Congestive heart failure in type 2 diabetes: prevalence, incidence, and risk factors

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence and incidence of congestive heart failure (CHF) in populations with and without type 2 diabetes and to identify risk factors for diabetes-associated CHF.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We searched the inpatient and outpatient electronic medical records of 9,591 individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before 1 January 1997 and those of an age- and sex-matched control group without diabetes for a diagnosis of CHF. Among those without a baseline diagnosis of CHF, we searched forward for 30 months for incident cases of CHF. We constructed multiple logistic regression models to identify risk factors for both prevalent and incident CHF.

RESULTS

CHF was prevalent in 11.8% (n = 1,131) of diabetic subjects and 4.5% (n = 435) of control subjects at baseline. We observed incident cases of CHF in 7.7% of diabetic subjects free of CHF at baseline (650 of 8,460) and in 3.4% of control subjects (314 of 9,156). In diabetic subjects, age, diabetes duration, insulin use, ischemic heart disease, and elevated serum creatinine were independent risk factors for both prevalent and incident CHF. Better glycemic control at baseline, and improved glycemic and blood pressure control at follow-up predicted the development of CHF.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite controlling for age, duration of diabetes, presence of ischemic heart disease, and presence of hypertension, insulin use was associated with both prevalent and incident CHF. Why insulin use and better glycemic control both at baseline and follow-up independently predicted CHF deserves further study.

Use of complementary/alternative medicine by breast cancer survivors in Ontario: prevalence and perceptions

PURPOSE

To determine the prevalence of use of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) by breast cancer survivors in Ontario, Canada, and to compare the characteristics of CAM users and CAM nonusers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of Ontario women diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994 or 1995.

RESULTS

The response rate was 76.3%. Overall, 66.7% of the respondents reported using CAM, most often in an attempt to boost the immune system. CAM practitioners (most commonly chiropractors, herbalists, acupuncturists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, and/or naturopathic practitioners) were visited by 39.4% of the respondents. In addition, 62.0% reported use of CAM products (most frequently vitamins/minerals, herbal medicines, green tea, special foods, and essiac). Almost one half of the respondents informed their physicians of their use of CAM. Multiple logistic regression analysis determined that support group attendance was the only factor significantly associated with CAM use.

CONCLUSION

CAM use is common among Canadian breast cancer survivors, many of whom are discussing CAM therapy options with their physicians. Knowledge of CAM therapies is necessary for physicians and other health care practitioners to help patients make informed choices. CAM use may play a role in the positive benefits associated with support group attendance.

The patient-centred clinical method. 1. A model for the doctor-patient interaction in family medicine

This article describes a patient-centred clinical method appropriate for family medicine. The method is designed to attain an understanding of the patient as well as his disease. This two-fold task is described in terms of two agendas: the physician's and the patient's. The key to an understanding of the patient's agenda is the physician's receptivity to cues offered by the patient, and behaviour which encourages him to express his expectations, feelings and fears. The physician's agenda is the explanation of the patient's illness in terms of a taxonomy of disease. In the patient-centred clinical method, both agendas are addressed by the physician and any conflict between them dealt with by negotiation. This is contrasted with the disease-centred method in which only the doctor's agenda is addressed. Further articles will describe the patient-centred method in operational terms.

Pituitary control of ovarian function--concepts derived from gonadotrophin therapy

From experience gained in the monitoring of ovarian responses to gonadotropin therapy, it has been possible to develop concepts concerning the mechanisms which operate during the normal menstrual cycle. It is shown that the ovarian requirement for FSH operates in a very narrow range, involving changes in concentration of only 10%; this range operates from a threshold level, through an intermediate level to a maximum level. After adequate stimulation, the follicle goes through a costing phase during which it is independent of further FSH stimulation and it acquires sensitivity to LH. Methods for determining optimum requirements for FSH and HCG for the induction of singleton pregnancies are presented. The relevance of the findings in providing hypotheses explaining some aspects of ovulatory and anovulatory cycles are discussed.

Effect of clinician communication skills training on patient satisfaction. A randomized, controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Although substantial resources have been invested in communication skills training for clinicians, little research has been done to test the actual effect of such training on patient satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether clinicians' exposure to a widely used communication skills training program increased patient satisfaction with ambulatory medical care visits.

DESIGN

Randomized, controlled trial.

SETTING

A not-for-profit group-model health maintenance organization in Portland, Oregon.

PARTICIPANTS

69 primary care physicians, surgeons, medical subspecialists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners from the Permanente Medical Group of the Northwest.

INTERVENTION

"Thriving in a Busy Practice: Physician-Patient Communication," a communication skills training program consisting of two 4-hour interactive workshops. Between workshops, participants audiotaped office visits and studied the audiotapes.

MEASUREMENTS

Change in mean overall score on the Art of Medicine survey (HealthCare Research, Inc., Denver, Colorado), which measures patients' satisfaction with clinicians' communication behaviors, and global visit satisfaction.

RESULTS

Although participating clinicians' self-reported ratings of their communication skills moderately improved, communication skills training did not improve patient satisfaction scores. The mean score on the Art of Medicine survey improved more in the control group (0.072 [95% CI, -0.010 to 0.154]) than in the intervention group (0.030 [CI, -0.060 to 0.1201).

CONCLUSIONS

"Thriving in a Busy Practice: Physician-Patient Communication," a typical continuing medical education program geared toward developing clinicians' communication skills, is not effective in improving general patient satisfaction. To improve global visit satisfaction, communication skills training programs may need to be longer and more intensive, teach a broader range of skills, and provide ongoing performance feedback.

Evidence on patient-doctor communication

This chapter covers important and well-studied aspects of patient-doctor communication. First the paper describes the lessons learned from studies about patients' satisfactions or dissatisfactions related to patient-doctor communication, making the point that complaints about doctors are usually due to communication problems and not technical competency issues. The next section of the chapter deals with time. It is often assumed that effective communication is inefficient. While this is not necessarily the case, the research results are complex and very interesting. The third part of the chapter covers communication in relation to patient adherence with the management plan recommended by the doctor. There is strong evidence that communication affects patient adherence and that there are four key aspects of communication that can enhance the patients' co-operation with the management plan. The final topic is patients' health. Twenty-two studies indicate the generally positive effect of key dimensions of communication on actual patient health outcomes such as pain, recovery from symptom, anxiety, functional status, and physiologic measures of blood pressure and blood glucose.

Lactic acidosis rates in type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To provide a context for the interpretation of lactic acidosis risk among patients using metformin, we measured rates of lactic acidosis in patients with type 2 diabetes before metformin was approved for use in the U.S.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Using electronic databases of hospital discharge diagnoses and laboratory results maintained by a large, nonprofit health maintenance organization (HMO). we identified possible lactic acidosis events in three geographically and racially diverse populations with type 2 diabetes. We then reviewed hard-copy clinical records to confirm and describe each event and determine its likely cause(s).

RESULTS

From >41.000 person-years of experience, we found four confirmed, three possible, and three borderline cases of lactic acidosis. In each case, we identified at least one severe medical condition that could have caused the acidosis. The annual confirmed event rate is similar to published rates of metformin-associated lactic acidosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Lactic acidosis occurs regularly, although infrequently, among persons with type 2 diabetes, at rates similar to its occurrence among metformin users. The medical conditions with which both metformin-associated and naturally occurring lactic acidosis co-occur are also its potential causes. The observed association between metformin and lactic acidosis may be coincidental rather than causal. This possibility merits further study

Progesterone and the premenstrual syndrome: a double blind crossover trial

A double blind, randomised, crossover trial of oral micronised progesterone (two months) and placebo (two months) was conducted to determine whether progesterone alleviated premenstrual complaints. Twenty three women were interviewed premenstrually before treatment and in each month of treatment. They completed Moos's menstrual distress questionnaire, Beck et al's depression inventory, Spielberger et al's state anxiety inventory, the mood adjective checklist, and a daily symptom record. Analyses of data found an overall beneficial effect of being treated for all variables except restlessness, positive moods, and interest in sex. Maximum improvement occurred in the first month of treatment with progesterone. Nevertheless, an appreciably beneficial effect of progesterone over placebo for mood and some physical symptoms was identifiable after both one and two months of treatment. Further studies are needed to determine the optimum duration of treatment.

The progressive cost of complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

A substantial proportion of the costs of diabetes treatment arises from treating long-term complications, particularly cardiovascular and renal disease. However, little is known about the progressive cost of these complications. Firmer knowledge would improve diabetes modeling and might increase the financial and organizational support for the prevention of diabetic complications.

METHODS

We analyzed 9 years of clinical data on 11 768 members of a large group-model health maintenance organization who had probable type 2 diabetes mellitus. We ascertained the presence of cardiovascular and renal complications, staged the members progression, and estimated their incremental costs by stage.

RESULTS

We found no significant differences between men and women in the prevalence or staging of complications. Per-person costs increased over baseline ($2033) by more than 50% ($1087) after initiation of cardiovascular drug therapy and/or use of a cardiologist, and by 360% ($7352) after a major cardiovascular event. Abnormal renal function increased diabetes treatment costs by 65% ($1337); advanced renal disease, by 195% ($3979); and end-stage renal disease, by 771% ($15 675). Both cardiovascular and renal diseases were more common among older subjects, but age did not affect the additional costs of these complications. Women had substantially higher medical care costs after controlling for age and presence of complications. Incremental cost estimates based solely on "labeled" events significantly underestimate true incremental cost.

CONCLUSIONS

In an aggregate population, the greatest cost savings would be achieved by preventing major cardiovascular events. For individuals, the greatest savings would be achieved by preventing progression to stage 3 renal disease.

Patients as reliable reporters of medical care process. Recall of ambulatory encounter events

This study explores the reliability of a data source on the quality and content of care rarely used in studies comparing the performance of health care organizations, that is, patient reports obtained from surveys. Evidence of patient survey reliability and validity and report data on patient reporting accuracy were reviewed for ten events that may have occurred during an initial health assessment for new adult enrollees of a health maintenance organization (HMO). Reports of 380 patients obtained through telephone survey were compared with medical records. For chest radiograph, mammogram, and electrocardiogram (EKG), patient reports exhibited both sensitivity and specificity. For serum cholesterol test, patients proved to be sensitive but not specific reporters. For blood pressure measurement, stool kit, and rectal examination, false negative rates were low (less than or equal to 0.10); they were somewhat higher for breast self-examination instruction and pelvic examination (0.21 and 0.22, respectively). Only for testicular self-examination instruction did patient reports fail to confirm medical record documentation (false negative rate = 0.53). Multivariate analysis showed a small association between increasing patient age and decreasing confirmation. Gender did not affect reporting ability, and agreement did not deteriorate over a 2- to 3-month postencounter interval. Patient reports appear to merit greater use in comparative studies of technical quality of care. Key words: quality of health care; quality assurance; health care; ambulatory care; patient recall; patient reports.

How to obtain excellent response rates when surveying physicians

This paper outlines ways to maximize response rates to surveys by summarizing the most relevant literature to date and demonstrating how these techniques have resulted in consistently high rates of return in family practice research. We describe the methodology used in recent surveys of physicians conducted by the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine through its Thames Valley Family Practice Research Unit, located in London, Ontario, Canada and funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The identification and implementation of these techniques to maximize response rates is critical, as primary health care researchers often rely on information gathered through questionnaires to study physicians' practice profiles, experiences and attitudes. Four separate and distinct mailed surveys of physicians using a modified Dillman approach were conducted from 2001 to 2004. The sampling strategies, topics, types of questions and response formats of these surveys varied. The first survey did not use any incentives or recorded delivery/registered mail and received a response rate of 48%. In sharp contrast, the other three surveys obtained responses rates of 76%, 74%, 74%, respectively, achieved through the use of gift certificates and recorded delivery/registered mail. Sending a survey by recorded delivery/registered mail tends to result in the survey package being given priority in the physicians' incoming mail at the practice. Gift certificates partially compensate physicians for time spent completing the survey and recognition of the time required is appreciated. The response rates achieved provide strong evidence to support the use of monetary incentives and recorded delivery/registered mail (along with the Dillman approach) in survey research. It is anticipated that this evidence will be used by other researchers to justify requests for funding to cover the costs associated with incentives and recorded delivery/registered mail. We recommend the use of these strategies to maximize response rates and improve the quality of this type of primary health care research.

Body mass index and future healthcare costs: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and future healthcare costs.

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES

We undertook a retrospective cohort study of the relationship between obesity and future healthcare costs at Kaiser Permanente Northwest Division, a large health maintenance organization in Portland, Oregon. Study subjects (n = 1286) consisted of persons who responded to a 1990 health survey that was mailed to a random sample of adult Kaiser Permanente Northwest Division members who were 35 to 64 years of age; had a BMI > or = 20 kg/m(2) (based on self-reported height and weight); did not smoke cigarettes; and did not have a history of coronary heart disease, stroke, human immunodeficiency virus, or cancer. Subjects were stratified according to their BMI in 1990 (20 to 24.9, 25 to 29.9, and > or = 30 kg/m(2); n = 545, 474, and 367, respectively). We then tallied their costs (in 1998 US dollars) for all inpatient care, outpatient services, and prescription drugs over a 9-year period (1990 through 1998).

RESULTS

For persons with BMIs of 20 to 24.9 kg/m(2), mean (+/-SE) annual costs of prescription drugs, outpatient services, inpatient care, and all medical care averaged $261 (+/-18), $848 (+/-59), $532 (+/-85), and $1631 (+/-120), respectively, over the study period. Cost ratios (95% confidence intervals) for persons with BMIs of 25 to 29.9 kg/m(2) and > or = 30 kg/m(2), respectively, were 1.37 (1.12 to 1.66) and 2.05 (1.62 to 2.55) for prescription drugs, 0.96 (0.83 to 1.13) and 1.14 (0.97 to 1.37) for outpatient services, 1.20 (0.81 to 1.86) and 1.38 (0.91 to 2.14) for inpatient care, and 1.10 (0.91 to 1.35) and 1.36 (1.11 to 1.68) for all medical care.

DISCUSSION

Future healthcare costs are higher for persons who are overweight, especially those with BMIs > or = 30 kg/m(2).

Breast cancer survivors' perceptions of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM): making the decision to use or not to use

The study described in this article explored breast cancer survivors' perceptions and experiences as they decided whether to use a variety of complementary/alternative therapies. Six focus groups were conducted composed of women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Each 2-hour session was audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. In this article, the process by which the participants made the decision to use or not to use complementary/alternative therapies, including their discovery and investigation of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) and their experiences using or not using CAM, are described. Barriers to using CAM included cost, access, and time. Family and friends generally supported the decision to use CAM; however, the participants described health care practitioners' reactions as mixed.

Type 2 diabetes: incremental medical care costs during the first 8 years after diagnosis

OBJECTIVE

To describe and analyze the time course of medical care costs caused by type 2 diabetes, from the time of diagnosis through the first 8 postdiagnostic years.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

From electronic health maintenance organization (HMO) records, we ascertained the ongoing medical care costs for all members with type 2 diabetes who were newly diagnosed between 1988 and 1995. To isolate incremental costs (costs caused by the diagnosis of diabetes), we subtracted the costs of individually matched HMO members without diabetes from costs of members with diabetes.

RESULTS

The economic burden of diabetes is immediately apparent from the time of diagnosis. In year 1, total medical costs were 2.1 times higher for patients with diabetes compared with those without diabetes. Diabetes-associated incremental costs (type 2 diabetic costs minus matched costs for people without diabetes) averaged $2,257 per type 2 diabetic patient per year during the first 8 postdiagnostic years. Annual incremental costs varied relatively little over the period but were higher during years 1, 7, and 8 because of higher-cost hospitalizations for causes other than diabetes or its complications.

CONCLUSIONS

For the first 8 years after diabetes diagnosis, patients with type 2 diabetes incurred substantially higher costs than matched nondiabetic patients, but those high costs remained largely flat. Once the growth in costs due to general aging is controlled for, it appears that diabetic complications do not increase incremental costs as early as is commonly believed. Additional research is needed to better understand how diabetes and its diagnosis affect medical care costs over longer periods of time.

Predictors of glycemic control in insulin-using adults with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To determine the characteristics that influence glycemic control among insulin-using adults with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied all 1,333 eligible members of a large not-for-profit health maintenance organization who responded to a 1997 survey. We tested associations among demographic, treatment, and psychometric variables with mean 1997 HbA1c values. The Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) instrument was used to assess the emotional effect of living with diabetes, and the Short Form 12 Physical Function Scale was used to assess the effect of physical limitations on daily activities. Based on differences between and within treatment groups, we built models to predict glycemic control for subgroups of subjects who were using insulin alone and those who were using insulin in combination with an oral hypoglycemic agent.

RESULTS

Younger age, lower BMI, and increased emotional distress about diabetes (according to the PAID scale) were all significant predictors (P < 0.05) of worse glycemic control. However, except among individuals with an HbA1c level of >8.0 who were receiving combination therapy, only approximately 10% of the variance in glycemic control could be predicted by demographic, treatment, or psychometric characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Personal characteristics explain little of the variation in glycemic control in insulin-using adults with type 2 diabetes. Possible explanations are that the reduced complexity of control in type 2 diabetes makes the disease less sensitive to personal factors than control in type 1 diabetes, that health-related behavior is less driven by personal and environmental characteristics among older individuals, or that, in populations exposed to aggressive glycemic control with oral hypoglycemic agents and nurse care managers, personal differences become largely irrelevant.

Further observations on the Kober colour and Ittrich fluorescence reactions in the measurement of oestriol, oestrone and oestradiol

Higher temperatures allow lower sulphuric acid concentrations and shorter heating times to be used in the Kober colour reaction for oestrogens. A one-stage reaction which is completed in 5 min. at 120° is described for oestrone and oestradiol, and a two-stage reaction which requires two periods of heating for 5 min. at 120° is described for oestriol. The conditions were applied to the Ittrich fluorescence procedure. A spectrophotofluorimetric correction was developed in which fluorescence was measured at wavelengths for excitation and emitted light near the optima for the oestrogens and at another combination at which the oestrogens produced virtually no fluorescence whereas that of impurities was not diminished. Extraction, centrifugation and fluorimetry were performed in specially designed cells. The sensitivity is 0·05–0·1 ng./sample with a linear response up to 300 ng. and a precision better than 4% in the range 1·0–100 ng.

The influence of older patient-physician communication on health and health-related outcomes

Effective patient-physician communication significantly influences health outcomes of older patients. For example, concordance between patient and physician expectations and patient participation in the decision-making process affects older patients. Communication is also linked to patient recall, adherence, and satisfaction. Furthermore, communication impacts emotional and physical outcomes of older patients, although evidence of improved physical outcomes remains under-investigated in this population. Dimensions of communication, such as continuity of relationship, seem to be important in decreasing hospitalization of older patients. This article explores the link between communication and health care outcomes in the older population.

Breast cancer patients' experiences of patient-doctor communication: a working relationship

The traumas of diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer are well researched and generally addressed in care. While women with breast cancer continue to identify the need for better communication with physicians, studies to date have not investigated how the process of communication between physicians and women with breast cancer actually unfolds. This phenomenological study therefore explored how women with breast cancer experience patient-physician communication to gain a greater understanding of effective approaches. Interviews of a purposeful sample of 11 women within 6 months of initial diagnosis or recurrence of breast cancer were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using inductive interpretation. Themes and patterns of positive and negative experiences emerged. All experiences began with the woman's feeling of vulnerability. In positive experiences, information sharing and relationship building were inextricably linked components of a working relationship which was at the same time affective, behavioural and instrumental. This experience, in turn, influenced the woman's experience of control and mastery of the illness experience, and their experience of learning to live with breast cancer. Findings illuminate the importance of comprehensively patient-centred, working relationships. Several specific techniques to enhance effective communication are identified.