Association Between Mental Health Staffing Level and Primary Care-Mental Health Integration Level on Provision of Depression Care in Veteran's Affairs Medical Facilities.

We examined the association of mental health staffing and the utilization of primary care/mental health integration (PCMHI) with facility-level variations in adequacy of psychotherapy and antidepressants received by Veterans with new, recurrent, and chronic depression. Greater likelihood of adequate psychotherapy was associated with increased (1) PCMHI utilization by recurrent depression patients (AOR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00, 1.03); and (2) staffing for recurrent (AOR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01, 1.06) and chronic (AOR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00, 1.03) depression patients (p < 0.05). No effects were found for antidepressants. Mental health staffing and PCMHI utilization explained only a small amount of the variance in the adequacy of depression care.

A multifaceted hospitalist quality improvement intervention: Decreased frequency of common labs.

PURPOSE: Common labs such as a daily complete blood count or a daily basic metabolic panel represent possible waste and have been targeted by professional societies and the Choosing Wisely campaign for critical evaluation. We undertook a multifaceted quality-improvement (QI) intervention in a large community hospitalist group to decrease unnecessary common labs. METHODS: The QI intervention was composed of academic detailing, audit and feedback, and transparent reporting of the frequency with which common labs were ordered as daily within the hospitalist group. We performed a pre-post analysis, comparing a cohort of patients during the 10-month baseline period before the QI intervention and the 7-month intervention period. Demographic and clinical data were collected from the electronic medical record. The primary endpoint was number of common labs ordered per patient-day as estimated by a clustered multivariable linear regression model clustering by ordering hospitalist. Secondary endpoints included length of stay, hospital mortality, 30-day readmission, blood transfusion, amount of blood transfused, and laboratory cost per patient. RESULTS: The baseline (n = 7824) and intervention (n = 5759) cohorts were similar in their demographics, though the distribution of primary discharge diagnosis-related groups differed. At baseline, a mean of 2.06 (standard deviation 1.40) common labs were ordered per patient-day. Adjusting for age, sex, and principle discharge diagnosis, the number of common labs ordered per patient-day decreased by 0.22 (10.7%) during the intervention period compared to baseline (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34 to 0.11; P < 0.01). There were nonsignificant reductions in hospital mortality in the intervention period compared to baseline (2.2% vs 1.8%, P = 0.1) as well as volume of blood transfused in patients who received a transfusion (127.2 mL decrease; 95% CI, -257.9 to 3.6; P = 0.06). No effect was seen on length of stay or readmission rate. The intervention decreased hospital direct costs by an estimated $16.19 per admission or $151,682 annualized (95% CI, $119,746 to $187,618). CONCLUSION: Implementation of a multifaceted QI intervention within a community-based hospitalist group was associated with a significant, but modest, decrease in the number of ordered lab tests and hospital costs. No effect was seen on hospital length of stay, mortality, or readmission rate. This intervention suggests that a community-based hospitalist QI intervention focused on daily labs can be effective in safely reducing healthcare waste without compromising quality of care.

Prevalence and correlates of suicide ideation in patients with COPD: a mixed methods study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation (SI) in patients with stable moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted an exploratory mixed methods analysis of data from participants in a longitudinal observational study of depression in COPD. We measured depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which includes an item on SI. We compared participants with and without SI in relation to sociodemographics, symptoms, anxiety, and healthcare resource use with independent t-tests and chi-square tests. Content analysis was performed on qualitative data gathered during a structured SI safety assessment. RESULTS: Of 202 participants, 121 (60%) had depressive symptoms (PHQ ≥6); 51 (25%) had a PHQ-9 ≥10, indicating a high likelihood of current major depression; and 22 (11%) reported SI. Compared to the 99 depressed participants without SI, those with SI were more likely to be female (59% vs 27%, P=0.004); had worse dyspnea (P=0.009), depression (P<0.001), and anxiety (P=0.003); and were also more likely to have received treatment for depression and/or anxiety (82% vs 40%, P<0.001) and more hospitalizations for COPD exacerbations (P=0.03) but had similar levels of airflow obstruction and functioning than participants without SI. Themes from the qualitative analysis among those with SI included current or prior adverse life situations, untreated or partially treated complex depression, loss of a key relationship, experience of illness and disability, and poor communication with providers. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that current SI is common in COPD, may occur disproportionately in women, can persist despite mental health treatment, and has complex relationships with both health and life events. Adequate management of SI in COPD may therefore require tailored, comprehensive treatment approaches that integrate medical and mental health objectives.

Dyspnea and pain frequently co-occur among Medicare managed care recipients.

RATIONALE: Experimental and neuroimaging studies have suggested strong associations between dyspnea and pain. The co-occurrence of these symptoms has not been examined in community samples. OBJECTIVES: We sought to ascertain the co-occurrence of pain and dyspnea by self-report in a large cohort of Medicare recipients. METHODS: We analyzed data from 266,000 Medicare Managed Care recipients surveyed in 2010 and 2012. Dyspnea was defined by aggregating three questions about shortness of breath (at rest, while walking one block, and while climbing stairs). Pain was measured by four questions about pain interference, chest pain, back pain, and arthritis pain. All measures were dichotomized as high or low/none. We calculated the co-occurrence of pain and dyspnea at baseline, and generated logistic regression models to find the adjusted relative risk (RR) of their co-occurrence, adjusting for patient-level factors and three potential medical causes of dyspnea (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/emphysema/asthma, congestive heart failure, and obesity). We modeled the simultaneous development and the simultaneous resolution of dyspnea and pain between baseline and 2 years. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Participants with dyspnea had considerably higher prevalence of pain than those without (64 vs. 18%). In fully adjusted models, participants with any of the types of pain were substantially more likely to report dyspnea than those without these types of pain (high pain interference: relative risk [RR], 1.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.92-2.07; chest pain: RR, 2.11; 95% CI, 2.04-2.18; back pain: RR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.71-1.82; and arthritis pain: RR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.44-1.54). The relative risks of dyspnea developing or resolving at 2 years were greatly increased (RRs of 1.5 - 4) if pain also developed or resolved. CONCLUSIONS: Pain and dyspnea commonly occurred, developed, and resolved together. Most older adults with dyspnea also reported pain. Medical conditions typically assumed to cause dyspnea did not account for this association. The most plausible explanation for the co-occurrence is physical deconditioning.

An official American Thoracic Society/American College of Chest Physicians policy statement: the Choosing Wisely top five list in adult pulmonary medicine.

The American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation's Choosing Wisely campaign aims to curb health-care costs and improve patient care by soliciting lists from medical societies of the top five tests or treatments in their specialty that are used too frequently and inappropriately. The American Thoracic Society (ATS) and American College of Chest Physicians created a joint task force, which produced a top five list for adult pulmonary medicine. Our top five recommendations, which were approved by the executive committees of the ATS and American College of Chest Physicians and published by Choosing Wisely in October 2013, are as follows: (1) Do not perform CT scan surveillance for evaluation of indeterminate pulmonary nodules at more frequent intervals or for a longer period of time than recommended by established guidelines; (2) do not routinely offer pharmacologic treatment with advanced vasoactive agents approved only for the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension to patients with pulmonary hypertension resulting from left heart disease or hypoxemic lung diseases (groups II or III pulmonary hypertension); (3) for patients recently discharged on supplemental home oxygen following hospitalization for an acute illness, do not renew the prescription without assessing the patient for ongoing hypoxemia; (4) do not perform chest CT angiography to evaluate for possible pulmonary embolism in patients with a low clinical probability and negative results of a highly sensitive D-dimer assay; (5) do not perform CT scan screening for lung cancer among patients at low risk for lung cancer. We hope pulmonologists will use these recommendations to stimulate frank discussions with patients about when these tests and treatments are indicated--and when they are not.

Navigational bronchoscopy with biopsy versus computed tomography-guided biopsy for the diagnosis of a solitary pulmonary nodule: a cost-consequences analysis.

BACKGROUND: Solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) are frequent and can be malignant. Both computed tomography-guided biopsy and electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB) with biopsy can be used to diagnose a SPN. A nondiagnostic computed tomography (CT)-guided or ENB biopsy is often followed by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) biopsy. The relative costs and consequences of these strategies are not known. METHODS: A decision tree was created with values from the literature to evaluate the clinical consequences and societal costs of a CT-guided biopsy strategy versus an ENB biopsy strategy for the diagnosis of a SPN. The serial use of ENB after nondiagnostic CT-guided biopsy and CT-guided biopsy after nondiagnostic ENB biopsy were tested as alternate strategies. RESULTS: In a hypothetical cohort of 100 patients, use of the ENB biopsy strategy on average results in 13.4 fewer pneumothoraces, 5.9 fewer chest tubes, 0.9 fewer significant hemorrhage episodes, and 0.6 fewer respiratory failure episodes compared with a CT-guided biopsy strategy. ENB biopsy increases average costs by $3719 per case and increases VATS rates by an absolute 20%. The sequential diagnostic strategy that combines CT-guided biopsy after nondiagnostic ENB biopsy and vice versa decreases the rate of VATS procedures to 3%. A sequential approach starting with ENB decreases average per case cost relative to CT-guided biopsy followed by VATS, if needed, by $507; and a sequential approach starting with CT-guided biopsy decreases the cost relative to CT-guided biopsy followed by VATS, if needed, by $979. CONCLUSIONS: An ENB with biopsy strategy is associated with decreased pneumothorax rate but increased costs and increased use of VATS. Combining CT-guided biopsy and ENB with biopsy serially can decrease costs and complications.

Regional variation in health status among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about geographic differences in health status among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine regional variations in self-reported health status of COPD patients at 7 Veterans Affairs clinics. METHODS: The Ambulatory Care Quality Improvement Project was a multicenter, randomized trial conducted from 1997 to 2000 that evaluated a quality improvement intervention in the primary care setting. Four thousand and nine participants with COPD (age ≥45 years) completed the Seattle Obstructive Lung Disease Questionnaire (SOLDQ) and 2,991 also completed the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form (SF-36). The unadjusted maximal difference in health status scores is reported as the ratio of the highest and lowest site prevalence. We report the maximal site difference in mean health status scores after adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, utilization, medication use and clinic factors. RESULTS: Subjects were predominantly older (66.5 ± 9.2 years) Caucasian (83.2%) men (97.9%). After adjustment, the maximal site difference for each health status score was significant (p < 0.01) but larger for the SOLDQ (physical 11.2, emotional 9.7, coping skills 7.6) than for the SF-36 (physical component summary 4.7, mental component summary 2.6). Most of the health status variation was explained by individual or clinic level factors, not clinic site. CONCLUSIONS: Our models explained <30% of variation in health status measures; therefore, future studies should consider additional predictors of health status such as physical performance, social determinants of health, COPD treatment and environmental factors. Despite its limitations, this study suggests a need to consider regional differences in health status when comparing COPD health outcomes in diverse geographic areas.

Costs of pulmonary rehabilitation and predictors of adherence in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial.

This study reports the costs associated with rehabilitation among participants in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT), and evaluates factors associated with adherence to rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is recommended for moderate-to-severe COPD and required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) prior to lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS). Between January 1998 and July 2002, 1,218 subjects with emphysema and severe airflow limitation (FEV(1) < or = 45% predicted) were randomized. Primary outcome measures were designated as mortality and maximal exercise capacity 2 years after randomization. Pre-randomization, estimated mean total cost per patient of rehabilitation was $2,218 (SD $314; 2006 dollars) for the medical group and $2,187 (SD $304) for the surgical group. Post-randomization, mean cost per patient in the medical and surgical groups was $766 and $962 respectively. Among patients who attended > or = 1 post-randomization rehabilitation session, LVRS patients, patients with an FEV(1) > or = 20% predicted, and higher education were significantly more likely to complete rehabilitation. Patients with depressive and anxiety symptoms, and those who live > 36 miles compared to < 6 miles away were less likely to be adherent. Patients who underwent LVRS completed more exercise sessions than those in the medical group and were more likely to be adherent with post-randomization rehabilitation. A better understanding of patient factors such as socioeconomic status, depression, anxiety and transportation issues may improve adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation.

Continuity of care and other determinants of patient satisfaction with primary care.

OBJECTIVE: The patient-clinician relationship is a central feature of primary care, and recent developments in the delivery of health care have tended to limit continuity of care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent to which continuity of care and other factors are related to patient satisfaction. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, mailed questionnaire study. SETTING: Primary care clinics at 7 Veterans Affairs medical centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=21,689) participating in the Ambulatory Care Quality Improvement Project who returned the baseline Seattle Outpatient Satisfaction Questionnaire (SOSQ). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We evaluated the association between self-reported continuity and satisfaction, after adjusting for characteristics of patients, clinics, and providers. The humanistic scale of the SOSQ measures patient satisfaction with communication skills and humanistic qualities of providers, whereas the organizational scale measures satisfaction with delivery of health care services. The mean adjusted humanistic score for patients who reported always seeing the same provider was 17.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.5 to 19.1) points higher than for those who rarely saw the same provider. Similarly, the mean adjusted organizational score was 16.3 (95% CI, 14.5 to 18.1) points higher for patients who always saw the same provider compared to rarely. Demographic factors, socioeconomic status, health status, clinic site, and patient utilization of services were all associated with both the adjusted humanistic and organizational scores of the SOSQ. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported continuity of care is strongly associated with higher patient satisfaction. This suggests that improving continuity of care may improve patient satisfaction with providers as well as with their health care organization.

Intraindividual change in SF-36 in ambulatory clinic primary care patients predicted mortality and hospitalizations.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether change in SF-36 scores over time is associated with the risk of adverse outcomes. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: 7,702 participants in the Ambulatory Care Quality Improvement Project who completed a baseline and 1-year SF-36. Using logistic regression methods we estimated the 1-year risk of hospitalization and death based on previous 1-year changes in the physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component summary scores. RESULTS: After adjusting for baseline PCS scores, age, VA hospital site, distance to VA, and comorbidity, a >10-point decrease in PCS score was associated with an increased risk of death (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.6-3.4) and hospitalization (OR 1.8, 1.4-2.2). An increased risk was also seen with a >10-point decrease in the MCS (OR for death, 1.6, 1.1-2.3; OR for hospitalization 1.5, 1.2-1.8). CONCLUSION: Change in SF-36 PCS and MCS scores is associated with mortality and hospitalizations, and provides important prognostic information over baseline scores alone.