Implementation of a multidisciplinary treatment team for hepatocellular cancer at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center improves survival.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Chang TT
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2597312 | biostudies-other | 2008
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:Quality Improvement Success Stories are published by the American Diabetes Association in collaboration with the American College of Physicians, Inc., and the National Diabetes Education Program. This series is intended to highlight best practices and strategies from programs and clinics that have successfully improved the quality of care for people with diabetes or related conditions. Each article in the series is reviewed and follows a standard format developed by the editors of Clinical Diabetes. The following article describes the establishment of a Diabetes Prevention Clinic for veterans with prediabetes.
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Project description:The effectiveness of medications for PTSD in general has been well studied, but the effectiveness of medicatio.ns prescribed specifically for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) nightmares is less well known. This retrospective chart review examined the efficacy of various medications used in actual treatment of PTSD nightmares at one Veteran Affairs Hospital. Records at the Salem, VA Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) were examined from 2009 to 2013 to check for the efficacy of actual treatments used in comparis.on with treatments suggested in three main review articles. The final sample consisted of 327 patients and 478 separate medication trials involving 21 individual medications plus 13 different medication combinations. The three most frequently utilized medications were prazosin (107 trials), risperidone (81 trials), and quetiapine (72 trials). Five medications had 20 or more trials with successful results (partial to full nightmare cessation) in >50% of trials: risperidone (77%, 1.0-6.0 mg), clonidine (63%, 0.1-2.0 mg), quetiapine (50%, 12.5-800.0 mg), mirtazapine (50%; 7.5-30.0 mg), and terazosin (64%, 50.0-300.0 mg). Notably, olanzapine (2.5-10.0) was successful (full remission) in all five prescription trials in five separate patients. Based on the clinical results, the use of risperidone, clonidine, terazosin, and olanzapine warrants additional investigation in clinically controlled trials as medications prescribed specifically for PTSD nightmares.
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Project description:Despite high HPV prevalence and low vaccination rates in the military, HPV vaccination is not required upon military service initiation. Given that national HPV vaccination rates remain low among people age 19-26 years, military service may represent an opportune time for intervention. The purpose of this study was to quantify the rate of HPV vaccination among young patients entering primary care at a single Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). Vaccination rates among veterans age ? 26 years old at first primary care visit were identified from the institutional data warehouse. Among 1,258 eligible patients, most were male (n = 782). The HPV vaccine initiation rate was 21.2%. Overall, 10.4% of patients received at least 1 HPV vaccine prior to initiating care at the VA (25.2% females and 1.4% males). An additional 10.8% of patients received their first HPV vaccine upon initiating care at the VA. Median age of first HPV vaccination was 21.4 years among patients that initiated the vaccine in the military versus 24.8 years among those that initiated vaccination at the VA. In conclusion, this study demonstrated low HPV vaccination rates both prior to transitioning to VA primary care and once receiving care at the VA. Additionally, among veterans that had not received vaccination upon initiating care at the VA, older age at vaccination was observed. Older age at vaccination may reduce HPV vaccine effectiveness given higher risk of exposure. Addition of HPV to the list of mandated vaccines upon military service initiation should be considered.
| S-EPMC6746530 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundOutpatient dialysis is standardized with several evidence-based measures of adequacy and quality that providers aim to meet while providing treatment. By contrast, in the intensive care unit (ICU) there are different types of prolonged and continuous renal replacement therapies (PIRRT and CRRT, respectively) with varied strategies for addressing patient care and a dearth of nationally accepted quality parameters. To eventually describe appropriate quality measures for ICU-related renal replacement therapy (RRT), we first aimed to capture the variety and prevalence of basic strategies and equipment utilized in the ICUs of Veteran Affairs (VA) medical facilities with inpatient hemodialysis capabilities.MethodsVia email to the dialysis directors of all VA facilities that provided inpatient hemodialysis during 2018, we requested survey participation regarding aspects of RRT in VA ICUs. Questions centered around the mode of therapy, equipment, solutions, prescription authority, nursing, anticoagulation, antimicrobial dosing, and access.ResultsSeventy-six centers completed the questionnaire, achieving a response rate of 87.4%. Fifty-five centers reported using PIRRT or CRRT in addition to intermittent hemodialysis. Of these centers, 42 reported being specifically CRRT-capable. Over half of respondents had the capabilities to perform PIRRT. Twelve centers (21.8%) were equipped to use slow low efficient dialysis (SLED) alone. Therapy was largely prescribed by nephrologists (94.4% of centers).ConclusionsWithin the VA system, ICU-related RRT practice is quite varied. Variation in processes of care, prescription authority, nursing care coordination, medication management, and safety practices present opportunities for developing cross-cutting measures of quality of intensive care RRT that are agnostic of modality choice.
| S-EPMC8280999 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) seeks to achieve interoperability with other organizations, including non-VA community and regional health information exchanges (HIEs).ObjectiveThis study aims to understand the perspectives of leaders involved in implementing information exchange between VA and non-VA providers via a community HIE.MethodsWe interviewed operational, clinical, and information technology leaders at one VA facility and its community HIE partner. Respondents discussed their experiences with VA-HIE, including barriers and facilitators to implementation, and the associated impact on health care providers. Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed using immersion-crystallization methods.ResultsVA and community HIE leaders found training to be a key factor when implementing VA-HIE and worked cooperatively to provide several styles and locations of training. During recruitment, a high-touch approach was successfully used to enroll patients and overcome their resistance to opting in. Discussion with leaders revealed the high levels of complexity navigated by VA providers and staff to send and retrieve information. Part of the complexity stemmed from the interconnected web of information systems and human teams necessary to implement VA-HIE information sharing. These interrelationships must be effectively managed to guide organizational decision making.ConclusionsOrganizational leaders perceived information sharing to be of essential value in delivering high-quality, coordinated health care. The VA continues to increase access to outside care through the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act. Along with this increase in non-VA medical care, there is a need for greater information sharing between VA and non-VA health care organizations. Insights by leaders into barriers and facilitators to VA-HIE can be applied by other national and regional networks that seek to achieve interoperability across health care delivery systems.
| S-EPMC7939932 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesThis study sought to describe clinical and procedural characteristics of veterans undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) within U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) centers and to examine their association with short- and long-term mortality, length of stay (LOS), and rehospitalization within 30 days.BackgroundVeterans with severe aortic stenosis frequently undergo TAVR at VA medical centers.MethodsConsecutive veterans undergoing TAVR between 2012 and 2017 were included. Patient and procedural characteristics were obtained from the VA Clinical Assessment, Reporting, and Tracking system. The primary outcomes were 30-day and 1-year survival, LOS >6 days, and rehospitalization within 30 days. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between pre-procedural characteristics and LOS and rehospitalization.ResultsNine hundred fifty-nine veterans underwent TAVR at 8 VA centers during the study period, 860 (90%) by transfemoral access, 50 (5%) transapical, 36 (3.8%) transaxillary, and 3 (0.3%) transaortic. Men predominated (939 of 959 [98%]), with an average age of 78.1 years. There were 28 deaths within 30 days (2.9%) and 134 at 1 year (14.0%). Median LOS was 5 days, and 141 veterans were rehospitalized within 30 days (14.7%). Nonfemoral access (odds ratio: 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10 to 2.74), heart failure (odds ratio: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.83 to 3.44), and atrial fibrillation (odds ratio: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.95) were associated with increased LOS. Atrial fibrillation was associated with 30-day rehospitalization (hazard ratio: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.22 to 2.63).ConclusionsVeterans undergoing TAVR at VA centers are predominantly elderly men with significant comorbidities. Clinical outcomes of mortality and rehospitalization at 30 days and 1-year mortality compare favorably with benchmark outcome data outside the VA.
| S-EPMC8505267 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeProgressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) is an evidence-based interdisciplinary stepped-care approach to improving quality of life for patients with tinnitus. PTM was endorsed by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Audiology leadership in 2009. Factors affecting implementation of PTM are unknown. We conducted a study to: 1) estimate levels of PTM program implementation in VA Audiology and Mental Health clinics across the country; and 2) identify barriers and facilitators to PTM implementation based on the experiences of VA audiologists and mental health providers.MethodWe conducted an anonymous, web-based survey targeting Audiology and Mental Health leaders at 144 major VA facilities. Quantitative analyses summarized respondents' facility characteristics and levels of program implementation (full PTM, partial PTM, or no PTM). Qualitative analyses identified themes in factors influencing the implementation of PTM across VA sites.ResultsSurveys from 87 audiologists and 66 mental health clinicians revealed that few facilities offered full PTM; the majority offered partial or no PTM. Inductive analysis of the open-ended survey responses identified seven factors influencing implementation of PTM: 1) available resources, 2) service collaboration, 3) prioritization, 4) Veterans' preferences and needs, 5) clinician training, 6) awareness of (evidence-based) options, and 7) perceptions of scope of practice.ConclusionResults suggest wide variation in services provided, a need for greater engagement of mental health providers in tinnitus care, and an interest among both audiologists and mental health providers in receiving tinnitus-related training. Future research should address barriers to PTM implementation, including methods to: 1) improve understanding among mental health providers of their potential role in tinnitus management; 2) enhance coordination of tinnitus-related care between health care disciplines; and 3) collect empirical data on Veterans' need for and interest in PTM, including delivery by telehealth modalities.
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Project description:BackgroundInfections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and carbapenemase-producing (CP) CRE are difficult to treat, resulting in high mortality in healthcare settings every year. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) disseminated guidelines in 2015 and an updated directive in 2017 for control of CRE focused on laboratory testing, prevention, and management. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) framework was used to analyze qualitative interview data to identify contextual factors and best practices influencing implementation of the 2015 guidelines/2017 directive in VA Medical Centers (VAMCs). The overall goals were to determine CFIR constructs to target to improve CRE guideline/directive implementation and understand how CFIR, as a multi-level conceptual model, can be used to inform guideline implementation.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted at 29 VAMCs with staff involved in implementing CRE guidelines at their facility. Survey and VHA administrative data were used to identify geographically representative large and small VAMCs with varying levels of CRE incidence. Interviews addressed perceptions of guideline dissemination, laboratory testing, staff attitudes and training, patient education, and technology support. Participant responses were coded using a consensus-based mixed deductive-inductive approach guided by CFIR. A quantitative analysis comparing qualitative CFIR constructs and emergent codes to sites actively screening for CRE (vs. non-screening) and any (vs. no) CRE-positive cultures was conducted using Fisher's exact test.ResultsForty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2017 and August 2018 with laboratory staff (47%), Multi-Drug-Resistant Organism Program Coordinators (MPCs, 35%), infection preventionists (12%), and physicians (6%). Participants requested more standardized tools to promote effective communication (e.g., electronic screening). Participants also indicated that CRE-specific educational materials were needed for staff, patient, and family members. Quantitative analysis identified CRE screening or presence of CRE as being significantly associated with the following qualitative CFIR constructs: leadership engagement, relative priority, available resources, team communication, and access to knowledge and information.ConclusionsEffective CRE identification, prevention, and treatment require ongoing collaboration between clinical, microbiology, infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, and infectious diseases specialists. Our results emphasize the importance of leadership's role in promoting positive facility culture, including access to resources, improving communication, and facilitating successful implementation of the CRE guidelines.
| S-EPMC8243642 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundProspective audit and feedback is a core antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) strategy; however its impact is difficult to measure.MethodsOur quasi-experimental study measured the effect of an ASP on clinical outcomes, antimicrobial use, resistance, costs, patient safety (adverse drug events [ADE] and Clostridium difficile infection [CDI]), and process metrics pre- (9/10-10/11) and post-ASP (9/12-10/13) using propensity adjusted and matched Cox proportional-hazards regression models and interrupted time series (ITS) methods.ResultsAmong our 2,696 patients, median length of stay was 1 day shorter post-ASP (5, interquartile range [IQR] 3-8 vs. 4, IQR 2-7 days, p<0.001). Mortality was similar in both periods. Mean broad-spectrum (-11.3%), fluoroquinolone (-27.0%), and anti-pseudomonal (-15.6%) use decreased significantly (p<0.05). ITS analyses demonstrated a significant increase in monthly carbapenem use post-ASP (trend: +1.5 days of therapy/1,000 patient days [1000PD] per month; 95% CI 0.1-3.0). Total antimicrobial costs decreased 14%. Resistance rates did not change in the one-year post-ASP period. Mean CDI rates/10,000PD were low pre- and post-ASP (14.2 ± 10.4 vs. 13.8 ± 10.0, p = 0.94). Fewer patients experienced ADEs post-ASP (6.0% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.06).ConclusionsProspective audit and feedback has the potential to improve antimicrobial use and outcomes, and contain bacterial resistance. Our program demonstrated a trend towards decreased length of stay, broad-spectrum antimicrobial use, antimicrobial costs, and adverse events.
| S-EPMC4792438 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThe oncology clinical trial recruitment process is time, labor, and resource intensive, and poor accrual rates are common. We describe the VA Connecticut Cancer Center experience of implementing a standardized, universal prescreening protocol and its impact on thoracic oncology research recruitment.MethodsResearch coordinators prescreened potentially eligible patients with confirmed or suspected cancer from multiple clinical sources and entered relevant patient and research study information into a centralized electronic database. The database provided real-time lists of potential studies for each patient. This enabled the research team to alert the patient's oncologist in advance of clinic visits and to prepare documents needed for enrollment. Clinicians could ensure sufficient time and attention in clinic to the informed consent process, therefore maximizing enrollment opportunities. Patients were also monitored on waitlists for future studies.ResultsFrom March 2017 to December 2020, a total of 1518 patients with lung nodules and suspected or confirmed lung cancers were prescreened. Of these, 379 patients were enrolled to a study, 103 patients declined participation, and 639 were monitored for future studies. Our prescreening protocol identified all new patients with lung cancer who were ultimately added to the cancer registry. We found a substantial increase in study enrollment after prescreening implementation.ConclusionsUniversal prescreening was associated with improved patient enrollment to thoracic oncology studies. The protocol was integral in our VA becoming the top accruing VA site for National Cancer Institute's National Clinical Trials Network studies for 2019 to 2021.
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