Social Networks as a Key Health Determinant in Acute Illness Recovery: A Lesson from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of considering social determinants of health in health outcomes. Within this spectrum of determinants, social networks garnered attention as the pandemic highlighted the negative effects of social isolation in the context of social distancing measures. Post-pandemic, examining the role social networks play in COVID-19 recovery can help guide patient care and shape future health policies. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social networks and self-rated health change, as well as physical function, in patients recovering from COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study utilizing clinical data from two New York City hospitals and a 9-month follow-up survey of COVID-19 pneumonia survivors. We evaluated a composite Social Network Score from the 6-item Lubben Social Network Scale and its association with two outcomes: 1) self-rated health change and 2) physical function. RESULTS: A total of 208 patients were included in this study. A one-point increase in the Social Network Score was associated with greater odds of both improved or similar self-rated health change (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% CI 1.02 - 1.12, p = 0.01), as well as unimpaired physical function (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.14, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study emphasized the importance of social networks as a social determinant of health among patients recovering from COVID-19 hospitalization. Targeted interventions to enhance social networks may benefit not only COVID-19 patients but also individuals recovering from other acute illnesses.

Association of phenotypic frailty and hand grip strength with telomere length in SLE.

OBJECTIVE: Frailty and objective hand grip strength (one of the components of the frailty phenotype) are both risk factors for worse health outcomes in SLE. Whether telomere length, an established cellular senescence marker, is a biologic correlate of the frailty phenotype and hand grip strength in patients with SLE is not clear. First, we aimed to evaluate differences in telomere length between frail and non-frail women with SLE and then assessed whether frailty or hand grip strength is differentially associated with telomere length after adjusting for relevant confounders. METHODS: Women ≥18 years of age with validated SLE enrolled at a single medical centre. Fried frailty status (which includes hand grip strength), clinical characteristics and telomere length were assessed cross-sectionally. Differences between frail and non-frail participants were evaluated using Fisher's exact or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. The associations between frailty and hand grip strength and telomere length were determined using linear regression. RESULTS: Of the 150 enrolled participants, 131 had sufficient data for determination of frailty classification; 26% were frail with a median age of 45 years. There was a non-significant trend towards shorter telomere length in frail versus non-frail participants (p=0.07). Hand grip strength was significantly associated with telomere length (beta coefficient 0.02, 95% CI 0.004, 0.04), including after adjustment for age, SLE disease activity and organ damage, and comorbidity (beta coefficient 0.02, 95% CI 0.002, 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Decreased hand grip strength, but not frailty, was independently associated with shortened telomere length in a cohort of non-elderly women with SLE. Frailty in this middle-aged cohort may be multifactorial rather than strictly a manifestation of accelerated ageing.

A Novel Approach for Mixed-Methods Research Using Large Language Models: A Report Using Patients' Perspectives on Barriers to Arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: Mixed-methods research is valuable in health care to gain insights into patient perceptions. However, analyzing textual data from interviews can be time-consuming and require multiple analysts for investigator triangulation. This study aims to explore a novel approach to investigator triangulation in mixed-methods research by employing a large language model (LLM) for analyzing data from patient interviews. METHODS: This study compared the thematic analysis and survey generation performed by human investigators and ChatGPT-4, which uses GPT-4 as its backbone model, using data from an existing study that explored patient perceptions of barriers to arthroplasty. The human- and ChatGPT-4-generated themes and surveys were compared and evaluated based on their representation of salient themes from a predetermined topic guide. RESULTS: ChatGPT-4 generated analogous dominant themes and a comprehensive corresponding survey as the human investigators but in significantly less time. The survey questions generated by ChatGPT-4 were less precise than those developed by human investigators. The mixed-methods flowchart proposes integrating LLMs and human investigators as a supplementary tool for the preliminary thematic analysis of qualitative data and survey generation. CONCLUSION: By utilizing a combination of LLMs and human investigators through investigator triangulation, researchers may be able to conduct more efficient mixed-methods research to better understand patient perspectives. Ethical and qualitative implications of using LLMs should be considered.

Ambulatory Care Fragmentation and Total Health Care Costs.

BACKGROUND: The magnitude of the relationship between ambulatory care fragmentation and subsequent total health care costs is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between ambulatory care fragmentation and total health care costs. RESEARCH DESIGN: Longitudinal analysis of 15 years of data (2004-2018) from the national Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, linked to Medicare fee-for-service claims. SUBJECTS: A total of 13,680 Medicare beneficiaries who are 65 years and older. MEASURES: We measured ambulatory care fragmentation in each calendar year, defining high fragmentation as a reversed Bice-Boxerman Index ≥0.85 and low as <0.85. We used generalized linear models to determine the association between ambulatory care fragmentation in 1 year and total Medicare expenditures (costs) in the following year, adjusting for baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, a time-varying comorbidity index, and accounting for geographic variation in reimbursement and inflation. RESULTS: The average participant was 70.9 years old; approximately half (53%) were women. One-fourth (26%) of participants had high fragmentation in the first year of observation. Those participants had a median of 9 visits to 6 providers, with the most frequently seen provider accounting for 29% of visits. By contrast, participants with low fragmentation had a median of 8 visits to 3 providers, with the most frequently seen provider accounting for 50% of visits. High fragmentation was associated with $1085 more in total adjusted costs per person per year (95% CI $713 to $1457) than low fragmentation. CONCLUSIONS: Highly fragmented ambulatory care in 1 year is independently associated with higher total costs the following year.

The Effect of Social Isolation on 1-Year Outcomes After Surgical Repair of Low-Energy Hip Fracture.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether social isolation or loneliness is associated with outcomes 1 year after low-energy hip fracture. DESIGN: Prospective inception cohort study. SETTING: Academic level I trauma center. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Participants were 65 years or older and enrolled 2-4 days after surgery for a first low-energy hip fracture. Exclusion criteria were bilateral or periprosthetic hip fracture, previous hip fracture, non-English speaking, international address, active cancer, stage 4 cancer in the past 5 years, radiation to the hip region, and cognitive impairment. Participants were followed longitudinally for 1 year. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS: The patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS)-29 was elicited 2-4 days postoperatively and 1 year later. Patient-reported risk factors included the Lubben Social Networks Scale and the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, which were compared with the lower extremity activity scale and PROMIS-29 domains. RESULTS: Three hundred and twenty-five patients were enrolled. Participants had a median age of 81.7 years, were 70.9% female, and were 85.9% White. In total, 31.6% of patients were socially isolated at the time of fracture. At 1 year, 222 of the 291 subjects who were confirmed alive at 1 year provided data. Multivariable linear models were performed separately for each outcome, including lower extremity activity scale and PROMIS-29 domains. Controlling for age, sex, education, and body mass index, those who were socially isolated at the time of fracture had worse PROMIS-29 function (ß = -3.83; P = 0.02) and ability to participate in social roles (ß = -4.17; P = 0.01) at 1 year. Secondary analyses found that prefracture loneliness was associated with clinically meaningfully worse function, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep, pain, and ability to participate in social roles at 1 year (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Prefracture social isolation was associated with worse outcomes 1 year after surgical repair of low-energy hip fracture. These data suggest loneliness may be more strongly associated with important patient-centric metrics than prefracture social isolation. Given the dearth of modifiable risk factors in this population, future studies are needed to evaluate whether improving social connections could affect outcomes in this rapidly growing demographic. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Healthcare disparities: patients' perspectives on barriers to joint replacement.

OBJECTIVE: Racial and ethnic disparities in arthroplasty utilization are evident, but the reasons are not known. We aimed to identify concerns that may contribute to barriers to arthroplasty from the patient's perspective. METHODS: We identified patients' concerns about arthroplasty by performing a mixed methods study. Themes identified during semi-structured interviews with Black and Hispanic patients with advanced symptomatic hip or knee arthritis were used to develop a questionnaire to quantify and prioritize their concerns. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between race/ethnicity and the importance of each theme. Models were adjusted for sex, insurance, education, HOOS, JR/KOOS, JR, and discussion of joint replacement with a doctor. RESULTS: Interviews with eight participants reached saturation and provided five themes used to develop a survey answered by 738 (24%) participants; 75.5% White, 10.3% Black, 8.7% Hispanic, 3.9% Asian/Other. Responses were significantly different between groups (p < 0.05). Themes identified were "Trust in the surgeon" "Recovery", "Cost/Insurance", "Surgical outcome", and "Personal suitability/timing". Compared to Whites, Blacks were two-fold, Hispanics four-fold more likely to rate "Trust in the surgeon" as very/extremely important. Blacks were almost three times and Hispanics over six times more likely to rate "Recovery" as very/extremely important. CONCLUSION: We identified factors of importance to patients that may contribute to barriers to arthroplasty, with marked differences between Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites.

Comparison of two frailty definitions in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: Frailty is a risk factor for adverse health in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The Fried phenotype (FP) and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Frailty Index (SLICC-FI) are common frailty metrics reflecting distinct approaches to frailty assessment. We aimed to 1) compare frailty prevalence according to both metrics in women with SLE and describe differences between frail and non-frail participants using each method and 2) evaluate for cross-sectional associations between each metric and self-report disability. METHODS: Women aged 18-70 years with SLE were enrolled. FP and SLICC-FI were measured, and agreement calculated using a kappa statistic. Physician-reported disease activity and damage, Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) computerized adaptive tests, and Valued Life Activities (VLA) self-report disability were assessed. Differences between frail and non-frail participants were evaluated cross-sectionally, and the association of frailty with disability was determined for both metrics. RESULTS: Of 67 participants, 17.9% (FP) and 26.9% (SLICC-FI) were frail according to each metric (kappa = 0.41, p< 0.01). Compared with non-frail women, frail women had greater disease damage, worse PROMIS scores, and greater disability (all p< 0.01 for FP and SLICC-FI). After age adjustment, frailty remained associated with a greater odds of disability (FP: odds ratio [OR] 4.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-18.8; SLICC-FI: OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.3-15.8). CONCLUSION: Frailty is present in 17.9-26.9% of women with SLE. These metrics identified a similar, but non-identical group of women as frail. Further studies are needed to explore which metric is most informative in this population.

Frailty and emergency department utilisation in adults with systemic lupus erythematosus ≤65 years of age: an administrative claims data analysis of Medicaid beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVE: Frailty is a risk factor for adverse health in adults with SLE, including those <65 years. Emergency department (ED) utilisation is high in adults with SLE, but to our knowledge, whether frailty is associated with ED use is unknown. In a large administrative claims dataset, we assessed risk of ED utilisation among frail adults with SLE ≤65 years of age relative to non-frail adults ≤65 years of age with SLE. METHODS: Using the MarketScan Medicaid subset from 2011 to 2015, we identified beneficiaries 18-65 years with SLE (≥3 SLE International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes ≥30 days apart). Comparators without a systemic rheumatic disease (SRD) were matched 4:1 on age and gender. Frailty status in 2011 was determined using two claims-based frailty indices (CFIs). We compared risk of recurrent ED utilisation among frail and non-frail beneficiaries with SLE using an extension of the Cox proportional hazard model for recurrent events data. RESULTS: Of 2262 beneficiaries with SLE and 9048 non-SRD comparators, 28.8% and 11.6% were frail, respectively, according to both CFIs. Compared with non-frail beneficiaries with SLE, frail beneficiaries with SLE had significantly higher hazard of recurrent ED use (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.08). CONCLUSION: Frailty increased hazard of recurrent ED visits in frail adults ≤65 years of age with SLE relative to comparable non-frail adults with SLE. Frailty is a potential target for efforts to improve quality of care in SLE.

Diabetes, gaps in care coordination, and preventable adverse events.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the frequency of self-reported gaps in care coordination and self-reported preventable adverse events among adults with vs without diabetes. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study participants 65 years and older who completed a survey on health care experiences in 2017-2018 (N = 5634). METHODS: We analyzed the association of diabetes with self-reported gaps in care coordination and with preventable adverse events. Gaps in care coordination were assessed using 8 validated questions. Four self-reported adverse events were studied (drug-drug interactions, repeat medical tests, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations). Respondents were asked if they thought these events could have been prevented with better communication among providers. RESULTS: Overall, 1724 (30.6%) participants had diabetes. Among participants with and without diabetes, 39.3% and 40.7%, respectively, reported any gap in care coordination. The adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) for any gap in care coordination for participants with vs without diabetes was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.89-1.06). Any preventable adverse event was reported by 12.9% and 8.7% of participants with and without diabetes, respectively. The aPR for any preventable adverse event for participants with vs without diabetes was 1.22 (95% CI, 1.00-1.49). Among participants with and without diabetes, the aPRs for any preventable adverse event associated with any gap in care coordination were 1.53 (95% CI, 1.15-2.04) and 1.50 (95% CI, 1.21-1.88), respectively (P comparing aPRs = .922). CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to improve quality of care for patients with diabetes could incorporate patient-reported gaps in care coordination to aid in preventing adverse events.

Brain fog in long COVID limits function and health status, independently of hospital severity and preexisting conditions.

Importance: The U.S. government has named post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (longCOVID) as influential on disability rates. We previously showed that COVID-19 carries a medical/functional burden at 1 year, and that age and other risk factors of severe COVID-19 were not associated with increased longCOVID risk. Long-term longCOVID brain fog (BF) prevalence, risk factors and associated medical/functional factors are poorly understood, especially after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted at an urban tertiary-care hospital. Of 1,032 acute COVID-19 survivors from March 3-May 15, 2020, 633 were called, 530 responded (59.2 ± 16.3 years, 44.5% female, 51.5% non-White) about BF prevalence, other longCOVID, post-acute ED/hospital utilization, perceived health/social network, effort tolerance, disability. Results: At approximately 1-year, 31.9% (n = 169) experienced BF. Acute COVID-19 severity, age, and premorbid cardiopulmonary comorbidities did not differ between those with/without BF at 1 year. Patients with respiratory longCOVID had 54% higher risk of BF than those without respiratory longCOVID. BF associated with sleep disturbance (63% with BF vs.29% without BF, p < 0.0001), shortness of breath (46% vs.18%, p < 0.0001), weakness (49% vs.22%, p < 0.0001), dysosmia/dysgeusia (12% vs.5%, p < 0.004), activity limitations (p < 0.001), disability/leave (11% vs.3%, p < 0.0001), worsened perceived health since acute COVID-19 (66% vs.30%, p < 0.001) and social isolation (40% vs.29%, p < 0.02), despite no differences in premorbid comorbidities and age. Conclusions and relevance: A year after COVID-19 infection, BF persists in a third of patients. COVID-19 severity is not a predictive risk factor. BF associates with other longCOVID and independently associates with persistent debility.

Long COVID in Cancer: A Matched Cohort Study of 1-year Mortality and Long COVID Prevalence Among Patients With Cancer Who Survived an Initial Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

OBJECTIVES: The long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) infection in patients with cancer are unknown. We examined 1-year mortality and prevalence of long COVID in patients with and without cancer after initial hospitalization for acute COVID-19 infection. METHODS: We previously studied 585 patients hospitalized from March to May 2020 with acute COVID-19 infection at Weill Cornell Medicine (117 patients with cancer and 468 age, sex, and comorbidity-matched non-cancer controls). Of the 456 patients who were discharged, we followed 359 patients (75 cancer and 284 non-cancer controls) for COVID-related symptoms and death, at 3, 6, and 12 months after initial symptom onset. Pearson χ 2 and Fisher exact tests were used to determine associations between cancer, postdischarge mortality, and long COVID symptoms. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for potential confounders were used to quantify the risk of death between patients with and without cancer. RESULTS: The cancer cohort had higher mortality after hospitalization (23% vs 5%, P < 0.001), a hazard ratio of 4.7 (95% CI: 2.34-9.46) for all-cause mortality, after adjusting for smoking and oxygen requirement. Long COVID symptoms were observed in 33% of patients regardless of cancer status. Constitutional, respiratory, and cardiac complaints were the most prevalent symptoms in the first 6 months, whereas respiratory and neurological complaints (eg, "brain fog" and memory deficits) were most prevalent at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cancer have higher mortality after hospitalization for acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections. The risk of death was highest in the first 3 months after discharge. About one-third of all patients experienced long COVID.

Ambulatory Care Fragmentation, Emergency Department Visits, and Race: a Nationwide Cohort Study in the U.S.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether highly fragmented ambulatory care (i.e., care spread across multiple providers without a dominant provider) increases the risk of an emergency department (ED) visit. Whether any such association varies with race is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether highly fragmented ambulatory care increases the risk of an ED visit, overall and by race. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: We analyzed data for 14,361 participants ≥ 65 years old from the nationwide prospective REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort study, linked to Medicare claims (2003-2016). MAIN MEASURES: We defined high fragmentation as a reversed Bice-Boxerman Index ≥ 0.85 (≥ 75th percentile). We used Poisson models to determine the association between fragmentation (as a time-varying exposure) and ED visits, overall and stratified by race, adjusting for demographics, medical conditions, medications, health behaviors, psychosocial variables, and physiologic variables. KEY RESULTS: The average participant was 70.5 years old; 53% were female, and 33% were Black individuals. Participants with high fragmentation had a median of 9 visits to 6 providers, with 29% of visits by the most frequently seen provider; participants with low fragmentation had a median of 7 visits to 3 providers, with 50% of visits by the most frequently seen provider. Overall, high fragmentation was associated with more ED visits than low fragmentation (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29, 1.34). The magnitude of this association was larger among Black (aRR 1.48, 95% CI 1.44, 1.53) than White participants (aRR 1.23, 95% CI 1.20, 1.25). CONCLUSIONS: Highly fragmented ambulatory care was an independent predictor of ED visits, especially among Black individuals.

Self-reported gaps in care coordination and preventable adverse outcomes among older adults receiving home health care.

BACKGROUND: Older adults see multiple outpatient providers and increasingly use home health care (HHC) services. Previous studies attempting to draw inferences about the association between HHC use and patient outcomes have been mixed. Whether HHC is associated with care coordination and how both influence outcomes are unknown. In addition, prior studies have not taken the patient perspective into account. We examined the association between receiving HHC and self-reported gaps in care coordination and separately, preventable adverse outcomes. METHODS: The analysis for this cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2021 and June 2022, using data on 4296 Medicare beneficiaries from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study who completed a survey on care coordination from 2017 to 2018. The associations between the receipt of HHC and two outcomes (a gap in care coordination, and separately, a preventable adverse event) were examined with Poisson models with robust standard errors. Potential confounders were accounted for through propensity score-based inverse probability weighting. RESULTS: Among 4296 participants, 430 (10%) received HHC and they were older and had more comorbidities and ambulatory visits than those without HHC. HHC was not associated with differences in self-reported gaps in care coordination (33.3% HHC vs. 32.5% no-HHC, p = 0.70). HHC recipients reported more preventable drug-drug interactions (9.1% vs. 4.0%, p < 0.001) but not more preventable ED visits or hospital admissions. In IPW-adjusted models, HHC was not associated with gaps in care coordination (p = 0.60) but was associated with double the risk of a preventable adverse outcome (aRR 2.06; CI: 1.37, 3.10, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: HHC recipients were significantly more likely (than those without HHC) to report a potentially preventable adverse event (particularly a drug-drug interaction), suggesting an opportunity to improve patient safety by leveraging the observations of older adults receiving HHC.

Depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, and all-cause mortality among REGARDS participants with heart failure.

Aims: To ascertain whether depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment (CI) are associated with mortality among patients with heart failure (HF), adjusting for sociodemographic, comorbidities, and biomarkers. Methods and results: We utilized Medicare-linked data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study, a biracial prospective ongoing cohort of 30 239 US community-dwelling adults, recruited in 2003-07. HF diagnosis was ascertained in claims analysis. Depressive symptoms were defined as a score ≥4 on the four-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale. Cognitive impairment was defined as a score of ≤4 on the six-item screener that assessed three-item recall and orientation to year, month, and day of the week. Sequentially adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the risk of death. We analyzed 1059 REGARDS participants (mean age 73, 48%-African American) with HF; of those 146 (14%) reported depressive symptoms, 136 (13%) had CI and 31 (3%) had both. Over the median follow-up of 6.8 years (interquartile range, 3.4-10.3), 785 (74%) died. In the socio-demographics-adjusted model, CI was significantly associated with increased mortality, hazard ratio 1.24 (95% confidence interval 1.01-1.52), compared with persons with neither depressive symptoms nor CI, but this association was attenuated after further adjustment. Neither depressive symptoms alone nor their comorbidity with CI was associated with mortality. Risk factors of all-cause mortality included: low income, comorbidities, smoking, physical inactivity, and severity of HF. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms, CI, or their comorbidity was not associated with mortality in HF in this study. Treatment of HF in elderly needs to be tailored to cognitive status and includes focus on medical comorbidities.

Veterans' ambulatory care experience during COVID-19: veterans' access to and satisfaction with primary care early in the pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread changes to healthcare, but few studies focus on ambulatory care during the early phase of the pandemic. We characterize veterans' ambulatory care experience, specifically access and satisfaction, early in the pandemic. METHODS: We employed a semi-structured telephone interview to capture quantitative and qualitative data from patients scheduled with a primary care provider between March 1 - June 30, 2020. Forty veterans were randomly identified at a single large urban Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical center. The interview guide utilized 56 closed and open-ended questions to characterize veterans' perceptions of access to and satisfaction with their primary care experience at VHA and non-VHA primary care sources. We also explored the context of veterans' daily lives during the pandemic. We analyzed quantitative data using descriptive statistics and verbatim quotes using a matrix analysis. RESULTS: Veterans reported completing more appointments (mean 2.6 (SD 2.2)) than scheduled (mean 2.3 (SD 2.2)) mostly due to same-day or urgent visits, with a shift to telephone (mean 2.1 (SD 2.2)) and video (mean 1.5 (SD 0.6)). Among those who reported decreased access to care early in the pandemic (n = 27 (67%)), 15 (56%) cited administrative barriers ("The phone would hang up on me") and 9 (33%) reported a lack of provider availability ("They are not reaching out like they used to"). While most veterans (n = 31 (78%)) were highly satisfied with their VHA care (mean score 8.6 (SD 2.0 on a 0-10 scale), 9 (23%) reported a decrease in satisfaction since the pandemic. The six (15%) veterans who utilized non-VHA providers during the period of interest reported, on average, higher satisfaction ratings (mean 9.5 (SD 1.2)). Many veterans reported psychosocial effects such as the worsening of mental health (n = 6 (15%)), anxiety concerning the virus (n = 12 (30%)), and social isolation (n = 8 (20%), "I stay inside and away from people"). CONCLUSIONS: While the number of encounters reported suggest adequate access and satisfaction, the comments regarding barriers to care suggest that enhanced approaches may be warranted to improve and sustain veteran perceptions of adequate access to and satisfaction with primary care during times of crisis.

Incidence of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and association with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs - Analysis of a national claims database.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of incident dementia associated with the use of biologics or targeted synthetic DMARDs (b/tsDMARD) compared to conventional synthetic (cs) DMARDS only in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: We analyzed claims data from the Center for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) from 2006-2017. Patients with RA were identified as adults ≥40 years old and two RA diagnoses by a rheumatologist > 7 and < 365 days apart. Patients with a prior diagnosis of dementia were excluded. Use of cs/b/tsDMARDs was the exposure of interest. Person-time was classified as either: 1) b/tsDMARD exposed, which included tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors (TNFi)-bDMARDs, non-TNFi-bDMARDs or tsDMARDs with or without csDMARDs; 2) csDMARD-exposed: any csDMARD without b/tsDMARD. Patients could contribute time to different exposure groups if they changed medications. Incident dementia was defined as: 1 inpatient OR 2 outpatients ICD-9-CM or ICD-10 claims for dementia, OR prescription of a dementia-specific medication (rivastigmine, galantamine, memantine, donepezil, tacrine). Age-adjusted incident rates (IR) were calculated, and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate Hazard Ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: We identified 141,326 eligible RA patients; 80% female and 75.3% white, median age 67 years and mean (SD) exposure time of 1.1 (1.5) years. There were 233,271 initiations of c/b/tsDMARDS and 3,794 cases of incident dementia during follow up. The crude IR of dementia was 2.0 (95% CI 1.9-2.1) per 100 person-years for patients on csDMARDs and 1.3 (95% CI 1.2-1.4) for patients on any b/tsDMARD. Patients on b/tsDMARDs had an adjusted 19% lower risk for dementia than patients on csDMARDs [HR 0.81 (95% CI 0.76-0.87)]. Subgroup analysis found comparable risk reductions between TNFi, non-TNFi, and tsDMARDs. on the risk of dementia. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The incidence of dementia in patients with RA was lower in patients receiving b/tsDMARDs when compared to patients on csDMARD only. No differences were observed between different classes of b/tsDMARDs, suggesting that decreased risk is possibly explained by the overall decrease in inflammation rather than a specific mechanism of action of these drugs.

Comparing cardiovascular risk of patients with rheumatoid arthritis within the Social Security Disability Insurance with those commercially insured.

OBJECTIVE: To compare cardiovascular disease (CVD) rates in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) beneficiaries of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) with commercially insured RA patients. METHOD: We created three cohorts of RA patients aged < 65 years for SSDI and three for Marketscan using claims data from 2006 to 2016. The cohort definitions were as follows: (1) cohort 1: ≥ 2 diagnosis codes for RA occurring 7-365 days apart with ≥ 1 diagnosis code from a rheumatologist; (2) cohort 2: ≥ 1 diagnosis code for RA from a rheumatologist and a disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDS); and (3) cohort 3: cohort 2, plus initiation of a new biologic/tofacitinib. We used Cox regression to determine the CVD risk comparing SSDI vs. Marketscan. Models were sequentially adjusted for age and sex (model 1); model 1 + diabetes, smoking, and high CVD risk (model 2); and model 2 + dual eligible (Medicare and Medicaid), subsidy, and state buy in (model 3). RESULTS: There were 380,336 RA patients, mean age 53.3 (SD 8.1) years, 21-24% male. Prevalence of comorbidities was higher in SSDI vs. Marketscan. SSDI RA patients in cohort 2 (model 3) had higher CVD risk (HR 1.23 (1.14-1.33). In cohort 3 (model 3), CVD risk was not statistically significantly different between SSDI and Marketscan (HR 0.89 (0.69-1.15). CONCLUSION: RA patient beneficiaries of the SSDI had higher risk for CVD events than those employed. The differences in CVD events between SSDI and Marketscan were partially attributable to differences in CVD risk factors.

Nearly All Cancer Survivors Return to Primary Care.

BACKGROUND: During cancer treatments, patients often defer primary care and comorbidity management, which may not be optimal for overall health when patients transition into survivorship. We sought to quantify primary care utilization among cancer survivors who are ≥2 years post cancer treatments. METHODS: 951 cancer survivors were included in this national, prospective cohort study using the Regional Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) data. RESULTS: Nearly all (91.6%) cancer survivors had at least 1 annual PCP visit and most (54.6%) had a PCP as their dominant provider. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the urgent need for smooth handoffs from oncology back to primary care.

Race and Sex Differences in Mortality in Individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Rationale: Despite differences in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) comorbidities, race- and sex-based differences in all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality are not well described. Objectives: To examine mortality differences in COPD by race-sex and underlying mechanisms. Methods: Medicare claims were used to identify COPD among REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) cohort participants. Mortality rates were calculated using adjudicated causes of death. Hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality comparing race-sex groups were modeled with Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: In the 2,148-member COPD subcohort, 49% were women, and 34% were Black individuals; 1,326 deaths occurred over a median 7.5 years (interquartile range, 3.9-10.5 yr) follow-up. All-cause mortality per 1,000 person-years comparing Black versus White men was 101.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 88.3-115.8) versus 93.9 (95% CI, 86.3-102.3; P = 0.99); comparing Black versus White women, all-cause mortality per 1,000 person-years was 74.2 (95% CI, 65.0-84.8) versus 70.6 (95% CI, 63.5-78.5; P = 0.99). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) was the leading cause-specific mortality among all race-sex groups. HR for CVD and chronic lung disease mortality were nonsignificant comparing Black versus White men. HR for CVD death was higher in Black compared with White women (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.06-1.95), whereas chronic lung disease death was lower (HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.25-0.77). These differences were attributable to higher CVD risk factor burden among Black women. Conclusions: In the REGARDS COPD cohort, there were no race-sex differences in all-cause mortality. CVD was the most common cause of death for all race-sex groups with COPD. Black women with COPD had a higher risk of CVD-related mortality than White women. CVD comorbidity management, especially among Black individuals, may improve mortality outcomes.

Assessing mortality differences across acute respiratory failure management strategies in Covid-19.

PURPOSE: Prolonged observation could avoid invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and related risks in patients with Covid-19 acute respiratory failure (ARF) compared to initiating early IMV. We aimed to determine the association between ARF management strategy and in-hospital mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients in the Weill Cornell Covid-19 registry who developed ARF between March 5 - March 25, 2020 were exposed to an early IMV strategy; between March 26 - April 1, 2020 to an intermediate strategy; and after April 2 to prolonged observation. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model in-hospital mortality and test an interaction between ARF management strategy and modified sequential organ failure assessment (mSOFA). RESULTS: Among 632 patients with ARF, 24% of patients in the early IMV strategy died versus 28% in prolonged observation. At lower mSOFA, prolonged observation was associated with lower mortality compared to early IMV (at mSOFA = 0, HR 0.16 [95% CI 0.04-0.57]). Mortality risk increased in the prolonged observation strategy group with each point increase in mSOFA score (HR 1.29 [95% CI 1.10-1.51], p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: In Covid-19 ARF, prolonged observation was associated with a mortality benefit at lower mSOFA scores, and increased mortality at higher mSOFA scores compared to early IMV.