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Young AS, Skela J, Siddarth P. The Characteristics of People with Serious Mental Illness Who are at High Risk for Hospitalization or Death. Community Ment Health J 2024; 60:1243-1246. [PMID: 38653869 DOI: 10.1007/s10597-024-01281-8] [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: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Many individuals with serious mental illness are at high risk for hospitalization or death due to inadequate treatment of medical conditions or unhealthy behaviors. The authors describe demographic and clinical characteristics associated with increased risk in this population. Electronic data were obtained for individuals in treatment at a large Veterans' healthcare system who were at high risk according to a validated model. A random sample of these individuals was assessed in person. Multivariable regressions estimated the effect of numerous demographic, health, and clinical characteristics on risk. Emergency visits and hospitalizations were common. Greater risk was associated with being male, not married, and having more diagnoses. While risk varied by race, this effect was no longer significant after controlling for other factors. Health-related quality of life worsened with increasing risk. Routine data identify a large population of high-risk individuals who may benefit from outreach to provide healthcare services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S Young
- Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Greater Los Angeles Veterans Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., 210A, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, 300 UCLA Medical Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jessica Skela
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, 300 UCLA Medical Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Prabha Siddarth
- Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Greater Los Angeles Veterans Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., 210A, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, 300 UCLA Medical Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Jimenez EE, Rosland AM, Stockdale SE, Reddy A, Wong MS, Torrence N, Huynh A, Chang ET. Implementing evidence-based practices to improve primary care for high-risk patients: study protocol for the VA high-RIsk VETerans (RIVET) type III effectiveness-implementation trial. Implement Sci Commun 2024; 5:75. [PMID: 39010160 PMCID: PMC11251253 DOI: 10.1186/s43058-024-00613-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with significant multimorbidity and other factors that make healthcare challenging to access and coordinate are at high risk for poor health outcomes. Although most (93%) of Veterans' Health Administration (VHA) patients at high risk for hospitalization or death ("high-risk Veterans") are primarily managed by primary care teams, few of these teams have implemented evidence-based practices (EBPs) known to improve outcomes for the high-risk patient population's complex healthcare issues. Effective implementation strategies could increase adoption of these EBPs in primary care; however, the most effective implementation strategies to increase evidence-based care for high-risk patients are unknown. The high-RIsk VETerans (RIVET) Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) will compare two variants of Evidence-Based Quality Improvement (EBQI) strategies to implement two distinct EBPs for high-risk Veterans: individual coaching (EBQI-IC; tailored training with individual implementation sites to meet site-specific needs) versus learning collaborative (EBQI-LC; implementation sites trained in groups to encourage collaboration among sites). One EBP, Comprehensive Assessment and Care Planning (CACP), guides teams in addressing patients' cognitive, functional, and social needs through a comprehensive care plan. The other EBP, Medication Adherence Assessment (MAA), addresses common challenges to medication adherence using a patient-centered approach. METHODS We will recruit and randomize 16 sites to either EBQI-IC or EBQI-LC to implement one of the EBPs, chosen by the site. Each site will have a site champion (front-line staff) who will participate in 18 months of EBQI facilitation. ANALYSIS We will use a mixed-methods type 3 hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation trial to test EBQI-IC versus EBQI-LC versus usual care using a Concurrent Stepped Wedge design. We will use the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) framework to compare and evaluate Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and costs. We will then assess the maintenance/sustainment and spread of both EBPs in primary care after the 18-month implementation period. Our primary outcome will be Reach, measured by the percentage of eligible high-risk patients who received the EBP. DISCUSSION Our study will identify which implementation strategy is most effective overall, and under various contexts, accounting for unique barriers, facilitators, EBP characteristics, and adaptations. Ultimately this study will identify ways for primary care clinics and teams to choose implementation strategies that can improve care and outcomes for patients with complex healthcare needs. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05050643. Registered September 9th, 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05050643 PROTOCOL VERSION: This protocol is Version 1.0 which was created on 6/3/2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira E Jimenez
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA.
- Department of Neurology, David Gefen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Ann-Marie Rosland
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, 1 University Dr, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA
- Caring for Complex Chronic Conditions Research Center & Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3550 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Susan E Stockdale
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Ashok Reddy
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Ave, Box 359780, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
- Center for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
| | - Michelle S Wong
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
| | - Natasha Torrence
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, 1 University Dr, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA
- Caring for Complex Chronic Conditions Research Center & Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3550 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Alexis Huynh
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
| | - Evelyn T Chang
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, David Gefen School of Medicine, UCLA, 740 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Schuttner L, Mayfield B, Jaske E, Theis M, Nelson K, Reddy A. Primary Care Telehealth Initiation and Engagement Among Veterans at High Risk, 2019-2022. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2424921. [PMID: 39083271 PMCID: PMC11292453 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.24921] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) expanded telehealth infrastructure. Understanding telehealth initiation and sustained engagement could inform future resource allocation for high-need populations. Objective To describe and examine primary care use, including initiation, use, and engagement factors, of telehealth modalities (telephone, video visits, and secure messaging) from 2020 to 2022. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study was conducted among 1 383 070 patients in the 75th or higher percentile for 90-day risk of hospitalization or mortality (using previously validated Care Assessment Need scores) engaged in VHA primary care from March 11, 2019, to March 10, 2022. Exposures Patient sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, race and ethnicity, and marital and housing status), health characteristics (chronic condition count, military service disability, serious mental illness, or substance use disorder diagnoses), geographic characteristics (driving distance to clinic and rural or urban location), and Federal Communications Commission-reported broadband speed among subgroups of patients at high risk categorized by telehealth use from 2020 to 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary care utilization by modality. Results A total of 1 383 070 patients at high risk were engaged in VHA primary care in March 2020 (median age, 73.0 years [IQR, 65-80 years]; 92.4% male; 77.7% regular telehealth users in 2019). With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to March 2021, 92.7% of patients at high risk (1 158 804 of 1 250 438 retained in care) became regular telehealth users. The following year, most patients continued as telehealth users (83.4% [942 151 of 1 129 683 retained]), including 38.2% retention of users at high risk newly engaged in 2020. Between 2019 and 2022 among those living and engaged in VHA primary care, adjusted exploratory multinomial logit models estimated that new telehealth users in 2020 (both sustained or only transiently engaged) were more often Black non-Hispanic individuals with greater comorbidity burdens than those who never engaged in telehealth use (Black non-Hispanic with new persistent telehealth use: adjusted relative risk ratio [ARR], 1.18 [95% CI, 1.16-1.20]; Black non-Hispanic with transient telehealth use: ARR, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.08-1.13]; ≥5 chronic conditions with new persistent telehealth use: ARR, 1.92 [95% CI, 1.88-1.96]; ≥5 chronic conditions with transient telehealth use: ARR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.40-1.46]). Conclusions and Relevance This cohort study suggests that primary care telehealth initiation, use and sustained engagement differed among subgroups of patients at high risk throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Those never or only transiently engaged with telehealth had lower illness burdens and were less likely to identify as members of racial or ethnic minority groups. Variation in telehealth use among subgroups of patients at high risk during this period could inform future resource allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linnaea Schuttner
- Center for Innovation and Veteran-Centered Care, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
| | - Brad Mayfield
- Center for Innovation and Veteran-Centered Care, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Erin Jaske
- Center for Innovation and Veteran-Centered Care, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Mariah Theis
- Center for Innovation and Veteran-Centered Care, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Karin Nelson
- Center for Innovation and Veteran-Centered Care, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
| | - Ashok Reddy
- Center for Innovation and Veteran-Centered Care, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
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Clair KS, Bean-Mayberry B, Schweizer CA, Chanfreau C, Jackson L, Than CT, Finley EP, Hamilton A, Farmer MM. Factors Associated with Delayed Care Among Women Veterans Actively Engaged in Primary Care. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2024; 33:604-612. [PMID: 38386795 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2023.0227] [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: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Delaying needed medical care contributes to greater health risks and higher long-term medical costs. Women Veterans with complex medical and mental health needs face increased barriers to timely care access. Objectives: In a sample of women Veterans with recent engagement in Veterans Administration (VA) primary care, we aimed to compare characteristics of women Veterans who delayed care in the past 6 months with those who did not and examine factors associated with self-reported delayed care. Our study aims to inform interventions focused on eliminating health care access disparities among women Veterans. Materials and Methods: An innovation to improve women Veterans' engagement and retention in evidence-based health care for cardiovascular (CV) risk reduction (CV Toolkit) was implemented across five primary care sites within the VA. Women Veterans who were exposed to at least one CV Toolkit component participated in a mailed survey (n = 253). We used multivariate logistic regression to model factors associated with delaying care, including trust in VA providers, positive mental health screening (i.e., positive screen for either depression or anxiety), traumatic experience, self-rated health, and age. Results: Women with any mental health symptoms (odds ratio [OR] 2.42, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-4.74) and women who had experienced a traumatic event (OR 2.61, 95%CI: 1.11-6.14) were significantly more likely to report delaying care. Conclusions: Our study identified high rates of delayed care-over one-third of respondents-among women Veterans with recent primary care engagement. Mental health symptoms were the most common reported reason for delay among those who delayed care. Clinical Trial registration: NCT02991534.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly S Clair
- VA Health Service Research and Development, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Bevanne Bean-Mayberry
- VA Health Service Research and Development, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - C Amanda Schweizer
- VA Health Service Research and Development, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Catherine Chanfreau
- VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - LaShawnta Jackson
- VA Health Service Research and Development, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Claire T Than
- VA Health Service Research and Development, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Erin P Finley
- VA Health Service Research and Development, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Alison Hamilton
- VA Health Service Research and Development, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Melissa M Farmer
- VA Health Service Research and Development, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Giannitrapani KF, Holliday JR, McCaa MD, Stockdale S, Bergman AA, Katz ML, Zulman DM, Rubenstein LV, Chang ET. Meeting high-risk patient pain care needs through intensive primary care: a secondary analysis. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e080748. [PMID: 38167288 PMCID: PMC10773401 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080748] [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: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Chronic pain disproportionately affects medically and psychosocially complex patients, many of whom are at high risk of hospitalisation. Pain prevalence among high-risk patients, however, is unknown, and pain is seldom a focus for improving high-risk patient outcomes. Our objective is to (1) evaluate pain frequency in a high-risk patient population and (2) identify intensive management (IM) programme features that patients and providers perceive as important for promoting patient-centred pain care within primary care (PC)-based IM. DESIGN Secondary observational analysis of quantitative and qualitative evaluation data from a multisite randomised PC-based IM programme for high-risk patients. SETTING Five integrated local Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare systems within distinct VA administrative regions. PARTICIPANTS Staff and high-risk PC patients in the VA. INTERVENTION A multisite randomised PC-based IM programme for high-risk patients. OUTCOME MEASURES (a) Pain prevalence based on VA electronic administrative data and (b) transcripts of interviews with IM staff and patients that mentioned pain. RESULTS Most (70%, 2593/3723) high-risk patients had at least moderate pain. Over one-third (38%, 40/104) of the interviewees mentioned pain or pain care. There were 89 pain-related comments addressing IM impacts on pain care within the 40 interview transcripts. Patient-identified themes were that IM improved communication and responsiveness to pain. PC provider-identified themes were that IM improved workload and access to expertise. IM team member-identified themes were that IM improved pain care coordination, facilitated non-opioid pain management options and mitigated provider compassion fatigue. No negative IM impacts on pain care were mentioned. CONCLUSIONS Pain is common among high-risk patients. Future IM evaluations should consider including a focus on pain and pain care, with attention to impacts on patients, PC providers and IM teams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karleen F Giannitrapani
- Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), VA Palo Alto Health Care System Menlo Park Division, Menlo Park, California, USA
- Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jesse R Holliday
- Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), VA Palo Alto Health Care System Menlo Park Division, Menlo Park, California, USA
| | - Matthew D McCaa
- Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), VA Palo Alto Health Care System Menlo Park Division, Menlo Park, California, USA
| | - Susan Stockdale
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alicia A Bergman
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Marian L Katz
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Donna M Zulman
- Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i), VA Palo Alto Health Care System Menlo Park Division, Menlo Park, California, USA
- Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | - Evelyn T Chang
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Rao M, Greene L, Nelson K, Maciejewski ML, Zulman DM. Associations Between Social Risks and Primary Care Utilization Among Medically Complex Veterans. J Gen Intern Med 2023; 38:3339-3347. [PMID: 37369890 PMCID: PMC10682359 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-023-08269-2] [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: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social risks contribute to poor health outcomes, especially for patients with complex medical needs. These same risks may impact access to primary care services. OBJECTIVE To study associations between social risks and primary care utilization among patients with medical complexity. DESIGN Prospective cohort study of respondents to a 2018 mailed survey, followed up to 2 years after survey completion. PARTICIPANTS Nationally representative sample of 10,000 primary care patients in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, with high (≥ 75th percentile) 1-year risk of hospitalization or death. MAIN MEASURES Survey-based exposures were low social support, no family member/friend involved in health care, unemployment, transportation problem, food insecurity, medication insecurity, financial strain, low medical literacy, and less than high school graduate. Electronic health record-based outcomes were number of primary care provider (PCP) encounters, number of primary care team encounters (PCP, nurse, clinical pharmacist, and social worker), and having ≥ 1 social work encounter. KEY RESULTS Among 4680 respondents, mean age was 70.3, 93.7% were male, 71.8% White non-Hispanic, and 15.8% Black non-Hispanic. Unemployment was associated with fewer PCP and primary care team encounters (incident rate ratio 0.77, 95% CI 0.65-0.91; p = 0.002 and 0.75, 0.59-0.95; p = 0.02, respectively), and low medical literacy was associated with more primary care team encounters (1.17, 1.05-1.32; p = 0.006). Among those with one or more social risks, 18.4% had ≥ 1 social work encounter. Low medical literacy (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.45-2.61; p < 0.001), transportation problem (1.42, 1.10-1.83; p = 0.007), and low social support (1.31, 1.06-1.63; p = 0.01) were associated with higher odds of ≥ 1 social work encounter. CONCLUSIONS We found few differences in PCP and primary care team utilization among medically complex VA patients by social risk. However, social work use was low, despite its central role in addressing social risks. More work is needed to understand barriers to social work utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayuree Rao
- Seattle-Denver Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.
- General Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs (VA) Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Liberty Greene
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, USA
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karin Nelson
- Seattle-Denver Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
- General Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs (VA) Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matthew L Maciejewski
- Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Donna M Zulman
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, USA
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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Jia-Richards M, Williams EC, Rosland AM, Boudreaux-Kelly MY, Luther JF, Mikolic J, Chinman MJ, Daniels K, Bachrach RL. Unhealthy alcohol use and brief intervention rates among high and low complexity veterans seeking primary care services in the Veterans Health Administration. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2023; 152:209117. [PMID: 37355154 PMCID: PMC10527472 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Brief intervention (BI) is recommended for all primary care (PC) patients who screen positive for unhealthy alcohol use; however, patients with multiple chronic health conditions who are at high-risk of hospitalization (i.e., "high complexity" patients) may face disparities in receiving BIs in PC. The current study investigated whether high complexity and low complexity patients in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) differed regarding screening positive for unhealthy alcohol use, alcohol-use severity, and receipt of BI for those with unhealthy alcohol use. METHODS Patients were veterans receiving PC services at the VHA in a mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The study extracted VHA administrative and clinical data for a total of 282,242 patients who had ≥1 PC visits between 1/1/2014 and 12/31/2014, during which they were screened for unhealthy alcohol use by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C). The study defined high complexity patients as those within and above the 90th percentile of risk for hospitalization per the VHA's Care Assessment Need Score. Logistic regression models assessed if being a high complexity patient was associated with screening positive for unhealthy alcohol use (AUDIT-C ≥ 5), severity of unhealthy alcohol use in those who screened positive (AUDIT-C score range 5-12), and receipt of BI in those who screened positive. RESULTS Our sample was 94.5% male, 83% White, 13% Black, 4% other race, and 1.7% Hispanic. A total of 10,813 (3.8%) patients screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use from which we identified 569 (5.3%) high complexity and 10,128 (93.6%) low complexity patients (n = 116 removed due to missing complexity data). Relative to low complexity patients, high complexity patients were less likely to screen positive for unhealthy alcohol use (3.3% vs. 4.1%, AOR = 0.59, p < .001); however, in patients who screened positive, high complexity patients had higher AUDIT-C scores (Mean AUDIT-C = 7.75 vs. 6.87, AOR = 1.46, p < .001) and were less likely to receive a BI (78.0% vs. 92.6%, AOR = 0.42, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Disparities in BI exist for highly complex patients despite having more severe unhealthy alcohol use. Future research should examine the specific patient- and/or clinic-level factors impeding BI delivery for complex patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily C Williams
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA; Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ann-Marie Rosland
- Center for Health Equity and Research Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - James F Luther
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Joseph Mikolic
- StatCore, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System Research Office, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Matthew J Chinman
- Center for Health Equity and Research Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; The RAND Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Karin Daniels
- Center for Health Equity and Research Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rachel L Bachrach
- Center for Health Equity and Research Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Anderson E, Wiener RS, Molloy-Paolillo B, McCullough M, Kim B, Harris JI, Rinne ST, Elwy AR, Bokhour BG. Using a person-centered approach in clinical care for patients with complex chronic conditions: Perspectives from healthcare professionals caring for Veterans with COPD in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration's Whole Health System of Care. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286326. [PMID: 37352241 PMCID: PMC10289382 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286326] [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] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The largest nationally integrated health system in the United States, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), has been undergoing a transformation toward a Whole Health (WH) System of Care. WH Clinical Care, a component of this system, includes holistically assessing the Veteran's life context, identifying what really matters to the Veteran, collaboratively setting and monitoring personal health and well-being goals, and equipping the Veteran with access to conventional and complementary and integrative health resources. Implementation of WH Clinical Care has been challenging. Understanding healthcare professionals' perspectives on the value of and barriers and facilitators to practicing WH Clinical Care holds relevance for not only VHA's efforts but also other health systems, in the U.S. and internationally, that are engaged in person-centered care implementation. OBJECTIVES We sought to understand perspectives of healthcare professionals at VHA on providing WH Clinical Care to Veterans with COPD, as a lens to understand the broader issue of WH Clinical Care for Veterans living with complex chronic conditions. DESIGN We interviewed 25 healthcare professionals across disciplines and services at a VA Medical Center in 2020-2021, including primary care providers, pulmonologists, palliative care providers, and chaplains. Interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. KEY RESULTS Each element of WH Clinical Care raised complex questions and/or concerns, including: (1) the appropriate depth/breadth of inquiry in person-centered assessment; (2) the rationale for elicitation of what really matters; (3) the feasibility and appropriate division of labor in personal health goal setting and planning; and (4) challenges related to referring Veterans to a broad spectrum of supportive services. CONCLUSIONS Efforts to promote person-centered care must account for healthcare professionals' existing comfort with its elements, advocate for a team-based approach, and continue to grapple with the conflicting structural conditions and organizational imperatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Anderson
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Renda Soylemez Wiener
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Pulmonary Center and Department of Medicine, Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Brianne Molloy-Paolillo
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Megan McCullough
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Public Health, Zuckerberg School of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Bo Kim
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - J. Irene Harris
- VA Maine Healthcare System, Lewiston, Maine, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Seppo T. Rinne
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - A. Rani Elwy
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Barbara G. Bokhour
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
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9
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Luyster FS, Boudreaux-Kelly MY, Bon JM. Insomnia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and associations with healthcare utilization and costs. Respir Res 2023; 24:93. [PMID: 36964552 PMCID: PMC10039604 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-023-02401-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Insomnia has been linked to adverse chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) outcomes including exacerbations, yet its impact on COPD-related healthcare utilization and costs is unknown. In this study, we investigated the associations between insomnia and healthcare utilization and costs in patients with COPD. A retrospective cohort of veterans with COPD were identified from national Veterans Affairs administration data for fiscal years 2012-2017. Insomnia was operationalized as having an insomnia diagnosis based on International Classification of Disease codes or having a prescription of > 30 doses of a sedative-hypnotic medication in a given fiscal year. The index date for insomnia was the first date when dual criteria for COPD and insomnia was met. The index date for those without insomnia was set as the COPD index date. Our primary outcomes were 1-year healthcare utilization and costs related to outpatient visits and hospitalizations after index date. COPD-related healthcare utilization variables included number of prescription fills of corticosteroids and/or antibiotics and outpatient visits and hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of COPD. Out of 1,011,646 patients (96% men, mean age 68.4 years) diagnosed with COPD, 407,363 (38.8%) had insomnia. After adjustment for confounders, insomnia was associated with higher rates of outpatient visits, hospitalizations, and fills for corticosteroids and/or antibiotics, longer hospital length of stay, and $10,344 higher hospitalization costs in the 12 months after index date. These findings highlight the importance of insomnia as a potentially modifiable target for reducing the burden of COPD on patients and healthcare systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith S Luyster
- School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, 3500 Victoria St, 415 Victoria Building, Pittsburgh, PA, 15241, USA.
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | | | - Jessica M Bon
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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10
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Examining telehealth use among primary care patients, providers, and clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC PRIMARY CARE 2022; 23:155. [PMID: 35717159 PMCID: PMC9206131 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-022-01738-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
At the onset of COVID-19, there was a rapid expansion of telehealth (video/telephone) visits to maintain delivery of primary care (PC) services at the Veterans Health Administration (VA). This study examines patient, provider, and site-level characteristics of any virtual and video-based care in PC.
Methods
Interrupted time series (ITS) design was conducted using VA administrative/clinical, electronic healthcare data, 12-months before and 12-months after COVID-19 onset (set at March 2020) at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (GLA), between 2019 and 2021. Patients with at least one visit to a VA PC clinic at GLA (n = 547,730 visits) were included in the analysis. The two main outcomes for this study were 1) any telehealth (versus in-person), as well as 2) video-based care (versus telephone). For the ITS analysis, segmented logistic regression on repeated monthly observations of any telehealth and video-based care was used.
Results
Percent telehealth and video use increased from 13.9 to 63.1%, and 0.3 to 11.3%, respectively, before to after COVID-19 onset. According to adjusted percentages, GLA community-based clinics (37.7%, versus 29.8% in hospital-based clinics, p < .001), social workers/pharmacists/dietitians (53.7%, versus 34.0% for PC clinicians, p < .001), and minority groups, non-Hispanic African Americans (36.3%) and Hispanics (34.4%, versus 35.3% for Whites, p < .001) were more likely to use telephone than video. Conversely, mental health providers (43.3%) compared to PC clinicians (15.3%), and women (for all age groups, except 75+) compared to men, were more likely to use video than telephone (all p’s < .001).
Conclusions
Since telehealth care provision is likely to continue after COVID-19, additional research is needed to identify which PC outpatient services are better suited for telephone (e.g., case management) versus video-based care (e.g., integrated mental health visits). Additionally, it is important to understand how all clinics can systematically increase access to both telephone- and video-based PC services, while ensuring equitable care for all patient populations.
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11
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Schuttner L, Hockett Sherlock S, Simons CE, Johnson NL, Wirtz E, Ralston JD, Rosland AM, Nelson K, Sayre G. My Goals Are Not Their Goals: Barriers and Facilitators to Delivery of Patient-Centered Care for Patients with Multimorbidity. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:4189-4196. [PMID: 35606644 PMCID: PMC9126696 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-07533-1] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient-centered care reflecting patient preferences and needs is integral to high-quality care. Individualized care is important for psychosocially complex or high-risk patients with multiple chronic conditions (i.e., multimorbidity), given greater potential risks of interventions and reduced benefits. These patients are increasingly prevalent in primary care. Few studies have examined provision of patient-centered care from the clinician perspective, particularly from primary care physicians serving in integrated, patient-centered medical home settings within the US Veterans Health Administration. OBJECTIVE We sought to clarify facilitators and barriers perceived by primary care physicians in the Veterans Health Administration to delivering patient-centered care for high-risk or complex patients with multimorbidity. DESIGN We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews from April to July 2020 among physicians across 20 clinical sites. Findings were analyzed with deductive content analysis based on conceptual models of patient-centeredness and hierarchical factors affecting care delivery. PARTICIPANTS Of 23 physicians interviewed, most were female (n = 14/23, 61%), serving in hospital-affiliated outpatient clinics (n = 14/23, 61%). Participants had a mean of 21 (SD = 11.3) years of experience. KEY RESULTS Facilitators included the following: effective physician-patient communication to individualize care, prioritize among multiple needs, and elicit goals to improve patient engagement; access to care, enabled by interdisciplinary teams, and dictating personalized care planning; effortful but worthwhile care coordination and continuity; meeting complex needs through effective teamwork; and integrating medical and non-medical care aspects in recognition of patients' psychosocial contexts. Barriers included the following: intra- and interpersonal (e.g., perceived patient reluctance to engage in care); organizational (e.g., limited encounter time); and community or policy impediments (e.g., state decisional capacity laws) to patient-centered care. CONCLUSIONS Physicians perceived individual physician-patient interactions were the greatest facilitators or barriers to patient-centered care. Efforts to increase primary care patient-centeredness for complex or high-risk patients with multimorbidity could focus on targeting physician-patient communication and reducing interpersonal conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linnaea Schuttner
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.
| | - Stacey Hockett Sherlock
- Center for Access & Delivery Research and Evaluation (CADRE), VA Iowa City Health Care System, Iowa City, USA.,Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | - Carol E Simons
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicole L Johnson
- Center for Access & Delivery Research and Evaluation (CADRE), VA Iowa City Health Care System, Iowa City, USA
| | - Elizabeth Wirtz
- Center for Access & Delivery Research and Evaluation (CADRE), VA Iowa City Health Care System, Iowa City, USA
| | - James D Ralston
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, USA.,Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, USA
| | - Ann-Marie Rosland
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Karin Nelson
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA
| | - George Sayre
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, USA
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12
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Jones BE, Ying J, Nevers MR, Alba PR, Patterson OV, Peterson KS, Rutter E, Christensen MA, Stern S, Jones MM, Gundlapalli A, Dean NC, Samore MC, Greene T. Trends in Illness Severity, Hospitalization, and Mortality for Community-Onset Pneumonia at 118 US Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:3839-3847. [PMID: 35266121 PMCID: PMC8906522 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-07413-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deaths from pneumonia were decreasing globally prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is unclear whether this was due to changes in patient populations, illness severity, diagnosis, hospitalization thresholds, or treatment. Using clinical data from the electronic health record among a national cohort of patients initially diagnosed with pneumonia, we examined temporal trends in severity of illness, hospitalization, and short- and long-term deaths. DESIGN Retrospective cohort PARTICIPANTS: All patients >18 years presenting to emergency departments (EDs) at 118 VA Medical Centers between 1/1/2006 and 12/31/2016 with an initial clinical diagnosis of pneumonia and confirmed by chest imaging report. EXPOSURES Year of encounter. MAIN MEASURES Hospitalization and 30-day and 90-day mortality. Illness severity was defined as the probability of each outcome predicted by machine learning predictive models using age, sex, comorbidities, vital signs, and laboratory data from encounters during years 2006-2007, and similar models trained on encounters from years 2015 to 2016. We estimated the changes in hospitalizations and 30-day and 90-day mortality between the first and the last 2 years of the study period accounted for by illness severity using time covariate decompositions with model estimates. RESULTS Among 196,899 encounters across the study period, hospitalization decreased from 71 to 63%, 30-day mortality 10 to 7%, 90-day mortality 16 to 12%, and 1-year mortality 29 to 24%. Comorbidity risk increased, but illness severity decreased. Decreases in illness severity accounted for 21-31% of the decrease in hospitalizations, and 45-47%, 32-24%, and 17-19% of the decrease in 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality. Findings were similar among underrepresented patients and those with only hospital discharge diagnosis codes. CONCLUSIONS Outcomes for community-onset pneumonia have improved across the VA healthcare system after accounting for illness severity, despite an increase in cases and comorbidity burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara E Jones
- Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care, University of Utah, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA.
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, USA.
| | - Jian Ying
- Division of Epidemiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | | | - Patrick R Alba
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, USA
- Division of Epidemiology, VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Olga V Patterson
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, USA
- Division of Epidemiology, VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Kelly S Peterson
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, USA
- Division of Epidemiology, Veterans Health Administration Office of Analytics and Performance Integration, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Elizabeth Rutter
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, USA
- Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Matthew A Christensen
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, & Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
| | - Sarah Stern
- Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care, University of Utah, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Makoto M Jones
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, USA
- Division of Epidemiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Adi Gundlapalli
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, USA
- Division of Epidemiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Nathan C Dean
- Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care, University of Utah, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | - Matthew C Samore
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, USA
- Division of Epidemiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Tome Greene
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
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13
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Phelps A, Lawrence-Wood E, Couineau AL, Hinton M, Dolan P, Smith P, Notarianni M, Forbes D, Hosseiny F. Mental Health Reform: Design and Implementation of a System to Optimize Outcomes for Veterans and Their Families. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:12681. [PMID: 36231981 PMCID: PMC9565186 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The social, health, and economic burden of mental health problems in the veteran community is heavy. Internationally, the array of services and support available to veterans and their families are extensive but vary in quality, are often disconnected, complex to navigate, and lack clear coordination. This paper describes a conceptual framework to guide the design and implementation of a system of services and supports to optimize the mental health and wellbeing of all veterans and their families. The framework recognizes the diversity of veterans across intersecting identities that uniquely shape experiences of posttraumatic mental health and wellbeing. It brings together several strands of research: the values and principles that should underpin the system; the needs of diverse veterans and their families; challenges in the current services and supports; evidence-based interventions; and principles of effective implementation. Central to the future system design is a next generation stepped model of care that organizes best and next practice interventions in a coherent system, matches service provision to level of need and addresses access and navigation. Practical guidance on implementation provides an aspirational and flexible structure for system evolution, and a template for all stakeholders-individuals, groups, agencies and organizations-to effect system change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Phelps
- Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3053, Australia
| | - Ellie Lawrence-Wood
- Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3053, Australia
| | - Anne-Laure Couineau
- Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3053, Australia
| | - Mark Hinton
- Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3053, Australia
| | - Paul Dolan
- Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3053, Australia
| | - Patrick Smith
- Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada
| | | | - David Forbes
- Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3053, Australia
| | - Fardous Hosseiny
- Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada
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14
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Leung LB, Rubenstein LV, Jaske E, Taylor L, Post EP, Nelson KM, Rosland AM. Association of Integrated Mental Health Services with Physical Health Quality Among VA Primary Care Patients. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:3331-3337. [PMID: 35141854 PMCID: PMC9550947 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-07287-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Integrated care for comorbid depression and chronic medical disease improved physical and mental health outcomes in randomized controlled trials. The Veterans Health Administration (VA) implemented Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) across all primary care clinics nationally to increase access to mental/behavioral health treatment, alongside physical health management. OBJECTIVE To examine whether widespread, pragmatic PC-MHI implementation was associated with improved care quality for chronic medical diseases. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study included 828,050 primary care patients with at least one quality metric among 396 VA clinics providing PC-MHI services between October 2013 and September 2016. MAIN MEASURE(S) For outcome measures, chart abstractors rated whether diabetes and cardiovascular quality metrics were met for patients at each clinic as part of VA's established quality reporting program. The explanatory variable was the proportion of primary care patients seen by integrated mental health specialists in each clinic annually. Multilevel logistic regression models examined associations between clinic PC-MHI proportion and patient-level quality metrics, adjusting for regional, patient, and time-level effects and clinic and patient characteristics. KEY RESULTS Median proportion of patients seen in PC-MHI per clinic was 6.4% (IQR=4.7-8.7%). Nineteen percent of patients with diabetes had poor glycemic control (hemoglobin A1c >9%). Five percent had severely elevated blood pressure (>160/100 mmHg). Each two-fold increase in clinic PC-MHI proportion was associated with 2% lower adjusted odds of poor glycemic control (95% CI=0.96-0.99; p=0.046) in diabetes. While there was no association with quality for patients diagnosed with hypertension, patients without diagnosed hypertension had 5% (CI=0.92-0.99; p=0.046) lower adjusted odds of having elevated blood pressures. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Primary care clinics where integrated mental health care reached a greater proportion of patients achieved modest albeit statistically significant gains in key chronic care quality metrics, providing optimism about the expected effects of large-scale PC-MHI implementation on physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucinda B Leung
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, & Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd (111G), Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA. .,Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Lisa V Rubenstein
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Health Policy & Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Erin Jaske
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Edward P Post
- VA Ann Arbor, Center for Clinical Management Research, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Karin M Nelson
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ann-Marie Rosland
- VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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15
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Chang ET, Newberry S, Rubenstein LV, Motala A, Booth MJ, Shekelle PG. Quality Measures for Patients at Risk of Adverse Outcomes in the Veterans Health Administration: Expert Panel Recommendations. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2224938. [PMID: 35917129 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.24938] [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] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Despite longstanding efforts to improve health care quality for patients with complex needs who are at highest risk for hospitalization or death, to our knowledge, no guidance exists on what constitutes measurable high-quality care for this heterogeneous population. Identifying quality measures that are cross-cutting (ie, relevant to multiple chronic conditions and disease states) may enable health care professionals and health care systems to better design and report on quality improvement efforts for this patient population. OBJECTIVE To identify quality measures of care and prioritize quality-of-care concepts in the ambulatory primary care setting for patients in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who have complex care needs and are at high risk for adverse outcomes, such as hospitalization or death. EVIDENCE REVIEW In this expert panel assessment and prioritization, relevant measure concepts for future quality measure development in 3 care categories (assessment, management, and other features of health care) were extracted from a systematic review, conducted from June 2020 to June 2021, of published studies that suggested, evaluated, or used indicators of quality care for patients at high risk of adverse outcomes. Measure concepts associated with single conditions, surgical or other specialty care settings, and inpatient care were excluded. A panel of 14 experts (10 VHA leaders and staff, 2 non-VHA physician investigators, and 2 veterans) discussed and rated the importance of the remaining set of potentially relevant measure concepts using a modified RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method on January 15, 2021. Measure concepts were rated on a scale of 1 to 9, with 9 being the highest priority. A median rating of 7.5 or greater was used as the cutoff to identify the highest-priority items. FINDINGS The systematic review identified 519 measure concepts, from which 15 domains and 49 measure concepts were proposed for expert panel consideration. After panel discussions and changes to measure concepts, the expert panel rated 63 measure concepts in 13 domains. The measure concepts with the highest median ratings focused on caregiver availability and support, COVID-19 vaccination, and pneumonia vaccination (all rated 9.0); housing instability (rated 8.5); and physical function, depression symptoms, cognitive impairment, prescription regimen, primary care follow-up after an emergency department visit or hospitalization, and timely transmission of discharge information to primary care (all rated 8.0). Recommendations to improve care included timely assessment of housing instability, caregiver support, physical function, depression symptoms, and cognitive impairment; annual prescription regimen review; coordinated transitions in care; and preventive care including vaccinations. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The expert panelists identified a parsimonious set of high-priority, evidence-based, cross-cutting quality measure concepts for improving care of patients at high risk for adverse health outcomes in the VHA. These quality measures may inform both future research for patients at high risk and health care system quality improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn T Chang
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | | | | | - Aneesa Motala
- RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | | | - Paul G Shekelle
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
- RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California
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16
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Stockdale SE, Rose DE, McClean M, Rosland AM, Chang ET, Zulman DM, Stewart G, Nelson KM. Factors Associated With Patient-Centered Medical Home Teams' Use of Resources for Identifying and Approaches for Managing Patients With Complex Needs. J Ambul Care Manage 2022; 45:171-181. [PMID: 35612388 PMCID: PMC9178911 DOI: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000418] [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] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Using data from a Veterans Health Administration national primary care survey, this study identified the most highly rated tools and care approaches for patients with complex needs and how preferences varied by professional role, staffing, and training. Nurses were significantly more likely to rate most tools as very important as compared with primary care providers. Having a fully staffed team was also significantly associated with a very important rating on all tools. Nurses and fully staffed teams reported a greater likeliness to use most care approaches, and those with perceived need for training reporting a lower likeliness to use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Stockdale
- HSR&D Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California (Drs Stockdale, Rose, and Chang and Mr McClean); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Dr Stockdale), and Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine (Dr Chang), University of California, Los Angeles; Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Dr Rosland); Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Dr Rosland); Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (Dr Chang); Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Menlo Park, California (Dr Zulman); Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California (Dr Zulman); Department of Management, University of Iowa, Iowa City (Dr Stewart); HSR&D Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington (Dr Nelson); and Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle (Dr Nelson)
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17
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Schuttner L, Hockett Sherlock S, Simons C, Ralston JD, Rosland AM, Nelson K, Lee JR, Sayre G. Factors affecting primary care physician decision-making for patients with complex multimorbidity: a qualitative interview study. BMC PRIMARY CARE 2022; 23:25. [PMID: 35123398 PMCID: PMC8817776 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-022-01633-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with multiple chronic conditions (multimorbidity) and additional psychosocial complexity are at higher risk of adverse outcomes. Establishing treatment or care plans for these patients must account for their disease interactions, finite self-management abilities, and even conflicting treatment recommendations from clinical practice guidelines. Despite existing insight into how primary care physicians (PCPs) approach care decisions for their patients in general, less is known about how PCPs make care planning decisions for more complex populations particularly within a medical home setting. We therefore sought to describe factors affecting physician decision-making when care planning for complex patients with multimorbidity within the team-based, patient-centered medical home setting in the integrated healthcare system of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). METHODS This was a qualitative study involving semi-structured telephone interviews with PCPs working > 40% time in VHA clinics. Interviews were conducted from April to July, 2020. Content was analyzed with deductive and inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS 23 physicians participated in interviews; most were MDs (n = 21) and worked in hospital-affiliated clinics (n = 14) across all regions of the VHA's national clinic network. We found internal, external, and relationship-based factors, with developed subthemes describing factors affecting decision-making for complex patients with multimorbidity. Physicians described tailoring decisions to individual patients; making decisions in keeping with an underlying internal style or habit; working towards an overarching goal for care; considering impacts from patient access and resources on care plans; deciding within boundaries provided by organizational structures; collaborating on care plans with their care team; and impacts on decisions from their own emotions and relationship with patient. CONCLUSIONS PCPs described internal, external, and relationship-based factors that affected their care planning for high-risk and complex patients with multimorbidity in the VHA. Findings offer useful strategies employed by physicians to effectively conduct care planning for complex patients in a medical home setting, such as delegation of follow-up within multidisciplinary care teams, optimizing visit time vs frequency, and deliberate investment in patient-centered relationship building to gain buy-in to care plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linnaea Schuttner
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, Washington, 98108, USA. .,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Stacey Hockett Sherlock
- Comprehensive Access & Delivery Research and Evaluation (CADRE) Center, VA Iowa City Health Care System, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Carol Simons
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, Washington, 98108, USA
| | - James D Ralston
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ann-Marie Rosland
- VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Karin Nelson
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, Washington, 98108, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jennifer R Lee
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, Washington, 98108, USA.,Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - George Sayre
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, Washington, 98108, USA.,Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA
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18
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Arnold J, Thorpe J, Mains-Mason J, Rosland AM. Empiric segmentation of high-risk patients: a structured literature review. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MANAGED CARE 2022; 28:e69-e77. [PMID: 35139299 PMCID: PMC9623575 DOI: 10.37765/ajmc.2022.88752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Empiric segmentation is a rapidly growing, learning health system approach that uses large health care system data sets to identify groups of high-risk patients who may benefit from similar interventions. We aimed to review studies that used data-driven approaches to segment high-risk patient populations and describe how their designs and findings can inform health care leaders who are interested in applying similar techniques to their patient populations. STUDY DESIGN Structured literature review. METHODS We searched for original research articles published since 2000 that identified high-risk adult patient populations and applied data-driven analyses to segment the population. Two reviewers independently extracted study population source and criteria for high-risk designation, segmentation method, data types included, model selection criteria, and model results from the identified studies. RESULTS Our search identified 224 articles, 12 of which met criteria for full review. Of these, 8 segmented high-risk patients and 4 segmented diagnoses without assigning patients to unique groups. Studies segmenting patients more often had clinically interpretable results. Common groups were defined by high prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric conditions including substance use disorders, and neurologic disease (eg, stroke). Few studies incorporated patients' functional or social factors. Resulting patient and diagnosis clusters varied in ways closely linked to the model inputs, patient population inclusion criteria, and health care system context. CONCLUSIONS Empiric segmentation can yield clinically relevant groups of patients with complex medical needs. Segmentation results are context dependent, suggesting the need for careful design and interpretation of segmentation models to ensure that results can inform clinical care and program design in the target setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Arnold
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 200 Lothrop St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
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19
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Chang ET, Asch SM, Eng J, Gutierrez F, Denietolis A, Atkins D. What Is the Return on Investment of Caring for Complex High-need, High-cost Patients? J Gen Intern Med 2021; 36:3541-3544. [PMID: 34508291 PMCID: PMC8606499 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-07110-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Randomized controlled trials to improve care for complex, high-need, high-cost patients have not consistently demonstrated a relative decrease in acute care utilization or cost savings. However, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has been able to glean lessons from these trials and generate realistic expectations for success. Lessons include the following: (1) combining population management tools (e.g., risk scores) and clinician judgment is more effective than either alone to identify the patients best suited for intensive management; (2) treatment adherence and engagement may contribute more to preventable emergency department visits and hospitalizations than care coordination; and (3) efforts should focus on assessing for and treating those risk factors that are most amenable to intervention. Because it is unlikely that cost savings can fund add-on intensive management programs, the VHA Office of Primary Care plans to incorporate those intensive management practices that are feasible into existing patient-centered medical homes as a high reliability organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn T Chang
- VA Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy (CSHIIP), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of General Internal Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Steven M Asch
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovation to Implementation, Menlo Park, CA, USA
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Eng
- VA San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, USA
- University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - David Atkins
- VA Health Services Research and Development, Washington, DC, USA
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20
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Chang ET, Yoon J, Esmaeili A, Zulman DM, Ong MK, Stockdale SE, Jimenez EE, Chu K, Atkins D, Denietolis A, Asch SM. Outcomes of a randomized quality improvement trial for high-risk Veterans in year two. Health Serv Res 2021; 56 Suppl 1:1045-1056. [PMID: 34145564 PMCID: PMC8515223 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) conducted a randomized quality improvement evaluation to determine whether augmenting patient-centered medical homes with Primary care Intensive Management (PIM) decreased utilization of acute care and health care costs among patients at high risk for hospitalization. PIM was cost-neutral in the first year; we analyzed changes in utilization and costs in the second year. DATA SOURCES VHA administrative data for five demonstration sites from August 2013 to March 2019. DATA SOURCES Administrative data extracted from VHA's Corporate Data Warehouse. STUDY DESIGN Veterans with a risk of 90-day hospitalization in the top 10th percentile and recent hospitalization or emergency department (ED) visit were randomly assigned to usual primary care vs primary care augmented by PIM. PIM included interdisciplinary teams, comprehensive patient assessment, intensive case management, and care coordination services. We compared the change in mean VHA inpatient and outpatient utilization and costs (including PIM expenses) per patient for the 12-month period before randomization and 13-24 months after randomization for PIM vs usual care using difference-in-differences. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Both PIM patients (n = 1902) and usual care patients (n = 1882) had a mean of 5.6 chronic conditions. PIM patients had a greater number of primary care visits compared to those in usual care (mean 4.6 visits/patient/year vs 3.7 visits/patient/year, p < 0.05), but ED visits (p = 0.45) and hospitalizations (p = 0.95) were not significantly different. We found a small relative increase in outpatient costs among PIM patients compared to those in usual care (mean difference + $928/patient/year, p = 0.053), but no significant differences in mean inpatient costs (+$245/patient/year, p = 0.97). Total mean health care costs were similar between the two groups during the second year (mean difference + $1479/patient/year, p = 0.73). CONCLUSIONS Approaches that target patients solely based on the high risk of hospitalization are unlikely to reduce acute care use or total costs in VHA, which already offers patient-centered medical homes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn T. Chang
- VA Center for the Study of Healthcare InnovationImplementation and Policy (CSHIIP)Los AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of MedicineVA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare SystemLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of MedicineDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jean Yoon
- VA Health Economics Resource Center (HERC)Menlo ParkCaliforniaUSA
- Department of General Internal MedicineUCSF School of MedicineSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Aryan Esmaeili
- VA Health Economics Resource Center (HERC)Menlo ParkCaliforniaUSA
| | - Donna M. Zulman
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovation to ImplementationMenlo ParkCaliforniaUSA
- Division of Primary Care and Population HealthStanford University School of MedicineMenlo ParkCaliforniaUSA
| | - Michael K. Ong
- Department of MedicineVA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare SystemLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of MedicineDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Health Policy and ManagementFielding School of Public Health, University of California at Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Susan E. Stockdale
- VA Center for the Study of Healthcare InnovationImplementation and Policy (CSHIIP)Los AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Elvira E. Jimenez
- VA Center for the Study of Healthcare InnovationImplementation and Policy (CSHIIP)Los AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Behavioral NeurologyGeffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Karen Chu
- VA Center for the Study of Healthcare InnovationImplementation and Policy (CSHIIP)Los AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - David Atkins
- VA Health Services Research and DevelopmentWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | | | - Steven M. Asch
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovation to ImplementationMenlo ParkCaliforniaUSA
- Division of Primary Care and Population HealthStanford University School of MedicineMenlo ParkCaliforniaUSA
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21
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Der-Martirosian C, Wyte-Lake T, Balut M, Chu K, Heyworth L, Leung L, Ziaeian B, Tubbesing S, Mullur R, Dobalian A. Implementation of Telehealth Services at the US Department of Veterans Affairs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Form Res 2021; 5:e29429. [PMID: 34477554 PMCID: PMC8462492 DOI: 10.2196/29429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rapid increase in the use of telehealth services at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which was accelerated by state and local policies mandating stay-at-home orders and restricting nonurgent in-person appointments. Even though the VA was an early adopter of telehealth in the late 1990s, the vast majority of VA outpatient care continued to be face-to-face visits through February 2020. Objective We compared telehealth service use at a VA Medical Center, Greater Los Angeles across 3 clinics (primary care [PC], cardiology, and home-based primary care [HBPC]) 12 months before and 12 months after the onset of COVID-19 (March 2020). Methods We used a parallel mixed methods approach including simultaneous quantitative and qualitative approaches. The distribution of monthly outpatient and telehealth visits, as well as telephone and VA Video Connect encounters were examined for each clinic. Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 34 staff involved in telehealth services within PC, cardiology, and HBPC during COVID-19. All audiotaped interviews were transcribed and analyzed by identifying key themes. Results Prior to COVID-19, telehealth use was minimal at all 3 clinics, but at the onset of COVID-19, telehealth use increased substantially at all 3 clinics. Telephone was the main modality of patient choice. Compared with PC and cardiology, video-based care had the greatest increase in HBPC. Several important barriers (multiple steps for videoconferencing, creation of new scheduling grids, and limited access to the internet and internet-connected devices) and facilitators (flexibility in using different video-capable platforms, technical support for patients, identification of staff telehealth champions, and development of workflows to help incorporate telehealth into treatment plans) were noted. Conclusions Technological issues must be addressed at the forefront of telehealth evolution to achieve access for all patient populations with different socioeconomic backgrounds, living situations and locations, and health conditions. The unprecedented expansion of telehealth during COVID-19 provides opportunities to create lasting telehealth solutions to improve access to care beyond the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Der-Martirosian
- Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CA, United States.,Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Tamar Wyte-Lake
- Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CA, United States
| | - Michelle Balut
- Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CA, United States
| | - Karen Chu
- Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CA, United States
| | - Leonie Heyworth
- Office of Connected Care/Telehealth Services, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Lucinda Leung
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Division of General Internal Medicine-Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Boback Ziaeian
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sarah Tubbesing
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Rashmi Mullur
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Aram Dobalian
- Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CA, United States.,Division of Health Systems Management and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
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22
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Gabrielian S, Jones AL, Hoge AE, deRussy AJ, Kim YI, Montgomery AE, Blosnich JR, Gordon AJ, Gelberg L, Austin EL, Pollio D, Holmes SK, Varley AL, Kertesz SG. Enhancing Primary Care Experiences for Homeless Patients with Serious Mental Illness: Results from a National Survey. J Prim Care Community Health 2021; 12:2150132721993654. [PMID: 33543675 PMCID: PMC7871055 DOI: 10.1177/2150132721993654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Patients experiencing homelessness (PEH) with serious mental illness (SMI) have poor satisfaction with primary care. We assessed if primary care teams tailored for homeless patients (Homeless-Patient Aligned Care Teams (H-PACTs)) provide this population with superior experiences than mainstream primary care and explored whether integrated behavioral health and social services were associated with favorable experiences. Methods: We surveyed VA PEH with SMI (n = 1095) to capture the valence of their primary care experiences in 4 domains (Access/Coordination, Patient-Clinician Relationships, Cooperation, and Homeless-Specific Needs). We surveyed clinicians (n = 52) from 29 H-PACTs to elucidate if their clinics had embedded mental health, addiction, social work, and/or housing services. We counted these services in each H-PACT (0-4) and classified H-PACTs as having high (3-4) versus low (0-2) service integration. We controlled for demographics, housing history, and needs in comparing H-PACT versus mainstream experiences; and experiences in high versus low integration H-PACTs. Results: Among respondents, 969 (91%) had complete data and 626 (62%) were in H-PACTs. After covariate adjustment, compared to mainstream respondents, H-PACT respondents were more likely (P < .01) to report favorable experiences (AORs = 1.7-2.1) and less likely to report unfavorable experiences (AORs = 0.5-0.6) in all 4 domains. Of 29 H-PACTs, 27.6% had high integration. High integration H-PACT respondents were twice as likely as low integration H-PACT respondents to report favorable access/coordination experiences (AOR = 1.7). Conclusions: Homeless-tailored clinics with highly-integrated services were associated with better care experiences among PEH with SMI. These observational data suggest that tailored primary care with integrated services may improve care perceptions among complex patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya Gabrielian
- VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Audrey L Jones
- VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - April E Hoge
- Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Young-Il Kim
- Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA.,University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Ann Elizabeth Montgomery
- Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA.,University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - John R Blosnich
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adam J Gordon
- VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lillian Gelberg
- VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Erika L Austin
- Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA.,University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - David Pollio
- University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Letters and Sciences, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | | | - Stefan G Kertesz
- Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA.,University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
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23
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Bovin MJ, Kimerling R, Weathers FW, Prins A, Marx BP, Post EP, Schnurr PP. Diagnostic Accuracy and Acceptability of the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) Among US Veterans. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e2036733. [PMID: 33538826 PMCID: PMC7862990 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.36733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental health disorder that can be effectively treated with empirically based practices. PTSD screening is essential for identifying undetected cases and providing patients with appropriate care. Objective To determine whether the Primary Care PTSD screen for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) (PC-PTSD-5) is a diagnostically accurate and acceptable measure for use in Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care clinics. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional, diagnostic accuracy study enrolled participants from May 19, 2017, to September 26, 2018. Participants were recruited from primary care clinics across 2 VA Medical Centers. Session 1 was conducted in person, and session 2 was completed within 30 days via telephone. A consecutive sample of 1594 veterans, aged 18 years or older, who were scheduled for a primary care visit was recruited. Data analysis was performed from March 2019 to August 2020. Exposures In session 1, participants completed a battery of questionnaires. In session 2, a research assistant administered the PC-PTSD-5 to participants, and then a clinician assessor blind to PC-PTSD-5 results conducted a structured diagnostic interview for PTSD. Main Outcomes and Measures The range of PC-PTSD-5 cut points overall and across gender was assessed, and diagnostic performance was evaluated by calculating weighted κ values. Results In total, 495 of 1594 veterans (31%) participated, and 396 completed all measures and were included in the analyses. Participants were demographically similar to the VA primary care population (mean [SD] age, 61.4 [15.5] years; age range, 21-93 years) and were predominantly male (333 participants [84.1%]) and White (296 of 394 participants [75.1%]). The PC-PTSD-5 had high levels of diagnostic accuracy for the overall sample (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.927; 95% CI, 0.896-0.959), men (AUC, 0.932; 95% CI, 0.894-0.969), and women (AUC, 0.899, 95% CI, 0.824-0.974). A cut point of 4 ideally balanced false negatives and false positives for the overall sample and for men. However, for women, this cut point resulted in high numbers of false negatives (6 veterans [33.3%]). A cut point of 3 fit better for women, despite increasing the number of false positives. Participants rated the PC-PTSD-5 as highly acceptable. Conclusions and Relevance The PC-PTSD-5 is an accurate and acceptable screening tool for use in VA primary care settings. Because performance parameters will change according to sample, clinicians should consider sample characteristics and screening purposes when selecting a cut point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle J. Bovin
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rachel Kimerling
- National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, California
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, California
| | | | - Annabel Prins
- National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, California
- Department of Psychology, San Jose State University, San Jose, California
| | - Brian P. Marx
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Edward P. Post
- Veterans Affairs Central Office, Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
| | - Paula P. Schnurr
- National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, Vermont
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Said A Ibrahim
- Division of Healthcare Delivery Science & Innovation, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York
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