Evaluating the efficacy of telephone-based outreach in addressing hypertension control among black men with severe hypertension: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure [SBP] ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure [DBP] ≥90 mmHg) in Black patients represents a significant racial health disparity in the United States. AIMS: This study evaluated the efficacy of a telephone-based strategy for inviting high-risk patients with severe hypertension to weekly self-management education classes. Further, the study assessed how the outreach intervention correlated with relevant quality improvement outcomes, including improved blood pressure and primary care follow-up among our clinic population of Black men with severe hypertension. METHODS: A cohort of 265 Black men aged ≥18 years with SBP ≥160 mmHg or DBP ≥100 mmHg at the most recent clinic visit were identified using Epic reports formatted for Federal Uniformed Data Set annual reporting. Telephone outreach was used to invite the cohort to attend weekly in-person classes facilitated by various healthcare professionals. Logistic regression was performed to determine the associations between being reached by phone with (1) class attendance and (2) follow-up appointment attendance. RESULTS: Most of the Black men were single (57.4%, n = 152), 49.1% had history of alcohol or substance use (n = 130), and 35.8% (n = 95) was uninsured. The average age was 55.6 years (SD = 11.6). After controlling for sociodemographic factors, being reached by phone was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of patient attendance at follow-up appointments (OR = 1.91, p = .038) but not with class attendance (OR = 2.45, p = .155). Patients who attended a follow-up appointment experienced significant reductions in both SBP and DBP at 9 months. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Telephone outreach was labor-intensive but effective in keeping under-resourced patient populations engaged in primary care. Future work should aim to develop more efficient strategies for engaging high-risk patients in self-monitoring education to manage hypertension.

Patient expectations and preferences for community-based hypertension classes with implications for action.

BACKGROUND: Uncontrolled hypertension disproportionately affects Black men. Patient engagement with health promotion and health behavior programs for hypertension control is low. We held evidence-based hypertension classes at a Federally Qualified Health Center. AIMS: The aim of this project was to elicit patient preferences and expectations for community-based hypertension classes. METHODS: Group hypertension classes were held at a Federally Qualified Health Center. The priority population was Black men with hypertension. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the group class attendees. Two independent coders performed content analysis using field notes from the interviews. RESULTS: Seven group class attendees were interviewed. Six interviewees were Black males, one was a Black female, and the mean age was 65.7 years. Content analysis of the interview field notes revealed five content areas: (1) Recommendation of Group Classes to a Friend, (2) Expectations for the Group Classes, (3) Reasons for Continued Attendance, (4) Lifestyle Changes and Adopting the Group Class Lessons, and (5) Feedback and Recommendations to Improve Group Classes. Findings suggest that creating a cultural context in which open, transparent discussion of blood pressure occur can be achieved. Thus, regarding acceptability, classes fulfilled and often exceeded the attendees' expectations and needs. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Our findings suggest that community-based group classes are a viable intervention to contribute toward addressing the disparity of hypertension control among Black men. When designing peer-group interventions, taking patient preferences and expectations into account increases the effectiveness of these interventions. The qualitative narrative provided in this paper contributes to the development of similar community-based group classes for the management of severe hypertension.

Efficacy of Hypertension Self-Management Classes Among Patients at a Federally Qualified Health Center.

Structural racism has contributed to persistent racial disparities in hypertension control, with Black men suffering the highest prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension. Lincoln Community Health Center, our urban Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), aimed to use hypertension self-management classes to improve hypertension control among our clinic patients, particularly Black men. Patients attending classes learned about hypertension, were given blood pressure cuffs to use at home, and had the opportunity to speak to physicians in a group setting. We used a nonexperimental quality improvement intervention design to identify baseline differences between participants who attended multiple classes and those who attended only 1 class. Participants who attended multiple classes, most of whom were Black men, achieved an average blood pressure reduction of 19.1/14.8 mm Hg. Although the classes were effective, current policies around health insurance reimbursement and federal quality reporting standards hamper the ability of health care providers to implement such patient education initiatives.

Lessons from implementing community-based group classes for severe hypertension.

Due to the impact of persistent structural racism, Black men have low rates of hypertension treatment and control despite having high rates of hypertension-related mortality. Peer-based education can improve blood pressure monitoring and lower blood pressure in Black men with hypertension. To address this disparity, we implemented weekly community-based group classes for severe hypertension at a Federally Qualified Health Center. After 9 months, 28 classes were held and 96 individuals were served. Fifty-six percent of the person-hours of attendance have been by Black men. Seven individuals were interviewed about their perspectives and preferences for the classes. They reported that the peer-based model of the group classes was advantageous, and they would recommend the classes to a friend. Successes of implementation included (a) ability to facilitate medication adjustments for participants with blood pressure readings that were over target goal, (b) capacity to give participants take-home blood pressure monitors, (c) and the community-centered approach. Challenges included variability in attendance by participants and retention of individuals with uncontrolled hypertension in primary care. These findings have implications for other Federally Qualified Health Centers seeking to design similar health promotion programs and policy makers evaluating the funding and reimbursement models for community-based disease management programs.

Race does not predict the development of metastases in men with nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although race is associated with prostate cancer progression in early stage disease, once men have advanced disease, it is unclear whether race continues to predict a poor outcome. The authors hypothesized that, in an equal-access setting among patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and no known metastases (M0/Mx), black men would receive imaging tests at similar rates as nonblack men (ie, there would be an equal opportunity to detect metastases) but would have a higher risk of metastatic disease. METHODS: In total, 837 men who were diagnosed with M0/Mx CRPC during 2000 through 2014 from 5 Veterans Affairs hospitals in the SEARCH (Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital) database were analyzed. Data on all imaging tests after CRPC diagnosis were collected, including date, type, and outcome. Multivariable Cox models were used to test associations between race and the time to first metastasis, first bone metastasis, first bone scan, second bone scan among men who had a negative first bone scan, and overall survival. RESULTS: Black men (n = 306) were equally as likely as nonblack men (n = 531) to receive a first and second bone scan after a diagnosis of CRPC. There were no significant differences in the risk of developing any metastases, bone metastases, time to bone scans, or overall survival between black men and nonblack men (all P > .2). CONCLUSIONS: The lack of racial differences in the development of metastases and scanning practices observed in this study suggests that, once men have a diagnosis of M0/Mx CRPC, race may not be a prognostic factor. Efforts to understand prostate cancer racial disparities may derive greater benefit by focusing on the risk of developing prostate cancer and on the outcomes of men who have early stage disease. Cancer 2016;122:3848-3855. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Validation of a bone scan positivity risk table in non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To test the external validity of a previously developed risk table, designed to predict the probability of a positive bone scan among men with non-metastatic (M0) castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), in a separate cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 429 bone scans of 281 patients with CRPC, with no known previous metastases, treated at three Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. We assessed the predictors of a positive scan using generalized estimating equations. Area under the curve (AUC), calibration plots and decision-curve analysis were used to assess the performance of our previous model to predict a positive scan in the current data. RESULTS: A total of 113 scans (26%) were positive. On multivariable analysis, the only significant predictors of a positive scan were log-transformed prostate-specific antigen (PSA): hazard ratio (HR) 2.13; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.71-2.66 (P < 0.001) and log-transformed PSA doubling time (PSADT): HR 0.53; 95% CI 0.41-0.68 (P < 0.001). Among men with a PSA level <5 ng/mL, the rate of positive scans was 5%. The previously developed risk table had an AUC of 0.735 to predict positive bone scan with excellent calibration, and provided additional net benefit in the decision-curve analysis. CONCLUSION: We have validated our previously developed table to predict the risk of a positive bone scan among men with M0/Mx CRPC. Use of this risk table may allow better tailoring of patients' scanning to identify metastases early, while minimizing over-imaging. Regardless of PSADT, positive bone scans were rare in men with a PSA <5 ng/mL.

Adherence to cardiovascular disease risk factor medications among patients with cancer: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: The most common cause of mortality for many cancer survivors is cardiovascular disease (CVD). This requires a shift in thinking where control of CVD risk factor-related comorbidity is paramount. Our objective was to provide an understanding of adherence to medications for the management of CVD risk factor-related comorbidities among cancer survivors. METHODS: We systematically searched for articles indexed in MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Cochrane (Wiley), PsycINFO, and Scopus (via Elsevier) for articles published from inception to October 31, 2019, and updated the search on June 7, 2021. English language, original research that assessed medication adherence to common CVD risk factor-related comorbidities among cancer survivors was included. We assessed risk of bias using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: Of the 21 studies included, 57% focused on multiple cancer types. Seventy-one percent used pharmacy-based adherence measures. Two were prospective. Adherence was variable across cancer types and CVD risk factor-related comorbidities. Among the studies that examined changes in comorbid medication adherence, most noted a decline in adherence following cancer diagnosis and throughout cancer treatment. There was a focus on breast cancer populations. CONCLUSIONS: CVD risk factor-related medication adherence is low among cancer survivors and declines over time. Given the risk for CVD-mortality among cancer survivors, testing of interventions aimed at improving adherence to non-cancer medications is critically needed. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: For many cancer survivors, regularly taking medications to manage CVD risk is important for longevity. Engaging with primary care throughout the cancer care trajectory may be important to support cardiovascular health.

Intensifying approaches to address clinical inertia among cardiovascular disease risk factors: A narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical inertia, the absence of treatment initiation or intensification for patients not achieving evidence-based therapeutic goals, is a primary contributor to poor clinical outcomes. Effectively combating clinical inertia requires coordinated action on the part of multiple representatives including patients, clinicians, health systems, and the pharmaceutical industry. Despite intervention attempts by these representatives, barriers to overcoming clinical inertia in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor control remain. METHODS: We conducted a narrative literature review to identify individual-level and multifactorial interventions that have been successful in addressing clinical inertia. RESULTS: Effective interventions included dynamic forms of patient and clinician education, monitoring of real-time patient data to facilitate shared decision-making, or a combination of these approaches. Based on findings, we describe three possible multi-level approaches to counter clinical inertia - a collaborative approach to clinician training, use of a population health manager, and use of electronic monitoring and reminder devices. CONCLUSION: To reduce clinical inertia and achieve optimal CVD risk factor control, interventions should consider the role of multiple representatives, be feasible for implementation in healthcare systems, and be flexible for an individual patient's adherence needs. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Representatives (e.g., patients, clinicians, health systems, and the pharmaceutical industry) could consider approaches to identify and monitor non-adherence to address clinical inertia.

Cardiometabolic Comorbidities in Cancer Survivors: JACC: CardioOncology State-of-the-Art Review.

There are nearly 17 million cancer survivors in the United States, including those who are currently receiving cancer therapy with curative intent and expected to be long-term survivors, as well as those with chronic cancers such as metastatic disease or chronic lymphocytic leukemia, who will receive cancer therapy for many years. Current clinical practice guidelines focus on lifestyle interventions, such as exercise and healthy eating habits, but generally do not address management strategies for clinicians or strategies to increase adherence to medications. We discuss 3 cardiometabolic comorbidities among cancer survivors and present the prevalence of comorbidities prior to a cancer diagnosis, treatment of comorbidities during cancer therapy, and management considerations of comorbidities in long-term cancer survivors or those on chronic cancer therapy. Approaches to support medication adherence and potential methods to enhance a team approach to optimize care of the individual with cancer across the continuum of disease are discussed.

Reminders of cancer risk and pain catastrophizing: relationships with cancer worry and perceived risk in women with a first-degree relative with breast cancer.

First-degree relatives of women with breast cancer may experience increased worry or perceived risk when faced with reminders of their own cancer risk. Worry and risk reminders may include physical symptoms (e.g., persistent breast pain) and caregiving experiences. Women who engage in pain catastrophizing may be particularly likely to experience increased distress when risk reminders are present. We examined the degree to which persistent breast pain and experience as a cancer caregiver were related to cancer worry and perceived risk in first-degree relatives of women with breast cancer (N = 85) and how catastrophic thoughts about breast pain could impact these relationships. There was a significant interaction between persistent breast pain and pain catastrophizing in predicting cancer worry (p = .03); among women who engaged in pain catastrophizing, cancer worry remained high even in the absence of breast pain. Pain catastrophizing also moderated the relationships between caregiving involvement and cancer worry (p = .003) and perceived risk (p = .03). As the degree of caregiving responsibility increased, cancer worry and perceived risk increased for women who engaged in pain catastrophizing; levels of cancer worry and perceived risk remained low and stable for women who did not engage in pain catastrophizing regardless of caregiving experience. The results suggest that first-degree relatives of breast cancer survivors who engage in pain catastrophizing may experience greater cancer worry and perceived risk and may benefit from interventions aimed at reducing catastrophic thoughts about pain.

Impact of age, comorbidity, and PSA doubling time on long-term competing risks for mortality among men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Understanding competing risks for mortality is critical in determining prognosis among men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC), a disease state that often affects older men and has substantial heterogeneity in risk of cancer mortality. We sought to determine the impact of age, comorbidity, and PSA doubling time (PSADT) on competing risks for mortality in men with nmCRPC. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1238 patients diagnosed with nmCRPC in 2000-2015 in the SEARCH database. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards and competing risks regression were used to determine the hazards of overall, prostate cancer-specific (PCSM), and other-cause mortality (OCM) across age, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and PSADT subgroups. RESULTS: Men with nmCRPC were elderly (median age 77) and had substantial comorbidity burdens (CCI > 1 n = 701, 57%). Multivariable Cox analysis showed higher CCI was associated with higher hazard of OCM, while slower PSADT was associated with lower hazard of PCSM across all age subgroups. Among those with CCI ≥ 3 (vs. CCI0), the hazard ratio of OCM was 2.7 (95% CI 1.1-6.3), 2.0 (95% CI 1.1-3.6), and 2.5 (95% CI 1.5-4.0) for those aged <70, 70-79, and ≥80, respectively. Among those with PSADT ≥ 9 months (vs. < 9 months), the hazard ratios for PCSM were 0.5 (95% CI 0.3-0.9), 0.6 (95% CI 0.4-0.9), and 0.6 (95% CI 0.4-0.9) for those aged <70, 70-79, and ≥80. Competing risks curves revealed PCSM was the predominant cause of death for those with PSADT < 9 months across all age and comorbidity groups. PCSM and OCM were relatively equal competitors for mortality among those with PSADT≥9 months except those aged > 80 with CCI ≥ 3, in whom OCM was the predominant cause of death. CONCLUSIONS: Among men with nmCRPC, age, comorbidity, and PSADT are associated with risk and cause of death and may assist clinicians in counseling patients regarding cancer prognosis.

In Men with Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, Visceral Metastases Predict Shorter Overall Survival: What Predicts Visceral Metastases? Results from the SEARCH Database.

BACKGROUND: Although visceral metastases (VMs) are widely recognized to portend worse prognoses compared with bone and lymph metastases in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), little is known about what predicts VMs and the extent to which men with VMs do worse. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether men with VMs at initial mCRPC diagnosis have worse overall survival (OS) and identify predictors of VMs. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We analyzed 494 men diagnosed with castration-resistant prostate cancer post-1999 and no known metastases from five Veterans Affairs hospitals of the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital (SEARCH) database who later developed metastases. Radiology scans within 30 d of initial metastasis diagnosis were reviewed to collect information on bone, visceral, and lymph node metastases. We analyzed the 236 men who had a computed tomography scan performed. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Predictors of VMs and OS were evaluated using logistic regression and Cox models, respectively. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Of the 236 mCRPC patients, 38 (16%) had VMs. Regarding VMs, 19 patients (50%), 8 patients (21%), and 16 patients (42%) had metastases in the liver, lungs, and other locations, respectively. VMs were a predictor of OS on crude analysis (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-2.72; p=0.001) and after risk adjustment (HR: 1.84; 95% CI, 1.24-2.72; p=0.002). Age, year, treatment center, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and time from CRPC to metastases were significant in predicting OS (all p<0.05). None of the variables tested were associated with having VMs (all p > 0.09). Prospective studies and larger cohorts are needed to validate our findings. CONCLUSIONS: Demographic, tumor, and PSA kinetic characteristics were not predictive of having VMs, but VMs predicted worse OS. PATIENT SUMMARY: Because patients with VMs have worse overall survival, further research is needed to develop better biomarkers and thus diagnose those with VMs at earlier stages in their disease course.