Academic Health Centers Research Articles

A guide to successful management of collaborative partnerships in quantitative research: An illustration of the science of team science

Data‐intensive research continues to expand with the goal of improving healthcare delivery, clinical decision‐making, and patient outcomes. Quantitative scientists, such as biostatisticians, epidemiologists, and informaticists, are tasked with turning data into health knowledge. In academic health centres, quantitative scientists are critical to the missions of biomedical discovery and improvement of health. Many academic health centres have developed centralized Quantitative Science Units which foster dual goals of professional development of quantitative scientists and producing high quality, reproducible domain research. Such units then develop teams of quantitative scientists who can collaborate with researchers. However, existing literature does not provide guidance on how such teams are formed or how to manage and sustain them. Leaders of Quantitative Science Units across six institutions formed a working group to examine common practices and tools that can serve as best practices for Quantitative Science Units that wish to achieve these dual goals through building long‐term partnerships with researchers. The results of this working group are presented to provide tools and guidance for Quantitative Science Units challenged with developing, managing, and evaluating Quantitative Science Teams. This guidance aims to help Quantitative Science Units effectively participate in and enhance the research that is conducted throughout the academic health centre—shaping their resources to fit evolving research needs.

Increasing PhD student self-awareness and self-confidence through strengths-based professional development

Strengths-based programs have emerged as asset-based approaches to professional development that promote positive student engagement and success. This paper shares the outcomes of a strengths-based professional development program provided to biomedical and health sciences graduate doctoral students within an academic health center. Program outcomes and changes in participants’ perceived confidence when identifying and applying their strengths in different contexts were evaluated through a mixed methods design that included a Likert-based survey and thematic analysis of qualitative responses. Findings strongly suggest that most participants lacked the self-confidence and/or self-awareness to recognize their own strengths prior to the program. Themes that emerged upon implementation of the program point to the following outcomes: participants gained an increased understanding of their strengths, confidence that the knowledge gained about their strengths would help them learn more effectively in laboratory settings, an increased belief that they possess natural talents and skills that make them good scientists and strong members of their research team, and confidence that applying their strengths will help them to overcome both personal and professional challenges. This program shows promise to strengthen graduate student self-awareness and self-confidence. Further studies are needed to understand and measure how asset-based programs such as this can impact graduate student resilience, science identity, and overall student success.

School of Nursing Climate Commitment: Nursing Faculty Bring Climate to the Classroom

In 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) added “the impact of climate change on environmental and population health” into The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. Presently, little guidance exists for nursing faculty new to climate education. The year prior, the Nurses Climate Challenge (NCC)—a campaign to educate 50,000 health professionals about health impacts of climate change—launched the School of Nursing Commitment through a series of focus groups and collaborative content development. With an aim of increasing access to knowledge and tools to support education about the health impacts of climate change, the NCC Commitment partners with nursing schools and provides a community of practice. Partner schools use NCC resources in courses and report the number of students educated. Within three years, 61 nursing schools in 30 states joined the Commitment. Participants included academic health centers, research institutions, multi-state schools, and small private colleges, and programs ranged from AD to PhD. Faculty (1) integrated resources into didactic and clinical settings, such as population or organ-system content, leadership, and policy; and (2) used resources to support assignments. In four years, faculty reported educating over 37,700 students, using NCC resources in 439 educational sessions. The Commitment may be valuable for faculty fulfilling AACN Essentials by bringing climate change to the classroom, community, and bedside. Furthermore, the Commitment may be a replicable model for health professional education and inspiring action on climate change.

Abstract PO5-08-04: Characteristics of breast cancer in carriers of pathogenic variant in ATM in a large academic health center

Abstract Background: Pathogenic variants (PVs) in ATM are associated with an increased risk of breast, pancreas, and other cancers. The clinical and pathological characteristics of ATM-associated breast cancers have not been well defined. Methods: Patients who underwent multigene panel testing between December 2012 and May 2023 and were identified to harbor ATM PVs were included in the study. We analyzed demographics, germline findings, histopathology, genomic recurrence score, and management of ATM PV carriers with breast cancer. Results: A total of 222 individuals were identified to have PVs in ATM, of whom 184 (83%) were female. The majority were Caucasian (n = 179, 81%) and of those, 22 (12%) had Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. The median age at genetic testing was 52y, with a range of 20-90y. A total of 111 patients (50%) had a personal cancer diagnosis, the most common of which was breast cancer (n = 70; 63%). The median age at breast cancer diagnosis was 53y, with a range of 25-84y. The most common histopathology was invasive ductal carcinoma (74%), followed by DCIS (21%), and invasive lobular carcinoma (5%). The majority of patients had breast tumors with stage 2 or 3 (78%), grade 2 or 3 (92%), ER and/or PR positive (92%) and HER2 negative (70%). One patient had triple-negative breast cancer. Forty-four percent of breast cancers were less than two centimeters, 23% were lymph node-positive, and 29% had lymphovascular invasion. Thirty-eight percent of patients underwent bilateral mastectomy, 54% received radiation therapy, 40% received adjuvant chemotherapy, 24% received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 70% received hormonal therapy. Of the 15 breast cancers with known 21-gene recurrence scores, 47% were intermediate (11-26), 33% were high (>=26) and 20% were low (< =10). Other notable cancers observed were pancreas (n = 9), colorectal (n = 6), prostate (n = 5), uterine (n = 4), melanoma (n = 4), and thyroid (n = 4). Conclusion: Our study outlines the clinical and pathological characteristics of ATM-associated breast cancer in a large academic center. The majority of breast cancers were invasive ductal type, early stage, intermediate or high grade, and hormone receptor-positive with an intermediate or high recurrence score. Despite the early stage, a significant proportion of patients underwent bilateral mastectomy. Further studies are needed to better elucidate the unique characteristics of breast cancer in ATM PV carriers in order to provide tailored management guidelines for this population. Citation Format: Ujjwal Karki, Tara Rangarajan, Dana Zakalik. Characteristics of breast cancer in carriers of pathogenic variant in ATM in a large academic health center [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-08-04.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Outpatient Radiology No-shows Versus Cancellations

ObjectiveTo assess prevalence of missed outpatient radiology appointments and sociodemographic factors associated with no-shows vs. cancellations. MethodsAdults with outpatient radiology appointments in 2022 and January 2023 at a single tertiary academic health center were included. Generalized estimating equation regression was used to evaluate sociodemographic factors associated with missed vs. completed appointments, no-shows vs. cancellations and time interval between cancellations and appointments. Results19,262 (24.3%) examinations were either a cancellation (22.3%) or no-show (2.0%) among 9,713 patients (mean age 60.8±15.5; 67.1% female, 63.9% white, 20.0% Asian, 22.0% Hispanics). Among cancellations, 70.19% were patient-initiated. Age ≥ 65 significantly decreased the probability of missed appointments by 5.4 percentage point (pp) (95% CI: 3.7–7.2) or no-shows (4.2 pp; 95% CI, 1.4—6.9), while being single increased probability of missed appointments (2.2 pp; 95% CI, 1.2– 3.1) or no-shows (2.6 pp; 95% CI, 1.2—4.1). Those uninsured or with public insurance were 1.3 to 4.9 pp more likely to miss appointments than commercial insurance, and 2.2 to 7.6 pp more likely to have no-shows than cancellations. Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods 4.9 pp (95% CI, 3.9-6.0) increased likelihood of missing appointment and was associated with shorter time interval between cancellation and appointment. English speakers were 2.2 pp (95% CI, 1.1-3.3) more likely to miss their exam, while 2.7 pp (95% Ci, 1.1-0.4.3) less likely to be a no-show than cancellation. DiscussionCancellations represented a significant portion of missed appointments. Specific sociodemographic subgroups exhibited higher tendencies for having missed appointments and no-shows.

Chiropractic spinal manipulation and likelihood of tramadol prescription in adults with radicular low back pain: a retrospective cohort study using US data

ObjectivesPatients receiving chiropractic spinal manipulation (CSM) for low back pain (LBP) are less likely to receive any opioid prescription for subsequent pain management. However, the likelihood of specifically being prescribed...

Pilot Study Focused on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Health Access Behaviors of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses Regarding Suicide Prevention.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of a web-based education module on the knowledge, attitudes, and ratings of willingness to access help related to suicide prevention in psychiatric-mental health nurses. METHODS: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was employed. Registered nurses from two academic health center units and a 239-bed Psychiatric Hospital were invited to participate. Scores on knowledge of suicide risk and prevention, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intent to seek help upon experiencing suicidal ideations were obtained before and after administering a 25-min web-based training. RESULTS: Twenty-nine participants completed the pre-survey, web-based education module, and post-survey. Significant increases from baseline in the scores on knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions related to help-seeking behaviors for nurse suicide prevention were noted. Perceived behavioral control median scores increased but were not statistically significant. More than 40% of the participants reported having experienced suicidal thoughts. CONCLUSIONS: Further study is needed to determine contributors to this higher rate. Understanding the effectiveness of strategies to reduce nurse suicide can provide insights into building better nurse suicide prevention programs.

Psychologists and Integrated Behavioral Health Simulation Training: A Survey of Medical Educators and Perspectives of Directors of Clinical Training.

It is well established that the integration of behavioral healthcare into the medical home model improves patient outcomes, reduces costs, and increases resident learning. As academic health centers increasingly integrate behavioral healthcare, targeted training for interprofessional collaboration around behavioral healthcare is needed. Simulation educational approaches potentially can provide this training. Health service psychologists are well-poised to support this because of their specialized training in integrated healthcare. The present exploratory study aimed to evaluate existing simulation programs and develop recommendations for integrated behavioral health training and evaluation. Directors of ACGME accredited residency programs that are high utilizers of the medical home model (Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Medicine/Pediatrics, Family Medicine) as well as Psychiatry residencies and medical schools with membership in the Society for Simulation in Healthcare were recruited to complete a 26-item survey to assess program usage of psychologists as part of simulation training for integrated behavioral healthcare services. Of 79 participants who completed initial items describing their training program, only 32 programs completed the entire survey. While many academic health centers offered integrated team and behavioral health simulations, few utilized psychology faculty in design, implementation, and evaluation. Other behavioral health providers (psychiatrists, social workers) were often involved in medical school and pediatric residency simulations. Few institutions use standardized evaluation. Qualitative feedback and faculty-written questionnaires were often used to evaluate efficacy. Survey responses suggest that psychologists play limited roles in integrated behavioral healthcare simulation despite their expertise in interdisciplinary training, integrated behavioral healthcare, and program evaluation.

172 Roles and Expectations for Evaluators within a Learning Health System

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Our objective is to explore the evolving role of evaluators within Learning Health Systems (LHSs) and the implications for evaluation approaches in these dynamic healthcare environments. We aim to disseminate lessons learned to help inform best practices for other CTSA hubs operating under a LHS model. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Our investigation builds upon our prior qualitative analysis of the LHS literature and contextualization of unique challenges, and potential remedies, of a LHS in Academic Health Centers. As evaluators, we are particularly interested in understanding how evaluation work is conducted in LHSs and exploring ways to optimize the role of evaluators and their skillset in this context. For this investigation, we examined the competencies necessary for evaluators working in LHS and the specialized evaluation approaches needed to fulfill these requirements. Our approach drew from multi-faceted data and experience. We leveraged insights from our literature review, direct experience within WFUSOM CTSI, and discussions with other evaluators. This combination of data sources provided the foundation for our analysis. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We expect that as more health systems move toward the LHS model, they will have an increased need for various forms of evaluation, requiring resources well beyond what they are currently dedicating to evaluation. Expectations for evaluators will be enhanced in the following distinct, yet complementary, categories: generating new knowledge and translating research knowledge into practice. Anticipated results include identifying essential competencies for evaluators in LHS, such as data proficiency, clinical understanding, and adaptive skills. We also expect to uncover various evaluation approaches specific to LHS, including quality improvement studies, pragmatic trials, and stakeholder-engaged research. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Understanding the evolving role of evaluators and specialized evaluation approaches in LHS is crucial. It enhances the ability to generate localized evidence, customize interventions, and improve patient care. This knowledge empowers healthcare systems to adapt, innovate and deliver high-quality care for a higher impact on patient outcomes.

121 Impacting Clinical Research Nurses’ Intent to Stay Through Mentoring

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Clinical Issue/ Practice Problem: A high turnover rate for research nurses was identified between 2017-2022 in the clinical research center at an urban Midwest academic health center. Inexperienced staff and high turnover are barriers to maintaining high-quality research integrity, efficacy, and safety for research projects and participants. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Project Implementation: A formal mentorship program was developed based on a curriculum from the International Association of Clinical Research Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice. The six-week project was implemented for research nurses with less than 2 years of experience. Mentees were paired with senior research nurses and met one-on-one weekly. Mentees completed the Anticipated Turnover Scale (ATS) survey in week 1 and week 6. All program participants completed a final evaluation survey. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Outcomes: There was a one-point average reduction in pre- and post-ATS survey scores. This result supports the theory that mentees were less likely to leave their research role after a formal mentorship program. Qualitative results from the final evaluation survey demonstrate the program had a positive impact and benefits for both the mentees and the mentors. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Clinical Implications: By decreasing turnover rates, a highly competent and knowledgeable research nursing staff is attained to ensure appropriate nursing action and safety profiles for novel therapies.

Discussing systemic racism and racial privilege at a large, academic health center using a modified privilege walk

BackgroundThere is a motivation for organizations to understand race and racism from the perspective of minoritized individuals. Academic health centers (AHC) are ideal organizations to have these conversations as they educate healthcare providers, support research in health disparities, and care for diverse patients.MethodsWe piloted and evaluated a virtual Modified Privilege Walk (MPW) with faculty, staff, and students at an AHC in July 2020 to promote difficult conversations about race/racism, social class, and privilege. Each MPW session was voluntary, held virtually over Zoom, and lasted one hour and thirty minutes. Before attending, participants answered questions based on their race/ethnicity and social class to calculate a “privilege score.” After each session, attendees were asked to complete an evaluation survey.ResultsThere were five virtual MPWs with 132 attendees, and 74 participants completed an evaluation survey (56% response rate). Many respondents were students (n = 29, 39.2%). Most respondents either agreed (n = 36, 48.6%) or strongly agreed (n = 32, 43.2%) that the virtual MPW positively impacted how they will interact with those of a different race/ethnicity. Attendees requested having more virtual MPWs with leadership, incorporating virtual MPWs in various program curricula, and requiring new employees to participate.ConclusionsAmerican organizations, particularly AHCs, should provide safe spaces and support these discussions surrounding race and racism as many were founded, built, or operated during a time of free labor and segregation that exerted power and control over minoritized individuals. Authors provide recommendations to dismantle organizational racism and support minoritized employees, patients, and students.

Abstract 3468: Emerging lessons from patient-reported hospital discharge experiences among hospitalized cancer patients with frequent emergency department use

Abstract Background: While teamwork is essential to providing high-quality patient-centered care, challenges in interprofessional collaboration and decision-making in the hospital settings are common, especially for cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to identify emerging themes related to hospital discharge experiences among patients hospitalized for cancer who became frequent emergency department (ED) users following their hospital discharge. Design & Methods: A cohort of cancer patients discharged from an academic health center in Montreal (Canada) between October 2014 and November 2016 was assembled. Frequent ED (FED) users were identified as patients who had a > 4 ED visits in the year following hospital discharge using health administrative claims from the provincial universal health care program. Qualitative analysis of telephone interviews conducted with patients 30 days’ post-discharge were used for in-depth exploratory analyses to characterize hospital discharge experiences and transition process from the hospital to the community. Results: A cohort of 1253 cancer patients was formed. The mean age was 70.9 (SD=11.8) and the most frequent cancers included 488 (38.9%) respiratory and 309 (24.6%) upper digestive cancer. Overall, 14.5% (n=182) of patients became FED users. Content analyses revealed the most common emerging themes from the FED patients interviews on hospital discharge experiences. These included:1. Early hospital discharge putting patients at high risk of being re-admitted and going back to the ER shortly after that. Some patients mentioned post-discharge complications and emerging of new health issues that could have been avoided if patient was kept in the hospital for longer.2. Lack of communication between different specialists at the hospital. Some patients mentioned the help of a nurse as crucial during inpatient stays in maintaining communication between doctors. 3. Lack of communication of medications prescribed. Some patients mentioned the lack of communication of what doses was modified, what medications were stopped and which ones were newly prescribed.4. The need to schedule follow-up appointments at the time of hospital discharge. This becomes especially important for vulnerable patients who have been on pain medication during the hospital stay, affecting their cognitive abilities and making post-discharge planning more difficult. Conclusions: This study using integrated data from administrative claims and patient interviews provided insights into the challenges related to hospital discharge experiences and transition into community among hospitalized cancer patients with frequent emergency department use. Application of our findings could assist in hospital discharge preparation and improvement in healthcare delivery and health outcomes. Citation Format: Siyana Kurteva, Robyn Tamblyn. Emerging lessons from patient-reported hospital discharge experiences among hospitalized cancer patients with frequent emergency department use [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3468.

Plasma Ceramides and Other Sphingolipids in Relation to Incident Prediabetes in a Longitudinal Biracial Cohort.

Sphingolipids are linked to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). To test the hypothesis that plasma sphingolipid profiles predict incident prediabetes. A case-control study nested in the Pathobiology of Prediabetes in a Biracial Cohort (POP-ABC) study, a 5-year follow-up study. Academic health center. Normoglycemic adults enrolled in the POP-ABC study. Assessments included OGTT, insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. Participants with incident prediabetes were matched in age, sex, and ethnicity with non-progressors. We assayed 58 sphingolipid species (ceramides, monohexosyl ceramides, sphingomyelins, and sphingosine) using LC/tandem mass spectrometry in baseline plasma levels from participants and determined association with prediabetes risk. The primary outcome was progression from normoglycemia to prediabetes, defined as impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. The mean age of participants (N = 140; 50% Black, 50% female) was 48.1 ± 8.69 y, BMI 30.1 ± 5.78 kg/m2, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) 92.7 ± 5.84 mg/dl, and two-hour plasma glucose (2hrPG) 121 ± 23.3 mg/dl. Of the 58 sphingolipid species assayed, higher ratios of sphingomyelin C26:0/C26:1 (OR 2.73 [95% CI 1.172-4.408], P = 0.015) and ceramide C18:0/C18:1 (OR 1.236 [95% CI 1.042-1.466], P = 0.015) in baseline plasma specimens were significantly associated with progression to prediabetes during the 5-year follow-up period, after adjustments for age, race, sex, BMI, FPG, 2hPG, insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion. We conclude that the saturated-to-monounsaturated ratios of long-chain ceramide C18:0/C18:1 and very-long-chain sphingomyelin C26:0/C26:1 are potential biomarkers of prediabetes risk among individuals with parental history of T2D.

Short-term effects of antimicrobial stewardship programs on antibiotics usage, clinical outcomes, and multidrug resistant organisms in the post COVID-19 era

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance is associated with increasing mortality rates and the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms. There is scarcity of data on the short-term impact of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) on antibiotic usage, clinical outcome and MDR organisms’ pattern following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study evaluated the short-term effects of ASP on antibiotic usage, clinical outcomes and MDR organisms’ pattern in the post COVID-19 era. MethodsConducted at a tertiary academic health center, this observational study involved adult patients (≥18 years) in the general medical unit, treated with oral or intravenous antibiotics from May 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022. The applied ASP strategy was a prospective audit and feedback where a weekly meeting was held to discuss the antimicrobial therapy of admitted patient, after which recommendations were made regarding antimicrobial use. ResultsThe study included 301 patients with 166 (55.1%) pre-ASP and 135 (44.9%) post-ASP. The median (IQR) age was 69 (55−77) years with 56.1% were female. Antibiotic usage dropped by 25.2% post-ASP. The length of hospital stay (LOS) was longer post-ASP (7 days vs. 7.9 days, p = 0.001), with MDR infections being a significant predictor (OR: 0.486, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in 28-day readmission, recurrence of infections and all-cause mortality. Post-ASP, MDR pathogens increased (17.0% vs. 6.6%, p = 0.013), however, after separating post-ASP into two three-months periods, MDROs numbers decreased slightly (13 vs. 10). ConclusionShort-term ASP implementation post COVID-19 reduced antibiotic usage while other clinical outcomes remained unchanged. Nonetheless an increase in MDR pathogens and LOS was observed. Further research is required to assess ASP’s long-term impact on MDR infections rates and specific patient group outcomes.

Association between chiropractic spinal manipulation and cauda equina syndrome in adults with low back pain: Retrospective cohort study of US academic health centers.

Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a lumbosacral surgical emergency that has been associated with chiropractic spinal manipulation (CSM) in case reports. However, identifying if there is a potential causal effect is complicated by the heightened incidence of CES among those with low back pain (LBP). The study hypothesis was that there would be no increase in the risk of CES in adults with LBP following CSM compared to a propensity-matched cohort following physical therapy (PT) evaluation without spinal manipulation over a three-month follow-up period. A query of a United States network (TriNetX, Inc.) was conducted, searching health records of more than 107 million patients attending academic health centers, yielding data ranging from 20 years prior to the search date (July 30, 2023). Patients aged 18 or older with LBP were included, excluding those with pre-existing CES, incontinence, or serious pathology that may cause CES. Patients were divided into two cohorts: (1) LBP patients receiving CSM or (2) LBP patients receiving PT evaluation without spinal manipulation. Propensity score matching controlled for confounding variables associated with CES. 67,220 patients per cohort (mean age 51 years) remained after propensity matching. CES incidence was 0.07% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.05-0.09%) in the CSM cohort compared to 0.11% (95% CI: 0.09-0.14%) in the PT evaluation cohort, yielding a risk ratio and 95% CI of 0.60 (0.42-0.86; p = .0052). Both cohorts showed a higher rate of CES during the first two weeks of follow-up. These findings suggest that CSM is not a risk factor for CES. Considering prior epidemiologic evidence, patients with LBP may have an elevated risk of CES independent of treatment. These findings warrant further corroboration. In the meantime, clinicians should be vigilant to identify LBP patients with CES and promptly refer them for surgical evaluation.

Clinician Needs for Electronic Health Record Pediatric and Adolescent Weight Management Tools: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Clinicians play an important role in addressing pediatric and adolescent obesity, but their effectiveness is restricted by time constraints, competing clinical demands, and the lack of effective electronic health record (EHR) tools. EHR tools are rarely developed with provider input. We conducted a mixed method study of clinicians who provide weight management care to children and adolescents to determine current barriers for effective care and explore the role of EHR weight management tools to overcome these barriers. In this mixed-methods study, we conducted three 1-hour long virtual focus groups at one medium-sized academic health center in Missouri and analyzed the focus group scripts using thematic analysis. We sequentially conducted a descriptive statistical analysis of a survey emailed to pediatric and family medicine primary care clinicians (n = 52) at two private and two academic health centers in Missouri. Surveyed clinicians reported that they effectively provided health behavior lifestyle counseling at well-child visits (mean of 60 on a scale of 1-100) and child obesity visits (63); however, most felt the current health care system (27) and EHR tools (41) do not adequately support pediatric weight management. Major themes from the clinician focus groups were that EHR weight management tools should display data in a way that (1) improves clinical efficiency, (2) supports patient-centered communication, (3) improves patient continuity between visits, and (4) reduces documentation burdens. An additional theme was (5) clinicians trust patient data entered in real time over patient recalled data. Study participants report that the health care system status quo and currently available EHR tools do not sufficiently support clinicians working to manage pediatric or adolescent obesity and provide health behavior counseling. Clinician input in the development and testing of EHR weight management tools provides opportunities to address barriers, inform content, and improve efficiencies of EHR use.

Assessment of Rehabilitation Journal Requirements for the Use of Reporting Guidelines and Clinical Trial Registration

Objective: To assess reporting guideline and clinical trial registration requirements in rehabilitation journals.Design: We examined rehabilitation journals with five-year impact factors exceeding 1.00 from the 2021 Scopus CiteScore tool, alongside the 28 journals included in the 2014 rehabilitation and disability quality improvement initiative. Journals outside the traditional rehabilitation scope were excluded.Setting: A publicly-funded academic health center in the United States.Participants and Interventions: N/AMain Outcome Measure(s): The proportion of journals requiring/recommending reporting guideline use and clinical trial registration.Results: Over 90% (57/63) of journals required/recommended clinical trial reporting guidelines, while 68% (39/57) specified guideline requirements for systematic review/meta-analysis protocols. The 2014 collaborative initiative journals demonstrated higher rates of requiring/recommending reporting guidelines for clinical trials (24/26; 92.3%), systematic reviews/meta-analyses (23/26; 88.5%), observational studies in epidemiology (22/25; 88%), and diagnostic accuracy studies (20/24; 83.3%). Conversely, the 2021 Scopus CiteScore journals displayed higher rates for the remaining study designs. Overall, 52/63 (82.5%) journals required/recommended trial registration. Trial registration policies were comparable, with a slight advantage favoring the 2021 Scopus CiteScore journals.Conclusion: Rehabilitation journals variably promoted reporting guideline use and clinical trial registration. Common study designs like clinical trials, observational studies in epidemiology, and diagnostic accuracy studies demonstrated robust requirement/recommendation rates, while less common designs like economic evaluations and animal research had suboptimal rates. Journals can enhance reporting guideline use and trial registration by directing authors to the EQUATOR Network, requiring adherence to registration and reporting standards, and clarifying language in author instructions.

Data-driven, cross-disciplinary collaboration: lessons learned at the largest academic health center in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted global research efforts to reduce infection impact, highlighting the potential of cross-disciplinary collaboration to enhance research quality and efficiency. At the FMUSP-HC academic health system, we implemented innovative flow management routines for collecting, organizing and analyzing demographic data, COVID-related data and biological materials from over 4,500 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalized from 2020 to 2022. This strategy was mainly planned in three areas: organizing a database with data from the hospitalizations; setting-up a multidisciplinary taskforce to conduct follow-up assessments after discharge; and organizing a biobank. Additionally, a COVID-19 curated collection was created within the institutional digital library of academic papers to map the research output. Over the course of the experience, the possible benefits and challenges of this type of research support approach were identified and discussed, leading to a set of recommended strategies to enhance collaboration within the research institution. Demographic and clinical data from COVID-19 hospitalizations were compiled in a database including adults and a minority of children and adolescents with laboratory confirmed COVID-19, covering 2020-2022, with approximately 350 fields per patient. To date, this database has been used in 16 published studies. Additionally, we assessed 700 adults 6 to 11 months after hospitalization through comprehensive, multidisciplinary in-person evaluations; this database, comprising around 2000 fields per subject, was used in 15 publications. Furthermore, thousands of blood samples collected during the acute phase and follow-up assessments remain stored for future investigations. To date, more than 3,700 aliquots have been used in ongoing research investigating various aspects of COVID-19. Lastly, the mapping of the overall research output revealed that between 2020 and 2022 our academic system produced 1,394 scientific articles on COVID-19. Research is a crucial component of an effective epidemic response, and the preparation process should include a well-defined plan for organizing and sharing resources. The initiatives described in the present paper were successful in our aim to foster large-scale research in our institution. Although a single model may not be appropriate for all contexts, cross-disciplinary collaboration and open data sharing should make health research systems more efficient to generate the best evidence.

Delayed opportunities for patient-provider communication about medication overuse headache: Mixed methods perspectives from patients and neurologists

ObjectivesMedication overuse headache (MOH) is a common, debilitating condition occurring when migraine patients overuse pain relief medications. We conducted a convergent mixed methods study examining patient-provider communication on MOH. MethodsMigraine patients were identified from one academic health center via electronic health records. Research staff recruited patients and administered a remote survey on MOH awareness, knowledge, and communication; descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted. Neurologists from the same health center were invited to participate in qualitative interviews; analysis drew from the Rapid Identification of Themes from Audio Recordings procedures. A side-by-side comparison of results followed. ResultsParticipants included 200 patients and 13 neurologists. More than one third of patients (39.5 %) had never heard of ‘medication overuse headache.’ Among those who had, 38.4 % learned about MOH ≥ 5 years after their migraine diagnosis. Neurologists similarly reported limited patient awareness of MOH and suggested communication was provider-initiated, reactive to patient-reported symptoms and behaviors. Participants agreed MOH was described as a ‘consequence’ of frequent medication taking, though specific terminology varied with neurologists suggesting they choose terms they perceive to be easier to understand and less stigmatizing to patients. Neurologists felt they lacked effective patient education resources. ConclusionsFindings reveal delayed opportunities to inform patients about MOH. Standardized education supporting early preventive communication is needed, perhaps in primary care where many patients seek initial care for migraine symptoms.

Outcome analysis of brain-death referral to NOD-Lb: A retrospective chart review of a single hospital experience over 3 years.

Organ donation shortage and in particular organ procurement is an international concern as the gap between the number of donors and recipients is steadily growing. Organ procurement is a chain of steps with donor identification and referral (ID&R) as the very first link in this chain. Failure of this step hinders the progress in the organ transplantation program. Our study was conducted to evaluate and highlight the gap between the national system and the practice at the identification and referral (ID&R) step of the organ procurement chain in a single tertiary-care academic health center in Beirut: the Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital (LAUMC-RH), and to appraise the literature for challenges at this step and for possible interventions for improvement based on the international experience. This retrospective study was a descriptive case series of ICU and ED deceased patients at a single tertiary-care university hospital in Beirut. Patients' characteristics were collected from medical records for all patients who died between 2017 and 2019 while in the ICU or the ED and shared with the National Organization for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation (NOD-Lb), for each subject separately, to decide on the donor status. All data collected from the patient cohort was analyzed using R version 3.6.1. Wilcoxon signed-rank test, chi-squared, and fisher-exact tests were used to compare differences in clinical characteristics in terms of donor status when appropriate. This study served as 3 years audit of a single hospital experience, and it demonstrates failure to make any referrals to NOD-Lb and zero actual organ and tissue donations over the study period. The review of 295 deceased subjects' charts demonstrates 295 missed alerts to NOD-Lb and the overall missing of 5 organ and tissue donors and 24 cornea donors assuming the organ procurement chain of steps will continue uninterrupted after ID&R. The data gathered suggests the presence of an inefficient identification and referral system that is translated into a complete failure of reporting to NOD-Lb from LAUMC-RH. A systematic evidence-based approach to evaluate for the most cost-effective intervention to increase identification and referral rates is needed with a serious effort to examine and account for any inefficient implantation.