AcademyHealth 25th Annual Research Meeting chair address: From a science of recommendation to a science of implementation

Assessing the Individual, Neighborhood, and Policy Predictors of Disparities in Mental Health Care

This study assesses individual- and area-level predictors of racial/ethnic disparities in mental health care episodes for adults with psychiatric illness. Multilevel regression models are estimated using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys linked to area-level data sets. Compared with Whites, Blacks and Latinos live in neighborhoods with higher minority density, lower average education, and greater specialist mental health provider density, all of which predict lesser mental health care initiation. Neighborhood-level variables do not have differential effects on mental health care by race/ethnicity. Racial/ethnic disparities arise because minorities are more likely to live in neighborhoods where treatment initiation is low, rather than because of a differential influence of neighborhood disadvantage on treatment initiation for minorities compared with Whites. Low rates of initiation in neighborhoods with a high density of specialists suggest that interventions to increase mental health care specialists, without a focus on treating racial/ethnic minorities, may not reduce access disparities.

Translating disparities research to policy: a qualitative study of state mental health policymakers' perceptions of mental health care disparities report cards

Report cards have been used to increase accountability and quality of care in health care settings, and to improve state infrastructure for providing quality mental health care services. However, to date, report cards have not been used to compare states on racial/ethnic disparities in mental health care. This qualitative study examines reactions of mental health care policymakers to a proposed mental health care disparities report card generated from population-based survey data of mental health and mental health care utilization. We elicited feedback about the content, format, and salience of the report card. Interviews were conducted with 9 senior advisors to state policymakers and 1 policy director of a national nongovernmental organization from across the United States. Four primary themes emerged: fairness in state-by-state comparisons; disconnect between the goals and language of policymakers and researchers; concerns about data quality; and targeted suggestions from policymakers. Participant responses provide important information that can contribute to making evidence-based research more accessible to policymakers. Further, policymakers suggested ways to improve the structure and presentation of report cards to make them more accessible to policymakers, and to foster equity considerations during the implementation of new health care legislation. To reduce mental health care disparities, effort is required to facilitate understanding between researchers and relevant stakeholders about research methods, standards for interpretation of research-based evidence, and its use in evaluating policies aimed at ameliorating disparities.

Implementation and evaluation of an incentivized Internet-mediated walking program for obese adults

In response to rising health care costs associated with obesity rates, some health care insurers are adopting incentivized technology-enhanced wellness programs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the large-scale implementation of an incentivized Internet-mediated walking program for obese adults and to examine program acceptance, adherence, and impact. A mixed-methods evaluation was conducted to investigate program implementation, acceptance, and adherence rates, and physical activity rates among program participants. Program implementation was shaped by national and state policies, data security concerns, and challenges related to incentivizing participation. Among 15,397 eligible individuals, 6,548 (43 %) elected to participate in the walking program, achieving an average of 6,523 steps/day (SD 2,610 steps). Participants who uploaded step counts for 75 % of days for a full year (n = 2,885) achieved an average of 7,500 steps (SD 3,093). Acceptance and participation rates in this incentivized Internet-mediated walking program suggest that such interventions hold promise for engaging obese adults in physical activity.

Racial/ethnic disparity trends in children's mental health care access and expenditures from 2002 to 2007

OBJECTIVE

To examine trends in disparities in children's mental health care.

DATA

2002-2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

STUDY DESIGN

We used the Institute of Medicine (IOM) definition of health care disparities and estimated two-part expenditure models to examine disparity trends in any mental health care use, any outpatient care, and psychotropic drug use, as well as expenditures in these three categories, conditional on use. We used 2-year longitudinal panel data to determine disparities in care initiation among children with unmet need.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Assessing trends over time between 2002 and 2007, we identified that disparities persist for blacks and Latinos in receipt of any mental health care, any outpatient care, and any psychotropic drug use. Among those with positive mental health care expenditures, Latino-white disparities in overall mental health care expenditures increased over time. Among children with unmet need, significant disparities in initiation of an episode of mental health care were found, with whites approximately twice as likely as blacks and Latinos to initiate care.

CONCLUSIONS

Disparities in children's mental health care use are persistent and driven by disparities in initiation, suggesting policies to improve detection or increase initial access to care may be critical to reducing disparities.

Addressing methodological challenges in implementing the nursing home pain management algorithm randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Unrelieved pain among nursing home (NH) residents is a well-documented problem. Attempts have been made to enhance pain management for older adults, including those in NHs. Several evidence-based clinical guidelines have been published to assist providers in assessing and managing acute and chronic pain in older adults. Despite the proliferation and dissemination of these practice guidelines, research has shown that intensive systems-level implementation strategies are necessary to change clinical practice and patient outcomes within a health-care setting. One promising approach is the embedding of guidelines into explicit protocols and algorithms to enhance decision making.

PURPOSE

The goal of the article is to describe several issues that arose in the design and conduct of a study that compared the effectiveness of pain management algorithms coupled with a comprehensive adoption program versus the effectiveness of education alone in improving evidence-based pain assessment and management practices, decreasing pain and depressive symptoms, and enhancing mobility among NH residents.

METHODS

The study used a cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) design in which the individual NH was the unit of randomization. The Roger's Diffusion of Innovations theory provided the framework for the intervention. Outcome measures were surrogate-reported usual pain, self-reported usual and worst pain, and self-reported pain-related interference with activities, depression, and mobility.

RESULTS

The final sample consisted of 485 NH residents from 27 NHs. The investigators were able to use a staggered enrollment strategy to recruit and retain facilities. The adaptive randomization procedures were successful in balancing intervention and control sites on key NH characteristics. Several strategies were successfully implemented to enhance the adoption of the algorithm. LIMITATIONS/LESSONS: The investigators encountered several methodological challenges that were inherent to both the design and implementation of the study. The most problematic issue concerned the measurement of outcomes in persons with moderate to severe cognitive impairment. It was difficult to identify valid, reliable, and sensitive outcome measures that could be applied to all NH residents regardless of the ability to self-report. Another challenge was the inability to incorporate advances in implementation science into the ongoing study

CONCLUSIONS

Methodological challenges are inevitable in the conduct of an RCT. The need to optimize internal validity by adhering to the study protocol is compromised by the emergent logistical issues that arise during the course of the study.

SWISSspine-a nationwide health technology assessment registry for balloon kyphoplasty: methodology and first results

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health demanded a nationwide health technology assessment registry for cervical and lumbar total disc arthroplasty and for balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) to make a decision about reimbursement of these interventions.

PURPOSE

The goal of the SWISSspine registry is to generate evidence about the safety and effectiveness of these technologies. We report on results of patients with balloon kyphoplasty.

STUDY DESIGN/SETTING

Prospective, multicenter, observational case series.

PATIENT SAMPLE

From March 2005 until June 2008, 331 interventions with 391 treated levels in 320 patients have been documented. 75.6% of patients were females with mean age of 74 years (range 43-95.2 years); mean age of males was 72.6 years (range 41.4-93 years).

OUTCOME MEASURES

Surgeon-administered outcome instruments were primary intervention form for BKP, implant, and follow-up form; patient self-reported measures were Euroqol-5D, North American Spine Society, and a comorbidity questionnaire.

METHODS

Data were recorded perioperative, at 3 months, 1 year, and annually thereafter. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparison of preoperative to postoperative measurements. Multivariate regression was used for identifying factors with a significant influence on the outcome.

RESULTS

Significant and clinically relevant reduction of back pain, improvement of quality of life (QoL), and reduction of pain killer consumption were seen in the 1-year follow-up. Improvement of preoperative segmental kyphosis was achieved in the majority of cases. There were three symptomatic cement extrusions with radiculopathy documented.

CONCLUSIONS

Balloon kyphoplasty is a safe and effective treatment concerning pain reduction, QoL improvement, and pain killer consumption. The SWISSspine registry proved to be an excellent tool for evaluation of this new technology, and its results, in combination with an elaborate health technology assessment report, led to a permanent coverage of BKP by the basic health insurance.

COPD performance measures: missing opportunities for improving care

During the last decade, mounting evidence worldwide has heightened awareness that patients with diverse health conditions commonly do not receive recommended care despite the proliferation of clinical practice guidelines. This is a particular problem for patients with COPD, who only receive recommended care during 30% to 55% of encounters with providers. Considering that COPD is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, failure to implement guideline-directed care represents a major concern for respiratory professional societies. For other health conditions, inadequacies of care have stimulated public and private agencies to increase provider accountability by linking the results of performance measures to various quality-improvement interventions. Despite limited evidence that these interventions improve care, widespread adoption of value-based reimbursement has occurred in the United States and United Kingdom, and the prominence of these strategies in health-care reform suggest future growth and the likely proliferation of the performance measures upon which they are based. Of note, relatively few performance measures exist for COPD as compared with other conditions that have less impact on global health. The lack of COPD measures diminishes public awareness of COPD, allows diversion of quality improvement resources toward other conditions with existing measures, and negatively impacts COPD care. Respiratory professional societies can play an important role in stimulating the development of valid COPD measures derived from COPD practice guidelines and coordinate future measures to avoid burdensome reporting requirements for physicians if COPD measures are developed by competing payers and agencies in a fragmented or non-patient-centered manner.

A translational research approach to poor treatment response in patients with schizophrenia: clozapine-antipsychotic polypharmacy

Poor treatment response in patients with schizophrenia is an important clinical problem, and one possible strategy is concurrent treatment with more than one antipsychotic (polypharmacy). We analyzed the evidence base for this strategy using a translational research model focused on clozapine-antipsychotic polypharmacy (CAP). We considered 3 aspects of the existing knowledge base and translational research: the link between basic science and clinical studies of efficacy, the evidence for effectiveness in clinical research and the implications of research for the health care delivery system. Although a rationale for CAP can be developed from receptor pharmacology, there is little available preclinical research testing these concepts in animal models. Randomized clinical trials of CAP show minimal or no benefit for overall severity of symptoms. Most studies at the level of health services are limited to estimates of CAP prevalence and some suggestion of increased costs. Increasing use of antipsychotic polypharmacy in general may be a factor contributing to the under-utilization of clozapine and long delays in initiating clozapine monotherapy. Translational research models can be applied to clinical questions such as the value of CAP. Better linkage between the components of translational research may improve the appropriate use of medications such as clozapine in psychiatric practice.