Variation in parental experiences with their child's hospitalization over the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals and healthcare workers have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential impacts upon the patient experience have been less documented, particularly in the pediatric setting. Our aim was to examine how parental experiences with their child's hospitalization varied during the COVID-19 pandemic at two children's hospitals in Alberta, Canada. METHODS: A random sample of parents were surveyed within six weeks of their child's discharge from Alberta's two children's hospitals. Surveys were administered using the Alberta Pediatric Inpatient Experiences Survey (APIES) - a validated instrument used to assess parental experiences during their child's hospitalization. Surveys were linked with administrative inpatient records. Three cohorts were created based on hospital discharge date: Pre-COVID (Pre: April 2019 to March 2020), COVID year one (C1: April 2020 to March 2021), and COVID year two (C2: April 2021 to March 2022). We examined 48 survey questions, including four overall rating scales. Survey responses were Likert scales. These were transformed to normalized scores from 0 (worst) to 100 (best). Differences between cohorts were assessed using ANOVA and the post-hoc Tukey test. RESULTS: A total of 3,611 surveys (1,314 Pre; 997 C1; 1,300 C2) were completed over the three-year period. Five questions showed differences between the Pre and C1 periods, six showed differences between Pre and C2, and 13 showed differences between C1 and C2. Among these questions, scores pre-COVID were lower than COVID year one, while results in COVID year two were lower than pre-COVID and COVID year one. Thirty-one survey questions showed no statistical differences between the three time periods. For the overall ratings, only hospital rating showed a difference in any of the periods (91.4 C1 vs. 90.2 C2). Overall ratings of doctors, nurses, and recommendation of the hospital to others showed no differences. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the experiences of parents during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic were mildly better or comparable to historical results. This changed over the following year, where lower scores were reported on 13 questions.

Adult Experiences with Hospitalization in Alberta, Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

Little is known about the experiences of those hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Our aims were to (a) report on the experiences, (b) compare with historical results, and (c) assess for potential monthly differences of patients hospitalized in the early months of the COVID-19 across Alberta. A random sample of adults was surveyed within 6 weeks of discharge from 93 hospitals, using a modified version of the Canadian Patient Experiences Survey - Inpatient Care (CPES-IC). Discharges from April to September 2020 comprised the "during COVID-19 pandemic" cohort, while April to September 2019 formed the historical one. Results were reported as percent in "top box", indicative of the most positive answer choice. Odds of reporting a "top box" response were calculated while controlling for demographic and clinical features. In total, 23,412 surveys (11,344 during COVID-19, 12,068 historical) were obtained. Those hospitalized during COVID-19 had higher odds of "top box" ratings on 17 of 39 questions examined, and lower odds on 2 questions (information about the admission process, inclusion of family/friends in care decisions). The remaining 20 questions showed no difference between the 2 cohorts. Our results indicate that respondents hospitalized during the early months of the pandemic had experiences that were largely better or comparable to pre-pandemic. This speaks to the dedication and resilience of staff who provided care during challenging circumstances. Our findings may assist in mitigating fears among those who are hesitant to seek medical care during future pandemics or public health emergencies, including subsequent waves of COVID-19.

How to analyze and link patient experience surveys with administrative data to drive health service improvement - examples from Alberta, Canada.

The ability of hospitals and health systems to learn from those who use its services (i.e., patients and families) is crucial for quality improvement and the delivery of high-quality patient-centered care. To this end, many hospitals and health systems regularly collect survey data from patients and their families, and are engaged in activities to publicly report the results. Despite this, there has been limited research into the experiences of patients and families, and how to improve them. Since 2015, our research team has conducted a variety of studies which have explored patient experience survey data, in isolation, and in linkages with routinely-captured administrative data sets across Alberta; a Canadian province of 4.4 million residents. Via secondary analyses, these studies have shed light upon the drivers of inpatient experience, the specific aspects of care which are most correlated with one's overall experiences, and the association of elements of the patient experience with other measures, such as patient safety indicators and unplanned hospital readmissions. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the methods we have used, including further details about the data sets and linkage protocol. The main findings from these papers have been presented for readers and those who wish to conduct their own work in this area.

The Experience of Parents of Hospitalized Children Living With Medical Complexity.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Children living with medical complexity (CMC) experience frequent hospital admissions. Validated patient-reported experience measures may inform care improvements in this cohort. Our objectives were to examine the comprehensive inpatient experience of CMC by using a validated patient-reported experience measure and compare the results with all other respondents at 2 academic pediatric hospitals in a western Canadian province. METHODS: Parents completed the Child Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Surveys were linked with inpatient records, and an accepted case definition was used to extract records pertaining to CMC. Results were reported as percent in "top box," represented by the most positive answer choice to each measure. Odds of reporting a top box response were calculated while controlling for demographic and clinical features. RESULTS: From October 2015 to March 2019, 4197 surveys (1515 CMC; 2682 non-CMC) were collected. Among CMC, the highest-rated measures pertained to being kept informed while in the emergency department, a willingness to recommend the hospital, and parents having a clear understanding of their role in their child's care. The lowest-rated measures pertained to preventing mistakes and reporting concerns and the quietness of the hospital room at night. Compared with others, parents of CMC reported lower raw results on 20 of the 28 measures. They also reported lower a odds of reporting a top box score on 2 measures and higher odds on 1. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of CMC revealed many perceived gaps. These findings can be used to inform strategies to improve care among CMC and policies to support the care of CMC and their families.

Eliciting Patient Experiences About Their Care After Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Experience surveys provide an opportunity for patients to give their feedback about health care processes and services. Unfortunately, the most current surveys have been designed as "one-size fits-all" tools, and thus, do not take into account items pertaining to specific clinical groups. The objective of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the specific aspects of care deemed important to cardiac surgery patients. METHODS: Individual semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with a cohort of patients who had previously underwent cardiac surgery. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Using a phenomenological approach, a thematic analysis was used to generate a list of themes and subthemes deemed important by participants. RESULTS: Eight interviews were conducted in July and August 2019. Participants included 7 men and 1 woman, ranging from 55 to 84 years of age. Five key themes emerged from the data: (1) overall experience; (2) communication; (3) the physical hospital environment; (4) care needs and ongoing management; and (5) person-centred care. Our interviews revealed that participants had many overwhelmingly positive experiences with care. Through reports of their own experiences, participants highlighted important areas that might be improved. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm and expand upon those highlighted in quantitative research by our group. Findings and knowledge derived from this study might be used to inform quality improvement activities. These might also play a key role in the development of a patient experience survey, specifically for those who undergo cardiac surgery; thus addressing a potential limitation of surveys currently in use.

CONTEXTE: Les sondages sur l'expérience offrent l'occasion aux patients de transmettre leur point de vue au sujet des services et des processus de soins de santé. Malheureusement, la plupart des sondages actuels sont conçus comme des outils universels, et ne prenent donc pas en considération certains aspects propres à des groupes cliniques précis. L'objectif de cette étude est de mieux cerner les aspects précis des soins qui sont jugés importants par les patients qui ont subi une intervention chirurgicale cardiaque. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Des entretiens téléphoniques individuels semi-structurés ont été menés avec une cohorte de patients ayant subi une intervention chirurgicale cardiaque. Les entretiens ont été enregistrés et retranscrits. Une analyse thématique utilisant une approche phénoménologique a été effectuée pour générer une liste de thèmes et de sous-thèmes jugés importants par les participants. RÉSULTATS: Huit entretiens ont été réalisés en juillet et en août 2019. Les participants regroupaient sept hommes et une femme, âgés de 55 à 84 ans. Les données recueillies ont permis de cerner cinq thèmes clés : 1) expérience globale; 2) communication; 3) environnement physique à l'hôpital; 4) besoins en matière de soins et prise en charge continue; et 5) soins axés sur le patient. Nos entretiens ont révélé que les participants avaient eu plusieurs expériences de soins extrêmement positives. En relatant leurs propres expériences, les participants ont souligné d'importants aspects qui pourraient être améliorés. CONCLUSIONS: Nos résultats confirment ceux des recherches quantitatives effectuées par notre groupe, et viennent les étayer. Les données et les résultats générés par cette étude pourraient être utilisés pour mettre au point des mesures visant l'amélioration de la qualité. Ils pourraient également jouer un rôle important dans la création d'un sondage sur l'expérience des patients, et plus précisément l'expérience des patients ayant subi une intervention chirurgicale cardiaque, et ainsi remédier aux limites possibles des sondages utilisés à l'heure actuelle.

Sex Differences in the Care Experiences of Patients Hospitalized Due to Ischemic Heart Disease in Alberta, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Women with heart disease experience disparities in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of their condition. However, it is unknown whether these sex differences exist with respect to in-hospital patient experience. We examined the comprehensive experience of patients hospitalized due to ischemic heart disease (IHD) across Alberta, Canada, according to sex. METHODS: Patients completed a modified version of the Canadian Patient Experiences Survey-Inpatient Care (CPES-IC) within 6 weeks of discharge. We examined 37 questions, including 33 regarding specific care processes and 4 global rating scales. Survey responses were reported as raw "top-box" percentages, that is, the most-positive answer choice to each question. Odds and corresponding 95% confidence intervals of women reporting a top-box response were then calculated for each question, while controlling for demographic and clinical factors. RESULTS: From April 2014 to March 2020, a total of 5795 surveys (1612 women, 4183 men) were completed. Taking the survey margin of error into account, women had lower top-box percentages on 26 of 37 questions. Similar results were obtained for the adjusted odds of reporting a top-box response. Women did not have a higher percentage of top-box responses on any of the questions studied. CONCLUSIONS: This study is a Canadian first, which stratified the experiences of hospitalized patients living with ischemic heart disease according to sex. Our results highlighted important sex differences. Future research to understand the mechanisms associated with these observed sex differences in patient-reported experiences is warranted.

CONTEXTE: Les femmes atteintes de maladies cardiaques connaissent des disparités en matière de diagnostic, de traitement et de prise en charge de leur maladie. Cependant, on ignore si des différences entre les sexes existent en ce qui concerne l'expérience des patients à l'hôpital. Nous avons examiné l'expérience globale des patients hospitalisés en raison d'une cardiopathie ischémique en Alberta, au Canada, en fonction du sexe. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Les patients ont rempli une version modifiée du Sondage sur les expériences d'hospitalisation des patients canadiens (SEHPC) dans les six semaines suivant leur congé. Nous avons examiné 37 questions, dont 33 concernaient des processus de soins spécifiques, et quatre échelles d'évaluation globale. Les réponses au sondage ont été rapportées sous forme de pourcentages bruts de personnes ayant sélectionné la réponse la plus positive à chaque question. Les rapports de cotes et les intervalles de confiance à 95 % correspondants des femmes ayant sélectionné la réponse la plus positive ont ensuite été calculés pour chaque question, après prise en compte des facteurs démographiques et cliniques. RÉSULTATS: D'avril 2014 à mars 2020, un total de 5 795 sondages (1 612 femmes, 4 183 hommes) ont été remplis. Si l'on tient compte de la marge d'erreur du sondage, la proportion de femmes ayant sélectionné la réponse la plus positive est plus faible pour 26 des 37 questions. Des résultats similaires ont été obtenus pour les rapports de cotes ajustés de la sélection de la réponse la plus positive. Les femmes n'ont eu un pourcentage plus élevé de réponse la plus positive pour aucune des questions étudiées. CONCLUSIONS: Cette étude, pour laquelle on a stratifié par sexe les expériences des patients hospitalisés atteints de cardiopathie ischémique, est une première au Canada. Nos résultats ont mis en évidence d'importantes différences entre les sexes. Des recherches futures sont justifiées pour comprendre les mécanismes associés à ces différences observées entre les sexes dans les expériences signalées par les patients.

Patient Reports of Night Noise in Hospitals Are Associated With Unplanned Readmissions Among Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep disturbance is a key contributor to posthospital syndrome; a transient period of vulnerability following discharge from hospital. We sought to examine the relationship between patient-reported hospital quietness at night, via a validated survey, and unplanned hospital readmissions among hospitalized seniors (ages 65 and older) in Alberta, Canada. DESIGN: Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of survey responses, linked with administrative inpatient records. SETTING: Using the Canadian Patient Experiences Survey-Inpatient Care and Discharge Abstract Database, patients aged 65 and older, and living with one or more chronic conditions were identified. PARTICIPANTS: Of all, 25 674 respondents discharged from hospital between April 2014 and December 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: All-cause, unplanned readmission within 30 or 90 days (yes vs no). RESULTS: Approximately half (50.5%) of the respondents reported that the area around their room was always quiet at night. Eight (8.1%) percent of respondents (2066) were readmitted within 30 days (2241 total readmissions), while 15.6% (4000) were readmitted within 90 days (5070 total readmissions). When controlling for a variety of demographic and clinical factors, patients not reporting "always" to the survey question regarding hospital quietness at night had slightly greater odds of readmission within 30 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-1.45) and 90 days (aOR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.06-1.23). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate a clear association between patient-reported hospital quietness at night and subsequent readmission within the first 30 and 90 days following discharge. Efforts to minimize hospital noise, particularly at night, may help promote a restful environment, while reducing readmissions among older patients living with chronic conditions.

The Care Transitions Measure-3 Is Only Weakly Associated with Post-discharge Outcomes: a Retrospective Cohort Study in 48,384 Albertans.

BACKGROUND: The National Quality Forum endorsed a 3-item Care Transitions Measure (CTM-3), part of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, for evaluating hospital care transitions performance. OBJECTIVE: To explore whether CTM-3 scores are a suitable proxy for quality of transitional care. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 48,384 adults discharged from medical or surgical wards in all 113 acute care hospitals in Alberta, Canada, between April 2011 and March 2016. MAIN MEASURES: CTM-3 scores and their associations with all-cause emergency department (ED) visits or non-elective readmissions at 30 days, 3 months, and 12 months anywhere in the province. RESULTS: CTM-3 scores were significantly lower (all p < 0.01) for females, older patients, those discharged from medical wards or teaching hospitals, and those with longer length of stay, higher Charlson scores, prior ED visits/hospitalizations, or who did not return to independent living after discharge. CTM-3 scores were not significantly associated with outcomes at 30 days (mean score 77.5 in those who subsequently had an ED visit/readmission vs. 77.9 in those who did not, p = 0.13, aOR 0.99, 95% CI 0.99-0.99). Although CTM-3 scores were significantly lower in patients who subsequently had ED visit/readmission at 3 months (77.5 vs. 78.5) and 12 months (77.6 vs. 79.5), the magnitude of risk was small: for every 10 point decrease in the CTM-3 score, the risk of ED visit/readmission was 2.6% higher (aOR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05) at 3 months and 4.0% higher (aOR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.08) at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: The CTM-3 score is influenced by baseline patient and hospital factors, is not associated with 30-day post-discharge outcomes, and is only weakly associated with 3- and 12-month outcomes. These findings suggest that the CTM-3 score is not a good performance measure for the quality of transitional care.

Patient-Reported Experiences With Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: The Canadian Patient Experience Survey-Inpatient Care is a validated measure for adult inpatient experience. Linking surveys with administrative data can examine the experience of patients in specific demographic or clinical groups. METHODS: We examined survey responses obtained over a 4-year period from patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft and/or valve replacement in Alberta. The 56-question telephone survey was administered within 6 weeks of discharge. Surveys were linked with administrative records to identify the Canadian Classification of Intervention procedure codes, which were in scope. Responses to each question were reported as percentage in "top box," where "top box" represents the most positive answer choice (eg, "always" and "yes"). RESULTS: From April 2014 to March 2018, 1082 surveys were completed by patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft and/or valve replacement. Respondents were predominantly male (73.8%), with a mean age of 64.7 ± 11.9 years. Overall, 73.3% of respondents rated their hospital care as 9 or 10 out of 10 (best), and 86.2% would "definitely recommend" the hospital to friends/family members. Top performing questions pertained to having a discussion about help needed after discharge (96.6% responding "yes") and receiving written discharge information (93.2% responding "yes"). Lack of quietness of the hospital environment at night (34.8% responding "always") and lack of staff sufficiently describing side effects of new medications (44.9% responding "always") were identified as potential areas for improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide patient-reported experiences about inpatient cardiac care in Alberta hospitals. The findings could inform quality improvement initiatives that are patient-centred.

Family Experiences of Pediatric Inpatient Care in Alberta, Canada: Results From the Child HCAHPS Survey.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patient experience surveys provide feedback regarding the perceived quality of health care services. Unfortunately, many surveys have tended to be focused on an adult population, resulting in a lack of validated instruments for pediatric populations. In 2015, Alberta Health Services implemented the Child Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (Child HCAHPS) survey. Our objectives in the current study were to describe the use of the Child HCAHPS survey in Alberta, Canada, and to present preliminary results. METHODS: Parents and/or guardians completed a modified version of the Child HCAHPS survey via telephone within 6 weeks of their child's discharge from 1 of 14 hospitals (2 stand-alone pediatric and 12 adult). For each of the survey composites and stand-alone items, the mean "top box" score is reported, reflecting the most positive response option. Overall results were reported, as were comparisons in top box scores between stand-alone pediatric and adult facilities. RESULTS: From October 2015 to March 2017, 3389 surveys were completed. Overall, mean top box scores ranged from 41.5% ("preventing mistakes and helping you report concerns") to 95.8% ("keeping you informed about your child's care in the emergency department"). Stand-alone pediatric hospitals tended to outperform the adult ones, particularly in global ratings of care, parental involvement in decision-making, and communication between parents and providers. CONCLUSIONS: With our findings, we indicate areas in which pediatric inpatient care is being delivered well, as well as targeted areas for quality improvement. Our results may be highlighted in future comparisons among others who have adopted the Child HCAHPS.

Association of inpatient hospital experience with patient safety indicators: a cross-sectional, Canadian study.

OBJECTIVES: There remains concern regarding the use of survey data to assess aspects of healthcare quality. The relationship between patient experience and adverse events as documented by patient safety indicators (PSIs) is a timely research topic. The objectives were to document the association of PSIs and patient experience scores, and to determine risk-adjusted odds of high experience scores versus PSI presence. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: From April 2011 to March 2014, 25 098 patients completed a telephone survey following discharge from 93 inpatient hospitals in Alberta, Canada. RESEARCH DESIGN: A modified version of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) instrument was used. Surveys were linked to inpatient records and PSI presence was documented using a validated algorithm. MEASURES: Three questions about overall hospital, physician and nurse ratings were scored on an 11-point Likert scale from 0 (worst) to 10 (best). Experience was classified as high (9 or 10) versus low (0-8). Demographic/clinical differences between respondents with/without a PSI were assessed. Logistic regression examined the relationship between factors including PSI and experience ratings. RESULTS: Overall, physician and nurse care was rated high by 61.9%, 73.7% and 66.2% of respondents. 1085 patients (4.3%) had a documented PSI. Most frequent PSIs were haemorrhagic events (n=502; 2.0% of sample), events relating to obstetrics (n=373; 1.5%) and surgical-related events (n=248; 1.0%). Risk-adjusted models showed patients with PSIs had decreased odds of having high overall (OR=0.86; 95% CI 0.75 to 0.97), physician (OR=0.76; 95% CI 0.66 to 0.87) and nurse (OR=0.83; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.94) ratings. CONCLUSIONS: There is clear evidence that inpatient experience ratings are associated with PSIs, one element of quality of care. Future research, examining individual PSIs and patient experience questions, is warranted, as this may inform targeted quality improvement initiatives.

Does Topical Anesthetic Reduce Pain During Intraosseous Pin Removal in Children? A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of topical liposomal lidocaine in reducing the pain perceived by children undergoing percutaneous intraosseous pin (PP) removal in the outpatient orthopaedic clinic. METHODS: A triple-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial comparing topical liposomal lidocaine to a placebo was conducted at the Stollery Children's Hospital between September 2008 and February 2011. Subjects undergoing the removal of PP in the orthopaedic outpatient clinic between ages 3 and 16 years were recruited. A computer-generated variable-block randomization scheme was used to determine each subject's group assignment. Pain was recorded just before randomization and immediately after the procedure using the Oucher Scale (for subjects) and a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (for parents and an observing orthopaedic technician). In a subset of individuals, follow-up telephone calls were made 24 hours postprocedure to inquire about any adverse event from the use of the topical liposomal lidocaine. Data were analyzed using the Student t test. RESULTS: Of a total of 296 recruited subjects, complete data were available on 281 subjects (140 intervention and 141 control). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups with regards to baseline characteristics, including preprocedure pain scores. Although postprocedure pain scores demonstrated an increase in pain in both groups (2.3 points in the treatment group and 2.0 points in the placebo group), no statistically significant difference was seen in postprocedure pain scores between groups (P=0.81). No adverse events were observed or reported. CONCLUSIONS: Topically applied liposomal lidocaine was not effective in reducing pain during this procedure, compared with a placebo. However, this study demonstrates that PP removal is a painful procedure in children. Given the large volume of patients who undergo this procedure and the long-term consequences of experiencing painful procedures in childhood, it is important to find safe and fast-acting methods to decrease procedural pain associated with PP removal.

Drivers of Inpatient Hospital Experience Using the HCAHPS Survey in a Canadian Setting.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with patients' overall rating of inpatient hospital care. DATA SOURCES: Two years of patient interview data (April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2013), linked to inpatient administrative records. STUDY DESIGN: Patients rated their overall health on a scale of 0 (worst care) to 10 (best care) using the HCAHPS instrument administered via telephone, up to 42 days postdischarge. Logistic regression was used to generate odds ratios for each independent predictor. DATA EXTRACTION: HCAHPS data were linked to inpatient records based on health care numbers and dates of service. The outcome (overall health experience) was collapsed into two groups (10 vs. 0-9). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Overall hospital experience of 0-9 was associated with younger age, male gender, higher level of education, being born in Canada, urgent admission, not having a family practitioner as the most responsible provider service, and not being discharged home. A length of stay of less than 3 days was protective. The c-statistic for the multivariate model was 0.635. CONCLUSIONS: Our results are novel in the Canadian population. Several questions for future research have been generated, in addition to opportunities for quality improvement within our own organization.

Can the alpha angle assessment of cam impingement predict acetabular cartilage delamination?

BACKGROUND: Substantial acetabular cartilage damage is commonly present in patients suffering from femoral acetabular impingement (FAI). A better understanding of which patient is at risk of developing substantial cartilage damage is critical for establishing appropriate treatment guidelines. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We asked: (1) Does the cam deformity severity in FAI as assessed by alpha angle predict acetabular cartilage delamination? And (2) what are the clinical and radiographic findings in patients with acetabular cartilage delamination? METHODS: One hundred sixty-seven patients (129 males, 38 females) with a mean age of 38 years (range, 17-59 years) underwent joint preservation surgery for cam-type FAI. All data were collected prospectively. We assessed center-edge angle and Tönnis grade on AP radiographs and alpha angle on specialized lateral radiographs. Acetabular cartilage damage was assessed intraoperatively using the classification of Beck et al., with Type 3 and greater qualifying as delamination. RESULTS: For all hips, mean alpha angle was 65.5° (range, 41°-90°), and mean center-edge angle was 33.3° (range, 21°-52.5°). Patients with an alpha angle of 65° or greater had an odds ratio (OR) of 4.00 (95% CI, 1.26-12.71) of having Type 3 or greater damage. Increased age (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07) and male sex (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.09-4.62) were associated with Type 3 or greater damage, while this was the opposite for acetabular coverage as assessed by center-edge angle (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cam-type FAI and an alpha angle of 65° or more are at increased risk of substantial cartilage damage while increasing acetabular coverage appears to have a protective effect. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, prognostic study. See the Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

An evaluation of the responsiveness and discriminant validity of shoulder questionnaires among patients receiving surgical correction of shoulder instability.

Health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) measures must detect clinically important changes over time and between different patient subgroups. Forty-three patients (32 M, 13 F; mean age = 26.00 ± 8.19 years) undergoing arthroscopic Bankart repair completed three validated shoulder questionnaires (Western Ontario Shoulder Instability index (WOSI), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment form (ASES), Constant score) preoperatively, and at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Responsiveness and discriminant validity was assessed between those with a satisfactory outcome and those with (1) a major recurrence of instability, (2) a single episode of subluxation, (3) any postoperative episode of instability. Eight (20%) patients reported recurrent instability. Compared to baseline, the WOSI detected improvement at the 6- (P < 0.001) and 12-month (P = 0.011) evaluations. The ASES showed improvement at 6 months (P = 0.003), while the Constant score did not report significant improvement until 12 months postoperatively (P = 0.001). Only the WOSI detected differential shoulder function related to shoulder instability. Those experiencing even a single episode of subluxation reported a 10% drop in their WOSI score, attaining the previously established minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Those experiencing a frank dislocation or multiple episodes of subluxation reported a 20% decline. The WOSI allows better discrimination of the severity of postoperative instability symptoms following arthroscopic Bankart repair.

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasties revised to total knee arthroplasties compared with primary total knee arthroplasties.

We studied the technical operative features and the subjective outcomes of 63 patients requiring a revision to a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for failed Oxford medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. We compared this revision study group to a contemporary control cohort of 126 patients who underwent primary TKAs. The 2 groups from the same institution had a minimum follow-up of 2 years and were retrospectively matched 1:2 for age, sex, body mass index, and follow-up time. Length of stay and hemoglobin level drop were similar. Technically, the revision group required larger polyethylene inserts (P < .001) and longer tourniquet times (P < .001) with 15 of these patients needing augments, grafts, and/or stems. Subjectively, the revision group's mean total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index score was 25.8 ± 20.2, thus less satisfactory compared with the control group (19.8 ± 15.3) at a mean follow-up of 3.1 years (P = .03). A revision unicompartmental knee arthroplasty to TKA is technically more difficult and functionally less satisfactory at last follow-up when compared with a primary TKA.

Correlates of exercise among coronary heart disease patients: review, implications and future directions.

Despite the well-documented benefits of exercise, adherence among patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) has been low during and after cardiac rehabilitation (CR) as well as among patients not attending CR. Therefore, an understanding of the factors that influence exercise in this population is crucial to assist in the development of effective interventions. The goal of this review was to document the correlates of exercise of CHD patients in all CR contexts from a social-ecological perspective that addresses multiple levels of influence on exercise. The search strategy included PubMed, PsychINFO and Web of Science databases. In all, 121 studies, examining 32 different correlates of exercise, with a total of 25 217 participants were included. Across all CR contexts, six variables were consistently related to exercise (self-regulatory self-efficacy, health status, intention, perceived control, beliefs/benefits and previous physical activity). Several variables were also related to exercise in three of four contexts (e.g. task self-efficacy, perceived barriers, attitude, action planning, sex and employment status). Many of the variables consistently related to exercise may be amenable to change through the development and implementation of appropriate interventions. Specific suggestions are made for each relevant variable to assist CR staff and other healthcare practitioners in 32 promoting exercise among CHD patients. Current gaps in literature such as a lack of prospective studies and research examining broader (e.g. policy level) correlates are also discussed.