Shearing of surface mucin saps tumor cell strength.

Aberrant expression of transmembrane mucins promotes tumor progression and interferes with immunological and medicinal elimination of cancer cells. In a recent article, Pedram et al. directed an attenuated bacterial mucin-specific protease to HER2-positive tumor cells and observed decreased tumor growth rates and extended survival of mice bearing HER2-positive tumors.

Case management implications of celiac disease.

PURPOSE OF STUDY: The purpose of this article is to educate case managers on an autoimmune disorder, celiac disease, that is seen with increased frequency due to recent improvements in diagnostic testing. After reading this article, case managers will PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING(S): Outpatient case management, although patients with celiac disease may be encountered in any setting. FINDINGS/CONCLUSIONS: Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease affecting up to 1% of the population. The majority of people with celiac disease do not know they have it. With new diagnostic tests available on the marketplace, increasing numbers of people are being diagnosed with celiac disease. Case managers are likely to encounter patients with celiac disease as either a primary or secondary diagnosis. Celiac disease may cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as gas, diarrhea, or bloating, and is also associated with osteoporosis, other autoimmune disorders, and certain types of cancer. For children, it is a common disorder underlying growth delays. Celiac disease is present in 3%-8% of persons with diabetes and may affect glycemic control in these patients. The only known treatment of celiac disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet. The increased number of individuals diagnosed with celiac disease has led to an increase in products available, as well as in research on treatment alternatives. IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: People with celiac disease report challenges in adhering to the gluten-free diet. Case managers can assist patients in accessing appropriate therapy, including nutrition counseling and monitoring services. They may also advocate for testing of patients in high-risk groups such as persons with diabetes, and those with unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms. In working with celiac patients, case managers should address psychosocial issues as well as knowledge deficits. Patients may need particular support integrating the gluten-free diet with other requirements, including heart healthy or diabetic diets. Case managers can help patients identify reliable sources of information and products. Case managers still have a role to play in educating patients and supporting adherence with this lifelong dietary regimen.

The impact of CMSA's case management adherence guidelines and guidelines training on case manager-reported behavior change.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: The Case Management Society of America (CMSA) developed evidence-based guidelines (Case Management Adherence Guidelines, CMAG) for case managers to support increased efficacy of case managers in helping patients become more adherent to medication regimens. The effort was in response to documented high levels of nonadherence, and evidence demonstrating that lack of adherence negatively impacts patient health status. The CMSA engaged in a massive training program to support case manager adoption of the CMAG tools and approaches to improve patient knowledge and motivation. This article reports on findings of a follow-up survey that evaluated case manager's use of the tools and strategies discussed in the CMAG. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING(S): Seven hundred fifty case managers from all settings were trained in the use of the CMAG. FINDINGS/CONCLUSIONS: In a follow-up survey, 42% of respondents reported that there has been a very, or fairly, significant impact of using their new skills to increase their effectiveness in helping patients reach their outcome improvement goals. In addition, 43% reported that there has been a very, or fairly, big improvement in patient adherence since they took the training, while 39% did not see a major impact. At the time of the survey (up to 1 year after training), 43% of respondents indicated that the training was very valuable; another 39% reported that it was fairly valuable. Participants continue to use the skills and information adopted in the training sessions: 26% report that they currently use at least some of the information and skills very often, while another 49% use them fairly often. Sixty-six percent of respondents indicated that they specifically use motivational interviewing to help address patient knowledge and motivation regarding medication adherence. IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: Medication adherence is a key issue in case management practice; efforts to positively impact low patient knowledge and motivation can be frustration for case managers. The CMAG offer evidence-based assessment tools to evaluate patient knowledge of medications and their motivation to adhere, and recommend the strategy of motivational interviewing to help case managers address adherence more effectively with patients. A 1-time training on the CMAG and motivational interviewing had some effect on self-reported case manager effectiveness in addressing medication adherence. Case managers appreciated the training; many reported that they continue to use skills and that they have observed changes in patient outcomes. Additional training, skill building, and reinforcement may help case managers apply CMAG and motivational interviewing effectively to support patients' adherence to medication regimens. The CMSA may continue to evaluate the impact of the CMAG and CMAG training to refine the tools and the training approach.

The zeitgeist of online health search. Implications for a consumer-centric health system.

BACKGROUND: Health care queries rank among the most frequent topics of information-seeking activity initiated by users of commercial search engines. The quality of information located through existing search engine technology has received little attention, especially when considering the widely varied knowledge levels of internet users. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to create a benchmark technology assessment of online health search trends and practices, with corresponding evaluation of its applicability within the Federal Health Architecture (FHA) plan for a nationwide, interoperable health information infrastructure. DESIGN: Exploratory technology assessment, analyzing focus group participants' views on barriers to effective health information searching, using existing commercial search engine technologies and methods. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Focus group, national leaders in electronic health care (e-health). RESULTS: A variety of web-based assessment tools are available for consumers to be able to identify reliable health websites; however, many may be too difficult for the layperson to use or understand. Existing search technologies are increasingly powerful, although the expanding volume of information on the internet suggests the need for better mediated searching. Search engines provide consumers a means for quickly bypassing information that appears too technical for their individual knowledge level, and at times, searchers often overlook critical information most relevant to their needs. Overall, existing search technologies need to be more interactive, visible, and context-driven, and supported by better technology assessment methodologies, scalability of information, and enhanced access by underserved subgroups. CONCLUSION: Future technology assessments are needed to provide structure for interoperability of health information systems, especially where consumers, providers, and payer systems intersect. State-of-the-art search engine technologies are still not widely available to those who can benefit most from them.

Patient safety systems for case management.

Patient safety is an important concern of many healthcare stakeholders, including patients, providers, employers, health plans, and insurers. In 2003, URAC conducted a qualitative study to examine the role of utilization management programs as part of a systemic approach to promoting patient safety. Many of URAC's findings are applicable to case management as well. URAC found that most medical management companies address patient safety indirectly, as part of a global quality management program. Even so, the study identified a number of strengths that could be deployed by medical management organizations to more systematically promote patient safety. For example, case management organizations use decision support tools to assist frontline practitioners in conducting assessments and tracking interventions. Such systems could be programmed to flag safety concerns and guide interventions. The study also found that commonly used case management assessment protocols could be adapted to routinely assess for high priority safety concerns. URAC concluded that each stage of the medical management process offers opportunities for data collection and clinical interface to promote patient safety. Case managers have key positions interfacing between patients, providers, and the healthcare system. Development of safety indicators and training of staff are key elements needed to effectuate a safety program in medical management. Case management leaders in each organization and at the national level should make patient safety a priority, and define the processes for implementing safety systems wherever case management is practiced.

Setting the public agenda for online health search: a white paper and action agenda.

BACKGROUND: Searches for health information are among the most common reasons that consumers use the Internet. Both consumers and quality experts have raised concerns about the quality of information on the Web and the ability of consumers to find accurate information that meets their needs. OBJECTIVE: To produce a national stakeholder-driven agenda for research, technical improvements, and education that will improve the results of consumer searches for health information on the Internet. METHODS: URAC, a national accreditation organization, and Consumer WebWatch (CWW), a project of Consumers Union (a consumer advocacy organization), conducted a review of factors influencing the results of online health searches. The organizations convened two stakeholder groups of consumers, quality experts, search engine experts, researchers, health-care providers, informatics specialists, and others. Meeting participants reviewed existing information and developed recommendations for improving the results of online consumer searches for health information. Participants were not asked to vote on or endorse the recommendations. Our working definition of a quality Web site was one that contained accurate, reliable, and complete information. RESULTS: The Internet has greatly improved access to health information for consumers. There is great variation in how consumers seek information via the Internet, and in how successful they are in searching for health information. Further, there is variation among Web sites, both in quality and accessibility. Many Web site features affect the capability of search engines to find and index them. CONCLUSIONS: Research is needed to define quality elements of Web sites that could be retrieved by search engines and understand how to meet the needs of different types of searchers. Technological research should seek to develop more sophisticated approaches for tagging information, and to develop searches that "learn" from consumer behavior. Finally, education initiatives are needed to help consumers search more effectively and to help them critically evaluate the information they find.

Linking utilization management and patient safety.

URAC recently completed a study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to assess patient safety systems. URAC collected information from 31 separate UM companies. URAC also reviewed software capabilities from four commercial utilization management software vendors. This article describes how utilization management organizations use information technology and UM processes to systematically identify and manage potential patient safety problems. The study also identified research needs to promote future utilization management involvement in patient safety.