HIV patient and provider feedback on a telehealth collaborative care for depression intervention.

In the HIV Translating Initiatives for Depression into Effective Solutions project, we conducted a randomized controlled effectiveness and implementation trial comparing depression collaborative care with enhanced usual care in Veterans Health Administration HIV clinics in the US. An offsite HIV depression care team including a psychiatrist, a depression care manager (DCM), and a clinical pharmacist provided collaborative care using a stepped-care model of treatment and made recommendations to providers through the electronic health record system. The DCM delivered care management to HIV patients through phone calls, performing routine assessments and providing counseling in self-management and problem-solving. The DCM documented all calls in each patient's electronic medical record. In this paper we present results from interviews conducted with patients and clinical staff in a multi-stage formative evaluation (FE). We conducted semi-structured FE interviews with 26 HIV patients and 30 clinical staff at the three participating sites during and after the trial period to gather their experiences and perspectives concerning the intervention components. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using rapid content analysis techniques. Patients reported high satisfaction with the depression care manager (DCM) phone calls. Both HIV and mental health providers reported that the DCM's chart notes in the electronic health record were very helpful, and most felt that a dedicated DCM for HIV patients is ideal to meet patient needs. Sites encountered barriers to achieving and maintaining universal depression screening, but had greater success when such screening was incorporated into routine intake processes. FE results demonstrated that depression care management via telehealth from an offsite team is acceptable and helpful to both HIV patients and their providers. Given that a centralized offsite depression care team can deliver effective, cost-effective, cost-saving services for multiple HIV clinics in different locations with high patient and provider satisfaction, broad implementation should be considered.

Cost-Effectiveness of Collaborative Care for Depression in HIV Clinics.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the cost-effectiveness of the HIV Translating Initiatives for Depression Into Effective Solutions (HITIDES) intervention. DESIGN: Randomized controlled effectiveness and implementation trial comparing depression collaborative care with enhanced usual care. SETTING: Three Veterans Health Administration HIV clinics in the Southern United States. SUBJECTS: Two hundred forty-nine HIV-infected patients completed the baseline interview; 123 were randomized to the intervention and 126 to usual care. INTERVENTION: HITIDES consisted of an offsite HIV depression care team that delivered up to 12 months of collaborative care. The intervention used a stepped-care model for depression treatment, and specific recommendations were based on the Texas Medication Algorithm Project and the VA/Department of Defense Depression Treatment Guidelines. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated using the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey, the Quality of Well Being Scale, and by converting depression-free days to QALYs. The base case analysis used outpatient, pharmacy, patient, and intervention costs. Cost-effectiveness was calculated using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) and net health benefit. ICER distributions were generated using nonparametric bootstrap with replacement sampling. RESULTS: The HITIDES intervention was more effective and cost saving compared with usual care in 78% of bootstrapped samples. The intervention net health benefit was positive and therefore deemed cost-effective using an ICER threshold of $50,000/QALY. CONCLUSIONS: In HIV clinic settings, this intervention was more effective and cost saving compared with usual care. Implementation of offsite depression collaborative care programs in specialty care settings may be a strategy that not only improves outcomes for patients but also maximizes the efficient use of limited health care resources.

IFN-γ release assay conversions and reversions. Challenges with serial testing in U.S. health care workers.

RATIONALE: IFN-γ release assays (IGRAs) including the QuantiFERON-TB gold in-tube test (QFT-GIT) are increasingly used in place of the tuberculin skin test (TST) in surveillance programs for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in the United States. However, data on conversions, reversions, and predictive value of QFT in such programs for health care workers (HCWs) are limited. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to assess long-term reproducibility and conversion and reversion rates of QFT-GIT among HCWs who underwent serial testing at a tertiary care center in the United States. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of HCWs at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) who underwent serial testing with QFT-GIT as a part of their employee screening between November 1, 2008 and January 31, 2011. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 2,303 HCWs had at least 2 QFT-GITs 1 year apart. The initial QFT-GIT was positive for 69 and 2 were indeterminate. Of these 69 HCWs, 31 (45%) reverted on repeat testing, and 25 of 31 (80.6%) HCWs who reverted had a negative look-back TST. Of the 2,232 HCWs with an initial negative QFT-GIT, 71 (3.2%) converted on repeat testing. A third QFT-GIT assay was performed in 41 of the 71 converters and 90% (37 of 41) reverted back to negative. Only two HCWs had TST and QFT-GIT conversion. CONCLUSIONS: Poor IGRA reproducibility and a low predictive value of QFT-GIT conversions indicate that QFT-GIT with current interpretation criteria should not be used for serial screening of U.S. HCWs. Negative TSTs have higher reproducibility than QFT-GIT for serial testing of HCWs in low tuberculosis incidence settings.

Use of interferon-gamma release assays in a health care worker screening program: experience from a tertiary care centre in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Interferon-gamma release assays including the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT [Cellestis Ltd, Australia]) may be used in place of the tuberculin skin test (TST) in surveillance programs for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection control. However, data on performance and practicality of the QFT-GIT in such programs for health care workers (HCWs) are limited. OBJECTIVES: To assess the performance, practicality and reversion rate of the QFT-GIT among HCWs at a tertiary health care institution in the United States. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of HCWs at Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (Arkansas, USA) who underwent QFT-GIT testing as a part of their employee screening between November 1, 2008 and October 31, 2009. RESULTS: QFT-GIT was used to screen 3290 HCWs. The initial QFT-GIT was interpreted as positive for 129 (3.9%) HCWs, negative for 3155 (95.9%) and indeterminate for six (0.2%). Testing with QFT-GIT was repeated in 45 HCWs who had positive results on the initial test. The QFT-GIT reverted to negative in 18 (40.0%) HCWs, all of whom had negative TST status and initial interferon-gamma values of 0.35 IU/mL to 2.0 IU/mL. CONCLUSION: The QFT-GIT test is feasible in large health care setting as an alternative to TST for M tuberculosis infection screening in HCWs but is not free from challenges. The major concerns are the high number of positive test results and high reversion rates on repeat testing, illustrating poor short-term reproducibility of positive QFT-GIT test results. These results suggest adopting a borderline zone between interferon-gamma values of 0.35 IU/mL to 2.0 IU/mL, and cautious clinical interpretation of values in this range.

Development and implementation of collaborative care for depression in HIV clinics.

We sought to develop and implement collaborative depression care in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinics in a project called HIV Translating Initiatives for Depression into Effective Solutions (HITIDES). Here we describe: (i) the formative evaluation (FE) conducted prior to implementation; (ii) the process used to adapt the primary care collaborative care model for depression to specialty HIV clinics; and (iii) the intervention itself. The overall design of HITIDES was a multi-site randomized trial in United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) HIV clinics comparing the depression collaborative care intervention to usual depression care. Qualitative methods were used for the FEs and informed the evidence-based quality improvement (EBQI) methods that were used for adapting and implementing the intervention. Baseline assessments were completed by 249 depressed HIV participants. Summaries of respective key informant interviews with eight HIV patients who were receiving depression treatment and 25 HIV or mental health (MH) providers were presented to each site. EBQI methods were used to tailor the HITIDES intervention to each site while maintaining true to the evidence base for depression collaborative care. EBQI methods provided a useful framework for intervention adaptation and implementation. The HITIDES study provides the opportunity to evaluate collaborative depression care in a specialty physical health clinic setting with a population that has a high prevalence of depression and MH comorbidity.

Effectiveness of collaborative care for depression in human immunodeficiency virus clinics.

BACKGROUND: Depression is common among persons with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and is associated with unfavorable outcomes. METHODS: A single-blind randomized controlled effectiveness trial at 3 Veterans Affairs HIV clinics (HIV Translating Initiatives for Depression Into Effective Solutions [HITIDES]). The HITIDES intervention consisted of an off-site HIV depression care team (a registered nurse depression care manager, pharmacist, and psychiatrist) that delivered up to 12 months of collaborative care backed by a Web-based decision support system. Participants who completed the baseline telephone interview were 249 HIV-infected patients with depression, of whom 123 were randomized to the intervention and 126 to usual care. Participant interview data were collected at baseline and at the 6- and 12-month follow-up visits. The primary outcome was depression severity measured using the 20-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-20) and reported as treatment response (≥50% decrease in SCL-20 item score), remission (mean SCL-20 item score, <0.5), and depression-free days. Secondary outcomes were health-related quality of life, health status, HIV symptom severity, and antidepressant or HIV medication regimen adherence. RESULTS: Intervention participants were more likely to report treatment response (33.3% vs 17.5%) (odds ratio, 2.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37-4.56) and remission (22.0% vs 11.9%) (2.25; 1.11-4.54) at 6 months but not 12 months. Intervention participants reported more depression-free days during the 12 months (ß = 19.3; 95% CI, 10.9-27.6; P < .001). Significant intervention effects were observed for lowering HIV symptom severity at 6 months (ß = -2.6; 95% CI, -3.5 to -1.8; P < .001) and 12 months (ß = -0.82; -1.6 to -0.07; P = .03). Intervention effects were not significant for other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: The HITIDES intervention improved depression and HIV symptom outcomes and may serve as a model for collaborative care interventions in HIV and other specialty physical health care settings where patients find their "medical home." TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00304915.

Use of long-acting tetracyclines for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections: case series and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Few data exist on the efficacy of the long-acting tetracyclines doxycycline and minocycline against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. METHODS: The medical records of 24 patients with serious tetracycline-susceptible MRSA infections who were treated with doxycycline or minocycline were reviewed. A review of the literature on the use of these antibiotics for treatment of both methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection was also performed. RESULTS: Complicated skin and skin-structure infections were most common (67%). Clinical cure was achieved in 20 (83%) of 24 patients in our case series. Both drugs were well-tolerated. The review of the literature on a total of 85 patients with S. aureus infection revealed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Long-acting tetracyclines may be a reasonable treatment alternative for patients with certain types of MRSA infection.

Pathogenic molds (including Aspergillus species) in hospital water distribution systems: a 3-year prospective study and clinical implications for patients with hematologic malignancies.

The incidence of mold infections in patients with hematologic malignancies continues to increase despite the widespread use of air filtration systems, suggesting the presence of other hospital sources for these molds. Water sources are known to harbor pathogenic molds. We examined samples from water, water surfaces, air, and other environment sources from a bone marrow transplantation unit with optimal air precautions. Molds (Aspergillus species, others) were recovered in 70% of 398 water samples, in 22% of 1311 swabs from plumbing structures and environmental surfaces, and in 83% of 274 indoor air samples. Microscopic examination of the water plumbing lines revealed hyphal forms compatible with molds. Four findings suggest that indoor airborne molds were aerosolized from the water: (1) higher mean airborne concentrations of molds in bathrooms (16.1 colony-forming units [CFU]/m(3)) than in patient rooms (7 CFU/m(3)) and hallways (8.6 CFU/m(3); P =.00005); (2) a strong type and rank correlation between molds isolated from hospital water and those recovered from indoor hospital; (3) lack of seasonal correlation between the airborne mold concentration in outdoor and indoor air; and (4) molecular relatedness between a clinical strain and a water-related strain (previously reported). Hospital water distribution systems may serve as a potential indoor reservoir of Aspergillus and other molds leading to aerosolization of fungal spores and potential exposure for patients.

Linezolid-induced pure red blood cell aplasia.

We report a case of reversible pure red blood cell aplasia that developed in a patient who had received 8 weeks of linezolid therapy.

Pathogenic Aspergillus species recovered from a hospital water system: a 3-year prospective study.

Nosocomial aspergillosis, a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients, is thought to be caused primarily by Aspergillus organisms in the air. A 3-year prospective study of the air, environmental surfaces, and water distribution system of a hospital in which there were known cases of aspergillosis was conducted to determine other possible sources of infection. Aspergillus species were found in the hospital water system. Significantly higher concentrations of airborne aspergillus propagules were found in bathrooms, where water use was highest (2.95 colony-forming units [cfu]/m(3)) than in patient rooms (0.78 cfu/m(3); P=.05) and in hallways (0.61 cfu/m(3); P=.03). A correlation was found between the rank orders of Aspergillus species recovered from hospital water and air. Water from tanks yielded higher counts of colony-forming units than did municipal water. An isolate of Aspergillus fumigatus recovered from a patient with aspergillosis was genotypically identical to an isolate recovered from the shower wall in the patient's room. In addition to the air, hospital water systems may be a source of nosocomial aspergillosis.