Evaluating Therapeutic Inertia in Two Telehealth Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes: Secondary Analyses of a Randomized Trial

Introduction: Although therapeutic inertia is a known driver of suboptimal type 2 diabetes control, little is known about how to combat this phenomenon. We analyzed randomized trial data to determine whether a comprehensive telehealth intervention was more effective than a less structured telehealth approach (telemonitoring and care coordination) at promoting treatment intensification in poorly controlled diabetes. Methods: Patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes were randomized 1:1 to telemonitoring/care coordination or a comprehensive telehealth intervention, which included an active, study provider-guided medication management component. Prospectively collected medication lists were used to determine whether treatment intensification occurred for each patient during 3-month intervals throughout the study period. To examine between-arm differences in treatment intensification over time, we fit a generalized estimation equation model. In each arm, hemoglobin A1c levels at the beginning and end of each 3-month interval were used to distinguish between therapeutic inertia and potentially appropriate nonintensification of treatment. Results: The mean, model-estimated likelihood of treatment intensification during 3-month intervals was 61.3% in the comprehensive telehealth group versus 48.6% for telemonitoring/care coordination (odds ratio 1.7, 95% confidence interval 1.2-2.2; p = 0.0007), with no evidence that treatment effect varied over time (p = 0.54). Treatment intervals with observed therapeutic inertia were more common in the telemonitoring/care coordination arm than the comprehensive telehealth arm (116/300, 39% vs. 57/275, 21%). Conclusions: A comprehensive telehealth approach that integrated protocol-guided medication management increased treatment intensification and reduced therapeutic inertia compared with a less structured telehealth approach. The studied approaches may serve as examples of how systems might use telehealth to combat therapeutic inertia. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03520413.

Feasibility of a family-involved intervention to increase engagement in evidenced-based psychotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the feasibility of a family-involved intervention, family support in mental health recovery (FAMILIAR), for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) seeking psychotherapy at a single Veterans Administration Health System.

METHOD

This mixed-methods study reports qualitative and quantitative findings from a single-group pilot of 24 veterans and their support partners (SPs) about experiences with the intervention and interviews with eight VA mental health clinicians and leaders and the study interventionist to explore intervention feasibility. Findings across data sources were merged within domains of Bowen and colleagues' pilot study feasibility framework.

RESULTS

Out of 24 dyads, 16 veterans and 15 associated SPs completed the intervention. Participants viewed the intervention to be valuable and feasible. Veterans and SPs reported that they enrolled in the study to develop a shared understanding of PTSD and treatment. While participants identified few logistical barriers, finding a time for conjoint sessions could be a challenge. Veterans, SPs, and providers discussed benefits of the intervention, including that it facilitated conversation between the veteran and SP about PTSD and mental health care and helped to prepare the dyad for treatment. Providers noted potential challenges integrating family-involved interventions into clinical workflow in VA and suggested the need for additional training and standardized procedures for family-centered care.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identified potential implementation facilitators (e.g., standard operating procedures about session documentation, confidentiality, and family ethics) and challenges (e.g., clinical workflow integration) that require further study to bring FAMILIAR into routine clinical care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Brief conjoint visits between an embedded behavioral health provider and primary care team member: When are they used and what are the barriers and facilitators?

INTRODUCTION

Conjoint visits utilize the expertise of primary care providers (PCPs) and behavioral health providers (BHPs) to address complex comorbidities in patients. The objectives were to describe the use and features of conjoint visits and identify barriers and facilitators as described by BHPs in integrated settings.

METHOD

Three hundred and forty-five BHPs who worked in integrated primary care, a majority identifying as female and white, completed an online survey between October 2018 and July 2019.

RESULTS

Results indicated common reasons for conjoint visits were for mental or behavioral health concerns. Though they reported high comfort using conjoint visits (M = 4.3/5), 56.5% of BHPs participated in them less than monthly or never. Using a constant comparison approach, qualitative data were coded to reveal six categories of barriers and five categories of facilitators to conjoint visits. The most common barriers were a result of a lack of systemic support, such as 73.5% reporting lack of time, while the most common facilitators were coordination (60.7%) and interprofessional communication (39.3%).

DISCUSSION

Although conjoint visits are used infrequently, findings suggest it is not because they are unhelpful as providers generally found this type of appointment favorable. Rather, they and their teams lack time, training, and support needed for implementation. This research provides an introduction for researchers or clinicians to better understand the use of conjoint visits for patients with high needs and complexities. Future work focused on addressing barriers cited by providers regarding conjoint visits would increase providers' ability to use this form of care when it is needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Mental health therapy for veterans with PTSD as a family affair: A qualitative inquiry into how family support and social norms influence veteran engagement in care

Social support is important for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) recovery and emerging literature indicate that social support could increase engagement in PTSD therapy. However, there is a need to understand how and why family involvement can increase treatment engagement to inform strategies used in clinical practice. This study explores how individuals with PTSD and family members of individuals with PTSD experience therapy and how social interactions help or hinder therapy engagement. We interviewed 18 U.S. military veterans who had been referred for psychotherapy for PTSD in the Veterans Health Administration and 13 family members and used rapid content analysis to identify themes. We found that engaging in therapy was a family-level decision that participants expected to improve family life. Veterans were motivated to seek treatment to protect their relationships with loved ones. Family members generally encouraged veterans to seek treatment. Specifically, family members who viewed PTSD as a treatable illness versus a static aspect of the veteran's personality expressed positive attitudes about the effectiveness of therapy for reducing symptoms. Veterans whose social networks included individuals with prior military or trauma-related experiences reported that their loved ones possessed more understanding of PTSD and described positive subjective norms around therapy. Family members are often embedded in the therapy process because PTSD has a profound impact on the family. Positive subjective norms for therapy are created by family encouragement and may influence veteran perceptions about the value of treatment. Family members should be engaged early in mental health therapy and to the extent desired by the patient and family member. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring the importance of predisposing, enabling, and need factors for promoting Veteran engagement in mental health therapy for post-traumatic stress: a multiple methods study

PURPOSE

This study explored Veteran and family member perspectives on factors that drive post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) therapy engagement within constructs of the Andersen model of behavioral health service utilization. Despite efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase mental health care access, the proportion of Veterans with PTSD who engage in PTSD therapy remains low. Support for therapy from family members and friends could improve Veteran therapy use.

METHODS

We applied a multiple methods approach using data from VA administrative data and semi-structured individual interviews with Veterans and their support partners who applied to the VA Caregiver Support Program. We integrated findings from a machine learning analysis of quantitative data with findings from a qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interviews.

RESULTS

In quantitative models, Veteran medical need for health care use most influenced treatment initiation and retention. However, qualitative data suggested mental health symptoms combined with positive Veteran and support partner treatment attitudes motivated treatment engagement. Veterans indicated their motivation to seek treatment increased when family members perceived treatment to be of high value. Veterans who experienced poor continuity of VA care, group, and virtual treatment modalities expressed less care satisfaction. Prior marital therapy use emerged as a potentially new facilitator of PTSD treatment engagement that warrants more exploration.

CONCLUSIONS

Our multiple methods findings represent Veteran and support partner perspectives and show that amid Veteran and organizational barriers to care, attitudes and support of family members and friends still matter. Family-oriented services and intervention could be a gateway to increase Veteran PTSD therapy engagement.

Factors Associated With Diabetes Distress Among Patients With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes

Objective

Examine factors associated with increased diabetes distress (DD) among patients with type 2 diabetes with DD assessed by Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) total and subscale scores (emotional burden, physician-related distress, regimen-related distress, and interpersonal distress).

Methods

Cross-sectional analysis of data from veterans with persistently poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Multivariable linear regression models included baseline patient characteristics (independent variables) and DDS total and subscale scores (dependent variable).

Results

The cohort's (N = 248) mean age was 58 years (SD 8.3); 21% were female, 79% were non-White, and 5% were Hispanic/Latinx. Mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 9.8%, and 37.5% had moderate to high DD. Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity (β=0.41; 95% CI 0.01, 0.80), baseline HbA1c (0.07; 95% CI 0.01,0.13), and higher Personal Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) scores (0.07; 95% CI 0.05, 0.09) were associated with higher total DD. Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity (0.79; 95% CI 0.25, 1.34) and higher PHQ-8 (0.05; 95% CI 0.03, 0.08) were associated with higher interpersonal-related distress. Higher HbA1c (0.15; 95% CI 0.06, 0.23) and higher PHQ-8 scores (0.10; 95% CI 0.07, 0.13) were associated with higher regimen-related distress. The use of basal insulin (0.28; 95% CI 0.001, 0.56) and higher PHQ-8 (0.02; 95% CI 0.001, 0.05) were associated with higher physician-related distress. Higher PHQ-8 (0.10; 95% CI 0.07, 0.12) was associated with higher emotional burden.

Conclusion

Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity, depressive symptoms, uncontrolled hyperglycemia, and insulin use were associated with higher risk for DD. Future research should explore these relationships, and interventions designed to reduce diabetes distress should consider accounting for these factors.

Simplifying therapy to assure glycemic control and engagement (STAGE) in poorly-controlled diabetes: A pilot study

In this single-arm pilot study, we demonstrated feasibility and acceptability of an insulin simplification intervention in patients with persistent, poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes on complex insulin regimens. While not powered to assess clinical outcomes, we observed neither worsened glycemic control nor increased hypoglycemia.

Adapting a family-involved intervention to increase initiation and completion of evidenced-based psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is disabling condition among United States Veterans. Training programs for evidenced-based therapies have been rolled out nationally in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), but provider adoption of these treatments is limited and rates of Veteran dropout are high. Increasing support for mental health therapy within the Veteran's social network would improve treatment engagement. We discuss the adaptation of Recovery-Oriented Decisions for Relatives' Support (REORDER)-a family-based intervention for individuals with serious mental illness- to create Family Support in Mental Health Recovery (FAMILIAR), an intervention that seeks to strengthen support partners' abilities to help Veterans engage in therapy. Our goal was to apply modifications to meet the needs of Veterans with PTSD and their support partners. We used input from Veterans, support partners, clinicians and VA system leaders to inform the modifications. Then, a multi-disciplinary intervention development team met to determine which modifications would be applied and how. We used the domains from the Framework for Adaptations and Modification (FRAME) to systematically track and describe modifications. Adaptations made to REORDER included changes in content, structure, and delivery format. The resulting intervention, FAMILIAR, was a 3-4 session intervention beginning prior to EBP initiation and continuing through sessions 3, 4 or 5 of the EBP. Sessions were designed for maximum flexibility and could be offered either in-person or virtually, and sessions involve interactions between the interventionist with the Veteran and support partner alone and together. We learned the importance of including diverse stakeholder perspectives to develop a comprehensive understanding of the needs of the target population and the health system. While feasibility and effectiveness testing is needed, we applied a proactive adaptation approach that we anticipate will make FAMILIAR successful in addressing patient, clinical, and system considerations of a family approach to increase Veteran engagement in PTSD treatment.

Just Do It: Participation in Structured Online Curricula Reliably Improves Low ABSITE Scores

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized residents enrolled in an Accelerated Clinical Education in Surgery (ACES) program would improve their scores to above the 30^th percentile. We analyzed which components of ACES correlated with improvement.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A retrospective review of three academic cycles (2018-2021) at an academic general surgery residency.

PARTICIPANTS

Residents scoring ≤30^th percentile on the ABSITE were enrolled in ACES. Baseline demographics including STEP scores were collected. ACES included: (1) SCORE and DeckerMed assignments (2) Weekly faculty review sessions and (3) Monthly meeting with assigned mentor. Data were analyzed by Student's t-test, one-way ANOVA and Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

Twenty-six surgical residents enrolled in ACES. Compared to residents not in ACES, there was no significant difference females (15 vs. 15; p = 0.19) and STEP 2 scores (241 vs. 246; p = 0.06). Residents in ACES had significantly lower STEP 1 (225 vs. 237; p < 0.001) and STEP 3 (212 vs. 223; p < 0.001) scores. Demographics of ACES residents who subsequently scored >30^th percentile were similar to those who didn't, except for STEP 3 scores (216 vs. 204; p = 0.008). For residents in ACES, the completion of assignments between July and January was significantly higher for those who subsequently achieved an ABSITE score >30^th percentile: TWIS, 77% vs. 53% (p = 0.022), Decker WC, 80% vs. 49% (p = 0.009) and Decker MR, 53% vs. 29% (p = 0.016). Completion of an online practice exam prior to ABSITE also correlated with score >30^th percentile (57% vs. 13%, p = 0.007). There was also no correlation between the number of faculty review sessions and ABSITE (11.5 vs.11.9, p = 0.931).

CONCLUSIONS

Participation in a structured online program of reading and quizzes was durably effective in improving ABSITE scores >30^th percentile. Completion of online assignments, rather than scores on practice tests or review sessions, appeared to be the most important factor for success.

Implementation of an Intensive Telehealth Intervention for Rural Patients with Clinic-Refractory Diabetes

BACKGROUND

Rural patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) may experience poor glycemic control due to limited access to T2D specialty care and self-management support. Telehealth can facilitate delivery of comprehensive T2D care to rural patients, but implementation in clinical practice is challenging.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the implementation of Advanced Comprehensive Diabetes Care (ACDC), an evidence-based, comprehensive telehealth intervention for clinic-refractory, uncontrolled T2D. ACDC leverages existing Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Home Telehealth (HT) infrastructure, making delivery practical in rural areas.

DESIGN

Mixed-methods implementation study.

PARTICIPANTS

230 patients with clinic-refractory, uncontrolled T2D.

INTERVENTION

ACDC bundles telemonitoring, self-management support, and specialist-guided medication management, and is delivered over 6 months using existing VHA HT clinical staffing/equipment. Patients may continue in a maintenance protocol after the initial 6-month intervention period.

MAIN MEASURES

Implementation was evaluated using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. The primary effectiveness outcome was hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).

KEY RESULTS

From 2017 to 2020, ACDC was delivered to 230 patients across seven geographically diverse VHA sites; on average, patients were 59 years of age, 95% male, 80% white, and 14% Hispanic/Latinx. Patients completed an average of 10.1 of 12 scheduled encounters during the 6-month intervention period. Model-estimated mean baseline HbA1c was 9.56% and improved to 8.14% at 6 months (- 1.43%, 95% CI: - 1.64, - 1.21; P < .001). Benefits persisted at 12 (- 1.26%, 95% CI: - 1.48, - 1.05; P < .001) and 18 months (- 1.08%, 95% CI - 1.35, - 0.81; P < .001). Patients reported increased engagement in self-management and awareness of glycemic control, while clinicians and HT nurses reported a moderate workload increase. As of this submission, some sites have maintained delivery of ACDC for up to 4 years.

CONCLUSIONS

When strategically designed to leverage existing infrastructure, comprehensive telehealth interventions can be implemented successfully, even in rural areas. ACDC produced sustained improvements in glycemic control in a previously refractory population.

Effect of a Comprehensive Telehealth Intervention vs Telemonitoring and Care Coordination in Patients With Persistently Poor Type 2 Diabetes Control: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Persistently poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (PPDM) is common and causes poor outcomes. Comprehensive telehealth interventions could help address PPDM, but effectiveness is uncertain, and barriers impede use in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE

To address evidence gaps preventing use of comprehensive telehealth for PPDM by comparing a practical, comprehensive telehealth intervention to a simpler telehealth approach.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This active-comparator, parallel-arm, randomized clinical trial was conducted in 2 Veterans Affairs health care systems. From December 2018 to January 2020, 1128 outpatients with PPDM were assessed for eligibility and 200 were randomized; PPDM was defined as maintenance of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of 8.5% or higher for 1 year or longer despite engagement with clinic-based primary care and/or diabetes specialty care. Data analyses were preformed between March 2021 and May 2022.

INTERVENTIONS

Each 12-month intervention was nurse-delivered and used only clinical staffing/resources. The comprehensive telehealth group (n = 101) received telemonitoring, self-management support, diet/activity support, medication management, and depression support. Patients assigned to the simpler intervention (n = 99) received telemonitoring and care coordination.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Primary (HbA1c) and secondary outcomes (diabetes distress, diabetes self-care, self-efficacy, body mass index, depression symptoms) were analyzed over 12 months using intent-to-treat linear mixed longitudinal models. Sensitivity analyses with multiple imputation and inclusion of clinical data examined the impact of missing HbA1c measurements. Adverse events and intervention costs were examined.

RESULTS

The population (n = 200) had a mean (SD) age of 57.8 (8.2) years; 45 (22.5%) were women, 144 (72.0%) were of Black race, and 11 (5.5%) were of Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity. From baseline to 12 months, HbA1c change was -1.59% (10.17% to 8.58%) in the comprehensive telehealth group and -0.98% (10.17% to 9.19%) in the telemonitoring/care coordination group, for an estimated mean difference of -0.61% (95% CI, -1.12% to -0.11%; P = .02). Sensitivity analyses showed similar results. At 12 months, patients receiving comprehensive telehealth had significantly greater improvements in diabetes distress, diabetes self-care, and self-efficacy; no differences in body mass index or depression were seen. Adverse events were similar between groups. Comprehensive telehealth cost an additional $1519 per patient per year to deliver.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This randomized clinical trial found that compared with telemonitoring/care coordination, comprehensive telehealth improved multiple outcomes in patients with PPDM at a reasonable additional cost. This study supports consideration of comprehensive telehealth implementation for PPDM in systems with appropriate infrastructure and may enhance the value of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03520413.

Factors associated with non-adherence to insulin and non-insulin medications in patients with poorly controlled diabetes

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate differences in factors associated with self-reported medication non-adherence to insulin and non-insulin medications in patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

In this secondary analysis of a randomized trial in patients with obesity and uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between several clinical factors (measured with survey questionnaires at study baseline) and self-reported non-adherence to insulin and non-insulin medications.

RESULTS

Among 263 patients, reported non-adherence was 62% (52% for insulin, 55% for non-insulin medications). Reported non-adherence to non-insulin medications was less likely in white versus non-white patients (odds ratio (OR) = 0.42; 95%CI: 0.22,0.80) and with each additional medication taken (OR = 0.75; 95%CI: 0.61,0.93). Non-adherence to non-insulin medications was more likely with each point increase in a measure of diabetes medication intensity (OR = 1.43; 95%CI: 1.01,2.03), the Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) score (OR = 1.06; 95%CI: 1.02,1.12), and in men versus women (OR = 3.03; 95%CI: 1.06,8.65). For insulin, reporting non-adherence was more likely (OR = 1.02; 95%CI: 1.00,1.04) with each point increase in the PAID.

DISCUSSION

Despite similar overall rates of reported non-adherence to insulin and non-insulin medications, factors associated with reported non-adherence to each medication type differed. These findings may help tailor approaches to supporting adherence in patients using different types of diabetes medications.

Clinical and translational science award T32/TL1 training programs: program goals and mentorship practices

INTRODUCTION

A national survey characterized training and career development for translational researchers through Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) T32/TL1 programs. This report summarizes program goals, trainee characteristics, and mentorship practices.

METHODS

A web link to a voluntary survey was emailed to 51 active TL1 program directors and administrators. Descriptive analyses were performed on aggregate data. Qualitative data analysis used open coding of text followed by an axial coding strategy based on the grounded theory approach.

RESULTS

Fifty out of 51 (98%) invited CTSA hubs responded. Training program goals were aligned with the CTSA mission. The trainee population consisted of predoctoral students (50%), postdoctoral fellows (30%), and health professional students in short-term (11%) or year-out (9%) research training. Forty percent of TL1 programs support both predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees. Trainees are diverse by academic affiliation, mostly from medicine, engineering, public health, non-health sciences, pharmacy, and nursing. Mentor training is offered by most programs, but mandatory at less than one-third of them. Most mentoring teams consist of two or more mentors.

CONCLUSIONS

CTSA TL1 programs are distinct from other NIH-funded training programs in their focus on clinical and translational research, cross-disciplinary approaches, emphasis on team science, and integration of multiple trainee types. Trainees in nearly all TL1 programs were engaged in all phases of translational research (preclinical, clinical, implementation, public health), suggesting that the CTSA TL1 program is meeting the mandate of NCATS to provide training to develop the clinical and translational research workforce.

Clinical associations of an updated medication effect score for measuring diabetes treatment intensity

OBJECTIVES

The medication effect score reflects overall intensity of a diabetes regimen by consolidating dosage and potency of agents used. Little is understood regarding how medication intensity relates to clinical factors. We updated the medication effect score to account for newer agents and explored associations between medication effect score and patient-level clinical factors.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a randomized controlled trial involving 263 Veterans with type 2 diabetes and hemoglobin A1c levels ≥8.0% (≥7.5% if under age 50). Medication effect score was calculated for all patients at baseline, alongside additional measures including demographics, comorbid illnesses, hemoglobin A1c, and self-reported psychosocial factors. We used multivariable regression to explore associations between baseline medication effect score and patient-level clinical factors.

RESULTS

Our sample had a mean age of 60.7 (SD = 8.2) years, was 89.4% male, and 57.4% non-White. Older age and younger onset of diabetes were associated with a higher medication effect score, as was higher body mass index. Higher medication effect score was significantly associated with medication nonadherence, although not with hemoglobin A1c, self-reported hypoglycemia, diabetes-related distress, or depression.

DISCUSSION

We observed several expected associations between an updated medication effect score and patient-level clinical factors. These associations support the medication effect score as an appropriate measure of diabetes regimen intensity in clinical and research contexts.

Virtual integrated primary care teams: Recommendations for team-based care

INTRODUCTION

Integrated primary care teams are increasingly relying upon virtual care, including both telehealth and team members who are teleworking, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift to virtual care can present challenges for the coordination and provision of team-based care in primary care. The current report uses extant literature on teams to provide recommendations to support integrated primary care teams, including behavioral health providers, in adapting to and sustaining virtual team-based care.

METHOD

We used the Seven C's framework by Salas and colleagues (2015) to organize our findings and recommendations, focusing on coordination, cooperation, cognition, and communication.

RESULTS

Integrated primary care teams may benefit from tending to both implicit and explicit forms of coordination and the use of debriefs to improve team coordination. Given the potential challenge of trust in a virtual team, documentation of care coordination and reexamination of how feedback is provided to primary care providers may benefit team cooperation. Sharing team goals and crosstraining on specific aspects of team processes, such as communicating essential information to behavioral health providers for a warm handoff, may improve the cognition of the team. Teams may also benefit by findings ways to incorporate informal communication into the workflow and using closed-loop communication to decrease missed communications.

DISCUSSION

This report provides initial recommendations based on extant team literature to support integrated primary care teams in adapting to virtual care. Future work should build off this report by examining virtual integrated primary care teams and providing evidence-based recommendations to optimize virtual care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Elevated Body Mass Index in a Study Comparing Group Medical Visits Focused on Weight Management and Medication Intensification

BACKGROUND

Illuminating heterogeneity of treatment effect (HTE) within trials is important for identifying target populations for implementation.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine HTE in a trial of group medical visits (GMVs) for patients with type 2 diabetes and elevated body mass index.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND MEASURES

Participants (n=263) were randomized to GMV-based medication management plus low carbohydrate diet-focused weight management (WM/GMV; n=127) or GMV-based medication management alone (GMV; n=136) for diabetes control. We used QUalitative INteraction Trees, a tree-based clustering method, to identify subgroups with greater improvement in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and weight from either WM/GMV or GMV. Subgroup predictors included 32 baseline demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors. Internal validation was conducted to estimate bias in the range of mean outcome differences between arms.

RESULTS

QUalitative INteraction Trees analyses indicated that for patients who had not previously attempted weight loss, WM/GMV resulted in better glycemic control than GMV (mean difference in HbA1c improvement=1.48%). For patients who had previously attempted weight loss and had lower cholesterol and blood urea nitrogen, GMV was better than WM/GMV (mean difference in HbA1c improvement=1.51%). No treatment-subgroup effects were identified for weight. Internal validation resulted in moderate corrections in mean HbA1c differences between arms; however, differences remained in the clinically significant range.

CONCLUSION

This work represents a novel step toward targeting care approaches for patients to maximize benefit based on individual patient characteristics.

Implementation of social needs screening in primary care: a qualitative study using the health equity implementation framework

BACKGROUND

Screening in primary care for unmet individual social needs (e.g., housing instability, food insecurity, unemployment, social isolation) is critical to addressing their deleterious effects on patients' health outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply an implementation science framework to identify implementation factors and best practices for social needs screening and response.

METHODS

Guided by the Health Equity Implementation Framework (HEIF), we collected qualitative data from clinicians and patients to evaluate barriers and facilitators to implementing the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients' Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE), a standardized social needs screening and response protocol, in a federally qualified health center. Eligible patients who received the PRAPARE as a standard of care were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. We also obtained front-line clinician perspectives in a semi-structured focus group. HEIF domains informed a directed content analysis.

RESULTS

Patients and clinicians (i.e., case managers) reported implementation barriers and facilitators across multiple domains (e.g., clinical encounters, patient and provider factors, inner context, outer context, and societal influence). Implementation barriers included structural and policy level determinants related to resource availability, discrimination, and administrative burden. Facilitators included evidence-based clinical techniques for shared decision making (e.g., motivational interviewing), team-based staffing models, and beliefs related to alignment of the PRAPARE with patient-centered care. We found high levels of patient acceptability and opportunities for adaptation to increase equitable adoption and reach.

CONCLUSION

Our results provide practical insight into the implementation of the PRAPARE or similar social needs screening and response protocols in primary care at the individual encounter, organizational, community, and societal levels. Future research should focus on developing discrete implementation strategies to promote social needs screening and response, and associated multisector care coordination to improve health outcomes and equity for vulnerable and marginalized patient populations.

Evaluating the association of social needs assessment data with cardiometabolic health status in a federally qualified community health center patient population

BACKGROUND

Health systems are increasingly using standardized social needs screening and response protocols including the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients' Risks, Assets, and Experiences (PRAPARE) to improve population health and equity; despite established relationships between the social determinants of health and health outcomes, little is known about the associations between standardized social needs assessment information and patients' clinical condition.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between social needs screening assessment data and measures of cardiometabolic clinical health from electronic health records data using two modelling approaches: a backward stepwise logistic regression and a least absolute selection and shrinkage operation (LASSO) logistic regression. Primary outcomes were dichotomized cardiometabolic measures related to obesity, hypertension, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) 10-year risk. Nested models were built to evaluate the utility of social needs assessment data from PRAPARE for risk prediction, stratification, and population health management.

RESULTS

Social needs related to lack of housing, unemployment, stress, access to medicine or health care, and inability to afford phone service were consistently associated with cardiometabolic risk across models. Model fit, as measured by the c-statistic, was poor for predicting obesity (logistic = 0.586; LASSO = 0.587), moderate for stage 1 hypertension (logistic = 0.703; LASSO = 0.688), and high for borderline ASCVD risk (logistic = 0.954; LASSO = 0.950).

CONCLUSIONS

Associations between social needs assessment data and clinical outcomes vary by cardiometabolic condition. Social needs assessment data may be useful for prospectively identifying patients at heightened cardiometabolic risk; however, there are limits to the utility of social needs data for improving predictive performance.

Chronic disease stigma, skepticism of the health system, and socio-economic fragility: Qualitative assessment of factors impacting receptiveness to group medical visits and microfinance for non-communicable disease care in rural Kenya

BACKGROUND

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality in the world, and innovative approaches to NCD care delivery are being actively developed and evaluated. Combining the group-based experience of microfinance and group medical visits is a novel approach to NCD care delivery. However, the contextual factors, facilitators, and barriers impacting wide-scale implementation of these approaches within a low- and middle-income country setting are not well known.

METHODS

Two types of qualitative group discussion were conducted: 1) mabaraza (singular, baraza), a traditional East African community gathering used to discuss and exchange information in large group settings; and 2) focus group discussions (FGDs) among rural clinicians, community health workers, microfinance group members, and patients with NCDs. Trained research staff members led the discussions using structured question guides. Content analysis was performed with NVivo using deductive and inductive codes that were then grouped into themes.

RESULTS

We conducted 5 mabaraza and 16 FGDs. A total of 205 individuals (113 men and 92 women) participated in the mabaraza, while 162 individuals (57 men and 105 women) participated in the FGDs. In the context of poverty and previous experiences with the health system, participants described challenges to NCD care across three themes: 1) stigma of chronic disease, 2) earned skepticism of the health system, and 3) socio-economic fragility. However, they also outlined windows of opportunity and facilitators of group medical visits and microfinance to address those challenges.

DISCUSSION

Our qualitative study revealed actionable factors that could impact the success of implementation of group medical visits and microfinance initiatives for NCD care. While several challenges were highlighted, participants also described opportunities to address and mitigate the impact of these factors. We anticipate that our approach and analysis provides new insights and methodological techniques that will be relevant to other low-resource settings worldwide.

Group Medical Visit and Microfinance Intervention for Patients With Diabetes or Hypertension in Kenya

BACKGROUND

Incorporating social determinants of health into care delivery for chronic diseases is a priority.

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of group medical visits and/or microfinance on blood pressure reduction.

METHODS

The authors conducted a cluster randomized trial with 4 arms and 24 clusters: 1) usual care (UC); 2) usual care plus microfinance (MF); 3) group medical visits (GMVs); and 4) GMV integrated into MF (GMV-MF). The primary outcome was 1-year change in systolic blood pressure (SBP). Mixed-effects intention-to-treat models were used to evaluate the outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 2,890 individuals (69.9% women) were enrolled (708 UC, 709 MF, 740 GMV, and 733 GMV-MF). Average baseline SBP was 157.5 mm Hg. Mean SBP declined -11.4, -14.8, -14.7, and -16.4 mm Hg in UC, MF, GMV, and GMV-MF, respectively. Adjusted estimates and multiplicity-adjusted 98.3% confidence intervals showed that, relative to UC, SBP reduction was 3.9 mm Hg (-8.5 to 0.7), 3.3 mm Hg (-7.8 to 1.2), and 2.3 mm Hg (-7.0 to 2.4) greater in GMV-MF, GMV, and MF, respectively. GMV and GMV-MF tended to benefit women, and MF and GMV-MF tended to benefit poorer individuals. Active participation in GMV-MF was associated with greater benefit.

CONCLUSIONS

A strategy combining GMV and MF for individuals with diabetes or hypertension in Kenya led to clinically meaningful SBP reductions associated with cardiovascular benefit. Although the significance threshold was not met in pairwise comparison hypothesis testing, confidence intervals for GMV-MF were consistent with impacts ranging from substantive benefit to neutral effect relative to UC. Incorporating social determinants of health into care delivery for chronic diseases has potential to improve outcomes. (Bridging Income Generation With Group Integrated Care [BIGPIC]; NCT02501746).

The effect of perturbations of the glycocalyx on microvascular perfusion in the obese trauma population: an in vitro study

Objectives

Patients with morbid obesity have impaired responses to resuscitation following severe injury, which may contribute to adverse outcomes. Obesity is associated with microvascular dysfunction and metabolic changes associated with altered hemorheological profiles. These include decreased red blood cell (RBC) deformity associated with increased aggregation and adhesion. These RBC changes may be impacted by the glycocalyx layer of the endothelial cell (EC) and RBC. Degradation of either or both glycocalyx layers may impair microvascular perfusion. This was studied from blood obtained from patients with obesity and in an in vitro microfluidic device to mimic the microvascular environment.

Methods

RBCs were obtained from fresh whole blood from normal controls and patients with obesity (body mass index 37.6–60.0). RBC glycocalyx was indexed by fluorescent intensity and shedding of EC glycocalyx components into the serum was determined by measurement of syndecan-1 and hyaluronic acid. In a second set of experiments, human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers (HUVEC) were perfused with RBC suspensions from control and patients with obesity using a microfluidic device and RBC adherence under normoxic or shock conditions (hypoxia+epinephrine) was determined using confocal microscopy. HUVEC glycocalyx thickness and shedding were also measured.

Results

Microfluidic studies demonstrated that RBC obtained from subjects with obesity had increased adhesion to the endothelial layer, which was more profound under shock conditions versus normal subjects. This appeared to be related to increased shedding of the endothelial glycocalyx following shock as well as a diminished RBC glycocalyx layer in the obese population.

Conclusion

Blood from patients with obesity have decreased RBC glycocalyx thickness accompanied by evidence of increased EC glycocalyx shedding. In vitro adhesion to the endothelium was more pronounced with RBC from patients with obesity and was significantly greater under ‘shock conditions’. Hemorheological properties of RBC from patients with obesity may account for failure of standard resuscitation procedures in the trauma patient.

Level of evidence

Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is an established surgical technique to restore UCL deficiency, especially in the overhead throwing athlete. Over the past decade, the number of patients requiring UCL reconstruction has increased significantly, particularly in the adolescent patient population. Return-to-play rates after UCL reconstruction reported in the literature have ranged from 33% to 92%, and a recent systematic review noted a return-to-play rate of 89.40% in all high school athletes.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the outcomes, particularly return-to-play rates and subjective outcome scores, of UCL reconstruction of the elbow in adolescent throwing athletes.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was conducted via the electronic databases Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane. Studies that reported on outcomes, particularly return-to-play rates, in adolescent throwing athletes met the inclusion criteria and were included in our analysis. Studies that did not report on adolescent throwing athletes and studies that reported on adolescent throwing athletes but did not specify the return-to-play outcomes for these athletes were excluded from our analysis.

RESULTS

Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. There were 404 baseball players and 10 javelin throwers included in our analysis. A total of 349 of the 414 patients (84.30%) were successfully able to return to play at the same level of competition or higher. Successful rates of return to prior performance ranged from 66.67% to 91.49% in our analysis. Javelin throwers had a mean 80.00% rate of return to prior performance, while baseball players had a mean return-to-play rate of 84.40%. Complications were evaluated for 8 (88.9%) studies and 283 (68.4%) patients. There were 11 (3.9%) reported complications and 5 (1.8%) reoperations.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this systematic review revealed that adolescent patients are generally able to return to their preinjury level of performance or higher with limited complications. Further investigation is necessary to determine long-term outcomes for return to play after UCL reconstruction of the elbow in adolescent throwing athletes.

The Direct Clinic-Level Cost of the Implementation and Use of a Protocol to Assess and Address Social Needs in Diverse Community Health Center Primary Care Clinical Settings

PURPOSE

Social determinants of health, including food insecurity, housing instability, social isolation, and unemployment are important drivers of health outcomes and utilization. To inform implementation of social needs screening and response protocols, there is a need to identify the associated costs in routine primary care encounters.

METHODS

We interviewed key stakeholders in four diverse community health centers that had adopted a widely used social needs screening and response protocol. We evaluated costs using an activity-based costing tool across both the initial implementation phase and ongoing maintenance phase.

RESULTS

Clinic costs were associated with workforce development, planning, and electronic health record integration. These initial implementation costs varied by site ($6,644-$49,087). On a per-patient basis, ongoing maintenance costs ranged from $9.76 to $47.98.

CONCLUSION

Our findings can aid in designing reimbursement mechanisms tied to social needs screening and response to accelerate translational efforts and promote health equity.

Columbia COVID-19 Student Service Corps: Harnessing Student Skills and Galvanizing the Power of Service Learning

The COVID‐19 pandemic in New York City led to the forced rapid transformation of the medical school curriculum as well as increased critical needs to the health system. In response, a group of faculty and student leaders at CUIMC developed the COVID‐19 Student Service Corps (Columbia CSSC). The CSSC is an interprofessional service‐learning organization that galvanizes the skills and expertise of faculty and students from over 12 schools and programs in the response to the COVID‐19 pandemic, and is agile enough to shift and respond to future public health and medical emergencies. Since March 2020, over 30 projects have been developed and implemented supporting needs identified by the health system, providers, faculty, staff, and students as well as the larger community. The development of the CSSC also provided critical virtual educational opportunities in the form of service learning for students who were unable to have any in‐person instruction. The CSSC model has been shared nationally and nine additional chapters have started at academic institutions across the country.

Practical telehealth to improve control and engagement for patients with clinic-refractory diabetes mellitus (PRACTICE-DM): Protocol and baseline data for a randomized trial

Background

Persistent poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (PPDM), or maintenance of a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥8.5% despite receiving clinic-based diabetes care, contributes disproportionately to the national diabetes burden. Comprehensive telehealth interventions may help ameliorate PPDM, but existing approaches have rarely been designed with clinical implementation in mind, limiting use in routine practice. We describe a study testing a novel telehealth intervention that comprehensively targets clinic-refractory PPDM, and was explicitly developed for practical delivery using existing Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinical infrastructure.

Methods

Practical Telehealth to Improve Control and Engagement for Patients with Clinic-Refractory Diabetes Mellitus (PRACTICE-DM) is an ongoing randomized controlled trial comparing two 12-month interventions: 1) standard VHA Home Telehealth (HT) telemonitoring/care coordination; or 2) the PRACTICE-DM intervention, a comprehensive HT-delivered intervention combining telemonitoring, self-management support, diet/activity support, medication management, and depression management. The primary outcome is HbA1c. Secondary outcomes include diabetes distress, self-care, self-efficacy, weight, depressive symptoms, implementation barriers/facilitators, and costs. We hypothesize that the PRACTICE-DM intervention will reduce HbA1c by >0.6% versus standard HT over 12 months.

Results

Enrollment for this ongoing trial concluded in January 2020; 200 patients were randomized (99 to standard HT and 101 to the PRACTICE-DM intervention). The cohort has a mean age of 58 and is 23% female and 72% African American. Mean baseline HbA1c and BMI were 10.2% and 34.8 kg/m².

Conclusions

Because it comprehensively targets factors underlying PPDM using existing clinical infrastructure, the PRACTICE-DM intervention may be well suited to lower the complications and costs of PPDM in routine practice.

A data-driven examination of which patients follow trial protocol

Protocol adherence in behavioral intervention clinical trials is critical to trial success. There is increasing interest in understanding which patients are more likely to adhere to trial protocols. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the use of a data-driven approach to explore patient characteristics associated with the lowest and highest rates of adherence in three trials assessing interventions targeting behaviors related to lifestyle and risk for cardiovascular disease. Each trial included a common set of baseline variables. Model-based recursive partitioning (MoB) was applied in each trial to identify participant characteristics of subgroups characterized by these baseline variables with differences in protocol adherence. Bootstrap resampling was conducted to provide optimism-corrected c-statistics of the final solutions. In the three trials, rates of protocol adherence varied from 56.9% to 87.5%. Evaluation of heterogeneity of protocol adherence via MoB in each trial resulted in trees with 2–4 subgroups based on splits of 1–3 variables. In two of the three trials, the first split was based on pain in the past week, and those reporting lower pain were less likely to be adherent. In one of these trials, the second and third splits were based on education and employment, where those with lower education levels and who were employed were less likely to be adherent. In the third trial, the two splits were based on smoking status and then marriage status, where smokers who were married were least likely to be adherent. Optimism-corrected c-statistics ranged from 0.54 to 0.63. Model-based recursive partitioning can be a useful approach to explore heterogeneity in protocol adherence in behavioral intervention trials. An important next step would be to assess whether patterns hold in other similar studies and samples. Identifying subgroups who are less likely to be adherent to an intervention can help inform modifications to the intervention to help tailor the intervention to these subgroups and increase future uptake and impact.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT01828567, NCT02360293, and NCT01838226.

Preliminary evidence of effects of potassium chloride on a metabolomic path to diabetes and cardiovascular disease

INTRODUCTION

Low potassium intake can affect cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and cardiometabolic risk factors.

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesize that potassium chloride (KCl) supplementation can improve cardiovascular risk metabolomic profile.

METHODS

In this secondary analysis of a pilot randomized clinical trial (RCT) of 26 participants with prediabetes randomized to KCl or placebo, we performed targeted mass-spectrometry-based metabolomic profiling on baseline and 12-week (end-of-study) plasma samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the many correlated metabolites into fewer, independent factors that retain most of the information in the original data.

RESULTS

Those taking KCl had significant reductions (corresponding to lower cardiovascular risk) in the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) factor (P = 0.004) and in valine levels (P = 0.02); and non-significant reductions in short-chain acylcarnitines (SCA) factor (P = 0.11).

CONCLUSIONS

KCl supplementation may improve circulating BCAA levels, which may reflect improvements in overall cardiometabolic risk profile.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY

Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02236598; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02236598.

Effects of Potassium Chloride on a Metabolomic Path to Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes

Objectives

Metabolomic profiling is used to identify biological pathways and biomarkers for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Thus, metabolomics could be used to identify metabolic effects and demonstrate short-term efficacy of interventions designed to reduce longer-term risk of these conditions. Low potassium (K) intake has been linked to high blood pressure and increased CVD and diabetes risk. The effects of increasing K intake on metabolomic measures related to CVD and diabetes risk are not known. In this ancillary study, we tested the hypothesis that potassium chloride (KCl) supplementation would be associated with improvements in metabolomic biomarkers, such as branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) which are associated with CVD and diabetes risk.

Methods

We performed targeted mass-spectrometry-based metabolomic profiling of 60 metabolites on baseline and 12-week (end-of-study) plasma samples from 26 African-American participants with prediabetes randomized to KCl supplements vs. placebo. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for dimensionality reduction. Univariate and multivariable analyses were used to assess differences between the two intervention arms in the changes in metabolomic factor scores and individual metabolites.

Results

In univariate comparisons, compared to placebo, a PCA factor composed of long-chain acylcarnitines (LCA) increased in the KCl arm (P = 0.02). In multivariable models adjusted for baseline factor score, age, and sex, this association with the LCA factor was no longer significant; but those taking KCl had significant reductions in the BCAA factor (P = 0.004) and in valine levels (P = 0.02).

Conclusions

These results suggest that KCl supplementation may be associated with improvements in BCAA metabolism. Further studies among a larger population and with longer-term follow-up are warranted to verify these results and to determine if KCl supplementation may be an effective intervention for CVD and diabetes prevention.

Funding Sources

NIH/Duke CTSA.

Human-centered design as a guide to intervention planning for non-communicable diseases: the BIGPIC study from Western Kenya

BACKGROUND

Non-communicable disease (NCD) care in Sub-Saharan Africa is challenging due to barriers including poverty and insufficient health system resources. Local culture and context can impact the success of interventions and should be integrated early in intervention design. Human-centered design (HCD) is a methodology that can be used to engage stakeholders in intervention design and evaluation to tailor-make interventions to meet their specific needs.

METHODS

We created a Design Team of health professionals, patients, microfinance officers, community health workers, and village leaders. Over 6 weeks, the Design Team utilized a four-step approach of synthesis, idea generation, prototyping, and creation to develop an integrated microfinance-group medical visit model for NCD. We tested the intervention with a 6-month pilot and conducted a feasibility evaluation using focus group discussions with pilot participants and community members.

RESULTS

Using human-centered design methodology, we designed a model for NCD delivery that consisted of microfinance coupled with monthly group medical visits led by a community health educator and a rural clinician. Benefits of the intervention included medication availability, financial resources, peer support, and reduced caregiver burden. Critical concerns elicited through iterative feedback informed subsequent modifications that resulted in an intervention model tailored to the local context.

CONCLUSIONS

Contextualized interventions are important in settings with multiple barriers to care. We demonstrate the use of HCD to guide the development and evaluation of an innovative care delivery model for NCDs in rural Kenya. HCD can be used as a framework to engage local stakeholders to optimize intervention design and implementation. This approach can facilitate the development of contextually relevant interventions in other low-resource settings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02501746, registration date: July 17, 2015.

Comparison of Group Medical Visits Combined With Intensive Weight Management vs Group Medical Visits Alone for Glycemia in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Noninferiority Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Traditionally, group medical visits (GMVs) for persons with diabetes improved glycemia by intensifying medications, which infrequently led to weight loss. Incorporating GMVs with intensive dietary change could enable weight loss and improve glycemia while decreasing medication intensity.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether a program of GMVs combined with intensive weight management (WM) is noninferior to GMVs alone for change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level at 48 weeks (prespecified margin of 0.5%) and superior to GMVs alone for hypoglycemic events, diabetes medication intensity, and weight loss.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This randomized clinical trial identified via the electronic medical record 2814 outpatients with type 2 diabetes, uncontrolled HbA1c, and body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 27 or higher from Veterans Affairs Medical Center clinics in Durham and Greenville, North Carolina. Between January 12, 2015, and May 30, 2017, 263 outpatients started the intervention.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants randomized to the GMV group (n = 136) received counseling about diabetes-related topics with medication optimization every 4 weeks for 16 weeks, then every 8 weeks (9 visits). Participants randomized to the WM/GMV group (n = 127) received low-carbohydrate diet counseling with baseline medication reduction and subsequent medication optimization every 2 weeks for 16 weeks followed by an abbreviated GMV intervention every 8 weeks (13 visits).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Outcomes included HbA1c level, hypoglycemic events, diabetes medication effect score, and weight at 48 weeks analyzed using hierarchical generalized mixed models to account for clustering within group sessions.

RESULTS

Among 263 participants (mean [SD] age, 60.7 [8.2] years; 235 [89.4%] men; 143 [54.4%] black), baseline HbA1c level was 9.1% (1.3%) and BMI was 35.3 (5.1). At 48 weeks, HbA1c level was improved in both study arms (8.2% in the WM/GMV arm and 8.3% in the GMV arm; mean difference, -0.1%; 95% CI, -0.5% to 0.2%; upper 95% CI, <0.5% threshold; P = .44). The WM/GMV arm had lower diabetes medication use (mean difference in medication effect score, -0.5; 95% CI, -0.6 to -0.3; P < .001) and greater weight loss (mean difference, -3.7 kg; 95% CI, -5.5 to -1.9 kg; P < .001) than did the GMV arm at 48 weeks and approximately 50% fewer hypoglycemic events (incidence rate ratio, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.71; P < .001) during the 48-week period.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In GMVs for diabetes, addition of WM using a low-carbohydrate diet was noninferior for lowering HbA1c levels compared with conventional medication management and showed advantages in other clinically important outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01973972.

A Prospective Evaluation of Adverse Reactions to Single-Dose Intravenous Antibiotic Prophylaxis During Outpatient Hand Surgery

Background: While it is established that routine prophylactic antibiotics are not needed for all hand surgery, some cases do require it. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of adverse reactions resulting from prophylactic antibiotic administration on patients undergoing outpatient hand and upper extremity surgical procedures. We hypothesize that the rate of complications resulting from the use of antibiotic prophylaxis is smaller than that reported in the currently referenced literature. Methods: We prospectively evaluated 570 consecutive patients undergoing outpatient upper extremity surgery. Patients were excluded if they were on antibiotics prior to surgery, were discharged on antibiotics, or if they wished to be excluded. Nineteen patients were excluded, resulting in a study cohort of 551 patients. Patients were monitored perioperatively, 2 to 3 days postoperatively, during the first postoperative visit and 1 month postoperatively for adverse reactions. The type and timing of the adverse reaction was recorded. Results: Five hundred fifty-one patients were included for evaluation and 8 patients (1.5%) developed an adverse reaction to antibiotics. Five patients (0.9%) reported a rash and 3 patients (0.5%) reported diarrhea within 3 days of surgery. There were no anaphylactic reactions or complications necessitating hospital transfer or admission in the postoperative period. Conclusion: This study represents a prospective investigation designed to determine the rate of adverse reactions to single-dose antibiotics given during outpatient hand surgery. We conclude that the use of intravenous, single-dose prophylactic antibiotic is safe in the outpatient setting for cases that require it.

Clinical Implications of Sub-grouping HER2 Positive Tumors by Amplicon Structure and Co-amplified Genes

ERBB2 amplification is a prognostic marker for aggressive tumors and a predictive marker for prolonged survival following treatment with HER2 inhibitors. We attempt to sub-group HER2+ tumors based on amplicon structures and co-amplified genes. We examined five HER2+ cell lines, three HER2+ xenographs and 57 HER2+ tumor tissues. ERBB2 amplification was analyzed using digital droplet PCR and low coverage whole genome sequencing. In some HER2+ tumors PPM1D, that encodes WIP1, is co-amplified. Cell lines were treated with HER2 and WIP1 inhibitors. We find that inverted duplication is the amplicon structure in the majority of HER2+ tumors. In patients suffering from an early stage disease the ERBB2 amplicon is composed of a single segment while in patients suffering from advanced cancer the amplicon is composed of several different segments. We find robust WIP1 inhibition in some HER2+ PPM1D amplified cell lines. Sub-grouping HER2+ tumors using low coverage whole genome sequencing identifies inverted duplications as the main amplicon structure and based on the number of segments, differentiates between local and advanced tumors. In addition, we found that we could determine if a tumor is a recurrent tumor or second primary tumor and identify co-amplified oncogenes that may serve as targets for therapy.

Union Rates and Complications After Thumb Metacarpophalangeal Fusion

Background: Fusion of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint (MPJ) can be performed using tension band wiring (TBW) or plate and screw (PS) fixation. This study evaluated results and complications using these techniques. Methods: A retrospective review of patients who underwent thumb MPJ fusion at our institution from 2010 to 2016 was performed. Patients with >1 year follow-up were included. Demographic information, indication for fusion, time to fusion, and complications were collected. Final radiographs were examined and alignment measured. Results: There were 56 thumbs in 53 patients (42 women and 11 men) including 12 TBW and 44 PS. The mean age was 60.9 years, and follow-up was 32.4 months. Twenty-eight of 44 plates were nonlocking, and 16 were locking. Of the locking plates, 7 of 26 used all locking screws, and 9 of 26 had a combination of locked and nonlocked screws. The mean flexion angle for TBW was 16.5° and PS was 12.8°. The mean coronal angle for TBW patients was 4.0° ulnar and PS was 2.5° ulnar. The overall union rate was 95%. There were 12 complications, 9 in the PS group. The TBW complications were painful hardware requiring removal. Eight complications in the PS group occurred in patients with locked plates. Five of the delayed or nonunions occurred in patients with locked plates and 4 of these were in plates with all screws locked. Conclusion: Complications using PS or TBW are not infrequent. Alignment with both techniques is similar, but use of locked plates specifically increases the rate of delayed or nonunions. We do not recommend routine use of locked plates for fusion of the thumb MPJ.

Characteristics and Delivery of Diabetes Shared Medical Appointments in North Carolina

BACKGROUND Successful diabetes care requires patient engagement and health self-management. Diabetes shared medical appointments (SMAs) are an evidence-based approach that enables peer support, diabetes group education, and medication management to improve outcomes. The purpose of this study is to learn how diabetes SMAs are being delivered in North Carolina, including the characteristics of diabetes SMAs across the state.METHOD Twelve health systems in the state of North Carolina were contacted to explore clinical workflow and intervention characteristics with a member of the SMA care delivery team. Surveys were used to assess intervention characteristics and delivery.RESULTS Diabetes SMAs were offered in 10 clinics in 5 of the 12 health systems contacted with considerable heterogeneity across sites. The majority of SMAs were open cohorts (80%), offered monthly (60%) for 1.5 hours (60%). SMAs included a mean of 7.5 ± 3.4 patients with a maximum of 11.2 ± 2.7 patients. Survey data revealed barriers (cost-sharing and provider buy-in) to, and facilitators (leadership support and clinical champions) of, clinical adoption and sustained implementation.LIMITATIONS External validity is limited due to the small sample size and geographic clustering.CONCLUSION There is significant heterogeneity in the delivery and characteristics of diabetes SMAs in North Carolina with only modest uptake across the health systems. Further research to determine best practices and effectiveness in diverse, real-world clinical settings is required to inform implementation and dissemination efforts.

Effect of a group medical clinic for veterans with diabetes on body mass index

Objective

To assess the impact of a group medical clinic designed for patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension on body mass index.

Methods

Using data from a randomized trial of 239 veterans with type 2 diabetes mellitus, we performed a secondary analysis using analysis of covariance mixed models to explore the effect of a 12-month group medical clinic intervention on change in body mass index vs. usual care. In an exploratory subgroup analysis, we compared change in body mass index between treatment arms stratified by whether patients had >0.5% reduction in hemoglobin A1c at 12 months.

Results

Baseline body mass index was 33.5 kg/m2. At 12 months, there was no significant difference in change in body mass index between treatment arms (estimate=−0.02, 95% CI −0.51 to 5.05; P = 0.94); body mass index increased by approximately 0.20 points in both groups. There was also no significant difference in change in body mass index between treatment arms by whether or not patients had >0.5% reduction in hemoglobin A1c (estimate=−0.14, 95% CI −1.21 to −0.92; P = 0.79).

Discussion

Improved glycemic control was not associated with improved body mass index in the group medical clinic intervention. Given their positive effects on other outcomes, group medical clinics for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus may be more beneficial if focus is shifted towards weight loss.

Clinical factors associated with persistently poor diabetes control in the Veterans Health Administration: A nationwide cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Patients with persistent poorly-controlled diabetes mellitus (PPDM) despite engagement in clinic-based care are at particularly high risk for diabetes complications and costs. Understanding this population's demographics, comorbidities and care utilization could guide strategies to address PPDM. We characterized factors associated with PPDM in a large sample of Veterans with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

We identified a cohort of Veterans with medically treated type 2 diabetes, who received Veterans Health Administration primary care during fiscal years 2012 and 2013. PPDM was defined by hemoglobin A1c levels uniformly >8.5% during fiscal year (FY) 2012, despite engagement with care during this period. We used FY 2012 demographic, comorbidity and medication data to describe PPDM in relation to better-controlled diabetes patients and created multivariable models to examine associations between clinical factors and PPDM. We also constructed multivariable models to explore the association between PPDM and FY 2013 care utilization.

RESULTS

In our cohort of diabetes patients (n = 435,820), 12% met criteria for PPDM. Patients with PPDM were younger than better-controlled patients, less often married, and more often Black/African-American and Hispanic or Latino/Latina. Of included comorbidities, only retinopathy (OR 1.68, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.63,1.73) and nephropathy (OR 1.26, 95% CI: 1.19,1.34) demonstrated clinically significant associations with PPDM. Complex insulin regimens such as premixed (OR 10.80, 95% CI: 10.11,11.54) and prandial-containing regimens (OR 18.74, 95% CI: 17.73,19.81) were strongly associated with PPDM. Patients with PPDM had higher care utilization, particularly endocrinology care (RR 3.56, 95% CI: 3.47,3.66); although only 26.4% of patients saw endocrinology overall.

CONCLUSION

PPDM is strongly associated with complex diabetes regimens, although heterogeneity in care utilization exists. While there is evidence of underutilization, inadequacy of available care may also contribute to PPDM. Our findings should inform tailored approaches to meet the needs of PPDM, who are among the highest-risk, highest-cost patients with diabetes.

Building Bridges Through Collaboration and Consensus: Expanding Awareness and Use of Peer Support and Peer Support Communities Among People With Diabetes, Caregivers, and Health Care Providers

Diabetes, regardless of type, is a complex disease. Successful management to achieve both short- and long-term health goals and outcomes is highly dependent on learning, mastery, and regular implementation and execution of self-care behaviors. The importance of a positive mental outlook and minimization of psychosocial barriers to care is increasingly identified as important in managing the whole person with diabetes and, as appropriate, the caregivers. Ongoing support from HCP and increasingly ongoing support from peers are critical elements of quality diabetes care. With the availability of virtually accessible technologies for social media and networking, the volume of peer support among people with diabetes and their caregivers has increased exponentially and will likely continue to do so. With the value of ongoing peer support recognized as an important element in diabetes health, a growing number of peer support communities and increasing engagement in these communities among some diabetes educators, the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) embarked on an initiative to more formally work with diabetes peer support communities and their leaders. To initiate this effort AADE held and supported a consensus meeting in 2017. This article reviews the history and goals of this effort and details the meeting outcomes. It also discusses the collaborations completed since the initial meeting along with plans for the near future. This collaboration is unique and presents a model for similar endeavors in diabetes or other chronic diseases.

Intermediate Diabetes Outcomes in Patients Managed by Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, or Physician Assistants: A Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Primary care provided by nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) has been proposed as a solution to expected workforce shortages.

OBJECTIVE

To examine potential differences in intermediate diabetes outcomes among patients of physician, NP, and PA primary care providers (PCPs).

DESIGN

Cohort study using data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic health record.

SETTING

568 VA primary care facilities.

PATIENTS

368 481 adult patients with diabetes treated pharmaceutically.

MEASUREMENTS

The relationship between the profession of the PCP (the provider the patient visited most often in 2012) and both continuous and dichotomous control of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was examined on the basis of the mean of measurements in 2013. Inverse probability of PCP type was used to balance cohort characteristics. Hierarchical linear mixed models and logistic regression models were used to analyze continuous and dichotomous outcomes, respectively.

RESULTS

The PCPs were physicians (n = 3487), NPs (n = 1445), and PAs (n = 443) for 74.9%, 18.2%, and 6.9% of patients, respectively. The difference in HbA1c values compared with physicians was -0.05% (95% CI, -0.07% to -0.02%) for NPs and 0.01% (CI, -0.02% to 0.04%) for PAs. For SBP, the difference was -0.08 mm Hg (CI, -0.34 to 0.18 mm Hg) for NPs and 0.02 mm Hg (CI, -0.42 to 0.38 mm Hg) for PAs. For LDL-C, the difference was 0.01 mmol/L (CI, 0.00 to 0.03 mmol/L) (0.57 mg/dL [CI, 0.03 to 1.11 mg/dL]) for NPs and 0.03 mmol/L (CI, 0.01 to 0.05 mmol/L) (1.08 mg/dL [CI, 0.25 to 1.91 mg/dL]) for PAs. None of these differences were clinically significant.

LIMITATION

Most VA patients are men who receive treatment in a staff-model health care system.

CONCLUSION

No clinically significant variation was found among the 3 PCP types with regard to diabetes outcomes, suggesting that similar chronic illness outcomes may be achieved by physicians, NPs, and PAs.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

VA Health Services Research and Development.

Survival among Veterans Obtaining Dialysis in VA and Non-VA Settings

BACKGROUND

Outcomes of veterans with ESRD may differ depending on where they receive dialysis and who finances this care, but little is known about variation in outcomes across different dialysis settings and financial arrangements.

METHODS

We examined survival among 27,241 Veterans Affairs (VA)-enrolled veterans who initiated chronic dialysis in 2008-2011 at (1) VA-based units, (2) community-based clinics through the Veterans Affairs Purchased Care program (VA-PC), (3) community-based clinics under Medicare, or (4) more than one of these settings ("dual" care). Using a Cox proportional hazards model, we compared all-cause mortality across dialysis settings during the 2-year period after dialysis initiation, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

Overall, 4% of patients received dialysis in VA, 11% under VA-PC, 67% under Medicare, and 18% in dual settings (nearly half receiving dual VA and VA-PC dialysis). Crude 2-year mortality was 25% for veterans receiving dialysis in the VA, 30% under VA-PC, 42% under Medicare, and 23% in dual settings. After adjustment, dialysis patients in VA or in dual settings had significantly lower 2-year mortality than those under Medicare; mortality did not differ in VA-PC and Medicare dialysis settings.

CONCLUSIONS

Mortality rates were highest for veterans receiving dialysis in Medicare or VA-PC settings and lowest for veterans receiving dialysis in the VA or dual settings. These findings inform institutional decisions about provision of dialysis for veterans. Further research identifying processes associated with improved survival for patients receiving VA-based dialysis may be useful in establishing best practices for outsourced veteran care.

How Views of the Organization of Primary Care Among Patients with Hypertension Vary by Race or Ethnicity

INTRODUCTION

We assessed potential racial or ethnic differences in the degree to which veterans with pharmaceutically treated hypertension report experiences with their primary care system that are consistent with optimal chronic illness care as suggested by Wagner's Chronic Care Model (CCM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis of the results of the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC), which measured components of the care system suggested by the CCM and was completed at baseline by participants in a hypertension disease management clinical trial. Participants had a recent history of uncontrolled systolic blood pressure.

RESULTS

Among 377 patients, non-Hispanic African American veterans had almost twice the odds of indicating that their primary care experience is consistent with CCM features when compared with non-Hispanic White patients (odds ratio (OR) = 1.86; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16-2.98). Similar statistically significant associations were observed for follow-up care (OR = 2.59; 95% CI = 1.49-4.50), patient activation (OR = 1.80; 95% CI = 1.13-2.87), goal setting (OR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.03-2.64), and help with problem solving (OR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.00-2.60).

CONCLUSIONS

Non-Hispanic African Americans with pharmaceutically treated hypertension report that the primary care system more closely approximates the Wagner CCM than non-Hispanic White patients.

KCNJ11 variants and their effect on the association between serum potassium and diabetes risk in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and Jackson Heart Study (JHS) cohorts

BACKGROUND

In the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and Jackson Heart Study (JHS) cohorts, serum potassium (K) is an independent predictor of diabetes risk, particularly among African-American participants. Experimental studies show that serum K levels affects insulin secretion. The KCNJ11 gene encodes for a K channel that regulates insulin secretion and whose function is affected by serum K levels. Variants in KCNJ11 are associated with increased diabetes risk. We hypothesized that there could be a gene-by-environment interaction between KCNJ11 variation and serum K on diabetes risk.

METHODS

Evaluating a combined cohort of ARIC and JHS participants, we sought to determine if KCNJ11 variants are risk factors for diabetes; and if KCNJ11 variants modify the association between serum K and diabetes risk. Among participants without diabetes at baseline, we performed multivariable logistic regression to determine the effect of serum K, KCNJ11 variants, and their interactions on the odds of incident diabetes mellitus over 8-9 years in the entire cohort and by race.

RESULTS

Of 11,812 participants, 3220 (27%) participants developed diabetes. 48% and 47% had 1 or 2 diabetes risk alleles of rs5215 and rs5219, respectively. Caucasians had higher proportions of these risk alleles compared to African Americans (60% vs 17% for rs5215 and 60% vs 13% for rs5219, p<0.01). Serum K was a significant independent predictor of incident diabetes. Neither rs5215 nor rs5219 was associated with incident diabetes. In multivariable models, we found no statistically significant interactions between race and either rs5215 or rs5219 (P-values 0.493 and 0.496, respectively); nor between serum K and either rs5215 or rs5219 on odds of incident diabetes (P-values 0.534 and 0.687, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In this cohort, rs5215 and rs5219 of KCNJ11 were not significant predictors of incident diabetes nor effect modifiers of the association between serum K and incident diabetes.

Comparative Assessment of Utilization and Hospital Outcomes of Veterans Receiving VA and Non-VA Outpatient Dialysis

OBJECTIVE

Growing demand for VA dialysis exceeds its supply and travel distances prohibit many Veterans from receiving dialysis in a VA facility, leading to increased use of dialysis from non-VA providers. This study compared utilization and hospitalization outcomes among Veterans receiving chronic dialysis in VA and non-VA settings in 2008-2013.

DATA SOURCES

VA, Medicare, and national disease registry data.

STUDY DESIGN

National cohort of 27,301 Veterans initiating dialysis, observed for a period of 2 years after treatment initiation. We used multinomial logistic regression to examine associations between patient characteristics and dialysis use in VA, non-VA community settings via VA Purchased Care (VA-PC), community settings via Medicare, or Dual settings. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression was used to compare risk of hospitalization and days spent in the hospital across dialysis settings.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Sixty-seven percent of Veterans obtained community-based dialysis exclusively via Medicare, 11 percent in the community via VA-PC, 4 percent in VA, and 18 percent in Dual settings. Financial and geographic access factors were important predictors of dialysis setting, but days spent in the hospital and risk of hospitalization did not differ meaningfully across settings.

CONCLUSIONS

Most Veterans obtained dialysis in the community. Dialysis setting appeared to have little impact on risk of hospitalization among Veterans.

Interpersonal continuity of primary care of veterans with diabetes: a cohort study using electronic health record data

Background

Continuity of care is a cornerstone of primary care and is important for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes. The study objective was to examine patient, provider and contextual factors associated with interpersonal continuity of care (ICoC) among Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) primary care patients with diabetes.

Methods

This patient-level cohort study (N = 656,368) used electronic health record data of adult, pharmaceutically treated patients (96.5% male) with diabetes at national VHA primary care clinics in 2012 and 2013. Each patient was assigned a “home” VHA facility as the primary care clinic most frequently visited, and a primary care provider (PCP) within that home clinic who was most often seen. Patient demographic, medical and social complexity variables, provider type, and clinic contextual variables were utilized. We examined the association of ICoC, measured as maintaining the same PCP across both years, with all variables simultaneously using logistic regression fit with generalized estimating equations.

Results

Among VHA patients with diabetes, 22.3% switched providers between 2012 and 2013. Twelve patient, two provider and two contextual factors were associated with ICoC. Patient characteristics associated with disruptions in ICoC included demographic factors, medical complexity, and social challenges (example: homeless at any time during the year OR = 0.79, CI = 0.75–0.83). However, disruption in ICoC was most likely experienced by patients whose providers left the clinic (OR = 0.09, CI = 0.07–0.11). One contextual factor impacting ICoC included NP regulation (most restrictive NP regulation (OR = 0.79 CI = 0.69–0.97; reference least restrictive regulation).

Conclusions

ICoC is an important mechanism for the delivery of quality primary care to patients with diabetes. By identifying patient, provider, and contextual factors that impact ICoC, this project can inform the development of interventions to improve continuity of chronic illness care.

Triceps Tendon Anatomic Repair Utilizing the "Suture Bridge" Technique

Triceps tendon ruptures are uncommon injuries, but they typically require surgical repair. Multiple primary repair techniques are available, including transosseous, suture anchor, and anatomic repairs. The technique described here, the "suture bridge" repair, provides an anatomic repair of the distal triceps tendon to its footprint. It has the potential advantages of increased load to failure, better footprint coverage, higher load resistance, and allows for early motion.