Building and experimenting with an agent-based model to study the population-level impact of CommunityRx, a clinic-based community resource referral intervention
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SUBMITTER: Lindau S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8568099 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Community resource referral systems have been implemented into care settings that serve persons with dementia but with little input from caregivers. Focus groups were conducted with African American, Hispanic, and Asian caregivers to describe their preferences for community resource referral information. Caregivers discussed the significance of a community resource list for dementia caregiving and self-care and articulated strategies for effective information delivery during a medical visit. Most caregivers acknowledged that resource needs change with progression of dementia, but no patterns emerged with regard to preference for information delivered incrementally based on disease stage or all at once. Hispanic and Asian caregivers felt that resource information should specify service providers' language and cultural capabilities. All caregivers agreed that delivery by a member of the care team with knowledge of dementia-specific resources would be most effective. Optimal delivery of community resource referrals is caregiver-centered and customizable to individual and subgroup preferences.
| S-EPMC8501155 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundConnecting patients to community-based resources is now a cornerstone of modern healthcare that supports self-management of health. The mechanisms that link resource information to behavior change, however, remain poorly understood.ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of CommunityRx, an automated, low-intensity resource referral intervention, on patients' knowledge, beliefs, and use of community resources.DesignReal-world controlled clinical trial at an urban academic medical center in 2015-2016; participants were assigned by alternating week to receive the CommunityRx intervention or usual care. Surveys were administered at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months.ParticipantsPublicly insured adults, ages 45-74 years.InterventionCommunityRx generated an automated, personalized list of resources, known as HealtheRx, near each participant's home using condition-specific, evidence-based algorithms. Algorithms used patient demographic and health characteristics documented in the electronic health record to identify relevant resources from a comprehensive, regularly updated database of health-related resources in the study area.Main measuresUsing intent-to-treat analysis, we examined the impact of HealtheRx referrals on (1) knowledge of the most commonly referred resource types, including healthy eating classes, individual counseling, mortgage assistance, smoking cessation, stress management, and weight loss classes or groups, and (2) beliefs about having resources in the community to manage health.Key resultsIn a real-world controlled trial of 374 adults, intervention recipients improved knowledge (AOR?=?2.15; 95% CI, 1.29-3.58) and beliefs (AOR?=?1.68; 95% CI, 1.07-2.64) about common resources in the community to manage health, specifically gaining knowledge about smoking cessation (AOR?=?2.76; 95% CI, 1.07-7.12) and weight loss resources (AOR?=?2.26; 95% CI 1.05-4.84). Positive changes in both knowledge and beliefs about community resources were associated with higher resource use (P?=?0.02).ConclusionsIn a middle-age and older population with high morbidity, a low-intensity health IT intervention to deliver resource referrals promoted behavior change by increasing knowledge and positive beliefs about community resources for self-management of health.Nih trial registryNCT02435511.
| S-EPMC7080911 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Substance use among people living with HIV is high, and screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based approach to addressing the issue. We examined whether patients would participate in a technology-based SBIRT program in an urban HIV clinic. An SBIRT intervention was programmed into the clinic's web-based patient portal linked to their personal health record. We examined: demographic, health, HIV, and substance use characteristics of participants who completed the web-based intervention compared to those who did not. Fewer than half of the 96 participants assigned to the web-based SBIRT completed it (n = 39; 41 %). Participants who completed the web-based intervention had significantly higher amphetamine SSIS scores than those who did not complete the intervention. Participants whose substance use is more harmful may be more motivated to seek help from a variety of sources. In addition, it is important that technology-based approaches to behavioral interventions in clinics take into consideration feasibility, client knowledge, and comfort using technology.
| S-EPMC4547536 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundInterest is growing in interventions to address social needs in clinical settings. However, little is known about patients' perceptions and experiences with these interventions.ObjectiveTo evaluate patients' experiences and patient-reported outcomes of a primary care-based intervention to help patients connect with community resources using trained volunteer advocates.DesignQualitative telephone interviews with patients who had worked with the volunteer advocates. Sample and recruitment targets were equally distributed between patients who had at least one reported success in meeting an identified need and those who had no reported needs met, based on the database used to document patient encounters.ParticipantsOne hundred two patients.InterventionsPatients at the study clinic were periodically screened for social needs. If needs were identified, they were referred to a trained volunteer advocate who further assessed their needs, provided them with resource referrals, and followed up with them on whether their need was met.ApproachThematic analysis was used to code the data.Key resultsInterviewed patients appreciated the services offered, especially the follow-up. Patients' ability to access the resource to which they were referred was enhanced by assistance with filling out forms, calling community resources, and other types of navigation. Patients also reported that interacting with the advocates made them feel listened to and cared for, which they perceived as noteworthy in their lives.ConclusionsThis patient-reported information provides key insights into a human-centered intervention in a clinical environment. Our findings highlight what works in clinical interventions addressing social needs and provide outcomes that are difficult to measure using existing quantitative metrics. Patients experienced the intervention as a therapeutic relationship/working alliance, a type of care that correlates with positive outcomes such as treatment adherence and quality of life. These insights will help design more patient-centered approaches to providing holistic patient care.
| S-EPMC7018904 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAlcohol screening and brief intervention have demonstrated efficacy but limited effectiveness and implementation in real-world primary care settings.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a computerized Relational Agent programmed to provide alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment. We hypothesized that participants in the experimental condition would report greater reductions in their drinking and higher rates of brief intervention and referrals to specialty care compared to those in treatment as usual (TAU).DesignThis was a Hybrid I implementation design and stratified RCT. Participants were randomized to TAU or Relational Agent + TAU and assessed at baseline and 3-month follow-up.ParticipantsA total of 178 veteran participants were recruited by referral from primary care staff after a positive alcohol screen, or via letter sent do patients screening positive during recent visit.Intervention(s)TAU involved yearly reminders to screen alcohol use and provide brief intervention and treatment referrals, as needed. The Relational Agent added an automated brief intervention, a 1-month follow-up Relational Agent visit, and referral to treatment if needed.Main measuresWe measured average drinks per day, drinking days per week, number of brief interventions, and number of referrals over 3 months.Key resultsParticipants decreased their drinking in both study conditions, with no significant between-group differences on primary alcohol measures. However, Relational Agent + TAU participants evidenced greater improvements regarding negative alcohol-related consequences over 3 months, and were significantly more likely to receive a brief intervention and referral to specialty care.ConclusionsThe Relational Agent successfully provided brief intervention and referred many more patients to specialty care and was able to intervene with patients with less severe drinking without increasing primary care burden.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov , NCT02030288, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/home.
| S-EPMC8212899 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The time, quality, and cost are three important but contradictive objectives in a building construction project. It is a tough challenge for project managers to optimize them since they are different parameters. This paper presents a time-cost-quality optimization model that enables managers to optimize multiobjectives. The model is from the project breakdown structure method where task resources in a construction project are divided into a series of activities and further into construction labors, materials, equipment, and administration. The resources utilized in a construction activity would eventually determine its construction time, cost, and quality, and a complex time-cost-quality trade-off model is finally generated based on correlations between construction activities. A genetic algorithm tool is applied in the model to solve the comprehensive nonlinear time-cost-quality problems. Building of a three-storey house is an example to illustrate the implementation of the model, demonstrate its advantages in optimizing trade-off of construction time, cost, and quality, and help make a winning decision in construction practices. The computational time-cost-quality curves in visual graphics from the case study prove traditional cost-time assumptions reasonable and also prove this time-cost-quality trade-off model sophisticated.
| S-EPMC3929567 | biostudies-other
Project description:Introduction:The National Academy of Medicine recently published "A Multifaceted Systems Approach to Addressing Stress Within Health Professions Education and Beyond," which calls for greater attention to the wellness of health care providers, students, and educators. Suggested actions include "creating and training positive role models." In order for faculty to role-model behaviors of wellness, they need to understand what this means and how to incorporate it into their lives. At present, there is only one other MedEdPORTAL resource on wellness and resilience that includes faculty as audience members. Methods:This 60-minute workshop is designed to provide faculty with a basic framework for wellness, with an emphasis on the emotional process aspect of resilience. Strategies for stress and anxiety management are reviewed. The workshop is interactive, with large- and small-group discussions, as well as a guided meditation. Results:This workshop was given at the 2017 Council of Faculties Business Meeting at the American Dental Education Association Annual Session, with 40 participants. Workshop evaluations, completed by 34 (85%) attendees, showed an overall rating of 4.0 on a 5-point Likert scale, with 5 = excellent. The workshop was repeated at the School of Dentistry at the University of California, San Francisco, with 11 attendees; there, the overall rating was 4.7. Discussion:In order to contribute to a culture of wellness and resilience in their organization, faculty need training on the concepts, as well as practical skills for implementation. This workshop provides introductory-level knowledge and skills.
| S-EPMC6338201 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundThis trial examined the efficacy of a clinic-based weight loss intervention in cancer survivors.MethodsThis single-center phase II trial randomized survivors of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies to a 15-week group-based weight loss intervention that included caloric restriction and physical activity (n = 30) or a wait-list control intervention (n = 30). The primary study outcome was body mass. Secondary study outcomes included body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, physical fitness using the 6-min walk test (6MWT), and concentrations of serum biomarkers.ResultsParticipants in the intervention group lost 5.6 ± 4.4% of baseline weight (4.6 ± 3.9 kg), whereas participants in the control group gained 0.2 ± 2.4% of baseline weight (0.2 ± 2.0 kg); intervention effect - 5.8% (95% CI - 7.8, - 3.8); - 4.8 kg (95% CI - 6.6, - 3.0); P = 0.0001. A larger proportion of participants in the intervention group lost ≥ 5% of baseline weight compared to the control group (43 vs 0%; P < 0.0001). The intervention led to reductions in fat mass (- 3.2 ± 0.7 kg; P < 0.0001), improvements in physical fitness (an increase of 22.6 ± 10.8 m on 6MWT; P = 0.03), and reductions in concentrations of insulin (- 7.7 ± 3.5 μU/mL; P = 0.004) and leptin (- 7.3 ± 4.0 ng/mL; P = 0.04).ConclusionA 15-week clinic-based weight loss intervention resulted in significant weight loss and improvements in body composition, physical fitness, and concentrations of serum biomarkers in cancer survivors.Implications for cancer survivorsWeight loss programs provide a number of benefits for cancer survivors; survivors should inquire about the availability of lifestyle programs offered at their cancer center and within their local communities.
| S-EPMC5886810 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We identified child-level predictors of responsiveness to 2 types of mathematics (calculation and word-problem) intervention among 2nd-grade children with mathematics difficulty. Participants were 250 children in 107 classrooms in 23 schools pretested on mathematics and general cognitive measures and posttested on mathematics measures. We assigned classrooms randomly assigned to calculation intervention, word-problem intervention, or business-as-usual control. Intervention lasted 17 weeks. Path analyses indicated that scores on working memory and language comprehension assessments moderated responsiveness to calculation intervention. No moderators were identified for responsiveness to word-problem intervention. Across both intervention groups and the control group, attentive behavior predicted both outcomes. Initial calculation skill predicted the calculation outcome, and initial language comprehension predicted word-problem outcomes. These results indicate that screening for calculation intervention should include a focus on working memory, language comprehension, attentive behavior, and calculations. Screening for word-problem intervention should focus on attentive behavior and word problems.
| S-EPMC5560604 | biostudies-other
Project description:BACKGROUND:The Reducing Disparities in Access to kidNey Transplantation Community Study (RaDIANT) was an End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network 6-developed, dialysis facility-level randomized trial testing the effectiveness of a 1-year multicomponent education and quality improvement intervention in increasing referral for kidney transplant evaluation among selected Georgia dialysis facilities. METHODS:To assess implementation of the RaDIANT intervention, we conducted a process evaluation at the conclusion of the intervention period (January-December 2014). We administered a 20-item survey to the staff involved with transplant education in 67 dialysis facilities randomized to participate in intervention activities. Survey items assessed facility participation in the intervention (fidelity and reach), helpfulness and willingness to continue intervention activities (sustainability), suggestions for improving intervention components (sustainability), and factors that may have influenced participation and study outcomes (context). We defined high fidelity to the intervention as completing 11 or more activities, and high participation in an activity as having at least 75% participation across intervention facilities. RESULTS:Staff from 65 of the 67 dialysis facilities completed the questionnaire, and more than half (50.8%) reported high adherence (fidelity) to RaDIANT intervention requirements. Nearly two-thirds (63.1%) of facilities reported that RaDIANT intervention activities were helpful or very helpful, with 90.8% of facilities willing to continue at least one intervention component beyond the study period. Intervention components with high participation emphasized staff and patient-level education, including in-service staff orientations, patient and family education programs, and patient educational materials. Suggested improvements for intervention activities emphasized addressing financial barriers to transplantation, with financial education materials perceived as most helpful among RaDIANT educational materials. Variation in facility-level fidelity of the RADIANT intervention did not significantly influence the mean difference in proportion of patients referred pre- (2013) and post-intervention (2014). CONCLUSIONS:We found high fidelity to the RaDIANT multicomponent intervention at the majority of intervention facilities, with sustainability of select intervention components at intervention facilities and feasibility for dissemination across ESRD Networks. Future modification of the intervention should emphasize financial education regarding kidney transplantation and amend intervention components that facilities perceive as time-intensive or non-sustainable. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT02092727 . Registered 13 Mar 2014 (retrospectively registered).
| S-EPMC5769303 | biostudies-literature