Health Disparities in Multiple Sclerosis among Hispanic and Black Populations in the United States.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an acquired demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Historically, research on MS has focused on White persons with MS. This preponderance of representation has important possible implications for minority populations with MS, from developing effective therapeutic agents to understanding the role of unique constellations of social determinants of health. A growing body of literature involving persons of historically underrepresented races and ethnicities in the field of multiple sclerosis is assembling. Our purpose in this narrative review is to highlight two populations in the United States: Black and Hispanic persons with multiple sclerosis. We will review the current understanding about the patterns of disease presentation, genetic considerations, response to treatment, roles of social determinants of health, and healthcare utilization. In addition, we explore future directions of inquiry as well as practical methods of meeting these challenges.

Prevalence and Causes of Diagnostic Errors in Hospitalized Patients Under Investigation for COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic required clinicians to care for a disease with evolving characteristics while also adhering to care changes (e.g., physical distancing practices) that might lead to diagnostic errors (DEs). OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of DEs and their causes among patients hospitalized under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Eight medical centers affiliated with the Hospital Medicine ReEngineering Network (HOMERuN). TARGET POPULATION: Adults hospitalized under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19 infection between February and July 2020. MEASUREMENTS: We randomly selected up to 8 cases per site per month for review, with each case reviewed by two clinicians to determine whether a DE (defined as a missed or delayed diagnosis) occurred, and whether any diagnostic process faults took place. We used bivariable statistics to compare patients with and without DE and multivariable models to determine which process faults or patient factors were associated with DEs. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-seven patient charts underwent review, of which 36 (14%) had a diagnostic error. Patients with and without DE were statistically similar in terms of socioeconomic factors, comorbidities, risk factors for COVID-19, and COVID-19 test turnaround time and eventual positivity. Most common diagnostic process faults contributing to DE were problems with clinical assessment, testing choices, history taking, and physical examination (all p < 0.01). Diagnostic process faults associated with policies and procedures related to COVID-19 were not associated with DE risk. Fourteen patients (35.9% of patients with errors and 5.4% overall) suffered harm or death due to diagnostic error. LIMITATIONS: Results are limited by available documentation and do not capture communication between providers and patients. CONCLUSION: Among PUI patients, DEs were common and not associated with pandemic-related care changes, suggesting the importance of more general diagnostic process gaps in error propagation.

Analytical validation of a multi-protein, serum-based assay for disease activity assessments in multiple sclerosis.

PURPOSE: To characterize and analytically validate the MSDA Test, a multi-protein, serum-based biomarker assay developed using Olink® PEA methodology. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Two lots of the MSDA Test panel were manufactured and subjected to a comprehensive analytical characterization and validation protocol to detect biomarkers present in the serum of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Biomarker concentrations were incorporated into a final algorithm used for calculating four Disease Pathway scores (Immunomodulation, Neuroinflammation, Myelin Biology, and Neuroaxonal Integrity) and an overall Disease Activity score. RESULTS: Analytical characterization demonstrated that the multi-protein panel satisfied the criteria necessary for a fit-for-purpose validation considering the assay's intended clinical use. This panel met acceptability criteria for 18 biomarkers included in the final algorithm out of 21 biomarkers evaluated. VCAN was omitted based on factors outside of analytical validation; COL4A1 and GH were excluded based on imprecision and diurnal variability, respectively. Performance of the four Disease Pathway and overall Disease Activity scores met the established acceptability criteria. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Analytical validation of this multi-protein, serum-based assay is the first step in establishing its potential utility as a quantitative, minimally invasive, and scalable biomarker panel to enhance the standard of care for patients with MS.

Impact of Remote Patient Monitoring on Length of Stay for Patients with COVID-19.

Background: Remote patient monitoring (RPM) can be deployed as part of a tiered approach to open up hospital bed availability by allowing earlier discharge of patients with continued virtual monitoring. We describe the impact of RPM on length of stay (LOS) for patients with COVID-19. Methods: We deployed RPM during two COVID-19 surges at a tertiary academic hospital from March to June 2020 as a feasibility pilot to establish the infrastructure for RPM including electronic health record changes and virtual health center (VHC) protocols, and October 2020 to February 2021, during the second surge of COVID-19. Discharging patients received a wearable vital sign monitoring device, allowing real-time data transmission to the VHC using a smart phone application. The data, monitored 24 h a day for 8 days by a technician, had built-in escalation protocols to nurses and/or attending physicians. Results: We compared patients discharged with RPM with those discharged without RPM during both phases using a two-to-one-matched case-control design including age, sex, Charlson comorbidity index, and limited English proficiency. After including discharge with home oxygen therapy as an effect modifier, there was a significant association between shorter LOS and RPM for patients discharging without home oxygen (p = 0.0075) compared with patients not discharging on RPM. Discussion: Our study shows a strong association between a reduction in LOS for patients discharging with RPM but without home oxygen therapy, which can assist with hospital capacity. Conclusions: Home telemonitoring after discharge for patients with COVID-19 may reduce LOS.

Elements Influencing Recruitment and Retention of Millennial Hospitalists Born in or after 1982: a Survey-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalist turnover is exceedingly high, placing financial burdens on hospital medicine groups (HMGs). Following training, many begin their employment in medicine as early-career hospitalists, the majority being millennials. OBJECTIVE: To understand what elements influence millennial hospitalists' recruitment and retention. DESIGN: We developed a survey that asked participants to rate the level of importance of 18 elements (4-point Likert scale) in their decision to choose or remain at an HMG. PARTICIPANTS: The survey was electronically distributed to hospitalists born in or after 1982 across 7 HMGs in the USA. MAIN MEASURES: Elements were grouped into four major categories: culture of practice, work-life balance, financial considerations, and career advancement. We calculated the means for all 18 elements reported as important across the sample. We then calculated means by averaging elements within each category. We used unpaired t-tests to compare differences in means for categories for choosing vs. remaining at an HMG. KEY RESULTS: One hundred forty-four of 235 hospitalists (61%) responded to the survey. 49.6% were females. Culture of practice category was the most frequently rated as important for choosing (mean 96%, SD 12%) and remaining (mean 96%, SD 13%) at an HMG. The category least frequently rated as important for both choosing (mean 69%, SD 35%) and remaining (mean 76%, SD 32%) at an HMG was career advancement. There were no significant differences between respondent gender, race, or parental status and ratings of elements for choosing or remaining with HMGs. CONCLUSION: Culture of practice at an HMG may be highly important in influencing millennial hospitalists' decision to choose and stay at an HMG. HMGs can implement strategies to create a millennial-friendly culture which may help improve recruitment and retention.

Forgotten frontline workers: Environmental health service employees' perspectives on working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Environmental Health Service employees (EVS) sanitize healthcare facilities and are critical to preventing infection, but are under-resourced during the COVID-19 pandemic and at risk of burnout. OBJECTIVE: Understand demands on EVS' work and strain on resources during COVID-19. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study conducted in winter 2020-2021. SETTING: One quaternary care academic medical center in Colorado. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 16 EVS out of 305 eligible at the medical center. Fifty percent identified as Black, 31% as Hispanic, 6% as Asian, and 6% as White (another 6% identified as mixed race). Sixty-nine percent were female, and half were born in a country outside the United States. MEASURES: Semistructured telephone interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and thematic analysis was used to identify key themes. RESULTS: Four themes illustrate EVS experiences with job strain and support during COVID-19: (1) Needs for ongoing training/education, (2) Emotional challenges of patient care, (3) Resource/staffing barriers, and (4) Lack of recognition as frontline responders. Despite feeling unrecognized during the pandemic, EVS identified structural supports with potential to mitigate job strain, including opportunities for increased communication with interdisciplinary colleagues, intentional acknowledgment, and education for those who speak languages other than English. Strategies that can increase physical and emotional resources and reduce job demands have potential to combat EVS burnout. CONCLUSIONS: As the surge of COVID-19 cases continues to overwhelm healthcare facilities, healthcare systems and interdisciplinary colleagues can adopt policies and practices that ensure lower-wage healthcare workers have access to resources, education, and emotional support.

The Intersection of Telemedicine and Wilderness Care: Past, Present, and Future.

Wilderness medicine and telemedicine seemingly exist at opposite ends of the clinical continuum. However, these 2 specialties share a common history and the literature abounds with examples of successful deployment of telemedicine to resource limited settings. The recent widespread adoption of telemedicine has important ramifications for wilderness providers. Telemedicine is inherently reliant on some sort of technology. There is a wide spectrum of complexity involved, but in general these systems rely on a hardware component, a software component, and a network system to transmit information from place to place. Today, connectivity is nearly ubiquitous through access to cellular networks, Wi-Fi, or communication satellites. However, bandwidth, defined as the amount of data which can be transmitted through a given connection over time, remains a limiting factor for many austere settings. Telemedicine services are typically organized into 4 categories: 1) live/interactive; 2) store and forward; 3) remote patient monitoring; and 4) mHealth. Each of these categories has an applicable wilderness medicine use case which will be reviewed in this paper. Though the regulatory environment remains complex, there is enormous potential for telemedicine to enhance the practice of wilderness medicine. Drones are likely to transform wilderness medicine supply chains by facilitating delivery of food, shelter, and medicines and are able to enhance search and rescue efforts. Remote consultations can be paired with remote patient monitoring technology to deliver highly specialized care to austere environments. Early feasibility studies are promising, but further prospective data will be required to define future best practices for wilderness telemedicine.

Building a Real-Time Remote Patient Monitoring Patient Safety Program for COVID-19 Patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced providers to rapidly adopt telehealth tools to reduce staff exposure to ill persons, preserve personal protective equipment, and minimize impact of patient surges on facilities. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) can be used to monitor high-risk patients from their homes and open up hospital bed availability. The authors describe a pilot program to evaluate the impact of RPM in postdischarge monitoring of COVID-19 patients. High-risk patients discharging from the hospital received a wearable vital sign monitoring device to be worn for 8 consecutive days, allowing real-time data transmission to a virtual health center (VHC), which had been established prior to the pandemic, via a smart phone application. The data were monitored 24 hours a day by a VHC tech with built-in escalation protocols to a nurse and/or an attending physician if needed. Eighty patients were enrolled, 48% women with an age range of 19-83 years. Languages included Spanish (49%), English (47%), Burmese (2%), and Swahili (1%). The most common comorbidities included hypertension (48%) and diabetes mellitus (48%). Oxygen was the most common addressed need; 8% requiring new oxygen and 8% benefitting from oxygen-weaning during the RPM time period. Ten percent patients had emergency department (ED) visits and 4% were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. The authors built and deployed an RPM program for postdischarge monitoring of high-risk patients. RPM can be quickly deployed to support COVID-19 patients postdischarge and assist with hospital capacity. RPM can be rapidly and successfully deployed during the COVID 19 pandemic to aid in transitions of care.

Impact of a Physician Clinical Support Supervisor in Supporting Patients and Families, Staff, and the Health-Care System During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV2), became a pandemic, hospitals activated Hospital Incident Command Systems (HICS). At our institution, we included a role of Physician Clinical Support Supervisor (PCSS) in the HICS structure. The PCSS role was filled by physicians who served hospital leadership positions, such as Physician Advisor, Medical Staff leadership, Chief Quality Officer, and Chief Medical Informatics Officer. In an effort to summarize the lessons learned by implementation of the PCSS role during the COVID-19 pandemic, we evaluated a PCSS working Microsoft Teams™ spreadsheet and the experience of physicians in the PCSS role. Through efficient daily 2-way communication between frontline providers, HICS, and hospital leadership, the PCSS role facilitated rapid change and improved support for frontline staff, patients and families, and the health-care system. We recommend including the role of PCSS in HICS structure in the event of future pandemics or other crises.

Hospitalists' perspectives on challenging patient encounters and physician well-being: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: Challenging patient encounters contribute to physician burnout, though little is known about how these impact hospitalists specifically. This study explores how hospitalists characterize challenging patient encounters and their impact on hospitalist well-being to inform organizational efforts. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative, descriptive study with 15 physician hospitalist faculty at two locations, a tertiary academic and safety-net hospital, utilizing a conceptual framework based on the Stanford Wellness Framework for physician resilience around challenging patient encounters. RESULTS: Two themes emerged: feelings of helplessness and time-consuming encounters. Helplessness was associated with systems issues, misaligned patient/provider goals, and violence. Time-consuming encounters were due to systems issues, misaligned goals requiring prolonged conversations, and patient factors. These factors were found to negatively impact hospitalist well-being. Resilience strategies included developing and teaching empathy and seeking expert/colleague opinion through debriefing, peer-to-peer interactions, and external resources. CONCLUSIONS: Organizational strategies to support hospitalists in the context of challenging patient encounters require a multifaceted approach: improved system processes, fostering a local culture of empathy-building, and supporting peer-to-peer relationships and debriefing mechanisms. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Enhanced communication around system process improvements and culture of wellness, in addition to communication skills and mindfulness, could improve hospitalist well-being.

"What I thought was so important isn't really that important": international perspectives on making meaning during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the physical and mental health of people everywhere. The aim of the study is to understand how people living in 15 countries around the globe experience an unexpected crisis which threatens their health and that of loved ones, and how they make meaning of this disruption in their narratives. METHODS: Data were collected through an anonymous online survey during May-September 2020, which was during or just after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, depending on the country. The questionnaire included demographic and three open-ended questions as prompts for stories about experiences during the initial months of the pandemic. The text was analyzed through inductive thematic content analysis and quantified for full sample description, demographic and subsequently international comparisons. RESULTS: The final qualitative dataset included stories from n = 1685 respondents. The sample was 73.6% women and 26.4% men. The mean age of participants was 39.55 years (SD = 14.71). The identified four groups of overarching themes were: The presence and absence of others; Rediscovering oneself; The meaning of daily life; Rethinking societal and environmental values. We discuss the prevalence of each theme for the sample as a whole and differences by demographic groups. The most prevalent theme referred to disruptions in interpersonal contacts, made meaningful by the increased appreciation of the value of relationships, present in (45.6%) of stories. It was more prevalent in the stories of women compared to men (χ² = 24.88, p = .001). CONCLUSIONS: The paper provides a detailed overview of the methodology, the main themes identified inductively in the stories and differences according to select demographic variables. We identify several major ways of making meaning of the pandemic. The pandemic has impacted many aspects of people's lives which give it meaning, no matter where they live.

Implementing a COVID-19 Discharge Pathway to Improve Patient Safety.

The posthospital discharge period is vulnerable for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The authors implemented a COVID-19 discharge pathway in the electronic medical record for UCHealth, a 12-hospital health care system, including an academic medical center (University of Colorado Hospital [UCH]), to improve patient safety by standardizing discharge processes for COVID-19 patients. There were 3 key elements: (1) building consensus on discharge readiness criteria, (2) summarizing discharge criteria for disposition locations, and (3) establishing primary care follow-up protocols. The discharge pathway was opened 821 times between April 20, 2020, and June 7, 2020. Of the 436 patients discharged from the hospital medicine service at UCH from April 20, 2020, and June 7, 2020, 18 (4%) were readmitted and 13 (3%) had a 30-day emergency department visit. The main trend observed was venous thromboembolism. This pathway allowed real-time integration of clinical guidelines and complex disposition requirements, decreasing cognitive burden and standardizing care for a complex population.

Global health on the front lines: an innovative medical student elective combining education and service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: An innovative medical student elective combined student-directed, faculty-supported online learning with COVID-19 response field placements. This study evaluated students' experience in the course, the curriculum content and format, and its short-term impact on students' knowledge and attitudes around COVID-19. METHODS: Students responded to discussion board prompts throughout the course and submitted pre-/post-course reflections. Pre-/post-course questionnaires assessed pandemic knowledge and attitudes using 4-point Likert scales. Authors collected aggregate data on enrollment, discussion posts, field placements, and scholarly work resulting from course activities. After the elective, authors conducted a focus group with a convenience sample of 6 participants. Institutional elective evaluation data was included in analysis. Authors analyzed questionnaire data with summary statistics and paired t-tests comparing knowledge and attitudes before and after the elective. Reflection pieces, discussion posts, and focus group data were analyzed using content analysis with a phenomenological approach. RESULTS: Twenty-seven students enrolled. Each student posted an average of 2.4 original discussion posts and 3.1 responses. Mean knowledge score increased from 43.8 to 60.8% (p <  0.001) between pre- and post-course questionnaires. Knowledge self-assessment also increased (2.4 vs. 3.5 on Likert scale, p <  0.0001), and students reported increased engagement in the pandemic response (2.7 vs. 3.6, p <  0.0001). Students reported increased fluency in discussing the pandemic and increased appreciation for the field of public health. There was no difference in students' level of anxiety about the pandemic after course participation (3.0 vs. 3.1, p = 0.53). Twelve students (44.4%) completed the institutional evaluation. All rated the course "very good" or "excellent." Students favorably reviewed the field placements, suggested readings, self-directed research, and learning from peers. They suggested more clearly defined expectations and improved balance between volunteer and educational hours. CONCLUSIONS: The elective was well-received by students, achieved stated objectives, and garnered public attention. Course leadership should monitor students' time commitment closely in service-learning settings to ensure appropriate balance of service and education. Student engagement in a disaster response is insufficient to address anxiety related to the disaster; future course iterations should include a focus on self-care during times of crisis. This educational innovation could serve as a model for medical schools globally.

Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions of Infographics Within Medical Information Response Letters.

BACKGROUND: In a continuing effort to provide innovative formats of presenting medical information in a digestible and comprehensive manner, infographics were created and included in select standard letters created by the Medical Information team. METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative feedback on the ease of comprehension, flow, layout, and value of infographics within Standard Response Documents (SRDs) was obtained from healthcare professionals (HCPs). A qualitative survey (n = 47) was conducted to assess the ease of comprehension and effectiveness of infographics. The qualitative market research consisted of 25 individual 60-min phone interviews with HCPs focused around two SRDs. RESULTS: It was found that 87% (n = 41) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the infographic was easy to comprehend. Additionally, 85% (n = 40) of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the infographic was useful in answering their product question. It was found that most HCPs (20/25) appreciated the presentation of the infographics and found them visually appealing. Additionally, most agreed that the infographic provided content that was sufficient in addressing their product inquiries and impactful for clinical decision making. CONCLUSION: Infographics have proved to be a valuable resource within response letters to address HCP inquiries and provide an option to pharmaceutical companies to evolve the way medical information is presented.

Improving Early Discharge Using a Team-Based Structure for Discharge Multidisciplinary Rounds.

PURPOSE OF STUDY: Miscommunications during the complex process of discharging patients from acute care facilities can lead to adverse events, patient dissatisfaction, and delays in discharge. Brief multidisciplinary discharge rounds (MDRs) can increase communication between stakeholders and shorten a patient's length of stay (LOS). At our tertiary academic medical center, case managers (CMs) have historically been assigned patients by physical unit location rather than by provider teams caring for patients. As a result, medicine teams often interact with several unit-based CMs due to lack of geographically cohorted patients, leading to inefficiency and fragmentation in discharge planning communication. Our aim was to implement and evaluate the impact of multidisciplinary, team-based discharge planning rounds (MDR) for general medicine patients. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING: A tertiary academic medical center. METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLE: Using the model for continuous improvement, we implemented and optimized MDR on 2 of 4 internal medicine resident ward teams that care for general internal medicine patients, including creation of a multidisciplinary team, improving physician continuity. RESULTS: During the pilot, 1,584 patients were discharged from all medicine teams-825 from pilot teams and 759 from control teams. The proportion of patients with discharge before noon (DBN) orders was 41.2% on pilot versus 29.6% on control teams. Length of stay was 92.2 hr versus 97.2 hr, and 30-day readmission rate was 16.0% versus 18.3% for the pilot versus control teams, respectively. After the pilot concluded, we continued to have resident continuity on pilot teams but returned to the unit-based CM model. During this time, the proportion of DBN orders and LOS were similar between the pilot and control teams (29.0% vs. 24.3% and 95.8 hr vs. 96.6 hr, respectively). The 30-day readmission rate was 12.6% compared with 18.9% for the pilot versus control teams. IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: Our team-based MDR pilot improved interdisciplinary relationships and communication and resulted in shorter LOS, earlier discharge times, and lower 30-day readmissions.

The effect of a pharmacist-led multidisciplinary transitions-of-care pilot for patients at high risk of readmission.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility and effect of a pharmacist-led transitions-of-care (TOC) pilot targeted to patients at high risk of readmission on process measures, hospital readmissions, and emergency department (ED) visits. SETTING: Academic medical center in Colorado. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Pharmacists enrolled patients identified as high risk for readmission in a TOC pilot from July 2014 to July 2015. The pilot included medication reconciliation, medication counseling, case management or social work evaluation, a postdischarge telephone call, and an expedited primary care follow-up appointment. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Implementation and evaluation of the pharmacist-led TOC pilot program with risk score embedded into the electronic health record. EVALUATION: Comparison of TOC-related process measures and clinical outcomes between pilot patients and randomly matched control patients included readmissions or ED visits at 30 and 90 days. RESULTS: We enrolled 34 pilot patients and randomly matched them to 34 control patients. The intervention took an average of 57.1 minutes for pharmacists to deliver. More pilot patients had a case management or social work note compared with control patients (88% vs. 59%; P = 0.006 [statistically significant]). Readmission rates in pilot versus nonpilot patients, respectively, were 18% versus 24% (P = 0.547) at 30 days and 27% versus 39% (P = 0.296) at 90 days. The composite outcome of a readmission or ED visit in pilot versus nonpilot patients was 24% versus 30% (P = 0.580) at 30 days and 36% versus 49% (P = 0.319) at 90 days. CONCLUSION: A pharmacist-led TOC pilot demonstrates potential for reducing hospital readmissions. The intervention was time intensive and led to creation of a TOC pharmacist role to implement medication-related transitional care.

Detection of neurodevelopmental diversity in memory clinics-Validation of a self-report measure.

BACKGROUND: Neurodevelopmental learning and attentional disorders (NLAD) such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect at least 6% of the adult population or more. They are associated with atypical cognitive patterns in early and adult life. The cognitive patterns of affected individuals in late life have never been described. One main challenge is detecting individuals in clinical settings during which mild cognitive changes could be confounding the clinical presentation. This is a critical research gap because these conditions interact, across the life course, with an individual's risk for dementia. Also, learning disabilities which present in childhood pose persistent cognitive differences in areas involving executive function, reading and math. Clinicians lack tools to detect undiagnosed neurodevelopmental in adults with memory disorders. The majority of patients presenting at memory clinics today come from a generation during which NLAD were not yet clinically recognized. In this study, we hypothesized that a self-report scale can detect NLAD in a memory clinic population. METHODS: We developed a self-report, retrospective childhood cognitive questionnaire including key attributes adapted from prior validated measures. 233 participants were included in the primary analysis. RESULTS: Confirmatory Factor Analysis resulted in a best-fit model with six labelled factors (Math, Language, Attention, Working Memory, Sequential Processing, and Executive Function) and 15 total question items. The model demonstrated unidimensionality, reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and predictive validity. Using 1.5 standard deviations as the cut-off, subjects were categorized into: Normal (n = 169), Language (n = 10), Math (n = 12), Attention (n = 10) or Other/Mixed (n = 32). CONCLUSION: A self-report measure can be a useful tool to elicit childhood cognitive susceptibilities in various domains that could represent NLAD among patients in a memory clinic setting, even in the presence of mild cognitive impairment.

Hospitalist and Internal Medicine Leaders' Perspectives of Early Discharge Challenges at Academic Medical Centers.

Improving early discharges may improve patient flow and increase hospital capacity. We conducted a national survey of academic medical centers addressing the prevalence, importance, and effectiveness of early-discharge initiatives. We assembled a list of hospitalist and general internal medicine leaders at 115 US-based academic medical centers. We emailed each institutional representative a 30-item online survey regarding early-discharge initiatives. The survey included questions on discharge prioritization, the prevalence and effectiveness of early-discharge initiatives, and barriers to implementation. We received 61 responses from 115 institutions (53% response rate). Forty-seven (77%) "strongly agreed" or "agreed" that early discharge was a priority. "Discharge by noon" was the most cited goal (n = 23; 38%) followed by "no set time but overall goal for improvement" (n = 13; 21%). The majority of respondents reported early discharge as more important than obtaining translators for non-English-speaking patients and equally important as reducing 30-day readmissions and improving patient satisfaction. The most commonly reported factors delaying discharge were availability of postacute care beds (n = 48; 79%) and patient-related transport complications (n = 44; 72%). The most effective early discharge initiatives reported involved changes to the rounding process, such as preemptive identification and early preparation of discharge paperwork (n = 34; 56%) and communication with patients about anticipated discharge (n = 29; 48%). There is a strong interest in increasing early discharges in an effort to improve hospital throughput and patient flow.