Julianne Souchek

Surprisingly High Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression in Chronic Breathing Disorders

STUDY OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence, screening, and recognition of depression and anxiety in persons with chronic breathing disorders, including COPD. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC). PARTICIPANTS A large sample of 1,334 persons with chronic breathing disorder diagnoses who received care at the MEDVAMC. MEASUREMENTS The prevalence of anxiety and depression was measured in a large sample of persons with a chronic breathing disorder diagnosis who received care at the MEDVAMC, using the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) screening questions. The positive predictive value of the PRIME-MD questions was then determined. The prevalence of anxiety and depressive diagnoses in patients determined to have COPD was then measured, using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (SCID). RESULTS Of patients screened with the PRIME-MD, 80% screened positive for depression, anxiety, or both. The predictive value of a positive phone screen for either depression or anxiety was estimated to be 80%. In the subsample of patients who had COPD and received a diagnosis using the SCID, 65% received an anxiety and/or depressive disorder diagnosis. Of those patients, only 31% were receiving treatment for depression and/or anxiety. CONCLUSIONS It is troubling that a mere 31% of COPD patients with depression or anxiety are being treated, particularly given their high prevalence in this population. Practical screening instruments may help increase the recognition of anxiety and depression in medical patients, as suggested by the excellent positive predictive value of the PRIME-MD in our study.

The association between the quality of inpatient care and early readmission: a meta-analysis of the evidence.

OBJECTIVES To help resolve the current controversy over the validity of early readmission as an indicator of the quality of care, the authors critically reviewed the literature using meta-analysis to derive summary estimates of effect and evaluate inter-study heterogeneity. METHODS The authors selected reports meeting five criteria: (1) presentation of new data on medical-surgical hospitalization of adults; (2) measurement of outcome as a person-specific readmission; (3) readmission within < or = 31 days; (4) examination of some aspect of the process of inpatient care; (5) inclusion of a comparison group. One meta-analysis examined 13 comparisons of readmission rates after substandard versus normative care, another examined 9 comparisons of readmission rates after normative versus exceptional care, and the third examined all 22 comparisons together. Two authors applied inclusion criteria and extracted data on methods and findings. Two others classified studies on 11 methodological variables for the heterogeneity evaluation. RESULTS The summary odds ratio for readmission after substandard care was 1.24 (0.99-1.57) relative to normative care; for readmission after normative care the summary odds ratio was 1.45 (0.90-2.33) relative to exceptional care. The individual odds ratios varied significantly (chi2, 21 df = 50.34, P = 0.0003). Most of the variance in study odds ratios could be explained by whether the study focused on the quality of patient care or the qualifications of patient care providers. The summary odds ratio for the 16 homogeneous comparisons focusing on the quality of patient care was 1.55 (1.25-1.92). CONCLUSIONS Early readmission is significantly associated with the process of inpatient care. The risk of early readmission is increased by 55% when care is of relatively low quality, that is, substandard or normative instead of normative or exceptional.

Geographic Variations in Utilization Rates in Veterans Affairs Hospitals and Clinics

BACKGROUND In the United States, geographic variation in hospital use is common. It is uncertain whether there are similar geographic variations in the health care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which differs from the private sector because it predominantly serves men with annual incomes below

Racial differences in doctors' information‐giving and patients' participation

20,000, has a central system of administration, and uses salaried physicians. Thus, it might be less likely to have geographic variations. METHODS We used VA data bases to obtain information on patients treated for eight diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, congestive heart failure, angina, diabetes, chronic renal failure, bipolar disorder, and major depression). We analyzed their use of hospital and outpatient services by assessing the risk-adjusted numbers of hospital days (the average number of days a patient spent in the hospital per 12 months of follow-up, regardless of the number of hospital stays), hospital-discharge rates, and clinic-visit rates from 1991 through 1995 for the entire system and within the 22 geographically based health care networks. RESULTS We found substantial geographic variation in hospital use for all eight cohorts of patients and all the years studied. Variations in the numbers of hospital days per person-year among the networks were greatest among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ranging from a factor of 2.7 to a factor of 3.1) during a given year and smallest among patients with angina (ranging from a factor of 1.5 to a factor of 2.1). Levels of hospital use were highest in the Northeast and lowest in the West. The variation in the rates of clinic visits for principal medical care among the networks ranged from a factor of approximately 1.6 to a factor of 4.0; variations in the rates were greatest among patients with chronic renal failure and smallest among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There was no clear geographic pattern in the rates of outpatient-clinic use. CONCLUSIONS There are significant geographic variations in the use of hospital and outpatient services in the VA health care system. Because VA physicians are unable to increase their income by changing their patterns of practice, our findings suggest that their practice styles are similar to those of other physicians in their geographic regions.

COPD education and cognitive behavioral therapy group treatment for clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety in COPD patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Whether doctor‐patient communication differs by race was investigated in patients with pulmonary nodules or lung cancer.

The effect of HIV coinfection on the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in U.S. veterans with hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects 14 to 20 million Americans and is associated with increased prevalence of affective disorders, contributing significantly to disability. This study compared cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) group treatment for anxiety and depression with COPD education for COPD patients with moderate-to-severe anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. METHOD A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted between 11 July 2002 and 30 April 2005 at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX. Participants were 238 patients treated for COPD the year before, with forced expiratory value in 1 second (FEV)1/forced vital capacity (FVC)<70% and FEV1<70% predicted, and symptoms of moderate anxiety and/or moderate depression, who were being treated by a primary care provider or pulmonologist. Participants attended eight sessions of CBT or COPD education. Assessments were at baseline, at 4 and 8 weeks, and 4, 8 and 12 months. Primary outcomes were disease-specific and generic quality of life (QoL) [Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) and Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36) respectively]. Secondary outcomes were anxiety [Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)], depressive symptoms [Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)], 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and use of health services. RESULTS Both treatments significantly improved QoL, anxiety and depression (p<0.005) over 8 weeks; the rate of change did not differ between groups. Improvements were maintained with no significant change during follow-up. Ratios of post- to pretreatment use of health services were equal to 1 for both groups. CONCLUSIONS CBT group treatment and COPD education can achieve sustainable improvements in QoL for COPD patients experiencing moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression or anxiety.

Survival of colorectal cancer patients hospitalized in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System

OBJECTIVES:This study was conducted to determine whether HIV coinfection increases the risk of cirrhosis in HCV-infected patients in the HAART and pre-HAART eras. Further, the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma was also examined.METHODS:This retrospective cohort study was conducted among HCV-infected veterans who were seen at one of the 172 Veterans Health Administration hospitals between October 1, 1991 and September 30, 2000. Patients with prerecorded advanced liver disease were excluded. Incidence rates, cumulative incidence, and Cox proportional hazard ratios were calculated.RESULTS:There were 26,641 patients with HCV-only and 4,761 patients with HCV–HIV coinfection. The unadjusted incidence rate of cirrhosis was lower in patients with coinfection than HCV-only (p < 0.01). After controlling for demographics and confounders (including alcoholism and chronic hepatitis B), coinfection was not significantly associated with cirrhosis. However, there was an increased risk of cirrhosis in patients with coinfection compared to HCV-only during the pre-HAART era (before October 1, 1996) (hazard ratio = 1.48, 1.06–2.07, p= 0.02), but not among patients who entered the cohort during the HAART era. The unadjusted incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with coinfection and HCV-only was 1.3 and 2/1,000 person-years, respectively (p= 0.04). In the multivariate model, coinfection was not associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (hazard ratio = 0.84, p= 0.40).CONCLUSIONS:Coinfection was a significant risk factor for cirrhosis only during the pre-HAART era and was not associated with hepatocellular carcinoma, irrespective of time period.

Short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term mortality in patients hospitalized for stroke

OBJECTIVES:A recent analysis based on data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute indicates that no survival benefit occurred, for white or for black individuals, in colorectal cancer diagnosed during 1986–1997, and that blacks fared worse than whites. The objective of this research was to evaluate recent temporal trends in the survival of patients with colorectal cancer admitted to hospitals in the Veterans Affairs (VA) system, which offers equal access to care and facilitates systemwide implementation of prevention and treatment services.METHODS:This research was a cohort study of patients admitted to all VA hospitals with a new diagnosis of colorectal cancer between October, 1987, and September, 1998, and followed through September, 2001. Temporal changes in observed 5-yr survival were evaluated for the periods 1987–1989, 1990–1992, 1993–1995, and 1996–1998. Cumulative survival was obtained from Kaplan-Meier estimates, whereas adjusted risk of death was calculated using a Cox proportional hazards model. Adjustment was made for differences in patient characteristics, including comorbidity.RESULTS:We identified 46,044 individuals with colorectal cancer in VA hospitals during 1987–1998, 98.5% of whom were men. The mean age was 67.7 yr, and the two largest racial/ethnic groups were whites (76.5%) and blacks (17.1%). Significant differences in survival were seen over time (p < 0.001, log rank test) with longer survival in patients diagnosed in the more recent time periods. In the multivariable Cox model, survival showed an 18% increase over time (1987–1998) after adjusting for differences in age, race, comorbidity, cancer site, and extent of disease. There was a small but statistically significant decrease in chance of survival in blacks compared with whites (adjusted relative survival 0.96, 95% CI = 0.92–0.99).CONCLUSIONS:Recent non-VA studies have shown stable survival for colorectal cancer patients over time, coupled with significantly decreased survival for blacks compared with whites. In contrast, in the VA system, survival has improved for both white and black patients; in addition, the racial discrepancy in survival is markedly attenuated. These results suggest that the benefits of prevention and treatment advances may be more readily achieved in the VAs equal access, integrated health care system.

SODA (severity of dyspepsia assessment): A new effective outcome measure for dyspepsia-related health

Cerebrovascular disease is the third leading cause of death and the primary cause of long-term disability in the United States. Although the risk factors for stroke have been well defined, less is known about stroke mortality over varying time periods within the same cohort of patients. The purpose of this study is to define rates of short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term stroke mortality among patients experiencing a first-ever hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke between 1994 and 1998. Patients were identified from the Patient Treatment Files of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We included all patients who were discharged from a VA inpatient facility with a diagnosis of acute stroke. Patients were excluded from the study if they had an admission within the previous 5 years for stroke or hemiplegia. We obtained information on the patients age, gender, and coexisting illnesses. Unadjusted and adjusted 30-day mortality rates were computed using Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models. The survival-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression models were run for 31-90 days and 91-365 days from the index admission date, for patients who had survived to the start of each of these time periods. Separate models were run for ischemic (n = 34,866 patients) and hemorrhagic (n = 5,442 patients) strokes. Unadjusted 30-day mortality was 8.2 and 20.5% for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, respectively. The adjusted 30-day mortality rate was 7.4 and 18.8% for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, respectively. For ischemic stroke, age 65 years and older was associated with an increased risk for short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term mortality, while chronic heart failure was associated with an increased risk for short-term and long-term mortality. For hemorrhagic stroke, age 75 years and older, malignancy, and chronic heart failure were associated with increased mortality during all three time periods. Thirty-day mortality is over two times greater following hemorrhagic stroke vs. ischemic stroke. For patients who survive 30 days after an ischemic stroke, the risk factor that remains significantly associated with long-term mortality, which may be improved with appropriate process of care, is chronic heart failure. For patients with a hemorrhagic stroke, variables that remain significantly associated with increased short-term and long-term mortality include malignant neoplasm and chronic heart failure. Information on stroke mortality is important for patients, physicians, and researchers. In addition to stroke treatment, clinicians must be able to provide families of stroke victims with appropriate prognostic information. Further work is needed to assess the impact of actual care patterns, for the above identified risk factors, on stroke prognosis over varying time periods.

Personality disorders in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression

The aim of this research was to develop and evaluate an instrument for measuring dyspepsia-related health to serve as the primary outcome measure for randomized clinical trials. Building on our previous work we developed SODA (Severity of Dyspepsia Assessment), a multidimensional dyspepsia measure. We evaluated SODA by administering it at enrollment and seven follow-up visits to 98 patients with dyspepsia who were randomized to a 6-week course of omeprazole versus placebo and followed over 1 year. The mean age was 53 years, and six patients (6%) were women. Median Cronbachs alpha reliability estimates over the eight visits for the SODA Pain Intensity, Non-Pain Symptoms, and Satisfaction scales were 0.97, 0.90, and 0.92, respectively. The mean change scores for all three scales discriminated between patients who reported they were improved versus those who were unchanged, providing evidence of validity. The effect sizes for the Pain Intensity (.98) and Satisfaction (.87) scales were large, providing evidence for responsiveness. The effect size for the Non-Pain Symptoms scale was small (.24), indicating lower responsiveness in this study sample. SODA is a new, effective instrument for measuring dyspepsia-related health. SODA is multidimensional and responsive to clinically meaningful change with demonstrated reliability and validity.