Association of patient and health care organization factors with incidental nodule guidelines adherence: A multi-system observational study.

BACKGROUND: Health care organizations are increasingly developing systems to ensure patients with pulmonary nodules receive guideline-adherent care. Our goal was to determine patient and organization factors that are associated with radiologist adherence as well as clinician and patient concordance to 2005 Fleischner Society guidelines for incidental pulmonary nodule follow-up. MATERIALS: Trained researchers abstracted data from the electronic health record from two Veterans Affairs health care systems for patients with incidental pulmonary nodules as identified by interpreting radiologists from 2008 to 2016. METHODS: We classified radiology reports and patient follow-up into two categories. Radiologist-Fleischner Adherence was the agreement between the radiologist's recommendation in the computed tomography report and the 2005 Fleischner Society guidelines. Clinician/Patient-Fleischner Concordance was agreement between patient follow-up and the guidelines. We calculated multivariable-adjusted predicted probabilities for factors associated with Radiologist-Fleischner Adherence and Clinician/Patient-Fleischner Concordance. RESULTS: Among 3150 patients, 69% of radiologist recommendations were adherent to 2005 Fleischner guidelines, 4% were more aggressive, and 27% recommended less aggressive follow-up. Overall, only 48% of patients underwent follow-up concordant with 2005 Fleischner Society guidelines, 37% had less aggressive follow-up, and 15% had more aggressive follow-up. Radiologist-Fleischner Adherence was associated with Clinician/Patient-Fleischner Concordance with evidence for effect modification by health care system. CONCLUSION: Clinicians and patients seem to follow radiologists' recommendations but often do not obtain concordant follow-up, likely due to downstream differential processes in each health care system. Health care organizations need to develop comprehensive and rigorous tools to ensure high levels of appropriate follow-up for patients with pulmonary nodules.

Intersection of Palliative Care and Hospice Use Among Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer.

Background: Hospice and palliative care (PC) are important components of lung cancer care and independently provide benefits to patients and their families. Objective: To better understand the relationship between hospice and PC and factors that influence this relationship. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with advanced lung cancer (stage IIIB/IV) within the U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VA) from 2007 to 2013 with follow-up through 2017 (n = 22,907). Mixed logistic regression models with a random effect for site, adjustment for patient variables, and propensity score weighting were used to examine whether the association between PC and hospice use varied by U.S. region and PC team characteristics. Results: Overall, 57% of patients with lung cancer received PC, 69% received hospice, and 16% received neither. Of those who received hospice, 60% were already enrolled in PC. Patients who received PC had higher odds of hospice enrollment than patients who did not receive PC (adjusted odds ratio = 3.25, 95% confidence interval: 2.43-4.36). There were regional differences among patients who received PC; the predicted probability of hospice enrollment was 85% and 73% in the Southeast and Northeast, respectively. PC team and facility characteristics influenced hospice use in addition to PC; teams with the shortest duration of existence, with formal team training, and at lower hospital complexity were more likely to use hospice (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Among patients with advanced lung cancer, PC was associated with hospice enrollment. However, this relationship varied by geographic region, and PC team and facility characteristics. Our findings suggest that regional PC resource availability may contribute to substitution effects between PC and hospice for end-of-life care.

Prevalence and correlates of high-dose opioid use among survivors of head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND: We characterized prescription opioid medication use up to 2 years following the head and neck cancer (HNC) diagnosis and examined associations with moderate or high daily opioid prescription dose. METHODS: Using administrative data from Veterans Health Administration, we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 5522 Veterans treated for cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract between 2012 and 2019. Data included cancer diagnosis and treatments, pain severity, prescription opioid characteristics, demographics, and other clinical factors. RESULTS: Two years post-HNC, 7.8% (n = 428) were receiving moderate or high-dose opioid therapy. Patients with at least moderate pain (18%, n = 996) had 2.48 times higher odds (95% CI = 1.94-3.09, p < 0.001) to be prescribed a moderate opioid dose or higher at 2 years post diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors of HNC with at least moderate pain were at elevated risk of continued use of moderate and high dose opioids.

Use of Veterans Health Administration Structured Data to Identify Patients Eligible for Lung Cancer Screening.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer screening (LCS) uptake is low. Assessing patients' cigarette pack-years and years since quitting is challenging given the lack of documentation in structured electronic health record data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a convenience sample of patients with a chest CT scan in the Veterans Health Administration. We abstracted data on cigarette use from electronic health record notes to determine LCS eligibility based on the 2021 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force age and cigarette use eligibility criteria. We used these data as the "ground truth" of LCS eligibility to compare them with structured data regarding tobacco use and a COPD diagnosis. We calculated sensitivity and specificity as well as fast-and-frugal decision trees. RESULTS: For 50-80-year-old veterans identified as former or current tobacco users, we obtained 94% sensitivity and 47% specificity. For 50-80-year-old veterans identified as current tobacco users, we obtained 59% sensitivity and 79% specificity. Our fast-and-frugal decision tree that included a COPD diagnosis had a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 60%. CONCLUSION: These results can help health care systems make their LCS outreach efforts more efficient and give administrators and researchers a simple method to estimate their number of possibly eligible patients.

The Chain of Adherence for Incidentally Detected Pulmonary Nodules after an Initial Radiologic Imaging Study: A Multisystem Observational Study.

Rationale: Millions of people are diagnosed with incidental pulmonary nodules every year. Although most nodules are benign, it is universally recommended that all patients be assessed to determine appropriate follow-up and ensure that it is obtained. Objectives: To determine the degree of concordance and adherence to 2005 Fleischner Society guidelines among radiologists, clinicians, and patients at two Veterans Affairs healthcare systems with incidental nodule tracking systems. Methods: Trained researchers abstracted data from the electronic health records of patients with incidental pulmonary nodules as identified by interpreting radiologists from 2008 to 2016. We classified radiology reports and patient follow-up into three categories. Radiologist-Fleischner adherence was the agreement between the radiologist's recommendation in the computed tomography (CT) report and the 2005 Fleischner Society guidelines. Clinician/patient-Fleischner concordance was agreement between patient follow-up and the guidelines. Clinician/patient-radiologist adherence was agreement between the radiologist's recommendation and patient follow-up. We evaluated whether the recommendation or follow-up was more (e.g., sooner) or less (e.g., later) aggressive than recommended. Results: After exclusions, 4,586 patients with 7,408 imaging tests (n = 4,586 initial chest CT scans; n = 2,717 follow-up chest CT scans; n = 105 follow-up low-dose CT scans) were included. Among radiology reports that could be classified in terms of Fleischner Society guidelines (n = 3,150), 80% had nonmissing radiologist recommendations. Among those reports, radiologist-Fleischner adherence was 86.6%, with 4.8% more aggressive and 8.6% less aggressive. Among patients whose initial scans could be classified, clinician/patient-Fleischner concordance was 46.0%, 14.5% were more aggressive, and 39.5% were less aggressive. Clinician/patient-radiologist adherence was 54.3%. Veterans whose radiology reports were adherent to Fleischner Society guidelines had a substantially higher proportion of clinician/patient-Fleischner concordance: 52.0% concordance among radiologist-Fleischner adherent versus 11.6% concordance among radiologist-Fleischner nonadherent. Conclusions: In this multi-health system observational study of incidental pulmonary nodule follow-up, we found that radiologist adherence to 2005 Fleischner Society guidelines may be necessary but not sufficient. Our results highlight the many facets of care processes that must occur to achieve guideline-concordant care.

Risk of Suicidal Self-directed Violence Among US Veteran Survivors of Head and Neck Cancer.

Importance: Head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors are about twice as likely to die by suicide compared with other cancer survivors. Objective: To examine the associations between precancer mental health and pain and postcancer receipt of mental health, substance use disorder (SUD), or palliative care services with risk of suicidal self-directed violence (SSDV). Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used the Veterans Health Administration data of 7803 veterans with a diagnosis of HNC (stage I-IVB) who received cancer treatment between January 1, 2012, and January 1, 2018. Data were analyzed between May 2020 and July 2021. Exposures: Presence of precancer chronic pain and SUD diagnoses, and postcancer SUD, mental health, or palliative care treatment. Exposures were defined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision codes in Veterans Health Administration administrative data. Main Outcomes and Measures: Documented SSDV event, including suicide attempt or death by suicide, after HNC diagnosis. Results: Among the cohort of 7803 veterans (7685 [98.4%] male; mean [SD] age, 65 [10.7] years), 72 (0.9%) had at least 1 documented SSDV event following their cancer diagnosis, and 51 (0.7%) died by suicide. Four adjusted modified Poisson regression analyses identified that precancer chronic pain (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 2.58; 95% CI 1.54-4.32) or mood disorder diagnoses (IRR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.17-3.24) were associated with higher risk of postcancer SSDV. Those who had at least 1 documented mental health (IRR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.24-6.03) or SUD (IRR, 3.92; 95% CI, 2.46-6.24) treatment encounter in the 90 days following HNC diagnosis were at higher risk for SSDV. A palliative care encounter within 90 days of postcancer diagnosis was associated with decreased risk of SSVD (IRR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.31-0.78). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, a high proportion of HNC survivors with an SSVD event died from their injuries. Identification of risk factors for SSDV among HNC survivors may help direct additional resources to those who are at high risk. Referral to palliative care appears to be an important component of supportive oncologic care to reduce the risk of SSDV.

Longitudinal Health-related Quality of Life among Individuals Considering Treatment for Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Rationale: Because of improvements in screening, there is an increasing number of patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are making treatment decisions.Objectives: Among patients with suspected stage I NSCLC, we evaluated longitudinal patient-centered outcomes (PCOs) and the association of changes in PCOs with treatment modality, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) compared with surgical resection.Methods: We conducted a multisite, prospective, observational cohort study at seven medical institutions. We evaluated minimum clinically important differences of PCOs at four time points (during treatment, 4-6 wk after treatment, 6 mo after treatment, and 12 mo after treatment) compared with pretreatment values using validated instruments. We used adjusted linear mixed models to examine whether the association between treatment and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer global and physical quality-of-life (QOL) scales differed over time.Results: We included 127 individuals with stage I NSCLC (53 surgery, 74 SBRT). At 12 months, approximately 30% of patients remaining in each group demonstrated a clinical deterioration on global QOL from baseline. There was a significant difference in slopes between treatment groups on global QOL (-12.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], -13.34 to -12.37) and physical QOL (-28.71; 95% CI, -29.13 to -28.29) between baseline and during treatment, with the steeper decline observed among those who underwent surgery. Differences in slopes between treatment groups were not significant at all other time points.Conclusions: Approximately 30% of patients with stage I NSCLC have a clinically significant decrease in QOL 1 year after SBRT or surgical resection. Surgical resection was associated with steeper declines in QOL immediately after treatment compared with SBRT; however, these declines were not lasting and resolved within a year for most patients. Our results may facilitate treatment option discussions for patients receiving treatment for early-stage NSCLC.

Validity of Veterans Health Administration structured data to determine accurate smoking status.

We compared smoking status from Veterans Health Administration (VHA) structured data with text in electronic health record (EHR) to assess validity. We manually abstracted the smoking status of 5,610 VHA patients. Only those with a smoking status found in both EHR text data and VHA structured data were included (n=5,289). We calculated agreement and kappa statistics to compare structured data vs. manually abstracted EHR text smoking status. We found a kappa statistic of 0.70 and total agreement of 81.1% between EHR text data and structured data for Current, Former, and Never smoking categories. Comparing EHR text data and structured data between Never and Ever smokers revealed a kappa statistic of 0.62 and total agreement of 89.1%. For comparison between Current and Never/Former smokers, the kappa statistic was 0.80 and total agreement was 90.2%. We found substantial and significant agreement between smoking status in EHR text data and structured data that may aid in future research.

Cannabis use and bone mineral density: NHANES 2007-2010.

Cannabis use is rising in the USA. Its relationship to cannabinoid signaling in bone cells implies its use could affect bone mineral density (BMD) in the population. In a national survey of people ages 20-59, we found no association between self-reported cannabis use and BMD of the hip or spine. INTRODUCTION: Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in the USA, and its recreational use has recently been approved in several US states. Cannabinoids play a role in bone homeostasis. We aimed to determine the association between cannabis use and BMD in US adults. METHODS: In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010, 4743 participants between 20 and 59 years old, history of cannabis use was categorized into never, former (previous use, but not in last 30 days), light (1-4 days of use in last 30 days), and heavy (≥5 days of use in last 30 days). Multivariable linear regression was used to test the association between cannabis use and DXA BMD of the proximal femur and lumbar spine with adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and race/ethnicity among other BMD determinants. RESULTS: Sixty percent of the population reported ever using cannabis; 47% were former users, 5% were light users, and 7% were heavy users. Heavy cannabis users were more likely to be male, have a lower BMI, increased daily alcohol intake, increased tobacco pack-years, and were more likely to have used other illegal drugs (cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamines). No association between cannabis and BMD was observed for any level of use (p ≥ 0.28). CONCLUSIONS: A history of cannabis use, although highly prevalent and related to other risk factors for low BMD, was not independently associated with BMD in this cross-sectional study of American men and women.

Serum Phosphate Is Associated With Fracture Risk: The Rotterdam Study and MrOS.

Extreme phosphate levels (P) have been associated with mineralization defects and increased fracture risk. Whether P within normal range is related to bone health in the general population is not well understood. To investigate the association of P with bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk, we assessed two population-based cohorts: the Dutch Rotterdam Study (RS-I, RS-II, RS-III; n = 6791) and the US Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS; n = 5425) study. The relationship of P with lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) BMD was tested in all cohorts via linear models; fracture risk was tested in RS-I, RS-II, and MrOS through Cox models, after follow-up of 8.6, 6.6, and 10.9 years, respectively. Adjustments were made for age, body mass index, smoking, serum levels of calcium, potassium, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), FN-BMD, prevalent diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Additional adjustments were made for phosphate intake, parathyroid hormone, and fibroblast growth factor 23 levels in MrOS. We further stratified by eGFR. Results were pooled through study-level meta-analyses. Hazard ratios (HR) and betas (ß) (from meta-analyses) are expressed per 1 mg/dL P increase. P was positively associated with fracture risk in men and women from RS, and findings were replicated in MrOS (pooled HR all [95% CI]: 1.47 [1.31-1.65]). P was associated with fracture risk in subjects without chronic kidney disease (CKD): all (1.44 [1.26-1.63]) and in men with CKD (1.93 [1.42-2.62]). P was inversely related to LS-BMD in men (ß: -0.06 [-0.11 to -0.02]) and not to FN-BMD in either sex. In summary, serum P was positively related to fracture risk independently from BMD and phosphate intake after adjustments for potential confounders. P and LS-BMD were negatively related in men. Our findings suggest that increased P levels even within normal range might be deleterious for bone health in the normal population. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.