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The impact of the 2004-2005 influenza vaccine shortage in the Veterans Health Administration.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) serves a population at high risk of influenza-related morbidity and mortality. The national public health response to the vaccine shortage of the 2004-2005 season resulted in prioritization of recipients and redistribution of available supply. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the impact of the 2004-2005 influenza vaccine shortage on vaccination among users of VHA facilities. DESIGN: Analysis using data from the cross-sectional VHA Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients. PARTICIPANTS: Outpatients seen in VHA clinics during the months September 2004-March 2005. MEASUREMENTS: Sociodemographics, vaccination prevalence, setting of vaccination, and reasons cited for not getting vaccinated. RESULTS: Influenza vaccination prevalence among VHA outpatients aged 50-64 was 56% and for those aged > or = 65 was 86%. Compared to the 2 previous seasons, this estimate was lower for patients age 50-64 but similar for patients > or = 65. After adjustment for patient characteristics, unvaccinated patients aged 50-64 were 8.3 (95% CI 6.0, 11.4) times as likely to cite that they were told they were not eligible for vaccination because of the national shortage compared to patients > or = 65. Regional VHA variation in vaccination receipt and shortage-related reasons for nonvaccination was small. CONCLUSIONS: The national influenza vaccine shortage of 2004-2005 primarily affected VHA users aged 50-64, consistent with the tiered prioritization guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Despite the shortage, vaccination prevalence among VHA users > or = 65 remained high.

SUBMITTER: Kahwati LC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2305749 | biostudies-other | 2007 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:ObjectiveIn the United States, adult cannabis use has increased over time, but less information is available on time trends in cannabis use disorder. The authors used Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data to examine change over time in cannabis use disorder diagnoses among veterans, an important population subgroup, and whether such trends differ by age group (<35 years, 35-64 years, ≥65 years), sex, or race/ethnicity.MethodsVHA electronic health records from 2005 to 2019 (range of Ns per year, 4,403,027-5,797,240) were used to identify the percentage of VHA patients seen each year with a cannabis use disorder diagnosis (ICD-9-CM, January 1, 2005-September 30, 2015; ICD-10-CM, October 1, 2015-December 31, 2019). Trends in cannabis use disorder diagnoses were examined by age and by race/ethnicity and sex within age groups. Given the transition in ICD coding, differences in trends were tested within two periods: 2005-2014 (ICD-9-CM) and 2016-2019 (ICD-10-CM).ResultsIn 2005, the percentages of VHA patients diagnosed with cannabis use disorder in the <35, 35-64, and ≥65 year age groups were 1.70%, 1.59%, and 0.03%, respectively; by 2019, the percentages had increased to 4.84%, 2.86%, and 0.74%, respectively. Although the prevalence of cannabis use disorder was consistently higher among males than females, between 2016 and 2019, the prevalence increased more among females than males in the <35 year group. Black patients had a consistently higher prevalence of cannabis use disorder than other racial/ethnic groups, and increases were greater among Black than White patients in the <35 year group in both periods.ConclusionsSince 2005, diagnoses of cannabis use disorder have increased substantially among VHA patients, as they have in the general population and other patient populations. Possible explanations warranting investigation include decreasing perception of risk, changing laws, increasing cannabis potency, stressors related to growing socioeconomic inequality, and use of cannabis to self-treat pain. Clinicians and the public should be educated about the increases in cannabis use disorder in general in the United States, including among patients treated at the VHA.

Project description:ImportanceCannabis use disorder (CUD) is increasing among US adults. Few national studies have addressed the role of medical cannabis laws (MCLs) and recreational cannabis laws (RCLs) in these increases, particularly in patient populations with high rates of CUD risk factors.ObjectiveTo quantify the role of MCL and RCL enactment in the increases in diagnosed CUD prevalence among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients from 2005 to 2019.Design, setting, and participantsStaggered-adoption difference-in-difference analyses were used to estimate the role of MCL and RCL in the increases in prevalence of CUD diagnoses, fitting a linear binomial regression model with fixed effects for state, categorical year, time-varying cannabis law status, state-level sociodemographic covariates, and patient age group, sex, and race and ethnicity. Patients aged 18 to 75 years with 1 or more VHA primary care, emergency department, or mental health visit and no hospice/palliative care within a given calendar year were included. Time-varying yearly state control covariates were state/year rates from American Community Survey data: percentage male, Black, Hispanic, White, 18 years or older, unemployed, income below poverty threshold, and yearly median household income. Analysis took place between February to December 2022.Main outcomes and measuresAs preplanned, International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification, ninth and tenth revisions, CUD diagnoses from electronic health records were analyzed.ResultsThe number of individuals analyzed ranged from 3 234 382 in 2005 to 4 579 994 in 2019. Patients were largely male (94.1% in 2005 and 89.0% in 2019) and White (75.0% in 2005 and 66.6% in 2019), with a mean (SD) age of 57.0 [14.4] years. From 2005 to 2019, adjusted CUD prevalences increased from 1.38% to 2.25% in states with no cannabis laws (no CLs), 1.38% to 2.54% in MCL-only enacting states, and 1.39% to 2.56% in RCL-enacting states. Difference-in-difference results indicated that MCL-only enactment was associated with a 0.05% (0.05-0.06) absolute increase in CUD prevalence, ie, that 4.7% of the total increase in CUD prevalence in MCL-only enacting states could be attributed to MCLs, while RCL enactment was associated with a 1.12% (95% CI, 0.10-0.13) absolute increase in CUD prevalence, ie, that 9.8% of the total increase in CUD prevalence in RCL-enacting states could be attributed to RCLs. The role of RCL in the increases in CUD prevalence was greatest in patients aged 65 to 75 years, with an absolute increase of 0.15% (95% CI, 0.13-0.17) in CUD prevalence associated with RCLs, ie, 18.6% of the total increase in CUD prevalence in that age group.Conclusions and relevanceIn this study of VHA patients, MCL and RCL enactment played a significant role in the overall increases in CUD prevalence, particularly in older patients. However, consistent with general population studies, effect sizes were relatively small, suggesting that cumulatively, laws affected cannabis attitudes diffusely across the country or that other factors played a larger role in the overall increases in adult CUD. Results underscore the need to screen for cannabis use and CUD and to treat CUD when it is present.

Project description:Background and aimsWhile long-term medication-assisted treatment (MAT) using methadone or buprenorphine is associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), periods of initiating or discontinuing treatment are associated with higher mortality risks relative to stable treatment. This study aimed to identify the OUD treatment durations necessary for the elevated mortality risks during treatment transitions to be balanced by reductions in mortality while receiving treatment.DesignSimulation model based on a compartmental model of OUD diagnosis, MAT receipt and all-cause mortality among Veterans with OUD in the United States Veterans Health Administration (VA) in 2017-2018. We simulated methadone and buprenorphine treatments of varying durations using parameters obtained through calibration and published meta-analyses of studies from North America, Europe and Australia.SettingUnited States.ParticipantsSimulated cohorts of 10 000 individuals with OUD.MeasurementsAll-cause mortality over 12 months.FindingsReceiving methadone for 4 months or longer or buprenorphine for 2 months or longer resulted in 54 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 5-90] and 65 (95% CI = 21-89) fewer deaths relative to not receiving MAT for the same duration, using VA-specific mortality rates. We estimated shorter treatment durations necessary to achieve net mortality benefits of 2 months or longer for methadone and 1 month or longer for buprenorphine, using non-VA population literature estimates. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that necessary treatment durations increased more with smaller mortality reductions on treatment than with larger relative risks during treatment transitions.ConclusionsShort periods (< 6 months) of treatment with either methadone or buprenorphine are likely to yield net mortality benefits for people with opioid use disorder relative to receiving no medications, despite periods of elevated all-cause mortality risk during transitions into and out of treatment. Retaining people with opioid use disorder in treatment longer can increase these benefits.

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The impact of the 2004-2005 influenza vaccine shortage in the Veterans Health Administration.

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