Patient Empowerment Among Adults With Arthritis: The Case for Emotional Support.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify differences in patient empowerment based on biopsychosocial patient-reported measures, the magnitude of those differences, and which measures best explain differences in patient empowerment. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study of 6918 adults with arthritis in the US. Data were collected from March 2019 to March 2020 through the Arthritis Foundation Live Yes! INSIGHTS program. Patient empowerment, measured by the Health Care Empowerment Questionnaire, included 2 scales: Patient Information Seeking and Healthcare Interaction Results. Patient-reported outcomes were measured using the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29 and PROMIS emotional support scale. ANOVA assessed differences between groups, and Spearman rank correlation assessed correlations between variables. Hierarchical regression analysis determined the contributions of sociodemographic characteristics, arthritis type, and patient-reported health measures in explaining patient empowerment (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Empowerment was lower among those who were male, older, less educated, or who had lower income, osteoarthritis, less emotional support, or better physical function, although the effect was small-to-negligible for most of these variables in the final regression models. Empowerment did not differ by race/ethnicity in unadjusted or adjusted analysis. In final regression models, emotional support contributed the most to explaining patient empowerment. CONCLUSION: Emotional support is important for patient empowerment. This suggests that programs that seek to improve patient empowerment should target and measure effects on emotional support.

The PROMISⓇ-Plus-Osteoarthritis of the Knee (OAK) profile measure integrates generic and condition-specific content to enhance relevance and efficiency.

OBJECTIVE: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-Plus-Osteoarthritis of the Knee (OAK) profile integrates universal PROMIS items with knee-specific items across 13 domains. We evaluated the psychometric properties of a subset of six domains associated with quality of life in people with OAK. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: In a cross-sectional study of OAK patients (n=600), we estimated reliability using Pearson and Spearman correlations with Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscores and known-groups validity with PROMIS Global Health. Measure responsiveness was tested via paired t-tests in a longitudinal study (n=238), pre/post total knee replacement. RESULTS: Across the six domains, internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.77-0.95 and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients) was ≥0.90. Correlations with Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscores and PROMIS Global supported convergent and divergent validity. Known-groups validity testing revealed better scores in all domains for high vs. low global status groups, and knee-specific items added value in physical function and pain. All domains reflected (p<0.001) better health status scores at follow up. CONCLUSION: The six PROMIS-Plus-OAK profile domains demonstrated good psychometric characteristics. The measure integrates universal and knee-specific content to provide enhanced relevance, measurement precision and efficient administration for patient care and clinical research.

Barriers, Facilitators, and Suggested Interventions for Lung Cancer Screening Among a Rural Screening-Eligible Population.

Introduction: Rural areas are disproportionally affected by lung cancer late-stage incidence and mortality. Lung cancer screening (LCS) is recommended to find lung cancer early and reduce mortality, yet uptake is low. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the barriers to, facilitators of, and suggested interventions for increasing LCS among a rural screening-eligible population using a mixed methods concurrent embedded design study. Methods: Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from rural-residing adults who met the eligibility criteria for LCS but who were not up-to-date with LCS recommendations. Study participants (n = 23) took part in 1 of 5 focus groups and completed a survey. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed, and coded through a mixed deductive and inductive approach. Survey data were used to enhance and clarify focus group results; these data were integrated in the design and during analysis, in accordance with the mixed methods concurrent embedded design approach. Results: Several key barriers to LCS were identified, including an overall lack of knowledge about LCS, not receiving information or recommendation from a health care provider, and lack of transportation. Key facilitators were receiving a provider recommendation and high motivation to know the screening results. Participants suggested that LCS uptake could be increased by addressing provider understanding and recommendation of LCS and conducting community outreach to promote LCS awareness and access. Conclusion: The results suggest that the rural screening-eligible population is generally receptive to LCS. Patient-level factors important to getting this population screened include knowledge, transportation, motivation to know their screening results, and receiving information or recommendation from a provider. Addressing these factors may be important to increase rural LCS uptake.

Development of a Tool to Assess Trainees' Ability to Design and Conduct Quality Improvement Projects.

An important competency for residents developing skills in quality improvement (QI) and patient safety (PS) is to independently carry out an improvement project. The authors describe the development and reliability testing of the Quality Improvement Project Evaluation Rubric (QIPER) for use in rating project presentations in the Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Resident in Quality and Safety Program. QIPER contains 19 items across 6 domains to assess competence in designing, implementing, analyzing results of, and reporting on a QI/PS project. Interrater reliability of the instrument was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). QIPER scores ranged from 28 to 72 out of a possible 76. QIPER demonstrated good reliability overall (ICC = 0.63). Although further testing is warranted, QIPER shows promise as a tool to assess a comprehensive set of skills involved in conducting QI/PS projects and has the sensitivity to detect varied competence and utility for providing learner feedback.

Development and Initial Validation of the PROMIS®-Plus-HF Profile Measure.

Background Bringing together generic and heart failure (HF)-specific items in a publicly available, patient-reported outcome measure may facilitate routine health status assessment for improving clinical care and shared decision-making, assessing quality of care, evaluating new interventions, and comparing groups with different conditions. Methods and Results We performed a mixed-methods study to develop and validate the PROMIS®-Plus-HF (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System®-Plus-Heart Failure) profile measure-a HF-specific instrument based on the generic PROMIS. We conducted 8 focus groups with 61 patients with HF and phone interviews with 10 HF clinicians. The measure was developed via an iterative process of reviewing existing PROMIS items and developing and testing new HF items. In a 600-patient sample, we estimated reliability (internal consistency; test-retest, with n=100 participants). We conducted validity analyses using Pearson r and Spearman ρ correlations with Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire subscores. In a longitudinal sample, we performed responsiveness testing (paired t tests) with 75 patients with HF receiving interventions with expected health status improvement. The PROMIS-Plus-HF measure comprises 86 items (64 existing; 22 new) across 18 domains. Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach α) coefficients ranged from 0.52 to 0.96, with α≥0.70 in 12 of 17 domains. Test-retest intraclass correlation coefficients were ≥0.90. Correlations with Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire subscores supported expected convergent ( r/ρ>0.60) and divergent validity ( r/ρ<0.30). In the longitudinal sample, 10 of 18 domains had improved ( P<0.05) scores from baseline to follow-up. Conclusions The PROMIS-Plus-HF profile measure-a complete assessment of physical, mental, and social health-exhibited good psychometric characteristics and may facilitate patient-centered care and research. Subsets of domains and items can be used depending on the clinical or research purpose.

A Guide to Evaluation of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Educational Programs: Lessons From the VA Chief Resident in Quality and Safety Program.

With the recent proliferation of quality improvement (QI) and patient safety (PS) education programs, guidance is needed on how to assess the effectiveness of these programs. Without a systematic approach, evaluation efforts may end up being disjointed, lead to excess participant burden, or yield unhelpful feedback because of poor fit with program priorities. This article presents a framework for developing a multilevel evaluation infrastructure using examples from the evaluation of the national Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Resident in Quality and Safety program, a 1-year, post-accreditation program to develop leadership and teaching skills in QI and PS. It illustrates how to apply the framework to establish evaluation priorities and methods, and shares sample results and how they are used to guide program improvements and track important outcomes at multiple levels. The framework is particularly relevant to other nonaccredited advanced QI/PS programs, yet offers useful considerations for evaluating any advanced medical education program.

A method to create a standardized generic and condition-specific patient-reported outcome measure for patient care and healthcare improvement.

PURPOSE: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), which are generic or condition-specific, are used for a number of reasons, including clinical care, clinical trials, and in national-level efforts to monitor the quality of health care delivery. Creating PROMs that meet different purposes without overburdening patients, healthcare systems, providers, and data systems is paramount. The objective of this study was to test a generalizable method to incorporate condition-specific issues into generic PROM measures as a first step to producing PROMs that efficiently provide a standardized score. This paper outlines the method and preliminary findings focused on a PROM for osteoarthritis of the knee (OA-K). METHODS: We used a mixed-methods approach and PROMIS® measures to test development of a combined generic and OA-K-specific PROM. Qualitative methods included patient focus groups and provider interviews to identify impacts of OA-K important to patients. We then conducted a thematic analysis and an item gap analysis: identified areas covered by existing generic PROMIS measures, identified "gap" areas not covered, compared gap areas to legacy instruments to verify relevance, and developed new items to address gaps. We then performed cognitive testing on new items and drafted an OA-K-specific instrument based on findings. RESULTS: We identified 52 existing PROMIS items and developed 24 new items across 14 domains. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a process for creating condition-specific instruments that bridge gaps in existing generic measures. If successful, the methodology will create instruments that efficiently gather the patient's perspective while allowing health systems, researchers, and other interested parties to monitor and compare outcomes over time, conditions, and populations.

The rules of engagement: physician engagement strategies in intergroup contexts.

PURPOSE: Recognition of the importance and difficulty of engaging physicians in organisational change has sparked an explosion of literature. The social identity approach, by considering engagement in terms of underlying group identifications and intergroup dynamics, may provide a framework for choosing among the plethora of proposed engagement techniques. This paper seeks to address this issue. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The authors examined how four disparate organisations engaged physicians in change. Qualitative methods included interviews (109 managers and physicians), observation, and document review. FINDINGS: Beyond a universal focus on relationship-building, sites differed radically in their preferred strategies. Each emphasised or downplayed professional and/or organisational identity as befit the existing level of inter-group closeness between physicians and managers: an independent practice association sought to enhance members' identity as independent physicians; a hospital, engaging community physicians suspicious of integration, stressed collaboration among separate, equal partners; a developing integrated-delivery system promoted alignment among diverse groups by balancing "systemness" with subgroup uniqueness; a medical group established a strong common identity among employed physicians, but practised pragmatic co-operation with its affiliates. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The authors cannot confirm the accuracy of managers perceptions of the inter-group context or the efficacy of particular strategies. Nonetheless, the findings suggested the fruitfulness of social identity thinking in approaching physician engagement. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Attention to inter-group dynamics may help organisations engage physicians more effectively. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study illuminates and explains variation in the way different organisations engage physicians, and offers a theoretical basis for selecting engagement strategies.

Accountable Care Organizations in the United States: market and demographic factors associated with formation.

BACKGROUND: The Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model is rapidly being implemented by Medicare, private payers, and states, but little is known about the scope of ACO implementation. OBJECTIVE: To determine the number of accountable care organizations in the United States, where they are located, and characteristics associated with ACO formation. STUDY DESIGN, METHODS, AND DATA: Cross-sectional study of all ACOs in the United States as of August 2012. We identified ACOs from multiple sources; documented service locations (practices, clinics, hospitals); and linked service locations to local areas, defined as Dartmouth Atlas hospital service areas. We used multivariate analysis to assess what characteristics were associated with local ACO presence. We examined demographic characteristics (2010 American Community Survey) and health care system characteristics (2010 Medicare fee-for-service claims data). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We identified 227 ACOs located in 27 percent of local areas. Fifty-five percent of the US population resides in these areas. HSA-level characteristics associated with ACO presence include higher performance on quality, higher Medicare per capita spending, fewer primary care physician groups, greater managed care penetration, lower poverty rates, and urban location. CONCLUSIONS: Much of the US population resides in areas where ACOs have been established. ACO formation has taken place where it may be easier to meet quality and cost targets. Wider adoption of the ACO model may require tailoring to local context.

Insights from transformations under way at four Brookings-Dartmouth accountable care organization pilot sites.

This cross-site comparison of the early experience of four provider organizations participating in the Brookings-Dartmouth Accountable Care Organization Collaborative identifies factors that sites perceived as enablers of successful ACO formation and performance. The four pilots varied in size, with between 7,000 and 50,000 attributed patients and 90 to 2,700 participating physicians. The sites had varying degrees of experience with performance-based payments; however, all formed collaborative new relationships with payers and created shared savings agreements linked to performance on quality measures. Each organization devoted major efforts to physician engagement. Policy makers now need to consider how to support and provide incentives for the successful formation of multipayer ACOs, and how to align private-sector and CMS performance measures. Linking providers to learning networks where payers and providers can address common technical issues could help. These sites' transitions to the new payment model constitutes an ongoing journey that will require continual adaptation in the structure of contracts and organizational attributes.

Interpretations of integration in early accountable care organizations.

CONTEXT: It is widely hoped that accountable care organizations (ACOs) will improve health care quality and reduce costs by fostering integration among diverse provider groups. But how do implementers actually envision integration, and what will integration mean in terms of managing the many social identities that ACOs bring together? METHODS: Using the lens of the social identity approach, this qualitative study examined how four nascent ACOs engaged with the concept of integration. During multiday site visits, we conducted interviews (114 managers and physicians), observations, and document reviews. FINDINGS: In no case was the ACO interpreted as a new, overarching entity uniting disparate groups; rather, each site offered a unique interpretation that flowed from its existing strategies for social-identity management: An independent practice association preserved members' cherished value of autonomy by emphasizing coordination, not "integration"; a medical group promoted integration within its employed core, but not with affiliates; a hospital, engaging community physicians who mistrusted integrated systems, reimagined integration as an equal partnership; an integrated delivery system advanced its careful journey towards intergroup consensus by presenting the ACO as a cultural, not structural, change. CONCLUSIONS: The ACO appears to be a model flexible enough to work in synchrony with whatever social strategies are most context appropriate, with the potential to promote alignment and functional integration without demanding common identification with a superordinate group. "Soft integration" may be a promising alternative to the vertically integrated model that, though widely assumed to be ideal, has remained unattainable for most organizations.