Renee Pekmezaris

Factors influencing older adults to complete advance directives.

OBJECTIVEnThe purpose of this study was to determine the factors which influence advance directive (AD) completion among older adults.nnnMETHODnDirect interviews of hospitalized and community-dwelling cognitively intact patients > 65 years of age were conducted in three tertiary teaching settings in New York. Analysis of AD completion focused on its correlation with demographics, personal beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, and exposure to educational media initiatives. We identified five variables with loadings of at least 0.30 in absolute value, along with five demographic variables (significant in the univariate analyses) for multiple logistic regression. The backward elimination method was used to select the final set of jointly significant predictor variables.nnnRESULTSnOf the 200 subjects consenting to an interview, 125 subjects (63%) had completed ADs. In comparing groups with and without ADs, gender (p < 0.0002), age (p < 0.0161), race (p < 0.0001), education (p < 0.0039), and religion (p < 0.0104) were significantly associated with having an AD. Factors predicting AD completion are: thinking an AD will help in the relief of suffering at the end of life, (OR 76.3, p < 0.0001), being asked to complete ADs/ or receiving explanation about ADs (OR 55.2, p < 0.0001), having undergone major surgery (OR 6.3, p < 0.0017), female gender (OR 11.1, p < 0.0001) and increasing age (76-85 vs. 59-75: OR 3.4, p < 0.0543; < 85 vs. 59-75: OR 6.3, p < 0.0263).nnnSIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTSnThis study suggests that among older adults, the probability of completing ADs is related to personal requests by health care providers, educational level, and exposure to advance care planning media campaigns.

Diagnostic Value of Repeated Enzyme Immunoassays in Clostridium difficile Infection

OBJECTIVES:There has been a significant increase in the prevalence, severity, and mortality of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), with an estimated three million new cases per year in the United States. Yet diagnosing CDI remains problematic. The most commonly used test is stool enzyme immunoassay (EIA) detecting toxin A and/or B, but there are no clear guidelines specifying the optimal number of tests to be ordered in the diagnostic workup, although multiple tests are frequently ordered. Thus, we designed a study with the primary objective of evaluating the diagnostic utility of repeat second and third tests of stool EIA detecting both toxins A and B (EIA (A&B)) in cases with negative initial samples, and sought to describe the physicians’ patterns of ordering this test in the workup of suspected CDI.METHODS:A retrospective study was carried out using a database of all stool EIA (A&B) tests ordered for a presumptive diagnosis of CDI. All patients were adults admitted to a major teaching hospital over a three-and-a-half-year period (tests completed within 5 days of ordering the first test were grouped into a single episode, and only the first three samples per episode were analyzed). Age, gender, and results of stool EIA were tabulated. In addition, physicians’ ordering patterns and proportion of positive stools relative to the number of tests ordered were also analyzed. A single positive EIA result was interpreted as evidence for the clinical presence of CDI.RESULTS:A total of 3,712 patients contributed to 5,865 separate diarrhea episodes (total stool EIA (A&B)=9,178), and 1,165 (19.9%) of these episodes were positive for CDI. Of the positive patients, 73.2% were over the age of 65 years and 54.2% of them were females. The most frequent ordering pattern for presumptive CDI was a single stool test (60.1%), followed by two more tests (23.2%). Three tests were still ordered in 16.6% of the cases. Of the 1,165 positive cases, 1,046 (89.8%) were diagnosed in the very first test, 95 (8.2%) in the second, and only 24 (2.0%) in the third test. In 1,934 instances, a second test was ordered after an initial negative result, of which 95 (4.91%) became positive. In 793 episodes, a third test was ordered after two negative samples, of which only 24 (3.03%) became positive.CONCLUSIONS:This study highlights the low diagnostic yield of repeat stool EIA (A&B) testing. Findings strongly support the utility of limiting the workup of suspected CDI to a single stool test with only one repeat test in cases of high clinical suspicion, and avoiding the routine ordering of multiple stool samples. As Clostridium difficile is becoming an endemic health-care problem resulting in major financial burdens for the US health-care system, clear guidelines specifying the optimal number of stool EIA (A&B) tests to be ordered in the diagnostic workup of suspected CDI must be established to assist physicians in the practice of evidence-based medicine.

Comprehensive perinatal safety initiative to reduce adverse obstetric events.

&NA; A comprehensive perinatal safety initiative (PSI) was incrementally introduced from August 2007 to July 2009 at a large tertiary medical center to reduce adverse obstetrical outcomes. The PSI introduced: (1) evidence‐based protocols, (2) formalized team training with emphasis on communication, (3) standardization of electronic fetal monitoring with required documentation of competence, (4) a high‐risk obstetrical emergency simulation program, and (5) dissemination of an integrated educational program among all healthcare providers. Eleven adverse outcome measures were followed prospectively via modification of the Adverse Outcome Index (MAOI). Additionally, individual components were evaluated. The logistic regression model found that within the first year, the MAOI decreased significantly to 0.8% from 2% (p<.0004) and was maintained throughout the 2‐year period. Significant decreases over time for rates of return to the operating room (p<.018) and birth trauma (p<.0022) were also found. Finally, significant improvements were found in staff perceptions of safety (p<.0001), in patient perceptions of whether staff worked together (p<.028), in the management (p<.002), and documentation (p<.0001) of abnormal fetal heart rate tracings, and the documentation of obstetric hemorrhage (p<.019). This study demonstrates that a comprehensive PSI can significantly reduce adverse obstetric outcomes, thereby improving patient safety and enhancing staff and patient experiences.

Medication Reconciliation in Continuum of Care Transitions: A Moving Target

OBJECTIVEnTo study medication discrepancies in clinical transitions across a large health care system.nnnDESIGNnRandomized chart review of electronic medical records and paper chart medication reconciliation lists across 3 transitions of care.nnnSETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTSnSubacute patient medication records were reviewed through 3 transition care points at a large health care system, including hospital admission to discharge (time I), hospital discharge to skilled nursing facility (SNF; time II) and SNF admission to discharge home or long term care (LTC; time III).nnnMEASUREMENTSnMedication discrepancies were identified and categorized by the principal investigator and a pharmacist. Discrepancies were defined as any unexplained documented change in the patients medication lists between sites and unintentional discrepancies were defined as any omission, duplication, or failure to change back to original regimen when indicated.nnnRESULTSnWe reviewed 1696 medications in the 132 transition records of 44 patients, identifying 1002 discrepancies. Average age was 71.4 years and 68% were female. Median hospital stay was 5.5 days and 14.5 SNF days. Total medications at hospital admission, hospital discharge, SNF admission, and SNF discharge were 284, 472, 555, and 392, respectively. Total medication discrepancies were 357 (time I), 315 (time II), and 330 (time III). All patients experienced discrepancies and 86% had at least 1 unintentional discrepancy. The average number of medications per patient increased at time I from 6.5 to 10.7 (P < .001), increased at time II from 10.7 to 12.6 (P <.0174), and decreased at time III from 12.6 to 8.9 (P < .001). Patients, on average, had 8.1, 7.2, and 7.6 medication discrepancies at times I, II, and III, respectively. Surgical patients had more discrepancies than medical at times I and III (8.94 vs 5.3, P < .019; 8.0 vs 5.8, P < .028). In the unintentional group, cardiovascular drugs represented the highest number of discrepancies (26%).nnnCONCLUSIONnThis study is the first to follow medication changes throughout 3 transition care points in a large health care system and to demonstrate the widespread prevalence of medication discrepancies at all points. Our findings are consistent with previously published results, which all focused on single site transitions. Outcomes of the current reconciliation process need to be revisited to insure safe delivery of care to the complex geriatric patient as they transition through health care systems.

Ethnicity, race, and advance directives in an inpatient palliative care consultation service.

OBJECTIVEnAlthough race and ethnic background are known to be important factors in the completion of advance directives, there is a dearth of literature specifically investigating the effect of race and ethnicity on advance directive completion rate after palliative care consultation (PCC).nnnMETHODnA chart review of all patients seen by the PCC service in an academic hospital over a 9-month period was performed. Data were compiled using gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and primary diagnosis. For this study, advance directives were defined as: Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) and/or Do Not Intubate (DNI).nnnRESULTSnOf the 400 medical records reviewed, 57% of patients were female and 71.3% documented their religion as Christian. The most common documented diagnosis was cancer (39.5%). Forty-seven percent reported their race as white. White patients completed more advance directives than did nonwhite patients both before (25.67% vs. 12.68%) and after (59.36% vs. 40.84%) PCC. There was a significantly higher proportion of whites who signed an advance directive after a PCC than of nonwhites (p = 0.021); of the 139 whites who did not have an advance directive at admission, 63 signed an advance directive after a PCC compared with 186/60 nonwhites (45% vs. 32%, respectively, p = 0.021). Further analysis revealed that African Americans differed from whites in the likelihood of advance directive execution rates pre-PCC, but not post-PCC.nnnSIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTSnThis study demonstrates the impact of a PCC on the completion of advance directives, on both whites and nonwhites. The PCC Intervention significantly reduced differences between whites and African Americans in completing advance directives, which have been consistently documented in the end-of-life literature.

The Impact of Remote Patient Monitoring (Telehealth) upon Medicare Beneficiaries with Heart Failure

OBJECTIVEnTo study the impact of remote patient monitoring (RPM) upon the most frequent diagnosis in hospitalized patients over 65 years of age-heart failure (HF). We examined the effect of RPM on hospital utilization and Medicare costs of HF patients receiving home care.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnTwo studies were simultaneously conducted: A randomized and a matched-cohort study. In the randomized study, 168 subjects were randomly assigned (after hospitalization) to home care utilizing RPM (live nursing visits and video-based nursing visits) or to home care receiving live nursing visits only. In the matched-cohort study, 160 subjects receiving home care with RPM (live nursing visits and video-based nursing visits) were matched with home care subjects receiving live nursing visits only.nnnRESULTSnRegardless of whether outcomes were being analyzed for all subjects (intention to treat) or for hospitalized subjects only, hospitalization rates, time to first admission, length of stay, and costs to Medicare did not differ significantly between groups in either study at 30 or 90 days after enrollment. A notable trend, however, emerged across studies: Although time to hospitalization was shorter in the RPM groups than the control groups, RPM groups had lower hospitalization costs.nnnCONCLUSIONSnRPM, when utilized in conjunction with a robust management protocol, was not found to significantly differ from live nursing visits in the management of HF in home care. Shorter hospitalization times and lower associated costs may be due to earlier identification of exacerbation. These trends indicate the need for further study.

Hand hygiene in long-term care facilities: a multicenter study of knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers.

An anonymous survey of 1143 employees in 17 nursing facilities assessed knowledge of, attitudes about, self-perceived compliance with, and barriers to implementing the 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hand hygiene guidelines. Overall, employees reported positive attitudes toward the guidelines but differed with regard to knowledge, compliance, and perceived barriers. These findings provide guidance for practice improvement programs in long-term care settings.

Predictors of Site of Death of End-of-Life Patients: The Importance of Specificity in Advance Directives

Despite the compelling reasons for advance directives and their endorsement by the public and medical professions, little is known about their actual use and impact on site of death. This study was conducted to examine the role of advance directives and other drivers of hospitalization of the long-term care end-of-life patient. The medical records of 100 deceased consecutive nursing home residents, stratified by site of death (skilled nursing facility or acute care hospital), were reviewed by a team of geriatric researchers to obtain patient information in the following domains: sociodemographic, advance directives, transfer and death information, patient diagnoses at admission, discharge, and other time intervals; medication usage and signs and symptoms precipitating death. Severity of illness was assessed using the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-G (CIRS-G). In testing for differences between patients by site of death, sociodemographic variables (gender, age, race, payer at discharge, cognitive capacity) did not significantly differ between the two groups of patients. Strong similarities between the groups were also found in terms of severity of illness and medication usage. Significantly higher proportions of patients dying in the nursing home had specific advance directives (do not resuscitate, do not intubate, do not artificially feed, do not hydrate, and do not hospitalize), as opposed to those dying in the hospital. The findings of this study demonstrate the impact of the explicit advance directive on the decision to transfer the patient to the acute care setting at the end of life.

Multiple cervical levels: increased risk of dysphagia and dysphonia during anterior cervical discectomy.

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy (ACD) is widely used for symptomatic cervical spine pathologies. The most common complications associated with this type of surgery are dysphagia and dysphonia; however, the risk factors associated with them have not been adequately elucidated. The purpose of this study is to assess the incidence of self-reported dysphagia and dysphonia and the associated risk factors after ACD. Methods: This study used a retrospective chart review of 149 patients who underwent ACD at a tertiary care facility operating in the New York metropolitan area over a period of 2½ years. Charts for ACD patients were reviewed by 6 trained researchers. Incidence rates for self-reported dysphagia and dysphonia were calculated using 95% exact confidence intervals (CI). Risk factors such as age, sex, surgical hours, number of disc levels, airway class, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, fiberoptic intubation, and intubation difficulty were assessed using logistic regression. Results: The incidence of self-reported dysphagia was 12.1% (95% exact CI, 7.3%-18.4%); for dysphonia the self-reported incidence was 5.4% (95% exact CI, 2.3%-10.3%). Patients who underwent surgery at ≥4 cervical levels had a significant 4-fold increased risk (odds ratio=4; 95% CI, 1.1-13.8) of developing dysphonia and/or dysphagia compared with patients who underwent surgery at a single surgical level. Conclusions: This study confirms previous findings that the risk of developing dysphagia and/or dysphonia increases with the number of surgical levels, with multiple cervical levels representing a significantly higher postoperative risk, as compared with surgery at 1 level.

Conceptualizing Alzheimer's Disease as a Terminal Medical Illness

Alzheimers disease is a common illness of the elderly population, with an estimated prevalence of 4.5 million people in the United States and 24.3 million worldwide. Despite current pharmaceutic advances in delaying disease progression, there is no cure. This article reviews the evidence for conceptualizing Alzheimers disease as a terminal medical illness. Discussed are principles of palliative care as applied to the patient with Alzheimers disease and the patients family.