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Johansen KL, Gilbertson DT, Li S, Li S, Liu J, Roetker NS, Ku E, Schulman IH, Greer RC, Chan K, Abbott KC, Butler CR, O'Hare AM, Powe NR, Reddy YNV, Snyder J, St Peter W, Taylor JS, Weinhandl ED, Wetmore JB. US Renal Data System 2023 Annual Data Report: Epidemiology of Kidney Disease in the United States. Am J Kidney Dis 2024; 83:A8-A13. [PMID: 38519262 DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
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Szvalb AD, Marten C, Cain K, Taylor JS, Huang SY, Jiang Y, Raad II, Viola GM. Percutaneous nephrostomy catheter-related infections in patients with gynaecological cancers: a multidisciplinary algorithmic approach. J Hosp Infect 2023; 141:99-106. [PMID: 37696471 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Percutaneous nephrostomy catheters (PCNs) are commonly utilized in patients with gynaecological cancers due to intrinsic or extrinsic urinary obstruction. Unfortunately, these foreign medical devices may be associated with several infectious complications, including: pyelonephritis, renal abscess, and bacteraemia, which may lead to further delay of life-saving cancer therapy. AIM To evaluate the performance of our multidisciplinary algorithm for diagnosis and treatment of PCN-related infections (PCNIs) and identify risk factors for recurrent urinary device-related infections. METHODS Patients with gynaecological cancers having PCNIs were prospectively evaluated at our institution from July 2019 to September 2021. All patients were managed by our standardized algorithm and followed-up until reinfection or routine PCN exchange. FINDINGS Of 100 consecutive patients with PCNIs, 74 had adequate follow-up, and were analysed in three groups according to clinical outcome: reinfection with the same organism (26%), reinfection with a different organism (23%), and no reinfection (51%). Their median age was 54 years, and the most common cancers were cervical (65%), and ovarian (19%) with 53% being metastatic. The most frequently recovered micro-organisms were Pseudomonas (32%), Enterococcus (27%), and Escherichia (24%) species. The main risk factors for recurrent PCNI with the same organism were pelvic radiation therapy (P=0.032), pelvic fistulas (P=0.014), and a PCNI with the same pathogen within the previous year (P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS Our algorithm has allowed for accurate diagnosis, staging, and treatment of and identification of several key risk factors for recurrent PCNIs. These results may lead to further preventive measures for these infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Szvalb
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - C Marten
- Department of Pharmacy Clinical Programs, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - K Cain
- Department of Pharmacy Clinical Programs, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J S Taylor
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S Y Huang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Y Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - I I Raad
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - G M Viola
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Taylor JS, Wendland CL, Kulasegaram KM, Hafferty FW. Admitting privileges: A construction ecology perspective on the unintended consequences of medical school admissions. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract 2023; 28:1347-1360. [PMID: 36856902 PMCID: PMC9976670 DOI: 10.1007/s10459-023-10210-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Medical-school applicants learn from many sources that they must stand out to fit in. Many construct self-presentations intended to appeal to medical-school admissions committees from the raw materials of work and volunteer experiences, in order to demonstrate that they will succeed in a demanding profession to which access is tightly controlled. Borrowing from the field of architecture the lens of construction ecology, which considers buildings in relation to the global effects of the resources required for their construction, we reframe medical-school admissions as a social phenomenon that has far-reaching harmful unintended consequences, not just for medicine but for the broader world. Illustrating with discussion of three common pathways to experiences that applicants widely believe will help them gain admission, we describe how the construction ecology of medical school admissions can recast privilege as merit, reinforce colonizing narratives, and lead to exploitation of people who are already disadvantaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle S Taylor
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Claire L Wendland
- Department of Anthropology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 5436 Sewell Social Sciences Building 1180 Observatory Drive, 53708, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Kulamakan Mahan Kulasegaram
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wilson Centre for Research in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Frederic W Hafferty
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Program in Professionalism and Values, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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Shapiro LN, Gray MF, Freitag C, Taneja P, Kariya H, Crane PK, O'Hare AM, Vig EK, Taylor JS. Expanding the ethnographic toolkit: Using medical documents to include kinless older adults living with dementia in qualitative research. J Aging Stud 2023; 65:101140. [PMID: 37268383 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaging.2023.101140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Ethnographic research with cognitively impaired older adults can be challenging, in part because cognitive impairment raises questions about the ability to provide informed consent. Relying on proxy consent is a commonly used strategy, but often excludes people with dementia who lack close kin (de Medeiros, Girling, & Berlinger, 2022). In this paper, we describe how we have analyzed existing research data from a well-established and ongoing prospective cohort study, the Adult Changes in Thought Study, along with unstructured text from the medical records of participants who had no living spouse or adult children when they developed dementia, as a way of studying the circumstances, life trajectories, caregiving resources, and care needs of this vulnerable and difficult-to-research group. In this article, we detail this methodology, exploring what can and cannot be gleaned from it, what the ethical implications may be, and how and whether this type of research can be considered ethnographic. In conclusion, we argue that collaborative interdisciplinary research using existing, longitudinal research data and text from medical records deserves to be considered as a potentially useful addition to the ethnographic toolkit. We anticipate that this is a methodology that could be applied more broadly, and paired with more traditional ethnographic methods, might be one way to make research with this population more inclusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily N Shapiro
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ann M O'Hare
- University of Washington and VA Puget Sound Health Care System, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Vig
- University of Washington and VA Puget Sound Health Care System, USA
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Butler CR, Wightman AG, Taylor JS, Hick JL, O’Hare AM. Experiences of US Clinicians Contending With Health Care Resource Scarcity During the COVID-19 Pandemic, December 2020 to December 2021. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2318810. [PMID: 37326986 PMCID: PMC10276299 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.18810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic saw periods of dire health care resource limitations in the US, sometimes prompting official declarations of crisis, but little is known about how these conditions were experienced by frontline clinicians. Objective To describe the experiences of US clinicians practicing under conditions of extreme resource limitation during the second year of the pandemic. Design, Setting, and Participants This qualitative inductive thematic analysis was based on interviews with physicians and nurses providing direct patient care at US health care institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were conducted between December 28, 2020, and December 9, 2021. Exposure Crisis conditions as reflected by official state declarations and/or media reports. Main Outcomes and Measures Clinicians' experiences as obtained through interviews. Results Interviews with 23 clinicians (21 physicians and 2 nurses) who were practicing in California, Idaho, Minnesota, or Texas were included. Of the 23 total participants, 21 responded to a background survey to assess participant demographics; among these individuals, the mean (SD) age was 49 (7.3) years, 12 (57.1%) were men, and 18 (85.7%) self-identified as White. Three themes emerged in qualitative analysis. The first theme describes isolation. Clinicians had a limited view on what was happening outside their immediate practice setting and perceived a disconnect between official messaging about crisis conditions and their own experience. In the absence of overarching system-level support, responsibility for making challenging decisions about how to adapt practices and allocate resources often fell to frontline clinicians. The second theme describes in-the-moment decision-making. Formal crisis declarations did little to guide how resources were allocated in clinical practice. Clinicians adapted practice by drawing on their clinical judgment but described feeling ill equipped to handle some of the operationally and ethically complex situations that fell to them. The third theme describes waning motivation. As the pandemic persisted, the strong sense of mission, duty, and purpose that had fueled extraordinary efforts earlier in the pandemic was eroded by unsatisfying clinical roles, misalignment between clinicians' own values and institutional goals, more distant relationships with patients, and moral distress. Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this qualitative study suggest that institutional plans to protect frontline clinicians from the responsibility for allocating scarce resources may be unworkable, especially in a state of chronic crisis. Efforts are needed to directly integrate frontline clinicians into institutional emergency responses and support them in ways that reflect the complex and dynamic realities of health care resource limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine R. Butler
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine and the Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle
- Nephrology Section, Hospital and Specialty Medicine and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Aaron G. Wightman
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
| | - Janelle S. Taylor
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John L. Hick
- Hennepin Healthcare, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Ann M. O’Hare
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine and the Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle
- Nephrology Section, Hospital and Specialty Medicine and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
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Taylor JS, Figueroa Gray MS, Mar CM, Crane PK, Kariya H, Freitag C, Taneja P, Ramaprasan A, Shell Duncan B, O'Hare AM, Berridge C, Vig EK, Wheeler SGB, Thakral M, Hawkes RJ, Larson EB. Kinless Older Adults with Dementia: Qualitative Analysis of Data from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2023; 78:1060-1072. [PMID: 36809476 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbad030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the circumstances and needs of older adults who were "kinless," defined as having no living spouse or children, when they developed dementia. METHODS We conducted a secondary analysis of information from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) Study. Among 848 participants diagnosed with dementia between 1992 and 2016, we identified 64 who had no living spouse or child at dementia onset. We then conducted a qualitative analysis of administrative documents pertaining to these participants: handwritten comments recorded after each study visit, and medical history documents containing clinical chart notes from participants' medical records. RESULTS In this community dwelling cohort of older adults diagnosed with dementia, 8.4% were kinless at dementia onset. Participants in this sample had an average age of 87 years old, half lived alone, and one-third lived with unrelated persons. Through inductive content analysis we identified four themes that describe their circumstances and needs: 1) life trajectories, 2) caregiving resources, 3) care needs and gaps, and 4) turning points in caregiving arrangements. DISCUSSION Our qualitative analysis reveals that the life trajectories that led members of the analytic cohort to be kinless at dementia onset were quite varied. This research highlights the importance of non-family caregivers, and participants' own roles as caregivers. Our findings suggest that providers and health systems may need to work with other parties to directly provide dementia caregiving support rather than rely on family, and address factors such as neighborhood affordability that particularly affect older adults who have limited family support.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Corinne M Mar
- International Clinical Research Center, Department of Global Health, University of Washington
| | - Paul K Crane
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington
| | - Hitomi Kariya
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington
| | | | | | | | | | - Ann M O'Hare
- Division of Nephrology, University of Washington
| | | | - Elizabeth K Vig
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington.,Geriatrics and Extended Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System
| | | | - Manu Thakral
- Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston
| | - Rene J Hawkes
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
| | - Eric B Larson
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
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O’Hare AM, Vig EK, Iwashyna TJ, Fox A, Taylor JS, Viglianti EM, Butler CR, Vranas KC, Helfand M, Tuepker A, Nugent SM, Winchell KA, Laundry RJ, Bowling CB, Hynes DM, Maciejewski ML, Bohnert ASB, Locke ER, Boyko EJ, Ioannou GN. Complexity and Challenges of the Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Long COVID. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2240332. [PMID: 36326761 PMCID: PMC9634500 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.40332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE There is increasing recognition of the long-term health effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection (sometimes called long COVID). However, little is yet known about the clinical diagnosis and management of long COVID within health systems. OBJECTIVE To describe dominant themes pertaining to the clinical diagnosis and management of long COVID in the electronic health records (EHRs) of patients with a diagnostic code for this condition (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision [ICD-10] code U09.9). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This qualitative analysis used data from EHRs of a national random sample of 200 patients receiving care in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with documentation of a positive result on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2 between February 27, 2020, and December 31, 2021, and an ICD-10 diagnostic code for long COVID between October 1, 2021, when the code was implemented, and March 1, 2022. Data were analyzed from February 5 to May 31, 2022. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES A text word search and qualitative analysis of patients' VA-wide EHRs was performed to identify dominant themes pertaining to the clinical diagnosis and management of long COVID. RESULTS In this qualitative analysis of documentation in the VA-wide EHR, the mean (SD) age of the 200 sampled patients at the time of their first positive PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 in VA records was 60 (14.5) years. The sample included 173 (86.5%) men; 45 individuals (22.5%) were identified as Black and 136 individuals (68.0%) were identified as White. In qualitative analysis of documentation pertaining to long COVID in patients' EHRs 2 dominant themes were identified: (1) clinical uncertainty, in that it was often unclear whether particular symptoms could be attributed to long COVID, given the medical complexity and functional limitations of many patients and absence of specific markers for this condition, which could lead to ongoing monitoring, diagnostic testing, and specialist referral; and (2) care fragmentation, describing how post-COVID-19 care processes were often siloed from and poorly coordinated with other aspects of care and could be burdensome to patients. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This qualitative study of documentation in the VA EHR highlights the complexity of diagnosing long COVID in clinical settings and the challenges of caring for patients who have or are suspected of having this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M. O’Hare
- Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine and Geriatrics and Extended Care Services, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Elizabeth K. Vig
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine and Geriatrics and Extended Care Services, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Theodore J. Iwashyna
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Alexandra Fox
- Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, VA Puget Sound, Seattle, Washington
| | | | - Elizabeth M. Viglianti
- Department of Internal Medicine Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Catherine R. Butler
- Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine and Geriatrics and Extended Care Services, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Kelly C. Vranas
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
| | - Mark Helfand
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
| | - Anaïs Tuepker
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
| | - Shannon M. Nugent
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
| | - Kara A. Winchell
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
| | - Ryan J. Laundry
- Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - C. Barrett Bowling
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Denise M. Hynes
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences and Center for Quantitative Life Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis
| | - Matthew L. Maciejewski
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Amy S. B. Bohnert
- VA Center for Clinical Management Research, Ann Arbor VA, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor
| | - Emily R. Locke
- Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, VA Puget Sound, Seattle, Washington
| | - Edward J. Boyko
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine and Geriatrics and Extended Care Services, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, VA Puget Sound, Seattle, Washington
| | - George N. Ioannou
- Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine and Geriatrics and Extended Care Services, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, VA Puget Sound, Seattle, Washington
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O'Hare AM, Butler CR, Laundry RJ, Showalter W, Todd-Stenberg J, Green P, Hebert PL, Wang V, Taylor JS, Van Eijk M, Matthews KL, Crowley ST, Carey E. Implications of Cross-System Use Among US Veterans With Advanced Kidney Disease in the Era of the MISSION Act: A Qualitative Study of Health Care Records. JAMA Intern Med 2022; 182:710-719. [PMID: 35576068 PMCID: PMC9112136 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.1379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Since 2014, when Congress passed the Veterans Access Choice and Accountability (Choice) Act (replaced in 2018 with the more comprehensive Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks [MISSION] Act), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been paying for US veterans to receive increasing amounts of care in the private sector (non-VA care or VA community care). However, little is known about the implications of these legislative changes for the VA system. OBJECTIVE To describe the implications for the VA system of recent increases in VA-financed non-VA care. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This qualitative study was a thematic analysis of documentation in the electronic health records (EHRs) of a random sample of US veterans with advanced kidney disease between June 6, 2019, and February 5, 2021. EXPOSURES Mentions of community care in participant EHRs. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Dominant themes pertaining to VA-financed non-VA care. RESULTS Among 1000 study participants, the mean (SD) age was 73.8 (11.4) years, and 957 participants (95.7%) were male. Three interrelated themes pertaining to VA-financed non-VA care emerged from qualitative analysis of documentation in cohort member EHRs: (1) VA as mothership, which describes extensive care coordination by VA staff members and clinicians to facilitate care outside the VA and the tendency of veterans and their non-VA clinicians to rely on the VA to fill gaps in this care; (2) hidden work of veterans, which describes the efforts of veterans and their family members to navigate the referral process, and to serve as intermediaries between VA and non-VA clinicians; and (3) strain on the VA system, which describes a challenging referral process and the ways in which cross-system care has stretched the traditional roles of VA staff and clinicians and interfered with VA care processes. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The findings of this qualitative study describing VA-financed non-VA care for veterans with advanced kidney disease spotlight the substantial challenges of cross-system use and the strain placed on the VA system, VA staff and clinicians, and veterans and their families in recent years. These difficult-to-measure consequences of cross-system care should be considered when budgeting, evaluating, and planning the provision of VA-financed non-VA care in the private sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M O'Hare
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine Service, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,VA Health Services Research and Development, Seattle-Denver COIN, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Medicine and Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Catherine R Butler
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine Service, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,VA Health Services Research and Development, Seattle-Denver COIN, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Medicine and Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Ryan J Laundry
- VA Health Services Research and Development, Seattle-Denver COIN, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Whitney Showalter
- VA Health Services Research and Development, Seattle-Denver COIN, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jeffrey Todd-Stenberg
- VA Health Services Research and Development, Seattle-Denver COIN, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Pam Green
- VA Health Services Research and Development, Seattle-Denver COIN, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Paul L Hebert
- VA Health Services Research and Development, Seattle-Denver COIN, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Virginia Wang
- Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Janelle S Taylor
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Susan T Crowley
- Department of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,VA Connecticut Health Care System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Evan Carey
- Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Denver.,Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver
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9
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Butler CR, Wightman A, Richards CA, Laundry RS, Taylor JS, Hebert PL, Liu CF, O'Hare AM. Thematic Analysis of the Health Records of a National Sample of US Veterans With Advanced Kidney Disease Evaluated for Transplant. JAMA Intern Med 2021; 181:212-219. [PMID: 33226419 PMCID: PMC7684522 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.6388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [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] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE To be considered for a kidney transplant, patients with advanced kidney disease must participate in a formal evaluation and selection process. Little is known about how this process proceeds in real-world clinical settings. OBJECTIVE To characterize the transplant evaluation process among a representative national sample of US veterans with advanced kidney disease who were referred to a kidney transplant center. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This qualitative study was a thematic analysis of clinician notes in the electronic health records of US veterans referred for kidney transplant evaluation. In a random sample of 4000 patients with advanced kidney disease between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2014, cared for in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, there were 211 patients who were referred to a transplant center during the follow-up period. This group was included in the qualitative analysis and was followed up until their date of death or the end of the follow-up period on October 8, 2019. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Dominant themes pertaining to the kidney transplant evaluation and selection process identified through thematic analysis. RESULTS Among 211 study patients, the mean (SD) age was 57.9 (9.5) years, and 202 patients (95.7%) were male. The following 4 dominant themes regarding the transplant evaluation process emerged: (1) far-reaching and inflexible medical evaluation, in which patients were expected to complete an extensive evaluation that could have substantial physical and emotional consequences, made little accommodation for their personal values and needs, and impacted other aspects of their care; (2) psychosocial valuation, in which the psychosocial component of the transplant assessment could be subjective and intrusive and could place substantial demands on patients' family members; (3) surveillance over compliance, in which the patients' ability and willingness to follow medical recommendations was an important criterion for transplant candidacy and their adherence to a wide range of recommendations and treatments was closely monitored; and (4) disempowerment and lack of transparency, in which patients and their local clinicians were often unsure about what to expect during the evaluation process or about the rationale for selection decisions. For the evaluation process to proceed, local clinicians had to follow transplant center requirements even when they believed the requirements did not align with best practices or the patients' needs. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this qualitative study of US veterans with advanced kidney disease evaluated for transplant, clinician documentation in the medical record indicated that, to be considered for a kidney transplant, patients were required to participate in a rigid, demanding, and opaque evaluation and selection process over which they and their local clinicians had little control. These findings highlight the need for a more evidence-based, individualized, and collaborative approach to kidney transplant evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine R Butler
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.,Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Aaron Wightman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.,Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington
| | - Claire A Richards
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Ryan S Laundry
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Janelle S Taylor
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul L Hebert
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Health Services Research, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Chuan-Fen Liu
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Health Services Research, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Ann M O'Hare
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.,Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
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10
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Silverberg JI, Warshaw EM, Maibach HI, DeKoven JG, Taylor JS, Atwater AR, Sasseville D, Zug KA, Reeder MJ, Fowler JF, Pratt MD, Fransway AF, Zirwas MJ, Belsito DV, Marks JG, DeLeo VA. Hand eczema in children referred for patch testing: North American Contact Dermatitis Group Data, 2000-2016. Br J Dermatol 2021; 185:185-194. [PMID: 33454963 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.19818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the aetiologies and relevant allergens in paediatric patients with hand eczema (HE). OBJECTIVES To characterize the aetiologies and determine the proportion of positive and currently relevant allergens in children/adolescents (age < 18 years) with HE referred for patch testing. METHODS A retrospective analysis (2000-2016) of North American Contact Dermatitis Group data was performed. RESULTS Of 1634 paediatric patients, 237 (14·5%) had involvement of the hands. Final physician diagnoses included allergic contact dermatitis (49·4%), atopic dermatitis (37·1%) and irritant contact dermatitis (16·9%). In multivariable logistic regression models, employment was the only association with increased odds of any HE or primary HE. Children with HE vs. those without HE had similar proportions of positive patch tests (56·1% vs. 61·7%; χ2 -test, P = 0·11). The five most common currently relevant allergens were nickel, methylisothiazolinone, propylene glycol, decyl glucoside and lanolin. In multivariable logistic regression models of the top 20 relevant allergens, HE was associated with significantly higher odds of currently relevant reactions to lanolin, quaternium-15, Compositae mix, thiuram mix, 2-mercaptobenzathiazole and colophony. The allergens with the highest mean significance-prevalence index number were methylisothiazolinone, carba mix, thiuram mix, nickel and methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone. CONCLUSIONS Children with HE who were referred for patch testing had a high proportion of positive patch tests, which was similar to the proportion found in children without HE. Children with HE had a distinct and fairly narrow profile of currently relevant allergens.
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Affiliation(s)
- J I Silverberg
- Department of Dermatology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.,Department of Dermatology, The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - E M Warshaw
- Department of Dermatology, Park Nicollet Health Services, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Department of Dermatology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Department of Dermatology, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - H I Maibach
- Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J G DeKoven
- Division of Dermatology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - J S Taylor
- Department of Dermatology, Cleveland Clinic, OH, USA
| | - A R Atwater
- Department of Dermatology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - D Sasseville
- Division of Dermatology, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - K A Zug
- Department of Dermatology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - M J Reeder
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - J F Fowler
- Division of Dermatology, University of Louisville, KY, USA
| | - M D Pratt
- Division of Dermatology, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - M J Zirwas
- Department of Dermatology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - D V Belsito
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - J G Marks
- Department of Dermatology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - V A DeLeo
- Department of Dermatology, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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11
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12
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O'Hare AM, Butler CR, Taylor JS, Wong SPY, Vig EK, Laundry RS, Wachterman MW, Hebert PL, Liu CF, Rios-Burrows N, Richards CA. Thematic Analysis of Hospice Mentions in the Health Records of Veterans with Advanced Kidney Disease. J Am Soc Nephrol 2020; 31:2667-2677. [PMID: 32764141 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2020040473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with advanced kidney disease are less likely than many patients with other types of serious illness to enroll in hospice. Little is known about real-world clinical decision-making related to hospice for members of this population. METHODS We used a text search tool to conduct a thematic analysis of documentation pertaining to hospice in the electronic medical record system of the Department of Veterans Affairs, for a national sample of 1000 patients with advanced kidney disease between 2004 and 2014 who were followed until October 8, 2019. RESULTS Three dominant themes emerged from our qualitative analysis of the electronic medical records of 340 cohort members with notes containing hospice mentions: (1) hospice and usual care as antithetical care models: clinicians appeared to perceive a sharp demarcation between services that could be provided under hospice versus usual care and were often uncertain about hospice eligibility criteria. This could shape decision-making about hospice and dialysis and made it hard to individualize care; (2) hospice as a last resort: patients often were referred to hospice late in the course of illness and did not so much choose hospice as accept these services after all treatment options had been exhausted; and (3) care complexity: patients' complex care needs at the time of hospice referral could complicate transitions to hospice, stretch the limits of home hospice, and promote continued reliance on the acute care system. CONCLUSIONS Our findings underscore the need to improve transitions to hospice for patients with advanced kidney disease as they approach the end of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M O'Hare
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington .,Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | | | - Janelle S Taylor
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susan P Y Wong
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Elizabeth K Vig
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ryan S Laundry
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Melissa W Wachterman
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Veterans Affairs Boston Health Care System, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Paul L Hebert
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Chuan-Fen Liu
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Nilka Rios-Burrows
- Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative, Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Claire A Richards
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.,School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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Butler CR, Taylor JS, Reese PP, O'Hare AM. Thematic analysis of the medical records of patients evaluated for kidney transplant who did not receive a kidney. BMC Nephrol 2020; 21:300. [PMID: 32711468 PMCID: PMC7382039 DOI: 10.1186/s12882-020-01951-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A potential pitfall of policies intended to promote referral for kidney transplant is that greater numbers of patients may be evaluated for transplant without experiencing the intended benefit of receiving a kidney. Little is known about the potential implications of this experience for patients. Methods We performed a thematic analysis of clinician documentation in the electronic medical records of all adults at a single medical center with advanced kidney disease who were referred to the local transplant coordinator for evaluation between 2008 and 2018 but did not receive a kidney. Results 148 of 209 patients referred to the local kidney transplant coordinator at our center (71%) had not received a kidney by the end of follow-up. Three dominant themes emerged from qualitative analysis of documentation in the medical records of these patients: 1) Forward momentum: patients found themselves engaged in an iterative process of testing and treatment that tended to move forward unless an absolute contraindication to transplant was identified or patients disengaged; 2) Potential for transplant shapes other medical decisions: engagement in the transplant evaluation process could impact many other aspects of patients’ care; and 3) Personal responsibility and psychological burden for patients and families: clinician documentation suggested that patients felt personally responsible for the course of their evaluation and that the process could take an emotional toll on them and their family members. Conclusions Engagement in the kidney transplant evaluation process can be a significant undertaking for patients and families and may impact many other aspects of their care. Policies to promote referral for kidney transplant should be coupled with efforts to strengthen shared decision-making to ensure that the decision to undergo transplant evaluation is framed as an explicit choice with benefits, risks, and alternatives and patients have an opportunity to shape their involvement in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine R Butler
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine and the Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Campus Box 356521, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Janelle S Taylor
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Peter P Reese
- Renal-Electrolyte & Hypertension Division and Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ann M O'Hare
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine and the Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Campus Box 356521, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.,Nephrology Section, Hospital and Specialty Medicine and Seattle-Denver Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA
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14
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O'Hare AM, Kurella Tamura M, Lavallee DC, Vig EK, Taylor JS, Hall YN, Katz R, Curtis JR, Engelberg RA. Assessment of Self-reported Prognostic Expectations of People Undergoing Dialysis: United States Renal Data System Study of Treatment Preferences (USTATE). JAMA Intern Med 2019; 179:1325-1333. [PMID: 31282920 PMCID: PMC6618699 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.2879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Prognostic understanding can shape patients' treatment goals and preferences. Patients undergoing dialysis in the United States have limited life expectancy and may receive end-of-life care directed at life extension. Little is known about their prognostic expectations. OBJECTIVE To understand the prognostic expectations of patients undergoing dialysis and how these relate to care planning, goals, and preferences. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional survey study of 996 eligible patients treated with regular dialysis at 31 nonprofit dialysis facilities in 2 metropolitan areas (Seattle, Washington, and Nashville, Tennessee) between April 2015 and October 2018. After a pilot phase, 1434 eligible patients were invited to participate (response rate, 69.5%). To provide a context for interpreting survey participants' prognostic estimates, United States Renal Data System standard analysis files were used to construct a comparison cohort of 307 602 patients undergoing in-center hemodialysis on January 1, 2006, and followed for death through July 31, 2017. Final analyses for this study were conducted between November 2018 and March 2019. EXPOSURES Responses to the question "How long would you guess people your age with similar health conditions usually live?" (<5 years, 5-10 years, >10 years, or not sure). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Self-reported (1) documentation of a surrogate decision-maker, (2) documentation of treatment preferences, (3) values around life prolongation, (4) preferences for receipt of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mechanical ventilation, and (5) desired place of death. RESULTS Of the 996 survey respondents, the mean (SD) age was 62.7 (13.9) years, and 438 (44.0%) were women. Overall, 112 (11.2%) survey respondents selected a prognosis of fewer than 5 years, 150 (15.1%) respondents selected 5 to 10 years, 330 (33.1%) respondents selected more than 10 years, and 404 (40.6%) were not sure. By comparison, 185 427 (60.3%) prevalent US in-center patients undergoing hemodialysis died within 5 years, 58 437 (19.0%) died within 5 to 10 years, and 63 738 (20.7%) lived more than 10 years. In analyses adjusted for participant characteristics, survey respondents with a prognostic expectation of more than 10 years (vs <5 years) were less likely to report documentation of a surrogate decision-maker (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4-0.9) and treatment preferences (aOR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.6) and to value comfort over life extension (aOR, 0.1; 95% CI, 0.04-0.3), and were more likely to want cardiopulmonary resuscitation (aOR, 5.3; 95% CI, 3.2-8.7) and mechanical ventilation (aOR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-3.7). The respondents who reported that they were not sure about prognosis had similar associations. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Uncertain and overly optimistic prognostic expectations may limit the benefit of advance care planning and contribute to high-intensity end-of-life care in patients undergoing dialysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M O'Hare
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.,Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle.,VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | - Manjula Kurella Tamura
- Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California.,Division of Nephrology, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
| | | | - Elizabeth K Vig
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.,VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
| | | | - Yoshio N Hall
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.,Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Ronit Katz
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.,Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - J Randall Curtis
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.,Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Ruth A Engelberg
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.,Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle
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15
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Wong SPY, Boyapati S, Engelberg RA, Thorsteinsdottir B, Taylor JS, O'Hare AM. Experiences of US Nephrologists in the Delivery of Conservative Care to Patients With Advanced Kidney Disease: A National Qualitative Study. Am J Kidney Dis 2019; 75:167-176. [PMID: 31570175 DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE It is relatively unusual for US patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) to forgo initiation of maintenance dialysis. Our objective was to describe practice approaches of US nephrologists who have provided conservative care for members of this population. STUDY DESIGN Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS A national sample of 21 nephrologists experienced in caring for patients with advanced CKD who decided not to start dialysis. ANALYTICAL APPROACH Grounded theory methods to identify dominant themes reflecting nephrologists' experiences with and approaches to conservative care for patients with advanced CKD. RESULTS Nephrologists who participated in this study were primarily from academic practices (n=14) and urban areas (n=15). Two prominent themes emerged from qualitative analysis reflecting nephrologists' experiences with and approaches to conservative care: (1) person-centered practices, which described a holistic approach to care that included basing treatment decisions on what mattered most to individual patients, framing dialysis as an explicit choice, being mindful of sources of bias in medical decision making, and being flexible to the changing needs, values, and preferences of patients; and (2) improvising a care infrastructure, which described the challenges of managing patients conservatively within health systems that are not optimally configured to support their needs. Participating nephrologists described cobbling together resources, assuming a range of different health care roles, preparing patients to navigate health systems in which initiation of dialysis served as a powerful default, and championing the principles of conservative care among their colleagues. LIMITATIONS The themes identified likely are not generalizable to most US nephrologists. CONCLUSIONS Insights from a select group of US nephrologists who are early adopters of conservative care signal the need for a stronger cultural and health system commitment to building care models capable of supporting patients who choose to forgo dialysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan P Y Wong
- Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Health Services Research and Development Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA; Division of Nephrology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
| | | | - Ruth A Engelberg
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | | | - Janelle S Taylor
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Ann M O'Hare
- Kidney Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Health Services Research and Development Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA; Division of Nephrology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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16
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Taylor JS. Inequalities of Aging: Paradoxes of Independence in American Home Care. Elana Buch, New York: NYU Press, 2018, 288 pp. Med Anthropol Q 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/maq.12506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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17
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O’Hare AM, Richards C, Szarka J, McFarland LV, Showalter W, Vig EK, Sudore RL, Crowley ST, Trivedi R, Taylor JS. Emotional Impact of Illness and Care on Patients with Advanced Kidney Disease. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2018; 13:1022-1029. [PMID: 29954826 PMCID: PMC6032592 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.14261217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The highly specialized and technologically focused approach to care inherent to many health systems can adversely affect patients' emotional experiences of illness, while also obscuring these effects from the clinician's view. We describe what we learned from patients with advanced kidney disease about the emotional impact of illness and care. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS As part of an ongoing study on advance care planning, we conducted semistructured interviews at the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System in Seattle, Washington, with 27 patients with advanced kidney disease between April of 2014 and May of 2016. Of these, ten (37%) were receiving center hemodialysis, five (19%) were receiving peritoneal dialysis, and 12 (44%) had an eGFR≤20 ml/min per 1.73 m2 and had not started dialysis. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed inductively using grounded theory methods. RESULTS We here describe three emergent themes related to patients' emotional experiences of care and illness: (1) emotional impact of interactions with individual providers: when providers seemed to lack insight into the patient's experience of illness and treatment, this could engender a sense of mistrust, abandonment, isolation, and/or alienation; (2) emotional impact of encounters with the health care system: just as they could be affected emotionally by interactions with individual providers, patients could also be affected by how care was organized, which could similarly lead to feelings of mistrust, abandonment, isolation, and/or alienation; and (3) emotional impact of meaning-making: patients struggled to make sense of their illness experience, worked to apportion blame, and were often quick to blame themselves and to assume that their illness could have been prevented. CONCLUSIONS Interactions with individual providers and with the wider health system coupled with patients' own struggles to make meaning of their illness can take a large emotional toll. A deeper appreciation of patients' emotional experiences may offer important opportunities to improve care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M. O’Hare
- Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care
- Nephrology Section, Hospital and Specialty Medicine Service, and
- Departments of Medicine
| | - Claire Richards
- Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care
- Health Services, and
| | - Jackie Szarka
- Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care
| | | | | | - Elizabeth K. Vig
- Geriatrics and Extended Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Departments of Medicine
| | - Rebecca L. Sudore
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Geriatrics and Extended Care, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Susan T. Crowley
- Veterans Health Administration, Specialty Care Services/Office of Policy and Services, and
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Ranak Trivedi
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; and
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
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18
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Abstract
This essay proposes that ‘global health partnership’ might usefully be conceived as a boundary object, in that the term’s capacity to encompass widely divergent and incompatible understandings, and to facilitate mutual misunderstandings, is a crucial part of how it ‘works’ in the world to help bring together assemblages of people and organizations across great distances and steep gradients of inequality.
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19
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O’Hare AM, Szarka J, McFarland LV, Vig EK, Sudore RL, Crowley S, Reinke LF, Trivedi R, Taylor JS. "Maybe They Don't Even Know That I Exist": Challenges Faced by Family Members and Friends of Patients with Advanced Kidney Disease. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2017; 12:930-938. [PMID: 28356337 PMCID: PMC5460720 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.12721216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Family members and friends of patients with advanced chronic illness are increasingly called on to assist with ever more complex medical care and treatment decisions arising late in the course of illness. Our goal was to learn about the experiences of family members and friends of patients with advanced kidney disease. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS As part of a study intended to identify opportunities to enhance advance care planning, we conducted semistructured interviews at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System with 17 family members and friends of patients with advanced kidney disease. Interviews were conducted between April of 2014 and May of 2016 and were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed inductively using grounded theory to identify emergent themes. RESULTS The following three themes emerged from interviews with patients' family members and friends: (1) their roles in care and planning were fluid over the course of the patient's illness, shaped by the patients' changing needs and their readiness to involve those close to them; (2) their involvement in patients' care was strongly shaped by health care system needs. Family and friends described filling gaps left by the health care system and how their involvement in care and decision-making was at times constrained and at other times expected by providers, depending on system needs; and (3) they described multiple sources of tension and conflict in their interactions with patients and the health care system, including instances of being pitted against the patient. CONCLUSIONS Interviews with family members and friends of patients with advanced kidney disease provide a window on the complex dynamics shaping their engagement in patients' care, and highlight the potential value of offering opportunities for engagement throughout the course of illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M. O’Hare
- Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine Service, and
- Departments of Medicine and
| | - Jackie Szarka
- Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care
| | | | - Elizabeth K. Vig
- Geriatrics and Extended Care, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington
- Departments of Medicine and
| | - Rebecca L. Sudore
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Susan Crowley
- Veterans Affairs Westhaven and Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Lynn F. Reinke
- Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine Service, and
| | - Ranak Trivedi
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; and
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
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20
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Abstract
Comments on the original article by Rolland, Emanuel, and Torke (see record 2017-05300-001) regarding a family systems approach to medical decision-making by proxy. The authors expanded the focus of clinicians beyond the patient to a more comprehensive understanding of the patient's family. They assert that a better understanding of family dynamics may help clinicians to engage with families more effectively when decision-making is needed for seriously ill loved ones, and may lessen the emotional challenges families and clinicians face when decisions are needed. However, the current authors point out surrogate decision-making can be an onerous responsibility. Rolland, Emanuel, and Torke identify the growing body of research on the high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression among those who have been in the position of making medical decisions for loved ones. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Vig
- Department of Geriatrics and Extended Care, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System
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21
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Abstract
Fetal sonograms have been taken up outside the clinical setting in U.S. popular culture and media, in ways that may impinge upon, and that have also emerged out of, the work of the sonographer. As members of an emerging technical profession composed primarily of women, sonographers have worked hard to develop and promote ultrasound and have debated whether their professional identity ought to rest exclusively on their technical “skill” or also on their (feminine) capacity for “caring.” Over time, the obstetrical exam has come to incorporate rituals of showing and telling and giving out pictures, that have allowed sonographers both to “sell” ultrasound and to respond to their pregnant patients in a caring manner. Ironically, however, these same elements have also set the stage for antiabortion advocates to use fetal sonograms in ways quite harmful to the interests not only of women but also of the sonographers who seek to treat them with both skill and care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle S. Taylor
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Box 353100, Seattle, WA 98195-3100
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22
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O’Hare AM, Szarka J, McFarland LV, Taylor JS, Sudore RL, Trivedi R, Reinke LF, Vig EK. Provider Perspectives on Advance Care Planning for Patients with Kidney Disease: Whose Job Is It Anyway? Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2016; 11:855-866. [PMID: 27084877 PMCID: PMC4858488 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.11351015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES There is growing interest in efforts to enhance advance care planning for patients with kidney disease. Our goal was to elicit the perspectives on advance care planning of multidisciplinary providers who care for patients with advanced kidney disease. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Between April and December of 2014, we conducted semistructured interviews at the Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System with 26 providers from a range of disciplines and specialties who care for patients with advanced kidney disease. Participants were asked about their perspectives and experiences related to advance care planning in this population. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed inductively using grounded theory. RESULTS The comments of providers interviewed for this study spoke to significant system-level barriers to supporting the process of advance care planning for patients with advanced kidney disease. We identified four overlapping themes: (1) medical care for this population is complex and fragmented across settings and providers and over time; (2) lack of a shared understanding and vision of advance care planning and its relationship with other aspects of care, such as dialysis decision making; (3) unclear locus of responsibility and authority for advance care planning; and (4) lack of active collaboration and communication around advance care planning among different providers caring for the same patients. CONCLUSIONS The comments of providers who care for patients with advanced kidney disease spotlight both the need for and the challenges to interdisciplinary collaboration around advance care planning for this population. Systematic efforts at a variety of organizational levels will likely be needed to support teamwork around advance care planning among the different providers who care for patients with advanced kidney disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M. O’Hare
- Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine Service, and
- Departments of Medicine and
| | - Jackie Szarka
- Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care
| | | | | | - Rebecca L. Sudore
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Ranak Trivedi
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, Department of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; and
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | - Lynn F. Reinke
- Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care
- Hospital and Specialty Medicine Service, and
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Wong SPY, Vig EK, Taylor JS, Burrows NR, Liu CF, Williams DE, Hebert PL, O'Hare AM. Timing of Initiation of Maintenance Dialysis: A Qualitative Analysis of the Electronic Medical Records of a National Cohort of Patients From the Department of Veterans Affairs. JAMA Intern Med 2016; 176:228-35. [PMID: 26809745 PMCID: PMC4758379 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.7412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [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] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE There is often considerable uncertainty about the optimal time to initiate maintenance dialysis in individual patients and little medical evidence to guide this decision. OBJECTIVE To gain a better understanding of the factors influencing the timing of initiation of dialysis in clinical practice. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A qualitative analysis was conducted using the electronic medical records from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of a national random sample of 1691 patients for whom the decision to initiate maintenance dialysis occurred in the VA between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009. Data analysis took place from June 1 to November 30, 2014. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Central themes related to the timing of initiation of dialysis as documented in patients' electronic medical records. RESULTS Of the 1691 patients, 1264 (74.7%) initiated dialysis as inpatients and 1228 (72.6%) initiated dialysis with a hemodialysis catheter. Cohort members met with a nephrologist during an outpatient clinic visit a median of 3 times (interquartile range, 0-6) in the year prior to initiation of dialysis. The mean (SD) estimated glomerular filtration rate at the time of initiation for cohort members was 10.4 (5.7) mL/min/1.73 m(2). The timing of initiation of dialysis reflected the complex interplay of at least 3 interrelated and dynamic processes. The first was physician practices, which ranged from practices intended to prepare patients for dialysis to those intended to forestall the need for dialysis by managing the signs and symptoms of uremia with medical interventions. The second process was sources of momentum. Initiation of dialysis was often precipitated by clinical events involving acute illness or medical procedures. In these settings, the imperative to treat often seemed to override patient choice. The third process was patient-physician dynamics. Interactions between patients and physicians were sometimes adversarial, and physician recommendations to initiate dialysis sometimes seemed to conflict with patient priorities. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The initiation of maintenance dialysis reflects the care practices of individual physicians, sources of momentum for initiation of dialysis, interactions between patients and physicians, and the complex interplay of these dynamic processes over time. Our findings suggest opportunities to improve communication between patients and physicians and to better align these processes with patients' values, goals, and preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan P Y Wong
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Elizabeth K Vig
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle2Department of Medicine, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, Washington
| | | | - Nilka R Burrows
- Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative, Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Chuan-Fen Liu
- Health Service Research and Development Center of Innovation, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, Washington6Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Desmond E Williams
- Liberia Country Office, Division of Global Health Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Paul L Hebert
- Health Service Research and Development Center of Innovation, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, Washington6Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Ann M O'Hare
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle2Department of Medicine, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, Washington
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Martimianakis MAT, Michalec B, Lam J, Cartmill C, Taylor JS, Hafferty FW. Humanism, the Hidden Curriculum, and Educational Reform: A Scoping Review and Thematic Analysis. Acad Med 2015; 90:S5-S13. [PMID: 26505101 DOI: 10.1097/acm.0000000000000894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical educators have used the hidden curriculum concept for over three decades to make visible the effects of tacit learning, including how culture, structures, and institutions influence professional identity formation. In response to calls to see more humanistic-oriented training in medicine, the authors examined how the hidden curriculum construct has been applied in the English language medical education literature with a particular (and centering) look at its use within literature pertaining to humanism. They also explored the ends to which the hidden curriculum construct has been used in educational reform efforts (at the individual, organizational, and/or systems levels) related to nurturing and/or increasing humanism in health care. METHOD The authors conducted a scoping review and thematic analysis that draws from the tradition of critical discourse analysis. They identified 1,887 texts in the literature search, of which 200 met inclusion criteria. RESULTS The analysis documents a strong preoccupation with negative effects of the hidden curriculum, particularly the moral erosion of physicians and the perceived undermining of humanistic values in health care. A conflation between professionalism and humanism was noted. Proposals for reform largely target medical students and medical school faculty, with very little consideration for how organizations, institutions, and sociopolitical relations more broadly contribute to problematic behaviors. CONCLUSIONS The authors argue that there is a need to transcend conceptualizations of the hidden curriculum as antithetical to humanism and offer suggestions for future research that explores the necessity and value of humanism and the hidden curriculum in medical education and training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle S. Taylor
- Department of Anthropology; University of Washington; Seattle WA 98195
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Taylor JS, Panico V, Caputo T, Gerber D, Gupta D, Pirog E, Holcomb K. Clinical outcomes of patients with adenocarcinoma in situ of the cervix treated by conization. EUR J GYNAECOL ONCOL 2014; 35:641-645. [PMID: 25556268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical outcomes of histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) of the cervix treated with cervical conization. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective chart review of patients with histologically confirmed AIS from July 1998 to February 2011 included 52 patients. The rates of residual disease in subsequent excisions, the clinical recurrence rate, the average disease-free interval, and risk of progression to adenocarcinoma were described. The clinical outcomes of patients treated with cold knife cone (CKC) and loop electrosurgical excisional procedure (LEEP) were compared. RESULTS Fifteen LEEPs and 37 CKC procedures were performed as initial treatment and 26 patients (50%) had positive margins. There was no significant difference in rate of positive margins between LEEP and CKC (40% vs. 54%, respectively. p = 0.55). LEEPs and CKCs resulted in similar volumes of cervical tissue resected (4.98 cm3 vs. 5.04 cm3, p = 0.40). Of patients with positive margins, ten underwent immediate hysterectomy, six underwent a second cone biopsy, seven were managed expectantly, and four were lost to follow up. Residual AIS was found in 47% (eight of 17) of repeat cone biopsy and hysterectomy specimens performed for positive cone margins. Of the 26 patients with negative cone margins, no residual or recurrent disease was found after an average follow-up of 32 months. CONCLUSIONS A positive surgical margin was associated with residual disease in 47% of patients with AIS treated with conization. No patient with negative cone margins had recurrent or progressive disease. Cervical conization with negative margins appears to be a safe treatment option for patients with AIS but requires further investigation. CKC and LEEP were equally efficacious treatments in our study population.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Taylor
- New York Presbyterian Weil Cornell Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York, NY, USA.
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Brown LJ, Rosatte RC, Fehlner-Gardiner C, Bachmann P, Ellison JA, Jackson FR, Taylor JS, Davies C, Donovan D. Oral vaccination and protection of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) against rabies using ONRAB, an adenovirus-rabies recombinant vaccine. Vaccine 2013; 32:984-9. [PMID: 24374501 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.12.015] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Revised: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Twenty-seven red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were each offered a bait containing ONRAB, a recombinant oral rabies vaccine that uses a human adenovirus vector to express the immunogenic rabies virus glycoprotein; 10 controls received no vaccine baits. Serum samples collected from all foxes before treatment, and each week post-treatment for 16 weeks, were tested for the presence of rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA). In the bait group, a fox was considered a responder to vaccination if serum samples from 3 or more consecutive weeks had RVNA ≥0.5 IU/ml. Using this criterion, 79% of adult foxes (11/14) and 46% of juveniles (6/13) responded to vaccination with ONRAB. Serum RVNA of adults first tested positive (≥0.5 IU/ml) between weeks 1 and 3, about 4 weeks earlier than in juveniles. Adults also responded with higher levels of RVNA and these levels were maintained longer. Serum samples from juveniles tested positive for 1-4 consecutive weeks; in adults the range was 2-15 weeks, with almost half of adults maintaining titres above 0.5 IU/ml for 9 or more consecutive weeks. Based on the kinetics of the antibody response to ONRAB, the best time to sample sera of wild adult foxes for evidence of vaccination is 7-11 weeks following bait distribution. Thirty-four foxes (25 ONRAB, 9 controls) were challenged with vulpine street virus 547 days post-vaccination. All controls developed rabies whereas eight of 13 adult vaccinates (62%) and four of 12 juvenile vaccinates (33%) survived. All foxes classed as non-responders to vaccination developed rabies. Of foxes considered responders to vaccination, 80% of adults (8/10) and 67% of juveniles (4/6) survived challenge. The duration of immunity conferred to foxes would appear adequate for bi-annual and annual bait distribution schedules as vaccinates were challenged 1.5 years post-vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Brown
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada.
| | - R C Rosatte
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - C Fehlner-Gardiner
- Centre of Expertise for Rabies, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 3851 Fallowfield Road, P.O. Box 11300, Station H, Ottawa, Ontario K2H 8P9, Canada
| | - P Bachmann
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - J A Ellison
- Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop G-33, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - F R Jackson
- Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop G-33, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - J S Taylor
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - C Davies
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - D Donovan
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
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Taylor JS. Icons of Life: A Cultural History of Human Embryos by Lynn M. Morgan. American Anthropologist 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1548-1433.2012.01550_5.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Abstract
In this article the principles of human locomotion are revisited and reviewed. This has been done in the framework of two European projects, where the elicitation of these mechanisms inform, on the one hand, the design of artificial bipedal walkers (H2R), and on the other hand the design of lower limb exoskeletons (BETTER) for rehabilitation of gait in post-stroke patients. Passive dynamics emerging from the morphology of the human musculoskeletal system, reflexes as stabilization mechanisms, modular control of movement as well as supra-spinal control of gait are reviewed to get insight on how these mechanisms can be used to explain human locomotion.
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Taylor JS, DeMers SM, Vig EK, Borson S. The Disappearing Subject: Exclusion of People with Cognitive Impairment and Dementia from Geriatrics Research. J Am Geriatr Soc 2012; 60:413-9. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03847.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth K. Vig
- Department of Geriatrics University of Washington
- Geriatrics and Extended Care Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System Seattle Washington
| | - Soo Borson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
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Yu JH, Taylor JS, Edwards KL, Fullerton SM. What are our AIMs? Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Use of Ancestry Estimation in Disease Research. AJOB Prim Res 2012; 3:87-97. [PMID: 25419472 PMCID: PMC4238888 DOI: 10.1080/21507716.2012.717339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ancestry estimation serves as a tool to identify genetic contributions to disease but may contribute to racial discrimination and stigmatization. We sought to understand user perspectives on the benefits and harms of ancestry estimation to inform research practice and contribute to debates about the use of race and ancestry in genetics. METHODS Key informant interviews with 22 scientists were conducted to examine scientists' understandings of the benefits and harms of ancestry estimation. RESULTS Three main perspectives were observed among key informant scientists who use ancestry estimation in genetic epidemiology research. Population geneticists self identified as educators who controlled the meaning and application of ancestry estimation in research. Clinician-researchers were optimistic about the application of ancestry estimation to individualized risk assessment and personalized medicine. Epidemiologists remained ambivalent toward ancestry estimation and suggested a continued role for race in their research. CONCLUSIONS We observed an imbalance of control over the meaning and application of ancestry estimation among disciplines that may result in unwarranted or premature translation of ancestry estimation into medicine and public health. Differences in disciplinary perspectives need to be addressed if translational benefits of genetic ancestry estimation are to be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joon-Ho Yu
- Senior Fellow, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Box 356320, 1959 NE Pacific St. HSB RR349, Seattle, WA 98195,
| | - Janelle S Taylor
- Associate Professor, University of Washington - Anthropology, Seattle, WA,
| | - Karen L Edwards
- Professor, University of Washington - Epidemiology, Seattle, WA,
| | - Stephanie M Fullerton
- Associate Professor, University of Washington - Bioethics & Humanities, Seattle, WA,
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Abstract
Standardized patient (SP) performances are staged clinical encounters between health-professional students and people who specialize in role-playing the part of patients. Such performances have in recent years become increasingly central to the teaching and assessment of clinical skills in U.S. medical schools. SP performances are valued for being both "real" (in that they involve interaction with a real person, unlike written examinations) and "not real" (in that the SP does not actually suffer from the condition portrayed, unlike an actual patient). This article considers how people involved in creating SP performances reconcile a moral commitment to avoid suffering (to keep it "not real"), with an aesthetic commitment to realistically portray it (to keep it "real"). The term "moral aesthetic" is proposed, to indicate a sensibility that combines ideas about what is morally right with ideas about what is aesthetically compelling. Drawing on ethnographic research among SPs and SP program staff and medical faculty who work closely with them, this article argues that their work of creating "realism" in simulated clinical encounters encompasses multiple different (and sometimes conflicting) understandings and practices of realism, informed by three different moral aesthetics: (1) a moral aesthetic of induction, in which an accurate portrayal with a well-documented provenance serves to introduce experientially distant forms of suffering; (2) a moral aesthetic of inoculation, in which the authenticity and emotional impact of a performance are meant to inoculate students against the impact of future encounters with suffering; (3) a moral aesthetic of presence, generating forms of voice and care that are born out of the embodied presence of suffering individuals in a clinical space. All are premised on the assumption that risk and suffering can be banished from SP performances. This article suggests, however, that SP performances necessarily raise the same difficult, important, fundamentally ethical questions that are always involved in learning from and on human beings who are capable of suffering, and who need and deserve recognition and respect as well as care.
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Glenzer SH, MacGowan BJ, Meezan NB, Adams PA, Alfonso JB, Alger ET, Alherz Z, Alvarez LF, Alvarez SS, Amick PV, Andersson KS, Andrews SD, Antonini GJ, Arnold PA, Atkinson DP, Auyang L, Azevedo SG, Balaoing BNM, Baltz JA, Barbosa F, Bardsley GW, Barker DA, Barnes AI, Baron A, Beeler RG, Beeman BV, Belk LR, Bell JC, Bell PM, Berger RL, Bergonia MA, Bernardez LJ, Berzins LV, Bettenhausen RC, Bezerides L, Bhandarkar SD, Bishop CL, Bond EJ, Bopp DR, Borgman JA, Bower JR, Bowers GA, Bowers MW, Boyle DT, Bradley DK, Bragg JL, Braucht J, Brinkerhoff DL, Browning DF, Brunton GK, Burkhart SC, Burns SR, Burns KE, Burr B, Burrows LM, Butlin RK, Cahayag NJ, Callahan DA, Cardinale PS, Carey RW, Carlson JW, Casey AD, Castro C, Celeste JR, Chakicherla AY, Chambers FW, Chan C, Chandrasekaran H, Chang C, Chapman RF, Charron K, Chen Y, Christensen MJ, Churby AJ, Clancy TJ, Cline BD, Clowdus LC, Cocherell DG, Coffield FE, Cohen SJ, Costa RL, Cox JR, Curnow GM, Dailey MJ, Danforth PM, Darbee R, Datte PS, Davis JA, Deis GA, Demaret RD, Dewald EL, Di Nicola P, Di Nicola JM, Divol L, Dixit S, Dobson DB, Doppner T, Driscoll JD, Dugorepec J, Duncan JJ, Dupuy PC, Dzenitis EG, Eckart MJ, Edson SL, Edwards GJ, Edwards MJ, Edwards OD, Edwards PW, Ellefson JC, Ellerbee CH, Erbert GV, Estes CM, Fabyan WJ, Fallejo RN, Fedorov M, Felker B, Fink JT, Finney MD, Finnie LF, Fischer MJ, Fisher JM, Fishler BT, Florio JW, Forsman A, Foxworthy CB, Franks RM, Frazier T, Frieder G, Fung T, Gawinski GN, Gibson CR, Giraldez E, Glenn SM, Golick BP, Gonzales H, Gonzales SA, Gonzalez MJ, Griffin KL, Grippen J, Gross SM, Gschweng PH, Gururangan G, Gu K, Haan SW, Hahn SR, Haid BJ, Hamblen JE, Hammel BA, Hamza AV, Hardy DL, Hart DR, Hartley RG, Haynam CA, Heestand GM, Hermann MR, Hermes GL, Hey DS, Hibbard RL, Hicks DG, Hinkel DE, Hipple DL, Hitchcock JD, Hodtwalker DL, Holder JP, Hollis JD, Holtmeier GM, Huber SR, Huey AW, Hulsey DN, Hunter SL, Huppler TR, Hutton MS, Izumi N, Jackson JL, Jackson MA, Jancaitis KS, Jedlovec DR, Johnson B, Johnson MC, Johnson T, Johnston MP, Jones OS, Kalantar DH, Kamperschroer JH, Kauffman RL, Keating GA, Kegelmeyer LM, Kenitzer SL, Kimbrough JR, King K, Kirkwood RK, Klingmann JL, Knittel KM, Kohut TR, Koka KG, Kramer SW, Krammen JE, Krauter KG, Krauter GW, Krieger EK, Kroll JJ, La Fortune KN, Lagin LJ, Lakamsani VK, Landen OL, Lane SW, Langdon AB, Langer SH, Lao N, Larson DW, Latray D, Lau GT, Le Pape S, Lechleiter BL, Lee Y, Lee TL, Li J, Liebman JA, Lindl JD, Locke SF, Loey HK, London RA, Lopez FJ, Lord DM, Lowe-Webb RR, Lown JG, Ludwigsen AP, Lum NW, Lyons RR, Ma T, MacKinnon AJ, Magat MD, Maloy DT, Malsbury TN, Markham G, Marquez RM, Marsh AA, Marshall CD, Marshall SR, Maslennikov IL, Mathisen DG, Mauger GJ, Mauvais MY, McBride JA, McCarville T, McCloud JB, McGrew A, McHale B, MacPhee AG, Meeker JF, Merill JS, Mertens EP, Michel PA, Miller MG, Mills T, Milovich JL, Miramontes R, Montesanti RC, Montoya MM, Moody J, Moody JD, Moreno KA, Morris J, Morriston KM, Nelson JR, Neto M, Neumann JD, Ng E, Ngo QM, Olejniczak BL, Olson RE, Orsi NL, Owens MW, Padilla EH, Pannell TM, Parham TG, Patterson RW, Pavel G, Prasad RR, Pendlton D, Penko FA, Pepmeier BL, Petersen DE, Phillips TW, Pigg D, Piston KW, Pletcher KD, Powell CL, Radousky HB, Raimondi BS, Ralph JE, Rampke RL, Reed RK, Reid WA, Rekow VV, Reynolds JL, Rhodes JJ, Richardson MJ, Rinnert RJ, Riordan BP, Rivenes AS, Rivera AT, Roberts CJ, Robinson JA, Robinson RB, Robison SR, Rodriguez OR, Rogers SP, Rosen MD, Ross GF, Runkel M, Runtal AS, Sacks RA, Sailors SF, Salmon JT, Salmonson JD, Saunders RL, Schaffer JR, Schindler TM, Schmitt MJ, Schneider MB, Segraves KS, Shaw MJ, Sheldrick ME, Shelton RT, Shiflett MK, Shiromizu SJ, Shor M, Silva LL, Silva SA, Skulina KM, Smauley DA, Smith BE, Smith LK, Solomon AL, Sommer S, Soto JG, Spafford NI, Speck DE, Springer PT, Stadermann M, Stanley F, Stone TG, Stout EA, Stratton PL, Strausser RJ, Suter LJ, Sweet W, Swisher MF, Tappero JD, Tassano JB, Taylor JS, Tekle EA, Thai C, Thomas CA, Thomas A, Throop AL, Tietbohl GL, Tillman JM, Town RPJ, Townsend SL, Tribbey KL, Trummer D, Truong J, Vaher J, Valadez M, Van Arsdall P, Van Prooyen AJ, Vergel de Dios EO, Vergino MD, Vernon SP, Vickers JL, Villanueva GT, Vitalich MA, Vonhof SA, Wade FE, Wallace RJ, Warren CT, Warrick AL, Watkins J, Weaver S, Wegner PJ, Weingart MA, Wen J, White KS, Whitman PK, Widmann K, Widmayer CC, Wilhelmsen K, Williams EA, Williams WH, Willis L, Wilson EF, Wilson BA, Witte MC, Work K, Yang PS, Young BK, Youngblood KP, Zacharias RA, Zaleski T, Zapata PG, Zhang H, Zielinski JS, Kline JL, Kyrala GA, Niemann C, Kilkenny JD, Nikroo A, Van Wonterghem BM, Atherton LJ, Moses EI. Demonstration of ignition radiation temperatures in indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion hohlraums. Phys Rev Lett 2011; 106:085004. [PMID: 21405580 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.106.085004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate the hohlraum radiation temperature and symmetry required for ignition-scale inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions. Cryogenic gas-filled hohlraums with 2.2 mm-diameter capsules are heated with unprecedented laser energies of 1.2 MJ delivered by 192 ultraviolet laser beams on the National Ignition Facility. Laser backscatter measurements show that these hohlraums absorb 87% to 91% of the incident laser power resulting in peak radiation temperatures of T(RAD)=300 eV and a symmetric implosion to a 100 μm diameter hot core.
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Affiliation(s)
- S H Glenzer
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
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Thyssen JP, Menné T, Schalock PC, Taylor JS, Maibach HI. Pragmatic approach to the clinical work-up of patients with putative allergic disease to metallic orthopaedic implants before and after surgery. Br J Dermatol 2011; 164:473-8. [PMID: 21087227 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2010.10144.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Allergic complications following insertion of metallic orthopaedic implants include allergic dermatitis reactions but also extracutaneous complications. As metal-allergic patients and/or surgeons may ask dermatologists and allergologists for advice prior to planned orthopaedic implant surgery, and as surgeons may refer patients with complications following total joint arthroplasty for diagnostic work-up, there is a continuous need for updated guidelines. This review presents published evidence for patch testing prior to surgery and proposes tentative diagnostic criteria which clinicians can rely on in the work-up of patients with putative allergic complications following surgery. Few studies have investigated whether subjects with metal contact allergy have increased risk of developing complications following orthopaedic implant insertion. Metal allergy might in a minority increase the risk of complications caused by a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. At present, we do not know how to identify the subgroups of metal contact allergic patients with a potentially increased risk of complications following insertion of a metal implant. We recommend that clinicians should refrain from routine patch testing prior to surgery unless the patient has already had implant surgery with complications suspected to be allergic or has a history of clinical metal intolerance of sufficient magnitude to be of concern to the patient or a health provider. The clinical work-up of a patient suspected of having an allergic reaction to a metal implant should include patch testing and possibly in vitro testing. We propose diagnostic criteria for allergic dermatitis reactions as well as noneczematous complications caused by metal implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Thyssen
- Department of Dermato-Allergology, National Allergy Research Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte, Hellerup, Denmark.
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Vig EK, Starks H, Taylor JS, Hopley EK, Fryer-Edwards K. Why don't patients enroll in hospice? Can we do anything about it? J Gen Intern Med 2010; 25:1009-19. [PMID: 20535577 PMCID: PMC2955487 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-010-1423-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2009] [Revised: 05/04/2010] [Accepted: 05/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND United States hospice organizations aim to provide quality, patient-centered end-of-life care to patients in the last 6 months of life, yet some of these organizations observe that some hospice-eligible patients who are referred to hospice do not initially enroll. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE To identify reasons that eligible patients do not enroll in hospice (phase 1). SECONDARY OBJECTIVE To identify strategies used by hospice providers to address these reasons (phase 2). DESIGN Semi-structured interviews analyzed using content analysis. PARTICIPANTS In phase 1, we interviewed 30 patients and/or family members of patients who had a hospice admissions visit, but who did not enroll. In phase 2, we interviewed 19 hospice staff and national experts. APPROACH In phase 1, we asked participants to describe the patient's illness, the hospice referral, and why they had not enrolled. We performed a content analysis to characterize their reasons for not enrolling in hospice. In phase 2, we enrolled hospice admissions staff and hospice experts. We asked them to describe how they would respond to each reason (from phase 1) during an admissions visit with a potential new hospice patient. We identified key phrases, and summarized their recommendations. RESULTS Reasons that patients hadn't enrolled fell into three broad categories: patient/family perceptions (e.g., "not ready"), hospice specific issues (e.g., variable definitions of hospice-eligible patients), and systems issues (e.g., concerns about continuity of care). Hospice staff/experts had encountered each reason, and offered strategies at the individual and organizational level for responding. CONCLUSIONS In hopes of increasing hospice enrollment among hospice-eligible patients, non-hospice and hospice clinicians may want to adopt some of the strategies used by hospice staff/experts for talking about hospice with patients/families and may want to familiarize themselves with the differences between hospice organizations in their area. Hospices may want to reconsider their admission policies and procedures in light of patients' and families' perceptions and concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Vig
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Gómez-Soriano J, Castellote JM, Pérez-Rizo E, Esclarin A, Taylor JS. Voluntary ankle flexor activity and adaptive coactivation gain is decreased by spasticity during subacute spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2010; 224:507-16. [PMID: 20580713 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2010.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2010] [Accepted: 05/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Although spasticity has been defined as an increase in velocity-dependent stretch reflexes and muscle hypertonia during passive movement, the measurement of flexor muscle paresis may better characterize the negative impact of this syndrome on residual motor function following incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). In this longitudinal study Tibialis Anterior (TA) muscle paresis produced by a loss in maximal voluntary contraction during dorsiflexion and ankle flexor muscle coactivation during ramp-and-hold controlled plantarflexion was measured in ten patients during subacute iSCI. Tibialis Anterior activity was measured at approximately two-week intervals between 3-5 months following iSCI in subjects with or without spasticity, characterized by lower-limb muscle hypertonia and/or involuntary spasms. Following iSCI, maximal voluntary contraction ankle flexor activity was lower than that recorded from healthy subjects, and was further attenuated by the presence of spasticity. Furthermore the initially high percentage value of TA coactivation increased at 75% but not at 25% maximal voluntary torque (MVT), reflected by an increase in TA coactivation gain (75%/25% MVT) from 2.5+/-0.4 to 7.5+/-1.9, well above the control level of 2.9+/-0.2. In contrast contraction-dependent TA coactivation gain decreased from 2.4+/-0.3 to 1.4+/-0.1 during spasticity. In conclusion the adaptive increase in TA coactivation gain observed in this pilot study during subacute iSCI was also sensitive to the presence of spasticity. The successful early diagnosis and treatment of spasticity would be expected to further preserve and promote adaptive motor function during subacute iSCI neurorehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Gómez-Soriano
- Grupo Funcion Sensitivomotora, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, SESCAM, Finca La Peraleda s/n, 45071 Toledo, Spain
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Taylor JS, Thomson BM, Lang CN, Sin FYT, Podivinsky E. Estrogenic pyrethroid pesticides regulate expression of estrogen receptor transcripts in mouse Sertoli cells differently from 17beta-estradiol. J Toxicol Environ Health A 2010; 73:1075-1089. [PMID: 20574910 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2010.482915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Studies suggested that exposure to agricultural pesticides may affect male fertility. Pyrethroids are widely used pesticides due to their insecticidal potency and low mammalian toxicity. A recombinant yeast assay system incorporating the human alpha-estrogen receptor was used to analyze the estrogenicity of a range of readily available pyrethroid pesticides. The commercial product Ripcord Plus showed estrogenic activity by this assay. To determine whether pyrethroid compounds might exert an effect on male fertility, mouse Sertoli cells were exposed in vitro to the endogenous estrogen, 17beta-estradiol, and selected estrogenic pyrethroids. Following exposure, transcript levels of the alpha- and beta-estrogen receptors were assessed. Exposure of Sertoli cells to the pyrethroid compounds, both at high and at low published serum concentrations, affected the expression of the two estrogen receptors; however, the influence on estrogen receptor gene expression was different from the effect from exposure to 17beta-estradiol. These results from our model systems suggest that (1) estrogenic pyrethroid pesticides affect the estrogen receptors, and therefore potentially the endocrine system, in a different manner from that of endogenous estrogen, and (2) should cells in the male testes be exposed to pyrethroid pesticides, male fertility may be affected through molecular mechanisms involving estrogen receptors.
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Gómez-Nicola D, Valle-Argos B, Suardíaz M, Taylor JS, Nieto-Sampedro M. Role of IL-15 in spinal cord and sciatic nerve after chronic constriction injury: regulation of macrophage and T-cell infiltration. J Neurochem 2008; 107:1741-52. [PMID: 19014377 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05746.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 12/16/2023]
Abstract
The release of inflammatory mediators from immune and glial cells either in the peripheral or CNS may have an important role in the development of physiopathological processes such as neuropathic pain. Microglial, then astrocytic activation in the spinal cord, lead to chronic inflammation, alteration of neuronal physiology and neuropathic pain. Standard experimental models of neuropathic pain include an important peripheral inflammatory component, which involves prominent immune cell activation and infiltration. Among potential immunomodulators, the T-cell cytokine interleukin-15 (IL-15) has a key role in regulating immune cell activation and glial reactivity after CNS injury. Here we show, using the model of chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve (CCI), that IL-15 is essential for the development of the early inflammatory events in the spinal cord after a peripheral lesion that generates neuropathic pain. IL-15 expression in the spinal cord was identified in both astroglial and microglial cells and was present during the initial gliotic and inflammatory (NFkappaB) response to injury. The expression of IL-15 was also identified as a cue for macrophage and T-cell activation and infiltration in the sciatic nerve, as shown by intraneural injection of the cytokine and activity blockage approaches. We conclude that the regulation of IL-15 and hence the initial events following its expression after peripheral nerve injury could have a future therapeutic potential in the reduction of neuroinflammation.
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Taylor JS, Spital A. Uncertainty does not preclude rationality. Am J Transplant 2008; 8:1965; author reply 1966. [PMID: 18671681 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2008.02334.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Vig EK, Starks H, Taylor JS, Hopley EK, Fryer-Edwards K. Surviving surrogate decision-making: what helps and hampers the experience of making medical decisions for others. J Gen Intern Med 2007; 22:1274-9. [PMID: 17619223 PMCID: PMC2219771 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-007-0252-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2007] [Revised: 05/16/2007] [Accepted: 05/29/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A majority of end-of-life medical decisions are made by surrogate decision-makers who have varying degrees of preparation and comfort with their role. Having a seriously ill family member is stressful for surrogates. Moreover, most clinicians have had little training in working effectively with surrogates. OBJECTIVES To better understand the challenges of decision-making from the surrogate's perspective. DESIGN Semistructured telephone interview study of the experience of surrogate decision-making. PARTICIPANTS Fifty designated surrogates with previous decision-making experience. APPROACH We asked surrogates to describe and reflect on their experience of making medical decisions for others. After coding transcripts, we conducted a content analysis to identify and categorize factors that made decision-making more or less difficult for surrogates. RESULTS Surrogates identified four types of factors: (1) surrogate characteristics and life circumstances (such as coping strategies and competing responsibilities), (2) surrogates' social networks (such as intrafamily discord about the "right" decision), (3) surrogate-patient relationships and communication (such as difficulties with honoring known preferences), and (4) surrogate-clinician communication and relationship (such as interacting with a single physician whom the surrogate recognizes as the clinical spokesperson vs. many clinicians). CONCLUSIONS These data provide insights into the challenges that surrogates encounter when making decisions for loved ones and indicate areas where clinicians could intervene to facilitate the process of surrogate decision-making. Clinicians may want to include surrogates in advance care planning prior to decision-making, identify and address surrogate stressors during decision-making, and designate one person to communicate information about the patient's condition, prognosis, and treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Vig
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- B E Hippen
- Metrolina Nephrology Associates, P.A. Charlotte, NC, USA.
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Spital A, Taylor JS. Another missed opportunity: routine recovery of cadaveric organs. Am J Transplant 2007; 7:1311. [PMID: 17456204 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2007.01766.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Taylor JS. A "Queen of Hearts" trial of organ markets: why Scheper-Hughes's objections to markets in human organs fail. J Med Ethics 2007; 33:201-4. [PMID: 17400616 PMCID: PMC2652773 DOI: 10.1136/jme.2006.016527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2006] [Revised: 05/05/2006] [Accepted: 05/09/2006] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Nancy Scheper-Hughes is one of the most prominent critics of markets in human organs. Unfortunately, Scheper-Hughes rejects the view that markets should be used to solve the current (and chronic) shortage of transplant organs without engaging with the arguments in favour of them. Scheper-Hughes's rejection of such markets is of especial concern, given her influence over their future, for she holds, among other positions, the status of an adviser to the World Health Organization (Geneva) on issues related to global transplantation. Given her influence, it is important that Scheper-Hughes's moral condemnation of markets in human organs be subject to critical assessment. Such critical assessment, however, has not generally been forthcoming. A careful examination of Scheper-Hughes's anti-market stance shows that it is based on serious mischaracterisations of both the pro-market position and the medical and economic realities that underlie it. In this paper, the author will expose and correct these mischaracterisations and, in so doing, show that her objections to markets in human organs are unfounded.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Taylor
- Department of Philosophy, The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Road, PO Box 7718, Ewing, NJ 08628-0718, USA.
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Abstract
One of the most common arguments against legalising markets in human kidneys is that this would result in the widespread misuse that is present in the black market becoming more prevalent. In particular, it is argued that if such markets were to be legalised, this would lead to an increase in the number of people being coerced into selling their kidneys. Moreover, such coercion would occur even if markets in kidneys were regulated, for those subject to such coercion would not be able to avail themselves of the legal protections that regulation would afford them. Despite the initial plausibility of this argument, there are three reasons to reject it. Firstly, the advantages of legalising markets in human kidneys would probably outweigh its possible disadvantages. Secondly, if it is believed that no such coercion can ever be tolerated, markets in only those human kidneys that fail to do away with coercion should be condemned. Finally, if coercion is genuinely opposed, then legalising kidney markets should be supported rather than opposed, for more people would be coerced (ie, into not selling) were such markets to be prohibited.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Taylor
- Department of Philosophy, The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Road, PO Box 7718, Ewing, NJ 08628-0718, USA.
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Burke RD, Angerer LM, Elphick MR, Humphrey GW, Yaguchi S, Kiyama T, Liang S, Mu X, Agca C, Klein WH, Brandhorst BP, Rowe M, Wilson K, Churcher AM, Taylor JS, Chen N, Murray G, Wang D, Mellott D, Olinski R, Hallböök F, Thorndyke MC. A genomic view of the sea urchin nervous system. Dev Biol 2006; 300:434-60. [PMID: 16965768 PMCID: PMC1950334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2006] [Revised: 07/29/2006] [Accepted: 08/02/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The sequencing of the Strongylocentrotus purpuratus genome provides a unique opportunity to investigate the function and evolution of neural genes. The neurobiology of sea urchins is of particular interest because they have a close phylogenetic relationship with chordates, yet a distinctive pentaradiate body plan and unusual neural organization. Orthologues of transcription factors that regulate neurogenesis in other animals have been identified and several are expressed in neurogenic domains before gastrulation indicating that they may operate near the top of a conserved neural gene regulatory network. A family of genes encoding voltage-gated ion channels is present but, surprisingly, genes encoding gap junction proteins (connexins and pannexins) appear to be absent. Genes required for synapse formation and function have been identified and genes for synthesis and transport of neurotransmitters are present. There is a large family of G-protein-coupled receptors, including 874 rhodopsin-type receptors, 28 metabotropic glutamate-like receptors and a remarkably expanded group of 161 secretin receptor-like proteins. Absence of cannabinoid, lysophospholipid and melanocortin receptors indicates that this group may be unique to chordates. There are at least 37 putative G-protein-coupled peptide receptors and precursors for several neuropeptides and peptide hormones have been identified, including SALMFamides, NGFFFamide, a vasotocin-like peptide, glycoprotein hormones and insulin/insulin-like growth factors. Identification of a neurotrophin-like gene and Trk receptor in sea urchin indicates that this neural signaling system is not unique to chordates. Several hundred chemoreceptor genes have been predicted using several approaches, a number similar to that for other animals. Intriguingly, genes encoding homologues of rhodopsin, Pax6 and several other key mammalian retinal transcription factors are expressed in tube feet, suggesting tube feet function as photosensory organs. Analysis of the sea urchin genome presents a unique perspective on the evolutionary history of deuterostome nervous systems and reveals new approaches to investigate the development and neurobiology of sea urchins.
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Affiliation(s)
- R D Burke
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, POB 3020, STN CSC, Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 3N5.
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