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Mulligan KL, Kurkurina E, Anand R. From concept to clinical application: The importance of including trust in low-value care curricula. CLINICAL TEACHER 2024; 21:e13736. [PMID: 38247127 DOI: 10.1111/tct.13736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen L Mulligan
- Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, 370 Bassett Road, North Haven, CT, USA
| | - Elina Kurkurina
- Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, 370 Bassett Road, North Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rahul Anand
- Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, 370 Bassett Road, North Haven, CT, USA
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Radomski TR, Lovelace EZ, Sileanu FE, Zhao X, Rose L, Schwartz AL, Schleiden LJ, Pickering AN, Gellad WF, Fine MJ, Thorpe CT. Use and Cost of Low-Value Services Among Veterans Dually Enrolled in VA and Medicare. J Gen Intern Med 2024:10.1007/s11606-024-08911-7. [PMID: 38977515 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-024-08911-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over half of veterans enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) are also enrolled in Medicare, potentially increasing their opportunity to receive low-value health services within and outside VA. OBJECTIVES To characterize the use and cost of low-value services delivered to dually enrolled veterans from VA and Medicare. DESIGN Retrospective cross-sectional. PARTICIPANTS Veterans enrolled in VA and fee-for-service Medicare (FY 2017-2018). MAIN MEASURES We used VA and Medicare administrative data to identify 29 low-value services across 6 established domains: cancer screening, diagnostic/preventive testing, preoperative testing, imaging, cardiovascular testing, and surgery. We determined the count of low-value services per 100 veterans delivered in VA and Medicare in FY 2018 overall, by domain, and by individual service. We applied standardized estimates to determine each service's cost. KEY RESULTS Among 1.6 million dually enrolled veterans, the mean age was 73, 97% were men, and 77% were non-Hispanic White. Overall, 63.2 low-value services per 100 veterans were delivered, affecting 32% of veterans; 22.9 services per 100 veterans were delivered in VA and 40.3 services per 100 veterans were delivered in Medicare. The total cost was $226.3 million (M), of which $62.6 M was spent in VA and $163.7 M in Medicare. The most common low-value service was prostate-specific antigen testing at 17.3 per 100 veterans (VA 55.9%, Medicare 44.1%). The costliest low-value service was percutaneous coronary intervention (VA $10.1 M, Medicare $32.8 M). CONCLUSIONS Nearly 1 in 3 dually enrolled veterans received a low-value service in FY18, with twice as many low-value services delivered in Medicare vs VA. Interventions to reduce low-value services for veterans should consider their substantial use of such services in Medicare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Radomski
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Center for Research On Health Care, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Elijah Z Lovelace
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Florentina E Sileanu
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xinhua Zhao
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Liam Rose
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Aaron L Schwartz
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy and Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Loren J Schleiden
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Aimee N Pickering
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Walid F Gellad
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael J Fine
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carolyn T Thorpe
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Badejo O, Saleeb M, Hall A, Furlong B, Logan GS, Gao Z, Barrett B, Alcock L, Aubrey-Bassler K. Audit and feedback to change diagnostic image ordering practices: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300001. [PMID: 38837994 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Up to 30% of diagnostic imaging (DI) tests may be unnecessary, leading to increased healthcare costs and the possibility of patient harm. The primary objective of this systematic review was to assess the effect of audit and feedback (AF) interventions directed at healthcare providers on reducing image ordering. The secondary objective was to examine the effect of AF on the appropriateness of DI ordering. METHODS Studies were identified using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and ClinicalTrials.gov registry on December 22nd, 2022. Studies were included if they were randomized control trials (RCTs), targeted healthcare professionals, and studied AF as the sole intervention or as the core component of a multi-faceted intervention. Risk of bias for each study was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Meta-analyses were completed using RevMan software and results were displayed in forest plots. RESULTS Eleven RCTs enrolling 4311 clinicians or practices were included. AF interventions resulted in 1.5 fewer image test orders per 1000 patients seen than control interventions (95% confidence interval (CI) for the difference -2.6 to -0.4, p-value = 0.009). The effect of AF on appropriateness was not statistically significant, with a 3.2% (95% CI -1.5 to 7.7%, p-value = 0.18) greater likelihood of test orders being considered appropriate with AF vs control interventions. The strength of evidence was rated as moderate for the primary objective but was very low for the appropriateness outcome because of risk of bias, inconsistency in findings, indirectness, and imprecision. CONCLUSION AF interventions are associated with a modest reduction in total DI ordering with moderate certainty, suggesting some benefit of AF. Individual studies document effects of AF on image order appropriateness ranging from a non-significant trend toward worsening to a highly significant improvement, but the weighted average effect size from the meta-analysis is not statistically significant with very low certainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwatosin Badejo
- Primary Healthcare Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Maria Saleeb
- Primary Healthcare Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Amanda Hall
- Primary Healthcare Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Population Health and Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Bradley Furlong
- Primary Healthcare Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Gabrielle S Logan
- Primary Healthcare Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Zhiwei Gao
- Population Health and Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Brendan Barrett
- Population Health and Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Discipline of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Lindsay Alcock
- Health Sciences Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Kris Aubrey-Bassler
- Primary Healthcare Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Population Health and Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
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Shahbazian H, Raja K, Sirlin C, Nemzow G, Borhani A, Attari MMA, Kamel IR, Chernyak V. Utility of pelvic CT in patients undergoing surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective multi-institutional study. Abdom Radiol (NY) 2024:10.1007/s00261-024-04362-0. [PMID: 38831071 DOI: 10.1007/s00261-024-04362-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency, characteristics and clinical significance of incidental pelvic findings reported on abdominopelvic CT performed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance in at-risk patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS This two-center retrospective study received institutional review board approval with a waiver of informed consent. The radiologic reports of the CT exams performed 1/1/2010-2/28/2023 for HCC surveillance were reviewed. Exams were obtained with intravenous contrast material and included hepatic arterial and portal venous phases of the abdomen; images of the pelvis were acquired during the portal venous phase. Reported imaging findings and imaging-related recommendations either by the radiologists or the corresponding caregiver, if present, were retrospectively tabulated. The patient's medical records were reviewed to determine if there were any recommendations that were considered clinically important and culminated in any further interventions or treatments. RESULTS 259 adults (1st center: mean age, 60 ± 11 years, 49% male and 2nd center: 56.26 ± 6.2 years, 48% male) at risk for HCC underwent 327 abdominopelvic CT exams for HCC surveillance at two centers. A total of 622 pelvic findings (mean, 2.2/ exam) were reported, including 131 bladder, 120 alimentary tract, 133 vascular, 51 gynecologic, 37 prostate, 33 lymph node, 27 inguinal, 44 peritoneal, and 46 skeletal. 52 of 622 reported findings (8.3%) were associated with actionable recommendations. 24 of the 52 actionable recommendations/clinical suggestions were implemented as follows: five complimentary imaging, ten additional laboratory tests, and nine non-imaging recommendations. Of note, only eight applied recommendations culminated in a clinical outcome, which included four urinary tract infection treatments. CONCLUSION Pelvic CT findings were associated with a clinical benefit to the patient in 1.3% of exams. These results suggest that pelvic imaging should be omitted from CT-based HCC surveillance. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Without compromising valuable information, patients undergoing HCC surveillance-CT may not require additional pelvic coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haneyeh Shahbazian
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kanmani Raja
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Claude Sirlin
- Liver Imaging Group, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Gabe Nemzow
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Ali Borhani
- Department of Radiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Mohammad-Mirza Aghazadeh Attari
- Department of Radiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Ihab R Kamel
- Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Victoria Chernyak
- Department of Radiology, Weil Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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Nugent JT, Crana C, Greenberg JH. Diagnostic Yield of Kidney Ultrasound in Children Evaluated for Hypertension. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2024; 63:604-607. [PMID: 37560884 DOI: 10.1177/00099228231191922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- James T Nugent
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Accelerator, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Christine Crana
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jason H Greenberg
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Accelerator, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Skotting MB, Holst AV, Munch TN. Incidental findings in MRI of the brain. Ugeskr Laeger 2024; 186:V12230770. [PMID: 38808758 DOI: 10.61409/v12230770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
This review investigates that there has been an increase in incidental brain MRI findings due to better technology and more scans. These unexpected, asymptomatic anomalies range from harmless to serious, requiring careful clinical and ethical handling. The prevalence of incidental findings with brain MRI is 4.2% and even higher when including white matter hyperintensities. There is a significant variation in this number dependent on the age of the person being scanned and the MRI quality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anders Vedel Holst
- Afdeling for Hjerne- og Nervekirurgi, Københavns Universitetshospital - Rigshospitalet
| | - Tina Nørgaard Munch
- Afdeling for Hjerne- og Nervekirurgi, Københavns Universitetshospital - Rigshospitalet
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Jorgensen SCJ, Athéa N, Masson C. Puberty Suppression for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria and the Child's Right to an Open Future. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:1941-1956. [PMID: 38565790 PMCID: PMC11106199 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02850-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
In this essay, we consider the clinical and ethical implications of puberty blockers for pediatric gender dysphoria through the lens of "the child's right to an open future," which refers to rights that children do not have the capacity to exercise as minors, but that must be protected, so they can exercise them in the future as autonomous adults. We contrast the open future principle with the beliefs underpinning the gender affirming care model and discuss implications for consent. We evaluate claims that puberty blockers are reversible, discuss the scientific uncertainty about long-term benefits and harms, summarize international developments, and examine how suicide has been used to frame puberty suppression as a medically necessary, lifesaving treatment. In discussing these issues, we include relevant empirical evidence and raise questions for clinicians and researchers. We conclude that treatment pathways that delay decisions about medical transition until the child has had the chance to grow and mature into an autonomous adulthood would be most consistent with the open future principle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C J Jorgensen
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7, Canada.
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | | | - Céline Masson
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Picardie Jules-Verne, Amiens, France
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Guenette JP, Lynch E, Abbasi N, Schulz K, Kumar S, Haneuse S, Kapoor N, Lacson R, Khorasani R. Recommendations for Additional Imaging on Head and Neck Imaging Examinations: Interradiologist Variation and Associated Factors. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2024; 222:e2330511. [PMID: 38294159 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.23.30511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND. A paucity of relevant guidelines may lead to pronounced variation among radiologists in issuing recommendations for additional imaging (RAI) for head and neck imaging. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article was to explore associations of RAI for head and neck imaging examinations with examination, patient, and radiologist factors and to assess the role of individual radiologist-specific behavior in issuing such RAI. METHODS. This retrospective study included 39,200 patients (median age, 58 years; 21,855 women, 17,315 men, 30 with missing sex information) who underwent 39,200 head and neck CT or MRI examinations, interpreted by 61 radiologists, from June 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022. A natural language processing (NLP) tool with manual review of NLP results was used to identify RAI in report impressions. Interradiologist variation in RAI rates was assessed. A generalized mixed-effects model was used to assess associations between RAI and examination, patient, and radiologist factors. RESULTS. A total of 2943 (7.5%) reports contained RAI. Individual radiologist RAI rates ranged from 0.8% to 22.0% (median, 7.1%; IQR, 5.2-10.2%), representing a 27.5-fold difference between minimum and a maximum values and 1.8-fold difference between 25th and 75th percentiles. In multivariable analysis, RAI likelihood was higher for CTA than for CT examinations (OR, 1.32), for examinations that included a trainee in report generation (OR, 1.23), and for patients with self-identified race of Black or African American versus White (OR, 1.25); was lower for male than female patients (OR, 0.90); and was associated with increasing patient age (OR, 1.09 per decade) and inversely associated with radiologist years since training (OR, 0.90 per 5 years). The model accounted for 10.9% of the likelihood of RAI. Of explainable likelihood of RAI, 25.7% was attributable to examination, patient, and radiologist factors; 74.3% was attributable to radiologist-specific behavior. CONCLUSION. Interradiologist variation in RAI rates for head and neck imaging was substantial. RAI appear to be more substantially associated with individual radiologist-specific behavior than with measurable systemic factors. CLINICAL IMPACT. Quality improvement initiatives, incorporating best practices for incidental findings management, may help reduce radiologist preference-sensitive decision-making in issuing RAI for head and neck imaging and associated care variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey P Guenette
- Department of Radiology, Center for Evidence-Based Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Elyse Lynch
- Department of Radiology, Center for Evidence-Based Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Nooshin Abbasi
- Department of Radiology, Center for Evidence-Based Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Kathryn Schulz
- Department of Radiology, Center for Evidence-Based Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Shweta Kumar
- Department of Radiology, Center for Evidence-Based Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115
- Present affiliation: Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Sebastien Haneuse
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Neena Kapoor
- Department of Radiology, Center for Evidence-Based Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Ronilda Lacson
- Department of Radiology, Center for Evidence-Based Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Ramin Khorasani
- Department of Radiology, Center for Evidence-Based Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115
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Fischer K, Ugalde IT. Pediatric Emergency Medicine Joins Choosing Wisely, But Is It Enough? Ann Emerg Med 2024:S0196-0644(24)00137-9. [PMID: 38597848 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Kayleigh Fischer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth, Houston, TX
| | - Irma T Ugalde
- Department of Emergency Medicine, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth, Houston, TX.
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Lin C, Kuo FC, Chau T, Shih JH, Lin CS, Chen CC, Lee CC, Lin SH. Artificial intelligence-enabled electrocardiography contributes to hyperthyroidism detection and outcome prediction. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:42. [PMID: 38472334 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00472-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hyperthyroidism is frequently under-recognized and leads to heart failure and mortality. Timely identification of high-risk patients is a prerequisite to effective antithyroid therapy. Since the heart is very sensitive to hyperthyroidism and its electrical signature can be demonstrated by electrocardiography, we developed an artificial intelligence model to detect hyperthyroidism by electrocardiography and examined its potential for outcome prediction. METHODS The deep learning model was trained using a large dataset of 47,245 electrocardiograms from 33,246 patients at an academic medical center. Patients were included if electrocardiograms and measurements of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone were available that had been obtained within a three day period. Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxine were used to define overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism. We tested the model internally using 14,420 patients and externally using two additional test sets comprising 11,498 and 596 patients, respectively. RESULTS The performance of the deep learning model achieves areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of 0.725-0.761 for hyperthyroidism detection, AUCs of 0.867-0.876 for overt hyperthyroidism, and AUC of 0.631-0.701 for subclinical hyperthyroidism, superior to a traditional features-based machine learning model. Patients identified as hyperthyroidism-positive by the deep learning model have a significantly higher risk (1.97-2.94 fold) of all-cause mortality and new-onset heart failure compared to hyperthyroidism-negative patients. This cardiovascular disease stratification is particularly pronounced in subclinical hyperthyroidism, surpassing that observed in overt hyperthyroidism. CONCLUSIONS An innovative algorithm effectively identifies overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism and contributes to cardiovascular risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Lin
- School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ROC
- Graduate Institute of Aerospace and Undersea Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ROC
| | - Feng-Chih Kuo
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ROC
| | - Tom Chau
- Department of Medicine, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jui-Hu Shih
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan ROC
- School of Pharmacy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ROC
| | - Chin-Sheng Lin
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ROC
| | - Chien-Chou Chen
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ROC
| | - Chia-Cheng Lee
- Department of Medical Informatics, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ROC
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ROC
| | - Shih-Hua Lin
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ROC.
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Kunitomo Y, Sather P, Killam J, Pisani MA, Slade MD, Tanoue LT. Impact of Structured Reporting For Lung Cancer Screening Low-Dose CT Scan Incidental Findings on Physician Management. Chest 2024:S0012-3692(24)00147-8. [PMID: 38346557 DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko Kunitomo
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Polly Sather
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Jonathan Killam
- Department of Radiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH
| | - Margaret A Pisani
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Martin D Slade
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Lynn T Tanoue
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
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Alves VDPV, Care MM, Leach JL. Incidental Thalamic Lesions Identified on Brain MRI in Pediatric and Young Adult Patients: Imaging Features and Natural History. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2024; 45:211-217. [PMID: 38238093 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a8090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Nonspecific, localized thalamic signal abnormalities of uncertain significance are occasionally found on pediatric brain MR imaging. The goal of this study is to describe the MR imaging appearance and natural history of these lesions in children and young adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study evaluated clinically acquired brain MR imaging examinations obtained from February 1995 to March 2022 at a large, tertiary care pediatric hospital. Examinations with non-mass-like and nonenhancing thalamic lesions were identified based on term search of MR imaging reports. A total of 221 patients formed the initial group for imaging assessment. Additional exclusions during imaging review resulted in 171 patients. Imaging appearance and size changes were assessed at baseline and at follow-up examinations. RESULTS A total of 171 patients (102 male) at a median age of 11 years (range: 1-23 years), 568 MR imaging examinations, and 180 thalamic lesions were included. Median time from baseline to the last follow-up MR imaging was 542 days (range: 46-5730 days). No lesion enhanced at any time point. On imaging follow-up, 11% of lesions (18/161) became smaller, 10% (16/161) resolved, 73% (118/161) remained stable, and 6% (9/161) increased in size at some point during evaluation. Median time interval from baseline to enlargement was 430 days (range: 136-1074 days). CONCLUSIONS Most incidental, non-mass-like thalamic signal abnormalities were stable, decreased in size, or resolved on follow-up imaging and are likely of no clinical significance. Surveillance strategies with longer follow-up intervals may be adequate in the management of such findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius de Padua V Alves
- From the Department of Radiology (V.d.P.V.A., M.M.C., J.L.L.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Marguerite M Care
- From the Department of Radiology (V.d.P.V.A., M.M.C., J.L.L.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Department of Radiology (M.M.C., J.L.L.), University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - James L Leach
- From the Department of Radiology (V.d.P.V.A., M.M.C., J.L.L.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Department of Radiology (M.M.C., J.L.L.), University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Scott IA, Slavotinek J, Glasziou PP. First do no harm in responding to incidental imaging findings. Med J Aust 2024; 220:7-9. [PMID: 38009654 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian A Scott
- Centre for Health Services Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
| | | | - Paul P Glasziou
- Institute for Evidence-based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD
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14
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House SA, Marin JR, Coon ER, Ralston SL, Hall M, Gruhler De Souza H, Ho T, Reyes M, Schroeder AR. Trends in Low-Value Care Among Children's Hospitals. Pediatrics 2024; 153:e2023062492. [PMID: 38130171 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-062492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Longitudinal pediatric low-value care (LVC) trends are not well established. We used the Pediatric Health Information System LVC Calculator, which measures utilization of 30 nonevidenced-based services, to report 7-year LVC trends. METHODS This retrospective cohort study applied the LVC Calculator to emergency department (ED) and hospital encounters from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2022. We used generalized estimating equation models accounting for hospital clustering to assess temporal changes in LVC. RESULTS There were 5 265 153 eligible ED encounters and 1 301 613 eligible hospitalizations. In 2022, of 21 LVC measures applicable to the ED cohort, the percentage of encounters with LVC had increased for 11 measures, decreased for 1, and remained unchanged for 9 as compared with 2016. Computed tomography for minor head injury had the largest increase (17%-23%; P < .001); bronchodilators for bronchiolitis decreased (22%-17%; P = .001). Of 26 hospitalization measures, LVC increased for 6 measures, decreased for 9, and was unchanged for 11. Inflammatory marker testing for pneumonia had the largest increase (23%-38%; P = .003); broad-spectrum antibiotic use for pneumonia had the largest decrease (60%-48%; P < .001). LVC remained unchanged or decreased for most medication and procedure measures, but remained unchanged or increased for most laboratory and imaging measures. CONCLUSIONS LVC improved for a minority of services between 2016 and 2022. Trends were more favorable for therapeutic (medications and procedures) than diagnostic measures (imaging and laboratory studies). These data may inform prioritization of deimplementation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A House
- Department of Pediatrics, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, and New Hampshire Dartmouth Health Children's, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Jennifer R Marin
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Eric R Coon
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Shawn L Ralston
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | | | | | - Timmy Ho
- Department of Neonatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mario Reyes
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hospital Medicine, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, Florida
| | - Alan R Schroeder
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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15
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Ropers FG, Rietveld S, Rings EHHM, Bossuyt PMM, van Bodegom-Vos L, Hillen MA. Diagnostic testing in children: A qualitative study of pediatricians' considerations. J Eval Clin Pract 2023; 29:1326-1337. [PMID: 37221991 DOI: 10.1111/jep.13867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Studies in adult medicine have shown that physicians base testing decisions on the patient's clinical condition but also consider other factors, including local practice or patient expectations. In pediatrics, physicians and parents jointly decide on behalf of a (young) child. This might demand more explicit and more complex deliberations, with sometimes conflicting interests. We explored pediatricians' considerations in diagnostic test ordering and the factors that influence their deliberation. METHOD We performed in-depth, semistructured interviews with a purposively selected heterogeneous sample of 20 Dutch pediatricians. We analyzed transcribed interviews inductively using a constant comparative approach, and clustered data across interviews to derive common themes. RESULTS Pediatricians perceived test-related burden in children higher compared with adults, and reported that avoiding an unjustified burden causes them to be more restrictive and deliberate in test ordering. They felt conflicted when parents desired testing or when guidelines recommended diagnostic tests pediatricians perceived as unnecessary. When parents demanded testing, they would explore parental concern, educate parents about harms and alternative explanations of symptoms, and advocate watchful waiting. Yet they reported sometimes performing tests to appease parents or to comply with guidelines, because of feared personal consequences in the case of adverse outcomes. CONCLUSION We obtained an overview of the considerations that are weighed in pediatric test decisions. The comparatively strong focus on prevention of harm motivates pediatricians to critically appraise the added value of testing and drivers of low-value testing. Pediatricians' relatively restrictive approach to testing could provide an example for other disciplines. Improved guidelines and physician and patient education could help to withstand the perceived pressure to test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne G Ropers
- Department of Pediatrics, Willem-Alexander Children's Hospital, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sophie Rietveld
- Department of Pediatrics, Willem-Alexander Children's Hospital, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Edmond H H M Rings
- Department of Pediatrics, Willem-Alexander Children's Hospital, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick M M Bossuyt
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Epidemiology & Data Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health, Methodology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Leti van Bodegom-Vos
- Biomedical Data Sciences, Medical Decision Making, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marij A Hillen
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location AMC, Amsterdam Public Health, Medical Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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16
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Kashkoush J, Gupta M, Meissner MA, Nielsen ME, Kirchner HL, Garg T. Performance Characteristics of a Rule-Based Electronic Health Record Algorithm to Identify Patients with Gross and Microscopic Hematuria. Methods Inf Med 2023; 62:183-192. [PMID: 37666279 DOI: 10.1055/a-2165-5552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Two million patients per year are referred to urologists for hematuria, or blood in the urine. The American Urological Association recently adopted a risk-stratified hematuria evaluation guideline to limit multi-phase computed tomography to individuals at highest risk of occult malignancy. OBJECTIVES To understand population-level hematuria evaluations, we developed an algorithm to accurately identify hematuria cases from electronic health records (EHRs). METHODS We used International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9/ICD-10 diagnosis codes, urine color, and urine microscopy values to identify hematuria cases and to differentiate between gross and microscopic hematuria. Using an iterative process, we refined the ICD-9 algorithm on a gold standard, chart-reviewed cohort of 3,094 hematuria cases, and the ICD-10 algorithm on a 300 patient cohort. We applied the algorithm to Geisinger patients ≥35 years (n = 539,516) and determined performance by conducting chart review (n = 500). RESULTS After applying the hematuria algorithm, we identified 51,500 hematuria cases and 488,016 clean controls. Of the hematuria cases, 11,435 were categorized as gross, 26,658 as microscopic, 12,562 as indeterminate, and 845 were uncategorized. The positive predictive value (PPV) of identifying hematuria cases using the algorithm was 100% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 99%. The gross hematuria algorithm had a PPV of 100% and NPV of 99%. The microscopic hematuria algorithm had lower PPV of 78% and NPV of 100%. CONCLUSION We developed an algorithm utilizing diagnosis codes and urine laboratory values to accurately identify hematuria and categorize as gross or microscopic in EHRs. Applying the algorithm will help researchers to understand patterns of care for this common condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Kashkoush
- Department of Urology, Geisinger, Danville, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Mudit Gupta
- Phenomic Analytics and Clinical Data Core, Geisinger, Danville, Pennsylvania, United States
| | | | - Matthew E Nielsen
- Department of Urology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
- Department of Health Policy & Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| | - H Lester Kirchner
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Geisinger, Danville, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Tullika Garg
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Geisinger, Danville, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Urology, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
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Hassankhani A, Amoukhteh M, Jannatdoust P, Valizadeh P, Johnston JH, Gholamrezanezhad A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of incidental findings in computed tomography scans for pediatric trauma patients. Clin Imaging 2023; 103:109981. [PMID: 37714071 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2023.109981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To quantitatively synthesize and report the frequency and category of incidental findings on Computed Tomography (CT) scans in pediatric trauma patients. METHODS A thorough literature search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases until March 6, 2023, in adherence to the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies describing incidental findings on CT scans in trauma patients ≤21 years were included. Incidental findings were grouped into three categories: Category 1 (requiring immediate or urgent evaluation or treatment), Category 2 (likely benign but which may require outpatient follow-up), and Category 3 (benign anatomic variants or pathologic findings that do not require follow-up or intervention). RESULTS Seven studies were included in this study, which revealed a combined rate of 27.10 % of incidental findings with notable heterogeneity among the studies. Aggregated frequencies were 10.15 % for Category 1, 32.18 % for Category 2 and 51.44 % for Category 3. Subgroup meta-analysis on abdominal CT scans showed a higher pooled incidence of incidental findings at 47.17 %, but with lower heterogeneity than the general meta-analysis. CONCLUSION The study underscores the prevalence of incidental findings in pediatric trauma patients undergoing CT scans. The categorization of these findings provides useful information for clinicians in determining appropriate follow-up and management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Hassankhani
- Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Melika Amoukhteh
- Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Payam Jannatdoust
- Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Parya Valizadeh
- Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer H Johnston
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ali Gholamrezanezhad
- Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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18
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Näslund O, Strand PS, Solheim O, Al Masri M, Rapi O, Thurin E, Jakola AS. Incidence, management, and outcome of incidental meningioma: what has happened in 10 years? J Neurooncol 2023; 165:291-299. [PMID: 37938444 PMCID: PMC10689551 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-023-04482-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to study the use of brain scanning, and the subsequent findings of presumed incidental meningioma in two time periods, and to study differences in follow-up, treatment, and outcome. METHODS Records of all performed CT and MRI of the brain during two time periods were retrospectively reviewed in search of patients with presumed incidental meningioma. These patients were further analyzed using medical health records, with the purpose to study clinical handling and outcome during a 3 year follow up. RESULTS An identical number of unique patients underwent brain imaging during the two time periods (n = 22 259 vs. 22 013). In 2018-2019, 25% more incidental meningiomas were diagnosed compared to 2008-2009 (n = 161 vs. 129, p = 0.052). MRI was used more often in 2018-2019 (26.1 vs. 12.4%, p = 0.004), and the use of contrast enhancement, irrespective of modality, also increased (26.8 vs. 12.2%, p < 0.001). In the most recent cohort, patients were older (median 79 years vs. 73 years, p = 0.03). Indications showed a significant increase of cancer without known metastases among scanned patients. 29.5 and 35.4% of patients in the cohorts were deceased 3 years after diagnosis for causes unrelated to their meningioma. CONCLUSIONS Despite the same number of unique patients undergoing brain scans in the time periods, there was a trend towards more patients diagnosed with an incidental asymptomatic meningioma in the more recent years. This difference may be attributed to more contrast enhanced scans and more scans among the elderly but needs to be further studied. Patients in the cohort from 2018 to 2019 more often had non-metastatic cancer, with their cause of scan screening for metastases. There was no significant difference in management decision at diagnosis, but within 3 years of follow up significantly more patients in the latter cohort had been re-scanned. Almost a third of all patients were deceased within 3 years after diagnosis, due to causes other than their meningioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Näslund
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Department of Surgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Blå stråket 7, 41345, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Per Sveino Strand
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ole Solheim
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Mohammad Al Masri
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Okizeva Rapi
- Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erik Thurin
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Asgeir S Jakola
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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19
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Ganguli I, Mulligan KL, Chant ED, Lipsitz S, Simmons L, Sepucha K, Rudin RS. Effect of a Peer Comparison and Educational Intervention on Medical Test Conversation Quality: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2342464. [PMID: 37943557 PMCID: PMC10636635 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.42464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Medical test overuse and resulting care cascades represent a costly, intractable problem associated with inadequate patient-clinician communication. One possible solution with potential for broader benefits is priming routine, high-quality medical test conversations. Objective To assess if a peer comparison and educational intervention for physicians and patients improved medical test conversations during annual visits. Design, Setting, and Participants Randomized clinical trial and qualitative evaluation at an academic medical center conducted May 2021 to October 2022. Twenty primary care physicians (PCPs) were matched-pair randomized. For each physician, at least 10 patients with scheduled visits were enrolled. Data were analyzed from December 2022 to September 2023. Interventions In the intervention group, physicians received previsit emails that compared their low-value testing rates with those of peer PCPs and included point-of-care-accessible guidance on medical testing; patients received previsit educational materials via email and text message. Control group physicians and patients received general previsit preparation tips. Main outcomes and measures The primary patient outcome was the Shared Decision-Making Process survey (SDMP) score. Secondary patient outcomes included medical test knowledge and presence of test conversation. Outcomes were compared using linear regression models adjusted for patient age, gender, race and ethnicity, and education. Poststudy interviews with intervention group physicians and patients were also conducted. Results There were 166 intervention group patients and 148 control group patients (mean [SD] patient age, 50.2 [15.3] years; 210 [66.9%] female; 246 [78.3%] non-Hispanic White). Most patients discussed at least 1 test with their physician (95.4% for intervention group; 98.3% for control group; difference, -2.9 percentage points; 95% CI, -7.0 to 1.2 percentage points). There were no statistically significant differences in SDMP scores (2.11 out of 4 for intervention group; 1.97 for control group; difference, 0.14; 95% CI, -0.25 to 0.54) and knowledge scores (2.74 vs 2.54 out of 4; difference, 0.19; 95% CI, -0.05 to 0.43). In poststudy interviews with 3 physicians and 16 patients, some physicians said the emails helped them reexamine their testing approach while others noted competing demands. Most patients said they trusted their physicians' advice even when inconsistent with educational materials. Conclusions and Relevance In this randomized clinical trial of a physician-facing and patient-facing peer comparison and educational intervention, there was no significant improvement in medical test conversation quality during annual visits. These results suggest that future interventions to improve conversations and reduce overuse and cascades should further address physician adoption barriers and leverage patient-clinician relationships. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04902664.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Ganguli
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kathleen L. Mulligan
- Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, North Haven, Connecticut
| | - Emma D. Chant
- Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey
| | - Stuart Lipsitz
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Leigh Simmons
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karen Sepucha
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Robert S. Rudin
- Health Care Division, RAND Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts
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20
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Ganguli I, Mackwood MB, Yang CWW, Crawford M, Mulligan KL, O'Malley AJ, Fisher ES, Morden NE. Racial differences in low value care among older adult Medicare patients in US health systems: retrospective cohort study. BMJ 2023; 383:e074908. [PMID: 37879735 PMCID: PMC10599254 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-074908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterize racial differences in receipt of low value care (services that provide little to no benefit yet have potential for harm) among older Medicare beneficiaries overall and within health systems in the United States. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study SETTING: 100% Medicare fee-for-service administrative data (2016-18). PARTICIPANTS Black and White Medicare patients aged 65 or older as of 2016 and attributed to 595 health systems in the United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Receipt of 40 low value services among Black and White patients, with and without adjustment for patient age, sex, and previous healthcare use. Additional models included health system fixed effects to assess racial differences within health systems and separately, racial composition of the health system's population to assess the relative contributions of individual patient race and health system racial composition to low value care receipt. RESULTS The cohort included 9 833 304 patients (6.8% Black; 57.9% female). Of 40 low value services examined, Black patients had higher adjusted receipt of nine services and lower receipt of 20 services than White patients. Specifically, Black patients were more likely to receive low value acute diagnostic tests, including imaging for uncomplicated headache (6.9% v 3.2%) and head computed tomography scans for dizziness (3.1% v 1.9%). White patients had higher rates of low value screening tests and treatments, including preoperative laboratory tests (10.3% v 6.5%), prostate specific antigen tests (31.0% v 25.7%), and antibiotics for upper respiratory infections (36.6% v 32.7%; all P<0.001). Secondary analyses showed that these differences persisted within given health systems and were not explained by Black and White patients receiving care from different systems. CONCLUSIONS Black patients were more likely to receive low value acute diagnostic tests and White patients were more likely to receive low value screening tests and treatments. Differences were generally small and were largely due to differential care within health systems. These patterns suggest potential individual, interpersonal, and structural factors that researchers, policy makers, and health system leaders might investigate and address to improve care quality and equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Ganguli
- Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew B Mackwood
- Department of Community & Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Ching-Wen Wendy Yang
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Maia Crawford
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | | | - A James O'Malley
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Elliott S Fisher
- Department of Community & Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Nancy E Morden
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
- UnitedHealthcare, Minnetonka, MN, USA
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Blackburn CW, Richardson SM, DeVita RR, Dong O, Faraji N, Wurtz LD, Collier CD, Getty PJ. What Is the Prevalence of Clinically Important Findings Among Incidentally Found Osseous Lesions? Clin Orthop Relat Res 2023; 481:1993-2002. [PMID: 36975798 PMCID: PMC10499109 DOI: 10.1097/corr.0000000000002630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with incidentally found musculoskeletal lesions are regularly referred to orthopaedic oncology. Most orthopaedic oncologists understand that many incidental findings are nonaggressive and can be managed nonoperatively. However, the prevalence of clinically important lesions (defined as those indicated for biopsy or treatment, and those found to be malignant) remains unknown. Missing clinically important lesions can result in harm to patients, but needless surveillance may exacerbate patient anxiety about their diagnosis and accrue low-value costs to the payor. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES (1) What percentage of patients with incidentally discovered osseous lesions referred to orthopaedic oncology had lesions that were clinically important, defined as those receiving biopsy or treatment or those found to be malignant? (2) Using standardized Medicare reimbursements as a surrogate for payor expense, what is the value of reimbursements accruing to the hospital system for the imaging of incidentally found osseous lesions performed during the initial workup period and during the surveillance period, if indicated? METHODS This was a retrospective study of patients referred to orthopaedic oncology for incidentally found osseous lesions at two large academic hospital systems. Medical records were queried for the word "incidental," and matches were confirmed by manual review. Patients evaluated at Indiana University Health between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2020, and those evaluated at University Hospitals between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020, were included. All patients were evaluated and treated by the two senior authors of this study and no others were included. Our search identified 625 patients. Sixteen percent (97 of 625) of patients were excluded because their lesions were not incidentally found, and 12% (78 of 625) were excluded because the incidental findings were not bone lesions. Another 4% (24 of 625) were excluded because they had received workup or treatment by an outside orthopaedic oncologist, and 2% (10 of 625) were excluded for missing information. A total of 416 patients were available for preliminary analysis. Among these patients, 33% (136 of 416) were indicated for surveillance. The primary indication for surveillance included lesions with a benign appearance on imaging and low clinical suspicion of malignancy or fracture. A total of 33% (45 of 136) of these patients had less than 12 months of follow-up and were excluded from further analysis. No minimum follow-up criteria were applied to patients not indicated for surveillance because this would artificially inflate our estimated rate of clinically important findings. A total of 371 patients were included in the final study group. Notes from all clinical encounters with orthopaedic and nonorthopaedic providers were screened for our endpoints (biopsy, treatment, or malignancy). Indications for biopsy included lesions with aggressive features, lesions with nonspecific imaging characteristics and a clinical picture concerning for malignancy, and lesion changes seen on imaging during the surveillance period. Indications for treatment included lesions with increased risk of fracture or deformity, certain malignancies, and pathologic fracture. Diagnoses were determined using biopsy results if available or the documented opinion of the consulting orthopaedic oncologist. Imaging reimbursements were obtained from the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2022. Because imaging charges vary across institutions and reimbursements vary across payors, this method was chosen to enhance the comparability of our findings across multiple health systems and studies. RESULTS Seven percent (26 of 371) of incidental findings were determined to be clinically important, as previously defined. Five percent (20 of 371) of lesions underwent tissue biopsy, and 2% (eight of 371) received surgical intervention. Fewer than 2% (six of 371) of lesions were malignant. Serial imaging changed the treatment of 1% (two of 136) of the patients, corresponding to a rate of one in 47 person-years. Median reimbursements to work up the incidental findings analyzed was USD 219 (interquartile range USD 0 to 404), with a range of USD 0 to 890. Among patients indicated for surveillance, the median annual reimbursement was USD 78 (IQR USD 0 to 389), with a range of USD 0 to 2706. CONCLUSION The prevalence of clinically important findings among patients referred to orthopaedic oncology for incidentally found osseous lesions is modest. The likelihood of surveillance resulting in a change of management was low, but the median reimbursements associated with following these lesions was also low. We conclude that after appropriate risk stratification by orthopaedic oncology, incidental lesions are rarely clinically important, and judicious follow-up with serial imaging can be performed without incurring high costs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III, therapeutic study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin W. Blackburn
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Spencer M. Richardson
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Robert R. DeVita
- Department of Radiology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Oliver Dong
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Navid Faraji
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - L. Daniel Wurtz
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Christopher D. Collier
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Patrick J. Getty
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
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22
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Zare-Zadeh S, Manns BJ, Chew DS, Harrison TG, Au F, Quinn AE. Low-value preoperative cardiac testing before low-risk surgical procedures: a population-based cohort study. CMAJ Open 2023; 11:E451-E458. [PMID: 37220955 PMCID: PMC10212574 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20220049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) recommends avoiding noninvasive advanced cardiac testing (e.g., exercise stress testing [EST], echocardiography and myocardial perfusion imaging [MPI]) for preoperative assessment in patients scheduled to undergo low-risk noncardiac surgery. In this study, we assessed the temporal trends in testing, overlapping with the introduction of the CWC recommendations in 2014, and patient and provider factors associated with low-value testing. METHODS In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we used linked health administrative data in Alberta, Canada, to identify adult patients who underwent elective noncardiac surgery between Apr. 1, 2011, and Mar. 31, 2019, who had preoperative noninvasive advanced cardiac tests (EST, echocardiography or MPI) within 6 months before surgery. We included electrocardiography as an exploratory outcome. We excluded patients at high risk using the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (score ≥ 1 considered to indicate high risk), and modelled patient and temporal factors associated with the number of tests. RESULTS We identified 1 045 896 elective noncardiac operations performed in 798 599 patients and 25 599 advanced preoperative cardiac tests; 2.1% of operations were preceded by advanced cardiac testing. The incidence of testing increased over the study period, and, by 2018/19, patients were 1.3 times (95% confidence interval 1.2-1.4) more likely to receive a preoperative advanced test compared to 2011/12. Urban patients were more likely to receive a preoperative advanced cardiac test than their rural counterparts. Electrocardiography was the most common preoperative cardiac test, preceding 182 128 procedures (17.4%). INTERPRETATION Preoperative advanced cardiac testing was infrequent in adult Albertans who underwent low-risk elective noncardiac operations. Despite CWC recommendations, the use of some tests appears to be increasing, and there was substantial variation across geographic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siavash Zare-Zadeh
- Cumming School of Medicine (Zare-Zadeh, Manns, Chew, Harrison, Au), Department of Community Health Sciences (Manns, Harrison, Quinn), Libin Cardiovascular Institute (Manns, Chew) and O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Manns), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta
| | - Braden J Manns
- Cumming School of Medicine (Zare-Zadeh, Manns, Chew, Harrison, Au), Department of Community Health Sciences (Manns, Harrison, Quinn), Libin Cardiovascular Institute (Manns, Chew) and O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Manns), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.
| | - Derek S Chew
- Cumming School of Medicine (Zare-Zadeh, Manns, Chew, Harrison, Au), Department of Community Health Sciences (Manns, Harrison, Quinn), Libin Cardiovascular Institute (Manns, Chew) and O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Manns), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta
| | - Tyrone G Harrison
- Cumming School of Medicine (Zare-Zadeh, Manns, Chew, Harrison, Au), Department of Community Health Sciences (Manns, Harrison, Quinn), Libin Cardiovascular Institute (Manns, Chew) and O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Manns), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta
| | - Flora Au
- Cumming School of Medicine (Zare-Zadeh, Manns, Chew, Harrison, Au), Department of Community Health Sciences (Manns, Harrison, Quinn), Libin Cardiovascular Institute (Manns, Chew) and O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Manns), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta
| | - Amity E Quinn
- Cumming School of Medicine (Zare-Zadeh, Manns, Chew, Harrison, Au), Department of Community Health Sciences (Manns, Harrison, Quinn), Libin Cardiovascular Institute (Manns, Chew) and O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Manns), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta
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23
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Hueber S, Biermann V, Tomandl J, Warkentin L, Schedlbauer A, Tauchmann H, Klemperer D, Lehmann M, Donnachie E, Kühlein T. Consequences of early thyroid ultrasound on subsequent tests, morbidity and costs: an explorative analysis of routine health data from German ambulatory care. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e059016. [PMID: 36889825 PMCID: PMC10008444 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to evaluate whether the use of thyroid ultrasound (US) early in the work-up of suspected thyroid disorders triggers cascade effects of medical procedures and to analyse effects on morbidity, healthcare usage and costs. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective analysis of claims data from ambulatory care (2012-2017). SETTING Primary care in Bavaria, Germany, 13 million inhabitants. PARTICIPANTS Patients having received a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test were allocated to (1) observation group: TSH test followed by an early US within 28 days or (2) control group: TSH test, but no early US. Propensity score matching was used adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, morbidity and symptom diagnosis (N=41 065 per group after matching). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Using cluster analysis, groups were identified regarding frequency of follow-up TSH tests and/or US and compared. RESULTS Four subgroups were identified: cluster 1: 22.8% of patients, mean (M)=1.6 TSH tests; cluster 2: 16.6% of patients, M=4.7 TSH tests; cluster 3: 54.4% of patients, M=3.3 TSH tests, 1.8 US; cluster 4: 6.2% of patients, M=10.9 TSH tests, 3.9 US. Overall, reasons that explain the tests could rarely be found. An early US was mostly found in clusters 3 and 4 (83.2% and 76.1%, respectively, were part of the observation group). In cluster 4 there were more women, thyroid-specific morbidity and costs were higher and the early US was more likely to be performed by specialists in nuclear medicine or radiologists. CONCLUSION Presumably unnecessary tests in the field of suspected thyroid diseases seem to be frequent, contributing to cascades effects. Neither German nor international guidelines provide clear recommendations for or against US screening. Therefore, guidelines on when to apply US and when not are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Hueber
- Institute of General Practice, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Valeria Biermann
- Chair of Health Management, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Bayern, Germany
| | - Johanna Tomandl
- Institute of General Practice, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Lisette Warkentin
- Institute of General Practice, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Angela Schedlbauer
- Institute of General Practice, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Harald Tauchmann
- Professorship of Health Economics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Bayern, Germany
| | - David Klemperer
- Institute of General Practice, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Maria Lehmann
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Ewan Donnachie
- Bavarian Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Kühlein
- Institute of General Practice, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany
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24
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Stevens JP. Specialty Consultation Use by Pediatric Hospitalists-A New Type of Health Care Variation. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e232655. [PMID: 36912843 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.2655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer P Stevens
- Center for Healthcare Delivery Science, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division for Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
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25
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Ganguli I, Ying W, Shakley T, Colbert JA, Mulligan KL, Friedberg MW. Cascade Services and Spending Following Low-Value Imaging for Uncomplicated Low Back Pain among Commercially Insured Adults. J Gen Intern Med 2023; 38:1102-1105. [PMID: 36175757 PMCID: PMC10039129 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-07829-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Ganguli
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Wei Ying
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tara Shakley
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James A Colbert
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Memora Health, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kathleen L Mulligan
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark W Friedberg
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA
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26
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Xu JJ, Ulriksen PS, Bjerrum CW, Achiam MP, Resch TA, Lönn L, Lindskov Hansen K. Characterizing incidental mass lesions in abdominal dual-energy CT compared to conventional contrast-enhanced CT. Acta Radiol 2023; 64:945-950. [PMID: 35918808 DOI: 10.1177/02841851221116306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Incidental findings are common in abdominal computed tomography (CT) and often warrant further investigations with economic implications as well as implications for patients. PURPOSE To evaluate the potential of dual-energy CT (DECT) in the identification and/or characterization of abdominal incidental mass lesions compared to conventional contrast-enhanced CT. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study from a major tertiary hospital included 96 patients, who underwent contrast-enhanced abdominal DECT. Incidental lesions in adrenals, kidneys, liver, and pancreas were evaluated by two board-certified abdominal radiologists. Observer 1 only had access to standard CT reconstructions, while observer 2 had access to standard CT as well as DECT reconstructions. Disagreements were resolved by consensus review and used as a reference for observers using McNemar's test. RESULTS Observers 1 and 2 identified a total of 40 and 34 findings, respectively. Furthermore, observer 1 registered 13 lesions requiring follow-up, of which seven (two renal and five adrenal lesions) were resolved following consensus review using DECT (P = 0.008). The inter-observer agreement was near perfect (κ = 0.82). CONCLUSION DECT has the potential to improve the immediate characterization of incidental findings when compared to conventional CT for abdominal imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Junchi Xu
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, 53146Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Sommer Ulriksen
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, 53146Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Camilla Wium Bjerrum
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, 53146Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Patrick Achiam
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Copenhagen University Hospital, 53146Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Timothy Andrew Resch
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital, 53146Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Lönn
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, 53146Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristoffer Lindskov Hansen
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, 53146Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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27
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Kherad O, Carneiro AV. General health check-ups: To check or not to check? A question of choosing wisely. Eur J Intern Med 2023; 109:1-3. [PMID: 36609089 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2022.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In high-income countries, regular general health check-ups are part of the fabric of the health care systems. The hidden concept of general health check-ups, promoted for more than a century, is to identify diseases at a stage at which early intervention can be effective. However, there has been little evidence to support the benefits of such checkups. Choosing wisely (CW) campaigns may represent a tremendous opportunity to eventually shift patients and physicians away from the non-evidence based yet firmly entrenched practice of the general health check-up. As campaign leaders and members of the CW working group of the European Federation of Internal Medicine, we want to join the discussion by giving our perspective based on the best available evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Kherad
- Internal Medicine Division, La Tour Hospital and University of Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Antonio Vaz Carneiro
- Institute for Evidence Based Healthcare, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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28
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Kern LM, Ringel JB, Rajan M, Casalino LP, Colantonio LD, Pinheiro LC, Colvin CL, Safford MM. Ambulatory Care Fragmentation, Emergency Department Visits, and Race: a Nationwide Cohort Study in the U.S. J Gen Intern Med 2023; 38:873-880. [PMID: 36417133 PMCID: PMC10039160 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-07888-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is unclear whether highly fragmented ambulatory care (i.e., care spread across multiple providers without a dominant provider) increases the risk of an emergency department (ED) visit. Whether any such association varies with race is unknown. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether highly fragmented ambulatory care increases the risk of an ED visit, overall and by race. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS We analyzed data for 14,361 participants ≥ 65 years old from the nationwide prospective REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort study, linked to Medicare claims (2003-2016). MAIN MEASURES We defined high fragmentation as a reversed Bice-Boxerman Index ≥ 0.85 (≥ 75th percentile). We used Poisson models to determine the association between fragmentation (as a time-varying exposure) and ED visits, overall and stratified by race, adjusting for demographics, medical conditions, medications, health behaviors, psychosocial variables, and physiologic variables. KEY RESULTS The average participant was 70.5 years old; 53% were female, and 33% were Black individuals. Participants with high fragmentation had a median of 9 visits to 6 providers, with 29% of visits by the most frequently seen provider; participants with low fragmentation had a median of 7 visits to 3 providers, with 50% of visits by the most frequently seen provider. Overall, high fragmentation was associated with more ED visits than low fragmentation (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29, 1.34). The magnitude of this association was larger among Black (aRR 1.48, 95% CI 1.44, 1.53) than White participants (aRR 1.23, 95% CI 1.20, 1.25). CONCLUSIONS Highly fragmented ambulatory care was an independent predictor of ED visits, especially among Black individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Kern
- Weill Cornell Medicine, 420 East 70th Street, Box 331, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
| | - Joanna B Ringel
- Weill Cornell Medicine, 420 East 70th Street, Box 331, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Mangala Rajan
- Weill Cornell Medicine, 420 East 70th Street, Box 331, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Lawrence P Casalino
- Weill Cornell Medicine, 420 East 70th Street, Box 331, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | | | - Laura C Pinheiro
- Weill Cornell Medicine, 420 East 70th Street, Box 331, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | | | - Monika M Safford
- Weill Cornell Medicine, 420 East 70th Street, Box 331, New York, NY, 10021, USA
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29
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The role of preoperative toxicology screening in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Surg Obes Relat Dis 2023; 19:187-193. [PMID: 36443215 DOI: 10.1016/j.soard.2022.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some programs and insurers may require patients to undergo toxicology screening despite lack of evidence that this practice affects postoperative outcomes. OBJECTIVES To understand the prevalence of screening positive on toxicology testing in the bariatric surgical population and to examine the association between testing positive and important surgical outcomes. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass from an academic health system from 2017-2020. We described the rate of preoperative toxicology positivity as determined by serum and urine testing. We examined the association between toxicology positivity and outcomes of preoperative length, 30-day complications (bleeding, venous thromboembolism, leak, wound infection, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and myocardial infarction), readmissions, and 1-year weight loss using chi-square and t-test analysis. RESULTS Of 1057 patients, there were 134 patients (12.7%) who had positive toxicology testing. Of these, 37 (28%) were positive for opiates and 21 (16%) were positive for cotinine. Mean preoperative length was 381.8 days (standard deviation [SD], 222.5) for patients with positive testing versus 287.8 days (SD, 151.5; P = 1.00) for negative testing. Toxicology positivity was not associated with readmissions (5.2% versus 4.3%, X2 = 0.22; P = .64). The loss to follow-up at 1 year was 32.5%. There was no association with 1-year mean change in body mass index (mean of loss 12.23kg/m2 [SD, 5.61]) versus mean of loss 12.74 (SD, 6.44; P = .20)]. CONCLUSIONS Our study is the first to describe preoperative toxicology positivity rates. We found no association between toxicology positivity and preoperative length, readmissions, or weight loss. Given its lack of impact on outcomes, toxicology testing prior to bariatric surgery may be an unnecessary burden on patients and healthcare, with regard to cost and wait times.
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30
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Sandhu AT, Rodriguez F, Ngo S, Patel BN, Mastrodicasa D, Eng D, Khandwala N, Balla S, Sousa D, Maron DJ. Incidental Coronary Artery Calcium: Opportunistic Screening of Previous Nongated Chest Computed Tomography Scans to Improve Statin Rates (NOTIFY-1 Project). Circulation 2023; 147:703-714. [PMID: 36342823 PMCID: PMC10108579 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.122.062746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronary artery calcium (CAC) can be identified on nongated chest computed tomography (CT) scans, but this finding is not consistently incorporated into care. A deep learning algorithm enables opportunistic CAC screening of nongated chest CT scans. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of notifying clinicians and patients of incidental CAC on statin initiation. METHODS NOTIFY-1 (Incidental Coronary Calcification Quality Improvement Project) was a randomized quality improvement project in the Stanford Health Care System. Patients without known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or a previous statin prescription were screened for CAC on a previous nongated chest CT scan from 2014 to 2019 using a validated deep learning algorithm with radiologist confirmation. Patients with incidental CAC were randomly assigned to notification of the primary care clinician and patient versus usual care. Notification included a patient-specific image of CAC and guideline recommendations regarding statin use. The primary outcome was statin prescription within 6 months. RESULTS Among 2113 patients who met initial clinical inclusion criteria, CAC was identified by the algorithm in 424 patients. After chart review and additional exclusions were made, a radiologist confirmed CAC among 173 of 194 patients (89.2%) who were randomly assigned to notification or usual care. At 6 months, the statin prescription rate was 51.2% (44/86) in the notification arm versus 6.9% (6/87) with usual care (P<0.001). There was also more coronary artery disease testing in the notification arm (15.1% [13/86] versus 2.3% [2/87]; P=0.008). CONCLUSIONS Opportunistic CAC screening of previous nongated chest CT scans followed by clinician and patient notification led to a significant increase in statin prescriptions. Further research is needed to determine whether this approach can reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events. REGISTRATION URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS gov; Unique identifier: NCT04789278.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T Sandhu
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA
- Center for Digital Health, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Fatima Rodriguez
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Center for Digital Health, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Summer Ngo
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Bhavik N Patel
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ
| | - Domenico Mastrodicasa
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, US
| | - David Eng
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Bunkerhill Health, Palo Alto, CA, US
| | - Nishith Khandwala
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Bunkerhill Health, Palo Alto, CA, US
| | - Sujana Balla
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California San Francisco-Fresno, Fresno, CA
| | | | - David J. Maron
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
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Pickering AN, Zhao X, Sileanu FE, Lovelace EZ, Rose L, Schwartz AL, Oakes AH, Hale JA, Schleiden LJ, Gellad WF, Fine MJ, Thorpe CT, Radomski TR. Prevalence and Cost of Care Cascades Following Low-Value Preoperative Electrocardiogram and Chest Radiograph Within the Veterans Health Administration. J Gen Intern Med 2023; 38:285-293. [PMID: 35445352 PMCID: PMC9905526 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-07561-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low-value care cascades, defined as the receipt of downstream health services potentially related to a low-value service, can result in harm to patients and wasteful healthcare spending, yet have not been characterized within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). OBJECTIVE To examine if the receipt of low-value preoperative testing is associated with greater utilization and costs of potentially related downstream health services in Veterans undergoing low or intermediate-risk surgery. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using VHA administrative data from fiscal years 2017-2018 comparing Veterans who underwent low-value preoperative electrocardiogram (EKG) or chest radiograph (CXR) with those who did not. PARTICIPANTS National cohort of Veterans at low risk of cardiopulmonary disease undergoing low- or intermediate-risk surgery. MAIN MEASURES Difference in rate of receipt and attributed cost of potential cascade services in Veterans who underwent low-value preoperative testing compared to those who did not KEY RESULTS: Among 635,824 Veterans undergoing low-risk procedures, 7.8% underwent preoperative EKG. Veterans who underwent a preoperative EKG experienced an additional 52.4 (95% CI 47.7-57.2) cascade services per 100 Veterans, resulting in $138.28 (95% CI 126.19-150.37) per Veteran in excess costs. Among 739,005 Veterans undergoing low- or intermediate-risk surgery, 3.9% underwent preoperative CXR. These Veterans experienced an additional 61.9 (95% CI 57.8-66.1) cascade services per 100 Veterans, resulting in $152.08 (95% CI $146.66-157.51) per Veteran in excess costs. For both cohorts, care cascades consisted largely of repeat tests, follow-up imaging, and follow-up visits, with low rates invasive services. CONCLUSIONS Among a national cohort of Veterans undergoing low- or intermediate-risk surgeries, low-value care cascades following two routine low-value preoperative tests are common, resulting in greater unnecessary care and costs beyond the initial low-value service. These findings may guide de-implementation policies within VHA and other integrated healthcare systems that target those services whose downstream effects are most prevalent and costly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee N Pickering
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Xinhua Zhao
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Florentina E Sileanu
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Elijah Z Lovelace
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Liam Rose
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Aaron L Schwartz
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy and Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Allison H Oakes
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Enterprise Health Services Research, Enterprise Analytics Hub, Anthem Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Jennifer A Hale
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Loren J Schleiden
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Walid F Gellad
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael J Fine
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carolyn T Thorpe
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas R Radomski
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Savin Z, Mintz I, Lifshitz K, Achiam L, Aviram G, Bar-Yosef Y, Yossepowitch O, Sofer M. The role of serum and urinary markers in predicting obstructing ureteral stones and reducing unjustified non-contrast computerized tomographic scans in emergency departments. Emerg Radiol 2023; 30:167-174. [PMID: 36680669 DOI: 10.1007/s10140-023-02114-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The reported yield of non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) in assessing flank pain and obstructive urolithiasis (OU) in emergency departments (EDs) is only ~ 50%. We investigated the potential capability of serum and urinary markers to predict OU and improve the yield of NCCT in EDs. METHODS All consecutive ED patients with acute flank pain suggestive of OU and assessed by NCCT between December 2019 and February 2020 were enrolled. Serum white blood cells (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP) and creatinine (Cr) levels, and urine dipstick results were analyzed for association with OU, and unjustified NCCT scan rates were calculated. RESULTS NCCTs diagnosed OU in 108 of the 200 study patients (54%). The median WBC, CRP, and Cr values were 9,100/µL, 4.3 mg/L, and 1 mg/dL, respectively. Using ROC curves, WBC = 10,000/µL and Cr = 0.95 mg/dl were the most accurate thresholds to predict OU. Only WBC ≥ 10,000/µL (OR = 3.7, 95% CI 1.6-8.3, p = 0.002) and Cr ≥ 0.95 mg/dl (OR = 5, 95% CI 2.3-11, p < 0.001) were associated with OU. Positive predictive value and specificity for detecting OU among patients with combined WBC ≥ 10,000 and Cr ≥ 0.95 were 83% and 89%, respectively. Patients negative to the serum markers criteria underwent significantly more unjustified NCCTs (p = 0.03). The negative predictive value of the serum criteria for justified NCCT scanning was 81%. CONCLUSIONS WBC and Cr may be valuable serum markers in predicting OU among patients presenting to EDs with acute flank pain. They may potentially reduce the number of unjustified NCCT scans in the ED setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziv Savin
- Department of Urology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizmann Street, Tel Aviv, 6423906, Israel.
| | - Ishai Mintz
- Department of Urology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizmann Street, Tel Aviv, 6423906, Israel
| | - Karin Lifshitz
- Department of Urology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizmann Street, Tel Aviv, 6423906, Israel
| | - Lauren Achiam
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Galit Aviram
- Department of Radiology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Yuval Bar-Yosef
- Department of Urology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizmann Street, Tel Aviv, 6423906, Israel
| | - Ofer Yossepowitch
- Department of Urology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizmann Street, Tel Aviv, 6423906, Israel
| | - Mario Sofer
- Department of Urology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizmann Street, Tel Aviv, 6423906, Israel.,Department of Endourology Unit, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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Dunn BK, Woloshin S, Xie H, Kramer BS. Cancer overdiagnosis: a challenge in the era of screening. JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER 2022; 2:235-242. [PMID: 36568283 PMCID: PMC9784987 DOI: 10.1016/j.jncc.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
"Screening" is a search for preclinical, asymptomatic disease, including cancer. Widespread cancer screening has led to large increases in early-stage cancers and pre-cancers. Ubiquitous public messages emphasize the potential benefits to screening for these lesions based on the underlying assumption that treating cancer at early stages before spread to other organs should make it easier to treat and cure, using more tolerable interventions. The intuition is so strong that public campaigns are sometimes launched without conducting definitive trials directly comparing screening to usual care. An effective cancer screening test should not only increase the incidence of early-stage preclinical disease but should also decrease the incidence of advanced and metastatic cancer, as well as a subsequent decrease in cancer-related mortality. Otherwise, screening efforts may be uncovering a reservoir of non-progressive and very slowly progressive lesions that were not destined to cause symptoms or suffering during the person's remaining natural lifespan: a phenomenon known as "overdiagnosis." We provide here a qualitative review of cancer overdiagnosis and discuss specific examples due to extensive population-based screening, including neuroblastoma, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, and breast cancer. The harms of unnecessary diagnosis and cancer therapy call for a balanced presentation to people considering undergoing screening, even with a test of accepted benefit, with a goal of informed decision-making. We also discuss proposed strategies to mitigate the adverse sequelae of overdiagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara K. Dunn
- US National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Prevention, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Member, The Lisa Schwartz Foundation for Truth in Medicine, Norwich, Vermont, USA
| | - Steven Woloshin
- The Center for Medicine in the Media, Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
- Director, The Lisa Schwartz Foundation for Truth in Medicine, Norwich, Vermont, USA
| | - Heng Xie
- Beijing Biostar Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Barnett S. Kramer
- Member, The Lisa Schwartz Foundation for Truth in Medicine, Norwich, Vermont, USA
- Rockville, Maryland, USA
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Kamineni A, Doria-Rose VP, Chubak J, Inadomi JM, Corley DA, Haas JS, Kobrin SC, Winer RL, Elston Lafata J, Beaber EF, Yudkin JS, Zheng Y, Skinner CS, Schottinger JE, Ritzwoller DP, Croswell JM, Burnett-Hartman AN. Evaluation of Harms Reporting in U.S. Cancer Screening Guidelines. Ann Intern Med 2022; 175:1582-1590. [PMID: 36162112 PMCID: PMC9903969 DOI: 10.7326/m22-1139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer screening should be recommended only when the balance between benefits and harms is favorable. This review evaluated how U.S. cancer screening guidelines reported harms, within and across organ-specific processes to screen for cancer. OBJECTIVE To describe current reporting practices and identify opportunities for improvement. DESIGN Review of guidelines. SETTING United States. PATIENTS Patients eligible for screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer according to U.S. guidelines. MEASUREMENTS Information was abstracted on reporting of patient-level harms associated with screening, diagnostic follow-up, and treatment. The authors classified harms reporting as not mentioned, conceptual, qualitative, or quantitative and noted whether literature was cited when harms were described. Frequency of harms reporting was summarized by organ type. RESULTS Harms reporting was inconsistent across organ types and at each step of the cancer screening process. Guidelines did not report all harms for any specific organ type or for any category of harm across organ types. The most complete harms reporting was for prostate cancer screening guidelines and the least complete for colorectal cancer screening guidelines. Conceptualization of harms and use of quantitative evidence also differed by organ type. LIMITATIONS This review considers only patient-level harms. The authors did not verify accuracy of harms information presented in the guidelines. CONCLUSION The review identified opportunities for improving conceptualization, assessment, and reporting of screening process-related harms in guidelines. Future work should consider nuances associated with each organ-specific process to screen for cancer, including which harms are most salient and where evidence gaps exist, and explicitly explore how to optimally weigh available evidence in determining net screening benefit. Improved harms reporting could aid informed decision making, ultimately improving cancer screening delivery. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE National Cancer Institute.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aruna Kamineni
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington (A.K., J.C.)
| | - V Paul Doria-Rose
- Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (V.P.D., S.C.K., J.M.C.)
| | - Jessica Chubak
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington (A.K., J.C.)
| | - John M Inadomi
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah (J.M.I.)
| | - Douglas A Corley
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California (D.A.C.)
| | - Jennifer S Haas
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (J.S.H.)
| | - Sarah C Kobrin
- Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (V.P.D., S.C.K., J.M.C.)
| | - Rachel L Winer
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (R.L.W.)
| | - Jennifer Elston Lafata
- Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan (J.E.L.)
| | - Elisabeth F Beaber
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (E.F.B., Y.Z.)
| | - Joshua S Yudkin
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas (J.S.Y.)
| | - Yingye Zheng
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (E.F.B., Y.Z.)
| | - Celette Sugg Skinner
- Department of Population and Data Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, Texas (C.S.S.)
| | - Joanne E Schottinger
- Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Pasadena, California (J.E.S.)
| | - Debra P Ritzwoller
- Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Aurora, Colorado (D.P.R., A.N.B.)
| | - Jennifer M Croswell
- Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (V.P.D., S.C.K., J.M.C.)
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Clark SD, Reuland DS, Brenner AT, Jonas DE. Effect of Incidental Findings Information on Lung Cancer Screening Intent: a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:3676-3683. [PMID: 35113322 PMCID: PMC9585131 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-07409-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires decision aid use for lung cancer screening (LCS) shared decision-making. However, it does not require information about incidental findings, a potential harm of screening. OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of incidental findings information in an LCS decision aid on screening intent as well as knowledge and valuing of screening benefits and harms. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial conducted online between July 16, 2020, and August 22, 2020. PARTICIPANTS Adults 55-80 years, eligible for LCS. INTERVENTION LCS video decision aid including information on incidental findings or a control video decision aid. MAIN MEASURES Intent to undergo LCS; knowledge regarding the benefit and harms of LCS using six knowledge questions; and valuing of six benefits and harms using rating (1-5 scale, 5 most important) and ranking (ranked 1-6) exercises. KEY RESULTS Of 427 eligible individuals approached, 348 (83.1%) completed the study (173 intervention, 175 control). Mean age was 64.5 years, 48.6% were male, 73.0% white, 76.3% with less than a college degree, and 64.1% with income < $50,000. There was no difference between the intervention and controls in percentage intending to pursue screening (70/173, 40.5% vs 73/175, 41.7%, diff 1.2%, 95% CI - 9.1 to 11.5%, p = 0.81). Intervention participants had a higher percentage of correct answers for the incidental findings knowledge than controls (164/173, 94.8% vs 129/175, 73.7%, 95% CI - 28.4 to - 13.8%, p < 0.01). Incidental findings had the fifth highest mean importance rating (4.0 ± 1.1) and the third highest mean ranking (3.6 ± 1.5). There was no difference in mean rating or ranking of incidental findings between intervention and control groups (rating 4.0 vs 3.9, diff 0.1, 95% CI - 0.2, 0.3, p = 0.51; ranking 3.6 vs 3.6, diff 0.02, 95% CI - 0.3, 0.3, p = 0.89). CONCLUSIONS Incidental findings information in a LCS decision aid did not affect LCS intent, but it resulted in more informed individuals regarding these findings. In formulating screening preferences, incidental findings were less important than other benefits and harms. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04432753.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen D Clark
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1101 East Marshall St., Sanger Hall 1-010, Box, Richmond, VA, 980102, USA.
| | - Daniel S Reuland
- Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Alison T Brenner
- Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Daniel E Jonas
- Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Cotter JM, Hall M, Shah SS, Molloy MJ, Markham JL, Aronson PL, Stephens JR, Steiner MJ, McCoy E, Collins M, Tchou MJ. Variation in bacterial pneumonia diagnoses and outcomes among children hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infections. J Hosp Med 2022; 17:872-879. [PMID: 35946482 DOI: 10.1002/jhm.12940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current diagnostics do not permit reliable differentiation of bacterial from viral causes of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), which may lead to over-treatment with antibiotics for possible bacterial community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). OBJECTIVES We sought to describe variation in the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial CAP among children hospitalized with LRTIs and determine the association between CAP diagnosis and outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS This multicenter cross-sectional study included children hospitalized between 2017 and 2019 with LRTIs at 42 children's hospitals. MAIN OUTCOME AND METHODS We calculated the proportion of children with LRTIs who were diagnosed with and treated for bacterial CAP. After adjusting for confounders, hospitals were grouped into high, moderate, and low CAP diagnosis groups. Multivariable regression was used to examine the association between high and low CAP diagnosis groups and outcomes. RESULTS We identified 66,581 patients hospitalized with LRTIs and observed substantial variation across hospitals in the proportion diagnosed with and treated for bacterial CAP (median 27%, range 12%-42%). Compared with low CAP diagnosing hospitals, high diagnosing hospitals had higher rates of CAP-related revisits (0.6% [95% confidence interval: 0.5, 0.7] vs. 0.4% [0.4, 0.5], p = .04), chest radiographs (58% [53, 62] vs. 46% [41, 51], p = .02), and blood tests (43% [33, 53] vs. 26% [19, 35], p = .046). There were no significant differences in length of stay, all-cause revisits or readmissions, CAP-related readmissions, or costs. CONCLUSION There was wide variation across hospitals in the proportion of children with LRTIs who were treated for bacterial CAP. The lack of meaningful differences in clinical outcomes among hospitals suggests that some institutions may over-diagnose and overtreat bacterial CAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian M Cotter
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hospital Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Matt Hall
- Children's Hospital Association, Lenexa, Kansas, USA
| | - Samir S Shah
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Matthew J Molloy
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jessica L Markham
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Paul L Aronson
- Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - John R Stephens
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael J Steiner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Elisha McCoy
- Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Megan Collins
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Michael J Tchou
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hospital Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Kim DD, Daly AT, Koethe BC, Fendrick AM, Ollendorf DA, Wong JB, Neumann PJ. Low-Value Prostate-Specific Antigen Test for Prostate Cancer Screening and Subsequent Health Care Utilization and Spending. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2243449. [PMID: 36413364 PMCID: PMC9682424 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.43449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Delivering low-value care can lead to unnecessary follow-up services and associated costs, and such care cascades have not been well examined in common clinical scenarios. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the utilization and costs of care cascades of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests for prostate cancer screening, as the routine use of which among asymptomatic men aged 70 years and older is discouraged by multiple guidelines. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study included men aged 70 years and older without preexisting prostate conditions enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan during January 2016 to December 2018 with at least 1 outpatient visit. Medical billing claims data from the deidentified OptumLabs Data Warehouse were used. Data analysis was conducted from September 2020 to August 2021. EXPOSURES At least 1 claim for low-value PSA tests for prostate cancer screening during the observation period. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Utilization of and spending on low-value PSA cancer screening and associated care cascades and the difference in overall health care utilization and spending among individuals receiving low-value PSA cancer screening vs those who did not, adjusting for observed characteristics using inverse probability of treatment weighting. RESULTS Of 995 442 men (mean [SD] age, 78.0 [5.6] years) aged 70 years or older in a Medicare Advantage plan included in this study, 384 058 (38.6%) received a low-value PSA cancer screening. Utilization increased for each subsequent cohort from 2016 to 2018 (49 802 of 168 951 [29.4%] to 134 404 of 349 228 [38.5%] to 199 852 of 477 203 [41.9%]). Among those receiving initial low-value PSA cancer screening, 241 188 of 384 058 (62.8%) received at least 1 follow-up service. Repeated PSA testing was the most common, and 27 268 (7.1%) incurred high-cost follow-up services, such as imaging, radiation therapy, and prostatectomy. Utilization and spending associated with care cascades also increased from 2016 to 2018. For every $1 spent on a low-value PSA cancer screening, an additional $6 was spent on care cascades. Despite avoidable care cascades, individuals who received low-value PSA cancer screening were not associated with increased overall health care utilization and spending during the 1-year follow-up period compared with an unscreened population. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cross-sectional study, low-value PSA tests for prostate cancer screening remained prevalent among Medicare Advantage plan enrollees and were associated with unnecessary expenditures due to avoidable care cascades. Innovative efforts from clinicians and policy makers, such as payment reforms, to reduce initial low-value care and avoidable care cascades are warranted to decrease harm, enhance equity, and improve health care efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- David D. Kim
- Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health (CEVR), Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies (ICRHPS), Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Allan T. Daly
- Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health (CEVR), Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies (ICRHPS), Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Benjamin C. Koethe
- Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Center, ICRHPS, Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - A. Mark Fendrick
- Department of Internal Medicine and Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Daniel A. Ollendorf
- Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health (CEVR), Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies (ICRHPS), Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - John B. Wong
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Clinical Decision Making, Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Peter J. Neumann
- Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health (CEVR), Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies (ICRHPS), Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesly A Dossett
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Anthony L Edelman
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Shannon M Ruzycki
- Department of Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Welch JM, Zhuang T, Shapiro LM, Harris AHS, Baker LC, Kamal RN. Is Low-value Testing Before Low-risk Hand Surgery Associated With Increased Downstream Healthcare Use and Reimbursements? A National Claims Database Analysis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2022; 480:1851-1862. [PMID: 35608508 PMCID: PMC9473771 DOI: 10.1097/corr.0000000000002255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Minor hand procedures can often be completed in the office without any laboratory testing. Preoperative screening tests before minor hand procedures are unnecessary and considered low value because they can lead to preventable invasive confirmatory tests and/or procedures. Prior studies have shown that low-value testing before low-risk hand surgery is still common, yet little is known about their downstream effects and associated costs. Assessing these downstream events can elucidate the consequences of obtaining a low-value test and inform context-specific interventions to reduce their use. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES (1) Among healthy adults undergoing low-risk hand surgery, are patients who receive a preoperative low-value test more likely to have subsequent diagnostic tests and procedures than those who do not receive a low-value test? (2) What is the increased 90-day reimbursement associated with subsequent diagnostic tests and procedures in patients who received a low-value test compared with those who did not? METHODS In this retrospective, comparative study using a large national database, we queried a large health insurance provider's administrative claims data to identify adult patients undergoing low-risk hand surgery (carpal tunnel release, trigger finger release, Dupuytren fasciectomy, de Quervain release, thumb carpometacarpal arthroplasty, wrist ganglion cyst, or mass excision) between 2011 and 2017. This database was selected for its ability to track patient claims longitudinally with direct provision of reimbursement data in a large, geographically diverse patient population. Patients who received at least one preoperative low-value test, including complete blood count, basic metabolic panel, electrocardiogram, chest radiography, pulmonary function test, and urinalysis within the 30-day preoperative period, were matched with propensity scores to those who did not. Among the 73,112 patients who met our inclusion criteria (mean age 57 ± 14 years; 68% [49,847] were women), 27% (19,453) received at least one preoperative low-value test and were propensity score-matched to those who did not. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to assess the frequency and reimbursements of subsequent diagnostic tests and procedures in the 90 days after surgery while controlling for potentially confounding variables such as age, sex, comorbidities, and baseline healthcare use. RESULTS When controlling for covariates such as age, sex, comorbidities, and baseline healthcare use, patients in the low-value test cohort had an adjusted odds ratio of 1.57 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.50 to 1.64; p < 0.001) for a postoperative use event (a downstream diagnostic test or procedure) compared with those who did not have a low-value test. The median (IQR) per-patient reimbursements associated with downstream utilization events in patients who received a low-value test was USD 231.97 (64.37 to 1138.84), and those who did not receive a low-value test had a median of USD 191.52 (57.1 to 899.42) (adjusted difference when controlling for covariates: USD 217.27 per patient [95% CI 59.51 to 375.03]; p = 0.007). After adjusting for inflation, total additional reimbursements for patients in the low-value test cohort increased annually. CONCLUSION Low-value tests generate downstream tests and procedures that are known to provide minimal benefit to healthy patients and may expose patients to potential harms associated with subsequent, unnecessary invasive tests and procedures in response to false positives. Nevertheless, low-value testing remains common and the rising trend in low-value test-associated spending demonstrates the need for multicomponent interventions that target change at both the payer and health system level. Such interventions should disincentivize the initial low-value test and the cascade that may follow. Future work to identify the barriers and facilitators to reduce low-value testing in hand surgery can inform the development and revision of deimplementation strategies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III, therapeutic study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. Welch
- VOICES Health Policy Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | - Thompson Zhuang
- VOICES Health Policy Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | | | - Alex H. S. Harris
- VOICES Health Policy Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, Redwood City, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Laurence C. Baker
- Department of Health Research Policy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Robin N. Kamal
- VOICES Health Policy Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, Redwood City, CA, USA
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Begin AS, Hidrue MK, Lehrhoff S, Lennes IT, Armstrong K, Weilburg JB, del Carmen MG, Wasfy JH. Association of Self-reported Primary Care Physician Tolerance for Uncertainty With Variations in Resource Use and Patient Experience. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2229521. [PMID: 36048444 PMCID: PMC9437748 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.29521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Inappropriate variations in clinical practice are a known cause of poor quality and safety, with variations often associated with nonclinical factors, such as individual differences in cognitive processing. The differential response of physicians to uncertainty may explain some of the variations in resource use and patient experience. OBJECTIVE To examine the association of physician tolerance for uncertainty with variations in resource use and patient experience. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This survey study linked physician survey data (May to June 2019), patient experience survey data (January 2016 to December 2019), and billing data (January 2019 to December 2019) among primary care physicians (PCPs) at Massachusetts General Hospital with at least 10 visits in 2019. The statistical analysis was performed in 2021. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The analysis examined associations of PCP tolerance for uncertainty with the tendency to order diagnostic tests, the frequency of outpatient visits, hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and patient experience data (focused on physician communication and overall rating). A 2-stage hierarchical framework was used to account for clustering of patients under PCPs. Binary outcomes were modeled using a hierarchical logistic model, and count outcomes were modeled using hierarchical Poisson or negative binomial models. The analysis was adjusted for patient demographic variables (age, sex, and race and ethnicity), socioeconomic factors (payer and neighborhood income), and clinical comorbidities. RESULTS Of 217 included physicians, 137 (63.1%) were women, and 174 (80.2%) were adult PCPs. A total of 62 physicians (28.6%) reported low tolerance, 59 (27.2%) reported medium tolerance, and 96 (44.2%) reported high tolerance for uncertainty. Physicians with a low tolerance for uncertainty were less likely to order complete blood cell counts (odds ratio [OR], 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50-0.88), thyroid tests (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.52-0.88), a basic metabolic profile (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.60-1.00), and liver function tests (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.53-0.99) than physicians with a high tolerance for uncertainty. Physicians who reported higher tolerance for uncertainty were more likely to receive higher patient experience scores for listening to patients carefully (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.50-0.83) and higher overall ratings (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.66-0.98) than physicians with medium tolerance. Conversely, no association was found between physician tolerance for uncertainty and patient outpatient visits, hospital admissions, or emergency department visits. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In clinical practice, identifying and effectively managing inappropriate variations and improving patient experience have proven to be difficult, despite increased attention to these issues. This study supports the hypothesis that physicians' tolerance for uncertainty is associated with differences in resource use and patient experience. Whether enhancing physicians' tolerance for uncertainty could help reduce unwarranted practice variations, improve quality and patient safety, and improve patient's experience remains to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arabella S. Begin
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Sara Lehrhoff
- Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Boston
| | | | - Katrina Armstrong
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Jeffrey B. Weilburg
- Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Boston
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Marcela G. del Carmen
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Boston
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Jason H. Wasfy
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
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Cortés P, Ghoz HM, Stancampiano F, Omer M, Malviya B, Bowman AW, Palmer WC. Incidentalomas are associated with an increase in liver transplantation in patients with cirrhosis: a single-center retrospective study. BMC Gastroenterol 2022; 22:336. [PMID: 35818022 PMCID: PMC9275240 DOI: 10.1186/s12876-022-02379-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Incidentalomas, defined as incidental findings on imaging, are a growing concern. Our aim was to determine the impact and outcomes of extrahepatic incidentalomas on liver transplantation.
Methods Patients at a large liver transplant center, who had an initial MRI for hepatocellular carcinoma screening between January 2004 and March 2020 were identified. Clinical data were collected retrospectively. Survival analysis, utilizing Kaplan Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, was utilized to determine factors associated with liver transplantation. Results 720 patients were included. NASH (24.9%), HCV (22.1%) and alcohol (20.6%) were the most common causes of cirrhosis. 79.7% of patients had an extrahepatic incidentaloma. Older age and having received a liver transplant by the end of the study were associated with an incidentaloma. MELD was not associated with the presence of an incidentaloma. On univariate Cox proportional hazards regression, male sex, history of moderate alcohol use, smoking history, MELD, and incidentalomas were predictors of liver transplantation. On multivariate analysis, only MELD and the presence of an incidentaloma were found to be significant. Discovery of an incidentaloma was associated with a 30% increase in the risk of liver transplantation. Median time to transplantation did not differ based on the presence on an incidentaloma. Patients with cirrhosis from alcohol or HCV had a significantly shorter median time to transplantation than those with NASH. Renal and pancreatic lesions comprised 91% of all incidentalomas. Conclusions In this single-center retrospective study, extrahepatic incidentalomas were common in patients with cirrhosis. The finding of an incidentaloma was associated with a higher risk of liver transplantation despite a similar median time to transplantation if no incidentaloma was discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Cortés
- Division of Community Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Hassan M Ghoz
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic Florida, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Fernando Stancampiano
- Division of Community Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Mohamed Omer
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic Florida, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Balkishan Malviya
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic Florida, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Andrew W Bowman
- Division of Hospital and Emergency Radiology, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - William C Palmer
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic Florida, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
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Kennedy GT, Azari FS, Bernstein E, Nadeem B, Chang A, Segil A, Sullivan N, Encarnado E, Desphande C, Kucharczuk JC, Leonard K, Low PS, Chen S, Criton A, Singhal S. Targeted detection of cancer cells during biopsy allows real-time diagnosis of pulmonary nodules. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2022; 49:4194-4204. [PMID: 35788703 PMCID: PMC9525441 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-022-05868-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background The diagnostic yield of biopsies of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) is low, particularly in sub-solid lesions. We developed a method (NIR-nCLE) to achieve cellular level cancer detection during biopsy by integrating (i) near-infrared (NIR) imaging using a cancer-targeted tracer (pafolacianine), and (ii) a flexible NIR confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) system that can fit within a biopsy needle. Our goal was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of NIR-nCLE ex vivo in SPNs. Methods Twenty patients with SPNs were preoperatively infused with pafolacianine. Following resection, specimens were inspected to identify the lesion of interest. NIR-nCLE imaging followed by tissue biopsy was performed within the lesion and in normal lung tissue. All imaging sequences (n = 115) were scored by 5 blinded raters on the presence of fluorescent cancer cells and compared to diagnoses by a thoracic pathologist. Results Most lesions (n = 15, 71%) were adenocarcinoma-spectrum malignancies, including 7 ground glass opacities (33%). Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) by NIR-nCLE for tumor biopsy was 20.6 arbitrary units (A.U.) and mean MFI for normal lung was 6.4 A.U. (p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis yielded a high area under the curve for MFI (AUC = 0.951). Blinded raters scored the NIR-nCLE sequences on the presence of fluorescent cancer cells with sensitivity and specificity of 98% and 97%, respectively. Overall diagnostic accuracy was 97%. The inter-observer agreement of the five raters was excellent (κ = 0.95). Conclusions NIR-nCLE allows sensitive and specific detection of cancer cells in SPNs. This technology has far-reaching implications for diagnostic needle biopsies and intraprocedural decision-making. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00259-022-05868-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory T Kennedy
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, 6 White Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Feredun S Azari
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, 6 White Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Elizabeth Bernstein
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, 6 White Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Bilal Nadeem
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, 6 White Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ashley Chang
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, 6 White Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Alix Segil
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, 6 White Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Neil Sullivan
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, 6 White Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Emmanuel Encarnado
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, 6 White Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Charuhas Desphande
- Department of Pathology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John C Kucharczuk
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, 6 White Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | | | - Philip S Low
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | | | | | - Sunil Singhal
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, 6 White Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Sajid IM, Frost K, Paul AK. 'Diagnostic downshift': clinical and system consequences of extrapolating secondary care testing tactics to primary care. BMJ Evid Based Med 2022; 27:141-148. [PMID: 34099498 DOI: 10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Numerous drivers push specialist diagnostic approaches down to primary care ('diagnostic downshift'), intuitively welcomed by clinicians and patients. However, primary care's different population and processes result in under-recognised, unintended consequences. Testing performs poorer in primary care, with indication creep due to earlier, more undifferentiated presentation and reduced accuracy due to spectrum bias and the 'false-positive paradox'. In low-prevalence settings, tests without near-100% specificity have their useful yield eclipsed by greater incidental or false-positive findings. Ensuing cascades and multiplier effects can generate clinician workload, patient anxiety, further low-value tests, referrals, treatments and a potentially nocebic population 'disease' burden of unclear benefit. Increased diagnostics earlier in pathways can burden patients and stretch general practice (GP) workloads, inducing downstream service utilisation and unintended 'market failure' effects. Evidence is tenuous for reducing secondary care referrals, providing patient reassurance or meaningfully improving clinical outcomes. Subsequently, inflated investment in per capita testing, at a lower level in a healthcare system, may deliver diminishing or even negative economic returns. Test cost poorly represents 'value', neglecting under-recognised downstream consequences, which must be balanced against therapeutic yield. With lower positive predictive values, more tests are required per true diagnosis and cost-effectiveness is rarely robust. With fixed secondary care capacity, novel primary care testing is an added cost pressure, rarely reducing hospital activity. GP testing strategies require real-world evaluation, in primary care populations, of all downstream consequences. Test formularies should be scrutinised in view of the setting of care, with interventions to focus rational testing towards those with higher pretest probabilities, while improving interpretation and communication of results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Mohammed Sajid
- NHS West London Clinical Commissioning Group, London, UK
- University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Kathleen Frost
- NHS Central London Clinical Commissioning Group, London, UK
| | - Ash K Paul
- NHS South West London Health and Care Partnership STP, London, UK
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Hulten E, Murthy VL. Thinking outside the box: clinical and economic implications of extracardiac findings on cardiac computed tomography angiography. Heart 2022; 108:1426-1427. [DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2022-321009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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45
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Kennedy GT, Azari FS, Bernstein E, Nadeem B, Chang A, Segil A, Carlin S, Sullivan NT, Encarnado E, Desphande C, Kularatne S, Gagare P, Thomas M, Kucharczuk JC, Christien G, Lacombe F, Leonard K, Low PS, Criton A, Singhal S. Targeted detection of cancer at the cellular level during biopsy by near-infrared confocal laser endomicroscopy. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2711. [PMID: 35581212 PMCID: PMC9114105 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30265-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Suspicious nodules detected by radiography are often investigated by biopsy, but the diagnostic yield of biopsies of small nodules is poor. Here we report a method-NIR-nCLE-to detect cancer at the cellular level in real-time during biopsy. This technology integrates a cancer-targeted near-infrared (NIR) tracer with a needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE) system modified to detect NIR signal. We develop and test NIR-nCLE in preclinical models of pulmonary nodule biopsy including human specimens. We find that the technology has the resolution to identify a single cancer cell among normal fibroblast cells when co-cultured at a ratio of 1:1000, and can detect cancer cells in human tumors less than 2 cm in diameter. The NIR-nCLE technology rapidly delivers images that permit accurate discrimination between tumor and normal tissue by non-experts. This proof-of-concept study analyzes pulmonary nodules as a test case, but the results may be generalizable to other malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory T Kennedy
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Feredun S Azari
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Bernstein
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bilal Nadeem
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ashley Chang
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alix Segil
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sean Carlin
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Neil T Sullivan
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emmanuel Encarnado
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Charuhas Desphande
- Department of Pathology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Mini Thomas
- On Target Laboratories, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - John C Kucharczuk
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Philip S Low
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | | | - Sunil Singhal
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Petrovich J, Reimherr M, Daymont C. Highly irregular functional generalized linear regression with electronic healthrecords. J R Stat Soc Ser C Appl Stat 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rssc.12556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Butler AM, Brown DS, Durkin MJ, Sahrmann JM, Nickel KB, O’Neil CA, Olsen MA, Hyun DY, Zetts RM, Newland JG. Association of Inappropriate Outpatient Pediatric Antibiotic Prescriptions With Adverse Drug Events and Health Care Expenditures. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2214153. [PMID: 35616940 PMCID: PMC9136626 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.14153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Nonguideline antibiotic prescribing for the treatment of pediatric infections is common, but the consequences of inappropriate antibiotics are not well described. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the comparative safety and health care expenditures of inappropriate vs appropriate oral antibiotic prescriptions for common outpatient pediatric infections. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study included children aged 6 months to 17 years diagnosed with a bacterial infection (suppurative otitis media [OM], pharyngitis, sinusitis) or viral infection (influenza, viral upper respiratory infection [URI], bronchiolitis, bronchitis, nonsuppurative OM) as an outpatient from April 1, 2016, to September 30, 2018, in the IBM MarketScan Commercial Database. Data were analyzed from August to November 2021. EXPOSURES Inappropriate (ie, non-guideline-recommended) vs appropriate (ie, guideline-recommended) oral antibiotic agents dispensed from an outpatient pharmacy on the date of infection. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Propensity score-weighted Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for the association between inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions and adverse drug events. Two-part models were used to calculate 30-day all-cause attributable health care expenditures by infection type. National-level annual attributable expenditures were calculated by scaling attributable expenditures in the study cohort to the national employer-sponsored insurance population. RESULTS The cohort included 2 804 245 eligible children (52% male; median [IQR] age, 8 [4-12] years). Overall, 31% to 36% received inappropriate antibiotics for bacterial infections and 4% to 70% for viral infections. Inappropriate antibiotics were associated with increased risk of several adverse drug events, including Clostridioides difficile infection and severe allergic reaction among children treated with a nonrecommended antibiotic agent for a bacterial infection (among patients with suppurative OM, C. difficile infection: HR, 6.23; 95% CI, 2.24-17.32; allergic reaction: HR, 4.14; 95% CI, 2.48-6.92). Thirty-day attributable health care expenditures were generally higher among children who received inappropriate antibiotics, ranging from $21 to $56 for bacterial infections and from -$96 to $97 for viral infections. National annual attributable expenditure estimates were highest for suppurative OM ($25.3 million), pharyngitis ($21.3 million), and viral URI ($19.1 million). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study of children with common infections treated in an outpatient setting, inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions were common and associated with increased risks of adverse drug events and higher attributable health care expenditures. These findings highlight the individual- and national-level consequences of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and further support implementation of outpatient antibiotic stewardship programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M. Butler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | | | - Michael J. Durkin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - John M. Sahrmann
- Division of Infectious Diseases, John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Katelin B. Nickel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Caroline A. O’Neil
- Division of Infectious Diseases, John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Margaret A. Olsen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | | | | | - Jason G. Newland
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
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Begin AS, Hidrue M, Lehrhoff S, Del Carmen MG, Armstrong K, Wasfy JH. Factors Associated with Physician Tolerance of Uncertainty: an Observational Study. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:1415-1421. [PMID: 33904030 PMCID: PMC8074695 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-06776-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physicians need to learn and work amidst a plethora of uncertainties, which may drive burnout. Understanding differences in tolerance of uncertainty is an important research area. OBJECTIVE To examine factors associated with tolerance of uncertainty, including well-being metrics such as burnout. DESIGN Online confidential survey. SETTING The Massachusetts General Physicians Organization (MGPO). PARTICIPANTS All 2172 clinically active faculty in the MGPO. MAIN MEASURES We examined associations for tolerance of uncertainty with demographic information, personal and professional characteristics, and physician well-being metrics. KEY RESULTS Two thousand twenty (93%) physicians responded. Multivariable analyses identified significant associations of lower tolerance of uncertainty with female gender (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.03-1.48); primary care practice (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.22-2.00); years since training (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-0.995); and lacking a trusted advisor (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.03-1.53). Adjusting for demographic and professional characteristics, physicians with low tolerance of uncertainty had higher likelihood of being burned-out (OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 2.41-3.88), were less likely to be satisfied with career (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.26-0.52), and less likely to be engaged at work (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.84-0.90). CONCLUSION At a time when concern about physician well-being is high, with much speculation about causes of burnout, we found a strong relationship between tolerance of uncertainty and physician well-being, across specialties. Particular attention likely needs to be paid to those with less experience, those in specialties with high rates of undifferentiated illness and uncertainty, such as primary care, and ensuring all physicians have access to a trusted advisor. These results generate the potential hypothesis that efforts focused in understanding and embracing uncertainty could be potentially effective for reducing burnout. This concept should be tested in prospective trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arabella Simpkin Begin
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Michael Hidrue
- Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Boston, USA
| | - Sara Lehrhoff
- Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Boston, USA
| | - Marcela G Del Carmen
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Boston, USA.,Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katrina Armstrong
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jason H Wasfy
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Gabarin N, Trinkaus M, Selby R, Goldberg N, Hanif H, Sholzberg M. Coagulation test understanding and ordering by medical trainees: Novel teaching approach. Res Pract Thromb Haemost 2022; 6:S2475-0379(22)01240-7. [PMID: 35755855 PMCID: PMC9204395 DOI: 10.1002/rth2.12746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Coagulation testing provides a prime opportunity to make an impact on the reduction of unnecessary laboratory test ordering, as there are clear indications for testing. Despite the prothrombin time/international normalized ratio and activated partial thromboplastin time being validated for specific clinical indications, they are frequently ordered as screening tests and often ordered together, suggesting a gap in understanding of coagulation. Methods Based on a needs assessment, we developed an online educational module on coagulation for trainees, incorporating education on testing cost, specificity, and sensitivity. Fifty participating resident physicians and medical students completed a validated premodule quiz, postmodule quiz after completion of the module, and a latent quiz 3 to 6 months after to assess longer‐term knowledge retention. Trainees provided responses regarding their subjective laboratory test‐ordering practices before and after module completion. Results The median premodule quiz score was 67% (n = 50; range, 24%‐86%) with an increase of 24% to a median postmodule quiz score of 91% (n = 50; range, 64%‐100%). There was evidence of sustained knowledge acquisition with a latent quiz median score of 89% (n = 40; range, 67%–100%). Trainees were more likely to consider the sensitivity, specificity, and cost of laboratory investigations before ordering them following completion of the educational module. Conclusions Using the expertise of medical educators and incorporating trainee feedback, we employed a novel approach to the teaching of coagulation to maximize its approachability and clinical relevance. We found sustained knowledge retention regarding coagulation and appropriate coagulation test ordering, and a subjective change to trainee ordering habits following participation in our educational intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Gabarin
- Department of Medicine, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Martina Trinkaus
- Department of Medicine St. Michael's Hospital University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada.,Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Rita Selby
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology and Department of Medicine University Health Network and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Nicola Goldberg
- Department of Medicine St. Michael's Hospital University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Hina Hanif
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology St. Michael's Hospital University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Michelle Sholzberg
- Department of Medicine St. Michael's Hospital University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada.,Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology St. Michael's Hospital University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
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50
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Furlan L, Francesco PD, Costantino G, Montano N. Choosing Wisely in clinical practice: Embracing critical thinking, striving for safer care. J Intern Med 2022; 291:397-407. [PMID: 35307902 PMCID: PMC9314697 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the Choosing Wisely and Less is More campaigns have gained growing attention in the medical scientific community. Several projects have been launched to facilitate confrontation among patients and physicians, to achieve better and harmless patient-centered care. Such initiatives have paved the way to a new "way of thinking." Embracing such a philosophy goes through a cognitive process that takes into account several issues. Medicine is a highly inaccurate science and physicians should deal with uncertainty. Evidence from the literature should not be accepted as it is but rather be translated into practice by medical practitioners who select treatment options for specific cases based on the best research, patient preferences, and individual patient characteristics. A wise choice requires active effort into minimizing the chance that potential biases may affect our clinical decisions. Potential harms and all consequences (both direct and indirect) of prescribing tests, procedures, or medications should be carefully evaluated, as well as patients' needs and preferences. Through such a cognitive process, a patient management shift is needed, moving from being centered on establishing a diagnosis towards finding the best management strategy for the right patient at the right time. Finally, while "thinking wisely," physicians should also "act wisely," being among the leading actors in facing upcoming healthcare challenges related to environmental issues and social discrepancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovico Furlan
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Internal Medicine, General Medicine Unit, IRCCS Ca' Granda Foundation, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Di Francesco
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Internal Medicine, General Medicine Unit, IRCCS Ca' Granda Foundation, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Costantino
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Anaesthesia-Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department and Emergency Medicine Unit, IRCCS Ca' Granda Foundation Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Montano
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Internal Medicine, General Medicine Unit, IRCCS Ca' Granda Foundation, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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