Understanding Perceptions of Care Coordination and Chronic Illness Management among Black Breast and Prostate Cancer Survivors and Providers: Findings from a Quality Improvement Study.

Navigating cancer care is complex and is exacerbated by pre-existing comorbidities managed by multiple providers. In this quality improvement study, we evaluated changes in perceived care coordination, navigation, and chronic illness care with community health worker (CHW) and mHealth support among Black breast cancer and prostate cancer patients with hypertension and/or diabetes. We collected patient and provider surveys on chronic illness care coordination at baseline and six months and found improvements in multiple domains. These findings support engaging CHWs to improve care coordination among cancer patients with comorbidities and demonstrate a use case of importance with emerging navigation reimbursement policies.

Adults with a history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production.

Stereotypical depictions of speech in cannabis users often suggest slow, laboured output, yet objective evidence supporting this assumption is extremely limited. We know that depressants or hallucinogenic drugs such as cannabis can cause acute changes in communication and speech rate, but the long-lasting effects of cannabis use on speech are not well described. The aim of this study was to investigate speech in individuals with a history of recreational cannabis use compared to non-drug-using healthy controls. Speech samples were collected from a carefully described cohort of 31 adults with a history of cannabis use (but not use of illicit stimulant drugs) and 40 non-drug-using controls. Subjects completed simple and complex speech tasks including a monologue, a sustained vowel, saying the days of the week, and reading a phonetically balanced passage. Audio samples were analysed objectively using acoustic analysis for measures of timing, vocal control, and quality. Subtle differences in speech timing, vocal effort, and voice quality may exist between cannabis and control groups, however data remain equivocal. After controlling for lifetime alcohol and tobacco use and applying a false discovery rate, only spectral tilt (vocal effort and intensity) differed between groups and appeared to change in line with duration of abstinence from cannabis use. Differences between groups may reflect longer term changes to the underlying neural control of speech. Our digital analysis of speech shows there may be a signal differentiating individuals with a history of recreational cannabis use from healthy controls, in line with similar findings from gait and hand function studies.

Diabetes to Go-Inpatient: Pragmatic Lessons Learned from Implementation of Technology-Enabled Diabetes Survival Skills Education Within Nursing Unit Workflow in an Urban, Tertiary Care Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes survival skills education (DSSE) focuses on core knowledge and skills necessary for safe, effective, short-term diabetes self-care. Inpatient DSSE delivery approaches are needed. Diabetes to Go (D2Go) is an evidence-based DSSE program originally designed for outpatients. METHODS: Implementation science principles were used to redesign D2Go for delivery by staff on medicine and surgery units in a tertiary care hospital to adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) using a tablet-based e-learning platform. Implementation efficacy was evaluated from staff and patient engagement perspectives. The Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) guided redesign. The team conducted qualitative evaluation (implementation barriers and facilitators); program redesign (via stakeholder feedback and education and human factors principles); implementation design for tablet delivery and patient engagement by unit staff; and a prospective implementation feasibility study. RESULTS: Among 596 T2DM patients identified on three medical/surgical units, 415 (69.6%) were program eligible. Of those eligible, 59 (14.2%) received, accessed, and engaged with the platform; and among those, 43 (72.9%) completed the intervention, representing just 10.4% of those eligible. Multilevel implementation barriers were encountered: staff (receptivity, time, production pressures, culture); process (electronic health record [EHR] integration, patient identification, data tracking, bedside delivery); and patient (receptivity, acuity, availability, accessibility). Most completers required technology support. CONCLUSION: Time constraints, limited EHR integration, and patient barriers markedly impeded implementation of the delivery of diabetes education at the bedside, despite stated staff interest. As a result, uptake and adoption of a tablet-based DSSE e-learning program in a high-acuity care setting was limited.

Temporal dynamics of circadian phase shifting response to consecutive night shifts in healthcare workers: role of light-dark exposure.

KEY POINTS: Shift work is highly prevalent and is associated with significant adverse health impacts. There is substantial inter-individual variability in the way the circadian clock responds to changing shift cycles. The mechanisms underlying this variability are not well understood. We tested the hypothesis that light-dark exposure is a significant contributor to this variability; when combined with diurnal preference, the relative timing of light exposure accounted for 71% of individual variability in circadian phase response to night shift work. These results will drive development of personalised approaches to manage circadian disruption among shift workers and other vulnerable populations to potentially reduce the increased risk of disease in these populations. ABSTRACT: Night shift workers show highly variable rates of circadian adaptation. This study examined the relationship between light exposure patterns and the magnitude of circadian phase resetting in response to night shift work. In 21 participants (nursing and medical staff in an intensive care unit) circadian phase was measured using 6-sulphatoxymelatonin at baseline (day/evening shifts or days off) and after 3-4 consecutive night shifts. Daily light exposure was examined relative to individual circadian phase to quantify light intensity in the phase delay and phase advance portions of the light phase response curve (PRC). There was substantial inter-individual variability in the direction and magnitude of phase shift after three or four consecutive night shifts (mean phase delay -1:08 ± 1:31 h; range -3:43 h delay to +3:07 h phase advance). The relative difference in the distribution of light relative to the PRC combined with diurnal preference accounted for 71% of the variability in phase shift. Regression analysis incorporating these factors estimated phase shift to within ±60 min in 85% of participants. No participants met criteria for partial adaptation to night work after three or four consecutive night shifts. Our findings provide evidence that the phase resetting that does occur is based on individual light exposure patterns relative to an individual's baseline circadian phase. Thus, a 'one size fits all' approach to promoting adaptation to shift work using light therapy, implemented without knowledge of circadian phase, may not be efficacious for all individuals.

Randomised controlled trial of the efficacy of a blue-enriched light intervention to improve alertness and performance in night shift workers.

OBJECTIVES: Night workers often experience high levels of sleepiness due to misalignment of the sleep-wake cycle from the circadian pacemaker, in addition to acute and chronic sleep loss. Exposure to light, in particular short wavelength light, can improve alertness and neurobehavioural performance. This randomised controlled trial examined the efficacy of blue-enriched polychromatic light to improve alertness and neurobehavioural performance in night workers. DESIGN: Participants were 71 night shift workers (42 males; 32.8±10.5 years) who worked at least 6 hours between 22:00 and 08:00 hours. Sleep-wake logs and wrist actigraphy were collected for 1-3 weeks, followed by 48-hour urine collection to measure the circadian 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) rhythm. On the night following at least two consecutive night shifts, workers attended a simulated night shift in the laboratory which included subjective and objective assessments of sleepiness and performance. Workers were randomly assigned for exposure to one of two treatment conditions from 23:00 hours to 07:00 hours: blue-enriched white light (17 000 K, 89 lux; n=36) or standard white light (4000 K, 84 lux; n=35). RESULTS: Subjective and objective sleepiness increased during the night shift in both light conditions (p<0.05, ηp2=0.06-0.31), but no significant effects of light condition were observed. The 17 000 K light, however, did improve subjective sleepiness relative to the 4000 K condition when light exposure coincided with the time of the aMT6s peak (p<0.05, d=0.41-0.60). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that, while blue-enriched light has potential to improve subjective sleepiness in night shift workers, further research is needed in the selection of light properties to maximise the benefits. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12610000097044 (https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=320845&isReview=true).

Sex differences in presentation and outcome among patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease treated with contemporary medical therapy with or without prompt revascularization: a report from the BARI 2D Trial (Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes).

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated differences in outcome among women and men enrolled in the BARI 2D (Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes) trial. BACKGROUND: Women and men with coronary artery disease have different clinical presentations and outcomes that might be due to differences in management. METHODS: We compared baseline variables, study interventions, and outcomes between women and men enrolled in the BARI 2D trial and randomized to aggressive medical therapy alone or aggressive medical therapy with prompt revascularization. RESULTS: At enrollment, women were more likely than men to have angina (67% vs. 58%, p < 0.01) despite less disease on angiography (Myocardial Jeopardy Index 41 ± 24 vs. 46 ± 24, p < 0.01; number of significant lesions 2.3 ± 1.7 vs. 2.8 ± 1.8, p < 0.01). Over 5 years, no sex differences were observed in BARI 2D study outcomes after adjustment for difference in baseline variables (death/myocardial infarction/cerebrovascular accident: hazard ratio: 1.11, 99% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85 to 1.44). However, women reported more angina than men (adjusted odds ratio: 1.51, 99% CI: 1.21 to 1.89, p < 0.0001) and had lower scores for the Duke Activity Status Index (adjusted beta coefficient: -1.58, 99% CI: -2.84 to -0.32, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: There were no sex differences in death, myocardial infarction, or cerebrovascular accident among patients enrolled in the BARI 2D trial. However, compared with men, women had more symptoms and less anatomic disease at baseline, with persistence of higher angina rates and lower DASI scores after 5 years of medical therapy with or without prompt revascularization. (Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation in Type 2 Diabetes [BARI 2D]; NCT00006305).

Sex, clinical symptoms, and angiographic findings in patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease (from the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation [BARI] 2 Diabetes trial).

Previous studies have reported differences in presenting symptoms and angiographic characteristics between women and men undergoing evaluation for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). We examined the relation between symptoms and extent of CAD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and known CAD enrolled in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial. Of 1,775 patients (533 women, 30%, and 1,242 men, 70%), women were more likely than men to have angina (65% vs 56%, p <0.001) or an atypical angina/anginal equivalent (71% vs 58%, p <0.001). More women reported unstable angina (17% vs 13%, p = 0.047) or were in a higher Canadian Cardiology Society class compared to men (Canadian Cardiology Society classes II to IV 78% vs 68%, p = 0.002). Fewer women than men had no symptoms (14% vs 22%, p <0.001). Women had a lower mean myocardial jeopardy index (42.5 ± 24.3 vs 47.9 ± 24.3, p <0.001), smaller number of total significant lesions (2.3 ± 1.7 vs 2.7 ± 1.8, p <0.001), and fewer jeopardized left ventricular regions (p <0.001 for distribution) or long-term occlusions (29% vs 42%, p <0.001). After adjustment for relevant covariates, the odds of having CAD symptoms were still higher in women than men (odds ratio for angina 1.31, 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.69; odds ratio for atypical angina 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.17 to 1.96). In conclusion, in a high-risk group of patients with known CAD and diabetes mellitus, women were more symptomatic than men but had less obstructive CAD. These data suggest that factors other than epicardial CAD severity influence symptom presentation in women in this population.

Conversion from intravenous insulin to subcutaneous insulin after cardiovascular surgery: transition to target study.

BACKGROUND: No study of transition from intravenous to subcutaneous insulin after cardiac surgery with dose based on percentage of intravenous total daily insulin (TDI) has reported a clearly superior regimen for achieving target blood glucose. We compared three first-dose transition strategies for insulin glargine: two based on TDI alone and one that also took body weight into account. METHODS: Mostly obese, type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients (n = 223) undergoing cardiac surgery were randomized to receive insulin glargine subcutaneously at 60% or 80% of TDI or in a dose based on TDI and body weight. RESULTS: Transition to subcutaneous insulin occurred 27.4 ± 6.6 h after surgery. Over the study period, mean proportion of blood glucose values within target range (80-140 mg/dL) were 0.34 ± 0.24, 0.35 ± 0.24, and 0.36 ± 0.22 in the 60% TDI, 80% TDI, and weight-based groups, respectively. This difference was not significant. Significantly more insulin corrections were needed in the 60% TDI group than in the weight-based group. There was only one incidence of hypoglycemia (blood glucose < 40 mg/dL). CONCLUSIONS: No subcutaneous insulin regimen implemented approximately 1 day after cardiac surgery showed significantly better control of blood glucose over the 3-day study period. Further studies are needed to determine optimal formulae for effecting an early transition to subcutaneous insulin after cardiac surgery or whether it is preferable and/or necessary to continue intravenous insulin therapy for an additional period of time.

Lack of awareness of erectile dysfunction in many men with risk factors for erectile dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Men with erectile dysfunction often have concurrent medical conditions. Conversely, men with these conditions may also have underlying erectile dysfunction. The prevalence of unrecognized erectile dysfunction in men with comorbidities commonly associated with erectile dysfunction was determined in men invited to participate in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of sildenafil citrate. METHODS: Men ≥30 years old presenting with ≥1 erectile dysfunction risk factor (controlled hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, metabolic syndrome, stable coronary artery disease, diabetes, depression, lower urinary tract symptoms, obesity [body mass index ≥30 kg/m2] or waist circumference ≥40 inches), and not previously diagnosed with erectile dysfunction were evaluated. The screening question, "Do you have erectile dysfunction?," with responses of "no," "yes," and "unsure," and the Erectile Function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-EF) were administered. RESULTS: Of 1084 men screened, 1053 answered the screening question and also had IIEF-EF scores. IIEF-EF scores indicating erectile dysfunction occurred in 71% (744/1053), of whom 54% (399/744) had moderate or severe erectile dysfunction. Of 139 answering "yes," 526 answering "unsure," and 388 answering "no," 96%, 90%, and 36%, respectively, had some degree of erectile dysfunction. The mean±SD (range) number of risk factors was 2.9 ± 1.7 (3-8) in the "yes" group, 3.2 ± 1.7 (3-9) in the "unsure" group, and 2.6 ± 1.5 (2-8) in the "no" group. CONCLUSION: Although awareness of having erectile dysfunction was low, most men with risk factors had IIEF-EF scores indicating erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction should be suspected and assessed in men with risk factors, regardless of their apparent level of awareness of erectile dysfunction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00343200.

A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy of sildenafil citrate in men with unrecognized erectile dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: Erectile dysfunction (ED) may be present but unrecognized in men with other comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, or lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The efficacy of sildenafil citrate treatment for ED in men who did not self-identify with or were unsure about whether they had ED, but had ED based on International Index of Erectile Function Erectile Function domain (IIEF-EF) scores, was evaluated. METHODS: Men with an ED-associated comorbidity were asked, "Do you have ED?" Those who answered "no" or "unsure" and were diagnosed with ED (score of or=30 kg/m(2)), and waist circumference >or=40 inches were the most frequently reported risk factors. Sildenafil-treated men had improved scores on both functional and psychosocial measures. Most adverse events were mild to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: Many men do not recognize that they have ED; sildenafil treatment improved sexual function and satisfaction in these men. Because ED affects quality of life, it should be suspected and assessed in men with risk factors for ED.

Racial differences in the association between self-rated health status and objective clinical measures among participants in the BARI 2D trial.

OBJECTIVES: We explored whether and how race shapes perceived health status in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease. METHODS: We analyzed self-rated health (fair or poor versus good, very good, or excellent) and associated clinical risk factors among 866 White and 333 Black participants in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes trial. RESULTS: Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument scores, regular exercise, and employment were associated with higher self-rated health (P < .05). Blacks were more likely than were Whites to rate their health as fair or poor (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.38, 2.57; P < .001). Among Whites but not Blacks, a clinical history of myocardial infarction (OR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.12, 2.31; P < .001) and insulin use (OR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.10, 2.38; P = .01) was associated with a fair or poor rating. A post-high school education was related to poorer self-rated health among Blacks (OR = 1.86; 95% CI = 1.07, 3.24; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic clinical factors played a proportionally larger role in self-assessment of health among Whites with diabetes and coronary artery disease than among Blacks with the same conditions.

Rationale, design, and methods for glycemic control in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) Trial.

A major therapeutic question in considering accelerated atherogenesis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is whether reducing insulin resistance, as a proximal defect of a host of proatherogenic abnormalities including hyperglycemia, will be superior for decreasing mortality and coronary artery disease (CAD) risk compared with treating hyperglycemia to overcome insulin resistance with insulin-providing agents. This question is highly relevant, since earlier targeted glycemic control trials utilizing conventional glucose-lowering strategies that increase insulin levels have generally failed to reduce CAD risk despite markedly reducing microvascular risk. The Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial seeks to determine whether primarily using an insulin-sensitizing strategy for treatment of type 2 diabetes is superior when compared with primarily using an insulin-providing strategy with regard to cardiovascular outcomes. This article presents the rationale, design, and methods being used to test the glycemic control hypothesis in BARI 2D.

Management of Diabetes with Coronary Artery Disease.

Persons with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes consistently have worse clinical outcomes than those without diabetes. Treatment of diabetes with CVD must target blood pressure, cholesterol, and glycemic targets. Control of blood pressure to pound 130/80 mm Hg and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to less than 100 mg/dL is key to preventing and managing CVD with diabetes. Optimal glucose control should be a goal in treating diabetes and CVD, in both hospital and outpatient settings. This article focuses on the oral antihyperglycemic agents and insulins available for diabetes pharmacotherapy. Effective glucose management using these agents when interventional procedures and cardiac surgery are to be performed is possible. Practical strategies include combination therapies and use of insulins subcutaneously or by intravenous infusion. Emerging therapies may impact outcomes for diabetes with CVD, including use of insulin sensitizers, drug-eluting stents, and brachytherapy. Attention is currently focused on the insulin sensitizers (metformin and thiazolidinediones), as they appear to impact processes related to the insulin resistance syndrome and the vascular pathophysiologic changes of atherosclerosis. It remains to be seen whether or not the insulin-sensitizing agents will confer a definitive advantage in treating the patient with diabetes for the prevention of or intervention for CVD.