A mixed method approach to understanding the impact of COVID-19 on patients with or at risk for aortic dissection.

Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening rare disease that occurs as a spontaneous tear in the wall of the aorta. Survivors of AD go on to have a chronic disease process that requires lifelong follow-up and management. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has strained health systems and impacted practice in the United States, the effects of these impacts on people living with or at risk for AD is not well understood. This mixed methods project examined the experiences of people in the AD community during the COVID-19 pandemic between March and October 2020. Results reveal that the AD community lacked clear guidance on the role aortic health status plays in COVID-19 risk and experienced significant disruptions in aortic healthcare. At the same time, the new expansion in access to medical care with telehealth conferred unforeseen benefits in the form of reduced barriers for access to specialized aortic health care.

Current state and future directions of genomic medicine in aortic dissection: A path to prevention and personalized care.

Aortic dissection confers high mortality and morbidity rates despite advances in treatment, impacts quality of life, and contributes immense burden to the healthcare system globally. Efforts to prevent aortic dissection through screening and management of modifiable risk factors and early detection of aneurysms should incorporate genomic information, as it is integral to stratifying risk. However, effective integration of genomic-guided risk assessment into clinical practice will require addressing implementation barriers that currently permeate our healthcare systems. The Aortic Dissection Collaborative was established to define aortic dissection research priorities through patient engagement. Using a collaborative patient-centered feedback model, our Genomic Medicine Working Group identified related research priorities that could be investigated by pragmatic interventional studies aimed at aortic dissection prevention, utilization of genomic information to improve patient outcomes, and access to genomic medicine services. Further research is also needed to identify the genomic, lifestyle, and environmental risk factors that contribute to aortic dissection so these data can be incorporated into future comparative effectiveness studies to prevent aortic dissection.

Lived experiences of people with or at risk for aortic dissection: A qualitative assessment.

Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-changing event that is often accompanied by a loss of normal quality of life. Survivors of AD go on to have a chronic disease that requires lifestyle modification, medical management, and surgical repair of the aorta. Clinical care includes multiple disciplines, health care settings, and often different geographic locations. This qualitative assessment examined the experiences of people with and at risk for AD. The following four themes emerged: "unnecessary drama" at diagnosis, unmet needs for information and support, the burden of self-advocacy and care coordination, and living with unaddressed mental health impacts. Our findings inform recommendations to advance patient-centered care delivery for individuals with and at risk for AD, improving communication of timely and relevant information, and an approach to care that acknowledges the whole person in clinical decision making.

The mental health impact of aortic dissection.

Although the topics of surgical techniques and medical therapies have been widely studied in aortic dissection (AD), studies examining the short- and long-term impact of this event on mental health are largely lacking. Many of the studies have used the 36-Item Short Form Survey at variable time points after the event. However, AD as medical trauma has a complex impact on a person's identity. Its implications for emotional, mental, social, existential, and self-concept could be explored more robustly. This topic was identified as a topic of interest by the AD Collaborative. The AD Collaborative Mental Health Working Group was formed and performed a landscape review to summarize current literature surrounding quality of life research in those who have experienced AD, identify gaps in knowledge, and to outline future research questions.

The Aortic Dissection Collaborative: Methods for building capacity for patient-centered outcomes research in the aortic dissection community.

Understanding what matters most to patients can help guide research in a direction that is best situated to provide evidence that is responsive to their core concerns. This can better inform the treatment decision-making process for patients and their physicians. The Aortic Dissection (AD) Collaborative built a collaborative AD research infrastructure involving patients and other stakeholders to facilitate patient-centered outcomes research training, support, and networking among those affected by AD. Two surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted between January and October 2020 to gather information from people with and at risk for AD and their family members to better understand their experiences and needs. Discussion of survey and interview results were then articulated as seven key topics for future research to meet the needs of the AD community. Working groups were assembled to address each of the key topics. The groups conducted landscape reviews that were focused on providing guidance for future research that directly addresses the needs identified by the AD community. Recommendations for future research generated by the working groups were compiled by the Aortic Dissection Collaborative. From these recommendations, the Aortic Dissection Collaborative advisors and stakeholders identified high-priority research questions. The research questions form the basis for a third survey, disseminated to the Virtual Research Network between November 2021 and February 2022. Final analysis of the survey will identify top ranked research questions and assess willingness to participate. These results will inform the development of future patient-centered outcomes research and comparative effectiveness research proposals.