Evaluation of patient health outcomes of a student-run free clinic in East Harlem.

BACKGROUND: Most United States medical schools have affiliated student-run free clinics, but the quality of services provided in such contexts compared to national metrics is unknown. This study determines whether a student-run, attending-supervised free clinic servicing a low-income and minority race patient population in New York City can meet national metrics of care. METHODS: Through chart review from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, patient outcomes and service utilization in the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set were examined and compared to national rates of patients using Medicaid HMO or Medicare. Patients are ≥ 21 years of age, residents of East Harlem, and ineligible for health insurance because of legal residency requirements. The majority identify as Hispanic and speak Spanish as their primary language. All patients who were seen in the clinic during the 2020 calendar year were included. The primary study outcome is the number of Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures in which patients, seen in a student-run free clinic, meet or exceed national comparisons. RESULTS: The healthcare outcomes of 238 patients, mean age 47.8 years and 54.6% female, were examined in 18 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures. The student-run free clinic met or exceeded national metrics in 16 out of 18 categories. CONCLUSIONS: The student-run free clinic met or exceeded the national standard of care according to national metrics. Evidence-based priorities have been clarified for future improvement. Other student-run free clinics should similarly evaluate the quality of their services.

Risk Factors for Early Treatment Discontinuation Due to Toxicity Among Patients With Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Receiving Androgen Receptor-targeted Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Androgen receptor-targeted therapies (ARTs) improve survival outcomes in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC); however, a significant portion of patients discontinue treatment for various reasons including treatment-related toxicity. We aim to describe reasons for ART treatment discontinuation and identify predictors associated with increased risk of treatment discontinuation due to toxicity. METHODS: We performed a single-institution retrospective review of patients with mCRPC receiving ART between 2010 and 2021. Our primary aim was to identify risk factors for treatment discontinuation due to toxicity. Our secondary aim was to describe ART discontinuation patterns among patients with mCRPC. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-three patients with mCRPC started and discontinued ARTs. Fourteen patients (10.5%) discontinued treatment due to toxicity. Common reasons for treatment discontinuation include Prostate Specific Antigen test progression, radiographic progression, toxicity, and death. Significant predictors of treatment discontinuation due to toxicity on bivariate analysis and multivariate analysis included patient-reported falls (odds ratio [OR]: 7.67, CI: [1.31-40.42]; P=0.016), rash (OR: 13.4, CI: [1.35-134.81]; P=0.026), and weakness (OR: 4.16, CI: [1.15-15.0]; P=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Our work presents the first description of ART treatment discontinuation and its causes in the real-world setting, as well as patient-reported side effects. Most patients with mCRPC discontinued treatment due to the progression of disease and a minority of patients discontinued secondary to treatment toxicity. Initial multivariable analysis suggests that patient-reported weakness, falls, and rash were associated with a higher likelihood of treatment discontinuation due to toxicity. Early monitoring of this population can prolong the duration of treatment and prevent unnecessary treatment burden.

How Are We Doing? A Scoping Review of Published Patient-Centered Outcomes Research in United States Student-Run Free Clinics.

Phenomenon: Student-run free clinics (SRFCs) serve an integral role in most United States (US) medical schools and contribute substantially to literature on the quality of care to uninsured persons. There has been substantial growth over the past decade of scholarly work produced by SRFCs as they have increased in size and number. Research on patient care outcomes informs better care structures for patients, however there is no current synthesis of patient care outcomes research among SRFCs. This article provides an overview of SRFC research on patient outcomes to understand current research domains and to identify gaps in the literature. Approach: We completed a scoping review by searching Scopus, PubMed, and Journal of Student Run Clinics in June 2021. All peer-reviewed, English-language articles focused on patient-centered outcomes at SRFCs in the US were included. Two independent reviewers performed title, abstract, and full-text screening of relevant works, and eight reviewers conducted data extraction. Descriptive data analysis was performed along with relevant content analysis of patient-centered outcomes. Findings: The search strategy identified 784 studies, of which 87 met inclusion criteria. Most studies were published within the last six years (81.6%), located in California, New York, or Florida (43.7%), and intervention based (33.3%). Many studies (46.0%) had a specific disease of focus of which diabetes was the most researched(19.5%). Patient-centered studies were the leading focus of the study aims (40.2%), where key findings demonstrated primarily improved outcomes in clinic metrics post-intervention (36.8%) or equivalent/better clinical performance than national metrics (20.7%). Insights: This review brings to light gaps in the literature reporting research in SRFCs and can be applied to other low-resource settings. Future efforts to expand SRFC outcomes research should focus on community relationship building, understanding institutional support, and ensuring education on best practices for research within SRFCs. Doing so informs patient care improvement as SRFCs continue to operate as safety net clinics for marginalized populations.

Effect of concurrent beta-blocker use in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: Stress-induced adrenergic signaling can suppress the immune system. In animal models, pharmacological beta-blockade stimulates CD8 + T-cell activity and improves clinical activity of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in inhibiting tumor growth. Herein, we investigated the effect of BB on clinical outcomes of patients receiving ICB in advanced solid tumors. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated patients with solid tumors treated with ICB at our institution from January 1, 2011 to April 28, 2017. The primary clinical outcome was disease control. Secondary clinical outcomes were overall survival (OS), and duration of therapy (DoT). The primary predictor was use of BB. Association between disease control status and BB use was assessed in univariable and multivariable logistic regression. OS was calculated using hazard ratios of BB-recipient patients vs. BB non-recipient patients via Cox proportional hazards regression models. All tests were two-sided at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: Of 339 identified patients receiving ICB, 109 (32%) also received BB. In covariate-adjusted analysis, odds of disease control were significantly higher among BB recipients compared to BB-non-recipients (2.79; [1.54-5.03]; P = 0.001). While we did not observe significant association of OS with the use of BB overall, significant association with better OS was observed for the urothelial carcinoma cohort (HR: 0.24; [0.09, 0.62]; P = 0.0031). CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent use of BB may enhance the clinical activity of ICB and influence overall survival, particularly in patients with urothelial carcinoma. Our findings warrant further investigation to understand the interaction of beta adrenergic signaling and antitumor immune activity and explore a combination strategy.

Complexity, Not Severity: Reinterpreting the Sliding Scale of Capacity.

In this article, we focus on the definition and application of the sliding scale of capacity. We show that the current interpretations of the sliding scale confound distinct features of the medical decision, such as its urgency, its severity, or its complexity, that do not always covary. We propose that the threshold for assessing capacity should be adjusted based solely on the cognitive complexity of the decision at hand. We further suggest that the complexity of a decision should be identified based on a patient's particular cognitive deficits. We utilize the current research on the types of deficits that characterize amnestic dementias and examine which types of medical decisions might be most complex for patients with that type of dementia. We conclude that applying the sliding scale based on individualized judgments of cognitive complexity will improve accuracy of assessment of capacity and enable capable patients to participate in medical decision making.

Clinical factors associated with outcome in solid tumor patients treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors: a single institution retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) remains limited to a subset of patients and predictive biomarkers of response remains an unmet need, limiting our ability to provide precision medicine. Using real-world data, we aimed to identify potential clinical prognosticators of ICI response in solid tumor patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all solid tumor patients treated with ICIs at the Mount Sinai Hospital between January 2011 and April 2017. Predictors assessed included demographics, performance status, co-morbidities, family history of cancer, smoking status, cancer type, metastatic pattern, and type of ICI. Outcomes evaluated include progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to test the association of predictors with outcomes. RESULTS: We identified 297 ICI-treated patients with diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (N = 81, 27.3%), melanoma (N = 73, 24.6%), hepatocellular carcinoma (N = 51, 17.2%), urothelial carcinoma (N = 51, 17.2%), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (N = 23, 7.7%), and renal cell carcinoma (N = 18, 6.1%). In multivariable analysis, good performance status of ECOG ≤ 2 (PFS, ORR, DCR and OS) and family history of cancer (ORR and DCR) associated with improved ICI response. Bone metastasis was associated with worse outcomes (PFS, ORR, and DCR). CONCLUSIONS: Mechanisms underlying the clinical predictors of response observed in this real-world analysis, such as genetic variants and bone metastasis-tumor microenvironment, warrant further exploration in larger studies incorporating translational endpoints. Consistently positive clinical correlates may help inform patient stratification when considering ICI therapy.

The Impact of Androgen Deprivation Therapy on COVID-19 Illness in Men With Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: TMPRSS2, a cell surface protease regulated by androgens and commonly upregulated in prostate cancer (PCa), is a necessary component for SARS-CoV-2 viral entry into respiratory epithelial cells. Previous reports suggested a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 among PCa patients on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). However, the impact of ADT on severe COVID-19 illness is poorly understood. METHODS: We performed a multicenter study across 7 US medical centers and evaluated patients with PCa and SARS-CoV-2 detected by polymerase-chain-reaction between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020. PCa patients were considered on ADT if they had received appropriate ADT treatment within 6 months of COVID-19 diagnosis. We used multivariable logistic and Cox proportional-hazard regression models for analysis. All statistical tests were 2-sided. RESULTS: We identified 465 PCa patients (median age = 71 years) with a median follow-up of 60 days. Age, body mass index, cardiovascular comorbidity, and PCa clinical disease state adjusted overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.68 to 1.98, P = .59), hospitalization status (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.52 to 1.77, P = .90), supplemental oxygenation (HR 1.14, 95% CI = 0.66 to 1.99, P = .64), and use of mechanical ventilation (HR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.25 to 2.66, P = .73) were similar between ADT and non-ADT cohorts. Similarly, the addition of androgen receptor-directed therapy within 30 days of COVID-19 diagnosis to ADT vs ADT alone did not statistically significantly affect overall survival (androgen receptor-directed therapy: HR = 1.27, 95% CI = 0.69 to 2.32, P = .44). CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective cohort of PCa patients, the use of ADT was not demonstrated to influence severe COVID-19 outcomes, as defined by hospitalization, supplemental oxygen use, or death. Age 70 years and older was statistically significantly associated with a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease.

Examining variation in state spending on medicaid long-term services and supports for older adults.

State Medicaid programs are the largest source of funding for long-term services and supports (LTSS). We characterized states across quartiles of mean LTSS spending for individuals ≥65 and used the Health and Retirement Study to examine the demographic, functional, and caregiving characteristics across these quartiles. Individuals in states with lower Medicaid spending on LTSS reported more family and friend caregiving hours and were more likely to be from racial and ethnic minority groups. Continued work is needed to improve Medicaid LTSS policy to better support vulnerable populations, particularly in lower quartile states.

Prior Presentations: Abstract accepted for poster presentation at the Presidential Poster Session at the American Geriatrics Society National Conference 2020, Long Beach, CA.

Risk Factors for Emergency Room and Hospital Care Among Patients With Solid Tumors on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are being increasingly used across cancer types. Emergency room (ER) and inpatient (IP) care, common in patients with cancer, remain poorly defined in this specific population, and risk factors for such care are unknown. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed charts for patients with solid tumors who received >1 ICI dose at 1 of 2 sites from January 1, 2011 to April 28, 2017. Demographics, medical history, cancer diagnosis/therapy/toxicity details, and outcomes were recorded. Descriptive data detailing ER/IP care at the 2 associated hospitals during ICI therapy (from first dose to 3 mo after last dose) were collected. The Fisher exact test and multivariate regression analysis was used to study differences between patients with versus without ER/IP care during ICI treatment. RESULTS: Among 345 patients studied, 50% had at least 1 ER visit during ICI treatment and 43% had at least 1 IP admission. Six percent of ER/IP visits eventually required intensive care. A total of 12% of ER/IP visits were associated with suspected or confirmed immune-related adverse events. Predictors of ER care were African-American race (odds ratio [OR]: 3.83, P=0.001), Hispanic ethnicity (OR: 3.12, P=0.007), and coronary artery disease (OR: 2.43, P=0.006). Predictors of IP care were African-American race (OR: 2.38, P=0.024), Hispanic ethnicity (OR: 2.29, P=0.045), chronic kidney disease (OR: 3.89, P=0.006), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker medication use (OR: 0.44, P=0.009), and liver metastasis (OR: 2.32, P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Understanding demographic and clinical risk factors for ER/IP care among patients on ICIs can help highlight disparities, prospectively identify high-risk patients, and inform preventive programs aimed at reducing such care.

Hurricanes and healthcare: a case report on the influences of Hurricane Maria and managed Medicare in treating a Puerto Rican resident.

BACKGROUND: While Medicare is a federal health insurance program, managed Medicare limits access to healthcare services to networks within states or territories. However, if a natural disaster requires evacuation, displaced patients are at risk of losing coverage for their benefits. Previous literature has discussed the quality of managed Medicare plans within Puerto Rico but has not addressed the adequacy of this coverage if residents are displaced to the continental United States. We explore Hurricane Maria's impact on a resident of Puerto Rico with chronic health problems, and the challenges he faces seeking healthcare in New York. CASE PRESENTATION: A 59-year-old male with a history of diabetes mellitus type II, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease status post right foot amputation, and end-stage kidney disease on hemodialysis was admitted in October of 2017 for chest pain and swelling of legs for 5 days. The patient had missed his last three dialysis sessions after Hurricane Maria forced him to leave Puerto Rico. In examining this patient's treatment, we observe the effect of Hurricane Maria on the medical management of Puerto Rican residents and identify challenges managed Medicare may pose to patients who cross state or territory lines. CONCLUSIONS: We employ this patient's narrative to frame a larger discussion of Puerto Rican managed Medicare and provide additional recommendations for healthcare providers. Moreover, we consider this case in the context of disaster-related continuity of care for patients with complex medical conditions or treatment regimens. To address the gaps in the care of these patients, this article proposes (1) developing system-based approaches for screening displaced patients, (2) increasing the awareness of Special Enrollment Periods related to Medicare among healthcare providers, and (3) creating policy solutions to assure access to care for patients with complex medical conditions.