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Zar HJ, Workman LJ, Prins M, Bateman LJ, Mbhele SP, Whitman CB, Denkinger CM, Nicol MP. Tuberculosis Diagnosis in Children Using Xpert Ultra on Different Respiratory Specimens. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2019; 200:1531-1538. [PMID: 31381861 PMCID: PMC6909828 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201904-0772oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Microbiological confirmation of pulmonary tuberculosis in children is desirable.Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy and incremental yield of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Ultra; Cepheid), a new rapid test, on repeated induced sputum, nasopharyngeal aspirates, and combinations of specimens.Methods: Consecutive South African children hospitalized with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis were enrolled.Measurements and Main Results: Induced sputum (IS) and nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) were obtained. NPAs were frozen; IS underwent liquid culture, and an aliquot was frozen. Ultra was performed on thawed NPAs and IS specimens individually. Children were categorized as confirmed, unconfirmed, or unlikely tuberculosis according to NIH consensus case definitions. The diagnostic accuracy of Ultra was compared with liquid culture on IS. In total, 195 children (median age: 23.3 mo; 32 [16.4%] HIV-infected) had one IS and NPA, and 130 had two NPAs. There were 40 (20.5%) culture-confirmed cases. Ultra was positive on NPAs in 26 (13.3%) and on IS in 31 (15.9%). Sensitivity and specificity of Ultra on one NPA were 46% and 98%, respectively, and similar by HIV status. Sensitivity and specificity of Ultra on one IS were 74.3% and 96.9% respectively. Combining one NPA and one IS increased sensitivity to 80%. Sensitivity using Ultra on two NPAs was 54.2%, increasing to 87.5% with an IS Ultra.Conclusions: IS provides a better specimen than repeated NPA for rapid diagnosis using Ultra. However, Ultra testing of combinations of specimens provides a novel strategy that can be adapted to identify most children with confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J. Zar
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and South African Medical Research Council Unit on Child and Adolescent Health and
| | - Lesley J. Workman
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and South African Medical Research Council Unit on Child and Adolescent Health and
| | - Margaretha Prins
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and South African Medical Research Council Unit on Child and Adolescent Health and
| | - Linda J. Bateman
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and South African Medical Research Council Unit on Child and Adolescent Health and
| | - Slindile P. Mbhele
- Division of Medical Microbiology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Cynthia B. Whitman
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and South African Medical Research Council Unit on Child and Adolescent Health and
| | - Claudia M. Denkinger
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
- Center of Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany and
| | - Mark P. Nicol
- Division of Medical Microbiology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Siegel CA, Whitman CB, Spiegel BMR, Feagan B, Sands B, Loftus EV, Panaccione R, D'Haens G, Bernstein CN, Gearry R, Ng SC, Mantzaris GJ, Sartor B, Silverberg MS, Riddell R, Koutroubakis IE, O'Morain C, Lakatos PL, McGovern DPB, Halfvarson J, Reinisch W, Rogler G, Kruis W, Tysk C, Schreiber S, Danese S, Sandborn W, Griffiths A, Moum B, Gasche C, Pallone F, Travis S, Panes J, Colombel JF, Hanauer S, Peyrin-Biroulet L. Development of an index to define overall disease severity in IBD. Gut 2018; 67:244-254. [PMID: 27780886 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Disease activity for Crohn's disease (CD) and UC is typically defined based on symptoms at a moment in time, and ignores the long-term burden of disease. The aims of this study were to select the attributes determining overall disease severity, to rank the importance of and to score these individual attributes for both CD and UC. METHODS Using a modified Delphi panel, 14 members of the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOIBD) selected the most important attributes related to IBD. Eighteen IOIBD members then completed a statistical exercise (conjoint analysis) to create a relative ranking of these attributes. Adjusted utilities were developed by creating proportions for each level within an attribute. RESULTS For CD, 15.8% of overall disease severity was attributed to the presence of mucosal lesions, 10.9% to history of a fistula, 9.7% to history of abscess and 7.4% to history of intestinal resection. For UC, 18.1% of overall disease severity was attributed to mucosal lesions, followed by 14.0% for impact on daily activities, 11.2% C reactive protein and 10.1% for prior experience with biologics. Overall disease severity indices were created on a 100-point scale by applying each attribute's average importance to the adjusted utilities. CONCLUSIONS Based on specialist opinion, overall CD severity was associated more with intestinal damage, in contrast to overall UC disease severity, which was more dependent on symptoms and impact on daily life. Once validated, disease severity indices may provide a useful tool for consistent assessment of overall disease severity in patients with IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey A Siegel
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Cynthia B Whitman
- Department of Health Services, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Brennan M R Spiegel
- Department of Health Services, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Brian Feagan
- Robarts Clinical Trials, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bruce Sands
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Siew C Ng
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | | | - Balfour Sartor
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | | | - Colm O'Morain
- Faculty of Health Sciences Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Dermot P B McGovern
- Widjaja Inflammatory Bowel and Immunobiology Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jonas Halfvarson
- Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Curt Tysk
- Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | - Bjorn Moum
- Oslo University Hospital and University Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Julian Panes
- Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERehd, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Stephen Hanauer
- Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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May FP, Whitman CB, Varlyguina K, Bromley EG, Spiegel BMR. Addressing Low Colorectal Cancer Screening in African Americans: Using Focus Groups to Inform the Development of Effective Interventions. J Cancer Educ 2016; 31:567-74. [PMID: 25963898 PMCID: PMC4644112 DOI: 10.1007/s13187-015-0842-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
African Americans have the highest burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the United States of America (USA) yet lower CRC screening rates than whites. Although poor screening has prompted efforts to increase screening uptake, there is a persistent need to develop public health interventions in partnership with the African American community. The aim of this study was to conduct focus groups with African Americans to determine preferences for the content and mode of dissemination of culturally tailored CRC screening interventions. In June 2013, 45-75-year-old African Americans were recruited through online advertisements and from an urban Veterans Affairs system to create four focus groups. A semi-structured interview script employing open-ended elicitation was used, and transcripts were analyzed using ATLAS.ti software to code and group data into a concept network. A total of 38 participants (mean age = 54) were enrolled, and 59 ATLAS.ti codes were generated. Commonly reported barriers to screening included perceived invasiveness of colonoscopy, fear of pain, and financial concerns. Facilitators included poor diet/health and desire to prevent CRC. Common sources of health information included media and medical providers. CRC screening information was commonly obtained from medical personnel or media. Participants suggested dissemination of CRC screening education through commercials, billboards, influential African American public figures, Internet, and radio. Participants suggested future interventions include culturally specific information, including details about increased risk, accessing care, and dispelling of myths. Public health interventions to improve CRC screening among African Americans should employ media outlets, emphasize increased risk among African Americans, and address race-specific barriers. Specific recommendations are presented for developing future interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Folasade P May
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Cedars-Sinai Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CS-CORE), Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Cynthia B Whitman
- Cedars-Sinai Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CS-CORE), Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ksenia Varlyguina
- Cedars-Sinai Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CS-CORE), Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Erica G Bromley
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brennan M R Spiegel
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Cedars-Sinai Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CS-CORE), Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Whitman CB, Reid MW, Arnold C, Patel H, Ursos L, Sa'adon R, Pourmorady J, Spiegel BMR. Balancing opioid-induced gastrointestinal side effects with pain management: Insights from the online community. J Opioid Manag 2015; 11:383-391. [PMID: 26535966 DOI: 10.5055/jom.2015.0288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Opioids cause gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, pain, and (in 40 percent) constipation that diminish patients' quality of life. Outside traditional surveys, little is known about the opioid-induced constipation (OIC) patient experience and its impact on pain management. The purpose of this study was to use data from social media platforms to qualitatively examine patient beliefs about OIC and other prominent GI side effects, their impact on effective pain management and doctor-patient interaction. The authors collected Tweets from March 25 to July 31, 2014, and e-forum posts from health-related social networking sites regardless of timestamp. The authors identified specific keywords related to opioids and GI side effects to locate relevant content in the dataset, which was then manually coded using ATLAS.ti software. The authors examined 2,519,868 Tweets and more than 1.8 billion e-forum posts, of which, 88,586 Tweets and 9,767 posts satisfied the search criteria. Three thousand three individuals experienced opioidinduced GI side effects, mostly related to phenanthrenes (n = 1,589), and 1,274 (42.4 percent) individuals described constipation. Over-the-counter medications and nonevidence-based natural approaches were most commonly used to alleviate constipation. Many individuals questioned, rotated, reduced, or stopped their opioid treatments as a result of their GI side effects. Investigation of social media reveals a struggle to balance pain management with opioid-induced GI side effects, especially constipation. Individuals are often unprepared to treat OIC, to modify opioid regiments without medical advice, and to resort to using natural remedies and treatments lacking scientific evidence of effectiveness. These results identify opportunities to improve physician-patient communication and explore effective treatment alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia B Whitman
- Clinical Research Coordinator, Cedars-Sinai Health System, Principal Research Coordinator, Cedars-Sinai Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CS-CORE), Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mark W Reid
- Cedars-Sinai Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CS-CORE), Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
| | - Corey Arnold
- Department of Radiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Lyann Ursos
- Scientific Associate Director, Takeda Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Deerfield, Illinois
| | - Roee Sa'adon
- Vice President, Technology, Treato Ltd., Or Yehuda, Israel
| | - Jonathan Pourmorady
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Brennan M R Spiegel
- Cedars-Sinai Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CS-CORE), Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California; Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California
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Spiegel BMR, Kaneshiro M, Russell MM, Lin A, Patel A, Tashjian VC, Zegarski V, Singh D, Cohen SE, Reid MW, Whitman CB, Talley J, Martinez BM, Kaiser W. Validation of an acoustic gastrointestinal surveillance biosensor for postoperative ileus. J Gastrointest Surg 2014; 18:1795-803. [PMID: 25091837 DOI: 10.1007/s11605-014-2597-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postoperative ileus (POI) can worsen outcomes, increase cost, and prolong hospitalization. An objective marker could help identify POI patients who should not be prematurely fed. We developed a disposable, non-invasive acoustic gastro-intestinal surveillance (AGIS) biosensor. We tested whether AGIS can distinguish healthy controls from patients recovering from abdominal surgery. STUDY DESIGN AGIS is a disposable plastic device embedded with a microphone that adheres to the abdominal wall and connects to a computer that measures acoustic event rates. We compared intestinal rates of healthy subjects using AGIS for 60 min after a standardized meal to recordings of two postoperative groups: (1) patients tolerating standardized feeding and (2) POI patients. We compared intestinal rates among groups using ANOVA and t tests. RESULTS There were 8 healthy controls, 7 patients tolerating feeding, and 25 with POI; mean intestinal rates were 0.14, 0.03, and 0.016 events per second, respectively (ANOVA p < 0.001). AGIS separated patients from controls with 100 % sensitivity and 97 % specificity. Among patients, rates were higher in fed versus POI subjects (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION Non-invasive, abdominal acoustic monitoring distinguishes POI from non-POI subjects. Future research will test whether AGIS can identify patients at risk for development of POI and assist with postoperative feeding decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan M R Spiegel
- Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, USA,
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Spiegel BMR, Reid MW, Bolus R, Whitman CB, Talley J, Dea S, Shahedi K, Karsan H, Teal C, Melmed GY, Cohen E, Fuller G, Yen L, Hodgkins P, Erder MH. Development and validation of a disease-targeted quality of life instrument for chronic diverticular disease: the DV-QOL. Qual Life Res 2014; 24:163-79. [DOI: 10.1007/s11136-014-0753-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Khanna P, Agarwal N, Khanna D, Hays RD, Chang L, Bolus R, Melmed G, Whitman CB, Kaplan RM, Ogawa R, Snyder B, Spiegel BM. Development of an online library of patient-reported outcome measures in gastroenterology: the GI-PRO database. Am J Gastroenterol 2014; 109:234-48. [PMID: 24343547 PMCID: PMC4275098 DOI: 10.1038/ajg.2013.401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2011] [Accepted: 10/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Because gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses can cause physical, emotional, and social distress, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are used to guide clinical decision making, conduct research, and seek drug approval. It is important to develop a mechanism for identifying, categorizing, and evaluating the over 100 GI PROs that exist. Here we describe a new, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported, online PRO clearinghouse-the GI-PRO database. METHODS Using a protocol developed by the NIH Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS(®)), we performed a systematic review to identify English-language GI PROs. We abstracted PRO items and developed an online searchable item database. We categorized symptoms into content "bins" to evaluate a framework for GI symptom reporting. Finally, we assigned a score for the methodological quality of each PRO represented in the published literature (0-20 range; higher indicates better). RESULTS We reviewed 15,697 titles (κ>0.6 for title and abstract selection), from which we identified 126 PROs. Review of the PROs revealed eight GI symptom "bins": (i) abdominal pain, (ii) bloat/gas, (iii) diarrhea, (iv) constipation, (v) bowel incontinence/soilage, (vi) heartburn/reflux, (vii) swallowing, and (viii) nausea/vomiting. In addition to these symptoms, the PROs covered four psychosocial domains: (i) behaviors, (ii) cognitions, (iii) emotions, and (iv) psychosocial impact. The quality scores were generally low (mean 8.88 ± 4.19; 0 (min)-20 (max). In addition, 51% did not include patient input in developing the PRO, and 41% provided no information on score interpretation. CONCLUSIONS GI PROs cover a wide range of biopsychosocial symptoms. Although plentiful, GI PROs are limited by low methodological quality. Our online PRO library (www.researchcore.org/gipro/) can help in selecting PROs for clinical and research purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puja Khanna
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Nikhil Agarwal
- Department of Gastroenterology, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA,Department of Gastroenterology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ron D. Hays
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lin Chang
- Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA,Center for Neurobiology of Stress, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Roger Bolus
- Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA,UCLA/VA Center for Outcomes Research and Education, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gil Melmed
- Department of Gastroenterology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Cynthia B. Whitman
- UCLA/VA Center for Outcomes Research and Education, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Robert M. Kaplan
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Rikke Ogawa
- Biomedical Library of the Health Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Bradley Snyder
- UCLA/VA Center for Outcomes Research and Education, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Brennan M.R. Spiegel
- Department of Gastroenterology, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA,Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA,Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA,UCLA/VA Center for Outcomes Research and Education, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Whitman CB, Shreay S, Gitlin M, van Oijen MGH, Spiegel BMR. Clinical factors and the decision to transfuse chronic dialysis patients. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2013; 8:1942-51. [PMID: 23929931 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.00160113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Red blood cell transfusion was previously the principle therapy for anemia in CKD but became less prevalent after the introduction of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. This study used adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis to identify preferences and predictors of transfusion decision-making in CKD. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS A computerized adaptive choice-based conjoint survey was administered between June and August of 2012 to nephrologists, internists, and hospitalists listed in the American Medical Association Masterfile. The survey quantified the relative importance of 10 patient attributes, including hemoglobin levels, age, occult blood in stool, severity of illness, eligibility for transplant, iron indices, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, cardiovascular disease, and functional status. Triggers of transfusions in common dialysis scenarios were studied, and based on adaptive choice-based conjoint-derived preferences, relative importance by performing multivariable regression to identify predictors of transfusion preferences was assessed. RESULTS A total of 350 providers completed the survey (n=305 nephrologists; mean age=46 years; 21% women). Of 10 attributes assessed, absolute hemoglobin level was the most important driver of transfusions, accounting for 29% of decision-making, followed by functional status (16%) and cardiovascular comorbidities (12%); 92% of providers transfused when hemoglobin was 7.5 g/dl, independent of other factors. In multivariable regression, Veterans Administration providers were more likely to transfuse at 8.0 g/dl (odds ratio, 5.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.9 to 18.4). Although transplant eligibility explained only 5% of decision-making, nephrologists were five times more likely to value it as important compared with non-nephrologists (odds ratio, 5.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.4 to 11.1). CONCLUSIONS Adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis was useful in predicting influences on transfusion decisions. Hemoglobin level, functional status, and cardiovascular comorbidities most strongly influenced transfusion decision-making, but preference variations were observed among subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia B Whitman
- Departments of Research and, ¶Internal Medicine, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California;, †University of California at Los Angeles, Veterans Administration Center for Outcomes Research and Education, Los Angeles, California;, ‡Global Health Economics, Amgen, Inc., Thousand Oaks, California;, §Department of Internal Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, ‖Department of Health Services, University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California
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