Disaster Preparedness Among Michigan's Licensed Child Care Programs.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess if Michigan child care directors have created disaster management plans, and if local resources were used to develop and implement plans. METHODS: From December 2013 to March 2014, the Early Childhood Investment Corporation conducted a survey of licensed child care programs in Michigan. An online survey regarding disaster preparedness and training resources was distributed to the directors of a convenience sample of registered child care centers among the Early Childhood Investment Corporation's statewide network of 11 resource centers. RESULTS: A total of 210 child care programs responded. Most (91%) of respondents had a disaster plan, but 40% did not include accommodations for special needs children, 51% did not have a family/child identification or reunification plan, and 67% did not have car safety devices and a predetermined route for evacuation. Fewer than 9% made disaster plans available online. Few collaborated with local fire (22%), police (27%), or pediatric or emergency medicine organizations (11%). Online modules were the most desirable training format. CONCLUSIONS: In a state without mandated child care guidelines for disaster preparedness, a substantial proportion of child care programs were missing critical components of disaster planning. Future interventions must focus on increasing partnerships with local organizations and developing guidelines and training to include plans for special needs children, family/child identification and reunification, and evacuation/relocation.

Clinical phenomenology and mortality in Charles Bonnet syndrome.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Despite existing diagnostic criteria for Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS), clinical manifestations vary greatly. We examined the clinical course and mortality of patients diagnosed with CBS. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with CBS. We collected demographic and clinical information and medical burden scores. Kaplan-Meier mortality curves were compared using log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard model was used for multivariate analysis and hazard ratio (HR). Mortality was compared to expected mortality from Minnesota population. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients with CBS had a mean age of 79.5 (standard deviation ± 13.0) and were predominantly Caucasian (97%) and female (73%). In all, 20 (26%) subsequently developed a dementia syndrome, most often Lewy body. A total of 46 (60%) deaths occurred with an average follow-up time of 33.0 months. Characteristics associated with mortality included older age (75-84 [HR 3.34, P = .029], >85 [HR 4.58, P = .007]) and renal disease (HR 3.39 with 95% confidence interval 1.31-8.80, P = .012). Medical burden scores were not associated with overall mortality. Mortality was high compared to Minnesota population (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of patients with CBS developed dementia, and there was a high mortality rate associated with older age and renal disease. Medical burden was not associated with mortality.

Performance of an item response theory-based computer adaptive test in identifying functional decline.

OBJECTIVE: To achieve a low respondent burden and increase the responsiveness of functional measurement by using an item response theory-based computer adaptive test (CAT), the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) CAT. DESIGN: Two-year prospective cohort study. SETTING: Telephonic assessments from a quaternary medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=311) with late-stage lung cancer (LC). INTERVENTIONS: Monthly assessments for up to 2 years. Disease progression was determined via record abstraction. Anchor-based responsiveness techniques were used to compare AM-PAC-CAT score changes between global rating of change (GRC) question response levels, as well as between intervals when adverse clinical events or symptom worsening did and did not occur. Distribution-based responsiveness assessments included calculation of the standardized effect size (SES) and standardized response mean (SRM). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: AM-PAC-CAT, symptom numerical rating scales, and a GRC. RESULTS: Administration time averaged 112 seconds over 2543 interviews. AM-PAC-CAT score changes became more positive as GRC responses reflected more improved states: a lot worse (-11.62), a little worse (-1.92), the same (-.10), a little better (1.01), and a lot better (2.82). Score changes were negative when associated with adverse clinical events. The SES and SRM for score differences between 1 to 2 and 9 to 10 months prior to death were -.87 and -1.13, respectively. The minimally important difference estimate was defined by the mean CAT session SE at 2.0. CONCLUSIONS: The AM-PAC-CAT imposes a low, <2-minute, respondent burden, and distribution- and anchor-based methods suggest that is moderately responsive in patients with late-stage LC.