Effectiveness and Financial Viability of Telehealth Physician Extenders for Re-Engagement of Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness and financial implications of employing a telehealth physician extender program to re-engage patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) who are lost to follow-up (LTF). Methods: Established patients with DR unevaluated in the prior 12 months were identified as LTF, and randomized to receive a recall intervention or standard operating procedure (SOP). For the intervention, a telehealth physician extender performed outbound calls, offering each patient a symptom screening questionnaire following a physician-directed escalation pathway and assistance in scheduling a return appointment. All patients retained the ability to schedule an appointment by means of SOP. Appointment schedule and adherence rates were assessed 30 days after a 6-week intervention period. Call times were digitally measured to estimate intervention labor cost. Results: Four hundred twenty-five of 2,514 established patients with DR were LTF (17%). One hundred fifty-seven patients were assigned to the intervention group; the remaining 268 formed the SOP group. Sixty-six outbound calls reached patients (42%). At the time of program assessment, the intervention group demonstrated a higher rate of appointment scheduling (31% vs. 14%, p < 0.001) and adherence (14% vs. 7%, p = 0.020). The measured call duration was 2.3 ± 1.9 min, yielding an estimated cost of US$4.70 per appointment scheduled. Conclusion: Re-engagement by a telehealth physician extender improves the rate at which patients with DR return for eye care, and can be done at a reasonable cost. This method of improving adherence with follow-up should be readily translatable to other health care settings.

Identification of Racial Inequities in Access to Specialized Inpatient Heart Failure Care at an Academic Medical Center.

BACKGROUND: Racial inequities for patients with heart failure (HF) have been widely documented. HF patients who receive cardiology care during a hospital admission have better outcomes. It is unknown whether there are differences in admission to a cardiology or general medicine service by race. This study examined the relationship between race and admission service, and its effect on 30-day readmission and mortality Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study from September 2008 to November 2017 at a single large urban academic referral center of all patients self-referred to the emergency department and admitted to either the cardiology or general medicine service with a principal diagnosis of HF, who self-identified as white, black, or Latinx. We used multivariable generalized estimating equation models to assess the relationship between race and admission to the cardiology service. We used Cox regression to assess the association between race, admission service, and 30-day readmission and mortality. RESULTS: Among 1967 unique patients (66.7% white, 23.6% black, and 9.7% Latinx), black and Latinx patients had lower rates of admission to the cardiology service than white patients (adjusted rate ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.98, for black; adjusted rate ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72-0.97 for Latinx). Female sex and age >75 years were also independently associated with lower rates of admission to the cardiology service. Admission to the cardiology service was independently associated with decreased readmission within 30 days, independent of race. CONCLUSIONS: Black and Latinx patients were less likely to be admitted to cardiology for HF care. This inequity may, in part, drive racial inequities in HF outcomes.

Pilot Study of a Patient Decision Aid for Valve Choices in Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: Objective superiority of tissue vs mechanical prostheses in surgical aortic valve replacement remains controversial, placing a greater emphasis on patients to consider personal lifestyle and risk preferences, including the burden of lifelong anticoagulation and the possible need for reoperation. A shared decision-making tool may therefore be of value in making this important choice. METHODS: A patient decision aid (PtDA) was developed using the International Patient Decision Aids Standards and used in a prospective pilot study. An intervention group received the PtDA and a survey. A control group received the same survey without a PtDA. The survey assessed patients' knowledge, treatment preferences, stage of decision-making, and decisional conflict. Both groups received these materials in the mail before their preoperative consultation for surgical aortic valve replacement. Survey results were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Response rates were 13 of 17 (76%) and 10 of 18 (56%) for the control and intervention groups, respectively. Patients in the intervention group who reported reviewing the PtDA (n = 6) demonstrated significantly higher knowledge scores (median 100% vs 25%, P = .02) and were able to produce more accurate risk estimates (median 62.5% vs 0%, P = .01). These patients also had less decisional conflict, with median SURE scores (Sure of myself; Understand information; Risk-benefit ratio; Encouragement) of 4 vs 0 P = .04). Stage of decision-making, concern about risk,s and treatment preferences were similar CONCLUSIONS: Use of a PtDA for selection of valve type in surgical aortic valve replacement may improve patient understanding and decisional conflict. Revision of our tool and further studies are warranted to validate these findings in a large cohort of patients.

Outcomes after Failed Pneumatic Retinopexy for Retinal Detachment.

PURPOSE: To provide visual and anatomic outcomes for patients with retinal detachment (RD) in whom primary pneumatic retinopexy (PR) failed. DESIGN: Retrospective, single-center, consecutive case series. PARTICIPANTS: Eyes with RD that failed a primary PR. METHODS: Anatomic and functional outcomes were evaluated for patients receiving treatment for failed PR. Three secondary procedures were compared, including repeat PR, pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), and combined scleral buckle (SB) plus PPV (SB+PPV). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anatomic reattachment and visual acuity (VA) at 1 year. RESULTS: Of a total of 423 primary PRs performed for RD, this study included 73 cases that failed. The overall single surgery anatomic success rate for the secondary procedure was 75%; the final success rate at 1 year was 100%. There was no statistically significant difference in success rates between repeat PR (63%), PPV (76%), and SB+PPV (88%). Improvement in VA was similar at 1 year between all 3 groups. Visual acuity at 1 year was similar between eyes undergoing PPV and SB+PPV (0.47 logMAR VA [Snellen equivalent, 20/59] for PPV and 0.52 logMAR VA [Snellen equivalent, 20/66] for SB+PPV; P = 0.75). Visual acuity at 1 year was better for those without macular involvement at the time of secondary procedure compared with eyes whose maculae detached (0.29 logMAR VA [Snellen equivalent, 20/39] vs. 0.73 logMAR VA [Snellen equivalent, 20/106]; P < 0.005). Fifty percent of PR failures underwent a secondary procedure within 1 week of primary PR; 80% occurred within 1 month. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomic success rates for secondary PR, PPV, and SB+PPV after failed PR were lower than published success rates for their use in primary RD. This suggests that a failed primary PR selects for RDs that are inherently more difficult to reattach. There was a trend suggesting that anatomic success rates are greater with SB+PPV than PPV and, in turn, with PPV than repeat PR. However, these differences were not statistically significant and did not translate into better VA gains at 1 year for either procedure. The suitable procedure after failed PR thus depends on patient presentation, surgeon preference, and patient preference.

Impaired consciousness in epilepsy investigated by a prospective responsiveness in epilepsy scale (RES).

PURPOSE: Impaired consciousness in epileptic seizures has a major negative impact on patient quality of life. Prior work on epileptic unconsciousness has mainly used retrospective and nonstandardized methods. Our goal was to validate and to obtain initial data using a standardized prospective testing battery. METHODS: The responsiveness in epilepsy scale (RES) was used on 52 patients during continuous video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring. RES begins with higher-level questions and commands, and switches adaptively to more basic sensorimotor responses depending on patient performance. RES continues after seizures and includes postictal memory testing. Scoring was conducted based on video review. KEY FINDINGS: Testing on standardized seizure simulations yielded good intrarater and interrater reliability. We captured 59 seizures from 18 patients (35% of participants) during 1,420 h of RES monitoring. RES impairment was greatest during and after tonic-clonic seizures, less in partial seizures, and minimal in auras and subclinical seizures. In partial seizures, ictal RES impairment was significantly greater if EEG changes were present. Maximum RES impairment (lowest ictal score) was also significantly correlated with long postictal recovery time, and poor postictal memory. SIGNIFICANCE: We found that prospective testing of responsiveness during seizures is feasible and reliable. RES impairment was related to EEG changes during seizures, as well as to postictal memory deficits and recovery time. With a larger patient sample it is hoped that this approach can identify brain networks underlying specific components of impaired consciousness in seizures. This may allow the development of improved treatments targeted at preventing dysfunction in these networks.

A prospective study of loss of consciousness in epilepsy using virtual reality driving simulation and other video games.

Patients with epilepsy are at risk of traffic accidents when they have seizures while driving. However, driving is an essential part of normal daily life in many communities, and depriving patients of driving privileges can have profound consequences for their economic and social well-being. In the current study, we collected ictal performance data from a driving simulator and two other video games in patients undergoing continuous video/EEG monitoring. We captured 22 seizures in 13 patients and found that driving impairment during seizures differed in terms of both magnitude and character, depending on the seizure type. Our study documents the feasibility of a prospective study of driving and other behaviors during seizures through the use of computer-based tasks. This methodology may be applied to further describe differential driving impairment in specific types of seizures and to gain data on anatomical networks disrupted in seizures that impair consciousness and driving safety.