Clinical Outcomes of Rural Patients with Diabetes Treated by ECHO-Trained Providers Versus an Academic Medical Center.

BACKGROUND: Despite clinical practice guidelines prioritizing cardiorenal risk reduction, national trends in diabetes outcomes, particularly in rural communities, do not mirror the benefits seen in clinical trials with emerging therapeutics and technologies. OBJECTIVE: Project ECHO supports implementation of guidelines in under-resourced areas through virtual communities of practice, sharing of best practices, and case-based learning. We hypothesized that diabetes outcomes of patients treated by ECHO-trained primary care providers (PCPs) would be similar to those of patients treated by specialists at an academic medical center. DESIGN: Specialists from the University of New Mexico (UNM) launched a weekly diabetes ECHO program to mentor dyads consisting of a PCP and community health worker at ten rural clinics. PARTICIPANTS: We compared cardiorenal risk factor changes in patients with diabetes treated by ECHO-trained dyads to patients treated by specialists at the UNM Diabetes Comprehensive Care Center (DCCC). Eligible participants included adults with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes on insulin, or diabetes of either type with A1c > 9%. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was change from baseline in A1c in the ECHO and DCCC cohorts. Secondary outcomes included changes in body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, cholesterol, and urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR). KEY RESULTS: Compared to the DCCC cohort (n = 151), patients in the ECHO cohort (n = 856) experienced greater A1c reduction (-1.2% vs -0.6%; p = 0.02 for difference in difference). BMI decreased in the Endo ECHO cohort and increased in the DCCC cohort (-0.2 vs. +1.3 kg/m2; p = 0.003 for difference in difference). Diastolic blood pressure declined in the Endo ECHO cohort only. Improvements of similar magnitude were observed in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in both groups. UACR remained stable in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: ECHO may be a suitable intervention for improving diabetes outcomes in rural, under-resourced communities with limited access to a specialist.

Do pre-transplant cultural factors predict health-related quality of life after kidney transplantation?

BACKGROUND: Post-transplant health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is associated with health outcomes for kidney transplant (KT) recipients. However, pretransplant predictors of improvements in post-transplant HRQOL remain incompletely understood. Namely, important pretransplant cultural factors, such as experience of discrimination, perceived racism in healthcare, or mistrust of the healthcare system, have not been examined as potential HRQOL predictors. Also, few have examined predictors of decline in HRQOL post-transplant. METHODS: Using data from a prospective cohort study, we examined HRQOL change pre- to post-transplant, and novel cultural predictors of the change. We measured physical, mental, and kidney-specific HRQOL as outcomes, and used cultural factors as predictors, controlling for demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and transplant knowledge covariates. RESULTS: Among 166 KT recipients (57% male; mean age 50.6 years; 61.4% > high school graduates; 80% non-Hispanic White), we found mental and physical, but not kidney-specific, HRQOL significantly improved post-transplant. No culturally related factors outside of medical mistrust significantly predicted change in any HRQOL outcome. Instead, demographic, knowledge, and clinical factors significantly predicted decline in each HRQOL domain: physical HRQOL-older age, more post-KT complications, higher pre-KT physical HRQOL; mental HRQOL-having less information pre-KT, greater pre-KT mental HRQOL; and, kidney-specific HRQOL-poorer kidney functioning post-KT, lower expectations for physical condition to improve, and higher pre-KT kidney-specific HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Instead of cultural factors, predictors of HRQOL decline included demographic, knowledge, and clinical factors. These findings are useful for identifying patient groups that may be at greater risk of poorer post-transplant outcomes, in order to target individualized support to patients.

Predicting Kidney Transplant Evaluation Non-attendance.

Non-attendance to kidney transplant evaluation (KTE) appointments is a barrier to optimal care for those with kidney failure. We examined the medical and socio-cultural factors that predict KTE non-attendance to identify opportunities for integrated medical teams to intervene. Patients scheduled for KTE between May, 2015 and June, 2018 completed an interview before their initial KTE appointment. The interview assessed various social determinants of health, including demographic (e.g., income), medical (e.g. co-morbidities), transplant knowledge, cultural (e.g., medical mistrust), and psychosocial (e.g., social support) factors. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the strongest predictor of KTE non-attendance. Our sample (N = 1119) was 37% female, 76% non-Hispanic White, median age 59.4 years (IQR 49.2-67.5). Of note, 142 (13%) never attended an initial KTE clinic appointment. Being on dialysis predicted higher odds of KTE non-attendance (OR 1.76; p = .02; 64% of KTE attendees on dialysis vs. 77% of non-attendees on dialysis). Transplant and nephrology teams should consider working collaboratively with dialysis units to better coordinate care, (e.g., resources to attend appointment or outreach to emphasize the importance of transplant) adjusting the KTE referral and evaluation process to address access issues (e.g., using tele-health) and encouraging partnership with clinical psychologists to promote quality of life for those on dialysis.

Medication, Healthcare Follow-up, and Lifestyle Nonadherence: Do They Share the Same Risk Factors?

Barriers to medication adherence may differ from barriers in other domains of adherence. In this study, we assessed the association between pre-kidney transplantation (KT) factors with nonadherent behaviors in 3 different domains post-KT. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study with patient interviews at initial KT evaluation (baseline-nonadherence predictors in sociodemographic, condition-related, health system, and patient-related psychosocial factors) and at ≈6 mo post-KT (adherence outcomes: medications, healthcare follow-up, and lifestyle behavior). All patients who underwent KT at our institution and had ≈6-mo follow-up interview were included in the study. We assessed nonadherence in 3 different domains using continuous composite measures derived from the Health Habit Survey. We built multiple linear and logistic regression models, adjusting for baseline characteristics, to predict adherence outcomes. RESULTS: We included 173 participants. Black race (mean difference in adherence score: -0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.12 to -0.32) and higher income (mean difference: -0.34; 95% CI, -0.67 to -0.02) predicted lower medication adherence. Experience of racial discrimination predicted lower adherence (odds ratio, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.12-0.76) and having internal locus of control predicted better adherence (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.06-2.03) to healthcare follow-up. In the lifestyle domain, higher education (mean difference: 0.75; 95% CI, 0.21-1.29) and lower body mass index (mean difference: -0.08; 95% CI, -0.13 to -0.03) predicted better adherence to dietary recommendations, but no risk factors predicted exercise adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Different nonadherence behaviors may stem from different motivation and risk factors (eg, clinic nonattendance due to experiencing racial discrimination). Thus adherence intervention should be individualized to target at-risk population (eg, bias reduction training for medical staff to improve patient adherence to clinic visit).

Social Determinants of Health and Race Disparities in Kidney Transplant.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Black patients have a higher incidence of kidney failure but lower rate of deceased- and living-donor kidney transplantation compared with White patients, even after taking differences in comorbidities into account. We assessed whether social determinants of health (e.g., demographics, cultural, psychosocial, knowledge factors) could account for race differences in receiving deceased- and living-donor kidney transplantation. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Via medical record review, we prospectively followed 1056 patients referred for kidney transplant (2010-2012), who completed an interview soon after kidney transplant evaluation, until their kidney transplant. We used multivariable competing risk models to estimate the cumulative incidence of receipt of any kidney transplant, deceased-donor transplant, or living-donor transplant, and the factors associated with each outcome. RESULTS: Even after accounting for social determinants of health, Black patients had a lower likelihood of kidney transplant (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.55 to 0.99) and living-donor transplant (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.26 to 0.95), but not deceased-donor transplant (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.67 to 1.26). Black race, older age, lower income, public insurance, more comorbidities, being transplanted before changes to the Kidney Allocation System, greater religiosity, less social support, less transplant knowledge, and fewer learning activities were each associated with a lower probability of any kidney transplant. Older age, more comorbidities, being transplanted before changes to the Kidney Allocation System, greater religiosity, less social support, and fewer learning activities were each associated with a lower probability of deceased-donor transplant. Black race, older age, lower income, public insurance, higher body mass index, dialysis before kidney transplant, not presenting with a potential living donor, religious objection to living-donor transplant, and less transplant knowledge were each associated with a lower probability of living-donor transplant. CONCLUSIONS: Race and social determinants of health are associated with the likelihood of undergoing kidney transplant.

Per-Contact Infectivity of Hepatitis C Virus Acquisition in Association With Receptive Needle Sharing Exposures in a Prospective Cohort of Young Adult People who Inject Drugs in San Francisco, California.

BACKGROUND: Sharing needles and ancillary injecting equipment is a primary risk exposure for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among people who inject drugs (PWID); however, infectivity of these exposures is not well quantified. We aimed to estimate per-event HCV infectivity associated with receptive needle sharing (RNS) among susceptible PWID. METHODS: Participants in a prospective cohort study of young adult PWID who were anti-HCV and HCV RNA negative at baseline and attended at least 2 follow-up study visits between 2003 and 2014 were eligible. Data were selected from the first HCV-negative through the first HCV-positive visit (or last HCV-negative among those uninfected). Anti-HCV and HCV-RNA tests were used to determine infection status. A probabilistic exposure model linking observed HCV infection outcomes to self-reported exposure events was applied to estimate infectivity. RESULTS: Among 344 participants, a maximum likelihood estimate considering RNS yielded a pooled population per RNS event HCV probability of 0.25% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10%-0.43%), and 1.12% (95% CI, 0.48%-2.35%) among those who acquired any HCV infection (primary or reinfection). CONCLUSIONS: HCV is highly infectious in association with RNS, a primary injection-related risk exposure. Our infectivity estimate among participants who acquired any HCV infection is 1.7 times higher than that estimated for HIV infection in PWID and 2.24 times higher than that estimated among health care workers exposed through needle sticks. The strengths of this study include the assessment of receptive needle sharing events, the prospective design, and relatively short recall and testing periods. These results can inform transmission models and research to prevent HCV infection.

Breastfeeding Motivators and Barriers in Women Receiving Medications for Opioid Use Disorder.

Background: Women with opioid use disorder (OUD) are encouraged to breastfeed, but have lower breastfeeding rates than the general population. Objective: We examined self-reported barriers and motivators for breastfeeding in women with OUD and the relationship between maternal/postnatal factors and breastfeeding noninitiation/discontinuation. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional design was used; 40 women with OUD who were eligible to breastfeed were included. Information about breastfeeding initiation, duration, barriers/motivators, demographic characteristics, and self-efficacy was obtained through semi-structured interviews at 4-8 weeks postpartum. Wilcoxon rank sum or Fisher's exact test was used to examine the relationship between maternal/postnatal factors and never-initiated/discontinued breastfeeding. Results: Respondents were 29.3 ± 5.3 years old; most were prescribed buprenorphine (77.5%); and 36.8% of infants were treated for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome with methadone or morphine. Most (75.0%) participants initiated breastfeeding; 50.0% continued breastfeeding at 4-8 weeks. The most common motivators included infant health (100%) and bonding (45.0%). On average, women reported discontinuing breastfeeding at 3.3 ± 1.1 weeks postpartum. The most common barriers were concerns regarding transfer of medications or other substances to the infant (50.0%) and concerns about breast milk supply (35.0%). Mean self-efficacy scores were similar among those who continued versus never-initiated/discontinued breastfeeding (33.5 versus 33.0; p = 0.388). Neonatal intensive care unit admission was associated with never-initiated/discontinued breastfeeding (p = 0.047). Conclusion: Women with OUD share many similar motivators and barriers to breastfeeding with the general population. Unique concerns include infant exposure to medications or substances, even in those who are eligible to breastfeed, which should be addressed by targeted education for patients and providers.

Does Racial Disparity in Kidney Transplant Waitlisting Persist After Accounting for Social Determinants of Health?

BACKGROUND: African Americans (AA) have lower rates of kidney transplantation (KT) compared with Whites (WH), even after adjusting for demographic and medical factors. In this study, we examined whether the racial disparity in KT waitlisting persists after adjusting for social determinants of health (eg, cultural, psychosocial, and knowledge). METHODS: We prospectively followed a cohort of 1055 patients who were evaluated for KT between 3 of 10 to 10 of 12 and followed through 8 of 18. Participants completed a semistructured telephone interview shortly after their first KT evaluation appointment. We used the Wilcoxon rank-sum and Pearson chi-square tests to examine race differences in the baseline characteristics. We then assessed racial differences in the probability of waitlisting while accounting for all predictors using cumulative incidence curves and Fine and Gray proportional subdistribution hazards models. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the baseline characteristics between non-Hispanic AA and non-Hispanic WH. AA were 25% less likely (95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.96) to be waitlisted than WH even after adjusting for medical factors and social determinants of health. In addition, being older, having lower income, public insurance, more comorbidities, and being on dialysis decreased the probability of waitlisting while having more social support and transplant knowledge increased the probability of waitlisting. CONCLUSIONS: Racial disparity in kidney transplant waitlisting persisted even after adjusting for medical factors and social determinants of health, suggesting the need to identify novel factors that impact racial disparity in transplant waitlisting. Developing interventions targeting cultural and psychosocial factors may enhance equity in access to transplantation.

Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Indigenous Populations in the United States and Canada.

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Canadian Indigenous people are disproportionally affected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection yet are frequently underrepresented in epidemiologic studies and surveys often used to inform public health efforts. We performed a systematic review of published and unpublished literature and summarized our findings on HCV prevalence in these Indigenous populations. We found a disparity of epidemiologic literature of HCV prevalence among AI/AN in the United States and Indigenous people in Canada. The limited data available, which date from 1995, demonstrate a wide range of HCV prevalence in AI/AN (1.49%-67.60%) and Indigenous populations (2.28%-90.24%). The highest HCV prevalence in both countries was reported in studies that either included or specifically targeted people who inject drugs. Lower prevalence was reported in studies of general Indigenous populations, although in Canada, the lowest prevalence was up to 3-fold higher in Aboriginal people compared with general population estimates. The disparity of available data on HCV prevalence and need for consistent and enhanced HCV surveillance and reporting among Indigenous people are highlighted. HCV affects Indigenous peoples to a greater degree than the general population; thus we recommend tribal and community leaders be engaged in enhanced surveillance efforts and that funds benefitting all Indigenous persons be expanded to help prevent and cover health care expenses to help stop this epidemic.

Comparison of Medical Student Communication Skills Measured by Standardized Patients During an OSCE and by Faculty During an In-Hospital Encounter.

OBJECTIVES: At our institution, learner communication skills during an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) are measured by standardized patients (SPs) using the New Mexico Clinical Communication Scale (NM-CCS). Faculty physicians also conduct a direct observation of a clinical encounter (DOCE) to observe students' interactions with real hospitalized patients. The objective of this study was to determine whether students have similar communication skills scores with real patients as compared with SPs. METHODS: The NM-CCS was modified to fit a hospital encounter (mNM-CCS). Student NM-CCS scores for an OSCE were compared with their matched mNM-CCS scores obtained during their DOCE. RESULTS: Matched scores were compared for 83 students. The mean total percentage scores on the DOCE and OSCE were both 60%. There was no correlation between individual student communication scores. The difference between mean total scores mNM-CCS scores for the faculty preceptors was not statistically significant (P = 0.1985). CONCLUSIONS: We found no correlation between student communication scores measured by faculty during the DOCE compared with communication skills measured by SPs during an OSCE. The discordant results of some students on the OSCE compared with the DOCE suggests that the OSCE may not identify students who may benefit from additional communication skills training.

Association between prenatal opioid exposure, neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, and neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes at 5-8 months of age.

BACKGROUND: While use of prescription opioids and medication assisted therapy (MAT) for opioid use disorder in pregnancy, as well as the incidence of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) continue to rise, little is known about outcomes for children with NOWS beyond the newborn period. METHODS: We examined 1) prenatal MAT exposure vs. unexposed healthy controls [HC]; and 2) treatment for NOWS and NOWS severity on infant neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes at 5-8 months of age in 78 maternal-infant pairs from the ENRICH prospective cohort study. Data were obtained from 3 study visits: prenatal, delivery, and neurodevelopmental evaluation at 5-8 months of age. Neurodevelopmental outcomes included the Bayley Scales of Infant Development [BSID-III], caregiver questionnaires (Parenting Stress Index [PSI-SF], Infant Behavior Questionnaire [IBQ-R], Sensory Profile), and the experimental Still-Face Paradigm (SFP). RESULTS: No differences in the BSID-III, PSI-SF, or IBQ-R scores were observed between MAT and HC groups; however, MAT-exposed and HC infants differed with respect to SFP self-regulation (ß = -18.9; p = 0.01) and Sensory Profile sensation seeking (OR = 4.87; 95% CI: 1.55; 15.30) after adjusting for covariates. No significant differences between Treated-for-NOWS vs. not-Treated-for-NOWS were observed. Shorter timing to NOWS treatment initiation was associated with higher Total Stress (ß = -9.08; p = 0.035), while longer hospitalization was associated with higher Parent-child dysfunctional interaction (p = 0.018) on PSI-SF. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide additional evidence of little-to-no effect of MAT and pharmacological treatment of NOWS on infant neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes at 5-8 months of age. However, prolonged hospitalization might increase family psychosocial stress and requires further examination.

Talking About Hepatitis C: FAQs From Young Adults Who Inject Drugs.

INTRODUCTION: Young adults who inject drugs and live in rural communities are at high risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Recent changes in HCV treatment must be communicated within these communities to improve access to care and reduce HCV transmission. METHODS: Field workers in the ¡VÁLE! Hepatitis Treatment and Integrated Prevention Services study identified frequently asked questions (FAQs) posed by young-adult participants at high risk for HCV during screening and educational sessions. From 2016 to 2018, 183 young adults (44.3% women; 85.8% Latino/a) younger than 30 years who inject drugs and reside in Rio Arriba or Doña Ana counties in New Mexico were enrolled. The research team compiled deidentified questions during field enrollments. RESULTS: FAQs were reviewed and categorized into four major domains, including risk/prevention, screening, treatment, and reinfection. FAQs were addressed by a team of medical and public health professionals, using the most current research and recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: These FAQs address important gaps in HCV knowledge among young adults who are at high risk for infection. The FAQs also highlight the importance of risk reduction counseling provided by frontline public health providers as well as access to safe and effective HCV treatments for young adults who inject drugs.

Role of caregiver-reported outcomes in identification of children with prenatal alcohol exposure during the first year of life.

BACKGROUND: Earlier identification of children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) remains a challenge. The objective of this study was to identify neurobehavioral (NB) outcomes associated with PAE in infants. METHODS: This manuscript evaluates NB outcomes at 6.33±1.12 months of age in 93 infants (39 PAE and 54 No-PAE) recruited prospectively into the ENRICH cohort. PAE was assessed by prospective repeated TLFB interviews and a panel of ethanol biomarkers. NB outcomes were evaluated by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-III), Parenting Stress Index (PSI), Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ-R), and Infant Sensory Profile (ISP). RESULTS: Mean maternal age at enrollment was 28.18±5.75, and 64.52% were Hispanic/Latina. Across three TLFB calendars, absolute alcohol per day in the PAE group was 0.44±0.72, corresponding to low-moderate alcohol consumption. While no association was observed between PAE and BSID-III (P's>0.05), PAE was associated with higher scores on the PSI difficult child scale ([Formula: see text]=13.9; P=0.015), total stress ([Formula: see text]=13.9; P=0.010), and IBQ negative affect ([Formula: see text]=8.60; P=0.008) measures after adjustment for covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Caregiver-reported assessments may provide a currently unrecognized opportunity to identify behavioral deficits, point to early interventions, and should be included in clinical assessments of infants at-risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.