Biological biomarkers of oral cancer.

The oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) 5 year survival rate of 41% has marginally improved in the last few years, with less than a 1% improvement per year from 2005 to 2017, with higher survival rates when detected at early stages. Based on histopathological grading of oral dysplasia, it is estimated that severe dysplasia has a malignant transformation rate of 7%-50%. Despite these numbers, oral dysplasia grading does not reliably predict its clinical behavior. Thus, more accurate markers predicting oral dysplasia progression to cancer would enable better targeting of these lesions for closer follow-up, especially in the early stages of the disease. In this context, molecular biomarkers derived from genetics, proteins, and metabolites play key roles in clinical oncology. These molecular signatures can help predict the likelihood of OSCC development and/or progression and have the potential to detect the disease at an early stage and, support treatment decision-making and predict treatment responsiveness. Also, identifying reliable biomarkers for OSCC detection that can be obtained non-invasively would enhance management of OSCC. This review will discuss biomarkers for OSCC that have emerged from different biological areas, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, immunomics, and microbiomics.

Two-year outcomes following the HIDOC program: expanding outpatient care delivery to meet the needs of medically complex, high-utilizing patients with a broader interprofessional care team.

This article describes the Highly Individualized Dedicated Onsite Care (HIDOC) intensive primary care program implemented at a university clinic, comprising (a) care by an interprofessional team, (b) new logistical capacity, and (c) clinician skills training. Measured outcomes include Emergency Department (ED) visits and hospitalizations at a university and a community hospital over 2 years, using a within-subjects design. We demonstrate decreased hospitalizations at the University Hospital, and a decrease in ED visits at both sites. Team-based strategies to provide intensive primary care can decrease utilization, allowing for greater continuity of care.

eConsults' Impact on Care Access and Wait Times in Rheumatology.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: A growing number of health systems have implemented eConsults to improve access to specialty advice, but few studies have described their use in rheumatology or impact on visit wait times. We evaluated the uptake of an eConsult program and its impact on wait times for in-person rheumatology visits. METHODS: In this quality improvement project, we analyzed electronic health record data from 4 intervention clinics and 4 comparison clinics, 12 months before and after implementation of an eConsult program. We compared median wait time for rheumatology appointments using a pre-post difference-in-differences analysis and quantile regression, adjusting for patient age, race, sex, clinic pair, and primary insurance payer. We also interviewed 11 primary care providers from the intervention clinics and conducted a rheumatology provider focus group (n = 4) to elucidate experiences with the program. RESULTS: Rheumatologists recommended management in primary care or referral to another specialty for 41% of eConsults, reducing initial demand for in-person visits. The median wait times dropped in the intervention and the comparison clinics (42 and 25 days, respectively). Intervention clinic median wait time dropped 17 days more than comparison clinics, and this was nonstatistically significant (p = 0.089). eConsults fit provider care tasks best for triage or initial workup for diagnosis, and less well when tests required interpretation, or when back and forth communication was needed to manage the patient's condition. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of eConsults for rheumatology was associated with reduced wait times for rheumatology appointments and supported primary care providers in the triage and workup for a substantial portion of patients.

Gene therapy for cystic fibrosis: new tools for precision medicine.

The discovery of the Cystic fibrosis (CF) gene in 1989 has paved the way for incredible progress in treating the disease such that the mean survival age of individuals living with CF is now ~58 years in Canada. Recent developments in gene targeting tools and new cell and animal models have re-ignited the search for a permanent genetic cure for all CF. In this review, we highlight some of the more recent gene therapy approaches as well as new models that will provide insight into personalized therapies for CF.

General Behavioral Engagement and Changes in Clinical and Cognitive Outcomes of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Using the Time2Focus Mobile App for Diabetes Education: Pilot Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes affects 30 million Americans, representing a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Self-management support is an important component of chronic illness care and is a key pillar of the chronic care model. Face-to-face teaching and patient education materials suffer from being static or incompatible with mobile lifestyles. Digital apps provide a self-management support alternative that is convenient and scalable. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study tested the real-world deployment of a self-guided mobile app for diabetes education (Time2Focus app; MicroMass Communications Inc, Cary, NC), which utilizes evidence-based content and gamification to deliver an interactive learning experience. METHODS: Primary care providers were approached for permission to invite their patients to participate. Eligible patients were 18 to 89 years of age, had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥8% and <12% in the past 3 months, an active online patient portal account (tied to the electronic health record), and access to an iOS or Android smartphone. Interested patients were emailed a baseline survey, and once this was completed, were sent instructions for downloading the Time2Focus app. After completing all 12 levels, participants were sent a follow-up survey. The primary outcome was the change in HbA1c. Secondary outcomes included medication adherence, self-care activities, self-reporting of physical activities, diabetes self-efficacy, illness perceptions, diabetes distress scale, and users' engagement with and rating of the app. RESULTS: Of 1355 potentially eligible patients screened, 201 were consented. Of these 201 patients, 101 (50.2%) did not download the app. Of the 100 participants (49.8%) who downloaded the app, 16 (16.0%) completed 0 levels, 26 (26.0%) completed 1 to 4 levels, 10 (10.0%) completed 5 to 11 levels, and 48 (48.0%) completed all 12 levels of the app and the follow-up survey. Those completing one or more levels had a mean pre/post-HbA1c change of -0.41% (compared to -0.32% among those who completed zero levels); however, the unadjusted two-tailed t test indicated no significant difference between the two groups (P=.73). Diabetes self-efficacy showed a large and significant increase during app usage for completers (mean change 1.28, P<.001, d=.83). Severity of illness perceptions showed a small but significant decrease during app usage for completers (mean change -0.51, P=.004, d=.43). Diabetes distress showed a small but significant decrease during app usage for completers (mean change -0.45, P=.006, d=.41). The net promoter score was 62.5, indicating that those who completed all levels of the app rated it highly and would recommend it to others. CONCLUSIONS: Participants who engaged in all 12 levels of the Time2Focus mobile app showed an improvement in diabetes self-efficacy and a decrease in severity of illness perceptions. The decrease in HbA1c observed in app users relative to nonusers during this limited pilot study was not statistically significant. However, uptake and application of lessons learned from self-management support may be delayed. Further research is needed to address how to increase engagement through self-management support and to investigate if follow up over a longer period demonstrates a significant change in outcomes such as HbA1c.

Impact of Genetic Testing and Family Health History Based Risk Counseling on Behavior Change and Cognitive Precursors for Type 2 Diabetes.

Family health history (FHH) in the context of risk assessment has been shown to positively impact risk perception and behavior change. The added value of genetic risk testing is less certain. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) FHH and genetic risk counseling on behavior and its cognitive precursors. Subjects were non-diabetic patients randomized to counseling that included FHH +/- T2D genetic testing. Measurements included weight, BMI, fasting glucose at baseline and 12 months and behavioral and cognitive precursor (T2D risk perception and control over disease development) surveys at baseline, 3, and 12 months. 391 subjects enrolled of which 312 completed the study. Behavioral and clinical outcomes did not differ across FHH or genetic risk but cognitive precursors did. Higher FHH risk was associated with a stronger perceived T2D risk (pKendall < 0.001) and with a perception of "serious" risk (pKendall < 0.001). Genetic risk did not influence risk perception, but was correlated with an increase in perception of "serious" risk for moderate (pKendall = 0.04) and average FHH risk subjects (pKendall = 0.01), though not for the high FHH risk group. Perceived control over T2D risk was high and not affected by FHH or genetic risk. FHH appears to have a strong impact on cognitive precursors of behavior change, suggesting it could be leveraged to enhance risk counseling, particularly when lifestyle change is desirable. Genetic risk was able to alter perceptions about the seriousness of T2D risk in those with moderate and average FHH risk, suggesting that FHH could be used to selectively identify individuals who may benefit from genetic risk testing.

Electroencephalography correlates of spatial working memory deficits in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: vigilance, encoding, and maintenance.

In the current study we sought to dissociate the component processes of working memory (WM) (vigilance, encoding and maintenance) that may be differentially impaired in attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We collected electroencephalographic (EEG) data from 52 children with ADHD and 47 typically developing (TD) children, ages 7-14 years, while they performed a spatial Sternberg working memory task. We used independent component analysis and time-frequency analysis to identify midoccipital alpha (8-12 Hz) to evaluate encoding processes and frontal midline theta (4-7 Hz) to evaluate maintenance processes. We tested for effects of task difficulty and cue processing to evaluate vigilance. Children with ADHD showed attenuated alpha band event-related desynchronization (ERD) during encoding. This effect was more pronounced when task difficulty was low (consistent with impaired vigilance) and was predictive of memory task performance and symptom severity. Correlated with alpha ERD during encoding were alpha power increases during the maintenance period (relative to baseline), suggesting a compensatory effort. Consistent with this interpretation, midfrontal theta power increases during maintenance were stronger in ADHD and in high-load memory conditions. Furthermore, children with ADHD exhibited a maturational lag in development of posterior alpha power whereas age-related changes in frontal theta power deviated from the TD pattern. Last, subjects with ADHD showed age-independent attenuation of evoked responses to warning cues, suggesting low vigilance. Combined, these three EEG measures predicted diagnosis with 70% accuracy. We conclude that the interplay of impaired vigilance and encoding in ADHD may compromise maintenance and lead to impaired WM performance in this group.

Does Type 2 Diabetes Genetic Testing and Counseling Reduce Modifiable Risk Factors? A Randomized Controlled Trial of Veterans.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the clinical utility of supplementing type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) risk counseling with DM genetic test results and counseling. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, non-diabetic overweight/obese veteran outpatients aged 21 to 65 years received DM risk estimates for lifetime risk, family history, and fasting plasma glucose, followed by either genetic test results (CR+G; N = 303) or control eye disease counseling (CR+EYE; N = 298). All participants received brief lifestyle counseling encouraging weight loss to reduce the risk of DM. RESULTS: The mean age was 54 years, 53% of participants were black, and 80% were men. There was no difference between arms in weight (estimated mean difference between CR+G vs. CR+EYE at 3 months = 0.2 kg, 95% CI: -0.3 to 0.7; at 6 months = 0.4 kg, 95 % CI: -0.3 to 1.1), insulin resistance, perceived risk, or physical activity at 3 or 6 months. Calorie and fat intake were lower in the CR+G arm at 3 months (p's ≤ 0.05) but not at 6 months (p's > 0.20). CONCLUSIONS: Providing patients with genetic test results was not more effective in changing patient behavior to reduce the risk of DM compared to conventional risk counseling. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01060540 http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01060540.

Patient beliefs and behaviors about genomic risk for type 2 diabetes: implications for prevention.

Type 2 diabetes is a major health burden in the United States, and population trends suggest this burden will increase. High interest in, and increased availability of, testing for genetic risk of type 2 diabetes presents a new opportunity for reducing type 2 diabetes risk for many patients; however, to date, there is little evidence that genetic testing positively affects type 2 diabetes prevention. Genetic information may not fit patients' illness representations, which may reduce the chances of risk-reducing behavior changes. The present study aimed to examine illness representations in a clinical sample who are at risk for type 2 diabetes and interested in genetic testing. The authors used the Common Sense Model to analyze survey responses of 409 patients with type 2 diabetes risk factors. Patients were interested in genetic testing for type 2 diabetes risk and believed in its importance. Most patients believed that genetic factors are important to developing type 2 diabetes (67%), that diet and exercise are effective in preventing type 2 diabetes (95%), and that lifestyle changes are more effective than drugs (86%). Belief in genetic causality was not related to poorer self-reported health behaviors. These results suggest that patients' interest in genetic testing for type 2 diabetes might produce a teachable moment that clinicians can use to counsel behavior change.

Internal Medicine Resident Barriers to Advance Care Planning in the Primary Care Continuity Clinic.

Background: While primary care providers regularly engage in Advance Care Planning (ACP) conversations, it is not well known what challenges resident physicians face to achieving this core competency. Objectives: We aimed to assess resident perceptions of barriers and potential interventions to outpatient ACP. Methods: We distributed an electronic survey to Internal Medicine and Medicine-Psychiatry residents at our institution in 2022. Questions addressed outpatient ACP barriers and potential interventions in several domains: structural issues, personal knowledge, and communication skills. We reported results using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, comparing responses by residency year (interns vs upperyears). Likert-scale responses were dichotomized to a "not at all or slightly" vs "moderate or extreme" barrier or helpful intervention. Results: Of 149 residents, 71 completed the survey (48%). Highest scoring barriers were structural, including 1) lack of clinic time (99%), 2) need to prioritize other medical problems (94%), and 3) lack of patient continuity (62%). Highest scoring interventions included the ability to schedule dedicated ACP visits with themselves (96%) or another clinician (82%). Interns were statistically significantly less confident in their ability to conduct ACP, and more likely to report lack of knowledge (i.e., not understanding ACP, patient prognosis, or how to complete paperwork, P < .05). Conclusions: Residents report significant structural barriers to outpatient ACP, including limitations in time, continuity, and competing medical priorities, that may warrant greater program attention to interventions such as clinic schedules and work-flow. Additional trainings may be most beneficial if targeted to the beginning of intern year.

Effect of genetic testing for risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus on health behaviors and outcomes: study rationale, development and design.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes is a prevalent chronic condition globally that results in extensive morbidity, decreased quality of life, and increased health services utilization. Lifestyle changes can prevent the development of diabetes, but require patient engagement. Genetic risk testing might represent a new tool to increase patients' motivation for lifestyle changes. Here we describe the rationale, development, and design of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessing the clinical and personal utility of incorporating type 2 diabetes genetic risk testing into comprehensive diabetes risk assessments performed in a primary care setting. METHODS/DESIGN: Patients are recruited in the laboratory waiting areas of two primary care clinics and enrolled into one of three study arms. Those interested in genetic risk testing are randomized to receive either a standard risk assessment (SRA) for type 2 diabetes incorporating conventional risk factors plus upfront disclosure of the results of genetic risk testing ("SRA+G" arm), or the SRA alone ("SRA" arm). Participants not interested in genetic risk testing will not receive the test, but will receive SRA (forming a third, "no-test" arm). Risk counseling is provided by clinic staff (not study staff external to the clinic). Fasting plasma glucose, insulin levels, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference are measured at baseline and 12 months, as are patients' self-reported behavioral and emotional responses to diabetes risk information. Primary outcomes are changes in insulin resistance and BMI after 12 months; secondary outcomes include changes in diet patterns, physical activity, waist circumference, and perceived risk of developing diabetes. DISCUSSION: The utility, feasibility, and efficacy of providing patients with genetic risk information for common chronic diseases in primary care remain unknown. The study described here will help to establish whether providing type 2 diabetes genetic risk information in a primary care setting can help improve patients' clinical outcomes, risk perceptions, and/or their engagement in healthy behavior change. In addition, study design features such as the use of existing clinic personnel for risk counseling could inform the future development and implementation of care models for the use of individual genetic risk information in primary care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00849563.

Genomic risk profiling: attitudes and use in personal and clinical care of primary care physicians who offer risk profiling.

BACKGROUND: Genomic risk profiling involves the analysis of genetic variations linked through statistical associations to a range of disease states. There is considerable controversy as to how, and even whether, to incorporate these tests into routine medical care. OBJECTIVE: To assess physician attitudes and uptake of genomic risk profiling among an 'early adopter' practice group. DESIGN: We surveyed members of MDVIP, a national group of primary care physicians (PCPs), currently offering genomic risk profiling as part of their practice. POPULATION: All physicians in the MDVIP network (N = 356) RESULTS: We obtained a 44% response rate. One third of respondents had ordered a test for themselves and 42% for a patient. The odds of having ordered personal testing were 10.51-fold higher for those who felt well-informed about genomic risk testing (p < 0.0001). Of those who had not ordered a test for themselves, 60% expressed concerns for patients regarding discrimination by life and long-term/disability insurers, 61% about test cost, and 62% about clinical utility. The odds of ordering testing for their patients was 8.29-fold higher among respondents who had ordered testing for themselves (p < 0.0001). Of those who had ordered testing for patients, concerns about insurance coverage (p = 0.014) and uncertain clinical utility (p = 0.034) were associated with a lower relative frequency of intention to order testing again in the future. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that respondent familiarity was a key predictor of physician ordering behavior and clinical utility was a primary concern for genomic risk profiling. Educational and interpretive support may enhance uptake of genomic risk profiling.

Mapping Tonal Hierarchy in the Brain.

In Western tonal music, pitches are organized hierarchically based on their perceived fit in a specific tonal context. This hierarchy forms scales that are commonly used in Western tonal music. The hierarchical nature of tonal structure is well established behaviourally; however, the neural underpinnings are largely unknown. In this study, EEG data and goodness-of-fit ratings were collected from 34 participants who listened to an arpeggio followed by a probe tone, where the probe tone could be any chromatic scale degree and the context any of the major keys. Goodness-of-fit ratings corresponded to the classic tonal hierarchy. N1, P2 and the Early Right Anterior Negativity (ERAN) were significantly modulated by scale degree. Furthermore, neural marker amplitudes and latencies were significantly correlated with similar magnitude to both pitch height and goodness-of-fit ratings. This is different from the clearer divide between pitch height correlating with early neural markers (100-200 ms) and tonal hierarchy correlating with late neural markers (200-1000 ms) reported by Sankaran et al. (2020) and Quiroga-Martinez et al. (2019). Finally, individual differences were greater than any main effects detected when pooling participants and brain-behavior correlations vary widely (i.e. r = -0.8 to 0.8).

Comparative risk of musculoskeletal adverse reactions among new users of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: The effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4Is) on joint pain have been controversial. Objective: To assess the comparative musculoskeletal (MSk) risk of DPP4Is vs. non-DPP4Is. Methods: This study used a national claims database from January 2007 to December 2014. Exposure included the initiation of DPP4Is against the initiation of non-DPP4Is: metformin, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, meglitinides, and glucagonlike peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs). Insulin was not included in this study. Outcomes were newly diagnosed MSk conditions (arthralgia, arthropathy, and rheumatoid arthritis or other inflammatory polyarthropathies). Individuals exposed to DPP4Is were matched to those exposed to non-DPP4Is using a propensity score (PS). Balance between the DPP4I's group and the non-DPP4I's group was assessed using standardized differences for both continuous and categorical variables. Cox regressions were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for MSk conditions. Results: Among PS-matched cohorts, incidence rates (IRs) for MSk conditions did not differ between DPP4I initiators and non-DPP4I initiators (HR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.97-1.05). After stratifying non-DPP4Is by drug class, the results still showed that DPP4I initiators had similar MSk risk when compared to initiators of metformin, sulfonylureas, meglitinides, and GLP-1 RAs. However, thiazolidinedione initiators had higher risk of MSk conditions than DPP4I initiators (HR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.10). Conclusions: This head-to-head comparison study estimated comparative MSk risks among different antidiabetic drugs. The risk of MSk conditions among DPP4I initiators were not significantly higher than non-DPP4I initiators.

Use of Chronic Prescription Medications and Prevalence of Polypharmacy in Survivors of Childhood Cancer.

BACKGROUND: As survivors of childhood cancer age, development of cancer treatment-related chronic health conditions often occur. This study aimed to describe the pattern of chronic prescription medication use and identify factors associated with polypharmacy among survivors of childhood cancer. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted at the pediatric oncology long-term follow-up clinic in Hong Kong. Eligible subjects included survivors who were (1) diagnosed with cancer before 18 years old, (2) were at least 3 years post-cancer diagnosis and had completed treatment for at least 30 days, and (3) receiving long-term follow-up care at the study site between 2015 and 2018. Dispensing records of eligible survivors were reviewed to identify medications taken daily for ≥30 days or used on an "as needed" basis for ≥6 months cumulatively within the past 12-month period. Polypharmacy was defined as the concurrent use of ≥5 chronic medications. Multivariable log-binomial modeling was conducted to identify treatment and clinical factors associated with medication use pattern and polypharmacy. RESULTS: This study included 625 survivors (mean current age = 17.9 years, standard deviation [SD] = 7.2 years) who were 9.2 [5.2] years post-treatment. Approximately one-third (n = 219, 35.0%) of survivors were prescribed at least one chronic medication. Frequently prescribed medication classes include systemic antihistamines (26.5%), sex hormones (19.2%), and thyroid replacement therapy (16.0%). Overall prevalence of polypharmacy was 5.3% (n = 33). A higher rate of polypharmacy was found in survivors of CNS tumors (13.6%) than in survivors of hematological malignancies (4.3%) and other solid tumors (5.3%) (P = .0051). Higher medication burden was also observed in survivors who had undergone cranial radiation (RR = 6.31; 95% CI = 2.75-14.49) or hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) (RR = 3.53; 95% CI = 1.59-7.83). CONCLUSION: Although polypharmacy was observed in a minority of included survivors of childhood cancer, chronic medication use was common. Special attention should be paid to survivors of CNS tumors and survivors who have undergone HSCT or cranial radiation. These individuals should be monitored closely for drug-drug interactions and adverse health outcomes that may result from multiple chronic medications, particularly during hospitalization in an acute care setting.

Do diabetic veterans use the Internet? Self-reported usage, skills, and interest in using My HealtheVet Web portal.

OBJECTIVE: The Veterans Health Administration has developed My HealtheVet (MHV), a Web-based portal that links veterans to their care in the veteran affairs (VA) system. The objective of this study was to measure diabetic veterans' access to and use of the Internet, and their interest in using MHV to help manage their diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional mailed survey of 201 patients with type 2 diabetes and hemoglobin A(1c) > 8.0% receiving primary care at any of five primary care clinic sites affiliated with a VA tertiary care facility. Main measures included Internet usage, access, and attitudes; computer skills; interest in using the Internet; awareness of and attitudes toward MHV; demographics; and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: A majority of respondents reported having access to the Internet at home. Nearly half of all respondents had searched online for information about diabetes, including some who did not have home Internet access. More than a third obtained "some" or "a lot" of their health-related information online. Forty-one percent reported being "very interested" in using MHV to help track their home blood glucose readings, a third of whom did not have home Internet access. Factors associated with being "very interested" were as follows: having access to the Internet at home (p < 0.001), "a lot/some" trust in the Internet as a source of health information (p = 0.002), lower age (p = 0.03), and some college (p = 0.04). Neither race (p = 0.44) nor income (p = 0.25) was significantly associated with interest in MHV. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that a diverse sample of older VA patients with sub-optimally controlled diabetes had a level of familiarity with and access to the Internet comparable to an age-matched national sample. In addition, there was a high degree of interest in using the Internet to help manage their diabetes.

Tibial access for supra-inguinal embolization in extremely obese patients.

Extreme obesity is a risk factor for hemorrhagic complications of femoral access (FA). Femoral lines, hematomas, pelvic binders and coagulopathy in the trauma scenario may also add difficulty and/or risk to FA. Radial access (RA) for routine peripheral endovascular procedures has been popularized owing to decreased hemorrhagic complications, increased patient satisfaction, and decreased operator radiation dose. However, though uncommon, cerebrovascular complications from RA approach are a known risk. Relatively recently, tibial access (TA) has been used for lower extremity peripheral vascular disease interventions. The advantages of TA mirror that of RA, with few and mostly minor complications, and the risk of iatrogenic cerebral embolization is nil. We report the feasibility of TA for supra-inguinal embolization in two extremely obese patients {body mass index > 40 kg/m2} following motor vehicle accidents. Commercially available base and microcatheters were used to perform embolization of the affected lower abdominal or pelvic arteries in standard fashion via a novel trans-tibial artery approach.

Multiyear Outcomes of a Population-Oriented Care Redesign in an Internal Medicine Residency Continuity Clinic.

The cornerstone of ambulatory care training for internal medicine residents is the continuity clinic, which often serves medically and psychosocially complex patients. We conducted and evaluated a population-oriented redesign to improve care for "high-needs" patients and the resident experience at a hospital-based safety net primary care internal medicine practice in the Southeastern U.S. A Define, Measure, Analyze, Implement, Control (DMAIC) framework was adapted to identify and develop three main interventions to address major unmet needs of patients and trainees: (1) a behavioral health-focused team care model; (2) a formalized hospital discharge transitions workflow; and (3) the creation of larger "firms" of smaller resident practice partnerships. We constructed a financial model to justify investments, with metrics to track progress. Over three years, sustained reductions in hospitalizations and ED visits (mean annual changes of -11.6% and -16.9%, respectively) were achieved. Resident primary care provider (PCP)-to-patient continuity and satisfaction also improved.