Patient Satisfaction with Telehealth Services in Primary Care.

Objective: Patient satisfaction is an imperative factor in integrating telehealth services as a treatment modality in health care systems. Here, we compared patient satisfaction from telehealth versus in-person health care visits in a large heterogeneous population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients making telehealth or in-person primary care visits between January 2021 and August 2022. Patient satisfaction with both service types was evaluated using a validated survey. Logistic regression models were employed to assess the association between type of visit (in-person/telehealth) and patient satisfaction (satisfied/unsatisfied) while accounting for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results: Of the 247,087 surveys included in the study, 86,580 (35%) were answered following telehealth visits. Telehealth visitors were more satisfied than in-person visitors in aspects related to doctor-patient interactions, such as "courtesy and respect," "attentive listening," and "coherent explanations" (aOR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.14-1.21; aOR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.12-1.19; aOR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.12-1.18, respectively), and less satisfied in aspects related to indirect services, such as adherence to appointment scheduling, effort required on the part of the patient, and staff cooperation (aOR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.93-0.97; aOR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.87-0.91; aOR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.83-0.87, respectively). Importantly, considerably more telehealth visits were delayed (44%) than in-person visits (27%). Adjustment for this factor further strengthened the observed association between telehealth services and patient satisfaction. Conclusions: While telehealth was associated with high levels of satisfaction in doctor-patient interaction, improvements are still needed in indirect services. Addressing issues related to staff cooperation and streamlining processes to reduce delays could improve overall patient satisfaction with telehealth.

The association between BNT162b2 vaccinations and incidence of immune-mediated comorbidities.

BACKGROUND: A large vaccination campaign was initiated worldwide in December 2020 in order to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 and severe Covid-19 disease. However, long-term adverse effects of vaccination remain unclear. Therefore, our objective was to examine the association between vaccination and the incidence of autoimmune diagnoses in the first year after vaccine uptake. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study based on Clalit Health Services (CHS) comprehensive database compared the rates of immune-mediated diagnoses among BNT162b2 vaccinated versus unvaccinated individuals. As a reference, a secondary cohort compared individuals infected with Sars-CoV-2 versus uninfected individuals. The minimum follow-up period was 4 months. The cohorts were divided into 4 age groups (12-17, 18-44, 45-64, 65 years or older). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were applied, followed by a correction for multiple comparisons using the False Discovery Rate (FDR) method, hence accounting for the investigation of multiple clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Increased risk for immune-mediated diagnoses following vaccination with BNT162b2 was observed for psoriasis in all age groups (HR 1.41-1.69), colitis among patients younger than 65 years (HR 1.38-1.93), vitiligo in patients aged 45-64 (HR 2.82, 95 %CI: 1.57-5.08) and for polymyalgia-rheumatica in patients aged 65 years or older (HR 2.12, 95 % CI: 1.3-3.47). In the reference cohort, patients who were infected by Covid-19 were at increased risk for fibromyalgia (HR 1.72, 95 % CI: 1.36-2.19 in individuals aged 18-44; HR 1.71, 95 % CI: 1.31-2.22 in individuals aged 45-64), and hypothyroidism (HR 1.54, 95 % CI: 1.15-2.07 in individuals aged 65 years or older). CONCLUSIONS: The BNT162b2 vaccine was associated with increased risk (though rare) for psoriasis, colitis and polymyalgia rheumatica. These findings should be considered as a part of the risk-benefit assessment when planning future vaccination programs for various population groups.

Overall Medication Adherence as an Indicator for Health Outcomes Among Elderly Patients With Hypertension and Diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this research was to assess overall medication adherence as an indicator for emergency room (ER) visits, hospitalizations, and mortality among elderly patients. METHODS: The study included individuals aged 75-90 years, diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension, who were treated with at least 1 antihypertensive, or antidiabetic medication in 2017. We determined personal adherence rates by calculating the mean adherence rates of the medications prescribed to each individual. We retrieved information on all ER visits and hospitalizations in internal medicine and surgical wards from 2017 to 2019 and mortality in 2019. RESULTS: Of the 171,097 individuals included in the study, 60% were women. The mean age was 81.2 years. 93% had hypertension, 46% had diabetes, and 39% had both diabetes and hypertension. In 2017, 61,668 (36.0%) patients visited the ER, 44,910 (26.2%) were hospitalized in internal medicine wards, and 13,305 (7.8%) were hospitalized in surgical wards. Comparing the highest adherence quintile to the lowest, ORs were 0.69 (0.63, 0.76) for ER visits, 0.40 (0.36, 0.45) for hospitalization in internal medicine wards, and 0.61 (0.52, 0.72) for hospitalization in surgery wards. ORs were similar for the 3 consecutive years 2017, 2018, and 2019. The adjusted OR for all-cause mortality in 2019 comparing the highest adherence quintile to the lowest was 0.60 (0.54, 0.66). CONCLUSIONS: Better medication adherence was associated with fewer ER visits and hospitalizations among elderly patients with diabetes and hypertension and lower mortality rates. Overall medication adherence is an indicator for health outcomes unrelated to the patient's underlying health status.

Challenges in Implementing Guideline on Integrative Oncology and Pain: The Israeli Perspective.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the feasibility of implementing the joint guideline on integrative medicine for pain management in oncology, published by the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), for integrative oncology (IO) services in supportive and palliative care. METHODS: A qualitative research methodology was co-designed by the SIO-ASCO guideline committee, with the Society for Complementary Medicine, Israel Medical Association (IMA). A questionnaire with five open-ended questions exploring barriers and enablers to implementing the guideline was distributed to chairs and board members of nine IMA-affiliated medical societies; four deans of Israeli medical schools; and nurses from the Israeli Society for Oncology Nursing. Respondent narratives were qualitatively analyzed using ATLAS.Ti software for systematic coding. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 52 physicians and nurses from medical oncology, hematology, gynecological oncology, pediatric oncology, palliative medicine, pain, family medicine, internal medicine, and integrative medicine. The SIO-ASCO guidelines were endorsed by nine IMA-affiliated societies. The domains identified included the importance of guideline implementation in clinical practice; barriers and facilitators to implementation; practical aspects required for this implementation (e.g., IO training); clinical indications for referral; budget-related issues; and clinical and administrative models enabling practical implementation of the guideline. CONCLUSION: We found across-the-board consensus among the nine IMA-affiliated societies supporting the current guideline. This, while identifying potential facilitators and barriers in order to address the implementation of the SIO-ASCO guideline recommendations.

Psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa: A large-scale population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The coexistence of psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has been described, but the association between these conditions is yet to be firmly established. OBJECTIVE: To study the association between psoriasis and HS by using a large-scale real-life computerized database. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the prevalence of HS among patients with psoriasis with that among age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched control subjects. RESULTS: A total of 68,836 patients with psoriasis and 68,836 controls were included in the study. The prevalence of HS was increased in patients with psoriasis versus in those in the control group (0.3% vs 0.2%, respectively; odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-2.3; P < .001). In a multivariate analysis adjusting for smoking, obesity, and other comorbidities, psoriasis was still associated with HS (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-2.2; P < .001). Patients with coexistent psoriasis and HS were significantly younger (39.0 ± 15.7 vs 42.6 ± 21.2 years [P = .015]) and had a higher prevalence of obesity (35.1% vs 25.3% [P = .001]) and smoking (58.5% vs 37.3% [P < .001]) compared with patients with psoriasis alone. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective data collection. CONCLUSIONS: A positive association was observed between HS and psoriasis. Further longitudinal observational studies are necessary to establish these findings in other study populations.

Effectiveness and persistence of anti-obesity medications (liraglutide 3 mg, lorcaserin, and orlistat) in a real-world primary care setting.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a chronic disease with rising prevalence. Guidelines suggest medications for obesity management if lifestyle interventions do not lead to substantial weight loss. Randomized control trials have shown the efficacy of anti-obesity medications in inducing weight loss, but real-world data are lacking. Therefore, our study aims to evaluate anti-obesity medications' effectiveness in reducing weight and improving cardiometabolic parameters and to assess their persistence in a real-world setting. METHODS: A historical cohort study using routinely collected data from Clalit Health Services (CHS). We retrieved data on all CHS members aged ≥20 years who initiated anti-obesity medication (orlistat, liraglutide 3 mg, and lorcaserin) between 2018 and 2020. We assessed average weight loss and the percentage of patients that had lost ≥5% and ≥10% of their body weight at 3, 6, and 9 months and compared the effectiveness of these 3 medications. RESULTS: We included 5,306 CHS members in our study; most (77.8%) were female, aged 40-59 years (52.4%). Treatment with liraglutide 3 mg and lorcaserin was associated with subsequent weight reduction. The average weight loss at 6 months was 5.6 kg (4.95-6.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]) with liraglutide 3 mg and 1.7 kg (1.2-2.2, 95% CI) with lorcaserin. There was no evidence that treatment with orlistat was associated with subsequent weight loss (-0.18 kg [-0.8 to 0.4, 95% CI]). At 6 months, 38% of the patients with orlistat, 43% with lorcaserin, and 51% with liraglutide 3 mg persisted with their treatments (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Liraglutide 3 mg was the primary medication associated with clinically significant weight loss and had the highest persistence rate in our real-world study.

Obesity is a prevalent chronic disease connected to many other chronic medical conditions linked to increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, treating obesity is of utmost importance. Guidelines suggest medications for obesity management if lifestyle interventions do not lead to substantial weight loss. This study evaluated the efficacy of anti-obesity medications liraglutide 3 mg, lorcaserin, and orlistat in a real-world clinical setting, which is different from a clinical trial setting. The study included 5,306 patients, most of whom were middle-aged females. Liraglutide 3 mg was the medication with the highest efficacy in weight loss. The average weight loss with liraglutide 3 mg was 5.6 kg at 6 months. In addition, 54.8% of the patients had lost ≥5% of their body weight, and 30.4% had lost ≥10% of their body weight after 9 months of treatment. Lorcaserin had only a modest effect on weight loss, with an average weight loss of 1.7 kg at 6 months. Orlistat had almost no impact on weight reduction. Persistence with the medications was also the highest in the liraglutide group.

The importance of having good quality indicators for care of patients with COPD: a look at hospital readmission rates.

BACKGROUND: Readmission after hospitalization for acute COPD exacerbation (AE-COPD) has been proposed as a healthcare quality indicator (QI) in Israel. We studied patients hospitalized for AE-COPD, towards determining whether AE-COPD readmission is an appropriate national QI in order to improve COPD patient care. METHODS: Data were retrieved for all Clalit Health Service (CHS) members age 40-90 years hospitalized in CHS hospitals during 2016 with a diagnosis of acute COPD exacerbation. Information retrieved included demographics, medical history, Charleson comorbidity score, readmissions within 90 days, chronic medication use and family physician and pulmonologist visits. Patients readmitted within 90 days were compared to those who were not readmitted. Patients were also analyzed according to whether they were hospitalized during the year before the index hospitalization. RESULTS: In 2016 there were 70,601 members with a recorded diagnosis of COPD in CHS. Of these, 1,203 patients (1.7%) were hospitalized in a CHS hospital with a diagnosis of acute COPD exacerbation during 2016. Average age was 70.6 years, 63% were men. 78% were active smokers. 61% of the patients were readmitted to internal medicine wards within 90 days of the index hospitalization. Patients who were readmitted were more likely to have been hospitalized during the year before the index hospitalization (Odds ratio (OR) 2.5, Confidence Interval ((CI)(1.85, 3.38)) and had a higher Charlson comorbidity score (OR 1.07 (CI 1.01, 1.11)). Healthcare utilization by patients who were readmitted, both before and after admission, was generally greater. One yr mortality was 15.1% and 9.2% in those readmitted and not readmitted, respectively (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Readmitted COPD patients appear to be the sickest group of COPD patients with advanced disease and poor prognosis, and it may not be possible to prevent readmissions. This questions the utility of COPD readmissions as a healthcare quality indicator.

Associations of Chronic Medication Adherence with Emergency Room Visits and Hospitalizations.

INTRODUCTION: Good medication adherence is associated with decreased healthcare expenditure; however, adherence is usually assessed for single medication. We aim to explore the associations of adherence levels to 23 chronic medications with emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations. The primary endpoints are ER visits and hospitalizations in internal medicine and surgical wards. METHODS: Individuals aged 50-74 years, with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or hypertension, treated with at least one antihypertensive or antidiabetic medication during 2017 were included. We determined personal adherence rates by calculating the mean adherence rates of the medications prescribed to each individual. Adherence rates were stratified into categories. We retrieved information about all the ER visits, and hospitalizations in internal medicine and surgical wards during 2016-2018. RESULTS: Of 268,792 persons included in the study, 50.6% were men. The mean age was 63.7 years. Hypertension was recorded for 217,953 (81.1%), diabetes for 160,082 (59.5%), and both diabetes and hypertension for 109,225 (40.6%). The mean number of antihypertensive and antidiabetic medications used was 2.2 ± 1.1. In total, 51,301 (19.1%) of the cohort visited the ER at least once during 2017, 21,740 (8.1%) were hospitalized in internal medicine wards, and 10,167 (3.8%) in surgical wards during 2017. Comparing the highest adherence category to the lowest, adjusted odds ratios were 0.64 (0.61, 0.67) for ER visits, 0.56 (0.52, 0.60) for hospitalization in internal wards, and 0.63 (0.57, 0.70) for hospitalization in surgical wards. Odds ratios were similar for the three consecutive years 2016-2018. CONCLUSION: Better medication adherence was associated with fewer ER visits and hospitalizations among persons with diabetes and hypertension. Investing in improving medication adherence may reduce health costs and improve patients' health.

Primary care physicians' attitudes and knowledge regarding medical cannabis and willingness to prescribe it: the Israeli experience.

BACKGROUND: Use of medical cannabis (MC) in Israel has increased since its regulatory approval in 2016. Currently, more than 1% of Israeli adults are treated with MC; this requires primary care physicians (PCPs) to be familiar with this treatment option. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the attitudes and knowledge of Israeli PCPs toward MC and evaluated their willingness to prescribe it for different medical conditions. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey which was distributed to PCPs in Israel. Physicians were asked about their opinions, knowledge, and willingness to prescribe MC. RESULTS: Two hundred and one PCPs answered the questionnaire. Their average age was 47 years (±11.2), 71% were specialists. 51% of the respondents thought that MC is an effective treatment. 63% replied that they had little knowledge and 75% indicated that they would like to deepen it. 61% of the respondents were willing to initiate an MC treatment for a dying patient, while less than 50% were willing to initiate MC treatment for various other conditions. Most respondents indicated that they were willing to renew a prescription for any approved medical condition. Willingness to prescribe MC increased for physicians who agreed that MC was effective (odds ratio [OR] 21.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.40-200.85), for physicians who strongly agreed with the statement that they had sufficient knowledge (OR 5.0, 95% CI 1.58-15.83) and for residents compared with specialists (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.52-10.73). CONCLUSIONS: Our survey revealed PCPs' differing opinions and insufficient knowledge regarding treatment with MC. These findings suggest that continuing medical education regarding MC is needed.

Use of medical cannabis (MC) in Israel has increased substantially since its regulatory approval in 2016. Currently, more than 1% of Israeli adult population receive MC; this requires primary care physicians (PCPs) to be familiar with this treatment option. We assessed the attitudes and knowledge of Israeli PCPs toward MC and evaluated their willingness to prescribe it for different medical indications. Two hundred and one PCPs answered our questionnaire. 51% of the respondents thought that MC was an effective treatment. 63% of physicians stated that they had little knowledge regarding MC and 75% indicated that they would like to deepen it. 61% of the respondents were willing to initiate MC treatment for a dying patient, while less than 50% were willing to initiate MC treatment for other conditions. Willingness to initiate treatment with MC was low for most indications, while renewal was more acceptable. Our survey revealed PCPs' different opinions and insufficient knowledge regarding the utilization of MC in primary care. These findings emphasize the necessity for continuous medical education regarding MC.

The Relationship Between Patient Medication Adherence and Following Preventive Medicine Recommendation.

BACKGROUND: To study the relationship between adherence to chronic medications and adherence to preventive medicine recommendations among persons with diabetes mellitus and hypertension. METHODS: Data were collected from the Clalit database included all members of Clalit aged 50 to 74 years, diagnosed with diabetes mellitus or hypertension before 2016 and treated with at least 1 medication (statins hypotensive or antidiabetic drugs) during 2017. We analyzed all the monthly prescriptions that were filled during 2017. We determined personal adherence rates by calculating each individual's average adherence rate to all the prescribed medications. Adherence rates were stratified by quintiles. We checked whether each person included followed the Israeli recommendations for influenza vaccine, colon cancer screening, and mammography. RESULTS: Of 268,792 persons, 81.1% had hypertension, and 59.5% had diabetes; 40.6% had diabetes and hypertension. The mean age was 63.7 years; 50.6% were men. The mean number of medications used was 2.2 ± 1.1. An adherence rate of ≤20% was found in 4.2%, and >80% in 42.5%. Overall, 59.6% had received an influenza vaccine, 68.0% had undergone colon cancer screening, and 75.2% of the women had undergone mammography. Increased adherence to medications was associated with increased adherence to preventive recommendations. For persons in the study cohort, adjusted odds ratios comparing the highest to the lowest quintile of medication adherence were 1.52 (1.46-1.59) for influenza vaccine, 1.59 (1.53-1.66) for colon cancer screen, and 1.35 (1.27-1.44) for mammography. DISCUSSION: A positive association was observed between adherence to chronic medications and adherence to preventive medicine among persons with hypertension and diabetes.

Adherence to Oral Anticoagulant Medications.

BACKGROUND: Oral anticoagulants (OAC) reduce the risk for stroke and death from all causes in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). OBJECTIVES: To explore adherence rates of OAC among patients with NVAF in long-term use in a real-world setting and to examine patient characteristics associated with good adherence. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study with members of Clalit Health Services, Israel. All patients aged ≥ 30 years with a diagnosis of NVAF before 2016 who were treated with OAC were included. We included patients who filled at least one prescription per year in the three consecutive years 2016-2018. We analyzed all prescriptions that were filled for the medications from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2017. We considered purchasing of at least nine monthly prescriptions during 2017 as good medication adherence. RESULTS: We identified 26,029 patients with NVAF who were treated with OAC; 10,284 (39.5%) were treated with apixaban, 6321 (24.3%) with warfarin, 6290 (24.1%) with rivaroxaban, and 3134 (12.0%) with dabigatran. Rates of good medication adherence were 88.9% for rivaroxaban, 84.9% for apixaban, 83.6% for dabigatran, and 55.8% for warfarin (P < 0.0001). Advanced age was associated with higher adherence rates (P < 0.001). Socioeconomic status was not associated with medication adherence. Good adherence with OAC was associated with lower low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and glucose levels. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence rates to OAC in chronic use among patients with chronic NAVF are high. Investing in OAC adherence may have a wider health impact than expected.

National study: Most elderly patients benefit from earlier hip fracture surgery despite co-morbidity.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the potential influence of pre-operative patient condition on the benefit of earlier hip fracture surgery for elderly patients. BACKGROUND: Many studies emphasize the benefit of earlier hip fracture surgery for patient survival. However less is known regarding how this relationship is influenced by clinical factors which could serve as potential contra-indicators for earlier surgery. Rushed surgery of patients with contra-indications may even compromise their survival. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients aged 65 and above with an isolated hip fracture following trauma, based on data from 19 hospitals of the national trauma registry available for the years 2015-2016. Registry data was crossed with data on co-morbidities and medication intake from the biggest health insurance agency in the country, serving more than 50% of the country's population. Mediation analysis was performed on a wide list of co-morbidities, medications and clinical test results in order to establish the mediation of their relationship with inhospital mortality by earlier hip fracture surgery. Factors found significant in the mediation analysis were utilized to adjust a logistic regression for predicting inhospital mortality by function of waiting time to surgery and patient's sex and age. RESULTS: Anti-coagulant and anti-platelet intake; test results pointing to decreased kidney function and being diagnosed with diabetes or Ischemic Heart Disease were found to be significantly mediated in their influence on inhospital mortality by hip fracture surgery. Despite anti-platelet intake and kidney function having a significant impact on mortality in the multi-variate analysis, the positive effect of earlier hip surgery on survival remained unchanged after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Earlier hip fracture surgery was found to be beneficial for elderly patients even when their co-morbidities and medication intake are taken into account.

Should patients treated with oral anti-coagulants be operated on within 48 h of hip fracture?

To investigate if patients treated with oral anticoagulants (OAC) have delayed surgical intervention (more than 48 h) compared to patients without OAC therapy, and if there is an impact to surgery timing on hospitalization length and mortality. A retrospective cohort study of all patients aged over 65 registered with a new diagnosis of hip fracture who underwent surgery in one of the general hospitals run by Clalit, Israel between 01/01/2014 and 31/12/2017. Data was retrieved for patient demographics, OAC treatment, and Charlson comorbidity index. 5828 patients were operated for hip fractures, mean age was 82.8 years (65-108), 4013 (68.8%) were female. 415 were treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) (7.1%) and 311 with warfarin (5.3%) prior to their hospitalization. Patients taking OAC were less likely to be operated within 48 h from arrival to the hospital compared to patients not receiving OAC. The 30 day mortality was 4.2% among patients not receiving OAC, 6.0% among patients taking DOACs and 10.0% among patients receiving warfarin (p < 0.001). Adjusted odds ratio for mortality at 30 day among patients taking DOACs was similar to patients who didn't take OAC. (OR 1.0, CI 0.7, 1.6). The 30 day mortality rate of patients who were receiving OAC (either DOACs or warfarin) was not significantly different whether patients were operated within 48 h or not. Mortality rate was highest among patients taking warfarin. For patients who received DOACs, operation within 48 h wasn't associated with lower mortality rate. In these patients it seemed reasonable to adjust surgery time according to patients' characteristics and needs.

Survival Benefit in Patients with Heart Failure Treated in Specialized Heart Failure Center within the Community.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure centers with specialized nurse-supervised management programs have been proposed to improve prognosis. The Heart Failure Center in Beit Shemesh, Israel, is located within a large primary care facility. The specialist team supervised the managememt of patients both within the frame of the center and while they were hospitalized. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the health services utilization by heart failure patients treated at a heart failure center and their clinical outcome. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we compared the clinical outcome of patients treated at a heart failure center to patients who received the standard care in 2013-2014. The clinical outcome included primary care visits, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and death. RESULTS: The study comprised 430 heart failure patients; 82 were treated at the heart failure center and 348 under standard care. At baseline, no significant differences were seen in clinical parameters between the groups. Healthcare utilization was higher among the study group. No significant changes in healthcare utilization were found. During follow-up, patients treated in a heart failure center were more likely to get recommended heart failure medications. Mortality was significantly lower in patients treated in the heart failure center compared with those receiving standard care 3.6% vs. 24%, respectively (P = 0.001), hazard ratio 0.19, 95% confidence interval 0.06-0.62, P = 0.005. CONCLUSIONS: Joint management of heart failure by primary clinics and a specialized community heart failure center reduced mortality. There was no decrease in healthcare utilizations among heart failure center patients, despite the reduction in mortality.

Adherence to oral antihypertensive medications, are all medications equal?

Good medication adherence is a key factor in chronic disease management. Poor adherence is associated with adverse outcomes and high costs. We aimed to explore adherence rates among oral antihypertensive medications. The study included members of the Central District of Clalit Health Services in Israel aged between 40 and 75 years, who were diagnosed with hypertension before 2012 and who filled at least one prescription per year during 2012-2014, for the following medications: hydrochlorothiazide, nifedipine, amlodipine, lercanidipine hydrochloride, atenolol, bisoprolol, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARBs), and statins. Purchase of at least nine monthly prescriptions during 2013 was considered as "good medication adherence." We compared systolic blood pressure and LDL levels, according to medication adherence, for each medication and cross-adherence rates between medications. The study included 31 530 subjects. The rates of good medication adherence varied widely among the medications investigated, ranging from 53% for statins and hydrochlorothiazide to 71% for amlodipine. Mean systolic BP and LDL levels were statistically significantly lower among persons with good, compared to lower adherence, for each of the medications investigated. Both advanced age and more chronic medications were associated with higher adherence rates for all medications tested. Poor adherence to any single medication was found to be associated with lower adherence to other medications. Different antihypertensive medications have different adherence rates. Since adherence to one medication is related to adherence to other medications, investing in medication adherence may be highly beneficial.

Healthcare Service Utilization by 116,816 Patients with Atopic Dermatitis in Israel.

Understanding of the epidemiology and healthcare service utilization related to atopic dermatitis is necessary to inform the use of new treatments. This cross-sectional study was based on a group of patients with atopic dermatitis and a matched control group comprised of age- and sex- matched enrolees without atopic dermatitis from a large medical database. Healthcare service utilization usage data were extracted and compared between groups. The study included 116,816 patients with atopic dermatitis and 116,812 controls. Atopic dermatitis was associated with an increased burden of healthcare utilization across the entire spectrum of healthcare services compared with controls. For patients severely affected by atopic dermatitis, the increased burden correlated with disease severity: a high-er frequency of emergency room visits (odd ratio (OR) 1.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-1.9), dermatology wards hospitalizations (OR 315; 95% CI 0-7,342), and overall hospitalizations (OR 3.6; 95% CI 3.3-3.9). In conclusion, this study demonstrates an increased burden of healthcare utilization in atopic dermatitis.

Diabetic Retinopathy -Incidence And Risk Factors In A Community Setting- A Longitudinal Study.

AIM: To evaluate the natural history of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in diabetic patients and to assess long term risk for other chronic diseases associated with DR. METHODS: Retrospective, community-based study. Diabetics who underwent their first fundoscopic examination during 2000-2002, and had at least one follow- up examination by the end of 2007 were included. The primary outcome was the development of DR (proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), non PDR (NPDR) or macular edema. Patients were followed for another 9 years for documentation of new diagnosis of related diseases. RESULTS: 516 patients' (1,032 eyes) records were included and were followed first for an average of 4.15 ± 1.27 years. During follow-up, 28 (2.7%) of the total 1,032 eyes examined were diagnosed with PDR. An additional 194 (18.8%) eyes were diagnosed with new NPDR. The cumulative incidence of NPDR was 310/1,032 (30.0%). All the patients who developed PDR had prior NDPR. By the end of the 9 years extended follow up, patients with NPDR had a greater risk for developing chronic renal failure HR = 1.71 (1.14-2.56), ischemic heart disease HR = 1.57 (1.17-2.09), and had an increased mortality rate HR = 1.26 (1.02-1.57) Conclusion: DR is associated with a higher rate of diabetes complications. Patients with DR should be followed more closely. Key points During a mean follow-up of 4.5 years, the cumulative incidence of diabetic retinopathy in a community cohort was 18.8%. NDPR (non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy) is a predictor of PDR (proliferative diabetic retinopathy). In a real life setting NPDR is a marker of a poorer prognosis. Patients with NDPR should be monitored more closely.

Cancer Screening of Older Adults in Israel According to Life Expectancy: Cross Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine over-screening of older Israelis for colon and breast cancer. DESIGN: Cross sectional. SETTING: Clalit Health Services (CHS), Israel's largest health maintenance organization (HMO), provides care for more than half of the country's population and operates a national age-based programs for cancer screening. PARTICIPANTS: All community-dwelling members aged 65 to 79 in 2014 (N = 370,876). MEASUREMENTS: We used CHS data warehouse to evaluate cancer screening during 2014. Life expectancy (LE) was estimated using the validated Schonberg index. RESULTS: Almost one-quarter (23.1%; 15.6% of adults aged 65-74, 42.7% of adults aged 75-79) of the study population had an estimated LE of less than 10 years. Annual fecal occult blood test and biannual mammography rates among adults aged 65 to 74 with a LE of 10 years or longer were 37.1% and 70.0%, respectively. Rates dropped after age 75 (4.0%, 19.5%) and to a lesser extent with a LE of less than 10 years (31.6%, 56.4%). Prostate-specific antigen testing is not part of the national screening program, and the proportion of people tested (42.6%), did not vary similarly with age of 75 and older (43.2%) or LE of less than 10 years (38.1%). CONCLUSION: The cancer screening inclusion criteria of the national referral system have a strong effect on receipt of screening; LE considerations are less influential. Some method of estimating LE could be incorporated into algorithms to improve individualized cancer screening to reduce over- and underscreening of older adults.