Bijal A. Balasubramanian

Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home and Preventive Services Delivery

PURPOSE Limited research exists examining the principles of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and improved outcomes. We examined whether PCMH principles (personal physician, physician-directed team, whole-person orientation, coordination of care, quality and safety, and enhanced access) are associated with receipt of preventive services. METHODS We undertook cross-sectional analyses using baseline patient and practice member surveys and chart audits from a quality improvement trial in 24 primary care offices. Association of PCMH principles with preventive services (receipt of cancer screening, lipid screening, influenza vaccination, and behavioral counseling) was examined using hierarchical linear modeling. RESULTS Higher global PCMH scores were associated with receipt of preventive services (β=2.3; P <.001). Positive associations were found with principles of personal physician (β=3.7; P <.001), in particular, continuity with the same physician (β=4.4; P = .002) and number of visits within 2 years (15% higher for patients with 13 or more visits; P <.001); and whole-person orientation (β=5.6; P <.001), particularly, having a well-visit within 5 years (β=12.3; P <.001) and being treated for chronic diseases (6% higher if more than 3 chronic diseases; P = .002). Having referral systems to link patients to community programs for preventive counseling (β = 8.0; P <.001) and use of clinical decision-support tools (β = 5.0; P = .04) were also associated with receipt of preventive services. CONCLUSIONS Relationship-centered aspects of PCMH are more highly correlated with preventive services delivery in community primary care practices than are information technology capabilities. Demonstration projects and tools that measure PCMH principles should have greater emphasis on these key primary care attributes.

Operative vaginal delivery and neonatal and infant adverse outcomes: population based retrospective analysis

Abstract Objective To compare the risk of neonatal and infant adverse outcomes between vacuum and forceps assisted deliveries. Design Population based study. Setting US linked natality and mortality birth cohort file and the New Jersey linked natality, mortality, and hospital discharge summary birth cohort file. Participants Singleton live births in the United States (n = 11 639 388) and New Jersey (n = 375 351). Main outcome measures Neonatal morbidity and mortality. Results Neonatal mortality was comparable between vacuum and forceps deliveries in US births (odds ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.79 to 1.12). Vacuum delivery was associated with a lower risk of birth injuries (0.69, 0.66 to 0.72), neonatal seizures (0.78, 0.68 to 0.90), and need for assisted ventilation (< 30 minutes 0.94, 0.92 to 0.97; ≥ 30 minutes 0.92, 0.88 to 0.98). Among births in New Jersey, vacuum extraction was more likely than forceps to be complicated by postpartum haemorrhage (1.22, 1.07 to 1.39) and shoulder dystocia (2.00, 1.62 to 2.48). The risks of intracranial haemorrhage, difficulty with feeding, and retinal haemorrhage were comparable between both modes of delivery. The sequential use of vacuum and forceps was associated with an increased risk of need for mechanical ventilation in the infant and third and fourth degree perineal tears. Conclusion Although vacuum extraction does have risks, it remains a safe alternative to forceps delivery.

Quality of Diabetes Care in Family Medicine Practices: Influence of Nurse-Practitioners and Physician’s Assistants

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to assess whether the quality of diabetes care differs among practices employing nurse-practitioners (NPs), physician’s assistants (PAs), or neither, and which practice attributes contribute to any differences in care. METHODS This cross-sectional study of 46 family medicine practices from New Jersey and Pennsylvania measured adherence to American Diabetes Association diabetes guidelines via chart audits of 846 patients with diabetes. Practice characteristics were identified by staff surveys. Hierarchical models determined differences between practices with and without NPs or PAs. RESULTS Compared with practices employing PAs, practices employing NPs were more likely to measure hemoglobin A1c levels (66% vs 33%), lipid levels (80% vs 58%), and urinary microalbumin levels (32% vs 6%); to have treated for high lipid levels (77% vs 56%); and to have patients attain lipid targets (54% vs 37%) (P ≤ .005 for each). Practices with NPs were more likely than physician-only practices to assess hemoglobin A1c levels (66% vs 49%) and lipid levels (80% vs 68%) (P≤.007 for each). These effects could not be attributed to use of diabetes registries, health risk assessments, nurses for counseling, or patient reminder systems. Practices with either PAs or NPs were perceived as busier (P=.03) and had larger total staff (P <.001) than physician-only practices. CONCLUSIONS Family practices employing NPs performed better than those with physicians only and those employing PAs, especially with regard to diabetes process measures. The reasons for these differences are not clear.

Integrating Behavioral and Physical Health Care in the Real World: Early Lessons from Advancing Care Together

Background: More than 20 years ago the Institute of Medicine advocated for integration of physical and behavioral health care. Today, practices are integrating care in response to recent policy initiatives. However, few studies describe how integration is accomplished in real-world practices without the financial or research support available for most randomized controlled trials. Methods: To study how practices integrate care, we are conducting a cross-case comparative, mixed-methods study of 11 practices participating in Advancing Care Together (ACT). Using a grounded theory approach, we analyzed multiple sources of data (eg, documents, practice surveys, field notes from observation visits, semistructured interviews, online diaries) collected from each ACT innovator. Results: Integration requires making changes in organization and interpersonal relationships. During early integration efforts, challenges related to workflow and access, leadership and culture change, and tracking and using data to evaluate patient- and practice-level improvement emerged for ACT innovators. We describe the strategies innovators are developing to address these challenges. Conclusion: Integrating care is a fundamental and difficult change for practices and health care professionals. Research identifying common challenges that manifest in early efforts can help others attempting integration and inform state, local, and federal policies aimed at achieving wide-spread implementation.

Community Diabetes Education (CoDE) for uninsured Mexican Americans: A randomized controlled trial of a culturally tailored diabetes education and management program led by a community health worker

AIMS The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the impact of a culturally tailored diabetes education program led by a community health worker (CHW) on the HbA1c, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and lipid status of uninsured Mexican Americans with diabetes. METHODS Adult patients were recruited from a community clinic and randomized into intervention (n=90) and control (n=90) groups. Both groups received usual medical care from clinic physicians. The intervention group participated in the Community Diabetes Education (CoDE) program over 12 months. The primary outcome of interest was HbA1c. Secondary outcomes included blood pressure, BMI and lipid status. Variations in outcomes over time were assessed within groups and between groups using linear mixed-models and an intention-to-treat approach. Assessment of changes in HbA1c, blood pressure and lipid status over 12 months included variables to control for modifications made to antidiabetic, antihypertensive and lipid lowering medications. RESULTS There was no difference in baseline characteristics between the intervention and control groups. Mean changes of HbA1c over 12 months showed a significant intervention effect (-.7%, p=.02) in the CoDE group compared with controls. HbA1c decreased significantly from baseline to 12 months within the intervention (-1.6%, p<.001) and control (-.9%, p<.001) groups. No differences between groups for secondary outcomes were found. CONCLUSIONS This study supports the effectiveness of CHWs as diabetes educators/case managers functioning as integral members of the health care team in community clinic settings serving uninsured Mexican Americans.

Designing a valid randomized pragmatic primary care implementation trial: The my own health report (MOHR) project

BackgroundThere is a pressing need for greater attention to patient-centered health behavior and psychosocial issues in primary care, and for practical tools, study designs and results of clinical and policy relevance. Our goal is to design a scientifically rigorous and valid pragmatic trial to test whether primary care practices can systematically implement the collection of patient-reported information and provide patients needed advice, goal setting, and counseling in response.MethodsThis manuscript reports on the iterative design of the My Own Health Report (MOHR) study, a cluster randomized delayed intervention trial. Nine pairs of diverse primary care practices will be randomized to early or delayed intervention four months later. The intervention consists of fielding the MOHR assessment – addresses 10 domains of health behaviors and psychosocial issues – and subsequent provision of needed counseling and support for patients presenting for wellness or chronic care. As a pragmatic participatory trial, stakeholder groups including practice partners and patients have been engaged throughout the study design to account for local resources and characteristics. Participatory tasks include identifying MOHR assessment content, refining the study design, providing input on outcomes measures, and designing the implementation workflow. Study outcomes include the intervention reach (percent of patients offered and completing the MOHR assessment), effectiveness (patients reporting being asked about topics, setting change goals, and receiving assistance in early versus delayed intervention practices), contextual factors influencing outcomes, and intervention costs.DiscussionThe MOHR study shows how a participatory design can be used to promote the consistent collection and use of patient-reported health behavior and psychosocial assessments in a broad range of primary care settings. While pragmatic in nature, the study design will allow valid comparisons to answer the posed research question, and findings will be broadly generalizable to a range of primary care settings. Per the pragmatic explanatory continuum indicator summary (PRECIS) framework, the study design is substantially more pragmatic than other published trials. The methods and findings should be of interest to researchers, practitioners, and policy makers attempting to make healthcare more patient-centered and relevant.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov: NCT01825746

Polyps With Advanced Neoplasia Are Smaller in the Right Than in the Left Colon: Implications for Colorectal Cancer Screening

BACKGROUND & AIMS Colonoscopy is consistently associated with reduced left-sided, but not right-sided, colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality. This might be because polyps with advanced pathology are smaller and more easily missed in the right vs left colon. We explored this postulate by evaluating the relationship among size, location, and histology of polyps from a large nationwide sample. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of 233,414 polyps from 142,686 patients (47% women; mean age, 60 years), which were reviewed by Miraca Life Sciences in 2009. We assessed polyp histology, location, and size of largest fragment submitted. We compared size distribution of right vs left polyps with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or adenocarcinoma as well as any advanced neoplasia. RESULTS The average size of right-sided polyps was smaller than that of left-sided polyps with HGD or adenocarcinoma (8.2 vs 12.4 mm, respectively); the same was true for polyps with advanced neoplasia (7.6 vs 11.1 mm, respectively) (P < .001). Most right-sided polyps with HGD, adenocarcinoma, or any advanced neoplasia were ≤9 mm, whereas most left-sided polyps with these findings were >9 mm. Polyps with advanced pathology were 5-fold more likely to be <6 mm in the right vs left colon: odds ratio, 5.27; 95% confidence interval, 4.06-6.82 for HGD or adenocarcinoma; odds ratio, 4.89; 95% confidence interval, 4.34-5.51 for advanced neoplasia. CONCLUSIONS Polyps with features of HGD, adenocarcinoma, or advanced neoplasia were significantly smaller in the right vs left colon. Strategies to prevent right-sided CRC require more accurate detection of small, advanced polyps.

Using Learning Teams for Reflective Adaptation (ULTRA): Insights From a Team-Based Change Management Strategy in Primary Care

PURPOSE The Using Learning Teams for Reflective Adaptation (ULTRA) study used facilitated reflective adaptive process (RAP) teams to enhance communication and decision making in hopes of improving adherence to multiple clinical guidelines; however, the study failed to show significant clinical improvements. The purpose of this study was to examine qualitative data from 25 intervention practices to understand how they engaged in a team-based collaborative change management strategy and the types of issues they addressed. METHODS We analyzed field notes and interviews from a multimethod practice assessment, as well as field notes and audio-taped recordings from RAP meetings, using an iterative group process and an immersion-crystallization approach. RESULTS Despite a history of not meeting regularly, 18 of 25 practices successfully convened improvement teams. There was evidence of improved practice-wide communication in 12 of these practices. At follow-up, 8 practices continued RAP meetings and found the process valuable in problem solving and decision making. Seven practices failed to engage in RAP primarily because of key leaders dominating the meeting agenda or staff members hesitating to speak up in meetings. Although the number of improvement targets varied considerably, most RAP teams targeted patient care-related issues or practice-level organizational improvement issues. Not a single practice focused on adherence to clinical care guidelines. CONCLUSION Primary care practices can successfully engage in facilitated team meetings; however, leaders must be engaged in the process. Additional strategies are needed to engage practice leaders, particularly physicians, and to target issues related to guideline adherence.

Small-for-gestational-age births in the United States: an age-period-cohort analysis.

Background: During the last 2 decades, the rate of low birthweight has increased, as has the rate of preterm delivery, among both whites and blacks. Examination of causes for these secular trends has focused largely on changes in the distributions of maternal age and, less commonly, on birth cohort. Little is known as to how age, period, and birth cohort interact on trends in small births at term. Methods: The U.S. natality files were used to assess trends in term (≥37 weeks gestation) small-for-gestational age (SGA) births for 7 5-year maternal age groups (15–19 through 45–49 years), 6 delivery periods (1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000), and 12 5-year maternal birth cohorts (1926–1930 through 1981–1985). SGA births were defined as sex-specific birthweight below the 10th percentile for gestational age based on 1995 livebirths in the United States. Logistic regression models were fit to determine the independent effects of age, delivery period, and birth cohort on term SGA trends, separately for blacks and whites. Results: Between 1975 and 2000, term SGA births declined by 23% (from 21% to 16%) among blacks and by 27% (from 12% to 9%) among whites. Term SGA births declined with increasing age up to 30–34 years, but increased among older women. Within strata of maternal age, the risk also declined with later maternal birth cohorts, among both blacks and whites. The strongest influence on SGA trends was from maternal age, followed by maternal birth cohort, and lastly by delivery period. In general, for any combination of age, period, and birth cohort, blacks showed 1.5- to 2-fold higher rates of term SGA than whites. Conclusions: The persistence of strong maternal age effects on risk of term SGA births suggests that the effect of age is at least partly the result of biologic factors. Term SGA trends were generally consistent for blacks and whites, although the magnitude of difference in the risks for combinations of age, period, or mother’s birth cohort was higher among blacks than whites.

Improving Outcomes for High-Risk Diabetics Using Information Systems

Background: Diabetes care requires management of complex clinical information. We examine the relationship between diabetic outcomes and practices’ use of information. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of baseline data from 50 community primary care practices participating in a practice improvement project. Medical record review assessed clinical targets for diabetes (HbA1c ≤8, LDL ≤100, BP ≤130/85). Practices’ use of information was derived from clinician responses to a survey on their use of clinical information systems for patient identification and tracking. Hierarchical linear modeling examined relationships between patient outcomes and practice use of information, controlling for patient level covariates (age, gender, hypertension, and cardiovascular comorbidities) and practice level covariates (solo/group, and electronic health record [EHR] presence). Results: Practices’ use of identification and tracking systems significantly (P < .007 and 0.002) increased odds of achieving diabetes care targets (odds ratio [OR] 1.23 95%, confidence interval [CI] 1.06 to 1.44, and OR 1.32 95% CI 1.11 to 1.59). For diabetic patients with hypertension, odds of hypertension control were higher with higher use of tracking systems (OR = 1.52, P = .0017) and reflected similar trend with higher use of identification systems (OR = 1.28, P = .1349). EHR presence was not associated with attainment of clinical targets. Conclusions: Use of relatively simple systems to identify and track patient information can improve diabetic care outcomes. Practices making investments in an EHR must recognize that this technology alone is not sufficient for achieving desirable clinical outcomes. Researchers must explore the interrelationships of organizational factors necessary for successful information use.