The Approach to the Psychosocial Evaluation of Cardiac Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Candidates.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We update evidence underlying the recommendations of a 2018 multi-society consensus report regarding the psychosocial evaluation of individuals for cardiothoracic transplantation and mechanical circulatory support (MCS). In the present review, we focus on heart transplantation and MCS. RECENT FINDINGS: Expert opinion and new evidence support the inclusion of ten core content areas in the psychosocial evaluation. Prospective data indicate that psychosocial factors can predict post-transplantation/post-implantation outcomes. Such factors include treatment adherence history, mental health and substance use history, cognitive impairment, knowledge about treatment options, and social factors such as socioeconomic status. For other factors (e.g., coping, social support), new evidence is weaker because it derives largely from cross-sectional studies. Concerning evaluation process issues, expert opinion remains consistent with consensus recommendations, but there is a dearth of empirical evidence. The psychosocial evaluation can identify factors relevant for candidacy for heart transplantation and MCS implantation. It enables the provision of interventions to improve patients' viability as candidates, and facilitates care planning.

The 2018 ISHLT/APM/AST/ICCAC/STSW Recommendations for the Psychosocial Evaluation of Adult Cardiothoracic Transplant Candidates and Candidates for Long-term Mechanical Circulatory Support.

The psychosocial evaluation is well-recognized as an important component of the multifaceted assessment process to determine candidacy for heart transplantation, lung transplantation, and long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS). However, there is no consensus-based set of recommendations for either the full range of psychosocial domains to be assessed during the evaluation, or the set of processes and procedures to be used to conduct the evaluation, report its findings, and monitor patients' receipt of and response to interventions for any problems identified. This document provides recommendations on both evaluation content and process. It represents a collaborative effort of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) and the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, American Society of Transplantation, International Consortium of Circulatory Assist Clinicians, and Society for Transplant Social Workers. The Nursing, Health Science and Allied Health Council of the ISHLT organized a Writing Committee composed of international experts representing the ISHLT and the collaborating societies. This Committee synthesized expert opinion and conducted a comprehensive literature review to support the psychosocial evaluation content and process recommendations that were developed. The recommendations are intended to dovetail with current ISHLT guidelines and consensus statements for the selection of candidates for cardiothoracic transplantation and MCS implantation. Moreover, the recommendations are designed to promote consistency across programs in the performance of the psychosocial evaluation by proposing a core set of content domains and processes that can be expanded as needed to meet programs' unique needs and goals.

The 2018 ISHLT/APM/AST/ICCAC/STSW recommendations for the psychosocial evaluation of adult cardiothoracic transplant candidates and candidates for long-term mechanical circulatory support.

The psychosocial evaluation is well-recognized as an important component of the multifaceted assessment process to determine candidacy for heart transplantation, lung transplantation, and long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS). However, there is no consensus-based set of recommendations for either the full range of psychosocial domains to be assessed during the evaluation, or the set of processes and procedures to be used to conduct the evaluation, report its findings, and monitor patients' receipt of and response to interventions for any problems identified. This document provides recommendations on both evaluation content and process. It represents a collaborative effort of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) and the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, American Society of Transplantation, International Consortium of Circulatory Assist Clinicians, and Society for Transplant Social Workers. The Nursing, Health Science and Allied Health Council of the ISHLT organized a Writing Committee composed of international experts representing the ISHLT and the collaborating societies. This Committee synthesized expert opinion and conducted a comprehensive literature review to support the psychosocial evaluation content and process recommendations that were developed. The recommendations are intended to dovetail with current ISHLT guidelines and consensus statements for the selection of candidates for cardiothoracic transplantation and MCS implantation. Moreover, the recommendations are designed to promote consistency across programs in the performance of the psychosocial evaluation by proposing a core set of content domains and processes that can be expanded as needed to meet programs' unique needs and goals.

A comparison of the health status and psychological distress of partners of patients with a left ventricular assist device versus an implantable cardioverter defibrillator: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine if the caregiving for patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is related to a poorer health status and more distress compared to patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). BACKGROUND: Partners distress may influence patient outcomes and is therefore an important aspect in the care of LVAD and ICD patients. METHODS: Multi-center prospective observational study with 6 months follow-up of 33 LVAD partners (27% men; mean age = 54 ± 10 years) and 414 ICD partners (22% men; mean age = 60 ± 12 years). RESULTS: LVAD partners reported better physical (F = 10.71, p = .001) but poorer mental health status (F = 14.82, p < .001) and higher depression scores compared to ICD partners (F = 3.68, p = .05) at 6 months follow-up, also in adjusted analyses. There was no significant difference between groups on anxiety. CONCLUSION: Caregivers of LVAD patients show higher distress levels compared to caregivers of ICD patients. LVAD partners may have a need for support beyond what is offered currently in clinical practice.

Single-item measures for depression and anxiety: Validation of the Screening Tool for Psychological Distress in an inpatient cardiology setting.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are common among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and confer significant cardiac risk, contributing to CVD morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, due to the lack of screening tools that address the specific needs of hospitalized patients, few cardiac inpatient programs offer routine screening for these forms of psychological distress, despite recommendations to do so. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to validate single-item measures for depression and anxiety among cardiac inpatients. METHODS: Consecutive inpatients were recruited from the cardiology and cardiac surgery step-down units at a university-affiliated, quaternary-care hospital. Subjects completed a questionnaire that included: (a) demographics, (b) single-item-measures for depression and anxiety (from the Screening Tool for Psychological Distress (STOP-D)), and (c) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: One hundred and five participants were recruited with a wide variety of cardiac diagnoses, having a mean age of 66 years, and 28% were women. Both STOP-D items were highly correlated with their corresponding validated measures and demonstrated robust receiver-operator characteristic curves. Severity scores on both items correlated well with established severity cut-off scores on the corresponding subscales of the HADS. CONCLUSIONS: The STOP-D is a self-administered, self-report measure using two independent items that provide severity scores for depression and anxiety. The tool performs very well compared with other previously validated measures. Requiring no additional scoring and being free, STOP-D offers a simple and valid method for identifying hospitalized cardiac patients who are experiencing psychological distress. This crucial first step triggers initiation of appropriate monitoring and intervention, thus reducing the likelihood of the adverse cardiac outcomes associated with psychological distress.

Predictors of changes in health status between and within patients 12 months post left ventricular assist device implantation.

BACKGROUND: Improving patient-reported outcomes (e.g. health status) has become an important goal in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy, in addition to reducing mortality and morbidity. We examined predictors of changes in health status scores between and within patients 12 months post LVAD implantation. METHODS: Health status [Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ); Short-Form 12 (SF-12)] were assessed at 3-4 weeks after implantation, and at 3, 6 and 12 months follow up in 54 LVAD patients (74% men; mean age 54 ± 9 years). RESULTS: Patients experienced significant improvements in health status between baseline and 3 months follow-up as assessed by the KCCQ (clinical summary score: F = 33.49, P < 0.001; overall summary score: F = 31.13, P < 0.001) and the SF-12 (physical component score: F = 31.59, P < 0.001; mental component score: F = 21.77, P < 0.001), but not between 3 months and 12 months follow-up (P > 0.05 for all). Higher scores on anxiety and depression over time, older age, lower ejection fraction, and more co-morbidity were associated with poorer health status scores on one or both of the KCCQ and SF-12 subscales. The majority of the between-patient variance of the mental component summary scores (82.6%), but not the KCCQ overall summary score (41.9%), KCCQ clinical summary score (36.2%) and physical component summary scores (23.2%), was explained by the sociodemographic, clinical and psychological factors. CONCLUSION: The majority of LVAD patients show a significant improvement in health status after LVAD implantation. However, there are large differences in individual health status score trajectories which are only partly explained by measures of disease severity pre-LVAD, co-morbidity and psychological stress.

Extended interactive voice response telephony (IVR) for relapse prevention after smoking cessation using varenicline and IVR: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: There is a significant resumption of smoking following smoking cessation using varenicline. Both smoking cessation medications and counseling have been shown to increase smoking quit rates at one year. Thus, the combination of varenicline and interactive voice response (IVR) telephony followed by extended IVR may further improve smoking cessation rates at one and two years. METHODS: 101 participants were recruited from the community via newspaper advertisement. They attended a group counseling session and were given smoking information booklets from the Canadian Cancer Society. After 12 weeks of varenicline and 9 IVR calls, all participants who had quit smoking were randomized into 2 groups matched by levels of motivation and addiction as per baseline questionnaire score. The intervention group continued to receive bi-weekly IVR support for weeks 13-52. The control group no longer received IVR. The primary end-point was self-reported abstinence and exhaled carbon monoxide levels of less than 10 ppm for weeks 12, 52 and 2 years. Data were analyzed by Fisher's exact test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test. RESULTS: Of the 101 participants, 44 (43%) had stopped smoking after 12 weeks of varenicline and 9 IVR calls. Of these, 23 (52%) were randomized to receive IVR calls from weeks 13 to 52.At 52 weeks, 26 (59%) participants remained smoke-free. Of the 23 with IVR, 12 (52.2%) stopped smoking compared to 14 of 21 (66.7%) without IVR. At 2 years, 40 of the 44 (90.9%) randomized participants were contacted and 24 of the 44 (54.5%) came in for testing. Fourteen (13% of the original cohort, 30% who were abstinent at 12 weeks and 53% who were abstinent at 52 weeks) remained smoke-free. Five of the 23 (21.7%) randomized to IVR and 9 of the 21 (42.9%) randomized to no IVR remained smoke-free at 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study of an apparently healthy population, extended IVR did not affect abstinence rates. There was no relapse prevention benefit in offering 9 months of continued IVR to subjects who had stopped smoking after receiving 3 months of varenicline and IVR treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT00832806.

Emotional experiences of caregivers of patients with a ventricular assist device.

CONTEXT: Little is known about the stresses experienced by caregivers of patients discharged home with a ventricular assist device. OBJECTIVE: To describe the lived experience of caregivers of patients who were discharged home with a ventricular assist device. DESIGN: The study used a phenomenological framework to conduct semistructured interviews guided by 2 psychologists using a focus group setting. PARTICIPANTS: Interviews of 13 caregivers of 9 patients discharged to home with a ventricular assist device between March 2004 and June 2007 were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. RESULTS: Four themes emerged during the interviews: anxiety, initially exhibited as profound shock; loss of a loved one, of their lives, of freedom and independence; burden, both the physical burden and the burden of responsibility; and finally coping through faith, acceptance, empathy, and social support. CONCLUSION: Caregivers of patients discharged home with a ventricular assist device experienced significant pressures that changed over the duration of support with the ventricular assist device. Caregivers described their coping mechanisms in dealing with shock, loss, and burden. Understanding the fluctuating needs of caregivers will enable teams to provide interventions based on the situation. Future care guidelines should address the significant stresses placed on caregivers of recipients of a ventricular assist device.

Brief screen to identify 5 of the most common forms of psychosocial distress in cardiac patients: validation of the screening tool for psychological distress.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a brief psychosocial screening tool (Screening Tool for Psychological Distress [STOP-D]) for use in the outpatient cardiology setting. BACKGROUND: Psychosocial factors contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality associated with coronary artery disease. Yet, it is often considered overly burdensome to implement full-scale psychological assessments for every patient. METHODS: Over 3 months, 194 cardiac patients were consecutively recruited from 3 cardiac clinics: heart transplant (pre and post), cardiac rehabilitation, and adult congenital heart. Subjects filled out a questionnaire that included: (1) demographics, (2) STOP-D, (3) Beck Depression Inventory-II, (4) Beck Anxiety Inventory, (5) State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2, and (6) MOS Social Support Survey. RESULTS: Analyses reveal all STOP-D items are highly correlated with the corresponding measures and have robust receiver operating characteristic curves. Severity scores on STOP-D-depression and STOP-D-anxiety correlate well with established severity cutoff scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Anxiety Inventory, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the STOP-D performs very well when compared with other longer and validated measures. The STOP-D is a 5-item self-report measure, which provides severity scores for: depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and poor social support. The STOP-D is self-administered and takes between 1 and 2 minutes to fill out, gives valid severity scores on 5 key areas of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and poor social support), requires no scoring, and is free to use.