Telehealth amid the COVID-19 pandemic: perception among Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander cancer patients.

Aim: To assess the perception of telehealth visits among a multiracial cancer population during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at outpatient cancer clinics in Hawaii between March and August 2020. Patients were invited to participate in the survey either by phone or email. Results: Of the 212 survey respondents, 61.3% were Asian, 23.6% were White and 15.1% were Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders. Asians, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders were less likely to desire future telehealth visits compared with Whites. Predictors with regard to preferring future telehealth visits included lower income and hematopoietic cancers. Conclusion: The authors found racial differences in preference for telehealth. Future studies aimed at overcoming these racial disparities are needed to provide equitable oncology care.

The Memory Assessment Scale: A Population-based Cognitive Impairment Screening Instrument.

This study re-examined the Memory Assessment Scale (MAS), a brief memory test developed in Hawai'i in 1987, to assess whether it remains a valid and reliable cognitive impairment screening tool in Hawai'i. Patients suspected of having neurocognitive dysfunction were divided into 2 groups (those with and without mild cognitive impairment) based on their results on a battery of neuropsychological tests. No differences in MAS scores were found between patients with and without mild cognitive impairment. Further research with the MAS comparing patients with mild cognitive disorder to healthy controls is indicated to further examine the efficacy of this population-based test.

Assessing the agreement of chronic lung disease of prematurity diagnosis between radiologists and clinical criteria.

BACKGROUND: Chronic lung disease of prematurity (CLD) is the most prevalent complication of preterm birth and indicates an increased likelihood of long-term pulmonary complications. The accurate diagnosis of this condition is critical for long-term health management. Numerous definitions define CLD with different clinical parameters and radiology findings, making diagnosis of the disease ambiguous and potentially inaccurate. METHODS: 95 patients were identified for this study, as determined by the diagnosis or confirmation of CLD in the impression of the radiologist's report on chest x-ray. Pulmonary function and complications were recorded at multiple benchmark timeframes within each patient's first few months of life and used for determining eligibility under each definition. RESULTS: Each clinical definition of CLD had a high sensitivity for patients identified to have CLD by radiologists, correctly fitting over 90% of patients. Most patients included required invasive mechanical ventilation or positive pressure ventilation at 36 weeks postmenstrual age, indicating patients with radiographically confirmed CLD tended to have more severe disease. Radiologists tended to diagnose CLD before 36 weeks postmenstrual age, a timepoint used by multiple standard clinical definitions, with cases called earlier fitting under a larger percentage of definitions than those called later. CONCLUSIONS: Radiologists tend to diagnose CLD in young patients with severe respiratory compromise, and can accurately diagnose the condition before developmental milestones for clinical definitions are met.

Trunk control in and out of an episode of recurrent low back pain in young adults during the Balance-Dexterity Task.

We investigated motor control strategies utilized by individuals with recurrent low back pain (rLBP) during active pain and remission periods as well as by back-healthy controls using the Balance-Dexterity Task. Nineteen young adults with rLBP were tested first when they were in pain and then again in symptom remission, and 19 matched controls were also tested. Trunk kinematic coupling and muscle co-activation were examined while participants performed the task by standing on one leg while compressing a spring with a maximum consistent force with the other leg. We found a decreased bilateral external oblique co-activation during the spring condition of the task compared to the stable block condition in people with rLBP compared to back healthy individuals. There was also reduced trunk coupling during the spring condition of the task compared to the stable block condition in both the rLBP active and remission groups, but no group difference between rLBP and back-healthy individuals. When individuals were in active pain, they exhibited more co-activation than when they were in remission, but the co-activation during active pain was not greater than in back-healthy individuals.

Impact of endocrine dysregulation on disability and non-motor symptoms in pediatric onset multiple sclerosis.

Background: Pediatric onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) commonly occurs at the time of various endocrine changes. Evaluation of the impact of endocrine status on disease severity in POMS has not been previously explored. Objective: This study sought to evaluate if sex and stress hormones in children with POMS impact motor and non-motor diseases severity. Methods: A single-center case control study was performed. Individuals with POMS were compared to individuals without neurologic disease. Each individual had three blood draws assessing stress and sex hormones between 07:00 and 09:00. Measures of fatigue (Epworth sleepiness scale), depression (PHQ-9), and quality of life (PedsQL) assessed at each visit. Results: Forty individuals with POMS and 40 controls were enrolled. Individuals with POMS had lower free testosterone (p = 0.003), cortisol (p < 0.001), and ACTH (p < 0.001) and had higher progesterone (p = 0.025) levels than controls. Relapses and EDSS were not impacted by endocrine variables. The POMS cohort had a significantly higher Epworth score (p < 0.001), PHQ-9 score (p < 0.001), and lower PQL score (p < 0.001) than controls. Non-motor measures were not associated with endocrine status. Conclusion: Free testosterone, cortisol, ACTH, and progesterone were abnormal in children with POMS although there was no association between endocrine status and markers of disease severity or non-motor symptoms of MS.

Racial Disparities in Patient-Provider Communication During Telehealth Visits Versus Face-to-face Visits Among Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Patients With Cancer: Cross-sectional Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Telehealth visits increase patients' access to care and are often rated as "just as good" as face-to-face visits by oncology patients. Telehealth visits have become increasingly more common in the care of patients with cancer since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Asians and Pacific Islanders are two of the fastest growing racial groups in the United States, but there are few studies assessing patient satisfaction with telemedicine among these two racial groups. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to compare satisfaction with communication during telehealth visits versus face-to-face visits among oncology patients, with a specific focus on Asian patients and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) patients. METHODS: We surveyed a racially diverse group of patients who were treated at community cancer centers in Hawaii and had recently experienced a face-to-face visit or telehealth visit. Questions for assessing satisfaction with patient-physician communication were adapted from a previously published study of cancer survivors. Variables that impact communication, including age, sex, household income, education level, and cancer type and stage, were captured. Multivariable logistic models for patient satisfaction were created, with adjustments for sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Participants who attended a face-to-face visit reported higher levels of satisfaction in all communication measures than those reported by participants who underwent a telehealth encounter. The univariate analysis revealed lower levels of satisfaction during telehealth visits among Asian participants and NHOPI participants compared to those among White participants for all measures of communication (eg, when asked to what degree "[y]our physician listened carefully to you"). Asian patients and NHOPI patients were significantly less likely than White patients to strongly agree with the statement (P<.004 and P<.007, respectively). Racial differences in satisfaction with communication persisted in the multivariate analysis even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. There were no significant racial differences in communication during face-to-face visits. CONCLUSIONS: Asian patients and NHOPI patients were significantly less content with patient-physician communication during telehealth visits when compared to White patients. This difference among racial groups was not seen in face-to-face visits. The observation that telehealth increases racial disparities in health care satisfaction should prompt further exploration.