US valuation of health outcomes measured using the PROMIS-29

Predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for caregivers of children with developmental disabilities in Saudi Arabia: An observational study

To examine predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for caregivers of children with developmental disabilities, a cross-sectional design was used. Participants were primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Caregivers completed a demographic form about the child and the family, and the Arabic version of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Profile 29 (PROMIS-29 v2.0). Descriptive statistics were used to report on demographic data, 1-sample Z tests to compare PROMIS domain scores with the general population, and multiple linear regression analyses to identify predictors of each domain. Participants were 111 primary caregivers, mostly mothers (65.8%). Caregivers reported higher levels of anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and pain interference, and lower levels of physical function and social participation compared to the general population, P < .05. The regression models for predicting the HRQoL accounted for 12.3% of the variance in the physical function domain (P = .016), 13.9% in the anxiety domain (P = .009), 24.7% in the ability to engage in social activities and roles (P < .001), and 11.4% in the pain interference domain (P = .02). In these models, the severity of the child's disability and/or the child's age were common significant predictors. Specifically, child's age was the only significant predictor in 2 domains, the anxiety domain (β = -.29, P < .01) and ability to participate in social activities and roles domain (β = .42, P < .05). The severity of the child's disability was the only significant predictor in the physical function domain (β = -.52, P < .01). Both the severity of the child's disability and the child's age were significant predictors in the pain interference model (β = .40, P < .05), and (β = -.23, P < .05), respectively. However, the models did not significantly predict depression, fatigue, or sleep disturbance, P > .05. HRQoL is a complex construct and is influenced by multiple child and family factors. Implications of the study emphasize the importance of regular HRQoL screening for caregivers, the development of efficient referral systems for support services, and the exploration of respite care options.

Nurse-led web-based self-management program to improve patient activation and health outcomes in patients with chronic low back pain: an acceptability and feasibility pilot study

BACKGROUND

Patients with chronic low back (cLBP) pain report reduced physical function and ability to participate in social roles and are more likely to use opioid pain medications. While self-management interventions have been shown to support these patients, their effectiveness has been limited due to poor patient engagement. "Patient activation" encompasses the skills, knowledge, and motivation that a person has to manage their health. Supporting patient activation may improve the effectiveness of self-management for cLBP.

METHODS

In this single-masked pilot study of adults with cLBP, patients were randomized to receive either no intervention (control) or 6 weekly sessions of an evidence-based web-based self-management program (SMP) with or without health behavior change counseling (HBCC) using motivational interviewing. Participants were assessed at baseline and at 12 and 26 weeks using the Patient Activation Measure, Oswestry Disability Index and PROMIS physical function, social role participation, and pain interference. We assessed acceptability and feasibility based on recruitment, session attendance, and follow-up.

RESULTS

Of 187 individuals screened, 105 were eligible and 34 were randomized to control (n = 12), SMP (n = 4), or SMP + HBCC (n = 18). The population had 19 women, 22 patients married or living with significant other, 13 Black or African American patients, and 4 Hispanic or Latino patients. Participants had a mean (SD) Oswestry Disability Index score of 42 (12), moderate impairments in physical function (40 (6.6)) and social roles (45 (10)), and moderately severe pain interference (61 (6.7)). Of 22 participants receiving SMP sessions, 20 participated in at least 1, 15 participated in at least 3, and 7 participated in all 6 sessions. Loss to follow-up was 6 over the 26-week study. Participants in the SMP and SMP + HBCC groups had at least medium effect size improvements in Patient Activation Measures and small-to-medium effect size improvements in Oswestry Disability Index scores and physical function and large effect size improvement in social roles at 12 weeks. Improvements persisted in the SMP + HBCC group at 26 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

A web-based SMP is acceptable and feasible in this population. Participants who received augmentation with HBCC had persistent improvements in health outcomes at 26 weeks.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT06236529 (2/1/2024 - retrospectively registered).

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3

Associations of cognitive appraisal and patient activation on disability and mental health outcomes: a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing spine surgery

BACKGROUND

With the increased use of patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) to assess spine surgery outcomes, it is important to understand how patients interpret their health changes over time. The measurement of cognitive-appraisal processes enables the quantification of how individuals think about quality of life (QOL). This study examined how appraisal processes were associated with patients' views of their role in managing their health-patient activation.

METHODS

This longitudinal cohort study from August 2019 to January 2022 included 222 adults undergoing spine surgery for cervical (n = 107) and/or lumbar (n = 148) pathology at an academic medical center. PROMs assessed disability (Neck Disability Index for cervical or Oswestry Disability Index for lumbar) and mental health (PROMIS-29 v2.0), cognitive-appraisal processes (QOLAPv2-SF), and patient activation (Patient Activation Measure). ANOVA models were used to examine the relationships between QOL and cognitive appraisal processes before and after surgery, overall and stratified by patient-activation stage. Effect sizes facilitated interpretation.

RESULTS

There were significant improvements in pain-related disability and mental health following surgery. Cognitive appraisal processes explained substantial amounts of variance, particularly with changes in mental health (45% before surgery, 75% at three months, and 63%, at 12-months after surgery). With respect to physical disability, less disability was associated with a lesser focus on negative aspects of QOL. Appraisal explained the most variance before surgery for high-activation patients. At 12-months post-surgery, however, appraisal explained the most variance for the low-activation patients. Appraisal explained similar amounts of variance in mental health at baseline and three-months post-surgery for all activation groups, but substantially more variance in the low-activation group at 12-months post-surgery. There were differences in the direction of appraisal-outcome associations by activation group in selected appraisal items/domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Cognitive-appraisal processes demonstrate a significant relationship with QOL among spine surgery patients. These processes explain substantial variance in pain-related disability and mental health, especially among those high in activation before surgery and those low in activation at 12-months post-surgery. Our findings suggest that patients' ways of thinking about their health may be effective targets of motivational coaching, to help them become more engaged over the recovery trajectory.

The Performance of Kaizen Tasks Across Three Online Discrete Choice Experiment Surveys: An Evidence Synthesis

BACKGROUND

Kaizen is a Japanese term for continuous improvement (kai ~ change, zen ~ good). In a kaizen task, a respondent makes sequential choices to improve an object's profile, revealing a preference path. Including kaizen tasks in a discrete choice experiment has the advantage of collecting greater preference evidence than pick-one tasks, such as paired comparisons. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: So far, three online discrete choice experiments have included kaizen tasks: the 2020 US COVID-19 vaccination (CVP) study, the 2021 UK Children's Surgery Outcome Reporting (CSOR) study, and the 2023 US EQ-5D-Y-3L valuation (Y-3L) study. In this evidence synthesis, we describe the performance of the kaizen tasks in terms of response behaviors, conditional logit and Zermelo-Bradley-Terry (ZBT) estimates, and their standard errors in each of the surveys.

RESULTS

Comparing the CVP and Y-3L, including hold-outs (i.e., attributes shared by all alternatives) seems to reduce positional behavior by half. The CVP tasks excluded multi-level improvements; therefore, we could not estimate logit main effects directly. In the CSOR, only 12 of the 21 logit estimates are significantly positive (p < 0.05), possibly due to the fixed attribute order. All Y-3L estimates are significantly positive, and their predictions are highly correlated (Pearson: logit 0.802, ZBT 0.882) and strongly agree (Lin: logit 0.744, ZBT 0.852) with the paired-comparison probabilities.

CONCLUSIONS

These discrete choice experiments offer important lessons for future studies: (1) include warm-up tasks, hold-outs, and multi-level improvements; (2) randomize the attribute order (i.e., up-down) at the respondent level; and (3) recruit smaller samples of respondents than traditional discrete choice experiments with only pick-one tasks.

Comparison of the EQ-5D-5L and the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system preference score (PROPr) in the United States

BACKGROUND

In contrast to prior research, our study presents longitudinal comparisons of the EQ-5D-5L and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) preference (PROPr) scores. This fills a gap in the literature, providing a much-needed understanding of these preference-based measures and their applications in healthcare research. Furthermore, our study provides equations to estimate one measure from the other, a tool that can significantly facilitate comparisons across studies.

METHODS

We administered a health survey to 4,098 KnowledgePanel® members living in the United States. A subset of 1,256 (82% response rate) with back pain also completed the six-month follow-up survey. We then conducted thorough cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the two measures, including product-moment correlations between scores, associations with demographic variables, and health conditions. To estimate one measure from the other, we used ordinary least squares (OLS) regression with the baseline data from the general population.

RESULTS

The correlation between the EQ-5D-5L and PROPr scores was 0.69, but the intraclass correlation was only 0.34 because the PROPr had lower (less positive) mean scores on the 0 (dead) to 1 (perfect health) continuum than the EQ-5D-5L. The associations between the two preference measures and demographic variables were similar at baseline. The product-moment correlation between unstandardized beta coefficients for each preference measure regressed on 22 health conditions was 0.86, reflecting similar patterns of unique associations. Correlations of change from baseline to 6 months in the two measures with retrospective perceptions of change were similar. Adjusted variance explained in OLS regressions predicting one measure from the other was 48%. On average, the predicted values were within a half-standard deviation of the observed EQ-5D-5L and PROPr scores. The beta-binomial regression model slightly improved over the OLS model in predicting the EQ-5D-5L from the PROPr but was equivalent to the OLS model in predicting the PROPr.

CONCLUSION

Despite substantial mean differences, the EQ-5D-5L and PROPr have similar cross-sectional and longitudinal associations with other variables. We provide the OLS regression equations for use in cost-effectiveness research and meta-analyses. Future studies are needed to compare these measures with different conditions and interventions to provide more information on their relative validity.

Adults with cerebral palsy and functional decline: A cross-sectional analysis of patient-reported outcomes from a novel North American registry

BACKGROUND

Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) have unique healthcare needs and risks, including high risk of functional decline. Understanding functional decline is an area of priority for CP research.

OBJECTIVE

Describe factors associated with patient-reported changes in function among adults with CP living in the community.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analysis of adult patient-reported outcomes collected by the CP Research Network (CPRN) Community Registry.

RESULTS

Participants included 263 respondents (76% female (n = 200); mean age 42 years (SD 14); 95% White (n = 249); 92% non-Hispanic (n = 241)). Many reported functional changes, most commonly a decline in gross motor function since childhood (n = 158, 60%). Prevalence of gross motor decline varied significantly by Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level (p < 0.001), but neither hand function decline (p = 0.196) nor communication decline (p = 0.994) differed by GMFCS. All types of decline increased with increasing age, with statistically significant differences between age groups (p < 0.001 gross motor; p = 0.003 hand function; p = 0.004 communication). Those with spastic CP (n = 178) most commonly reported gross motor functional decline (n = 108/178, 60.7%). However, the prevalence of gross motor decline did not significantly differ between those with spastic CP and those without spastic CP (p = 0.789).

CONCLUSIONS

Many adults in the CPRN Community Registry reported functional decline, most commonly in gross motor function. Functional decline across domains increased with age. Further research into risk stratification and preventive and rehabilitative measures is needed to address functional decline across the lifespan.

Cerebral palsy research network community registry adult surveys on function & pain: Successes, challenges, and future directions

NARRATIVE SUMMARY

The formation of a patient-reported outcomes registry to provide information about functional changes and pain among adults with cerebral palsy (CP) was identified as a priority to address the gap in knowledge and practice about aging and CP. The Cerebral Palsy Research Network collaborated with consumers, clinicians, and researchers to create an interactive internet platform, MyCP, to host a Community Registry. MyCP also provides educational programming, access to webinars and community forums, and fitness opportunities. The registry hosts surveys on function and pain for adults with CP, which provide cross-sectional and longitudinal data about these important issues. Surveys include previously validated measures with normative values that have been used with other populations and investigator developed questions. Enrollment in the registry is growing but needs to reflect the population of adults with CP, which limits generalizability. Future initiatives involve strategies to increase consumer engagement and enrollment.

Implementation and Evaluation of a National Well-Being Curriculum for KL2 Scholars

Introduction: The study aimed to pilot test a well-being curriculum for KL2 scholars to be used across the Clinical and Translational Science Award consortium. Methods: Between November 2022, and May 2023, 36 KL2 scholars from 25 hubs participated in the program. The General Well-Being Index for U.S. Workers and the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29) were completed by scholars before and after the program. Results: Postparticipation, there was a trend of improvement in the domains of well-being, sleep, anxiety, and fatigue. Conclusion: Implementing a virtual synchronous well-being curriculum allowed the scholars to connect across the consortium and improve their well-being.

A Direct Comparison Between Discrete Choice With Duration and Composite Time Trade-Off Methods: Do They Produce Similar Results?

OBJECTIVES

Discrete choice experiments including a duration attribute (DCEd) represent a promising candidate method for valuing health-related quality-of-life instruments. However, it has not been established that DCEd can produce similar results as composite time trade-off (cTTO) or EuroQol Valuation Technology (EQ-VT) valuations of the EQ-5D-5L instrument. This study provides a direct comparison between cTTO and EQ-VT, and DCEd valuation methods.

METHODS

An EQ-VT study was conducted in Trinidad and Tobago to value the EQ-5D-5L. 1079 respondents each completed 10 cTTO tasks and 12 discrete choice experiments tasks without a duration attribute. A separate sample of 970 respondents each completed 18 split-triplet DCEd tasks. Several regression models were applied to the EQ-VT data, and the DCEd data were analyzed using mixed logit models with an exponential discount rate. The estimated values were compared using scatterplots and Bland-Altman plots.

RESULTS

The ordering of dimensions was identical in level 5 for cTTO/EQ-VT and DCEd models, with pain/discomfort being the most important dimension and usual activities being least important. cTTO/EQ-VT models produced a value for state 55555 ranging between -0.52 and -0.69, whereas this was -0.543 for the nonlinear mixed logit model for the DCEd data. Scatterplots and Bland-Altman plots suggested excellent agreement between cTTO/EQ-VT and DCEd-based estimates.

CONCLUSIONS

CTTO/EQ-VT and DCEd valuations produce similar results when correcting DCEd for nonlinear time preferences. The ordering of importance of the dimensions and scale are identical, suggesting that the 2 methods measure the same construct and produce similar results.

Feasibility of Deploying Home-Based Digital Technology, Environmental Sensors, and Web-Based Surveys for Assessing Behavioral Symptoms and Identifying Their Precipitants in Older Adults: Longitudinal, Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Apathy, depression, and anxiety are prevalent neuropsychiatric symptoms experienced by older adults. Early detection, prevention, and intervention may improve outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

We aim to demonstrate the feasibility of deploying web-based weekly questionnaires inquiring about the behavioral symptoms of older adults with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, or early-stage dementia and to demonstrate the feasibility of deploying an in-home technology platform for measuring participant behaviors and their environment.

METHODS

The target population of this study is older adults with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, or early-stage dementia. This is an observational, longitudinal study with a study period of up to 9 months. The severity of participant behavioral symptoms (apathy, depression, and anxiety) was self-reported weekly through web-based surveys. Participants' digital biomarkers were continuously collected at their personal residences and through wearables throughout the duration of the study. The indoor physical environment at each residence, such as light level, noise level, temperature, humidity, or air quality, was also measured using indoor environmental sensors. Feasibility was examined, and preliminary correlation analysis between the level of symptoms and the digital biomarkers and between the level of symptoms and the indoor environment was performed.

RESULTS

At 13 months after recruitment began, a total of 9 participants had enrolled into this study. The participants showed high adherence rates in completing the weekly questionnaires (response rate: 275/278, 98.9%), and data collection using the digital technology appeared feasible and acceptable to the participants with few exceptions. Participants' severity of behavioral symptoms fluctuated from week to week. Preliminary results show that the duration of sleep onset and noise level are positively correlated with the anxiety level in a subset of our participants.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is a step toward more frequent assessment of older adults' behavioral symptoms and holistic in situ monitoring of older adults' behaviors and their living environment. The goal of this study is to facilitate the development of objective digital biomarkers of neuropsychiatric symptoms and to identify in-home environmental factors that contribute to these symptoms.

The Activity Management Inventory for Pain (AMI-P): Initial Development and Validation of a Questionnaire Based on Operant Learning and Energy Conservation Models of Activity Management

OBJECTIVES

Activity management is an important treatment component in chronic pain programs. However, there are shortcomings in measures of this construct, leading to inconsistencies in research findings. Here, we describe the development of the Activity Management Inventory for Pain (AMI-P).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The AMI-P was developed by a group of international researchers with extensive expertise in both chronic pain and activity management. The initial evaluation of the AMI-P items included 2 studies that were both conducted in Canadian tertiary pain care centers.

RESULTS

The resulting 20-item measure has 3 behavior scales (Rest, Alternating Activity, and Planned Activity), and 4 goal scales (Feel Less Pain, Get More Done, Complete the Task, and Save Energy). The behavior scales evidenced marginal to good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and a moderate positive association with an existing pacing measure. The Rest and Alternating Activity scales were associated with greater pain interference, the Alternating Activity and Planned Activity scales were associated with less satisfaction with social roles, and the Planned Activity scale was associated with fewer depressive symptoms. The Alternating Activity scale increased significantly from pretreatment to posttreatment. All goal scales were positively associated with all behavior scales. The Feel Less Pain goal scale was positively associated with measures of avoidance and pain interference, while the Get More Done goal scale was negatively associated with measures of depressive symptoms and overdoing.

DISCUSSION

The findings support the reliability and validity of the AMI-P scales, while also highlighting the complexity and multidimensional aspects of activity management.

Economic Cost-Benefit Analysis of Nerve Implanted into Muscle versus Targeted Muscle Reinnervation versus Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface, for Treatment of the Painful Neuroma

BACKGROUND

 This study investigated the relative cost utility of three techniques for the management of symptomatic neuromas after neuroma excision: (1) implantation of nerve into muscle, (2) targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR), and (3) regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI).

METHODS

 The costs associated with each procedure were determined using Common Procedural Terminology codes in combination with data from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services Physician and Facility 2020 Fee Schedules. The relative utility of the three procedures investigated was determined using changes in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores as reported per procedure. The relative utility of each procedure was reported in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), as is standard in the literature.

RESULTS

 The least expensive option for the surgical treatment of painful neuromas was nerve implantation into an adjacent muscle. In contrast, for the treatment of four neuromas, as is common postamputation, TMR without a microscope was found to cost $50,061.55 per QALY gained, TMR with a microscope was found to cost $51,996.80 per QALY gained, and RPNI was found to cost $14,069.28 per QALY gained. While RPNI was more expensive than nerve implantation into muscle, it was still below the standard willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000 per QALY, while TMR was not.

CONCLUSION

 Evaluation of costs and utilities associated with the various surgical options for the management of painful neuromas suggest that nerve implantation into muscle is the least expensive option with the best improvement in QALY, while demonstrating comparable outcomes to TMR and RPNI with regard to pain symptoms.

Impact of driving cessation on health-related quality of life trajectories

BACKGROUND

Trajectories of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after driving cessation (DC) are thought to decline steeply, but for some, HRQoL may improve after DC. Our objective is to examine trajectories of HRQoL for individuals before and after DC. We hypothesize that for urban drivers, volunteers and those who access alternative transportation participants' health may remain unchanged or improve.

METHODS

This study uses data from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study, a prospective cohort of 2,990 older drivers (ages 65-79 at enrollment). The LongROAD study is a five-year multisite study and data collection ended October 31, 2022. Participants were recruited using a convenience sample from the health centers roster. The number of participants approached were 40,806 with 7.3% enrolling in the study. Sixty-one participants stopped driving permanently by year five and had data before and after DC. The PROMIS®-29 Adult Profile was utilized and includes: 1) Depression, 2) Anxiety, 3) Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities, 4) Physical Function, 5) Fatigue, 6) Pain Interference, 7) Sleep Disturbance, and 8) Numeric Pain Rating Scale. Adjusted (age, education and gender) individual growth models with 2989 participants with up to six observations from baseline to year 5 in the models (ranging from n = 15,041 to 15,300) were utilized.

RESULTS

Ability to participate in social roles and activities after DC improved overall. For those who volunteered, social roles and activities declined not supporting our hypothesis. For those who accessed alternative transportation, fatigue had an initial large increase immediately following DC thus not supporting our hypothesis. Urban residents had worse function and more symptoms after DC compared to rural residents (not supporting our hypothesis) except for social roles and activities that declined steeply (supporting our hypothesis).

CONCLUSIONS

Educating older adults that utilizing alternative transportation may cause initial fatigue after DC is recommended. Accessing alternative transportation to maintain social roles and activities is paramount for rural older adults after DC especially for older adults who like to volunteer.

Specific and shared mechanisms associated with treatment for chronic neck pain: study protocol for the SS-MECH trial

BACKGROUND

Treatment mechanisms involve the steps or processes through which an intervention unfolds and produces change in an outcome variable. Treatment mechanisms can be specific to the intervention provided (i.e. pain modulation) or shared with other treatments (i.e. reduced fear of movement). Whether specific and shared treatment mechanisms are different across interventions and whether they lead to the outcomes seen in trials is largely unknown. The management of individuals with chronic neck pain routinely include manual therapy (MT) and resistance exercise (RE), as both approaches are included in clinical practice guidelines and both yield similar outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

Our study plans to answer two research questions: 1) what are the specific mechanisms associated with MT versus interventions (and are these different), and 2) what are the shared mechanisms associated with these interventions, and do specific or shared mechanisms mediate clinical outcomes?

METHODS

This study will involve a 2-group parallel (1:1) single-blinded randomized trial to compare the specific and potential shared treatment mechanisms between these two approaches. We will enroll individuals with a history of chronic neck pain and evaluate whether specific or shared mechanisms mediate clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

We hypothesize that MT and RE approaches will both exhibit different specific treatment mechanisms, and that both approaches will exhibit shared treatment mechanisms, which will notably influence outcomes at both discharge and 6-months.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is important because it will help identify what specific or shared treatment mechanisms are associated with different interventions and, how different treatment mechanisms influence clinical outcomes.

Canadian English translation and linguistic validation of the 13-MD to measure global health-related quality of life

BACKGROUND

The 13-MD is a new instrument designed to measure more globally the various aspects of the health-related quality of life. Its structure is balanced around physical, mental, and social aspects of health.

OBJECTIVE

To translate the 13-MD into Canadian English and to ensure that it is conceptually equivalent to the original version in Canadian French.

METHODS

Forward and back translations were conducted. A linguistic validation was performed in both Canadian French and Canadian English following an iterative process. This validation was conducted with 15 participants in each group (French and English speakers) using face-to-face cognitive debriefing interviews. This process was done in accordance with academic standards.

RESULTS

The two forward translations resulted in 35.8% of identical sentences (59/165). Back translation indicated that 83.6% of the sentences were identical or almost identical to the original Canadian French version. The review of the back translation led to a few changes in the reconciled forward translation (4/165) and the original version (11/165), while the linguistic validation process led to 24 changes over a possibility of 165 sentences in the Canadian English version and 6 over 165 in the Canadian French version. Most changes provided were minimal and were done to ensure a better understanding of the 13-MD.

CONCLUSION

The translation and linguistic validation processes were successful in creating a valid 13-MD in Canadian English (13-MD-CE) that is conceptually equivalent to the original version.

Measuring Value in Spine Care Using the PROMIS-Preference Scoring System

BACKGROUND

A transition to value-based care requires a thorough understanding of the costs and impacts of various interventions on patients' overall health utility. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) has gained popularity and is frequently used to assess physical, mental, and social health domains in clinical and research settings. To assess health utility, the PROMIS-Preference (PROPr) score, a societal preference-based measure, has been proposed to produce a single estimate of health utility. We determined the psychometric properties (validity and responsiveness) of the PROPr score as a health state utility measure in patients undergoing spine surgery. We hypothesized that PROPr score would be lower in the presence of comorbid conditions and lower socioeconomic status and in those with more severe pain-related disability and would be responsive to changes in health status following spine surgery.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, 904 adults presented for cervical (n = 359) and/or lumbar (n = 622) conditions, and 624 underwent surgery, from August 2019 through January 2022. To assess concurrent validity, we correlated the PROPr score with Neck Disability Index (NDI)/Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) values. To assess known-groups validity, we regressed the PROPr score on participant age, sex, pain-related disability, and social determinants of health. To assess responsiveness, we used an anchor-based approach, evaluating change from preoperatively to 6 and 12 months postoperatively anchored by the Patient Global Impression of Change. A p level of <0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

The median overall preoperative PROPr score was 0.20 (interquartile range [IQR], 0.10 to 0.32; range, -0.02 to 0.95). The PROPr score was associated with higher educational attainment (p = 0.01), higher household income (p < 0.001), and a greater number of comorbid conditions (p = 0.04). The median PROPr score decreased (worse health utility) with greater disability (NDI, 0.44 [none] to 0.09 [severe/complete], p < 0.001; ODI, 0.57 [none] to 0.08 [severe/complete], p < 0.001). The change in the median PROPr score differed in participants who rated their postoperative health as improved (0.17) compared with little or no change (0.04; p < 0.001) or worse (-0.06; p = 0.025) at 6 months and in those who rated their health as improved (0.15) compared with little or no change (0.02; p < 0.001) or worse (-0.05; p = 0.043) at 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The PROPr score is a valid and responsive preference-based assessment of health utility for patients undergoing spine surgery. It can be calculated from PROMIS outcome data.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic Level II . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Informing a home time measure reflective of quality of life: A data driven investigation of time frames and settings of health care utilization

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate short- and long-term measures of health care utilization-days in the emergency department (ED), inpatient (IP) care, and rehabilitation in a post-acute care (PAC) facility-to understand how home time (i.e., days alive and not in an acute or PAC setting) corresponds to quality of life (QoL).

DATA SOURCES

Survey data on community-residing veterans combined with multipayer administrative data on health care utilization.

STUDY DESIGN

VA or Medicare health care utilization, quantified as days of care received in the ED, IP, and PAC in the 6 and 18 months preceding survey completion, were used to predict seven QoL-related measures collected during the survey. Elastic net machine learning was used to construct models, with resulting regression coefficients used to develop a weighted utilization variable. This was then compared with an unweighted count of days with any utilization.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

In the short term (6 months), PAC utilization emerged as the most salient predictor of decreased QoL, whereas no setting predominated in the long term (18 months). Results varied by outcome and time frame, with some protective effects observed. In the 6-month time frame, each weighted day of utilization was associated with a greater likelihood of activity of daily living deficits (0.5%, 95% CI: 0.1%-0.9%), as was the case with each unweighted day of utilization (0.6%, 95% CI: 0.3%-1.0%). The same was true in the 18-month time frame (for both weighted and unweighted, 0.1%, 95% CI: 0.0%-0.3%). Days of utilization were also significantly associated with greater rates of instrumental ADL deficits and fair/poor health, albeit not consistently across all models. Neither measure outperformed the other in direct comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS

These results can provide guidance on how to measure home time using multipayer administrative data. While no setting predominated in the long term, all settings were significant predictors of QoL measures.

What are the benefits of cultivating self-compassion in adults with low back pain? A systematic review

Introduction

Low back pain is one of the most prevalent public health problems in the world, generating psychosocial impacts on quality of life and a high demand for medical care. Self-compassion may be beneficial for low back pain control, however, studies in the area are scarce. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to investigate the benefits of self-compassion-related interventions on low back pain and mental health in adults.

Methods

The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO and the method was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Searches were conducted using the keywords "self-compassion" and "low back pain" in Portuguese, English, and Spanish in the following databases: PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, PePSIC, PsycInfo, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Additional searches were also conducted through the references of the included studies.

Results

Thirty-three articles were identified and analyzed by two independent reviewers using Rayyan. Four of these studies were included. RoB 2 was used to assess the risk of bias of each study. The main findings suggest that self-compassion-related interventions demonstrate benefits in the treatment of low back pain, as well as reduction in pain intensity, psychological stress, and improvement of pain acceptance.

Discussion

However, these positive data must be analyzed carefully, as only two studies presented a low risk of bias. Despite growing interest in this field, more research self-compassion-related interventions for low back pain are suggested, since biopsychosocial aspects associated with low back pain can impact the outcome of treatment.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier (CRD42022376341).

Cannabis for Healing in a Native Community Clinic: Development and Results from an Informatics Research Tool

This paper describes how the Puyallup Tribe created a clinic specializing in cannabis-based treatments and partnered with a university research team to assess the impacts of cannabis on patient outcomes. Clinic leaders and research team co-developed an informatics research tool that included survey questions about patient demographics, cannabis use, and measures of pain, depression, anxiety, other substance use, and trauma. Over the first 2.5 years of operations, 69 patients completed a survey. Participants were an average age of 50 years old (SD = 16.7), female (77.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (61.5%) with more than 12 years of education (66.7%). Over 77% of the participants used either cannabidiol-dominant (CBD) alone or both CBD and Tetrahydrocannabinol-dominant (THC) products, nearly 23% used neither CBD nor THC products. Most came to the clinic for a pain relief appointment (70.3%). Compared to the general population, participants experienced more pain-related comorbidities, such as anxiety, fatigue, sleep, and pain, and fewer physical functioning capabilities. Over half reported symptoms consistent with depressive or post-traumatic stress disorder. The informatics research tool was successfully integrated into a unique Tribally owned medical clinic.

Child health valuation protocol for a discrete choice experiment comparing paired comparison and kaizen tasks and estimating US EQ-5D-Y-3L values on an experience scale

INTRODUCTION

A decade ago, the first national valuation study of the EQ-5D-Y-3L (Y-3L) involved a discrete choice experiment (DCE) that asked 4155 US adult respondents to complete 40 paired comparisons, choosing between two dying children. Instead of choosing between dying children, the respondents in this novel protocol are asked whether 'being in a coma' is better or worse than experiencing 'health problems' (ie, experience scale) and how they would relieve health problems (ie, kaizen tasks). Our aims are to compare the preference evidence of the paired comparison and kaizen tasks and to conduct a DCE for the valuation of Y-3L profiles on an experience scale.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Under this protocol, we will conduct an online survey that collects preference evidence from 600 US adult respondents on the health of a 10-year-old child for a week. Across all scenarios, each child will be described as either being 'in a coma' or having 'health problems', namely five three-level attributes (Y-3L). In this DCE, each respondent will be randomly assigned to one of four D-efficient blocks, including five coma comparisons (ie, Y-3L vs coma), 10 paired comparisons (Y-3L vs Y-3L) and 10 kaizen tasks (preference paths). In addition to comparing evidence by task (aim 2), the analysis plan includes the estimation of main-effects conditional logit models to create a Y-3L value set on an 'experience scale' where positive (negative) experiences have positive (negative) values (0 is 'being in a coma' and 1 is full health).

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The institutional review board (IRB) (Advarra) determined that this project (Pro00072276) is exempt from IRB oversight based on DHHS 45 CFR 46.104(d)(2) and is not subject to requirements for continuing review. The results will be prepared for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific meetings. The data and code will be made available on reasonable request.

An exploration of proactive health oriented symptom patterns in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation: A mixed-methods study protocol

BACKGROUND

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide. Currently, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation is the main clinical treatment for CHD, and patients can achieve better outcomes after stenting. However, adverse cardiovascular events continue to recur, ultimately failing to yield good results. Several symptoms exist after stenting and are associated with health outcomes. Little is known about the symptom patterns of patients during the different postoperative periods. Therefore, this study aims to explore the dynamics of symptoms and clarify the experiences of post-stenting in patients during different periods, which may help the delivery of more specific patient management and improve survival outcomes in the future.

METHODS

A mixed method (quantitative/qualitative) design will be adopted. Longitudinal research, including surveys regarding three different periods, will be sued to describe the symptom patterns of patients undergoing PCI with stent implantation, clarifying their focused symptom problems during different time periods or in populations with different features. Qualitative individual interviews aim to understand the feelings, experiences, opinions, and health conditions of patients post-stenting, which can explain and supplement quantitative data. Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, latent class analysis (LCA), and latent translation analysis (LTA). Qualitative data will be analyzed using content analysis.

DISCUSSION

This study is the first study to explore the symptom patterns and experiences of patients in various domains after stent implantation using a novel design including quantitative and qualitative methods, which will help the delivery of more specific patient management, reduce the recurrence of adverse cardiovascular events, and improve survival outcomes in the future. It is also meaningful to use PROMIS profile-57 to help patients to proactively focus on their health problems, promote health literacy, and incorporate active patient participation into health management, which is a successful transition from passive medical treatment to active management.

Changes in Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Therapy-Resistant Migraine during Treatment with Erenumab in an Ambulatory Care Setting

Migraine preventive treatment with the CGRP-receptor monoclonal antibody Erenumab can positively impact health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and disease-associated disability. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are a valuable additional datapoint to real-world evidence covering how treatment affects physical, mental, and social domains of patients' lives. In this real-world, single-center retrospective observational cohort study, we analyzed clinical performance indicators and PROMs for migraine patients who failed at least four other preventive medications and received Erenumab over the course of one year. Endpoints were the average monthly migraine days as well as PROMs including the MIDAS, EQ-5D-VAS and PROMIS-29. Data were collected digitally via the software heartbeat ONE in an ambulatory care setting as part of the clinical routine. A total of 145 patients treated with Erenumab provided data for 12 months. After 12 months, the median number of monthly migraine days decreased from 9 to 7 days. A clinically relevant reduction in migraine days by ≥30% was reported by 40% of the patients. The migraine-specific MIDAS score, the EQ-5D-VAS measuring the overall health status and all PROMIS domains, except sleep disturbance, changed significantly, reflecting a positive disease progression. This study highlights how patients with a treatment-resistant migraine in an outpatient setting benefit from a preventive treatment with Erenumab. A decrease in migraine days and an increase in HRQoL was maintained over one year. It also underscores the significance of collecting real-world evidence, including PROMs, as an integral component of the healthcare cycle, as such data can reveal additional factors relevant to treatment.

Latent patterns of sleep disturbance, pain impact, and depressive symptoms in residential substance use treatment

AIM

Sleep disturbance, clinically significant pain, and depressive symptoms commonly occur together among individuals with substance use disorders. The purposes of the present study were to 1) identify subgroups of individuals with heterogenous patterns of pain, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms, and 2) identify demographic and clinical correlates of profile membership.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The present study assessed a sample (N = 8621) of individuals seeking residential substance use treatment in 2020 and 2021 in the United States. We examined whether unique sub-groups could be identified based on patterns of sleep disturbance, pain impact, and depressive symptoms during the first four weeks of treatment, using longitudinal latent profile analysis. Next, we explored demographic, substance use, and clinical correlates (i.e., distress intolerance) of profile membership, as well as whether profile membership was associated with treatment attrition.

RESULTS

The identified classes were: 1) Low sleep disturbance, pain impact, and depressive symptoms, 2) High pain, remitting depressive symptoms, and mild sleep disturbance, 3) High depressive symptoms, low pain, and remitting sleep disturbance, and 4) High sleep disturbance, pain impact, and depressive symptoms. Individuals with high pain, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbance were more likely to be older, use opioids as their primary substance, have high distress intolerance, and discontinue treatment.

CONCLUSION

Results highlight the importance of comprehensive care and management of physical health conditions, particularly among older adults. Further, results highlight that distress intolerance may be a modifiable risk factor for co-occurring sleep disturbance, pain impact, and depressive symptoms.

Positive Psychological Intervention Delivered Using Virtual Reality in Patients on Hemodialysis With Comorbid Depression: Protocol and Design for the Joviality Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Depression is highly prevalent in individuals on hemodialysis, but it is infrequently identified and remains undertreated. In this paper, we present details of the methodology of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at testing the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 5-week positive psychological intervention in individuals on hemodialysis with comorbid depression delivered using immersive virtual reality (VR) technology.

OBJECTIVE

We aim to describe the protocol and design of the Joviality trial whose main objectives are 2-fold: determine the feasibility of the Joviality VR software through metrics capturing rates of recruitment, refusal, retention, noncompliance, and adherence, as well as end-user feedback; and assess preliminary efficacy for outcomes measures of depressive symptoms, psychological well-being and distress, quality of life, treatment adherence, clinical biomarkers, and all-cause hospitalizations.

METHODS

This 2-arm RCT is scheduled to enroll 84 individuals on hemodialysis with comorbid depression from multiple outpatient centers in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Enrollees will be randomized to the following groups: VR-based Joviality positive psychological intervention or sham VR (2D wildlife footage and nature-based settings with inert music presented using a head-mounted display). To be eligible, individuals must be on hemodialysis for at least 3 months, have Beck Depression Inventory-II scores of ≥11 (ie, indicative of mild-to-severe depressive symptoms), be aged ≥21 years, and be fluent in English or Spanish. The Joviality VR software was built using agile design principles and incorporates fully immersive content, digital avatars, and multiplex features of interactability. Targeted skills of the intervention include noticing positive events, positive reappraisal, gratitude, acts of kindness, and mindful or nonjudgmental awareness. The primary outcomes include metrics of feasibility and acceptability, along with preliminary efficacy focused on decreasing symptoms of depression. The secondary and tertiary outcomes include quality of life, treatment adherence, clinical biomarkers, and all-cause hospitalization rates. There are 4 assessment time points: baseline, immediately after the intervention, 3 months after the intervention, and 6 months after the intervention. We hypothesize that depressive symptoms and hemodialysis-related markers of disease will substantially improve in participants randomized to the VR-based Joviality positive psychology treatment arm compared with those in the attention control condition.

RESULTS

This RCT is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and is scheduled to commence participant recruitment in June 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

This trial will be the first to test custom-built VR software to deliver a positive psychological intervention, chairside, in individuals on hemodialysis to reduce symptoms of depression. Within the context of an RCT using an active control arm, if proven effective, VR technology may become a potent tool to deliver mental health programming in clinical populations during their outpatient treatment sessions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05642364; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05642364.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/45100.

Differences and similarities in personality functioning across different types of eating disorders

Objective

The classification of anorexia nervosa (AN) into subtypes is relevant due to their different symptomatology. However, subtypes (restricting type: AN-R; purging type: AN-P) differ also in terms of their personality functioning. Knowledge about these differences would allow for better treatment stratification. A pilot study indicated differences in structural abilities that can be assessed by the operationalized psychodynamic diagnosis (OPD) system. The aim of this study was therefore to systematically explore differences in personality functioning and personality between the two AN subtypes and bulimia nervosa (BN) using three personality (functioning) constructs.

Methods

A total of N = 110 inpatients with AN-R (n = 28), AN-P (n = 40), or BN (n = 42) were recruited in three clinics for psychosomatic medicine. Assignment to the three groups was performed using a comprehensive questionnaire validated for diagnostic purposes (Munich-ED-Quest). Personality functioning was examined using OPD Structure Questionnaire (OPD-SQ), personality by using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form and Big Five Inventory-10. (M)ANOVAs were used to examine differences across eating disorder groups. In addition, correlation and regression analyses were conducted.

Results

We observed differences on several sub- and main scales of the OPD-SQ. Whereas patients with BN showed the lowest levels, AN-R patients displayed the highest levels of personality functioning. On some sub- and main scales, such as "affect tolerance," the subtypes of AN differed from BN, whereas on the scale "affect differentiation," AN-R, differed from the other two groups. The total eating disorder pathology score of the Munich-ED-Quest best predicted overall personality structure [stand. β = 0.650; t(104) = 6.666; p < 0.001] and self-regulation [stand. β = 0.449; t(104) = 3.628; p < 0.001].

Discussion

Our findings confirm most of the results of the pilot study. These findings can facilitate the development of stratified treatment approaches for eating disorders.

Pain sensation and gut microbiota profiles in older adults with heart failure

Objectives

Patients with heart failure (HF) experience severe pain and may have altered pain sensation; however, the underlying mechanisms of these symptoms are not yet fully understood. Identifying pain sensation and genomic biomarkers of pain in older adults with HF is a critical step toward developing personalized interventions to improve pain management and outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the differences in pain sensation, gut microbiota, self-reported pain, and symptoms in older adults with and without HF.

Methods

Twenty older adults with HF and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in the Northeastern United States. Quantitative sensory testing and conditioned pain modulation were performed on the nondominant upper arm to detect the mechanical, thermal, and pressure pain thresholds and pain modulations. Stool samples were collected, and the 16S rRNA V4 gene region of stool samples was sequenced and processed using the Mothur 1.42.3 pipeline. Self-reported pain and symptoms were measured by the Brief Pain Inventory and the NIH Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. The associations between pain sensation, gut microbiota α-diversity indices, and pain and symptoms were explored using the Spearman correlations.

Results

The HF and HC subjects' mean ages were 73.50 (SD = 8.33) and 67.10 (SD = 7.64), respectively. The HF subjects reported significantly higher pain intensity and interference, sleep disturbance, fatigue, anxiety, and depression than the HCs. The HF subjects also had a significantly lower level of physical function and participation in social roles and activities. Compared with the HCs, the HF subjects had significantly altered conditioned pain modulation heat effect and gut microbiota compositions and predicted metabolic functions. The Statistical Analysis Of Metagenomic Profiles indicated that the HF subjects had a significantly decreased cardiac muscle contraction pathway compared with the HCs. The correlation analysis showed that the quantitative sensory testing profiles and gut microbiota diversity index were significantly associated with pain and symptoms in older adults with HF.

Conclusions

Older adults with HF had more severe self-reported pain and symptoms, altered pain sensation, and different gut microbiota composition and function compared with age-matched HCs. Pain sensation and gut microbiota may contribute to pain and symptoms in older adults with HF and could serve as biomarkers of pain and symptoms of HF. Further research with a larger sample size is warranted to confirm these findings.

Resurrecting Multiattribute Utility Function: Developing a Value Set for Health Utility for Glaucoma

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to develop a scoring function to calculate health utilities for health states described by the Health Utility for Glaucoma (HUG-5) based on the preferences of the general population in the United States.

METHODS

Preferences for HUG-5 health states were elicited using the standard gamble and visual analog scale through an online survey. Quota-based sampling was used to recruit a representative sample of the US general population in terms of age, sex, and race. A multiple attribute disutility function (MADUF) approach was adopted to derive scoring for the HUG-5. Model fit was assessed using mean absolute error associated with 5 HUG-5 marker health states that describe mild/moderate and severe glaucoma.

RESULTS

Of 634 respondents completing the tasks, 416 were included in the estimation of the MADUF; 260 respondents (63%) considered worst possible HUG-5 health state better than death. The preferred scoring function generates the utilities ranging from 0.05 (worst HUG-5 health state) to 1 (best HUG-5 health state). The correlation between mean elicited and estimated values for marker states was strong (R² = 0.97) with mean absolute error = 0.11.

CONCLUSIONS

The MADUF for HUG-5 is used to measure health utilities on the scale of perfect health and death, which can be used to estimate quality-adjusted life-years for economic evaluations of glaucoma interventions.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Persian version of selected PROMIS measures for use in lumbar canal stenosis patients

BACKGROUND

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed a new measurement system called the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) which can be used for multiple health conditions. The 29-item short form (PROMIS-29) with seven domains was more often used by clinical researchers to measure the physical function, mood and sleeping status of patients with low back pain (LBP). Translation of the PROMIS into multiple languages and adaptation of its application in different cultural diversities can help to further standardize clinical research studies and make them comparable to each other. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the PROMIS-29 into Persian (P-PROMIS-29) and evaluate the construct validity and reliability of the translated questionnaire among patients with lumbar canal stenosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The translation was conducted by using the multilingual translation methodology guideline. Construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability at a two-week interval for the P-PROMIS-29 were calculated. Construct validity was assessed by calculating correlations between the P-PROMIS-29 with Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Roland-Morris results.

RESULTS

The study sample included 70 participants with lumbar canal stenosis. Internal consistencies were moderate to good with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.2 to 0.94. The test-retest reliability evaluation was excellent with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranging from 0.885 to 0.986. Construct validity of different domains of P-PROMIS-29 were moderate to good, with Pearson's correlation coefficient results ranging from 0.223 to 0.749.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that P-PROMIS-29 is a valid and reliable measurement tool for evaluation of patients with lumbar canal stenosis.

Attentional bias malleability as a predictor of daily pain interference

ABSTRACT

Despite a preponderance of pain-related attentional bias research, little is known about how these biases arise and change over time. We tested whether the degree of attentional bias malleability , that is, ability to acquire and relinquish patterns of selective attention towards pain information, predicts daily pain interference. Individuals with chronic pain (N = 66) completed a novel attentional bias malleability procedure based on a modified dot-probe paradigm. Participants received a contingency that encouraged an attentional preference toward and away from pain words across 2 counterbalanced blocks, and attentional bias was assessed before and after each contingency block. Participants then completed a daily diary for 7 days, including the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29 pain severity and interference. Multilevel modelling was conducted to predict daily pain interference from attentional bias malleability constructs, controlling for pain severity and demographic factors. Greater attentional bias (F 1,391 = 3.97, P = 0.047), greater readiness to acquire an attentional bias (F 1,389 = 4.92, P = 0.027), and less readiness to lose an acquired attentional bias toward pain (F 1,354 = 5.18, P = 0.024) all predicted less pain interference. There was also an interaction between pain severity and overall attentional bias malleability (F 1,62 = 5.48, P = 0.023), such that as pain severity increased, those who showed greater attentional bias malleability showed less corresponding increase in their pain interference than those who showed less attentional bias malleability. This study adds new thinking to the dynamic nature of attentional bias and how such biases might arise and influence pain outcomes.

Mapping the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29) to EQ-5D-5L

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29) is gaining popularity as healthcare system funders increasingly seek value-based care. However, it is limited in its ability to estimate utilities and thus inform economic evaluations. This study develops the first mapping algorithm for estimating EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) utilities from PROMIS-29 responses using a large dataset and through extensive comparisons between econometric models.

METHODS

An online survey was conducted to collect responses to PROMIS-29 and EQ-5D-5L from the general Australian population (N = 3013). Direct and indirect mapping methods were explored, including linear regression, Tobit, generalised linear model, censored regression model, beta regression (Betamix), the adjusted limited dependent variable mixture model (ALDVMM) and generalised ordered logit. The most robust model was selected by assessing the performance based on average ten-fold cross-validation geometric mean absolute error and geometric mean squared error, the predicted mean, maximum and minimum utilities, as well as the fitting across the entire distribution.

RESULTS

The direct approach using ALDVMM was considered the preferred model based on lowest geometric mean absolute error and geometric mean squared error in cross-validation (0.0882, 0.0299) and its superiority in predicting the actual observed mean, full health states and lower utility extremes. The robustness and precision in prediction across the entire distribution of utilities with ALDVMM suggest it is an accurate and valid mapping algorithm. Moreover, the suggested mapping algorithm outperformed previously published algorithms using Australian data, indicating the validity of this model for economic evaluations.

CONCLUSIONS

This study developed a robust algorithm to estimate EQ-5D-5L utilities from PROMIS-29. Consistent with the recent literature, the ALDVMM outperformed all other econometric models considered in this study, suggesting that the mixture models have relatively better performance and are an ideal candidate model for mapping.

Recommendations from the ISPO lower-limb COMPASS: Patient-reported and performance-based outcome measures

BACKGROUND

Outcome measures (patient-reported and performance-based) are used widely but not uniformly within the clinical setting for individuals with lower-limb absence (LLA). The need for more detailed information by funding bodies, service planners and providers, and researchers requires the systematic and routine use of outcome measures. Currently, there is no consensus on which outcome measure(s) should be used for individuals with LLA. The aim of the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) lower-limb Consensus Outcome Measures for Prosthetic and Amputation Services (COMPASS) was to produce a recommended list of outcome measures to be actively promoted for routine use within clinical practice before and after an episode of care.

METHODS

Between May and June 2021, 46 users, clinicians, researchers, managers, and policymakers working in the field of LLA and prosthetic users met virtually. Consensus participants were first asked to complete an online survey with questions based on the results from a systematic review and the outcomes from an expert panel. A modified Delphi technique was used to determine outcome measures for use in routine clinical practice. This paper discusses the ISPO lower-limb COMPASS process from which recommendations were made.

RESULTS

The ISPO lower-limb COMPASS resulted in the following 6 recommendations: (1) Amputee Mobility Predictor, Timed Up and Go, Two-Minute Walk Test, Prosthetic Evaluation Questionnaire-Residual Limb Health, Prosthetic Evaluation Questionnaire-Utility, and Trinity Amputation and Prosthesis Experience Scales-Revised, which make up the ISPO lower-limb COMPASS ; (2) Comprehensive High-Level Activity Mobility Predictor and Six-Minute Walk Test are 2 additional outcome measures recommended for higher-activity-level individuals with LLA, which make up the COMPASS+ ; (3) Patient-Specific Function Scale makes up the COMPASS Adjunct ; (4) a generic health-related quality of life outcome measure such as the European Quality of Life-5D-5L or Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29 item can be used to supplement the COMPASS; (5) outcome measures suited to low- and middle-income countries need to be developed with a focus on activities such as sitting cross-legged, kneeling, squatting, and other culturally important mobility-related activities; and (6) translation, validation, and open sharing of translated outcome measures included in the COMPASS, COMPASS+, and COMPASS Adjunct occurs.

CONCLUSION

The above recommendations represent the current status of knowledge on outcome measures for LLA based on research and international consensus and hence, will change over time. This work has been developed for clinicians and researchers to improve knowledge on outcome measures to guide clinical decision-making and future research initiatives.

[Psychosomatic health inventory: Basic psychosomatic documentation for quality assurance inpatient care]

Objectives: As part of the quality assurance of inpatient treatment, the severity of the disease and the course of therapy must be mapped. However, there is a high degree of heterogeneity in the implementation of basic diagnostics in psychosomatic facilities.There is a lack of scientifically based standardisation in determining the quality of outcomes. Methods: With the help of scientifically established test instruments, a resource-saving basic documentation instrument was developed. Many existing psychometric instruments were checked for test quality, costs and computer-supported application. Results: The Psychosomatic Health Inventory (gi-ps) consists of three basic modules with a total of 63 items: sociodemography, screening and psychosomatic health status.The latter is represented bymeans of construct-based recording on eight scales. Its collection at admission and discharge allows the presentation of the quality of outcomes.The development of a proprietary software solution with LimeSurvey enables the computer-based collection, evaluation, and storage of data. A list of test inventories for confirming diagnoses and predictors has been compiled, which are recommended for use in clinical routine. Discussion: With the gi-ps, a modular basic documentation instrument including the software solution is available to all interested institutions free of charge.

Patients Receiving Integrative Medicine Effectiveness Registry (PRIMIER) of the BraveNet practice-based research network: Outcomes of the PRIMIER cohort

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the real-world effectiveness of integrative medicine treatment on quality of life using the Patients Receiving Integrative Medicine Effectiveness Registry (PRIMIER).

DESIGN

A prospective, longitudinal, observational evaluation of patient reported outcomes for quality of life.

SETTING

Participants were patients from 17 integrative medicine clinics who received personalized, integrative medicine treatments between August 2013 and October 2017.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Participants completed the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)- 29, Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4), and the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) at index (baseline) visit and at 2, 4, 6, and 12 month follow-up assessments. Electronic health record data included diagnostic and billing codes/descriptions. A linear mixed-effects model was used to test whether outcomes changed from index through 12 months RESULTS: During enrollment, 4883 participants began the assessment, 3658 completed the index measures, and 2374 (65 %) completed at least 1 follow-up assessment, had electronic health record data and at least 1 integrative medicine visit. Most participants (mean age=51.4 years) were white (88.4 %), female (79.7 %), and college-educated (78.5 %). Significant improvements (p < 0.001) were observed at 12-months on all PROMIS-29 measures, PSS-4, and PAM. At 12 months, clinically meaningful improvements were found for 38 % and 28 % on PROMIS-29 Mental and Physical Health Summary scores respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

PRIMIER is the largest study to assess the real-world effectiveness of integrative medicine. Results indicate a statistical and clinical improvement across all measures at 12 months. Future research could explore whether dosing, timing or combinations of integrative medicine interventions have differential impacts on quality of life.

Self-Guided Smartphone Application to Manage Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Trial

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of an auricular point acupressure smartphone app (mAPA) to self-manage chronic musculoskeletal pain.

METHODS

A prospective, longitudinal, randomized, controlled pilot trial was conducted using a three-group design (self-guided mAPA (n = 14); in-person mAPA (n = 12); and control (n = 11)). The primary outcomes included physical function and pain intensity.

RESULTS

After a 4-week APA intervention, participants in the in-person mAPA group had improved physical function of 32% immediately post-intervention and 29% at the 1M follow-up. Participants in the self-guided mAPA group had higher improvement (42% at post-intervention and 48% at the 1M follow-up). Both mAPA groups had similar degrees of pain intensity relief at post-intervention (45% for in-person and 48% for the self-guided group) and the 1M follow-up (42% for in-person and 45% for the self-guided group). Over 50% of the participants in each group reached at least 30% reduced pain intensity at post-intervention, and this was sustained in the mAPA groups at the 1M follow-up. Approximately 80% of the participants in both mAPA groups were satisfied with the treatment outcomes and adhered to the suggested APA practice; however, participants in the self-guided group had higher duration and more frequency in APA use. The attrition rate was 16% at the 1M follow-up. No adverse effects of APA were reported, and participants found APA to be beneficial and the app to be valuable.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings indicate that participants effectively learned APA using a smartphone app, whether they were self-guided or received in-person training. They were able to self-administer APA to successfully manage their pain. Participants found APA to be valuable in their pain self-management and expressed satisfaction with the intervention using the app.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescent and Young Adult Retinoblastoma Survivors

Background: Retinoblastoma (RB) is a malignant intraocular tumor diagnosed in early childhood that requires extensive medical and surgical treatment at a young age. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is thought to be diminished due to visual impairment, facial deformities, and fear of recurrence or secondary cancer. However, few studies have identified variables associated with HRQOL among those with RB. Purpose: To compare HRQOL of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with RB to matched controls and to identify predictors of HRQOL in RB survivors. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 198 AYAs (101 RBs and 97 controls) completed HRQOL (PROMIS®-29 profile) and psychosocial questionnaires (Rosenberg self-esteem scale, multidimensional scale of perceived social support, and Hollingshead index for socioeconomic status). Clinical variables (age at diagnosis, visual acuity, laterality, heredity, treatment regime, and anesthesia exposure) were extracted from the medical record. Correlates of HRQOL were estimated using linear regression models. Results: RB survivors reported similar HRQOL compared to controls. Physical function (p < .001), social support (p = .013), and self-esteem (p = .028) were lower in the RB group compared to controls. Visual acuity and self-esteem accounted for 52% of the variance in PROMIS physical health summary scores and self-esteem accounted for 38% of the variance in mental health summary scores. Conclusion: Despite deficits in physical function and self-esteem HRQOL in RB survivors was comparable to healthy counterparts. However, the majority of RB survivors in this study had normal visual acuity. Clinicians should explore ways to enhance self-esteem in RB survivors.

Effectiveness of an immersive telemedicine platform for delivering diabetes medical group visits for African American/ Black and Hispanic/ Latina women with uncontrolled diabetes: The Women in Control 2.0 non-inferiority randomized clinical trial (Preprint)

BACKGROUND

Medically underserved people with type 2 diabetes mellitus face limited access to group-based diabetes care, placing them at risk for poor disease control and complications. Immersive technology and telemedicine solutions could bridge this gap.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of diabetes medical group visits (DMGVs) delivered in an immersive telemedicine platform versus an in-person (IP) setting and establish the noninferiority of the technology-enabled approach for changes in hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) and physical activity (measured in metabolic equivalent of task [MET]) at 6 months.

METHODS

This study is a noninferiority randomized controlled trial conducted from February 2017 to December 2019 at an urban safety net health system and community health center. We enrolled adult women (aged ≥18 years) who self-reported African American or Black race or Hispanic or Latina ethnicity and had type 2 diabetes mellitus and HbA_1c ≥8%. Participants attended 8 weekly DMGVs, which included diabetes self-management education, peer support, and clinician counseling using a culturally adapted curriculum in English or Spanish. In-person participants convened in clinical settings, while virtual world (VW) participants met remotely via an avatar-driven, 3D VW linked to video teleconferencing. Follow-up occurred 6 months post enrollment. Primary outcomes were mean changes in HbA_1c and physical activity at 6 months, with noninferiority margins of 0.7% and 12 MET-hours, respectively. Secondary outcomes included changes in diabetes distress and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Of 309 female participants (mean age 55, SD 10.6 years; n=195, 63% African American or Black; n=105, 34% Hispanic or Latina; n=151 IP; and n=158 in VW), 207 (67%) met per-protocol criteria. In the intention-to-treat analysis, we confirmed noninferiority for primary outcomes. We found similar improvements in mean HbA_1c by group at 6 months (IP: -0.8%, SD 1.9%; VW: -0.5%, SD 1.8%; mean difference 0.3, 97.5% CI -∞ to 0.3; P<.001). However, there were no detectable improvements in physical activity (IP: -6.5, SD 43.6; VW: -9.6, SD 44.8 MET-hours; mean difference -3.1, 97.5% CI -6.9 to ∞; P=.02). The proportion of participants with significant diabetes distress and depressive symptoms at 6 months decreased in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In this noninferiority randomized controlled trial, immersive telemedicine was a noninferior platform for delivering diabetes care, eliciting comparable glycemic control improvement, and enhancing patient engagement, compared to IP DMGVs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02726425; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02726425.

Symptoms of Survivors of Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant by Age, Sex, and Transplant Type

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe symptoms experienced by survivors of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), and demographic and treatment-factors associated with ongoing symptomology. Methods: Fifty pediatric survivors completed a cross-sectional pilot study. Questionnaires were administered online via REDCap to assess symptoms experienced in the last week. Survivors also consented to a medical record chart review. Results: Survivors were on average 5.4 years post-HSCT (range 1.1 to 9 years), male (58%), and Caucasian (80%) who received an allogeneic HSCT (92%). The most commonly reported symptoms were difficulty concentrating (42.5%), pain (38%), worry (38%), nervousness (37.5%), and lack of energy/fatigue (34%). Survivors reported up to 14 symptoms, with 90% of the sample experiencing at least one symptom in the previous week. Average number of symptoms varied by age group between 2.1 (8-9 years) and 6.8 (18 and older). Age and female gender were associated with higher levels of fatigue. Conclusions: The majority of survivors experienced at least one symptom in the previous week. Neuropsychological symptoms and pain endure well into survivorship that can influence outcomes such as function and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Research is needed on biological mechanisms of ongoing symptomology, effective interventions to prevent or mitigate symptoms, and the impact of symptoms on patient outcomes including daily functioning and HRQOL. Implications Survivors of pediatric HSCT continued to experience symptoms for up to nine years. Survivors should be frequently screened for symptoms, as symptoms may affect function, learning/employment outcomes, and HRQOL.

Exploring political diversity in relation to health and stress, among graduate students in the mental health field

ObjectiveExamine associations between political diversity, health, and stress in a student sample for whom examining political biases is necessary. Participants: Graduate students in mental health (N = 512) from July 2017 to June 2018. Methods: Participants completed an online survey of political views, health, and stress. Descriptive statistics reported sample characteristics; stepwise regressions tested whether political affiliation and perceived political majority/minority status predicted health and stress. Results: Students identified primarily as liberal, and perceived their counterparts as liberal. Liberal political identification generally predicted more stress and poorer health in several domains; however, those identifying as most politically conservative also reported relatively high stress. Conclusions: Liberal academic environments may relate to stress for those who identify as most politically conservative, while also not protecting liberals against broader sociopolitical stress and related health sequelae. Graduate students in mental health may benefit from increased curricular and supervisory focus on political diversity and related biases.

Preference Paths and Their Kaizen Tasks for Small Samples

BACKGROUND

Stated preference research currently lacks a form of evidence that is well suited for small samples. A preference path is a sequence of two or more choices showing the evolution of an object following an adaptive process.

OBJECTIVES

The aims were to introduce preference paths and their kaizen tasks and to demonstrate how to analyze their evidence using a small sample.

METHODS

Twenty respondents were assigned the same 16 profiles generated from an orthogonal array based on the five attributes of the EQ-5D-5L descriptive system. Each kaizen task began with an opt-out paired comparison (i.e., choosing between the initial 10-year profile and the opt-out "dying immediately"), followed by choosing three changes, and ended with a second paired comparison (final profile versus opt-out) if the respondent chose opt-out initially. By maximum likelihood with respondent clusters, we estimated the 20 main effects using conditional logit and Zermelo-Bradley-Terry (ZBT) specifications.

RESULTS

Apart from demonstrating heterogeneity and profile effects, all main effect estimates were non-negative, and most were significant (15 for logit and all 20 for ZBT; p value < 0.05). Under the logit and ZBT specifications, the value of the worst EQ-5D-5L profile (55555) is - 0.920 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) or - 1.478 QALYs, respectively. Furthermore, the findings illustrate a log-linear relationship between the logit and ZBT main effects.

CONCLUSION

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of a stated-preference study that estimates 20 main effects using path evidence from 20 respondents (16 kaizen tasks, 15-min interviews). This approach shows promise for future application in stated-preference research, particularly in small samples.

Evaluating Auricular Point Acupressure for Chronic Low Back Pain Self-Management Using Technology: A Feasibility Study

BACKGROUND

Chronic low back pain, one of the most common reasons for seeking healthcare services, causes significant negative impacts on individuals and society. Nonpharmacologic therapies and self-management are included in practice guidelines, but their implementation is challenging.

AIM

To assess the feasibility of using an auricular point acupressure (APA) mobile app as a self-guided tool to learn and self-administer APA to manage chronic low back pain (cLBP) and to compare cLBP outcomes between 2 groups (app vs app + telehealth).

DESIGN

A 2-phase study design was used. In phase 1, participants (app group, n = 18) had in-person study visits and installed the app to learn and self-administer APA to manage cLBP. In phase 2, all research activities occurred remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so a second group was recruited (app + telehealth, n = 19). The app + telehealth group underwent a virtual session, installed the app, and were provided the opportunity for questions and verification on the accuracy of the self-administered APA.

SETTING

The participants were recruited by distributing study flyers at outpatient clinics and referrals.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants with chronic low back pain were eliglbe for the study.

METHODS

Using a quasi-experimental design with a mixed methods approach, all participants were instructed to download the APA app, provided an APA kit (includes seeds embedded within pre-cut squares of adhesive tape), and advised to self-administer APA with guidance from the app for 4 weeks to manage their cLBP. Study outcomes were collected at the preintervention time point as well as postintervention and 1-month follow-up. Interviews were also conducted at the postintervention time point.

RESULTS

Of the 37 participants enrolled, six dropped out, and the attrition rate was 16%. Adherence to APA practice was high (85%-94%). After 4 weeks of APA treatment, participants in the app + telehealth group experienced a 29% decrease in pain intensity during the postintervention time point and a 35% reduction during the 1-month follow-up. Similar improvements were noted in pain interference (28%) and physical function (39%) for participants in the app + telehealth group at the 1-month follow-up. These changes are slightly higher compared with those in the app group (21% pain intensity reduction, 23% improved pain interferences, and 26% improved physical function) during the 1-month follow-up. Overall, APA was found to be feasible using the app and the qualitative findings showed acceptability of the intervention in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

It is feasible to learn and self-administer APA with an app, supplemented with either in-person or telehealth sessions, presenting a promising intervention toward cLBP self-management. Telehealth was found to boost this intervention effectively.

PROMIS Neuropathic and Nociceptive Pain Quality in Musculoskeletal Pain Presentations

OBJECTIVE

Musculoskeletal pain is a significant contributor to the global disease burden. Management of musculoskeletal pain where a neuropathic component is present can be challenging. This study evaluated the internal structure of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Information System (PROMIS) pain quality scales, explored the prevalence of neuropathic and nociceptive pain, and identified health demographics and behaviors related to musculoskeletal pain presentations.

METHODS

Patients presenting to the Victoria University Osteopathy Clinic (Melbourne, Vic., Australia) were invited to complete a health demographics and behaviors questionnaire, and the PROMIS Neuropathic (NeuroPQ) and Nociceptive (NociPQ) pain quality scales, before their initial consultation. Descriptive, inferential, and correlation statistics were used to evaluate the PROMIS scales, health demographics, and behaviors. Mokken scale analysis was used to evaluate the internal structure and dimensionality of the NeuroPQ and NociPQ scales.

RESULTS

Three hundred eighty-three (N=383) patients completed the measures. Mokken scaling suggested the PROMIS scales demonstrated acceptable internal structure and were unidimensional. Over 22% of patients demonstrated cutoff scores above 50, suggesting a substantive neuropathic pain component to their musculoskeletal presentation. Patients who reported cigarette smoking, not being born in Australia or not speaking English at home, demonstrated higher NeuroPQ scores. Females demonstrated significantly higher NociPQ scores than males. Pain intensity demonstrated small to medium correlations with NeuroPQ and NociPQ scores.

DISCUSSION

This study provides support for the use of the NeuroPQ and NociPQ scales in musculoskeletal pain patients. Associations with health demographics and behaviors were identified, and patients typically experienced a combination of neuropathic and nociceptive pain.

Harmonized Outcome Measures for Use in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patient Registries and Clinical Practice

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and globally, and many questions exist about treatment options. Harmonizing data across registries and other data collection efforts would yield a robust data infrastructure to help address many research questions. The purpose of this project was to develop a minimum set of patient and clinician relevant harmonized outcome measures that can be collected in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient registries and clinical practice.

METHODS

Seventeen lung cancer registries and related efforts were identified and invited to submit outcome measures. Representatives from medical specialty societies, government agencies, health systems, health information technology groups, patient advocacy organizations, and industry formed a stakeholder panel to categorize the measures and harmonize definitions using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's supported Outcome Measures Framework (OMF).

RESULTS

The panel reviewed 66 outcome measures and identified a minimum set of 8 broadly relevant measures in the OMF categories of patient survival, clinical response, events of interest, and resource utilization. The panel harmonized definitions for the 8 measures through in-person and virtual meetings. The panel did not reach consensus on 1 specific validated instrument for capturing patient-reported outcomes. The minimum set of harmonized outcome measures is broadly relevant to clinicians and patients and feasible to capture across NSCLC disease stages and treatment pathways. A pilot test of these measures would be useful to document the burden and value of the measures for research and in clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

By collecting the harmonized measures consistently, registries and other data collection systems could contribute to the development research infrastructure and learning health systems to support new research and improve patient outcomes.

Evidence on the relationship between PROMIS-29 and EQ-5D: a literature review

PURPOSE

EQ-5D and PROMIS-29 are both concise, generic measures of patient-reported outcomes accompanied by preference weights that allow the estimation of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Both instruments are candidates for use in economic evaluation. However, they have different features in terms of the domains selected to measure respondents' self-perceived health and the characteristics of (and methods used to obtain) the preference weights. It is important to understand the relationship between the instruments and the implications of choosing either for the evidence used in decision-making. This literature review aimed to synthesise existing evidence on the relationship between PROMIS-29 (and measures based on it, such as PROMIS-29+2) and EQ-5D (both EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L).

METHODS

A literature review was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science to identify studies investigating the relationship between PROMIS-29 and EQ-5D-based instruments.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 95 unique studies, of which nine studies met the inclusion criteria, i.e. compared both instruments. Six studies examined the relationship between PROMIS-29 and EQ-5D-5L. Three main types of relationship have been examined in the nine studies: (a) comparing PROMIS-29 and EQ-5D as descriptive systems; (b) mapping PROMIS-29 domains to EQ-5D utilities; and (c) comparing and transforming PROMIS-29 utilities to EQ-5D utilities.

CONCLUSION

This review has highlighted the lack of evidence regarding the relationship between PROMIS-29 and EQ-5D. The impact of choosing either instrument on the evidence used in cost-effectiveness analysis is currently unclear. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between the two instruments.

Outcomes after kidney transplantation, let's focus on the patients' perspectives

Graft function and patient survival are traditionally the most used parameters to assess the objective benefits of kidney transplantation. Monitoring graft function, along with therapeutic drug concentrations and transplant complications, comprises the essence of outpatient management in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). However, the patient's perspective is not always included in this process. Patients' perspectives on their health after kidney transplantation, albeit subjective, are increasingly acknowledged as valuable healthcare outcomes and should be considered in order to provide patient-centred healthcare. Such outcomes are known as patient-reported outcomes (PROs; e.g. health-related quality of life and symptom burden) and are captured using PRO measures (PROMs). So far, PROMs have not been routinely used in clinical care for KTRs. In this review we will introduce PROMs and their potential application and value in the field of kidney transplantation, describe commonly used PROMs in KTRs and discuss structural PROMs implementation into kidney transplantation care.

Understanding the Relationship between Mood Symptoms and Mobile App Engagement Among Breast Cancer Patients: A Machine Learning Process (Preprint)

Background

Health interventions delivered via smart devices are increasingly being used to address mental health challenges associated with cancer treatment. Engagement with mobile interventions has been associated with treatment success; however, the relationship between mood and engagement among patients with cancer remains poorly understood. A reason for this is the lack of a data-driven process for analyzing mood and app engagement data for patients with cancer.

Objective

This study aimed to provide a step-by-step process for using app engagement metrics to predict continuously assessed mood outcomes in patients with breast cancer.

Methods

We described the steps involved in data preprocessing, feature extraction, and data modeling and prediction. We applied this process as a case study to data collected from patients with breast cancer who engaged with a mobile mental health app intervention (IntelliCare) over 7 weeks. We compared engagement patterns over time (eg, frequency and days of use) between participants with high and low anxiety and between participants with high and low depression. We then used a linear mixed model to identify significant effects and evaluate the performance of the random forest and XGBoost classifiers in predicting weekly mood from baseline affect and engagement features.

Results

We observed differences in engagement patterns between the participants with high and low levels of anxiety and depression. The linear mixed model results varied by the feature set; these results revealed weak effects for several features of engagement, including duration-based metrics and frequency. The accuracy of predicting depressed mood varied according to the feature set and classifier. The feature set containing survey features and overall app engagement features achieved the best performance (accuracy: 84.6%; precision: 82.5%; recall: 64.4%; F1 score: 67.8%) when used with a random forest classifier.

Conclusions

The results from the case study support the feasibility and potential of our analytic process for understanding the relationship between app engagement and mood outcomes in patients with breast cancer. The ability to leverage both self-report and engagement features to analyze and predict mood during an intervention could be used to enhance decision-making for researchers and clinicians and assist in developing more personalized interventions for patients with breast cancer.

Sleep Valuation Is Associated with Components of Sleep Health and Daytime Functioning in a College Sample: A Survey Study

Sleep valuation, the worth individuals place on sleep, is an understudied construct in the field of sleep medicine. This study introduced a Sleep Valuation Item Bank and explored how sleep valuation is related to sleep health and daytime functioning within a sample of college students. The participants in this study were 247 (85% white, 83% female) undergraduate students who completed an online survey that included questions from a Sleep Valuation Item Bank and questions about sleep and daytime functioning. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between sleep valuation, aspects of sleep health and daytime functioning. Mediation analyses were conducted to determine whether the sleep health variables explained the associations between sleep valuation and daytime functioning. In correlation analyses, sleep valuation was negatively associated with sleepiness and sleep quality. It was also associated with daytime functioning, including general mental and physical health, depression, and anxiety. In the regression analyses, daytime impairments including poorer physical and mental health, anxiety, and depression were associated with higher sleep valuation. Poorer sleep health, including greater sleepiness and lower sleep quality, explained these associations and were associated with higher sleep valuation. Thus, while daytime impairments, such as anxiety and depression, are related to sleep valuation, this relationship may be due in part to the sleep disturbance that often co-occurs with these impairments.

Brief Self-Compassion Training Alters Neural Responses to Evoked Pain for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE

Self-compassion meditation, which involves compassion toward the self in moments of suffering, shows promise for improving pain-related functioning, but its underlying mechanisms are unknown. This longitudinal, exploratory pilot study investigated the effects of a brief (eight contact hours, two weeks of home practice) self-compassion training on pain-related brain processing in chronic low back pain (cLBP).

METHODS

We evaluated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) response to evoked pressure pain and its anticipation during a self-compassionate state and compared altered brain responses following training with changes on self-reported measures of self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale [SCS]), interoceptive awareness (Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness [MAIA]), and clinical pain intensity.

RESULTS

In a sample of participants with cLBP (N = 20 total, N = 14 with complete longitudinal data) who underwent self-compassion training, we observed reduced clinical pain intensity and disability (P < 0.01) and increased trait self-compassion and interoceptive awareness (all P < 0.05) following training. Evoked pressure pain response in the right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) was reduced following training, and decreases were associated with reduced clinical pain intensity. Further, increased fMRI responses to pain anticipation were observed in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and ventral posterior cingulate cortex (vPCC), and these increases were associated with mean post-training changes in SCS scores and scores from the body listening subscale of the MAIA.

DISCUSSION

These findings, though exploratory and lacking comparison with a control condition, suggest that self-compassion training supports regulation of pain through the involvement of self-referential (vPCC), salience-processing (TPJ), and emotion regulatory (dlPFC) brain areas. The results also suggest that self-compassion could be an important target in the psychotherapeutic treatment of cLBP, although further studies using controlled experimental designs are needed to determine the specificity of these effects.

Dimensions Used in Instruments for QALY Calculation: A Systematic Review

Economic assessment is of utmost importance in the healthcare decision-making process. The quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) concept provides a rare opportunity to combine two crucial aspects of health, i.e., mortality and morbidity, into a single index to perform cost-utility comparison. Today, many tools are available to measure morbidity in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and a large literature describes how to use them. Knowing their characteristics and development process is a key point for elaborating, adapting, or selecting the most well-suited instrument for further needs. In this aim, we conducted a systematic review on instruments used for QALY calculation, and 46 studies were selected after searches in four databases: Medline EBSCO, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. The search procedure was done to identify all relevant publications up to 18 June 2020. We mainly focused on the type of instrument developed (i.e., generic or specific), the number and the nature of dimensions and levels used, the elicitation method and the model selected to determine utility scores, and the instrument and algorithm validation methods. Results show that studies dealing with the development of specific instruments were mostly motivated by the inappropriateness of generic instruments in their field. For the dimensions' and levels' selection, item response theory, Rasch analysis, and literature review were mostly used. Dimensions and levels were validated by methods like the Loevinger H, the standardised response mean, or discussions with experts in the field. The time trade-off method was the most widely used elicitation method, followed by the visual analogue scale. Random effects regression models were frequently used in determining utility scores.

United States COVID-19 Vaccination Preferences (CVP): 2020 Hindsight

Background

Shortly after the 2020 US election, initial evidence on first-generation COVID-19 vaccines showed 70–95% efficacy and minimal risks. Yet, many US adults expressed reluctance.

Aims

The aim of this study was to compare persons willing and unwilling to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to estimate the effects of vaccination attributes on uptake: proof of vaccination, vaccination setting, effectiveness, duration of immunity, and risk of severe side effects.

Method

Between 9 and 11 November 2020, 1153 US adults completed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) on Phase 2 of the CDC Vaccination Program (August 2021). Each of its eight choice tasks had three vaccination alternatives and “no vaccination for 6 months.” An opt-out inflated logit model was estimated to test for respondent differences and attribute effects.

Results

Respondent demographics were unrelated to one’s willingness to be vaccinated (p value 0.533), but those with less education were more likely to be unwilling (p < 0.001). Among those willing, uptake ranged from 61.70 to 97.75%, depending on the vaccination attributes. Effectiveness and safety had the largest effects. Offering proof of vaccination and a choice of setting increased uptake as much as increasing immunity from 3 to 6 months.

Conclusions

To maximize uptake, the CDC Program should standardize proof of vaccination and offer a choice of setting, instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. If the first-generation vaccines are efficacious, widely available, and free, overall predicted uptake is 68.81% by the end of Phase 2 (August 2021), which is well below the 75–90% needed for herd immunity. Further health preference research is necessary to uncover and address unwillingness and reluctance to vaccinate against COVID-19.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40271-021-00508-0.