Improving breast and colon cancer screening rates: a comparison of letters, automated phone calls, or both.

PURPOSE: Low-cost interventions to improve cancer screening among primary care patients are needed. The comparative effectiveness of personalized letters, automated telephone calls, and both on breast cancer (BC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is not known. METHODS: A pragmatic, randomized, controlled trial was conducted in 2011 to 2012. Eligible primary care patients were women ages 50 to 74 years who were past due for mammography and men or women who were past due for mammography or CRC screening of any kind (>12 months since last fecal occult blood test, >5 years since last sigmoidoscopy/double-contrast barium enema, or >10 years since last colonoscopy), respectively. Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 interventions: personalized mailed letters, automated telephone calls, or both. The primary outcome was medical record documentation of a completed mammogram or CRC screening within 36 weeks of randomization. We estimated the costs of each intervention and calculated the marginal cost-effectiveness per person screened. RESULTS: The crude screening rates for BC were 19%, 22%, and 37% and for CRC were 17%, 14%, and 24% for the letter, automated call, and combined (letter/automated call) groups, respectively. The combined intervention group had a statistically higher screening rate (P < .05) compared with either of the single intervention groups (letter only or automated call) for both BC and CRC in both the crude and adjusted analyses. The combined intervention costs $5.11 per additional person screened for BC and $13.14 per additional person screened for CRC. CONCLUSION: In a primary care practice, letters plus automated telephone calls are better than either alone in increasing cancer screening rates among patients who are overdue for screening. These findings suggest the promise of a relatively inexpensive intervention to improve cancer screening.

Vitamin D and racial disparity in albuminuria: NHANES 2001-2006.

BACKGROUND: National data show unexplained racial disparity in albuminuria. We assessed whether low serum vitamin D status contributes to racial disparity in albuminuria. METHODS: We examined the association between race and albuminuria (spot urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) ≥30) among non-Hispanic black and white nonpregnant adults who were free of renal impairment in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2001-2006. We conducted analyses without and with serum 25(OH)D. We adjusted for age, sex, education level, smoking, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, diagnosis of hypertension, and use of antihypertensive medication. RESULTS: Albuminuria was present in 10.0% of non-Hispanic blacks and 6.6% in non-Hispanic whites. Being black (odds ratio (OR) 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-1.73) was independently associated with albuminuria. There was a graded, inverse association between 25(OH)D level and albuminuria. Notably, the association between race and albuminuria was no longer significant (OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.97-1.47) after accounting for participants' serum 25(OH)D. Similar results were observed when participants with macroalbuminuria (ACR ≥300 mg/g) or elevated parathyroid hormone (>74 pg/ml) were excluded or when a continuous measure of 25(OH)D was substituted for the categorical measure. There were no interactions between race and vitamin D status though racial disparity in albuminuria was observed among participants with the highest 25(OH)D levels . CONCLUSION: Suboptimal vitamin D status may contribute to racial disparity in albuminuria. Randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether supplementation with vitamin analogues reduces risk for albuminuria or reduce racial disparity in this outcome.

Do navigators' estimates of navigation intensity predict navigation time for cancer care?

Patient navigation requires that patient load be equitably distributed. We examined whether navigators could predict the relative amount of time needed by different patients for navigation. Analysis of 139 breast and colorectal cancer patients randomized to the navigation arm of a trial evaluating the effectiveness of navigation. Navigators completed a one-item scale estimating how much navigation time patients were likely to require. Participants were mostly females (89.2%) with breast cancer (83.4%); barriers to cancer care were insurance difficulties (26.6%), social support (18.0%), and transportation (14.4%). Navigator baseline estimates of navigation intensity predicted total navigation time, independent of patient characteristics. The total number of barriers, rather than any specific type of barrier, predicted increased navigator time, with a 16% increase for each barrier. Navigators' estimate of intensity independently predicts navigation time for cancer patients. Findings have implications for assigning navigator case loads.

Racial disparity in blood pressure: is vitamin D a factor?

BACKGROUND: Higher prevalence of hypertension among African Americans is a key cause of racial disparity in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Explanations for the difference in prevalence are incomplete. Emerging data suggest that low vitamin D levels may contribute. OBJECTIVE: To assess the contribution of vitamin D to racial disparity in blood pressure. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Adult non-Hispanic Black and White participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2006. MEASURES: We assessed Black-White differences in systolic blood pressure (SBP) controlling for conventional risk factors, and then additionally, for vitamin D (serum 25[OH]D). RESULTS: The sample included 1984 and 5156 Black and White participants ages 20 years and older. The mean age-sex adjusted Black-White SBP difference was 5.2 mm Hg. This difference was reduced to 4.0 mm Hg with additional adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics, health status, health care, health behaviors, and biomarkers; adding 25(OH)D reduced the race difference by 26% (95% CI 7-46%) to 2.9 mm Hg. This effect increased to 39% (95% CI 14-65%) when those on antihypertensive medications were excluded. Supplementary analyses that controlled for cardiovascular fitness, percent body fat, physical activity monitoring, skin type and social support yielded consistent results. CONCLUSION: In cross-sectional analyses, 25(OH)D explains one quarter of the Black-White disparity in SBP. Randomized controlled trials are required to determine whether vitamin D supplementation could reduce racial disparity in BP.