Associations Between Patient Comfort with a Primary Care Provider and Three Measures of Behavioral Health Services Utilization.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral health services (BHS) can help improve and treat mental and emotional health problems. Yet, attitudinal and/or structural barriers often prevent individuals from accessing and benefiting from these services. Positive provider-patient interactions in healthcare, encompassing patient comfort with a primary care provider (PCP), which is often enhanced by shared decision-making, may mitigate the stigma associated with seeing a mental health professional; this may improve BHS utilization among patients who need these services. However, few studies have examined how patient comfort with a PCP, often through shared decision-making, may influence patients' BHS utilization in the real world. This study sought to address this gap in practice. METHOD: Multivariable regression analyses, using weighted data from an internet panel survey of Los Angeles County adults (n = 749), were carried out to examine the associations between patient comfort with a PCP and three measures of BHS utilization. Subsequent analyses were conducted to explore the extent to which shared decision-making moderated these associations. RESULTS: Participants who reported an intermediate or high comfort level with a provider had higher odds of reporting that they were likely to see (aOR = 2.10 and 3.84, respectively) and get advice (aOR = 2.75 and 4.76, respectively) from a mental health professional compared to participants who reported a low comfort level. Although shared decision-making influenced participants' likelihood of seeing and getting advice from a mental health professional, it was not a statistically significant moderator in these associations. CONCLUSION: Building stronger relationships with patients may improve BHS utilization, a provider practice that is likely underutilized.

A Multisite Electronic Health Record Integrated Remote Monitoring Intervention for Hypertension Improvement: Protocol for a Randomized Pragmatic Comparative Effectiveness Trial.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a major contributor to various adverse health outcomes. Although previous studies have shown the benefits of home blood pressure (BP) monitoring over office-based measurements, there is limited evidence comparing the effectiveness of whether a BP monitor integrated into the electronic health record is superior to a nonintegrated BP monitor. OBJECTIVE: In this paper, we describe the protocol for a pragmatic multisite implementation of a quality improvement initiative directly comparing integrated to nonintegrated BP monitors for hypertension improvement. METHODS: We will conduct a randomized, comparative effectiveness trial at 3 large academic health centers across California. The 3 sites will enroll a total of 660 participants (approximately n=220 per site), with 330 in the integrated BP monitor arm and 330 in the nonintegrated BP control arm. The primary outcome of this study will be the absolute difference in systolic BP in mm Hg from enrollment to 6 months. Secondary outcome measures include binary measures of hypertension (controlled vs uncontrolled), hypertension-related health complications, hospitalizations, and death. The list of possible participants will be generated from a central data warehouse. Randomization will occur after enrollment in the study. Participants will use their assigned BP monitor and join site-specific hypertension interventions. Cross-site learning will occur at regular all-site meetings facilitated by the University of California, Los Angeles Value-Based Care Research Consortium. A pre- and poststudy questionnaire will be conducted to further evaluate participants' perspectives regarding their BP monitor. Linear mixed effects models will be used to compare the primary outcome measure between study arms. Mixed effects logistic regression models will be used to compare secondary outcome measures between study arms. RESULTS: The study will start enrolling participants in the second quarter of 2023 and will be completed by the first half of 2024. Results will be published by the end of 2024. CONCLUSIONS: This pragmatic trial will contribute to the growing field of chronic care management using remote monitoring by answering whether a hypertension intervention coupled with an electronic health record integrated home BP monitor improves patients' hypertension better than a hypertension intervention with a nonintegrated BP monitor. The outcomes of this study may help health system decision makers determine whether to invest in integrated BP monitors for vulnerable patient populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05390502; clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05390502. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/45915.

Case Report: Acute Thrombotic Microangiopathy in a Patient with STING-Associated Vasculopathy with Onset in Infancy (SAVI).

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-associated vasculopathy with onset in infancy (SAVI) is a rare disorder that is associated with extensive inflammation throughout the body due to a high interferon state. Common clinical manifestations of this disorder include chronic lung disease, digital necrosis, recurrent low-grade fevers, and inflammatory skin lesions. However, renal involvement in patients with SAVI has been sparsely documented. We describe a unique case of pediatric SAVI associated with thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, interstitial lung disease (from SAVI involvement), and chronic kidney disease. This patient had a substantial hospital course where he developed renal failure. Extensive studies were conducted to exclude all other causes, including infection and possible drug side effects. Ultimately, immunologic evaluation demonstrated normal complement studies, a low ADAMTS13, and presence of ADAMTS13 inhibitor. There was also evidence of thrombocytopenia and schistocytes on peripheral blood smear. Subsequently, the patient was diagnosed with TMA and he was treated with fresh frozen plasma. Repeat immunologic studies confirmed that the TMA had resolved. In addition to describing a novel association between TMA and SAVI, this case also illustrates the challenges associated with optimizing treatment regimens and the importance of clinical vigilance for atypical complications that may arise in patients with SAVI.

Single-Dose Zoliflodacin (ETX0914) for Treatment of Urogenital Gonorrhea.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae has prompted the development of new therapies. Zoliflodacin is a new antibiotic that inhibits DNA biosynthesis. In this multicenter, phase 2 trial, zoliflodacin was evaluated for the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea. METHODS: We randomly assigned eligible men and women who had signs or symptoms of uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea or untreated urogenital gonorrhea or who had had sexual contact in the preceding 14 days with a person who had gonorrhea to receive a single oral dose of zoliflodacin (2 g or 3 g) or a single 500-mg intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone in a ratio of approximately 70:70:40. A test of cure occurred within 6±2 days after treatment, followed by a safety visit 31±2 days after treatment. The primary efficacy outcome measure was the proportion of urogenital microbiologic cure in the microbiologic intention-to-treat (micro-ITT) population. RESULTS: From November 2014 through December 2015, a total of 179 participants (167 men and 12 women) were enrolled. Among the 141 participants in the micro-ITT population who could be evaluated, microbiologic cure at urogenital sites was documented in 55 of 57 (96%) who received 2 g of zoliflodacin, 54 of 56 (96%) who received 3 g of zoliflodacin, and 28 of 28 (100%) who received ceftriaxone. All rectal infections were cured in all 5 participants who received 2 g of zoliflodacin and all 7 who received 3 g, and in all 3 participants in the group that received ceftriaxone. Pharyngeal infections were cured in 4 of 8 participants (50%), 9 of 11 participants (82%), and 4 of 4 participants (100%) in the groups that received 2 g of zoliflodacin, 3 g of zoliflodacin, and ceftriaxone, respectively. A total of 84 adverse events were reported: 24 in the group that received 2 g of zoliflodacin, 37 in the group that received 3 g of zoliflodacin, and 23 in the group that received ceftriaxone. According to investigators, a total of 21 adverse events were thought to be related to zoliflodacin, and most such events were gastrointestinal. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of uncomplicated urogenital and rectal gonococcal infections were successfully treated with oral zoliflodacin, but this agent was less efficacious in the treatment of pharyngeal infections. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and Entasis Therapeutics; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02257918 .).