Patient and clinician perspectives on a patient-facing dashboard that visualizes patient reported outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Poor patient-clinician communication around patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is a barrier to the effective management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to develop an RA 'dashboard' that could facilitate conversations about PROs and that would be acceptable to a wide range of patients, including English and Spanish speakers and patients with adequate or limited health literacy. METHODS: A diverse group of RA patients along with clinicians from two academic rheumatology clinics joined separate focus groups. We solicited feedback and made iterative changes to mock-ups of an RA dashboard that visualized PROs using a human-centred design process. We used the thematic analysis method to identify and characterize themes from the focus groups and used these insights to refine the dashboard. RESULTS: We conducted six focus groups involving 25 RA patients and three groups with 11 clinicians. Patients and clinicians agreed that the dashboard could enhance communication about PROs and RA disease activity and could promote patient self-management. Patients varied in their (a) comprehension, (b) preferences for the display and features of the dashboard, and (c) desired uses for the dashboard. Clinicians expressed significant concerns about the logistics of using the dashboard in clinical practice. CONCLUSION: Using principles of human-centred design, we created an RA dashboard that was well-accepted among patients and clinicians. The ability to customize the data display is important for tailoring the dashboard to patients with diverse needs and preferences. Special attention should be given to feasibility concerns voiced by clinicians.

Quality improvement initiatives in rheumatology: an integrative review of the last 5 years.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We reviewed recent quality improvement initiatives in the field of rheumatology to identify common strategies and themes leading to measurable change. RECENT FINDINGS: Efforts to improve quality of care in rheumatology have accelerated in the last 5 years. Most studies in this area have focused on interventions to improve process measures such as increasing the collection of patient-reported outcomes and vaccination rates, but some studies have examined interventions to improve health outcomes. Increasingly, researchers are studying electronic health record (EHR)-based interventions, such as standardized templates, flowsheets, best practice alerts and order sets. EHR-based interventions were most successful when reinforced with provider education, reminders and performance feedback. Most studies also redesigned workflows, distributing tasks among clinical staff. Given the common challenges and solutions facing rheumatology clinics under new value-based payment models, there are important opportunities to accelerate quality improvement by building on the successful efforts to date. Structured quality improvement models such as the learning collaborative may help to disseminate successful initiatives across practices. SUMMARY: Review of recent quality improvement initiatives in rheumatology demonstrated common solutions, particularly involving leveraging health IT and workflow redesign.

The Development of the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness Learning Collaborative for Improving Patient-Reported Outcome Collection and Patient-Centered Communication in Adult Rheumatology.

OBJECTIVE: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are an integral part of treat-to-target approaches in managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In clinical practice, however, routine collection, documentation, and discussion of PROs with patients are highly variable. The RISE LC (Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness Learning Collaborative) was established to develop and share best practices in PRO collection and use across adult rheumatology practices in the United States METHODS: The goals of the RISE LC were developed through site surveys and in-person meetings. Participants completed a baseline survey on PRO collection and use in their practices. RISE LC learning sessions focused on improving communication around PROs with patients and enhancing shared decision-making in treatment plans. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the RISE LC pivoted to adapt PRO tools for telehealth. RESULTS: At baseline, all responding sites (n = 15) had established workflows for collecting PROs. Most sites used paper forms alone. PRO documentation in electronic health records was variable, with only half of the sites using structured data fields. To standardize and improve the use of PROs, participants iteratively developed a Clinical Disease Activity Index-based RA Disease Activity Communication Tool to solicit treatment goals and improve shared decision-making across sites. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated developing a tool to gauge PROs via telehealth. CONCLUSION: The RISE LC is a continuous, structured method for implementing strategies to improve PRO collection and use in rheumatological care, initially adapting from the Learning Collaborative model and extending to include features of a learning network. Future directions include measuring the impact of standardized PRO collection and discussion on shared decision-making and RA outcomes.

Understanding Nonadherence with Hydroxychloroquine Therapy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a cornerstone to managing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), yet adherence to medication is poor. We sought to measure the association of adherence with 5 "dimensions of adherence" as articulated by the World Health Organization for chronic conditions: the patient's socioeconomic status, and patient-, condition-, therapy-, and healthcare system-related factors. Our longterm goal is to generate evidence to design effective interventions to increase adherence. METHODS: The retrospective cohort study included Kaiser Permanente Northern California patients ≥ 18 years old during 2006-2014, with SLE and ≥ 2 consecutive prescriptions for HCQ. Adherence was calculated from the medication possession ratio and dichotomized as < 80% versus ≥ 80%. Predictor variables were obtained from the electronic medical record and census data. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate adjusted OR and 95% CI. RESULTS: The study included 1956 patients. Only 58% of patients had adherence ≥ 80%. In adjusted analyses, socioeconomic variables did not predict adherence. Increasing age (65-89 yrs compared with ≤ 39 yrs: OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.07-1.93), white race (p < 0.05), and the number of rheumatology visits in the year before baseline (≥ 3 compared with 0 or 1: OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.18-1.83) were positively associated with adherence. The rheumatologist and medical center providing care were not associated with adherence. CONCLUSION: At our setting, as in other settings, about half of patients with SLE were not adherent to HCQ therapy. Differences in adherence by race/ethnicity suggest the possibility of using tailored interventions to increase adherence. Qualitative research is needed to elucidate patient preferences for adherence support.

Racial and ethnic differences in hip fracture outcomes in men.

OBJECTIVES: To examine temporal trends and racial/ethnic differences in hip fracture incidence and mortality outcome in older men. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: We ascertained men 50 years or older with a hip fracture during 2000 to 2010 in a diverse northern California healthcare population. Age, comorbidity index, hip fracture incidence, and all-cause mortality up to 12 months post fracture were examined and compared by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: A total of 6247 men (aged 79.3 ± 9.8 years) experienced a hip fracture during 2000 to 2010: 81.4% were white, 7.5% Hispanic, 3.8% black, and 3.9% Asian. The age-adjusted annual incidence of hip fracture averaged 127 per 100,000, ranging from 116 to 139 per 100,000 during this period. In 2010, the age-adjusted incidence of hip fracture was highest among white men (137), followed by Hispanic (98) and black (80), and was lowest among Asian men (45 per 100,000). Mortality following hip fracture was 11.1%, 19.8%, 25.4%, and 32.9%, within 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively, and increased with age. One-year mortality was similar for whites (33.7%), blacks (32.4%), and Hispanics (31.1%), but lower for Asians (23.1%; P <.05). Adjusting for age, comorbidity index, and calendar year, Asians remained at lower mortality risk compared with whites (adjusted odds ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.86). CONCLUSIONS: Although hip fracture rates were largely stable among older men, contemporary rates of hip fracture were highest for white and lowest for Asian men. One-year mortality was similar for white, black, and Hispanic men, but significantly lower for Asians. Future studies should investigate factors underlying observed ethnic differences in fracture outcome among US men.

Trends in mortality following hip fracture in older women.

OBJECTIVES: To examine contemporary trends in mortality following hip fracture among older postmenopausal women in an integrated healthcare delivery system. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of 13,550 women aged ≥65 years with hip fracture during 2000 to 2010. METHODS: Demographic factors, comorbidity index score, fracture history, early rehospitalization, and all-cause mortality within 1 year following hip fracture were examined using health plan databases and records. Temporal trends, risk factors, and the association of race/ethnicity and mortality within 1 year post fracture were examined using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 13,550 women with hip fracture, 84.6% were aged ≥75 years: 83.6% were white, 2.8% black, 5.6% Hispanic, 4.5% Asian, and 3.5% of other/unknown race. Following hip fracture, 2.4% died during the index hospitalization, while 12.3% were rehospitalized within 30 days of discharge. Infection, pneumonia, and cardiovascular conditions were the most common nonorthopedic indications for readmission. Mortality rates at 6 months (17%) and 1 year (22.8%) following hip fracture were high and increased with age. Greater comorbidity and early rehospitalization were associated with increased mortality risk, while Asian and Hispanic race/ethnicity were associated with lower mortality risk (vs white). Temporal trends demonstrated a small but significant reduction in mortality risk during 2004 to 2010. CONCLUSIONS: While hip fracture morbidity and mortality remain high, temporal trends suggest recent declines in mortality risk, with risk of death following hip fracture lower for Asian and Hispanic women. Future studies should examine potential benefits of targeted interventions within integrated healthcare settings and factors contributing to observed racial/ethnic differences in post fracture survival.

Endoscopic bile duct brushing of malignant pancreatic biliary strictures: retrospective study with comparison of conventional smear and ThinPrep techniques.

Endoscopic bile duct brushing (EBDB) is carried out to differentiate benign from malignant biliary strictures in patients who have pancreaticobiliary disease. The sensitivity of this method for the diagnosis of malignancy is relatively low. The aim of this study is to analyze the cytomorphologic features that are helpful in increasing the sensitivity of detecting these lesions on cytologic samples. These features are compared with slides prepared with the ThinPrep technique. The study included 142 patients with bile duct obstruction or pancreatic mass who underwent EBDB and follow-up surgery or biopsy between 1997 to 2000. Twenty-five (18%) of these cases were positive for malignancy in both EBDB and follow-up surgical biopsy; 20 of these cases were used as positive controls (PC). Sixty-one (43%) were negative in both EBDB and follow-up surgical biopsy specimens, and 21 of those cases were used as negative controls (NC). Fifty-six (39%) cases were negative/atypical in EBDB cytology but were suspicious or positive in the surgical or biopsy specimens (false-negative). We identified the cytologic criteria that were helpful in differentiating our positive and negative control groups and applied these criteria to our false-negative group to see whether our sensitivity could be increased, using well-defined cytologic criteria alone. Of the 56 false-negative cases, 9 (16%) were upgraded to suspicious/positive based on the presence of the following features: three-dimensional (3D) micropapillae (95% PC vs 19% NC, P < 0.0001), anisonucleosis (90% PC vs 5% NC, P < 0.0001), high nuclear-to-cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio (95% PC vs 9% NC, P < 0.0001), nuclear contour irregularity (65% PC vs 24% NC, P = 0.0079), and prominent nucleoli (70% PC vs 38% NC, P = 0.0406). Cytomorphologic features which were not helpful in distinguishing positive and negative cases were: single naked nuclei (50% PC vs 28% NC, P = 0.1597), chromatin granularity (50% PC vs 62% NC, P = 0.54), and necrosis (10% PC vs 5% NC, P = 0.5197). Improvement in diagnostic sensitivity for carcinoma of pancreaticobiliary tract in EBDB samples may be achieved by identifying the key malignant cytomorphologic features: 3D micropapillae, anisonucleosis, nuclear contour irregularity, prominent nucleoli, and high N/C ratio. The sensitivity in detecting malignant biliary strictures increased from 31% to 42% based on these criteria in our current study.