Functional neurological disorder is a feminist issue.

Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common and disabling disorder, often misunderstood by clinicians. Although viewed sceptically by some, FND is a diagnosis that can be made accurately, based on positive clinical signs, with clinical features that have remained stable for over 100 years. Despite some progress in the last decade, people with FND continue to suffer subtle and overt forms of discrimination by clinicians, researchers and the public. There is abundant evidence that disorders perceived as primarily affecting women are neglected in healthcare and medical research, and the course of FND mirrors this neglect. We outline the reasons why FND is a feminist issue, incorporating historical and contemporary clinical, research and social perspectives. We call for parity for FND in medical education, research and clinical service development so that people affected by FND can receive the care they need.

Mechanisms of mindfulness in patients with migraine: Results of a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the mechanisms of mindfulness' impact on migraine. BACKGROUND: Promising mindfulness research demonstrates potential benefit in migraine, but no data-driven model exists from the lived experiences of patients that explains the mechanisms of mindfulness in migraine. METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with adults with migraine who participated in two mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) clinical trials (n = 43). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and summarized into a framework matrix with development of a master codebook. Constructivist grounded theory approach was used to identify themes/subthemes. RESULTS: Participants who learned mindfulness techniques through MBSR experienced altered pain perception, altered response to migraine attacks and disease, increased awareness of external and internal experiences, improved overall well-being, and group benefits. Mindfulness resulted in earlier stress-body awareness and increased interoceptive awareness resulting in earlier attack recognition, leading to earlier and more effective management. Interictal factors of self-blame, guilt, and stigma decreased while migraine acceptance, hope, empowerment, self-efficacy, and self-compassion increased. Improved emotion regulation resulted in decreased fear of migraine, pain catastrophizing, anticipatory anxiety, and pain reactivity. Although taught as prevention, mindfulness was used both acutely and prophylactically. We created a conceptual model hypothesizing that MBSR skills led to an infusion of mindfulness in daily life, resulting in altered pain perception and experience, ultimately leading to improvement in overall well-being, which may positively feed back to the infusion of mindfulness in daily life. The therapeutic benefit of learning mindfulness in a group setting may moderate these effects. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified several new potential mechanisms of mindfulness' effect on migraine. After learning MBSR skills, participants reported altered pain and migraine perception and experiences. Increased stress-body and interoceptive awareness resulted in earlier migraine awareness and treatment. Mindfulness may target important interictal factors that affect disease burden such as fear of migraine, pain catastrophizing, and anticipatory anxiety. This is the first data-driven study to help elucidate the mechanisms of mindfulness on migraine from patient voices and can help direct future research endeavors.

Effectiveness of an Immersive Telemedicine Platform for Delivering Diabetes Medical Group Visits for African American, Black and Hispanic, or Latina Women With Uncontrolled Diabetes: The Women in Control 2.0 Noninferiority Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Medically underserved people with type 2 diabetes mellitus face limited access to group-based diabetes care, placing them at risk for poor disease control and complications. Immersive technology and telemedicine solutions could bridge this gap. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of diabetes medical group visits (DMGVs) delivered in an immersive telemedicine platform versus an in-person (IP) setting and establish the noninferiority of the technology-enabled approach for changes in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and physical activity (measured in metabolic equivalent of task [MET]) at 6 months. METHODS: This study is a noninferiority randomized controlled trial conducted from February 2017 to December 2019 at an urban safety net health system and community health center. We enrolled adult women (aged ≥18 years) who self-reported African American or Black race or Hispanic or Latina ethnicity and had type 2 diabetes mellitus and HbA1c ≥8%. Participants attended 8 weekly DMGVs, which included diabetes self-management education, peer support, and clinician counseling using a culturally adapted curriculum in English or Spanish. In-person participants convened in clinical settings, while virtual world (VW) participants met remotely via an avatar-driven, 3D VW linked to video teleconferencing. Follow-up occurred 6 months post enrollment. Primary outcomes were mean changes in HbA1c and physical activity at 6 months, with noninferiority margins of 0.7% and 12 MET-hours, respectively. Secondary outcomes included changes in diabetes distress and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Of 309 female participants (mean age 55, SD 10.6 years; n=195, 63% African American or Black; n=105, 34% Hispanic or Latina; n=151 IP; and n=158 in VW), 207 (67%) met per-protocol criteria. In the intention-to-treat analysis, we confirmed noninferiority for primary outcomes. We found similar improvements in mean HbA1c by group at 6 months (IP: -0.8%, SD 1.9%; VW: -0.5%, SD 1.8%; mean difference 0.3, 97.5% CI -∞ to 0.3; P<.001). However, there were no detectable improvements in physical activity (IP: -6.5, SD 43.6; VW: -9.6, SD 44.8 MET-hours; mean difference -3.1, 97.5% CI -6.9 to ∞; P=.02). The proportion of participants with significant diabetes distress and depressive symptoms at 6 months decreased in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this noninferiority randomized controlled trial, immersive telemedicine was a noninferior platform for delivering diabetes care, eliciting comparable glycemic control improvement, and enhancing patient engagement, compared to IP DMGVs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02726425; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02726425.

Depression Predicts Chronic Pain Interference in Racially Diverse, Income-Disadvantaged Patients.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is one of the most common reason adults seek medical care in the United States, with prevalence estimates ranging from 11% to 40%. Mindfulness meditation has been associated with significant improvements in pain, depression, physical and mental health, sleep, and overall quality of life. Group medical visits are increasingly common and are effective at treating myriad illnesses, including chronic pain. Integrative Medical Group Visits (IMGV) combine mindfulness techniques, evidence based integrative medicine, and medical group visits and can be used as adjuncts to medications, particularly in diverse underserved populations with limited access to non-pharmacological therapies. OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: The objective of the present study was to use a blended analytical approach of machine learning and regression analyses to evaluate the potential relationship between depression and chronic pain in data from a randomized clinical trial of IMGV in diverse, income-disadvantaged patients suffering from chronic pain and depression. METHODS: The analytical approach used machine learning to assess the predictive relationship between depression and pain and identify and select key mediators, which were then assessed with regression analyses. It was hypothesized that depression would predict the pain outcomes of average pain, pain severity, and pain interference. RESULTS: Our analyses identified and characterized a predictive relationship between depression and chronic pain interference. This prediction was mediated by high perceived stress, low pain self-efficacy, and poor sleep quality, potential targets for attenuating the adverse effects of depression on functional outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In the context of the associated clinical trial and similar interventions, these insights may inform future treatment optimization, targeting, and application efforts in racialized, income-disadvantaged populations, demographics often neglected in studies of chronic pain.

Occupational therapy consensus recommendations for functional neurological disorder.

BACKGROUND: People with functional neurological disorder (FND) are commonly seen by occupational therapists; however, there are limited descriptions in the literature about the type of interventions that are likely to be helpful. This document aims to address this issue by providing consensus recommendations for occupational therapy assessment and intervention. METHODS: The recommendations were developed in four stages. Stage 1: an invitation was sent to occupational therapists with expertise in FND in different countries to complete two surveys exploring their opinions regarding best practice for assessment and interventions for FND. Stage 2: a face-to-face meeting of multidisciplinary clinical experts in FND discussed and debated the data from stage 1, aiming to achieve consensus on each issue. Stage 3: recommendations based on the meeting were drafted. Stage 4: successive drafts of recommendations were circulated among the multidisciplinary group until consensus was achieved. RESULTS: We recommend that occupational therapy treatment for FND is based on a biopsychosocial aetiological framework. Education, rehabilitation within functional activity and the use of taught self-management strategies are central to occupational therapy intervention for FND. Several aspects of occupational therapy for FND are distinct from therapy for other neurological conditions. Examples to illustrate the recommendations are included within this document. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational therapists have an integral role in the multidisciplinary management of people with FND. This document forms a starting point for research aiming to develop evidence-based occupational therapy interventions for people with FND.

Brief Self-Compassion Training Alters Neural Responses to Evoked Pain for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: Self-compassion meditation, which involves compassion toward the self in moments of suffering, shows promise for improving pain-related functioning, but its underlying mechanisms are unknown. This longitudinal, exploratory pilot study investigated the effects of a brief (eight contact hours, two weeks of home practice) self-compassion training on pain-related brain processing in chronic low back pain (cLBP). METHODS: We evaluated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) response to evoked pressure pain and its anticipation during a self-compassionate state and compared altered brain responses following training with changes on self-reported measures of self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale [SCS]), interoceptive awareness (Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness [MAIA]), and clinical pain intensity. RESULTS: In a sample of participants with cLBP (N = 20 total, N = 14 with complete longitudinal data) who underwent self-compassion training, we observed reduced clinical pain intensity and disability (P < 0.01) and increased trait self-compassion and interoceptive awareness (all P < 0.05) following training. Evoked pressure pain response in the right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) was reduced following training, and decreases were associated with reduced clinical pain intensity. Further, increased fMRI responses to pain anticipation were observed in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and ventral posterior cingulate cortex (vPCC), and these increases were associated with mean post-training changes in SCS scores and scores from the body listening subscale of the MAIA. DISCUSSION: These findings, though exploratory and lacking comparison with a control condition, suggest that self-compassion training supports regulation of pain through the involvement of self-referential (vPCC), salience-processing (TPJ), and emotion regulatory (dlPFC) brain areas. The results also suggest that self-compassion could be an important target in the psychotherapeutic treatment of cLBP, although further studies using controlled experimental designs are needed to determine the specificity of these effects.

Occupational therapy for functional neurological disorders: a scoping review and agenda for research.

Functional neurological disorders (FND)-also called psychogenic, nonorganic, conversion, and dissociative disorders-constitute one of the commonest problems in neurological practice. An occupational therapist (OT) is commonly involved in management, but there is no specific literature or guidance for these professionals. Classification now emphasizes the importance of positive diagnosis of FND based on physical signs, more than psychological features. Studies of mechanism have produced new clinical and neurobiological ways of thinking about these disorders. Evidence has emerged to support the use of physiotherapy and occupational therapy as part of a multidisciplinary team for functional movement disorders (FMD) and psychotherapy for dissociative (nonepileptic) attacks. The diagnosis and management of FND has entered a new evidence-based era and deserves a standard place in the OT neurological curriculum. We discuss specific management areas relevant to occupational therapy and propose a research agenda.

Yoga, Physical Therapy, or Education for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Noninferiority Trial.

BACKGROUND: Yoga is effective for mild to moderate chronic low back pain (cLBP), but its comparative effectiveness with physical therapy (PT) is unknown. Moreover, little is known about yoga's effectiveness in underserved patients with more severe functional disability and pain. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether yoga is noninferior to PT for cLBP. DESIGN: 12-week, single-blind, 3-group randomized noninferiority trial and subsequent 40-week maintenance phase. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01343927). SETTING: Academic safety-net hospital and 7 affiliated community health centers. PARTICIPANTS: 320 predominantly low-income, racially diverse adults with nonspecific cLBP. INTERVENTION: Participants received 12 weekly yoga classes, 15 PT visits, or an educational book and newsletters. The maintenance phase compared yoga drop-in classes versus home practice and PT booster sessions versus home practice. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcomes were back-related function, measured by the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and pain, measured by an 11-point scale, at 12 weeks. Prespecified noninferiority margins were 1.5 (RMDQ) and 1.0 (pain). Secondary outcomes included pain medication use, global improvement, satisfaction with intervention, and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: One-sided 95% lower confidence limits were 0.83 (RMDQ) and 0.97 (pain), demonstrating noninferiority of yoga to PT. However, yoga was not superior to education for either outcome. Yoga and PT were similar for most secondary outcomes. Yoga and PT participants were 21 and 22 percentage points less likely, respectively, than education participants to use pain medication at 12 weeks. Improvements in yoga and PT groups were maintained at 1 year with no differences between maintenance strategies. Frequency of adverse events, mostly mild self-limited joint and back pain, did not differ between the yoga and PT groups. LIMITATIONS: Participants were not blinded to treatment assignment. The PT group had disproportionate loss to follow-up. CONCLUSION: A manualized yoga program for nonspecific cLBP was noninferior to PT for function and pain. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health of the National Institutes of Health.

Listening to Their Words: A Qualitative Analysis of Integrative Medicine Group Visits in an Urban Underserved Medical Setting.

OBJECTIVE: Integrative Medicine Group Visits (IMGVs) are an 8-week outpatient medical group visit program for chronic pain patients combining mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), integrative medicine, and patient education. The authors conducted a qualitative study with IMGV participants to better understand the effects of IMGVs on patients' health. DESIGN: This qualitative study enrolled a convenience sample of 19 participants from the parent prospective observational cohort study of IMGVs (n = 65). All participants in the parent study were invited to participate. SETTING: Boston Medical Center (BMC) is a private, not-for-profit, 496-bed, academic medical center and the largest safety net hospital in New England. SUBJECTS: Individuals in this study had a diagnosis of chronic pain and/or one or more chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, depression, or metabolic syndrome), had attended ≥1 group visit, and their 8-week session had ended before completing the interview. METHODS: The authors conducted individual semi-structured interviews. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed. RESULTS: Participants cite gains from IMGVs including improved self-monitoring, self-regulation, and increased mindfulness. The group setting leads patients to feel "not alone" in their health conditions, gain a sense of perspective on their health, and share coping strategies in a supportive network. These improvements in physical and mental health improved clinical outcomes for participants including reductions in pain. CONCLUSIONS: Group visits and integrative medicine both offer some potential solutions in the treatment of chronic pain. Models such as IMGVs can help individuals living with chronic conditions, addressing their emotional and physical health needs.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Women During Pregnancy and Childbearing Years.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use during pregnancy and the preconception period. Since half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, understanding the patterns of CAM use among women of childbearing age has implications for fetal and maternal health. METHODS: Descriptive statistics were generated from the 2012 National Health Interview Study (NHIS) to estimate weighted prevalence and patterns of CAM use by women of childbearing age. Comparisons were made between pregnant and nonpregnant respondents. RESULTS: In this sample of 10,002 women, 7 percent (n = 727) were recently pregnant. Over one-third of all the women used CAM during the previous year (34/38%, pregnant/nonpregnant, respectively) and only half disclosed CAM use to conventional providers (50/49%). In the adjusted model, taking multivitamins (OR 2.52 [CI 2.22-2.86]) and moderate to heavy alcohol use (OR 1.92 [CI 1.53-2.41]) were more likely associated with CAM use. The two most commonly used modalities were herbs (14/17%) and yoga (13/16%). The top reasons for CAM use were to improve general wellness or to prevent disease (33/35%) and to treat back pain (16/18%). When examining all pregnancy-related symptoms treated with CAM, no difference was found in the rates of CAM use between pregnant and nonpregnant users. CONCLUSIONS: CAM use by women of childbearing age in the United States is common, with over a third of the population using one or more therapies. However, only half disclosed their use to conventional providers despite limited evidence on safety and effectiveness. This study highlights the important need for further research in this area.

Patient activation and 30-day post-discharge hospital utilization.

BACKGROUND: Patient activation is linked to better health outcomes and lower rates of health service utilization. The role of patient activation in the rate of hospital readmission within 30 days of hospital discharge has not been examined. METHODS: A secondary analysis using data from the Project RED-LIT randomized controlled trial conducted at an urban safety net hospital. Data from 695 English-speaking general medical inpatient subjects were analyzed. We used an adapted, eight-item version of the validated Patient Activation Measure (PAM). Total scores were categorized, according to standardized methods, as one of four PAM levels of activation: Level 1 (lowest activation) through Level 4 (highest activation). The primary outcome measure was total 30-day post-discharge hospital utilization, defined as total emergency department (ED) visits plus hospital readmissions including observation stays. Poisson regression was used to control for confounding. RESULTS: Of the 695 subjects, 67 (9.6 %) were PAM Level 1, 123 (17.7 %) were Level 2, 193 (27.8 %) were Level 3, and 312 (44.9 %) were Level 4. Compared with highly activated patients (PAM Level 4), a higher rate of 30-day post-discharge hospital utilization was observed for patients at lower levels of activation (PAM Level 1, incident rate ratio [IRR] 1.75, 95 % CI,1.18 to 2.60) and (PAM Level 2, IRR 1.50, 95 % CI 1.06 to 2.13). The rate of returning to the hospital among patients at PAM Level 3 was not statistically different than patients with PAM Level 4 (IRR 1.30, 95 % CI, 0.94 to 1.80). The rate ratio for PAM Level 1 was also higher compared with Level 4 for ED use alone (1.68(1.07 to 2.63)) and for hospital readmissions alone (1.93 [1.22 to 3.06]). CONCLUSION: Hospitalized adult medical patients in an urban academic safety net hospital with lower levels of Patient Activation had a higher rate of post-discharge 30-day hospital utilization.

Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities: Exploring the Effects of a Synchronous Online Continuing Medical Education Program on Physician Burnout.

INTRODUCTION: Physician burnout is a common problem for which self-compassion training has shown positive effects. In this program evaluation, we explore the effects of a synchronous online continuing medical education program (Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities, SCHC) to improve physician burnout and related outcomes. METHODS: The SCHC program was delivered online via Zoom and consisted of six 1-hour weekly sessions to enhance self-compassion and well-being. The primary outcome was the "burnout" subscale of the Professional Quality of Life scale; compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, self-compassion, resilience activation and decompression, and job satisfaction were evaluated, and qualitative data were also collected. RESULTS: A total of 116 physicians attended at least one session of the program, 48 of whom completed both the preprogram and postprogram surveys. The results showed that physicians experienced a reduction in their burnout levels (P = .001) as well as improvements in compassion satisfaction (P = .027), secondary traumatic stress (P = .001), self-compassion (P < .001), resilience decompression (P = .012), and job satisfaction (P = .038). Qualitative data, obtained from a total of 91 participants who attended at least one session, indicated that participants were satisfied with the SCHC program: they found it useful for learning to be compassionate with themselves and they highly valued having the chance to connect with other colleagues who experience similar struggles. DISCUSSION: The live online SCHC program showed benefits on physician burnout and related outcomes such as compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, self-compassion, resilience decompression, and job satisfaction. Nonetheless, in addition to individual-focused well-being programs, systemic changes in health care delivery were also deemed necessary to decrease burnout.

Race-Based Differences in the Response to a Mindfulness Based Integrative Medical Group Visit Intervention for Chronic Pain.

Background: Chronic pain is one of the most common drivers of healthcare utilization and a marked domain for health disparities, as African American/Black populations experience high rates of chronic pain. Integrative Medical Group Visits (IMGV) combine mindfulness techniques, evidence-based integrative medicine, and medical group visits. In a parent randomized controlled trial, this approach was tested as an adjunct treatment in a diverse, medically underserved population with chronic pain and depression. Objective: To determine race-based heterogeneity in the effects of a mindfulness based treatment for chronic pain. Methods: This secondary analysis of the parent trial assessed heterogeneity of treatment effects along racialized identity in terms of primary patient-reported pain outcomes in a racially diverse sample suffering from chronic pain and depression. The analytic approach examined comorbidities and sociodemographics between racialized groups. RMANOVAs examined trajectories in pain outcomes (average pain, pain severity, and pain interference) over three timepoints (baseline, 9, and 21 weeks) between participants identifying as African American/Black (n = 90) vs White (n = 29) across both intervention and control conditions. Results: At baseline, African American/Black participants had higher pain severity and had significantly different age, work status, and comorbidity profiles. RMANOVA models also identified significant race-based differences in the response to the parent IMGV intervention. There was reduced pain severity in African American/Black subjects in the IMGV condition from baseline to 9 weeks. This change was not observed in White participants over this time period. However, there was a reduction in pain severity in White participants over the subsequent interval from 9 to 21 week where IMGV had no significant effect in African American/Black subjects during this latter time period. Conclusion: Interactions between pain and racialization require further investigation to understand how race-based heterogeneity in the response to integrative medicine treatments for chronic pain contribute to the broader landscape of health inequity.

Determinants of implementation for group medical visits for patients with chronic pain: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Despite the critical need for comprehensive and effective chronic pain care, delivery of such care remains challenging. Group medical visits (GMVs) offer an innovative and efficient model for providing comprehensive care for patients with chronic pain. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify barriers and facilitators (determinants) to implementing GMVs for adult patients with chronic pain. METHODS: The review included peer-reviewed studies reporting findings on implementation of GMVs for chronic pain, inclusive of all study designs. Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched. Studies of individual appointments or group therapy were excluded. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to determine risk of bias. Data related to implementation determinants were extracted independently by two reviewers. Data synthesis was guided by the updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. RESULTS: Thirty-three articles reporting on 25 studies met criteria for inclusion and included qualitative observational (n = 8), randomized controlled trial (n = 6), quantitative non-randomized (n = 9), quantitative descriptive (n = 3), and mixed methods designs (n = 7). The studies included in this review included a total of 2364 participants. Quality ratings were mixed, with qualitative articles receiving the highest quality ratings. Common multi-level determinants included the relative advantage of GMVs for chronic pain over other available models, the capability and motivation of clinicians, the cost of GMVs to patients and the health system, the need and opportunity of patients, the availability of resources and relational connections supporting recruitment and referral to GMVs within the clinic setting, and financing and policies within the outer setting. CONCLUSIONS: Multi-level factors determine the implementation of GMVs for chronic pain. Future research is needed to investigate these determinants more thoroughly and to develop and test implementation strategies addressing these determinants to promote the scale-up of GMVs for patients with chronic pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021231310 .

Effects of live-online, group mindfulness training on opioid use and anxiety during buprenorphine treatment: A comparative effectiveness RCT.

BACKGROUND: Office-based opioid treatment with buprenorphine has emerged as a popular evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder. Unfortunately, psychosocial stress, anxiety, pain, and co-morbid substance use increase patients' risk for relapse. We designed this study to compare the effects of complementing buprenorphine treatment with 24 weeks of a live-online Mindful Recovery Opioid Care Continuum (M-ROCC) group to a time and attention-matched, live-online Recovery Support Group (RSG) active control condition. METHODS: We plan to enroll a maximum of N = 280 and randomize at least N = 192 patients prescribed buprenorphine through referrals from office-based and telemedicine buprenorphine treatment providers and social media advertisements. Participants will be randomly assigned to M-ROCC or RSG and will be blinded to their treatment condition. The primary outcome for this study will be biochemically confirmed periods of abstinence from illicit opioids, as measured by self-reported use and randomly collected, video-observed oral fluid toxicology testing during the final 12 weeks of study participation. Secondary outcomes include changes in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) anxiety and pain interference scores between baseline and week 24. RESULTS: The trial was funded by the National Institutes of Health, HEAL Initiative through NCCIH (R33AT010125). Data collection is projected to end by September 2023, and we expect publication of results in 2024. CONCLUSION: If the M-ROCC intervention is found to be effective in this format, it will demonstrate that live-online mindfulness groups can improve outcomes and address common co-morbidities like anxiety and pain during buprenorphine treatment.

Midlife Women's Menopausal Transition Symptom Experience and Access to Medical and Integrative Health Care: Informing the Development of MENOGAP.

Background: Individuals with a uterus experience menopause, the cessation of menses, on average at age 51 years in the United States. While menopause is a natural occurrence for most, over 85% of women experience multiple interfering symptoms. Menopausal women face health disparities, including a lack of access to high-quality healthcare and greater disparities are experienced by women who are black, indigenous, and people of color. Some women are turning away from hormone therapy, and some seek integrative health interventions. Objective: Some menopausal women who seek healthcare do not receive it as they lack access to medical and integrative healthcare providers. A potential solution to this problem is a medical group visit (MGV), during which a provider sees multiple patients at once. The aims of this study were to gather women's opinions about the menopause, provider access, and conventional and integrative health interventions for later use to develop a menopause MGV. Methods: We conducted a Community Engagement Session and a Return of Results (RoR) with midlife women to learn about their menopause experiences, barriers and facilitators to accessing health providers, and their interest in and suggestions for designing a future integrative MGV (IMGV). Thematic qualitative research methods were used to summarize session results. Results: Nine women participated in the Session and six attended the RoR. Participants were well-educated and diverse in race and ethnicity. Themes included: an interest in this topic; unfamiliar medical terms; relevant social factors; desired whole person care; interest in integrative health; barriers and facilitators to accessing healthcare. The group expressed interest in ongoing participation in the future process of adapting an IMGV, naming it MENOGAP. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of stakeholder engagement before designing and implementing MENOGAP and the great need among midlife women for education about the menopausal transition, integrative self-care, and healthcare.

Health literacy and complementary and alternative medicine use among underserved inpatients in a safety net hospital.

Little is known about the relationship between health literacy and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in low-income racially diverse patients. The authors conducted a secondary analysis of baseline data from 581 participants enrolled in the Re-Engineered Discharge clinical trial. The authors assessed sociodemographic characteristics, CAM use, and health literacy. They used bivariate and multivariate logistic regression to test the association of health literacy with four patterns of CAM use. Of the 581 participants, 50% reported using any CAM, 28% used provider-delivered CAM therapies, 27% used relaxation techniques, and 21% used herbal medicine. Of those with higher health literacy, 55% used CAM. Although there was no association between health literacy and CAM use for non-Hispanic Black participants, non-Hispanic White (OR = 3.68, 95% CI [1.27, 9.99]) and Hispanic/other race (OR = 3.40, 95% CI [1.46, 7.91]) participants were significantly more likely to use CAM if they had higher health literacy. For each racial/ethnic group, there were higher odds of using relaxation techniques among those with higher health literacy. Underserved hospitalized patients use CAM. Regardless of race, patients with high health literacy make greater use of relaxation techniques.

Complementary, holistic, and integrative medicine: advice for clinicians on herbs and breastfeeding.

The use of herbal remedies is a tradition held in many cultures throughout the world, and women may use herbal remedies during lactation. Because of the limitations of the current literature, it is difficult to develop accurate information on the safety and efficacy of specific herbs used during breastfeeding. It is critical that more research is conducted in this area, including national prevalence studies and safety and efficacy studies.

Lessons Learned from Clinicians in a Federally Qualified Health Center: Steps Toward Eliminating Burnout.

Background: Burnout continues to impact health care workers and its effect takes a toll on their lives and wellbeing, especially in primary care. Relatively few studies have focused specifically on the perspective of clinicians in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which offer crucial, preventative health care services to vulnerable and underserved patient populations. Objective: To examine the perspectives of clinicians working at an FQHC in the Northeast United States after the implementation of a year-long wellness initiative. Design: A qualitative analysis of clinician's discussion during focus groups conducted after the wellness initiative. Subjects and Setting/Location: A total of 28 clinicians (primary care physicians and nurse practitioners) in an FQHC in the Northeast United States. Interventions: A one-year wellness initiative with programs and activities designed to bolster wellness. Outcome Measures: Analyzed NVIVO-coded transcripts of focus group discussion to generate codes and used modified grounded theory to extrapolate meaningful themes. Results: Five key themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: (1) clinicians often felt burdened by their workload and personally responsible when they were not able to provide optimal care to patients; (2) burnout was exacerbated by systemic problems at the FQHC; (3) medical assistants, medical scribes, schedulers, and other support staff played a crucial role in the wellness of the entire team; (4) perceived differences in priorities between administration and health care workers may have contributed to burnout; and (5) a communicative and stable team helped clinicians effectively care for their patients. Conclusions: Clinician burnout is a complex problem at FQHCs with many root causes. Addressing burnout and improving clinician wellness at FQHCs will require a multifaceted approach encompassing systemic, team, and individual components. The perspectives from the clinicians at our FQHC may inform wellness strategies for other safety net, clinical institutions in the primary care setting.

Integrative medical group visits for patients with chronic pain: results of a pilot single-site hybrid implementation-effectiveness feasibility study.

Background: Approximately 20% of adults in the United States experience chronic pain. Integrative Medical Group Visit (IMGV) offers an innovative approach to chronic pain management through training in mindfulness, nutrition, and other mind-body techniques combined with peer support. To date, there are no studies on IMGV implementation, despite its promise as a feasible non-pharmacological intervention for chronic pain management. In this study, we assessed the feasibility of implementing IMGV and assessing its effectiveness for chronic pain. Methods: Implementation Mapping was used to develop and evaluate implementation strategies for IMGV. Strategies included disseminating educational materials, conducting ongoing training, and conducting educational meetings. IMGV was delivered by three healthcare providers: an allopathic physician, registered yoga teacher, and naturopathic physician. The effectiveness of IMGV on patient health outcomes was assessed through qualitative interviews and a Patient-Reported Outcomes Scale (PROMIS-29). Provider perspectives of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility were assessed through periodic reflections (group interviews reflecting on the process of implementation) and field notes. Paired t-tests were used to assess changes between scores at baseline and post intervention. Qualitative data were coded by three experienced qualitative researchers using thematic content analysis. Results: Of the initial 16 patients enrolled in research, 12 completed at least two sessions of the IMGV. Other than fatigue, there was no statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-scores. Patients reported high satisfaction with IMGV, noting the development of new skills for self-care and the supportive community of peers. Themes from patient interviews and periodic reflections included the feasibility of virtual delivery, patient perspectives on acceptability, provider perspectives of feasibility and acceptability, ease of recruitment, complexity of referral and scheduling process, balancing medical check-in with group engagement, and nursing staff availability. Conclusions: IMGV was feasible, acceptable, and effective from the perspectives of patients and providers. Although statistically significant differences were not observed for most PROMIS measures, qualitative results suggested that participants experienced increased social support and increased pain coping skills. Providers found implementation strategies effective, except for engaging nurses, due to staff being overwhelmed from the pandemic. Lessons learned from this pilot study can inform future research on implementation of IMGV.