Novel Models to Identify Census Tracts for Hepatitis C Screening Interventions.

BACKGROUND: Increased screening efforts and the development of effective antiviral treatments have led to marked improvement in hepatitis C (HCV) patient outcomes. However, many people in the United States are still believed to have undiagnosed HCV. Geospatial modeling using variables representing at-risk populations in need of screening for HCV and social determinants of health (SDOH) provide opportunities to identify populations at risk of HCV. METHODS: A literature review was conducted to identify variables associated with patients at risk for HCV infection. Two sets of variables were collected: HCV Transmission Risk and SDOH Level of Need. The variables were combined into indices for each group and then mapped at the census tract level (n = 233). Multiple linear regression analysis and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used to validate the models. RESULTS: A total of 4 HCV Transmission Risk variables and 12 SDOH Level of Need variables were identified. Between the 2 indexes, 21 high-risk census tracts were identified that scored at least 2 standard deviations above the mean. The regression analysis showed a significant relationship with HCV infection rate and prevalence of drug use (B = 0.78, P < .001). A significant relationship also existed with the HCV infection rate for households with no/limited English use (B = -0.24, P = .001), no car use (B = 0.036, P < .001), living below the poverty line (B = 0.014, P = .009), and median household income (B = -0.00, P = .009). CONCLUSIONS: Geospatial models identified high-priority census tracts that can be used to map high-risk HCV populations that may otherwise be unrecognized. This will allow future targeted screening and linkage-to-care interventions for patients at high risk of HCV.

Electronic medical record alert activation increase hepatitis C and HIV screening rates in primary care practices within a large healthcare system.

Societal and economic burdens of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continue to grow. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a one-time HCV screen for individuals in the Baby Boomer population (those born between 1945 and 1965) and a one-time HIV screen for all individuals between ages 13-64 years regardless of risk factors, with more frequent screening for both conditions based on individual risk factors. This study took place at Atrium Health, a healthcare system with approximately 12 million patient encounters per year. The aims of this study were to assess the impact of the HCV and HIV electronic medical record (EMR) alerts recently implemented on screening rates and linkage to care. Data were collected from 12 primary care practices. Implementation of EMR alerts increased HCV and HIV screening from 1,934 of 59,632 (3.2%) to 13,726 of 60,422 (22.7%) and 6,950 of 112,813 (6.2%) to 12,379 of 109,173 (11.3%) respectively. The HCV screening resulted in an increase of patients with antibody positive results having a subsequent RNA test from 68% (122/179) to 98% (430/442). 74 of 81 (91%) of HCV and 15 of 15 (100%) of HIV positive patients were linked into care. The addition of an EMR alert was associated with improved screening for HCV and HIV in primary care practices. Screening all patients decreases testing stigma since there is a lowered risk of disease transmission for those who test positive. However, post-intervention screening rates indicate further opportunities exist for additional interventions to increase screening rates.

Awareness of Racial Disparities in Diabetes Among Primary Care Residents and Preparedness to Discuss Disparities with Patients.

Many healthcare providers lack the awareness of health disparities among their patients that precedes action to improve outcomes. Limited health disparities training is a probable contributor. We assessed primary care residents' awareness of racial and ethnic disparities in diabetes, their perceived preparedness to discuss health disparities with patients, and their preferences for training and resources to improve their preparedness. Primary care residents (n = 98) affiliated with two teaching hospitals in North Carolina were invited to complete a 20-question health disparities survey. Fifty-two residents completed the survey (response rate = 53%). Most were non-Hispanic White (54%) and had ≤ 50% African American patients in their panel (65%). Although 83% were aware of higher diabetes prevalence among African Americans, only 31% felt prepared to discuss diabetes health disparities with patients. Their primary concerns included not having information for the discussion (58%) and being unsure how to share information in a way that is easy for patients to understand (48%). Perceived preparedness to discuss health disparities did not differ significantly by primary care resident race or percentage of African American patients in their panel. Residents indicated that having information regarding how to discuss and address health disparities would make them feel more prepared. Cultural competency training and experiential learning were the most preferred methods to learn how to identify and address health disparities. Future health disparities training should focus on improving residents' preparedness to address health disparities in their clinical practice using culturally relevant communication tools and experiential learning opportunities.

Asthma dissemination around patient-centered treatments in North Carolina (ADAPT-NC): a cluster randomized control trial evaluating dissemination of an evidence-based shared decision-making intervention for asthma management.

Objective: To compare three dissemination approaches for implementing an asthma shared decision-making (SDM) intervention into primary care practices. Methods: We randomized thirty practices into three study arms: (1) a facilitator-led approach to implementing SDM; (2) a one-hour lunch-and-learn training on SDM; and (3) a control group with no active intervention. Patient perceptions of SDM were assessed in the active intervention arms using a one-question anonymous survey. Logistic regression models compared the frequency of asthma exacerbations (emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and oral steroid prescriptions) between the three arms. Results: We collected 705 surveys from facilitator-led sites and 523 from lunch-and-learn sites. Patients were more likely to report that they participated equally with the provider in making the treatment decision in the facilitator-led sites (75% vs. 66%, p = 0.001). Comparisons of outcomes for patients in the facilitator-led (n = 1,658) and lunch-and-learn (n = 2,613) arms respectively vs. control (n = 2,273) showed no significant differences for ED visits (Odds Ratio [OR] [95%CI] = 0.77[0.57-1.04]; 0.83[0.66-1.07]), hospitalizations (OR [95%CI] = 1.30[0.59-2.89]; 1.40 [0.68-3.06]), or oral steroids (OR [95%CI] =0.95[0.79-1.15]; 1.03[0.81-1.06]). Conclusion: Facilitator-led dissemination was associated with a significantly higher proportion of patients sharing equally in decision-making with the provider compared to a traditional lunch-and-learn approach. While there was no significant difference in health outcomes between the three arms, the results were most likely confounded by a concurrent statewide asthma initiative and the pragmatic implementation of the intervention. These results offer support for the use of structured approaches such as facilitator-led dissemination of complex interventions into primary care practices.

A Rare Presentation of Stage IV Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Cervix with Metastasis to the Cranium.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are aggressive diseases developing from neuroendocrine cells that most frequently involve the gastro-entero-pancreatic tract and the lung, but more rarely are found in almost all body tissues. Limited biological and clinical data are currently available for NETs in uncommon sites, such as female genital tract. NETs represent 0.9% to 1.5% of the tumors of the uterine cervix. This case is reported on a 75-year-old Caucasian woman, presenting with dental and generalized pain for two weeks. Later during her admission, facial droop and diplopia were noticed. Radiological findings ruled out cerebrovascular accident but revealed multiple bone marrow lesions involving the left and the right clivus, right Meckel's cave, and posterior margin of the right cavernous sinus. Findings also included pulmonary nodules and adenopathy supporting diagnosis of likely stage IV metastatic carcinoma. Further imaging revealed homogeneous enhancement of the uterus suggestive of diffusely infiltrative carcinoma; pathology results confirmed large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix (LCNEC) giving her a 1.5-month median survival range.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in a Large Integrated Health Care System in North Carolina.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of conditions--including abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia--that are associated with a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. No information currently exists regarding the prevalence of MetS in North Carolina. This study determined the prevalence of MetS among adults receiving care in a large integrated health care system in North Carolina. METHODS: This study used data from the Carolinas HealthCare System's electronic medical record system and included adults receiving care during 2014. The association between patient demographic characteristics and MetS was determined using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS was approximately 22.5%. Individuals aged 18-29 years were less likely to have MetS compared with those aged 80 years and older (odds ratio [OR], 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56-0.67). Groups that were more likely to have MetS included women (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05-1.10), Hispanics (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.23), individuals with Medicare (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.33-1.42), and those with Medicaid (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.58-1.78) compared with men, whites, and those with commercial insurance, respectively. LIMITATIONS: We excluded individuals with missing data for any of the conditions that define MetS, which may underestimate the actual prevalence of this condition. CONCLUSIONS: The considerable prevalence of MetS in our North Carolina sample suggests that interventions are needed to achieve the state's population health goals.

Comparing traditional and participatory dissemination of a shared decision making intervention (ADAPT-NC): a cluster randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a common disease that affects people of all ages and has significant morbidity and mortality. Poor outcomes and health disparities related to asthma result in part from the difficulty of disseminating new evidence and care delivery methods such as shared decision making (SDM) into clinical practice. METHODS/DESIGN: This non-blinded study will randomize 30 primary care clinics in NC stratified by four PBRNs. We will test dissemination across these practices using a facilitator-led participatory approach to dissemination (FLOW), a novel method of participatory dissemination involving key principles of community-based participatory research, and a more typical "lunch and learn" dissemination method. Specifically, we will use cluster randomization to assign each of the 30 practices to one of three arms: (1) control, no dissemination; (2) traditional dissemination, one didactic session a year and distribution of educational material; and (3) FLOW dissemination. We hypothesize that at the unit of randomization, the clinic, patients in the FLOW dissemination arm will be more likely to share in their treatment decisions compared to patients in the traditional dissemination or control arms. All outcomes will be measured at the level of the clinic. Adoption of the SDM approach will be evaluated by 1) asthma exacerbations, 2) level of patient involvement in the decision making process, and 3) qualitative assessments from patients and providers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered on January 27, 2014 through the United States National Institutes of Health's ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02047929 and funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

Obesity and asthma: pathophysiology and implications for diagnosis and management in primary care.

The effects of obesity on asthma diagnosis, control, and exacerbation severity are increasingly recognized; however, the underlying pathophysiology of this association is poorly understood. Mainstream clinical practice has yet to adopt aggressive management of obesity as a modifiable risk factor in asthma care, as is the case with a risk factor like tobacco or allergen exposure. This review summarizes existing data that support the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the association between obesity and asthma, as well as the current and future state of treatment for the obese patient with asthma. Our review suggests that evidence of chronic inflammatory response linking obesity and asthma indicates a need to address obesity during asthma management, possibly using patient-centered approaches such as shared decision making. There is a need for research to better understand the mechanisms of asthma in the obese patient and to develop new therapies specifically targeted to this unique patient population.

Adapting community based participatory research (CBPR) methods to the implementation of an asthma shared decision making intervention in ambulatory practices.

OBJECTIVE: Translating research findings into clinical practice is a major challenge to improve the quality of healthcare delivery. Shared decision making (SDM) has been shown to be effective and has not yet been widely adopted by health providers. This paper describes the participatory approach used to adapt and implement an evidence-based asthma SDM intervention into primary care practices. METHODS: A participatory research approach was initiated through partnership development between practice staff and researchers. The collaborative team worked together to adapt and implement a SDM toolkit. Using the RE-AIM framework and qualitative analysis, we evaluated both the implementation of the intervention into clinical practice, and the level of partnership that was established. Analysis included the number of adopting clinics and providers, the patients' perception of the SDM approach, and the number of clinics willing to sustain the intervention delivery after 1 year. RESULTS: All six clinics and physician champions implemented the intervention using half-day dedicated asthma clinics while 16% of all providers within the practices have participated in the intervention. Themes from the focus groups included the importance of being part the development process, belief that the intervention would benefit patients, and concerns around sustainability and productivity. One year after initiation, 100% of clinics have sustained the intervention, and 90% of participating patients reported a shared decision experience. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a participatory research process was central to the successful implementation of a SDM intervention in multiple practices with diverse patient populations.

Understanding the patient's perspective on rapid and routine HIV testing in an inner-city urgent care center.

The purpose of this study was to explore patient perspectives of rapid and routine HIV-testing in an urgent care center at an urban public hospital. We conducted structured focus groups during a clinical trial comparing routinely offered rapid HIV-testing, routinely offered enzyme immunoassay (EIA) testing, and conventional EIA testing. Participants of the six focus groups were 89% African American, 60% uninsured, and had a low educational status. Four independent coders analyzed the data using iterative content analysis. Rapid testing was preferred to EIA testing because it reduced the need for a return visit and stress of waiting for test results, though there were concerns about accuracy. Participants supported routinely offering testing, but there were concerns about privacy and cost. Fear and stigma were common reasons for refusing testing and not returning for results. Distrust and misconceptions about HIV, particularly regarding the importance of testing, were very common.