Application of telehealth for comprehensive Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance in the United Kingdom

Satisfaction with telemedicine use during COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a systematic review

Background: Telemedicine became a fundamental part of healthcare provision during COVID-19 pandemic. An evaluation of telemedicine-associated satisfaction helps the service develop more viable applications. This review evaluated the satisfaction of healthcare users and providers and their willingness to use this modality in future.Methods: The study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. A search on empirical articles published between March 2020 and December 2022 was performed on 'PubMed' and 'Scopus' databases. Findings that reported on satisfaction of patients, families and caregivers as well as clinicians were extracted and analysed. Quality of included studies was assessed. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, the review included 27 eligible studies.Results: Data was found from a variety of emergency and non-emergency departments of primary, secondary, and specialised healthcare. Almost all studies were undertaken within the NHS. There were many tools that measured satisfaction. Satisfaction was high among recipients of healthcare, scoring 9-10 on a scale of 0-10 or ranging from 73.3% to 100%. Convenience was rated high in every specialty examined. Satisfaction of clinicians was high throughout the specialities despite connection failure and concerns about confidentiality of information. Nonetheless, studies reported perception of increased barriers to accessing care and inequalities for vulnerable patients especially in older people. In general, willingness to use telemedicine in future was high in the recipients as well as the providers of healthcare.Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic has transformed healthcare in the UK and promoted a revolution in telemedicine applications. Satisfaction was high among both recipient and provider of healthcare. Telemedicine managed to provide a continued care throughout the pandemic while maintaining social distance. The current review presented commendable evidence to encourage different specialities to engage in telemedicine application.

Single German centre experience with patient journey and care-relevant needs in amyloidosis: The German AMY-NEEDS research and care program

BACKGROUND

Amyloidosis is a rare multi-system disorder associated with frequently delayed diagnosis, enormous disease burden and psychosocial distress.

METHODS

Systematic assessment of needs was performed by a subtype-spanning questionnaire-based survey within the AMY-NEEDS research and care program.

RESULTS

118 patients with proven amyloidosis (62.7% ATTR, 22.0% AL, 15.3% other forms) were included in August 2020 until February 2021 (mean age 71.2 ±11.3 years; 30% women). The median diagnostic delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis was 9.0 (range: 2.5; 33.0) months. Local health care providers (HCPs) play a central role on the way to diagnosis. Diagnosis itself typically requires a clinical but not necessarily a university setting. In the treatment phase, the focus moves to the amyloidosis centre as primary contact and coordinator, with general practitioners (GPs) acting predominantly as a contact point in crisis and link to additional services. About half of patients reported impaired quality of life and one third suffering from anxiety and depressed mood, respectively. The majority of patients talk about their concerns with close caregivers and local HCPs. Advance care planning is a relevant, yet insufficiently met need.

CONCLUSION

The journey of patients with amyloidotic disease, their contact partners and needs at different stages were characterized in detail within the German health care system. An amyloidosis-specific care concept has to master the multitude of interfaces connecting the numerous treatment providers involved with the amyloidosis centre and GPs as key players. Telemedical approaches could be a promising and well-accepted option allowing optimal coordination and communication.

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in adults over 80 years: a 10-year review of United Kingdom surveillance

INTRODUCTION

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease with public health implications. Mean age of onset is 68 years. Age-specific incidence declines after 80 years. This may arise from under-ascertainment or other biological features of the disease. Accurate characterisation of late-onset sCJD is important for early diagnosis, avoiding unnecessary investigations and improving ascertainment for public health purposes.

OBJECTIVE

To phenotype the clinical features and investigation profile of sCJD in adults >80 years.

METHODS

We analysed all probable and definite sCJD cases identified by the UK National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit over a 10-year period (2011-2021). Individuals were grouped by age of onset. Clinical features and investigation profiles were compared.

RESULTS

10.3% (123/1196) had an age of onset over 80. Median survival was shorter (3.2 vs 4.3 months; P < 0.001). Pyramidal signs (48.3% vs 34.2%; P = 0.008) and akinetic mutism (55.1% vs 33.2%; P < 0.001) were more frequent. Psychiatric symptoms (26.3% vs 39.6%; P = 0.01) and cerebellar signs (65.4% vs 78.6%, P = 0.007) were less frequent. Cognitive impairment and myoclonus were highly prevalent regardless of age. Between age groups, the diagnostic sensitivity of cerebrospinal fluid real-time quaking-induced conversion (CSF RT-QuIC) (92.9% vs 91.9%, P = 0.74) was comparable, electroencephalography was superior (41.5% vs 25.4%; P = 0.006) and MRI was inferior (67.8% vs 91.4%; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Late-onset sCJD has distinct clinical features, shorter survival and a different profile of investigation sensitivity. CSF RT-QuIC, MRI brain and specialist CJD review is recommended in older adults with a rapidly progressive neurological disorder. Autopsy is valuable when the cause remains elusive.

Needs of amyloidosis patients and their care providers: design & first results of the AMY-NEEDS research and care program

BACKGROUND

Amyloidosis represents a rare yet heterogeneous multi-system disorder associated with a grave prognosis and an enormous psycho-emotional strain on patients, relatives, and caregivers. We here present the overall study design and first results of AMY-NEEDS, a research program aiming to systematically assess the needs of patients suffering from amyloidosis, their relatives and health care professionals (HCPs), and develop an amyloidosis-specific care approach.

METHODS

AMY-NEEDS uses a mixed-methods approach including focus groups (step 1), a questionnaire-based broad evaluation within the local amyloidosis patient collective (step 2), and the development of a needs-adapted care concept (step 3).

RESULTS

Seven patients, six relatives and five HCPs participated in the focus groups (step 1). At the time of diagnosis, patients expressed the need of a smooth diagnostic process, possibly enhanced through improved awareness and better education of local HCPs. There was a strong wish to receive well-founded information and comprehensive support including companionship during medical visits, experience the feeling of being understood, find trust in that "everything possible" is being done, and have effortless access to centre staff. In the course of the disease, patients favoured that the specialized centre should manage treatment coordination, monitoring and psychosocial support. The interface between centre and local HCPs was regarded of particular importance, requiring further investigation into its optimal design.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with amyloidosis express particular needs that should appropriately be considered in specifically tailored care concepts.

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in the young (50 and below): 10-year review of United Kingdom surveillance

INTRODUCTION

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (sCJD) is the commonest human prion disease, with a median age of onset of 68 years. We characterise the clinical, investigation, and neuropathological features in young individuals with sCJD using data from UK national CJD surveillance.

METHODS

Referrals between 2011 and 2021 were examined, with definite (post-mortem confirmed) or probable sCJD cases included. Clinical features, MRI, EEG, CSF RT-QuIC, 14-3-3, PRNP sequencing and neuropathological findings were examined. We compared younger (≤ 50 years age of onset) with older individuals. Records of Non-sCJD referrals were also reviewed.

RESULTS

46 (4%) young individuals were identified (age at onset 25-50) from 1178 cases. 15 (33%) were autopsy confirmed. Psychiatric disturbance (37% vs 22%, p = 0.02) and headache (11% vs 3%, p = 0.01) at presentation, and longer disease duration (by 1.45 months, 95% CI 0.43-2.79, logrank p = 0.007) were commoner. CSF RT-QuIC showed lower sensitivity (82% vs 93%, p = 0.02). There was no difference in sensitivity of MR brain or CSF 14-3-3. There were no significant co-pathologies in autopsy-confirmed cases. For non-sCJD referrals, 41 cases were of other CJD subtypes, and 7 non-prion diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS

Young-onset sCJD is more likely to present with neuropsychiatric symptoms and headache, longer disease duration, and lower sensitivity of RT-QuIC. These findings may be driven by the underlying molecular subtypes. Our results guide the evaluation of younger individuals presenting with rapidly progressive cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and motor decline, and emphasise the need for additional vigilance for atypical features by clinicians and CJD surveillance programmes worldwide.

Rapidly progressive dementias - aetiologies, diagnosis and management

Rapidly progressive dementias (RPDs) are a group of heterogeneous disorders that include immune-mediated, infectious and metabolic encephalopathies, as well as prion diseases and atypically rapid presentations of more common neurodegenerative diseases. Some of these conditions are treatable, and some must be diagnosed promptly because of their potential infectivity. Prion disease is considered to be the prototypical RPD, but over the past two decades, epidemiological reports and the identification of various encephalitis-mediating antibodies have led to a growing recognition of other encephalopathies as potential causes of rapid cognitive decline. Knowledge of RPD aetiologies, syndromes and diagnostic work-up protocols will help clinicians to establish an early, accurate diagnosis, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality, especially in immune-mediated and other potentially reversible dementias. In this Review, we define the syndrome of RPD and shed light on its different aetiologies and on secondary factors that might contribute to rapid cognitive decline. We describe an extended diagnostic procedure in the context of important differential diagnoses, discuss the utility of biomarkers and summarize potential treatment options. In addition, we discuss treatment options such as high-dose steroid therapy in the context of therapy and diagnosis in clinically ambiguous cases.

The term ‘rapidly progressive dementia’ (RPD) describes a cognitive disorder with fast progression, leading to dementia within a relatively short time. This Review discusses the wide range of RPD aetiologies, as well as the diagnostic approach and treatment options.

Definitions of rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) vary according to the aetiological background and relate to the speed of cognitive decline, time from first symptom to dementia syndrome and/or overall survival.

RPD can occur in rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases, such as prion diseases, or in primarily slowly progressive diseases as a consequence of intrinsic factors or concomitant pathologies.

Besides neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory (immune-mediated and infectious), vascular, metabolic and neoplastic CNS diseases are important and frequent causes of RPD.

To identify treatable causes of RPD, the technical diagnostic work-up must include MRI and analyses of blood and cerebrospinal fluid, and further diagnostics might be indicated in unclear cases.

Therapeutic options for many non-neurodegenerative causes of RPD are already available; disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative RPDs are an important focus of current research and could become a treatment option in the near future.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance and Patient Care in the United Kingdom

Background and purpose

Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) is lethal and transmissible. We assessed the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on UK CJD surveillance. We hypothesized that (i) disruptions prolonged diagnostic latency; (ii) autopsy rates declined; and (iii) COVID‐19 infection negatively affected diagnosis, care, and survival.

Methods

We retrospectively investigated the first year of the pandemic, using the preceding year as a comparator, quantifying numbers of individuals assessed by the UK National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit for suspected CJD, time to diagnosis, disease duration, and autopsy rates. We evaluated the impact of COVID‐19 status on diagnosis, care, and survival in CJD.

Results

A total of 148 individuals were diagnosed with CJD in the pandemic (from a total of 166 individuals assessed) compared to 141 in the comparator (from 145 assessed). No differences were identified in disease duration or time to diagnosis. Autopsy rates were unchanged. Twenty individuals had COVID‐19; 60% were symptomatic, and 10% had severe disease. Disruptions in diagnosis and care were frequently identified. Forty percent of COVID‐19‐positive individuals died; however, COVID‐19 status did not significantly alter survival duration in CJD.

Conclusions

The COVID‐19 pandemic has not impacted UK CJD case ascertainment or survival, but diagnostic evaluation and clinical care of individuals have been affected.

The importance of ongoing international surveillance for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rapidly progressive, fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative disease associated with the accumulation of misfolded prion protein in the CNS. International CJD surveillance programmes have been active since the emergence, in the mid-1990s, of variant CJD (vCJD), a disease linked to bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Control measures have now successfully contained bovine spongiform encephalopathy and the incidence of vCJD has declined, leading to questions about the requirement for ongoing surveillance. However, several lines of evidence have raised concerns that further cases of vCJD could emerge as a result of prolonged incubation and/or secondary transmission. Emerging evidence from peripheral tissue distribution studies employing high-sensitivity assays suggests that all forms of human prion disease carry a theoretical risk of iatrogenic transmission. Finally, emerging diseases, such as chronic wasting disease and camel prion disease, pose further risks to public health. In this Review, we provide an up-to-date overview of the transmission of prion diseases in human populations and argue that CJD surveillance remains vital both from a public health perspective and to support essential research into disease pathophysiology, enhanced diagnostic tests and much-needed treatments.