Toward reducing racialized pain care disparities: Approaching cannabis research and access through the lens of equity and inclusion.

There is growing interest in cannabis use for cancer pain. This commentary aims to discuss the evidence surrounding cannabis use for cancer pain in the context of the long-racialized landscape of cannabis policies and the disparity in pain control among cancer patients holding minoritized racial identities. Much evidence surrounding both the benefits and harms of cannabis use in cancer patients, and all patients in general, is lacking. Although drawing on the research in cancer that is available, it is also important to illustrate the broader context about how cannabis' deep roots in medical, political, and social history impact patient use and health care policies. There are lessons we can learn from the racialized disparities in opioid risk mitigation strategies, so they are not replicated in the settings of cannabis for cancer symptom management. Additionally, the authors intentionally use the term "cannabis" here rather than "marijuana.: In the early 1900s, the lay press and government popularized the use of the word "marijuana" instead of the more common "cannabis" to tie the drug to anti-Mexican prejudice.

Safety, Feasibility and Economic Analysis of Same Day Discharge Following Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has made the possibility of facilitating same day discharge (SDD) of patients undergoing intervention. We sought to investigate the feasibility, safety and economic impact of such a service. Methods: We retrospectively collected data on all patients undergoing outpatient PCI at our institution over a 12-month period. We included in-hospital and 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACE), vascular complications, acute kidney injury and any re-hospitalisations. We analysed the cost effectiveness of SDD compared to overnight admission post PCI and staged PCI following diagnostic angiography. Results: A total of 147 patients undergoing PCI with 129 patients deemed suitable for SDD (88%). Mean age was 65.7 years. Most patients had type C lesions (60.3%); including 4 chronic total occlusions (CTOs). At 30-day follow-up there were no MACE events (0%). There were 10 (7.8%) re-hospitalisations of which majority (70%) were non cardiac presentations. We also included cost analysis for an elective PCI with SDD, which equated to $2090 per patient (total of $269 610 for cohort). Elective PCI with an overnight admission was $4440 per patient (total of $572 760 for cohort), an additional $2350 per patient (total $303 150). Total cost of an angiogram followed by a staged PCI with an overnight stay was $4700 per patient (total $606 300). Conclusion: SDD is safe and feasible in the majority of patients that have elective coronary angiography that require PCI. SDD leads to a significant reduction in total cost and hospital stay of patients undergoing elective PCI.

Addressing Psychosocial Stressors through a Community-Academic Partnership between a Museum and a Federally Qualified Health Center: A Qualitative Study.

Psychosocial stressors are prevalent and linked to worse health outcomes, but are less frequently addressed than physically apparent medical conditions at primary care visits. Through a community-academic partnership between an art museum and a federally qualified health center, we developed an innovative museum-based intervention and evaluated its feasibility and acceptability among diverse, underserved patients and its perceived effects on psychosocial stressors. Guided by experiential learning and constructivist approaches, the intervention consisted of a single, three-hour session that incorporated group discussions and interactive components, including art-viewing, sketching, and object-handling. We used post-intervention focus groups to elicit feedback qualitatively. From July 2017 to January 2018, 25 patients participated. Focus groups revealed that the intervention exhibited therapeutic qualities, fostered self-reflection, catalyzed social connectivity, and functioned as a gateway to community resources. These findings can guide future research and development of community-based interventions to target the growing burden of psychosocial stressors among the underserved.

Resting Full-Cycle Ratio (RFR) in the Assessment of Left Main Coronary Disease: Caution Required.

Hyperaemia-free indices have been gaining traction in recent times due to the practical advantages they offer over the fractional flow reserve (FFR) in the evaluation of angiographically intermediate coronary lesions. More recently, a new hyperaemia-free index, the resting full-cycle ratio (RFR), was described and found to correlate closely with the instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR). The comparison between FFR and these hyperaemia-free indices, however, is nuanced and remains an ongoing area of debate and investigation. Herein, we highlight one of the important differences between the RFR and FFR, specifically in relation to the assessment of left main coronary lesion. We contend that the interchangeability of these indices cannot always be assumed and clinicians need to be aware of these limitations in their clinical practice.

What if Acupuncture Were Covered by Insurance for Pain Management? A Cross-Sectional Study of Cancer Patients at One Academic Center and 11 Community Hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: In response to the national opioid crisis, governmental and medical organizations have called for broader insurance coverage of acupuncture to improve access to nonpharmacologic pain therapies, especially in cancer populations, where undertreatment of pain is prevalent. We evaluated whether cancer patients would be willing to use insurance-covered acupuncture for pain. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of cancer patients with pain at one academic center and 11 community hospitals. METHODS: We used logistic regression models to examine factors associated with willingness to use insurance-covered acupuncture for pain. RESULTS: Among 634 cancer patients, 304 (47.9%) reported willingness to use insurance-covered acupuncture for pain. In univariate analyses, patients were more likely to report willingness if they had severe pain (odds ratio [OR] = 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03-2.45) but were less likely if they were nonwhite (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.39-0.90) or had only received high school education or less (OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.32-0.65). After adjusting for attitudes and beliefs in multivariable analyses, willingness was no longer significantly associated with education (adjusted OR [aOR] = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.50-1.21) and was more negatively associated with nonwhite race (aOR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.29-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one in two cancer patients was willing to use insurance-covered acupuncture for pain. Willingness was influenced by patients' attitudes and beliefs, which are potentially modifiable through counseling and education. Further research on racial disparities is needed to close the gap in utilization as acupuncture is integrated into insurance plans in response to the opioid crisis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of multidetector computed tomography in the assessment of coronary artery bypass grafts.

PURPOSE: The present meta-analysis aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of more recent computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in the assessment of graft patency after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review was performed using nine electronic databases from their dates of inception to July 2015. Predefined inclusion criteria included studies reporting on comparative outcomes using ≥64 slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and ICA. The primary endpoints included graft occlusion and significant graft stenosis ≥50%. Secondary analyses included the comparison of arterial versus venous graft conduits, and the use of different MDCT techniques. RESULTS: Thirty-one studies were identified according to selection criteria, involving 1975 patients with 5364 assessed grafts. Combined assessment of stenosis and occlusion for all grafts demonstrated a sensitivity of 96.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 94.3-97.4%] and specificity of 96.3% (95% CI 95.1-97.3%). CTCA assessment of venous grafts demonstrated higher sensitivity compared to arterial grafts, when testing for both occlusion and stenosis (97.6% vs 89.2%, p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Results of this study demonstrated that CTCA had a relatively high pooled sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value compared to ICA. However, patient baseline characteristics varied between studies, and the results should be interpreted with caution. Nonetheless, our results indicate that CTCA should be recognized as an accurate and non-invasive investigation for graft patency in symptomatic patients after CABG.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement: Meta-Analysis of Clinical Outcomes and Cost-Effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a feasible alternative treatment to conventional surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) for high-risk patients with aortic stenosis. The present systematic review aimed to assess the comparative clinical and cost-effectiveness outcomes of TAVI versus AVR, and meta-analyse standardized clinical endpoints. METHODS: An electronic search was conducted on 9 online databases to identify all relevant studies. Eligible studies had to report on either periprocedural mortality or incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) to be included for analysis. RESULTS: The systematic review identified 24 studies that reported on comparative clinical outcomes, including three randomized controlled trials and ten matched observational studies involving 7906 patients. Meta-analysis demonstrated no significant differences in regards to mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction or acute renal failure. Patients who underwent TAVI were more likely to experience major vascular complications or arrhythmias requiring permanent pacemaker insertion. Patients who underwent AVR were more likely to experience major bleeding. Eleven analyses from 7 economic studies reported on ICER. Six analyses defined TAVI to be low value, 2 analyses defined TAVI to be intermediate value, and three analyses defined TAVI to be high value. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated no significant differences in regards to mortality or stroke between the two therapeutic procedures. However, the cost-effectiveness and long-term efficacy of TAVI may require further investigation. Technological improvement and increased experience may broaden the clinical indication for TAVI for low-intermediate risk patients in the future.