Quality of opioid prescribing in older adults with or without Alzheimer disease and related dementia.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Pain is common among individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), and use of opioids has been increasing over the last decade. Yet, it is unclear to what extent opioids are appropriately prescribed for patients with ADRD and whether the appropriateness of opioid prescribing differs by ADRD status. The objective of this study is to compare the quality of opioid prescribing among patients with or without ADRD who have chronic noncancer pain.Methods
A nationally representative cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries aged 50 years or older who had chronic pain but who had no cancer, hospice, or palliative care from 2011 to 2015. Four indicators of potentially inappropriate opioid prescribing were measured in patients residing in communities (75,258 patients with and 435,870 patients without ADRD); five indicators were assessed in patients in nursing homes (NHs) (37,117 patients with and 5128 patients without ADRD). Each indicator was calculated as the proportion of eligible patients with inappropriate opioid prescribing in the year after a chronic pain diagnosis. Differences in proportions between ADRD and non-ADRD groups were estimated using a generalized linear model adjusting for covariates through inverse probability weighting.Results
Patients with ADRD versus those without had higher concurrent use of opioids and central nervous system-active drugs (community 44.1% vs 33.3%; NH 58.8% vs 54.1%, both P < 0.001) and no opioids or scheduled pain medications for moderate or severe pain (NH 60.1% vs 52.5%, P < 0.001). The ADRD versus non-ADRD group had higher use of long-term opioids for treating neuropathic pain in communities (21.7% vs 19.5%, P = 0.003) but lower use in NHs (26.9% vs 36.0%, P < 0.001). Use of strong or high-dose opioids when naive to opioids (community 1.5% vs 2.8%; NH 2.5% vs 3.5%) and use of contraindicated opioids (community 0.08% vs 0.12%; NH 0.05% vs 0.21%) were rare for either group.Conclusion
Potential inappropriate opioid prescribing in 2 areas of pain care was more common among patients with ADRD than among patients without ADRD in community or NH settings. Further studies aimed at understanding the factors and effects associated with opioid prescribing patterns that deviate from guidelines are warranted.
SUBMITTER: Wei YJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8061026 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:ImportanceDementia is common in Parkinson disease, but few data exist on dementia treatment patterns or the concurrent use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (ACHEIs) and anticholinergic medications, a frank prescribing error.ObjectivesTo describe dementia treatment patterns, and to determine the extent to which the concurrent use of ACHEIs and drugs with strong anticholinergic activity occurs among individuals with Parkinson disease in the United States.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional analysis included adult Medicare beneficiaries (aged 65 years or older) with Parkinson disease diagnosis with 12 consecutive months of inpatient, outpatient, and prescription drug coverage from January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2014. Beneficiaries with other parkinsonian syndromes were excluded. Demographic, geographic, prescription claims, and other data were extracted from the 2014 Carrier, Beneficiary Summary, and Prescription Drug Event research identifiable files of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Data analysis was conducted from August 1, 2017, to November 30, 2017.Main outcomes and measuresPrimary outcomes were use of dementia drug, specific dementia medication, and concurrent exposure to a high-potency anticholinergic drug and an ACHEI. Descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression models determined the extent to which patient characteristics and comorbid conditions were associated with dementia treatment or with a high-potency anticholinergic and ACHEI never event.ResultsOf 268 407 Medicare beneficiaries with Parkinson disease (mean [SD] age, 78.9 [7.5]; 134 575 male [50.1%]), most were identified in the files as white (232 831 [86.7%]), followed by black (14 629 [5.5%]), Hispanic (7176 [2.7%]), Asian (7115 [2.7%]), and Native American (874 [0.3%]). Among these beneficiaries, 73 093 (27.2%) were given a prescription for at least 1 antidementia medication. The most commonly prescribed medication was donepezil hydrochloride (46 027 [63.0%] users), followed by memantine hydrochloride (30 578 [41.8%] users) and rivastigmine tartrate (19 278 [26.4%] users). Dementia drugs were more likely to be prescribed to black (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.28-1.38) and Hispanic (AOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.22-1.35) beneficiaries and less likely for Native American beneficiaries (AOR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.51-0.74). Women were less likely than men to be given a prescription for dementia medication (AOR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.84-0.87). Of the 64 017 beneficiaries receiving an ACHEI, 28 495 (44.5%) experienced at least 1 high-potency anticholinergic-ACHEI event. Hispanic (AOR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.00-1.23) and women (AOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.25-1.35) beneficiaries had greater odds of experiencing this never event. Statistically significant clusters of the prevalence of this prescribing error were observed across the United States (Moran I = 0.24; P < .001), with clusters of high prevalence in the southern and midwestern states.Conclusions and relevanceDementia medication use by persons with Parkinson disease varies by race/ethnicity and sex; potentially inappropriate prescribing is common among those being treated for cognitive impairment and varies by race/ethnicity, sex, and geography. These findings may serve as national and local targets for improving care quality and outcomes for persons with Parkinson disease.
| S-EPMC6382612 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo describe the continuity of opioid prescribing and prescriber characteristics among older adults with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) who are on long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) and to evaluate the association of continuity of opioid prescribing and prescriber characteristics with the risk of opioid-related adverse events.Study designNested case-control design.MethodsThis study employed a nested case-control design using a 5% random sample of the national Medicare administrative claims data for 2012-2016. Eligible individuals experiencing a composite outcome of opioid-related adverse events were defined as cases and matched to controls using incidence density sampling. Continuity of opioid prescribing (operationalized using the Continuity of Care Index) and prescriber specialty were assessed among all eligible individuals. Conditional logistic regression was conducted to assess the relationships of interest after accounting for known confounders.ResultsIndividuals with low (odds ratio [OR], 1.45; 95% CI, 1.08-1.94) and medium (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.04-1.79) continuity of opioid prescribing were found to have greater odds of experiencing a composite outcome of opioid-related adverse events compared with individuals with high prescribing continuity. Fewer than 1 in 10 (9.2%) older adults starting a new LTOT episode received at least 1 prescription from a pain specialist. Receiving a prescription from a pain specialist was not significantly associated with the outcome in adjusted analyses.ConclusionsWe found that higher continuity of opioid prescribing, but not provider specialty, was significantly associated with fewer opioid-related adverse outcomes among older adults with CNCP.
| S-EPMC10851930 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesPrepandemic research suggests assistance networks for older adults grow over time and are larger for those living with dementia. We examined how assistance networks of older adults changed in response to the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and whether these changes differed for those with and without dementia.MethodsWe used 3 rounds of the National Health and Aging Trends Study. We estimated multinomial logistic regression models to test whether changes in assistance networks during COVID-19 (2019-2020)-defined as expansion, contraction, and adaptation-differed from changes prior to COVID-19 (2018-2019). We also estimated ordinary least squares regression models to test differences in the numbers of helpers assisting with one (specialist) versus multiple (generalist) domains before and during COVID-19. For both sets of outcomes, we investigated whether pandemic-related changes differed for those with and without dementia.ResultsOver all activity domains, a greater proportion of assistance networks adapted during COVID-19 compared to the pre-COVID-19 period (relative risk ratio = 1.19, p < .05). Contractions in networks occurred for those without dementia. Transportation assistance contracted for those with and without dementia, and mobility/self-care assistance contracted for those with dementia. The average number of generalist helpers decreased during COVID-19 (β = -0.09, p < .001).DiscussionEarly in the pandemic, assistance networks of older adults adapted by substituting helpers, by contracting to reduce exposures with more intimate tasks for recipients with dementia, and by reducing transportation assistance. Future research should explore the impact of such changes on the well-being of older adults and their assistance networks.
| S-EPMC9384500 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The study compared distress levels among two groups of older adults who had been newly prescribed an antidepressant by their primary care physician, those with major depressive disorder (MDD) and those without MDD.This analysis used a convenience sample of participants (N=231) who had been newly prescribed an antidepressant in a randomized controlled trial of a program to improve antidepressant adherence and depression outcomes among older adults (?55). After determining the proportion of participants with and without MDD (using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV), the authors compared groups on demographic, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics, including the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey physical and mental component summary scores (PCS and MCS). Logistic regression was used to test the association of these characteristics with antidepressant use in the absence of MDD.Most (57%) participants did not have MDD. This group was older (69.4 versus 64.7, p<.001), had a larger proportion of white participants (82% versus 56%, p<.001), and reported better physical (PCS, 43.4 versus 39.9, p=.03) and emotional (MCS, 40.2 versus 30.5, p<.001) well-being compared with the group with MDD. In the final regression model, white race (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.11, p=.03) and better emotional well-being (AOR=1.16, p<.001) were associated with antidepressant use in the absence of MDD.Older adults prescribed antidepressants in the absence of MDD did not report similar distress levels compared with their counterparts with MDD. Given the continued emphasis on screening for depression in primary care, it is important to consider the potential for overtreatment.
| S-EPMC5411328 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo measure the burden of delirium in older adults with or without Alzheimer disease or related disorders (ADRDs).DesignProspective, observational cohort.SettingInpatient hospital and study participants' homes.ParticipantsA subset (n = 267) of older medical and surgical patients and their caregivers enrolled in the Better Assessment of Illness study.MeasurementsDelirium burden was measured using the DEL-B instrument (range = 0-40, with higher scores indicating greater burden) in caregivers (DEL-B-C) and patients 1 month after hospitalization. Severity of cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA]), delirium presence (Confusion Assessment Method [CAM]), and delirium severity (CAM-Severity [CAM-S]) were measured during hospitalization and at 1-month follow-up. ADRD diagnosis was determined by a clinical consensus process.ResultsFor patients with (n = 56) and without (n = 211) ADRD, both DEL-B instruments had good internal consistency. DEL-B-C scores had a median (interquartile range) among caregivers of patients with and without ADRD of 9 (5-15) and 5 (1-11), respectively (P < .05). If the patient developed delirium, caregivers experienced greater burden (β[delirium × ADRD] = -.29; P = .42), regardless of ADRD status. Further, caregiver burden was modestly correlated with patient MoCA scores (Spearman correlation coefficient, ρ = -0.18; P = .01). Patients with ADRD who developed delirium self-reported less burden than those without ADRD (β[delirium × ADRD] = -.67; P = .044). As with caregivers, delirium burden was modestly correlated with patient MoCA score (ρ = -0.18; P = .005) and correlated with the CAM-S in patients without ADRD (ρ = 0.38; P < .001) but not for patients with ADRD (ρ = -0.07; P = .61).ConclusionsDelirium resulted in the same degree of increased caregiver burden regardless of whether a patient had ADRD, signifying delirium is equally stressful to caregivers, even among those with experience caring for someone with a chronic cognitive disorder. Delirium burden is only modestly associated with degree of cognitive impairment, suggesting that other aspects of delirium contribute to burden. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2587-2592, 2019.
| S-EPMC6898752 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceAdults with dementia may experience poorer quality of chronic disease management because of the difficulty in reporting symptoms and engaging in shared decision-making associated with cognitive impairment.ObjectiveTo compare the quality of chronic disease management received by adults with and without dementia.Design, setting, and participantsFor this cross-sectional study, nationally representative data from noninstitutionalized patients 65 years or older were obtained from the 2002-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The control group comprised adults of similarly limited life expectancy without dementia comprised . Data analysis was performed in June 2020.ExposuresDementia diagnosis.Main outcomes and measuresQuality of chronic disease management based on 14 individual quality indicators. The association between dementia status and the quality of chronic disease management (3 composite categories: preventive care, diabetes care, and medication treatment) was examined using multivariable linear regression models. Survey weights, sampling strata, and primary sampling unit variables were used to produce national estimates adjusted for nonresponse.ResultsThis study included 2506 adults (mean [SD] age, 81.4 [4.7] years; 1259 [49.3%] female; 1243 [50.7%] male), of whom 1335 (53.3%) had a diagnosis of dementia and 1171 (46.7%) did not have a diagnosis of dementia. After adjusting for potential confounders, adults with dementia received lower-quality preventive care compared with adults of similar life expectancy without dementia (adjusted absolute difference [aAD], -6.1 percentage points [pp]; 95% CI, -9.7 to -2.5 pp; P = .001). We found no evidence that the quality of care differed in diabetes care (aAD, 1.7 pp; 95% CI, -4.5 to 7.9 pp; P = .59) and medication treatment (aAD, 1.0 pp; 95% CI, -5.0 to 7.0 pp; P = .75).Conclusions and relevanceIn this cross-sectional study, the quality of chronic disease management for adults with dementia was not substantially different from that for those without dementia despite potential barriers. Future studies are warranted to gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of these findings for preventive care.
| S-EPMC8120327 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Introduction:We assess trends in opioid administration and prescribing from 2005-2015 in older adults in United States (U.S.) emergency departments (ED). Methods:We analyzed data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) survey from 2005 to 2015. ED visits for painful conditions were selected and stratified by age (18-64, 65-74, 75-84, ? 85 years). We analyzed trends in opioid administration in the ED and prescribing at discharge to encounters ? 65 and assessed predictors of use using survey-weighted chi-square tests and logistic regression. Trends in the use of five commonly prescribed opioids were also explored. Results:Opioid administration in the ED and prescribing at discharge for encounters with patients ? 65 years fell overall, but not significantly. By contrast, opioid administration in the ED and prescribing at discharge significantly declined for adult encounters 18-64 by 20% and 32%, respectively. A similar proportion of adult encounters ? 65 were administered opioids in the ED as 18-64, but adult encounters ? 85 had the lowest rates of administration. A smaller proportion of adult encounters ? 65 years with painful conditions were prescribed opioids at discharge compared to <65. However, this age-related disparity in prescribing narrowed over the study period. There were shifts in the specific types of opioids administered and prescribed in adult encounters ? 65 years over the study period, with the most notable being a 76% increase in hydromorphone administration comparing 2005-06 to 2014-15. Conclusion:From 2005-15, 1 in 4 to 1 in 10 ED patients with painful conditions were administered or prescribed an opioid in U.S. EDs. Opioids prescribing increased from 2005-11 and then declined from 2012-15, more so among visits in the 18-64 age group compared to ? 65 years. Opioid administrating demonstrated a gradual rise and decline in all adult age groups. Age consistently appears to be an important consideration, where opioid prescribing declines with advancing age. Given the nationwide opioid crisis, ED providers should remain vigilant in limiting opioids, particularly in older adults who are at higher risk for adverse effects.
| S-EPMC6040900 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo examine the differences in opioid prescribing by cognitive status following common elective surgical procedures among Medicare beneficiaries.BackgroundOlder individuals commonly experience changes in cognition with age. Although opioid prescribing is common after surgery, differences in opioid prescribing after surgery by cognitive status are poorly understood.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of patients ≥65 years participating in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) linked with Medicare claims data who underwent surgeries between January 2007 and November 2016 and had cognitive assessments before the index operation. Cognitive status was defined as normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia. Outcomes assessed were initial perioperative opioid fill rates, refill rates, and high-risk prescriptions fill rates. The total amount of opioids filled during the 30-day postdischarge period was also assessed. Adjusted rates were estimated for patient factors using the Cochran-Armitage test for trend.ResultsAmong the 1874 patients included in the analysis, 68% had normal cognition, 21.3% had MCI, and 10.7% had dementia. Patients with normal cognition (58.1%) and MCI (54.5%) had higher initial preoperative fill rates than patients with dementia (33.5%) (P < 0.001). Overall, patients with dementia had similar opioid refill rates (21%) to patients with normal cognition (24.1%) and MCI (26.5%) (P = 0.322). Although prior opioid exposure did not differ by cognitive status (P = 0.171), among patients with high chronic preoperative use, those with dementia had lower adjusted prescription sizes filled within 30 days following discharge (281 OME) than patients with normal cognition (2147 OME) and MCI (774 OME) (P < 0.001; P = 0.009 respectively). Among opioid-naive patients, patients with dementia also filled smaller prescription sizes (97 OME) compared to patients with normal cognition (205 OME) and patients with MCI (173 OME) (P < 0.001 and P = 0.019, respectively).ConclusionsPatients with dementia are less likely to receive postoperative prescriptions, less likely to refill prescriptions, and receive prescriptions of smaller sizes compared to patients with normal cognition or MCI. A cognitive assessment is an additional tool surgeons can use to determine a patient's individualized postoperative pain control plan.
| S-EPMC10513135 | biostudies-literature
Project description:AimTo examine the risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementia (ADRD) among adults with cerebral palsy (CP).MethodUsing administrative insurance claims data for 2007 to 2017 in the USA, we identified adults (45y or older) with a diagnosis of CP (n=5176). Adults without a diagnosis of CP were included as a typically developing comparison group (n=1 119 131). Using age, sex, ethnicity, other demographic variables, and a set of chronic morbidities, we propensity-matched individuals with and without CP (n=5038). Cox survival models were used to estimate ADRD risk within a 3-year follow up.ResultsThe unadjusted incidence of ADRD was 9 and 2.4 times higher among cohorts of adults 45 to 64 years (1.8%) and 65 years and older (4.8%) with CP than the respective unmatched individuals without CP (0.2% and 2.0% among 45-64y and 65y or older respectively). Fully adjusted survival models indicated that adults with CP had a greater hazard for ADRD (among 45-64y: unmatched hazard ratio 7.48 [95% confidence interval {CI} 6.05-9.25], matched hazard ratio 4.73 [95% CI 2.72-8.29]; among 65y or older: unmatched hazard ratio 2.21 [95% CI 1.95-2.51], matched hazard ratio 1.73 [1.39-2.15]).InterpretationClinical guidelines for early screening of cognitive function among individuals with CP need updating, and preventative and/or therapeutic services should be used to reduce the risk of ADRD.
| S-EPMC10424101 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Hippocampal atrophy is observed with ageing and age-related neurodegenerative disease. Identification of the genetic correlates of hippocampal volume (HV) and atrophy may assist in elucidating the mechanisms of ageing and age-related neurodegeneration. Using two community cohorts of older Caucasians we estimated the heritability of HV and examined associations of HV with previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In addition we undertook genome-association studies (GWAS) examining HV and HV atrophy. Participants were community-dwelling non-demented older adults from the longitudinal Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (Sydney MAS) (N = 498) and the Older Australian Twins Study (OATS) (N = 351) aged 65 and over. HV was measured using T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. Heritability of HV was estimated in OATS. Genome-wide genotyping was imputed using the 1K Genomes reference set. Associations with HV-candidate and Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related SNPs were investigated. A GWAS examining HV (in both cohorts) and an exploratory GWAS of HV atrophy over two years (in Sydney MAS only) were also undertaken. HV heritability was estimated at 62-65%. The previously identified GWAS HV SNP (rs6581612) and the candidate BDNF SNP (rs6265) were nominally significant (p = 0.047 and p = 0.041 respectively). No AD-related SNPs, including the APOE ?4 polymorphism, were significant. No significant results were observed for either of the GWAS undertaken. Despite our estimate of a high heritability of HV, our results are consistent with a highly polygenic model suggesting that SNPs identified from prior studies, including GWAS meta-analyses, can be difficult to replicate in smaller samples of older adults.
| S-EPMC4308067 | biostudies-literature