Vaccine Administration in Children’s Hospitals

OBJECTIVES: To examine inpatient vaccine delivery across a national sample of children’s hospitals. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study examining vaccine administration at 49 children’s hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System database. Children <18 years old admitted between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2019, and age eligible for vaccinations were included. We determined the proportion of hospitalizations with ≥1 dose of any vaccine type administered overall and by hospital, the type of vaccines administered, and the demographic characteristics of children who received vaccines. We calculated adjusted hospital-level rates for each vaccine type by hospital. We used logistic and linear regression models to examine characteristics associated with vaccine administration. RESULTS: There were 1 185 667 children and 1 536 340 hospitalizations included. The mean age was 5.5 years; 18% were non-Hispanic Black, and 55% had public insurance. There were ≥1 vaccine doses administered in 12.9% (95% confidence interval: 12.8–12.9) of hospitalizations, ranging from 1% to 45% across hospitals. The most common vaccines administered were hepatitis B and influenza. Vaccine doses other than the hepatitis B birth dose and influenza were administered in 1.9% of hospitalizations. Children had higher odds of receiving a vaccine dose other than the hepatitis B birth dose or influenza if they were <2 months old, had public insurance, were non-Hispanic Black race, were medically complex, or had a length of stay ≥3 days. CONCLUSIONS: In this national study, few hospitalizations involved vaccine administration with substantial variability across US children's hospitals. Efforts to standardize inpatient vaccine administration may represent an opportunity to increase childhood vaccine coverage.

Understanding out-of-pocket spending and financial hardship among patients who succumb to cancer and their caregivers

Background In most countries, including those with national health insurance or comprehensive public insurance, some expenses for cancer treatment are borne by the ill and their families. Objectives This study aims to identify the areas of out-of-pocket (OOP) spending in the last half-year of the lives of cancer patients and examine the extent of that spending; to examine the probability of OOP spending according to patients’ characteristics; and to examine the financial burden on patients’ families. Methods 491 first-degree relatives of cancer patients (average age: 70) who died 3–6 months before the study were interviewed by telephone. They were asked about their OOP payments during the last-half year of the patient's life, the nature of each payment, and whether it had imposed a financial burden on them. A logistic regression and ordered logit models were used to estimate the probability of OOP expenditure and the probability of financial burden, respectively. Results Some 84% of cancer patients and their relatives incurred OOP expenses during the last half-year of the patient’s life. The average levels of expenditure were US$5800on medicines, $8000 on private caregivers, and $2800 on private nurses. The probability of paying OOP for medication was significantly higher among patients who were unable to remain alone at home and those who were less able to make ends meet. The probability of spending OOP on a private caregiver or private nurse was significantly higher among those who were incapacitated, unable to remain alone, had neither medical nor nursing-care insurance, and were older. The probability of a financial burden due to OOP was higher among those unable to remain alone, the incapacitated, and those without insurance, and lower among those with above-average income, those with better education, and patients who died at home. Conclusions The study yields three main insights. First, it is crucial that oncology services provide cancer patients with detailed information about their entitlements and refer them to the National Insurance Institute so that they can exercise those rights. Second, oncologists should relate to the financial burden associated with OOP care at end of life. Finally, it is important to sustain the annual increase in budgeting for technologies and pharmaceuticals in Israel and to allocate a significant proportion of those funds to the addition new cancer treatments to the benefits package; this can alleviate the financial burden on patients who need such treatments and their families.

Disparities of Care in Post-Concussive Pediatric Patients

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the association between insurance status and prevalence of follow up care at a tertiary referral center compared to the emergency department.BackgroundConcussions are extremely common in today's society, affecting patients of all demographic backgrounds. There is concern that public insurance status may affect follow up care at tertiary treatments centers compared to children with private insurance, as evidenced by Copley et al. who documented insurance disparities between children presenting to a sports medicine clinic with orthopedic injuries verses concussion.Design/MethodsWe compared insurance status of patients presenting to our pediatric concussion clinic to the insurance status of patients diagnosed with concussion at the emergency department of our tertiary hospital. From 2018 to 2019, 725 patients received an ICD-10 diagnosis code for concussion in our clinic. Patients were excluded if insurance status was not available for the clinic visit (4), or if they were lost to follow up (380). ICD-10 codes for concussion during the same period were recorded from the COA emergency department (ED). The insurance status was then recorded for each patient.ResultsOf the 345 patients included from the COA concussion clinic, 253 (73%) patients had private insurance while only 92 (27%) had public insurance. In comparison, of the 1,160 patients diagnosed with concussion in the COA ED, 642 (55%) patients had private insurance, 478 (41%) had public insurance, 37 (3.1%) were self-pay, and 3 (0.3%) were listed as “other.”ConclusionsThere is a significant difference in the insurance status of patients with concussion that present to the COA ED when compared to those presenting to concussion clinic. As a result, children with public insurance may have prolonged recovery and more significant symptoms burden compared to children with private insurance.

Avoiding material hardship: The buffer function of wealth

We assess how a variety of disruptive life-course events impact the economic wellbeing of US households and trace the importance of household wealth in helping families who experience these events avoid entering a spell of material hardship. Using longitudinal data from two panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), we draw on direct measures of material hardship, disruptive events and household assets. Our analyses reveal that the relationship between disruptive events and the likelihood of experiencing a new spell of material hardship strongly varies across the wealth distribution, suggesting that high household wealth provides an effective private safety net. By distinguishing different types of disruptive events, we demonstrate that divorce, disability and income loss entail a risk of material hardship but also that this risk is effectively buffered by substantial wealth. Different types of hardship – namely, financial, food and medical hardship – respond in similar ways. Like public insurance schemes, wealth insurance helps buffer the effects of disruptive events on material hardship, but unlike public insurance schemes, reliance on private wealth further stratifies the economic wellbeing of households. Policy options for addressing this highly stratified private insurance scheme include disposing of the need for it by funding more robust public insurance, for instance through wealth taxation.

Power as a Source of Risk

The problem of risk connected with the power administration requires a rethinking of traditional ideas about power. Its images of law and sovereignty, disciplinary domination within the framework of modern forms of government need to be rethought. The information theory of power developed by N. Luhmann and the concept of governmentality of M. Foucault are directed against the ideology of the subject, where the ruling subject is one of the effective means and images of power. For both Foucault and Luhmann, power is immanent in its own manifestations, it is synchronous with all transformations in the macrostructures of society and is not outside, but inside. For Luhmann, the risk of power is the risk of a decision. The topic of risk is not at all in the domain of the subject dimension; it must be sought in the state of the temporal and social dimension. However, modern society should present possible threats not in the risk mode, but in the danger mode. The problem is that it is impossible to identify false or correct decisions. Once the decision is made, the risk cannot be avoided. If there are no risk-free solutions, the multiplication of research and knowledge would not make it possible to move from risk to reliability. Luhmann's position is opposed by the followers of M. Foucault, who supplement the concept of government with the idea of reflexive control. Reflexive control abstracts from solution problems. For this direction, risk is a way of thinking about the world. Therefore, the task of management is to identify risky objects and accordingly coordinate management tasks and determine measures to eliminate or reduce the risk. The industrial society tried to protect itself by means of some kind of social contract against the dangers and damage generated by this society. A system of private and public insurance was established. Modern society questions the principle of insurance because it is unable to insure itself against the mega-hazards of nuclear energy or catastrophic climate change. The four pillars of "computable risks" are crumbling: compensation, constraint, security and computation. The risk has ceased to be calculable. Its incalculability characterizes the current state of society.

Characteristics of Patients Who Attend the 7- to 10-Day Postpartum Visit for Blood Pressure Evaluation

Objective To assess maternal characteristics that predict attendance of postpartum blood pressure evaluation in patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Study Design A retrospective case–control study of patients with HDP delivering at a single academic institution (2014–2018). Diagnosis of HDP included gestational hypertension, chronic hypertension, preeclampsia, and superimposed preeclampsia. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to determine maternal characteristics independently associated with attendance of the 7- to 10-day postpartum blood pressure evaluation. Results Of the 1,041 patients included in the analysis, 603 (57.9%) attended the 7- to 10-day postpartum blood pressure check. Maternal sociodemographic, clinical, and obstetric factors differed significantly between patients who attended the postpartum blood pressure visit and those who did not. In univariable analyses, nulliparity, non-Hispanic black race and ethnicity, public insurance, HDP with severe features, cesarean birth, gestational age at delivery, receipt of magnesium, mild-range blood pressures on day of discharge, and initiation of antihypertensive medication were associated with attendance of the 7- to 10-day postpartum visit. In multivariable analysis, factors significantly associated with higher odds of attending the blood pressure visit were nulliparity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.58; 95% confidence interval: [CI]: 1.14–2.17), severe HDP (aOR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.44–2.61), and cesarean birth (aOR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.43–2.59). In contrast, factors associated with lower odds of attendance were non-Hispanic black race and ethnicity compared with non-Hispanic white (aOR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.47–0.97), and public insurance (aOR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45–0.93) compared with private insurance. Conclusion Clinical factors such as nulliparity, severe HDP, and cesarean birth were associated with higher rates of postpartum blood pressure evaluation attendance, whereas sociodemographic factors such as maternal non-Hispanic black race and ethnicity and public insurance were associated with lower odds of postpartum blood pressure check attendance. Key Points

Human Milk Cessation in the NICU in Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Objective To identify factors associated with cessation of human milk prior to NICU discharge for infants diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Study Design Participants were recruited from the Johns Hopkins BPD Clinic between January 2016 and October 2018. Clinical and demographic characteristics were analyzed based on whether participants stopped human milk before or after NICU discharge. Results Of the 224 infants included, 109 (48.7%) infants stopped human milk prior to discharge. The median duration of human milk intake was less for infants who stopped prior to discharge compared to those who continued after discharge (2 vs 8 months, p<0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, pulmonary hypertension (OR: 2.90; p=0.016), public insurance (OR: 2.86; p<0.001), and length of NICU admission (OR: 1.26 per additional month; p=0.002) were associated with human milk cessation prior to NICU discharge. Conclusion Infants with BPD who have severe medical comorbidities and markers of lower socioeconomic status may be at higher risk for earlier human milk discontinuation.

Telemedicine Has Acceptable Usability and High Satisfaction in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic presented exceptional challenges to caring for adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) and necessitated a rapid transition to telemedicine, disrupting established care systems within a population that already faces unique and challenging medical needs. Although implementation of telemedicine care assumed reliable patient access to the requisite technology, as well as adequate spaces in which to complete visits, pre-pandemic barriers to in-person visits were also considerable, and many patients lacked access to reliable transportation and childcare or could not afford to miss work to attend clinic. Given the scarcity of research on the acceptability of telemedicine care for SCD patients, the pandemic has provided a critical and necessary opportunity to study patient satisfaction when using telemedicine modalities for regular SCD care. The objective of this study was to identify which patient groups rate telemedicine high in satisfaction and usability. Methods: We surveyed 99 patients of the Sickle Cell Clinic for adults at Johns Hopkins who had any form of SCD, were age 18 or above, and participated in at least one video visit between March-July 2020. Telemedicine satisfaction was assessed by the Telemedicine Satisfaction Questionnaire (TSQ), and usability was assessed by the System Usability Scale (SUS). Patients' engagement in their healthcare was assessed by the Patient Activation Measure (PAM13). We conducted linear regression with TSQ and SUS as outcomes and participant characteristics as predictors. Results: Participant characteristics (briefly, mean age 39, 95% African American, 72% female, and 81% with education level above high school) and their association with TSQ and SUS are shown in Table 1. Mean SUS was 72/100 (SD 15), slightly above the defined average usability of 68; mean TSQ was 4.1 (SD 0.5) on a 5-point Likert scale. Participants tended to prefer video visits for their regular care (mean rating of 6.6/10, SD 2.9) but not for management of acute pain (mean rating of 4.9/10, SD 3.2). Participants who preferred video visits for regular SCD care reported higher SUS (p&lt;0.01) and TSQ (p&lt;0.001). We examined the effects of age, sex, income, and education level on TSQ and SUS; higher SUS was associated with an education level above high school (p&lt;0.05), but no other associations were consistently significant. Higher SUS was also associated with having private insurance compared to public insurance (p&lt;0.01) and being employed full-time compared to being unemployed (p&lt;0.05). Disability status was negatively associated with SUS (p&lt;0.05) but not TSQ. PAM13 was associated with higher telemedicine approval as measured by both TSQ and SUS (p&lt;0.01). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that telemedicine has above-average usability and high satisfaction for SCD patients, regardless of age, sex, and income. Patients who were more engaged with their healthcare were more likely to rate telemedicine satisfaction and usability high. Because SUS was negatively associated with disability, lower education level, public insurance, and unemployment, patients within these groups may need more assistance with telemedicine. To improve usability, clinics may consider incorporating support services for patients who have difficulty using telemedicine platforms. Altogether, telemedicine demonstrates promising acceptability to SCD patients across multiple demographic groups and may serve as another method in the toolkit for increasing accessibility to high quality care for these patients. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Lanzkron: Pfizer: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy; GBT: Research Funding; Teva: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Shire: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Imara: Research Funding.

157. Impact of Pharmacist-Generated Oral Antimicrobial Test Prescription on Discharge Medication Access and Outcome

Background Cost barriers to accessing discharge oral antimicrobials (ABX) may delay discharges and result in suboptimal discharge ABX. Use of electronic test prescriptions (eTP) or “price checks” is controversial due to potential for erroneous dispensing. This study evaluated discharge ABX access and outcome after implementation of a standardized, inpatient pharmacist-initiated ABX eTP process in collaboration with discharge pharmacy. Methods IRB approved, retrospective, cross-sectional cohort pilot-study. Inclusion: home bound adults admitted for ≥ 72 hours from 1/1/18-2/28/19 and discharged on oral ABX. Patients with an ABX eTP prior to discharge were compared to those discharged on ABX but no eTP. Data were reported using descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis. Primary endpoint: discharge delay after medical stability. Secondary endpoints: medication access, unplanned encounters, and % of patients discharged on first-line ABX. Results 84 patients included: 43 no-ETP and 41 eTP. 75 ABX eTP evaluated among 41 patients. Patients in the no-eTP group had higher Charlson comorbidity index (P = 0.004) and immunosuppression (24% vs. 12%; P = 0.014). Median length of stay, days: 6 (5 – 9) eTP vs. 8 (5 – 15) no-eTP (P = 0.026). Most common eTP requested by pharmacist: linezolid (17, 23%) and oral vancomycin (12, 16%) (Figure 1). eTP results were documented in the medical record in &lt; 24 hours for 66 (88%) of inquiries. 49 (65%) prescriptions were approved by insurance; 16 (21%) had no out of pocket cost and 8 (11%) required prior authorization (PA) (Table 1). Linezolid (5, 35%) and public insurance (10, 71%) were frequently associated with barriers. 29 (70%) patients were discharged on the same ABX as the eTP. There were no discharge delays or erroneous dispensing. 14 (33%) no-eTP and 15 (37%) eTP patients experienced unplanned healthcare encounters after discharge. 9/84 (11%) patients were discharged on suboptimal ABX. Non-white race 8/9 (89%) P = 0.047 and public insurance 8/9 (89%) P = 0.063 were associated with suboptimal discharge ABX. Figure 1. Oral Antimicrobial Test Prescription Pattern (n=75) Table 1. Oral Antimicrobial Test Prescription Result (n=75) Conclusion A standardized eTP process appears to be a safe way to evaluate out of pocket cost without prolonging length of stay. Future work will focus on inequity in access to first line ABX. Disclosures Susan L. Davis, PharmD, Nothing to disclose Rachel Kenney, PharmD, Medtronic, Inc. (Other Financial or Material Support, spouse is an employee and shareholder)