Education for public health 2030: transformation to meet health needs in a changing world.

Education for public health is at a critical inflection point, and either transforms for success or fails to remain relevant. In 2020, the Association for Schools and Programs of Public Health launched an initiative, Framing the Future 2030: Education for Public Health (FTF 2030) to develop a resilient educational system for public health that promotes scientific inquiry, connects research, education, and practice, eliminates inequities, incorporates anti-racism principles, creates and sustains diverse and inclusive teaching and learning communities, and optimizes systems and resources to prepare graduates who are clearly recognizable for their population health perspectives, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and practices. Three expert panels: (1) Inclusive excellence through an anti-racism lens; (2) Transformative approaches to teaching and learning; and (3) Expanding the reach, visibility, and impact of the field of academic public health are engaged in ongoing deliberations to generate recommendations to implement the necessary change. The article describes the panels' work completed thus far, a "Creating an Inclusive Workspace" guide, and work planned, including questions for self-evaluation, deliberation, and reflection toward actions that support academe in developing a resilient education system for public health, whether beginning or advancing through a process of change. The FTF 2030 steering committee asserts its strong commitment to structural and substantial change that strengthens academic public health as an essential component of a complex socio-political system. Lastly, all are called to join the effort as collaboration is essential to co-develop an educational system for public health that ensures health equity for all people, everywhere.

Persistent high utilization in a privately insured population.

OBJECTIVES: To describe individuals characterized as persistent high users--that is, individuals who are in the top 10% of users every year over the 3-year study period. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of 4 groups in a privately insured population. Groups were defined by the number of years an enrollee was in the top 10% of the spending group (top decile) for the period from 2009 to 2011: persistent high-user group (3 out of 3 years in the top decile spending group); frequent high-user group (2 out of 3 years in top decile); incidental high-user group (1 out of 3 years in top decile); and never high user group (0 out of 3 years in top decile). METHODS: This study used insurance claims data to examine enrollees with persistently high health service utilization. Data for the year 2008 were utilized to assess baseline individual characteristics. Annual data for 2009 to 2011 were used to examine healthcare expenditures, utilization patterns, and specific clinical conditions among the 4 groups of the study sample. RESULTS: Among 42,038 enrollees, 1216 (2.9%) met the criteria as persistent high users. Over a 3-year period, this group accounted for 21% of total healthcare expenditure. Compared with the other groups, persistent high users had higher overall disease burden due to multiple chronic conditions and incurred significantly higher expenses in medication and professional services (including primary and specialty care). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the need to proactively engage employees and their dependents for primary and secondary prevention of common chronic diseases before an individual's health status, healthcare utilization, and medical cost become difficult to manage.

Individual, Area, and Provider Characteristics Associated With Care Received for Stages I to III Breast Cancer in a Multistate Region of Appalachia.

PURPOSE: We describe individual, area, and provider characteristics associated with care patterns for early-stage breast cancer in Appalachian counties of Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. METHODS: Cases of stages I to III breast cancer from 2006 to 2008 were linked to Medicare claims occurring within 1 year of diagnosis. Rates of guideline-concordant endocrine therapy (n = 1,429), chemotherapy (n = 1,480), and radiation therapy (RT) after breast-conserving surgery were studied; RT was studied in women age ≥ 70 years with stage I estrogen receptor (ER) -positive/progesterone receptor (PR) -positive cancer, for whom RT was optional (n = 1,108), and in all others, for whom RT was guideline concordant (n = 1,422). Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed. Independent variables included age, race, county-level economic status, state, surgeon graduation year and volume, comorbidity, diagnosis year, Medicaid/Medicare dual status, histology, tumor size, tumor sequence, positive lymph nodes, ER/PR status, stage, trastuzumab use, and surgery type. RESULTS: Population mean age was 74 years; 97% were white. For endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and RT, guideline concordance was 76%, 48%, and 83%, respectively. Where it was optional, 77% received RT. Guideline-concordant endocrine therapy was lower in North Carolina versus Pennsylvania (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.88) and higher if surgeon graduated between 1984 and 1988 versus ≥ 1989 (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.06 to 2.34). Guideline-concordant chemotherapy varied significantly by state, county-level economic status, and surgeon volume. In guideline-concordant RT, lower surgeon volume (v highest) predicted RT use (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.61 to 2.36). In optional RT, North Carolina residence (v Pennsylvania; OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.48) and counties with higher economic status (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.94) predicated RT omission. CONCLUSION: Notable variation in care by geographic and surgical provider characteristics provides targets for further research in underserved areas.

Receipt of Regular Primary Care and Early Cancer Detection in Appalachia.

PURPOSE: The objective was to examine the impact of regular primary care encounters (PCE) on early breast cancer detection in an Appalachian sample of Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed 2006-2008. Determinants of PCE were investigated and a mediation analysis was conducted where PCE was a mediator to cancer stage. METHODS: A total of 3,589 cases were identified from Appalachian areas in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, and North Carolina, and health care services were examined 2 months to 2 years prior to diagnosis. A regular care PCE variable was constructed with 4 ordinal levels: none, any, "annual," and "semi-annual." Association of PCE with stage, mortality and covariables was conducted using ordinal logistic regressions and Cox Proportional Hazards survival models. RESULTS: Sixty-eight percent of the cases had semi-annual PCE. Regular PCE was strongly associated with late-stage cancer rates (39%-13% by increasing PCE level, P < .0001) and 5-year all-cause mortality (42%-24%, P < .0001). Subgroup analysis revealed variations by hypertension and urban status, with nonhypertensives with no PCE being at particularly increased risk. Significant determinants of PCE included age, rural/urban status, comorbidity, dual Medicaid insurance, Appalachian region economic classification, state, select comorbidities, hypertension, and minimum distance to provider. Mediation analysis results were consistent with lower number of comorbidities leading to increased late cancer detection due to patients having a decreased PCE. CONCLUSION: PCE is an important determinant of cancer detection, with a dose-response relationship. Variations exist by geography and hypertension. Comorbidity may influence both PCE and late-stage rates with partial mediation through PCE.

Clinical, sociodemographic, and service provider determinants of guideline concordant colorectal cancer care for Appalachian residents.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in Appalachia where high mortality from colorectal cancer is more prevalent. Adherence to treatment guidelines leads to improved survival. This paper examines determinants of guideline concordance for colorectal cancer. METHODS: Colorectal cancer patients diagnosed in 2006-2008 from 4 cancer registries (Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina) were linked to Medicare claims (2005-2009). Final sample size after exclusions was 2,932 stage I-III colon, and 184 stage III rectal cancer patients. The 3 measures of guideline concordance include adjuvant chemotherapy (stage III colon cancer, <80 years), ≥12 lymph nodes assessed (resected stage I-III colon cancer), and radiation therapy (stage III rectal cancer, <80 years). Bivariate and multivariate analyses with clinical, sociodemographic, and service provider covariates were estimated for each of the measures. RESULTS: Rates of chemotherapy, lymph node assessment, and radiation were 62.9%, 66.3%, and 56.0%, respectively. Older patients had lower rates of chemotherapy and radiation. Five comorbidities were significantly associated with lower concordance in the bivariate analyses: myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, respiratory diseases, dementia with chemotherapy, and diabetes with adequate lymph node assessment. Patients treated by hospitals with no Commission on Cancer (COC) designation or lower surgical volumes had lower odds of adequate lymph node assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical, sociodemographic, and service provider characteristics are significant determinants of the variation in guideline concordance rates of 3 colorectal cancer measures.

Treatment patterns for prostate cancer: comparison of Medicare claims data to medical record review.

BACKGROUND: As evidence-based guidelines increasingly define standards of care, the accurate reporting of patterns of treatment becomes critical to determine if appropriate care has been provided. We explore the level of agreement between claims and record abstraction for treatment regimens for prostate cancer. METHODS: Medicare claims data were linked to medical records abstraction using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program of Cancer Registry-funded Breast and Prostate Patterns of Care study. The first course of therapy included surgery, radiation therapy (RT), and hormonal therapy with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists. RESULTS: The linked sample included 2765 men most (84.7%) of whom had stage II prostate cancer. Agreement was excellent for surgery (κ=0.92) and RT (κ=0.92) and lower for hormonal therapy (κ=0.71); however, most of the discrepancies were due to greater number of patients reported who received hormonal therapy in the claims database than in the medical records database. For some standard multicomponent management strategies sensitivities were high, for example, hormonal therapy with either combination RT (86.9%) or cryosurgery (96.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Medicare claims are sensitive for determining patterns of multicomponent care for prostate cancer and for detecting use of hormonal therapy when not reported in the medical records abstracts.

Effects of integrated delivery system on cost and quality.

OBJECTIVES: To perform a systematic review of the current literature to assess the association between integrated healthcare delivery systems and changes in cost and quality. METHODS: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Reviews, Academic Search Premier, and reference lists were used to retrieve peer-reviewed articles reporting outcomes (cost and quality) related to integrated delivery systems. A general Internet search and reference lists were used to retrieve non-peer reviewed publications meeting the same criteria. Included peer and non-peer reviewed publications were based in the United States and were published between the years 2000 and 2011. RESULTS: A total of 21 peer-reviewed articles and 4 non-peer reviewed manuscripts met the inclusion criteria. Twenty studies showed an association between increased integration in healthcare delivery and an increase in the quality of care. One study reported no changes in quality indicators associated with increased integration. None of these studies measured cost reduction directly, but used reduction in utilization of services instead. Four studies associated decreases in the utilization of services with increases in integration. CONCLUSIONS: The vast majority of studies we reviewed have shown that integrated delivery systems have positive effects on quality of care. Few studies linked use of an integrated delivery system to lower health service utilization. Only 1 study reported some small cost savings.

Adherence to adjuvant hormonal therapy and its relationship to breast cancer recurrence and survival among low-income women.

OBJECTIVES: Although clinical trials have demonstrated the benefit of adjuvant hormonal therapy for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, it is not known whether poor medication adherence might impact outcomes, particularly in the context of a low-income population traditionally underrepresented in clinical trials. We explored the relationship between adherence to tamoxifen or selective aromatase inhibitors with cancer recurrence and death in a low-income, Medicaid-insured population. METHODS: Using a Medicaid claims-tumor registry and National Death Index data, we evaluated adherence to adjuvant hormonal therapy [defined by the medication possession ratio (MPR)], cancer recurrence, and cancer-specific survival for female breast cancer diagnosed from 1998 to 2002, in North Carolina. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and logistic regression models were used to examine the role of adherence on cancer recurrence and survival. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 857 cases, mean age 67.7 years, 56.9% white, 60.9% local stage, with a mean follow-up of 4.4 years. Mean first-year MPR was 77%. MPR adherence was not significantly associated with cancer-related death [adjusted hazards ratio=1.18 (95% confidence interval, 0.54-2.59)], or recurrence [adjusted odds ratio=1.49 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-2.84)]. There was also no significant interaction between adherence and use of concurrent CYP2D6 enzyme inhibitors. DISCUSSION: Hormonal therapy adherence was not associated with breast cancer outcomes in this low-income population with relatively poor adherence. Although suboptimal adherence is considered to be an important clinical problem, its effects on breast cancer outcomes may be masked by patient genetic profiles, tumor characteristics, and behavioral factors.

The cost of Medicaid coverage for the uninsured: evidence from Buncombe County, North Carolina.

BACKGROUND: The Affordable Care Act gives states the option to expand state Medicaid programs to cover many who are currently uninsured. The potential financial impact has not been thoroughly examined. We characterized the health risk of uninsured adults in Buncombe County, North Carolina, relative to that of local Medicaid recipients, to estimate the cost of expanding Medicaid coverage to include the uninsured. METHODS: We obtained de-identified patient enrollment and claims data for 2008 from the Division of Medical Assistance, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and from the 3 safety-net providers who care for most of the county's low-income uninsured adults. We used the Chronic Illness and Disability Payment System (CDPS) risk-adjustment tool to measure the relative health risk of the two populations. Based on actual spending in the Medicaid group and its health risk relative to that of the uninsured, we then projected how much it would have cost to provide Medicaid coverage for these uninsured in 2008. RESULTS: We estimated, based on CDPS adjustment for demographics and diagnoses, that these uninsured adults would have incurred costs 13% greater than those of the actual nondisabled adult Medicaid population. The projected cost of providing Medicaid coverage to these uninsured would have been $4,320 per person. LIMITATIONS: Data were drawn from only the 3 major safety-net organizations and therefore excluded care obtained from other safety-net providers. Also, this sample of uninsured people included some who are ineligible for Medicaid because of their citizenship status. Furthermore, Medicaid enrollment might lead to increased utilization, revealing a greater burden of illness than we detected. CONCLUSION: In Buncombe County, uninsured adults who enroll in expanded Medicaid are likely to have somewhat more costly health problems than do currently enrolled nondisabled adults.

Defining care provided for breast cancer based on medical record review or Medicare claims: information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Patterns of Care Study.

BACKGROUND: Description of care patterns is important as evidence-based guidelines increasingly dictate care. We explore the level of agreement between claims and record abstraction for guideline concordant multidisciplinary breast cancer care. METHODS: From the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program of Cancer Registries Patterns of Care study, in which medical record abstraction of breast cancer and treatment was accomplished, cases include breast cancer where Medicare claims were available. Components of care were breast-conserving surgery (BCS), mastectomy, node assessment, radiation (RT), and chemotherapy (CTX), including specific chemotherapeutic agents, and combinations. We compared Medicare claims with record abstraction, and measured concordance using the kappa statistic and sensitivity. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 1762 women with stage 0 to 4 breast cancer. Level of agreement was excellent for surgery type (kappa = 0.84) and CTX (kappa = 0.89); agreement for RT therapy was slightly lower (kappa = 0.79). For standard multicomponent strategies, sensitivities and specificities were high; for example, 88.8%/93.5% for mastectomy plus nodes and 86.6%/95.4% for BCS plus nodes and RT. For selected, standard, multi-agent, adjuvant CTX regimens, sensitivities ranged from 66.3% to 68.8% (kappa 0.63-0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Medicare claims, compared with chart abstraction, is a reliable method for determining patterns of multicomponent care for breast cancer.

Do free clinics reduce unnecessary emergency department visits? The Virginian experience.

As part of the safety net, free clinics (FCs) increase access to preventive and primary care for the uninsured. This study compared a group of uninsured FC users and a group of uninsured non-FC users to explore the impact of FC enrollment on the pattern of ED visits, as characterized by (1) level of complexity of care received at the ED, and (2) avoidable vs. unavoidable as classified by an existing clinical algorithm. Emergency department visits by FC users were less likely to be low-level-of-care than visits by non-FC users (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.84-0.93). Free clinic enrollment was not a statistically significant predictor of avoidable visits (p=.6465). We found that the group of individuals who had access to primary care at the local FCs were significantly less likely than the group of uninsured individuals who were not enrolled in a FC to use the ED for care with lower levels of clinical complexity. Thus, the cost of increasing the primary care workforce as the Medicaid population expands may be worth it in the long run. Further exploration into what characterizes an effective FC is needed.

Model safety-net programs could care for the uninsured at one-half the cost of Medicaid or private insurance.

Because the reforms under the Affordable Care Act of 2010 will leave an estimated twenty million or more people still uninsured, some Americans will continue to seek care at low or no cost through existing safety-net systems. To identify appropriate care models, this comparative case study assessed the costs of care provided by four large, well-structured, comprehensive safety-net programs for the uninsured in Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina, and Texas. The average monthly resource cost-including the value of referred, donated, and in-kind services-in these model programs was $141-$209 per adult in 2008. This was 25-50 percent less than the estimated cost of care for comparison groups covered by local Medicaid programs or by private insurance that provided similar services. Although these programs' services are somewhat less comprehensive than those of generous insurance plans, the findings suggest that these model safety-net programs could be adapted to provide an alternative type of coverage for the uninsured, including both low-income and middle-class people.

Stress CMR imaging observation unit in the emergency department reduces 1-year medical care costs in patients with acute chest pain: a randomized study for comparison with inpatient care.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to compare the direct cost of medical care and clinical events during the first year after patients with intermediate risk acute chest pain were randomized to stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) observation unit (OU) testing versus inpatient care. BACKGROUND: In a recent study, randomization to OU-CMR reduced median index hospitalization cost compared with the cost of inpatient care in patients presenting to the emergency department with intermediate risk acute chest pain. METHODS: Emergency department patients with intermediate risk chest pain were randomized to OU-CMR (OU care, cardiac markers, stress CMR) or inpatient care (admission, care per admitting provider). This analysis reports the direct cost of cardiac-related care and clinical outcomes (myocardial infarction, revascularization, cardiovascular death) during the first year of follow-up subsequent to discharge. Consistent with health economics literature, provider cost was calculated from work-related relative value units using the Medicare conversion factor; facility charges were converted to cost using departmental-specific cost-to-charge ratios. Linear models were used to compare cost accumulation among study groups. RESULTS: We included 109 randomized subjects in this analysis (52 OU-CMR, 57 inpatient care). The median age was 56 years; baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. At 1 year, 6% of OU-CMR and 9% of inpatient care participants experienced a major cardiac event (p = 0.72) with 1 patient in each group experiencing a cardiac event after discharge. First-year cardiac-related costs were significantly lower for participants randomized to OU-CMR than for participants receiving inpatient care (geometric mean = $3,101 vs. $4,742 including the index visit [p = 0.004] and $29 vs. $152 following discharge [p = 0.012]). During the year following randomization, 6% of OU-CMR and 9% of inpatient care participants experienced a major cardiac event (p = 0.72). CONCLUSIONS: An OU-CMR strategy reduces cardiac-related costs of medical care during the index visit and over the first year subsequent to discharge, without an observed increase in major cardiac events. (Cost Comparison of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging [MRI] Use in Emergency Department [ED] Patients With Chest Pain; NCT00678639).

Stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with observation unit care reduces cost for patients with emergent chest pain: a randomized trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We determine whether imaging with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in an observation unit would reduce medical costs among patients with emergent non-low-risk chest pain who otherwise would be managed with an inpatient care strategy. METHODS: Emergency department patients (n=110) at intermediate or high probability for acute coronary syndrome without electrocardiographic or biomarker evidence of a myocardial infarction provided consent and were randomized to stress cardiac MRI in an observation unit versus standard inpatient care. The primary outcome was direct hospital cost calculated as the sum of hospital and provider costs. Estimated median cost differences (Hodges-Lehmann) and distribution-free 95% confidence intervals (Moses) were used to compare groups. RESULTS: There were 110 participants with 53 randomized to cardiac MRI and 57 to inpatient care; 8 of 110 (7%) experienced acute coronary syndrome. In the MRI pathway, 49 of 53 underwent stress cardiac MRI, 11 of 53 were admitted, 1 left against medical advice, 41 were discharged, and 2 had acute coronary syndrome. In the inpatient care pathway, 39 of 57 patients initially received stress testing, 54 of 57 were admitted, 3 left against medical advice, and 6 had acute coronary syndrome. At 30 days, no subjects in either group experienced acute coronary syndrome after discharge. The cardiac MRI group had a reduced median hospitalization cost (Hodges-Lehmann estimate $588; 95% confidence interval $336 to $811); 79% were managed without hospital admission. CONCLUSION: Compared with inpatient care, an observation unit strategy involving stress cardiac MRI reduced incident cost without any cases of missed acute coronary syndrome in patients with emergent chest pain.

Paradoxical effects of cost reduction measures in managed care systems for treatment of severe psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Insurance companies vary widely in their coverage policies for severe psoriasis therapies. Unfortunately, coverage policies for psoriasis therapies do not necessarily follow current treatment paradigms, such that more expensive second or third line treatments may be more easily obtained than first line treatments. METHODS: We reviewed insurance policy bulletins, statements of coverage/medical necessity, and prior authorization forms for three large insurance carriers regarding psoriasis treatment with biologic agents and phototherapy. A cost comparison was performed to estimate total costs to patients and insurer under the current system as well as a hypothetical system in which co-pays and deductibles are eliminated. Additionally, we reviewed the total cost to an insurer for placing a patient on a trial of home phototherapy before approving use of expensive biologics. RESULTS: Requirements for coverage for phototherapy treatments are often the same, if not more stringent, than those for biologics. On an annual per patient basis, insurance companies pay an estimated $5, $76, and $23,408 for home phototherapy, office phototherapy, and biologics, respectively. The first year cost to patients, however, is estimated to be $2,590, $3,040, and $920 for home phototherapy, office phototherapy, and biologics, respectively. An initial 3-month trial of home phototherapy yields a graded annual cost savings to insurers of $21,610 to $2,110 per patient. DISCUSSION: The evolution of psoriasis treatment has resulted in a paradoxical situation in which the use of lower-cost psoriasis treatments, with longer safety track records, is discouraged relative to newer options. If co-pays, deductibles, and prior authorization requirements that discourage phototherapy were reduced or eliminated, more patients and physicians would likely choose phototherapy over biologics. This has the potential to reduce overall healthcare costs for psoriasis management.

Rising out-of-pocket spending for chronic conditions: a ten-year trend.

We examined the prevalence of self-reported chronic conditions and out-of-pocket spending using the 2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and made comparisons to previously published MEPS data. Our study found that the prevalence of self-reported chronic conditions is increasing among not only the old-old but also people in midlife and earlier old age. The greatest growth occurred in the number of people affected by multiple chronic diseases, a group with sizable out-of-pocket spending. Policymakers should be aware that cost sharing at the point of care can disproportionately burden people with chronic conditions and discourage adherence to drugs that prevent disease progression.

Serum albumin level and risk for mortality and hospitalization in adolescents on hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: National Kidney Foundation Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative practice guidelines recommend serum albumin > or = 4.0 g/dl for adults who are on hemodialysis. There is no established pediatric target for albumin and little evidence to support use of adult guidelines. This study examined the association between albumin and risk for death and hospitalization in adolescents who are on hemodialysis. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: This retrospective cohort study linked data on patients aged 12 to 18 yr in 1999 and 2000 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' End Stage Renal Disease Clinical Performance Measures Project with 4-yr hospitalization and mortality records in the United States Renal Data System. Albumin was categorized as < 3.5/3.2, > or = 3.5/3.2 and < 4.0/3.7, and > or = 4.0/3.7 g/dl. RESULTS: Of 675 adolescents, 557 were hospitalized and 50 died. Albumin > or = 4.0/3.7 g/dl was associated with male gender, Hispanic ethnicity, and higher hemoglobin level. Those with albumin > or = 4.0/3.7 g/dl had fewer deaths per 100 patient-years and fewer hospitalizations per time at risk. In multivariate analysis, patients with albumin > or = 4.0/3.7 g/dl had 57% decreased risk for death. Poisson regression showed progressive decrease in hospitalization risk as albumin level increased; however, confidence intervals were similar between albumin > or = 4.0/3.7 g/dl and albumin > or = 3.5/3.2 and < 4.0/3.7 g/dl. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates decreased mortality and hospitalization risk with albumin > or = 3.5/3.2 g/dl and suggests that adolescent hemodialysis patients who are able to achieve serum albumin > or = 4.0/3.7 g/dl may have the lowest mortality risk.

Health-related quality of life and cost-effectiveness components of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial: rationale and design.

Diabetes mellitus affects not only life expectancy but also quality of life. The Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and cost-effectiveness components will enable the assessment of the relative importance of the various outcomes from the point of view of patients, provide an understanding of the balance between the burdens and benefits of the intervention strategies, and offer valuable insights into adherence. The HRQOL measures used include the Diabetes Symptoms Distress Checklist; the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Version 2 (SF-36) (RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA); the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) depression measure (Pfizer Inc, New York, NY); the World Health Organization (WHO) Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ); and the EuroQol Feeling Thermometer (EuroQol Group, Rotterdam, Netherlands). The cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) in ACCORD will provide information about the relative economic efficiency of the different interventions being compared in the trial. Effectiveness will be measured in terms of cardiovascular event-free years gained and quality-adjusted life-years gained (using the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 [HUI-3] [Health Utilities Inc., Dundas, Ontario, Canada] to measure health-state utility). Costs will be direct medical costs assessed from the perspective of a single-payer health system collected by means of patient and clinic cost forms and hospital discharge summaries. The primary HRQOL and CEA hypotheses mirror those in the main ACCORD trial, addressing the effects of the 3 main ACCORD interventions considered separately. There are also secondary (pairwise reference case) comparisons that do not assume independence of treatment effects on HRQOL. CEA will be done on a subsample of 4,311 ACCORD participants and HRQOL on a subsample of 2,053 nested within the CEA subsample. Most assessments will occur through questionnaires at baseline and at 12, 36, and 48 months.

Effects of patient compliance, parental education and race on nephrologists' recommendations for kidney transplantation in children.

Transplantation is the treatment goal for youth with kidney failure. To assess the effects of compliance, parental education and race on nephrologists' recommendations for transplantation in children, we surveyed a national random sample of adult and pediatric nephrologists. We elicited transplant recommendations for case vignettes created from random combinations of patient age, gender, race, cause of renal failure, family structure, parental education and compliance. Of 519 eligible physicians, 316 (61%) responded. Nephrologists were more likely to recommend transplantation for children of college-educated parents than children of parents who did not finish high school, despite identical clinical and demographic characteristics (adjusted OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.18, 1.86). Patient noncompliance negatively influenced transplant recommendations (adjusted OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.08, 0.13). Additionally, compliance had a different effect on transplant recommendations for white compared with black patients. The adjusted OR of a white, compliant patient being referred for transplantation were twice that of a black compliant patient (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.17, 3.6). Education and compliance with therapy independently influence nephrologists' recommendations for transplantation in youth with kidney failure. Among the most compliant candidates, referral for transplantation may vary with patient race.

Public support for policies that would help people with chronic conditions.

According to a national public opinion survey, Americans strongly support government solutions to help people with chronic conditions and their caregivers. Such solutions include a Medicare prescription drug benefit, a tax credit for caregivers, a tax break for people who purchase private long-term care insurance, and public long-term care insurance. A majority is willing to support several of these initiatives by paying higher taxes, but our survey suggests that other initiatives may not have sufficient support to offset their incremental costs. In addition, support for these proposals varies systematically by individual characteristics, which suggests that there are different constituencies for each proposal.