A Feasibility Study of a Physical and Occupational Therapy-Led and Parent-Administered Program to Improve Parent Mental Health and Infant Development.

AIMS: Extremely premature birth puts infants at high risk for developmental delay and results in parent anxiety and depression. The primary objective of this study was to characterize feasibility and acceptability of a therapist-led, parent-administered therapy and massage program designed to support parent mental health and infant development. METHODS: A single cohort of 25 dyads - parents (24 mothers, 1 father) and extremely preterm (<28 wk gestation) infants - participated in the intervention. During hospitalization, parents attended weekly hands-on education sessions with a primary therapist. Parents received bi-weekly developmental support emails for 12 months post-discharge and were scheduled for 2 outpatient follow up visits. We collected measures of parent anxiety, depression, and competence at baseline, hospital discharge, and <4 and 12 months post-discharge. RESULTS: All feasibility targets were met or exceeded at baseline and discharge (≥70%). Dyads participated in an average of 11 therapy sessions (range, 5-20) during hospitalization. Lower rates of data collection adherence were observed over successive follow ups (range, 40-76%). Parent-rated feasibility and acceptability scores were high at all time points. CONCLUSIONS: Results support parent-rated feasibility and acceptability of the TEMPO intervention for extremely preterm infants and their parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Effects of caregiver-child acculturation on child obesity among US Latino individuals.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess the association of Latino caregiver-child nativity status (US- and foreign-born) with child obesity using a nationally representative sample. METHODS: Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2018), this study used generalized linear models to identify associations between caregiver-child nativity status (as a proxy for acculturation) and children's BMI. RESULTS: Compared with foreign-born caregiver-child dyads, US-born caregiver-child dyads had 2.35 times the risk of class 2 obesity (95% CI: 1.59-3.47) and 3.60 times the risk of class 3 obesity (95% CI: 1.86-6.96). Foreign-born caregiver and US-born child dyads had 2.01 times the risk of class 2 obesity (95% CI: 1.42-2.84) and 2.47 times the risk of class 3 obesity (95% CI: 1.38-4.44; p < 0.05 for class 2 and class 3). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with foreign-born Latino caregiver-child dyads, dyads with US-born caregivers and children and dyads with foreign-born caregivers and US-born children had significantly increased risk across the severe classes of obesity. Examining the influence and relationship of varying acculturation levels in an immigrant household will help guide more effective clinical and policy guidelines surrounding obesity and weight management in both pediatric and adult US Latino populations.

Connect-Home transitional care from skilled nursing facilities to home: A stepped wedge, cluster randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Skilled nursing facility (SNF) patients and their caregivers who transition to home experience complications and frequently return to acute care. We tested the efficacy of the Connect-Home transitional care intervention on patient and caregiver preparedness for care at home, and other patient and caregiver-reported outcomes. METHODS: We used a stepped wedge, cluster-randomized trial design to test the intervention against standard discharge planning (control). The setting was six SNFs and six home health offices in one agency. Participants were 327 dyads of patients discharged from SNF to home and their caregivers; 11.1% of dyads in the control condition and 81.2% in the intervention condition were enrolled after onset of COVID-19. Patients were 63.9% female and mean age was 76.5 years. Caregivers were 73.7% female and mean age was 59.5 years. The Connect-Home intervention includes tools, training, and technical assistance to deliver transitional care in SNFs and patients' homes. Primary outcomes measured at 7 days included patient and caregiver measures of preparedness for care at home, the Care Transitions Measure-15 (patient) and the Preparedness for Caregiving Scale (caregiver). Secondary outcomes measured at 30 and 60 days included the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire, Life Space Assessment, Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale, Distress Thermometer, and self-reported number of patient days in the ED or hospital in 30 and 60 days following SNF discharge. RESULTS: The intervention was not associated with improvement in patient or caregiver outcomes in the planned analyses. Post-hoc analyses that distinguished between pre- and post-pandemic effects suggest the intervention may be associated with increased patient preparedness for discharge and decreased number of acute care days. CONCLUSIONS: Connect-Home transitional care did not improve outcomes in the planned statistical analysis. Post-hoc findings accounting for COVID-19 impact suggest SNF transitional care has potential to increase patient preparedness and decrease return to acute care.

The effect of increased emergency department demand on throughput times and disposition status for pediatric psychiatric patients.

OBJECTIVES: Emergency department (ED) crowding has been shown to increase throughput measures of length of stay (LOS), wait time, and boarding time. Psychiatric utilization of the ED has increased, particularly among younger patients. This investigation quantifies the effect of ED demand on throughput times and discharge disposition for pediatric psychiatric patients in the ED. METHODS: Using electronic medical record data from 1,151,396 ED visits in eight North Carolina EDs from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2020, we identified 14,092 pediatric psychiatric visits. Measures of ED daily demand rates included overall occupancy as well as daily proportion of non-psychiatric pediatric patients, adult psychiatric patients, and pediatric psychiatric patients. Controlling for patient-level factors such as age, sex, race, insurance, and triage acuity, we used linear regression to predict throughput times and logistic regression to predict disposition status. We estimated effects of ED demand by academic versus community hospital status due to ED and inpatient resource differences. RESULTS: Most ED demand measures had insignificant or only very small associations with throughput measures for pediatric psychiatric patients. Notable exceptions were that a one percentage point increase in the proportion of non-psychiatric pediatric ED visits increased boarding times at community sites by 1.06 hours (95% CI: 0.20-1.92), while a one percentage point increase in the proportion of pediatric psychiatric ED visits increased LOS by 3.64 hours (95% CI: 2.04-5.23) at the academic site. We found that ED demand had a minimal effect on disposition status, with small increases in demand rates favoring <1 percentage point increases in the likelihood of discharge. Instead, patient-level factors played a much stronger role in predicting discharge disposition. CONCLUSIONS: ED demand has a meaningful effect on throughput times, but a minimal effect on disposition status. Further research is needed to validate these findings across other state and healthcare systems.

Influence of family planning and immunization services integration on contraceptive use and family planning information and knowledge among clients: A cross-sectional analysis in urban Nigeria.

Reproductive autonomy necessitates that women have access to high quality family planning information and services. Additionally, closely spaced pregnancies increase maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Although integrating family planning into child immunization services may increase access to information and services and postpartum contraceptive use, evidence on how integration affects service delivery and health outcomes is scarce. One limitation of previous studies is the use of binary integration measures. To address this limitation, this study applied Provider and Facility Integration Index scores to estimate associations between integration and contraceptive use, receipt of family planning information, and knowledge of family planning services availability. This study leveraged pooled cross-sectional health facility client exit interview data collected from 2,535 women in Nigeria. Provider and Facility Integration Index scores were calculated (0-10, 0 = low, 10 = high) for each facility (N = 94). The Provider Integration Index score measures provider skills and practices that support integrated service delivery; the Facility Integration Index score measures facility norms that support integrated service delivery. Logistic regression models identified associations between Provider and Facility Integration Index scores and (a) contraceptive use among postpartum women, (b) receipt of family planning information during immunization visits, and (c) correct identification of family planning service availability. Overall, 46% of women were using any method of contraception, 51% received family planning information during the immunization appointment, and 83% correctly identified family planning service availability at the facility. Mean Provider and Facility Integration Index scores were 6.46 (SD = 0.21) and 7.27 (SD = 0.18), respectively. Provider and Facility Integration Index scores were not significantly associated with postpartum contraceptive use. Facility Integration Index scores were negatively associated with receipt of family planning information. Provider Integration Index scores were positively associated with correct identification of family planning service availability. Our results challenge the position that integration provides a clear path to improved outcomes. The presence of facility and provider attributes that support integration may not result in the delivery of integrated care.

Brief Educational Video plus Telecare to Enhance Recovery for Older Emergency Department Patients with Acute Musculoskeletal Pain: an update to the study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This update describes changes to the Brief Educational Tool to Enhance Recovery (BETTER) trial in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS/DESIGN: The original protocol was published in Trials. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BETTER trial converted to remote recruitment in April 2020. All recruitment, consent, enrollment, and randomization now occur by phone within 24 h of the acute care visit. Other changes to the original protocol include an expansion of inclusion criteria and addition of new recruitment sites. To increase recruitment numbers, eligibility criteria were expanded to include individuals with chronic pain, non-daily opioid use within 2 weeks of enrollment, presenting musculoskeletal pain (MSP) symptoms for more than 1 week, hospitalization in past 30 days, and not the first time seeking medical treatment for presenting MSP pain. In addition, recruitment sites were expanded to other emergency departments and an orthopedic urgent care clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Recruiting from an orthopedic urgent care clinic and transitioning to remote operations not only allowed for continued participant enrollment during the pandemic but also resulted in some favorable outcomes, including operational efficiencies, increased enrollment, and broader generalizability. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04118595 . Registered on October 8, 2019.

The Association of Readmission Reduction Activities with Primary Care Practice Readmission Rates.

BACKGROUND: A great deal of research has focused on how hospitals influence readmission rates. While hospitals play a vital role in reducing readmissions, a significant portion of the work also falls to primary care practices. Despite this critical role of primary care, little empirical evidence has shown what primary care characteristics or activities are associated with reductions in hospital admissions. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between practices' readmission reduction activities and their readmission rates. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective study of 1,788 practices who responded to the National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems (fielded 2017-2018) and 415,663 hospital admissions for Medicare beneficiaries attributed to those practices from 2016 100% Medicare claims data. We constructed mixed-effects logistic regression models to estimate practice-level readmission rates and a linear regression model to evaluate the association between practices' readmission rates with their number of readmission reduction activities. INTERVENTIONS: Standardized composite score, ranging from 0 to 1, representing the number of a practice's readmission reduction capabilities. The composite score was composed of 12 unique capabilities identified in the literature as being significantly associated with lower readmission rates (e.g., presence of care manager, medication reconciliation, shared-decision making, etc.). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Practices' readmission rates for attributed Medicare beneficiaries. KEY RESULTS: Routinely engaging in more readmission reduction activities was significantly associated (P < .05) with lower readmission rates. On average, practices experienced a 0.05 percentage point decrease in readmission rates for each additional activity. Average risk-standardized readmission rates for practices performing 10 or more of the 12 activities in our composite measure were a full percentage point lower than risk-standardized readmission rates for practices engaging in none of the activities. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care practices that engaged in more readmission reduction activities had lower readmission rates. These findings add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that engaging in multiple activities, rather than any single activity, is associated with decreased readmissions.

Travel time, availability of emergency obstetric care, and perceived quality of care associated with maternal healthcare utilisation in Afghanistan: A multilevel analysis.

Limited understanding of factors such as travel time, availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC), and satisfaction/perceived quality of care on the utilisation of maternal health services exists in fragile and conflict-affect settings. We examined these key factors on three utilisation outcomes: at least one skilled antenatal care (ANC) visit, in-facility delivery, and bypassing the nearest public facility for childbirth in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2015. We used three-level multilevel mixed effects logistic regression models to assess the relationships between women's and their nearest public facilities' characteristics and outcomes. The nearest facility score for satisfaction/perceived quality was associated with having at least one skilled ANC visit (AOR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.21, 3.36). Women whose nearest facility provided EmOC had a higher odds of in-facility childbirth compared to women whose nearest facility did not (AOR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.48). Nearest hospital travel time (AOR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.93, 0.98) and nearest facility satisfaction/perceived quality (AOR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.82) were associated with lower odds of women bypassing their nearest facility. Afghanistan has made progress in expanding access to maternal healthcare services during the ongoing conflict. Addressing key barriers is essential to ensure that women have access to life-saving services.

The Direct Clinic-Level Cost of the Implementation and Use of a Protocol to Assess and Address Social Needs in Diverse Community Health Center Primary Care Clinical Settings.

PURPOSE: Social determinants of health, including food insecurity, housing instability, social isolation, and unemployment are important drivers of health outcomes and utilization. To inform implementation of social needs screening and response protocols, there is a need to identify the associated costs in routine primary care encounters. METHODS: We interviewed key stakeholders in four diverse community health centers that had adopted a widely used social needs screening and response protocol. We evaluated costs using an activity-based costing tool across both the initial implementation phase and ongoing maintenance phase. RESULTS: Clinic costs were associated with workforce development, planning, and electronic health record integration. These initial implementation costs varied by site ($6,644-$49,087). On a per-patient basis, ongoing maintenance costs ranged from $9.76 to $47.98. CONCLUSION: Our findings can aid in designing reimbursement mechanisms tied to social needs screening and response to accelerate translational efforts and promote health equity.

Reducing Poverty-Related Disparities in Cervical Cancer: The Role of HPV Vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Near elimination of cervical cancer in the United States is possible in coming decades, yet inequities will delay this achievement for some populations. We sought to explore the effects of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on disparities in cervical cancer incidence between high- and low-poverty U.S. counties. METHODS: We calibrated a dynamic simulation model of HPV infection to reflect average counties in the highest and lowest quartile of poverty (percent of population below federal poverty level), incorporating data on HPV prevalence, cervical cancer screening, and HPV vaccination. We projected cervical cancer incidence through 2070, estimated absolute and relative disparities in incident cervical cancer for high- versus low-poverty counties, and compared incidence with the near-elimination target (4 cases/100,000 women annually). RESULTS: We estimated that, on average, low-poverty counties will achieve near-elimination targets 14 years earlier than high-poverty counties (2029 vs. 2043). Absolute disparities by county poverty will decrease, but relative differences are estimated to increase. We estimate 21,604 cumulative excess cervical cancer cases in high-poverty counties over the next 50 years. Increasing HPV vaccine coverage nationally to the Healthy People 2020 goal (80%) would reduce excess cancer cases, but not alter estimated time to reach the near-elimination threshold. CONCLUSIONS: High-poverty U.S. counties will likely be delayed in achieving near-elimination targets for cervical cancer and as a result will experience thousands of potentially preventable cancers. IMPACT: Alongside vaccination efforts, it is important to address the role of social determinants and health care access in driving persistent inequities by area poverty.

Implementation of social needs screening in primary care: a qualitative study using the health equity implementation framework.

BACKGROUND: Screening in primary care for unmet individual social needs (e.g., housing instability, food insecurity, unemployment, social isolation) is critical to addressing their deleterious effects on patients' health outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply an implementation science framework to identify implementation factors and best practices for social needs screening and response. METHODS: Guided by the Health Equity Implementation Framework (HEIF), we collected qualitative data from clinicians and patients to evaluate barriers and facilitators to implementing the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients' Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE), a standardized social needs screening and response protocol, in a federally qualified health center. Eligible patients who received the PRAPARE as a standard of care were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. We also obtained front-line clinician perspectives in a semi-structured focus group. HEIF domains informed a directed content analysis. RESULTS: Patients and clinicians (i.e., case managers) reported implementation barriers and facilitators across multiple domains (e.g., clinical encounters, patient and provider factors, inner context, outer context, and societal influence). Implementation barriers included structural and policy level determinants related to resource availability, discrimination, and administrative burden. Facilitators included evidence-based clinical techniques for shared decision making (e.g., motivational interviewing), team-based staffing models, and beliefs related to alignment of the PRAPARE with patient-centered care. We found high levels of patient acceptability and opportunities for adaptation to increase equitable adoption and reach. CONCLUSION: Our results provide practical insight into the implementation of the PRAPARE or similar social needs screening and response protocols in primary care at the individual encounter, organizational, community, and societal levels. Future research should focus on developing discrete implementation strategies to promote social needs screening and response, and associated multisector care coordination to improve health outcomes and equity for vulnerable and marginalized patient populations.

Adherence to Car Seat Tolerance Screening Differs by Indication and Patient Characteristics.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether adherence to institutional car seat tolerance screening (CSTS) guidelines differed for infants born preterm (PTM), term low birth weight (T-LBW), or both preterm and low birth weight (P-LBW), and to examine the association between CSTS adherence and patient characteristics. STUDY DESIGN: Within two large academic and community hospitals, we retrospectively reviewed all infants meeting institutional criteria (< 37 weeks' gestation and/or < 2.27 kg) for CSTS from 2014 to 2018. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association of patient characteristics with institutional CSTS guideline adherence. RESULTS: 4374 eligible infants were born PTM (50.9%), T-LBW (6.5%), or P-LBW (42.6%). Adherence rates were 92.7% in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and 95.2% in the well-baby nursery with initial CSTS failure rates of 6.1% and 9.9%, respectively. Adherence was lowest among T-LBW (80.7%) compared to PTM (95.1%) or P-LBW (92.2%) infants in the NICU (p < 0.001) and well-baby nursery (81.6%, 96.7% and 97.1%, respectively, p < 0.001). In bivariate analyses, gestational age, birth weight, insurance, race, hospital type, discharge year, and preferred language were associated with adherence. In fully-adjusted models, adherence was positively associated with lower gestational age, higher birth weight, non-Medicaid insurance, and later discharge year (NICU) and lower gestational age and later discharge year (well-baby nursery). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence was lower for T-LBW than PTM or P-LBW infants, despite similar CSTS failure rates. Disparities in adherence among Medicaid-insured patients in the NICU warrant further study. Future studies are needed to clarify the benefit of CSTS and increase adherence in high-risk populations.

Promoting Exercise and Healthy Diet Among Primary Care Patients: Feasibility, Preliminary Outcomes, and Lessons Learned From a Pilot Trial With High Intensity Interval Exercise.

Physical activity and healthy diet are recognized as effective approaches for disease prevention. Controlled laboratory clinical trials support these approaches, yet minimal data exists supporting implementation of exercise as medicine within a healthcare setting. Objectives: To understand perception and barriers to exercise and nutrition from patients and physicians from a family medicine clinic (FMC) to inform the implementation of a laboratory-based exercise and nutrition lifestyle intervention (Phase I), and to determine the feasibility, adherence, and preliminary outcomes of implementing this lifestyle intervention into a FMC (Phase II). Methods: In phase I 10 patients and 5 physicians were interviewed regarding perceptions of exercise and nutrition practices. In phase II patients at risk for cardiovascular disease were enrolled into a lifestyle intervention (n = 16), within a FMC, manipulating diet and exercise. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), body composition, and metabolic blood markers were completed at baseline, after the 12-week intervention, and at 24 weeks. Feasibility was defined by patients who completed the intervention and number of sessions vs. total available. Results: Prescribing high-intensity interval training and a meal replacement for 12 weeks in patients with at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, was shown to have moderate feasibility with 62.5% (n = 10) for patients completing the 12 week intervention, and poor feasibility for assessing effects 12 weeks after cessation of the intervention, with 50% (n = 5) participants returning. Tracking exercise electronically via FitBit had moderate fidelity (n = 9), with hardcopy logs yielding poor compliance (n = 6). This pilot study demonstrated preliminary effectiveness of this home-based approach for improving cardiorespiratory fitness with an average 4.31 ± 5.67 ml·kg·min-1 increase in peak oxygen consumption. Blood triglycerides and insulin were improved in 70% and 60% of the patients, respectively. Conclusions: Despite moderate feasibility, a home-based exercise and nutrition has the potential to be used as an effective approach for managing and mitigating cardiovascular disease risk factors. There were key lessons learned which will help to develop and adapt a larger scale lifestyle intervention into a clinical setting. Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT02482922, identifier NCT02482922.

Racial Residential Segregation and Race Differences in Ideal Cardiovascular Health among Young Men.

BACKGROUND: Race disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) related morbidity and mortality are evident among men. While previous studies show health in young adulthood and racial residential segregation (RRS) are important factors for CVD risk, these factors have not been widely studied in male populations. We sought to examine race differences in ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) among young men (ages 24-34) and whether RRS influenced this association. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from young men who participated in Wave IV (2008) of the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 5080). The dichotomous outcome, achieving ideal CVH, was defined as having ≥4 of the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 targets. Race (Black/White) and RRS (proportion of White residents in census tract) were the independent variables. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Young Black men had lower odds of achieving ideal CVH (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.49, 0.92) than young White men. However, RRS did not have a significant effect on race differences in ideal CVH until the proportion of White residents was ≥55%. CONCLUSIONS: Among young Black and White men, RRS is an important factor to consider when seeking to understand CVH and reduce future cardiovascular risk.

Evaluating the association of social needs assessment data with cardiometabolic health status in a federally qualified community health center patient population.

BACKGROUND: Health systems are increasingly using standardized social needs screening and response protocols including the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients' Risks, Assets, and Experiences (PRAPARE) to improve population health and equity; despite established relationships between the social determinants of health and health outcomes, little is known about the associations between standardized social needs assessment information and patients' clinical condition. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between social needs screening assessment data and measures of cardiometabolic clinical health from electronic health records data using two modelling approaches: a backward stepwise logistic regression and a least absolute selection and shrinkage operation (LASSO) logistic regression. Primary outcomes were dichotomized cardiometabolic measures related to obesity, hypertension, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) 10-year risk. Nested models were built to evaluate the utility of social needs assessment data from PRAPARE for risk prediction, stratification, and population health management. RESULTS: Social needs related to lack of housing, unemployment, stress, access to medicine or health care, and inability to afford phone service were consistently associated with cardiometabolic risk across models. Model fit, as measured by the c-statistic, was poor for predicting obesity (logistic = 0.586; LASSO = 0.587), moderate for stage 1 hypertension (logistic = 0.703; LASSO = 0.688), and high for borderline ASCVD risk (logistic = 0.954; LASSO = 0.950). CONCLUSIONS: Associations between social needs assessment data and clinical outcomes vary by cardiometabolic condition. Social needs assessment data may be useful for prospectively identifying patients at heightened cardiometabolic risk; however, there are limits to the utility of social needs data for improving predictive performance.

Facility-level characteristics associated with family planning and child immunization services integration in urban areas of Nigeria: a longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: Unmet need for postpartum contraception is high. Integration of family planning with routine child immunization services may help to satisfy unmet need. However, evidence about the determinants and effects of integration has been inconsistent, and more evidence is required to ascertain whether and how to invest in integration. In this study, facility-level family planning and immunization integration index scores are used to: (1) determine whether integration changes over time and (2) identify whether facility-level characteristics, including exposure to the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), are associated with integration across facilities in six urban areas of Nigeria. METHODS: This study utilizes health facility data collected at baseline (n = 400) and endline (n = 385) for the NURHI impact evaluation. Difference-in-differences models estimate the associations between facility-level characteristics, including exposure to NURHI, and Provider and Facility Integration Index scores. The two outcome measures, Provider and Facility Integration Index scores, reflect attributes that support integrated service delivery. These indexes, which range from 0 (low) to 10 (high), were constructed using principal component analysis. Scores were calculated for each facility. Independent variables are (1) time period, (2) whether the facility received the NURHI intervention, and (3) additional facility-level characteristics. RESULTS: Within intervention facilities, mean Provider Integration Index scores were 6.46 at baseline and 6.79 at endline; mean Facility Integration Index scores were 7.16 (baseline) and 7.36 (endline). Within non-intervention facilities, mean Provider Integration Index scores were 5.01 at baseline and 6.25 at endline; mean Facility Integration Index scores were 5.83 (baseline) and 6.12 (endline). Provider Integration Index scores increased significantly (p = 0.00) among non-intervention facilities. Facility Integration Index scores did not increase significantly in either group. Results identify facility-level characteristics associated with higher levels of integration, including smaller family planning client load, family planning training among providers, and public facility ownership. Exposure to NURHI was not associated with integration index scores. CONCLUSION: Programs aiming to increase integration of family planning and immunization services should monitor and provide targeted support for the implementation of a well-defined integration strategy that considers the influence of facility characteristics and concurrent initiatives.

Development of integration indexes to determine the extent of family planning and child immunization services integration in health facilities in urban areas of Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Integrating family planning into child immunization services may address unmet need for contraception by offering family planning information and services to postpartum women during routine child immunization visits. However, policies and programs promoting integration are often based on insubstantial or conflicting evidence about its effects on service delivery and health outcomes. While integration models vary, many studies measure integration as binary (a facility is integrated or not) rather than a multidimensional and varying continuum. It is thus challenging to ascertain the determinants and effects of integrated service delivery. This study creates Facility and Provider Integration Indexes, which measure capacity to support integrated family planning and child immunization services and applies them to analyze the extent of integration across 400 health facilities. METHODS: This study utilizes cross-sectional health facility (N = 400; 58% hospitals, 42% primary healthcare centers) and healthcare provider (N = 1479) survey data that were collected in six urban areas of Nigeria for the impact evaluation of the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative. Principal Component Analysis was used to develop Provider and Facility Integration Indexes that estimate the extent of integration in these health facilities. The Provider Integration Index measures provider skills and practices that support integrated service delivery while the Facility Integration Index measures facility norms that support integrated service delivery. Index scores range from zero (low) to ten (high). RESULTS: Mean Provider Integration Index score is 5.42 (SD 3.10), and mean Facility Integration Index score is 6.22 (SD 2.72). Twenty-three percent of facilities were classified as having low Provider Integration scores, 32% as medium, and 45% as high. Fourteen percent of facilities were classified as having low Facility Integration scores, 38% as medium, and 48% as high. CONCLUSION: Many facilities in our sample have achieved high levels of integration, while many others have not. Results suggest that using more nuanced measures of integration may (a) more accurately reflect true variation in integration within and across health facilities, (b) enable more precise measurement of the determinants or effects of integration, and (c) provide more tailored, actionable information about how best to improve integration. Overall, results reinforce the importance of utilizing more nuanced measures of facility-level integration.

Stages of Change: Moving Community Pharmacies From a Drug Dispensing to Population Health Management Model.

Given their clinical training and accessibility, community pharmacists are well positioned to support primary care, especially in providing medication management services. There is limited evidence, however, on implementation of community pharmacist-led services in coordination with other health care providers. The aim of this study was to examine the implementation process of community pharmacies in North Carolina participating in a Medicaid population health management intervention. We conducted semistructured interviews with 40 representatives from high- and low-performing community pharmacies from June to August 2017. We analyzed for themes organized around Rogers's Stages in the Innovation Process in Organizations. Community pharmacies employed numerous implementation strategies such as developing relationships with providers and redefining job responsibilities to ensure pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are working at the top of their license. Findings also revealed differences in the implementation process among high- and low-performing pharmacies. Continued research is needed to determine which implementation strategies improve program performance.

A case study of a theory-based method for identifying and reporting core functions and forms of evidence-based interventions.

Adaptation of existing evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to improve their fit in new contexts is common. A critical first step in adaptation is to identify core functions (purposes) and forms (activities) of EBIs. Core functions should not be adapted as they are what account for the efficacy of EBIs. Despite their importance, core functions are rarely identified by EBI developers; methods for identifying them post hoc are lacking. We present a case study of theory-based methods for identifying core functions and forms post hoc. We developed these methods as the first step in a larger effort to adapt an existing EBI to improve the timeliness of referrals to hospice to a new patient population and care setting. Our methods were rooted in the Planned Adaptation Model (PAM). Through our case study, we developed six steps for identifying core functions and forms, as well as accompanying tools and methods. Our case study further operationalized PAM in several ways. Where PAM offered guiding tenets for identifying core functions and forms (review existing EBI materials, conduct primary data collection, and identify the theory of change), we produced specific tools (interview guides and codebooks) and methods (sampling approaches and analytic methods). Our case study extended PAM with the addition of two steps in the process of identifying core functions and forms: (a) identifying the usual care pathway, including barriers to the outcome of interest encountered in usual care, and (b) mapping EBI core functions onto an extant theory. Identifying core functions and forms is a critical first step in the adaptation process to ensure adaptations do not inadvertently compromise the efficacy or effectiveness of the EBI by compromising core functions. Our case study presents step-by-step methods that could be used by researchers or practitioners to identify core functions and forms post hoc.

Are Rates of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridioides difficile Associated With Quality and Clinical Outcomes in US Acute Care Hospitals?

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)/Clostridioides difficile and quality and clinical outcomes in US acute care hospitals. The population was all Medicare-certified US acute care hospitals with MRSA/C difficile standardized infection ratio (SIR) data available from 2013 to 2017. Hospital-level data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services were used to estimate hospital and time fixed effects models for 30-day hospital readmissions, length of stay, 30-day mortality, and days in the intensive care unit. The key explanatory variables were SIR for MRSA and C difficile. No association was found between MRSA or C difficile rates and any of the 4 outcomes. The null results add to the mixed evidence in the field, but there are likely residual confounding factors. Future research should use larger samples of patient-level data and appropriate methods to provide evidence to guide efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance.