Boosted Chemical Protective Properties Using Interface Constructed between Ti3C2Tx MXene and Natural Rubber.

Rubbers are extensively applied in chemical protective clothing (CPC) due to their eye-catching anti-penetration of chemicals. However, their impermeability, particularly that of natural rubber (NR), is unsatisfactory. In this work, we demonstrate the facile construction of Ti3C2Tx MXene/NR interface using a plant-scale and feasible method combining latex mixing, emulsion flocculation, and flat-plate vulcanisation. The above crafts achieved a homogeneous dispersion of Ti3C2Tx MXene in the NR matrix in a single layer, thereby constructing a strong interfacial interaction between Ti3C2Tx MXene and NR, which induced the formation of a robust three-dimensional (3D) network in the composite. The anti-swelling capacity of the 3D cross-linked network structure and the layered structure of Ti3C2Tx MXene effectively prolonged the permeation path of toxic chemicals. Compared with pure NR, the nanocomposite with 1 wt% of Ti3C2Tx MXene showed substantially enhanced breakthrough times of toluene, dichloromethane, and concentrated sulfuric acid (increased by 140%, 178.6%, and 92.5%, respectively). Furthermore, its tensile strength, elongation at break, and shore hardness increased by 7.847 MPa, 194%, and 12 HA, respectively. Taken together with the satisfactory anti-permeability, tensile strength, elongation at break, and shore hardness, the resulting Ti3C2Tx MXene/NR nanocomposites hold promise for application to long-term and high-strength CPC in the chemical industry and military fields.

Conflict with children, psychological depression, and problematic internet use among Chinese older adults: The moderating effect of sociability and living situation.

Introduction: Problematic internet use among the elderly is an emerging area as previous studies focused more among the young people. Only a few studies focused on problematic internet use at the level of individual characteristics of older adults or on mitigating factors at the level of the older adult's family, ignoring family-level disruptive factors. Objective: The purpose of study is to investigate the relationship between conflict with children and problematic internet use among the elderly, as well as the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions of the relationship. Methods: The valid sample of study composed of 428 older adults from 39 different villages and communities in central China. Data analyses were conducted by SPSS, MPLUS, and SmartPLS software. To test our hypotheses, we implement several quantitative methods, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlations analysis, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. Also, we employed partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for robustness testing. Results: The results indicated that conflict with children was positively associated with problematic internet use of old people; psychological depression mediated the relationship between conflict with children and old adults' problematic internet use; sociability moderated the effect of conflict with children on psychological depression; and living situation moderated the effect of psychological depression on problematic internet use among the elderly. Conclusion: The current research improved the understanding of the mechanisms that produce problematic internet use among the elderly and helped prevent or reduce problematic internet use in older adults in terms of family support systems and individual ability characteristics.

Managing the value Co-creation of peer service providers in the sharing economy: The perspective of customer incivility.

Previous studies have discussed the preconditions for peer service providers participation in value co-creation from the perspective of the platforms or the peer service providers themselves. However, little attention has been paid to the influence of customers. In the sharing economy, however, customers interact closely with peer service providers, and they have a major influence on the attitudes and behaviours of peer service providers. Based on resource conservation theory, this study uses three waves of tracking surveys and two experiments to investigate the impact of customer unfriendliness on the shared value creation of peer service providers. The results suggest that rude customers in the sharing economy reduce the value creation behaviour of peer service providers by increasing emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, self-efficacy in regulating negative emotions is found to buffer the mechanism by which customer incivility increases the likelihood of emotional exhaustion. Peer service providers with higher self-efficacy in negative emotion regulation have weaker such relationships. This research fills the gap of how customers influence the value creation behaviour of peer service providers in the sharing economy, identifies the potential negative impacts of customer incivility and increases the overall added value of the sharing economy.

Achieving an optimal textbook outcome following pancreatic resection: The impact of surgeon specific experience in achieving high quality outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The interplay of patient-, procedural, and provider-level factors on the ability to achieve a textbook outcome(TO) remain poorly defined. METHODS: The Medicare Standard Analytical Files from 2013 to 2017 were used to identify beneficiaries who underwent pancreatic surgery. Multivariable logistic regression with mixed effects was used to examine the role of the individual surgeon relative to patient- and procedural-factors to achieve a TO. RESULTS: Among 20,902 patients who underwent pancreatic resection, median age was 72 years (IQR:68-77); roughly one-half of the cohort was female(47,4%) and the majority was White (89.3%). After controlling for patient- and procedure-related characteristics, there was 35% variation in odds of experiencing a TO relative to the specific individual surgeon who performed the operation (OR:1.35, 95%CI:1.29-1.41). Patients who underwent pancreatectomy by a bottom TO quartile surgeon had a higher observed/expected ratio for each component of TO including post-operative complication (OR:2.62, 95%CI:2.11-3.25), prolonged LOS (OR:3.36, 95%CI:2.67-4.22), 90-day readmission (OR:2.08, 95%CI:1.68-2.56), and 90-day mortality (OR:3.29, 95% CI:2.35-4.63) compared with patients treated by a high TO quartile surgeon. CONCLUSION: The likelihood of achieving a TO after pancreatic resection was markedly influenced by the individual treating surgeon even after controlling for patient- and procedure-level factors.

Intraoperative hypotension is associated with persistent acute kidney disease after noncardiac surgery: a multicentre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Whilst intraoperative hypotension is associated with postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI), the link between intraoperative hypotension and acute kidney disease (AKD), defined as continuing renal dysfunction for up to 3 months after exposure, has not yet been studied. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicentre cohort study using data from noncardiac, non-obstetric surgery extracted from a US electronic health records database. Primary outcome was the association between intraoperative hypotension, at three MAP thresholds (≤75, ≤65, and ≤55 mm Hg), and the following two AKD subtypes: (i) persistent (initial AKI incidence within 7 days of surgery, with continuation between 8 and 90 days post-surgery) and (ii) delayed (renal impairment without AKI within 7 days, with AKI occurring between 8 and 90 days post-surgery). Secondary outcomes included healthcare resource utilisation for patients with either AKD subtype or no AKD. RESULTS: A total of 112 912 surgeries qualified for the study. We observed a rate of 2.2% for delayed AKD and 0.6% for persistent AKD. Intraoperative hypotension was significantly associated with persistent AKD at MAP ≤55 mm Hg (hazard ratio 1.1; 95% confidence interval: 1.38-1.22; P<0.004). However, IOH was not significantly associated with delayed AKD across any of the MAP thresholds. Patients with delayed or persistent AKD had higher healthcare resource utilisation across both hospital and intensive care admissions, compared with patients with no AKD. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative hypotension is associated with persistent but not delayed acute kidney disease. Both types of acute kidney disease appear to be associated with increased healthcare utilisation. Correction of intraoperative hypotension is a potential opportunity to decrease postoperative kidney injury and associated costs.

Clinical Data Prediction Model to Identify Patients With Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancer.

PURPOSE: Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy with patients often experiencing nonspecific symptoms before diagnosis. This study evaluates a machine learning approach to help identify patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer from clinical data within electronic health records (EHRs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From the Optum deidentified EHR data set, we identified early-stage (n = 3,322) and late-stage (n = 25,908) pancreatic cancer cases over 40 years of age diagnosed between 2009 and 2017. Patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer were matched to noncancer controls (1:16 match). We constructed a prediction model using eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) to identify early-stage patients on the basis of 18,220 features within the EHR including diagnoses, procedures, information within clinical notes, and medications. Model accuracy was assessed with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and the area under the curve. RESULTS: The final predictive model included 582 predictive features from the EHR, including 248 (42.5%) physician note elements, 146 (25.0%) procedure codes, 91 (15.6%) diagnosis codes, 89 (15.3%) medications, and 9 (1.5%) demographic features. The final model area under the curve was 0.84. Choosing a model cut point with a sensitivity of 60% and specificity of 90% would enable early detection of 58% late-stage patients with a median of 24 months before their actual diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Prediction models using EHR data show promise in the early detection of pancreatic cancer. Although widespread use of this approach on an unselected population would produce high rates of false-positive tests, this technique may be rapidly impactful if deployed among high-risk patients or paired with other imaging or biomarker screening tools.

Postoperative Hypotension and Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Patients Without Intraoperative Hypotension, After Noncardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative hypotension (POH) is associated with major adverse events. However, little is known about the association of blood pressure thresholds and outcomes in postoperative patients without intraoperative hypotension (IOH) on the general-care ward. We evaluated the association of POH with major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in patients without IOH. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 67,968 noncardiac patient-procedures (2008-2017) for patients discharged to the ward with postoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) readings, managed for ≥48 hours postsurgery, with no evidence of IOH. The primary outcome was 30-day MACCE evaluated by postoperative MAP thresholds: ≤75, ≤65, and ≤55 mm Hg (POH defined as a single measurement below threshold). Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality (30-/90-day), 30-day acute myocardial infarction, 30-day acute ischemic stroke, 30-day readmission, 7-day acute kidney injury, and 30-day readmission. Associations between POH and adverse events were also evaluated in a cohort (#2) of 16,034 patient-procedures with IOH (intraoperative MAP ≤65 mm Hg). RESULTS: In patients without IOH, exposure to POH was not associated with MACCE at any investigated MAP threshold (P < .016 was considered significant: ≤75 mm Hg, hazard ratio [HR] 1.18 [98.4% confidence interval {CI} 0.99-1.39], P = .023; ≤65 mm Hg, HR 1.18 [0.99-1.41], P = .028; ≤55 mm Hg, HR 1.23 [0.90-1.71], P = .121); however, associations were observed at all MAP thresholds for secondary outcomes of acute kidney injury and 30-day readmission, for 30-/90-day mortality for MAP ≤65 mm Hg, and 90-day mortality for MAP ≤55 mm Hg, compared to those without POH. No associations were detected between POH and secondary outcomes of acute ischemic stroke or acute myocardial infarction at any MAP threshold. No interaction between POH and IOH was found when we evaluated the association of POH on outcomes in the data set including all patients, regardless of IOH status (P values for interaction terms nonsignificant). When the interaction term was utilized, the association between POH without IOH and MACCE was significant for MAP ≤75 mm Hg (HR 1.20 [1.01-1.41]) and MAP ≤65 mm Hg (HR 1.21 [1.02-1.45]), but not MAP ≤55 mm Hg. Cohort #2 (POH with IOH) showed largely similar results for MACCE: not significant for MAP ≤75 and ≤65 mm Hg, but significant for MAP ≤55 mm Hg (HR 1.53 [1.05-2.22], P = .006). CONCLUSIONS: POH in patients without IOH was not associated with MACCE at any MAP investigated. No interaction was identified between POH and IOH. Large prospective randomized trials are necessary to develop better evidence and inform clinicians the value of postoperative blood pressure management.

The impact of individual surgeon on the likelihood of minimal invasive surgery among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing pancreatic resection.

BACKGROUND: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the impact of the individual surgeon on the use of minimally invasive pancreatic resection. METHODS: The Medicare 100% Standard Analytic Files were reviewed to identify Medicare beneficiaries who underwent pancreatic resection between 2013 and 2017. The impact of patient- and procedure-related factors on the likelihood of minimally invasive pancreatic resection was investigated. RESULTS: A total of 12,652 (85.4%) patients underwent open pancreatic resection, whereas minimally invasive pancreatic resection was performed in 2,155 (14.6%) patients. Unadjusted rates of minimally invasive pancreatic resection ranged from 0% in the bottom volume tertile to 35.3% in the top tertile. Although patients with emergency admission were less likely to undergo minimally invasive pancreatic resection (odds ratio = 0.43, 95% confidence interval 0.32-0.58), patients operated on more recently had a higher chance of minimally invasive pancreatic resection (year 2017; odds ratio = 1.51, 95% confidence interval 1.28-1.79). On multivariable analysis, there was over a 3-fold variation in the odds that a patient underwent minimally invasive versus open pancreatic resection based on the individual surgeon (median odds ratio = 3.27, 95% confidence interval 2.98-3.56). Patients who underwent pancreatectomy by a low-volume, minimally invasive pancreatic resection surgeon had higher odds of 90-day mortality after surgery (odds ratio = 1.33, 95% confidence interval: 1.16-1.59), as well as higher observed/expected mortality compared with individuals treated by high-volume surgeons. CONCLUSION: The likelihood of undergoing minimally invasive pancreatic resection among Medicare beneficiaries was markedly influenced by the individual treating surgeon rather than patient- or procedure-level factors.

Inter-surgeon variability is associated with likelihood to undergo minimally invasive hepatectomy and postoperative mortality.

INTRODUCTION: Minimally invasive liver surgery (MILS) has been increasingly adopted in clinical practice; yet, inter-surgeon variability in operative approach (MILS vs. open), as well as the impact of providers on the likelihood of undergoing MILS have not been well characterized. METHODS: The Medicare 100% Standard Analytic Files were reviewed to identify Medicare beneficiaries who underwent hepatectomy between 2013 - 2017. The impact of patient- and procedure- related factors on the likelihood of MILS was investigated. RESULTS: Overall 12,110 (91.6%) patients underwent open liver resection, while 1,112 (8.4%) patients had MILS. Based on total MILS volume, surgeons were categorized into average (1-3 cases), above average (4-7 cases) and high (>8 or more cases) MILS volume surgeons. While male patients (OR = 0.85, 95%CI 0.75-0.97) were less likely to undergo MILS, patients operated on more recently (year 2017; OR = 1.72, 95%CI 1.38-2.14) for a cancer indication (OR = 1.23, 95%CI 1.05-1.42) had a higher chance of MILS. After controlling for patient- and procedure-related characteristics, there was almost a two-fold variation in the odds that a patient underwent MILS versus open hepatectomy based on the individual surgeon provider (MOR = 1.75, 95%CI 1.48-1.99). Patients who had a MILS performed by a high-volume MILS surgeon had 36% lower odds of death within 90-days (OR = 0.64, 95%CI 0.51-0.79). CONCLUSION: The likelihood of undergoing MILS, as well as post-operative mortality, was heavily influenced by the individual surgeon provider rather than patient- or procedure-related factors.

Intraoperative Hypotension Is Associated With Adverse Clinical Outcomes After Noncardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative hypotension (IOH) occurs frequently during surgery and may be associated with organ ischemia; however, few multicenter studies report data regarding its associations with adverse postoperative outcomes across varying hemodynamic thresholds. Additionally, no study has evaluated the association between IOH exposure and adverse outcomes among patients by various age groups. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted between 2008 and 2017 using intraoperative blood pressure data from the US electronic health records database to examine postoperative outcomes. IOH was assessed in 368,222 noncardiac surgical procedures using 5 methods: (a) absolute maximum decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) during surgery, (b) time under each absolute threshold, (c) total area under each threshold, (d) time-weighted average MAP under each threshold, and (e) cumulative time under the prespecified relative MAP thresholds. MAP thresholds were defined by absolute limits (≤75, ≤65, ≤55 mm Hg) and by relative limits (20% and 40% lower than baseline). The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events; secondary outcomes were all-cause 30- and 90-day mortality, 30-day acute myocardial injury, and 30-day acute ischemic stroke. Residual confounding was minimized by controlling for observable patient and surgical factors. In addition, we stratified patients into age subgroups (18-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, >80) to investigate how the association between hypotension and the likelihood of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events and acute kidney injury differs in these age subgroups. RESULTS: IOH was common with at least 1 reading of MAP ≤75 mm Hg occurring in 39.5% (145,743) of cases; ≤65 mm Hg in 19.3% (70,938) of cases, and ≤55 mm Hg in 7.5% (27,473) of cases. IOH was significantly associated with the primary outcome for all age groups. For an absolute maximum decrease, the estimated odds of a major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events in the 30-day postsurgery was increased by 12% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11-14) for ≤75 mm Hg; 17.0% (95% CI, 15-19) for ≤65 mm Hg; and by 26.0% (95% CI, 22-29) for ≤55 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS: IOH during noncardiac surgery is common and associated with increased 30-day major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events. This observation is magnified with increasing hypotension severity. The potentially avoidable nature of the hazard, and the extent of the exposed population, makes hypotension in the operating room a serious public health issue that should not be ignored for any age group.

Postoperative hypotension in patients discharged to the intensive care unit after non-cardiac surgery is associated with adverse clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The postoperative period is critical for a patient's recovery, and postoperative hypotension, specifically, is associated with adverse clinical outcomes and significant harm to the patient. However, little is known about the association between postoperative hypotension in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) after non-cardiac surgery, and morbidity and mortality, specifically among patients who did not experience intraoperative hypotension. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of postoperative hypotension at various absolute hemodynamic thresholds (≤ 75, ≤ 65 and ≤ 55 mmHg), in the absence of intraoperative hypotension (≤ 65 mmHg), on outcomes among patients in the ICU following non-cardiac surgery. METHODS: This multi-center retrospective cohort study included specific patient procedures from Optum® healthcare database for patients without intraoperative hypotension (MAP ≤ 65 mmHg) discharged to the ICU for ≥ 48 h after non-cardiac surgery with valid mean arterial pressure (MAP) readings. A total of 3185 procedures were included in the final cohort, and the association between postoperative hypotension and the primary outcome, 30-day major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events, was assessed. Secondary outcomes examined included all-cause 30- and 90-day mortality, 30-day acute myocardial infarction, 30-day acute ischemic stroke, 7-day acute kidney injury stage II/III and 7-day continuous renal replacement therapy/dialysis. RESULTS: Postoperative hypotension in the ICU was associated with an increased risk of 30-day major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events at MAP ≤ 65 mmHg (hazard ratio [HR] 1.52; 98.4% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-1.96) and ≤ 55 mmHg (HR 2.02, 98.4% CI 1.50-2.72). Mean arterial pressures of ≤ 65 mmHg and ≤ 55 mmHg were also associated with higher 30-day mortality (MAP ≤ 65 mmHg, [HR 1.56, 98.4% CI 1.22-2.00]; MAP ≤ 55 mmHg, [HR 1.97, 98.4% CI 1.48-2.60]) and 90-day mortality (MAP ≤ 65 mmHg, [HR 1.49, 98.4% CI 1.20-1.87]; MAP ≤ 55 mmHg, [HR 1.78, 98.4% CI 1.38-2.31]). Furthermore, we found an association between postoperative hypotension with MAP ≤ 55 mmHg and acute kidney injury stage II/III (HR 1.68, 98.4% CI 1.02-2.77). No associations were seen between postoperative hypotension and 30-day readmissions, 30-day acute myocardial infarction, 30-day acute ischemic stroke and 7-day continuous renal replacement therapy/dialysis for any MAP threshold. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative hypotension in critical care patients with MAP ≤ 65 mmHg is associated with adverse events even without experiencing intraoperative hypotension.

Racial Differences in the Use of Aortic Valve Replacement for Treatment of Symptomatic Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis in the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Era.

Background Aortic valve replacement (AVR) is a life-saving treatment for patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis. We sought to determine whether transcatheter AVR has resulted in a more equitable treatment rate by race in the United States. Methods and Results A total of 32 853 patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis were retrospectively identified via Optum's deidentified electronic health records database (2007-2017). AVR rates in non-Hispanic Black and White patients were assessed in the year after diagnosis. Multivariate Fine-Gray hazards models were used to evaluate the likelihood of AVR by race, with adjustment for patient factors and the managing cardiologist. Time-trend and 1-year symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis survival analyses were also performed. From 2011 to 2016, the rate of AVR increased from 20.1% to 37.1%. Overall, Black individuals were less likely than Whites to receive AVR (22.9% versus 31.0%; unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.70; 95% CI, 0.62-0.79; fully adjusted HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.67-0.85). Yet, during 2015 to 2016, AVR racial differences were attenuated (29.5% versus 35.2%; adjusted HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.74-1.02) because of greater uptake of transcatheter AVR in Blacks than Whites (53.4% of AVRs versus 47.3%; P=0.128). Untreated patients had significantly higher 1-year mortality than those treated (adjusted HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.53-0.61), which was consistent by race (interaction P value=0.52). Conclusions Although transcatheter AVR has increased the use of AVR in the United States, treatment rates remain low. Black patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis were less likely than White patients to receive AVR, yet these differences have recently narrowed.

Textbook Outcomes Among Medicare Patients Undergoing Hepatopancreatic Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To define and test "Textbook Outcome" (TO)-a composite measure for healthcare quality-among Medicare patients undergoing hepatopancreatic resections. Hospital variation in TO and Medicare payments were analyzed. BACKGROUND: Composite measures of quality may be superior to individual measures for the analysis of hospital performance. METHODS: The Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) Inpatient Files were reviewed to identify Medicare patients who underwent pancreatic and liver procedures between 2013 and 2015. TO was defined as: no postoperative surgical complications, no prolonged length of hospital stay, no readmission ≤ 90 days after discharge, and no postoperative mortality ≤ 90 days after surgery. Medicare payments were compared among patients who achieved TO versus patients who did not. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate patient factors associated with TO. A nomogram to predict probability of TO was developed and validated. RESULTS: TO was achieved in 44% (n = 5919) of 13,467 patients undergoing hepatopancreatic surgery. Adjusted TO rates at the hospital level varied from 11.1% to 69.6% for pancreatic procedures and from 16.6% to 78.7% for liver procedures. Prolonged length of hospital stay represented the major obstacle to achieve TO. Average Medicare payments were substantially higher among patients who did not have a TO. Factors associated with TO on multivariable analysis were age, sex, Charlson comorbidity score, previous hospital admissions, procedure type, and surgical approach (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Less than one-half of Medicare patients achieved a TO following hepatopancreatic procedures with a wide variation in the rates of TO among hospitals. There was a discrepancy in Medicare payments for patients who achieved a TO versus patients who did not. TO could be useful for the public reporting of patient level hospital performance and hospital variation.

The Association Between Patient Satisfaction and Patient-Reported Health Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Although patient satisfaction is increasingly used to rate hospitals, it is unclear how patient satisfaction is associated with health outcomes. We sought to define the relationship of self-reported patient satisfaction and health outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis using regression analyses and generalized linear modeling. SETTING: Utilizing the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Database (2010-2014), patients who had responses to survey questions related to satisfaction were identified. PARTICIPANTS: Among the 9166 patients, representing 106 million patients, satisfaction was rated as optimal (28.2%), average (61.1%), and poor (10.7%). Main Outcome Measures: We sought to define the relationship of self-reported patient satisfaction and health outcomes. RESULTS: Patients who were younger, male, black/African American, with Medicaid insurance, as well as patients with lower socioeconomic status were more likely to report poor satisfaction (all P < .001). In the adjusted model, physical health score was not associated with an increased odds of poor satisfaction (1.42 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88-2.28); however, patients with a poor mental health score or ≥2 emergency department visits were more likely to report poor overall satisfaction (3.91, 95% CI: 2.34-6.5; 2.24, 95% CI: 1.48-3.38, respectively). CONCLUSION: Poor satisfaction was associated with certain unmodifiable patient-level characteristics, as well as mental health scores. These data suggest that patient satisfaction is a complex metric that can be affected by more than provider performance.

Clinical practice and outcomes of palliative radiation therapy in pediatric oncology patients: An international comparison of experiences from two distinct countries and health care systems.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study describes clinical outcomes of palliative radiation therapy (RT) for children treated in distinct health-care environments-the US where there is advanced integration of palliative resources and Brazil, a country in the process of developing provisions for pediatric palliative care. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Palliative RT cases of pediatric oncology patients aged ≤21-years from 2010 to 2016 in two Brazil-based and one US-based (Johns Hopkins Hospital, JHH) academic centers were reviewed in this study. RESULTS: Eighty-eight pediatric patients were treated to 131 lesions with palliative RT. Forty-nine patients from the JHH cohort comprised 84 cases and 39 patients from the Brazil cohort comprised 46 cases. The most common indication for palliative RT was pain (55% overall, 39% Brazil, 63% JHH). Sixty-seven percent of patients experienced a complete (CR) or partial response (PR) to palliative RT, 12% reported stable symptoms (SS), and 22% reported progressive symptoms (PS). The median survival from the end of palliative RT was 3.6 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.3-4.8 months). When treated with palliative RT for pain, 83% of patients experience CR/PR, facilitating reduction or discontinuation of opiates in 46% of these patients. CONCLUSION: Despite different practices, the clinical results using palliative RT for pediatric patients treated in two unique healthcare environments demonstrated it is an effective tool for pediatric oncology patients across systems.

Local referrals as a strategy for increasing value of surgical care among medicare patients undergoing liver and pancreatic surgery.

BACKGROUND: The focus of the current Medicare payment reform is to increase value - i.e. improve health care quality while lowering costs. This study sought to define cost variation and surgical quality among hospitals within small geographic areas typical of work commute patterns. METHODS: Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) Inpatient Files was used to identify patients undergoing elective liver and pancreatic surgery between 2013 and 2015. Hospitals were assigned to combined statistical areas (CSAs) based on zip codes. Average price-standardized Medicare payments were used to identify highest- and lowest-cost hospitals within CSAs, and clinical outcomes were compared. RESULTS: The study included 12,016 patients. Medicare payments for index hospitalization were 45% ($12,580), 42% ($16,831), 44% ($12,901) and 50% ($18,605) higher for the highest-vs. lowest-cost hospitals for non-complex pancreatic procedures, complex pancreatic procedures, non-complex liver procedures, and complex liver procedures, respectively. Surgical quality was worse at highest-vs. lowest-cost hospitals, demonstrated by higher rates of complications, prolonged LOS and 90-day mortality. CONCLUSION: There was a significant variation in surgical cost for each procedure between CSAs, and within CSAs. Highest-cost hospitals demonstrated worse quality metrics than the lowest-cost hospitals. Local referrals to low-cost hospitals represent an opportunity for increasing value of surgical care.

A Multi-institutional International Analysis of Textbook Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing Curative-Intent Resection of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

Importance: Composite measures may be superior to individual measures for the analysis of hospital performance and quality of surgical care. Objective: To determine the incidence of a so-called textbook outcome, a composite measure of the quality of surgical care, among patients undergoing curative-intent resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study involved an analysis of a multinational, multi-institutional cohort of patient from 15 major hepatobiliary centers in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia who underwent curative-intent resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma between 1993 and 2015. Data analysis was conducted from April 2018 to May 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: Hospital variation in the composite end point of textbook outcome, defined as negative margins, no perioperative transfusion, no postoperative surgical complications, no prolonged length of stay, no 30-day readmissions, and no 30-day mortality. Secondary end points were factors associated with achieving textbook outcomes. Results: Among 687 patients (of whom 370 [53.9%] were men; median patient age, 61 [range, 18-86] years) undergoing curative-intent resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a textbook outcome was achieved in 175 patients (25.5%). Being 60 years or younger (odds ratio [OR], 1.61 [95% CI, 1.04-2.49]; P = .03), absence of preoperative jaundice (OR, 4.40 [95% CI, 1.28-15.15]; P = .02), no neoadjuvant chemotherapy (OR, 2.57 [95% CI, 1.05-6.29]; P = .04), T1a/T1b-stage disease (OR, 1.58 [95% CI, 1.01-2.49]; P = .049), N0 status (OR, 3.89 [95% CI, 1.77-8.54]; P = .001), and no bile duct resection (OR, 2.46 [95% CI, 1.25-4.84]; P = .009) were independently associated with achieving a textbook outcome after resection. A prolonged length of stay had the greatest negative association with a textbook outcome. A nomogram to assess the probability of textbook outcome was developed and had good accuracy in both the training data set (area under the curve, 0.755) and validation data set (area under the curve, 0.763). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, while hepatic resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was performed with less than 5% mortality in specialized centers, a textbook outcome was achieved in only approximately 26% of patients. A textbook outcome may be useful for the reporting of patient-level hospital performance and hospital variation, leading to quality improvement efforts after resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Hot spotting surgical patients undergoing hepatopancreatic procedures.

BACKGROUND: The burden of health care spending in the United States is a major concern, as health care costs have exponentially increased during the last three decades. The objective of the current study was to investigate the degree of cost-concentration among Medicare patients undergoing liver and pancreatic surgery. METHODS: Medicare claims data from 2013 to 2015 were used to identify patients undergoing elective liver and pancreatic resections. Patients were divided into four groups: 1) non-complex pancreatic procedures; 2) complex pancreatic procedures; 3) non-complex liver procedures; and 4) complex liver procedures. Unadjusted price-standardized Medicare payments were calculated and payments were divided into quintiles. Patient-level factors associated with payments were analyzed by multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: A total of 17,125 patients were included in the study. Patients in the top quintile of spending accounted for over 40% of payments for all liver and pancreatic procedures. Patients with comorbidity scores ≥5, male sex, open surgical approach and a diagnosis of congestive heart failure were associated with higher costs. CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing liver and pancreatic resections on the top 20% of payments were responsible for a disproportionate share of Medicare payments - over 40% of total expenditures. Overall hospital surgical volume was lower among the highest quintile of payments.

Procedure-Specific Volume and Nurse-to-Patient Ratio: Implications for Failure to Rescue Patients Following Liver Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The effect of various hospital characteristics on failure to rescue (FTR) after liver surgery has not been well examined. We sought to examine the relationship between hospital characteristics and FTR after liver surgery. METHODS: The 2013-2015 Medicare-Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) database was used to identify Medicare beneficiaries who underwent liver surgery. The effect of various hospital characteristics on FTR was compared among the highest mortality hospitals (HMH) and the lowest mortality hospitals (LMH). RESULTS: Among 4902 patients undergoing hepatectomy, patients treated at HMH had a higher risk of FTR (OR 3.08, 95% CI 2.03-4.66). Hospital factors such as total number of beds (OR 0.80, 95% 0.56-1.15), operating rooms (OR 0.81, 95% 0.57-1.14), and overall hospital surgical volume (OR 0.88, 95% 0.61-1.25) were not associated with FTR (all p > 0.05). In contrast, hospitals with a greater nurse-to-patient ratio had a markedly lower risk of FTR following a complication (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.54-0.91; p = 0.007) (Table 3). As volume of liver operations and nurse-to-patient ratio decreased the risk of FTR increased (p > 0.001). After risk-adjusting for patient characteristics, both the effect of surgical volume (adjusted OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46-0.94; p = 0.022) and nurse-to-patient ratio (adjusted OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51-0.90; p = 0.008) remained strongly associated with FTR. CONCLUSION: FTR rates varied considerably among hospital performing hepatectomy. Higher procedure-specific hepatectomy volume, as well as a higher nurse-to-patient ratio, accounted for a reduction in the FTR rates. These data highlight the importance of not only procedure volume, but also adequate nurse staffing in reducing FTR and improving mortality following complex procedures such as hepatectomy.