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Kobzeva-Herzog A, O'Shea T, Young S, Kenzik K, Zhao X, Slanetz P, Phillips J, Merrill A, Cassidy MR. Breast Cancer Screening and BI-RADS Scoring Trends Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in an Academic Safety-Net Hospital. Ann Surg Oncol 2024; 31:2253-2260. [PMID: 38177460 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-14787-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected screening mammography rates and Breast Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (BI-RADS) categorizations within populations facing social and economic inequities. Our study seeks to compare trends in breast cancer screening and BI-RADS assessments in an academic safety-net patient population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. PATIENTS AND METHODS Our single-center retrospective study evaluated women ≥ 18 years old with no known breast cancer diagnosis who received breast cancer screening from March 2019-September 2020. The screening BI-RADS score, completion of recommended diagnostic imaging, and diagnostic BI-RADS scores were compared between the pre-COVID-19 era (from 1 March 2019 to 19 March 2020) and COVID-19 era (from 20 March 2020 to 30 September 2020). RESULTS Among the 11,798 patients identified, screened patients were younger (median age 57 versus 59 years, p < 0.001) and more likely covered by private insurance (35.9% versus 32.3%, p < 0.001) during the COVID-19 era compared with the pre-COVID-19 era. During the pandemic, there was an increase in screening mammograms categorized as BI-RADS 0 compared with the pre-COVID-19 era (20% versus 14.5%, p < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in rates of completion of diagnostic imaging (81.6% versus 85.4%, p = 0.764) or assignment of suspicious BI-RADS scores (BI-RADS 4-5; 79.9% versus 80.8%, p = 0.762) between the two eras. CONCLUSIONS Although more patients were recommended to undergo diagnostic imaging during the pandemic, there were no significant differences in race, completion of diagnostic imaging, or proportions of mammograms categorized as suspicious between the two time periods. These findings likely reflect efforts to maintain equitable care among diverse racial groups served by our safety-net hospital.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kobzeva-Herzog
- Department of Surgery, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas O'Shea
- Department of Surgery, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sara Young
- Department of Surgery, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kelly Kenzik
- Department of Surgery, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xuewei Zhao
- Department of Surgery, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Priscilla Slanetz
- Department of Radiology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jordana Phillips
- Department of Radiology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea Merrill
- Department of Surgery, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael R Cassidy
- Department of Surgery, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Kohan A, Menon S, Murad V, Mirshahvalad SA, Kulanthaivelu R, Farag A, Ortega C, Metser U, Veit-Haibach P. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Staging Oncologic PET/CT Imaging and Patient Outcome in a Public Healthcare Context: Overview and Follow Up of the First Two Years of the Pandemic. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5358. [PMID: 38001619 PMCID: PMC10670509 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15225358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, staging and outcome of a selected population throughout the first two years of the pandemic, we evaluated oncology patients undergoing PET/CT at our institution. A retrospective population of lung cancer, melanoma, lymphoma and head and neck cancer patients staged using PET/CT during the first 6 months of the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 were included for analysis. The year in which the PET was performed was our exposure variable, and our two main outcomes were stage at the time of the PET/CT and overall survival (OS). A total of 1572 PET/CTs were performed for staging purposes during the first 6 months of 2019, 2020 and 2021. The median age was 66 (IQR 16), and 915 (58%) were males. The most prevalent staged cancer was lung cancer (643, 41%). The univariate analysis of staging at PET/CT and OS by year of PET/CT were not significantly different. The multivariate Cox regression of non-COVID-19 significantly different variables at univariate analysis and the year of PET/CT determined that lung cancer (HR 1.76 CI95 1.23-2.53, p < 0.05), stage III (HR 3.63 CI95 2.21-5.98, p < 0.05), stage IV (HR 11.06 CI95 7.04-17.36, p < 0.05) and age at diagnosis (HR 1.04 CI95 1.02-1.05, p < 0.05) had increased risks of death. We did not find significantly higher stages or reduced OS when assessing the year PET/CT was performed. Furthermore, OS was not significantly modified by the year patients were staged, even when controlled for non-COVID-19 significant variables (age, type of cancer, stage and gender).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Kohan
- Toronto Joint Department Medical Imaging, University Health Network, Sinai Health System, Women’s College Hospital, University Medical Imaging Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1W7, Canada
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Bonacossa de Almeida CE, Harbron RW, Valle Bahia PR, Murta Dovales AC. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of diagnostic imaging examinations in the Brazilian unified healthcare system (SUS). HEALTH POLICY AND TECHNOLOGY 2023; 12:100725. [PMID: 36683762 PMCID: PMC9839386 DOI: 10.1016/j.hlpt.2023.100725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Objectives To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volumes of use of diagnostic imaging examinations in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), the only healthcare provider for approximately 160 million people. Methods We collected the monthly numbers of diagnostic imaging examinations in the years 2019, 2020, and 2021 from a database provided by SUS. Data were collected by specific type of examination across different imaging modalities, both for the outpatient (elective and emergency) and inpatient settings. Results There was a large reduction in the annual volume of almost all types of diagnostic imaging examinations in SUS in 2020, compared to 2019. Decreases were generally greater among outpatients than in the hospital setting, in which the annual volume of use of most modalities was similar or even higher in 2021 than in the pre-pandemic period. Computed tomography (CT) was the only modality for which use increased in 2020 compared to 2019. In contrast to other types of examinations, the use of chest CT was much higher in both 2020 and 2021 than in the preceding years. The relative changes in diagnostic imaging use in SUS started around March-April 2020, when the pandemic began to get worse in Brazil, and tended to correlate to COVID-19 incidence in Brazil over the following months. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic had a large impact on the use of diagnostic imaging examinations in the SUS. Policies and actions are needed to alleviate the resulting potential adverse health effects and to optimize the use of diagnostic tests in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Eduardo Bonacossa de Almeida
- Instituto de Radioproteção e Dosimetria, Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear, Av. Salvador Allende 3773, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22783-127, Brazil
| | - Richard W Harbron
- Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Sir James Spence Institute, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, United Kingdom
- Radiation Protection Group, European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), 1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland
| | - Paulo Roberto Valle Bahia
- Departamento de Radiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Professor Rodolpho Paulo Rocco, 255, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-913, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Murta Dovales
- Instituto de Radioproteção e Dosimetria, Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear, Av. Salvador Allende 3773, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22783-127, Brazil
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Li T, Nickel B, Ngo P, McFadden K, Brennan M, Marinovich ML, Houssami N. A systematic review of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer screening and diagnosis. Breast 2023; 67:78-88. [PMID: 36646004 PMCID: PMC9813855 DOI: 10.1016/j.breast.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer care has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This systematic review aims to describe the observed pandemic-related changes in clinical and health services outcomes for breast screening and diagnosis. METHODS Seven databases (January 2020-March 2021) were searched to identify studies of breast cancer screening or diagnosis that reported observed outcomes before and related to the pandemic. Findings were presented using a descriptive and narrative approach. RESULTS Seventy-four studies were included in this systematic review; all compared periods before and after (or fluctuations during) the pandemic. None were assessed as being at low risk of bias. A reduction in screening volumes during the pandemic was found with over half of studies reporting reductions of ≥49%. A majority (66%) of studies reported reductions of ≥25% in the number of breast cancer diagnoses, and there was a higher proportion of symptomatic than screen-detected cancers. The distribution of cancer stage at diagnosis during the pandemic showed lower proportions of early-stage (stage 0-1/I-II, or Tis and T1) and higher proportions of relatively more advanced cases than that in the pre-pandemic period, however population rates were generally not reported. CONCLUSIONS Evidence of substantial reductions in screening volume and number of diagnosed breast cancers, and higher proportions of advanced stage cancer at diagnosis were found during the pandemic. However, these findings reflect short term outcomes, and higher-quality research examining the long-term impact of the pandemic is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Li
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a Joint Venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia; School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Brooke Nickel
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Preston Ngo
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a Joint Venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kathleen McFadden
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a Joint Venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Meagan Brennan
- Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - M Luke Marinovich
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a Joint Venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia,School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nehmat Houssami
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a Joint Venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia,School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Jafri F, Gunasekaran U. Parkland Diabetes Clinic. Clin Diabetes 2022; 41:301-305. [PMID: 37092141 PMCID: PMC10115755 DOI: 10.2337/cd22-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Quality Improvement Success Stories are published by the American Diabetes Association in collaboration with the American College of Physicians and the National Diabetes Education Program. This series is intended to highlight best practices and strategies from programs and clinics that have successfully improved the quality of care for people with diabetes or related conditions. Each article in the series is reviewed and follows a standard format developed by the editors of Clinical Diabetes. The following article describes an initiative to reduce the no-show rate for appointments at the Parkland Diabetes Clinic in Dallas, TX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzan Jafri
- Baylor University Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency, Dallas, TX
| | - Uma Gunasekaran
- Division of Endocrinology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
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Sanaka H, Garg R, Patel V, McMichael J, Macaron C. Temporal trends and disparities in gastroenterology care use before, during, and after COVID-19 lockdown. J Investig Med 2022; 70:1704-1712. [PMID: 36038149 DOI: 10.1136/jim-2022-002398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Socioeconomic disparities adversely affected healthcare use during COVID-19 lockdown. However, trends in these disparities post lockdown are unknown. Therefore, our aim was to study temporal trends and factors associated with gastroenterology healthcare access and disparities during and after COVID-19 lockdown. This cohort study consisted of patients receiving outpatient care in the Cleveland Clinic gastroenterology department between March 2020 and June 2020 and corresponding time periods in 2019 and 2021. Patient demographics and socioeconomic factors were extracted and analyzed. There were 47,031 patients (mean age 56.3±17.6 years, 61.9% female and 76.4% white) included. Patients ≥65 years sought healthcare less frequently during and after the lockdown (40.1% vs 34.8% vs 35.2% in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively). Missed visits (4.2% vs 10% vs 10.4%), tobacco (11.4% vs 15.9% vs 16.1%), alcohol (38.6% vs 45.5% vs 50.9%), and illicit drug use (3.5% vs 5.8% vs 10.7%) have steadily increased during and after the lockdown compared with prepandemic levels. Factors associated with reduced telehealth use were black race (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.99), Hispanic race (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.77)), Medicaid/other public insurance (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.95)), unemployed status (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.92)), and non-English/Spanish speakers (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.94)). In conclusion, socioeconomic and ethnic disparities persist in healthcare use even a year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an alarming increase in missed visits and substance abuse. Therefore, efforts should be targeted on improving healthcare access for these aforementioned vulnerable groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsha Sanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Rajat Garg
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Vidhi Patel
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - John McMichael
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of General Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Carole Macaron
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Ozery-Flato M, Pinchasov O, Dabush-Kasa M, Hexter E, Chodick G, Guindy M, Rosen-Zvi M. Predictive and Causal Analysis of No-Shows for Medical Exams During COVID-19: A Case Study of Breast Imaging in a Nationwide Israeli Health Organization. AMIA ... ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS. AMIA SYMPOSIUM 2022; 2021:930-939. [PMID: 35308922 PMCID: PMC8861766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
"No-shows", defined as missed appointments or late cancellations, is a central problem in healthcare systems. It has appeared to intensify during the COVID-19 pandemic and the nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as closures, taken to slow its spread. No-shows interfere with patients' continuous care, lead to inefficient utilization of medical resources, and increase healthcare costs. We present a comprehensive analysis of no-shows for breast imaging appointments made during 2020 in a large medical network in Israel. We applied advanced machine learning methods to provide insights into novel and known predictors. Additionally, we employed causal inference methodology to infer the effect of closures on no-shows, after accounting for confounding biases, and demonstrate the superiority of adversarial balancing over inverse probability weighting in correcting these biases. Our results imply that a patient's perceived risk of cancer and the COVID-19 time-based factors are major predictors. Further, we reveal that closures impact patients over 60, but not patients undergoing advanced diagnostic examinations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Gabriel Chodick
- Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal Guindy
- Assuta Medical Centers, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Michal Rosen-Zvi
- IBM Research-Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
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Kooraki S, Hosseiny M, Velez EM, Gupta A, Gilkeson R, Raman SS, Gholamrezanezhad A. COVID-19 pandemic revisited: lessons the radiology community has learned a year later. Emerg Radiol 2021; 28:1083-1086. [PMID: 34580796 PMCID: PMC8476290 DOI: 10.1007/s10140-021-01985-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
For more than 1 year, COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of our lives. This paper reviews the major challenges that the radiology community faced over the past year and the impact the pandemic had on the radiology practice, radiologist-in-training education, and radiology research. The lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic can help the radiology community to be prepared for future outbreaks and new pandemics, preserve good habits, enhance cancer screening programs, and adapt to the changes in radiology education and scientific meetings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheil Kooraki
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melina Hosseiny
- Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Erik M Velez
- Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Sothern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amit Gupta
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Robert Gilkeson
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Steven S Raman
- Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ali Gholamrezanezhad
- Division of Emergency Radiology, Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Sothern California (USC), 1500 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
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