Veterans Affairs Connecticut Research Articles

Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening via Mailed Fecal Immunochemical Testing in a Veterans Affairs Health System.

Colorectal cancer screening rates at the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHS) decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fecal immunochemical testing is recognized as a tier 1 preferred screening method by the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer. The VACHS implemented a program that mailed fecal immunochemical testing kits to patients to improve colorectal cancer screening rates. This article describes the components of the VACHS patient aligned care team-based mailed fecal immunochemical testing program. Fecal immunochemical testing utilization, completion, and colorectal cancer screening rates at VACHS substantially increased after the implementation of this project. Through a proactive, population-based colorectal cancer screening program centered on mailed fecal immunochemical testing kits outside of a traditional patient visit, VACHS substantially increased the utilization of fecal immunochemical testing kits as well as colorectal cancer screening rates.

Correlation of a commercial platform's results with post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody response and clinical host factors.

The objective of this study was to describe the correlation between the commercially available assay for anti-S1/RBD IgG and protective serum neutralizing antibodies (nAb) against SARS-CoV-2 in an adult population after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, and determine if clinical variables impact this correlation. We measured IgG anti-S1/RBD using the IgG-II CMIA assay and nAb IC50 values against SARS-CoV-2 WA-1 in sera serially collected post-mRNA vaccination in veterans and healthcare workers of the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHS) between December 2020 and January 2022. The correlation between IgG and IC50 was measured using Pearson correlation. Clinical variables (age, sex, race, ethnicity, prior COVID infection defined by RT-PCR, history of malignancy, estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR calculated using CKD-EPI equation) were collected by manual chart review. The impact of these clinical variables on the IgG-nAb correlation was analyzed first with univariable regression. Variables with a significance of p < 0.15 were analyzed with forward stepwise regression analysis. From 127 sera samples in 100 unique subjects (age 20-93 years; mean 63.83; SD 15.63; 29% female; 67% White), we found a robust correlation between IgG anti-S1/RBD and nAb IC50 (R2 = 0.83, R2adj = 0.70, p < 0.0001). Race, ethnicity, and a history of malignancy were not significant on univariable analysis. GFR (p < 0.05) and prior COVID infection (p < 0.001) had a significant impact on the correlation between IgG anti-S1/RBD and nAb IC50. Age (p = 0.06) and sex (p = 0.07) trended towards significance on univariable analysis, but were not significant on multivariable regression. There was a strong correlation between IgG anti-S1/RBD and nAb IC50 after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Clinical comorbidities, such as prior COVID infection and renal function, impacted this correlation. These results may assist the prediction of post-vaccination immune protection in clinical settings using cost-effective commercial platforms.

A High-reliability Organization Mindset.

In 2020, the US Department of Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System began its journey to becoming a high-reliability organization as part of Veterans Affairs efforts to become an enterprise-wide high-reliability organization through the Veterans Health Administration. The initiative was launched to create safe enterprise-wide health care systems and environments with robust continuous process improvements as a method for providing patients with safer and higher quality care. In this article, the authors describe a continuous process improvement initiative aimed at implementing system-wide initiatives along the journey to becoming a high-reliability organization. The initiatives are described from the perspectives of individuals representing staff from the frontline to executive leadership. The authors believe that the processes, strategies, and example initiatives described can be readily adopted and implemented in other health care organizations along the journey to high reliability.

Impact of Hematology Electronic Consultations on Utilization of Referrals and Patient Outcomes in an Integrated Health Care System.

Electronic consultations (e-consults) may be a valuable tool in the current era of increased demand for hematologists. Despite the increasing use of e-consults in hematology, their optimal utilization and impact on patient outcomes and workload are largely unknown. In this retrospective cohort study, we studied the hematology consult experience at Veterans Affairs Connecticut from 2006 to 2018. We included 7,664 hematology consults (3,240 e-consults and 4,424 face-to-face [FTF] consults) requested by 1,089 unique clinicians. We found that e-consults were rapidly adopted and used equally among physicians of different degrees of experience. The number of FTF consults did not decrease after the introduction of e-consult services. E-consults were preferentially used for milder laboratory abnormalities that had been less likely to result in a consult before their availability. Referring clinicians used e-consults preferentially for periprocedural management, anemia, leukopenia, and anticoagulation questions. Eighty-three percent of e-consults were resolved without needing an FTF visit in the year after the consult. Consults for pancytopenia, gammopathy, leukocytosis, and for patients with known malignancy were less likely to be resolved by e-consult. Among patients who were diagnosed with a new hematologic malignancy after their consult, having an e-consult before an FTF visit did not adversely affect survival. In summary, e-consults safely expanded delivery of hematology services in our health care system but increased total consult volume. We report novel data on what types of consults may be best suited to the electronic modality, the impact of e-consults on workload, and their optimal use and implementation.

613. Clinical Outcomes Following Dalbavancin Administration during Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy

BackgroundDalbavancin, a lipoglycopeptide with prolonged half-life targeting Gram-positive organisms, is approved for treatment of acute bacterial skin and soft tissue infection. It reduces hospital duration in patients with barriers to short-term rehabilitation or outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT). Increasing evidence supports the off-label use of dalbavancin to treat other types of infection. We conducted a quality improvement study to evaluate outcomes following dalbavancin administration.MethodsWe performed a cohort study of recipients of ≥1 dose of dalbavancin from 1/31/2016-1/31/2021 at the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System. Demographic, comorbidity, microbiological, antibiotic duration prior to dalbavancin, indication for dalbavancin, and type of infection data were collected. Outcomes included 1) lab abnormalities: hepatotoxicity within 2 weeks of dalbavancin; 2) clinical cure: resolution of symptoms of infection within 90 days; 3) all-cause readmission within 90 days; and 4) all-cause mortality within 90 days.Results42 patients met criteria. Median age was 69 years (range, 32-91), 100% were male, 55% (n=23) had diabetes, 31% (n=13) had liver disease, 36% (n=15) had other immunosuppressive conditions, and 12% (n=5) had substance use disorder (SUD). All received their first dose as inpatients. Median hospital duration was 8 days (range, 1-32). 4 (10%) required critical care. Median antibiotic duration prior to dalbavancin was 7 days (range, 1-42). Indications included ineligibility for OPAT (n=21, 50%), pharmacologic reasons (n=10, 24%), ineligibility for peripherally inserted central catheter (n=6, 14%), or SUD (n=5, 12%). Common microorganisms were Staphylococcus spp. (n=22, 52%), polymicrobial (n=13, 31%), and Corynebacterium spp. (n=10, 24%). 93% (n=39) had clinical cure of infection; readmissions and mortality were rare (Table 1). ConclusionDalbavancin was associated with clinical cure for diverse infections with low rates of adverse events, readmission and mortality in patients ineligible for traditional OPAT. Although confirmatory data are needed from larger studies, dalbavancin appears to be a versatile therapeutic agent for Gram-positive infections.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

A Facility-Wide Plan to Increase Access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care and General Mental Health Settings.

The opioid epidemic in the United States has generated a pressing need to enhance access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). This program description illustrates a quality-improvement effort to extend MOUD to primary care and general mental health clinics within the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Connecticut Healthcare system (VACHS), and to examine barriers and facilitators to implementation of MOUD in target clinics. As part of the national VA Stepped Care for Opioid Use Disorder Train the Trainer (SCOUTT) initiative to improve MOUD access, a VACHS team identified and resolved barriers to MOUD in target clinics. Key interventions were to obtain leadership support, increase waivered prescribers, and develop processes and tools to enhance prescribing. New initiatives included quarterly educational sessions, templated progress notes, and instant messaging for addiction specialist electronic consultations. MOUD receipt and prescriber characteristics were evaluated before and 1 year after implementation. There was a 4% increase in eligible patients receiving MOUD, from 552 (44%) to 582 (48%) (P = .04). The number of waivered prescribers increased from 67 to 131, and the number of buprenorphine prescribers increased from 35 to 52 over a 6-month span, and the percentage of health care practitioners capable of prescribing within the electronic health record increased from 75% to 89% (P = .01). An interdisciplinary team approach to identifying and overcoming barriers to MOUD target clinics expands access. Key interventions include interdisciplinary leadership engagement, proactive education and incentivization of target prescribers, removal of procedural barriers, and development of tools to facilitate and support prescribing. These concrete interventions can help inform other institutions interested in expanding MOUD access.

Cover Story: Matters of Perspective: Appreciating Diversity and Promoting Inclusion in Health Technology Professions.

Cover Story: Matters of Perspective: Appreciating Diversity and Promoting Inclusion in Health Technology Professions.

The Development and Implementation of a Novel Electronic Consult System by a Laboratory Medicine Service: Experience From the First 2 Years of Use.

A novel electronic consult (e-consult) system for a pathology and laboratory medicine service (PLMS) was implemented in 2015 at a high-complexity Veterans Administration health care facility. Consults were previously made through direct provider communication without documentation in the medical record. To evaluate the utilization trends of the laboratory e-consult system at the Department of Veterans Affairs Connecticut facility during the first 2 years since inception. E-consultation involves pathology and laboratory medicine resident review followed by attending pathologist review and cosignature. E-consults to the pathology and laboratory medicine service from 2015 to 2017 were reviewed to record type of consult, requesting department, patient location, and turnaround time. The pathology and laboratory medicine service received 351 e-consults from 2015 to 2017. The volume varied by subsection: hematology and coagulation (215 of 351; 61%), chemistry (109 of 351; 31%), blood bank (19 of 351; 6%), and microbiology/virology (8 of 351; 2%). Hematology and coagulation consults were entirely for peripheral blood smear review (215 of 215; 100%). Chemistry consults were placed for toxicology/drugs of abuse (81 of 109; 74%), test utilization (17 of 109; 16%), or nontoxicology (11 of 109; 10%). Three services placed the majority of consults: primary care (279 of 351; 80%), hematology/oncology (39 of 351; 11%), and psychiatry (27 of 351; 8%). The median turnaround time for completion of e-consults was 1.2 days. Since e-consult implementation, the mean number of consults increased from 8.6/mo in 2015 to 18.1/mo in 2017, peaking in the last quarter of analysis in 2017 with a mean of 25.3 consults/mo. This novel e-consult system improved accessibility to and documentation of answers to laboratory questions and increased the visibility of the pathology and laboratory medicine service. Future goals include development of outcomes-based measures to better assess the clinical impact of e-consults.

End-of-Life Decision Making and Treatment for Patients with Professional Guardians.

Concerns have repeatedly been raised about end-of-life decision making when a patient with diminished capacity is represented by a professional guardian, a paid official appointed by a judge. Such guardians are said to choose high-intensity treatment even when it is unlikely to be beneficial or to leave pivotal decisions to the court. End-of-life decision making by professional guardians has not been examined systematically, however. Retrospective cohort study. Inpatient and outpatient facilities in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Connecticut Healthcare System. Decedent patients represented by professional guardians who received care at Connecticut VA facilities from 2003 to 2013 and whose care in the last month of life was documented in the VA record. Through chart reviews, we collected data about the guardianship appointment, the patient's preferences, the guardian's decision-making process, and treatment outcomes. There were 33 patients with professional guardians who died and had documentation of their end-of-life care. The guardian sought judicial review for 33%, and there were delays in decision making for 42%. In the last month of life, 29% of patients were admitted to the intensive care unit, intubated, or underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation; 45% received hospice care. Judicial review and high-intensity treatment were less common when information about the patient's preferences was available. Rates of high-intensity treatment and hospice care were similar to older adults overall. Because high-intensity treatment was less likely when the guardian had information about a patient's preferences, future work should focus on advance care planning for individuals without an appropriate surrogate. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2161-2166, 2019.

A Survey of Prescribers' Attitudes, Knowledge, Comfort, and Fear of Consequences Related to an Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Program.

The alarming increase in opioid-related fatalities has placed the United States in the midst of an opioid epidemic. In an effort to reduce opioid-related fatalities, each Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital is responsible for development of an OEND (Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution) program to enhance naloxone distribution. To assess attitudes, knowledge, comfort level, and fear of consequences at the prescriber level related to the OEND program at VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHS). Anonymous surveys were administered to VACHS prescribers to assess attitude, knowledge, comfort level, and fear of consequences using a 5-point Likert scale. VACHS. VACHS prescribers (primary care physicians/internists, psychiatrists, physician assistants/advanced practice registered nurses, pharmacists) in primary care/medicine, mental health, and substance use disorder (SUD). Differences across 4 domains were analyzed using analysis of variance testing, and pairwise post hoc analysis was conducted using Tukey's HSD for all significant findings. Regression modeling was conducted to evaluate correlations between each group and survey responses. Identify differences and potential barriers to program implementation across professions and practice specialty. While primary care/medicine, mental health, and SUD prescribers had positive attitudes toward dispensing naloxone, SUD clinicians reported being more comfortable, more knowledgeable, and less fearful of consequences. In general, psychiatrists reported to be more knowledgeable and comfortable prescribing naloxone. In addition, prescribers who received naloxone training reported themselves to be more comfortable, more knowledgeable, and less fearful of the consequences of dispensing naloxone. Results indicate that barriers to OEND implementation continue to exist, and not all clinicians or practice specialties at VACHS are comfortable with dispensing naloxone. A targeted approach to training health care clinicians may lead to increased acceptance of naloxone dispensing. Additional research is needed to elicit the best method of improved acceptance of naloxone to expand naloxone access.

Measuring Use of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy for PTSD in VA Residential Treatment Settings with Clinician Survey and Electronic Medical Record Templates.

Available studies on implementation of evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) for patients attending Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) residential post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) programs rely on therapist self-report of EBP delivery. Patient-level data on receipt of EBP are needed both to corroborate therapist self-report and to understand patient factors that predict receipt of EBPs for PTSD. We identified 159 therapists from 38 VA residential PTSD programs who responded to a survey about EBP implementation during the 2015 fiscal year (FY15). Therapists self-reported their use of two EBPs, including prolonged exposure delivered in an individual format (PE-I) and cognitive processing therapy delivered in individual and group formats (CPT-I and CPT-G). Using electronic medical record (EMR) templates mandated for EBP documentation in FY15, we measured contemporaneous patient-level receipt of EBPs for PTSD. We assessed the degree of correlation between therapist self-reported EBP delivery and patient receipt of EBT as measured by EMR templates using polychoric correlation coefficients. We determined patient and therapist factors that predicted the receipt of EBPs with multivariable logistic regression, using random effects and robust standard error estimation, and controlling for site. The Veterans IRB of Northern New England provided a waiver of informed consent; as this was a retrospective review, no patients or therapists were contacted, and all data were stored, transmitted, and analyzed on secure VA servers. The VA Connecticut Health Care System Human Research Protection Program approved secondary use of therapist survey data for this project. When EMR template use became mandated in FY15, the proportion of patients in residential PTSD programs who received at least one EBP session that was recorded with an EMR template increased dramatically from 8.8% to 33.9%. There was adequate correlation and between survey-based and EMR-based measures of EBP receipt, with polychoric correlation values of 0.77 for PE-I, 0.69 for CPT-I, and 0.82 for CPT-G. Multiple patient factors were positive (e.g., female gender) and negative (e.g., depressive disorders) predictors of receipt of EBPs, even after controlling for site. Among therapist factors, only EBP consultant or trainer status was a positive predictor of EBP provision and only therapist race was a negative predictor of EBT provision after controlling for site. Following a FY15 mandate, EMR templates documenting EBP delivery were widely used by therapists working in VA residential PTSD programs. EBP receipt measured using EMR templates was consistent with therapist self-report of EBT delivery. There were several patient-level predictors of EBP receipt and therapist-level predictors of EBP delivery. However, therapists most likely to deliver EBPs were clustered at a limited number of sites.

The "Hand-in" Project: Jump-starting Communication Between Inpatient and Outpatient Providers.

Communication between hospitalists and primary care providers (PCPs) upon discharge has been much discussed, but the transition from outpatient to inpatient has received less attention. We questioned whether a brief, standardized e-mail from the hospitalist to the PCP upon admission could facilitate information exchange, increase communication, elucidate PCP preferences, and improve outcomes. This prospective single-center study with a preintervention-to-postintervention design involved 300 inpatient admissions from June 2015 through October 2015 in the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System. Hospitalists e-mailed an encrypted notification of admission along with standardized questions to PCPs within 1 day of admission. Measurements included the number of communications between PCPs and hospitalists, length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmissions, 30-day emergency department (ED) utilization rates, PCP preferences with regard to communication, and follow-up. Preintervention data for 94 patients during a 6-week period revealed 0.11 communications per patient, an LOS of 4.18 days, 30-day readmissions of 28.7%, and 30-day ED visits of 32%. Postintervention data on 206 patients during the next 12 weeks showed statistically significant increased communications per patient (0.5), and a nonsignificant decrease in LOS (3.96 days), 30-day readmissions (22.3%), and 30-day ED visits (31%). P values were <0.001, 0.67, 0.4, and 0.79, respectively. PCPs preferred e-mail communication upon discharge (40%) to telephone (25%) or instant messaging (13%), and 39% wanted a follow-up appointment within 2 weeks, regardless of what transpired. A hospitalist-led transition-of-care intervention designed to improve communication and information exchange between PCPs and hospitalists at the time of admission demonstrated that encrypted e-mail could be used as a tool to obtain useful additional medical and psychosocial information and to better understand PCP attitudes and preferences. The increased level of communication did not yield statistically significant decreases in LOS, 30-day readmission rates, or 30-day post-discharge ED visits, however.

Systemic Inflammatory Disease and Its Association With Type II Endoleak and Late Interventions After Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms are associated with chronic inflammation within the aortic wall, and previous studies have suggested that chronic inflammation may be a consequence of a dysregulated and persistent autoimmune response. Persistent aortic remodeling after aneurysm repair could place the patient at risk for endoleak or sac rupture. To determine whether patients with systemic inflammatory disease and large aneurysms have persistent aortic remodeling after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). The records of all patients who underwent EVAR between July 2002 and June 2011 at the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System were included in this retrospective review. Patients were considered to have a systemic inflammatory disease when confirmed by a referring specialist. Post-EVAR surveillance was performed by yearly imaging. Endovascular aneurysm repair. Significant endoleak, defined as endoleak and sac diameter increase of 0.5 cm or greater. A total of 51 of 79 patients (65%) had a systemic inflammatory disease. These patients had similar comorbid conditions compared with patients without inflammation but significantly greater numbers of major postoperative complications after EVAR (23.5% vs 3.6%; P = .02) and overall postoperative complications after EVAR (27.5% vs 7.1%; P = .03). Patients with a history of systemic inflammatory disease developed more endoleaks (45.1% vs 17.9%; P = .02) and late sac expansion (51.0% vs 21.4%; P = .01) and required more interventions (21.6% vs 3.6%; P = .03) during long-term follow-up. Systemic inflammatory disease was significantly associated with significant endoleak (odds ratio, 5.18; 95% CI, 1.56-17.16; P = .007). Patients with systemic inflammatory disease are at high risk for postoperative complications, type II endoleak, sac expansion, and additional interventions after EVAR. Additional strategies for improving the efficacy of EVAR in these patients may be warranted.

Iraq/Afghanistan-era Veterans with back pain: Characteristics and predictors of compensation and pension award.

Approximately 440,000 U.S. Veterans receive compensation for back and/or neck conditions. Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) criteria state that back compensation determinations are based on impaired back function and not comorbidity or lifestyle, but whether compensation is based solely on consideration of the lumbosacral region is unknown. In this study, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of medical chart data from 178 post-9/11 Veterans applying for service connection for back pain in fiscal year 2012 at the Department of Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System. Altogether, 62% were noted to have impairment of back functioning and 74% were awarded compensation. Rates of comorbidities (obesity, depression, smoking, and illicit drug use) were high. In multivariate models predicting compensation awarded, only having an impaired back was associated with service-connected compensation. Pain was associated with extent of service connection, but this relationship was fully mediated by functional back impairment. No other measure (including work status) significantly predicted compensation. In summary, service connection was largely based on functional impairment, as called for in VBA criteria. Although pain and comorbidities undoubtedly affect day-to-day functioning, these factors were not independently related to service connection. Veterans present with many remediable conditions, and the service-connection evaluation may be an opportunity to engage them in treatment.

Prostate cancer, comorbidity, and participation in randomized controlled trials of therapy.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluate the potential benefits of chemotherapy regimens and guide clinical care for patients with cancer. Inclusion criteria for RCTs are usually stringent and may exclude many patients seen in clinical practice. Our objective was to determine the proportion of men with castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in a clinical setting that would have been excluded from major phase 3 RCTs. We reviewed eligibility criteria from 24 phase 3 clinical trials evaluating chemotherapy for CRPC active from January, 2004, through April, 2008. We created a common list of criteria used in at least 3 studies and separately considered the criteria from a prominent RCT (TAX 327). We applied these criteria to a population of patients with CRPC treated during 2004 to 2006 at the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System. Among 106 patients with CRPC, 99 (93%) had complete medical records, and 45 (45%) of the 99 would have been excluded from RCTs. Common reasons for exclusion were abnormal laboratory values, other malignancies, and other serious medical conditions including cardiac disease. Almost half of the CRPC patients examined in a clinical setting would have been ineligible for phase 3 RCTs, highlighting that such trials may not be applicable to general oncology practice.

The effect of pre-existing mental health comorbidities on the stage at diagnosis and timeliness of care of solid tumor malignances in a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center.

There are limited data on the impact of mental health comorbidities (MHC) on stage at diagnosis and timeliness of cancer care. Axis I MHC affect approximately 30% of Veterans receiving care within the Veterans Affairs (VA) system. The purpose of this study was to compare stage at diagnosis and timeliness of care of solid tumor malignancies among Veterans with and without MHC. We performed a retrospective analysis of 408 charts of Veterans with colorectal, urothelial, and head/neck cancer diagnosed and treated at VA Connecticut Health Care System (VACHS) between 2008 and 2011. We collected demographic data, stage at diagnosis, medical and mental health co-morbidities, treatments received, key time intervals, and number of appointments missed. The study was powered to assess for stage migration of 15–20% from Stage I/II to Stage III/IV. There was no significant change in stage distribution for patients with and without MHC in the entire study group (p = 0.9442) and in each individual tumor type. There were no significant differences in the time intervals from onset of symptoms to initiation of treatment between patients with and without MHC (p = 0.1135, 0.2042 and 0.2352, respectively). We conclude that at VACHS, stage at diagnosis for patients with colorectal, urothelial and head and neck cancers did not differ significantly between patients with and without MHC. Patients with MHC did not experience significant delays in care. Our study indicates that in a medical system in which mental health is integrated into routine care, patients with Axis I MHC do not experience delays in cancer care.

The development of professional identity and the formation of teams in the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System's Center of Excellence in Primary Care Education Program (CoEPCE).

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHS) is one of five Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education (CoEPCE) pilot sites. The overall goal of the CoEPCE program, which is funded by the Office of Academic Affiliations, is to develop and implement innovative approaches for training future health care providers in postgraduate education programs to function effectively in teams to provide exceptional patient care. This longitudinal study employs theoretically grounded qualitative methods to understand the effect of a combined nursing and medical training model on professional identity and team development at the VACHS CoEPCE site. The authors used qualitative approaches to understand trainees' experiences, expectations, and impressions of the program. From September 2011 to August 2012, they conducted 28 interviews of 18 trainees (internal medicine [IM] residents and nurse practitioners [NPs]) and subjected data to three stages of open, iterative coding. Major themes illuminate both the evolution of individual professional identity within both types of trainees and the dynamic process of group identity development. Results suggest that initially IM residents struggled to understand NPs' roles and responsibilities, whereas NP trainees doubted their ability to work alongside physicians. At the end of one academic year, these uncertainties disappeared, and what was originally artificial had transformed into an organic interprofessional team of health providers who shared a strong sense of understanding and trust. This study provides early evidence of successful interprofessional collaboration among NPs and IM residents in a primary care training program.

Electronic Hematology Consultations at Veterans Affairs (VA) Connecticut: Analysis of Effects on Patient Care, and Provider and Patient Satisfaction

▪Introduction:Electronic consultation (e-consult) is a healthcare delivery method in which a consultant provides input on the management of a patient by reviewing the medical chart without a face to face visit. This method is especially suited to systems that use a comprehensive electronic medical record (EMR). E-consults have the potential to improve efficiency and timeliness of care, save costs, prevent unnecessary patient visits, and address shortage of specialists. They may be especially valuable in rural areas, and for patients who have difficulty traveling. Published data regarding the utility and efficacy of remote hematology consultations are limited.At the VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACT) electronic hematology consultations were initiated in July of 2011 as part of a national program. Providers are allowed to choose between referring their patient to a face to face visit or an e-consult, based on their clinical judgment and their patients’ preferences. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of electronic hematology consultation on patient care, to measure its effect on the face-to-face encounters at the VACT hematology clinics, and to assess provider and patient satisfaction.Methods:We conducted a retrospective review of 300 patients who had a hematology e-consult between the years 2011 to 2013 at VACT. Data abstracted included demographics, diagnoses, timeliness of care, and need for face to face visits. In addition patient and provider satisfaction were evaluated by anonymous surveys. Hematology e-consults were performed by board eligible/certified hematologists based on review of the EMR and peripheral blood smears as appropriate. When necessary, recommendations were made to refer a patient for a face to face evaluation in the hematology clinic. Our study was approved by our local IRB.Results:The most common reason for a hematology e-consult was anemia (25%), followed by anticoagulation in patients with venous thromboembolism (14%), thrombocytopenia (8%), erythrocytosis (7%), leukocytosis (6%), paraproteinemia (6%), neutropenia (6%), pancytopenia (2%), abnormal iron indices (2.5%) and abnormal coagulation profiles (2%). Additional reasons included thrombocytosis, macrocytosis, lymphocytosis, eosinophilia, thalassemia, splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, and hemoglobinopathies. The vast majority of patients were male (95%) with an average age of 63 +16 years. Average distance between the patients’ homes to our medical center was 36.6+22 miles. Electronic hematology consultations were completed on average within 16 days. We observed that implementation of hematology e-consults was accompanied by a 15% decrease in the annual number of face to face hematology visits (from 377 in 2011 to 319 in 2013), while the number of Veterans enrolled at VACT during that period did not change significantly. Only in 42 patients (14%) a face to face hematology consultation was recommended after completion of the e-consult. Of the 50 patients that were sent satisfaction surveys, completion rate was 34% and 65% replied that they preferred an e-consult over a face to face visit. Among 61 providers that received surveys, 15 (25%) responded and 100% indicated that they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the process.Conclusions:Our study suggests that electronic hematology consultation can address many common hematology diagnoses and can prevent the need for a face to face visit in the majority of patients selected for an e-consult by their referring providers. These consultations can be provided without compromising patient and provider satisfaction and may decrease the need for face to face visits. This could have important implications for the delivery of hematology care, especially in healthcare systems that utilize an EMR. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The case for interprofessional learning and collaborative practice in graduate medical education.

The case for interprofessional learning and collaborative practice in graduate medical education.

Internet Use Among Veterans With Severe Mental Illness

Internet Use Among Veterans With Severe Mental Illness