The impact of perceived everyday discrimination and income on racial and ethnic disparities in PTSD, depression, and anxiety among veterans.

OBJECTIVES: Black and Hispanic/Latinx individuals experience a greater burden of mental health symptoms as compared to White individuals in the general population. Examination of ethnoracial disparities and mechanisms explaining these disparities among veterans is still in its nascence. The current study examined perceived everyday discrimination and income as parallel mediators of the association between race/ethnicity and PTSD, depression, and general anxiety symptoms in a sample of White, Black, and Hispanic/Latinx veterans stratified by gender. METHODS: A random sample of 3,060 veterans living across the U.S. (oversampled for veterans living in high crime communities) completed a mail-based survey. Veterans completed self-report measures of perceived discrimination via the Everyday Discrimination Scale, PTSD symptoms via the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-5, depressive symptoms via the Patient Health Questionnaire, and anxiety symptoms via the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire. RESULTS: Models comparing Black vs. White veterans found that the significant effect of race on PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms was mediated by both perceived discrimination and income for both male and female veterans. Results were less consistent in models comparing Hispanic/Latinx vs. White veterans. Income, but not perceived discrimination, mediated the relationship between ethnicity/race and depression and anxiety symptoms, but only among women. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that discrimination and socioeconomic status are important mechanisms through which marginalized social status negatively impacts mental health.

Relationship of perceived neighborhood danger with depression and PTSD among veterans: The moderating role of social support and neighborhood cohesion.

Little is known about the impact of perceived neighborhood danger on military veterans' mental health, a population potentially at higher risk for this experience, or whether interpersonal social support and neighborhood cohesion can help buffer against poor mental health. This study examined: (1) the impact of perceived neighborhood danger on depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans; (2) whether interpersonal social support and neighborhood cohesion can mitigate these effects; and (3) how prior trauma history may interact with these factors. Six moderation models were examined using data from 3049 veterans enrolled in the Longitudinal Investigation of Gender, Health, and Trauma study, a mail-based survey that oversampled for veterans in high crime neighborhoods. Most notably, results indicated that perceived neighborhood danger was associated with increased depression and PTSD (all p < .001). Interpersonal social support or neighborhood cohesion mitigated the effect of perceived neighborhood danger on veterans' depression, but, only for those without prior trauma (all p < .011). For trauma-exposed veterans, interpersonal social support was more effective in mitigating the effect of perceived neighborhood danger on depression than neighborhood cohesion (p = .006). Findings help inform interventions to improve the mental health of veterans living in high crime neighborhoods.

Ethics Consultation in U.S. Hospitals: A National Follow-Up Study.

A 1999-2000 national study of U.S. hospitals raised concerns about ethics consultation (EC) practices and catalyzed improvement efforts. To assess how practices have changed since 2000, we administered a 105-item survey to "best informants" in a stratified random sample of 600 U.S. general hospitals. This primary article details the methods for the entire study, then focuses on the 16 items from the prior study. Compared with 2000, the estimated number of case consultations performed annually rose by 94% to 68,000. The median number of consults per hospital was unchanged at 3, but more than doubled for hospitals with 400+ beds. The level of education of EC practitioners was unchanged, while the percentage of hospitals formally evaluating their ECS decreased from 28.0% to 19.1%. The gap between large, teaching hospitals and small, nonteaching hospitals widened since the prior study. We suggest targeting future improvement efforts to hospitals where needs are not being met by current approaches to EC.

Ethics Consultation in U.S. Hospitals: Opinions of Ethics Practitioners.

To design effective strategies to improve ethics consultation (EC) practices, it is important to understand the views of ethics practitioners. Previous U.S. studies of ethics practitioners have overrepresented the views of academic bioethicists. To help inform EC improvement efforts, we surveyed a random stratified sample of U.S. hospitals, examining ethics practitioners' opinions on EC in general, on their own EC service, on strategies to improve EC, and on ASBH practice standards. Respondents across all categories of hospitals had very positive perceptions of their own ethics consultation service (ECS) and few concerns about quality. Our findings suggest that the ethics-related needs of small, rural, non-teaching hospitals may be very different from those of academic medical centers, and therefore, different approaches to addressing ethical issues might be warranted.

Ethics Consultation in U.S. Hospitals: Determinants of Consultation Volume.

The annual volume of ethics consultations (ECs) has been a topic of interest in the bioethics literature, in part because of its presumed relationship to quality. To better understand factors associated with EC volume, we used multiple linear regression to model the number of case consultations performed in the last year based on a national survey. We found that hospital bed size, academic affiliation, and urban/rural location were all associated with EC volume, but were not the primary drivers. Instead, these variables affected EC volume through three other variables, all of which relate to ethics staffing: the percentage of case consultations performed by a single individual; whether the survey respondent's main role at the hospital contained the word "ethics"; and especially, the number of full-time ethics program staff. We conclude that EC is an example of supply-sensitive care, and further research is needed to determine the optimal level of EC activity.

Ethics Consultation in U.S. Hospitals: New Findings about Consultation Practices.

BackgroundWhile previous research has examined various aspects of ethics consultation (EC) in U.S. hospitals, certain EC practices have never been systematically studied.MethodsTo address this gap, we surveyed a random stratified sample of 600 hospitals about aspects of EC that had not been previously explored.ResultsNew findings include: in 26.0% of hospitals, the EC service performs EC for more than one hospital; 72.4% of hospitals performed at least one non-case consultation; in 56% of hospitals, ECs are never requested by patients or families; 59.0% of case consultations involve conflict; the usual practice is to visit the patient in all formal EC cases in 32.5% of hospitals; 56.6% of hospitals do not include a formal meeting in most EC cases; 61.1% of hospitals do not routinely assess ethics consultants' competencies; and 31.6% of hospitals belong to a bioethics network. We estimate the total number of non-case consultations performed in U.S. hospitals to be approximately one half the number of case consultations; we estimate the total number of ECs performed in U.S. hospitals, including both case and non-case consultations, to be just over 100,000 per year.ConclusionsThese findings expand our current understanding of EC in U.S. hospitals, and raise several concerns that suggest a need for further research.

Ethics Consultation in U.S. Hospitals: Adherence to National Practice Standards.

BackgroundAdherence to widely accepted practice standards is a frequently used measure of healthcare quality. In the U.S., the most widely recognized authoritative source of practice standards for ethics consultation (EC) is the second edition of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities' Core Competencies for Healthcare Ethics Consultation report.MethodsTo determine the extent to which EC practices in U.S. hospitals adhere to these practice standards, we developed and analyzed 12 evaluative measures from a national survey.ResultsOnly three of the 12 standards achieved over 75% adherence with reported EC practices: allowing anyone involved in a case to request an EC (100%), not requiring an attending physician's permission to conduct an EC (97.6%), and having at least one person on the ethics consultation service (ECS) with advanced level EC proficiency (79.3%).ConclusionsImplications are discussed for achieving consensus on EC standards as they continue to evolve.

Ethics Consultation in United States Hospitals: Assessment of Training Needs.

BACKGROUND: To help inform the development of more accessible, acceptable, and effective ethics consultation (EC) training programs, we conducted an EC training needs assessment, exploring ethics practitioners' opinions on: the relative importance of various EC practitioner competencies; the potential market for EC training (that is, how many individuals would benefit and how much individuals and hospitals would be willing to pay); and the preferred content, format, and characteristics of EC training. METHODS: As part of a multipart study, we surveyed "best informants" who self-identified as the person most actively involved in EC or healthcare ethics in a random sample of 600 U.S. general hospitals, stratified for bed size. RESULTS: The competency that was ranked most important for a lead or solo ethics consultant was knowledge of ethics, while common sense was ranked least important. The median estimated number of individuals at each hospital who would benefit from EC training was six at the basic level, three at the advanced level, and two for EC management training. In 19.1 percent of hospitals, respondents thought their hospital would not be willing to pay anything for EC training within the next two years. Respondents thought potential trainees would be likely to participate in EC training on multiple different topics. Opinions varied widely on preferred formats. Most respondents thought it very important to be able to interact with instructors and with other trainees, practice EC skills, receive a certificate for completing EC training, and complete EC training during work hours. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide U.S. population data that may be useful to healthcare educators and bioethics leaders in their efforts to develop EC training programs and products that match trainees' preferences and needs.

Health care ethics programs in U.S. Hospitals: results from a National Survey.

BACKGROUND: As hospitals have grown more complex, the ethical concerns they confront have grown correspondingly complicated. Many hospitals have consequently developed health care ethics programs (HCEPs) that include far more than ethics consultation services alone. Yet systematic research on these programs is lacking. METHODS: Based on a national, cross-sectional survey of a stratified sample of 600 US hospitals, we report on the prevalence, scope, activities, staffing, workload, financial compensation, and greatest challenges facing HCEPs. RESULTS: Among 372 hospitals whose informants responded to an online survey, 97% of hospitals have HCEPs. Their scope includes clinical ethics functions in virtually all hospitals, but includes other functions in far fewer hospitals: ethical leadership (35.7%), regulatory compliance (29.0%), business ethics (26.2%), and research ethics (12.6%). HCEPs are responsible for providing ongoing ethics education to various target audiences including all staff (77.0%), nurses (59.9%), staff physicians (49.0%), hospital leadership (44.2%), medical residents (20.3%) and the community/general public (18.4%). HCEPs staff are most commonly involved in policy work through review of existing policies but are less often involved in development of new policies. HCEPs have an ethics representative in executive leadership in 80.5% of hospitals, have representation on other hospital committees in 40.7%, are actively engaged in community outreach in 22.6%, and lead large-scale ethics quality improvement initiatives in 17.7%. In general, major teaching hospitals and urban hospitals have the most highly integrated ethics programs with the broadest scope and greatest number of activities. Larger hospitals, academically affiliated hospitals, and urban hospitals have significantly more individuals performing HCEP work and significantly more individuals receiving financial compensation specifically for that work. Overall, the most common greatest challenge facing HCEPs is resource shortages, whereas underutilization is the most common greatest challenge for hospitals with fewer than 100 beds. Respondents' strategies for managing challenges include staff training and additional funds. CONCLUSIONS: While this study must be cautiously interpreted due to its limitations, the findings may be useful for understanding the characteristics of HCEPs in US hospitals and the factors associated with these characteristics. This information may contribute to exploring ways to strengthen HCEPs.

Technical Features of Biventricular Repair for Unbalanced Transitional AVSD With LVOTO.

Surgical management of left ventricle outflow tract obstruction in infants with right-dominant unbalanced transitional atrioventricular septal defect poses difficulties. A two-month-old infant with transitional atrioventricular septal defect and complex left ventricle outflow tract obstruction presented in cardiogenic shock. The patient underwent successful biventricular repair. The operative procedure included detachment of the anterior bridging leaflet and resection of its chordal attachments. Septal myectomy was performed with creation of an interventricular communication, followed by patch augmentation of the left ventricular outflow tract and anterior bridging leaflet. The zone of apposition between anterior and posterior bridging leaflets was closed. The repair resulted in effective augmentation of the left ventricular inflow and outflow tracts.

Uptake of online HIV-related continuing medical education training among primary care providers in Southeast United States, 2017-2018.

Primary care providers play a vital role for HIV prevention and care in high burden areas of the Southeast United States. Studies reveal that only a third of these providers had previous HIV-related training. We evaluated the effects of targeted online continuing medical education training on HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and practices among providers in the Southeast. During April 2017-February 2018, we administered baseline and six-month follow-up surveys to assess changes attributed to online training among a representative sample of providers from six Southeast locations. Data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05). Baseline and follow-up surveys were completed by 349 participants (61.2% female, 64.6% white, 69.6% physicians, and 27.5% aged 40 years or less); 18% (n = 63) of whom visited online training websites sent following the baseline survey. Comparing baseline versus follow-up responses, providers who completed online training were half as likely to identify "patients' age" (30% vs. 15%) and "patients' race" (3% vs. 1.4%) as barriers to discussing sex with clients; survey responses by participants who declined training remained unchanged. Based on baseline versus follow-up responses, providers who visited online training websites were more likely to become familiar with preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (38% vs. 58%); participants who declined training remained unchanged at 45%. No impact on clinical practices such as PrEP prescriptions was identified. Targeted online training can enhance HIV readiness and should be explored for providers in the Southeast, particularly for enhancing PrEP service delivery.

Mental Health Screening Practices Among Primary Care Providers in High HIV Burden Areas of the South: Does Having Patients with HIV Matter?

Mental health (MH) disorders are associated with HIV-related risk and health outcomes. Primary care providers (PCPs) conducting MH screenings can link persons living with HIV (PWH) to appropriate services, particularly in HIV burden areas of Southeastern States (the South). Little data exist on PCPs' MH screening practices. Depression, MH history, and substance use screenings among PCPs were examined in the South. Rao-Scott chi-square (χ2[df]) statistics (p ≤ 0.05) analyzed MH screening between PCPs with and without PWH patients. Compared with PCPs without PWH patients, PCPs with PWH patients routinely screened for substance use more frequently (50.6% vs. 43.2%; χ2[1] = 20.3; p < 0.0001). Compared with PCPs without PWH patients, PCPs with PWH patients routinely screened for depression less frequently (36.2% vs. 50.9%; χ2[1] = 32.0; p < 0.0001). Providers increasing MH screenings will improve HIV-related outcomes in the South.

HIV prescriptions on the frontlines: Primary care providers' use of antiretrovirals for prevention in the Southeast United States, 2017.

HIV disproportionately affects persons in Southeast United States. Primary care providers (PCPs) are vital for HIV prevention. Data are limited about their prescribing of antiretrovirals (ARVs) for prevention, including non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and antiretroviral therapy (ART). We examined these practices to assess gaps. During April-August 2017, we conducted an online survey of PCPs in Atlanta, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Miami, New Orleans, and Washington, DC to assess HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and practices. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate correlates of nPEP, PrEP and ART prescribing practices. Adjusting for MSA and specialty, the weighted sample (n = 820, 29.6% adjusted response rate) comprised 60.2% white and 59.4% females. PCPs reported ever prescribing nPEP (31.0%), PrEP (18.1%), and ART (27.2%). Prescribing nPEP was associated with nPEP familiarity (aPR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.59, 4.35) and prescribing PrEP (aPR = 3.57, 95% CI 2.78, 4.55). Prescribing PrEP was associated with PrEP familiarity (aPR = 4.35, 95% CI 2.63, 7.14), prescribing nPEP (aPR = 5.00, 95% CI 2.00, 12.50), and providing care for persons with HIV (aPR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.06, 2.27). Prescribing ART was associated with nPEP familiarity (aPR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.27, 2.78) and practicing in outpatient public practice versus hospital-based facilities (aPR = 2.14 95% CI 1.51, 3.04), and inversely associated with collaborations involving specialists (aPR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.42, 0.86). A minority of PCPs surveyed from the Southeast report ever prescribing ARVs for prevention. Future efforts should include enhancing HIV care coordination and developing strategies to increase use of biomedical tools.

Diabetes Prevention Program attendance is associated with improved patient activation: Results from the Prediabetes Informed Decisions and Education (PRIDE) study.

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a 12-month behavior change program designed to increase physical activity and improve dietary patterns among patients at risk for Type 2 diabetes, in order to facilitate modest weight loss and improve cardio-metabolic profiles. It is unknown whether baseline patient activation is related to increased DPP uptake, and whether DPP attendance leads to subsequent improvement in patient activation. We analyzed data from 352 adult participants in the Prediabetes Informed Decisions and Education (PRIDE) trial of shared decision-making (SDM) in diabetes prevention, collected from November 2015 through September 2017. PRIDE participants completed baseline and 4-month follow-up surveys, including the Altarum Consumer Engagement (ACE) Measure™ of patient activation. We tracked DPP attendance over 8 months using data from partnering DPP providers. In multivariate models, we measured whether self-reported baseline activation was associated with DPP "uptake" (1+ session attended) or DPP "attendance" (9+ sessions). We also examined whether DPP attendance was associated with change in activation at 4-months follow-up. We did not find an association between baseline activation and DPP uptake or attendance. However, we did find that DPP attendance was associated with an increase in the overall ACE score (6.68 points, 95% CI 1.97-11.39, p = 0.005) and increased activation in 2 of the 3 ACE subscales (Commitment and Informed Choice). Our finding of increased patient activation with DPP attendance suggests a mechanism for the improved health outcomes seen in DPP real-world translational studies. This work has important implications for diabetes prevention and other behavior change programs.

HIV-Related Training and Correlates of Knowledge, HIV Screening and Prescribing of nPEP and PrEP Among Primary Care Providers in Southeast United States, 2017.

The Southeast accounted for most HIV diagnoses (52%) in the United States in 2015. Primary care providers (PCPs) play a vital role in HIV prevention for at-risk persons and treatment of persons living with HIV. We studied HIV-related training, knowledge, and clinical practices among PCPs in the Southeast to address knowledge gaps to inform HIV prevention strategies. Between April and August 2017, we conducted an on-line survey of a representative sample of PCPs in six Southeast jurisdictions with high rates of HIV diagnoses (Atlanta; Baltimore; Baton Rouge; District of Columbia; Miami; New Orleans). We defined HIV-related training as self-reported completion of any certified HIV/STD course or continuing education in past 24 months (prior to survey completion). We assessed associations between training and HIV testing practices, familiarity with nonoccupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and ever prescribing nPEP or PrEP. There were 820 participants after fielding 4595 surveys (29.6% adjusted response rate). In weighted analyses, 36.3% reported HIV-related training. Using adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) and confidence intervals (CI), we found that PCPs with HIV-related training (compared to those with no training) were more likely to be familiar with nPEP (aPR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.05, 1.67) and PrEP (aPR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.19, 2.38); and to have ever prescribed PrEP to patients (aPR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.10, 2.78). Increased HIV-related trainings among PCPs in high HIV prevalence Southeast jurisdictions may be warranted. Strengthening nPEP and PrEP familiarity among PCPs in Southeast may advance national HIV prevention goals.

Delivery of HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Support Services by HIV Care Providers in the United States, 2013 to 2014.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about clinicians' adoption of recommendations of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care and others for supporting adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS: We surveyed a probability sample of US HIV care providers to estimate the percentage offering 3 ART adherence support services to most or all patients and assessed the characteristics of providers offering all 3 services (comprehensive support) to most or all patients. RESULTS: Almost all providers (95.5%) discussed ART adherence at every visit, 60.1% offered advice about tools to increase adherence, 53.5% referred nonadherent patients for supportive services, and 42.8% provided comprehensive support. Nurse practitioners were more likely to offer comprehensive support as were providers who practiced at Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-funded facilities, provided primary care, or started caring for HIV-infected patients within 10 years. CONCLUSION: Less than half of HIV care providers offered comprehensive ART adherence support. Certain subgroups may benefit from interventions to increase delivery of adherence support.

Initial assessment of a novel delivery system (NuDEL™ ®) for the covered Cheatham-Platinum stent.

Aims We sought to evaluate the first-in-man use of a new system for implantation of covered stents in patients with complex structural and CHD. Methods and results Retrospective data were collected of the first 13 NuDEL™ delivery systems used in patients. The NuDEL™ comprises a covered Cheatham-Platinum stent mounted on a balloon-in-balloon and pre-loaded in a long delivery sheath. Data were collected from three centres in the United Kingdom and Ireland. A total of 13 covered stents were delivered via 12 NuDEL™ delivery systems in 12 patients. Among them, six patients had coarctation of the aorta, five patients had right ventricular outflow tract stenosis, and one patient had severe stenosis of a Mustard systemic venous baffle. There were no complications, and all the stents were deployed in the desired position with satisfactory haemodynamic results. CONCLUSIONS: The development of a bespoke system of a pre-mounted, pre-loaded covered stent may negate some of the technical challenges that complicate large-calibre stent deployment. Our preliminary results suggest that the NuDEL™ system is a safe and effective means of covered stent deployment in challenging anatomy.

Retention in Care Services Reported by HIV Care Providers in the United States, 2013 to 2014.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence-based guidelines recommend that HIV care providers offer retention-in-care services, but data are needed to assess service provision. METHODS: We surveyed a probability sample of 1234 HIV care providers to estimate the percentage of providers whose practices offered 5 recommended retention services and describe providers' perceptions of barriers to care among patients. RESULTS: An estimated 21% of providers' practices offered all 5 retention services. Providers at smaller (<50 versus >400 patients), private, and non-Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP)-funded practices, and practices without on-site case management were significantly less likely to provide patient navigation services or do systematic monitoring of retention. Providers' most commonly perceived barriers to care among patients were mental health (40%), substance abuse (36%), and transportation (34%) issues. CONCLUSION: Deficiencies in the provision of key retention services are substantial. New strategies may be needed to increase the delivery of recommended retention services, especially among private, non-RWHAP-funded, and smaller facilities.

Outcome after transcatheter occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus in infants less than 6 kg: A national study from United Kingdom and Ireland.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to report our national experience with transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) occlusion in infants weighing <6 kg. BACKGROUND: The technique of transcatheter PDA closure has evolved in the past two decades and is increasingly used in smaller patients but data on safety and efficacy are limited. METHODS: Patients weighing < 6 kg in whom transcatheter PDA occlusion was attempted in 13 tertiary paediatric cardiology units in the United Kingdom and Ireland were retrospectively analyzed to review the outcome and complications. RESULTS: A total of 408 patients underwent attempted transcatheter PDA closure between January 2004 and December 2014. The mean weight at catheterization was 4.9 ± 1.0 kg and mean age was 5.7 ± 3.0 months. Successful device implantation was achieved in 374 (92%) patients without major complication and of these, complete occlusion was achieved in 356 (95%) patients at last available follow-up. Device embolization occurred in 20 cases (5%). The incidence of device related obstruction to the left pulmonary artery or aorta and access related peripheral vascular injury were low. There were no deaths related to the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter closure of PDA can be accomplished in selected infants weighing <6 kg despite the manufacturer's recommended weight limit of 6 kg for most ductal occluders. The embolization rate is higher than previously reported in larger patients. Retrievability of the occluder and duct morphology needs careful consideration before deciding whether surgical ligation or transcatheter therapy is the better treatment option.