Potential determinants of unfavourable healthcare utilisation trajectories during the last year of life of people with incident Alzheimer Disease or Related Syndromes: a nationwide cohort study using administrative data

Social Determinants of Quality of Life in the Last Year of Life Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Multimorbidity

Quality of life (QOL) at the end of life often declines in relation to various determinants, yet the role of social determinants, including social capital, in end-of-life care is frequently overlooked. This study aims to examine the association between social determinants and QOL in the last year of life and to test the mediating role of social capital in the relationship between social determinants and QOL among older adults with multimorbidity (MM). We used secondary data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) in Rounds 10 and 11, involving 3,085 adults aged 65 and older. The final analysis comprised 230 participants. Multiple linear regression was conducted to assess the associations between social determinants and QOL, and path analysis was used to evaluate the mediating effect of social capital. The regression model showed that social capital was positively and significantly associated with QOL (β = 0.378, 95% CI [0.099, 0.657], SE = 0.139), as were mental conditions (β = 0.614, 95% CI [0.167, 1.062], SE = 0.194). The mediation analysis demonstrated that social capital functioned as a complementary mediator, partially mediating the relationship between mental conditions and QOL in the last year of life. These findings underscore the potential role of social capital in enhancing QOL at the end of life, particularly through its influence on mental health. The study highlights the need for healthcare practices and policies that promote social support systems and community-based care for older adults with MM. By addressing social capital, end-of-life care could be improved, resulting in better overall well-being for individuals facing the last stages of life.

Inequalities in the Quality and Safety of Post-Diagnostic Primary Care for People With Dementia: A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION

International guidelines make recommendations for the delivery of safe, high-quality primary care for people with dementia including prescribing, personalised care planning and regular holistic reviews. It is unclear how the quality and safety of this healthcare varies with socio-economic factors.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review aimed to understand the depth and breadth of existing evidence exploring socio-economic variation in the quality and safety of primary care for people with dementia.

METHODS

Prescribing and care planning indicators of high-quality, safe primary care were defined from guidance. Composite and proxy markers of socio-economic status (SES) were defined. EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsychInfo, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, worldcat.org and clinicaltrial.gov databases were searched. Studies in English, on human participants from 2006 onwards were eligible. Narrative synthesis was conducted. Studies explored how one or more selected indicators (anti-dementia medication and anti-psychotic prescribing, potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP), medication review, dementia review or care planning) varied with a recognised marker of SES in people with dementia.

RESULTS

Searches identified 1980 studies after removing duplicates. 385 full texts were reviewed, with 53 eligible for inclusion (51 quantitative, 2 reviews). Most identified studies explored prescribing processes (50 quantitative, 2 reviews), with 2 exploring annual review. There was evidence of substantial disparity in quality and safety indicators in studies exploring prescribing; 20/29 (69%) of studies exploring anti-dementia medication prescribing found those with markers of lower SES were significantly less likely to receive these. 16/28 studies exploring PIP/Anti-psychotics found significant disparities in safe prescribing for those with markers of lower SES. Neither study exploring annual reviews found any significant differences across SES.

CONCLUSION

We found evidence of disparity in the quality and safety of post-diagnostic primary care for people with dementia based on SES, particularly for a range of prescribing indicators. Further work exploring inequalities in care planning and reviews for people with dementia is needed to understand existing inequalities in the quality and safety of primary care for people with dementia.

Hospital care trajectories of older adults with cancer and the associated clinical profiles

BACKGROUND

The longitudinal hospital care experiences of older adults with cancer, from the treatment decision-making process until their end of life, remain unexplored. We examined the hospital care trajectories of these patients and identified associated clinical determinants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We linked the ELCAPA multicenter cohort study (patients aged ≥70 with a solid tumor and having been referred for a geriatric assessment between 2012 and 2019) and the Greater Paris University Hospitals' clinical data warehouse. Individual care trajectories, defined as series of consultations, hospital admissions (in day, acute, or rehabilitation units), and emergency room (ER) visits, were clustered using multichannel sequence analysis. Cluster membership determinants were identified among socio-demographic, oncological, and geriatric parameters by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Seven hundred seven patients (median age: 82; metastatic cancer: 45.2%; 10 998 care episodes) were included. Four trajectory clusters were identified: cluster A (n = 149, 21.1%) with in-hospital surgical trajectories, cluster B (n = 198, 28.0%) with outpatient care trajectories with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, cluster C (n = 302, 42.7%) without any hospital cancer treatments, and cluster D (n = 58, 8.2%) with mostly chemotherapy and high hospital care consumption. Cluster belonging determinants included metastatic status and cancer site (for cluster A); cognition, mobility, and mood status (unimpaired parameters for cluster B and impaired for cluster C); and younger age (for cluster D).

CONCLUSIONS

While highlighting varied hospital care experiences among older patients with cancer, we found that age remains an independent determinant of chemotherapy-dominant care trajectories.

Impact of modifications to antidementia drug reimbursement in France: Analysis of the FRA-DEM cohort

AIMS

Alzheimer's disease and related diseases (ADRD) is a progressive and inexorable disease. In France, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine were reimbursed for subjects with ADRD, until 2 modifications of their reimbursement rate (2012, 2018). We aimed to study the consequences of these measures on ADRD subjects' healthcare use.

METHODS

We analysed data from the FRA-DEM cohort, including subjects with presumed incident ADRD identified since 2011 in the French health insurance system. We studied the healthcare use of subjects identified with incident ADRD in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019, notably the annual number of defined daily doses of various psychotropic groups. We performed 2 multivariate multinomial logistic regressions with the subcohort year as the dependent variable.

RESULTS

In total, 165 120 subjects were included. A progressive decrease in exposure to antidementia drugs was observed between 2011 and 2019. Consultations with private neurologists or psychiatrists, and exposure to risperidone, antidepressants and benzodiazepines increased in the 2019 subcohort, following the 2018 reimbursement withdrawal. Meanwhile, the use of nursing/allied healthcare and emergency care increased over the subcohort years, whereas we observed a decrease in general practitioner consultations.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest increases in private neurologist or psychiatrist consultations and exposure to recommended drugs after the reimbursement withdrawal, contrary to the fears expressed. However, antidementia drug exposure decreased long before the reimbursement modifications, probably due to the growing evidence of the modest effect of these drugs, and exposure to benzodiazepines increased after the reimbursement withdrawal.

Which factors preceding dementia identification impact future healthcare use trajectories: multilevel analyses in administrative data

BACKGROUND

Healthcare use patterns preceding a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Diseases (ADRD) may be associated with the quality of healthcare use trajectories (HUTs) after diagnosis. We aimed to identify determinants of future favorable HUTs, notably healthcare use preceding ADRD identification.

METHODS

This nationwide retrospective observational study was conducted on subjects with incident ADRD identified in 2012 in the French health insurance database. We studied the 12-month healthcare use ranging between 18 and 6 months preceding ADRD identification. The five-year HUTs after ADRD identification were qualified by experts as favorable or not. In order to take into account geographical differences in healthcare supply, we performed mixed random effects multilevel multivariable logistic regression model to identify determinants of future favorable HUTs. Analyses were stratified by age group (65-74, 75-84, ≥ 85).

RESULTS

Being a woman, and preventive and specialist care preceding ADRD identification increased the probability of future favorable HUT, whereas institutionalization, comorbidities, medical transportation and no reimbursed drug during [-18;-6] months decreased it. Besides, some specificities appeared according to age groups. Among the 65-74 years subjects, anxiolytic dispensing preceding ADRD identification decreased the probability of future favorable HUT. In the 75-84 years group, unplanned hospitalization and emergency room visit preceding ADRD identification decreased this probability. Among subjects aged 85 and older, short hospitalization preceding ADRD identification increased the probability of future favorable HUTs.

CONCLUSION

Regular healthcare use with preventive and specialist care preceding ADRD identification increased the probability of future favorable HUTs whereas dependency decreased it.

Prevalence of Chronic Pain Among People with Dementia: A Nationwide Study Using French Administrative Data

OBJECTIVE

Alzheimer's disease or Related Dementia (ADRD) is known to disturb pain perception and reduce the ability to report it, resulting in underestimation by practitioners and sub-optimal medical management. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of all types of CP among people with ADRD.

DESIGN

Nationwide cross-sectional study.

SETTINGS

French community-dwelling and nursing home residents.

PARTICIPANTS

People with ADRD, >40 years old, treated with cholinesterase inhibitors or memantine, or with a diagnosis/long-term illness of ADRD and matched with a comparison sample.

SETTINGS

French community-dwelling and nursing home residents.

PARTICIPANTS

People with ADRD, >40 years old, treated with cognitive stimulants (cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine) or with a diagnosis/long-term illness of ADRD and matched with a comparison sample (non-ADRD).

MEASUREMENTS

The capture-recapture method was performed to provide estimates of the prevalence of CP. People treated with analgesic drugs for ≥6 months consecutively or with a medical diagnosis of CP (ICD-10 codes) or referred to a pain center were considered as having CP.

RESULTS

A total of 48,288 individuals were included, of which 16,096 had ADRD and 32,192 without ADRD. The estimated prevalence of CP in people with ADRD was from 57.7% [52.9;63.3] to 57.9%[53.0;63.9], and slightly higher than the non-ADRD sample (from 49.9%[47.0;53.2] to 50.4%[47.3;53.9], p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of CP among people living with ADRD was at least the same as or better than individuals without ADRD. This result should alert practitioners' attention to the need for effective pain assessment and management in this population who has difficulties to express and feel pain.

Chronic pain is a risk factor for incident Alzheimer's disease: a nationwide propensity-matched cohort using administrative data

Introduction

Chronic pain (CP) is one of the most disabling conditions in the elderly and seems to be a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Only one study, using national administrative health databases, assessed and demonstrated that chronic pain (all types of pain) was a risk factor for dementia, but without assessing the impact of pain medications.

Method

To assess the impact of all types of chronic pain and the long-term use of pain medications on the person-years incidence of ADRD, a retrospective nationwide healthcare administrative data study was performed using the national inter-regime health insurance information system (SNIIRAM) to the French national health data system (SNDS). Incident people >50 years old with chronic pain, defined by at least 6-months duration analgesics treatment or by a diagnosis/long-term illness of chronic pain between 2006 and 2010, were included. Chronic pain individuals were matched with non-CP individuals by a propensity score. Individuals were followed up from 9 to 13 years to identify occurrences of ADRD from 2006.

Results

Among 64,496 French individuals, the incidence of ADRD was higher in the chronic pain population than control (1.13% vs. 0.95%, p <0.001). Chronic pain increases the risk of ADRD (HR = 1.23) and the incidence of ADRD was higher for women and increased significantly with age.

Discussion

Our study highlights the importance of prevention, diagnosis, and management of chronic pain in elderly to reduce the risk of development and/or worsening of dementia.

Pain management for people with dementia: a cross-setting systematic review and meta-ethnography

Background

Pain management for people with dementia is challenging. There is limited understanding on the experiences of pain management from people with dementia, but also from those who support them. This study synthesised the qualitative evidence to explore the perspectives of people with dementia, their family, friends, carers and healthcare professionals to pain management.

Methods

A systematic literature review was undertaken of published and unpublished literature databases (to 01 November 2021). All qualitative research studies reporting the perspectives of people with dementia, their family, friends, carers and healthcare professionals to managing pain were included. Eligible studies were appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) qualitative appraisal tool. A meta-ethnography analysis approach was adopted, with findings assessed against the GRADE-CERQual framework.

Results

Of the 3994 citations screened, 33 studies were eligible. Seven themes were identified from the data. There was moderate evidence from six studies indicating inequity of pain management for people with dementia. There was moderate evidence from 22 studies regarding anxieties on cascading pain information. There was moderate evidence from nine studies that familiarisation of the person with pain, their preferences, routines and behaviours were key factors to better pain management. Consistently, carers and healthcare professionals had a low opinion of the management of pain for people with dementia, with tensions over the 'best' treatment options to offer. This was associated with poor training and understanding on how pain 'should' be managed.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the challenges faced by people with dementia and pain, and those who support them. Improvements in education for people who support these individuals would be valuable across health and social care pathways. Supporting family members and relatives on pain experiences and treatment options could improve awareness to improve quality of life for people with dementia and pain and those who support them.