Perioperative Outcomes of Colpocleisis at a Single Institution: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

IMPORTANCE: There is limited literature reporting perioperative outcomes among colpocleisis types. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe perioperative outcomes after colpocleisis at a single institution. STUDY DESIGN: Patients who underwent colpocleisis at our academic medical center between August 2009 and January 2019 were included. A retrospective chart review was performed. Descriptive and comparative statistics were generated. RESULTS: A total of 367 of 409 eligible cases were included. Median follow-up was 44 weeks. There were no major complications or mortalities. Le Fort and posthysterectomy colpocleises were faster than transvaginal hysterectomy (TVH) with colpocleisis (95 and 98 minutes, respectively, vs 123 minutes; P = 0.00) with decreased estimated blood loss (100 and 100 mL, respectively, vs 200 mL; P = 0.000). Urinary tract infection and postoperative incomplete bladder emptying occurred in 22.6% and 13.4% of all patients, respectively, with no difference among the colpocleisis groups (P = 0.83 and P = 0.90). Patients who underwent concomitant sling were not at increased risk of postoperative incomplete bladder emptying (14.7% for Le Fort and 17.2% for total colpocleisis). Prolapse recurred after 0 Le Fort (0%), 6 posthysterectomy (3.7%), and 0 TVH with colpocleisis procedures (0%) (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Colpocleisis is a safe procedure with a relatively low complication rate. Le Fort, posthysterectomy, and TVH with colpocleisis have similarly favorable safety profiles and very low overall recurrence rates. Concomitant TVH at the time of colpocleisis is associated with increased operative time and increased blood loss. Concomitant sling procedure at the time of colpocleisis does not increase the risk of short-term incomplete bladder emptying.

Mode of Detection of Second Events in Routine Surveillance of Early Stage Breast Cancer Patients.

INTRODUCTION: NCCN and ASCO guidelines recommend breast cancer (BC) follow-up to include clinical breast examination (CBE) every 6 months and annual mammography (AM) for 5 years. Given limited data to support CBE, we evaluated the modes of detection (MOD) of BC-events in a contemporary practice. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of registry patients with early stage BC (DCIS, Stage I or II) diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 with at least 5 years of follow-up. Second events were defined as malignant (contralateral primary, ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), chest wall recurrence, regional node recurrence or distant relapse) or benign. MOD was categorized as patient complaint, clinical examination or breast imaging. RESULTS: Sixty-three of 351 BC patients experienced second events. 15 had BC malignant events, including 4 distant disease, 5 contralateral primary, and 3 IBTR. 7/8 of IBTR and contralateral primary BC were AM detected. Patient complaints identified 4/4 distant relapses. Clinical exam identified 2/2 chest wall recurrences in post-mastectomy patients. CONCLUSIONS: Only 2.8% (10/351) of early stage BC patients experienced recurrence during 5 years of follow-up. AM was the predominate MOD of both IBTR and new contralateral primary following breast conserving therapy. Patient complaints prompted evaluation for distant disease. Provider CBE was MOD in only 2/351, 0.6% 95% CI (2.1%-0.1%) of patients as chest wall recurrences postmastectomy. Given modern enhancements to imaging and lower recurrence rates, this data encourages the reassessment of guidelines for every 6-month CBE and provides basis to study telehealth in survivorship care.

Efficacy of models of palliative care delivered beyond the traditional physician-led, subspecialty consultation service model: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aimed to determine the effectiveness of non-physician provider-led palliative care (PC) interventions in the management of adults with advanced illnesses on patient-reported outcomes and advance care planning (ACP). METHODS: We included randomised trials and cluster trials published in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials and ClinicalTrials.gov searched until July 2021 that examined individuals ≥18 years with a diagnosis of advanced, life-limiting illness and received a PC intervention led by a non-physician (nurse, advance practitioner or social worker). Our primary outcome was quality of life (QOL), which was extracted as unadjusted or adjusted estimates and measures of variability. Secondary outcomes included anxiety, depression and ACP. RESULTS: Among the 21 studies (2370 subjects), 13 included patients with cancer, 3 with heart failure, 4 with chronic respiratory disease and 1 with chronic kidney disease. The interventions were diverse and varied with respect to team composition and services offered. For QOL, the standardised mean differences suggested null effects of PC interventions compared with usual care at 1-2 months (0.04; 95% CI=-0.14 to 0.23, n=10 randomised controlled trials (RCTs)) and 6-7 months (0.10; 95% CI=-0.15 to 0.34, n=6 RCTs). The results for anxiety and depression were not significant also. For the ACP, there was a strong benefit for the PC intervention (absolute increase of 0.32% (95% CI=0.06 to 0.57). CONCLUSIONS: In this meta-analysis, PC interventions delivered by non-physician were not associated with improvement in QOL, anxiety or depression but demonstrated an impact on the ACP discussion and documentation.

PAP therapy and readmission rates after in-hospital laboratory titration polysomnography in patients with hypoventilation.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Hypoventilation associated with sleep-disordered breathing in inpatients is associated with higher risk of morbidity, hospitalizations, and death. In-hospital titration polysomnography qualifies patients for positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy and optimizes settings, but impact is unknown. This study describes a process for in-hospital sleep testing and evaluates subsequent PAP adherence and readmission. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of patients with hypoventilation and in-hospital titration polysomnography with available PAP data were analyzed to determine whether PAP adherence was associated with 90-day readmission. Absolute differences were obtained using logistic regression models. Models were adjusted for body mass index, age, and Elixhauser index. PAP adherence and nonadherence were defined as ≥ 4 and < 4 hours of daily average use prior to readmission or first 90 days postdischarge. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients, 50.6% male, with age (mean ± SD) 61.1 ± 13.5 years were included. Comorbid sleep disorders included 91.4% with obstructive sleep apnea and 23.5% with central sleep apnea. Twenty-eight of 52 (53.8%) nonadherent and 6 of 29 (20.7%) adherent patients had 90-day readmissions. Eleven (13.6%) patients (all nonadherent) were readmitted within 2 weeks of discharge. The adjusted model showed a 35.6% (95% confidence interval 15.9-55.2%) reduction in 90-day readmission in the adherent group compared with the nonadherent group (P = .004). Similar reductions in readmission were found with adherence of ≥ 50% and ≥ 70% of days ≥ 4 hours. Male sex, treatment with iVAPS (intelligent volume-assured pressure support), and highest CO2 ≥ 60 mmHg on polysomnography were associated with the largest differences in readmission rates between adherent and nonadherent patients. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to optimized PAP therapy after in-hospital titration polysomnography in patients with hypoventilation may decrease readmissions. CITATION: Johnson KG, Rastegar V, Scuderi N, Johnson DC, Visintainer P. PAP therapy and readmission rates after in-hospital laboratory titration polysomnography in patients with hypoventilation. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(7):1739-1748.

Safety of Laparoscopic Appendectomy in the Setting of Coagulopathy: An ACS-NSQIP Study.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with coagulopathy requiring emergent appendectomy constitute a challenging patient population. It is unclear whether laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is as safe as open appendectomy (OA) in these patients. METHODS: We queried the ACS-NSQIP database for adults with coagulopathy undergoing emergent appendectomy from 2014 to 2017. Demographic characteristics and operative outcomes were compared between the two groups. Propensity weighting for LA versus OA was estimated using augmented inverse probability of treatment weights (AIPW). RESULTS: A total of 137,429 patients were included, of which 7049 (5%) had coagulopathy. In patients with coagulopathy, LA was the most common approach (89%). After AIPW, there was no difference in the adjusted risk of either postoperative transfusion or 30-day reoperation between OA and LA. LA was associated with reduced operative time (56 versus 75 min), length of stay (3.5 versus 7.0 d), and surgical site infection rate (6% versus 13%) compared to OA. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with coagulopathy represent a significant proportion of those undergoing an appendectomy. The majority of patients with coagulopathy who require appendectomy undergo LA, and this approach appears to be safe with regard to transfusion requirement and reoperation.

Sleep Medicine Health-Care Worker Concerns About COVID-19: An Early Pandemic Survey.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has produced numerous safety concerns for sleep medicine patients and health-care workers, especially related to the use of aerosol-generating positive airway pressure devices. Differences between physician and sleep technologist concerns with regard to viral exposure and mitigation strategies may inform protocols to ensure safety and promote patient and health-care worker resilience and retention. METHODS: An anonymous online survey aimed at sleep medicine practitioners was active from April 29, 2020 to May 8, 2020. RESULTS: We obtained 379 responses, including from 75 physicians and 283 technologists. The proportion of all the respondents who were extremely/very concerned about the following: exposing patients (70.8%), exposing technologists (81.7%), and droplet (82.7%) and airborne (81.6%) transmission from CPAP. The proportion of respondents who felt that aerosol precautions were extremely/very important varied by scenario: always needed (45.6%); only with CPAP (25.9%); and needed, despite negative viral testing (67.0%). More technologists versus physicians rated the following as extremely/very important: testing parents for COVID-19 (71.2 vs 47.5%; P = .01), high-efficiency particulate air filters (75.1 vs 61.8%; P = .02), and extremely/very concerned about shared-ventilation systems (65.9 vs 51.5%; shared ventilation P = .041). The respondents in northeastern and western United States were more concerned about the availability of COVID-19 testing than were those in other regions of the United States. Among the total number of respondents, 68.0% expected a ≥ 50% drop in patients willing to have in-laboratory testing, with greatest drops anticipated in northeastern United States. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep health-care workers reported high levels of concern about exposure to COVID-19. Physicians and technologists generally showed high concordance with regard to the need for mitigation strategies, but the respondents differed widely with regard to which strategies were necessary.

The Association Between Body Mass Index, Frailty and Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Hospitalized Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: While frailty is thought to be a wasting disorder, there is scarce data regarding the association between frailty and body mass index (BMI). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between BMI, frailty, and mortality among hospitalized older adults. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of patients aged ≥65 years admitted to a tertiary center between 2014 and 2016. Frailty was assessed by Reported Edmonton Frailty Scale (REFS) and categorized as: not frail, vulnerable/mild frail, and moderate/severe frail. BMI (kg/m2) was categorized as: underweight (<18.5), normal (18.5-24.9), overweight (25.0- 29.9), or obese (≥ 30.0). Primary outcome was all-cause one-year mortality. RESULTS: Among 769 patients included in the study, 55.4% were frail. There was no statistically significant association between frailty categories and levels of BMI. Frail patients had a higher risk of death than non-frail after adjusting for confounders [HR: 1.98, 95% CI (1.46, 2.70) for mild frail and HR 2.03, 95% CI (1.43, 2.87) for moderate/severe frail]. Compared with normal weight patients, those who were overweight had a survival advantage if they were non-frail [HR 0.55, 95% CI (0.31, 0.96)] or vulnerable/mild frail [HR 0.65, 95% CI (0.43, 0.97)] but not if they were moderate/severe frail. There were no other statistically significant differences in survival by BMI and frailty categories. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a relationship between BMI and frailty among hospitalized older adults. Overweight patients had a survival advantage if they were non-frail or vulnerable. There is need for further longitudinal studies assessing the interaction between frailty and BMI in older adults.

Frailty Recognition by Clinicians and its Impact on Advance Care Planning.

BACKGROUND: Frailty has important implications for the care of the elderly and how their needs are met. OBJECTIVE: To assess clinicians' acknowledgement of frailty in the electronic medical records (EMR) and the impact of frailty recognition on advance care planning (ACP). METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on 119 patients 65 years or older with moderate or severe frailty assessed using a validated frailty scale. We reviewed notes to determine if primary team identified frailty and obtained data regarding ACP planning. We present the characteristics and outcomes of patients who were identified as frail and compared them with patients whose frailty was unrecognized in EMR. RESULTS: Among the 119 frail patients, one third were ≥85 years and one-year mortality was 25.4%. Most patients were taking ≥5 medications and only 14.3% rated their health as excellent or good prior to hospitalization. Only 15 patients (12.6%) were identified as frail in the EMR. The only significant differences between those recognized versus unrecognized frail were body mass index (23.4 vs 28.6, p = 0.02) and reported weight loss in the 3 months prior to admission (93.3% vs 59.6%, p = 0.009). Geriatric or palliative care consults, and changes in code status to do-not resuscitate were more frequent among those recognized vs not. (33.3% vs 11.5%; 13.3% vs 1.9% respectively). CONCLUSION: Documentation of frailty in the EMR was rare and it was associated with a lower likelihood of providing advance care planning. These findings suggest a need for consistent frailty assessment, which might promote patient-centered care.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep medicine practices.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic required sleep centers to consider and implement infection control strategies to mitigate viral transmission to patients and staff. Our aim was to assess measures taken by sleep centers due to the COVID-19 pandemic and plans surrounding reinstatement of sleep services. METHODS: We distributed an anonymous online survey to health care providers in sleep medicine on April 29, 2020. From responders, we identified a subset of unique centers by region and demographic variables. RESULTS: We obtained 379 individual responses, which represented 297 unique centers. A total of 93.6% of unique centers reported stopping all or nearly all sleep testing of at least one type, without significant differences between adult and pediatric labs, geographic region, or surrounding population density. By contrast, a greater proportion of respondents continued home sleep apnea testing services. A total of 60.3% reduced home sleep apnea testing volume by at least 90%, compared to 90.4% that reduced in-laboratory testing by at least 90%. Respondents acknowledged that they implemented a wide variety of mitigation strategies. While no respondents reported virtual visits to be ≥ 25% of clinical visits prior to the pandemic, more than half (51.9%) anticipated maintaining ≥ 25% virtual visits after the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Among surveyed sleep centers, the vast majority reported near-cessation of in-laboratory sleep studies, while a smaller proportion reported reductions in home sleep apnea tests. A large increase in the use of telemedicine was reported, with the majority of respondents expecting the use of telehealth to endure in the future.

Short-Term Outcomes of Vaginal Hysterectomy at the Time of Robotic Sacrocolpopexy.

OBJECTIVE: With the introduction of robotic sacrocolpopexy (RSC) at our institution in 2008, we noted a reduction in residents' vaginal hysterectomy (VH) experience. In 2012, we made a transition to perform VH on all robotic sacrocolpopexies. Our objective was to report our short-term outcomes and adverse events. METHODS: In this case series, we evaluated women who underwent VH with concomitant RSC for stages II to IV pelvic organ prolapse between 2012 and 2017. In these cases, the vesicovaginal and rectovaginal spaces were developed transvaginally. Descriptive analysis including demographics, short-term outcomes, and adverse events are reported. RESULTS: In this group of 209 women, median (interquartile interval) duration of follow-up was 49 (26-60) weeks. The majority of the women were white (84.7%) and postmenopausal (80.9%), with a mean (SD) age of 59 (9) years. At a median follow-up time of 49 weeks, pelvic organ prolapse quantification revealed 20 patients (12.4%) with Ba or Bp greater or equal to 0 and 1.4% of patients required repeat prolapse surgery. Among 9 women (4.3%) with postoperative fever, 4 (1.9%) were treated for pelvic collection/abscess. Of 5 women (2.4%) who had venous thromboembolism, 3 (1.4%) were diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. There were 18 patients (8.6%) treated for urinary tract infection within 6 postoperative weeks. Mesh exposure was noted in 16 (7.7%) of the patients, and 11 (6.2%) required reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal hysterectomy at the time of RSC may increase the risk of infection and mesh exposure compared with procedures without concomitant hysterectomy.

Hypertensive urgency or emergency? The use of intravenous medications in hospitalized hypertensive patients without organ dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines poorly define hypertensive urgency and recommend Oral (PO) medications over intravenous (IV). OBJECTIVE: To describe hospital management of hypertensive urgency and compare characteristics and outcomes of PO vs. IV medications. METHODS: We used descriptive statistics and created generalized linear models to evaluate within-subject blood pressure (BP) changes over 24 hours. RESULTS: 179 patients had an average age of 62 and 58% female. Chronic hypertension was common (165, 88%), as was chronic renal disease (40.6%). IV medications were common (146, 81.6%) and associated with higher comorbidity burden, prior kidney disease, and longer length of stay (2.5, 1.6-3.8 vs. 1.4, 0.9-2.2, p=0.007). 66 (35.3%) developed and 43 (23.5%) new organ dysfunction, but outcomes were similar between groups. BP was similar between groups after 12 hours. CONCLUSIONS: IV medication use was common and decreased BP more rapidly. Outcomes including BP were similar to PO administration, except for length of stay.

Cardiovascular and somatic comorbidities and sleep measures using three hypopnea criteria in mild obstructive sleep-disordered breathing: sex, age, and body mass index differences in a retrospective sleep clinic cohort.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To describe sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) differences in comorbidities and polysomnography measures, categorized using 3 different apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) criteria in sleep clinic patients with mild obstructive sleep-disordered breathing. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of 305 (64% female) adult sleep clinic patients who underwent full-night in-laboratory polysomnography having been diagnosed with mild sleep-disordered breathing and prescribed positive airway pressure. Effects of sex, age, and BMI on comorbidities and polysomnography measures, including rates of AHI defined by ≥ 3% desaturations (AHI3%), with arousals (AHI3%A), by ≥ 4% desaturations (AHI4%), and by respiratory disturbance index, were evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty-nine (23%), 116 (38%), 258 (85%), and 267 (88%) patients had AHI4%, AHI3%, AHI3%A, and respiratory disturbance index ≥ 5 events/h, respectively. Ninety-day positive airway pressure adherence rates were 45.9% overall and higher in women > 50-years-old (51.2%, P = 0.013) and men (54.5%, P = 0.024) with no difference whether AHI4% or AHI3%A was < 5 or ≥ 5 events/h. Men and women had similar rates of daytime sleepiness (43.3%), anxiety (44.9%), and hypertension (44.9%). Women were more likely to have obesity, anemia, asthma, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, migraine, and lower rates of coronary artery disease. More patients with AHI4% < 5 events/h had depression, migraines, and anemia, and more patients with AHI4% ≥ 5 events/h had congestive heart failure. Women were more likely to have higher sleep maintenance and efficiency, shorter average obstructive apnea and hypopnea durations, and less supine-dominant pattern. Average obstructive apnea and hypopnea duration decreased with increasing BMI, and average hypopnea duration increased with age. Obstructive apnea duration and obstructive hypopnea with arousal duration decreased with increasing BMI. More women had AHI4% < 5 (81.5% vs 69.1%), AHI3% < 5 (68.7% vs 49.1%), and AHI3%A < 5 events/h (18.5% vs 10.0%). Greater age and higher BMI were associated with higher AHI. CONCLUSIONS: Current AHI criteria do not predict comorbidities or adherence in mild sleep-disordered breathing patients. In this hypothesis-generating descriptive analysis, sex, BMI, and age may all be factors that should be accounted for in future research of mild sleep-disordered breathing patients. Different sleep study measures may weigh differently in calculations of risk for cardiovascular versus somatic comorbidities.

An observational study of the management practices and outcomes of patients with new onset atrial fibrillation in non-cardiothoracic surgeries.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Limited data exist on characteristics and management of patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after noncardiothoracic surgeries and on the relationship between symptoms and outcomes. We sought to describe clinical features, in-hospital practices and outcomes in patients with new POAF by the presence or absence of clinical symptoms. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of adults with POAF in one tertiary center. RESULTS: Among the 99 patients who fulfilled the eligibility criteria, median age was 75 years (IQR 64-83) and 57.6% were male. Only thirty percent of patients with POAF were symptomatic. Rate control/conversion to sinus rhythm was achieved in ≤ 4 h in 56% of the patients and in 80% was maintained for ≥ 24 h. Anticoagulation was prescribed in 50% of those discharged in AF; the CHADS2-VASc score was not associated with anticoagulation prescribed. One third of patients were readmitted and half of them were in AF. Asymptomatic patients had lower median heart rate than symptomatic patients but no other clinical characteristics, or outcomes were different. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with POAF were asymptomatic but their presentation or outcomes were similar with symptomatic patients. One in four discharged patients was prescribed anticoagulation and the CHADS2-VASC score was not associated with this decision. These findings have important implications for practice and future research. There is a need to better delineate the risk associated with transient versus persistent POAF, symptomatic versus asymptomatic POAF, as well as for clinical trials to determine optimal strategies to improve their outcomes.

Clinical outcomes following identification of tip appendicitis on ultrasonography and CT scan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: With recent improvements in imaging technology, subtler variations in the anatomy of the appendix can be appreciated. We hypothesized that radiographic findings of tip appendicitis may not correlate strongly with a pathologic diagnosis of appendicitis. METHODS: Our radiology database was searched for reports of a diagnosis of tip appendicitis between January 2013 and June 2017 for patients between the ages of 2 and 17. Retrospective chart review was performed for demographic and clinical data, including outcomes. For patients managed operatively, the pathology results were reviewed for evidence of acute appendicitis. Patients managed nonoperatively and those with negative pathology were considered to not have appendicitis. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients met inclusion criteria (31 boys and 24 girls); 46/55 patients with tip appendicitis on imaging ultimately did not have appendicitis. Twenty-one patients underwent appendectomy, and 9/21 had pathologic evidence of appendicitis. One patient had a ruptured appendix. No other pathology was identified in the negative appendectomies. Two patients managed nonoperatively required readmission, but not secondary to missed diagnosis of appendicitis. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound and CT findings of tip appendicitis may not accurately associate with a final diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Clinical judgment should ultimately dictate appropriate initial management, follow-up tests, and imaging. TYPE OF STUDY: Diagnostic Study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Successful Use of Noninvasive Ventilation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. How Do High-Performing Hospitals Do It?

RATIONALE: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is a cornerstone of treatment for patients with severe exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), where it has been shown to reduce the need for intubation, hospital length of stay, and mortality. Despite high-quality evidence and strong recommendations in clinical guidelines, use of NIV varies widely across hospitals. OBJECTIVES: To identify approaches used by hospitals that have been successful in implementing NIV to treat patients with severe exacerbations of COPD. METHODS: Adopting a positive deviance approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders from a sample of high-performing hospitals selected from a large and representative network of 386 U.S. hospitals. High performers were defined as hospitals in which a high proportion of patients with COPD requiring mechanical ventilation were treated with NIV, and that also achieved low risk-adjusted mortality for all patients with COPD. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Themes and subthemes were identified through iterative readings of the transcripts and discussion until the team agreed that all important themes and subthemes had been identified. All transcripts were coded by three or four researchers. Differences in coding were discussed to negotiate consensus, resulting in a single agreed-on set of coded transcripts. RESULTS: Interviews were conducted with 32 participants from seven hospitals. Hospitals were diverse regarding size, teaching status, and geographic location. Participants included respiratory therapists (n = 15), physicians (n = 10), and nurses (n = 7). The qualitative analyses revealed three interrelated domains that characterized effective NIV use: processes, structural elements, and contextual factors. Several themes comprised each domain. Key processes included timely identification of appropriate patients, early initiation of NIV, frequent reassessment of patients, and attention to patient comfort. Necessary structural elements included adequate equipment, sufficient numbers of qualified respiratory therapists, and flexibility in staffing. Important contextual factors included provider buy-in, respiratory therapist autonomy, interdisciplinary teamwork, and staff education. Hospital leaders, policies, and protocols were identified as playing a supporting role in promoting essential elements. CONCLUSIONS: We identified factors, such as respiratory therapist autonomy, that facilitated essential processes (e.g., timely initiation) of NIV use at high-performing hospitals. These findings may be useful to hospitals seeking to optimize their use of NIV among patients with COPD.