Clinical Outcomes of Orthopedic Surgery Co-Management by Internal Medicine Advanced Practice Clinicians: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Comanagement of orthopedic surgery patients by internal medicine hospitalists is associated with improvements in clinical outcomes including complications, length of stay, and cost. Clinical outcomes of orthopedic comanagement performed solely by internal medicine advanced practice clinicians have not been reported. Our objecyive was to compare clinical outcomes between advanced practice clinician-based comanagement and usual orthopedic care. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study in patients 18 years or older, hospitalized for orthopedic joint or spine surgery between May 1, 2014 and January 1, 2022. Outcomes assessed were length of stay, intensive care unit (ICU) transfer, return to operating room, in-hospital and 30-day mortality, 30-day readmission, and total direct cost, excluding surgical implants. Generalized boosted regression and propensity score weighting was used to compare clinical outcomes and health care cost between usual care and advanced practice clinician comanagement. RESULTS: Advanced practice clinician comanagement was associated with a 5% reduction in mean length of stay (rate ratio = 0.95, P = .009), decreased odds of returning to the operating room (odds ratio [OR] 0.51, P = .002), and a significant reduction in 30-day mortality (OR 0.32, P = .037) compared with usual orthopedic care in a weighted analysis. Need for ICU transfer was higher with advanced practice clinician comanagement (OR 1.54, P = .009), without significant differences in 30-day readmission or in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: We observed reductions in length of stay, health care costs, return to the operating room, and 30-day mortality with advanced practice clinician comanagement compared with usual orthopedic care. Our findings suggest that advanced practice clinician-based comanagement may represent a safe and cost-effective model for orthopedic comanagement.

Aspiration Abortion With Immediate Intrauterine Device Insertion: Comparing Outcomes of Advanced Practice Clinicians and Physicians.

INTRODUCTION: Immediate postabortion intrauterine device (IUD) insertion is a safe, effective strategy to prevent subsequent unplanned pregnancy. Oregon is one of 5 US states where advanced practice clinicians perform aspiration abortions. This study compares outcomes of first-trimester aspiration abortion with immediate IUD insertion between advanced practice clinicians and physicians. METHODS: We conducted a historical cohort study of first-trimester aspiration abortions with immediate IUD insertion performed at our center from 2009 to 2011. We extracted demographic and clinical data from patient charts. Immediate complications including excessive blood loss, perforation, and reaspirations were recorded at the time of procedure. We used descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression to test for differences in outcomes by clinician type. RESULTS: Data were available on 669 of the 1134 combined procedures. Advanced practice clinicians performed 224 of these. There were no significant differences in immediate outcomes. The only immediate complications were reaspirations; 1.8% (4/224) in the advanced practice clinician group, and 2.0% (9/445) in the physician group (P = .83). DISCUSSION: We found no differences in outcomes between provider type for immediate IUD insertion after first-trimester aspiration abortion. This study helps reinforce that advanced practice clinicians can provide immediate postaspiration abortion IUD insertions with similar outcomes to those of physicians. Many countries do not allow advanced practice clinicians to perform this service, but a change in policy could help address family planning provider shortages.

Evaluation of an intervention designed to improve the management of difficult IUD insertions by advanced practice clinicians.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether clinical skills training in cervical dilation and paracervical anesthesia, as well as the introduction of a clinical protocol for difficult insertions, increased intrauterine device (IUD) insertion success rates among advanced practice clinicians (APCs) including women's health and family practice nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse midwives. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective study assessed an intervention to improve IUD insertions among APCs at six family planning clinics in Utah. We collected data on IUD insertions performed by participating clinicians during two observation phases: preintervention (Phase 1) and postintervention (Phase 2). Using electronic medical records, we tracked patient characteristics, IUD insertion success, difficulties and failures. We constructed a mixed-effects logistic regression model to control for provider and patient demographics influencing insertion success rates. RESULTS: Nine clinicians participated in both preintervention and postintervention phases. The analysis included 428 IUD insertion procedures (242 preintervention and 186 postintervention). During Phase 1, 31/242 (12.8%) insertions failed. Insertion rates in Phase 2 improved with only 8/186 (4.3%) failures. Using mixed-effects logistic regression, the odds of a successful insertion postintervention was 4.8 times greater than preintervention (aOR=4.8.95% CI 1.8-12.7) when controlling for provider and patient characteristics. Increased risk of insertion failure was associated with nulliparity and younger age during Phase 1, but not during Phase 2. CONCLUSIONS: A brief training for APCs and the use of a clinical protocol for difficult insertions may be able to improve IUD insertion rates. IMPLICATIONS: Clinics with high rates of IUD insertion failure can improve care with a simple intervention, which may yield significant benefits in IUD service delivery.

Insertion characteristics of intrauterine devices in adolescents and young women: success, ancillary measures, and complications.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate success and safety of intrauterine device (IUD) placement in a large cohort of adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: We examined the medical records of patients aged 13-24 years at the Children's Hospital Colorado Adolescent Family Planning Clinic with at least 1 attempt at IUD placement. We abstracted demographic, reproductive, and procedural variables. The primary outcome was successful placement at first IUD insertion visit. We compared nulliparous with parous adolescents and patients younger than 18 years with those 18 years of age and older. RESULTS: Between April 2009 and December 2011, 1177 adolescent women aged 13-24 years (mean age 20.8 ± 2.5 years) had an attempted IUD placement, 1012 (86%) of which were with an advanced practice clinician. The first attempt was successful for 1132 women (96.2%). The first-attempt success rate was 95.8% for nulliparous women and 96.7% for parous women (P = .45). The first-attempt success rate was 95.5% (n = 169) for women aged 13-17 years compared with 96.3% (n = 963) for women aged 18-24 years (P = .6). Only 1.8% (n = 21) of all first-attempt successful insertions required ancillary measures. Of the 45 patients with a failed first insertion attempt, 40% (n = 18) had a second attempt with a physician, of which 78% (n = 14) were successful. Within the first 6 months of IUD placement, no perforations were identified and 24 patients (3.0%) expelled the IUD. Insertion failures and IUD expulsions were not related to IUD type, age, or parity. CONCLUSION: Intrauterine devices can be inserted in nulliparous adolescents of any age with similar success to parous adolescents, by both physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Inability to provide ancillary measures such as paracervical block or cervical dilation should not limit access to this first-line contraceptive method.

Optimal utilization of a breast care advanced practice clinician.

BACKGROUND: Incorporation of "lean" business philosophy within health care has the goal of adding value by reducing cost and improving quality. Applying these principles to the role of Advance Practice Clinicians (APCs) is relevant because they have become essential members of the healthcare team. METHODS: An independent surgical breast care clinic directed by an APC was created with measurements of success to include the following: time to obtain an appointment, financial viability, and patient/APC/MD satisfaction. RESULTS: During the study period, there was a trend toward a decreased median time to obtain an appointment. Monthly APC charges increased from $388 to $30,800. The mean provider satisfaction score by Press Ganey was 96% for the APC and 95.8% for the surgeon. Both clinicians expressed significant satisfaction with clinic development. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, initiation of an APC breast clinic met the proposed goals of success. The use of lean philosophy demonstrates that implementation of change can result in added value in patient care.