Childcare needs as a barrier to healthcare among women in a safety-net health system.

BACKGROUND: Childcare needs are an understudied social determinant of health. The effect of childcare needs on access to healthcare must be understood to inform health system interventions and policy reform. This study sought to characterize childcare needs, access to childcare, and prior experience with navigating childcare needs in healthcare settings among women in a safety-net population. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patient-reported survey data collected in-person between April and October 2019. Surveys were administered in waiting rooms of ambulatory services in a large, urban safety-net health system in Dallas, Texas. Survey respondents were derived from a random convenience sample of women waiting for outpatient appointments. Participants were screened for having children under the age of 13 and/or childcare responsibilities for inclusion in the sample. Outcomes of interest included self-reported delayed or missed care, reasons for delayed or missed care, perceived difficulty in accessing childcare, prior methods for managing childcare during healthcare appointments, and prior experience with childcare centers. RESULTS: Among the 336 respondents (96.7% response rate), 121 (36.0%) reported delaying or missing a mean 3.7 appointments/year. Among women with delayed or missed care, 54.5% reported childcare barriers as the primary reason for deferral of care, greater than transportation (33%) or insurance (25%) barriers. Respondents rated childcare access as more difficult than healthcare access. Delayed or missed care due to childcare was more common among White (68.8%) and Black (55.0%) women compared to Hispanic women (34.3%). Common methods of navigating childcare needs during scheduled appointments included bringing children to appointments (69.1%) and re-scheduling or missing the scheduled appointment (43.0%). 40.6% of patients reported leaving an appointment before completion due to childcare needs. CONCLUSIONS: Childcare needs are a leading barrier to healthcare among women accessing care in safety-net settings. Unmet childcare needs result in deferral of care, which may impact health outcomes. Childcare access is perceived as more challenging than healthcare access itself. Health system and policy interventions are needed to address childcare as a social determinant of health.

Intersecting social determinants of health among patients with childcare needs: a cross-sectional analysis of social vulnerability.

INTRODUCTION: Access to childcare is an understudied social determinant of health (SDOH). Our health system established a childcare facility for patients to address childcare barriers to healthcare. Recognizing that social risk factors often co-exist, we sought to understand intersecting social risk factors among patients with childcare needs who utilized and did not utilize the childcare facility and identify residual unmet social needs alongside childcare needs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of patients who enrolled in the childcare facility from November 2020 to October 2022 to compare parameters of the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) associated with the census tract extracted from electronic medical record (EMR) data among utilizers and non-utilizers of the facility. Overall SVI and segmentation into four themes of vulnerability (socioeconomic status, household characteristics, racial/ethnic minority status, and housing type/transportation) were compared across utilizers and utilizers. Number of 90th percentile indicators were also compared to assess extreme levels of vulnerability. A sample of utilizers additionally received a patient-reported social needs screening questionnaire administered at the childcare facility. RESULTS: Among 400 enrollees in the childcare facility, 70% utilized childcare services and 30% did not. Utilizers and non-utilizers were demographically similar, though utilizers were more likely to speak Spanish (34%) compared to non-utilizers (22%). Mean SVI was similar among utilizers and non-utilizers, but the mean number of 90th percentile indicators were higher for non-utilizers compared to utilizers (4.3 ± 2.7 vs 3.7 ± 2.7, p = 0.03), primarily driven by differences in the housing type/transportation theme (p = 0.01). Non-utilizers had a lower rate of healthcare utilization compared to utilizers (p = 0.02). Among utilizers who received patient-reported screening, 84% had one unmet social need identified, of whom 62% agreed for additional assistance. Among social work referrals, 44% were linked to social workers in their medical clinics, while 56% were supported by social work integrated in the childcare facility. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis of SDOH approximated by SVI showed actionable differences, potentially transportation barriers, among patients with childcare needs who utilized a health system-integrated childcare facility and patients who did not utilize services. Furthermore, residual unmet social needs among patients who utilized the facility demonstrate the multifactorial nature of social risk factors experienced by patients with childcare needs and opportunities to address intersecting social needs within an integrated intervention. Intersecting social needs require holistic examination and multifaceted interventions.

Safety and Efficacy of Ceftriaxone in the Treatment of Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infections: A Noninferiority Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Antistaphylococcal penicillins and cefazolin are the treatments of choice for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections, requiring multiple doses daily. At Parkland, eligible uninsured patients with MSSA bloodstream infections (BSI) receive self-administered outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (S-OPAT). Ceftriaxone was used in a cohort of S-OPAT patients for ease of once-daily dosing. OBJECTIVE: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate clinical outcomes for patients discharged with ceftriaxone versus cefazolin to treat MSSA BSI. METHODS: A retrospective cohort noninferiority study design was used to assess treatment efficacy of ceftriaxone versus cefazolin among Parkland S-OPAT patients treated from April 2012 to March 2020. Demographic, clinical, and treatment-related adverse events data were collected. Clinical outcomes included treatment failure as defined by repeat positive blood culture or retreatment within 6 months, all-cause 30-day readmission rates, and central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) rates. RESULTS: Of 368 S-OPAT patients with MSSA BSI, 286 (77.7%) received cefazolin, and 82 (22.3%) received ceftriaxone. Demographics and comorbidities were similar for both groups. There were no treatment failures in the ceftriaxone group compared with 4 (1%) in the cefazolin group (P = 0.58). No difference in 30-day readmission rate between groups was found. The CLABSI rates were lower in ceftriaxone group (2%) compared with cefazolin (11%; P = 0.02). Limitations include retrospective cohort design. CONCLUSIONS: Ceftriaxone was found to be noninferior to cefazolin in this study. Our findings suggest that ceftriaxone is a safe and effective treatment of MSSA BSI secondary to osteoarticular or skin and soft tissue infections when used in the S-OPAT setting. POSTER ABSTRACT: OFID on 2018 Nov; 5(Suppl 1): S316: doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofy210.894.

Implementation of Sexual Health Curriculum Series: Educational Initiative to Increase STI Screening and Treatment in Dallas, Texas.

OBJECTIVE: A new monthly virtual education curriculum on sexual healthcare was launched in 2021. This is an analysis of the pilot education series designed to increase primary care providers' knowledge of sexual health best practices including taking thorough sexual histories, STI screening and treatment, and PrEP prescribing. METHODS: A Sexual Health Curriculum Series was developed as part of a quality improvement initiative at a large urban safety-net hospital in Dallas County, Texas. Didactic sessions were administered to primary care providers and staff via a virtual meeting platform once a month from May 2021 to April 2022. RESULTS: A total of 52 participants completed the pre-series survey, and 21 participants filled out the final post-series survey. 70% of respondents who completed the post-series survey reported that they learned new information that was incorporated into their practice. The average percentage correct on individual pre-session surveys was 60% compared to 63% on individual post-session surveys (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Sexual health education is an important tool to help primary care providers adhere to sexual health best practices. There is a need for ongoing implementation of innovative strategies to improve knowledge and adherence to sexual health best practices. A sexual health curriculum may be effective in helping primary providers recognize patients at increased risk and apply evidence-based guidelines to their practices.

Impact of a clinical pharmacist within an HIV PrEP program for patients experiencing homelessness.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to be a concern in the United States despite pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) being a highly recommended preventative option. Homeless populations have a significantly increased risk of HIV acquisition, and recent literature found attrition to PrEP care being concentrated in demographics common to these populations. Pharmacist-led PrEP programs may be a feasible option to combat this attrition, as they have shown high rates of patient satisfaction and pharmacist comfortability in other populations. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate PrEP uptake and the continuum of care before and after a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) expanded HIV prevention services within a primary care setting for persons experiencing homelessness. METHODS: We compared a retrospective cohort of patients experiencing homelessness who received an initial PrEP prescription during a pre-CPS period and those with an initial PrEP prescription after CPS. Charts were reviewed through the surrounding time period of a 3-month and a 6-month PrEP follow-up appointment. Outcomes evaluated included number of initial PrEP prescriptions, dispensations of PrEP, PrEP discontinuations, patient retention in PrEP care, and new HIV diagnoses. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients were included, with 10 initial PrEP prescriptions in the pre-CPS population and 30 in the post-CPS one. Both groups largely represented those disproportionately impacted by HIV. After CPS, more patients were enrolled in patient assistance programs (100% vs. 44%; P < 0.01), and more patients picked up the first PrEP dispensation (80% vs. 40%; P = 0.04). The overall population had low dispensation rates and retention to care. Having no CPS management and a lack of medical appointment attendance trended toward attrition of care, and having no patient assistance program enrollment significantly led to attrition of care. CONCLUSION: These findings may prompt further studies and adaptations to PrEP care among persons experiencing homelessness, including the utilization of pharmacists to improve patient outcomes.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Chlamydial Infection Treatment in Women Discharged From an Urban Safety-Net Emergency Unit.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia is the most frequently reported sexually transmitted infection. COVID-19 exacerbated the challenges in treating and preventing new Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections. This study examined the impact of COVID-19 on treating CT-positive patients discharged from a safety-net women's emergency unit. METHODS: This was a preretrospective and postretrospective cohort study. Chlamydia trachomatis -positive female patients seen in the women's emergency unit were evaluated. Patients discharged in 2019, the "pre-COVID-19" group, and those discharged in 2020, the "COVID-19" group, were compared. The primary outcome was CT treatment within 30 days, and secondary outcomes included prescription dispensation, repeat tests taken, and expedited partner treatment. A subgroup of patients discharged before treatment who entered a nurse-led follow-up program was also evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 1357 cases included, there were no differences in successful 30-day treatment (709 of 789 [89.9%] vs. 568 of 511 [89.9%], P = 0.969) or repeat positive CT test (74 of 333 [22.2%] vs. 46 of 211 [21.8%]), P = 0.36) between pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19. However, the patients who picked up their prescription (196 of 249 [78.7%] vs. 180 of 206 [87.4%], P = 0.021) and those who were prescribed expedited partner therapy (156 of 674 [23.1%] vs. 292 of 460 [63.5%], P < 0.001) increased. Findings in the subgroup of patients who entered the follow-up program were consistent with those in the full cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic did not change treatment patterns of CT-positive patients in this safety-net women's emergency unit. However, patients were more likely to pick up their medications during COVID-19. Despite the perseverance of these programs through the pandemic, most patients are discharged before positive results, and a fair amount remain untreated.

Real-Time Risk Tool for Pharmacy Interventions.

Background: Adverse drug events (ADEs) result in excess hospitalizations. Thorough admission medication histories (AMHs) may prevent ADEs; however, the resources required oftentimes outweigh what is available in large hospital settings. Previous risk prediction models embedded into the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) have been used at hospitals to aid in targeting delivery of scarce resources. Objective: To determine if an AMH scoring tool used to allocate resources can decrease 30-day hospital readmissions. Design Setting and Participants: Propensity-matched cohort study, Medicine/Surgery patients in large academic safety-net hospital. Intervention or Exposure: Pharmacy-conducted AMHs identified by risk model versus standard of care AMH. Main Outcomes and Measures: A total of 30-day hospital readmissions and inpatient ADE prevention. Results: The model screened 87 240 hospitalizations between June 2017 and June 2019 and 4027 patients per group were included. There were significantly less 30 day readmissions among high-risk identified patients that received a pharmacy-conducted AMH compared to controls (11% vs 15%; P = 0.004) and no significant difference in readmission rates for low-risk patients. While there was significantly higher documentation of major ADE prevention in the pharmacy-led AMH group versus control (1656 vs 12; P < 0.001), there was no difference in electronically-detected inpatient ADEs between groups. Conclusions: A risk tool embedded into the EMR can be used to identify patients whom pharmacy teams can easily target for AMHs. This study showed significant reductions in readmissions for patients identified as high-risk. However, the same benefit in readmissions was not seen in those identified at low-risk, which supports allocating resources to those that will benefit the most.

Decreasing Chlamydial Reinfections in a Female Urban Population.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia is the most reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI). The rates of chlamydia rose by 19% between 2011 and 2018. The STI National Strategic Plan (2021-2025), encourages coordinated solutions to address STIs and reduce disparities in disadvantaged populations. METHODS: We implemented institutional policy changes, clinical decision support, including a Best Practice Advisory, and defaulted SmartSet with provider and patient education for women's health clinics at a large county health system. The advisory prompted providers to follow best practices when treating Chlamydia trachomatis infections. New C. trachomatis diagnosis cohorts were compared preintervention and postintervention for 6-month reinfection rates and patient and expedited partner treatment (EPT) practices. RESULTS: Five hundred and nineteen women were included in the final analysis. Six-month chlamydia reinfection was lower in the postintervention cohort after adjusting for age (12.3% [26/211] vs 6.5% [20/308], P = 0.02). There was an increase in directly observed therapy of primary patients (17.5% [37/211] vs 77.3% [238/308], P < 0.001), an increase in EPT prescriptions written (4.3% [9/211] vs 79.5% [245/308], P < 0.0001), and a decrease of partners referred out for treatment (61.6% [130/211] vs 5.2% [16/308], P < 0.001) when compared with the control group. The majority of EPT was patient-delivered partner therapy postintervention (3.3% [7/211] vs 69.2% [213/308], P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A multifaceted, streamlined approach was effective in changing provider practices in the treatment of C. trachomatis. Increased rates of directly observed therapy for primary patient treatment and increased rates of patient-delivered partner therapy were observed postimplementation in addition to lower 6-month reinfection rates in a public women's health clinic setting.

Pharmacist impact on health outcomes in a homeless population.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of clinical pharmacy services on health outcomes and medication adherence concerning hypertension and diabetes in the homeless population. METHODS: This was a retrospective quasi-experimental study conducted between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016. The primary outcomes included median blood pressure and median glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) change from baseline. The secondary end points included adherence to hypertension and diabetes medication, in addition to the differences in the number of admissions to urgent care clinics, emergency departments, or hospitals pre- and postpharmacist clinic visit. RESULTS: One-hundred ninety-eight homeless patients were seen by a pharmacist over the study time frame, and 116 of these patients were included. There was a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the 6-months postpharmacist visit (139 mm Hg vs. 135 mm Hg, P = 0.413, and 85 mm Hg vs. 82 mm Hg, P = 0.197, respectively). The percentage of patients who met the blood pressure goals increased from 55% to 66% (P = 0.093). A statistically significant decrease in A1C was found (7.7% vs 7.2%, P = 0.038). The number of patients who met the A1C goal increased from 20% to 41% (P = 0.267) after pharmacist intervention. No medication class was associated with a median proportion of days covered of 80% or greater. However, differences were seen with biguanides (34% vs. 43%, P = 0.004), calcium channel blockers (44% vs. 59%, P < 0.001), and thiazides (28% vs. 39%, P = 0.039) pre- and postintervention. There was no difference in the number of visits to emergency departments or urgent care clinics, or hospitalizations. CONCLUSION: Homeless patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes who had at least 1 visit with a pharmacist showed some improved health outcomes. Statistically significant benefits were seen in diabetes management, but not for blood pressure control.

Design and Implementation of an Electronic Tool to Measure Medication Adherence at the Point of Care.

Quality Improvement Success Stories are published by the American Diabetes Association in collaboration with the American College of Physicians and the National Diabetes Education Program. This series is intended to highlight best practices and strategies from programs and clinics that have successfully improved the quality of care for people with diabetes or related conditions. Each article in the series is reviewed and follows a standard format developed by the editors of Clinical Diabetes. The following article describes a project to build a point-of-care tool for assessing patients' adherence to their prescribed medications.

Effect of Pharmacist Clinic Visits on 30-Day Heart Failure Readmission Rates at a County Hospital.

Purpose: This study evaluated the comparative effectiveness of different pharmacist visit types on reducing readmission rates. Method: A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2015 to July 2017. Patients were 18 years or older with an index heart failure (HF) exacerbation admission. Upon hospital discharge, patients were seen in clinic by a clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) with collaborative practice agreement (CPA) (High Intensity Bundle), medication therapy management (MTM) pharmacist without CPA (Low Intensity Bundle), or no pharmacist (Standard of Care [SOC]). The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause readmission rate. Secondary outcomes included rate of 30-day HF readmissions and average number of days until readmission in those who were readmitted. Results: Totally, 98 patients were included in the final analysis (35 High Intensity Bundle, 28 Low Intensity Bundle, and 35 SOC). The primary outcome of all-cause readmissions was lower in both the pharmacist groups compared with SOC (CPS 8.6% [3/35] vs SOC 25.7% [9/35], P = 0.046 and MTM 7.1% [2/28] vs SOC 25.7% [9/35], P = 0.057). Incremental differences were seen between visit types for the secondary outcome of 30-day HF readmissions (CPS 2.9% vs MTM 7.1% vs SOC 17.1%, P = 0.039). The average number of days until readmission was longer in the CPS versus the MTM and SOC (26.7 days vs 12.5 days vs 14.1 days, respectively). Conclusion: Post-hospital discharge pharmacist visits were associated with lower 30-day all-cause readmission. In particular, clinic visits with a Higher Intensity Bundle may be more effective in reducing HF readmissions. These exploratory findings warrant further investigation.

Low-health literacy flashcards & mobile video reinforcement to improve medication adherence in patients on oral diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension medications.

OBJECTIVE: To design and investigate a pharmacist-run intervention using low health literacy flashcards and a smartphone-activated quick response (QR) barcoded educational flashcard video to increase medication adherence and disease state understanding. DESIGN: Prospective, matched, quasi-experimental design. SETTING: County health system in Dallas, Texas. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-eight primary care patients prescribed targeted heart failure, hypertension, and diabetes medications INTERVENTION: Low health literacy medication and disease specific flashcards, which were also available as QR-coded online videos, were designed for the intervention patients. The following validated health literacy tools were conducted: Newest Vital Sign (NVS), Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy Medicine-Short Form, and Short Assessment of Health Literacy-50. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the difference in medication adherence at 180 days after pharmacist intervention compared with the control group, who were matched on the basis of comorbid conditions, targeted medications, and medication class. Medication adherence was measured using a modified Pharmacy Quality Alliance proportion of days covered (PDC) calculation. Secondary outcomes included 90-day PDC, improvement of greater than 25% in baseline PDC, and final PDC greater than 80%. Linear regression was performed to evaluate the effect of potential confounders on the primary outcome. RESULTS: Of the 34 patients receiving the intervention, a majority of patients scored a high possibility of limited health literacy on the NVS tool (91.2%). The medication with the least adherence at baseline was metformin, followed by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta blockers. At 180 days after intervention, patients in the intervention group had higher PDCs compared with their matched controls (71% vs. 44%; P = 0.0069). CONCLUSION: The use of flashcards and QR-coded prescription bottles for medication and disease state education is an innovative way of improving adherence to diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure medications in a low-health literacy patient population.

Impact of a Pharmacy-Led Pain Management Team on Adults in an Academic Medical Center.

Background: Pain is a major health problem affecting more than 15% of adults in the United States. In a multidisciplinary pain management team, pharmacists can optimize pharmacotherapy quality by ensuring safe and appropriate medication use. Objective: Assess the impact of a pharmacy pain medication management service on pain-related outcomes in an adult inpatient population. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated patients who were admitted from November 2009 through November 2011 and received a pharmacy pain consult. Patients were excluded if they left against medical advice, their care was assumed by palliative care, or they had no complaint of pain when seen by the pharmacist. The primary outcome was the difference between each patient's average pain score from pre-consult to post-consult. Secondary outcomes were difference between each patient's average pain score from pre-consult to pre-discharge, overall functional improvement, pharmacist interventions, and 14-day and 30-day readmissions. Results: One hundred patients were included in the final analysis. Eight hundred twenty-one interventions were made by the clinical pharmacists. Patients displayed a significant reduction in their pre- and post-consult pain intensity scores on a 0 to 10 numerical rating scale (6.15 vs 3.25; p < .001). Likewise, a significant reduction in pain intensity scores was seen from pre-consult to pre-discharge (6.15 vs 3.6; p < .001). Overall functional improvement, specifically sleep, mobility, and appetite, was seen in 86.6% of patients. Conclusions: Pain management is an area that provides opportunities for pharmacotherapy interventions. Pharmacists' involvement in pain management on an inpatient consult service had a positive impact on pain scores and improvement in functionality.

Patient Perceptions of Penicillin Allergy Testing in a Public Health System.

BACKGROUND: Documented penicillin allergies are associated with increased morbidity, increased hospital stay, and an increase in resistant infections. Penicillin allergy evaluations using a direct oral challenge with or without skin testing has been recommended as a delabeling strategy for patients with penicillin reaction histories. Barriers for achieving equitable access, however, exist. Understanding patient perceptions regarding their penicillin allergy across diverse populations is crucial to mitigate potential obstacles to penicillin allergy testing (PAT) and the use of penicillin-like antibiotics after delabeling. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to gather perceptions of patients delabeled of their penicillin allergy after testing through a PAT program. METHODS: Patients who underwent PAT and had a subsequent allergy removal due to a negative result were interviewed using closed and open-ended questions. RESULTS: A total of 100 patient interviews were completed. Awareness of the risks associated with unnecessary penicillin avoidance and PAT was low. Initial concerns regarding PAT were common but were frequently alleviated with targeted education. Most patients undergoing testing reported a positive experience and would recommend PAT to others. A minority of patients continued to have discordant perceptions regarding their penicillin allergy label with mistrust in the negative result being a critical theme identified. CONCLUSIONS: Future interventions increasing the awareness of penicillin allergy labels and the risks and benefits of PAT in the general population are needed and must consider health literacy levels, languages, and cultural contexts. Measures to offer PAT within a clinical setting that has built high levels of patient trust will likely achieve the greatest long-term success.

Using Machine Learning to Identify Patients at Risk of Acquiring HIV in an Urban Health System.

BACKGROUND: Effective measures exist to prevent the spread of HIV. However, the identification of patients who are candidates for these measures can be a challenge. A machine learning model to predict risk for HIV may enhance patient selection for proactive outreach. SETTING: Using data from the electronic health record at Parkland Health, 1 of the largest public healthcare systems in the country, a machine learning model is created to predict incident HIV cases. The study cohort includes any patient aged 16 or older from 2015 to 2019 (n = 458,893). METHODS: Implementing a 70:30 ratio random split of the data into training and validation sets with an incident rate <0.08% and stratified by incidence of HIV, the model is evaluated using a k-fold cross-validated (k = 5) area under the receiver operating characteristic curve leveraging Light Gradient Boosting Machine Algorithm, an ensemble classifier. RESULTS: The light gradient boosting machine produces the strongest predictive power to identify good candidates for HIV PrEP. A gradient boosting classifier produced the best result with an AUC of 0.88 (95% confidence interval: 0.86 to 0.89) on the training set and 0.85 (95% confidence interval: 0.81 to 0.89) on the validation set for a sensitivity of 77.8% and specificity of 75.1%. CONCLUSIONS: A gradient boosting model using electronic health record data can be used to identify patients at risk of acquiring HIV and implemented in the clinical setting to build outreach for preventative interventions.

Missed Opportunities for HIV Prevention in a Large County Safety Net Health System.

INTRODUCTION: HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective at reducing HIV transmission. However, PrEP uptake is low for racial and ethnic minorities and women, especially in the Southern US Health care clinicians should be prepared to identify all patients eligible for PrEP, provide counseling, and prescribe PrEP. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of persons newly diagnosed with HIV was conducted at a large public health system from January 2015 to June 2021. Interactions with the health system in the 5 years preceding HIV diagnosis were analyzed, and missed opportunities for HIV prevention interventions, including PrEP and condom use counseling, were identified. RESULTS: We identified 454 patients with a new HIV diagnosis with previous health system interactions. 166(36.6%) had at least 1 identifiable indication for PrEP: 42(9.3%) bacterial STI, 63(13.9%) inconsistent condom use, or 82(18%) injection drug use before HIV diagnosis. Only 7(1.5%) of patients were counseled on PrEP. Most patients (308; 67.8%) had no documented condom use history in the EHR before diagnosis, a surrogate marker for obtaining a sexual history. Patients who exclusively interacted with the emergency care setting did not receive PrEP education and were less likely to receive condom use counseling. CONCLUSION: Missed opportunities to offer HIV prevention before diagnosis were common among patients newly diagnosed with HIV. Most patients did not have sexual history documented in the chart before their HIV diagnosis. Educational interventions are needed to ensure that clinicians are prepared to identify those eligible and discuss the benefits of PrEP.

Implementation of an Opt-Out Outpatient HIV Screening Program.

BACKGROUND: Screening rates for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remain low despite guidelines by both the CDC and USPSTF recommending that all adolescents and adults be screened at least once. The aim of this quality improvement study was to increase HIV screening among eligible patients. METHODS: This quality improvement study assessed the impact of interventions to increase HIV screening in an outpatient population at a large urban safety-net hospital. Outcomes were compared from the preintervention (December 2020 to November 2021) to postintervention years (December 2021 to November 2022). Stepwise electronic alerts to prompt HIV screening paired with provider financial incentives were implemented. The proportion of eligible individuals screened for HIV were compared after intervention implementation. RESULTS: Average monthly HIV screening increased from 506 ± 97 to 2484 ± 663 between the pre- and postintervention periods, correlating to a 5.1-fold increase in screening (7.8% to 39.8%, P < .01). Increases were seen across all ages, and those aged 55 to 64 and 65+ had the highest relative increase in screening at 7.5 and 9.3-fold, respectively (P < .01). Screening rates increased for Hispanics (7.9% preintervention vs 43.6% postintervention, P < .01). In the pre- and postintervention periods, 41 patients with new HIV diagnoses were identified (13 preintervention and 28 postintervention) and 85.4% were linked to care within 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: Stepwise interventions targeted at primary care clinicians are an effective way to increase HIV screening rates, particularly in older demographics. Earlier HIV diagnosis coupled with linkage to care is an important strategy in ending the HIV epidemic.

Declining rates of opioid/acetaminophen combination product overdose: 2011-2020.

BACKGROUND: During the opioid epidemic, misuse of acetaminophen-opioid products resulted in supratherapeutic acetaminophen ingestions and cases of hepatotoxicity. In 2014, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limited the amount of acetaminophen in combination products to 325 mg, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) changed hydrocodone/acetaminophen from schedule III to schedule II. This study assessed whether these federal mandates were associated with changes in acetaminophen-opioid supratherapeutic ingestions. METHODS: We identified emergency department encounters at our institution of patients with a detectable acetaminophen concentration and manually reviewed these charts. RESULTS: We found a decline in acetaminophen-opioid supratherapeutic ingestions after 2014. A downtrend in hydrocodone/acetaminophen ingestions accompanied a relative increase in codeine/acetaminophen ingestions from 2015 onwards. CONCLUSION: This experience at one large safety net hospital suggests a beneficial impact of the FDA ruling in reducing likely unintentional acetaminophen supratherapeutic ingestions, carrying a risk of hepatotoxicity, in the setting of intentional opioid ingestions.

Implementation of IV Push Antibiotics for Outpatients During a National Fluid Shortage Following Hurricane Maria.

Background: Prior to the introduction of intravenous (IV) drip infusion, most IV drugs were delivered in a syringe bolus push. However, intravenous drip infusions subsequently became the standard of care. Puerto Rico is the largest supplier of IV fluid bags and in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, there was a nationwide fluid bag shortage. This shortage required stewardship measures to maintain the operation of the self-administered outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) program at Parkland Health. Methods: Parkland pharmacists evaluated all self-administered antimicrobials for viability of administration as an IV syringe bolus push (IVP) instead of an IV-drip infusion. Medications deemed appropriate were transitioned to IVP. The hospital EMR was used to identify patients discharged to the OPAT clinic using all methods of parenteral drug delivery. Data was collected for patient demographics, patient satisfaction, and clinical outcomes. Finally cost of care was calculated for IVP and IV drip administration. Results: One-hundred and thirteen self-administered IVP and 102 self-administered IV drip treatment courses were identified during the study period. Individuals using IVP had a statistically significant decrease in hospital length of stay. Patient satisfaction was greater with IVP and IVP saved 504 liters of normal saline resulting in a savings of $43,652 over 6 months. The 30-day readmission rate and mortality were similar. Conclusion: The abrupt IV fluid shortage following a natural disaster led to implementation of a high value care model that improved efficiency, reduced costs, and did not affect safety or efficacy.