Faculty Bibliography

IMPORTANCE:Employing peer coaches to provide weight management counseling in primary care could address patient- and clinician-level barriers to obesity care, improve outcomes, and boost engagement in weight management programs. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the efficacy of peer coaching to deliver a low- to moderate-intensity intervention for weight management compared with enhanced usual care (EUC). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:This 2-arm, cluster randomized clinical trial was conducted from November 2017 to August 2021 at a single US Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) site. Primary care physicians (PCPs) and their patients with a body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of at least 25 (overweight) or 30 or more (obesity) were invited to participate. Enrollment was stopped early due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when weight management services at the VA site transitioned to primarily virtual care. PCPs were randomized to either the peer coaching (ie, Peer-Assisted Lifestyle) intervention or EUC arm, and their patients received the corresponding treatment for those arms. Data were analyzed according to the intention-to-treat principle from February 2023 and July 2024. INTERVENTIONS:Patients in the peer coaching arm completed a tablet-based, goal-setting tool and received 1 in-person and up to 12 individual peer-coaching telephone sessions over 1 year. Peer coaches were veterans with a bachelor's degree and training for a minimum of 20 hours. Patients in the EUC control arm received health education materials. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES:The primary outcome was mean (SE) change in weight (in kilograms) at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included mean (SE) weight change in percentage, proportion of patients achieving 5% or higher weight loss, and change in waist circumference in inches. RESULTS:A total of 20 PCPs (11 women [55.0%]) and 281 patients were enrolled. Patients had a mean (SD) age of 50.6 (11.5) years and included 221 men (78.6%). The mean (SD) body mass index at baseline was 33.4 (5.1). At 12 months, the adjusted mean (SE) weight change was -2.51 (0.73) kg in the peer coaching arm and -0.79 (0.48) kg in the EUC arm, but the difference was not statistically signficant (difference, -1.72 [0.88] kg; P = .05). At 6 months, the adjusted mean (SE) proportion of patients who lost at least 5% of body weight was 16.68% (0.47%) in the peer coaching arm vs 5.50% (0.32%) in the EUC arm (difference, 11.18 [5.22] percentage points; P = .03). At 6 months, the adjusted mean (SE) proportion of patients who attended a weight management program was 28.68% (5.37%) in the peer coaching arm and 13.32% (3.38%) in the EUC arm (difference, 15.37 [6.45] percentage points; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:In this randomized clinical trial, a low- to moderate-intensity peer-coaching intervention did not result in greater weight loss at 12 months, but it improved attendance at weight management programs. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03163264.

BACKGROUND:Financial capability is an understudied social determinant of health (SDoH). Bank account ownership, an indicator of financial capability, has been linked to better health. No research has explored how bank account ownership relates to health behaviors, such as tobacco use. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To examine participant characteristics, intervention use, and intervention outcomes among subgroups of unbanked and banked participants enrolled in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that integrated financial coaching and SDoH referrals into smoking cessation treatment for low-income individuals (N = 257). DESIGN/METHODS:Secondary analysis of an RCT. INTERVENTIONS/METHODS:The parent RCT provided a multi-component intervention (N = 136) that included smoking cessation coaching, nicotine replacement therapy, money management coaching, and referral to financial empowerment services and other SDoH resources. A waitlisted control group (N = 121) received usual care. MEASURES/METHODS:Bivariate analyses compared baseline characteristics and multivariable logistic regression compared intervention use by banking status. Within unbanked and banked subgroups, logistic regression examined treatment group differences (intervention vs. control) in self-reported 7-day abstinence and financial stress at 6 months. RESULTS:At baseline, 36% (n = 92) of participants were unbanked. Unbanked participants had lower income and education, higher unemployment, and greater financial distress (all p < 0.05). Intervention use did not differ by banking status (p > 0.05). At 6 months, unbanked participants had high abstinence rates in the intervention and control groups (ITT 21% vs. 13%, p > 0.05) and no significant treatment group differences in financial stress (p > 0.05). Among banked participants, the intervention group reported higher abstinence than the control group (ITT 19% vs. 6%, p = 0.01) and reduced financial stress across multiple domains (all p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS:A significant portion of participants in the RCT were unbanked, but being unbanked was not a barrier to smoking cessation. The intervention reduced financial stress among banked participants only. Further research is needed to develop interventions that can support unbanked individuals' health and financial well-being. TRIAL REGISTRATION/BACKGROUND:ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03187730.

BACKGROUND:Midwakh smoking is the second most widely used form of smoking in the United Arab Emirates predominantly among adults. Despite high prevalence, there is a lack of scientific data on plasma nicotine after a single midwakh session and its effect on cardiopulmonary function. This study assessed the acute effects of midwakh smoking on plasma nicotine levels and cardiopulmonary function after a single session. METHODS:Among 211 midwakh smokers who visited the Sleep Disorders Specialized Clinic, 9 (nine) agreed to participate in the study. Blood samples were collected before and after smoking (5 min) to determine the nicotine and cotinine levels using mass spectroscopy. Anthropometric data, smoking details, physiological parameters, heart rate variability (HRV), spirometry, and forced oscillation technique were measured pre- and post-smoking. RESULTS:< 0.001, parameters pre- and postsmoking. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:This study involving a small sample demonstrates changes in blood nicotine and cotinine levels and differences in cardiopulmonary function among midwakh smokers; however, findings should be interpreted with caution due to limited generalizability.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:We investigated whether the associations of state medical and recreational cannabis legalization (MCL, RCL enactment) with increasing prevalence of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) differed among patients in the United States (US) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who did or did not have common psychiatric disorders. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Electronic medical record data (2005-2022) were analyzed on patients aged 18-75 with ≥1 VHA primary care, emergency department, or mental health visit and no hospice/palliative care within a given year (sample sizes ranging from 3,234,382 in 2005 to 4,436,883 in 2022). Patients were predominantly male (>80%) and non-Hispanic White (>60%). Utilizing all 18 years of data, CUD prevalence increases attributable to MCL or RCL enactment were estimated among patients with affective, anxiety, psychotic-spectrum disorders, and Any Psychiatric Disorder (APD) using staggered difference-in-difference (DiD) models and 99% Confidence Intervals (CIs), testing differences between patient groups with and without psychiatric disorders via non-overlap in the 99% CIs of their DiD estimates. FINDINGS/UNASSIGNED:Among APD-negative patients, CUD prevalence was <1.0% in all years, while among APD-positive patients, CUD prevalence increased from 3.26% in 2005 to 5.68% in 2022 in no-CL states, from 3.51% to 6.35% in MCL-only states, and from 3.41% to 6.35% in MCL/RCL states. Among the APD group, DiD estimates of MCL-only and MCL/RCL effects were modest-sized, but the lower bound of the 99% CI for the DiD estimate for MCL-only and MCL/RCL effects was larger than the upper bound of the 99% CI among the no-APD group, indicating significantly stronger MCL-only and MCL/RCL effects among patients with APD. Results were similar for MCL-only and MCL/RCL effects among disorder-specific groups (depression, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], anxiety or bipolar disorders) and for MCL/RCL effects among patients with psychotic-spectrum disorders. INTERPRETATION/UNASSIGNED:Cannabis legalization contributed to greater CUD prevalence increases among patients with psychiatric disorders. However, modest-sized DiD estimates suggested operation of other factors, e.g., commercialization, changing attitudes, expectancies. As cannabis legalization widens, recognizing and treating CUD in patients with psychiatric disorders becomes increasingly important. FUNDING/UNASSIGNED:This study was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse grant R01DA048860, the New York State Psychiatric Institute, and the VA Centers of Excellence in Substance Addiction Treatment and Education.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Electronic cigarettes (EC) may serve as a potential smoking harm reduction tool by addressing both nicotine and behavioral dependence. This qualitative study reports the feasibility and acceptability of using EC and telehealth counseling among individuals in treatment programs for opioid use disorders (OUD) who smoke combustible cigarette, and was conducted as part of a randomized controlled trial. We report findings among participants in the EC arm. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Qualitative interviews were conducted from March to May 2021. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and de-identified. An inductive approach guided by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability was used. We developed and refined a codebook through a collaborative iterative process and team discussions. Five analysts coded the transcripts using Quirkos, with independent double coding for each transcript to achieve consensus and ensure inter-coder reliability. In-depth thematic analysis was conducted via synthesizing relevant codes that were described and exemplified using representative quotes. Saturation was achieved when no additional codes emerged. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Eleven participants randomized to EC were interviewed: average age = 55 years (range = 39-69), 88% were male, 41% non-Hispanic black, and 35% non-Hispanic white. Four main themes identified included inciting sense of accountability toward cigarette smoking reduction; acknowledging the value of telehealth counseling; noting positive attributes such as addressing craving, as well as challenges in utilizing EC such as the need to remember charging the EC; and finally, participants' expression of the satisfaction with their perceived improvements in their health and other behavioral aspects. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:The intervention combining telehealth counseling with EC was perceived as acceptable and helpful for reducing cigarette smoking, as well as resulting in other positive health benefits. ECs were easy to use and seemed to address craving; albeit with some challenges that can be addressed in future trials. EC combined with telehealth counseling carries great promise in smoking reduction among individuals with OUD.

BACKGROUND:Inappropriate imaging to stage low-risk prostate cancer is considered low-value care. Determining the effectiveness of a theory-based intervention, Prostate Cancer Imaging Stewardship (PCIS), to promote guideline-concordant imaging. METHODS:A stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial, PCIS, was conducted between March 2018 and March 2021 at ten Veterans Health Administration medical centers (VAMC) initially selected for prostate cancer volume, geographic diversity, and willingness to participate. Intervention initiation at sites were randomized in 3-month intervals. We enrolled 61 urology providers who treat prostate cancer at participating sites. Outcomes were assessed among 2,302 patients with incident prostate cancer aged 18-85 years. PCIS combines three evidence-based provider-focused behavior change strategies: 1) Clinical Reminder Order Check triggered when a provider attempted to order imaging for a patient with PSA < 20ng/mL; 2) VAMC-level academic detailing at initiation and every three months thereafter; 3) Audit and Feedback for providers to improve their imaging performance. The main outcome was guideline-discordant nuclear medicine bone scan (NMBS) imaging for low-risk prostate cancer patients. RESULTS:NMBS imaging would be consistent with National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines in 878 patients (38%) and inconsistent in 1424 patients (62%). Among patients not requiring NMBS, 141/690 (20.4%) received guideline-discordant imaging (ie, NMBS ordered) during Control compared to 109/734 (14.9%) during Intervention (OR = 0.54, p = .04). Among patients requiring a NMBS, 29/425 (6.8%) did not receive one (ie, guideline-discordant imaging) during Control compared to 25/453 (5.5%) during the Intervention (OR = 1.36, p = .36). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:PCIS significantly reduced low-value, guideline-discordant NMBS imaging among low-risk prostate cancer patients without negatively affecting necessary imaging for high-risk patients. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION/BACKGROUND:NCT03445559.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening uptake in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) has been reported to be higher than the US general population, but CRC remains a prevalent cancer within the VA system. To examine CRC predictors and the extent to which the conventional definition of up-to-date screening applies to the population, we conducted a case-control study using VA data from 2012 to 2018. We classified patients into 5 categories: up-to-date or not up-to-date average-risk patients aged 50 to 75 (Categories 1 and 2), up-to-date or not up-to-date average-risk patients aged <50 or >75 (Categories 3 and 4), and high-risk patients (Category 5). Each CRC case was matched by age, sex, and facility with 4 controls. We performed multivariable conditional logistic regression, adjusting for race and ethnicity, diabetes, obesity, and alcohol use. Among 3714 CRC cases identified, Category 4 (odds ratio [OR] 1.40, 95% CI 1.11-1.78) and Category 5 (OR 6.23, 95% CI 5.06-7.66) patients had a higher risk of CRC compared to Category 1 patients. Compared with White patients, Black patients had a higher risk (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.37-1.73). Diabetes (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.51-1.81) and alcohol use disorder (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.35-1.73) were also associated with CRC. Most CRC cases occurred in individuals aged 50 to 75, but 12.5% occurred in persons who were outside of this age range or had high-risk personal or family history. The conventional measure of CRC screening, focused on average-risk individuals aged 50 to 75, does not reflect screening status in an important minority of CRC patients.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:The VHA is the largest healthcare system in the US and an early adopter of telehealth. Barriers to adoption may exist among subpopulations of VHA patients. OBJECTIVE/UNASSIGNED:To identify patterns in use of telehealth by modality, race, rurality, age and priority group before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN/UNASSIGNED:We used data from the VHA Pyramid Analytics database to determine quarterly telehealth utilization rates from October 2015 to March 2023 using a pre-post analysis. Main measures were stratified by race, rurality, age group, and VA priority groups. PARTICIPANTS/UNASSIGNED:Unique patients who used any VHA care within each Fiscal Year of the study period. INTERVENTIONS/UNASSIGNED:N/A. MAIN MEASURES/UNASSIGNED:Quarterly encounters by modality and number of users with one or more Provider to Home (PTH) encounters per 1000 unique patients. KEY RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:There were 36,315,299 telehealth encounters completed by 4,597,055 users during the analytic period. From October 2015-March 2020, PTH video encounters grew from 3.2% of VHA telehealth encounters to 38%. From April 2020-March 2023, PTH video encounters accounted for 90.7% of VHA telehealth encounters. Uptake of PTH during the pandemic differed significantly between demographic groups. Quarterly users per 1000 unique patients (increase relative to reference group; p-values < 0.01) increased significantly more for urban-residing patients (44.9 relative to rural); Black, Asian, or Multi-Racial patients (Black: 52.1; Asian: 48.2; multi-racial: 57.5 relative to White), younger Veterans (age < 45: 113.0; age 45-64: 80.3 relative to age ≥ 65); and Veterans with major disabilities (127.3 relative to Veterans without special considerations). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:With the expansion of PTH telehealth during the pandemic, there was a shift in sociodemographic patterns among patients receiving at-home video-based care. Moving forward, VA may choose to test implementation strategies that target different demographic groups to support equitable access to PTH care. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION/UNASSIGNED:The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44250-025-00256-0.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate urinalysis testing patterns within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), estimate the proportion and likelihood of patients who completed a urinalysis to have microscopic hematuria (MH), and explore how urinalysis testing patterns may influence MH detection. METHODS:This was a retrospective cross-sectional study using VHA data. We identified adult patients without a known urologic cancer history who had at least 1 outpatient visit at any VHA site and at least 1 interpretable urinalysis performed in 2015. The factors associated with the number or urinalyses performed on each patient and associations with the presence of MH were investigated. RESULTS:Among 5,719,966 adults, 39% completed a urinalysis. Variation in the proportion of patients who completed urinalyses was highest by age, among patients with hypertension and diabetes, and by region. Of patients who underwent urinalysis and had no prior genitourinary cancer history, 54% did not have an interpretable urinalysis result. Among patients with at least one interpretable microscopic urinalysis, 37% had MH. This was more common among older patients, females, current smokers, and patients with more comorbidities. Variation in the likelihood of patients having MH remained after adjusting for multiple factors and when contextualized by urinalysis completion and interpretability patterns. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The number of urinalyses performed in the VHA system is remarkably high. Detection of MH is influenced by the frequency of urinalysis testing and interpretability of results. The presence and detection of MH varies by factors which should be considered when adjudicating the need for further evaluation of MH.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Secondhand exposure to e-cigarettes represents a potential population health risk given e-cigarette's prevalence and their unknown health effects, particularly among vulnerable populations such as pregnant people. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To explore metabolomic differences between pregnant people exposed vs. not exposed to secondhand e-cigarette aeresols, to identify possible biomarkers of exposure and metabolic pathways perturbed by e-cigarettes. METHODS:Exposed participants (n = 19) from the NYU Children's Health and Environment Study were matched to unexposed participants (n = 57) at a 1:3 ratio on age, hospital of recruitment, and race/ethnicity. Early-pregnancy urine samples were analyzed via an untargeted metabolomics platform using reverse-phase liquid chromatography mass-spectrometry. Feature-exposure associations were estimated using conditional logistic regression to adjust for matching factors. A sensitivity analysis was conducted adjusting for secondhand tobacco exposure. RESULTS:Among features enriched in the exposed group were flavonoids and flavor-related compounds including homoeriodictyol and naringenin-7-O-beta-D-glucuronide, 3-acetomidocoumarin, and guaiacol pentosylglucoside; synthetic drugs such as the endocannabinoid AM1172 and the stimulant alpha-PVP; and metabolites associated with lipid metabolism, including 2,4-undecadiene-8,10-diynoic acid isobutylamide, palmitamide, glycerol trihexanoate, and tetradecyl phosphonate. Among features negatively associated with exposure were xanthines. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:This study is the first untargeted metabolomics study investigating metabolomic markers of e-cigarette exposure, including secondhand exposure, in a pregnant cohort. Despite this study's small size and exploratory nature, the results of this work suggest that flavoring components could be biomarkers for e-cigarette exposure, and that co-exposure to e-cigarettes and other drugs may be prevalent.