Follow-up Encounters Research Articles

The Development and Proof of Principle Test of TRIAGE: A Practical Question Set to Identify and Discuss Medication-Related Problems in Community Pharmacy

The pharmacy counter is a good place to identify and discuss medication-related problems. However, there is a lack of practical communication tools to support pharmacy technicians (PTs) in initiating a conversation with patients. This study aimed to develop and test a practical set of questions for PTs, called TRIAGE, to identify problems during encounters. TRIAGE was developed based on insight from the literature, focus groups with PTs and pharmacists, and input from patients and experts. In 10 community pharmacies, 17 PTs used TRIAGE during encounters with patients who collected their cardiovascular medication. For each encounter, PTs registered the identified problems and suggested solutions. A total of 105 TRIAGE conversations were held, 66 for first refill and 39 for follow-up refill prescriptions. In 15 (23%) first refill prescription encounters, a problem was identified. These problems concerned forgetting to take the medication, a complex medication regime or (fear of) side effects. In three (8%) follow-up refill prescription encounters, a problem was identified. Most of the problems were solved on the spot. Pharmacy technicians indicated that they identified medication-related problems with TRIAGE that otherwise would be left unnoticed. They appreciated TRIAGE as a useful instrument for starting the conversation with patients about medication use.

The relationship between the follow-up to discharge ratio and length of stay.

Average length of stay (ALOS) is used as a measure of the effectiveness of care delivery and therefore is an important operational measure when evaluating both the hospitalist group and individual hospitalist performance. No metric within the control of the individual hospitalist has been identified to support the individual hospitalist's contribution to the hospitalist group's ALOS goals. This study's objective was to evaluate the correlation between the follow-up to discharge ratio (F:D ratio) and ALOS and assess the relationship between F:D ratio and hospitalist experience. We systematically evaluated the relationship between hospitalist-level billing data for daily inpatient follow-up encounters and discharge visits (F:D ratio) and the attributed ALOS across consecutive hospitalist encounters at a tertiary care center. Over the study period of 10 quarters from 2017 to 2019, there were 103,080 follow-up or discharge inpatient encounters. The mean (SD) provider F:D ratio and ALOS were 3.94 (0.36) and 4.45 (0.24) days, respectively. The mean (SD) case mix index (CMI) was 1.68 (0.04). There was a strong linear relationship between the F:D ratio and both ALOS and CMI-adjusted ALOS (r = 0.807; P = .014; and r = 0.814; P = .001, respectively). The mean (SD) F:D ratio for hospitalists with 1 year or less of experience compared with those with more than 1 year of experience was 4.23 (0.80) vs 3.88 (0.39), respectively (P = .012). A strong linear relationship exists between the F:D ratio and ALOS. Additionally, the F:D ratio improves with experience. Provider-level billing data applied as the F:D ratio can be used as a hospitalist management and assessment tool.

Telemedicine Experiences of Athletic Trainers and Orthopaedic Physicians for Patients With Musculoskeletal Conditions.

Telemedicine is the delivery of medical care from a distance using technology. The integration of telemedicine as a supplement to musculoskeletal-based patient encounters may be feasible in sports medicine. To investigate health care professionals' perceptions of and experiences with telemedicine. Cross-sectional explanatory sequential mixed-methods study. A purposeful sample of 17 athletic trainers from a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I institution and 5 orthopaedic physicians from a sports medicine clinic located 92 miles from the campus. Participants were trained on the telemedicine platform and used it over 5 months for initial, follow-up, and discharge patient encounters. Participants completed a preintervention survey containing the Theory of Planned Behavior and Technology Acceptance Model tool. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and an independent-samples t test. After the intervention period, participants completed individual semistructured interviews that we coded using the consensual qualitative research tradition. From the interviews, the clinicians were characterized as telemedicine adopters (n = 14) or nonadopters (n = 8). The adopters reported higher levels of agreement on the Theory of Planned Behavior and Technology Acceptance Model tool as compared with nonadopters for all constructs. When comparing adoption status, we identified a difference (P < .01), with nonadopters reporting a low level of agreement for the subjective norm construct. The interviews revealed 5 domains: integration challenges, integration opportunities, collaborative practice, anticipatory socialization to future use, and benefits of integration. The participants indicated that integration challenges centered on "buy in," whereas opportunities aligned with the patient's condition and technology ease of use. They reflected that the telemedicine encounters required more preparation and yet allowed for cooperative behaviors between clinicians. The benefits of telemedicine included convenience and scheduling preferences that encouraged future use. The integration of telemedicine in sports medicine brought about both challenges and opportunities for collaboration among athletic trainers and physicians that were heavily predetermined by the social pressures of colleagues.

Analysis of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Outpatient Follow-Up.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) remains a prevalent public health concern. Implementation of an mTBI guideline encouraged screening all patients at risk for mTBI, followed by outpatient follow-up in a "concussion clinic." This resulted in an increase in inpatient concussion evaluations, followed by high-volume referral to the concussion clinic. This prompted the routine use of an outpatient mTBI symptom screening tool. The purpose of this quality improvement study was to analyze the characteristics of an mTBI population at outpatient follow-up and describe the clinicians' care recommendations as determined through the use of an mTBI symptom screening tool. This is a retrospective review of mTBI patients at a Level 1 trauma center. The study includes patients who completed a concussion screening in the outpatient setting over a 6-month period. Patients were included if older than 16 years, sustained blunt trauma, and had a formal neurocognitive evaluation by a certified speech therapist within 48 hr of initial injury. Of the 247 patients included, 197 (79.8%) were referred to the concussion clinic, 33 (13.4%) had no further outpatient needs, and 17 (6.9%) were referred for outpatient neurocognitive rehabilitation. On follow-up, 97 patients were deemed to have no further postconcussion needs by the trauma nurse practitioner; 57 patients were cleared by the speech therapist. In total, 43 outpatient mTBI follow-up encounters resulted in referral for ongoing therapy. Routine screening for concussion symptoms and detailed clinical evaluation allows for prompt recognition of further posttraumatic mTBI needs.

Visual Analog Pain Scores Reported to a Nurse and a Physician in a Postoperative Setting.

Background:The purpose of this study was to compare postoperative foot and ankle patient-reported visual analog pain scores (VAS) to nursing staff and the treating surgeon during a single encounter. Prior literature established preoperative patients reported higher pain scores to a surgeon as compared to nursing staff. We hypothesized that there will be no differences in postoperative patients’ pain scores when reporting to nursing staff vs a surgeon.Methods:This study was a retrospective cohort of 201 consecutive postoperative foot and ankle patients with 3 follow-up encounters treated by a single surgeon. The patients were asked to rate their pain intensity using the VAS with 0 “no pain” and 10 “worst pain” at 2, 6, and 12 weeks postoperatively by a nurse and surgeon.Results:At all time intervals, the mean pain score was significantly higher when reported to the surgeon, although these were not clinically relevant. The mean scores at 2 weeks were 2.8 reported to the surgeon and 2.5 reported to the nurse (P < .001). The mean scores at 6 weeks were 2.0 reported to the surgeon and 1.8 reported to the nurse (P = .002). The mean scores at 12 weeks were 2.3 reported to the surgeon and 2.0 reported to the nurse (P = .005).Conclusion:This study found that postoperative foot and ankle patients did not overemphasize their VAS pain scores to the physician vs nursing staff. These findings contrast with our 2 previous studies that found preoperative and nonoperative patients reported clinically significant higher scores to the surgeon.Level of Evidence:Level III, comparative study.

Near-infrared Fluorescence Imaging of Ureters With Intravenous Indocyanine Green During Radical Cystectomy to Prevent Ureteroenteric Anastomotic Strictures

ObjectiveTo determine whether intraoperative near-infrared fluorescence imaging of the distal ureter using intravenous indocyanine green (ICG) could provide assessment of vascular adequacy and potentially decrease the risk of ureteroenteric anastomotic stricture (UAS). MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed of all patients undergoing open radical cystectomy by a single surgeon over a 2-year period. Patients were divided into ICG and non-ICG cohorts based on utilization of ICG. For the ICG group, adequacy of ureteral perfusion was based on visual inspection and the ureter was cut back proximally accordingly prior to anastomosis. Follow-up encounters were reviewed to determine development of benign UAS. ResultsA total of 30 and 31 patients were in the non-ICG and ICG cohorts, respectively. There were no differences in baseline demographic and operative data including operative time. Median follow-up was 23.2 months (interquartile range [IQR] 7-29.3) in the non-ICG group compared to 15.8 months (IQR 12.2-18.1) in the ICG group. In the non-ICG cohort, 5 of 30 (16.7%) patients were diagnosed with UAS compared to 1 of 31 (3.2%) in the ICG cohort. The median time to stricture formation for non-ICG cohort was 5.7 months (IQR 3.6-6.6) compared to 7.5 months in the ICG cohort. ConclusionThe use of near-infrared fluorescence imaging with intravenous ICG to assess ureteral vascularity prior to ureteroenteric anastomosis may reduce the risk of UAS.

Telehealth Utilization in Gastroenterology Clinics Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Clinical Practice and Gastroenterology Training

Telehealth Utilization in Gastroenterology Clinics Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Clinical Practice and Gastroenterology Training

Appointment characteristics in an allergy/immunology practice in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 restrictions

Appointment characteristics in an allergy/immunology practice in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 restrictions

Intramuscular Corticosteroids for Acute Upper Respiratory Infections Affects Healthcare Utilization.

To examine the use of intramuscular corticosteroid (IMCS) injections for treatment of acute upper respiratory infections (URI) and the influence on healthcare utilization. This retrospective cohort study used patient encounter data from a large multicenter regional health care system between 2013 and 2017. Adult patients diagnosed with acute URI (acute pharyngitis, acute sinusitis, acute otitis media, and URI not otherwise specified) during ambulatory encounters were included. Follow-up encounters for a diagnosis of acute URI within 60 days were identified and patient characteristics, encounter details, and procedure codes were retrieved. Frequency data was used to calculate IMCS injection administration prevalence, utilization trends, and associations with covariates. Follow-up data for return encounters within 60 days for the same diagnosis was examined. Of the 153 848 initial encounters, 34 600 (22.5%) patients received IMCS injection for acute URI. Injection rates varied from 0.85% to 49.1% depending on specialty and practitioner type. Internal medicine, family medicine, urgent care, and otorhinolaryngology clinics most commonly administered IMCS. 3788 patients returned for a second encounter of which 751 (19.8%) received an injection. IMCS injection during the first encounter was associated with increased odds of repeat visit within 60 days (OR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.61-1.88). IMCS use in the treatment of acute URI is highly prevalent despite lack of evidence for impact and safety. Prevalence is variable across multiple medical and surgical specialties including otorhinolaryngology. Administration of IMCS injection may contribute to the likelihood of a subsequent healthcare visit for the same indication.

A236 REAL LIFE HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE IN THE ERA OF BIOLOGICS

Abstract Background The burden associated with the management of pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been rising over the past years as the incidence of IBD is increasing in children. In addition, the widespread use of biologics and a treat-to-target approach also contributes to the increase of healthcare utilization. Aims The purpose of this study was to assess the health care services utilization and the associated factors in a prospective cohort of children diagnosed with IBD in Quebec. Methods Patients diagnosed from 2013 to 2015 and followed up until the transfer to adult care were identified in our IBD database. Data on IBD related services and treatments: imaging procedures, hospitalizations and outpatient visits, medications from diagnosis to transition was extracted. We analyzed the healthcare utilization according to the baseline disease severity (pediatric Crohn’s disease activity index (PCDAI) or pediatric ulcerative colitis activity index (PUCAI)) at diagnosis, and according to exposition to intravenous biologics. Results A total of 144 patients were included in the study [(77 males), Crohn’s disease (98), Ulcerative Colitis (31) and IBD-unclassified (15); median (interquartile(IQR)) age at diagnosis 15.2(14.3–16.3)]. The median(IQR) duration of follow up at the IBD clinic was 2.9 (1.8–3.9) years. The median (min-max) number of imaging procedures varied largely: esophagogastroduodenoscopy 1(0–2), Colonoscopy 1(1–6), abdominal ultrasound 1(0–13), abdominal MRI 1(0–4), tomodensitometry 0(0–2), Bone densitometry 1(0–5). Patients had various follow-up encounters (median (min-max)): outpatient visits 9 (1–28), IBD nurses phone follow-up 4(0–33). A total of 64.6% of patients had at least one hospitalization [median(min-max) number 1(0–10); median duration 4(0–150 days)] and 35.41% had at least one emergency room visit. Baseline disease severity did not predict the disease burden: the mean number of encounters was 3.0 /year in the moderate/severe group as compared to 2.5/year in the mild group; P= 0.61. Among the, 63.5% of patients exposed to an intravenous biologic (Infliximab or Vedolizumab), those exposed earlier (&amp;lt;3 months after diagnosis) used more health care services (mean = 3.3/year) than those exposed later (mean =2.23/year); P &amp;lt;0.0001. In addition, the median (interquartile (IQR)) cumulative days of healthcare utilization (missing school days) for patients treated with intravenous biologics was 48.5 (32.4–67.9) days during pediatric care. Conclusions Adolescents with IBD have several encounters between the diagnosis and transition to adult care. Disease severity at diagnosis was not related to a higher level of health services utilization during follow-up. However, treatment with intravenous biologics was associated with a high health service utilization and school missing during follow-up. Funding Agencies None

Phyllodes Tumors-The Predictors and Detection of Recurrence.

Phyllodes tumors are rare breast neoplasms and the histopathological grade and surgical margins help guide treatment and follow-up. The traditional surgical teaching is resection with ≥10 mm margins, but are narrower surgical margins acceptable? The purpose of our study was to identify predictors of local recurrence. A retrospective analysis was performed to identify patients with phyllodes tumors who underwent surgery between 2002 and 2014 using a regional pathology database. Electronic medical records were used to identify surgical management, pathological characteristics, and follow-up encounters. A total of 150 phyllodes tumors were included: 110 of 150 (73%) benign, 21 of 150 (14%) borderline, and 19 of 150 (13%) malignant. At initial surgery, 29 specimens had a positive margin and 15 (56%) underwent re-excision. Seventy tumors had a surgical margin of ≤1 mm, 40 had a margin of 2 to 9 mm, and 11 had a margin of ≥10 mm. There were 11 of 150 (7.3%) locally recurrent tumors: 5 of 11 (45%) benign, 3 of 11 (27%) borderline, and 3 of 11 (27%) malignant. In total, 10 of 11 locally recurrent tumors had a positive margin or ≤1 mm margin at initial surgery. Phyllodes tumors can have a personalized treatment approach based on histopathological grade and surgical margins. Borderline and malignant phyllodes tumors with a positive or ≤1 mm surgical margin have an increased risk of recurrence. In benign phyllodes tumors, an optimal narrow negative margin may exist but the traditional ≥10 mm excisional margin is not necessary. Local recurrence rates may be sufficiently low in benign phyllodes tumors that imaging can be performed on the presence of clinical symptoms.

Effect of a Virtual Patient Navigation Program on Behavioral Health Admissions in the Emergency Department

The number of patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) for psychiatric care continues to increase. Psychiatrists often make a conservative recommendation to admit patients because robust outpatient services for close follow-up are lacking. To assess whether the availability of a 45-day behavioral health-virtual patient navigation program decreases hospitalization among patients presenting to the ED with a behavioral health crisis or need. This randomized clinical trial enrolled 637 patients who presented to 6 EDs spanning urban and suburban locations within a large integrated health care system in North Carolina from June 12, 2017, through February 14, 2018; patients were followed up for up to 45 days. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, with a behavioral health crisis and a completed telepsychiatric ED consultation. The availability of the behavioral health-virtual patient navigation intervention was randomly allocated to specific days (Monday through Friday from 7 am to 7 pm) so that, in a 2-week block, there were 5 intervention days and 5 usual care days; 323 patients presented on days when the program was offered, and 314 presented on usual care days. Data analysis was performed from March 7 through June 13, 2018, using an intention-to-treat approach. The behavioral health-virtual patient navigation program included video contact with a patient while in the ED and telephonic outreach 24 to 72 hours after discharge and then at least weekly for up to 45 days. The primary outcome was the conversion of an ED encounter to hospital admission. Secondary outcomes included 45-day follow-up encounters with a self-harm diagnosis and postdischarge acute care use. Among 637 participants, 358 (56.2%) were men, and the mean (SD) age was 39.7 (16.6) years. The conversion rates were 55.1% (178 of 323) in the intervention group vs 63.1% (198 of 314) in the usual care group (odds ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.54-1.02; P = .06). The percentage of patient encounters with follow-up encounters having a self-harm diagnosis was significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the usual care group (36.8% [119 of 323] vs 45.5% [143 of 314]; P = .03). Although the primary result did not reach statistical significance, there is a strong signal of potential positive benefit in an area that lacks evidence, suggesting that there should be additional investment and inquiry into virtual behavioral health programs. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03204643.

P376 Real life health care utilisation in paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease in the era of biologics

Abstract Background The burden associated with the management of paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been rising as the incidence of IBD is increasing in children. In addition, the widespread use of biologics and a treat-to-target approach also contributes to the increase of healthcare utilisation. Methods The purpose of this study was to assess the health care services utilisation and the associated factors in a prospective cohort of children diagnosed with IBD in Quebec, Canada. Patients diagnosed from 2013 to 2015 and followed up until the transfer to adult care were identified in our IBD database. Data on IBD related services and treatments: imaging procedures, hospitalisations and outpatient visits, medications from diagnosis to transition was extracted. We analyzed the healthcare utilisation according to the baseline disease severity (paediatric Crohn’s disease activity index or paediatric ulcerative colitis activity index) at diagnosis, and according to exposition to intravenous biologics. Results In total, 144 patients were included in the study [(77 males), CD (N = 98), UC (N = 31) and IBD-U (N = 15); median (interquartile(IQR)) age at diagnosis 15.2 (14.3–16.3) years]. The median (IQR) duration of paediatric follow-up was 2.9 (1.8–3.9) years. The median (min-max) number of imaging procedures varied largely: esophagogastroduodenoscopy 1(0–2), colonoscopy 1(1–6), abdominal ultrasound1(0–13), abdominal MRI 1(0–4), tomodensitometry 0(0–2), bone densitometry 1(0–5). Patients had various follow-up encounters (median(min–max)): outpatient visits 9(1–28), IBD nurses phone follow-ups 4(0–33). Sixty-four per cent of patients had at least one hospitalisation [median(min–max)1(0–10); median duration 4(0–150 days)] and 35.41% had at least one emergency visit. Baseline disease severity did not predict the disease burden: the mean number of encounters was 3.0/year in the moderate/severe group as compared with 2.5/year in the mild group; p = 0.61. Among the, 63.5% of patients exposed to an intravenous biologic (Infliximab or Vedolizumab), those exposed earlier (&amp;lt;3 months after diagnosis) used more health care services (mean = 3.3/year) than those exposed later (mean = 2.23/year); p &amp;lt;0.0001. In addition, the median (IQR) cumulative days of healthcare utilisation (missing school days) for patients treated with intravenous biologics was 48.5(32.4–67.9) days during paediatric care. Conclusion Adolescents with IBD have several healthcare encounters between the diagnosis and transfer to adult care. Disease severity at diagnosis was not related to a higher level of health services utilisation during follow-up. However, treatment with intravenous biologics was associated with a high health service utilisation and school missing during follow-up.

Can targeting high-risk patients reduce readmission rates? Evidence from Israel

ABSTRACT We study a large intervention intended to reduce hospital readmission rates in Israel. Since 2012, readmission risk was calculated for patients aged 65 and older, and high-risk patients were flagged to providers upon admission and after discharge. Analyzing 171,541 admissions during 2009–2016, we find that the intervention reduced 30-day readmission rates by 5.9% among patients aged 65–70 relative to patients aged 60–64, who were not targeted by the intervention and for whom no risk-scores were calculated. The largest reduction, 12.3%, was among high-risk patients, though some of it may reflect substitution of attention away from patients with unknown high-risk at the point of care. Post-discharge follow-up encounters were significantly expedited. Estimated effects declined after incentives to reduce readmission rates were discontinued. The evidence demonstrates that informing providers about patient risk in real-time coupled with incentives to reduce readmissions can improve care continuity and reduce hospital readmissions.

Enhancing palliative care patient access to psychological counseling through outreach telehealth services.

Palliative care encompasses an interdisciplinary team, including mental health care professionals, to address psychological distress of cancer patients. To present the implementation of an outreach counseling program via videoconferencing or telephone to patients receiving care in an outpatient palliative care clinic and to compare patients using this service to those who only received psychological counseling in our outpatient clinic. We conducted a retrospective chart review of cancer patients seen for psychology counseling services in an outpatient supportive care center between June 2015 and March 2017. We reviewed 2072 unique patients (52% of the total patients seen at the outpatient Supportive Care Center), who had 4567 total counseling encounters across outreach and outpatient settings. A total of 452 (22%) patients participated in a combination of outpatient and outreach counseling services. Patients who participated in outreach services had significantly more encounters (311 [69%] had two to five sessions) compared with those who had outpatient services only (1137 [70%] had one session only) (P < .001). Outreach patients also had shorter times between the initial and follow-up encounters (median 14 days) compared with those who had outpatient services only (median 30 days) (P < .0001). Outreach telehealth counseling services was found to enhance palliative care patient access to psychological counseling. These services represent an additional modality for providing continuous psychological care.

Home Virtual Visits for Outpatient Follow-Up Stroke Care: Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundTimely, in-person access to health care is a challenge for people living with conditions such as stroke that result in frailty, loss of independence, restrictions in driving and mobility, and physical and cognitive decline. In Southeastern Ontario, access is further complicated by rurality and the long travel distances to visit physician clinics. There is a need to make health care more accessible and convenient. Home virtual visits (electronic visits, eVisits) can conveniently connect physicians to patients. Physicians use a secure personal videoconferencing tool to connect to patients in their homes. Patients use their device of choice (smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop) for the visit.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the feasibility and logistics of implementing eVisits in a stroke prevention clinic for seniors.MethodsA 6-month eVisit pilot study was initiated in the Kingston Health Sciences Centre stroke prevention clinic in August 2018. eVisits were used only for follow-up patient encounters. An integrated evaluation was used to test the impact of the program on clinic workflow and patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction was evaluated by telephone interviews, using a brief questionnaire. Access and patient satisfaction metrics were compared with concurrent standard of care (patients’ prior personal experience with in-person visits). Values are presented as median (interquartile range).ResultsThere were 75 subjects in the pilot. The patients were aged 65 (56-73.5) years, and 39% (29/75) resided in rural areas. There was a shorter wait for an appointment by eVisit versus in-person (mean 59.98 [SD 48.36] days vs mean 78.36 [SD 50.54] days; P<.001). The eVisit was also shorter, taking on an average of only 10 min to deliver follow-up care with a high degree of patient satisfaction versus 90 (60-112) min for in-person care. The total time saved by patients per eVisit was 80 (50-102) min, 44 (21-69) min of which was travel time. Travel distance avoided by the patients was 30.1 km (11.2-82.2). The estimated total out-of-pocket cost savings for patients per eVisit was Can $52.83 (31.26-94.53). The estimated savings (opportunity cost for in-person outpatient care) for our eVisit pilot project was Can $23,832-$28,584. The patient satisfaction with eVisits was very good compared with their prior personal experience with in-person outpatient care.ConclusionsThe eVisit program was well received by patients, deemed to be safe by physicians, and avoided unnecessary patient travel and expense. It also has the potential to reduce health care costs. We plan to scale the project within the department and the institution.

Effect of preoperative stoma site marking on early and late outcomes of intestinal stoma creation

Purpose To evaluate how preoperative markings of the stoma site influence patients’ quality of life (QOL), whether they improve patients’ independence, and what is their effect on the rates of postoperative early and late complications. Patients and methods This is a nonrandomized prospective cohort study that included 60 patients who underwent elective intestinal stoma creation in Alexandria Main University Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A included 30 patients who experienced preoperative marking of their stoma site according to the educational guide developed by the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurse Society, and group B included 30 patients who did not experience preoperative marking of their stoma site. A structured, validated questionnaire was used to assess patients’ QOL and the stoma QOL 1 month after surgery. The occurrence of complications was noted during regular outpatient follow-up encounters, with median follow-up of 1 year, and was evaluated by stoma and equipment-related complication scale. Results A total of 60 patients (48.3% females and 51.7% males) were included. Their mean age was 48.32±14.10 years. It was found that the QOL score of patients whose stoma site was marked (group A) was significantly better (45.03–65.01 vs. 33.58–56.19). Overall satisfaction was significantly better in group A (5.27±1.78 vs. 2.73±2.32). Conclusion The patients whose stoma sites were preoperatively marked had significantly better QOL and significantly fewer early postoperative complications, and these results are irrespective of the stoma type.

Cytomegalovirus infection and associated hospitalization and costs among individuals undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Objective: This study utilized a large, national US database to explore the impact of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection on hospital services utilization and costs during the first 100 days following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT).Methods: This retrospective, observational cohort study used data from the Premier Healthcare database to identify patients undergoing their first (index) allo-HSCT procedure between 1 January 2006 and 31 March 2015. Three subgroups were analyzed according to CMV-related readmissions during the 100-day follow-up (0, 1, or 2+ readmissions) to compare healthcare utilization and costs.Results: A total of 1610 patients (mean age, 50.5 years; 56.9% male) from 52 US hospitals met the inclusion criteria. During follow-up, 212 (13.2%) patients had 1 (n = 161; 10.0%) or 2+ (n = 51; 3.2%) CMV-related readmissions. The mean ± SD number of all follow-up encounters (inpatient admissions and hospital-based outpatient visits) was similar for the no CMV (3.9 ± 3.9), 1 CMV (3.7 ± 3.9), and 2+ CMV (4.5 ± 3.8) readmission groups (p = .439). Mean total costs of hospital-based healthcare encounters (inpatient admissions and hospital-based outpatient visits) during follow-up were significantly greater in patients who had a CMV readmission ($111,729 [1 CMV readmission]; $184,021 [2+ CMV readmissions]) compared to those without a CMV readmission ($46,064; p < .001]. 100-day follow-up mortality was higher in the CMV vs. non-CMV readmission groups (30.2 vs. 8.2%; p < .001).Conclusions: This large, national database study revealed significantly higher healthcare utilization and costs, as well as mortality, among patients with CMV-related re-hospitalization during the first 100 days post-transplant as compared to patients without CMV-related hospitalization.

Motivational Interviewing as a Strategy to Impact Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients: A Systematic Review.

Heart failure (HF) hospitalization is an expensive healthcare utilization event. Motivational interviewing (MI) has been studied for effects on HF self-management behaviors. The objective of this systematic review was to conduct an exploration and report of evidence and gaps in the literature regarding the impact of MI on HF outcomes. A modified Cochrane systematic review was conducted via a literature search in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Collaborative Systematic Reviews, PsycINFO, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and Google Scholar databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or controlled experimental studies published in English from January 1990 to February 2019 that included adults (18years and older) diagnosed with HF New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I, II, II, or IV were eligible for inclusion. Interventions evaluated were an MI-based face-to-face communication or telephone-based conversation provided by any healthcare provider type. The Cochrane method for assessing risk of bias was used to analyze the methodological quality of retained studies. Of 167 initial articles, nine were retained, describing eight unique studies (758 total patients, range 30-241; age range 58-79years; attrition range 13-36%). The impact of MI was examined for general self-care behaviors (SCBs) (physical activity specifically), quality of life (QoL), and/or hospital readmission prevention. Eight of nine articles reported a positive impact of MI over advice-giving, seven being statistically significant. MI interventions used an initial face-to-face encounter with three to five follow-up telephone encounters. This systematic review had the following limitations: most retained studies included intervention activities conducted in hospital/clinic settings, which limits generalizability of the intervention in other care settings; intervention fidelity, blinding, selection, interventionist training, and random assignment were not clear in all studies; retained studies did not include potential covariates such as health literacy, patient age, and perception of disease/health risks; and some retained studies relied on patient self-report of outcomes, which may introduce recall or social desirability bias. MI demonstrated a positive effect on the SCB hospital readmission prevention factor and on QoL. MI delivered with greater frequency and over a longer duration may improve the immediate risk of hospital readmission as well as long-term outcomes through better medication adherence and SCBs. However, heterogeneity in the methods, design, intervention type, and structure challenged comparisons across studies and further research is warranted.

Follow-Up Care and 6-Month Continuation Rates for Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Retrospective Chart Review.

Describe follow-up care patterns and continuation rates during the first 6months after initiating a long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) device among adolescent and young adult women. Retrospective chart review among patients who had an intrauterine device (IUD) or subdermal implant placed between January 2015 and December2016. Urban adolescent specialty care clinic. Women ages 13-23years. Follow-up encounters were defined as scheduled and unscheduled phone calls, outpatient clinic visits, or emergency department visits during the 6months after device placement. Continuation was defined as not having the device removed or expelled during the 6months after initiation. Frequencies were calculated, and logistic regression was used to determine predictors of follow-up encounters and continuation. Among the 177 patients, 180 LARC devices were placed. Most were 13-17years of age (56%), non-Hispanic black (64%), publicly insured (57%), and had an IUD placed (57%). Most (86%) had 1 or more clinical encounters during the 6months: 70% attended a scheduled encounter and 53% had an unscheduled encounter. Approximately half (45%) attended the scheduled 2-week office visit; only 6% attended the 6-month office visit. The 6-month LARC continuation rate was 92% (n=166), with most discontinuations among IUD users (n=12; 7%). LARC continuation rates were high in our study population. Most adolescent and young adult women have at least 1 follow-up encounter in the 6months after LARC placement. Clinical practices should be prepared to address issues that arise during follow-up encounters, whether in person or by phone.