Clinical Pathway For Treatment Research Articles

Hearing Loss Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment for Refugees and Asylees in an Urban Clinic, 2014-2017.

First, to determine whether using a single-question subjective hearing screen vs gold standard audiometric evaluation is effective for hearing loss screening in refugees and asylees. Second, to understand the clinical pathways for hearing loss diagnosis and treatment. This is a case series with chart review from January 2014 to December 2017. A large urban safety net primary care clinic in San Francisco, California. Patients were included who had a medical record and completed single-question subjective hearing screening and audiometric evaluation during refugee health examinations. An overall 349 patients met all inclusion criteria. Out of 349 patients, 48% were male; the median age was 29.3 years (SD, 15.1). The majority came from Central or South America (n = 148, 42%) and China (n = 79, 23%). Among all patients, 10 (3%) failed the subjective hearing screen, and 18 (5%) failed audiometric evaluation. Of those who failed the subjective hearing screen, 4 (40%) passed audiometric evaluation. Of those who failed the audiometric evaluation, 12 (66%) passed subjective screening, and only 5 (28%) received a diagnostic audiogram, with 4 diagnosed with hearing loss and 1 receiving hearing aids. The sensitivity of the subjective screening question was 33% and the specificity 99% as compared with audiometric evaluation. Audiometric evaluation is relatively inexpensive and easily administered, while a single subjective question is a poor screening tool. Hearing loss is undertreated in this population. Ensuring appropriate hearing loss screening, diagnosis, and treatment in this population is paramount to improving quality of life.

Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Pathway of Patients Treated with Helicobacter pylori Infection-A Single Center Cohort Study Using Common Data Model

Background/Aims: Changing trends in the <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> (<i>H. pylori</i>) eradication protocol have not been investigated after the publication of the third-revised Korean guideline in 2013. We aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of <i>H. pylori</i>-infected patients alongside their treatment protocols using a common data model (CDM).Materials and Methods: A 16-year electronic health record (of 1,689,604 patients from 2004 to 2019) was converted into a CDM in Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital. We extracted records of patients who underwent the rapid urease test or serum anti-<i>H. pylori</i> IgG assay. The treatment protocols were visualized using a sunburst plot. We investigated the clinical characteristics and medication history of patients who underwent a urea breath test after clarithromycin-based eradication therapy.Results: Out of 29,458 patients tested for <i>H. pylori</i> infection, 7,647 received a treatment protocol. Among them, 72.5% received a 7~14 days protocol comprising a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), amoxicillin, and clarithromycin. The proportion of patients treated with the first-line protocol (PPI, bismuth, tetracycline, and metronidazole) slightly increased from 1.9% (before 2014) to 3.3% (after 2014) (P<0.001). The percentages of patients with of previous exposure to macrolides (14.7% vs. 5.5%, P<0.001) or amoxicillin (10.6% vs. 7.3%, P=0.006) were higher in patients with previous clarithromycin-based eradication failure.Conclusions: The <i>H. pylori</i> treatment protocol was not significantly modified despite the updates in the clinical guideline. There was only 1.4 percentage point increase in bismuth-based quadruple therapy as first-line eradication therapy even after the announcement of revised Korean guideline in 2013.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Standardized Clinical Nutrition Diagnosis and Treatment Pathway in Patients with Pulmonary Infection.

Objective From the perspective of economics, this study discusses the value of establishing a standardized clinical nutrition diagnosis and treatment pathway in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary infection and provides a reference for optimizing the diagnosis and treatment pathway of pulmonary infection. Methods The patients who received the nutrition diagnosis and treatment pathway intervention in 2017 were counted as the routine group and were subdivided into the conventional intervention group (C1) and conventional control group (C2) according to whether the standardized nutrition therapy was applied or not. The patients who received the nutrition diagnosis and treatment pathway intervention in 2020 were counted as the experimental group and were subdivided into the experimental intervention group (T1) and the experimental control group (T2) according to whether standardized intervention was applied or not. The total hospitalization expenses, average daily hospitalization cost, nutrition support expenses, plasma albumin before and after nutrition support, readmission, and other indicators of all patients were recorded and compared. The cost-effectiveness ratio (CER), incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), and cost-effectiveness threshold for cost-effectiveness analysis were adopted. Results Compared with the C2 group, the C1 group had higher total hospitalization expenses, average daily hospitalization expenses, nutritional support expenses, and plasma albumin improvement rate and lower readmission rate (P < 0.001). Compared with the T2 group, the T1 group had higher total hospitalization cost, average daily hospitalization expenses, nutritional support expenses, and plasma albumin improvement rate and lower readmission rate (P < 0.001). Taking the improvement rate of plasma albumin as the effect index, compared with the C1 group, the T1 group has less investment cost and better effect, and the ICER is negative (below the cost-effect threshold). And taking the readmission rate as the effective index, compared with the C1 group, the T1 group invested less cost and had a better effect, and the ICER was negative (below the cost-effect threshold). Conclusion For the patients with pulmonary infection, whether the improvement rate of plasma albumin or the readmission rate is used as the impact index, the standardized nutrition diagnosis and treatment pathway in 2020 is more economical than the nonstandardized nutrition diagnosis and treatment pathway.

Toxicity spectrum of immunotherapy in advanced lung cancer: A safety analysis from clinical trials and a pharmacovigilance system.

SummaryBackgroundWith the increased use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in advanced lung cancer, adverse events (AEs), particularly immune-related AEs (irAEs), have garnered considerable interest. We conducted a comprehensive assessment of the toxicity profile in advanced lung cancer using multi-source medical data.MethodsFirst, we systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases (from inception to 10 August 2021) for relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving ICI-based treatments for advanced lung cancer. The primary outcomes were treatment-related AEs and irAEs, including events that were assigned grade 1–5 and 3–5. The secondary outcomes were grade 5 AEs and irAEs (grade 1–5 and grade 3–5) in specific organs. Network comparisons were conducted for 11 treatments, including chemotherapy (CT), ICI monotherapy (three regimens: programmed death-1 receptor [PD-1] inhibitors, programmed death ligand-1 [PD-L1] inhibitors, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen [CTLA-4] inhibitors), dual-ICI combination therapy (two regimens), and treatment using one or two ICI drugs administered in combination with CT (five regimens). We also conducted a disproportionality analysis by extracting reports of various irAEs associated with ICIs from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. The reporting odds ratios and fatality proportions of different irAEs were calculated and compared. PROSPERO: CRD42021268650.FindingsOverall, 41 RCTs involving 23,121 patients with advanced lung cancer were included. Treatments containing chemotherapy increased the risk of treatment-related AEs compared to ICI-based regimens without chemotherapy. Concerning irAEs, PD-L1 + CTLA-4 + CT was associated with the highest risk of grade 1–5 irAEs, followed by two regimens of dual ICI combination, three regimens of ICI monotherapy, and three regimens of one ICI combined with CT. For 3–5 irAEs, CTLA-4 accounted for most AEs. Detailed comparisons of ICI-based treatment options provided irAE profiles based on specific organs/systems and AE severity. Insights from the FAERS database revealed that signals corresponding to pneumonitis, colitis, thyroiditis, and hypophysitis were observed across all ICI regimens. Further analyses of the outcomes indicated that myocarditis (163 of 367, 44.4%), pneumonitis (1610 of 4497, 35.8%), and hepatitis (290 of 931, 31.1%) had high fatality rates.InterpretationIncluded RCTs showed heterogeneity in a few clinical factors, and reports derived from the FAERS database might have involved inaccurate data. Our results can be used as a basis for improving clinical treatment strategies and designing preventive methods for ICI treatment in advanced lung cancer.FundingThis study was supported by the Research Project of Drug Clinical Comprehensive Evaluation and Drug Treatment Pathway (SHYXH-ZP-2021-001, SHYXH-ZP-2021-006), Clinical Research Innovation and Cultivation Fund of Ren Ji Hospital (RJPY-LX-008), Ren Ji Boost Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (RJTJ–JX–001), and Shanghai “Rising Stars of Medical Talent” Youth Development Program – Youth Medical Talents – Clinical Pharmacist Program (SHWJRS (2019) 072).

Post COVID-19 pneumo-hematocele: clinical presentation and treatment pathway.

ObjectivesThe appearance of characteristic pulmonary lesions has been noted after COVID-19, being described as post-COVID-19 pneumo-hematocele. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical, histopathologic, and imaging features of pneumo-hematocele and to suggest a treatment algorithm for these patients.MethodsA retrospective study was performed in patients admitted with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV2 infection from March 2020 to September 2021 who presented a pneumo-hematocele on imaging studies. Clinical and demographic variables were recorded, and CT scans were analyzed. A secondary analysis was performed to estimate the risk provided by the pneumo-hematocele diameter of developing pneumothorax.Results37 patients were diagnosed with pneumo-hematoceles, 97.3% were males with a median age of 41 ± 13 years and 51% were smokers. The mean diameter of the pneumatocele was 6.3 ± 2.8 cm; they were more common on the subpleural surface and in the inferior lobe. Thirty patients had ruptured pneumo-hematoceles and developed pneumothorax (81.1%); a total of 26 patients required surgery (70.3%). Lesions measuring 5 cm had a high risk of rupture (OR 6.8, CI 95% 1.1–42); those measuring 3 cm were prone to this complication. For each centimeter that the pneumo-hematocele diameter increases, the OR for rupture increases 1.5.ConclusionsIt appears that post-COVID-19 pneumo-hematocele occurs secondary to encapsulation of blood accumulation inside the lung, as a result of micro-capillary bleeding, with partial reabsorption of blood and subsequent air filling. We recommend surgery for patients with pneumo-hematoceles of 5 cm and those with persistent lesions of 3 cm.Trial registrationClinical Trial Registration: NCT05067881.

Analisis Average Length Of Stay Pasien Typhoid Fever di RSUD Harapan Doa Kota Bengkulu

Average Length Of Stay (LOS) is an important indicator in determining the success of therapy for a disease and is also related to the cost of care incurred by the patient. the ideal value of AvLOS is 6-9 days. The level of AvLOS is influenced by the complications experienced by the patient. Typhoid fever is an endemic disease in Indonesia that knows no age and gender boundaries, and can cause various complications in the form of bleeding and intestinal perforation which can often lead to death. Based on the initial survey, the visit of typhoid fever patients in the last three years at Harapan Doa Hospital, Bengkulu City has increased, namely 2017 (11.02%), 2018 (13.47%) and 2019 (17.935) of the total visits/year, however, in 2020 it decreased (15.08%) due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This affects the AvLOS value and the cost received by the hospital. The purpose of this study was to determine the AvLOS value of typhoid fever patients at Harapan Doa Hospital, Bengkulu City. The type of research used is descriptive with a cross sectional approach. The sample of this study used a total population of 121 patients who were analyzed univariately using the AvLOS formula. The results of the univariate analysis, from the calculation results obtained that the total length of stay (LD) of typhoid fever patients was 395 days/year with AvLOS 3.18 days/year, the number of typhoid fever patients was out of life 124 (100%) patients, AvLOS of typhoid fever patients based on age group. The highest was found in the age group &gt;1-5 years, namely 5.17 days compared to the age group &gt;44-65 years, namely 3.43 days and &gt;65 years, namely 3 days, where typhoid fever was accompanied by complications/companies. AvLOS of typhoid fever patients based on gender was found in female sex at 3.31 days with a total of 59 patients compared to male sex at 3.23 days with a total of 5 people. It is hoped that the hospital will formulate a clinical pathway for Typhoid Fever Treatment so that the quality of service for typhoid fever cases is in the efficientcategory.

POSC156 Clinical Burden, Treatment Pathway, and Healthcare Resource Utilization of Transfusion-Dependent Beta-Thalassemia Patients in Italy: A Retrospective Analysis

To evaluate demographic and clinical characteristics of transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia (TDT) patients, the pattern of blood transfusion and iron-chelation therapy (ICT), healthcare-resource consumptions and healthcare direct costs in TDT patients. A retrospective study was carried out by integrating administrative databases of a pool of Italian Healthcare-Entities, with data reproportioned to the Italian population. Patients with ≥6 episodes of blood transfusion over a 12-month period together with ≥1 ICT prescription between 01/01/2010-31/12/2016, were included. Index-date was that of first blood transfusion within the inclusion period. Patients were characterized 12-month before index-date and followed-up from index-date to death or study-ending. Annual healthcare-resources/patient and direct healthcare-cost/patient [covered by NHS, for drugs, outpatients specialistic services (OSS), and hospitalizations] were evaluated during the follow-up. Overall, 2,137 TDT patients were estimated, with a mean age of 41.3 and 45% male. Previous hospitalizations were observed in 34% of patients. Anti-infectives drugs were the most prescribed (74%). During follow-up, hepatic diseases represented a complication in 38% of patients. Mean number of blood transfusions administrated over 12-month period was 11.9. Median time from first transfusion to first ICT prescription was 216 days. Concerning ICT treatments, 69% of patients were with the same ICT, while 26% and 5% presented 2-3 different types of ICT prescriptions, respectively. Mean annual number/patient of drug prescriptions was 23.4, of hospitalizations was 2.2 (median length of stay 82 days), and of OSS was 103.7. The overall annual direct healthcare-cost/patient averaged 20,343€ (9,832€ for drugs, 9,449€ for hospitalizations, and 1,062€ for OSS). This real-world study provided an in-depth characterization of the clinical features, pharmaco-utilization and economic burden of TDT patients, showing the high resource consumption and direct health-care costs for these patients. The mean age observed reflected the life-expectancy increment of TDT population reported in literature, suggesting that aging should be considered in the management of beta-thalassemia.

Looking beyond the obvious: Role of non-invasive electroanalgesia in management of cancer pain.

Pain is considered as one of the most debilitating symptoms of cancer and its treatment. Owing to the limited efficacy of traditional pharmacological interventions to address cancer pain in its entirety, an avenue exists for exploration into nonpharmacological therapies. Analgesia using non-invasive electrotherapeutic modalities such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and scrambler therapy emerges as a viable option to address cancer pain. The inability of these modalities to find a place within the recommended clinical guidelines has possibly resulted in the paucity of application of the same within the clinical setup. This perspective article aims at stimulating a discussion surrounding the inclusion of non-invasive neuromodulatory treatment techniques such as TENS and scrambler therapy to combat cancer pain and explore the benefits and pitfalls of using these techniques as an adjunct to the pre-existing treatment strategies. It is envisioned that this opinion piece will open a dialogue about a possible home for non-invasive electroanalgesia within the clinical treatment pathway for cancer pain.

An Integrated clinical pathway for diagnosis, treatment and care of rare diseases: model, operating procedures, and results of the project TRANSLATE-NAMSE funded by the German Federal Joint Committee

BackgroundDiagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with rare diseases require multidisciplinary cooperation between medical and paramedical specialities and with patients and families. Innovative genetic diagnostics, whole exome and whole genome sequencing (WES, WGS) has enlarged the diagnostic toolkit but also increased the complexity of the endeavour. Structured multidisciplinary clinical pathways (CPW) can guide diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with rare diseases, link scientific evidence to clinical practice and optimise clinical outcomes whilst maximising clinical efficiency.ResultsIn contrast to the common approach of appending disease-specific CPWs to disease-specific guidelines, we suggest a generic CPW manoeuvring the patient along the way of finding the correct diagnosis by applying the best diagnostic strategy into an appropriate system of treatment and care. Available guidelines can be integrated into the generic CPW in the course of its application. The approach also applies to situations where a diagnosis remains unsolved. The backbone of the generic CPW is a set of multidisciplinary structured case conferences projecting and evaluating diagnostic and/or therapeutic steps, enforcing to integrate best scientific evidence with clinical experience. The generic CPW is stated as a flowchart and a checklist which can be used to record and document parsimoniously the structure, process and results of a patient’s pathway, but also as a data model for research. It was applied in a multicentre setting with 587 cases each with a presumptive diagnosis of a rare disease. In 369 cases (62.8%) a diagnosis could be confirmed, and multidisciplinary treatment and/or care was initiated. The median process time from first contact until confirmation of diagnosis by WES was 109 days and much shorter than diagnostic delays reported in the literature. Application of the CPW is illustrated by two case reports.ConclusionsOur model is a tool to change the diagnostic odyssey into an organised and trackable route. It can also be used to inform patients and families about the stages of their individual route, to update health care providers only partially involved or attending specialised treatment and care, like the patient’s or family’s primary physician, and finally to train novices in the field.

Current Perspectives of the Use of Sodium-Glucose Transport-2 Inhibitors for Patients With Heart Failure and Chronic Kidney Disease.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2 inhibitors) are a relatively new class of drugs approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In 2021, the American College of Cardiology recommended the use of SGLT-2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure (HF), with or without type 2 diabetes, because of their morbidity and mortality benefits. The review provides an overview of the efficacy and safety of SGLT-2 inhibitors in HF and chronic kidney disease (CKD). We review the existing literature for SGLT-2 inhibitors by searching PubMed.gov using the keywords SGLT-2 inhibitors, HF, and CKD. A clinical treatment pathway is provided to help guide clinicians in choosing an SGLT-2 inhibitor for their patients with chronic HF and CKD.

Clinical treatment pathways utilization in an outpatient academic cancer center.

323 Background: Clinical treatment pathway (CTP) tools have been incorporated into oncology practices to help standardize treatment, reduce care variation in cancer patients, and move towards value-based care. CTP tools incorporate the latest guidelines and are developed through multidisciplinary committees. Treatment decisions are prioritized by efficacy, toxicity, and cost to improve quality and value. This is especially important in cancer care which is associated with high drug costs. However, use and implementation of CTP tools has been met with mixed reviews and published data from academic medical centers are limited. Methods: Outpatient treatment decisions for patients across different cancer types, including colorectal, gastroesophageal, and breast cancers from July 2018 to March 2020 at an urban NCI-designated cancer center were evaluated. Every treatment decision was evaluated in relation to physician utilization of CTP tools. Treatment decisions were categorized as choosing a CTP recommended option ( pathways dependent), not choosing a CTP recommended option ( pathways independent), or not using the CTP tool at all ( non-pathways). Descriptive statistics and significance testing were used to explore CTP utilization over time, physician years in practice, cancer type, and cancer stage. Multinomial and binary logistic regression models were used to evaluate associated factors with CTP utilization. Results: During the study period, 1,007 treatment decisions were identified. Of these, 76% were pathways dependent, 13% were pathways independent, and 11% were non-pathways. CTP utilization was statistically significant in association with cancer type, cancer stage, physician years in practice, and year of encounter. In multinomial logistic regression models, physicians with more years in practice were more likely to be pathways independent and non-pathways than pathways dependent. Physicians treating colorectal or gastroesophageal cancer were more likely to be pathways independent [OR 3.27; 95% CI: 1.98-5.42 and OR 2.25; 95% CI: 1.12-4.49, respectively] or non-pathways [OR 2.98; 95% CI: 1.65-5.37 and OR 3.21; 95% CI: 1.58-6.54, respectively] than pathways dependent compared to physicians treating breast cancer. Treatment decisions for patients with either stage 2 and stage 4 cancers were more likely to be pathways independent than stage 1 cancers [OR 4.13; 95% CI: 1.44-11.84 and OR 4.37; 95% CI: 1.27-15.04, respectively]. Conclusions: This study found that a large proportion of treatment decisions for patients across different cancer types were made utilizing CTP tools, but utilization varies according to cancer type, stage, and physician years in practice. Further research is needed to better understand the physician decision making process and implementation of CTP tools to drive improvement in design, education, and training.

Abdominal and Laparoscopic Cervical Carcinoma Therapy - a Comparative Economic Assessment.

Objective The LACC (Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer) study revealed advantages in terms of overall survival and relapse risk favouring abdominal radical hysterectomy over the laparoscopic procedure. The present paper will compare the two surgical techniques from the economic point of view based on a process cost calculation. Material/Methods A retrospective cost analysis of all radical hysterectomies from the year 2018 was done at the Hanover University Medical School based on the bottoms-up method and guided by the clinical treatment pathway. Result Of 51 primary cases treated, 19 patients underwent radical hysterectomies, of which 8 were performed using the abdominal technique and 11 as endoscopic surgeries. 89.4% of the cancers were FIGO IB1 carcinomas. The total cost of a laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with an average hospital stay of 4.6 days came to € 2512.34, compared to an abdominal radical hysterectomy at € 2586.78 with an average hospital stay of 7.6 days. The greatest cost factor in which the laparoscopic method exceeded abdominal radical hysterectomy was the surgical procedure itself (€ 1836.75 vs. € 1411.21). Personnel represented the largest cost item in the surgical theatre (59%), so that surgery time was a significant multiplying factor. Average surgical time required for abdominal radical hysterectomy was 154 minutes, whereby the laparoscopic procedure required an average of 220.1 minutes. Inpatient care in the abdominal radical procedure cases was more costly by € 499.98 due to the longer hospitalization and additional medication required. Profit levels, including the DRG revenues, were higher with the abdominal method than with the laparoscopic method by € 186.21 despite longer hospital stays. Conclusion The present paper shows slightly greater profitability for the abdominal radical hysterectomy. On the other hand, this method entails longer hospitalization and a higher level of personnel deployment. Adequate occupancy management could make up for the revenue shortfall observed with the laparoscopic method.

Impact of COVID-19 on elective and emergency colorectal surgery

HintergrundDie SARS-CoV-2(„severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2“)-Pandemie hat zu weitreichenden Veränderungen in die Versorgungsrealität praktisch aller medizinischen Fachbereiche geführt.Ziel der ArbeitEmpfehlungen zum perioperativen Management in Bezug auf SARS-CoV‑2 und Darstellung von Auswirkungen auf die kolorektale Chirurgie.Material und MethodenEs wurde eine systematische Literaturrecherche durchgeführt.ErgebnissePerioperative Infektionen mit SARS-CoV‑2 führen zu einer deutlich erhöhten postoperativen Mortalität und müssen durch ein strukturiertes Maßnahmenbündel verhindert werden. Die weltweiten Einschränkungen bei Vorsorgeuntersuchungen und Therapieangeboten können mittelfristig eine erhöhte Mortalität durch kolorektale Karzinome zur Folge haben. Auch in der Notfallversorgung zeigt sich ein erheblicher Rückgang der Fallzahlen mit der Gefahr verspäteter Interventionen.DiskussionEine rasche Normalisierung der klinischen Behandlungspfade in der Kolorektalchirurgie ist erforderlich, um langfristige negative Folgen für die Patienten zu vermeiden.

Hyperhidrosis: a hot topic?

Everyone sweats, but, for many, sweating or, moreover, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) can become a disorder and drastically impact upon day-to-day life. The psychological and social effects of hyperhidrosis should not be underestimated, although many individuals live with this condition without realising that there are successful treatments available to them, besides what is available over the counter from a pharmacy. However, these treatments are not often requested from medical aesthetic practitioners in day-to-day clinical practice, so they may not be a ‘hot’ topic of discussion within many clinics. However, as professional bodies practising within our chosen specialities, medical aesthetic practitioners need to advance their knowledge and skills to keep abreast of new best practice and evidence in all spheres, no matter how rarely many may encounter them in their own practice. This enables medical aesthetic practitioners to educate and, ultimately, treat their patients safely and successfully. This article explains how and why hyperhidrosis may arise and progress, as well as the clinical treatment pathways that are available to patients.

Clinical treatment pathways utilization in an outpatient academic cancer center.

e18673 Background: Clinical treatment pathway (CTP) tools have been incorporated into oncology practices to help standardize treatment, reduce care variation in cancer patients, and move towards value-based care. CTP tools incorporate the latest guidelines and are developed through multidisciplinary committees. Treatment decisions are prioritized by efficacy, toxicity, and cost to improve quality and value. This is especially important in cancer care which is associated with high drug costs. However, use and implementation of CTP tools has been met with mixed reviews and published data from academic medical centers are limited. Methods: Outpatient treatment decisions for patients across different cancer types, including colorectal, gastroesophageal, and breast cancers from July 2018 to March 2020 at an urban NCI-designated cancer center were evaluated. Every treatment decision was evaluated in relation to physician utilization of CTP tools. Treatment decisions were categorized as choosing a CTP recommended option ( pathways dependent), not choosing a CTP recommended option ( pathways independent), or not using the CTP tool at all ( non-pathways). Descriptive statistics and significance testing were used to explore CTP utilization over time, physician years in practice, cancer type, and cancer stage. Multinomial and binary logistic regression models were used to evaluate associated factors with CTP utilization. Results: During the study period, 1,007 treatment decisions were identified. Of these, 76% were pathways dependent, 13% were pathways independent, and 11% were non-pathways. CTP utilization was statistically significant in association with cancer type, cancer stage, physician years in practice, and year of encounter. In multinomial logistic regression models, physicians with more years in practice were more likely to be pathways independent and non-pathways than pathways dependent. Physicians treating colorectal or gastroesophageal cancer were more likely to be pathways independent [OR 3.27; 95% CI: 1.98-5.42 and OR 2.25; 95% CI: 1.12-4.49, respectively] or non-pathways [OR 2.98; 95% CI: 1.65-5.37 and OR 3.21; 95% CI: 1.58-6.54, respectively] than pathways dependent compared to physicians treating breast cancer. Treatment decisions for patients with either stage 2 and stage 4 cancers were more likely to be pathways independent than stage 1 cancers [OR 4.13; 95% CI: 1.44-11.84 and OR 4.37; 95% CI: 1.27-15.04, respectively]. Conclusions: This study found that a large proportion of treatment decisions for patients across different cancer types were made utilizing CTP tools, but utilization varies according to cancer type, stage, and physician years in practice. Further research is needed to better understand the physician decision making process and implementation of CTP tools to drive improvement in design, education, and training.

Early Experience With Tenecteplase at a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Purpose of ReviewTenecteplase has been studied and recommended as an alternative thrombolytic agent in patients with acute stroke. A brief review of clinical trials and guidelines pertinent to our clinical decision algorithm is described. This is followed by operational steps that were made to create and implement a clinical pathway based on available evidence in which tenecteplase is used in select patients with stroke at our comprehensive stroke center.Recent FindingsA number of patients have been treated at our center with IV tenecteplase. A case is presented to illustrate the successful implementation of this new process.SummaryDevelopment of our protocol is discussed in detail to enable other centers to create their own clinical pathways for thrombolytic treatment of acute ischemic stroke using tenecteplase.

Dietary intakes of children with nephrotic syndrome.

Our multidisciplinary clinical pathway for treatment of childhood nephrotic syndrome (NS) was established with the goal of standardizing local clinical practice. This descriptive study aimed to assess nutrient intakes of children with newly diagnosed NS compared with nutrition goals defined by our pathway. Our pathway includes evidence-based recommendations that target daily intakes during corticosteroid induction therapy: energy (Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) × Sedentary Physical Activity (PA)), sodium (1 mg/kcal), calcium (Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) + 500 mg elemental calcium), and vitamin D (DRI +800-1000 IU). After dietitian-led education at initial diagnosis, 3-day food records were completed at 4 weeks post-diagnosis. Daily nutrient intakes were compared to pathway targets and DRIs. Thirty-six children (median age 4.8 years, 44% female) with newly diagnosed NS submitted food records. Mean energy and sodium intakes were 103±22% and 99±53% of pathway targets, respectively. Fourteen (39%) children exceeded pathway sodium recommendations, with four (11%) exceeding them by greater than 50%. Seven (19%) children met DRI for calcium, while six (17 %) met pathway targets for calcium. No children met DRI for vitamin D from diet alone; and only one met the target with supplementation. This is the first study to describe dietary intakes of children with newly diagnosed NS. Our clinical pathway targets for energy and sodium were achievable; however, calcium and vitamin D intakes fell short of pathway guidelines and DRIs. Prescription of supplemental calcium and vitamin D may be needed to achieve target intakes of calcium and vitamin D.

Addressing Antibiotic Overuse in the Outpatient Setting: Lessons From Behavioral Economics

Addressing Antibiotic Overuse in the Outpatient Setting: Lessons From Behavioral Economics

Clinical pathways for patients with giant cell arteritis during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international perspective.

Giant cell arteritis, a common primary systemic vasculitis affecting older people, presents acutely as a medical emergency and requires rapid specialist assessment and treatment to prevent irreversible vision loss. Disruption of the health-care system caused by the COVID-19 pandemic exposed weak points in clinical pathways for diagnosis and treatment of giant cell arteritis, but has also permitted innovative solutions. The essential roles played by all professionals, including general practitioners and surgeons, in treating these patients have become evident. Patients must also be involved in the reshaping of clinical services. As an international group of authors involved in the care of patients with giant cell arteritis, we reflect in this Viewpoint on rapid service adaptations during the first peak of COVID-19, evaluate challenges, and consider implications for the future.

PP554 Quality Assessment Of Clinical Practice Guidelines On Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Based On The Appraisal Of Guidelines For Research And Evaluation II (AGREE II) Instrument

IntroductionThe scientific application of clinical evidence-based guidelines can reduce the variability of clinical practice, and standardize clinical diagnosis and treatment pathways. At present, many evidence-based guidelines on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) prevention have been issued in countries around the world, but the procedures and evaluation strategies developed by different guidelines are not the same. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of published clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) relating to COPD using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument.MethodsDatabases were systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Wan Fang, and CNKI as well as guidelines websites on COPD prevention and treatment. The search period was from inception of the database up to May 2019. The inclusion criteria for this study are as follows: (i) published and in accordance with the definition of the practice guidelines; (ii)the main target population is COPD patients with the diagnostic criteria of the 2019 edition of the global initiative for COPD (GOLD), and the content of the guideline is related to the prevention and treatment practice of COPD; (ii) the same guide is included in the latest updated version; (iv) the published language is English or Chinese. Guidelines that met these inclusion criteria were evaluated for the quality of the AGREE II guidelines. Then, a descriptive analysis was made of the consensus that exists in the guidelines.ResultsA total of fifteen guidelines/Consensuses Statements were included in the study. Two guidelines were assessed as recommended, eleven guidelines were assessed as recommended with modifications and two guidelines were not recommended. The mean scores of the included guidelines in the six domains (scope and purpose, personnel involved in guideline development, rigor of development, clarity, applicability, independence) were 90 percent, 72 percent, 49 percent, 96 percent, 60 percent, 69 percent, respectively. Thus, the study identified a consensus that disease risk factors and recommended interventions were mentioned in the guidelines, and that they comprehensively evaluated the quality of guideline reporting to provide reference for standardizing the development of practice guidelines for COPD in China.ConclusionsThe overall methodological quality of COPD CPGs should be improved. The key recommended areas for improvement include standardization of guideline report writing and synthesis of the latest and best evidence, to develop CPGs for COPD to improve the quality of clinical diagnosis and treatment for COPD.