Designing a Checklist for Directly Observing Use of One-Minute Preceptor Steps on Inpatient Rounds: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: "One-minute preceptor" (OMP) is a well-established educational technique; however, primary literature on OMP lacks a tool to assess behavioral change after delivery of curricula.Primary aim of this pilot study was to design a checklist for direct observation of teachers using OMP on general medicine rounds and obtain inter-rater reliability evidence for the checklist. METHODS: This study pilots an internally designed 6-item checklist to assess change in directly observed behavior. We describe the process of developing the checklist and training the observers. We calculated a percent agreement and Cohen's kappa to assess inter-rater reliability. RESULTS: Raters had a high percent agreement ranging from 0.8 to 0.9 for each step of OMP. Cohen's kappa ranged from 0.49 to 0.77 for the five OMP steps. The highest kappa obtained was for getting a commitment (κ = 0.77) step, whereas the lowest agreement was for correcting mistakes (κ = 0.49). CONCLUSION: We showed a percent agreement ≥0.8 and moderate agreement based on Cohen's kappa with most steps of OMP on our checklist. A reliable OMP checklist is an important step in further improving the assessment and feedback of resident teaching skills on general medicine wards.

Performance of peripheral catheters inserted with ultrasound guidance versus landmark technique after a simulation-based mastery learning intervention.

PROBLEM: Ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter (USGPIV) insertion is an effective method to gain vascular access in patients with difficult intravenous access (DIVA). While USGPIV success rates are reported to be high, some studies have reported a concerning incidence of USGPIV premature failures. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to compare differences in USGPIV and landmark peripheral intravenous catheter (PIV) utilization and failure following a hospital-wide USGPIV training program for nurses. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective, electronic medical record review of all USGPIVs and PIVs inserted at a tertiary, urban, academic medical center from September 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019. The primary outcome was differences between USGPIV and PIV time to failure. RESULTS: A total of 43,470 short peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) were inserted in 23,713 patients. Of these, 7972 (16.8%) were USGPIV. At 30 days of follow-up, for PIVCs with an indication for removal documented, USGPIVs had higher Kaplan-Meier survival probabilities than PIVs (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of simulation-based mastery associated with USGPIVs, demonstrated lower failure rates than standard PIVs after 2 days and USGPIVs exhibited improved survival rates in patients with DIVA. These findings suggest that rigorous simulation-based insertion training demonstrates improved USGPIV survival when compared to traditional PIVCs. SBML is an extremely useful tool to ensure appropriately trained clinicians acquire the necessary knowledge and skillset to improve USGPIV outcomes.

Trends in Suicidal Ideation-Related Emergency Department Visits for Youth in Illinois: 2016-2021.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Increasing suicide rates and emergency department (ED) mental health visits reflect deteriorating mental health among American youth. This population-based study analyzes trends in ED visits for suicidal ideation (SI) before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: We analyzed Illinois hospital administrative data for ED visits coded for SI from January 2016 to June 2021 for youth aged 5 to 19 years. We characterized trends in patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, comparing three equal 22 month periods and analyzed patient and hospital characteristics associated with the likelihood of hospitalization. RESULTS: There were 81 051 ED visits coded for SI at 205 Illinois hospitals; 24.6% resulted in hospitalization. SI visits accounted for $785 million in charges and 145 160 hospital days over 66 months. ED SI visits increased 59% from 2016 through 2017 to 2019 through 2021, with a corresponding increase from 34.6% to 44.3% of SI principal diagnosis visits (both P < .001). Hospitalizations increased 57% between prepandemic fall 2019 and fall 2020 (P = .003). After controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics, youth were 84% less likely to be hospitalized if SI was their principal diagnosis and were more likely hospitalized if coded for severe mental illness, substance use, anxiety, or depression, or had ED visits to children's or behavioral health hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: This study documents child ED SI visits in Illinois spiked in 2019, with an additional surge in hospitalizations during the pandemic. Rapidly rising hospital use may reflect worsening mental illness and continued difficulty in accessing low cost, high-quality outpatient mental health services.

Delivery Complications and Postpartum Hospital Use in California.

INTRODUCTION: Research on maternal birth outcomes rarely includes postpartum complications with longitudinally linked patient data. We analyze characteristics associated with delivery complications and postpartum hospital use. METHODS: This population-based cohort study is based on administrative data from California. International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes were used to categorize the incidence of severe maternal morbidity and other route-specific delivery complications as well as preexisting and pregnancy-related conditions and principal diagnoses for postpartum hospital visits. Postpartum hospital use is a composite outcome defined as emergency department visit or hospital readmission within 90 days of birth admission discharge. Multivariable modified Poisson regression analyses were used to estimate the association of patient-level and hospital-level characteristics with the likelihood of postpartum hospital use. RESULTS: In 2017, 457,498 birth admissions occurred in California-licensed hospitals, of which 348,828 index births with linked data were analyzed. Among linked births, 34,825 (10.0%) had an inpatient admission (4,206 [1.2%]) or an emergency department visit (30,371 [9.2%]) within 90 days of birth admission discharge. Birth complications included a 1.7% severe maternal morbidity rate, 7.9% rate of vaginal birth complications, 10.0% rate of cesarean birth complications, and 2.9% frequency of long lengths of stay, all of which were significantly associated with postpartum hospital use. Other significant risk factors for postpartum hospital use were preexisting and pregnancy-related conditions, undergoing cesarean birth, being younger than 18 years old, being non-Hispanic Black, living in a high poverty ZIP code, and having Medicaid. CONCLUSION: One in 10 birthing persons had a hospital visit within 90 days postpartum. Improving postpartum care is an urgent public health priority.

Hospital Volume Predicts Guideline-Concordant Care in Stage III Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal cancer is a deadly disease requiring multidisciplinary coordination of care and surgical proficiency for adequate treatment. We hypothesize that quality of care is varied nationally. METHODS: From published guidelines, we developed quality measures for management of stage III esophageal cancer: utilization of neoadjuvant therapy, surgical sampling of at least 15 lymph nodes, resection within 60 days of chemotherapy or radiation, and completeness of resection. Measure adherence was examined across 1345 hospitals participating in the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2016. We examined the association of volume, program accreditation, safety net status, geographic region, and patient travel distance on adequate adherence (≥85% of patients are adherent) using logistic regression modeling. RESULTS: The rate of adequate adherence was worst in nodal staging (12.6%) and highest for utilization of neoadjuvant therapy (84.8%). Academic programs had the highest rate of adequate adherence for induction therapy (77.2%; P < .001), timing of surgery (56.6%; P < .001), and completeness of resection (78.5%; P < .001) but the lowest for nodal staging (4.4%; P = .018). For every additional esophagectomy performed per year, the odds of adequate adherence increased for induction therapy (odds ratio [OR]. 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.27) and completeness of resection (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.06-1.25) but decreased for nodal staging (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.65-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: Care provided at higher volume and academic facilities was more likely to be guideline concordant in some areas but not in others. Understanding the processes that support the delivery of guideline concordant care may provide valuable opportunities for improvement.

Relationship Between Confidence, Gender, and Career Choice in Internal Medicine.

BACKGROUND: Understanding factors in internal medicine (IM) resident career choice may reveal important needed interventions for recruitment and diversity in IM primary care and its subspecialties. Self-reported learner confidence is higher in men than in women in certain areas of practicing medicine, but has never been explored as a factor in career choice. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to elucidate associations between confidence, gender, and career choice. DESIGN: IM residents completed a 31-item survey rating confidence in procedural, clinical, and communication skills on a 9-point Likert scale. Residents also reported anticipated career choice and rated influence of factors. Associations between gender and confidence scale scores, gender and career choice, and confidence and career choice were analyzed using t tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression controlled for postgraduate year (PGY), institution, and specialty choice. PARTICIPANTS: 292 IM residents at Northwestern and University of Texas (UT) Southwestern MAIN MEASURES: Resident gender, self-reported confidence, career choice KEY RESULTS: Response rate was 79.6% (n = 292), of them 50.3% women. Overall self-reported confidence increased with training (PGY-1 4.9 (1.1); PGY-2 6.2 (1.0); PGY-3 7.4 (1.0); p < 0.001). Men had higher confidence than women (men 6.6 (1.5); women 6.3 (1.4), p = 0.06), with the greatest difference in procedures. High confidence in men was associated with choice of procedural careers, whereas there was no association between confidence and career in women. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study demonstrating a gender difference in self-reported confidence and career choice. There is a positive correlation in men: higher self-reported confidence with procedural specialties, lower with general internal medicine. Women's self-reported confidence had no association. Further investigation is needed to elucidate causative factors for differences in self-reported confidence by gender, and whether alterations in level of self-reported confidence produce a downstream effect on career choice.

Mortality, critical illness, and mechanical ventilation among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 on therapeutic anticoagulants.

Background: COVID-19 is associated with hypercoagulability and increased incidence of thrombosis. We compared the clinical outcomes of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 who were on therapeutic anticoagulants to those on prophylactic anticoagulation. Materials and methods: We performed an observational study of adult inpatients' with COVID-19 from March 9 to June 26, 2020. We compared patients who were continued on their outpatient prescribed therapeutic anticoagulation and those who were newly started on therapeutic anticoagulation for COVID-19 (without other indication) to those who were on prophylactic doses. The primary outcome was overall death while secondary outcomes were critical illness (World Health Organization Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement score ≥5), mechanical ventilation, and death among patients who first had critical illness. We adjusted for age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), Charlson score, glucose on admission, and use of antiplatelet agents. Results: Of 1716 inpatients with COVID-19, 171 patients were continued on their therapeutic anticoagulation and 78 were started on new therapeutic anticoagulation for COVID-19. In patients continued on home therapeutic anticoagulation, there were no differences in overall death, critical illness, mechanical ventilation, or death among patients with critical illness compared to patients on prophylactic anticoagulation. In patients receiving new therapeutic anticoagulation for COVID-19, there was increased death (OR 5.93; 95% CI 3.71-9.47), critical illness (OR 14.51; 95% CI 7.43-28.31), need mechanical ventilation (OR 11.22; 95% CI 6.67-18.86), and death after first having critical illness (OR 5.51; 95% CI 2.80-10.87). Conclusions: Therapeutic anticoagulation for inpatients with COVID-19 was not associated with improved outcomes.

Characteristics Associated with Successful Weight Management in Youth with Obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the medical, demographic, and behavioral factors associated with a reduction of body mass index percent of the 95th percentile (BMIp95) after 1 year for patients receiving care at a tertiary care obesity management clinic. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of data from first and 12 ± 3-month follow-up visits of subjects aged 8-17 years with obesity. Data included anthropometrics, demographics, medical/psychological history, reported diet patterns, and participation in moderate/vigorous physical activity. After analyzing factors associated with 1-year follow-up, we used a forward conditional logistic regression model, controlling for subject's sex, to examine associations with a BMIp95 ≥5-point decrease at 1 year. RESULTS: Of 769 subjects, 184 (23.9%) had 1-year follow-up. Boys more often had follow-up (28.4% vs girls, 19.1%; P = .003). The follow-up sample was 62.0% male, 65.8% Hispanic, and 77.7% with public insurance; 33.2% achieved a ≥5-point decrease in BMIp95. In regression results, the ≥5-point decrease group was more likely to have completed an initial visit in April-September (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.9); have increased physical activity by 1-2 d/wk (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.4-7.8) or increased physical activity by ≥ 3 d/wk at 1 year (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.1-6.3); and less likely to have been depressed at presentation (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.9). Demographic and dietary factors were not significantly associated with BMIp95 group status. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies improving follow-up rates, addressing mental health concerns, and promoting year-round physical activity are needed to increase the effectiveness of obesity management clinics.

Treatment trends in early-stage lung cancer in the United States, 2004 to 2013: A time-trend analysis of the National Cancer Data Base.

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to evaluate trends in the use of surgical therapy for patients with early-stage (IA-IIA) non-small cell lung cancer when stereotactic ablative radiotherapy was introduced in the United States. METHODS: Patients with clinical stage IA to IIA non-small cell lung cancer diagnosed from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2013, were identified in the National Cancer Data Base. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to evaluate the change in the proportion of patients undergoing surgery over time. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with receipt of surgery compared with radiation. RESULTS: Of 200,404 eligible patients from 1235 hospitals, 79.8% (n = 159,943) underwent surgery. For all stages combined, the rate of surgery decreased from 83.9% in 2004 to 75.1% in 2013 (P < .0001), with the largest decrease seen in patients with stage IIA: stage IA 86.5% to 77.1% (P < .0001); stage IB 79.6% to 71.5% (P < .0001); and stage IIA 94.7% to 70.3% (P < .001). Patients were more likely to undergo surgery if they were younger and white, had higher income, or had private or Medicare insurance. CONCLUSIONS: From 2004 to 2013, there was an overall decrease in the use of surgical therapy for lung cancer in early-stage disease. Because resection remains the standard of care for most patients with early-stage disease, these data suggest a potentially significant quality gap in the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

The effect of socioeconomic status, race, and insurance type on newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer in the United States (2004-2013).

BACKGROUND: Understanding the characteristics of men who initially present with metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) can better enable directed improvement initiatives. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and newly diagnosed mPCa. MATERIALS METHODS: All men diagnosed with PCa in the National Cancer Data Base from 2004 to 2013 were identified. Characteristics of men presenting with and without metastatic disease were compared. A 4-level composite metric of SES was created using Census-based income and education data. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between SES, race/ethnicity, and insurance and the risk of presenting with mPCa at the time of diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 1,034,754 patients diagnosed with PCa, 4% had mPCa at initial presentation. Lower SES (first vs. fourth quartile; odds ratio [OR] = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.35-1.44), black and Hispanic race/ethnicity (vs. white; OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.43-1.51 and OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.17-1.28, respectively), and having Medicaid or no insurance (vs. Medicare or private; OR = 3.91, 95% CI: 3.78-4.05) were each independently associated with higher odds of presenting with mPCa after adjusting for all other covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Lower SES, race/ethnicity, and having Medicaid or no insurance were each independently associated with higher odds of presenting with metastases at the time of PCa diagnosis. Our findings may partially explain current PCa outcomes disparities and inform future efforts to reduce disparities.

Surgical wait time: A new health indicator in women with endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate factors associated with delayed surgical treatment among women with endometrial cancer. METHODS: Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we analyzed time to first surgery for epithelial endometrial cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment from 2003 to 2011. Poisson regression was used to examine delays >6weeks between diagnosis and surgery, controlled for patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Survival for women diagnosed between 2003 and 2006 with timely versus delayed surgery was compared using Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: The study included 112,041 women diagnosed at 1108 continuously reporting NCDB hospitals. Survival through 2011 was available for 40,184 women. All patients underwent hysterectomy. Twenty-eight percent of patients underwent surgery >6weeks after diagnosis. Poisson regression estimates indicated that being younger than 40years old, being black or Hispanic, having Medicaid or being uninsured, or being from the lowest education quartile were associated with a significantly higher likelihood of surgical wait time>6weeks. Patients diagnosed in 2010-2011 were more likely (IRR 1.32, 95% CI 1.24-1.40) to undergo surgery >6weeks after diagnosis compared to patients treated in 2003. Survival for women with surgical wait times >6weeks was worse than those treated within 6weeks of diagnosis (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.09-1.20). CONCLUSIONS: Being a minority patient and having lower socioeconomic status or poor insurance coverage were associated with an increased likelihood of delayed surgical treatment. Wait times >6weeks from diagnosis of endometrial cancer to definitive surgery may have a negative impact on survival.

Ambulatory Care Sensitive Hospitalizations Through the Emergency Department by Payer: Comparing 2003 and 2009.

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations (ACSHs) are hospitalizations that may have been preventable with timely and effective outpatient care. Approximately 75% of all ACSHs occur through the emergency department (ED). ACSHs through the ED (ED ACSHs) have significant implications for costs and ED crowding. OBJECTIVE: This study compares rates of ED ACSHs for 2003 and 2009 among patients 18 to 64 years of age with private insurance, Medicaid, or no insurance. METHODS: Nationally representative estimates of ED ACSHs, defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) prevention quality indicators (PQIs), were generated from the 2003 and 2009 Nationwide Inpatient Samples. Census data were used to calculate direct age- and sex-standardized ACSH rates by non-Medicare payers for both years. RESULTS: Between 2003 and 2009, the overall rate of ED ACSHs decreased from 7.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.57-7.75) to 7.3 (95% CI 7.2-7.4) per 1000 18- to 64-year-old non-Medicare patients. ED ASCH rates declined significantly from 42.4 (95% CI 42.0-42.8) to 25.3 (95% CI 25.0-25.6) per 1000 patients with Medicaid, and declined modestly from 3.8 (95% CI 3.8-3.9) to 3.3 (95% CI 3.2-3.4) per 1000 patients with private insurance. However, the ED ACSH rate increased for the uninsured population from 5.4 (95% CI 5.2-5.7) to 6.2 (95% CI 5.9-6.4) per 1000 patients. CONCLUSION: Expansion of Medicaid over the study period was not associated with an increase in ED ACSHs for Medicaid patients. However, an increase in the uninsured population was associated with an increase in the rate of ED ACSH for uninsured patients.

Risk factors for acquiring functional and cognitive disabilities during admission to a PICU*.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the risk factors for acquiring functional or cognitive disabilities during admission to a PICU. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a multicenter PICU database. SETTING: Twenty-four PICUs in the Virtual PICU Performance System network from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010. PATIENTS: Consecutive patients, who are 1 month to 18 years old, who survived to discharge. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Primary outcomes were acquired global functional disability and cognitive disability during admission to a PICU, measured by change in Pediatric Overall Performance Category or in Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category scores, respectively. The primary analysis cohort consisted of 29,352 admissions to the 24 Virtual PICU Performance System sites which collected the main outcome variables. Respectively, 10.3% and 3.4% of the cohort acquired global functional or cognitive disability. Trauma diagnosis (odds ratio, 4.50; 95% CI, 3.83-5.29; odds ratio, 3.91; 95% CI, 3.07-4.98), unscheduled admission to the PICU (odds ratio, 2.67; 95% CI, 2.27-3.12; odds ratio, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.16-2.00), highest risk of mortality category (odds ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02-1.39; odds ratio, 2.70; 95% CI, 2.15-3.40), oncologic primary diagnoses (odds ratio, 5.61; 95% CI, 4.56-6.91; odds ratio, 4.30; 95% CI, 2.97-6.24), and neurologic primary diagnoses (odds ratio, 2.04, 95% CI, 1.70-2.44; odds ratio, 4.29, 95% CI, 3.18-5.78) were independently associated with acquiring both functional and cognitive disability. Intervention risk factors for acquiring both functional and cognitive disability included invasive mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.60-2.00; odds ratio, 2.83; 95% CI, 2.36-3.39), renal replacement therapy (odds ratio, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.73-3.42; odds ratio, 1.76, 95% CI, 1.08-2.85), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (odds ratio, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.24-2.95; odds ratio, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.02-3.23), and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (odds ratio, 7.40, 95% CI, 4.10-13.36; odds ratio, 14.04, 95% CI, 7.51-26.26). CONCLUSIONS: We identified a subset of patients whose potential for acquiring global functional and cognitive disability during admission to the PICU is high. This population may benefit from interventions that could mitigate this risk and from focused follow-up after discharge from the PICU.

An obesity educational intervention for medical students addressing weight bias and communication skills using standardized patients.

BACKGROUND: In order to manage the increasing worldwide problem of obesity, medical students will need to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to assess and counsel patients with obesity. Few educational intervention studies have been conducted with medical students addressing stigma and communication skills with patients who are overweight or obese. The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in students' attitudes and beliefs about obesity, and their confidence in communication skills after a structured educational intervention that included a clinical encounter with an overweight standardized patient (SP). METHODS: First year medical students (n = 127, 47% female) enrolled in a communications unit were instructed to discuss the SPs' overweight status and probe about their perceptions of being overweight during an 8 minute encounter. Prior to the session, students were asked to read two articles on communication and stigma as background information. Reflections on the readings and their performance with the SP were conducted prior to and after the encounter when students met in small groups. A newly constructed 16 item questionnaire was completed before, immediately after and one year after the session. Scale analysis was performed based on a priori classification of item intent. RESULTS: Three scales emerged from the questionnaire: negative obesity stereotyping (7 items), empathy (3 items), and counseling confidence (3 items). There were small but significant immediate post-intervention improvements in stereotyping (p = .002) and empathy (p < .0001) and a very large mean improvement in confidence (p < .0001). Significant improvement between baseline and immediate follow-up responses were maintained for empathy and counseling at one year after the encounter but stereotyping reverted to the baseline mean. Percent of students with improved scale scores immediately and at one year follow up were as follows: stereotyping 53.1% and 57.8%; empathy 48.4% and 47.7%; and confidence 86.7% and 85.9%. CONCLUSIONS: A structured encounter with an overweight SP was associated with a significant short-term decrease in negative stereotyping, and longer-term increase in empathy and raised confidence among first year medical students toward persons who are obese. The encounter was most effective for increasing confidence in counseling skills.

Primary care physician communication at hospital discharge reduces medication discrepancies.

BACKGROUND: Medication discrepancies are common as patients transition from hospital to home. Errors with post-discharge medication regimens may play a role in hospital readmissions. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether primary care physician (PCP) contact with patients at hospital discharge impacts the frequency of medication discrepancies at 24 hours post-discharge. DESIGN: With the PCP-Enhanced Discharge Communication Intervention, PCPs were asked to speak with treating hospitalists and contact patients within 24 hours of hospital discharge (either in person or by phone) to discuss any hospital medication changes. Research staff enrolled subjects during their hospitalization and telephoned subjects 48 hours post-discharge to determine medication discrepancies and PCP contact. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fourteen community-dwelling adults, admitted to acute medicine services >24 hours on ≥ 5 medications. RESULTS: Of the 114 subjects enrolled in the hospital, 75 subjects completed 48 hours postdischarge phone interviews. Of the 75 study patients, 39 patients (50.6%) experienced a total of 84 medication discrepancies (mean, 2.1 discrepancies/patient). Subjects who were contacted by their PCP at discharge were 70% less likely to have a discrepancy when compared with those not contacted (P = 0.04). Males were 4.34 times more likely to have a discrepancy (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: PCP communication with patients within 24 hours of discharge was associated with decreased medication discrepancies. Our results further demonstrate the importance of PCP involvement in the hospital discharge process.

Delays in request for pregnancy termination: comparison of patients in the first and second trimesters.

BACKGROUND: Despite the availability of first trimester abortion services in urban settings, many women request abortion in the second trimester. We identified protective and risk factors associated with women who delay requesting abortions until the second trimester. STUDY DESIGN: The study was a cross-sectional survey of 247 patients requesting surgical abortion at an urban family planning clinic. Survey and medical records data were analyzed for associations between 18 risk factors and incidence of second trimester request. RESULTS: Thirty-two percent of subjects presented in the second trimester. Chi-square analyses revealed that first trimester participants were more often employed (p<.0001), privately insured (p=.01), or had previous abortions (p=.04). Second trimester patients were younger (p<.0001), more often primigravid (p=.04), experienced more difficulty financing the procedure (p<.0001) and finding a surgeon (p<.0001), traveled longer distances (p=.005), and more often feared the procedure (p=.03). Using multiple logistic regression, women requesting second trimester abortions were more likely to report: obstacles financing the abortion (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.28-4.28); traveling long distances (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.31-6.31); and fear (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.17-5.17). These women were less often employed outside the home (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.19-0.64). CONCLUSIONS: Physicians and advocates must strive to reduce abortion costs, increase access to trained surgeons, and allay women's fears of abortion procedures.

Comparison of hospital performance in nonemergency versus emergency colorectal operations at 142 hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Quality improvement efforts have demonstrated considerable hospital-to-hospital variation in surgical outcomes. However, information about the quality of emergency surgical care is lacking. The objective of this study was to assess whether hospitals have comparable outcomes for emergency and nonemergency operations. STUDY DESIGN: Patients undergoing colorectal resections were identified from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) 2005 to 2007 dataset. Logistic regression models for 30-day morbidity and mortality after emergency and nonemergency colorectal resections were constructed. Hospital risk-adjusted outcomes as measured by observed to expected (O/E) ratios, outlier status, and rank-order differences were compared. RESULTS: Of 25,710 nonemergency colorectal resections performed at 142 ACS NSQIP hospitals, 6,138 (23.9%) patients experienced at least 1 complication, and 492 (1.9%) patients died. There were 5,083 emergency colorectal resections; 2,442 (48%) patients experienced at least 1 complication, and 780 (15.3%) patients died. Outcomes for nonemergency versus emergency operations were weakly correlated for morbidity and mortality (Pearson correlation coefficient: 0.28 versus 0.13). Median differences in hospital rankings based on O/E ratios between nonemergency and emergency performance were 30.5 ranks (interquartile range [IQR] 13 to 59) for morbidity and 34 ranks (interquartile ratio 17 to 61) for mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals with favorable outcomes after nonemergency colorectal resections do not necessarily have similar outcomes for emergency operations. Hospitals should specifically examine their performance on emergency surgical procedures to identify quality improvement opportunities and focus quality improvement efforts appropriately.