Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Twenty-five percent of trauma patients are discharged to postacute care, indicating a loss of physical function and need for rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to quantify the functional improvements in trauma patients discharged from inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) and identify predictors of improvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of trauma patients aged >/= 18 years were admitted to an IRF after discharge from a level-1 trauma center. Data included demographics, injury characteristics, hospital, and IRF course. The functional independence measure (FIM) was used to measure change in physical and cognitive function. RESULTS: There were 245 patients with a mean age of 55.8 years and mean injury severity score (ISS) of 14.7. Fall was the leading mechanism of injury (45.7%). On IRF admission, 50.7% of patients required moderate or greater assistance. On discharge, the mean intraindividual change in FIM score was 29.9; 85.4% of the patients improved by >/=1 level of functioning. Before injury, 99.6% of patients were living at home, but only 56.0% were discharged home from the IRF, despite 81.8% requiring minimal assistance at most (23.5% to skilled nursing; 19.7% readmitted). Increasing age and lower ISS were associated with less FIM improvement, and increasing ISS was associated with increased FIM improvement. CONCLUSIONS: More than 80% of the trauma patients experienced meaningful functional improvements during IRF admission. However, only half were discharged home, and a quarter required further institutional care. Further research is needed to identify the additional impediments to return to preinjury functioning.

CONTEXT: A diagnosis of advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), or end stage renal disease (ESRD) represents a significant life change for patients and families. Individuals often experience high symptom burden, decreased quality of life, increased health care utilization, and end-of-life care discordant with their preferences. Early integration of palliative care with standard nephrology practice in the outpatient setting has the potential to improve quality of life through provision of expert symptom management, emotional support, and facilitation of advance care planning that honors the individual's values and goals. OBJECTIVES: This special report describes application of participatory action research (PAR) methods to develop an outpatient integrated nephrology and palliative care program. METHODS: Stakeholder concerns were thematically analyzed to inform translation of a known successful model of outpatient kidney palliative care to a practice in a large, urban medical center in the United States. RESULTS: Stakeholder needs and challenges to meeting these needs were identified. We uncovered a shared understanding of the clinical need for palliative care services in nephrology practice, but apprehension towards practice change. Action steps to modify the base model were created in response to stakeholder feedback. CONCLUSIONS: The development of a model of care that provides a new approach to clinical practice requires attention to relevant stakeholder concerns. PAR is a useful methodological approach that engages stakeholders and builds partnerships. This creation of shared ownership can facilitate innovation and practice change. We synthesized stakeholder concerns to build a conceptual model for an integrated nephrology and palliative care clinical program.

OBJECTIVE: Injury related morbidity and mortality is an important emergency medicine and public health challenge in the United States (US). Here we describe the epidemiology of traumatic injury presenting to US emergency departments, define changes in types and causes of injury among the elderly and the young, characterize the role of trauma centers and teaching hospitals in providing emergency trauma care, and estimate the overall economic burden of treating such injuries. METHODS: We conducted a secondary retrospective, repeated cross-sectional study of the Nationwide Emergency Department Data Sample (NEDS), the largest all-payer emergency department survey database in the US. Main outcomes and measures were survey-adjusted counts, proportions, means, and rates with associated standard errors, and 95% confidence intervals. We plotted annual age-stratified emergency department discharge rates for traumatic injury and present tables of proportions of common injuries and external causes. We modeled the association of Level 1 or 2 trauma center care with injury fatality using a multi-variable survey-adjusted logistic regression analysis that controlled for age, gender, injury severity, comorbid diagnoses, and teaching hospital status. RESULTS: There were 181,194,431 (standard error, se = 4234) traumatic injury discharges from US emergency departments between 2006 and 2012. There was an average year-to-year decrease of 143 (95% CI -184.3, -68.5) visits per 100,000 US population during the study period. The all-age, all-cause case-fatality rate for traumatic injuries across US emergency departments during the study period was 0.17% (se = 0.001). The case-fatality rate for the most severely injured averaged 4.8% (se = 0.001), and severely injured patients were nearly four times as likely to be seen in Level 1 or 2 trauma centers (relative risk = 3.9 (95% CI 3.7, 4.1)). The unadjusted risk ratio, based on group counts, for the association of Level 1 or 2 trauma centers with mortality was RR = 4.9 (95% CI 4.5, 5.3), however, after accounting for gender, age, injury severity and comorbidities, Level 1 or 2 trauma centers were not associated with an increased risk of fatality (odds ratio = 0.96 (0.79, 1.18)). There were notable changes at the extremes of age in types and causes of emergency department discharges for traumatic injury between 2009 and 2012. Age-stratified rates of diagnoses of traumatic brain injury increased 29.5% (se = 2.6) for adults older than 85, and increased 44.9% (se = 1.3) for children younger than 18. Firearm related injuries increased 31.7% (se = 0.2) in children five years and younger. The total inflation-adjusted cost of emergency department injury care in the US between 2006 and 2012 was $99.75 billion (se = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Emergency departments are a sensitive barometer of the continuing impact of traumatic injury as an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. Level 1 or 2 trauma centers remain a bulwark against the tide of severe trauma in the US. But, the types and causes of traumatic injury in the US are changing in consequential ways, particularly at the extremes of age, with traumatic brain injuries and firearm-related trauma presenting increased challenges

INTRODUCTION: During residency, some trainees require the identification and remediation of deficiencies to achieve the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for independent practice. Given the limited published frameworks for remediation, we characterize remediation from the perspective of educators and propose a holistic framework to guide the approach to remediation. METHODS: We conducted semistructured focus groups to: explore methods for identifying struggling residents; categorize common domains of struggle; describe personal factors that contribute to difficulties; define remediation interventions and understand what constitutes successful completion. Data were analyzed through conventional content analysis. RESULTS: Nineteen physicians across multiple specialties and institutions participated in seven focus groups. Thirteen categories emerged around remediation. Some themes addressed practical components of remediation, while others reflected barriers to the process and the impact of remediation on the resident and program. The themes were used to inform development of a novel holistic framework for remediation. CONCLUSIONS: The approach to remediation requires comprehensive identification of individual factors impacting performance. The intervention should not only include a tailored learning plan but also address confounders that impact likelihood of remediation success. Our holistic framework intends to guide educators creating remediation plans to ensure all domains are addressed.