Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers and outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Our prior analysis demonstrated no significant difference in risk of mortality or disease progression among patients with COVID-19. With the availability of findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we provide an updated review of RCTs which explored the outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 treated with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitor (ACEis)/Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs) versus control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis covers RCTs exploring mortality, intensive care unit admission, and mechanical ventilation outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with ACEi/ARBs. RESULTS: Ten studies were included in this meta-analysis. For mortality with ACEi/ARB utilization among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the pooled risk ratio (RR) was 0.97 (95% CI 0.64-1.47, p = 0.89) with heterogeneity of 26%. Further, the pooled RR for ACEi/ARB use on ICU admission and mechanical ventilation were 0.55 (0.55-1.08, p = 0.13) with a heterogeneity of 0% and 1.02 (0.78-1.32, p = 0.91) with a heterogeneity of 0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, the use of ACEi/ARB was not associated with increased risk of mortality, ICU admission, or mechanical ventilation compared to control. These findings support continuation of ACEi/ARB for whom baseline clinical indications for these agents exist.

Association of culturally competent care with influenza vaccination coverage in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Cultural minority groups in the United States have lower vaccination rates or worse influenza-related outcomes. Culturally competent care, which aims to engage the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of all patients, may address some of these disparities. OBJECTIVE: We investigate how self-reported measures of culturally competent care is associated with influenza vaccination rates in the United States. METHODS: The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2017 was queried for respondents asked a set of questions which assessed respondents' access to culturally competent care in the past year. The outcome of interest was self-reported receipt of the annual influenza vaccine. Sample-weighted multivariable logistic regressions estimated the adjusted odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals (95 %CI) of influenza vaccination with response to the cultural competency survey questions as the dependent variable of interest. Subsequent marginal modeling predicted the adjusted vaccination rates among cultural minorities (racial/ethnic minorities, LGBTQ + adults, foreign-born individuals, and non-English speakers) and respondents with high-risk comorbidities for worse influenza outcomes. Models were adjusted for other known determinants of vaccination coverage. RESULTS: 20,303 sample adults were included in the analyses. There were significantly higher odds of influenza vaccination among respondents who were "always" or "most of the time" treated with respect by their providers (aOR 1.53, 95 %CI [1.23-1.90], P < 0.001), given easy-to-understand information (aOR 1.37, 95 %CI [1.19-1.58], P < 0.001), asked about their opinions or beliefs about their care (aOR 1.29, 95 %CI [1.19-1.39], P < 0.001), and seen by providers who shared or understood their culture (aOR 1.15 95 %CI [1.01-1.30], P = 0.03), compared to their counterparts who responded with "some" or "none of the time" to the same survey questions. Higher adjusted influenza vaccination rates were seen among multiple racial/ethnic groups, LGBTQ + adults, foreign-born individuals, non-English speakers, and individuals with high-risk comorbidities who reported positive responses to the cultural competency survey questions. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate a positive association between self-reported frequency of access to culturally competent care and receipt of the annual influenza vaccine. These findings support future efforts to evaluate vaccination outcomes among patients who receive components of culturally competent care, such as linguistically appropriate services, race-concordant healthcare workforce, and community engagement.

Shared burden: the association between cancer diagnosis, financial toxicity, and healthcare cost-related coping mechanisms by family members of non-elderly patients in the USA.

PURPOSE: There has been little research on the healthcare cost-related coping mechanisms of families of patients with cancer. Therefore, we assessed the association between a cancer diagnosis and the healthcare cost-related coping mechanisms of participant family members through their decision to forego or delay seeking medical care, one of the manifestations of financial toxicity. METHODS: Using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) between 2000 and 2018, sample weight-adjusted prevalence was calculated and multivariable logistic regressions defined adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for participant family members who needed but did not get medical care or who delayed seeking medical care due to cost in the past 12 months, adjusting for relevant sociodemographic covariates, including participant history of cancer (yes vs. no) and participant age (18-45 vs. 46-64 years old). The analysis of family members foregoing or delaying medical care was repeated using a cancer diagnosis * age interaction term. RESULTS: Participants with cancer were more likely than those without a history of cancer to report family members delaying (19.63% vs. 16.31%, P < 0.001) or foregoing (14.53% vs. 12.35%, P = 0.001) medical care. Participants with cancer in the 18 to 45 years old age range were more likely to report family members delaying (pinteraction = 0.028) or foregoing (pinteraction < 0.001) medical care. Other factors associated with cost-related coping mechanisms undertaken by the participants' family members included female sex, non-married status, poorer health status, lack of health insurance coverage, and lower household income. CONCLUSION: A cancer diagnosis may be associated with familial healthcare cost-related coping mechanisms, one of the manifestations of financial toxicity. This is seen through delayed/omitted medical care of family members of people with a history of cancer, an association that may be stronger among young adult cancer survivors. These findings underscore the need to further explore how financial toxicity associated with a cancer diagnosis can affect patients' family members and to design interventions to mitigate healthcare cost-related coping mechanisms.

Developing and Validating Multi-Modal Models for Mortality Prediction in COVID-19 Patients: a Multi-center Retrospective Study.

The unprecedented global crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked numerous efforts to create predictive models for the detection and prognostication of SARS-CoV-2 infections with the goal of helping health systems allocate resources. Machine learning models, in particular, hold promise for their ability to leverage patient clinical information and medical images for prediction. However, most of the published COVID-19 prediction models thus far have little clinical utility due to methodological flaws and lack of appropriate validation. In this paper, we describe our methodology to develop and validate multi-modal models for COVID-19 mortality prediction using multi-center patient data. The models for COVID-19 mortality prediction were developed using retrospective data from Madrid, Spain (N = 2547) and were externally validated in patient cohorts from a community hospital in New Jersey, USA (N = 242) and an academic center in Seoul, Republic of Korea (N = 336). The models we developed performed differently across various clinical settings, underscoring the need for a guided strategy when employing machine learning for clinical decision-making. We demonstrated that using features from both the structured electronic health records and chest X-ray imaging data resulted in better 30-day mortality prediction performance across all three datasets (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves: 0.85 (95% confidence interval: 0.83-0.87), 0.76 (0.70-0.82), and 0.95 (0.92-0.98)). We discuss the rationale for the decisions made at every step in developing the models and have made our code available to the research community. We employed the best machine learning practices for clinical model development. Our goal is to create a toolkit that would assist investigators and organizations in building multi-modal models for prediction, classification, and/or optimization.

Acute bilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction as a rare cause of hypertensive crisis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Bilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction is a common cause of secondary hypertension in the pediatric population, often due to congenital malformation. On the other hand, it is less frequently encountered in the adult population and is usually due to an acquired condition, most commonly by a bilaterally obstructing nephrolithiasis causing hydronephrosis and subsequent hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate and highlight the underlying mechanisms by which acute bilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction causes hypertensive crisis and why early detection and prompt treatment are necessary to mitigate the effects of elevated blood pressure on target organs. CASE PRESENTATION: A 41-year-old African American man with hypertensive cardiomyopathy presented with anuria. He was found to have elevated blood pressure with evidence of target organ damage on laboratory examination, demonstrated by sudden elevation of his serum creatinine level. He was initially treated with oral and intravenous antihypertensives, with minimal improvement. The work-up was unremarkable apart from the imaging finding of acute bilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction from obstructing nephrolithiasis causing hydronephrosis. Bilateral ureteral stents were placed for decompression, with resolution of the hypertensive crisis and improvement of renal function. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment of underlying acute bilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction to mitigate the deleterious effects of sudden blood pressure elevation on target organs.

Disparities in psychological distress and access to mental health services among immigrants with rheumatologic disease.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with rheumatologic disease experience higher rates of comorbid mental health diseases than those without. Although mental health services (MHS) can improve musculoskeletal functional outcomes, access to MHS has been limited among vulnerable populations in the United States (US). The purpose of this study was to investigate contemporary patterns of severe psychological distress and receipt of MHS among immigrant populations with rheumatologic disease in the US. METHODS: The National Health Interview Survey was queried for patients with rheumatologic disease from 2009 to 2018. Patient demographics, severe psychological distress, and receipt of MHS were collected and/or calculated. Multivariable logistic regressions assessed for factors associated with decreased receipt of MHS and severe psychological distress. RESULTS: Immigrant patients with rheumatologic disease had higher rates of severe psychological distress than US-born patients (7.7% vs. 6.5%, p < 0.001), but were less likely to access MHS (8.3% vs. 11.0%, p < 0.001). Among immigrant patients, factors associated with lower MHS receipt included being Black (AOR 0.50, 95% CI 0.32-0.77, p = 0.002), Hispanic (AOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.30-1.00, p = 0.050), Asian (AOR 0.44, 95% CI 0.31-0.63, p < 0.001), older (p < 0.001), uninsured (p < 0.001), and having self-reported poor health (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Immigrant patients with rheumatologic disease in the US had higher rates of severe psychological distress yet were less likely to receive MHS compared to US-born patients. Immigrants with rheumatologic illness were less likely to receive MHS if they were male, Black, Hispanic, Asian, older, lower income, or uninsured. This lack of MHS receipt may contribute to disparities in functional outcomes seen in immigrant minorities with musculoskeletal disease. Key Points • Immigrant patients with rheumatologic disease in the US had higher rates of severe psychological distress yet were less likely to receive MHS compared to US-born patients between 2009 and 2018 • Immigrants with rheumatologic illness were less likely to receive MHS if they were Black, Hispanic, Asian, older, lower income, or uninsured • Future efforts to carefully screen for mental health diseases in these vulnerable patient populations should be made while exploring patient-specific cultural considerations of MHS receipt.

Socioeconomic disparities in healthcare utilization for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND: The impact of the social determinants of health on healthcare utilization for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains incompletely characterized. METHODS: We queried the National Health Interview Survey from 2000-2018 to examine disparities in healthcare utilization metrics by education, income-to-poverty ratio, and health insurance coverage for adults with self-reported ASCVD. RESULTS: We show that, while education and income-to-poverty ratios demonstrated significant disparities for provider visits and preventive screenings, the largest disparities were noted for health insurance coverage. CONCLUSIONS: These trends suggest that efforts to expand private or government insurance to improve coverage for patients with ASCVD may address healthcare utilization-based disparities.

Rural-Urban Differences in Influenza Vaccination Among Adults in the United States, 2018-2019.

Objectives. To provide adjusted rates of self-reported receipt of the influenza vaccine in the 2018-2019 flu season among adults in large metropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas of the United States by age group, gender, and race. Methods. We queried the 2019 National Health Interview Survey for respondents aged 18 years and older. To provide national estimates of influenza vaccination coverage, we performed sample-weighted multivariable logistic regressions and predicted marginal modeling while adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and urban-rural household designation. Results. After weighting, 48.1%, 46.2%, and 43.6% of adults from large metropolitan, small and medium metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas, respectively, received the influenza vaccine. Additionally, there was a trend toward declining influenza vaccination status from large metropolitan to rural areas in all age groups, both genders, and multiple racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions. Self-reported influenza vaccination rates were lower in rural than in urban areas among adults of all age groups and both genders. Using community leaders for health promotion, augmentation of the community health care workforce, and provision of incentives for providers to integrate influenza vaccination in regular visits may expand influenza vaccine coverage. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(2):304-307. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306575).

Self-reported cultural competency measures among patients with diabetes: A nationwide cross-sectional study in the United States.

Background: Culturally tailored interventions may reduce disparities in diabetes care. We conducted a nationally representative assessment of self-reported cultural competency measures of care among patients with diabetes in the United States. Methods: The 2017 National Health Interview Survey was queried for adults with self-reported diabetes. Sample weight-adjusted multivariable logistic regressions defined adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of a positive response to each of the cultural competency measures while controlling for relevant sociodemographic variables. Findings: 2,448 adults were included in the analyses. Black, Latinx, and Asian respondents had greater odds of and individuals with the highest income level had lower odds of placing greater importance in sharing cultures with their provider. Black and Latinx individuals had lower odds of reporting encountering providers who shared or understood their cultures. Asians had lower odds of and respondents aged 40-64 and 65 years and older had greater odds of reporting frequently being treated with respect by their providers. Non-English speakers had lower odds of and individuals from higher income brackets had greater odds of reporting frequently receiving easy-to-understand information about their care. Blacks and respondents not part of the workforce had greater odds of reporting frequently being asked about their opinions or beliefs in care. Interpretation: Disparities in self-reported provider cultural competency measures exist among cultural minorities in the United States. Our findings may inform efforts to reduce disparities and improve care among minorities with diabetes. Funding: No funding was used in the preparation of this work.

Sources of bias in artificial intelligence that perpetuate healthcare disparities-A global review.

BACKGROUND: While artificial intelligence (AI) offers possibilities of advanced clinical prediction and decision-making in healthcare, models trained on relatively homogeneous datasets, and populations poorly-representative of underlying diversity, limits generalisability and risks biased AI-based decisions. Here, we describe the landscape of AI in clinical medicine to delineate population and data-source disparities. METHODS: We performed a scoping review of clinical papers published in PubMed in 2019 using AI techniques. We assessed differences in dataset country source, clinical specialty, and author nationality, sex, and expertise. A manually tagged subsample of PubMed articles was used to train a model, leveraging transfer-learning techniques (building upon an existing BioBERT model) to predict eligibility for inclusion (original, human, clinical AI literature). Of all eligible articles, database country source and clinical specialty were manually labelled. A BioBERT-based model predicted first/last author expertise. Author nationality was determined using corresponding affiliated institution information using Entrez Direct. And first/last author sex was evaluated using the Gendarize.io API. RESULTS: Our search yielded 30,576 articles, of which 7,314 (23.9%) were eligible for further analysis. Most databases came from the US (40.8%) and China (13.7%). Radiology was the most represented clinical specialty (40.4%), followed by pathology (9.1%). Authors were primarily from either China (24.0%) or the US (18.4%). First and last authors were predominately data experts (i.e., statisticians) (59.6% and 53.9% respectively) rather than clinicians. And the majority of first/last authors were male (74.1%). INTERPRETATION: U.S. and Chinese datasets and authors were disproportionately overrepresented in clinical AI, and almost all of the top 10 databases and author nationalities were from high income countries (HICs). AI techniques were most commonly employed for image-rich specialties, and authors were predominantly male, with non-clinical backgrounds. Development of technological infrastructure in data-poor regions, and diligence in external validation and model re-calibration prior to clinical implementation in the short-term, are crucial in ensuring clinical AI is meaningful for broader populations, and to avoid perpetuating global health inequity.

Bladder Cancer and Google Trends: Associations Between US Search Patterns and Disease Outcomes May Show Need for Improved Awareness Strategies.

Interest in and awareness of bladder cancer may translate to better health-seeking behaviors and earlier detection, given modifiable risk factors such as smoking. We assessed bladder cancer interest in the USA over the past 15 years as reflected by Internet search trends, and correlated these trends with epidemiologic patterns in bladder cancer. Google Trends was used to estimate US bladder cancer interest in the unit search volume index (SVI), which estimates the volume of online search activity for a specified period relative to the highest volume of searches within a specified location. Between January 2004 and June 2019, SVIs were collected for the search term "bladder cancer" and other related search terms. To evaluate the effect of public awareness campaigns, the SVIs for the month of May (US bladder cancer awareness month) were compared with the SVIs of all other months. Correlations between "bladder cancer" SVI and incidence, mortality, and mortality-to-incidence ratio (proxy for survival) by state were evaluated. There was no increase in the relative search volumes for "bladder cancer" during the national bladder cancer awareness month compared with all other months (p = 0.27). By state, there were positive correlations between SVIs of "bladder cancer" and incidence (R = 0.72, p < 0.001) and mortality (R = 0.47, p < 0.001). However, there was no correlation between SVIs and mortality-to-incidence ratio (R = - 0.24, p = 0.08). Interest in bladder cancer is positively associated with disease incidence and mortality but not survival, suggesting interest is driven by new diagnoses or deaths, and not early detection that can improve survival. Our findings may show the need for better public education endeavors.