Use Of Preventive Care Research Articles

145-OR: Annual Wellness Visits Are Associated with Increased Use of Diabetes Preventive Services in the Diabetes Belt and Surrounding Counties

Background: The Affordable Care Act created annual wellness visits (AWVs) for Medicare beneficiaries to have one yearly visit to primary care physicians and discuss preventive care for the upcoming year. We assessed whether AWVs were associated with increased use of these preventive services in Medicare patients with diabetes living in the Diabetes Belt and surrounding counties. Methods: We used claims files from a longitudinal sample of ∼1,000,000 Medicare patients with diabetes living in the diabetes belt or surrounding counties, covering years 2014-2015. The Diabetes Belt was identified by the CDC as 644 counties across Appalachian and southeastern counties in the US that had diabetes prevalence ≥ 11% in 2008. We used these data to examine associations between AWVs and preventive service use in the next year. We examined four preventive services recommended annually for patients with diabetes by the ADA, including A1c tests, foot exam, eye exam, and microalbuminuria (MA) tests. Results: Of all patients, only 19.6% used AWVs in 2015. Eye exams (61% vs. 56%), foot exams (92% vs. 83%), A1C tests (78% vs. 73%), and MA tests (42% vs. 31%) were more common among patients who had an AWV in the preceding year compared with those who did not. These differences remained after adjusting for patient demographics, comorbidities, county level medical resources, and geographic factors: eye exam (Odds Ratio 1.13, 95% CI 1.12-1.15); A1c Test (1.28, CI 1.26-1.31); Foot Exam (2.06, CI 2.01-2.11); MA Test (1.45, CI 1.42-1.47). Conclusions: This study shows that AWVs were significantly associated with increased recommended preventive care use among patients with diabetes living in and near the diabetes belt. The low rates of AWV utilization by patients with diabetes in and around the Diabetes Belt is concerning and should receive more policy attention. Disclosure T. L. Mcmurry: None. S. Kim: None. J. M. Lobo: None. H. Kang: None. M. Sohn: None. Funding National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK113295)

Utilization of preventive care among migrants and non-migrants in Germany: results from the representative cross-sectional study ‘German health interview and examination survey for adults (DEGS1)’

BackgroundIn Germany, different health checks for adults are offered for primary and secondary prevention. Previous findings indicate that preventive care utilization varies according to social determinants, especially migration background. This study examined the extent to which migration background is associated with preventive care utilization, independent of factors like age and socioeconomic status and whether length of stay in Germany has a positive effect on the use of preventive care.MethodsThe first wave of the ‘German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults’ (DEGS1) is a comprehensive data collection facilitating the description of the utilization of general health checks, dental check-ups, skin cancer screening, and cervical cancer screening among people aged 18–79 years with and without migration background. Migration background was differentiated in first-generation migrants having immigrated to Germany themselves or second-generation migrants born in Germany. First-generation migrants were further differentiated by length of stay in Germany, and second-generation migrants as having one or two parents who were born abroad. Multivariate binary logistic regression models with average marginal effects were calculated to analyse the associations between preventive care utilization and migration background.ResultsThe sample comprised 7987 participants, 1091 of whom had a migration background. Compared with non-migrants, women and men with migration background— particularly first-generation migrants with length of stay <=20 years in Germany — make less use of preventive care. This association was observed statistically independent from sociodemographic factors. For dental check-ups a significantly lower use was also found for first-generation migrants who have lived in Germany for more than 20 years and second-generation of migrants with two parents born abroad. Post-model predictions showed that the utilization rates of first-generation migrants are gradually converging to the average values for non-migrants.ConclusionsOur findings suggest inequalities in realized access to preventive care for first-generation migrants particularly for those who have lived in Germany for 20 years or less. Barriers to the utilization of preventive care may be addressed by informing migrant communities about preventive health care services at an early stage after immigration using migrant-sensitive information strategies.

Barriers to accessing preventive health care among African-born individuals in King County, Washington: A qualitative study involving key informants.

Studies of African immigrant health in the U.S. have traditionally focused on infectious diseases. However, the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) indicates the increasing importance of general preventive health care. As part of a series of community health events designed for African-born individuals in King County, Washington, we administered key informant interviews (KIIs) with 16 health event participants, medical professionals, and community leaders to identify barriers and facilitators to use of preventive health care among African-born individuals. We used descriptive thematic analysis to organize barriers according to the socio-ecological model. Within the individual domain, KII participants identified lack of knowledge and awareness of preventive health benefits as barriers to engagement in care. Within the interpersonal domain, language and cultural differences frequently complicated relationships with health care providers. Within the societal and policy domains, healthcare costs, lack of insurance, and structural racism were also reported as major barriers. Participants identified community outreach with culturally competent and respectful providers as key elements of interventions to improve uptake. In conclusion, African immigrant communities face several barriers, ranging from individual to policy levels, to accessing health services, resulting in substantial unmet need for chronic disease prevention and treatment. Community-centered and -led care may help facilitate uptake and engagement in care.

A deep-learning model to continuously predict severe acute kidney injury based on urine output changes in critically ill patients

BackgroundAcute Kidney Injury (AKI), a frequent complication of pateints in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), is associated with a high mortality rate. Early prediction of AKI is essential in order to trigger the use of preventive care actions.MethodsThe aim of this study was to ascertain the accuracy of two mathematical analysis models in obtaining a predictive score for AKI development. A deep learning model based on a urine output trends was compared with a logistic regression analysis for AKI prediction in stages 2 and 3 (defined as the simultaneous increase of serum creatinine and decrease of urine output, according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) guidelines). Two retrospective datasets including 35,573 ICU patients were analyzed. Urine output data were used to train and test the logistic regression and the deep learning model.ResultsThe deep learning model defined an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89 (± 0.01), sensitivity = 0.8 and specificity = 0.84, which was higher than the logistic regression analysis. The deep learning model was able to predict 88% of AKI cases more than 12 h before their onset: for every 6 patients identified as being at risk of AKI by the deep learning model, 5 experienced the event. On the contrary, for every 12 patients not considered to be at risk by the model, 2 developed AKI.ConclusionIn conclusion, by using urine output trends, deep learning analysis was able to predict AKI episodes more than 12 h in advance, and with a higher accuracy than the classical urine output thresholds. We suggest that this algorithm could be integrated in the ICU setting to better manage, and potentially prevent, AKI episodes.Graphic abstract

Gains in insurance coverage following the affordable care act and change in preventive services use among non-elderly US immigrants

Immigrants have lower and disproportionate use of preventive care. We use longitudinal panel data to examine how the 2014 full implementation of the ACA mandates affected change in preventive services (PS) use among immigrants that gained insurance. We used data on Foreign-Born (FB) and US-Born (USB) adults, ages 26–64 years, from the 2013/16 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey longitudinal files to examine within-person change in yearly utilization of age/sex specific United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended services. We included five primary care (e.g., influenza immunization), three behavioral (e.g., diet), and seven cancer screening (e.g., mammography) measures. We used generalized estimating equations and difference-in-differences tests to assess the effects of insurance gain on: (1) change in PS utilization, and (2) reduction in utilization disparities between USB and FB adults, adjusting for predisposing, health enabling, and health needs factors. Our results showed that newly-insured FB adults substantially increased their use of all primary care checks, and exercise and diet advice. We also found improvements in use of endoscopies, two modalities of colon cancer screening, and prostate cancer screening, but not in receipt of mammography and clinical breast exams. Newly-insured FB PS use remained lower than use among continuously-insured USB adults, but some of the differences were explained by adjustment to enabling and health needs factors. Briefly, health insurance gains among immigrants translated into substantial improvements in use of recommended PS. Still, notable disparities persist among the newly-insured FB, and more so among the 1 in 5 that remain continuously uninsured.

Effects of losing public health insurance on preventative care, health, and emergency department use: Evidence from the TennCare disenrollment

AbstractThis paper studies the effect of losing public health insurance eligibility on preventative care, self‐reported health, and emergency department use. I exploit the 2005 TennCare disenrollment in which 190,000 residents–mainly non‐elderly childless adults–lost public health insurance eligibility due to budget cuts. I use two surveys, the Behavioral Factor Surveillance System and the National Health Interview Survey, in a difference‐in‐difference methodology to study the effects of the reform. I find that the reform lead to a 4%–5% reduction in reporting having mammograms and breast exams. An increase of 20% in number of days with health incapacitation and no strong evidence of changes of emergency department visits (nor number of visits). I document margins of heterogeneity of the effects across demographic characteristics. Finally, I explore the margins of symmetry between gaining and losing public insurance by comparing estimates to those from the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansions.

The Impact of Driving Time to Family Planning Facilities on Preventive Service Use in Ohio

Publicly funded family planning clinics provide preventive health services to low-income populations in the U.S. In recent years, several states, including Ohio, have restricted public funds for organizations that provide or refer patients to abortion care, often resulting in clinic closures. This research evaluates the effects of such closures on preventive service use and access to care among female adults in Ohio. With data from the 2010 to 2015 Ohio Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, trends in health service use were assessed for female respondents aged 18-45 years with household incomes <$50,000. Clinic locations were combined with restricted-access survey ZIP codes to compute respondents' driving times to the nearest family planning clinic. The association between changes in driving time and the use of routine preventive and unmet care owing to cost were assessed with linear probability models. Analyses took place from March 2019 to February 2020. Each additional 10 minutes of driving time was associated with an 8.9 percentage point increase in the likelihood of avoided care owing to cost (95% CI=1.7, 16.2), a 10.4 percentage point decrease in the likelihood of mammogram receipt during the past 12 months (95% CI= -22.3, 1.5), and a 12.5 percentage point decrease in the likelihood of ever receiving a clinical breast examination (95% CI= -18.7, -6.3). Driving time had insignificant associations with other utilization outcomes. Similar results were obtained when using driving distance. Reduced access to family planning clinics was associated with unmet care due to cost and a reduction in preventive service use among low-income, reproductive-aged females.

CONCEPTUALLY-THEORETICAL JUSTIFICATION AND UPDATING OF THE PREVENTIVE APPROACH IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PHARMACIST’S INFORMATION CONSULTANCY SERVICES IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM

Public health protection is the most important law of the development of a civilized society. As participants in the health care system, pharmaceutical specialists must take upon themselves certain preventive tasks aimed at strengthening and maintaining the health of the population.The aim of the work was to substantiate and develop a methodology for implementing the professional role of pharmaceutical specialists in public health protection.Materials and methods. The search for information was carried out using the methods of address, thematic and factual search in the Scopus, The Cochrane Library, Pubmed, eLibrary databases. The analyzed body of information included systematic reviews, retrospective and randomized studies, and other applied developments on the topic of publication. The depth of the bibliographic search for scientific publications is about 20 years (2000-2019). The following keywords were used for the search: “a pharmacist in health protection”, “prevention of adverse drug reactions”, “functions of a pharmacist”, “pharmaceutical care”, “sanitary competence”, “a pharmacist’s role in the prevention of diseases”, “pharmacy services”, “patient compliance”, “collaboration in health care”, etc.Results. On the basis of the analysis, the demand for pharmacists in the health protection activities has been substantiated, the scientific and applied methodology of using pharmaceutical knowledge in the protection of public health has been updated and the necessary professional competencies (PC) of a pharmacist have been proposed for their implementation. The relevance of the preventive approach in the implementation of information and consultancy activities of a pharmacist has been substantiated, the essence of which is to prevent undesirable events associated with the use of medicinal preparations (MPs) and preventive health care in the society. The proposed methodology is based on the concept of “a pharmaceutical vigilance”, the practical implementation of which is proposed in the publication. The need for pharmacists to perform certain professional functions aimed at preserving and strengthening the health of the population has been updated, the functions have been proposed and the list of possible pharmaceutical services for the practical implementation of the proposed functions in the health care system has been provided.Conclusion. The following pharmaceutical services have been identified as relevant: pharmaceutical enlightenment of the population, patient-oriented pharmaceutical counseling and patronage of patients, pharmaceutical informing of medical specialists about drugs and social prevention of the problems affecting the public health. The definitions of pharmaceutical services have been specified, the methodology for providing the services has been substantiated, the efficiency of their provision has been updated and the professional competencies of pharmacists for their implementation in practical healthcare have been formed.

Changes in Health Services Use Among Commercially Insured US Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed unprecedented strain on patients and health care professionals and institutions, but the association of the pandemic with use of preventive, elective, and nonelective care, as well as potential disparities in use of health care, remain unknown. To examine changes in health care use during the first 2 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in March and April of 2020 relative to March and April of 2019 and 2018, and to examine whether changes in use differ by patient's zip code-level race/ethnicity or income. This cross-sectional study analyzed health insurance claims for patients from all 50 US states who receive health insurance through their employers. Changes in use of preventive services, nonelective care, elective procedures, prescription drugs, in-person office visits, and telemedicine visits were examined during the first 2 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 relative to existing trends in 2019 and 2018. Disparities in the association of the pandemic with health care use based on patient's zip code-level race and income were also examined. Data from 5.6, 6.4, and 6.8 million US individuals with employer-sponsored insurance in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively, were analyzed. Patient demographics were similar in all 3 years (mean [SD] age, 34.3 [18.6] years in 2018, 34.3 [18.5] years in 2019, and 34.5 [18.5] years in 2020); 50.0% women in 2018, 49.5% women in 2019, and 49.5% women in 2020). In March and April 2020, regression-adjusted use rate per 10 000 persons changed by -28.2 (95% CI, -30.5 to -25.9) and -64.5 (95% CI, -66.8 to -62.2) for colonoscopies; -149.1 (95% CI, -162.0 to -16.2) and -342.1 (95% CI, -355.0 to -329.2) for mammograms; -60.0 (95% CI, -63.3 to -54.7) and -118.1 (95% CI, -112.4 to -113.9) for hemoglobin A1c tests; -300.5 (95% CI, -346.5 to -254.5) and -369.0 (95% CI, -414.7 to -323.4) for child vaccines; -4.6 (95% CI, -5.3 to -3.9) and -10.9 (95% CI, -11.6 to -10.2) for musculoskeletal surgery; -1.1 (95% CI, -1.4 to -0.7) and -3.4 (95% CI, -3.8 to -3.0) for cataract surgery; -13.4 (95% CI, -14.6 to -12.2) and -31.4 (95% CI, -32.6 to -30.2) for magnetic resonance imaging; and -581.1 (95% CI, -612.9 to -549.3) and -1465 (95% CI, -1496 to -1433) for in-person office visits. Use of telemedicine services increased by 227.9 (95% CI, 221.7 to 234.1) per 10 000 persons and 641.6 (95% CI, 635.5 to 647.8) per 10 000 persons. Patients living in zip codes with lower-income or majority racial/ethnic minority populations experienced smaller reductions in in-person visits (≥80% racial/ethnic minority zip code: 200.0 per 10 000 [95% CI, 128.9-270.1]; 79%-21% racial/ethnic minority zip code: 54.2 per 10 000 [95% CI, 33.6-74.9]) but also had lower rates of adoption of telemedicine (≥80% racial/ethnic minority zip code: -71.6 per 10 000 [95% CI, -87.6 to -55.5]; 79%-21% racial/ethnic minority zip code: -15.1 per 10 000 [95% CI, -19.8 to -10.4]). In this cross-sectional study of a large US population with employer-sponsored insurance, the first 2 months of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with dramatic reductions in the use of preventive and elective care. Use of telemedicine increased rapidly but not enough to account for reductions in in-person primary care visits. Race and income disparities at the zip code level exist in use of telemedicine.

Health information provision, health knowledge and health behaviours: Evidence from breast cancer screening.

Many public health interventions aim to provide individuals with health information on the consequences of behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption or preventive care use, with the intention of changing health behaviour through better health knowledge. This paper examines whether the provision of health information in organised breast cancer screening programs affects mammography utilisation via changes in health knowledge. We use unique data on 10,610 European women from the Eurobarometer survey collected in 1997/1998, and we exploit variation in the availability and coverage of organised breast cancer screening programs for causal identification in a difference-in-differences design. We find that health information provision improves health knowledge. Yet, these changes in health knowledge had little to no effects on mammography utilisation in the overall population. Our findings imply that health information provision contributes little to health behaviour change. Although screening programs are effective at increasing preventive care use, their effect can be attributed almost entirely to factors other than health knowledge.

Healthcare vouchers for better elderly services? Input from private healthcare service providers in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's health system comprises parallel and segmented public and private financed and provided sectors, in which access to the limited public primary healthcare has been an issue. This gave the government the impetus to implement the Elderly Healthcare Voucher Scheme since 2009, providing Hong Kong resident aged 65 and above an annual entitlement of HK$2,000 to purchase private primary healthcare. This was to reduce the demand for public healthcare and encourage the use of private preventive care and chronic disease management. To evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the voucher scheme, in-depth understanding from the providers' perspectives on implementation barriers and facilitators was studied. The perspectives of 33 service providerswere sought through five focus group discussions and seven telephone interviews between 2016 and 2017. Mixed sampling strategies were used, and the discussion covered three main areas: (a) factors that affect the impact of voucher scheme in bridging the private and public primary healthcare sector; (b) perceived barriers to participation in the voucher scheme and (c) potential enhancement of the voucher scheme. Participants agreed that the voucher scheme encouraged uptake of private primary care for acute episodes, but not for chronic disease management and rehabilitation due to inadequate financial entitlements and the elderly persons' lack of knowledge on the services covered. Low financial incentives, tedious administrative work and inadequate communications were identified as barriers for enrolment. The voucher scheme has resulted in increased utilisation of private primary healthcare but has not reduced the demand for public primary healthcare. Fundamental questions remain about the scheme's potential role in improving universal health coverage and financial sustainability which are related to the program design and to whether this is the better mechanism, or a complementary mechanism to address some of the more complex health system priorities including better chronic disease management.

Association of Vision Impairment With Preventive Care Use Among Older Adults in the United States

Preventive care is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality among older adults. Vision impairment may be a barrier to accessing care and health promotion information and therefore may contribute to decreased preventive care uptake. To examine the association between self-reported vision impairment and uptake of preventive care services (ie, breast and colon cancer screenings and influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations). Cross-sectional study using the 2015 and 2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and 2016 and 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, national surveys of US residents conducted through in-person household interviews in NHIS, and state-based telephone interviews in BRFSS. Participants included respondents 50 years and older based on eligibility for each preventive care service examined. Vision impairment, defined as self-reported trouble seeing, in NHIS, and self-reported blindness/serious difficulty seeing in BRFSS. Self-reported uptake of breast cancer screening (women aged 50-74 years), colon cancer screening (aged 50-74 years), influenza vaccination (50 years and older), and pneumococcal vaccination (65 years and older). Multivariable regression models adjusted for relevant confounders, including age, were used to examine the uptake of each preventive care service by vision impairment status. Among NHIS participants, older US individuals with vision impairment (prevalence between 14.3% and 16.3% in the different age groups; n = 12 120-29 654) were less likely to report breast cancer screening (odds ratio [OR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71-0.96) and colon cancer screening (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.79-0.99) but not influenza (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.97-1.15) and pneumococcal vaccination (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.91-1.16), as compared with their counterparts without vision impairment. In BRFSS (n = 228 649-530 027), those with vision impairment (5.9%-6.8%) were less likely than those without vision impairment to report breast cancer screening (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.59-0.75), colon cancer screening (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.65-0.76), and pneumococcal vaccination (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81-0.99) but not influenza vaccination (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.89-1.00). Older Americans with vision impairment may be less likely to use cancer-related preventive services as compared with their counterparts without vision impairments. These findings suggest that interventions to improve access to health information and health care services for individuals with vision impairment may be needed to improve cancer screening among this population.

Rural–Urban Differences in Health Care Access and Utilization under the Medicaid Expansion

AbstractThe Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion ushered in substantial increases in enrollment in the public insurance program. I analyzed rural–urban differences in access to health insurance, financial access to primary care providers, use of preventive care, and use of emergency department for medical reasons that did not lead to hospitalization. Low‐income rural residents were found to have greater reduction in likelihood of uninsurance than their urban counterparts. While an increase in the likelihood of routine check‐ups was found to be significant only among rural residents, a decrease in the likelihood of repeated visits to the emergency departments for nonurgent reasons was only significant among the urban population. I highlight the importance of understanding rural experiences to reduce rural–urban health disparities.

Internalized Body Stigma as a Barrier to Accessing Preventative Healthcare for Young Women

Internalizing stigma toward the body can have negative implications for women’s sexual health. In the current study, we examined how young women’s internalized stigma toward their body shape, genitals, and menstrual periods are associated with their use of preventative healthcare services for sexual health. Additionally, we tested two mechanisms that may mediate the relationship between internalized body stigma and preventative care: self-objectification (in the form of a loss of autonomy) and comfort communicating with a healthcare provider. We collected and analyzed survey data from 685 undergraduate women. We tested a serial mediation model, such that the internalization of body stigma predicted greater self-objectification, greater self-objectification predicted less comfort communicating with a provider, and discomfort communicating with a provider predicted lower receipt of preventative care. Results partially supported the proposed serial mediation model, such that internalizing stigma towards body shape, genitals, and menstrual periods was associated with discomfort communicating via greater self-objectification. Internalized stigma toward genitals and menstrual periods were significant predictors of preventative care use, even when accounting for self-objectification and communication. Findings suggest that interventions to address genital and menstrual stigma could be especially beneficial for enabling young women to seek preventative care.

Association between Medicaid expansion, dental coverage policies for adults, and children's receipt of preventive dental services.

To examine whether low-income children's use of preventive dental services is linked to variation in state Medicaid policies that affect parents' access to dental care in Medicaid. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2011-2016), Area Health Resources File, and Medicaid adult dental coverage policies. We conducted a quasi-experimental analysis using linked parent-child dyads in low-income families (≤125 percent of the Federal Poverty Level). We assessed whether expansions of Medicaid to low-income adults under the Affordable Care Act were associated with increases in the use of preventive dental services among low-income children when state Medicaid programs did vs did not cover these services for adults. Over the study period, 37.8 percent of low-income children received at least one annual preventive dental visit. We found no change in children's receipt of preventive dental care associated with Medicaid expansions in states that covered (1.26 percentage points; 95% CI: -3.74 to 6.27) vs did not cover preventive dental services for adults (3.03 percentage points; 95% CI: -2.76 to 8.81). (differential change: -1.76 percentage points; 95% CI: -8.09, 4.56). However, our estimates are imprecise, with wide confidential intervals that are unable to rule out sizable effects in either direction. We did not find an association between Medicaid expansions with concurrent coverage of preventive dental services for adults and children's use of these services. Factors other than parental access to dental benefits through Medicaid may be more salient determinants of preventive dental care use among low-income children.

Impact of supplementary private health insurance on hospitalization and physical examination in China

Private health insurance (PHI) is considered an important supplement to the basic social health insurance schemes in the Chinese healthcare system. However, whether the strategy of engaging PHI as supplementary coverage is effective cannot be determined without knowing the impact of supplementary PHI on healthcare access and utilization, the evidence on which is currently absent in China. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of supplementary PHI on hospitalization and physical examination to provide such evidence in the Chinese setting. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the 2015 wave of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Using probit models and bivariate probit models with instrumental variables (IVs), we evaluated the effects of supplementary PHI on the utilization of hospitalization and physical examination. Our analyses provided evidence that supplementary PHI increased the probability of physical examination but decreased that of hospitalization.Our findings suggest that supplementary PHI in China may effectively promote the use of high-value preventive care, thereby reducing subsequent utilization of expensive medical services. The present study provided preliminary evidence that the China healthcare system can benefit from engaging PHI as supplements to SHI.

Online health information seeking, medical care beliefs and timeliness of medical check-ups among African Americans

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the relationship among different types of internet sources for health, medical check-up beliefs and the timeliness of annual medical check-ups among African Americans, accounting for both health TV usage and health service use. MethodsHierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted on data from 1734 African Americans surveyed in the 2013 Consumer Health Multimedia Audience Research Systems national pharmaceutical study of 19,420 U.S. adults. ResultsThe results indicate a positive association between seeking health information on medical websites (β = 0.052, p = 0.04) and consumer-driven health sites (β = 0.066, p < 0.01), and the timeliness of check-ups among African Americans, an association not found in relation to mainstream or news-related sites. Health TV program use was not associated with timeliness of medical check-ups. Medical check-up belief is positively associated with seeking health info on consumer-driven health sites (β = 0.072, p < 0.01) but not on medical sites or on TV. ConclusionSeeking information on health-specific websites was associated with more timely check-ups in African Americans and more positive preventative medical care belief, even after controlling for traditional barriers, such as poor provider relationship. Practice ImplicationsHealth specific websites may provide an avenue for intervention to improve preventative care use in African Americans.

ANALYSES OF PREVENTIVE CARE MEASURES WITH INCOMPLETE HISTORICAL DATA IN ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS: AN EXAMPLE FROM COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING.

The calculation of quality of care measures based on electronic medical records (EMRs) may be inaccurate because of incomplete capture of past services. We evaluate the influence of different statistical approaches for calculating the proportion of patients who are up-to-date for a preventive service, using the example of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We propose an extension of traditional mixture models to account for the uncertainty in compliance, which is further complicated by the choice of various screening modalities with different recommended screening intervals. We conducted simulation studies to compare various statistical approaches and demonstrated that the proposed method can alleviate bias when individuals with complete prior medical history information were not representative of the targeted population. The method is motivated by and applied to data from the National Cancer Institute-funded consortium Population-Based Research Optimizing Screening through Personalized Regiments (PROSPR). Findings from the application are important for the evaluation of appropriate use of preventive care and provide a novel tool for dealing with similar analytical challenges with EMR data in broad settings.

Abstract B076: Did the Affordable Care Act improve insurance coverage and stage at diagnosis among nonelderly underserved breast cancer patients?

Abstract Background: Through its various provisions, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has the potential to increase access to cancer care, particularly among the most vulnerable, and reduce disparities in cancer care and outcomes. The ACA might ameliorate disparities in cancer stage by improving access to health care coverage and preventative care, such as screening. The purpose of the present analysis is to examine the change in the percent uninsured and early-stage diagnosis among nonelderly breast cancer patients who receive care in an urban safety-net institution. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational study using medical record and cancer registry data from an urban minority-serving hospital. Patients were identified through the cancer registry and included if they were non-Latina (nL) black, or Latina; diagnosed or treated with stage I-IV breast cancer between 2008-2016; and aged 18-64 years at diagnosis. The pre- and post-ACA periods of the expanded health care coverage provision were identified as 2008-2013 and 2014-2016, respectively. Descriptive statistics were calculated to compare patient demographic, insurance, health care use, and tumor characteristics between the pre- and post-ACA periods, overall and across racial/ethnic groups. Logistic regression models, with model-based standardization (predictive margins), were used to estimate proportion differences (PDs) with bias-corrected bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total of 174 nL black and 160 Latina patients were identified. Between pre- and post-ACA, the overall proportion of uninsured at the time of diagnosis decreased from 36.6% to 20.9% (p=0.00). The decrease in the uninsured population was statistically significant only for Latina women (p=0.00). There was a small shift in early-stage diagnoses. Post-ACA, the overall proportion of Stage I cancers increased from 26.8% to 31.8% (PD=5.0; p=0.33). However, this shift occurred among nL black women (PD=9.6%, p=0.18) but not among Latina women (PD=0.0, p=0.91). This pattern remained even after adjusting for age, insurance status, and history of outpatient preventative care use. Of note, compared with women diagnosed pre-ACA, those diagnosed post-ACA were less likely to have had a preventative care visit during the 24 months prior to diagnosis (26% versus 51%, p=0.00). Conclusion: Early results suggest that the ACA has increased access to insurance for underserved nL-black and Latina breast cancer patients. However, its impact on preventative care utilization and early cancer diagnosis is unclear. Post-ACA patients might be newly entering the health care system, due to having obtained insurance, and so may need assistance navigating to obtain preventative care, such as mammograms. Next steps include examining changes in screen-detected versus symptom-detected cancer, time to treatment, and conducting semistructured interviews to examine women's experiences with breast cancer care pre- and post-ACA. Citation Format: Abigail Silva, Arielle Guzman, Charlotte Picard, Yamile Molina, Alexandrina Balanean, Paramjeet Khosla. Did the Affordable Care Act improve insurance coverage and stage at diagnosis among nonelderly underserved breast cancer patients? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B076.

Abstract B112: Influence of cholesterol screening on breast cancer detection and survival in the Breast Cancer Care in Chicago Study

Abstract Background: The utilization of non-cancer-related screening tests may result in a screening-related comorbidity that also serves as a marker for overall increased preventive health care use, including for breast cancer detection. Previous studies have found that a diagnosis of either hypertension or cholesterol has been associated with earlier stage at diagnosis for breast cancer. We sought to replicate these findings in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of patients in the population-based Breast Cancer Care in Chicago (BCCC) study. Methods: Participants included 989 non-Hispanic White (NHW), African American (AA), and Hispanic female breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2005 to 2008 who completed an interview. All patients resided in Chicago, Illinois, and were between the ages of 30-79 years at the time of their first primary in situ or invasive breast cancer diagnosis. Comorbid conditions were defined from interviews and medical record abstractions. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards (PH) models were used to estimate the associations of comorbid conditions with mode of detection (screen-detected vs. symptomatic), breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS), and overall survival (OS). Results: Overall, 33% of BC patients had hypertension and 9% had high cholesterol (HC). A diagnosis of hypertension was not associated with mode of breast cancer detection or survival. Screen-detection was nearly 30 percentage points higher for patients with vs. without a diagnosis of HC (78% vs. 49%, PD=0.29, 95% CI: 0.19, 0.39). HC was present in 9% of NHW BC patients and 8% of AA and Hispanic BC patients. The association of HC with screen-detection varied widely by race/ethnicity, being strongest among AA patients (PD=0.41, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.54), more moderate for NHW patients (PD=0.27, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.40), and absent among Hispanic patients (PD=0.05, 95% CI: -0.21, 0.31). With adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, income, education, affluence, disadvantage, insurance status, presence of a regular provider, and time of last clinical breast exam and last mammogram, HC remained associated with screen-detection (PD=0.21, 95%CI: 0.10, 0.32). A diagnosis of high cholesterol was associated with a large but imprecise reduction in age-adjusted BCSS (HR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.14, 1.3) and OS (HR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.21, 1.1). Multivariable-adjusted HRs were 0.54 (95% 0.17, 1.7) and 0.55 (0.24, 1.2), respectively. Conclusion: High cholesterol may be a potent marker for contact with a primary care physician and willingness to utilize preventive services. We found a particularly strong association of high cholesterol with early detection among AA patients. This association remained after robust control for preventive breast health care variables, suggesting that it is an independent predictor of screen-detected BC. A larger study is required to have sufficient sample to examine subsequent associations with BCSS and OS among racial/ethnic subgroups. Citation Format: Alpana Kaushiva, Susan Hong, Katherine Tossas-Milligan, Garth Rauscher. Influence of cholesterol screening on breast cancer detection and survival in the Breast Cancer Care in Chicago Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B112.