Nationally Automated Colonoscopy Performance Feedback Increases Polyp Detection: The NED APRIQOT Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Postcolonoscopy colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates are higher for endoscopists with low polyp detection rates. Using the UK's National Endoscopy Database (NED), which automatically captures real-time data, we assessed if providing feedback of case-mix-adjusted mean number of polyps (aMNP), as a key performance indicator, improved endoscopists' performance. Feedback was delivered via a theory-informed, evidence-based audit and feedback intervention. METHODS: This multicenter, prospective, NED Automated Performance Reports to Improve Quality Outcomes Trial randomized National Health Service endoscopy centers to intervention or control. Intervention-arm endoscopists were e-mailed tailored monthly reports automatically generated within NED, informed by qualitative interviews and behavior change theory. The primary outcome was endoscopists' aMNP during the 9-month intervention. RESULTS: From November 2020 to July 2021, 541 endoscopists across 36 centers (19 intervention; 17 control) performed 54,770 procedures during the intervention, and 15,960 procedures during the 3-month postintervention period. Comparing the intervention arm with the control arm, endoscopists during the intervention period: aMNP was nonsignificantly higher (7%; 95% CI, -1% to 14%; P = .08). The unadjusted MNP (10%; 95% CI, 1%-20%) and polyp detection rate (10%; 95% CI, 4%-16%) were significantly higher. Differences were not maintained in the postintervention period. In the intervention arm, endoscopists accessing NED Automated Performance Reports to Improve Quality Outcomes Trial webpages had a higher aMNP than those who did not (aMNP, 118 vs 102; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Although our automated feedback intervention did not increase aMNP significantly in the intervention period, MNP and polyp detection rate did improve significantly. Engaged endoscopists benefited most and improvements were not maintained postintervention; future work should address engagement in feedback and consider the effectiveness of continuous feedback. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY:  www.isrctn.org ISRCTN11126923 .

Minithoracotomy vs Conventional Sternotomy for Mitral Valve Repair: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The safety and effectiveness of mitral valve repair via thoracoscopically-guided minithoracotomy (minithoracotomy) compared with median sternotomy (sternotomy) in patients with degenerative mitral valve regurgitation is uncertain. Objective: To compare the safety and effectiveness of minithoracotomy vs sternotomy mitral valve repair in a randomized trial. Design, Setting, and Participants: A pragmatic, multicenter, superiority, randomized clinical trial in 10 tertiary care institutions in the UK. Participants were adults with degenerative mitral regurgitation undergoing mitral valve repair surgery. Interventions: Participants were randomized 1:1 with concealed allocation to receive either minithoracotomy or sternotomy mitral valve repair performed by an expert surgeon. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was physical functioning and associated return to usual activities measured by change from baseline in the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) version 2 physical functioning scale 12 weeks after the index surgery, assessed by an independent researcher masked to the intervention. Secondary outcomes included recurrent mitral regurgitation grade, physical activity, and quality of life. The prespecified safety outcomes included death, repeat mitral valve surgery, or heart failure hospitalization up to 1 year. Results: Between November 2016 and January 2021, 330 participants were randomized (mean age, 67 years, 100 female [30%]); 166 were allocated to minithoracotomy and 164 allocated to sternotomy, of whom 309 underwent surgery and 294 reported the primary outcome. At 12 weeks, the mean between-group difference in the change in the SF-36 physical function T score was 0.68 (95% CI, -1.89 to 3.26). Valve repair rates (≈ 96%) were similar in both groups. Echocardiography demonstrated mitral regurgitation severity as none or mild for 92% of participants at 1 year with no difference between groups. The composite safety outcome occurred in 5.4% (9 of 166) of patients undergoing minithoracotomy and 6.1% (10 of 163) undergoing sternotomy at 1 year. Conclusions and relevance: Minithoracotomy is not superior to sternotomy in recovery of physical function at 12 weeks. Minithoracotomy achieves high rates and quality of valve repair and has similar safety outcomes at 1 year to sternotomy. The results provide evidence to inform shared decision-making and treatment guidelines. Trial Registration: isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN13930454.

Prehabilitation in elective patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a randomised control trial (THE PrEPS TRIAL) - a study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Prehabilitation prior to surgery has been shown to reduce postoperative complications, reduce length of hospital stay and improve quality of life after cancer and limb reconstruction surgery. However, there are minimal data on the impact of prehabilitation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, despite the fact these patients are generally older and have more comorbidities and frailty. This trial will assess the feasibility and impact of a prehabilitation intervention consisting of exercise and inspiratory muscle training on preoperative functional exercise capacity in adult patients awaiting elective cardiac surgery, and determine any impact on clinical outcomes after surgery. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: PrEPS is a randomised controlled single-centre trial recruiting 180 participants undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to standard presurgical care or standard care plus a prehabilitation intervention. The primary outcome will be change in functional exercise capacity measured as change in the 6 min walk test distance from baseline. Secondary outcomes will evaluate the impact of prehabilitation on preoperative and postoperative outcomes including; respiratory function, health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression, frailty, and postoperative complications and resource use. This trial will evaluate if a prehabilitation intervention can improve preoperative physical function, inspiratory muscle function, frailty and quality of life prior to surgery in elective patients awaiting cardiac surgery, and impact postoperative outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: A favourable opinion was given by the Sheffield Research Ethics Committee in 2019. Trial findings will be disseminated to patients, clinicians, commissioning groups and through peer-reviewed publication. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN13860094.

Impact of prehabilitation on objectively measured physical activity levels in elective surgery patients: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the impact of prehabilitation on objectively measured physical activity (PA) levels in elective surgery patients. DATA SOURCES: Articles published in Web of Science Core Collections, PubMed, Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOHost), PsycInfo (EBSCOHost) and CENTRAL through August 2020. STUDY SELECTION: Studies that met the following criteria: (1) written in English, (2) quantitatively described the effect(s) of a PA intervention among elective surgery patients prior to surgery and (3) used and reported objective measures of PA in the study. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Participant characteristics, intervention details, PA measurement, and clinical and health-related outcomes were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed following the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool. Meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity, therefore narrative synthesis was used. RESULTS: 6533 unique articles were identified in the search; 21 articles (based on 15 trials) were included in the review. There was little evidence to suggest that prehabilitation is associated with increases in objectively measured PA, but this may be due to insufficient statistical power as most (n=8) trials included in the review were small feasibility/pilot studies. Where studies tested associations between objectively measured PA during the intervention period and health-related outcomes, significant beneficial associations were reported. Limitations in the evidence base precluded any assessment via meta-regression of the association between objectively measured PA and clinical or health-related outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Additional large-scale studies are needed, with clear and consistent reporting of objective measures including accelerometry variables and outcome variables, to improve our understanding of the impact of changes in PA prior to surgery on surgical and health-related outcomes. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019151475.

Effectiveness of diet and physical activity interventions among Chinese-origin populations living in high income countries: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: This review examines the effectiveness of diet and physical activity interventions to reduce cardiometabolic risk among Chinese immigrants and their descendants living in high income countries. The objective of this review is to provide information to help build future interventions aimed at improving diet and increasing physical activity levels among Chinese immigrants. METHODS: Outcomes included BMI, weight, waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), cholesterol (LDL, HDL), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and HOMA-IR. Six databases were systematically searched from database inception to date of search (February 2020). Meta-analyses used random effect models to estimate pooled effects of outcomes with 95% confidence intervals. The outcomes assessed were changes in mean outcomes (post-intervention versus baseline) among the intervention group versus control groups. RESULTS: Twenty-one articles were included for synthesis, and eight of these were included in the meta-analysis. Among children/adolescents, there were no significant effects of intervention for any of the outcomes having sufficient data for meta-analysis (BMI, WHR, SBP, and DBP). Among adults, the pooled effect including three studies showed significant changes in BMI (effect size = - 1.14 kg/m2; (95% CI: - 2.06, - 0.21), I2 = 31%). There were also significant effects of intervention among adults in terms of changes in SBP and DBP, as the pooled effect across three studies was - 6.08 mmHg (95% CI - 9.42, - 2.73), I2 = 0% and - 3.81 mmHg (95% CI: - 6.34, - 1.28), I2 = 0%, respectively. Among adults there were no other significant effects among the meta-analyses conducted (weight, WC, LDL, HgbA1c, and FBG). CONCLUSIONS: This review is the first to summarize the effectiveness of diet and physical activity interventions specifically designed for Chinese immigrants living in high income countries. There were clinically meaningful changes in BMI and blood pressure among adults, but evidence was weak for other cardiometabolic outcomes (weight, WC, LDL, HgbA1c, and FBG), and among children, there was no evidence of effect for any cardiometabolic outcomes. Given our mixed findings, more work is needed to support the design of successful interventions, particularly those targeting children and their families. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The systematic review protocol was registered in PROSPERO on December 17, 2018, the international prospective register of systematic reviews (registration number: CRD42018117842 ).