First Year Of Recovery Research Articles

Selected Socio-Economic Aspects of the Last Two Economic Crises in Slovenia Assessed through a Three-Stage Territorial Model

The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic insight into the socio-economic aspects of the last two economic crises in Slovenia: the Economic crisis between 2009 and 2013, and the COVID-19 crisis in 2020. A three-stage territorial model was developed as a theoretical tool for this study. The data for the analyses came from various statistical sources and from the available literature. The socio-economic aspects of both economic crises were analysed in 11 categories and at three territorial levels: macro (national), meso (regional) and micro (locational). Both economic crises differ fundamentally in many aspects. Compared to the Economic crisis, the COVID-19 crisis was much shorter and less severe, and had relatively little impact on the socio-economic structure of Slovenia and its regions. Both economic crises had some common features: reduction of interregional disparities and different development paths of regions during the crisis, as well as strong economic growth in the first year of recovery. The proposed model can be extended by additional territorial levels and by adding additional social and political-geographical aspects.

Self-initiated self-repairs of connected speech and novel vocabulary learning during the first year of recovery from aphasia: four longitudinal case studies

ABSTRACT Background Self-initiated self-repair of problems in speech production has been suggested to be associated with aphasia treatment gains and recovery, but the topic has been little studied. Similarly, the ability to learn novel words has been associated with anomia treatment benefits, although longitudinal data on such learning is lacking. Aims The present study’s aim was to examine whether and how self-initiated self-repairs in connected speech and the ability to learn novel vocabulary reflected recovery from aphasia as measured with cognitive-linguistic tests. Additionally, our aim was to explore whether self-initiated repair and novel word learning changed in parallel during recovery. Methods & Procedures Four people with aphasia (PWA) (2 anomic, 1 Wernicke, and 1 global aphasia) were tested in the subacute (11 to 68 days post stroke) and chronic (12 months post stroke) phases of recovery with cognitive-linguistic tests, connected speech tasks, and a computerized learning task. In the learning task, PWA associated 6 pseudowords with 6 unfamiliar referents. The associations were learned from an ambiguous setup with feedback. At both time points, learning was measured as correct immediate recognition of the items and recognition maintenance one week post-training. The proportion of self-initiated self-repairs and the proportion of unrepaired problems in connected speech were used as measures of self-repair behavior. Outcomes & Results All participants initiated self-repairs both in the subacute and chronic phases, and their self-repairs were most often related to aphasic difficulties in speech production. Between the subacute and chronic phases, self-repairs changed both in quality and quantity. The proportion of self-repair elements decreased in 4/4 participants and the proportion of unrepaired problem segments decreased in 3/4 participants. Of the participants, 3/4 showed significant novel word learning and/or maintenance already in the subacute phase and 4 /4 in the chronic phase. Conclusion Reduction in self-initiated self-repairs of speech reflected recovery from aphasia. Novel word learning improved during aphasia recovery from the subacute to the chronic phase. Novel word learning was possible even in subacute, severe aphasia and even in an ambiguous task set-up with no explicitly provided word-referent connections. Novel word learning and self-initiated self-repairs did not change in a clearly parallel manner; however, these findings need to be tested with a larger sample.

Patients’ under 25 subjective readiness to return to sport after ACL reconstruction with bone-patellar-bone grafts: Autograft vs. allograft

PurposeTo assess the difference in perceived readiness to return to sport (RTS) within the first year postoperative period between individuals undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) autografts or allografts. MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing primary ACL reconstruction done either with BTB autograft or allograft from 2010 to 2018. Skeletally mature patients aged 14 to 25 were eligible for inclusion. Patients completed the Marx Activity Rating Scale (MARS) questionnaire postoperatively evaluating perceived ability to perform various activities to compare subjective ability to RTS. Those patients who were outside outlined cohort age, failed to complete a single post-operative survey, underwent revision procedures, or underwent simultaneous or staged additional ligament surgery were excluded. ResultsFifty-nine patients (20.1 ± 3.19 years, 57.6 % Male) were included in the study. Sixteen patients underwent ACL reconstruction with allograft (19.8 ± 3.43 years) while 43 patients received autograft (20.2 ± 3.13). At 3 months autograft recipients reported higher perceived ability to cut (P = .003). At 6-months, allograft recipients reported higher perceived ability to run (P = .033), cut (P = .048), and decelerate (P = .008) as well as a higher overall perceived ability to RTS (P = .032). At all other times, there was no significant difference between cohorts’ subjective readiness to perform activities. ConclusionThe results of this study indicate that at times within the first year of recovery following ACL reconstruction, patients who receive allografts and autografts may have significantly different perceived ability to perform activities or RTS. However, while present at various times throughout the first year of recovery, any difference in perceived ability to perform activities or in overall RTS is no longer present at 12 months. Level of evidenceLevel II, Prospective cohort study.

Dollars and Sense: The Financial Argument for Dedicated Posttrauma Center Care.

To demonstrate that the creation of a Center for Trauma Survivorship (CTS) is not cost-prohibitive but is a revenue generator for the institution. A dedicated CTS has been demonstrated to increase adherence with follow-up visits and improve overall aftercare in severely injured patients discharged from the trauma center. A potential impediment to the creation of similar centers is its assumed prohibitive cost. This pre and post-cohort study examines the financial impact of patients treated by the CTS. Patients in the PRE cohort were those treated in the year before CTS inception. Eligibility criteria are trauma patients admitted who are ≥18 years of age and have a New Injury Severity Score ≥16 or intensive care unit stay ≥2 days. Financial data were obtained from the hospital's billing and cost accounting systems for a 1-year time period after discharge. There were 176 patients in the PRE and 256 in the CTS cohort. The CTS cohort generated 1623 subsequent visits versus 748 in the PRE cohort. CTS patients underwent more follow-up surgery in their first year of recovery as compared with the PRE cohort (98 vs 26 procedures). Each CTS patient was responsible for a $7752 increase in net revenue with a positive contribution margin of $4558 compared with those in the PRE group. A dedicated CTS increases subsequent visits and necessary procedures and is a positive revenue source for the trauma center. The presumptive financial burden of a CTS is incorrect and the creation of dedicated centers will improve patients' outcomes and the institution's bottom line.

Multivariate lesion symptom mapping for predicting trajectories of recovery from aphasia.

Individuals with post-stroke aphasia tend to recover their language to some extent; however, it remains challenging to reliably predict the nature and extent of recovery that will occur in the long term. The aim of this study was to quantitatively predict language outcomes in the first year of recovery from aphasia across multiple domains of language and at multiple timepoints post-stroke. We recruited 217 patients with aphasia following acute left hemisphere ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke and evaluated their speech and language function using the Quick Aphasia Battery acutely and then acquired longitudinal follow-up data at up to three timepoints post-stroke: 1 month (n = 102), 3 months (n = 98) and 1 year (n = 74). We used support vector regression to predict language outcomes at each timepoint using acute clinical imaging data, demographic variables and initial aphasia severity as input. We found that ∼60% of the variance in long-term (1 year) aphasia severity could be predicted using these models, with detailed information about lesion location importantly contributing to these predictions. Predictions at the 1- and 3-month timepoints were somewhat less accurate based on lesion location alone, but reached comparable accuracy to predictions at the 1-year timepoint when initial aphasia severity was included in the models. Specific subdomains of language besides overall severity were predicted with varying but often similar degrees of accuracy. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of using support vector regression models with leave-one-out cross-validation to make personalized predictions about long-term recovery from aphasia and provide a valuable neuroanatomical baseline upon which to build future models incorporating information beyond neuroanatomical and demographic predictors.

Protein and energy intake in intensive care unit survivors during the first year of recovery: A descriptive cohort study.

Many intensive care unit (ICU) survivors suffer long-term health issues that affect their quality of life. Nutrition inadequacy can limit their rehabilitation potential. This study investigates nutrition intake and support during ICU admission and recovery. In this prospective cohort study, 81 adult ICU patients with stays ≥48 h were included. Data on dietary intake, feeding strategies, baseline and ICU characteristics, and 1-year outcomes (physical health and readmission rates) were collected. The number of patients achieving 1.2 gram per kilogram per day of protein and 25 kilocalories per kilogram per day at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after ICU admission was recorded. The impact of dietary supplementation during the year was assessed. Baseline characteristics, intake barriers, and rehabilitation's influence on nutrition intake at 12 months were evaluated, along with the effect of inadequate intake on outcomes. After 12 months, only 10% of 60 patients achieved 1.2 g/kg/day protein intake, whereas 28% reached the advised 25 kcal/kg/day energy target. Supplementary feeding significantly increased protein intake at 3, 6, and 12 months (P = 0.003, P = 0.012, and P = 0.033, respectively) and energy intake at 3 months (P = 0.003). A positive relation was found between female sex and energy intake at 12 months after ICU admission (β = 4.145; P = 0.043) and taste issues were independently associated with higher protein intake (β = 0.363; P = 0.036). However, achieving upper-quartile protein or energy intake did not translate into improved physical health outcomes. Continuous and improved nutrition care is urgently needed to support patients in reaching nutrition adequacy.

0080 TBI Time Since Injury: A Comparison Model Between Sleep Efficiency and Neurocognitive Performance

Abstract Introduction MTBI remains on one of the most prevalently reported brain injuries. Previous studies have shown an association between sleep efficiency, performance, and neurocognitive outcome. Reported time-since-injury (TSI) has also shown an association with neurocognitive outcome measures, with some evidence suggesting neurocognitive status is significantly worse at 2 weeks post-injury. Here, we examined differences in self-reported sleep efficiency at various time points since injury among individuals who had sustained an mTBI in the preceding year. Methods 190 Participants [71 male, 119 female], age M=24.48, SD=6.80 (HC, n=39) and five mild TBI groups based on time post-injury, 2-weeks (2W, n=12), 1-month (1M, n=30), 3-months (3M, n=34), 6-months (6M, n=33), and 12-months (12M, n=40) post-injury. Participants completed a cross-sectional study at specific post-injury time points ranging from (2W, 1M, 3M, 6M, 12M). Participants completed comprehensive Repeatable Battery for Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and were administered the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at the time of assessment. Here we analyzed the sleep efficiency subscale of the PSQI. Separate correlation analysis examined the association between sleep efficiency and the attention index for each TSI group. Results The ANOVA showed a main effect of TSI group, F(5,182) = 2.83, p=.017. Post Hoc comparisons with the LSD test showed that the 12M group had worse sleep ­efficiency than HC and 2W, 1M, and 3M but did not differ from 6M (p<.05). Separate correlations between sleep efficiency and the attention index of the RBANS for each TSI group showed a marginally significant association at 2W (r(10)=-.467, p=.063, one tailed), and statistically significant at 12M (r(38)=-.266, p=.049, one tailed), suggesting that worse sleep efficiency was associated with worse attention performance at those time points. Conclusion Sleep efficiency differs across the first year of recovery from mTBI. Notably, individuals in the 12M TSI group appear to have worse sleep efficiency than any other TSI group but did not differ from the 6M group. Sleep efficiency appears to be associated with attentional capacity at 2W and 12M timeframes. This suggests that interventions that focus on enhancing sleep in patients with mTBI may prove promising for facilitating recovery. Support (if any) W81XWH-12-1-0386

83 Screen & Intervene : Mental Health Screening in the Burn Clinic

Abstract Introduction Studies have demonstrated an increased prevalence of depression and PTSD in individuals with burn injuries during the first year of recovery. Mental health screening of patients at all burn centers is recommended. With the addition of an outpatient social worker, our burn center identified a need to standardize the burn clinic’s mental health screening process to address the mental health needs of patients. This performance improvement project sought to improve mental health screening in the burn clinic and subsequent referrals to community resources. Methods From March to August of 2022, the PHQ-2 and PC-PTSD were administered to 99 clinic patients during one of the patient’s initial visits. Patients completed the screening independently using a paper form. For pediatric patients < 12 years old, the primary caregiver filled out the form. Of the 99 patients who completed the screening, 51 were previously admitted to our inpatient burn center and 48 were treated only as outpatients (F=36, M=63). The age range of patients was 10 months to 88 years old. TBSA % burned ranged from .15% to 70%. A score of 2 or more on either of the screening tools resulted in further assessment by the social worker to determine appropriate next steps. The chi-square test was used to analyze the data collected. Results A total of 36/99 patients screened positive for depressive symptoms, 33/99 screened positive for Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and 23/99 screened positive for both depressive and ASD/PTSD symptoms. All patients with a positive screen on either tool were provided with education regarding mental health resources and offered a referral for services. Of the 99 patients screened, 26 accepted a referral to the local burn foundation and/or an alternate mental health provider for support services. The other 73/99 declined a referral for follow up. There were statistically significant correlations between positive ASD/PTSD screenings and inpatient hospitalization (22/99 p=0.033), PTSD and median TBSA (p= 0.011), and PTSD and age (45-64yo, p=0.028). Females (19/36, p=0.01) were more likely than males to report symptoms of depression and both PTSD & depression (p=0.001), while females (12/36) and males (21/63) were equally likely to report symptoms of PTSD. Conclusions Mental health screening of individuals in our burn clinic yielded a significant number of positive screens for depression and ASD/PTSD symptoms, validating the need for a standardized screening process. Positive screens resulted in increased referrals to community and mental health resources. Applicability of Research to Practice Performing mental health screenings in the outpatient arena is vital to address the mental health needs of individuals with burn injuries.

Sounding the Alarm: What Clinicians Need to Know about Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Recovery After Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

We summarize the existing data on the occurrence of physical, emotional, and cognitive dysfunction associated with postintensive care syndrome (PICS) in adult survivors of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases were searched. Peer-reviewed studies of adults receiving VA-ECMO for any reason with at least one measure of health-related quality of life outcomes or PICS at long-term follow-up of at least 6 months were included. The participant demographics and baseline characteristics, in-hospital outcomes, long-term health outcomes, quality of life outcome measures, and prevalence of PICS were extracted. Twenty-seven studies met inclusion criteria encompassing 3,271 patients who were treated with VA-ECMO. The studies were limited to single- or two-center studies. Outcomes variables and follow-up time points evaluated were widely heterogeneous which limits comprehensive analysis of PICS after VA-ECMO. In general, the longer-term PICS-related outcomes of survivors of VA-ECMO were worse than the general population, and approaching that of patients with chronic disease. Available studies identified high rates of abnormal 6-minute walk distance, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder that persisted for years. Half or fewer survivors return to work years after discharge. Only 2 of 27 studies examined cognitive outcomes and no studies evaluated cognitive dysfunction within the first year of recovery. No studies evaluated the impact of targeted interventions on these outcomes. Survivors of VA-ECMO represent a population of critically ill patients at high risk for deficits in physical, emotional, and cognitive function related to PICS. This systematic review highlights the alarming reality that PICS and in particular, neurocognitive outcomes, in survivors of VA-ECMO are understudied, underrecognized, and thus likely undertreated. These results underscore the imperative that we look beyond survival to focus on understanding the burden of survivorship with the goal of optimizing recovery and outcomes after these life-saving interventions. Future prospective, multicenter, longitudinal studies in recovery after VA-ECMO are justified.

Prospective Prediction of Lapses in Opioid Use Disorder: Protocol for a Personal Sensing Study.

BackgroundSuccessful long-term recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) requires continuous lapse risk monitoring and appropriate use and adaptation of recovery-supportive behaviors as lapse risk changes. Available treatments often fail to support long-term recovery by failing to account for the dynamic nature of long-term recovery.ObjectiveThe aim of this protocol paper is to describe research that aims to develop a highly contextualized lapse risk prediction model that forecasts the ongoing probability of lapse.MethodsThe participants will include 480 US adults in their first year of recovery from OUD. Participants will report lapses and provide data relevant to lapse risk for a year with a digital therapeutic smartphone app through both self-report and passive personal sensing methods (eg, cellular communications and geolocation). The lapse risk prediction model will be developed using contemporary rigorous machine learning methods that optimize prediction in new data.ResultsThe National Institute of Drug Abuse funded this project (R01DA047315) on July 18, 2019 with a funding period from August 1, 2019 to June 30, 2024. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Health Sciences Institutional Review Board approved this project on July 9, 2019. Pilot enrollment began on April 16, 2021. Full enrollment began in September 2021.ConclusionsThe model that will be developed in this project could support long-term recovery from OUD—for example, by enabling just-in-time interventions within digital therapeutics.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/29563

Which general functional outcome measure does a better job of capturing change in clinical status in pelvic and acetabular fracture patients? An analysis of responsiveness over the first year of recovery.

Objective:To compare the responsiveness of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) physical component score (PCS) to the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) dysfunction index (DI) in pelvic and acetabular fracture patients over multiple time points in the first year of recovery.Design:Prospective cohort study.Setting:Level 1 trauma center.Patients/Participants:Four hundred seventy-three patients with surgically treated pelvic and acetabular fractures (Orthopaedic Trauma Association B or C-type pelvic ring disruption or acetabular fracture) were enrolled into the center's prospective orthopaedic trauma database between January 2005 and February 2015. Functional outcome data were collected at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.Main outcome measurements:Evaluation was performed using the SF-36 Survey and Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment. Responsiveness was assessed by calculating the standard response mean (SRM), the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), and floor and ceiling effects.Results:Three hundred five patients had complete data for both outcome scores. SF-36 PCS and SMFA DI scores showed strong correlation for all time intervals (r = −0.55 at baseline, r = −0.78 at 6 months, and r = −0.85 at 12 months). The SRM of the SF-36 PCS was greater in magnitude than the SRM of SMFA DI at all time points; this was statistically significant between baseline and 6 months (P < .001), but not between 6 and 12 months (P = .29). Similarly, the proportion of patients achieving MCID in SF-36 PCS was significantly greater than the proportion achieving MCID in SMFA DI between baseline and 6 months (84.6% vs 69.8%, P < .001), and between 6 and 12 months (48.5% vs 35.7%, P = .01). There were no ceiling or floor effects found for SF-36 PCS at any time intervals. However, 16.1% of patients achieved the highest level of functioning detectable by the SMFA DI at baseline, along with smaller ceiling effects at 6 months (1.3%) and 12 months (3.3%).Conclusions:SF-36 PCS is a more responsive measure of functional outcome than the SFMA DI over the first year of recovery in patients who sustain a pelvic ring disruption or acetabular fracture. This superiority was found in using the SRM, proportion of patients meeting MCID, and ceiling effects. Furthermore, the SF-36 PCS correlated with the more disease-specific SMFA DI.Level of evidence:Prognostic Level II.

Burn survivors’ perception of recovery after injury: A Northwest Regional Burn Model System investigation

IntroductionPrevious reports suggest that many factors impact recovery from burn injury. To improve our understanding of these factors, we queried adult burn survivors using a mixed method design during the first year after injury. MethodsAn anonymous, 2-page survey was developed and administered to adult burn survivors during routine outpatient clinic follow-up visits at a regional burn center. Participants rated issues of concern and their impacts on return to pre-burn activity levels. Both quantitative and qualitative data were obtained. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data and thematic analysis was used to identify, analyze and report patterns from open-ended responses. ResultsOver seven months in 2016, 187 patients completed the anonymous survey. Study participants were predominantly male, white, and non-Hispanic. Participants who had not yet returned to pre-burn function reported worse outcomes for all issues queried compared to those who had. Burn survivors from racial and ethnic minority groups reported greater difficulty with accessing medical care and information about their injury as well as higher levels of self-identified posttraumatic stress, issues related to appearance and concerns for loss of strength. Several themes and sub-themes were identified that had both negative and positive impact on early recovery. Such themes included: healing process, psychological recovery and emotional health, and community reintegration/employment. ConclusionsSeveral themes from responses provided insight into challenges as well as key support systems during the first year of recovery after injury. Collectively, these findings can be used to direct clinical outpatient care, patient education and psychosocial support services.

Properties of the Early Symptom Measurement of Post-Stroke Depression: Concurrent Criterion Validity and Cutoff Scores.

Early-stage post-stroke depression (PSD) increases the risk of stroke-related disability and mortality in the first year of recovery. Presently available screening measures were developed to assess major depression, and none used a PSD screening criterion that was systematically developed and tested in populations of patients with acute stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concurrent criterion validity and cutoff scoring of the Early Symptom Measurement of Post-Stroke Depression (ESM-PSD) instrument in hospitalized patients with acute stroke. Purposive recruitment of newly admitted patients yielded a qualified sample of 139 nonaphasic participants who were 7-30 days post mild-to-moderate stroke confirmed by computed tomography and magnetic resonance images. Participants responded to the ESM-PSD and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-24 (HAMD-24). The mean number of post-stroke days was 11.99 (SD = 7.68). Cronbach's alpha estimates of internal consistency were ESM-PSD = .90 and HAMD-24 = .76. ESM-PSD measurement sensitivity and specificity were superior. The following three ESM-PSD cutoff scores, determined by the receiver operating characteristic curve, were used to assess clinically relevant early-symptom levels: no PSD < 14.5, low PSD = 14.5-25.5, moderate PSD = 25.5-45.5, high PSD ≥ 45.5. ESM-PSD cutoff scores show the expected correspondence with mild-moderate-severe HAMD-24 symptoms, which was evidenced by the high area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Planned follow-up research will assess the efficacy of using ESM-PSD scores to detect increased risk of major depression onset in patients with acute stroke.

Urban woodpecker nest site characteristics before and after a hurricane disturbance

The holes that woodpeckers excavate and use for nesting are important for many other cavity-nesting birds. The availability of appropriate substrate for cavity excavation in an urban environment is an important factor governing the abundance of woodpecker nest cavities. To understand the impacts of hurricane disturbance on characteristics of trees used by cavity-nesting birds, we surveyed woodpecker cavities in urban southeast Florida before and after Hurricane Irma in 2017. We used these data to understand which cavities were most likely to persist after the hurricane, and compare cavity tree characteristics before and after the storm. Woodpecker cavities in dead slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) trees (snags) fared poorly compared to cavities in palm (Arecaceae) snags, hardwoods (live and dead), and wood utility poles. In the year after Hurricane Irma, the proportion of new cavities in palm snags increased relative to other substrates, while the proportion of cavities excavated in pines, hardwoods, and utility poles decreased. Trees excavated in the year after Hurricane Irma were 23 % shorter than trees with cavities found before the hurricane, suggesting that available trees were smaller. The decay class of trees and the number of woodpecker holes did not significantly affect the persistence rates of woodpecker cavity trees. We speculate that because palms generally have softer wood, their physical structure could make them more attractive to woodpeckers in the first year after a storm. The results of this study are relevant to the management of dead trees in urban areas in hurricane-prone regions, which are experiencing high urban growth. Cutting urban palm snags immediately following a storm removes a critical resource for woodpeckers during the first year of recovery.

Abstract WP349: Sex-Based Claims Models for the Prediction of 1-Year Mortality After Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Background: Claims-based models have been developed to predict 30-day mortality after ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, yet few models are available for predicting 1-year post-stroke mortality among discharged patients. Moreover, there are limited data on whether factors associated with 1-year mortality differ for women and men. We developed claims-based models to predict 1-year mortality after hospital discharge for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke stratified by sex. Methods: We identified fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65y who were discharged alive with a principal diagnosis of ischemic (ICD-9 433, 434, 436) or hemorrhagic (ICD-9 430, 431) stroke in 2014. We fit Cox regression models with Markov-chain Monte Carlo simulation to identify risk factors for 1-year all-cause mortality; variables with a posterior probability ≥0.95 of being associated with 1-year mortality were considered significant and included in the models for the overall samples and for each sex. Results: The study included 235,737 ischemic (53% women; mean age 80.3y [women] and 77.2y [men]) and 43,084 hemorrhagic (52% women; mean age 80.0y [women] and 77.8y [men]) stroke patients. One-year mortality was 27.9% (95% CI 27.7%-28.2%) for women and 22.0% (21.8%-22.3%) for men who had an ischemic stroke and was 50.8% (50.2%-51.5%) for women and 46.4% (45.7%-47.1%) for men who had a hemorrhagic stroke. The c statistics for the models in the overall samples were 0.79 for ischemic stroke and 0.76 for hemorrhagic stroke (Figure). Although there were small differences in the variables included in the models by sex, the c statistics were comparable. Conclusions: One-year claims-based models can be used by hospitals to predict the risk of death for patients discharged after stroke. The models identified many risk factors common to women and men that can inform strategies to improve the clinical management of stroke patients during the first year of recovery.

Factors related to met needs for rehabilitation 6 years after stroke.

Research on stroke rehabilitation mainly concerns the first year of recovery, and there is a lack of knowledge regarding long-term rehabilitation needs and associated factors. The aim was to explore the perceived needs for rehabilitation services of people six years after stroke and factors associated with having rehabilitation services needs met. The study was a 6-year follow up of a prospective study on the rehabilitation process after stroke. Data on perceived needs for rehabilitation, personal factors, disease specific factors, and patient-reported disability were collected through face-to-face interviews in the participants' homes. Logistic regression models were created to explore associations between having rehabilitation services needs met in 11 problem areas (dependent variable) and the independent variables: involvement in decisions regarding care and treatment, sex, age, sense of coherence, self-defined level of private financing, stroke severity, frequency of social everyday activities, perceived impact of stroke, and life satisfaction. The 121 participants had a mean age of 63 years at stroke onset and 58% were men. In all problem areas the majority (53-88%) reported having needs met at six years after stroke, however 47% reported unmet needs regarding fatigue and 45% regarding mobility. A lower perceived impact on participation was found to be associated with having rehabilitation services needs met in seven problem areas: mobility, falls, pain, fatigue, concentration, memory, and sight. The strongest association for having needs met was found for the independent variable, involvement in care and treatment, within the three problem areas mobility, falls, and speaking. In a long-term perspective, there were several modifiable factors associated with having rehabilitation services needs met. The most prominent were perceived involvement in care and treatment, and perceived participation. These factors had a stronger association with having rehabilitation services needs met than disease specific factors six years after stroke.

New kid on the block: An investigation of the physical, operational, personnel, and service characteristics of recovery community centers in the United States

BackgroundProfessional treatment and non-professional mutual-help organizations (MHOs) play important roles in mitigating addiction relapse risk. More recently, a third tier of recovery support services has emerged that are neither treatment nor MHO that encompass an all-inclusive flexible approach combining professionals and volunteers. The most prominent of these is Recovery Community Centers (RCCs). RCC's goal is to provide an attractive central recovery hub facilitating the accrual of recovery capital by providing a variety of services (e.g., recovery coaching; medication assisted treatment [MAT] support, employment/educational linkages). Despite their growth, little is known formally about their structure and function. Greater knowledge would inform the field about their potential clinical and public health utility. MethodOn-site visits (2015–2016) to RCCs across the northeastern U.S. (K = 32) with semi-structured interviews conducted with RCC directors and online surveys with staff assessing RCCs': physicality and locality; operations and budgets; leadership and staffing; membership; and services. ResultsPhysicality and locality: RCCs were mostly in urban/suburban locations (90%) with very good to excellent Walk Scores reflecting easy accessibility. Ratings of environmental quality indicated neighborhood/grounds/buildings were moderate-good attractiveness and quality. Operations: RCCs had been operating for an average of 8.5 years (SD = 6.2; range 1–33 years) with budgets (mostly state-funded) ranging from $17,000–$760,000/year, serving anywhere from a dozen to more than two thousand visitors/month. Leadership and staffing: Center directors were mostly female (55%) with primary drug histories of alcohol (62%), cocaine (19%), or opioids (19%). Most, but not all, directors (90%) and staff (84%) were in recovery. Membership: A large proportion of RCC visitors were male (61%), White (72%), unemployed (50%), criminal-justice system-involved (43%) and reported opioids (35%) or alcohol (33%) as their primary substance. Roughly half were in their first year of recovery (49%), but about 20% had five or more years. Services: RCCs reported a range of services including social/recreational (100%), mutual-help (91%), recovery coaching (77%), and employment (83%) and education (63%) assistance. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) support (43%) and overdose reversal training (57%) were less frequently offered, despite being rated as highly important by staff. ConclusionsRCCs are easily accessible, attractive, mostly state-funded, recovery support hubs providing an array of services to individuals in various recovery stages. They appear to play a valued role in facilitating the accrual of social, employment, housing, and other recovery capital. Research is needed to understand the relative lack of opioid-specific support and to determine their broader impact in initiating and sustaining remission and cost-effectiveness.

Randomized Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Cardiac Patients Eligible for Cardiac Rehabilitation

Currently, exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is the only recommended secondary prevention strategy for cardiac patients that attempts to tackle stress and psychosocial wellbeing, but it is under-utilized and lacks a comprehensive curriculum for this purpose; hence there is a critical gap to address psychosocial needs of cardiac patients after an event. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has shown benefits in the general population but its role in cardiac patients is not clear. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) of MBSR in CR-eligible cardiac patients during their initial year of recovery. Patients were allocated 2:1 (intervention:control) to an 8-week MBSR group intervention or usual care. Standard measures of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, health related quality of life (HRQOL), blood pressure, biomarkers (lipids, HbA1c, CRP) and 24-hour Holter monitoring were obtained at baseline, 3- and 9-months post-randomization. Sub-group analyses were performed for participants with at least mild depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 5). 47 patients [mean age 58.6 years; 38% female; 77% white] were enrolled in 2 cohorts. 87% of MBSR patients completed the intervention; study retention was >95% at each follow-up visit. At 3 months, compared to controls, MBSR patients showed improvements in depression [p = 0.01] and anxiety [p = 0.04] with a similar trend in HRQOL [p = 0.06]. The MBSR group showed greater improvement or less worsening of most CV risk factors, with an attenuation of treatment effects at 9 months. Participants with at PHQ-9 scores ≥5 at baseline showed greater improvement in psychosocial and CV outcomes, that persisted at 9 months. MBSR is a safe and well received secondary prevention strategy. This pilot RCT provides preliminary evidence of MBSR’s potential to improve short term psychosocial well-being in cardiac patients during their first year of recovery.

Perceived loss of social support after non-neurologic injury negatively impacts recovery.

Traumatic injury is not only physically devastating, but also psychologically isolating, potentially leading to poor quality of life, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Perceived social support (PSS) is associated with better outcomes in some populations. What is not known is if changes in PSS influence long-term outcomes following nonneurologic injury. We hypothesized that a single drop in PSS during recovery would be associated with worse quality of life. This is a post hoc analysis of a prospectively collected database that included patients 18 years or older admitted to a Level I trauma center with Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 10 or higher, and no traumatic brain or spinal cord injury. Demographic and injury data were collected at the initial hospital admission. Screening for depression, PTSD, and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Mental Composite Score (MCS) were obtained at the initial hospitalization, 1, 2, 4, and 12 months postinjury. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was obtained at similar time points. Patients with high MSPSS (>5) at baseline were included and grouped by those that ever reported a score ≤5 (DROP), and those that remained high (STABLE). Outcomes were determined at 4 and 12 months. Four hundred eleven patients were included with 96 meeting DROP criteria at 4 months, and 97 at 1 years. There were no differences in sex, race, or injury mechanism. The DROP patients were more likely to be single (p = 0.012 at 4 months, p = 0.0006 at 1 year) and unemployed (p = 0.016 at 4 months, and p = 0.026 at 1 year) compared with STABLE patients. At 4 months and 1 year, DROP patients were more likely to have PTSD, depression, and a lower MCS (p = 0.0006, p < 0.0001). Patients who have a drop in PSS during the first year of recovery have significantly higher odds of poor psychological outcomes. Identifying these socially frail patients provides an opportunity for intervention to positively influence an otherwise poor quality of life. Therapeutic, Prognostic and Epidemiological, Level III.

Illness perceptions predict health practices and mental health following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Beliefs about illness have been shown to shape health practices and coping efforts. The present study investigated illness perceptions among patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). We also examined the extent to which perceptions predicted health practices and mental health following transplant. Participants (N=332) completed measures of illness perceptions (beliefs about cancer consequences and course, personal and treatment control over cancer, and understanding of one's cancer) prior to HSCT. Health practices (diet, physical activity, and alcohol use) and mental health (depression, anxiety, and psychological well-being) were assessed pre transplant and at 1, 3, 6, and 12months post transplant. On average, HSCT recipients felt they understood their cancer, viewed their cancer to be a chronic condition with severe consequences, and believed they had moderate personal control over their cancer but that medical treatment provided more control. Perceptions varied by transplant type. Mixed-effects linear regression models revealed that HSCT recipients who perceived the consequences of their cancer to be more serious experienced more depression and anxiety, less well-being, and ate a healthier diet, but were less physically active during the year following transplant. Those with greater personal and treatment control ate a healthier diet and reported greater well-being. Patients with a better understanding of their cancer also ate a healthier diet and reported less depression, less anxiety, and greater well-being. Perceptions of cancer shape HSCT recipients' health practices and psychological well-being during the critical first year of recovery after transplant.