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Wan S, Powers JD, Kutner JS, Fischer SM, Knoepke CE, Portz JD. Association Between Patient Portal Activities and End-of-Life Outcomes Among Deceased Patients in the Last 12 Months of Life. J Palliat Med 2024. [PMID: 38904086 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the association between portal use and end-of-life (EOL) outcomes in the last year of life. Methods: A retrospective cohort (n = 6,517) study at Kaiser Permanente Colorado among adults with serious illness deceased between January 1, 2016, and June 30, 2019. Portal use was categorized into engagement types: no use, nonactive, active without a provider, and active with a provider. EOL outcomes were hospitalizations in the month before death, last-year advance directive completion, and hospice use. Association between EOL outcomes and levels of portal use was assessed using χ2 statistics and generalized linear models. Results: Higher portal engagement types were associated with higher rates of hospitalizations (p = 0.0492), advance directive completion (p = 0.0226), and hospice use (p = 0.0070). Conclusion: Portal use in the last year of life was associated with increases in a poor EOL outcome, hospitalizations, and beneficial EOL outcomes, advance directives, and hospice care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaowei Wan
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - J David Powers
- Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jean S Kutner
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Stacy M Fischer
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Christopher E Knoepke
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jennifer Dickman Portz
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Yourman L, Pollner A, Khatibi J, Ramos V, Melkote V, O'Gorman A, Begler E, Lum HD. Feasibility and Effectiveness of Virtual Group Advance Care Planning Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2024:10499091241233687. [PMID: 38896819 DOI: 10.1177/10499091241233687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the transition from in person to virtual advance care planning (ACP) engagement efforts. This pilot initiative evaluated virtual group visits (GVs) and in-person GVs for ACP to determine their feasibility and effectiveness. METHODS Participants included patients in a Geriatric Medicine clinic who were referred by their primary care physician to an ACP GVs intervention. The ACP GVs had 2 sessions, led by clinicians with ACP expertise who facilitated a discussion on patients' values, goals, and preferences. Participants were provided with technical assistance to support use of the virtual platform. Evaluation included an ACP readiness survey, post-session feedback, GV observations, and electronic health record review at baseline and a 6 month follow-up for goals of care documentation and advance directives. RESULTS Seventy patients attended 46 ACP GVs from August 2019 to February 2022, including 16 in-person GVs and 54 virtual GVs. At a 6 month follow-up, for virtual GVs participants (n = 54), goals of care documentation increased from 31% to 93%, and advance directives increased from 22% to 30%. For in-person GVs participants (n = 16), goals of care documentation increased from 25% to 100%, and advance directives increased from 69% to 75%. All surveyed patients in both formats would recommend ACP GVs. CONCLUSION ACP GVs are feasible and effective for supporting ACP, demonstrating an increase in both goals of care conversations and advance directives completion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Yourman
- Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Vanessa Ramos
- Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Erika Begler
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Hillary D Lum
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
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3
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Yeh PC, Yeh KW, Huang JL. Security Risk Assessment for Patient Portals of Hospitals: A Case Study of Taiwan. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2024; 17:1647-1656. [PMID: 38910900 PMCID: PMC11193402 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s463408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Growing cyberattacks have made it more challenging to maintain healthcare information system (HIS) security in medical institutes, especially for hospitals that provide patient portals to access patient information, such as electronic health record (EHR). Objective This work aims to evaluate the patient portal security risk of Taiwan's EEC (EMR Exchange Center) member hospitals and analyze the association between patient portal security, hospital location, contract category and hospital type. Methods We first collected the basic information of EEC member hospitals, including hospital location, contract category and hospital type. Then, the patient portal security of individual hospitals was evaluated by a well-known vulnerability scanner, UPGUARD, to assess website if vulnerable to high-level attacks such as denial of service attacks or ransomware attacks. Based on their UPSCAN scores, hospitals were classified into four security ratings: absolute low risk, low to medium risk, medium to high risk and high risk. Finally, the associations between security rating, contract category and hospital type were analyzed using chi-square tests. Results We surveyed a total of 373 EEC member hospitals. Among them, 20 hospital patient portals were rated as "absolute low risk", 104 hospital patient portals as "low to medium risk", 99 hospital patient portals as "medium to high risk" and 150 hospital patient portals as "high risk". Further investigation revealed that the patient portal security of EEC member hospitals was significantly associated with the contract category and hospital type (P<0.001). Conclusion The analysis results showed that large-scale hospitals generally had higher security levels, implying that the security of low-tier and small-scale hospitals may warrant reinforcement or strengthening. We suggest that hospitals should pay attention to the security risk assessment of their patient portals to preserve patient information privacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Cheng Yeh
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Division of Endodontics, Department of Stomatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Kuen-Wei Yeh
- Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice, New Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Information, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Jiun-Lang Huang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Graduate Institute of Electronics Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
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Aldis R, Rosenfeld LC, Mulvaney-Day N, Lanca M, Zona K, Lam JA, Asfour J, Meltzer JC, Leff HS, Fulwiler C, Wang P, Progovac AM. Determinants of remote measurement-based care uptake in a safety net outpatient psychiatry department as part of learning health system transition. Learn Health Syst 2024; 8:e10416. [PMID: 38883875 PMCID: PMC11176570 DOI: 10.1002/lrh2.10416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Behavioral measurement-based care (MBC) can improve patient outcomes and has also been advanced as a critical learning health system (LHS) tool for identifying and mitigating potential disparities in mental health treatment. However, little is known about the uptake of remote behavioral MBC in safety net settings, or possible disparities occurring in remote MBC implementation. Methods This study uses electronic health record data to study variation in completion rates at the clinic and patient level of a remote MBC symptom measure tool during the first 6 months of implementation at three adult outpatient psychiatry clinics in a safety net health system. Provider-reported barriers to MBC adoption were also measured using repeated surveys at one of the three sites. Results Out of 1219 patients who were sent an MBC measure request, uptake of completing at least one measure varied by clinic: General Adult Clinic, 38% (n = 262 of 696); Substance Use Clinic, 28% (n = 73 of 265); and Transitions Clinic, 17% (n = 44 of 258). Compared with White patients, Black and Portuguese or Brazilian patients had lower uptake. Older patients also had lower uptake. Spanish language of care was associated with much lower uptake at the patient level. Significant patient-level disparities in uptake persisted after adjusting for the clinic, mental health diagnoses, and number of measure requests sent. Providers cited time within visits and bandwidth in their workflow as the greatest consistent barriers to discussing MBC results with patients. Conclusions There are significant disparities in MBC uptake at the patient and clinic level. From an LHS data infrastructure perspective, safety net health systems may need to address the need for possible ways to adapt MBC to better fit their populations and clinical needs, or identify targeted implementation strategies to close data gaps for the identified disparity populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajendra Aldis
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Lisa C Rosenfeld
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Norah Mulvaney-Day
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Margaret Lanca
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Kate Zona
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Jeffrey A Lam
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Julia Asfour
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Public Health and Community Medicine Tufts University School of Medicine Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Jonah C Meltzer
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Public Health and Community Medicine Tufts University School of Medicine Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - H Stephen Leff
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Carl Fulwiler
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Philip Wang
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Ana M Progovac
- Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry Cambridge Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry Boston Massachusetts USA
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Çevik HS, Muente C, Muehlensiepen F, Birtwistle J, Pachanov A, Pieper D, Allsop MJ. Systems for electronic documentation and sharing of advance care planning preferences: a scoping review. PROGRESS IN PALLIATIVE CARE 2024; 32:149-159. [PMID: 38831759 PMCID: PMC11145469 DOI: 10.1080/09699260.2024.2339106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Digital approaches to support advance care planning (ACP) documentation and sharing are increasingly being used, with a lack of research to characterise their design, content, and use. This study aimed to characterise how digital approaches are being used to support ACP documentation and sharing internationally. A scoping review was performed in accordance with the JBI (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute) guidelines and the PRISMA 2020 checklist, prospectively registered on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/xnrg3). MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ACM Digital, IEEE Xplore and CINAHL were searched in February 2023. Only publications in English, published from 2008 onwards were considered. Eligibility criteria included a focus on ACP and electronic systems. Out of 2,393 records, 34 reports were included, predominantly from the USA (76.5%). ACP documentation is typically stored in electronic health records (EHRs) (67.6%), with a third (32.4%) enabling limited patient access. Non-standard approaches (n = 15;44.1%) were the commonest study design of included reports, with outcome measures focusing on the influence of systems on the documentation (i.e. creation, quantity, quality, frequency or timing) of ACP information (n = 23;67.6%). Digital approaches to support ACP are being implemented and researched internationally with an evidence base dominated by non-standard study designs. Future research is needed to extend outcome measurement to consider aspects of care quality and explore whether the content of existing systems aligns with aspects of care that are valued by patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hüsna Sarıca Çevik
- Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- Department of Family Medicine, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Catharina Muente
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Institute for Health Services and Health System Research, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Center for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Rüdersdorf, Germany
| | - Felix Muehlensiepen
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Institute for Health Services and Health System Research, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Center for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Evidence Based Practice in Brandenburg: A JBI Affiliated Group, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Jacqueline Birtwistle
- Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Alexander Pachanov
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Institute for Health Services and Health System Research, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Center for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Evidence Based Practice in Brandenburg: A JBI Affiliated Group, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Dawid Pieper
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Institute for Health Services and Health System Research, Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Center for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Rüdersdorf, Germany
- Evidence Based Practice in Brandenburg: A JBI Affiliated Group, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Matthew J. Allsop
- Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Ahmed N, Sanghavi K, Mathur S, McCullers A. Patient portal use: Persistent disparities from pre- to post-onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Med Inform 2023; 178:105204. [PMID: 37666013 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The primary objective of this study was to examine patient portal usage from pre- to post-onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to determine what impact the pandemic had on portal usage by patient sub-populations. The second study objective was to assess differences in portal usage by chronic disorders from pre- to post-onset of the pandemic. METHODS Patient portal data were extracted and analyzed from a non-profit healthcare system in the Mid-Atlantic region. A total of 153,628 unique patients with patient portal account were included in this study. We assessed patient portal usage from pre-onset (March 2019-February 2020) to post-onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-February 2021). We examined usage by patient sub-populations (age, sex, race, ethnicity), comorbid conditions, and health insurance type. RESULTS Differences were seen in specific patient portal actions. Increases were seen in immunization views (0.43, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.46) and health record views (0.43, 95% CI: 0.40, 0.46) from post-onset compared to pre-onset. A decrease was noted in prescription renewal (medication) views (-0.07, 95% CI -0.09, -0.05) from pre- to post-onset There was a decrease in both immunization views and health record views among Black patients (-0.07, 95% CI: -0.11, -0.03) in comparison to White patients, but an increase in prescription renewal (medication) views (0.07, 95%CI 0.04, 0.09) amongst Black patients compared to White patients. CONCLUSIONS Patient portals are integral to patient care, allowing patients to actively engage in their care and communicate with their healthcare team about ongoing health needs. However, prior disparities in patient portal access have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and solutions to address these disparities are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naheed Ahmed
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 180 Madison Avenue, Eighth Floor, New York, NY 10016, United States.
| | | | - Shrey Mathur
- MedStar Health Research Institute, United States.
| | - Asli McCullers
- MedStar Center for Health Equity Research, United States.
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Sisk BA, Lin S, Balls-Berry J(JE, Servin AE, Mack JW. Identifying contributors to disparities in patient access of online medical records: examining the role of clinician encouragement. JAMIA Open 2023; 6:ooad049. [PMID: 37425488 PMCID: PMC10325895 DOI: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooad049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective The aim of this study was to understand the influence of clinician encouragement and sociodemographic factors on whether patients access online electronic medical records (EMR). Materials and Methods We analyzed 3279 responses from the Health Information National Trends Survey 5 cycle 4 survey, a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey administered by the National Cancer Institute. Frequencies and weighted proportions were calculated to compare clinical encouragement and access to their online EMR. Using multivariate logistic regression, we identified factors associated with online EMR use and clinician encouragement. Results In 2020, an estimated 42% of US adults accessed their online EMR and 51% were encouraged by clinicians to access their online EMR. In multivariate regression, respondents who accessed EMR were more likely to have received clinician encouragement (odds ratio [OR], 10.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.7-14.0), college education or higher (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.4-2.7), history of cancer (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0-2.3), and history of chronic disease (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.7-3.2). Male and Hispanic respondents were less likely to have accessed EMR than female and non-Hispanic White respondents (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.5-0.8, and OR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.8, respectively). Respondents receiving encouragement from clinicians were more likely to be female (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.3), have college education (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-2.0), history of cancer (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.5), and greater income levels (OR, 1.8-3.6). Discussion Clinician encouragement of patient EMR use is strongly associated with patients accessing EMR, and there are disparities in who receives clinician encouragement related to education, income, sex, and ethnicity. Conclusions Clinicians have an important role to ensure that all patients benefit from online EMR use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan A Sisk
- Corresponding Author: Bryan A. Sisk, MD, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, 4523 Clayton Avenue, 8005, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
| | - Sunny Lin
- General Medical Sciences, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Argentina E Servin
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jennifer W Mack
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Division of Population Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Coats H, Shive N, Bennett CR, Adrian B, Boyd AD, Doorenbos AZ, Schmiege SJ. Use of a Person-Centered Narrative Intervention in an Outpatient Palliative Care Setting: A Feasibility Study. J Patient Exp 2023; 10:23743735231202729. [PMID: 37736131 PMCID: PMC10510338 DOI: 10.1177/23743735231202729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Person-centered narrative interventions offer potential solutions to facilitate a connection between the person receiving care and the person delivering the care, to improve quality of care, and positively impact a patient's biopsychosocial well-being. This single-arm feasibility study investigates patient-reported outcomes and barriers/facilitators to the implementation of an all-virtually delivered person-centered narrative intervention into the person's electronic health record. Overall, electronic data collection for the patient-reported outcomes was feasible. All 15 participants felt participating in the study was "easy" and "enjoyable," and "not a burden." The facilitators of implementation included: "helpful to the clinician," "appreciated looking at me as whole person," "be seen and heard," "had a connection and trust," and "felt comfortable and relaxing." The barriers to implementation included: "completing all the paperwork," "being rushed for time to complete the PCNI," and some "emotion" during collection of narrative. The use of person-centered narrative interventions is a way to deploy dedicated tools to shift dehumanized healthcare delivery to a more humanized person-centered care that treats people as experts in their own life narratives by incorporating their beliefs, values, and preferences into their plan of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Coats
- University of Colorado College of Nursing, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Nadia Shive
- University of Colorado College of Nursing, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - C Robert Bennett
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, General Internal Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Bonnie Adrian
- UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Andrew D Boyd
- Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- UI Health, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ardith Z Doorenbos
- University of Illinois Chicago, College of Nursing, Chicago, IL, USA
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sarah J Schmiege
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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Younan S, Cardona M, Sahay A, Willis E, Ni Chroinin D. Advanced care planning in the early phase of COVID-19: a rapid review of the practice and policy lessons learned. FRONTIERS IN HEALTH SERVICES 2023; 3:1242413. [PMID: 37780404 PMCID: PMC10541151 DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2023.1242413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Background The importance of advance care planning (ACP) has been highlighted by the advent of life-threatening COVID-19. Anecdotal evidence suggests changes in implementation of policies and procedures is needed to support uptake of ACPs. We investigated the barriers and enablers of ACP in the COVID-19 context and identify recommendations to facilitate ACP, to inform future policy and practice. Methods We adopted the WHO recommendation of using rapid reviews for the production of actionable evidence for this study. We searched PUBMED from January 2020 to April 2021. All study designs including commentaries were included that focused on ACPs during COVID-19. Preprints/unpublished papers and Non-English language articles were excluded. Titles and abstracts were screened, full-texts were reviewed, and discrepancies resolved by discussion until consensus. Results From amongst 343 papers screened, 123 underwent full-text review. In total, 74 papers were included, comprising commentaries (39) and primary research studies covering cohorts, reviews, case studies, and cross-sectional designs (35). The various study types and settings such as hospitals, outpatient services, aged care and community indicated widespread interest in accelerating ACP documentation to facilitate management decisions and care which is unwanted/not aligned with goals. Enablers of ACP included targeted public awareness, availability of telehealth, easy access to online tools and adopting person-centered approach, respectful of patient autonomy and values. The emerging barriers were uncertainty regarding clinical outcomes, cultural and communication difficulties, barriers associated with legal and ethical considerations, infection control restrictions, lack of time, and limited resources and support systems. Conclusion The pandemic has provided opportunities for rapid implementation of ACP in creative ways to circumvent social distancing restrictions and high demand for health services. This review suggests the pandemic has provided some impetus to drive adaptable ACP conversations at individual, local, and international levels, affording an opportunity for longer term improvements in ACP practice and patient care. The enablers of ACP and the accelerated adoption evident here will hopefully continue to be part of everyday practice, with or without the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Younan
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Magnolia Cardona
- Institute for Evidence Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Ashlyn Sahay
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Mackay, QLD, Australia
| | - Eileen Willis
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Mackay, QLD, Australia
| | - Danielle Ni Chroinin
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- South Western Sydney Clinical School, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Phenwan T, Peerawong T, Jarusomboon W, Sittiwantana E, Satian C, Supanichwatana S. Using Zoom and Card Game to Conduct Advance Care Planning Classes: An Innovative Practice. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2023; 87:1028-1047. [PMID: 34275389 DOI: 10.1177/00302228211032735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This article demonstrates the innovative practice of using a card game to teach participants about Advance Care Planning (ACP) and palliative care in Thailand via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. AIMS To assess the feasibility of using online workshops to conduct sensitive topics of palliative care and death and dying. METHODS The interactive online workshops were conducted after imposition of the COVID-19 restriction and national lockdown in Thailand between March and September 2020. The sessions were conducted via Zoom meetings and Facebook secret group. Trained facilitators plus one IT team member hosted each workshop. Participants were given an anonymous post-course evaluation with open-ended written feedback form. Content analysed was used. RESULTS Eleven sessions were conducted. 103 participants joined the online classes. Participants gave an overwhelmingly positive of the workshops, emphasising on: (i) convenient; (ii) social connectedness during the lockdown; (iii) bichronous element of the activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tharin Phenwan
- School of Health Sciences, University of Dundee, University of Dundee, UK
- School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | - Thanarpan Peerawong
- Department of Radiology, Prince of Songkla University, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
| | | | - Ekkapop Sittiwantana
- Peaceful Death, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok, Thailand
- Contemplative Education Center, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand
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Abbott J, Kassner CD, Kassner CT. Palliative Care and Hospice in the Pandemic: A Review of State Planning and Lessons Not Yet Learned. J Pain Symptom Manage 2023; 66:87-92.e3. [PMID: 37062368 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Written Crisis Standards of Care guidelines have been published federally in the United States for several decades to assisted in planning for a variety of disasters, and planning documents exist in most states. Federal and state crisis planning guidelines, both before and during the early COVID pandemic, focused on saving the most lives. Palliative care (PC) and hospice shortages were exacerbated by the COVID pandemic but recognized late and incompletely. OBJECTIVES 1) Quantify the number of state crisis standard planning documents that include recognition of potential PC and hospice crisis needs in a pandemic. 2) Assess the range of practical plans in existing state Crisis Standards of Care plans. 3) Outline elements of recommendations from existing guidelines and literature. METHODS Internet searches for state-based "crisis standards of care" completed and results categorized regarding PC and hospice planning as: 1) absent, 2) mentioned only in relation to critical care triage, 3) described only in general principles, 4) describing potential concrete plans to address PC and hospice needs. RESULTS Of the 50 states and Washington, DC, 45 states have electronically available "crisis standards of care" or emergency preparedness documents; 35 of these were written or updated since 2020. Only 20 states mention any concrete aspects of planning for potential palliative care or hospice service shortages. Guidelines most often involved alternate care sites, protective equipment, and specialist resources. Visitation policy was rarely mentioned. CONCLUSIONS Concrete planning for PC and hospice needs in state crisis planning occurs in less than half of state documents, even three years after the start of this pandemic. Failure to address these needs will result in avoidable suffering for patients in a wide range of settings. It is important to identify and address gaps before the next disaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Abbott
- Center for Bioethics and Humanities, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (J.A.), Aurora, Colorado, USA.
| | - Carli D Kassner
- Hospice Analytics (C.D.K., C.T.K.), Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - Cordt T Kassner
- Hospice Analytics (C.D.K., C.T.K.), Colorado Springs, CO, USA
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12
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Reynolds TL, Cobb JG, Steitz BD, Ancker JS, Rosenbloom ST. The State-of-the-Art of Patient Portals: Adapting to External Factors, Addressing Barriers, and Innovating. Appl Clin Inform 2023; 14:654-669. [PMID: 37611795 PMCID: PMC10446914 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1770901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Recent external factors-the 21st Century Cures Act and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-have stimulated major changes in the patient portal landscape. The objective of this state-of-the-art review is to describe recent developments in the patient portal literature and to identify recommendations and future directions for the design, implementation, and evaluation of portals. METHODS To focus this review on salient contemporary issues, we elected to center it on four topics: (1) 21st Century Cures Act's impact on patient portals (e.g., Open Notes); (2) COVID-19's pandemic impact on portals; (3) proxy access to portals; and (4) disparities in portal adoption and use. We conducted targeted PubMed searches to identify recent empirical studies addressing these topics, used a two-part screening process to determine relevance, and conducted thematic analyses. RESULTS Our search identified 174 unique papers, 74 were relevant empirical studies and included in this review. Among these papers, we identified 10 themes within our four a priori topics, including preparing for and understanding the consequences of increased patient access to their electronic health information (Cures Act); developing, deploying, and evaluating new virtual care processes (COVID-19); understanding current barriers to formal proxy use (proxy access); and addressing disparities in portal adoption and use (disparities). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the recent trends toward understanding the implications of immediate access to most test results, exploring ways to close gaps in portal adoption and use among different sub-populations, and finding ways to leverage portals to improve health and health care are the next steps in the maturation of patient portals and are key areas that require more research. It is important that health care organizations share their innovative portal efforts, so that successful measures can be tested in other contexts, and progress can continue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tera L. Reynolds
- Department of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Jared Guthrie Cobb
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Bryan D. Steitz
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Jessica S. Ancker
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - S. Trent Rosenbloom
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
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13
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Heung Y, Zhukovsky D, Hui D, Lu Z, Andersen C, Bruera E. Quality of End-of-Life Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2201. [PMID: 37190130 PMCID: PMC10136926 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
To evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the quality of end-of-life care for patients with advanced cancer, we compared a random sample of 250 inpatient deaths from 1 April 2019, to 31 July 2019, with 250 consecutive inpatient deaths from 1 April 2020, to 31 July 2020, at a comprehensive cancer center. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, the timing of palliative care referral, timing of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders, location of death, and pre-admission out-of-hospital DNR documentation were included. During the COVID-19 pandemic, DNR orders occurred earlier (2.9 vs. 1.7 days before death, p = 0.028), and palliative care referrals also occurred earlier (3.5 vs. 2.5 days before death, p = 0.041). During the pandemic, 36% of inpatient deaths occurred in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 36% in the Palliative Care Unit, compared to 48 and 29%, respectively, before the pandemic (p = 0.001). Earlier DNR orders, earlier palliative care referrals, and fewer ICU deaths suggest an improvement in the quality of end-of-life care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These encouraging findings may have future implications for maintaining quality end-of-life care post-pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Heung
- Department of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.H.)
| | - Donna Zhukovsky
- Department of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.H.)
| | - David Hui
- Department of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.H.)
| | - Zhanni Lu
- Department of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.H.)
| | - Clark Andersen
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Eduardo Bruera
- Department of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.H.)
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14
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Lane S, Fitzsimmons E, Zelefksy A, Klein J, Kaur S, Viswanathan S, Garg M, Feldman JM, Jariwala SP. Assessing Electronic Health Literacy at an Urban Academic Hospital. Appl Clin Inform 2023; 14:365-373. [PMID: 36822226 PMCID: PMC10191732 DOI: 10.1055/a-2041-4500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Residents of the Bronx suffer marked health disparities due to socioeconomic and other factors. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic worsened these health outcome disparities and health care access disparities, especially with the abrupt transition to online care. OBJECTIVES This study classified electronic health literacy (EHL) among patients at an urban, academic hospital in the Bronx, and assessed for associations between EHL levels and various demographic characteristics. METHODS We designed a cross-sectional, observational study in adults 18 years or older presenting to the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care (MECCC) Department of Radiation Oncology or the Montefiore Department of Medicine in the Bronx. We assessed EHL using the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) survey, a previously validated tool, and our newly developed eHealth Literacy Objective Scale-Scenario Based (eHeLiOS-SB) tool. RESULTS A total of 97 patients recruited from the MECCC and Department of Medicine participated in this study. There was a statistically significant association between age and EHL as assessed by both eHEALS and eHeLiOS-SB, with older adults having lower EHL scores. Additionally, a question designed to assess general attitudes toward digital health technologies found that most participants had a positive attitude toward such applications. CONCLUSION Many patients, especially older adults, may require additional support to effectively navigate telehealth. Further research is warranted to optimize telemedicine strategies in this potentially-marginalized population and ultimately to create telehealth practices accessible to patients of all ages and demographics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Lane
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Emma Fitzsimmons
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Abraham Zelefksy
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Jonathan Klein
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Savneet Kaur
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Shankar Viswanathan
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Madhur Garg
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Jonathan M. Feldman
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Sunit P. Jariwala
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
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15
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Gabbard J, Strahley AE, Pajewski NM, Callahan KE, Foley KL, Brown A, Moses A, Kirkendall E, Williamson JD, Brooten J, Marterre B, Sutfin EL. Development of an Advance Care Planning Portal-Based Tool for Community-Dwelling Persons Living With Cognitive Impairment: The ACPVoice Tool. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2022:10499091221134030. [PMID: 36239407 PMCID: PMC10102257 DOI: 10.1177/10499091221134030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Patient portals can be an innovative and efficient way to engage patients in advance care planning (ACP). However, comprehension and judgment in older adults with cognitive impairment presents several barriers and challenges to engaging in new technology. Our objective was to develop an ACP portal-based tool (ACPVoice) for community-dwelling persons living with cognitive impairment (PLCI) by engaging end-users in the design process. Methods: Two rounds of cognitive interviews were conducted to identify and resolve cognitive issues related to comprehension, judgment, response, and to assess content validity. Purposive sampling was used with the goal of enrolling 15 different participants (five with mild cognitive impairment and five dyads (those with mild dementia and their care partner) in each round to assess respondents' understanding of questions related to advance care planning to be administered via the patient portal. Results: Twenty PLCI (mean age 78.4, 10 females [50%]) and ten care partners (mean age 60.9, 9 females [90%]) completed cognitive interviews between May 2021 and October 2021. The mean Mini-Mental State Examination score for PLCI was 25.6 (SD 2.6). Unclear wording and undefined vague and/or unfamiliar terms were the major issues identified. Revisions to item wording, response options, and instructions were made to improve question comprehension and response as well as navigational ease. Conclusion: Minor changes to the wording, format, and response options substantially improved respondents' ability to interpret the item content of the ACPVoice tool. Dissemination and implementation of the ACPVoice tool could help to engage community-dwelling PLCI in ACP discussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Gabbard
- Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Center for Healthcare Innovation, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Ashley E Strahley
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Nicholas M Pajewski
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Kathryn E Callahan
- Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Implementation Science, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Kristie L Foley
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Implementation Science, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Andrew Brown
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Adam Moses
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Section on General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Eric Kirkendall
- Center for Healthcare Innovation, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jeff D Williamson
- Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Center for Healthcare Innovation, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Justin Brooten
- Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.,Department of Emergency Medicine, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Buddy Marterre
- Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Erin L Sutfin
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, 12279Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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16
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Huang M, Khurana A, Mastorakos G, Wen A, He H, Wang L, Liu S, Wang Y, Zong N, Prigge J, Costello B, Shah N, Ting H, Fan J, Patten C, Liu H. Patient Portal Messaging for Asynchronous Virtual Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Analysis. JMIR Hum Factors 2022; 9:e35187. [PMID: 35171108 PMCID: PMC9084445 DOI: 10.2196/35187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, patient portals and their message platforms allowed remote access to health care. Utilization patterns in patient messaging during the COVID-19 crisis have not been studied thoroughly. In this work, we propose characterizing patients and their use of asynchronous virtual care for COVID-19 via a retrospective analysis of patient portal messages. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to perform a retrospective analysis of portal messages to probe asynchronous patient responses to the COVID-19 crisis. METHODS We collected over 2 million patient-generated messages (PGMs) at Mayo Clinic during February 1 to August 31, 2020. We analyzed descriptive statistics on PGMs related to COVID-19 and incorporated patients' sociodemographic factors into the analysis. We analyzed the PGMs on COVID-19 in terms of COVID-19-related care (eg, COVID-19 symptom self-assessment and COVID-19 tests and results) and other health issues (eg, appointment cancellation, anxiety, and depression). RESULTS The majority of PGMs on COVID-19 pertained to COVID-19 symptom self-assessment (42.50%) and COVID-19 tests and results (30.84%). The PGMs related to COVID-19 symptom self-assessment and COVID-19 test results had dynamic patterns and peaks similar to the newly confirmed cases in the United States and in Minnesota. The trend of PGMs related to COVID-19 care plans paralleled trends in newly hospitalized cases and deaths. After an initial peak in March, the PGMs on issues such as appointment cancellations and anxiety regarding COVID-19 displayed a declining trend. The majority of message senders were 30-64 years old, married, female, White, or urban residents. This majority was an even higher proportion among patients who sent portal messages on COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients increased portal messaging utilization to address health care issues about COVID-19 (in particular, symptom self-assessment and tests and results). Trends in message usage closely followed national trends in new cases and hospitalizations. There is a wide disparity for minority and rural populations in the use of PGMs for addressing the COVID-19 crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Huang
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Aditya Khurana
- Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
| | - George Mastorakos
- Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, United States
| | - Andrew Wen
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Huan He
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Liwei Wang
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Sijia Liu
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Yanshan Wang
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Nansu Zong
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Julie Prigge
- Center for Connected Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Brian Costello
- Center for Connected Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Nilay Shah
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Henry Ting
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Jungwei Fan
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Christi Patten
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Hongfang Liu
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
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17
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Pawelek J, Baca-Motes K, Pandit JA, Berk BB, Ramos E. The Power of Patient Engagement with Electronic Health Records as Research Participants (Preprint). JMIR Med Inform 2022; 10:e39145. [PMID: 35802410 PMCID: PMC9308075 DOI: 10.2196/39145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Electronic health record (EHR) technology has become a central digital health tool throughout health care. EHR systems are responsible for a growing number of vital functions for hospitals and providers. More recently, patient-facing EHR tools are allowing patients to interact with their EHR and connect external sources of health data, such as wearable fitness trackers, personal genomics, and outside health services, to it. As patients become more engaged with their EHR, the volume and variety of digital health information will serve an increasingly useful role in health care and health research. Particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability for the biomedical research community to pivot to fully remote research, driven largely by EHR data capture and other digital health tools, is an exciting development that can significantly reduce burden on study participants, improve diversity in clinical research, and equip researchers with more robust clinical data. In this viewpoint, we describe how patient engagement with EHR technology is poised to advance the digital clinical trial space, an innovative research model that is uniquely accessible and inclusive for study participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Pawelek
- Digital Trials Center, Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Katie Baca-Motes
- Digital Trials Center, Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jay A Pandit
- Digital Trials Center, Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Edward Ramos
- Digital Trials Center, Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
- CareEvolution, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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18
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Singh S, Polavarapu M, Arsene C. Changes in patient portal adoption due to the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. Inform Health Soc Care 2022; 48:125-138. [PMID: 35473512 DOI: 10.1080/17538157.2022.2070069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Even though patient portals are recognized as a promising mechanism to support greater patient engagement, questions remain about access and utilization. This study aims to identify factors related to portal adoption in 2019 and 2020 (before and during the COVID-19). Cross-sectional data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) cycles- 2019 HINTS 5 cycle 3 (N = 5,438) and 2020 HINTS 5 cycle 4 (N = 3,865) were analyzed using STATA-SE version 17 to factors predicting portal adoption. Next, HINTS 5 cycles 3 and 4 were pooled to identify changes in portal feature use and ease of usage among portal users, and barrier to portal use among non-users. Respondents who were college graduates, high income, and married were more likely to adopt patient portals during 2019 and 2020. Aged 75+ and Hispanic respondents reported less frequency of portal access in 2020 versus 2019. Men were more likely to adopt patient portals in 2019 versus women in 2020. Portal users were more likely to use the portal-system features in 2019 versus 2020. Portal non-users reported having multiple-health records as less of a barrier in 2020 compared to 2019. Patient engagement needs heightened attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipra Singh
- in Health Education, School for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (Ipe), School of Population Health, College of Health & Human Services, University of ToledoHealth Education & Public Health, Health Equity Research Center (Herc), Doctoral Program, Toledo, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Camelia Arsene
- ProMedica Cancer Institute, Sylvania, Ohio, USA.,College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Medicine, College of Health & Human Services, School of Population Health, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA
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19
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Rubin BR, Chung M, Hasdianda MA, Gray TF, Aaronson EL, Dundin A, Egorova NA, Revette AC, Berry D, Ouchi K. Refinement of an Emergency Department-Based, Advance Care Planning Intervention for Nurses. J Palliat Med 2022; 25:650-655. [PMID: 35100041 PMCID: PMC8982111 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Most older adults visit the emergency department (ED) near the end of life without advance care planning (ACP) and thus are at risk of receiving care that does not align with their wishes and values. ED GOAL is a behavioral intervention administered by ED clinicians, which is designed to engage seriously ill older adults in serious illness conversations in the ED. Seriously ill older adults found it acceptable in the ED. However, its potential to be used by nurses remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this study is to identify refinements to adapt an ED-based ACP intervention by eliciting the perspectives of nurses. Design: This is a qualitative study using semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using axial coding methods. Setting/Subjects: We recruited a purposeful sample of ED nurses in one urban academic ED and one urban community ED in the northeastern region of the United States. Results: Twenty-five nurses were interviewed (mean age 46 years, 84% female, and mean clinical experience of 16 years). Emerging themes were identified within six domains: (1) nurses' prior experience with serious illness conversations, (2) overall impression of ED GOAL, (3) refinements to ED GOAL, (4) implementation of ED GOAL by ED nurses, (5) specially trained nursing model, and (6) use of telehealth with ED GOAL. Conclusions: ED nurses were generally supportive of using ED GOAL and provided insight into how to best adapt and implement it in their clinical practice. Empirical evidence for adapting ED GOAL to the nursing practice remains to be seen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Batsheva R Rubin
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michelle Chung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mohammad Adrian Hasdianda
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tamryn F Gray
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emily L Aaronson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew Dundin
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Natasha A Egorova
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anna C Revette
- Survey and Data Management Core, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Donna Berry
- Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kei Ouchi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Serious Illness Care Program, Ariadne Labs, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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20
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Lo B, Charow R, Laberge S, Bakas V, Williams L, Wiljer D. Why are Patient Portals Important in the Age of COVID-19? Reflecting on Patient and Team Experiences From a Toronto Hospital Network. J Patient Exp 2022; 9:23743735221112216. [PMID: 35899103 PMCID: PMC9310255 DOI: 10.1177/23743735221112216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how care is being delivered in Canada. With
conventional in-person care being transitioned to virtual care, the approach that patients
are able to engage and access their care has dramatically changed. At the University
Health Network (UHN), which is Canada's largest academic and teaching hospital network, we
expanded the myUHN Patient Portal in 2017 after its early adopter phase to enable patients
and family members to view parts of their clinical notes and test results. As the pandemic
progressed, we observed high adoption of myUHN to support virtual care and rapid delivery
of COVID-19 test results in real time. In this article, we share and reflect on our
experience of adapting myUHN to support the demands of the pandemic, including portal
adoption outcomes across multiple waves of the pandemic, the impetus for increased patient
experience staff dedicated for myUHN support, and patients’ perceptions of the value of
the portal and virtual care. Based on these reflections, we outline our perspectives on
the future role of patient portals to support patient care and experience in a
post-pandemic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Lo
- UHN Digital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Information Management Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rebecca Charow
- UHN Digital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah Laberge
- myUHN Patient Portal, Patient Experience, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Vasiliki Bakas
- myUHN Patient Portal, Patient Experience, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Laura Williams
- myUHN Patient Portal, Patient Experience, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David Wiljer
- UHN Digital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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21
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Baek J, Simon-Friedt B, Lopez A, Kolman JM, Nicolas J, Jones SL, Phillips RA, Menser T. Assessing Patient Needs During Natural Disasters: Mixed Methods Analysis of Portal Messages Sent During Hurricane Harvey. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e31264. [PMID: 34468328 PMCID: PMC8444041 DOI: 10.2196/31264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient portals play an important role in connecting patients with their medical care team, which improves patient engagement in treatment plans, decreases unnecessary visits, and reduces costs. During natural disasters, patients' needs increase, whereas available resources, specifically access to care, become limited. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine patients' health needs during a natural crisis by analyzing the electronic messages sent during Hurricane Harvey to guide future disaster planning efforts. METHODS We explored patient portal use data from a large Greater Houston area health care system focusing on the initial week of the Hurricane Harvey disaster, beginning with the date of landfall, August 25, 2017, to August 31, 2017. A mixed methods approach was used to assess patients' immediate health needs and concerns during the disruption of access to routine and emergent medical care. Quantitative analysis used logistic regression models to assess the predictive characteristics of patients using the portal during Hurricane Harvey. This study also included encounters by type (emergency, inpatient, observation, outpatient, and outpatient surgery) and time (before, during, and after Hurricane Harvey). For qualitative analysis, the content of these messages was examined using the constant comparative method to identify emerging themes found within the message texts. RESULTS Out of a total of 557,024 patients, 4079 (0.73%) sent a message during Hurricane Harvey, whereas 31,737 (5.69%) used the portal. Age, sex, race, and ethnicity were predictive factors for using the portal and sending a message during the natural disaster. We found that prior use of the patient portal increased the likelihood of portal use during Hurricane Harvey (odds ratio 13.688, 95% CI 12.929-14.491) and of sending a portal message during the disaster (odds ratio 14.172, 95% CI 11.879-16.907). Having an encounter 4 weeks before or after Hurricane Harvey was positively associated with increased use of the portal and sending a portal message. Patients with encounters during the main Hurricane Harvey week had a higher increased likelihood of portal use across all five encounter types. Qualitative themes included: access, prescription requests, medical advice (chronic conditions, acute care, urgent needs, and Hurricane Harvey-related injuries), mental health, technical difficulties, and provider constraints. CONCLUSIONS The patient portal can be a useful tool for communication between patients and providers to address the urgent needs and concerns of patients as a natural disaster unfolds. This was the first known study to include encounter data to understand portal use compared with care provisioning. Prior use was predictive of both portal use and message sending during Hurricane Harvey. These findings could inform the types of demands that may arise in future disaster situations and can serve as the first step in intentionally optimizing patient portal usability for emergency health care management during natural disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juha Baek
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | - Adriana Lopez
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jacob M Kolman
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Juan Nicolas
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Stephen L Jones
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Robert A Phillips
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Cardiology, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Terri Menser
- Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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22
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Moqbel M, Hewitt B, Nah FFH, McLean RM. Sustaining Patient Portal Continuous Use Intention and Enhancing Deep Structure Usage: Cognitive Dissonance Effects of Health Professional Encouragement and Security Concerns. INFORMATION SYSTEMS FRONTIERS : A JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION 2021; 24:1483-1496. [PMID: 34177359 PMCID: PMC8215097 DOI: 10.1007/s10796-021-10161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sustaining patient portal use is a major problem for many healthcare organizations and providers. If this problem can be successfully addressed, it could have a positive impact on various stakeholders. Through the lens of cognitive dissonance theory, this study investigates the role of health professional encouragement as well as patients' security concerns in influencing continuous use intention and deep structure usage among users of a patient portal. The analysis of data collected from 177 patients at a major medical center in the Midwestern region of the United States shows that health professional encouragement helps increase the continuous use intention and deep structure usage of the patient portal, while security concerns impede them. Interestingly, health professional encouragement not only has a direct positive influence on continuous use intention and deep structure usage but also lowers the negative impact of security concerns on them. The research model explains a substantial variance in continuous use intention (i.e., 40%) and deep structure usage (i.e., 32%). The paper provides theoretical implications as well as practical implications to healthcare managers and providers to improve patient portal deep structure usage and sustained use for user retention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murad Moqbel
- Information Systems Department, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX USA
| | - Barbara Hewitt
- Health Information Management Department, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX USA
| | - Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah
- Department of Business and Information Technology, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO USA
| | - Rosann M. McLean
- Department of Health Information Management, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS USA
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23
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van der Smissen D, Rietjens JAC, van Gemert-Pijnen L, van Dulmen S, van der Heide A, Korfage IJ. Information needs of patients with chronic diseases and their relatives for web-based advance care planning: a qualitative interview study. BMC Palliat Care 2021; 20:77. [PMID: 34053435 PMCID: PMC8164830 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-021-00770-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advance care planning (ACP) enables persons to identify preferences for future treatment and care, and to discuss, record and review these preferences. However, the uptake of ACP among patients with chronic diseases is relatively low. Web-based ACP programs can support patients and their relatives in ACP. However, information needs of patients and their relatives for ACP are unknown. The aim of this study is to explore information needs of patients with chronic disease and their relatives for web-based ACP. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews with patients with chronic diseases and relatives at their home or at the study center. In three cases, the patient and relative were paired since they preferred to be interviewed together. We asked about information they would search for when to start with ACP, where they would search for information, what search terms they would use on the Internet, and what content and information they would consider important on an ACP website. The interviewer asked participants to clarify their responses during the interview. We used thematic analysis to analyze the interviewees' responses. RESULTS We interviewed nine patients with different chronic diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney diseases, and seven relatives, namely partners or (adult) children. The interviewees were aged 24 to 80 years, nine were female and seven were male. Both patients with a chronic disease and relatives mentioned comparable information needs. Many interviewees indicated they would use the Internet to search for information about ACP. Mentioned search terms were "advance care planning", "treatment plan", "disease trajectory" and names of patient associations. Information needs concerned their disease trajectory and quality of life, medical treatment decisions, practical support in arranging care, the concept of ACP and guidance in ACP, communication of treatment and care preferences, peer support of others with chronic diseases, and information for relatives. Many appreciated encouragement of their healthcare providers to take a pro-active role in ACP. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that information needs for ACP included guidance in ACP, support in making decisions about medical treatment, and practical support in arranging care. We recommend adapting web-based ACP information to the information needs of patients and their relatives to increase its findability, uptake and usefulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris van der Smissen
- grid.5645.2000000040459992XDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, Rotterdam, CA 3000 the Netherlands
| | - Judith A. C. Rietjens
- grid.5645.2000000040459992XDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, Rotterdam, CA 3000 the Netherlands
| | - Lisette van Gemert-Pijnen
- grid.6214.10000 0004 0399 8953Department of Psychology, Health and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Sandra van Dulmen
- grid.10417.330000 0004 0444 9382Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands ,grid.416005.60000 0001 0681 4687Nivel (Netherlands institute for health services research), Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Agnes van der Heide
- grid.5645.2000000040459992XDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, Rotterdam, CA 3000 the Netherlands
| | - Ida J. Korfage
- grid.5645.2000000040459992XDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, Rotterdam, CA 3000 the Netherlands
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24
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Adly AS, Adly MS, Adly AS. Telemanagement of Home-Isolated COVID-19 Patients Using Oxygen Therapy With Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation and Physical Therapy Techniques: Randomized Clinical Trial. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e23446. [PMID: 33819166 PMCID: PMC8080964 DOI: 10.2196/23446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background With the growing stress on hospitals caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for home-based solutions has become a necessity to support these overwhelmed hospitals. Objective The goal of this study was to compare two nonpharmacological respiratory treatment methods for home-isolated COVID-19 patients using a newly developed telemanagement health care system. Methods In this single-blinded randomized clinical trial, 60 patients with stage 1 pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection were treated. Group A (n=30) received oxygen therapy with bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) ventilation, and Group B (n=30) received osteopathic manipulative respiratory and physical therapy techniques. Arterial blood gases of PaO2 and PaCO2, pH, vital signs (ie, temperature, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure), and chest computed tomography scans were used for follow-up and for assessment of the course and duration of recovery. Results Analysis of the results showed a significant difference between the two groups (P<.05), with Group A showing shorter recovery periods than Group B (mean 14.9, SD 1.7 days, and mean 23.9, SD 2.3 days, respectively). Significant differences were also observed between baseline and final readings in all of the outcome measures in both groups (P<.05). Regarding posttreatment satisfaction with our proposed telemanagement health care system, positive responses were given by most of the patients in both groups. Conclusions It was found that home-based oxygen therapy with BiPAP can be a more effective prophylactic treatment approach than osteopathic manipulative respiratory and physical therapy techniques, as it can impede exacerbation of early-stage COVID-19 pneumonia. Telemanagement health care systems are promising methods to help in the pandemic-related shortage of hospital beds, as they showed reasonable effectiveness and reliability in the monitoring and management of patients with early-stage COVID-19 pneumonia. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04368923; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04368923
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Sedky Adly
- Faculty of Computers and Artificial Intelligence, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.,Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Sedky Adly
- Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.,Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Afnan Sedky Adly
- Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cardiovascular-Respiratory Disorders and Geriatrics, Laser Applications in Physical Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.,Faculty of Physical Therapy, Internal Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
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25
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Kida K, Olver I, Yennu S, Tripathy D, Ueno NT. Optimal Supportive Care for Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer According to Their Disease Progression Phase. JCO Oncol Pract 2021; 17:177-183. [PMID: 33492987 PMCID: PMC8258141 DOI: 10.1200/op.20.00622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The clinical progression patterns of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are heterogeneous; patients experience acute and stable phases at different time points. The acute phase consists of rapid progressive symptomatic changes, whereas in the stable phase, patients have relatively low symptom burden. Therefore, personalized interdisciplinary care is essential. The optimal palliative or supportive care in MBC is to provide comprehensive care that is individually prioritized to the patient's disease status. The purpose of this review is to provide a practical guide for oncologists to understand the priorities for supportive care for patients with MBC in the two phases. We note that for better decision making in patient care, performance status should be broadened to consider not only physical status but also psychosocial needs and cognitive condition. We summarize the clinical importance of physical symptom control, psychosocial support, physical activity, nutrition support, and advance care planning. For optimal care, we present palliative or supportive care checklists according to the disease progression phase, combining the limited evidence with expert input. In the acute phase, close monitoring of the patient's status and symptom management take priority. In the stable phase, the focus can shift to maintenance or improvement of physical strength and emotional condition. Finally, we discuss future directions and unmet needs in providing the best supportive care for patients with MBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumiko Kida
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Ian Olver
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Sriram Yennu
- Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Debu Tripathy
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Naoto T. Ueno
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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26
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Gupta A, Bahl B, Rabadi S, Mebane A, Levey R, Vasudevan V. Value of Advance Care Directives for Patients With Serious Illness in the Era of COVID Pandemic: A Review of Challenges and Solutions. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2020; 38:191-198. [PMID: 33021094 DOI: 10.1177/1049909120963698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Advance care directives (ACDs) are instructions regarding what types of medical treatments a patient desires and/or who they would like to designate as a healthcare surrogate to make important healthcare decisions when the patient is mentally incapacitated. At end-of-life, when faced with poor prognosis for a meaningful health-related quality of life, most patients indicate their preference to abstain from aggressive, life-sustaining treatments. Patients whose wishes are left unsaid often receive burdensome life sustain therapy by default, prolonging patient suffering. The CoVID pandemic has strained our healthcare resources and raised the need for prioritization of life-sustaining therapy. This highlights the urgency of ACDs more than ever. Despite ACDs' potential to provide patients with care that aligns with their values and preferences and reduce resource competition, there has been relatively little conversation regarding the overlap of ACDs and CoVID-19. There is low uptake among patients, lack of training for healthcare professionals, and inequitable adoption in vulnerable populations. However, solutions are forthcoming and may include electronic medical record completion, patient outreach efforts, healthcare worker programs to increase awareness of at-risk minority patients, and restructuring of incentives and reimbursement policies. This review carefully describes the above challenges and unique opportunities to address them in the CoVID-19 era. If solutions are leveraged appropriately, ACDs have the potential to address the described challenges and ethically resolve resource conflicts during the current crisis and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amol Gupta
- 24508The Brooklyn Hospital Center, NY, USA
| | | | - Saher Rabadi
- 12340University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, USA
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