The Prevalence of Financial Conflict of Interest Disclosures by Endovascular Specialists on X (Twitter).

PURPOSE: To evaluate conflicts of interest (COIs) among interventional radiologists and related specialties who mention specific devices or companies on the social media (SoMe) platform X, formerly Twitter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 13,809 posts between October 7, 2021, and December 31, 2021, on X were evaluated. Posts by U.S. interventional radiologists and related specialties who mentioned a specific device or company were identified. A positive COI was defined as receiving a payment from the device manufacturer or company within 36 months prior to posting. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Open Payment database was used to identify financial payments. The prevalence and value of COIs were assessed and compared between posts mentioning a device or company and a paired control group using descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests and independent t tests. RESULTS: Eighty posts containing the mention of 100 specific devices or companies were evaluated. COIs were present in 53% (53/100). When mentioning a specific device or product, 40% interventional radiologists had a COI, compared with 62% neurosurgeons. Physicians who mentioned a specific device or company were 3.7 times more likely to have a positive COI relative to the paired control group (53/100 vs 14/100; P < .001). Of the 31 physicians with a COI, the median physician received $2,270. None of the positive COIs were disclosed. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians posting on SoMe about a specific device or company were more likely to have a financial COI than authors of posts not mentioning a specific device or company. No disclosure of any COI was present in the posts, limiting followers' ability to weigh potential bias.

Variation in the Reporting of Elective Surgeries and Its Influence on Patient Safety Indicators.

BACKGROUND: US hospital safety is routinely measured via Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs). Receiving a score for most PSIs requires a minimum number of qualifying cases to meet specific criteria; for example, whether an admission was elective. Because admission type is determined by hospitals' internal policies, the study team suspected that hospitals may be exempted from elective-based PSI scores as a result of their internal admission classification policies. METHODS: Multiple regression was combined with machine learning to analyze Medicare inpatient claims data reported by 3,484 hospitals during the 2015-2017 PSI measurement period. The researchers examined the average percentage of elective admissions across surgical diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) (average percent elective [APE]) in relation to hospital characteristics, surgical claims volumes, and numbers and types of surgical DRGs. This study asked whether hospitals with exceptionally low APE shared particular characteristics, reported claims for similar DRGs, or were disproportionately exempted from elective-based PSIs. RESULTS: Cross-validated multiple regression explained 73.9% of variation in APE among hospitals and identified surgical claims volume and 16 surgical DRGs as consistently important variables. However, the exceptionally low APE of 96 hospitals could not be explained by surgical claims volume, surgical DRGs among claims, or hospital characteristics. These outliers were disproportionately exempt from elective-based PSI scores. CONCLUSION: Some hospitals may have classified admissions in a way that exempted them from elective-based PSI scores. Transparency into admission classification policies is needed to ensure fair and reliable use of PSIs when ranking hospitals and adjusting payments. Alternatively, PSIs may need modifications to rely on externally validated criteria.

Real-world study of direct medical and indirect costs and time spent in healthcare in patients with chronic graft versus host disease.

Chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) is a debilitating and costly complication following haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This study describes the economic burden associated with cGVHD. Direct costs associated with specialised healthcare utilisation (inpatient admissions and outpatient visits), as well as indirect costs associated with sickness absence-associated productivity loss were estimated in patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT in Sweden between 2006 and 2015, linking population-based health and economic registers. To capture the period of chronic GVHD, patients were included who survived > 182 days post-HSCT (start of follow-up), and cGVHD was classified based on patient treatment records to correct for any diagnosis underreporting. Patients were classified as 'non-cGVHD' if they received no immunosuppressive treatment, 'mild cGVHD' if they received only systemic corticosteroid treatment or immunosuppressive treatment, or 'moderate-severe cGVHD' if they received extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) only, corticosteroid treatment and immunosuppressive treatment, or systemic corticosteroid treatment and ECP treatments. Patients with moderate-severe cGVHD spent more time in healthcare, had higher healthcare resource costs and higher sickness absence-related productivity loss compared to patients with non- or mild cGVHD. The cumulative total costs during the first 3 years of follow-up were EUR 14,887,599, EUR 20,544,056, and EUR 47,811,835 for non-, mild, and moderate-severe groups, respectively. The long-term costs incurred with cGVHD following HSCT continue to be very high and significantly impacted by cGVHD severity. This study adds real-world health resource and economic insight relevant for policy-makers and healthcare providers when considering the clinical challenge of balancing immunosuppression to reduce cGVHD.

Identifying an association between socio-demographic factors and breast cancer screening adherence in a federally qualified health centre sample in the United States. A retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Federally Qualified Health Centres (FQHC) are community-based centres in the United States, intended to fill a gap in care for underserved populations, including Medicaid patients and the homeless. Because of the Affordable Care Act, passed into law in 2010, there was a 29% increase in Medicaid enrolees nationally. One service offered at FQHCs is breast cancer screening. Breast cancer screening has been shown to have the lowest adherence levels among low-income women and homeless women. As they serve patients with socio-economic barriers, FQHCs are a vital resource in ensuring access to such screening. This study aimed to identity an association between socio-demographic factors and breast cancer screening adherence in FQHC patients that included the homeless. This exploratory, cross-sectional, retrospective study looked at encounter level data from a FQHC in a major metropolitan (Chicago, IL) area from January 1st, 2017 through December 31st, 2018. Data were collected in January of 2019. This was a convenience sample. Association was tested through bivariate chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis, investigating the association between socio-demographic characteristics and compliance (Yes/No) for breast cancer screening. Results showed age (55-59; 65-69) and homeless status (doubling-up, transitional) showed a positive association with breast cancer screening, while insurance status (self-pay) had a negative association. Age, homeless status and insurance type were significantly associated with adherence. Demographic characteristics in the homeless population can be used to identify nonadherence.

Genetic Assessment of Potential Long-Term On-Target Side Effects of PCSK9 (Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9) Inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Although short-term trials have suggested that PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitors are safe and reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases, their long-term safety is unclear. Genetic variants associated with lower activity of a gene can act as proxies to identify potential long-term side effects of drugs as recently exemplified by association of LDL (low-density lipoprotein)-lowering variants in the HMGCR (target for statins) and PCSK9 genes with increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, analyses of the full spectrum of potential side effects of PCSK9 inhibition using a genetic approach have not been undertaken. METHODS: We examined the association of an LDL-lowering variant in the PCSK9 gene (T allele of rs1159147), as well as 2 LDL-lowering HGCMR variants (G allele of rs17238484 and T allele of rs12916) with 80 diseases and traits in up to 479 522 individuals in UK Biobank. RESULTS: The PCSK9 T allele was significantly (Bonferroni P<6.25×10-4) associated with risk of T2DM, increased body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, diastolic blood pressure, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and insulin use. The HMGCR variants were also associated with risk of T2DM, although their previously reported associations with anthropometric traits were found to be confounded. Mediation analysis suggested that the association of the PCSK9 T allele with risk of T2DM but not diastolic blood pressure was largely independent of its association with body mass index and central obesity. Nominally significant associations of the PCSK9 T allele were also seen with peptic ulcer disease, depression, asthma, chronic kidney disease, and venous thromboembolism. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support previous genetic analyses suggesting that long-term use of PCSK9 inhibitors, like statins, may be associated with increased risk of T2DM. Some other potential side effects need to be looked for in future studies of PCSK9 inhibitors, although we did not find signals that raise substantial concerns about their long-term safety.

Uninformed Reform: The Attempt to Abolish the Hospital Managers' Section 23 Discharge Power Under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Under section 23 of the Mental Health Act 1983 a person can be discharged by the managers of the hospital from compulsory care. The limited evidence indicates that the section 23 power is normally delegated to a specially appointed panel who hold a hearing. Unfortunately, notwithstanding the implications for the liberty, autonomy, and dignity of the compelled person, very little is known about how this process operates. Nonetheless, since 1996 there has been a sustained effort to abolish the power. In view of this, the proposal to reform the 1983 Act contained in the Queen's Speech January 2017, and the subsequent establishment of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act in October 2017, I critique the claims made in the abolition debate, and establish the conceptual gaps therein. I argue that a much more developed understanding of the power is required before any change is made to the law in this area.

A cluster randomised controlled trial of an intervention based on the Health Action Process Approach for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in Iranian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an intervention programme based on the Health Action Process Approach and designed to increase the intake of fruit and vegetables (F&V) among Iranian adolescents aged 13 to 18. DESIGN: A randomised controlled trial with three arms examined the short- (1 month) and long-term (6 months) effects of the intervention. There were two intervention groups (one included adolescents only [A group; n = 510]; the second included mothers and adolescents [M + A group; n = 462]) and a control group (n = 483). All participants were recruited from schools. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Social cognitions, self-regulatory processes and F&V intake. RESULTS: The intervention led to an increase in F&V intake for adolescents in the short and long terms. Adolescents in the M + A group increased their F& V intake more than adolescents in the A group. Outcome expectancies, self-monitoring, intentions, action and coping planning, perceived social support and behavioural automaticity mediated the effect of the intervention on F&V intake. CONCLUSION: The theory-based intervention led to an increase in F&V intake and promoted more positive social cognitions and self-regulatory processes among Iranian adolescents. The findings also provide evidence that involving mothers in an intervention can confer additional benefit.

A theory-based online health behaviour intervention for new university students (U@Uni:LifeGuide): results from a repeat randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This paper reports the results of a repeat trial assessing the effectiveness of an online theory-based intervention to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours in new university students. The original trial found that the intervention reduced the number of smokers at 6-month follow-up compared with the control condition, but had non-significant effects on the other targeted health behaviours. However, the original trial suffered from low levels of engagement, which the repeat trial sought to rectify. METHODS: Three weeks before staring university, all incoming undergraduate students at a large university in the UK were sent an email inviting them to participate in the study. After completing a baseline questionnaire, participants were randomly allocated to intervention or control conditions. The intervention consisted of a self-affirmation manipulation, health messages based on the theory of planned behaviour and implementation intention tasks. Participants were followed-up 1 and 6 months after starting university. The primary outcome measures were portions of fruit and vegetables consumed, physical activity levels, units of alcohol consumed and smoking status at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: The study recruited 2,621 students (intervention n=1346, control n=1275), of whom 1495 completed at least one follow-up (intervention n=696, control n=799). Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that the intervention had a non-significant effect on the primary outcomes, although the effect of the intervention on fruit and vegetable intake was significant in the per-protocol analyses. Secondary analyses revealed that the intervention had significant effects on having smoked at university (self-report) and on a biochemical marker of alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: Despite successfully increasing levels of engagement, the intervention did not have a significant effect on the primary outcome measures. The relatively weak effects of the intervention, found in both the original and repeat trials, may be due to the focus on multiple versus single health behaviours. Future interventions targeting the health behaviour of new university students should therefore focus on single health behaviours. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN07407344 .

A theory-based online health behaviour intervention for new university students (U@Uni): results from a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Too few young people engage in behaviours that reduce the risk of morbidity and premature mortality, such as eating healthily, being physically active, drinking sensibly and not smoking. This study sought to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a theory-based online health behaviour intervention (based on self-affirmation theory, the Theory of Planned Behaviour and implementation intentions) targeting these behaviours in new university students, in comparison to a measurement-only control. METHODS: Two-weeks before starting university all incoming undergraduates at the University of Sheffield were invited to take part in a study of new students' health behaviour. A randomised controlled design, with a baseline questionnaire, and two follow-ups (1 and 6 months after starting university), was used to evaluate the intervention. Primary outcomes were measures of the four health behaviours targeted by the intervention at 6-month follow-up, i.e., portions of fruit and vegetables, metabolic equivalent of tasks (physical activity), units of alcohol, and smoking status. RESULTS: The study recruited 1,445 students (intervention n = 736, control n = 709, 58% female, Mean age = 18.9 years), of whom 1,107 completed at least one follow-up (23% attrition). The intervention had a statistically significant effect on one primary outcome, smoking status at 6-month follow-up, with fewer smokers in the intervention arm (8.7%) than in the control arm (13.0%; Odds ratio = 1.92, p = .010). There were no significant intervention effects on the other primary outcomes (physical activity, alcohol or fruit and vegetable consumption) at 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the RCT indicate that the online health behaviour intervention reduced smoking rates, but it had little effect on fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity or alcohol consumption, during the first six months at university. However, engagement with the intervention was low. Further research is needed before strong conclusions can be made regarding the likely effectiveness of the intervention to promote health lifestyle habits in new university students. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN67684181.

A theory-based online health behavior intervention for new university students: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Too few young people engage in behaviors that reduce the risk of morbidity and premature mortality, such as eating healthily, being physically active, drinking sensibly and not smoking. The present research developed an online intervention to target these health behaviors during the significant life transition from school to university when health beliefs and behaviors may be more open to change. This paper describes the intervention and the proposed approach to its evaluation. METHODS/DESIGN: Potential participants (all undergraduates about to enter the University of Sheffield) will be emailed an online questionnaire two weeks before starting university. On completion of the questionnaire, respondents will be randomly assigned to receive either an online health behavior intervention (U@Uni) or a control condition. The intervention employs three behavior change techniques (self-affirmation, theory-based messages, and implementation intentions) to target four heath behaviors (alcohol consumption, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, and smoking). Subsequently, all participants will be emailed follow-up questionnaires approximately one and six months after starting university. The questionnaires will assess the four targeted behaviors and associated cognitions (e.g., intentions, self-efficacy) as well as socio-demographic variables, health status, Body Mass Index (BMI), health service use and recreational drug use. A sub-sample of participants will provide a sample of hair to assess changes in biochemical markers of health behavior. A health economic evaluation of the cost effectiveness of the intervention will also be conducted. DISCUSSION: The findings will provide evidence on the effectiveness of online interventions as well as the potential for intervening during significant life transitions, such as the move from school to university. If successful, the intervention could be employed at other universities to promote healthy behaviors among new undergraduates. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN67684181.