Association of Surgical Timing with Outcomes in Early Stage Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Optimal time to surgery for lung cancer is not well established. We aimed to assess whether time to surgery correlates with outcomes. METHODS: We assessed patients 18-84 years old who were diagnosed with stage I/II lung cancer at our integrated healthcare system from 2009 to 2019. Time to surgery was defined to start with disease confirmation (imaging or biopsy) prior to the surgery scheduling date. Outcomes of unplanned return to care within 30 days of lung cancer surgery, all-cause mortality, and disease recurrence were compared based on time to surgery before and after 2, 4, and 12 weeks. RESULTS: Of 2861 included patients, 70% were over 65 years old and 61% were female. Time to surgery occurred in 1-2 weeks for 6%, 3-4 weeks for 31%, 5-12 weeks for 58%, and 13-26 weeks for 5% of patients. Patients with time to surgery > 4 (vs. ≤ 4) weeks had greater risk of both death (hazard ratio (HR) 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.39) and recurrence (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.10-1.62). Associations were not statistically significant when dichotomizing time to surgery at 2 or 12 weeks for death (2 week HR 1.23, 95% CI 0.93-1.64; 12 week HR 1.35, 95% CI 0.97-1.88) and recurrence (2 week HR 1.54, 95% CI 0.85-2.80; 12 week HR 2.28, 95% CI 0.80-6.46). CONCLUSIONS: Early stage lung cancer patients with time to surgery within 4 weeks experienced lower rates of recurrence. Optimal time to surgical resection may be shorter than previously reported.

Risk of cardiac events after elective versus urgent or emergent noncardiac surgery: Implications for quality measurement and improvement.

INTRODUCTION: Patient populations differ for elective vs urgent and emergent surgery. The effect of this difference on surgical outcome is not well understood and may be important for improving surgical safety. Our primary hypothesis was that there is an association of surgical acuity with risk of postoperative cardiac events. Secondarily, we examined elective vs urgent and emergent patients separately to understand patient characteristics that are associated with postoperative cardiac events. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients ≥65 years undergoing noncardiac elective or urgent/emergent surgery. Logistic regression estimated the association of surgical acuity with a postoperative cardiac event, which was defined as myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest within 30 days of surgery. For the secondary analysis, we modeled the outcome after stratifying by acuity. RESULTS: The study included 161,177 patients with 1014 cardiac events. The unadjusted risk of a postoperative cardiac event was 3.2 per 1000 among elective patients and 28.7 per 1000 among urgent and emergent patients (adjusted odds ratio 4.10, 95% confidence interval 3.56-4.72). After adjustment, increased age, higher baseline cardiac risk, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, worse American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) physical classification, and longer operative time were associated with a postoperative cardiac event. Higher baseline cardiac risk was more strongly associated with postoperative cardiac events in elective patients. In contrast, worse ASA physical classification was more strongly associated with postoperative cardiac events in urgent and emergent patients. Black patients had higher odds of a postoperative cardiac event only in urgent and emergent patients compared to White patients. CONCLUSIONS: Quality measurement and improvement to address postoperative cardiac risk should consider patients based on surgical acuity.

Limitations to Health Care Quality Measurement: Assessing Hospital Variation in Risk of Cardiac Events After Noncardiac Surgery.

Limited sample size, incomplete measures, and inadequate risk adjustment adversely influence accurate health care quality measurements, surgical quality measurements, and accurate comparisons among hospitals. Since these measures are linked to resources for quality improvement and reimbursement, improving the accuracy of measurement has substantial implications for patients, clinicians, hospital administrators, insurers, and purchasers. The team examined risk-adjusted differences of postoperative cardiac events among 20 geographically dispersed, community-based medical centers within an integrated health care system and compared it with the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) hospital-specific differences. The exposure included the hospital at which patients received noncardiac surgical care, with stratification of patients by the acuity of surgery (elective vs. urgent/emergent). Among 157,075 surgery patients, the unadjusted risk of cardiac event per 1000 ranged among hospitals from 2.1 to 6.9 for elective surgery and from 10.3 to 44.5 for urgent/emergent surgery. Across the 20 hospitals, hospital rankings estimated in the present analysis differed significantly from ranking reported by NSQIP (P for difference: elective, P = 0.0001; urgent/emergent, P < 0.0001) with significantly and substantially lower variation after risk adjustment. Current surgical quality measures may not adequately account for limitations of sample size, data capture, adequate risk adjustment, and surgical acuity in a given hospital, particularly for rare outcomes. These differences have implications for quality reporting and may introduce bias into hospital comparisons, particularly for hospitals with incomplete capture of their patients' baseline risk and acuity.

Association of teledermatology workflows with standardising co-management of rashes by primary care physicians and dermatologists.

INTRODUCTION: For patients with a rash, the effect of teledermatology workflow on utilization has not been defined. We compared utilization across four teledermatology workflows in patients with a rash. METHODS: The observational longitudinal cohort study included 28,857 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members with a new rash diagnosis seen in primary care and with dermatology advice obtained using teledermatology. The workflows differed in camera and image quality; who took the picture; how the image was forwarded; and synchronicity and convenience. RESULTS: On average, 23% of patients had a follow-up office visit in dermatology within 90 days of their primary care visit. In multivariable analysis, the four technologies differed substantially in the likelihood of a follow-up dermatology office visit. In contrast, the likelihood was only negligibly related to medical centre or primary care provider. DISCUSSION: Technologies and workflows that offer the mobility of a smartphone with a high level of synchronicity in communication were associated with standardised co-management of rashes.

Cohort and nested case-control study of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in solid organ transplant recipients, by medication.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge is needed about the risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) using contemporary immunosuppressive regimens. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the risk of cSCC in relation to medications used by SOTRs. METHODS: The cohort and nest case-control study included 3308 SOTRs and 65,883 persons without transplantation during 2009-2019. Incident cSCC was identified from pathology data, and medications were identified from pharmacy data. Adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards analysis, with voriconazole examined as a time-dependent variable. RESULTS: The annual incidence of cSCC was 1.69% in SOTRs and 0.30% in persons without transplantation. The adjusted hazard ratio of cSCC associated with lung transplant was 14.83 (95% CI, 9.85-22.33) for lung and 6.53-10.69 for other organs. Risk in Latinx persons was higher than in other non-White groups. Among lung recipients, the hazard ratio was 1.14 for each month of voriconazole use (95% CI, 1.04-1.26). Azathioprine use for ≥7 months, relating to mycophenolate mofetil intolerance, was associated with a 4.22-fold increased risk of cSCC (95% CI, 1.90-9.40). Belatacept and other immunsuppressive medications were not associated with risk. LIMITATION: The number of events was somewhat small. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge of risks and benefits in diverse patients can translate to improvements in care.

Outcomes following interventions to sustain body weight in esophageal cancer patients starting preoperative therapy: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To improve nutritional status and dysphagia, esophageal cancer patients starting neoadjuvant therapy in advance of curative-intent surgery may receive a jejunostomy tube (J-tube) or esophageal stent, or they may be managed without a feeding modality. We examined percent total weight loss (%TWL), reinterventions, and progression to surgery in relation to these options. METHODS: The retrospective cohort study included stage II-III esophageal cancer patients diagnosed during 2010-2017 who received J-tube, stent, or nutritional counseling only, without a procedure, when starting chemotherapy or combined modality chemoradiation. Data were obtained from the electronic medical record and chart review. We compared median %TWL between intervention groups and reinterventions using Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests. RESULTS: Among the 366 patients, median %TWL reached a nadir at 120 days, when it was 7% for patients with no procedure (N=307), 4% for J-tube (N=39), and 16% for stent (N=20) (P=0.01). Individual case analysis revealed 72-80% of the patients in the three groups started chemotherapy or chemoradiation as neoadjuvant curative-intent therapy (P difference =0.79). In J-tube patients, the reasons for intervention was anticipation of weight loss in 49% and mitigation of actual weight loss in 15%, whereas 95% of stent patients received the stent for dysphagia (P<0.001). A complication of the procedure was recorded in 85% of stent patients and 74% of J-tube patients (P<0.001). Among those who received no procedure initially, 25% received one later, compared with 15% of J-tube patients and 70% of stent patients who received a second procedure (P<0.001). Progression to surgery was observed in 65% of patients with no procedure, 51% of patients with J-tube, and 40% of stent patients, P=0.28). CONCLUSIONS: For stage II-III esophageal cancer patients starting chemotherapy, this study gives evidence that stents were associated with significant %TWL and risk of reintervention. Although J-tube patients returned to baseline weight sooner than those with no procedure, they experienced complications from their J-tubes. For esophageal cancer patients undergoing curative-intent treatment and with acceptable levels of weight loss, no procedure at all may be superior to placing a J-tube in terms of complications, weight loss, and progression to curative-intent surgery.

Prior Immunosuppressive Therapy and Severe Illness Among Patients Diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2: a Community-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: An estimated 10 million people in the USA are immunocompromised, a risk factor for severe COVID-19. Data informing whether immune-mediated medications lead to more severe infection are sparse. OBJECTIVE: Determine whether outpatient immunosuppressive therapies that treat autoimmune inflammatory disease or prevent solid organ transplant rejection are associated with severe illness after diagnosis with SARS-CoV-2 DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study PARTICIPANTS: Adults with a positive PCR nasal swab for SARS-CoV-2 from February 25 to September 9, 2020, cared for within a large integrated health care organization MAIN MEASURES: Exposure was defined as an outpatient fill of prednisone, immunomodulator, small-molecule, or biologic therapy in the 105 days prior to a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. The main outcome was either hospitalization, ICU admission, or death within 45 days after diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. Multivariable logistic regression models were adjusted for age, race, gender, body mass index, comorbidities, and autoimmune disease. KEY RESULTS: A total of 39,686 adults had a positive PCR test. In the primary analysis, prior prednisone use was associated with severe illness after diagnosis with SARS-CoV-2 (odds ratio (OR) 1.31; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-1.60); however, immunomodulator (OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.57-1.34) and biologic/small-molecule therapy (OR 1.26; 95% CI 0.79-2.00) were not. Secondary analyses showed variable risk among therapies: Janus-kinase inhibitors had an increased odds of severe illness (OR 3.35; 95% CI 1.16-9.67), thiopurines/conventionaldisease-modifying antirheumatic drugs had a reduced odds (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.32-0.88), and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors were not associated (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.18-1.08). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Outpatient use of prednisone is associated with severe illness after diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. Immunomodulator and biologic/small-molecule therapy were not associated, but different risk subgroups were identified. Our findings can inform risk-benefit discussions in the clinic and risk-based recommendations for patients on these therapies.

Ten-Year Follow-up of Persons With Sun-Damaged Skin Associated With Subsequent Development of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Importance: Risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) after the diagnosis of actinic keratosis (AK) has not been studied during long follow-up periods. Objective: To estimate the risk up to 10 years and identify risk factors for cSCC development. Design, Setting, and Participants: This longitudinal cohort study, performed from January 1, 2009, to February 29, 2020, examined Kaiser Permanente Northern California patients with AK and control patients matched 1:1 on age, sex, race/ethnicity, medical center, and date of the initial diagnosis plus 30 days in the patients with AK. Exposures: Patients with AK and control participants were followed up for up to 10 years for incidence of cSCC. Main Outcomes and Measures: Incident cSCC was obtained from pathologic data, and subdistribution hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, accounting for competing risks, calendar year, demographic factors, and number of AKs. Results: The study included 220 236 patients with AK and 220 236 matched control patients (mean [SD] age, 64.1 [12.2] years; 231 248 [52.5%] female). After losses to follow-up were accounted for, risk of cSCC increased with each year of follow-up by 1.92% (95% CI, 1.89%-1.95%) in patients with AK and 0.83% (95% CI, 0.81%-0.85%) in matched control patients (subdistribution HR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.85-1.95). However, among patients 49 years or younger, those diagnosed with AK were nearly 7 times more likely to be diagnosed with cSCC than those without AK (HR, 6.77; 95% CI, 5.50-8.32). At 10 years, the cumulative incidence of cSCC reached 17.1% (95% CI, 16.9%-17.4%) in patients with AK and 5.7% (95% CI, 5.5%-5.9%) in control patients. Increased numbers of AKs were modestly associated with increased cSCC risk (≥15 AKs vs 1 AK: subdistribution HR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.75-2.04). Older patients had much higher risk of cSCC than younger patients (compared with those ≤49 years of age at AK diagnosis; ≥80 years of age: subdistribution HR, 8.18; 95% CI, 7.62-8.78). Other than AK, risk factors for cSCC included older age, White race (a proxy for skin type), history of basal cell carcinoma, and male sex. Risk decreased between 2009 and 2019 (2018-2019 vs 2009-2010: subdistribution HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.63-0.72). Conclusions and Relevance: The results of this longitudinal cohort study can be used to develop recommendations to increase early detection of cSCC. Additional research is needed to understand the effect of AK treatment on cSCC risk and outcomes of cSCC.

An Intervention to Tag Findings Suspicious for Lung Cancer on Chest Computed Tomography Has Good Sensitivity and Number Needed to Diagnose.

BACKGROUND: In 2015, Kaiser Permanente Northern California implemented an intervention to improve follow-up for pulmonary findings on diagnostic chest computed tomography (CT). The intervention includes tagging CT reports with the prefix "#PUL" followed by a character (0-6 or X) to track specific findings. #PUL5, indicating "suspicious for malignancy," triggers automatic referral for multidisciplinary care review. METHODS: Among patients who obtained an index chest CT exam from August 2015 to July 2017 without an exam in the previous 2 years, we computed the frequency of lung cancer diagnosis within 120 days of CT in relation to each #PUL tag. For #PUL5, we computed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and number needed to diagnose. We also performed a chart review to assess why some patients diagnosed with lung cancer were not tagged #PUL5. RESULTS: Of the 39,409 patients with a tagged CT report, 1105 (2.8%) had a new primary lung cancer diagnosis within 120 days. Among the 2255 patients tagged #PUL5, 821 were diagnosed with lung cancer, with a sensitivity of 74% (95% confidence interval, 72%-77%). The positive predictive value was 36% (35%-38%), number needed to diagnosis was 2.7 (2.6-2.9), and specificity and negative predictive values were > 95%. Chart review identified opportunities to improve system defaults and clarify concepts. CONCLUSION: The intervention performed well but needed improvement. Automating CT reports was simple and generalizable, and enabled reduction of care gaps and system improvement.

Comanagement of Rashes by Primary Care Providers and Dermatologists: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: There is a high demand for managing skin disease, and dermatologists are in short supply. OBJECTIVES: To better understand how rashes and other specific skin conditions are co-managed by primary care providers (PCPs) and dermatologists, we estimated the frequency with which PCPs sought consultation with or referral to dermatology and the proportion of patients who had a follow-up dermatology office visit in the following 90 days. DESIGN AND SETTING: The retrospective longitudinal study included 106,459 patients with a skin condition diagnosed by 3,830 PCPs, from January 2017 to March 2017. METHODS: Comprehensive electronic medical record data with generalized linear mixed modeling accounted for patient factors including diagnosis and clustering by medical center and PCP. RESULTS: PCPs escalated 9% of patients to dermatology through consultation or referral, while 5% required a follow-up dermatology office visit within 90 days. Patients with bullous, hair, or pigment conditions or psoriasis were most likely to be escalated. Clustering of escalation and follow-up visits was minimal in relation to medical center (intraclass correlation, 0.04 for both outcomes) or PCP (escalation, intraclass correlation, 0.16; follow-up visits, 0.09). DISCUSSION: Improving primary care education in skin disease and, for certain skin conditions, standardizing approaches to workup, treatment, and escalation may further streamline care and reduce pressure on the dermatologist workforce. CONCLUSION: PCPs managed 91% of rashes without consultation or referral to dermatology, and the frequency of patients scheduled for dermatology office visits after primary care was similar from one PCP to another.

SARS-CoV-2 Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Cancer in a Large Integrated Health Care System in Northern California.

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect many lives globally. Patients with cancer undergoing potentially immunosuppressive therapies appear to be at particular risk for the disease and its complications. Here, we describe the experience of patients with cancer within Kaiser Permanente, a large, integrated health system in Northern California. Between February 25, 2020, and June 8, 2020, 4,627 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, of whom 33 had active cancer treatment within 180 days and 214 had a history of cancer. Patients with active cancer treatment had a statistically higher risk of requiring noninvasive ventilation (odds ratio [OR], 2.57; confidence interval [CI], 1.10-6.01), and there was a nonsignificant trend toward higher risk of death (OR, 2.78; CI, 0.92-8.43). Those with a history of cancer had comparable outcomes to those without cancer. These data demonstrate an increased risk of complications from COVID-19 for patients with active cancer treatment.

Outpatient Mastectomy: Factors Influencing Patient Selection and Predictors of Return to Care.

BACKGROUND: After implementation of the Surgical Home Recovery (SHR) initiative for mastectomy within a large, integrated health delivery system, most patients are discharged on the day of the procedure. We sought to identify predictors of SHR and unplanned return to care (RTC). STUDY DESIGN: Mastectomy cases with and without reconstruction from October 2017 to August 2019 were analyzed. Patient characteristics, operative variables, and multimodal pain management were compared between admitted patients and SHR patients using logistic regression. We identified predictors of RTC in SHR patients, defined as 7-day readmission, reoperation, or emergency department visit. RESULTS: Of 2,648 mastectomies, 1,689 (64%) were outpatient procedures and the mean age of patients was 58.5 years. Predictors of SHR included perioperative IV acetaminophen (odds ratio [OR] 1.59; 95% CI, 1.28 to 1.97), perioperative opiates (OR 1.47; 95% CI, 1.06 to 2.02), and operation performed by a high-volume breast surgeon (OR 2.12; 95% CI, 1.42 to 3.18). Bilateral mastectomies (OR 0.70; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.91), immediate reconstruction (OR 0.52; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.70), and American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3 to 4 (OR 0.69; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.87) decreased the odds of SHR. Of SHR patients, 111 of 1,689 patients (7%) experienced RTC. Patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3 to 4 (OR 2.01; 95% CI, 1.29 to 3.14) and African American race (OR 2.30; 95% CI, 1.38 to 4.91) were more likely to RTC; receiving IV acetaminophen (OR 0.56; 95% CI, 0.35 to 0.88) and filling an opiate prescription (OR 0.51; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.77) decreased the odds of RTC. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeon volume and multimodal pain medication increased the odds of SHR. Within the SHR group, American Society of Anesthesiologists Class 3 to 4 and African American patients increased the likelihood of RTC. This study helps optimize patient selection and perioperative practice for successful SHR.

Standardized Reporting and Management of Suspicious Findings on Chest CT Imaging Is Associated With Improved Lung Cancer Diagnosis in an Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Follow-up of chest CT scan findings suspicious for lung cancer may be delayed because of inadequate documentation. Standardized reporting and follow-up may reduce time to diagnosis and care for lung cancer. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We implemented a reporting system that standardizes tagging of chest CT scan reports by classifying pulmonary findings. The system also automates referral of patients with findings suspicious for lung cancer to a multidisciplinary care team for rapid review and follow-up. The system was designed to reduce the time to diagnosis, particularly for early-stage lung cancer. We evaluated the effectiveness of this system, using a quasi-experimental stepped wedge cluster design, examining 99,148 patients who underwent diagnostic (nonscreening) chest CT imaging from 2015 to 2017 and who had not received a chest CT scan in the preceding 24 months. We evaluated the association of the intervention with the incidence of diagnosis and surgical treatment of early-stage (I, II) and late-stage (III, IV) lung cancer within 120 days of chest CT imaging. RESULTS: Forty percent of patients received the intervention. Among 2,856 patients (2.9%) who received diagnoses of lung cancer, 28% had early-stage disease. In multivariable analyses, the intervention was associated with 24% greater odds of early-stage diagnosis (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.09-1.41) and no change in the odds of late-stage diagnosis (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.95-1.14). The intervention was not associated with the rate of surgical treatment within 120 days. INTERPRETATION: In this large quasi-experimental community-based observational study, implementation of a system that combines standardized tagging of chest CT scan reports with clinical navigation was effective for increasing the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer.

Presentation of Rash in a Community-Based Health System.

INTRODUCTION: Coordination of care between primary care providers and dermatologists is important to ensure high quality and cost efficiency. In our integrated care setting, we used a retrospective cohort study to assess which patients self-refer to dermatology and which returned for a follow-up visit in dermatology. METHODS: We identified 107,832 patients with a new rash diagnosis who presented to primary care or dermatology between January and March 2017. We compared patients who self-referred to dermatology with those who used primary care, using multi-level generalized estimating equations with adjustment for patient-level covariables and medical center. We also characterized patients who returned for a follow-up visit in dermatology. RESULTS: Among patients with a new rash diagnosis, 99% were originally seen in primary care. Patients with a history of a dermatological condition were more likely to present to dermatology. Patients with a history of a dermatological condition or with psoriasis, pigment, hair, bullous, or multiple conditions were more likely to have a follow-up visit with a dermatologist. For each outcome, initial location of care and return for a follow-up visit, we found minimal clustering by medical center or provider. CONCLUSION: One percent of patients with a new rash diagnosis self-refer to dermatology in this setting. Patients with a history of a dermatological condition were more likely to self-refer to dermatology and to have a follow-up visit with a dermatologist. Individual dermatologists and primary care providers had little impact on a patient's odds of returning for a follow-up visit.

The association between perceived discrimination in midlife and peripheral neuropathy in a population-based cohort of women: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

PURPOSE: Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a highly prevalent condition with serious sequelae. Many studies of the condition have been restricted to populations with diabetes, limiting evidence of potential contributing risk factors including salient psychosocial risk factors such as discrimination. METHODS: The longitudinal Study of Women's Health Across the Nation was used to assess the relationship between perceived discrimination and prevalent PN in 1718 ethnically diverse midlife women. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine the association between perceived discrimination (Detroit Area Study Everyday Discrimination Scale) and PN (symptom questionnaire and monofilament testing) and conducted an assessment of the mediating effects of body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: The prevalence of PN was 26.1% in the total sample and 40.9% among women with diabetes. Women who reported perceived discrimination had 29% higher odds of PN compared with women who did not report perceived discrimination (95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.66). Approximately 30% of the total effect of discrimination on PN was mediated indirectly by BMI. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed to determine the contributing factors to nondiabetic PN. Our findings reaffirm the impact of financial strain, BMI, and diabetes as significant correlates of PN and highlight discrimination as an important risk factor.

Contraceptive preferences and unmet need for contraception in midlife women: where are the data?

This commentary discusses the limited availability of information on contraceptive preferences and unmet need for contraception among midlife women in both high and low income countries. Given that risk of pregnancy continues until women reach menopause and given the increased risk of pregnancy complications, elective abortion, and maternal mortality in women aged 45 to 54 years old, increased focus on gathering basic data on midlife women's preferences and unmet need is warranted.