Faculty Bibliography

Importance:Physicians often report practicing defensive medicine to reduce malpractice risk, including performing expensive but marginally beneficial tests and procedures. Although there is little evidence that malpractice reform affects overall health care spending, it may influence physician behavior for specific conditions involving clinical uncertainty. Objective:To examine whether reducing malpractice risk is associated with clinical decisions involving coronary artery disease testing and treatment. Design, Setting, and Participants:Difference-in-differences design, comparing physician-specific changes in coronary artery disease testing and treatment in 9 new-cap states that adopted damage caps between 2003 and 2005 with 20 states without caps. We used the 5% national Medicare fee-for-service random sample between 1999 and 2013. Physicians (n = 75 801; 36 647 in new-cap states) who ordered or performed 2 or more coronary angiographies. Data were analyzed from June 2015 to January 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures:Changes in ischemic evaluation rates for possible coronary artery disease, type of initial evaluation (stress testing or coronary angiography), progression from stress test to angiography, and progression from ischemic evaluation to revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting). Results:We studied 36 647 physicians in new-cap states and 39 154 physicians in no-cap states. New-cap states had younger populations, more minorities, lower per-capita incomes, fewer physicians per capita, and lower managed care penetration. Following cap adoption, new-cap physicians reduced invasive testing (angiography) as a first diagnostic test compared with control physicians (relative change, -24%; 95% CI, -40% to -7%; P = .005) with an offsetting increase in noninvasive stress testing (7.8%; 95% CI, -3.6% to 19.3%; P = .17), and referred fewer patients for angiography following stress testing (-21%; 95% CI, -40% to -2%; P = .03). New-cap physicians also reduced revascularization rates after ischemic evaluation (-23%; 95% CI, -40% to -4%; P = .02; driven by fewer percutaneous coronary interventions). Changes in overall ischemic evaluation rates were similar for new-cap and control physicians (-0.05%; 95% CI, -8.0% to 7.9%; P = .98). Conclusions and Relevance:Physicians substantially altered their approach to coronary artery disease testing and follow-up after initial ischemic evaluations following adoption of damage caps. They performed a similar number of ischemic evaluations but conducted fewer initial left heart catheterizations, referred fewer stress-tested patients for left heart catheterizations, and referred fewer patients for revascularization. These findings suggest that physicians tolerate greater clinical uncertainty in coronary artery disease testing and treatment if they face lower malpractice risk.

AIMS:Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is suggested as a predictor of amputation in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, cTnT-PAD association has not been systematically studied in a large study. This study evaluated the association of high-sensitivity cTnT (hs-cTnT) with PAD incidence and also explored whether natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), another representative cardiac marker, predicts PAD risk. METHODS AND RESULTS:Among 12 288 middle-aged adults, the associations of hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP with incident PAD (hospitalizations with PAD diagnosis or leg revascularization [cases with rest pain or tissue loss considered as critical limb ischaemia (CLI)]) were quantified with multivariable Cox regression models. The risk discrimination was assessed by c-statistic. During a follow-up over 22 years, 454 participants developed PAD (164 CLI cases). In demographically adjusted models, the highest category of hs-cTnT (≥14 vs. <3 ng/L) and NT-proBNP (≥258.3 vs. <51.5 pg/mL) showed ∼8- and 10-20-fold higher risk of PAD and CLI, respectively. Even after adjusting for potential confounders and each other, hazard ratios were greater for CLI than for PAD (7.74 95% confidence interval [95% CI 4.43-13.55] vs. 2.84 [2.02-4.00] for the highest vs. reference hs-cTnT category and 4.63 [2.61-8.23] vs. 3.16 [2.23-4.49] for the highest vs. reference NT-proBNP category). The addition of these cardiac markers improved c-statistics for CLI. CONCLUSION:High-sensitivity cTnT and NT-proBNP were independently associated with incident PAD, particularly its severe form, CLI. Although future studies are warranted to investigate pathophysiological mechanisms behind these associations, our study suggests the usefulness of cardiac markers to identify individuals at high risk of CLI.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:The substantive integration of pharmacists into quality-improvement initiatives aimed at improving the care of hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is described. METHODS:A 2-year, mixed-methods, interventional study was conducted in 10 U.S. hospitals, directed at promoting the use of evidence-based strategies and fostering domains of hospital organizational culture associated with lower risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) for patients with AMI. The adoption of 5 evidence-based strategies associated with reducing RSMRs for AMI was measured at baseline, 12, and 24 months. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews conducted at each hospital. Ethnographic observations were conducted at baseline and 18 months. RESULTS:= 0.02), with the mean number of strategies used per hospital increasing from 2.4 at baseline to 3.9 at 24 months. Innovative approaches for integrating pharmacotherapy and pharmacy practice expertise included information technology solutions, targeted rounding for patients with AMI, medication-bridging programs, and education of patients with AMI. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:A mixed-methods interventional study in 10 hospitals examined the substantive integration of pharmacists into quality-improvement initiatives aimed at improving the care of patients with AMI. The investigation revealed the ability of this integration to meet clinical challenges by generating novel, feasible solutions that were tailored for specific hospital contexts. Inclusion of pharmacists strengthened relationships across disciplines and allowed pharmacists to become routinely embedded in broader quality efforts.

BACKGROUND:Heroin-related deaths are on the rise in the US and a large portion of heroin overdoses involve co-use of other drugs such as benzodiazepines. A better understanding of heroin polysubstance use patterns could help discern better prevention measures. METHODS:Data were examined from past-month ("current") heroin users from a nationally representative sample of high school seniors in the Monitoring the Future study (2010-2016, n = 327). We examined how past-month use and frequency of use of various drugs relate to frequency of current heroin use using chi-square and multivariable ordinal logistic regression. RESULTS:Prevalence of any past-month use of various other drugs (and past-month use 10+ times) tends to increase as the frequency of heroin use increases; however, other drug use tends to decline among those reporting the use of heroin 40+ times in the past month. In multivariable models controlling for demographic characteristics, most levels of alcohol use were associated with decreased odds of higher-frequency heroin use (ps<.05). Nonmedical opioid (aOR = 5.84, p = .037) and tranquilizer (aOR = 14.63, p = .045) use 40+ times in the past month were associated with increased odds of higher-frequency heroin use. CONCLUSIONS:High school seniors who use heroin also use multiple other drugs. Increases in the frequency of heroin use are associated with shifts in the nature and frequency of polysubstance use, with a higher frequency of heroin use associated with the highest percentage and frequency of use of depressants (nonmedical opioid and benzodiazepine use), compounding the risk of overdose. Prevention measures should consider polysubstance use patterns among heroin-using adolescents.

Importance:Approximately 1 million patients in the United States with type 2 diabetes mellitus and mild-to-moderate kidney disease do not receive guideline-directed therapy with metformin. This may reflect uncertainty regarding the risk of acidosis in patients with chronic kidney disease. Objective:To quantify the association between metformin use and hospitalization with acidosis across the range of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), accounting for change in eGFR stage over time. Design, Setting, and Participants:Community-based cohort of 75 413 patients with diabetes in Geisinger Health System, with time-dependent assessment of eGFR stage from January 2004 until January 2017. Results were replicated in 67 578 new metformin users and 14 439 new sulfonylurea users from 2010 to 2015, sourced from 350 private US health systems. Exposures:Metformin use. Main Outcomes and Measures:Hospitalization with acidosis (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code of 276.2). Results:In the primary cohort (n = 75 413), mean (SD) patient age was 60.4 (15.5) years, and 51% (n = 38 480) of the participants were female. There were 2335 hospitalizations with acidosis over a median follow-up of 5.7 years (interquartile range, 2.5-9.9 years). Compared with alternative diabetes management, time-dependent metformin use was not associated with incident acidosis overall (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.98; 95% CI, 0.89-1.08) or in patients with eGFR 45 to 59 mL/min/1.73 m2 (adjusted HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.95-1.41) and eGFR 30 to 44 mL/min/1.73 m2 (adjusted HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.83-1.44). On the other hand, metformin use was associated with an increased risk of acidosis at eGFR less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (adjusted HR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.33-3.22). Results were consistent when new metformin users were compared with new sulfonylurea users (adjusted HR for eGFR 30-44 mL/min/1.73 m2, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.29-2.05), in a propensity-matched cohort (adjusted HR for eGFR 30-44 mL/min/1.73 m2, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.45-1.12), when baseline insulin users were excluded (adjusted HR for eGFR 30-44 mL/min/1.73 m2, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.87-1.57), and in the replication cohort (adjusted HR for eGFR 30-44 mL/min/1.73 m2, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.37-2.01). Conclusions and Relevance:In 2 real-world clinical settings, metformin use was associated with acidosis only at eGFR less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m2. Our results support cautious use of metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes and eGFR of at least 30 mL/min/1.73 m2.

We sought to determine the real-world effectiveness of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunoprophylaxis in a population-based cohort to inform policy. The study population included infants born during 1996-2008 and enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California integrated health-care delivery system. During the RSV season (November-March), the date of RSV immunoprophylaxis administration and the following 30 days were defined as RSV immunoprophylaxis protected period(s), and all other days were defined as unprotected period(s). Numbers of bronchiolitis hospitalizations were determined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes during RSV season. We used a proportional hazards model to estimate risk of bronchiolitis hospitalization when comparing infants' protected period(s) with unprotected period(s). Infants who had ever received RSV immunoprophylaxis had a 32% decreased risk of bronchiolitis hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.68, 95% confidence interval: 0.46, 1.00) when protected periods were compared with unprotected periods. Infants with chronic lung disease (CLD) had a 52% decreased risk of bronchiolitis hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.48, 95% confidence interval: 0.25, 0.94) when protected periods were compared with unprotected periods. Under the new 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines, 48% of infants eligible for RSV immunoprophylaxis on the basis of AAP guidelines in place at birth would no longer be eligible, but nearly all infants with CLD would remain eligible. RSV immunoprophylaxis is effective in decreasing hospitalization. This association is greatest for infants with CLD, a group still recommended for receipt of RSV immunoprophylaxis under the new AAP guidelines.

BACKGROUND:Homelessness and substance use often coexist, resulting in high morbidity. Emergency department (ED) patients have disproportionate rates of both homelessness and substance use, yet little research has examined the overlap of these issues in the ED setting. We aimed to characterize alcohol and drug use in a sample of homeless vs. non-homeless ED patients. METHODS:A random sample of urban hospital ED patients were invited to complete an interview regarding housing, substance use, and other health and social factors. We compared substance use characteristics among patients who did vs. did not report current literal (streets/shelter) homelessness. Additional analyses were performed using a broader definition of homelessness in the past 12-months. RESULTS:Patients who were currently homeless (n = 316, 13.7%) versus non-homeless (n = 1,993, 86.3%) had higher rates of past year unhealthy alcohol use (44.4% vs. 30.5%, p < .0001), any drug use (40.8% vs. 18.8%, p < .0001), heroin use (16.7% vs. 3.8%, p < .0001), prescription opioid use (12.5% vs. 4.4%, p < .0001), and lifetime opioid overdose (15.8% vs. 3.7%, p < .0001). In multivariable analyses, current homelessness remained significantly associated with unhealthy alcohol use, AUDIT scores among unhealthy alcohol users, any drug use, heroin use, and opioid overdose; past 12-month homelessness was additionally associated with DAST-10 scores among drug users and prescription opioid use. CONCLUSIONS:Patients experiencing homelessness have higher rates and greater severity of alcohol and drug use than other ED patients across a range of measures. These findings have implications for planning services for patients with concurrent substance use and housing problems.

OBJECTIVE:To assess changes in the practice patterns of urologists performing male infertility procedures (vasal reconstruction, sperm retrieval, varicocelectomy) from 2004 to 2015 in the United States. DESIGN/METHODS:Examination of self-reported procedural volumes from urologists undergoing certification and recertification using case log data provided by the American Board of Urology. The study period was stratified into early (2004-2007) and recent (2012-2015) time periods. SETTING/METHODS:Not applicable. PATIENT(S)/METHODS:None. INTERVENTION(S)/METHODS:None. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURE(S)/METHODS:Temporal variations in male infertility practice patterns among different urologic subspecialties between the early and recent time periods. RESULT(S)/RESULTS:The overall proportion of total male infertility procedures performed by andrologists significantly increased between the early and recent groups (23% to 26%). This growth was driven by a significant increase in the proportion of varicocele repairs being performed by andrologists between the early and recent periods (19% to 25%). Most notably, an assessment of total number of male infertility procedures performed by newly certifying urologists showed that there was a significant increase in the overall proportion of all male infertility procedures being performed by recently trained andrologists (24% to 35%). This significant increase was seen individually among all three types of male infertility procedures. CONCLUSION(S)/CONCLUSIONS:With the increased trend in urologists obtaining fellowship training, male infertility surgical volume is beginning to shift from general urologists to subspecialized andrologists.

OBJECTIVE:To describe available models of HIV and noncommunicable disease (NCD) care integration in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). DESIGN/METHODS:Narrative review of published articles describing various models of HIV and NCD care integration in SSA. RESULTS:We identified five models of care integration across various SSA countries. These were integrated community-based screening for HIV and NCDs in the general population; screening for NCDs and NCD risk factors among HIV patients enrolled in care; integration of HIV and NCD care within clinics; differentiated care for patients with HIV and/or NCDs; and population healthcare for all. We illustrated these models with descriptive case studies highlighting the lessons learned and evidence gaps from the various models. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Leveraging existing HIV infrastructure for NCD care is feasible with various approaches possible depending on available program capacity. Process and clinical outcomes for existing models of care integration are not yet described but are urgently required to further advise policy decisions on HIV/NCD care integration.