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Vitamin K is an essential dietary cofactor required for the synthesis of active forms of vitamin K-dependent procoagulant proteins. Vitamin K deficiency, particularly late-onset deficiency occurring between 1 week and 6 months of age, can cause a life-threatening bleeding disorder. An exclusively breastfed, full-term, 6-week-old infant male presented with severe haemorrhagic shock and multi-system organ failure related to caregiver refusal of intramuscular vitamin K after birth. Coagulation studies were normalised within 8 hours of intramuscular vitamin K administration. An increasing number of caregivers are refusing intramuscular vitamin K which has led to a rise in the incidence of vitamin K deficiency bleeding. Health policy organisations around the world emphasise the benefits of intramuscular vitamin K and risks of refusal, particularly in exclusively breastfed infants who are at higher risk due to low vitamin K levels in breast milk. This case highlights the multi-system severity of this life-threatening yet preventable disorder.
Subject(s)
Multiple Organ Failure , Shock, Hemorrhagic , Vitamin K Deficiency , Vitamin K , Humans , Male , Multiple Organ Failure/etiology , Vitamin K Deficiency/complications , Infant , Shock, Hemorrhagic/etiology , Vitamin K/therapeutic use , Vitamin K/administration & dosage , Breast Feeding , Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding/diagnosis , Injections, Intramuscular , Treatment RefusalABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This analysis aims to evaluate the association between the time since and reason for a patient's last dental appointment across clinical oral health outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used data from the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional, nationally-representative survey of noninstitutionalized US adults. The predictors were the time since and the reason for the last dental appointment (routine vs. urgent). We examined the presence and number of missing teeth and teeth with untreated coronal and root caries. Multivariable regression models with interaction were used to assess the association between the time since the last dental appointment and clinical oral health outcomes among routine and urgent users separately. RESULTS: Two-thirds of the US population had a dental appointment within a year, while nearly 44 million individuals did not visit a dentist for the last three years. The odds of having teeth with untreated coronal or root caries increased with the length of time since the last appointment, and urgent users had worse dental outcomes compared to routine users. Compared to those who had a dental appointment within a year, individuals who had their last dental appointment more than 3 years ago had 2.94 times the average number of teeth with untreated caries among routine users (95%CI=2.39, 3.62) and 1.60 times the average among urgent users (95%CI=1.05, 2.43). CONCLUSIONS: Recent, routine dental appointments are associated with improved oral health outcomes. The outcomes reiterate how social determinants of health impact access to oral health care and oral health outcomes.
Subject(s)
Dental Care , Nutrition Surveys , Oral Health , Humans , United States/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Oral Health/statistics & numerical data , Dental Care/statistics & numerical data , Female , Male , Adult , Middle Aged , Dental Caries/epidemiology , Young Adult , Aged , Adolescent , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To compare the outcomes selected for the same condition in core outcome sets (COSs) for research with those in COS for the routine care setting. METHODS: A sample of COS was created from the most frequent five health areas within previous systematic reviews of COS for research and COS for routine care. Outcomes were extracted and categorized using an outcome taxonomy. Frequency of outcome domains included within COS were analyzed in subgroups according to research or care setting, patient involvement in COS development and health area. Matched sets of COS were created, where at least one research COS and one routine care COS exist for the same health condition, to identify the outcomes that were recommended for both settings. A similar process was used for a subset of paired COS matched in scope for both intervention and population as well as health condition. RESULTS: The sample of COS comprised: 246 COS for research only, 76 COS for routine care only and 55 COS for both research and routine care. Across the 18 sets matched by health condition the median number (range) of outcomes included in both research COS and routine care COS was 6 (3-15), with differences noted across health areas. For the 11 paired COS matched by scope and health condition, the corresponding figures were 2 (2-8). Across all settings, COS that did not include patients as participants were less likely to include life impact outcomes. CONCLUSION: Within a given health condition, a small number of core outcomes were found to be relevant for both research and care, offering a meaningful starting point for linking research and real-world evaluation.
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent and impactful in epilepsy. American Academy of Neurology quality measures emphasize anxiety and depression screening and quality of life (QOL) measurement, yet usual epilepsy care QOL and anxiety/depression outcomes are poorly characterized. The main objective was to assess 6-month QOL, anxiety and depression during routine care among adults with epilepsy and baseline anxiety or depression symptoms; these were prespecified secondary outcomes within a pragmatic randomized trial of remote assessment methods. METHODS: Adults with anxiety or depression symptoms and no suicidal ideation were recruited from a tertiary epilepsy clinic via an electronic health record (EHR)-embedded process. Participants were randomized 1:1 to 6â¯month outcome collection via patient portal EHR questionnaires vs. telephone interview. This report focuses on an a priori secondary outcomes of the overall trial, focused on patient-reported health outcomes in the full sample. Quality of life, (primary health outcome), anxiety, and depression measures were collected at 3 and 6 months (Quality of Life in Epilepsy-10, QOLIE-10, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory-Epilepsy). Change values and 95â¯% confidence intervals were calculated. In post-hoc exploratory analyses, patient-reported anxiety/depression management plans at baseline clinic visit and healthcare utilization were compared with EHR-documentation, and agreement was calculated using the kappa statistic. RESULTS: Overall, 30 participants (15 per group) were recruited and analyzed, of mean age 42.5 years, with 60â¯% women. Mean 6-month change in QOLIE-10 overall was 2.0(95â¯% CI -6.8, 10.9), and there were no significant differences in outcomes between the EHR and telephone groups. Mean anxiety and depression scores were stable across follow-up (all 95â¯% CI included zero). Outcomes were similar regardless of whether an anxiety or depression action plan was documented. During the baseline interview, most participants with clinic visit EHR documentation indicating action to address anxiety and/or depression reported not being offered a treatment(7 of 12 with action plan, 58â¯%), and there was poor agreement between patient report and EHR documentation (kappa=0.22). Healthcare utilization was high: 40â¯% had at least one hospitalization or emergency/urgent care visit reported and/or identified via EHR, but a third (4/12) failed to self-report an EHR-identified hospitalization/urgent visit. DISCUSSION: Over 6 months of usual care among adults with epilepsy and anxiety or depression symptoms, there was no significant average improvement in quality of life or anxiety/depression, suggesting a need for interventions to enhance routine neurology care and achieve quality of life improvement for this group.
Subject(s)
Anxiety , Depression , Epilepsy , Patient Reported Outcome Measures , Quality of Life , Humans , Female , Male , Quality of Life/psychology , Epilepsy/psychology , Epilepsy/therapy , Adult , Depression/therapy , Anxiety/therapy , Anxiety/psychology , Middle Aged , Electronic Health Records , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Several clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of internet-delivered psychological-based pain management programs (PMPs). However, to date, no large studies have reported the outcomes of PMPs when delivered by specialist multidisciplinary pain services in routine care. The present study reports (n = 653) the outcomes of an internet-delivered PMP provided as routine care by a specialist Australian regional pain service over a 6-year period. High levels of treatment commencement (85%) and completion (72%) were observed, with more than 80% of patients reporting they were satisfied with the intervention. Clinical improvements were observed from pretreatment to post-treatment (% change, 95% confidence intervals (CI)) in pain-related disability (8.8%; 4.5, 12.8), depression (28.4%; 23.0, 33.4), anxiety (21.9%; 14.6, 28.5), and pain intensity (7%; 3.5, 10.5), which were maintained to 3-month follow-up. At 3-month follow-up, 27% (23, 31), 46% (41, 51), 44% (39, 49), and 22% (19, 26) reported clinically meaningful (defined as ≥ 30%) improvements in pain-related disability, depression, anxiety, and pain intensity, respectively. These results were obtained with relatively little therapist time per patient (M = 30.0, (standard deviation) SD = 18.8) to deliver the intervention. The current findings highlight the potential of internet-delivered PMPs as part of the services provided by specialist pain services, particularly those servicing large geographical regions and for patients unable to travel to clinics for face-to-face care. PERSPECTIVE: This study reports the outcomes of the routine delivery of an internet-delivered psychological PMP by a specialist pain service. The findings highlight the potential of this model of care when provided by specialist pain services, particularly for patients not unable to attend and not requiring intensive face-to-face care.
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Background: The high burden of cryptococcal meningitis (CM) among people living with HIV persists despite widespread access to antiretroviral therapy. Efforts to prevent CM among people living with HIV could be hindered by a limited understanding of their lived experiences of CM and its diagnosis. Objectives: To explore and describe the experiences of people diagnosed with HIV-associated CM in routine care. Two public healthcare facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa. Method: This was a qualitative-methods exploratory, descriptive, phenomenological study. We conducted semi-structured, individual in-depth interviews with nine purposively sampled participants (comprising 5 men and 4 women). Data were analysed using the Moustakas phenomenological approach. Results: Five themes and several sub-themes emerged from the data. Participants described their experiences of being diagnosed, which were marked by intense headaches. Diagnosis of CM led to reduced quality of life, fear of death, and loss of income. Participants described their CM treatment experience and health-seeking behaviour including self-medication, seeking help from traditional healers and general practitioners and utilising public health facilities as a last resort. Barriers to care included negative healthcare workers' attitudes, unhealthy lifestyles, and poor knowledge of CM. Conclusion: People with HIV-associated CM face negative impacts prior to and after diagnosis. These patients struggled to access timely quality healthcare. Patients starting or restarting antiretroviral therapy, and thus at risk for CM, should receive CM education as part of HIV counselling.
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BACKGROUND: To assess long-term effectiveness and safety of edoxaban in Europe. METHODS AND RESULTS: ETNA-AF-Europe, a prospective, multinational, multi-centre, post-authorisation, observational study was conducted in agreement with the European Medicines Agency. The primary and secondary objectives assessed real-world safety (including bleeding and deaths) and effectiveness (including stroke, systemic embolic events and clinical edoxaban use), respectively. Median (interquartile range) age of the 13,164 patients was 75.0 (68.0-80.0) years; CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores were 3.0 (2.0-4.0) and 2.0 (1.0-2.0), respectively. Follow-up duration was 3.98 (3.21-4.05) years. Patients on edoxaban 30 mg (n = 3042) at baseline were older (80.0 vs 73.0 years), more likely assessed as frail by investigators (27.0% vs 6.6%) and had more comorbidities than those on edoxaban 60 mg (n = 9617; missing dosing information for n = 505). Annualised event rates of all-cause and cardiovascular death in the overall population, edoxaban 60 mg and edoxaban 30 mg groups were 4.1%, 2.8% and 8.4%, and 1.0%, 0.7% and 2.0%, respectively. Annualised rates of stroke were relatively constant throughout the follow-up, transient ischaemic attack and systemic embolism were < 1% in the overall population. Rates of any major and major gastrointestinal bleeding were low, with slightly higher rates for edoxaban 30 vs 60 mg group. Intracranial haemorrhage was uncommon (0.2%). CONCLUSIONS: In European patients with AF, long-term therapy with edoxaban is associated with low and relatively constant annualised rates of stroke and major bleeding. Differences in outcomes between the two approved doses are attributable to differences in clinical characteristics.
Subject(s)
Atrial Fibrillation , Factor Xa Inhibitors , Pyridines , Thiazoles , Humans , Thiazoles/adverse effects , Thiazoles/therapeutic use , Thiazoles/administration & dosage , Pyridines/adverse effects , Pyridines/administration & dosage , Pyridines/therapeutic use , Aged , Atrial Fibrillation/drug therapy , Male , Female , Europe/epidemiology , Prospective Studies , Factor Xa Inhibitors/adverse effects , Factor Xa Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Factor Xa Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Aged, 80 and over , Treatment Outcome , Follow-Up Studies , Time Factors , Stroke/prevention & control , Stroke/epidemiology , Hemorrhage/chemically induced , Hemorrhage/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Identification of at-risk patients is paramount to initiate preventive care and tailor treatments accordingly. Despite international guidelines recommending all patients with RA undergo CVD risk assessment, rates remain suboptimal. The objectives of this review were to map the strategies used to conduct CVD risk assessments in patients with RA in routine care, determine who delivers CVD risk assessments, and identify what composite measures are used. The Joanna Briggs Institute methodological guidelines were used. A literature search was conducted in electronic and grey literature databases, trial registries, medical clearing houses, and professional rheumatology organisations. Findings were synthesised narratively. A total of 12 studies were included. Strategies reported in this review used various system-based interventions to support delivery of CVD risk assessments in patients with RA, operationalised in different ways, adopting two approaches: (a) multidisciplinary collaboration, and (b) education. Various composite measures were cited in use, with and without adjustment for RA. Results from this review demonstrate that although several strategies to support CVD risk assessments in patients with RA are cited in the literature, there is limited evidence to suggest a standardised model has been applied to routine care. Furthermore, extensive evidence to map how health care professionals conduct CVD risk assessments in practice is lacking. Research needs to be undertaken to establish the extent to which healthcare professionals are CVD risk assessing their patients with RA in routine care. Key Points ⢠A limited number of system-based interventions are in use to support the delivery of CVD risk assessments in patients with RA. ⢠Multidisciplinary team collaboration, and education are used to operationalise interventions to support Health Care Professionals in conducting CVD risk assessments in practice. ⢠The extent to which Health Care Professionals are CVD risk assessing their patients with RA needs to be established.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Cardiovascular Diseases , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/complications , Humans , Risk Assessment , Heart Disease Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Background: Numerous pressure injury prediction models have been developed using electronic health record data, yet hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) are increasing, which demonstrates the critical challenge of implementing these models in routine care. Objective: To help bridge the gap between development and implementation, we sought to create a model that was feasible, broadly applicable, dynamic, actionable, and rigorously validated and then compare its performance to usual care (ie, the Braden scale). Methods: We extracted electronic health record data from 197,991 adult hospital admissions with 51 candidate features. For risk prediction and feature selection, we used logistic regression with a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) approach. To compare the model with usual care, we used the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), Brier score, slope, intercept, and integrated calibration index. The model was validated using a temporally staggered cohort. Results: A total of 5458 HAPIs were identified between January 2018 and July 2022. We determined 22 features were necessary to achieve a parsimonious and highly accurate model. The top 5 features included tracheostomy, edema, central line, first albumin measure, and age. Our model achieved higher discrimination than the Braden scale (AUC 0.897, 95% CI 0.893-0.901 vs AUC 0.798, 95% CI 0.791-0.803). Conclusions: We developed and validated an accurate prediction model for HAPIs that surpassed the standard-of-care risk assessment and fulfilled necessary elements for implementation. Future work includes a pragmatic randomized trial to assess whether our model improves patient outcomes.
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Overall survival (OS) of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has improved within controlled clinical trials. Whether these advances translate into improved OS in routine care is controversial. We therefore analyzed retrospectively unselected female patients from five oncology group practices and one university outpatient clinic, whose initial diagnosis of MBC was between 1995 and 2022. A total of 1610 patients with a median age of 63 years (23-100) were evaluated. In all, 82.9% had hormone-receptor-positive disease, and 23.8% were HER2-positive. Evaluation in time cohorts by initial MBC diagnosis date showed a continuous prolongation of median OS from 31.6 months (0.5-237.3+) (1995-2000) to 48.4 months (0.4-61.1+) (2018-2022) (p = 0.003). Univariable analyses showed a significant dependence on the time cohort of diagnosis, metastatic status at initial diagnosis, age at metastasis, hormone and HER2 status, general condition, metastasis localization, and the number of affected organs. A multivariable analysis revealed a significant dependence of survival probability on receptor status, general condition, and number of metastatic sites, as well as the time between initial breast cancer diagnosis and the diagnosis date of MBC in months. In sum, OS of patients with MBC has improved continuously and significantly in routine care over the last 27 years.
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AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: This study aimed to explore the added value of subgroups that categorise individuals with type 2 diabetes by k-means clustering for two primary care registries (the Netherlands and Scotland), inspired by Ahlqvist's novel diabetes subgroups and previously analysed by Slieker et al. METHODS: We used two Dutch and Scottish diabetes cohorts (N=3054 and 6145; median follow-up=11.2 and 12.3 years, respectively) and defined five subgroups by k-means clustering with age at baseline, BMI, HbA1c, HDL-cholesterol and C-peptide. We investigated differences between subgroups by trajectories of risk factor values (random intercept models), time to diabetes-related complications (logrank tests and Cox models) and medication patterns (multinomial logistic models). We also compared directly using the clustering indicators as predictors of progression vs the k-means discrete subgroups. Cluster consistency over follow-up was assessed. RESULTS: Subgroups' risk factors were significantly different, and these differences remained generally consistent over follow-up. Among all subgroups, individuals with severe insulin resistance faced a significantly higher risk of myocardial infarction both before (HR 1.65; 95% CI 1.40, 1.94) and after adjusting for age effect (HR 1.72; 95% CI 1.46, 2.02) compared with mild diabetes with high HDL-cholesterol. Individuals with severe insulin-deficient diabetes were most intensively treated, with more than 25% prescribed insulin at 10 years of diagnosis. For severe insulin-deficient diabetes relative to mild diabetes, the relative risks for using insulin relative to no common treatment would be expected to increase by a factor of 3.07 (95% CI 2.73, 3.44), holding other factors constant. Clustering indicators were better predictors of progression variation relative to subgroups, but prediction accuracy may improve after combining both. Clusters were consistent over 8 years with an accuracy ranging from 59% to 72%. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Data-driven subgroup allocations were generally consistent over follow-up and captured significant differences in risk factor trajectories, medication patterns and complication risks. Subgroups serve better as a complement rather than as a basis for compressing clustering indicators.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 , Humans , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/epidemiology , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Aged , Risk Factors , Netherlands/epidemiology , Glycated Hemoglobin/metabolism , Scotland/epidemiology , Cholesterol, HDL/blood , Registries , C-Peptide/blood , Disease Progression , Adult , Cluster Analysis , Insulin Resistance/physiology , Body Mass IndexABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Although dolutegravir (DTG) is deemed stable, safe, cost-effective, and clinically beneficial, it also carries the risk of side effects, including observed weight gain among patients on DTG-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens. We compared weight changes among adults (≥18 years) initiating tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine, and dolutegravir (TLD) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, emtricitabine, and efavirenz (TEE) regimens and those switching from TEE to TLD (TEE-to-TLD switchers) in three large primary care facilities in South Africa METHODS: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal record review using patient medical records, extracting relevant demographic and clinical data from October 2018 to June 2021 from randomly selected adults who initiated TLD or TEE (initiators) and adult TEE-to-TLD switchers. We assessed weight, body mass index (BMI), and percentage weight changes for both groups and fitted linear regression and generalized linear models to determine factors associated with weight and BMI change and percentage weight change ≥10%, respectively, among treatment initiators. We fitted linear mixed-effect models among TEE-to-TLD switchers to consider repeated measures. RESULTS: Of 860 initiators, 450 (52.3%) initiated on TEE and 410 (47.7%) on TLD, with median follow-up of 1.4 years and 1.0 year, respectively. At initiation, 43.3% on TEE and 40.8% on TLD were overweight or obese. TLD initiators had an adjusted higher mean weight gain of 1.6 kg (p < 0.001) and mean BMI gain of 0.51 kg/m2 (p < 0.001) than TEE initiators. Independent risk factors for higher mean weight and BMI included age ≥50 years, male, on ART for >12 months, initial BMI of <18.5 kg/m2, and CD4 counts <200 cells/µL. Of 298 TEE-to-TLD switchers, 36.6% were overweight or obese at TEE initiation. Comparing before and after TLD switch, TEE-to-TLD switchers had an adjusted mean weight of 1.2 kg less while on TLD (p = 0.026). Being overweight and CD4 counts >350 cells/µL were independent risk factors for lower weight gain after TLD switch. CONCLUSIONS: We report more weight gain among TLD than among TEE initiators, although to a lesser extent than previously reported. TEE-to-TLD switchers experienced less weight gain after TLD switch; return to health before receiving TLD may be a contributory factor. The current findings are reassuring for those switching to a DTG-based regimen.
Subject(s)
Alkynes , Benzoxazines , Cyclopropanes , HIV Infections , Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring , Oxazines , Pyridones , Weight Gain , Humans , Male , Female , Weight Gain/drug effects , HIV Infections/drug therapy , Adult , South Africa , Retrospective Studies , Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring/therapeutic use , Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring/adverse effects , Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring/administration & dosage , Oxazines/therapeutic use , Benzoxazines/therapeutic use , Benzoxazines/adverse effects , Benzoxazines/administration & dosage , Middle Aged , Piperazines , Anti-HIV Agents/therapeutic use , Anti-HIV Agents/adverse effects , Longitudinal Studies , Body Mass Index , Lamivudine/therapeutic use , Lamivudine/adverse effects , Lamivudine/administration & dosage , Tenofovir/therapeutic use , Tenofovir/adverse effects , Tenofovir/administration & dosage , Emtricitabine/therapeutic use , Emtricitabine/administration & dosageABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: GET.ON (HelloBetter) treatment interventions have been shown to be efficacious in multiple randomized controlled trials. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effectiveness of 2 GET.ON interventions, GET.ON Mood Enhancer and GET.ON Stress, in a national digital mental health service implemented across Germany. METHODS: Following an initial web-based questionnaire, participants were allocated to either intervention based on their baseline symptom severity and personal choice and received a semistandardized guided, feedback-on-demand guided, or self-guided version of the treatment. Uncontrolled routine care data from 851 participants were analyzed using a pretest-posttest design. Half of the participants (461/851, 54.2%) were allocated to the stress intervention (189/461, 41% semistandardized; 240/461, 52% feedback on demand; and 32/461, 6.9% self-guided), and almost all participants in the mood intervention (349/352, 99.2%) received semistandardized guidance. RESULTS: Results on depression-related symptom severity indicated a reduction in reported symptoms, with a large effect size of d=-0.92 (95% CI -1.21 to -0.63). Results on perceived stress and insomnia indicated a reduction in symptom severity, with large effect sizes of d=1.02 (95% CI -1.46 to -0.58) and d=-0.75 (95% CI -1.10 to -0.40), respectively. A small percentage of participants experienced deterioration in depression-related symptoms (11/289, 3.8%), perceived stress (6/296, 2%), and insomnia (5/252, 2%). After completing treatment, 51.9% (150/289) of participants showed a clinically reliable change in depression-related symptoms, whereas 20.4% (59/289) achieved a close to symptom-free status. Similar improvements were observed in perceived stress and insomnia severity. Guidance moderated the effectiveness of and adherence to the interventions in reducing depressive symptom severity. Effect sizes on depression-related symptom severity were d=-1.20 (95% CI -1.45 to -0.93) for the semistandardized group, d=-0.36 (95% CI -0.68 to -0.04) for the feedback-on-demand group, and d=-0.83 (95% CI -1.03 to -0.63) for the self-guided group. Furthermore, 47.6% (405/851) of the participants completed all modules of the intervention. Participant satisfaction was high across all patient groups and both interventions; 89.3% (242/271) of participants would recommend it to a friend in need of similar help. Limitations include the assignment to treatments and guidance formats based on symptom severity. Furthermore, part of the differences in symptom change between groups must be assumed to be due to this baseline difference in the measures. CONCLUSIONS: Future digital health implementation and routine care research should focus on monitoring symptom deterioration and other negative effects, as well as possible predictors of deterioration and the investigation of individual patient trajectories. In conclusion, this study supports the effectiveness of tailored digital mental health services in routine care for depression- and stress-related symptoms in Germany. The results highlight the importance of guidance in delivering internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy interventions and provide further evidence for its potential delivered as web-only solutions for increasing access to and use of psychological treatments.
Subject(s)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders , Humans , Affect , Depression/therapy , Digital HealthABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mental health problems usually have their onset in childhood. Undiagnosed, they may progress into mental disorders. Despite their effectiveness, existing preventive programs have been rarely used. We aimed to examine to what extent the establishment of a care chain can identify children at high risk at an early stage and assign them to preventive interventions. In addition, prevention program participation was assessed. METHODS: In a prospective implementation study, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was administered as a screening instrument to families during regular pediatric health examinations (U9-U11, child age 5-10 years). Families received feedback directly from the pediatrician, and in the case of borderline abnormal emotional or behavioral problems, a recommendation for an indicative prevention program. Program indication was additionally determined in an entry examination prior to program participation. RESULTS: In the area of Dresden (Germany), nâ¯= 46 (38.7%) pediatricians participated in the project. In nâ¯= 28 pediatric practices, nâ¯= 3231 (86.4%) families participated in the screening and nâ¯= 864 (26.7%) children received a prevention recommendation. Of the families, nâ¯= 118/864 (13.7%) self-registered for the prevention programs, nâ¯= 215/624 (35.5%) showed interest after being contacted by the study teamn. Through other pathways, nâ¯= 139 families requested participation. Clinical evaluation interviews to assess prevention indication were conducted in nâ¯= 337 children (nâ¯= 461; via all entry pathways). Finally, nâ¯= 237 (nâ¯= 337) children participated in an indicated prevention program. CONCLUSION: Expanding screening to mental health problems during regular health checkups is feasible, useful, and widely accepted. In order to implement a care chain, a supply structure should be established to enable referral to and uptake of preventive interventions.
Subject(s)
Health Promotion , Schools , Humans , Child , Child, Preschool , Prospective Studies , Germany , PediatriciansABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Effective measurement and monitoring of health status in patients with spine-related musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders are essential for providing appropriate care and improving outcomes. Minimal clinical datasets are standardized sets of key data elements and patient-centered outcomes that can be measured and recorded during routine clinical care. Our scoping review aimed to identify and map current evidence on minimal clinical datasets for measuring and monitoring health status in patients with spine-related MSK disorders in primary and outpatient healthcare settings. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We followed the JBI (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology for scoping reviews. MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Index to Chiropractic Literature, MANTIS, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, and medRxiv preprint repository were searched from database inception to August 1, 2021. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, full-text articles, and charted the evidence. Findings were synthesized and summarized descriptively. RESULTS: After screening 5,583 citations and 301 full-text articles, 104 studies about 32 individual minimal clinical datasets were included. Most minimal clinical datasets were developed for patient populations with spine-involving inflammatory arthritis, nonspecific or degenerative spinal pain, and MSK disorders in general. The minimal clinical datasets varied substantially in terms of the author-reported time-to-complete (1-48 minutes) and the number of items (5-100 items). Fifty percent of the datasets involved healthcare professionals in their development process, and only 28% involved patients. Health domain items were most frequently linked to the components of activities and participation (43.9%) and body functions (28.6%), according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. There is no standardized definition of minimal clinical datasets to measure and monitor health status of patients with spine-related MSK disorders in routine clinical practice. Common core elements identified were practicality, feasibility in a busy routine practice, time efficiency, and the capability to be used across different healthcare settings. CONCLUSION: Due to the absence of a standard definition for minimal clinical datasets for patients with spine-related MSK disorders, there is a lack of consistency in the selection of key data elements and patient-centered outcomes that should be included. More research on the implementation and feasibility of minimal clinical datasets in routine care settings is warranted and needed. It is essential to involve all relevant partners in the development process of minimal clinical datasets to ensure successful implementation and adoption in routine primary care.
Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care , Musculoskeletal Diseases , Humans , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Ambulatory Care , Health Personnel , Musculoskeletal Diseases/epidemiology , Musculoskeletal Diseases/therapyABSTRACT
Schimmelpenning-Feuerstein-Mims syndrome is a rare disorder generally characterised by a craniofacial nevus with multisystemic presentations. Our patient, an infant, was brought to the emergency department in a postictal state following a first seizure episode. A physical examination showed a solitary dark brown, well-demarcated verrucous plaque extending from the patient's left temporal region to the left mandible without crossing the midline. Epibulbar choristomas were present on the ipsilateral side of the craniofacial lesion. Neuroimaging showed benign enlargement of the subarachnoid space. Due to the known risk of seizures associated with this condition, the patient was started on levetiracetam and showed adequate compliance. We present this as the first reported case of Schimmelpenning-Feuerstein-Mims syndrome with benign enlargement of the subarachnoid space in an infant presenting with seizures to emphasise the value of collaboration among multidisciplinary professionals to improve the quality of care for such patients.
Subject(s)
Nevus, Sebaceous of Jadassohn , Nevus , Skin Neoplasms , Humans , Infant , Seizures/etiology , Seizures/complications , Skin Neoplasms/complications , Subarachnoid Space/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To compare a treat-to-target (T2T) approach and routine care (RC) in adults with active to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) initiating subcutaneous abatacept. METHODS: A 12-month cluster-randomized trial in active RA patients treated with abatacept was conducted. Physicians were randomized to RC or T2T with a primary endpoint of achieving sustained Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) low disease activity (LDA) at two consecutive assessments approximately 3 months apart. Additional outcomes included Simple Disease Activity Index (SDAI), Disease Activity Score 28-CRP (DAS28-CRP), Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3), and the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI). Time to achieve therapeutic endpoints was assessed with survival analysis. RESULTS: Among the 284 enrolled patients, 130 were in the T2T group and 154 in RC. Primary endpoint was achieved by 36.9% and 40.3% of patients in T2T and RC groups, respectively. No significant between-group differences were observed in the odds of achieving secondary outcomes, except for a higher likelihood of CDAI LDA in the T2T group vs. RC (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.33 [1.03-1.71], p = 0.0263). Compared with RC, patients in the T2T group achieved SDAI remission significantly faster (Kaplan-Meier-estimated mean [standard error]: 14.0 [0.6] vs. 19.3 [0.8] months, p = 0.0428) with a trend toward faster achievement of CDAI LDA/remission, DAS28-CRP remission, and HAQ-DI minimum clinically important difference. CONCLUSIONS: Patients managed per T2T and those under RC experienced significant improvements in RA disease activity at 12 months of abatacept treatment. T2T was associated with higher odds of CDAI LDA and a shorter time to achieving therapeutic endpoints. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Name of the registry: ClinicalTrials.gov. TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: NCT03274141 . Date of registration: September 6, 2017.
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Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Adult , Humans , Abatacept/therapeutic use , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Minimal Clinically Important Difference , Odds RatioABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: As a new and effective support option, e-mental health interventions can be useful in complementing treatment in mental health care. To date, little is known about how health care providers use these programs to treat patients with mental illnesses in Germany. The present study aims to examine the use of and experiences with e-mental health interventions from the point of view of different types of health care providers for patients with mental illnesses. METHODS: Data from a cross-sectional survey of routine care health care providers in Germany in 2021 were analysed. In this survey, data were collected from n = 107 general practitioners (GPs), n = 114 specialist doctors, n = 102 psychotherapists, and n = 102 inpatient clinicians. Assessments included professional use of digital media, as well as knowledge, use and experiences regarding e-mental health interventions in care of people with mental illness. RESULTS: In the total sample of n = 425, 65.6% (n = 279) were female. The study participants had an average age of 47.7 years (SD = 11.0) and their average work experience was 20.0 years (SD = 11.1). Overall, the majority (83.8%, n = 353) had heard of e-mental health interventions, but few felt well informed. Only 28.5% (n = 121) had already used e-mental health interventions for treatment support. The most commonly recommended e-mental health interventions in the sample were deprexis (39.7%, n = 48), moodgym (24.8%, n = 30), and iFightDepression (22.3%, n = 27). The use was predominantly considered to be helpful and satisfactory. Insufficient knowledge about e-mental health interventions and lack of informational materials for patients were reported as relevant barriers to the use of e-mental health interventions. CONCLUSIONS: E-mental health interventions can be a useful support option, but they are rarely used in the treatment of patients with mental illnesses. There is a need to disseminate information specific to the various types of health care providers. Tailored implementation strategies need to be developed in order to capitalize on the potential of effective e-mental health interventions and to improve health care for patients with mental illnesses.
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Purpose: Patient-reported outcomes have not been sufficiently implemented into the routine care of cancer patients because the existing instruments are often too long and complex or not cancer-specific. The aim of this study is the determination of psychometric properties and item reduction of a newly developed health-related quality of life (HrQoL) questionnaire for use in oncological clinical routines. Methods: This observational study with a repeated measurements design included oncological inpatients and outpatients. A total of 630 patients participated at the first point of measurement and 404 at the second point of measurement. To evaluate the instrument, we conducted hierarchical confirmative factor analyses and for further validation correlated the resulting factors with standardized and validated HrQoL measurements. Test-retest reliability and responsiveness to change were tested. Results: The developed questionnaire "HELP-6" ("Hamburg Inventory for Measuring Quality of Life in Oncological Patients") has a six-factor structure and has moderate-to-good convergent validity (r= -0.25 --0.68). Test-retest reliability was moderate-to-good (r =0.56-0.81, p < 0.001). Indications for responsiveness to change were found for three dimensions. The final version of the questionnaire HELP-6 has six dimensions with one item each. Conclusion: With the HELP-6 instrument for measuring HrQoL in cancer patients, we provide a short and practical patient-reported outcome instrument. Though responsiveness to change could not be confirmed for all dimensions in this study, the HELP-6 includes time-efficient completion and evaluation and is informative in relevant HrQoL dimensions of cancer patients. Therefore, the HELP-6 poses an important addition to inpatient and outpatient routine cancer care. Trial registration: This study was registered at Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/y7xce/), on 9 June 2018.
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OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this paper was to examine the perceptions of family physicians on the use of primary health care in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a short online questionnaire that was sent to primary care physicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina from April 20th, 2022, to May 20th, 2022. RESULTS: The research sample consisted of 231 doctors of primary health care from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an average age of 45 years and 85% women. About 70% of participants reported having COVID-19 at least once from March 2020 to March 2022. Participants had an average of 1,986 registered patients and approximately 50 encounters per day. The study revealed a high degree of reliability between test-retest measurements, with a single measure Intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.801, and internal consistency determined using Cronbach's alpha of 0.89. Participants reported that the following health services were most affected during the COVID-19 pandemic: care for patients with chronic diseases, home visits, navigating the health system with patients making appointments with specialists, cancer screening, and preventive health services. The study also found statistically significant perceived differences in the use of these health services based on age, gender, postgraduate education in family medicine, participation in COVID-19 clinics, and personal history of Covid-19. CONCLUSION: There were significant disturbances to the use of primary health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research could investigate patient outcomes compared to family physician perceptions.