Effectiveness of interventions on improving early-life dental care utilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Although early-life dental care is crucial for preventing early childhood caries and has numerous benefits, the utilization rate of such care remains remarkably low worldwide, especially in families of low socioeconomic status. The aim of this study was to systematically review the scientific evidence relating to the effectiveness of interventions on improving early-life dental care utilization of very young children. METHOD AND MATERIALS: We reviewed scientific evidence relating to these positive changes, with 7 randomized controlled trials after qualitative evaluation. Interventions assessed included prenatal oral health promotion, motivational interviewing, intraoral camera use alongside social work consultations to aid in decreasing barriers to care, monetary incentives for tooth brushing, fluoride varnish applications, and probiotic usage. RESULTS: The intervention was significantly effective in reducing the incidence of dental caries among children, especially in caries risk. Caries reduction was significant when oral health information was provided at frequent intervals prenatally. Caries increment was also reduced when probiotics were introduced when administered daily. Interventions that attempted to increase parental involvement in oral health care by increasing motivation and decreasing barriers had inconclusive results within the study groups. CONCLUSIONS: Considering high rates ECC, early establishment and preservation of a dental home should be a focus in public health measures. Continuous monitoring and parental involvement are key components to maintaining healthy oral conditions. Future studies could explore and test various innovative strategies that utilize technological platforms to engage with parents and promote early-life dental care utilization among the underserved population.

Opioid Dose Reductions by Sex and Race in a Cohort of Patients in a Family Medicine Clinic.

BACKGROUND: The 2022 Centers for Disease Control's "Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Pain in United States" called for attention and action toward reducing disparities in untreated and undertreated pain among Black and Latino patients. There is growing evidence for controlled substance safety committees (CSSC) to change prescribing culture, but few have been examined through the lens of health equity. We examined the impact of a primary care CSSC on opioid prescribing, including by patients' race and sex. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study. Our primary outcome was a change in prescribed morphine milligram equivalents (MME) at baseline (2017) and follow-up (2021). We compared the differences in MME by race and sex. We also examined potential intersectional disparities. We used paired t test to compare changes in mean MME's and logistic regression to determine associations between patient characteristics and MME changes. RESULTS: Our cohort included 93 patients. The mean opioid dose decreased from nearly 200 MME to 136.1 MME, P < .0001. Thirty percent of patients had their dose reduced to under 90 MME by follow-up. The reduction rates by race or sex alone were not statistically significant. There was evidence of intersectional disparities at baseline. Black women were prescribed 88.5 fewer MME's at baseline compared with their White men counterparts, P = .04. DISCUSSION: Our findings add to the previously documented success of CSSCs in reducing opioid doses for chronic nonmalignant pain to safer levels. We highlight an opportunity for primary care based CSSCs to lead the efforts to identify and address chronic pain management inequities.

Increasing Uptake of Lung Cancer Screening Among Emergency Department Patients: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Lung cancer screening (LCS) decreases lung cancer mortality. Emergency department (ED) patients are at disproportionately high risk for lung cancer. The ED, therefore, is an optimal environment for interventions to promote LCS. OBJECTIVES: Demonstrate the operational feasibility of identifying ED patients in need of LCS, referring them to LCS services, deploying a text message intervention to promote LCS, and conducting follow-up to determine LCS uptake. METHODS: We conducted a randomized clinical trial to determine the feasibility and provide estimates of the preliminary efficacies of 1) basic referral for LCS and 2) basic referral plus a text messaging intervention, grounded in behavioral change theory, to promote uptake of LCS among ED patients. Participants aged 50 to 80, identified as eligible for LCS, were randomized to study arms and followed up at 150 days to assess interval LCS uptake (primary outcome), barriers to screening, and perceptions of the study interventions. RESULTS: A total of 303 patients were surveyed, with 198 identified as eligible for LCS and subsequently randomized. Results indicated that 24% of participants with follow-up data received LCS (11% of the total randomized sample). Rates of screening at follow-up were similar across study arms. The intervention significantly improved normative perceptions of LCS (p = 0.015; Cohen's d = 0.45). CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of ED-based interventions to increase uptake of LCS among ED patients. A scalable ED-based intervention that increases LCS uptake could reduce lung cancer mortality.

Intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening among emergency department patients: results from a randomised pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Emergency departments (ED) represent a promising setting to address preventive health measures like CRC screening. OBJECTIVES: The current study adapted an existing cervical cancer screening intervention for use in catalysing CRC screening. We evaluated feasibility of identification, provided preliminary effect size estimates and documented participant acceptability. METHODS: This study was funded by the University of Rochester (ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT05004376). We enrolled ED patients, 45-75 years old, in the Greater Rochester, NY region into a randomised controlled pilot from January to May 2022. Patients were excluded if non-English speaking, lacking a cell phone or had a history of CRC, colorectal resection, inflammatory bowel disease or abdominal radiation. Participants were surveyed to determine adherence with recommended CRC screening guidelines. Patients found non-adherent were randomised to receive (1) recommendation for CRC screening only or (2) recommendation and a text-based intervention aimed at generating intention and motivation to get screened. Patients were blind to allocation at enrolment. The primary outcome was patient CRC screening or scheduling. RESULTS: 1438 patients were approached, with 609 found ineligible, 576 declining participation and 253 enrolled. A randomised sample of 114 non-adherent patients were split evenly between the control and intervention arms. Among participants with follow-up data (n control=38, n intervention=36), intervention participants had a 2%-3% higher rate of scheduling or receiving screening (7%-27% relative improvement). When using the complete sample (n=114) and conservatively assuming no screening for those lost to follow-up, differences in screening across arms were mildly decreased (0%-2% absolute difference). Acceptability of CRC intervention was high, and participants offered formative feedback. CONCLUSION: The piloted text message intervention through the ED shows potential promise for catalysing CRC screening. Subsequent replication in a fully powered trial is needed.

Understanding the perceived benefits, barriers, and cues to action for lung cancer screening among Latinos: A qualitative study.

Introduction: Rates of lung cancer screening among Latinos remain low. The purpose of the study was to understand the perceived benefits, barriers, and cues to action for lung cancer screening among Latinos. Methods: Participants (N=20) were recruited using community-based recruitment strategies. Eligibility criteria included: 1) self-identified as Hispanic/Latino, 2) spoke English and/or Spanish, and 3) met the USA Preventive Services Task Force eligibility criteria for lung cancer screening. Interviews were conducted in Spanish and English, audio recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Using the health belief model, a qualitative theoretical analysis was used to analyze the interviews. Results: Participants' mean age was 58.3 years old (SD=5.8), half of the participants were female, 55% had completed high school or lower educational level, and 55% reported speaking more Spanish than English. All participants were currently smoking. Fourteen participants (70%) were unaware of lung cancer screening, and eighteen (90%) did not know they were eligible for lung cancer screening. Regarding lung cancer screening, participants reported multiple perceived benefits (e.g., smoking cessation, early detection of lung cancer, increased survivorship) and barriers (e.g., fear of outcomes, cost, lung cancer screening not being recommended by their clinician). Lastly, multiple cues to actions for lung cancer screening were identified (e.g., family as a cue to action for getting screened). Conclusions: Most Latinos who were eligible for lung cancer screening were unaware of it and, when informed, they reported multiple perceived benefits, barriers, and cues to action. These factors provide concrete operational strategies to address lung cancer screening among Latinos.

Underfunding for Research Training and Career Development: The Impact on Family Medicine Research.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The National Institutes of Health and related federal awards for research training (RT) and research career development (RCD) are designed to prepare applicants for research careers. We compared funding rates for RT and RCD for anesthesiology, dermatology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics-gynecology, pathology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. METHODS: We estimated the denominator using the number of residency graduates from different specialties from 2001 to 2010 from the Association of American Medical Colleges data. For the numerator, we used published data on federally funded awards by specialty from 2011 to 2020. We also examined the correlation between RCD funding and overall research funding. RESULTS: Family medicine had the lowest rate per graduating resident for RT (0.01%) and RCD (0.77%) awards among 10 specialties and was lower than the mean/median for the other nine specialties, ranging from 2.15%/1.19% and 9.83%/8.74%. We found a strong correlation between rates of RCD awards and mean federal funding per active physician, which was statistically significant (ρ=0.77, P=.0098). CONCLUSIONS: Comparatively low rates for family medicine awards for RT and RCD plausibly contribute to poor federal funding for family medicine research, underscoring the need to bolster the research career pathway in family medicine.

Association of race and ethnicity with opioid prescribing for Medicare beneficiaries following total joint replacements.

BACKGROUND: Profound racial and ethnic disparities exist in the use and outcomes of total hip/knee replacements (total joint replacements [TJR]). Whether similar disparities extend to post-TJR pain management remains unknown. Our objective is to examine the association of race and ethnicity with opioid fills following elective TJRs for White, Black, and Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries. METHODS: We used the 2019 national Medicare data to identify beneficiaries who underwent total hip/knee replacements. Primary outcomes were at least one opioid fill in the period from discharge to 30 days post-discharge, and 31-90 days following discharge. Secondary outcomes were morphine milligram equivalent per day and number of opioid fills. Key independent variable was patient race-ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic). We estimated multivariable hierarchical logistic regressions and two-part models with state-level clustering. RESULTS: Among 67,550 patients, 93.36% were White, 3.69% were Black, and 2.95% were Hispanic. Compared to White patients, more Black patients and fewer Hispanic patients filled an opioid script (84.10% [Black] and 80.11% [Hispanic] vs. 80.33% [White], p < 0.001) in the 30-day period. On multivariable analysis, Black patients had 18% higher odds of filling an opioid script in the 30-day period (odds ratio [OR]: 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.33, p = 0.004), and 39% higher odds in the 31-90-day period (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.26-1.54, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the endpoints between Hispanic and White patients in the 30-day period. However, Hispanic patients had 20% higher odds of filling an opioid script in the 31- to 90-day period (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.07-1.34, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Important race- and ethnicity-based differences exist in post-TJR pain management with opioids. The mechanisms leading to the higher use of opioids by racial/ethnic minority patients need to be carefully examined.

Putting the Mix in Mixed Methods Research.

Research and quality improvement in pediatric hospital medicine often benefit from using mixed methods research (MMR) approaches. MMR requires the intentional collection, analysis, and mixing, or integration, of both quantitative and qualitative data to build on their complementary strengths to answer complex research questions. In this methodology paper, we define MMR, describe its characteristics, the importance of integration, and outline the core designs of explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential, and convergent MMR by illustrating practical examples from pediatric hospital medicine.

Team-based home blood pressure monitoring for blood pressure equity a protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Home Blood Pressure Monitoring (HBPM) that includes a team with a clinical pharmacist is an evidence-based intervention that improves blood pressure (BP). Yet, strategies for promoting its adoption in primary care are lacking. We developed potentially feasible and sustainable implementation strategies to improve hypertension control and BP equity. METHODS: We assessed barriers and facilitators to HBPM and iteratively adapted implementation strategies through key informative interviews and guidance from a multistakeholder stakeholder team involving investigators, clinicians, and practice administration. RESULTS: Strategies include: 1) pro-active outreach to patients; 2) provision of BP devices; 3) deployment of automated bidirectional texting to support patients through education messages for patients to transmit their readings to the clinical team; 3) a hypertension visit note template; 4) monthly audit and feedback reports on progress to the team; and 5) training to the patients and teams. We will use a stepped wedge randomized trial to assess RE-AIM outcomes. These are defined as follows Reach: the proportion of eligible patients who agree to participate in the BP texting; Effectiveness: the proportion of eligible patients with their last BP reading <140/90 (six months); Adoption: the proportion of patients invited to the BP texting; Implementation: patients who text their BP reading ≥10 of days per month; and Maintenance: sustained BP control post-intervention (twelve months). We will also examine RE-AIM metrics stratified by race and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Findings will inform the impact of strategies for the adoption of team-based HPBM and the impact of the intervention on hypertension control and equity. REGISTRATION DETAILS: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifier: NCT05488795.

Acceptance and Usability of an Innovative mDentistry eHygiene Model Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic Within the US National Dental Practice-Based Research Network: Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and other possible future infectious disease pandemics, dentistry needs to consider modified dental examination regimens that render quality care and ensure the safety of patients and dental health care personnel (DHCP). OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the acceptance and usability of an innovative mDentistry eHygiene model amid the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This pilot study used a 2-stage implementation design to assess 2 critical components of an innovative mDentistry eHygiene model: virtual hygiene examination (eHygiene) and patient self-taken intraoral images (SELFIE), within the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. Mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) were used to assess the acceptance and usability of the eHygiene model. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients and 18 DHCP participated in the study. Overall, the eHygiene model was well accepted by patients (System Usability Scale [SUS] score: mean 70.0, SD 23.7) and moderately accepted by dentists (SUS score: mean 51.3, SD 15.9) and hygienists (SUS score: mean 57.1, SD 23.8). Dentists and patients had good communication during the eHygiene examination, as assessed using the Dentist-Patient Communication scale. In the SELFIE session, patients completed tasks with minimum challenges and obtained diagnostic intraoral photos. Patients and DHCP suggested that although eHygiene has the potential to improve oral health care services, it should be used selectively depending on patients' conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The study results showed promise for the 2 components of the eHygiene model. eHygiene offers a complementary modality for oral health data collection and examination in dental offices, which would be particularly useful during an infectious disease outbreak. In addition, patients being able to capture critical oral health data in their home could facilitate dental treatment triage and oral health self-monitoring and potentially trigger oral health-promoting behaviors.

Examining the effects of physician burnout on pain management for patients with advanced lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Physician burnout is generally associated with worse clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of physician burnout on the quality of physicians' pain assessment and opioid prescribing for patients with advanced lung cancer. Moreover, we test whether these relationships are moderated by patient-level factors, such as patient race and activation level, that have a demonstrated impact on clinical encounters. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a multisite randomized field experiment. From 2012 to 2016, 96 primary care physicians and oncologists who treated solid tumors were recruited from hospitals and medical sites in three small metropolitan and rural areas in the USA. Physicians saw two unannounced standardized patients who presented with advanced lung cancer. Standardized patients varied across race (Black or White) and activation level (activated, typical). Visits were audio recorded and transcribed. Pain management was evaluated by the quality of pain assessment and opioid prescribing during these visits. RESULTS: Mixed-effects linear regression and generalized mixed-effects modeling showed that higher levels of burnout were associated with a greater likelihood of prescribing an opioid and prescribing stronger opioid doses for patients. These effects were not moderated by patient race or activation level. CONCLUSION: Findings from this work inform our understanding of physician-level factors that impact clinical decision-making in the context of cancer pain management. Specifically, this study identifies the role of physician burnout on the quality of prescribing for patients with advanced lung cancer.

Can a Clinic-Based Community Health Worker Intervention Buffer the Negative Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health and Well-Being of Low-Income Families during Early Childhood.

We examined changes in self-reported mental health, physical health, and emotional support among low-income parents with children ages 0-2 years old from pre-pandemic to pandemic periods and compared changes in parental health among parents who did versus did not have access to a clinic-based community health worker intervention supporting parents at early childhood preventive care visits. We utilized longitudinal parent survey data from pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 time periods from both the intervention and control arms of an existing cohort of parents enrolled in a 10-clinic cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT). At enrollment (pre-pandemic) and 12-month follow-up (pandemic), participants reported on mental health, physical health, and emotional support using PROMIS measures (n = 401). During the pre-pandemic portion, control and intervention group parents had similar mean T-scores for mental health, physical health, and emotional support. At follow-up, mean T-scores for mental health, physical health, and emotional support decreased across both control and intervention groups, but intervention group parents had smaller declines in mental health T-scores (p = 0.005). Our findings indicate that low-income parents with young children suffered significant declines in mental and physical health and emotional support during the pandemic and that the decline in mental health may have been buffered by the community health worker intervention.

Development and Acceptability of a Kidney Therapy Decision Aid for Patients Aged 75 Years and Older: A Design-Based Research Involving Patients, Caregivers, and a Multidisciplinary Team.

Rationale & Objective: Many older adults prefer quality of life over longevity, and some prefer conservative kidney management (CKM) over dialysis. There is a lack of patient-decision aids for adults aged 75 years or older facing kidney therapy decisions, which not only include information on dialysis and CKM but also encourage end-of-life planning. We iteratively developed a paper-based patient-decision aid for older people with low literacy and conducted surveys to assess its acceptability. Study Design: Design-based research. Setting and Participants: Informed by design-based research principles and theory of behavioral activation, a multidisciplinary team of experts created a first version of the patient-decision aid containing 2 components: (1) educational material about kidney therapy options such as CKM, and (2) a question prompt list relevant to kidney therapy and end-of-life decision making. On the basis of the acceptability input of patients and caregivers, separate qualitative interviews of 35 people receiving maintenance dialysis, and with the independent feedback of educated layperson, we further modified the patient-decision aid to create a second version. Analytical Approach: We used descriptive statistics to present the results of acceptability surveys and thematic content analyses for patients' qualitative interviews. Results: The mean age of patients (n=21) who tested the patient-decision aid was 80 years and the mean age of caregivers (n=9) was 70 years. All respondents held positive views about the educational component and would recommend the educational component to others (100% patients and caregivers). Most of the patients reported that the question prompt list helped them put concerns into words (80% patients and 88% caregivers) and would recommend the question prompt list to others (95% patients and 100% caregivers). Limitations: Single-center study. Conclusions: Both components of the patient-decision aid received high acceptability ratings. We plan to launch a larger effectiveness study to test the outcomes of a decision-supporting intervention combining the patient-decision aid with palliative care-based decision coaching.

Impact of Nystatin Oral Rinse on Salivary and Supragingival Microbial Community among Adults with Oral Candidiasis.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Nystatin oral rinse on salivary and supragingival microbiota in adults with oral candidiasis and identify predictive factors related to individuals' responses to Nystatin. The trial involved twenty participants who used 600,000 International Units/application of Nystatin oral rinse for seven days, four times a day, and were followed up at one week and three months after the rinse. The salivary and plaque microbiome of the participants were assessed via 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. Overall, salivary and plaque microbiomes remained stable. However, among the participants (53 percent) who responded to Nystatin rinse (defined as free of oral Candida albicans post treatment), Veillonella emerged as a core genus alongside Streptococcus and Actinomyces in supragingival plaque at the 3-month follow-up. Furthermore, statistical models were fit to identify predictive factors of Nystatin rinse success (elimination of C. albicans) or failure (remaining C. albicans). The results revealed that an increased level of salivary Interferon (IFN)-γ-inducible protein (IP-10), also known as C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), was an indicator of a failure of responding to Nystatin rinse. Future clinical trials are warranted to comprehensively assess the impact of antifungal treatment on the oral flora.

The Profound Implications of the Meaning of Health for Health Care and Health Equity.

Policy Points The meaning of health in health care remains poorly defined, defaulting to a narrow, biomedical disease model. A national dialogue could create a consensus regarding a holistic and humanized definition of health that promotes health care transformation and health equity. Key steps for operationalizing a holistic meaning of health in health care include national leadership by federal agencies, intersectoral collaborations that include diverse communities, organizational and cultural change in medical education, and implementation of high-quality primary care. The 2023 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on achieving whole health offers recommendations for action.

Physical and psychosocial impact on peers with HIV co-leading an HIV intervention: A pilot theory-guided case-study.

Objective: To examine longitudinal changes in activation, HIV health outcomes, and social and psychological determinants of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among peer trainers with HIV. Methods: A multi-method case study. The study population included peers (n = 4) from a randomized controlled trial about peers training patients with HIV (n = 359) to better manage their health. Each peer completed a semi-structured interview that we analyzed using Social Learning Theory (SLT) as a guiding framework. The peers also completed longitudinal surveys about their health after each training cohort (n = 5) over 3-years. Results: Peers reported personal benefits from training others with HIV in self-management. Their self-reported activation, self-efficacy and some health outcomes increased overtime. The peers mentioned SLT principles during their interviews. Generally, the peers enjoyed and benefited from training others with HIV in a group-based learning environment. Conclusion: Our findings suggest peer leadership can serve as a means for empowerment that is effective at both supporting improvements in health outcomes for patients and for themselves, which may be both scalable and sustainable. Innovation: To our knowledge, this is the first mixed-methods study to show reciprocal long-term improvement in health behaviors in a diverse group of peers training others with HIV to self-manage their care.