Dylan P. Thibault

Nursing home and end-of-life care in Parkinson disease

Objective: To examine long-term care facility (LTCF or nursing home) use and end-of-life care for individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Methods: In this nationwide retrospective cohort study, we compared LTCF and hospice utilization among Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with PD by demographic, clinical, and physician characteristics. We also examined the impact of outpatient neurologist care for institutionalized patients with PD on end-of-life care. Results: We identified 469,055 individuals with PD who received Medicare benefits in 2002. Nearly 25% (more than 100,000 in total) resided in an LTCF. Women with PD had greater odds of nursing facility residence (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30–1.38) compared with men. Black individuals with PD were 34% more likely than white individuals to reside in an LTCF (AOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.30–1.38), contrary to the race patterns typically observed for LTCF use. Hip fracture (AOR 2.10, 95% CI 2.04–2.15) and dementia (AOR 4.06, 95% CI 4.00–4.12) were the strongest clinical predictors of LTCF placement. Only 33% (n = 38,334) of nursing home residents with PD had outpatient neurologist care. Eighty-four percent (n = 80,877) of LTCF residents with PD died by December 31, 2005. Hospice utilization varied little by race and sex. LTCF residents who had outpatient neurologist care were twice as likely to utilize hospice services before death (AOR 2.35, 95% CI 2.24–2.47). Conclusions and relevance: A large proportion of the Medicare PD population resides in an LTCF. There is substantial unmet need for palliative care in the PD population. Increased efforts to provide specialist care to dependent individuals with PD may improve end-of-life care.

Associations between Anticholinergic Burden and Adverse Health Outcomes in Parkinson Disease

Background Elderly adults should avoid medications with anticholinergic effects since they may increase the risk of adverse events, including falls, delirium, and cognitive impairment. However, data on anticholinergic burden are limited in subpopulations, such as individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). The objective of this study was to determine whether anticholinergic burden was associated with adverse outcomes in a PD inpatient population. Methods Using the Cerner Health Facts® database, we retrospectively examined anticholinergic medication use, diagnoses, and hospital revisits within a cohort of 16,302 PD inpatients admitted to a Cerner hospital between 2000 and 2011. Anticholinergic burden was computed using the Anticholinergic Risk Scale (ARS). Primary outcomes were associations between ARS score and diagnosis of fracture and delirium. Secondary outcomes included associations between ARS score and 30-day hospital revisits. Results Many individuals (57.8%) were prescribed non-PD medications with moderate to very strong anticholinergic potential. Individuals with the greatest ARS score (≥4) were more likely to be diagnosed with fractures (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.56, 95% CI: 1.29–1.88) and delirium (AOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.08–2.40) relative to those with no anticholinergic burden. Similarly, inpatients with the greatest ARS score were more likely to visit the emergency department (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR): 1.32, 95% CI: 1.10–1.58) and be readmitted (AHR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.01–1.33) within 30-days of discharge. Conclusions We found a positive association between increased anticholinergic burden and adverse outcomes among individuals with PD. Additional pharmacovigilance studies are needed to better understand risks associated with anticholinergic medication use in PD.

Progressive rural–urban disparity in acute stroke care

Objective: To explore rural–urban differences and trends in tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) utilization among acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients and examine the association between primary stroke center (PSC) growth and geographic disparity in tPA use. Methods: We used hospital discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2000 to 2010 and indicators of tPA utilization and describe temporal trends in geographic disparities in AIS care during PSC growth. The Gini coefficient was used to quantify rural–urban inequity in tPA use at the state level (from 0% to 100% of maximum potential rural–urban inequity) in tPA use. Results: Of 914,500 cases of AIS between 2001 and 2010, 2.3% (n = 21, 190) received tPA. The rural–urban disparity in tPA worsened: tPA use in urban hospitals quadrupled (1.17%–4.87%) compared to rural hospitals (0.87%–1.59%). Of 33 states with NIS data, 15 reached at least 75% of the maximum rural–urban inequality from 2004 to 2010. Conclusions: Geographic disparities in tPA use for AIS are increasing. Greater understanding of the effectors of tPA utilization is necessary to ensure that access to tPA treatment is equitable for all communities in the United States.

Demographics, disparities, and outcomes in substernal goiters in the United States

BACKGROUND Disparities distinguishing patients with substernal goiters from nonsubsternal goiters have not been thoroughly described. METHODS The National Inpatient Sample database was used to compare patients who underwent substernal thyroidectomy years 2000 to 2010 with those who underwent thyroidectomy for nonsubsternal goiter. RESULTS A total of 110,889 patients underwent thyroidectomy for goiter (5,525 substernal and 105,364 nonsubsternal). Substernal thyroidectomy patients were older, more likely to be Black or Hispanic and to have Medicare insurance. They had a higher comorbidity index, were more likely to be admitted emergently and to have postoperative complications such as hemorrhage/hematoma, pneumothorax, pulmonary embolism, and hypocalcemia/hypoparathyroidism. Furthermore, substernal thyroidectomy patients had 73% increased odds of death during admission than nonsubsternal thyroidectomy patients. CONCLUSIONS Substernal goiters present a distinct type of goiter with identifiable patient-level characteristics and an increased risk of postoperative complications and death. Earlier identification and treatment of goiters may allow earlier interventions at a stage when risks are reduced.

Utilization of rehabilitation therapy services in Parkinson disease in the United States

Objective: To examine rehabilitation therapy utilization for Parkinson disease (PD). Methods: We identified 174,643 Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of PD in 2007 and followed them through 2009. The main outcome measures were annual receipt of physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), or speech therapy (ST). Results: Outpatient rehabilitation fee-for-service use was low. In 2007, only 14.2% of individuals with PD had claims for PT or OT, and 14.6% for ST. Asian Americans were the highest users of PT/OT (18.4%) and ST (18.4%), followed by Caucasians (PT/OT 14.4%, ST 14.8%). African Americans had the lowest utilization (PT/OT 7.8%, ST 8.2%). Using logistic regression models that accounted for repeated measures, we found that African American patients (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.63 for PT/OT, AOR 0.63 for ST) and Hispanic patients (AOR 0.97 for PT/OT, AOR 0.91 for ST) were less likely to have received therapies compared to Caucasian patients. Patients with PD with at least one neurologist visit per year were 43% more likely to have a claim for PT evaluation as compared to patients without neurologist care (AOR 1.43, 1.30–1.48), and this relationship was similar for OT evaluation, PT/OT treatment, and ST. Geographically, Western states had the greatest use of rehabilitation therapies, but provider supply did not correlate with utilization. Conclusions: This claims-based analysis suggests that rehabilitation therapy utilization among older patients with PD in the United States is lower than reported for countries with comparable health care infrastructure. Neurologist care is associated with rehabilitation therapy use; provider supply is not.

Patient safety events in hospital care of individuals with epilepsy

(1) To describe patient adverse events (PAEs) experienced by hospitalized individuals with epilepsy and examine the association of an epilepsy diagnosis on risk of specific PAEs; (2) to examine the impact of a PAE on (a) length of stay (LOS), (b) inpatient death, and (c) use of institutional post‐acute care.

Sex disparities in health and health care utilization after Parkinson diagnosis: Rethinking PD associated disability

OBJECTIVE To examine sex differences and trends in comorbid disease and health care utilization in individuals with newly diagnosed Parkinson disease (PD). DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS Over 133,000 Medicare beneficiaries with a new PD diagnosis in 2002 followed through 2008. METHODS We compared the prevalence and cumulative incidence of common medical conditions, trends in survival and health care utilization between men and women with PD. RESULTS Female PD patients had higher adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of depression (IRR: 1.28, 1.25-1.31), hip fracture (IRR: 1.51, 1.45-1.56), osteoporosis (3.01, 2.92-3.1), and rheumatoid/osteoarthritis (IRR: 1.47, 1.43-1.51) than men. In spite of greater survival, women with PD used home health and skilled nursing facility care more often, and had less outpatient physician contact than men throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS Women experience a unique health trajectory after PD diagnosis as suggested by differing comorbid disease burden and health care utilization compared to men. Future studies of sex differences in care needs, care quality, comorbidity related disability, PD progression, and non-clinical factors associated with disability are needed to inform research agendas and clinical guidelines that may improve quality survival for women with PD.

Hospitalizations of Children with Huntington's disease in the United States

Juvenile Huntingtons disease (JHD) is a childhood‐onset neurodegenerative disorder. Although it is caused by the same pathologic expansion of CGA repeats as adult‐onset Huntingtons disease, JHD has distinct clinical features. Most clinical research in HD focuses in the adult‐onset disease; therefore, little is known about acute care outcomes for patients with JHD.

Associations Between Cardiovascular Events and Nonergot Dopamine Agonists in Parkinson's Disease

Knowledge of possible cardiovascular risks from Parkinsons disease (PD) medications is critical to informing safe and effective treatment decisions. The objective of our study was to determine whether PD patients treated with nonergot dopamine agonists (DAs) are at increased risk of adverse cardiovascular or cerebrovascular outcomes, relative to PD patients receiving other treatments.