Veterans Health Administration Facilities Research Articles

Barriers and Facilitators to Administering Burn Pit Registry Exams in VHA Facilities.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) established the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) in 2014 to address exposure concerns for veterans who have served in military operations in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan. By 2021, over 236,086 veterans completed the online questionnaire and 60% requested an AHOBPR examination. Of those requesting an exam, only 12% had an exam recorded in their medical record. This article summarizes barriers and facilitators to delivering AHOBPR exams and shares lessons learned from facilities who have successfully implemented burn pit exams for veterans. We (I.C.C and J.H.) constructed a key performance measure of AHOBPR examination (the ratio of examinations performed in facility over examinations assigned to a facility) to identify top performing facilities and then used stratified purposeful sampling among high-performing sites to recruit a diverse set of facilities for participation. We (P.V.C. and A.A.) recruited and interviewed key personnel at these facilities about their process of administering burn pit exams. Rapid qualitative methods were used to analyze interviews. The ratio of exams performed to exams assigned ranged from 0.00 to 14.50 for the 129 facilities with available information. Twelve interviews were conducted with a total of 19 participants from 10 different facilities. We identified 3 barriers: Unclear responsibility, limited incentives and competing duties for personnel involved, and constrained resources. Facilitators included the presence of an internal facilitator, additional staff support, and coordination across a facility's departments to provide care. Gaps across many VHA facilities to provide AHOBPR exams may be understood as stemming from organizational issues related to clear delegation of responsibility and staffing issues. VHA facilities that wish to increase AHOBPR exams for veterans may need additional administrative and medical staff.

Quality improvement lessons learned from National Implementation of the "Patient Safety Events in Community Care: Reporting, Investigation, and Improvement Guidebook".

To evaluate nationwide implementation of a Guidebook designed to standardize safety practices across VA-delivered and VA-purchased care (i.e., Community Care) and identify lessons learned and strategies to improve them. Qualitative data collected from key informants at 18 geographically diverse VA facilities across 17 Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISNs). We conducted semi-structured interviews from 2019 to 2022 with VISN Patient Safety Officers (PSOs) and VA facility patient safety and quality managers (PSMs and QMs) and VA Facility Community Care (CC) staff to assess lessons learned by examining organizational contextual factors affecting Guidebook implementation based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Interviews were conducted virtually with 45 facility staff and 10 VISN PSOs. Using directed content analysis, we identified CFIR factors affecting implementation. These factors were mapped to the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) strategy compilation to identify lessons learned that could be useful to our operational partners in improving implementation processes. We met frequently with our partners to discuss findings and plan next steps. Six CFIR constructs were identified as both facilitators and barriers to Guidebook implementation: (1) planning for implementation; (2) engaging key knowledge holders; (3) available resources; (4) networks and communications; (5) culture; and (6) external policies. The two CFIR constructs that were only barriers included: (1) cosmopolitanism and (2) executing implementation. Our findings suggest several important lessons: (1) engage all collaborators involved in implementation; (2) ensure end-users have opportunities to provide feedback; (3) describe collaborators' purpose and roles/responsibilities clearly at the start; (4) communicate information widely and repeatedly; and (5) identify how multiple high priorities can be synergistic. This evaluation will help our partners and key VA leadership to determine next steps and future strategies for improving Guidebook implementation through collaboration with VA staff.

Understanding pathways from implementation to sustainment: a longitudinal, mixed methods analysis of promising practices implemented in the Veterans Health Administration

BackgroundThe Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the United States largest learning health system. The Diffusion of Excellence (DoE) program is a large-scale model of diffusion that identifies and diffuses evidence-informed practices across VHA. During the period of 2016-2021, 57 evidence-informed practices were implemented across 82 VHA facilities. This setting provides a unique opportunity to understand sustainment determinants and pathways. Our objective was to characterize the longitudinal pathways of practices as they transition from initial implementation to long-term sustainment at each facility.MethodsA longitudinal, mixed-methods evaluation of 82 VHA facilities. Eighty-two facility representatives, chosen by leadership as points-of-contact for 57 DoE practices, were eligible for post-implementation interviews and annual sustainment surveys. Primary outcomes (implementation, sustainment), and secondary outcomes (institutionalization, effectiveness, anticipated sustainment) at four time-points were collected. We performed descriptive statistics and directed content analysis using Hailemariam et al.’s factors influencing sustainment.ResultsAfter approximately five years post-implementation (e.g., 2021 sustainment outcomes), of the 82 facilities, about one-third fully sustained their practice compared to one-third that did not fully sustain their practice because it was in a “liminal” stage (neither sustained nor discontinued) or permanently discontinued. The remaining one-third of facilities had missing 2021 sustainment outcomes. A higher percentage of facilities (70%) had inconsistent primary outcomes (changing over time) compared to facilities (30%) with consistent primary outcomes (same over time). Thirty-four percent of facilities with sustained practices reported resilience since they overcame implementation and sustainment barriers. Facilities with sustained practices reported more positive secondary outcomes compared to those that did not sustain their practice. Key factors facilitating practice sustainment included: demonstrating practice effectiveness/benefit, sufficient organizational leadership, sufficient workforce, and adaptation/alignment with local context. Key factors hindering practice sustainment included: insufficient workforce, not able to maintain practice fidelity/integrity, critical incidents related to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizational leadership did not support sustainment of practice, and no ongoing support.ConclusionsWe identified diverse pathways from implementation to sustainment, and our data underscore that initial implementation outcomes may not determine long-term sustainment outcomes. This longitudinal evaluation contributes to understanding impacts of the DoE program, including return on investment, achieving learning health system goals, and insights into achieving high-quality healthcare in VHA.

Risk of Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations After SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Research demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with increased risk of all-cause hospitalization. However, no prior studies have assessed the association between SARS-CoV-2 and potentially preventable hospitalizations-that is, hospitalizations for conditions that can usually be effectively managed in ambulatory care settings. To examine whether SARS-CoV-2 is associated with potentially preventable hospitalization in a nationwide cohort of US veterans. This cohort study used an emulated target randomized trial design with monthly sequential trials to compare risk of a potentially preventable hospitalization among veterans with SARS-CoV-2 and matched comparators without SARS-CoV-2. A total of 189 136 US veterans enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021, and 943 084 matched comparators were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed from May 10, 2023, to January 26, 2024. SARS-CoV-2 infection. The primary outcome was a first potentially preventable hospitalization in VHA facilities, VHA-purchased community care, or Medicare fee-for-service care. Extended Cox models were used to examine adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) of potentially preventable hospitalization among veterans with SARS-CoV-2 and comparators during follow-up periods of 0 to 30, 0 to 90, 0 to 180, and 0 to 365 days. The start of follow-up was defined as the date of each veteran's first positive SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, with the same index date applied to their matched comparators. The 1 132 220 participants were predominantly men (89.06%), with a mean (SD) age of 60.3 (16.4) years. Most veterans were of Black (23.44%) or White (69.37%) race. Veterans with SARS-CoV-2 and comparators were well-balanced (standardized mean differences, all <0.100) on observable baseline clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, 3.10% of veterans (3.81% of those with SARS-CoV-2 and 2.96% of comparators) had a potentially preventable hospitalization during 1-year follow-up. Risk of a potentially preventable hospitalization was greater among veterans with SARS-CoV-2 than comparators in 4 follow-up periods: 0- to 30-day AHR of 3.26 (95% CI, 3.06-3.46); 0- to 90-day AHR of 2.12 (95% CI, 2.03-2.21); 0- to 180-day AHR of 1.69 (95% CI, 1.63-1.75); and 0- to 365-day AHR of 1.44 (95% CI, 1.40-1.48). In this cohort study, an increased risk of preventable hospitalization in veterans with SARS-CoV-2, which persisted for at least 1 year after initial infection, highlights the need for research on ways in which SARS-CoV-2 shapes postinfection care needs and engagement with the health system. Solutions are needed to mitigate preventable hospitalization after SARS-CoV-2.

Two Decades of Department of Veterans Affairs Traumatic Brain Injury Care and Benefits for Veterans of Post-9/11 Conflicts.

To describe the background, methodology, and results of the congressionally mandated Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Veterans Health Registry. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA). A total of 441 639 Veterans of post-9/11 conflicts who exhibited symptoms associated with TBI and sought care or benefits from the VA between September 2001 and September 2021. Design: Retrospective analysis of VHA and VBA administrative records. (1) VA/Department of Defense Identity Repository to identify Veterans with a deployment to the Southwest Asia theater of operations; (2) the VA TBI Screening and Evaluation Program data; (3) Inpatient and Outpatient Encounter data; and (4) an extract of the VBA Corporate Database to identify Veterans filing benefit claims based on TBI. An unduplicated total of 441 639 post-9/11 Veterans were identified in the Registry via three different pathways to entry: 369 909 Veterans through a positive TBI Screen, 253 177 Veterans receiving healthcare including a TBI diagnosis, and 108 541 Veterans filing TBI disability claims. Among Veterans reporting current TBI symptoms who completed a clinical evaluation, a diagnosis of TBI was confirmed by a TBI specialist in 68.7% of the cases. The TBI severity of confirmed cases was classified as mild in 86.6% of the cases, moderate in 8.3%, and severe in 4.1%. The TBI Registry Veterans were hospitalized 66 503 times and seen 1 521 898 times as outpatients in VHA facilities with diagnoses including TBI. Among Veterans filing TBI disability claims, 67.3% were adjudicated as service-connected. The VA TBI Health Registry has identified over 440 000 Veterans of post-9/11 conflicts who presented to the VA for care or benefits with TBI symptomatology. This large number and the volume of TBI health care and benefits provided over the two decades since 9/11 demonstrate the need for the VA's strong ongoing focus on screening, evaluation, and rehabilitation of TBI. Key words:Department of Veterans Affairs, post-9/11, Registry, TBI, traumatic brain injury, VA, VBA, Veterans, Veterans Benefit Administration, Veterans Health Administration, VHA.

Abstract 919: Veterans Health Administration: Decentralized clinical trials

Abstract Purpose: The Veterans Health Administration (VA) created National TeleOncology (NTO) service in 2019 to provide telehealth cancer care to Veterans and to augment care provided at VA facilities through a hub and spoke model. More recently, VA established a Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs) infrastructure to support clinical trials (CTs) that rely on telehealth, where research staff are at different locations, and/or where a single IRB provides oversight even when subjects are at different locations. Brief Description: Research support and infrastructure is variable across VA facilities resulting in uneven access to cancer CTs in the VA system. Veterans often live in rural areas or have transportation challenges, which are barriers to participate in CTs. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increased telehealth use in clinical care and in CTs, providing the rationale for a focused effort in DCTs. DCTs have the potential to reduce barriers to CT involvement at the facility- and patient-level and may be more representative of real-world clinical scenarios. Summary of Data: Since its inception, NTO has provided hematology and oncology telehealth care to over 10,000 Veterans, of which 47.5% live in rural or highly rural areas, 76.5% are white and 13.2% are black or African American. Because the NTO program provides clinical care via telehealth modalities, patients who receive care through NTO may be more comfortable with participating in CTs that use telehealth, and thus are part of a pool of potentially eligible subjects.Since creation of the DCT program, three cancer DCTs have been conducted in the VA (1) BNT001 Digital Therapeutic Feasibility Pilot Study, (2) Cemiplimab Survivorship Epidemiology (CASE) Study, and (3) Proof-Of-ConcepT DEcentralized CliNical TrIAL (POTENTIAL) study. The BNT study enrolled 24 Veterans, 19 were male, 22 were white, 13 lived in rural areas, and the median age at enrollment was 68 years, including numerous cancer diagnoses. Veterans enrolled in the BNT study received cancer care at seven VA facilities. The CASE study has enrolled 24 male Veterans, 23 were white, 5 lived in rural areas, and the median age at enrollment was 74 years. The POTENTIAL study enrolled 4 male Veterans, 3 were white, 2 lived in rural areas, and the median age at enrollment was 72 years. Upcoming DCTs will focus on the following disease types: metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, multiple myeloma, and relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Conclusions: The VA provides clinical cancer care to Veterans through the NTO program. The DCT program builds upon the existing clinical infrastructure to conduct CTs on a national scale. The NOP DCT team is a component of the VA’s Enhance Equity and Access to Clinical Trials (ENACT) initiative, which is part of Cancer Moonshot. The DCT program intends to expand CT opportunities to Veterans with cancer, minimize barriers to CT activation and enrollment, and improve access to cancer CTs for all Veterans. Citation Format: Ashlyn Press, Jennifer Ordman, Jacqueline Boreland, Zachary Burningham, Shelby Schoenborn, Tiffany Stewart, Bethany Oberg, Perri Pepperman, Holly Morris, Sarah Bloemers, Nawshin Kutub, Shannon Elam, Michael J. Kelley, Daphne Friedman. Veterans Health Administration: Decentralized clinical trials [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 919.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go: A Descriptive Study of Initial Implementation of Universal Intimate Partner Violence Screening at a Veterans Health Administration Facility

Intimate partner violence (IPV) negatively impacts mental, physical, and social health, and veterans are at a greater risk for experiencing lifetime IPV than civilians. Prior research has identified facilitators and barriers to sustained implementation of IPV screening but has often focused solely on screening reproductive-aged women or screening within a single clinical setting. In contrast, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) IPV Assistance Program has recently developed a comprehensive plan for universal training and education of all staff and universal screening and intervention for all veterans, which, to our knowledge, is the first such large-scale IPV program. This program evaluation project examines the plan’s initial implementation across multiple clinical settings at one VHA site following a concerted training effort of 422 interdisciplinary staff. Over 17 months, clinicians completed 2,596 screenings out of 4,128 screening opportunities utilizing the Hurt, Insult, Threaten, and Scream tool. Eighteen percent of veterans screened positive for past-year IPV experience; of those, 29% screened positive on a secondary screen for acute safety needs and risk for lethality. Female veterans were screened more frequently than male veterans (χ2= 119,p&lt; .001) and younger veterans more frequently than older veterans (effect of age strata ≤47, 48–64, or ≥65: χ2= 107,p&lt; .001), but all age strata and genders had clinically important rates of positive screens. In addition to establishing local baseline prevalence, data on screening outcomes by sex, age, deferred screening opportunities, clinics where screening occurred, and interventions utilized offer insights on the impact of training, specific barriers, and future directions for enhancing and expanding training and screening efforts.

Medical Home Implementation and Follow-Up of Cancer-Related Abnormal Test Results in the Veterans Health Administration

Lack of timely follow-up of cancer-related abnormal test results can lead to delayed or missed diagnoses, adverse cancer outcomes, and substantial cost burden for patients. Care delivery models, such as the Veterans Affairs' (VA) Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT), which aim to improve patient-centered care coordination, could potentially also improve timely follow-up of abnormal test results. PACT was implemented nationally in the VA between 2010 and 2012. To evaluate the long-term association between PACT implementation and timely follow-up of abnormal test results related to the diagnosis of 5 different cancers. This multiyear retrospective cohort study used 14 years of VA data (2006-2019), which were analyzed using panel data-based random-effects linear regressions. The setting included all VA clinics and facilities. The participants were adult patients who underwent diagnostic testing related to 5 different cancers and had abnormal test results. Data extraction and statistical analyses were performed from September 2021 to December 2023. Calendar years denoting preperiods and postperiods of PACT implementation, and the PACT Implementation Progress Index Score denoting the extent of implementation in each VA clinic and facility. Percentage of potentially missed timely follow-ups of abnormal test results. This study analyzed 6 data sets representing 5 different types of cancers. During the initial years of PACT implementation (2010 to 2013), percentage of potentially missed timely follow-ups decreased between 3 to 7 percentage points for urinalysis suggestive of bladder cancer, 12 to 14 percentage points for mammograms suggestive of breast cancer, 19 to 22 percentage points for fecal tests suggestive of colorectal cancer, and 6 to 13 percentage points for iron deficiency anemia laboratory tests suggestive of colorectal cancer, with no statistically significant changes for α-fetoprotien tests and lung cancer imaging. However, these beneficial reductions were not sustained over time. Better PACT implementation scores were associated with a decrease in potentially missed timely follow-up percentages for urinalysis (0.3-percentage point reduction [95% CI, -0.6 to -0.1] with 1-point increase in the score), and laboratory tests suggestive of iron deficiency anemia (0.5-percentage point reduction [95% CI,-0.8 to -0.2] with 1-point increase in the score). This cohort study found that implementation of PACT in the VA was associated with a potential short-term improvement in the quality of follow-up for certain test results. Additional multifaceted sustained interventions to reduce missed test results are required to prevent care delays.

Community Emergency Care Use by Veterans in an Era of Expanding Choice

Recently passed legislation aimed at improving access to care has considerably expanded options for veterans to receive emergency care in community, or non-Veterans Affairs (VA) settings. However, national trends in community emergency department (ED) use by veterans are unknown. To examine national, temporal trends in the frequencies and types of ED visits provided in community settings and explore the association between facilities' purchase of community care with facility and regional characteristics. Retrospective, observational cross-sectional study of ED visits over fiscal years (FY) 2016 to 2022. VA and community ED encounter data were obtained from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse and the Office of Integrated Veteran Care. Participants were veterans receiving ED care at VA facilities or paid for by the VA in the community. Data were analyzed from June to September 2023. The primary outcome measures included community ED visit volume, disposition, and payments over time. Also, the most common and costly ED visits were assessed. Negative binomial regression analysis examined associations between facility and regional characteristics and the rate of ED visits purchased in community settings relative to all ED visits. There were 19 787 056 ED visits, predominantly at VA facilities (14 532 261 visits [73.4%]), made by 3 972 503 unique veterans from FY 2016 to 2022. The majority of ED users were male (3 576 120 individuals [90.0%]), and the median (IQR) age was 63 (48-73) years. The proportion of community ED visits increased in absolute terms from 18% in FY 2016 to 37% in FY 2022. Total community ED payments, adjusted to 2021 dollars, were $1.18 billion in FY 2016 and over $6.14 billion in FY 2022. The most common reasons for ED visits in the community were for nonspecific chest pain (305 082 visits [6%]), abdominal pain (174 836 visits [3%]), and septicemia (149 968 visits [3%]). The average proportion of ED visits purchased by a VA facility increased from 14% in FY 2016 to 32% by FY 2022. In multivariable analyses, facilities with greater ED volume and low-complexity facilities had higher expected rates of community emergency care than lower volume and high-complexity facilities, respectively. As veterans increasingly use community EDs for acute, unscheduled needs, attention to factors associated with veterans' use of acute care services in different settings are important to identify access barriers and to ensure veterans' health care needs are met.

Tackling Guideline Non-concordance: Primary Care Barriers to Incorporating Life Expectancy into Lung Cancer Screening Decision-Making-A Qualitative Study.

Primary care providers (PCPs) are often the first point of contact for discussing lung cancer screening (LCS) with patients. While guidelines recommend against screening people with limited life expectancy (LLE) who are less likely to benefit, these patients are regularly referred for LCS. We sought to understand barriers PCPs face to incorporating life expectancy into LCS decision-making for patients who otherwise meet eligibility criteria, and how a hypothetical point-of-care tool could support patient selection. Qualitative study based on semi-structured telephone interviews. Thirty-one PCPs who refer patients for LCS, from six Veterans Health Administration facilities. We thematically analyzed interviews to understand how PCPs incorporated life expectancy into LCS decision-making and PCPs' receptivity to a point-of-care tool to support patient selection. Final themes were organized according to the Cabana et al. framework Why Don't Physicians Follow Clinical Practice Guidelines, capturing the influence of clinician knowledge, attitudes, and behavior on LCS appropriateness determinations. PCP referrals to LCS for patients with LLE were influenced by limited knowledge of the life expectancy threshold at which patients are less likely to benefit from LCS, discomfort estimating life expectancy, fear of missing cancer at the point of early detection, and prioritization of factors such as quality of life, patient values, clinician-patient relationship, and family support. PCPs were receptive to a decision support tool to inform and communicate LCS appropriateness decisions if easy to use and integrated into clinical workflows. Our study suggests knowledge gaps and attitudes may drive decisions to offer screening despite LLE, a behavior counter to guideline recommendations. Integrating a LCS decision support tool that incorporates life expectancy within the electronic medical record and existing clinical workflows may be one acceptable solution to improve guideline concordance and increase confidence in selecting high benefit patients for LCS.

Impact of Implementation Facilitation on the REACH VET Clinical Program for Veterans at Risk for Suicide.

In 2017, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) implemented a national suicide prevention program, called Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health-Veterans Enhanced Treatment (REACH VET), that uses a predictive algorithm to identify, attempt to reach, assess, and care for patients at the highest risk for suicide. The authors aimed to evaluate whether facilitation enhanced implementation of REACH VET at VHA facilities not meeting target completion rates. In this hybrid effectiveness-implementation type 2 program evaluation, a quasi-experimental pre-post design was used to assess changes in implementation outcome measures evaluated 6 months before and 6 months after onset of facilitation of REACH VET implementation at 23 VHA facilities. Measures included percentages of patients with documented coordinator and provider acknowledgment of receipt, care evaluation, and outreach attempt. Generalized estimating equations were used to compare differences in REACH VET outcome measures before and after facilitation. Qualitative interviews were conducted with personnel and were explored via template analysis. Time had a significant effect in all outcomes models (p<0.001). An effect of facilitation was significant only for the outcome of attempted outreach. Patients identified by REACH VET had significantly higher odds of having a documented outreach attempt after facilitation of REACH VET implementation, compared with before facilitation. Site personnel felt supported and reported that the external facilitators were helpful and responsive. Facilitation of REACH VET implementation was associated with an improvement in outreach attempts to veterans identified as being at increased risk for suicide. Outreach is critical for engaging veterans in care.

14-Year Epidemiologic study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infection incidence and resistance in the Veterans Health Administration system, 2009-2022.

Multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) represents a serious threat to hospitalized patients. Characterizing the incidence of PA infection and degree of resistance can inform empiric treatment and preventative measures. We sought to describe trends in incidence and resistance characteristics of PA bloodstream infections (BSI) observed within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system and identify factors contributing to higher observed mortality within this population. We characterized demographic and clinical features of unique patients among the VHA population presenting with their first episode of PA-BSI between 2009 and 2022 and summarized trends related to mortality and resistance phenotype based on year and geographical location. We additionally used logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of 30-day mortality among this cohort. We identified 8039 PA-BSIs during the study period, 32.7% of which were hospital onset. Annual PA-BSI cases decreased by 35.8%, and resistance among all antimicrobial classes decreased during the study period, while the proportion of patients receiving early active treatment based on susceptibility testing results increased. Average 30-day mortality rate was 23.3%. Higher Charlson Comorbidity Index, higher mAPACHE score, VHA facility complexity 1b and hospital-onset cases were associated with higher mortality, and early active treatment was associated with lower mortality. PA-BSI resistance decreased across the VHA system during the study period. Further investigation of antimicrobial stewardship measures possibly contributing to the observed decreased resistance in this cohort and identification of measures to improve on the high mortality associated with PA-BSI in the VHA population is warranted.

"It Can't Hurt!": Why Many Patients With Limited Life Expectancy Decide to Accept Lung Cancer Screening.

Lung cancer screening (LCS) has less benefit and greater potential for iatrogenic harm among people with multiple comorbidities and limited life expectancy. Yet, such individuals are more likely to undergo screening than healthier LCS-eligible people. We sought to understand how patients with marginal LCS benefit conceptualize their health and make decisions regarding LCS. We interviewed 40 people with multimorbidity and limited life expectancy, as determined by high Care Assessment Need scores, which predict 1-year risk of hospitalization or death. Patients were recruited from 6 Veterans Health Administration facilities after discussing LCS with their clinician. We conducted a thematic analysis using constant comparison to explore factors that influence LCS decision making. Patients commonly held positive beliefs about screening and perceived LCS to be noninvasive. When posed with hypothetical scenarios of limited benefit, patients emphasized the nonlongevity benefits of LCS (eg, peace of mind, planning for the future) and generally did not consider their health status or life expectancy when making decisions regarding LCS. Most patients were unaware of possible additional evaluations or treatment of screen-detected findings, but when probed further, many expressed concerns about the potential need for multiple evaluations, referrals, or invasive procedures. Patients in this study with multimorbidity and limited life expectancy were unaware of their greater risk of potential harm when accepting LCS. Given patient trust in clinician recommendations, it is important that clinicians engage patients with marginal LCS benefit in shared decision making, ensuring that their values of desiring more information about their health are weighed against potential harms from further evaluations.

Relationship between facility number of clinicians and prescribing intensity of psychotropic medications, opioids, and antibiotics in ambulatory practice

BackgroundPromoting appropriate pharmacotherapy requires understanding the factors that influence how clinicians prescribe medications. While prior work has focused on patient and clinician factors, features of the organizational setting have received less attention, though identifying sources of variation in prescribing may help identify opportunities to improve patient safety and outcomes.ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between the number of clinicians who prescribe medications in a facility and facility prescribing intensity of six individual medication classes by clinician specialty: benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, antiepileptics, and antidepressants by psychiatrists and antibiotics, opioids, antiepileptics, and antidepressants by primary care clinicians (PCPs).DesignWe used 2017 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) administrative data.SubjectsWe included patient-clinician dyads of older patients (> 55 years) with an outpatient encounter with a clinician in 2017. Patient-clinician data from 140 VHA facilities were included (n = 13,347,658). Analysis was repeated for years 2014 to 2016.Main measuresFor each medication, facility prescribing intensity measures were calculated as clinician prescribing intensity averaged over all clinicians at each facility. Clinician prescribing intensity measures included percentage of each clinician’s patients prescribed the medication and mean number of days supply per patient among all patients of each clinician.Key resultsAs the number of prescribing clinicians in a facility increased, the intensity of prescribing decreased. Every increase of 10 facility clinicians was associated with a significant decline in prescribing intensity for both specialties for different medication classes: for psychiatrists, declines ranged from 6 to 11%, and for PCPs, from 2 to 3%. The pattern of more clinicians less prescribing was significant across all years.ConclusionFuture work should explore the mechanisms that link the number of facility clinicians with prescribing intensity for benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, antiepileptics, antidepressants, antibiotics, and opioids. Facilities with fewer clinicians may need additional resources to avoid unwanted prescribing of potentially harmful or unnecessary medications.

Diffusion of excellence: evaluating a system to identify, replicate, and spread promising innovative practices across the Veterans health administration.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Diffusion of Excellence (DoE) program provides a system to identify, replicate, and spread promising practices across the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States. DoE identifies innovations that have been successfully implemented in the VHA through a Shark Tank style competition. VHA facility and regional directors bid resources needed to replicate promising practices. Winning facilities/regions receive external facilitation to aid in replication/implementation over the course of a year. DoE staff then support diffusion of successful practices across the nationwide VHA. Organized around the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) Framework, we summarize results of an ongoing long-term mixed-methods implementation evaluation of DoE. Data sources include: Shark Tank application and bid details, tracking practice adoptions through a Diffusion Marketplace, characteristics of VHA facilities, focus groups with Shark Tank bidders, structured observations of DoE events, surveys of DoE program participants, and semi-structured interviews of national VHA program office leaders, VHA healthcare system/facility executives, practice developers, implementation teams and facilitators. In the first eight Shark Tanks (2016-2022), 3,280 Shark Tank applications were submitted; 88 were designated DoE Promising Practices (i.e., practices receive facilitated replication). DoE has effectively spread practices across the VHA, with 1,440 documented instances of adoption/replication of practices across the VHA. This includes 180 adoptions/replications in facilities located in rural areas. Leadership decisions to adopt innovations are often based on big picture considerations such as constituency support and linkage to organizational goals. DoE Promising Practices that have the greatest national spread have been successfully replicated at new sites during the facilitated replication process, have close partnerships with VHA national program offices, and tend to be less expensive to implement. Two indicators of sustainment indicate that 56 of the 88 Promising Practices are still being diffused across the VHA; 56% of facilities originally replicating the practices have sustained them, even up to 6 years after the first Shark Tank. DoE has developed a sustainable process for the identification, replication, and spread of promising practices as part of a learning health system committed to providing equitable access to high quality care.

Postoperative Outcomes Associated with the Timing of Surgery After SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Examine the association between prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, interval from infection to surgery, and adverse surgical outcomes. Earlier series have reported worse outcomes for surgery after COVID-19 illness, and these findings have led to routinely deferring surgery seven weeks after infection. We created a retrospective cohort of patients from US Veterans Health Administration facilities nationwide, April 2020-September 2022, undergoing surgical procedures. Primary outcomes were 90-day all-cause mortality and 30-day complications. Within surgical procedure groupings, SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected patients were matched in a 1:4 ratio. We categorized patients by two-week intervals from SARS-CoV-2 positive test to surgery. Hierarchical multilevel multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between infection to surgery interval versus no infection and primary endpoints. We identified 82,815 veterans undergoing eligible operations (33% general, 27% orthopedic, 13% urologic, 9% vascular), of whom 16,563 (20%) had laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to surgery. The multivariable models demonstrated an association between prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and increased 90-day mortality (odds ratio (OR) 1.42, 95% CI 1.08, 1.86) and complications (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.11, 1.57) only for patients having surgery within 14 days of infection. ASA-stratified multivariable models showed that the associations between increased 90-day mortality (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.12, 1.75) and complications (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.34, 2.24) for patients having surgery within 14 days of infection were confined to those with ASA 4-5. In a contemporary surgical cohort, patients with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection only had increased post-operative mortality or complications when they had surgery within 14 days after positive test. These findings support revising timing recommendations between surgery and prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Risk factors for oral infection and dry socket post-tooth extraction in medically complex patients in the absence of antibiotic prophylaxis: A case-control study.

Dry socket and infection are complications of tooth extractions. The objective was to determine risk factors for post-extraction complications in patients without antibiotic prophylaxis stratified by early- and late-complications and complication type (oral infection and dry socket). Retrospective, case (with complications)-control (without complications) study of patients (n=708) who had≥1 extraction performed at any Veterans Health Administration facility between 2015-2019 and were not prescribed an antibiotic 30 days pre-extraction. Early complication cases (n=109) were more likely to be female [odds ratio (OR)=2.06; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.05-4.01], younger (OR=0.29; 95% CI:0.09-0.94 patients ≥ 80 years old, reference:18-44 years), Native American/Alaska Native (OR=21.11; 95% CI:2.33-191.41) and have fewer teeth extracted (OR=0.53 3+ teeth extracted; 95% CI:0.31-0.88, reference:1 tooth extracted). Late complication cases (n=67) were more likely to have a bipolar diagnosis (OR=2.98; 95% CI:1.04-8.57), history of implant placement (OR=8.27; 95% CI:1.63-41.82), and history of past smoking (OR=2.23; 95% CI:1.28-3.88). Predictors for post-extraction complications among patients who did not receive antibiotic prophylaxis were similar to prior work in cohorts who received prophylaxis. Unique factors identified in a medically complex population included being younger, Native American/Alaska Native, having mental health conditions, history of a dental implant, and fewer teeth extracted.

Facility-Level Variation in Racial Disparities in Anticoagulation for Atrial Fibrillation: The REACH-AF Study.

Oral anticoagulation reduces stroke risk for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Prior research demonstrates lower anticoagulant prescribing in Black than in White individuals but few studies have examined racial differences in facility-level anticoagulant prescribing for AF. To assess variation in anticoagulant initiation by race within Veterans Health Administration (VA) facilities. Retrospective cohort study. Black and White patients enrolled in the VA with incident AF from 2020 through 2021. The primary outcome was rate of any anticoagulant initiation (i.e., warfarin or direct oral anticoagulant [DOAC]) or any DOAC therapy within 90days of an AF diagnosis, overall and for Black and White patients at each facility. We also estimated the adjusted Black-White risk difference. In 82 VA facilities serving 26,832 Black and White patients, overall unadjusted rates of any anticoagulant therapy ranged from 56.8 to 87.1% across facilities; the corresponding ranges for Black and White patients were 47.6 to 91.3% and 58.2 to 87.1%, respectively. Overall unadjusted rates of DOAC therapy ranged from 55.1 to 85.5% by facility; ranges for Black and White patients were 42.8 to 86.9% and 56.4 to 85.5%, respectively. The adjusted risk difference between Black and White patients ranged from - 29.9 (95% CI, - 54.9 to - 4.8) to 14.2 (95% CI, - 9.1 to 25.0) across facilities for any anticoagulant therapy and from - 28.8 (95% CI, - 58.3 to 0.8) to 15.0 (95% CI, - 8.0 to 38.1) for DOAC therapy.For any anticoagulant therapy there were 3 facilities where prescribing was statistically higher in White than Black patients; for DOAC therapy there were 5 such facilities. In a national cohort of patients with AF, we observed large facility-level variation and adjusted risk differences in any anticoagulant and DOAC initiation, overall and by race. These findings represent a target for local quality improvement in AF care.

The Role of Radical Cystectomy in Clinically Node Positive Bladder Cancer: A US Veterans Health Administration Study

IntroductionThe role of local definitive therapy in addition to systemic treatment in clinically positive regional lymph node (cN+) bladder cancer is yet to be determined. Herein, we sought to investigate the role of radical cystectomy (RC) in management of patients with cN+ bladder cancer at US Veterans Health Administration Facilities. MethodsWe identified patients diagnosed with cN+ bladder cancer between 2000-2017 using the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI). We employed a combination of database/registry coded values and chart review for data collection. To minimize mortality bias, we excluded patients who died within 90 days of diagnosis. We divided the patients into cystectomy (C) versus “no cystectomy” (NOC) cohorts. Propensity score matching was performed based on predictors of undergoing RC. Multivariable Cox models and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to estimate overall survival (OS) and cancer specific survival (CCS). ResultAfter matching, 158 patients were included in the C and NOC groups. In the C-group, 85(54%) patients received pre-cystectomy chemotherapy, and 73(46%) patients underwent post-cystectomy chemotherapy. In the C-group, 65(41%) patients and in the NOC-group, 66(42%) patients had clinical N1 disease (P = .77). In multivariable Cox model, undergoing RC was associated with improved OS (HR0.62; 95%CI 0.47-0.81), P < .001) and CSS (HR0.58; 95%CI 0.42-0.80; P < .001). ConclusionAs part of multimodal treatment, undergoing RC was associated with improved OS and CSS in subset of patients with cN+ bladder cancer. Prospective randomized trials are warranted to further investigate the role of local definitive therapy in this specific patient population.

Workforce readiness for pharmacogenomics and key elements for sustainment within the Veterans Health Administration.

Aim: Understanding barriers and facilitators to pharmacogenomics (PGx) implementation and how to structure a clinical program with the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Materials & methods: Healthcare provider (HCP) survey at 20 VA facilities assessing PGx knowledge/acceptance and qualitative interviews to understand how best to design and sustain a national program. Results: 186 (12% response rate) surveyed believed PGx informs drug efficacy (74.7%) and adverse events (71.0%). Low confidence in knowledge (43.0%) and ability to implement (35.4-43.5%). 23 (60.5% response rate) interviewees supported a nationally program to oversee VA education, consultation and IT resources. Prescribing HCPs should be directing local activities. Conclusion: HCPs recognize PGx value but are not prepared to implement. Healthcare systems should build system-wide programs for implementation education and support.