Comparing the Ratio of Therapist Support to Internet Sessions in a Blended Therapy Delivered to Trauma-Exposed Veterans (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marylene Cloitre ◽  
Miryam Wassef ◽  
Julianna B. Hogan ◽  
Terri L. Fletcher ◽  
Christie Jackson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Experimental Comparison ◽  
Completion Rates ◽  
Treatment Conditions ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Symptom Outcome ◽  
Therapist Support

BACKGROUND Blended models which incorporate elements of both internet and face-to-face therapies have been shown to be effective. Therapist and patients have expressed concerns that less rather more therapy sessions relative to self-guided internet sessions may be associated with lower therapeutic alliance, lower program completion rates and poorer outcomes. OBJECTIVE A multi-site quasi-experimental comparison study with a noninferiority design conducted in routine clinical care was used to assess webSTAIR, a 10-module blended therapy for trauma-exposed individuals delivered with 10 weekly therapist sessions (Coach10) compared to 5 biweekly sessions (Coach5). It was hypothesized that Coach5 would be “as good as” Coach10 regarding a range of outcomes. METHODS : A total of 202 Veterans were enrolled in the study (Coach5 n = 101, Coach10 n = 101). PTSD symptoms, depression, emotion regulation, interpersonal problems and social functioning measures were collected at pretreatment, mid, posttreatment and 3-month follow-up. Noninferiority analyses were conducted on symptom outcome measures. Comparisons of continuous and categorical measures regarding participant and therapist activities were conducted. RESULTS : Participants reported moderate to severe levels of baseline PTSD and/or depression. Significant reductions were obtained on all symptom measures at post and 3-month follow-up. Coach5 was not inferior to Coach10 on any outcome. Therapeutic alliance was high and equivalent across the two treatment conditions and completion rates and web usage were similar. Coach5 therapists’ total session time was substantially less than Coach10. Both programs were associated with a low and equal number of therapist activities related to scheduling and crisis/motivational sessions. CONCLUSIONS A blended model delivered with 5 sessions of therapist support was noninferior to 10 sessions among individuals with moderate to severe symptoms. Future studies identifying patient characteristics as moderators of outcomes in high versus low dose of therapist support will help create flexible technology-based intervention programming.

Improving PICC use and outcomes in hospitalised patients: an interrupted time series study using MAGIC criteria

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 271-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lakshmi Swaminathan ◽  
Scott Flanders ◽  
Mary Rogers ◽  
Yvonne Calleja ◽  
Ashley Snyder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Absolute Difference ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Multimodal Intervention ◽  
Hospitalised Patients ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Future Work

BackgroundAlthough important in clinical care, reports of inappropriate peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) use are growing.ObjectiveTo test whether implementation of the Michigan Appropriateness Guide for Intravenous Catheters (MAGIC) can improve PICC use and patient outcomes.DesignQuasi-experimental, interrupted time series design at one study site with nine contemporaneous external controls.SettingTen hospitals participating in a state-wide quality collaborative from 1 August 2014 to 31 July 2016.Patients963 hospitalised patients who received a PICC at the study site vs 6613 patients at nine control sites.InterventionA multimodal intervention (tool, training, electronic changes, education) derived from MAGIC.MeasurementsAppropriateness of PICC use and rates of PICC-associated complications. Segmented Poisson regression was used for analyses.ResultsAbsolute rates of inappropriate PICC use decreased substantially at the study site versus controls (91.3% to 65.3% (−26.0%) vs 72.2% to 69.6% (−2.6%); P<0.001). After adjusting for underlying trends and patient characteristics, however, a marginally significant 13.8% decrease in inappropriate PICC use occurred at the study site (incidence rate ratio 0.86 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.99; P=0.048)); no change was observed at control sites. While the incidence of all PICC complications decreased to a greater extent at the study site, the absolute difference between controls and intervention was small (33.9% to 26.7% (−7.2%) vs 22.4% to 20.8% (−1.6%); P=0.036).LimitationsNon-randomised design limits inference; the most effective component of the multimodal intervention is unknown; effects following implementation were modest.ConclusionsIn a multihospital quality improvement project, implementation of MAGIC improved PICC appropriateness and reduced complications to a modest extent. Given the size and resources required for this study, future work should consider cost-to-benefit ratio of similar approaches.

Diagnostic Challenges for the Mental Health Team and Psychiatrist

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna Myers ◽  
John J. Barry
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Inpatient Setting ◽  
Developmentally Delayed ◽  
Psychiatric Interview ◽  
Mental Health Team ◽  
Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures ◽  
Nonepileptic Seizures ◽  
High Event

Establishing a positive therapeutic alliance during the initial psychiatric interview allows the clinician to collect the necessary diagnostic information and can have a significant impact on a patient’s decision to follow up with treatment recommendations once the diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) is determined. When evaluating a patient with suspected PNES in an out- or inpatient setting, there are a variety of clinician behaviors that can support or obstruct the establishment of a positive therapeutic alliance. Similarly, a number of typical patient characteristics in PNES can affect the psychiatric assessment. In this chapter, these characteristics and behaviors are discussed, a clinician checklist is provided, and dialogue boxes illustrate a few common patient–clinician interactions, hypothetical challenges, and clinician responses. Distinctive challenges, including interaction with specific PNES subtypes (i.e., developmentally delayed, malingering, or hostile patients) and patients who are effectively incapacitated by high event frequency and systemic barriers, are presented.

Early Intervention for Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder: Quasi-Experimental Comparison with Treatment as Usual

2009 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 397-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Chanen ◽  
Henry J. Jackson ◽  
Louise K. McCutcheon ◽  
Martina Jovev ◽  
Paul Dudgeon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Intervention ◽  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Experimental Comparison ◽  
Global Functioning ◽  
Treatment As Usual ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Rate Of Improvement

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of specialized team-based early intervention for borderline personality disorder (BPD) with treatment as usual. Method: In a quasi-experimental design, 32 outpatients who received historical treatment as usual (H-TAU) were compared with 78 participants from a recently published randomized controlled trial of cognitive analytic therapy (CAT; n = 41) versus manualized good clinical care (GCC; n = 37), conducted in a specialized early intervention service for BPD (the Helping Young People Early (HYPE) programme). All participants were 15–18-year-old outpatients who fulfilled 2–9 DSM-IV BPD criteria. It was predicted that, compared with H-TAU, HYPE + GCC and HYPE + CAT would show greater reductions in psychopathology and parasuicidal behaviour and greater improvement in global functioning over 24months. Results: At 24month follow up: (i) HYPE + CAT had lower standardized levels of, and a significantly faster standardized rate of improvement in, internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, compared with H-TAU; and (ii) HYPE + GCC had lower standardized levels of internalizing psychopathology and a faster rate of improvement in global functioning than H-TAU. HYPE + CAT yielded the greatest median improvement on the four continuous outcome measures over 24months. No adverse effects were shown with any of the treatments. Conclusions: Specialized early intervention for subsyndromal or full-syndrome BPD is more effective than TAU, with HYPE + CAT being the most effective intervention. Reform of existing services using the HYPE model might yield substantial improvements in patient outcomes.

scholarly journals Establishment of an internationally agreed minimum data set for acute telestroke

2020 ◽  
pp. 1357633X1989926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique A Cadilhac ◽  
Kathleen L Bagot ◽  
Bart M Demaerschalk ◽  
Gordian Hubert ◽  
Lee Schwamm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Expert Panel ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
International Comparisons ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Modified Delphi ◽  
Modified Delphi Technique ◽  
Minimum Dataset

Introduction Globally, the use of telestroke programmes for acute care is expanding. Currently, a standardised set of variables for enabling reliable international comparisons of telestroke programmes does not exist. The aim of the study was to establish a consensus-based, minimum dataset for acute telestroke to enable the reliable comparison of programmes, clinical management and patient outcomes. Methods An initial scoping review of variables was conducted, supplemented by reaching out to colleagues leading some of these programmes in different countries. An international expert panel of clinicians, researchers and managers ( n = 20) from the Australasia Pacific region, USA, UK and Europe was convened. A modified-Delphi technique was used to achieve consensus via online questionnaires, teleconferences and email. Results Overall, 533 variables were initially identified and harmonised into 159 variables for the expert panel to review. The final dataset included 110 variables covering three themes (service configuration, consultations, patient information) and 12 categories: (1) details about telestroke network/programme ( n = 12), (2) details about initiating hospital ( n = 10), (3) telestroke consultation ( n = 17), (4) patient characteristics ( n = 7), (5) presentation to hospital ( n = 5), (6) general clinical care within first 24 hours ( n = 10), (7) thrombolysis treatment ( n = 10), (8) endovascular treatment ( n = 13), (9) neurosurgery treatment ( n = 8), (10) processes of care beyond 24 hours ( n = 7), (11) discharge information ( n = 5), (12) post-discharge and follow-up data ( n = 6). Discussion The acute telestroke minimum dataset provides a recommended set of variables to systematically evaluate acute telestroke programmes in different countries. Adoption is recommended for new and existing services.

Awareness of Pregnant Women for COVID-19 Infection

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erhan Okuyan ◽  
Emre Gunakan ◽  
Sertaç Esin
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Home Birth ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Emotional Status ◽  
Prevention Method ◽  
And Behavior

Covid outbreak has been getting worse and spread affected all over the world. Pregnant patients are also vulnerable to respiratory diseases. We aimed to evaluate the awareness, emotional status, and behavior of pregnant during the COVID outbreak. This study's main benefit is to analyze the knowledge and understanding of pregnant women about the pandemic and draw attention to the prevention issues that need improvement. This research is a prospective observational study that 199 patients subjected to a questionnaire including 29 questions about patient characteristics, pregnancy information, knowledge about COVID19-infection, behavioral and emotional changes. 130 (65.3) of the patients stated an above-average knowledge level. Television was the most frequent information source (75.4%, n:150) and was the only information source for 90 (45.1%) of the patients. Sixty-nine patients used more than one information source. More than one prevention method uses by 149 (75%) of the patients. Washing hands (n:183, 92.0%) and cleaning the house (n:122, 61.3%) were the most preferred methods. Only 55 (27.6%) of the patients used a mask for prevention. 88(44.2%) of the patients stated that they preferred a shorter hospital stay, and 75 (37.7%) of the patients indicated that they postponed or avoided the pregnancy follow-up visits due to the COVID-19 issue. Pregnant women seem to be aware and stressed of COVID-19, but knowledge of what to do seems insufficient. Patients informed of risks of COVID infection, unplanned hospital admission, and chances of avoiding necessary visits and home birth demands.

Biomarkers of Acromegaly and Growth Hormone Action

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (12) ◽  
pp. 1231-1245
Author(s):  
Filippo Maffezzoni ◽  
Teresa Porcelli ◽  
Andrea Delbarba ◽  
Letizia Pezzaioli ◽  
Carlo Cappelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Hormone ◽  
Biological Markers ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Hormone Deficiency ◽  
Surrogate Outcomes ◽  
Current State ◽  
Growth Hormone Action ◽  
Igf I ◽  
Definition Of

: Biological markers (biomarkers) play a key role in drug development, regulatory approval and clinical care of patients and are linked to clinical and surrogate outcomes. : Both acromegaly and Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) are pathological conditions related to important comorbidities that, in addition to having stringent diagnostic criteria, require valid markers for the definition of treatment, treatment monitoring and follow-up. GH and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are the main biomarkers of GH action in children and adults while, in acromegaly, both GH and IGF-I are established biomarkers of disease activity. : However, although GH and IGF-I are widely validated biomarkers of GHD and acromegaly, their role is not completely exhaustive or suitable for clinical classification and follow-up. Therefore, new biological markers for acromegaly and GH replacement therapy are strongly needed. : The aim of this paper is to review and summarize the current state in the field pointing out new potential biomarkers for acromegaly and GH use/abuse.

scholarly journals The importance of maternal pregnancy vitamin D for offspring bone health: learnings from the MAVIDOS trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 1759720X2110069
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Moon ◽  
Elizabeth M. Curtis ◽  
Stephen J. Woolford ◽  
Shanze Ashai ◽  
Cyrus Cooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Bone Development ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Positive Effects

Optimisation of skeletal mineralisation in childhood is important to reduce childhood fracture and the long-term risk of osteoporosis and fracture in later life. One approach to achieving this is antenatal vitamin D supplementation. The Maternal Vitamin D Osteoporosis Study is a randomised placebo-controlled trial, the aim of which was to assess the effect of antenatal vitamin D supplementation (1000 IU/day cholecalciferol) on offspring bone mass at birth. The study has since extended the follow up into childhood and diversified to assess demographic, lifestyle and genetic factors that determine the biochemical response to antenatal vitamin D supplementation, and to understand the mechanisms underpinning the effects of vitamin D supplementation on offspring bone development, including epigenetics. The demonstration of positive effects of maternal pregnancy vitamin D supplementation on offspring bone development and the delineation of underlying biological mechanisms inform clinical care and future public-health policies.

scholarly journals Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt-Associated Surgical Site Infection With Three- Versus Twelve-Month Follow-Up in Canadian Hospitals

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s157-s157
Author(s):  
Kelly Baekyung Choi ◽  
John Conly ◽  
Blanda Chow ◽  
Joanne Embree ◽  
Bonita Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Site Infection ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Csf Shunt ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Site Infection ◽  
Infection Surveillance ◽  
Surgical Manipulation ◽  
National Systems

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) after cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) shunt surgery is thought to be acquired intraoperatively. Biomaterial-associated infection can present up to 1 year after surgery, but many national systems have shortened follow-up to 90 days. We compared 3- versus 12-month follow-up periods to determine the nature of case ascertainment in the 2 periods. Methods: Participants of any age with placement of an internal CSF shunt or revision surgical manipulation of an existing internal shunt identified in the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP) participating hospitals between 2006 and 2018 were eligible. We excluded patients with external shunting devices or culture-positive CSF at the time of surgery. Patients were followed for 12 months after surgery for the primary outcome of a CSF infection with a positive CSF culture by review of laboratory and health records. Patients were categorized as adult (aged ≥18 years) or pediatric (aged < 18 years). The infection rate was expressed as the number of CSF shunt-associated infections divided by the number of shunt surgeries per 100 procedures. Results: In total, 325 patients (53% female) met inclusion criteria in 14 hospitals from 7 provinces were identified. Overall, 46.1% of surgeries were shunt revisions and 90.3% of shunts were ventriculoperitoneal. For pediatric patients, the median age was 0.7 years (IQR, 0.2–7.0). For adult patients, the median age was 47.9 years (IQR, 29.6–64.6). The SSI rates per 100 procedures were 3.69 for adults and 3.65 for pediatrics. The overall SSI rates per 100 procedures at 3 and 12 months were 2.74 (n = 265) and 3.48 (n = 323), respectively. By 3 months (90 days), 82% of infection cases were identified (Fig. 1). The median time from procedure to SSI detection was 30 days (IQR, 10–65). No difference was found in the microbiology of the shunt infections at 3- and 12-month follow-ups. The most common pathogens were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (43.6 %), followed by S. aureus (24.8 %) and Propionibacterium spp (6.5 %). No differences in age distribution, gender, surgery type (new or revision), shunt type, or infecting organisms were observed when 3- and 12-month periods were compared. Conclusions: CSF-SSI surveillance for 3 versus 12 months would capture 82.0% (95% CI, 77.5–86.0) of cases, with no significant differences in the patient characteristics, surgery types, or pathogens. A 3-month follow-up can reduce resources and allow for more timely reporting of infection rates.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

scholarly journals Real-World Outcomes of Ivacaftor Treatment in People with Cystic Fibrosis: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1527
Author(s):  
Jamie Duckers ◽  
Beth Lesher ◽  
Teja Thorat ◽  
Eleanor Lucas ◽  
Lisa J. McGarry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Real World ◽  
Safety Profile ◽  
Clinical Trial Data ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Healthcare Resource Utilization ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Clinical Benefits

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare, progressive, multi-organ genetic disease. Ivacaftor, a small-molecule CF transmembrane conductance regulator modulator, was the first medication to treat the underlying cause of CF. Since its approval, real-world clinical experience on the use of ivacaftor has been documented in large registries and smaller studies. Here, we systematically review data from real-world observational studies of ivacaftor treatment in people with CF (pwCF). Searches of MEDLINE and Embase identified 368 publications reporting real-world studies that enrolled six or more pwCF treated with ivacaftor published between January 2012 and September 2019. Overall, 75 publications providing data from 57 unique studies met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Studies reporting within-group change for pwCF treated with ivacaftor consistently showed improvements in lung function, nutritional parameters, and patient-reported respiratory and sino-nasal symptoms. Benefits were evident as early as 1 month following ivacaftor initiation and were sustained over long-term follow-up. Decreases in pulmonary exacerbations, Pseudomonas aeruginosa prevalence, and healthcare resource utilization also were reported for up to 66 months following ivacaftor initiation. In studies comparing ivacaftor treatment to modulator untreated comparator groups, clinical benefits similarly were reported as were decreases in mortality, organ-transplantation, and CF-related complications. The safety profile of ivacaftor observed in these real-world studies was consistent with the well-established safety profile based on clinical trial data. Our systematic review of real-world studies shows ivacaftor treatment in pwCF results in highly consistent and sustained clinical benefit in both pulmonary and non-pulmonary outcomes across various geographies, study designs, patient characteristics, and follow-up durations, confirming and expanding upon evidence from clinical trials.

scholarly journals Strategies to Integrate Genomic Medicine into Clinical Care: Evidence from the IGNITE Network

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 647
Author(s):  
Nina R. Sperber ◽  
Olivia M. Dong ◽  
Megan C. Roberts ◽  
Paul Dexter ◽  
Amanda R. Elsey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Precision Medicine ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Genomic Medicine ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Implementing Change ◽  
Implementation Outcomes ◽  
Planning Framework

The complexity of genomic medicine can be streamlined by implementing some form of clinical decision support (CDS) to guide clinicians in how to use and interpret personalized data; however, it is not yet clear which strategies are best suited for this purpose. In this study, we used implementation science to identify common strategies for applying provider-based CDS interventions across six genomic medicine clinical research projects funded by an NIH consortium. Each project’s strategies were elicited via a structured survey derived from a typology of implementation strategies, the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC), and follow-up interviews guided by both implementation strategy reporting criteria and a planning framework, RE-AIM, to obtain more detail about implementation strategies and desired outcomes. We found that, on average, the three pharmacogenomics implementation projects used more strategies than the disease-focused projects. Overall, projects had four implementation strategies in common; however, operationalization of each differed in accordance with each study’s implementation outcomes. These four common strategies may be important for precision medicine program implementation, and pharmacogenomics may require more integration into clinical care. Understanding how and why these strategies were successfully employed could be useful for others implementing genomic or precision medicine programs in different contexts.

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