challenges in the areas of reimbursement, licensure, and diagnostic accuracy remain. In this commentary, we discuss these three obstacles and potential solutions.

Nonresearch Pharmaceutical Industry Payments to Oncology Physician Editors.

Journal editors are gatekeepers of knowledge, and pharmaceutical industry payments to oncology editors have not been previously characterized. We performed a cross-sectional study of nonresearch industry payments to editors of 26 oncology research journals. A total of 433 editors were eligible for inclusion in the CMS Open Payments database from 2013 to 2018. A total of 80% of eligible editors had nonresearch payments, and the mean value of payments per editor was $106,778, which has increased over time. Only 5 out of 26 journals disclosed editor conflicts of interest and 3 of these journals reported at least one editor with no nonresearch industry payments but were found to have nonresearch payments. There was a positive correlation between journal impact factor and the average payment per editor for each journal. Our study shows the high prevalence and lack of transparency of nonresearch industry payments to oncology editors. Higher impact journals appear to be associated with greater nonresearch industry payments.

Key Attributes of a Medical Learning Community Mentor at One Medical School: The Mentee Perspective.

To assess the elements necessary to be a successful learning community (ClinCalc) mentor to medical students from the mentee's perspective. Few such studies have utilized the in-depth and richness of detail obtained in qualitative studies. This qualitative study analyzed four focus group discussions lasting 45-90 min conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, which has an established LC, in the year 2018. The groups included 14 pre-clerkship and 8 clerkship students. Investigators evaluated transcriptions of the focus group discussions using ATLAS.ti software. Three overarching categories of discussion emerged from the group discussions: (1) Relationship Competence, (2) Teaching Competence, and (3) Ethical and Compassionate Medical Practice Competence. Relationship Competence themes included "walk with me," relationship is most important, and one-on-one. Teaching Competence themes included above and beyond, recognize and address mentor limitations, and safe and enriching environment. Ethical and Compassionate Medical Practice Competence themes included ethical decision making and compassionate care for diverse patient populations. Mentees focused on various aspects of the mentor-mentee relationship as the single most essential competence. Themes mentees discussed as important qualities of a successful mentor may denote qualities to be prioritized in faculty development and mentor recruitment. Future studies could investigate how the LC environment informs former medical students and promotes patient outcomes.

Leveraging mHealth Structure to Improve Care Delivery in the Remote Regions of Pakistan: Call to Action.

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Female dermatology journal editors accepting pharmaceutical payments: An analysis of the Open Payments database, 2013 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical payments may affect the interpretation of clinical research and prescribing patterns of physicians. Additionally, they may reflect gender disparities in academic dermatology with regard to social recognition and opportunities for career advancement. OBJECTIVE: We examined relationships with industry among male and female journal editors who accepted pharmaceutical payments in leading dermatology journals. METHODS: We assessed the seven US journals among the leading 20 dermatology journals as determined by impact factor and gathered data via the CMS Open Payments dataset. RESULTS: In a cross-sectional study of 329 editors eligible to appear in the Open Payments website, we found that 218 (66.3%) received industry payments totaling $21,952,402. The mean and median dollar value of payments per editor was $100,699 and $3,638 (interquartile range, $364-$57,108). Food and beverage payments accounted for 63.0% of the $28,992 total payments, and the associated dollar value was $887,617 (4.04%). Gender disparities in corporate payments were observed in other contexts, but we did not find a similar relationship among leading dermatology journals. CONCLUSION: Our work highlights that pharmaceutical payments exist among dermatology editors, providing a rationale for future research to address whether editor bias related to pharmaceutical payments exists and more granular studies on the role of gender with regard to navigating such payments.

The Association Between Risk Factors for Metabolic Syndrome and Meibomian Gland Disease in a Dry Eye Cohort.

PURPOSE: Risk factors for metabolic syndrome include abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, high triglycerides and/or low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hyperglycemia. Risk factors for metabolic syndrome have been associated with dry eye disease; however, their association with meibomian gland disease (MGD), a subtype of dry eye, is unclear. In the present study, we investigated risk factors for metabolic syndrome in a dry eye cohort with and without MGD. METHODS: This retrospective case-control study evaluated electronic medical records at a major urban outpatient medical center to identify patients with a known diagnosis of dry eye disease with and without MGD. Males and females were matched for age, smoking status, race, ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI). Patient demographics, anthropometric measurements, medical history, clinical findings, and serologies were analyzed. A diagnosis of MGD was based on clinical signs noted in the medical record. RESULTS: MGD was not associated with BMI, smoking, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension or hyperlipidemia in this dry eye cohort. MGD was associated with male sex and increasing age. While increasing age was weakly correlated with decreased low density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum lipid levels were not associated with MGD. CONCLUSION: Importantly, we found that risk factors for metabolic syndrome are not specifically associated with an increase in MGD when compared to non-MGD dry eye subjects. While risk factors for metabolic syndrome are associated with dry eye disease, they likely reflect a chronic systemic state of low-grade inflammation that negatively impacts the function of both lacrimal and meibomian glands.

Rare presentation of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in an adult associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection: unilateral neck swelling.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) is a rare but often severe complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection. While several case reports about MIS-A in the setting of COVID-19 have been published since the term was first coined in June 2020, a clear description of the underlying pathophysiology and guideline-based recommendations on the diagnostic and therapeutic approach are lacking. What has been reported is that in the absence of severe respiratory illness, MIS-A can present with hypotension or shock, high-grade fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and severe weakness days to weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we present a case of a 28-year-old man who presented with a rarely described initial symptom: unilateral neck swelling. His presentation, disease progression and treatment course provide further information about MIS-A as a complication and in formulating diagnostic guidelines.

Clinical Efficiency and Safety Outcomes of Virtual Care for Oncology Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: Telehealth has been an integral response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no studies to date have examined the utility and safety of telehealth for oncology patients undergoing systemic treatments. Concerns of the adequacy of virtual patient assessments for oncology patients include the risk and high acuity of illness and complications while on treatment. METHODS: We assessed metrics related to clinical efficiency and treatment safety after propensity matching of newly referred patients starting systemic therapy where care was in large part replaced by telehealth between March and May 2020, and 206 newly referred patients from a similar time period in 2019 where all encounters were in-person visits. RESULTS: Patient-initiated telephone encounters that capture care or effort outside of visits, time to staging imaging, and time to therapy initiation were not significantly different between cohorts. Similarly, 3 month all-cause or cancer-specific emergency department presentations and hospitalizations, and treatment delays were not significantly different between cohorts. There were substantial savings in travel time with virtual care, with an average of 211.4 minutes saved per patient over a 3-month interval. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that replacement of in-person care with virtual care in oncology does not lead to worse efficiency or outcomes. Given the increased barriers to patients seeking oncology care during the pandemic, our study indicates that telehealth efforts may be safely intensified. These findings also have implications for the continual use of virtual care in oncology beyond the pandemic.

Implications of the 2019 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Primary Prevention Guidelines and potential value of the coronary artery calcium score among South Asians in the US: The Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: South Asian (SA) ethnicity is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, the implications of considering SA ethnicity as a "risk-enhancing factor" per recent American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines are not fully understood. METHODS: We used data from the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study, a community-based cohort study of individuals of SA ancestry living in the US. The Pooled Cohort Equations were used to estimate 10-year ASCVD risk. Metabolic risk factors and coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores were assessed. RESULTS: Among 1114 MASALA participants included (median age 56 years, 48% women), 28% were already using a statin at baseline, 25% had prevalent diabetes, and 59% qualified for 10-year ASCVD risk assessment for statin allocation purposes. The prevalence of low, borderline, intermediate, and high estimated ASCVD risk was 65%, 11%, 20% and 5%, respectively. Among participants at intermediate risk, 30% had CAC = 0 and 37% had CAC>100, while among participants at borderline risk, 54% had CAC = 0 and 13% had CAC>100. Systematic consideration of intermediate and, particularly, of borderline risk individuals as statin candidates would enrich the statin-consideration group with CAC = 0 participants up to 35%. Prediabetes and abdominal obesity were highly prevalent across all estimated risk strata, including among those with CAC = 0. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that systematic consideration of borderline risk SAs as statin candidates might result in considerable overtreatment, and further risk assessment with CAC may help better personalize statin allocation in these individuals. Early, aggressive lifestyle interventions aimed at reducing the risk of incident diabetes should be strongly recommended in US SAs, particularly among those considered candidates for statin therapy for primary prevention. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the favorable prognosis of CAC = 0 in SAs.

Inpatient Insulin Pen Implementation, Waste, and Potential Cost Savings: A Community Hospital Experience.

BACKGROUND: Insulin pen injectors ("pens") are intended to facilitate a patient's self-administration of insulin and can be used in hospitalized patients as a learning opportunity. Unnecessary or duplicate dispensation of insulin pens is associated with increased healthcare costs. METHODS: Inpatient dispensation of insulin pens in a 240-bed community hospital between July 2018 and July 2019 was analyzed. We calculated the percentage of insulin pens unnecessarily dispensed for patients who had the same type of insulin pen assigned. The estimated cost of insulin pen waste was calculated. A pharmacist-led task force group implemented hospital-wide awareness and collaborated with hospital leadership to define goals and interventions. RESULTS: 9516 insulin pens were dispensed to 3121 patients. Of the pens dispensed, 6451 (68%) were insulin aspart and 3065 (32%) were glargine. Among patients on insulin aspart, an average of 2.2 aspart pens was dispensed per patient, but only an estimated 1.2 pens/patient were deemed necessary. Similarly, for inpatients prescribed glargine, an average of 2.1 pens/patient was dispensed, but only 1.3 pens/patient were necessary. A number of gaps were identified and interventions were undertaken to reduce insulin pen waste, which resulted in a significant decrease in both aspart (p = 0.0002) and glargine (p = 0.0005) pens/patient over time. Reductions in pen waste resulted in an estimated cost savings of $66 261 per year. CONCLUSIONS: In a community hospital setting, identification of causes leading to unnecessary insulin dispensation and implementation of hospital-wide staff education led to change in insulin pen dispensation practice. These changes translated into considerable cost savings and facilitated diabetes self-management education.

Coronary Artery Calcium to Improve the Efficiency of Randomized Controlled Trials in Primary Cardiovascular Prevention.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to assess the value, in terms of sample size and cost, of using the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score to enrich the study population of primary prevention randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with participants at high absolute risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events. BACKGROUND: The feasibility of RCTs assessing the efficacy of novel add-on therapies for primary prevention among high-risk individuals treated with statins may be limited by sample size and cost. METHODS: We evaluated 3,075 statin-naive participants from the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) with estimated 10-year ASCVD risk of ≥7.5%. CAC of >100, CAC of >400, high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels of >2 and >3 mg/l, ankle-brachial index of <0.9, and triglyceride levels of >175 mg/dl were each evaluated as enrichment criteria on top of estimated ASCVD risk of ≥7.5%, ≥10%, ≥15% and ≥20%. For each criterion, using the observed 5-year incidence of CVD, we projected the incidence of CVD assuming a 28% relative risk reduction with high-intensity statin therapy and after addition of novel therapy with additive relative risk reductions of 15% and 25%. Sample size and cost of a hypothetical primary prevention 5-year RCT of a novel therapy on top of statins versus statins alone were then computed by using the projected incidences. Yearly costs per included participant of $6,000 to $9,000 and of $500/$600 per screened nonparticipant were assumed. RESULTS: CAC of >400, present in 15% to 23% participants, consistently identified the subgroups with highest 5-year incident events and outperformed the other features yielding the smallest projected sample size, ranging 33% to 58% lower than using risk estimations alone for participant selection. CAC of >400 also yielded the lowest projected RCT costs, at least $40 million lower than using risk estimations alone. CAC of >100 showed the second-best performance in most scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: High CAC scores used as study entry criteria can improve the efficiency and feasibility of primary prevention RCTs evaluating the incremental efficacy of novel add-on therapies.

Nivolumab-induced autoimmune diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism in a patient with rectal neuroendocrine tumor.

We present a rare case of autoimmune diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism in an elderly man initiated on nivolumab two months prior to admission for treatment of a high-grade neuroendocrine rectal tumor. This patient presented to a local community hospital with one-week history of severe nausea, thirst, and bilateral leg edema. Biochemical studies confirmed the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis in the setting of autoimmune diabetes mellitus and primary hypothyroidism, likely due to nivolumab use. This case illustrates an acute complication due to secondary diabetes mellitus in the setting of a novel anticancer agent. There are three key takeaways for physicians managing patients on nivolumab. First, there should be a discussion of the benefits and risks of immunomodulatory therapy. Second, patients should be tested for immunological and other markers before being started on checkpoint inhibitors. Third, oncologists must be aware of the signs and symptoms of life-threatening hyperglycemia and severe hypothyroidism. Additional studies are needed to identify those patients at highest risk for autoimmune complications.

The Upcoming Epidemic of Heart Failure in South Asia.

Currently, South Asia accounts for a quarter of the world population, yet it already claims ≈60% of the global burden of heart disease. Besides the epidemics of type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease already faced by South Asian countries, recent studies suggest that South Asians may also be at an increased risk of heart failure (HF), and that it presents at earlier ages than in most other racial/ethnic groups. Although a frequently underrecognized threat, an eventual HF epidemic in the densely populated South Asian nations could have dramatic health, social and economic consequences, and urgent interventions are needed to flatten the curve of HF in South Asia. In this review, we discuss recent studies portraying these trends, and describe the mechanisms that may explain an increased risk of premature HF in South Asians compared with other groups, with a special focus on highly relevant features in South Asian populations including premature coronary heart disease, early type 2 diabetes mellitus, ubiquitous abdominal obesity, exposure to the world's highest levels of air pollution, highly prevalent pretransition forms of HF such as rheumatic heart disease, and underdevelopment of healthcare systems. Other rising lifestyle-related risk factors such as use of tobacco products, hypertension, and general obesity are also discussed. We evaluate the prognosis of HF in South Asian countries and the implications of an anticipated HF epidemic. Finally, we discuss proposed interventions aimed at curbing these adverse trends, management approaches that can improve the prognosis of prevalent HF in South Asian countries, and research gaps in this important field.

Factors associated with disease severity and mortality among patients with COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the factors associated with disease severity and mortality in Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is imperative to effectively triage patients. We performed a systematic review to determine the demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological factors associated with severity and mortality in COVID-19. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase and WHO database for English language articles from inception until May 8, 2020. We included Observational studies with direct comparison of clinical characteristics between a) patients who died and those who survived or b) patients with severe disease and those without severe disease. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two authors independently. RESULTS: Among 15680 articles from the literature search, 109 articles were included in the analysis. The risk of mortality was higher in patients with increasing age, male gender (RR 1.45, 95%CI 1.23-1.71), dyspnea (RR 2.55, 95%CI 1.88-2.46), diabetes (RR 1.59, 95%CI 1.41-1.78), hypertension (RR 1.90, 95%CI 1.69-2.15). Congestive heart failure (OR 4.76, 95%CI 1.34-16.97), hilar lymphadenopathy (OR 8.34, 95%CI 2.57-27.08), bilateral lung involvement (OR 4.86, 95%CI 3.19-7.39) and reticular pattern (OR 5.54, 95%CI 1.24-24.67) were associated with severe disease. Clinically relevant cut-offs for leukocytosis(>10.0 x109/L), lymphopenia(< 1.1 x109/L), elevated C-reactive protein(>100mg/L), LDH(>250U/L) and D-dimer(>1mg/L) had higher odds of severe disease and greater risk of mortality. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the factors associated of disease severity and mortality identified in our study may assist in clinical decision-making and critical-care resource allocation for patients with COVID-19.

Key Attributes of a Medical Learning Community Mentor at One Medical School.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to discover the elements required for a successful learning community (LC) faculty member educator of medical students. METHOD: The authors in this qualitative study evaluated six 90-min focus groups of faculty members. The groups included 31 experienced and 19 inexperienced LC faculty members at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. After achieving excellent interrater reliability, transcriptions of the discussions were subjected to thematic analysis using ATLAS.ti software. RESULTS: Five major themes emerged: (1) LC faculty characteristics/competency, (2) suggested faculty development methods, (3) factors outside the LC environment influencing student relationships, (4) student attributes influencing teaching techniques, and (5) measuring and improving history and physical skills. Faculty characteristics/competency subthemes included role-modeling, mentoring, and teaching competence. Suggested faculty development methods subthemes included assessing and giving feedback to faculty, peer development, and learning from experts. Experienced LC faculty focused more attention on teaching competence and mentoring competence than inexperienced LC faculty. DISCUSSION: The themes with the most extensive discussion among the experienced LC faculty groups may represent qualities to be sought in future mentor recruitment and faculty development. Future studies could build on this study by similarly investigating student perceptions.