Outpatient Population Research Articles

Abstract 13696: Sotagliflozin is Associated With Early Clinical Benefit for Heart Failure and Atherosclerotic Events

Background: SGLT inhibitors reduce cardiovascular (CV) death and heart failure (HF)-related outcomes in HF patients, with benefits observed within 1 month. Less data exist for the time to clinical benefit for reducing HF or major cardiovascular events (MACE; CV death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) with SGLT inhibitors in patients with chronic kidney disease at high CV risk. Objective: This analysis evaluates the time to clinical benefit for HF-related events and MACE with sotagliflozin, a dual SGLT1 and SGLT2 inhibitor, in SCORED. Methods: SCORED was a randomized, double-blind study of 10,584 patients with type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and other CV risk factors, where patients were randomized 1:1 to sotagliflozin or placebo. The primary endpoint was total CV death, hospitalization for HF, or urgent visit for HF. A prespecified secondary endpoint was total MACE. The present post hoc analysis calculated the sotagliflozin:placebo hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each of these outcomes and determined the day after randomization where the treatment effect reached statistical significance (p<0.05) and remained statistically significant for the duration of follow-up. Results: The overall risk of the primary endpoint was reduced by 26% (HR (95% CI) = 0.74 (0.63, 0.88); p<0.001) with sotagliflozin, with a sustained significant reduction 95 days after randomization (HR (95% CI) = 0.70 (0.50, 0.98) at 95 days; Figure A). For MACE, the overall risk reduction with sotagliflozin was 23% (HR (95% CI) = 0.77 (0.65, 0.91); p<0.001), with a sustained significant reduction 94 days after randomization (HR (95% CI) = 0.69 (0.47, 0.99) at 94 days; Figure B). Conclusion: In this stable, outpatient population at high risk for CV events, the time to clinical benefit with sotagliflozin was very early at approximately three months for both HF- and MACE-related outcomes.

Measuring patient satisfaction with four items: validity of the client satisfaction questionnaire 4 in an outpatient population

IntroductionPatient satisfaction with mental health services has for several decades been considered an important component when evaluating service quality. It is often assessed in the context of monitoring quality of care, developing or evaluating newly implemented interventions or changes in practice. Because of this, patient satisfaction questionnaires are often added to longer questionnaire batteries, and shorter questionnaires are preferred to prevent respondent fatigue and non-compliance and to secure easy implementation. However, most studies use unvalidated patient satisfaction measures, making comparisons between studies difficult. Validation studies of short patient satisfaction measures are therefore warranted.MethodsThe primary aim was to examine the construct validity and internal reliability of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-4 (CSQ-4) in a Norwegian outpatient mental health setting. A total of 467 patients were recruited from an outpatient psychiatric care clinic in Central Norway. The secondary aim was to examine an earlier proposed cutoff for classifying dissatisfied patients in this new population. A principal component analysis was conducted to evaluate factor structure, correlation analyses were conducted to test for predicted relationships, and Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to examine internal reliability.ResultsThe CSQ-4 showed a clear unidimensional structure with one factor explaining 80% of its variance. Its internal reliability was very high, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.92. As hypothesised this study found no statistically significant sex differences in satisfaction and no statistically significant association between age and satisfaction. Positive changes in symptoms during treatment and higher post-treatment functional impairment were associated with higher patient-reported treatment satisfaction scores, which indicates good construct validity.ConclusionThis is the first study to evaluate the CSQ-4 in a psychiatric population. The CSQ-4 demonstrated good structural validity and internal reliability and was correlated with outcome variables in terms of symptom change and post-treatment functioning. In sum, this indicates that the CSQ-4 is a good short alternative for evaluating patient satisfaction in routine outpatient mental health care.

Abstract 13006: Telemedicine Disparities in Ambulatory Cardiology Patients in a Large Academic Health System

Introduction: Although the COVID-19 pandemic prompted rapid expansion of telemedicine, the effect of system-wide digital health strategies on vulnerable populations remains to be understood. Given video visits offer several advantages over audio-only visits, telemedicine encounters are typically preferentially scheduled as video visits; however, access complexities may lead to audio-only encounters and exacerbate the digital divide. Aim: We aimed to identify sociodemographic characteristics associated with telemedicine visit modality in the outpatient cardiology population in a large academic health center. Methods: We assessed all outpatient cardiology telemedicine visits from 1/1/2020-12/31/2021 via the Johns Hopkins Telemedicine Equity Dashboard, which sources its data from the electronic medical record. Our primary outcome was visit modality, with an adverse outcome defined as video-to-audio visit conversion. The first telemedicine encounter for each unique patient was included (accounting for 85% of all telemedicine encounters during study period). We assessed predictors of video-to-audio visit conversion using simple and multivariate logistic regression with relevant pre-determined sociodemographic variables (see Figure ). Results: There were 47,961 total telemedicine encounters, spread between 39,381 unique patients. Odds of conversion from video to audio-only visit increased with age, with the highest odds of conversion to audio-only visit in patients age 75+. Non-White race, Medicaid, Medicare and self-pay insurance status, and higher social deprivation index (SDI) quintile were also associated with increased odds of audio-only modality. Conclusion: Current telemedicine strategies would benefit from further analysis and targeted intervention to develop a more equitable digital care delivery system, particularly for patients that are older, non-White, do not have private insurance, and live in areas with higher SDI.

Development and validation of the ADHD Symptom and Side Effect Tracking - Baseline Scale (ASSET-BS): a novel short screening measure for ADHD in clinical populations

ObjectiveThe aim was to develop and test a novel screen of adult ADHD, with a specific focus on clinical use. We designed a series of three studies to accomplish this aim.MethodStudy One (n = 155) and Study Two (n = 591) collected data via surveys to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, respectively. Study Three analyzed the scale’s psychometrics in a clinical sample (n = 151).ResultsStudy One and Study Two identified a 10-item scale with a two-factor structure. Study Three found good discriminant validity, sensitivity = 80.0%, specificity = 80.2%, and convergent validity with both the Brown Executive Function/Attention Scales, r (131) = .76, p < .001, and the Conner’s Adult ADHD Rating Scales r (131) = .71, p < .001.ConclusionThe scale demonstrated effectiveness in screening for ADHD in a psychiatric outpatient population. Its results may be used to identify patients that may benefit from thorough ADHD diagnostic procedures.

53 Are Boys (names) Really Just Like Animals? Comparing Multi-Category Fluency Trials from the D-KEFS in Predicting Temporal Cortical Thickness in an Outpatient Memory Disorders Population

Objective:Semantic fluency measures comprise a differing number of trials depending on the test battery and/or normative data used. Using semantic fluency trials from the Delis Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS; Animals and Boys’ names), we sought to examine whether: 1) there was incremental benefit of multiple trials in associations with aggregated temporal cortical thickness and 2) patterns of neuroanatomical associations with specific temporal lobe structures differed between Animals and Boys’ names trials.Participants and Methods:Archival records of adults who completed a neuropsychological evaluation which included the semantic fluency measures of interest and had undergone structural MRI were identified (n=243, Mage=72.35 years, SDage=6.74, Female=46.9%). Cortical thickness values were obtained using FreeSurfer and averaged across sub-regions, separately for the left and right temporal lobe, per recommendations from the FreeSurfer group. Multiple linear regression models were fit to examine separate and incremental contribution of both Animals and Boys’ names, on temporal lobe thickness, including age, sex, and education in the models. Zero order correlations with each of the temporal cortical thickness areas (inferior, middle, and superior temporal; banks of the superior temporal sulcus, fusiform, transverse temporal, entorhinal, temporal pole, and parahippocampal cortices) were also computed to identify more focal neuroanatomical correlates.Results:Animals and Boys’ names trials individually accounted for a significant proportion of variance when predicting temporal cortical thickness over and above demographics, but Animals was a considerably stronger predictor for left temporal cortical thickness (Left: Animals AR2 =.127*, Boys’ names AR2 = .067*; Right: Animals AR2 =.074*, Boys’ names AR2 = .065*). The variance accounted for by Boys’ names incrementally over Animals was not significant (AR2 = .004 for left and .015 for right hemispheres, respectively). Similarly, though the composite Category fluency index accounted for a significant proportion of the variance independently, it did not add incrementally over and above Animals alone when predicting cortical thickness in either hemisphere. When examining simple correlations with specific temporal cortices, Animals consistently had correlations of a greater magnitude than Boys’ names within the left hemisphere (Animals r&gt;.3 for superior, middle, inferior, and fusiform gyri; Boys’ names r&lt; .3 for all cortical thickness regions). Greater variability was noted for associations with right temporal thickness but Animals continued to show associations of a greater magnitude of associations than Boys’ names for several sub-regions. * denotes significance at p &lt; .01.Conclusions:The additional Boys’ names trial does not confer significant benefit over Animals alone, when predicting cortical thickness in either temporal lobe. Additionally, overall category fluency provided little incremental utility over and above the Animals trial alone in predicting temporal thickness. Psychometrically, it is expected that composites derived from multiple trials are more robust. However, this study demonstrates that it is important to examine whether the administration of additional trials is truly beneficial, particularly in a climate where brevity of neuropsychological assessment is critically desired. Further, psychometric tests have historically been validated against other neuropsychological measures, but it is critical we also validate measures against neuroanatomical correlates.

Acute Peripheral Facial Nerve Palsy in Children and Adolescents: Clinical Aspects and Treatment Modalities.

Peripheral facial nerve palsy is a relatively frequent, rather idiopathic, and isolated nonprogressive disorder with a tendency toward spontaneous recovery in children. It is primarily characterized by unilateral paresis or paralysis of the mimic musculature affecting verbal communication, social interactions, and quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical aspects and efficacy of different therapeutic modalities in the population of children and adolescents with acute peripheral facial nerve palsy, the quality and recovery rate in comparison to different therapy modalities and etiological factors as well as to determine parameters of recovery according to the age of patients. The retrospective study included children and adolescents (n=129) with an acute onset of peripheral facial nerve palsy, diagnosed and treated in the Clinic of Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth in Belgrade (2000-2018). The mean age of the patients was 11.53 years (SD±4.41). Gender distribution: 56.6% female and 43.4% male patients. There were 118 (91.5%) patients with partial and 11 (8.5%) patients with complete paralysis. Left-sided palsy occurred in 67 (51.9%) patients, right-sided in 58 (45.0%), while there were 4 (3.1%) bilateral paralyses. The most common etiological factor was idiopathic (Bell's palsy) - 74 (57.4%) patients followed by middle ear infections - 16 (12.4%). Regardless of etiology, age, and therapy protocols, there was a significant recovery in most of the patients (p<0.001), without significant differences in recovery rate. Comparison of inpatient and outpatient populations showed significant differences regarding the number of relapses, severity of clinical presentation, and recovery rate in relation to etiology. Bell's palsy is shown to be the most common cause of peripheral facial nerve palsy in children and adolescents, regardless of gender. It is followed by mid-ear infections, respiratory infections, and exposure to cold. Most children and adolescents recovered in three weeks after initial presentation, regardless of etiology, age, and therapy.

52 Internalizing Psychopathology is Highly Related to Subjective Cognitive Impairment and the Discrepancy Between Objective and Subjective Cognitive Impairment: A Preliminary Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective:Eliciting perceived cognitive complaints is a routine part of a clinical neuropsychological evaluation, presumably because complaints are informative of underlying pathology. However, there is no strong empirical support that subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) is actually related to objective cognitive impairment as measured by neurocognitive tests. Instead, internalizing psychopathology is thought to predominately influence the endorsement of SCI. Specifically, individuals with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety, when accounting for comorbidities, have a higher disposition to overestimate their degree of cognitive impairment as compared to objective testing. Yet, there are few existing studies that have determined which factors influence both SCI and the discrepancy between subjective and objective cognitive impairment in general outpatient populations. The current study examined the relationship between subjective and objective cognitive impairment in a clinically diverse sample of outpatients. We additionally explored the associations between SCI and relevant intrapersonal factors including internalizing psychopathology, number of medical comorbidities, and demographics. Finally, we quantified the degree of discrepancy between subjective and objective impairment and examined this discrepancy in relation to the intrapersonal factors.Participants and Methods:The sample comprised 142 adult women and men (age range 18–79 years) seen in an outpatient neuropsychology clinic for a diverse range of referral questions. Scores on the cognition portion of the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) were used to index SCI. A composite score from 14 measures across various domains of cognitive functioning served as an objective measure of cognitive functioning. Internalizing psychopathology was measured via a standardized composite of scores from screening measures of anxiety and depression. Medical comorbidities were indexed by the number of different ICD diagnostic categories documented in patients' medical records. Demographics included age, sex, race, and years of formal education. Objective-subjective discrepancy scores were computed by saving standardized residuals from a linear regression of neurocognitive test performance on the WHODAS 2.0 scores.Results:A hierarchical linear regression revealed that objective cognitive impairment was not significantly related to SCI (p &gt; .05), explaining less than 2% of the variance in SCI ratings. Likewise, participants' demographics (age, sex, education, race) and number of comorbidities were not significantly related to their SCI ratings, explaining about 6% of the variance. However, participants' level of internalizing psychopathology was significantly associated with SCI (F[10, 131] = 4.99, p &lt; .001), and explained approximately 20% of the variance in SCI ratings. Similarly, the degree of discrepancy between subjective and objective cognitive impairment was primarily influenced by internalizing psychopathology (F[9, 132] = 5.20, p &lt; .001, R2 = 21%) and largely unrelated to demographics and number of comorbidities, which explained about 6% of the variance.Conclusions:These findings are consistent with prior research suggesting that SCI may be more indicative of the extent of internalizing psychopathology rather than actual cognitive impairment. Taken together, these results illuminate potential treatment and diagnostic implications associated with assessing perceived cognitive complaints during a neuropsychological evaluation.

Virtual Reality Meditation for Fatigue in Persons With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Mixed Methods Pilot Study.

Effective symptom management is crucial to enhancing the quality of life for individuals with chronic diseases. Health care has changed markedly over the past decade as immersive, stand-alone, and wearable technologies including virtual reality have become available. One chronic pain population that could benefit from such an intervention is individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent pharmacologic advances in the management of RA have led to a decrease in inflammatory symptoms (eg, chronic pain) or even disease remission, yet up to 70% of patients with RA still suffer from fatigue. While VR-delivered behavior, meditation, and biofeedback programs show promise for pain and anxiety management, there is little information on the use of virtual reality meditation (VRM) for fatigue management among individuals with RA. This study aims to (1) examine the feasibility of implementing a study protocol that uses VRM, (2) determine the acceptability of using VRM for fatigue management in an outpatient population, and (3) identify barriers and contextual factors that might impact VRM use for fatigue management in outpatients with RA. We used a convergent, mixed methods design and enrolled adults aged 18 years or older with a clinical diagnosis of RA. Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Information System (PROMIS) measures of fatigue, depression, anxiety, pain behavior, and physical function were assessed alongside the brief mood introspection scale at baseline and weekly for 4 weeks. VRM use across the 4-week study period was automatically stored on headsets and later extracted for analysis. Semistructured interview questions focused on feedback regarding the participant's experience with RA, previous experience of fatigue, strategies participants use for fatigue management, and the participant's experience using VRM and recommendations for future use. A total of 13 participants completed this study. Most participants completed all study surveys and measures (11/13, 84% and 13/13, 100%, respectively) and were active participants in interviews at the beginning and end of the program. Participants used VRM an average of 8.9 (SD 8.5) times over the course of the 4-week program. Most participants enjoyed VRM, found it relaxing, or recommended its use (12/13, 92%), but 8 (62%) noted barriers and conceptual factors that impacted VRM use. On average, participants saw decreases in PROMIS fatigue (-6.4, SD 5.1), depression (-5.6, SD 5.7), anxiety (-4.5, SD 6), and pain behavior (-3.9, SD 5.3), and improvements in PROMIS physical function (1.5, SD 2.7) and Brief Mood Introspection Scale mood (5.3, SD 6.7) over the course of this 4-week study. While this study's implementation was feasible, VRM's acceptability as an adjunctive modality for symptom management in RA is contingent on effectively overcoming barriers to use and thoughtfully addressing the contextual factors of those with RA to ensure successful intervention deployment. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04804462; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04804462.

Eligibility for icosapent ethyl in a French population of coronary outpatients with type 2 diabetes.

We determined eligibility for icosapent ethyl (EPA) treatment in coronary artery disease (CAD). Consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD were prospectively included from 03/2019 to 12/2020. 574 patients were included; mean age 71 years, 81% males, with a high prevalence of other risk factors (81% hypertension). Mean lipid-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 85 mg/dl, mean glycated hemoglobin HbA1c 7.1%, mean triglycerides 148 mg/dl; 82% received statins. Based on National Lipid Association criteria, 31% would be eligible for EPA. In this contemporary survey in consecutive, unselected CAD patients in daily practice, almost a third would be potentially eligible for EPA.

FRI124 Insights From The Incidence Of Primary Aldosteronism In Patients With Hypokalemia (IPAHK+) - Study

Abstract Disclosure: S. Gruber: None. E. Stasi: None. A. Boan Pion: None. R. Steiner: None. I. Sudano: None. F. Beuschlein: None. Background: Hypokalemia plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of primary aldosteronism (PA). The hypokalemic variant of the disease accounts for about one third of all cases. However, little is known about the incidence of PA in a hypokalemic population. Design: The IPAHK+ study is an epidemiological, monocentric, cross-sectional trial to provide evidence on the incidence of PA in a hypokalemic outpatient population. Methods: Recruitment of outpatients with hypokalemia ≤3 mmol/l is carried out on a continuous referral-basis through an automated data delivery system at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ). Todate, 69 patients underwent the study protocol, which includes guideline-compliant workup for PA. Results: The mean age of the participants was 52.5±1.5 years with a sex ratio of 35:34 women to men, a mean potassium value of 2.77±0.03 mmol/l [1.8; 3.0] and a prevalence of arterial hypertension of71%. PA was diagnosed in 45.9% of all participants, all of whom had a history of hypertension. The incidence of PA increased continuously with decreasing potassium level with proportions of 26.7%,45.8% and 59.1% in the subgroups of 3.0 mmol/l (n=15), 2.8-2.9 (n=24) and ≤2.7 mmol/l (n=22),respectively. In the subgroup of hypertensives the incidence of PA was as high as 65.1%. Prior testing,60.9% of all patients presented at least with one plausible other cause for their hypokalemia with potential drug triggers accounting for the largest portion (33.3%). Among participants on diuretics the incidence of PA was 57.9%. Conclusions: The incidence of PA in the investigated outpatient population was more than 4 out of 10and inversely correlated with baseline potassium levels. Moderate or severe hypokalemia, regardless of its cause, should therefore prompt evaluation for PA in hypertensive individuals. Normotensive PA was not observed in our cohort. The significance of the study is limited by the still low number of enrolled patients with a potential selection bias. Presentation: Friday, June 16, 2023

THU261 Etiologic Factors, Contributors, And Associations For Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

Abstract Disclosure: K.G. Romo: None. A. Noor: None. A. Zia: None. S. Shu: None. S. Bhamre: None. W.A. West: None. B.M. Hoard: None. G.I. Uwaifo: None. Introduction: Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is a clinical condition which though presumed to be uncommon has grown in prominence and recognition in recent years. The fact that pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) is available to ameliorate many of the metabolic and gastrointestinal sequelae of EPI makes its early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment very important. Since EPI appears uncommon, improved quantification of its prevalence and identification of associated etiologic factors could inform targeted screening in select patient populations. Our study is a retrospective chart analysis of a large multi-specialty, multi-institutional practice group covering much of Louisiana and seeks to provide needed information regarding EPI prevalence and etiologic factors. Methods: A retrospective review of the entire 1.3 million patient-practice of the Ochsner Health system in Louisiana was performed to cover the period from January 2017 to January 2020. All cases of documented EPI and patients on PERT were identified—these were then further interrogated including individual chart review to identify etiologic factors and obtain relevant cardiometabolic, demographic, vital sign data, and clinical course information. Results: A total of 677 EPI patients were identified with a prevalence of 0.525% among patients with diabetes (DM) and 0.051% in the general outpatient population. EPI, though uncommon, is thus ∼ 10x more prevalent among DM patients. The identified etiologic factors were Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (44.6% of cases), general cancer (15.9%), secondary diabetes (11.5%), cystic fibrosis (12.9%), Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) (9.6%), pancreatic cancer (6.6%), idiopathic (6.2%), pancreatitis (5%), pancreatic surgery (2.95%), hemochromatosis-hemosiderosis (0.44%), and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (0.15%). Several patients in the cohort had multiple identified etiologic factors. Discussion and Conclusions: While EPI is uncommon in the general population it is at least 10x more prevalent among DM patients. Etiologic factors provide a clinical pathway for targeted clinical and lab screening to enable early diagnosis and treatment. Since T2DM is the most common etiologic factor for EPI in our cohort and other reported series, there is need for further in-depth study to identify potentially modifiable factors and possible predictors in the progression of DM to EPI and whether PERT can ameliorate associated cardio-metabolic and ASCVD risk surrogates. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023

REVIEW: APPLICATION OF THE ATC/DDD METHOD FOR ANTIBIOTIC EVALUATION IN INDONESIA

The global consumption of antibiotics has increased rapidly by 65% in units of daily doses over the last 15 years. Researchers predict that there will be a 200% increase in global antibiotic consumption by 2030, if there is no change in policy implementation. This article aims to provide knowledge regarding the use of the anatomical therapeutic chemical/defined daily doses (ATC/DDD) method to evaluate antibiotics in Indonesia, which is expected to provide additional knowledge for the quantitative evaluation of antibiotics. The literature data sources used were PubMed and Google Scholar online databases, using the Mendeley® tool for manager reference. There were 71 articles that met the criteria and were discussed systematically. Most of the ATC/DDD methods were used to evaluate antibiotics in 90.1% of inpatients and 9.9% of outpatients. In the application of this method, 94.4% of the data collection was carried out retrospectively, with most study designs using a cross-sectional 76%. The selected research period varied from 1 month to 5 years, with 59.1% of the study locations being carried out at the tertiary service level. The ATC/DDD method can also be used in a quasi-experimental design that examines comparisons before and after the intervention. The use of this method as an evaluation of the use of antibiotics in the specified study population resulted in the highest DDD/100 days of ceftriaxone hospitalization in 27 articles. Amoxicillin had the highest DDD/1000 patient-days in of 6/7 articles in the outpatient population...

Drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions in a Lebanese outpatient population: A decade-long retrospective analysis (2012-2021)

Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) are becoming more common as a result of increasing prevalence and case complexity. Allergists and clinical immunologists worldwide are challenged daily to adequately diagnose and manage these reactions. Data in the literature regarding DHR outpatient consultations are scarce worldwide, limited in the Middle East, and currently unavailable in Lebanon. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of all reported DHRs over 10 years in a tertiary-care allergy clinic in Lebanon. We conducted a decade-long (2012-21) retrospective analysis of the archived medical records of patients with a history of DHRs. Demographics, clinical history, diagnostic tools, and characteristics of the DHRs were collected and analyzed. A total of 758 patients experienced DHRs to therapeutic molecules provided for ambulatory care. Our results identified 72 medications. The most frequently implicated drug classes included β-lactam antibiotics (53.8%), followed closely by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (48.9%). Of the 758 patients, 32.6% reported DHRs to multiple molecules, and 11.8% reported concomitant DHRs to 1 or several molecules provided in the perioperative setting. Of those, opioids and neuromuscular blocking agents were the 2 most common therapeutic classes. Furthermore, we evaluated the cross-reactivity between molecules of the same class. In neuromuscular blocking agents, rocuronium and cisatracurium were the most commonly cross-reactive, and for opioids, the most common association we recorded was with morphine and pethidine. Our findings constitute the first step toward a more comprehensive evaluation of the clinical characteristics of DHRs in Lebanon.

Mobile Electrocardiograms in the Detection of Subclinical Atrial Fibrillation in High-Risk Outpatient Populations: Protocol for an Observational Study.

Single-lead, smartphone-based mobile electrocardiograms (ECGs) have the potential to provide a noninvasive, rapid, and cost-effective means of screening for atrial fibrillation (AFib) in outpatient settings. AFib has been associated with various comorbid diseases that prompt further investigation and screening methodologies for at-risk populations. A simple 30-second sinus rhythm strip from the KardiaMobile ECG (AliveCor) can provide an effective screen for cardiac rhythm abnormalities. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of performing Kardia-enabled ECG recordings routinely in outpatient settings in high-risk populations and its potential use in uncovering previous undiagnosed cases of AFib. Specific aim 1 is to determine the feasibility and accuracy of performing routine cardiac rhythm sampling in patients deemed at high risk for AFib. Specific aim 2 is to determine whether routine rhythm sampling in outpatient clinics with high-risk patients can be used cost-effectively in an outpatient clinic without increasing the time it takes for the patient to be seen by a physician. Participants were recruited across 6 clinic sites across the University of Florida Health Network: University of Florida Health Nephrology, Sleep Center, Ophthalmology, Urology, Neurology, and Pre-Surgical. Participants, aged 18-99 years, who agreed to partake in the study were given a consent form and completed a questionnaire regarding their past medical history and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Single-lead, 30-second ECGs were taken by the KardiaMobile ECG device. If patients are found to have newly diagnosed AFib, the attending physician is notified, and a 12-lead ECG or standard ECG equivalent will be ordered. As of March 1, 2024, a total of 2339 participants have been enrolled. Of the data collected thus far, the KardiaMobile rhythm strip reported 381 abnormal readings, which are pending analysis from a cardiologist. A total of 78 readings were labeled as possible AFib, 159 readings were labeled unclassified, and 49 were unreadable. Of note, the average age of participants was 61 (SD 10.25) years, and the average self-reported weight was 194 (SD 14.26) pounds. Additionally, 1572 (67.25%) participants report not regularly seeing a cardiologist. Regarding feasibility, the average length of enrolling a patient into the study was 3:30 (SD 0.5) minutes after informed consent was completed, and medical staff across clinic sites (n=25) reported 9 of 10 level of satisfaction with the impact of the screening on clinic flow. Preliminary data show promise regarding the feasibility of using KardiaMobile ECGs for the screening of AFib and prevention of cardiological disease in vulnerable outpatient populations. The use of a single-lead mobile ECG strip can serve as a low-cost, effective AFib screen for implementation across free clinics attempting to provide increased health care accessibility. DERR1-10.2196/52647.

Psoriatic arthritis: improvement in outcomes but persistent sex difference – 5-year follow-up study of a Norwegian outpatient clinic population

Objective This study aimed to explore long-term changes in disease activity and remission rates, and potential sex-related differences in these outcomes, in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients treated in an outpatient clinic. Method This prospective longitudinal cohort study included 114 patients. The Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA), clinical DAPSA (cDAPSA), 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28), Simplified and Clinical Disease Activity Indices (SDAI, CDAI), Boolean remission for PsA, and minimal and very low disease activities (MDA, VLDA) were assessed. For group characteristics, parametric statistics and linear regression were used. Results At 5 year follow-up, improvement was noted for multiple measures reflecting disease activity and patient-reported outcomes. Statistically significant increases in remission rates were observed using DAS28 (+21.2%), CDAI (+9.7%), and cDAPSA (+7.6%), but not SDAI, DAPSA, Boolean remission, MDA, or VLDA. During the study period, the proportion of patients treated with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) increased from 37.7% to 48.3% (p = 0.007). At baseline, women reported higher pain and fatigue, and had higher tender joint counts, DAPSA, cDAPSA, SDAI, CDAI, and DAS28 than men. Despite higher mean baseline C-reactive protein, men more often achieved remission, regardless of the definition applied. A higher proportion of men than women was treated with bDMARDs (baseline: 46.6% vs 28.6%; follow-up: 58.6% vs 33.9%). Conclusion This study adds evidence supporting recent improvements in PsA outcomes. Women had higher disease activity and were less likely to achieve remission than men. Despite progress in achieving remission goals, there is still room for improvement in therapeutic approaches for PsA patients.

A Systematic Approach to Assessing and Addressing Palliative Care Needs in an Outpatient Population.

Developing systems to routinely and equitably identify and meet the palliative care (PC) needs of seriously ill populations is a critical frontier for palliative medicine. An automated screen identified Medicare primary care patients who had serious illness based on diagnosis codes and utilization patterns. A stepped-wedge design was used to evaluate a 6-month intervention through which a healthcare navigator assessed these seriously ill patients and their care partners for PC needs in the domains of 1) physical symptoms, 2) emotional distress, 3) practical concerns, and 4) advance care planning (ACP) via telephone surveys. Identified needs were addressed with tailored PC interventions. 292/2175 (13.4%) patients screened positive for serious illness. 145 completed an intervention phase; 83 completed a control phase. Severe physical symptoms were identified in 27.6%, emotional distress in 57.2%, practical concerns in 37.2%, and ACP needs in 56.6%. Twenty-five intervention patients (17.2%) were referred to specialty PC compared to six control patients (7.2%). Prevalence of ACP notes increased 45.5% to 71.7% (p=0.001) during the intervention and remained stable during the control phase. Quality of life remained stable during the intervention and declined 7.4/10 to 6.5/10 (p=0.04) during the control phase. Through an innovative program, patients with serious illness were identified from a primary care population, assessed for PC needs, and offered specific services to meet those needs. While some patients were appropriate for specialty PC, even more needs were addressed without specialty PC. The program resulted in increased ACP and preserved quality of life.

Levels of health literacy among people living with HIV in outpatient care: a cross-sectional study from Denmark

BackgroundLow health literacy (HL) among people living with HIV (PLWHIV) encounter more disease related complications, more difficulty understanding health-related information and low adherence. Considering that, the HL levels among PLWHIV needs to be further investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the levels of HL and patient involvement among PLWHIV in an outpatient clinic in Denmark. A second objective was to examine differences in HL levels across socio-demographic characteristics.MethodsIn 2019, a population of 682 PLWHIV from a Danish outpatient hospital clinic were enrolled in cross-sectional study. Patients who had a digital postbox received an electronic questionnaire including following domains; health literacy, patient involvement, and socio-demographic status. Health literacy was measured using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) through scores on three subscales: social support for health (HLQ4), engaging with healthcare providers (HLQ6), and understanding health information (HLQ9). An unpaired t-test was used to investigate mean differences in the HLQ scores across socio-demographic variables.ResultsA total of 338 (55%) patients responded to the questionnaire. The included participants demonstrated high levels of HLQ4 (mean = 4.2) and HLQ6 (mean = 4.2), but lower for HLQ9 (mean = 2.9). In total 70–80% reported being involved in decisions about their health. We found a positive association between high level of HL (HLQ9) and living with a partner and higher levels of HL (HLQ4, HLQ6, and HLQ9) and employment.ConclusionPLWHIV in a Danish out-patient care population were found to have high levels of HL despite differences in demographic characteristics. Further research is needed to examine the levels of HL among non-responders to develop HL approaches and strategies to meet the needs of individuals with different HL skills.

Outpatient vs. inpatient total shoulder arthroplasty: complication rates, clinical outcomes, and eligibility parameters

Improvements in total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), fast-track surgery, multimodal anesthesia, and rehabilitation protocols have opened up the possibility of outpatient care that is now routinely practiced at our European institution. The first objective of this study was to define the TSA outpatient population and to verify that outpatient management of TSA does not increase the risk of complications. The second objective was to determine patient eligibility parameters and the third was to compare functional outcomes and identify influencing factors. The study included 165 patients who had primary TSA (106 outpatient and 59 inpatient procedures). The operative technique was the same for both groups. Demographics, complications, readmissions, and revisions were collected. American Society of Anesthesiologists, Constant, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, University of California Los Angeles shoulder, and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index scores were obtained preoperatively and at 1.5, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Satisfaction and visual analog scale pain scores also were documented. Statistical analysis was completed using multivariate linear regression. Outpatients were significantly younger and had lower American Society of Anesthesiologists scores than inpatients. The rates of complications, readmissions, and reoperations were not significantly different between groups. Outpatient surgery was not an independent risk factor for complications. At 1.5 months, better outcomes were noted in the outpatient group for all scores, and these reached statistical significance. Distance to home, dominant side, operative time, and blood loss were not associated with functional results. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that outpatient care was significantly associated with improved scores at 1.5 months and did not affect functional outcomes at 6 and 12 months. This study reports the results of routine outpatient TSA within a European healthcare system. TSA performed in an outpatient setting was not an independent risk factor for complications and seemed to be an independent factor in improving early functional results.

Retrospective Analysis of Subsolid Nodules' Frequency Using Chest Computed Tomography Detection in an Outpatient Population.

The study was designed to evaluate the frequency of detection and the characteristics of subsolid nodules (SSNs) in outpatients' chest computed tomography (CT) scans from a private hospital in Southern Brazil. A retrospective analysis of all chest CT scans was performed in adult patients from ambulatory care (non-lung cancer screening population) over a thirty-day period. Inclusion criteria were age > 18 years and lung-scanning protocols, including standard-dose high-resolution chest CT (HRCT), enhanced CT, CT angiography, and low-dose chest CT (LDCT). SSNs main features collected were mean diameter, number, density (pure or heterogenous ground glass nodules and part-solid), and localization. TheLungRADS system and the updated Fleischner Society's pulmonary nodules recommendations were used for categorization only for study purposes, although not specifically fitting the population. The presence of emphysema, as well as calcified and solid nodules were also addressed. Statistical analysis was performed using R software, categorial variables are shown as absolute or relative frequencies, and continuous variables as mean and interquartile ranges. Chest computed tomography were performed in 756 patients during the study period (September 2019), and 650 met the inclusion criteria. The IQR for age was 53/73 years; most participants were female (58.3%) and 10.6% had subsolid nodules detected. The frequency of SSNs detection in patients in daily clinical practice, not related to screening populations, is not negligible. Regardless of the final etiology, follow-up is often indicated, given the likelihood of malignancy for persistent lesions.

Growing relevance of reports of adolescent cyberbullying victimization among adult outpatients

In the general population, prevalence rates of cyberbullying victimization have continuously increased over the past decades. However, the extent to which these increasing numbers affect clinical populations seeking treatment in outpatient services remains an open question. The present study sought to examine whether the increase of cyberbullying victimization is also reflected by increased reports of cyberbullying victimization in a clinical outpatient population. In addition, we assessed the incremental contribution of experiences of cyberbullying in the prediction of psychological symptoms when controlling for histories of childhood maltreatment and offline peer victimization. For this purpose, we analyzed routine data from N = 827 outpatients who had sought treatment at a University outpatient clinic for psychotherapy between 2012 and 2021 in a cross-sectional study design. Analyses showed that 8.3% of the patients born in the years 1980 to 2002 indicated the experience of cyberbullying victimization in their adolescence. The rate of reported cyberbullying victimization increased from 1 to 3% in patients born in the years 1980 to 1987 to 24% in patients born in the year 2000. A logistic regression revealed that patients born in the years 1995–2002 were up to nineteen times as likely to report cyberbullying victimization as patients born in the years 1980–1982. In addition, hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that cyberbullying victimization significantly accounted for an incremental proportion of variance (1%) in the prediction of psychological symptom distress after controlling for child maltreatment and offline peer victimization. In conclusion, this retrospective survey indicates an increase of the clinical relevance of cyberbullying victimization both in frequency of and potential contribution to etiology. Raising attention to cyberbullying in clinical care and research seems to be justified and warranted.