Comprehensive Medication Review Completion Rates and Disparities After Medicare Star Rating Measure.

Importance: Comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) are offered to qualifying US Medicare beneficiaries annually to optimize medication regimens and therapeutic outcomes. In 2016, Medicare adopted CMR completion as a Star Rating quality measure to encourage the use of CMRs. Objective: To examine trends in CMR completion rates before and after 2016 and whether racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in CMR completion changed. Design, Setting, and Participants: This observational study using interrupted time-series analysis examined 2013 to 2020 annual cohorts of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 years and older eligible for a CMR as determined by Part D plans and by objective minimum eligibility criteria. Data analysis was conducted from September 2022 to February 2024. Exposure: Adoption of CMR completion as a Star Rating quality measure in 2016. Main Outcome and Measures: CMR completion modeled via generalized estimating equations. Results: The study included a total of 561 950 eligible beneficiaries, with 253 561 in the 2013 to 2015 cohort (median [IQR] age, 75.8 [70.7-82.1] years; 90 778 male [35.8%]; 6795 Asian [2.7%]; 24 425 Black [9.6%]; 7674 Hispanic [3.0%]; 208 621 White [82.3%]) and 308 389 in the 2016 to 2020 cohort (median [IQR] age, 75.1 [70.4-80.9] years; 126 730 male [41.1%]; 8922 Asian [2.9%]; 27 915 Black [9.1%]; 7635 Hispanic [2.5%]; 252 781 White [82.0%]). The unadjusted CMR completion rate increased from 10.2% (7379 of 72 225 individuals) in 2013 to 15.6% (14 185 of 90 847 individuals) in 2015 and increased further to 35.8% (18 376 of 51 386 individuals) in 2020, in part because the population deemed by Part D plans to be MTM-eligible decreased by nearly half after 2015 (90 487 individuals in 2015 to 51 386 individuals in 2020). Among a simulated cohort based on Medicare minimum eligibility thresholds, the unadjusted CMR completion rate increased but to a lesser extent, from 4.4% in 2013 to 12.6% in 2020. Compared with White beneficiaries, Asian and Hispanic beneficiaries experienced greater increases in likelihood of CMR completion after 2016 but remained less likely to complete a CMR. Dual-Medicaid enrollees also experienced greater increases in likelihood of CMR completion as compared with those without either designation, but still remained less likely to complete CMR. Conclusion and Relevance: This study found that adoption of CMR completion as a Star Rating quality measure was associated with higher CMR completion rates. The increase in CMR completion rates was achieved partly because Part D plans used stricter eligibility criteria to define eligible patients. Reductions in disparities for eligible Asian, Hispanic, and dual-Medicaid enrollees were seen, but not eliminated. These findings suggest that quality measures can inform plan behavior and could be used to help address disparities.

Central nervous system medication use around hospitalization.

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system (CNS) medication use is common among older adults, yet the impact of hospitalizations on use remains unclear. This study details CNS medication use, discontinuations, and user profiles during hospitalization periods. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using electronic health records on patients ≥65 years, from three hospitals (2018-2020), and prescribed a CNS medication around hospitalization (90 days prior to 90 days after). Latent class transitions analysis (LCTA) examined profiles of CNS medication class users across four time points (90 days prior, admission, discharge, 90 days after hospitalization). RESULTS: Among 4666 patients (mean age 74.3 ± 9.3 years; 63% female; 70% White; mean length of stay 4.6 ± 5.6 days (median 3.0 [2.0, 6.0]), the most commonly prescribed CNS medications were antidepressants (56%) and opioids (49%). Overall, 74% (n = 3446) of patients were persistent users of a CNS medication across all four time points; 7% (n = 388) had discontinuations during hospitalization, but of these, 64% (216/388) had new starts or restarts within 90 days after hospitalization. LCTA identified three profile groups: (1) low CNS medication users, 54%-60% of patients; (2) mental health medication users, 30%-36%; and (3) acute/chronic pain medication users, 9%-10%. Probability of staying in same group across the four time points was high (0.88-1.00). Transitioning to the low CNS medication use group was highest from admission to discharge (probability of 9% for pain medication users, 5% for mental health medication users). Female gender increased (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-4.3), while chronic kidney disease lowered (OR 0.5, 0.2-0.9) the odds of transitioning to the low CNS medication use profile between admission and discharge. CONCLUSIONS: CNS medication use stays consistent around hospitalization, with discontinuation more likely between admission and discharge, especially among pain medication users. Further research on patient outcomes is needed to understand the benefits and harms of hospital deprescribing, particularly for medications requiring gradual tapering.

Allostatic Load, Morbidity, and Mortality Among Older Adults: A Multi-Wave Analysis From the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

Although allostatic load (AL) is a key concept to reflect physiologic wear and tear from stress, older adults are underrepresented in AL-related research, especially the oldest old (≥80). Further, attenuative factors are often unaccounted for. This longitudinal analysis using data from National Health and Aging Trends Study investigated relationships of AL in 2017 and multi-wave (1) comorbidity accumulation using multilevel Poisson modeling and (2) mortality risk using survival analysis. By year five (2022), each incremental AL increase that older adults (n = 3614) experienced was associated with a 47% increase in comorbidity (p < .001), and a 33% increased mortality risk (p < .001). This research supports a shift to a more proactive, health promotion/risk mitigation paradigm through informing intervention research targeting AL, which is currently scarce. Identifying potentially modifiable and key driving factors influencing the relationship between AL and health among older adults is an important next step to inform intervention design.

Evaluation of strategies to support implementation of a hospital walking program: protocol for a type III effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial.

BACKGROUND: STRIDE is a supervised walking program designed to address the negative consequences of immobility during hospitalization for older adults. In an 8-hospital stepped wedge randomized controlled trial, STRIDE was associated with reduced odds of hospital discharge to skilled nursing facility. STRIDE has the potential to become a system-wide approach to address hospital-associated disability in Veteran's Affairs; however, critical questions remain about how best to scale and sustain the program. The overall study goal is to compare the impact of two strategies on STRIDE program penetration (primary), fidelity, and adoption implementation outcomes. METHODS: Replicating Effective Programs will be used as a framework underlying all implementation support activities. In a parallel, cluster randomized trial, we will use stratified blocked randomization to assign hospitals (n = 32) to either foundational support, comprised of standard, low-touch activities, or enhanced support, which includes the addition of tailored, high-touch activities if hospitals do not meet STRIDE program benchmarks at 6 and 8 months following start date. All hospitals begin with foundational support for 6 months until randomization occurs. The primary outcome is implementation penetration defined as the proportion of eligible hospitalizations with ≥ 1 STRIDE walks at 10 months. Secondary outcomes are fidelity and adoption with all implementation outcomes additionally examined at 13 and 16 months. Fidelity will be assessed for STRIDE hospitalizations as the percentage of eligible hospital days with "full dose" of the program, defined as two or more documented walks or one walk for more than 5 min. Program adoption is a binary outcome defined as ≥ 5 patients with a STRIDE walk or not. Analyses will also include patient-level effectiveness outcomes (e.g., discharge to nursing home, length of stay) and staffing and labor costs. We will employ a convergent mixed-methods approach to explore and understand pre-implementation contextual factors related to differences in hospital-level adoption. DISCUSSION: Our study results will dually inform best practices for promoting successful implementation of an evidence-based hospital-based walking program. This information may support other programs by advancing our understanding of how to apply and scale-up national implementation strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on June 1, 2021, at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT04868656 ).

Emergency Department-to-Community Transitions of Care: Best Practices for the Older Adult Population.

This article describes emergency department (ED)-to-community care transitions for older adults and associated challenges, measurement, proven efficacious and effective interventions, and policy considerations. Older adults experiencing social isolation and impairments in functional status or cognition represent unique populations that are particularly at risk during ED-to-community transitions of care and may benefit from targeted intervention implementation. Future efforts should target optimizing screening techniques to identify those at risk, developing and validating patient-centered outcome measures, and using policy and reimbursement levers to include transitional care management services for older adults within the ED setting.

Group physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis: protocol for a hybrid type III effectiveness-implementation trial.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability and one of the most common conditions treated in outpatient physical therapy (PT). Because of the high and growing prevalence of knee OA, there is a need for efficient approaches for delivering exercise-based PT to patients with knee OA. A prior randomized controlled trial (RCT) showed that a 6-session Group Physical Therapy Program for Knee OA (Group PT) yields equivalent or greater improvements in pain and functional outcomes compared with traditional individual PT, while requiring fewer clinician hours per patient to deliver. This manuscript describes the protocol for a hybrid type III effectiveness-implementation trial comparing two implementation packages to support delivery of Group PT. METHODS: In this 12-month embedded trial, a minimum of 16 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) will be randomized to receive one of two implementation support packages for their Group PT programs: a standard, low-touch support based on Replicating Effective Programs (REP) versus enhanced REP (enREP), which adds tailored, high-touch support if sites do not meet Group PT adoption and sustainment benchmarks at 6 and 9 months following launch. Implementation outcomes, including penetration (primary), adoption, and fidelity, will be assessed at 6 and 12 months (primary assessment time point). Additional analyses will include patient-level effectiveness outcomes (pain, function, satisfaction) and staffing and labor costs. A robust qualitative evaluation of site implementation context and experience, as well as site-led adaptations to the Group PT program, will be conducted. DISCUSSION: To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the impact of tailored, high-touch implementation support on implementation outcomes when compared to standardized, low-touch support for delivering a PT-based intervention. The Group PT program has strong potential to become a standard offering for PT, improving function and pain-related outcomes for patients with knee OA. Results will provide information regarding the effectiveness and value of this implementation approach and a deeper understanding of how healthcare systems can support wide-scale adoption of Group PT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on March 7, 2022 at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT05282927 ).

Optimizing remote access to urinary incontinence treatments for women veterans (PRACTICAL): Study protocol for a pragmatic clinical trial comparing two virtual care options.

OBJECTIVES: In this pragmatic clinical trial, the primary objective is to increase access to behavioral treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) for women Veterans by comparing the effectiveness of two virtual care delivery modalities. METHODS: Veterans Affairs (VA) clinical sites in AL, GA, NC will virtually randomize 286 women Veterans with UI (ie, stress, urge, or mixed). We will compare the effectiveness of our mHealth UI application (MyHealtheBladder) to a single VA Video Connect (VVC) session delivered by trained UI providers. Women without improvement after 8 weeks will receive an optimization VVC visit using a sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trial (SMART) design. The primary outcome is UI symptom improvement at 12-weeks with or without optimization; secondary outcomes include improvements in lower urinary tract symptoms, adherence, retention rates, perceptions of improvement, and visit-related miles saved. Sample size needed to identify a 2.5-point change (range 0-21) in the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) from baseline to 12-weeks post-randomization is 200 participants. Allowing for an attrition rate of 25%, 286 participants are required. KEY RESULTS: Study team initiated remote recruitment on April 2020. Recruitment is on target with a 75% retention rate. We expect completion in fall of 2023 (clinicaltrials.govNCT04237753). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Engaging women Veterans with virtual modalities for initial UI treatment may increase access to UI care while also improving symptoms. After assessing efficacy, adherence, and retention, the next step is to implement the most effective option for remote delivery of evidence-based behavioral UI treatment for women Veterans. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT04237753.

Effects of Implementation of a Supervised Walking Program in Veterans Affairs Hospitals : A Stepped-Wedge, Cluster Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: In trials, hospital walking programs have been shown to improve functional ability after discharge, but little evidence exists about their effectiveness under routine practice conditions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of implementation of a supervised walking program known as STRIDE (AssiSTed EaRly MobIlity for HospitalizeD VEterans) on discharge to a skilled-nursing facility (SNF), length of stay (LOS), and inpatient falls. DESIGN: Stepped-wedge, cluster randomized trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03300336). SETTING: 8 Veterans Affairs hospitals from 20 August 2017 to 19 August 2019. PATIENTS: Analyses included hospitalizations involving patients aged 60 years or older who were community dwelling and admitted for 2 or more days to a participating medicine ward. INTERVENTION: Hospitals were randomly assigned in 2 stratified blocks to a launch date for STRIDE. All hospitals received implementation support according to the Replicating Effective Programs framework. MEASUREMENTS: The prespecified primary outcomes were discharge to a SNF and hospital LOS, and having 1 or more inpatient falls was exploratory. Generalized linear mixed models were fit to account for clustering of patients within hospitals and included patient-level covariates. RESULTS: Patients in pre-STRIDE time periods (n = 6722) were similar to post-STRIDE time periods (n = 6141). The proportion of patients with any documented walk during a potentially eligible hospitalization ranged from 0.6% to 22.7% per hospital. The estimated rates of discharge to a SNF were 13% pre-STRIDE and 8% post-STRIDE. In adjusted models, odds of discharge to a SNF were lower among eligible patients hospitalized in post-STRIDE time periods (odds ratio [OR], 0.6 [95% CI, 0.5 to 0.8]) compared with pre-STRIDE. Findings were robust to sensitivity analyses. There were no differences in LOS (rate ratio, 1.0 [CI, 0.9 to 1.1]) or having an inpatient fall (OR, 0.8 [CI, 0.5 to 1.1]). LIMITATION: Direct program reach was low. CONCLUSION: Although the reach was limited and variable, hospitalizations occurring during the STRIDE hospital walking program implementation period had lower odds of discharge to a SNF, with no change in hospital LOS or inpatient falls. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (Optimizing Function and Independence QUERI).

Patient experiences of a care transition intervention for Veterans to reduce emergency department visits.

OBJECTIVES: Care transition interventions (CTIs) are used to improve outcomes after an emergency department (ED) visit. A recent randomized controlled trial of a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) CTI titled Discharge Information and Support for Patients receiving Outpatient care in the ED (DISPO ED) demonstrated no difference in repeat ED visits. However, changes in health care utilization are not the only measures of a CTI worth evaluation, and there is interest in using patient-centered outcomes to assess CTIs as well. To inform future CTI design and outcome measure selection, the study aims were to understand how patients experienced the CTI and what elements they valued. METHODS: This was a qualitative study of participants randomized to the intervention arm of the DISPO ED trial using semistructured interviews. The interview guide included questions about clinical health and other issues addressed by the study nurse, the most and least helpful aspects of the intervention, and impacts of the intervention on their perceptions of self-management. Interviews were analyzed using directed content analysis. RESULTS: Our sample comprised 24 participants, with average age of 61 years, 58% male, and 50% Black or African American. We identified six major themes related to (1) experiences during the intervention and (2) elements they valued. Patients reported clinical health coaching recommendations covering a wide range of topics as well as care coordination actions such as appointment scheduling. Valuable elements of the intervention highlighted personal characteristics of the study nurse that promoted a sense of interpersonal connection and empathy in their interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Intervention users described assistance with care coordination as well as clinical concerns. We identified aspects that were highly valued by the participants, such as interpersonal support and empathy from the interventionist. These findings suggest the need for more comprehensive nonutilization outcome measures for CTIs to capture the patient's perspective.

Mandated Caregiver Training in the Veterans Health Administration: Caregiver Inquiry Informs National Dissemination.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A minority of family caregivers receive training, with implications for their own and their recipient's outcomes. Federal policy has supported the implementation and expansion of caregiver training and support. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has developed a national Caregiver Support Program and collaborated with VA health services researchers to explore caregivers' acceptance of an evidence-based training program in preparation for system-wide dissemination. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This approach entailed a convergent mixed-methods design, which involved separate analyses of quantitative and qualitative data. Survey questions based on the Kirkpatrick model for training evaluation measured caregivers' reaction and learning, and interview questions elicited caregivers' reports about the value of the program for them. RESULTS: Most caregivers reported satisfaction with the training when responding to survey questions, although qualitative interviews revealed caveats suggesting need to hone the best timing and specific group of caregivers for maximal benefit. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings indicate that understanding program-user fit may be particularly critical when implementing training for caregivers as they come to the program at different points along their caregiving journey, needing differing types and intensities of support. While a general program may appeal to policymakers aiming to scale caregiver training within a large, heterogeneous system, there may be shortcomings in terms of end-user acceptance and subsequent downstream outcomes such as reach and ultimately program effectiveness. Good, iterative communication flow between program developers and policymakers facilitates this understanding and, in turn, decisions about scaling.

Social Risk Factors Are Associated With Disability Prevalence - Results From 17 States in the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

PURPOSE: Determine the association between incremental increases in the number of social risk factors and the prevalence of any disability and disability type. DESIGN: The cross-sectional analysis was conducted using 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from states whose surveys included items about social risk factors. SETTING: Respondents from 17 US states. SUBJECTS: Respondents included 136 432 adults. MEASURES: Dichotomized social risk factors included food, housing, and financial insecurity, unsafe neighborhood, and healthcare access hardship. ANALYSIS: Weighted χ2 and logistic regression analyses adjusted for demographic characteristics, measures of socioeconomic position, and comorbid health conditions were used to examine differences in the prevalence of disability by social risk factor and via a social risk index created by summing the social risk factors. RESULTS: Compared to those reporting 0 social risk factors, respondents reporting ≥4 had more than thrice the odds of reporting a cognition ((adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.37; 95%CI [2.75-4.13]), independent living (AOR=3.24 [2.52-4.15]), self-care (AOR=3.33 [2.55-4.34]), or any disability (AOR=3.90 [3.24-4.70]); more than twice the odds of reporting a vision (AOR=2.61 [1.93-3.52]) or mobility (AOR=2.72 [2.16-3.41]) disability; and more than 1.5 times the odds of reporting a hearing disability (AOR=1.59 [1.22-2.07]). CONCLUSIONS: Incremental increases in the number of social risk factors were independently associated with higher odds of disability. Intervention efforts should address the social context of US adults with disabilities to improve health outcomes.

COVID-19 vaccination intention and activation among health care system employees: A mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Achieving high COVID-19 vaccination rates among employees is necessary to prevent outbreaks in health care settings. The goal of the study was to produce actionable and timely evidence about factors underlying the intention and decisions to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine by employees. METHODS: The study was conducted from December 2020 - May 2021 with employees from a VA health care system in Southeastern US. The study used a convergent mixed methods design comprising two main activities: a cross-sectional survey conducted prior to COVID-19 vaccine distribution, and semi-structured interviews conducted 4-6 months after vaccine distribution. Data were collected about participant characteristics, vaccination intention prior to distribution, vaccination decision post-distribution, determinants of vaccination intention and decision, activating factors, sources of information and intervention needs. Data from the survey and interviews were analyzed separately and integrated narratively in the discussion. RESULTS: Prior to vaccine distribution, 77% of employees wanted to be vaccinated. Post vaccine distribution, we identified 5 distinct decision-making groups: 1) vaccine believers who actively sought vaccination and included those sometimes described as "immunization advocates", 2) go along to get along (GATGA) individuals who got vaccinated but did not actively seek it, 3) cautious acceptors who got the COVID-19 vaccine after some delay, 4) fence sitters who remained uncertain about getting vaccinated, and 5) vaccine refusers who actively rejected the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants identifying with Black or multiple races were more likely to express hesitancy in their vaccination intention. CONCLUSION: The findings of our study highlight distinct decision-making profiles associated with COVID-19 vaccination among employees of a VA health care system, and provide tailored recommendations to reduce vaccine hesitancy in this population.

Adapting to CONNECT: modifying a nursing home-based team-building intervention to improve hospital care team interactions, functioning, and implementation readiness.

BACKGROUND: Clinical interventions often need to be adapted from their original design when they are applied to new settings. There is a growing literature describing frameworks and approaches to deploying and documenting adaptations of evidence-based practices in healthcare. Still, intervention modifications are often limited in detail and justification, which may prevent rigorous evaluation of interventions and intervention adaptation effectiveness in new contexts. We describe our approach in a case study, combining two complementary intervention adaptation frameworks to modify CONNECT for Quality, a provider-facing team building and communication intervention designed to facilitate implementation of a new clinical program. METHODS: This process of intervention adaptation involved the use of the Planned Adaptation Framework and the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications, for systematically identifying key drivers, core and non-core components of interventions for documenting planned and unplanned changes to intervention design. RESULTS: The CONNECT intervention's original context and setting is first described and then compared with its new application. This lays the groundwork for the intentional modifications to intervention design, which are developed before intervention delivery to participating providers. The unpredictable nature of implementation in real-world practice required unplanned adaptations, which were also considered and documented. Attendance and participation rates were examined and qualitative assessment of reported participant experience supported the feasibility and acceptability of adaptations of the original CONNECT intervention in a new clinical context. CONCLUSION: This approach may serve as a useful guide for intervention implementation efforts applied in diverse clinical contexts and subsequent evaluations of intervention effectiveness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03300336 ) on September 28, 2017.

Potential Targets for Deprescribing in Medically Complex Older Adults with Suspected Cognitive Impairment.

Deprescribing may be particularly beneficial in patients with medical complexity and suspected cognitive impairment (CI). We describe central nervous system (CNS) medication use and side effects in this population and explore the relationship between anticholinergic burden and sleep. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a pilot randomized-controlled trial in older adult veterans with medical complexity (Care Assessment Need score > 90), and suspected CI (Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score 20−31). CNS medication classes included antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, H2-receptor antagonists, hypnotics, opioids, and skeletal muscle relaxants. We also coded anticholinergic-active medications according to their Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) score. Other measures included self-reported medication side effects and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). ACB association with sleep (PSQI) was examined using adjusted linear regression. In this sample (N = 40), the mean number of prescribed CNS medications was 2.2 (SD 1.5), 65% experienced ≥ 1 side effect, and 50% had an ACB score ≥ 3 (high anticholinergic exposure). The ACB score ≥ 3 compared to ACB < 3 was not significantly associated with PSQI scores (avg diff in score = −0.1, 95% CI −2.1, 1.8). Although results did not demonstrate a clear relationship with worsened sleep, significant side effects and anticholinergic burden support the deprescribing need in this population.

Self-Organization of Interprofessional Staff to Improve Mobility of Hospitalized Patients with STRIDE: a Complexity Science-Informed Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Inpatient mobility programs can help older adults maintain function during hospitalization. Changing hospital practice can be complex and require engagement of various staff levels and disciplines; however, we know little about how interprofessional teams organize around implementing such interventions. Complexity science can inform approaches to understanding and improving multidisciplinary collaboration to implement clinical programs. OBJECTIVE: To examine, through a complexity science lens, how clinical staff's understanding about roles in promoting inpatient mobility evolved during implementation of the STRIDE (assiSTed eaRly mobIlity for hospitalizeD older vEterans) hospital mobility program. DESIGN: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-two clinical staff at eight Veterans Affairs hospitals. INTERVENTIONS: STRIDE is a supervised walking program for hospitalized older adults designed to maintain patients' mobility and function. APPROACH: We interviewed key staff involved in inpatient mobility efforts at each STRIDE site in pre- and post-implementation periods. Interviews elicited staff's perception of complexity-science aspects of inpatient mobility teams (e.g., roles over time, team composition). We analyzed data using complexity science-informed qualitative content analysis. KEY RESULTS: We identified three key themes related to patterns of self-organization: (1) individuals outside of the "core" STRIDE team voluntarily assumed roles as STRIDE advocates, (2) leader-champions adapted their engagement level to match local implementation team needs during implementation, and (3) continued leadership support and physical therapy involvement were key factors for sustainment. CONCLUSIONS: Staff self-organized around implementation of a new clinical program in ways that were responsive to changing program and contextual needs. These findings demonstrate the importance of effective self-organization for clinical program implementation. Researchers and practitioners implementing clinical programs should allow for, and encourage, flexibility in staff roles in planning for implementation of a new clinical program, encourage the development of advocates, and engage leaders in program planning and sustainment efforts.

Association of Health Literacy and Numeracy With Lupus Knowledge and the Creation of the Lupus Knowledge Assessment Test.

OBJECTIVE: Limited health literacy and numeracy are associated with worse patient-reported outcomes and higher disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but which factors may mediate this association is unknown. We sought to determine the association of health literacy and numeracy with SLE knowledge. METHODS: Patients with SLE were recruited from an academic center clinic. Participants completed validated assessments of health literacy (Newest Vital Sign [NVS]; n = 96) and numeracy (Numeracy Understanding in Medicine Instrument, Short Version [S-NUMI]; n = 85). They also completed the Lupus Knowledge Assessment Test (LKAT), which consists of 4 questions assessing SLE knowledge that were determined through consensus expert opinion for their wide applicability and importance related to self-management of the disease. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression modeling were used to analyze the results. RESULTS: In our SLE cohort (n = 125), 33% (32/96) had limited health literacy and 76% (65/85) had limited numeracy. The majority correctly identified that hydroxychloroquine prevented SLE flares (91%); however, only 23% of participants correctly answered a numeracy question assessing which urine protein to creatinine (UPC) ratio was > 1000 mg/g. The mean LKAT score was 2.7 out of 4.0. Limited health literacy, but not numeracy, was associated with lower knowledge about SLE as measured by the LKAT, even after adjusting for education. CONCLUSION: Patients with SLE with limited health literacy had lower knowledge about SLE. The LKAT could be further refined and/or used as a screening tool to identify patients with knowledge gaps. Further work is needed to improve patients' understanding of proteinuria and investigate whether literacy-sensitive education can improve care.

Optimizing the Impact of Pragmatic Clinical Trials for Veteran and Military Populations: Lessons From the Pain Management Collaboratory.

Pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs) are well-suited to address unmet healthcare needs, such as those arising from the dual public health crises of chronic pain and opioid misuse, recently exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These overlapping epidemics have complex, multifactorial etiologies, and PCTs can be used to investigate the effectiveness of integrated therapies that are currently available but underused. Yet individual pragmatic studies can be limited in their reach because of existing structural and cultural barriers to dissemination and implementation. The National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs formed an interagency research partnership, the Pain Management Collaboratory. The partnership combines pragmatic trial design with collaborative tools and relationship building within a large network to advance the science and impact of nonpharmacological approaches and integrated models of care for the management of pain and common co-occurring conditions. The Pain Management Collaboratory team supports 11 large-scale, multisite PCTs in veteran and military health systems with a focus on team science with the shared aim that the "whole is greater than the sum of the parts." Herein, we describe this integrated approach and lessons learned, including incentivizing all parties; proactively offering frequent opportunities for problem-solving; engaging stakeholders during all stages of research; and navigating competing research priorities. We also articulate several specific strategies and their practical implications for advancing pain management in active clinical, "real-world," settings.