Self vs. Parent: Factors Influencing Likelihood of Hiring a Healthcare Advocate

Objective: To determine how the factors that may lead an individual to hire a healthcare advocate to aid him/herself in navigating the healthcare system when dealing with chronic or complex health issues differ from the factors that are considered when deciding to hire a healthcare advocate for one’s parent.Methods: 1,740 randomly selected participants completed a brief vignette-based questionnaire that indicated their likelihood of hiring an HCA for oneself or a parent. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test the effects of predisposing, enabling, and illness factors on the predicted likelihood.Results: Although neither model fit well statistically, both fit well descriptively. The direct path from predisposing to enabling factors and the indirect path from predisposing factors to illness level were significant in both models. Discussion: Understanding the factors that influence the decision to hire an HCA could help health providers target patients who are most likely to use HCA services, thereby reducing the burden on the healthcare system and improving quality of care

Telemedicine-delivered treatment interventions for substance use disorders: a systematic review.

With increased negative impacts from opioid and other substance use disorders in the US, it is important for treatments to not only be effective, but also accessible to patients. Treatment delivery via telemedicine, specifically, the use of videoconferencing, which allows real time communication between a patient and a clinician at a distant site, has been shown to be an effective approach for increasing reach and access to treatments for mental health disorders and other chronic illnesses. This systematic review identified and summarized studies examining the effectiveness of telemedicine interventions to deliver treatment for patients with substance use disorders. Out of 841 manuscripts that met our search criteria, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies covered interventions for nicotine, alcohol and opioid use disorders. They varied widely in size, quality, and in the comparison groups examined. Studies examined both delivery of psychotherapy and medication treatments. Most studies suggested telemedicine interventions were associated with high patient satisfaction and are an effective alternative, especially when access to treatment is otherwise limited. However, there were substantial methodological limitations to the research conducted to date. Further studies are needed, including larger scale randomized studies that examine different models of telemedicine that can be integrated into existing healthcare delivery settings, to increase the use of effective treatments for patients with substance use disorders

Yoga therapy for military personnel and veterans: Qualitative perspectives of yoga students and instructors

ObjectiveMillions of military personnel and veterans live with chronic mental and physical health conditions that often do not respond well to pharmacological treatments. Serious side effects and lack of treatment response have led to widespread efforts to study and promote non-pharmacological and behavioral health treatments for many chronic health conditions. Yoga is an increasingly popular mind-body intervention that has growing research support for its efficacy and safety. Our objective was to explore the attitudes, perspectives, and preferences of military personnel and veterans toward yoga as a therapeutic modality, thus providing needed information for designing and promoting yoga interventions for this population.MethodsParticipants included 24 individuals with yoga experience and current or past military service and 12 instructors who have taught yoga for military personnel and/or veterans. A semi-structured set of questions guided interviews with each participant.ResultsFive themes emerged from the interviews: (1) mental health benefits experienced from yoga practice; (2) physical health benefits experienced from yoga practice; (3) important yoga elements and conditions that support effective practice; (4) facilitators for engaging military in yoga practice; and (5) challenges and barriers to yoga practice for military.ConclusionsThe study highlights consistent reports of mental and physical benefits of yoga practice, ongoing stigma resulting in the need for combatting and demystifying yoga and other complementary and integrative health (CIH) practices, the importance of designing interventions to address the unique mental health issues and perspectives of this population, and the importance of efforts by military leadership to bring CIH to military personnel and veterans. Rigorous research addressing these findings, along with further research on the efficacy and effectiveness of yoga interventions for treating various conditions are needed

Comparing Types of Yoga for Chronic Low Back and Neck Pain in Military Personnel: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundChronic low back pain (cLBP) and chronic neck pain (cNP) are highly prevalent conditions and common reasons for disability among military personnel. Yoga and other mind-body interventions have been shown to safely decrease pain and disability in persons with cLBP and/or cNP but have not been adequately studied in active duty military personnel. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of delivering 2 types of yoga (hatha and restorative) to a sample of active-duty military personnel with cLBP/cNP.MethodsMilitary personnel with cLBP and/or cNP (n = 49; 59% men) were randomized to either hatha or restorative yoga interventions. Interventions consisted of in-person yoga 1-2x weekly for 12 weeks. Feasibility and acceptability were measured by rates of recruitment, intervention attendance, attrition, adverse events, and satisfaction ratings. Health outcomes including pain and disability were measured at baseline, 12 weeks, and 6 months. Means and effect sizes are presented.ResultsRecruitment was completed ahead of projections. Over 90% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they enjoyed participation, liked the instructor, and would like to continue yoga. Retention rates were 86% and 80% at 12 week and 6 month assessments, respectively. Intervention attendance was adequate but lower than expected. There were small to moderate reductions in back-pain related disability, pain severity and pain interference, and improvements in quality of life, grip strength, and balance. In general, effects were larger for those who attended at least 50% of intervention classes. Participants with cNP tended to have smaller outcome improvements, but conclusions remain tentative given small sample sizes.ConclusionsResults demonstrate feasibility for conducting a randomized controlled comparative effectiveness trial of yoga for cLBP and cNP among active duty military personnel. Acceptability was also established. Ongoing work will enhance the intervention for cNP and establish feasibility at another military facility in preparation for a fully-powered comparative effectiveness trial.ClinicalTrials #NCT03504085; registered April 20, 2018

Yoga Plus Mantram Repetition to Reduce Chronic Pain in Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Feasibility Trial

BackgroundVeterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to report chronic pain than veterans without PTSD. Yoga has been shown to reduce both chronic pain and PTSD symptoms in clinical trials. The goal of our study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that combined yoga and mantram repetition (Yoga + MR) into one program for military veterans with both chronic pain and PTSD.MethodsIn this feasibility RCT, 27 veterans were randomized to either Yoga + MR or a relaxation intervention. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person recruitment, assessments, and intervention attendance were re-evaluated. Although remote delivery of aspects of the study were utilized, interventions were delivered in-person. Feasibility benchmarks met included full recruitment in 12 months or less, 75%+ retention at initial follow-up assessment, 50%+ attendance rate, and 75%+ of participants satisfied with the interventions.ResultsThe sample was racially and ethnically diverse, and 15% of participants were women. Participant recruitment lasted approximately 11 months. Out of 32 participants initially randomized, two participants asked to be dropped from the study and three did not meet PTSD symptom criteria. For the remaining 27 participants, retention rates were 85% at 12 weeks and 81% at 18 weeks. Participants attended 66% of in-person yoga and 55% of in-person relaxation sessions. Satisfaction was high, with 100% of yoga participants and 75%/88% of relaxation participants agreeing or strongly agreeing they were satisfied with the intervention/instructors. After 12 weeks (end of intervention), Yoga + MR participants reported reduced back-pain related disability (primary outcome), reduced alcohol use, reduced fatigue, and increased quality of life, while relaxation group participants reported reductions in pain severity, PTSD symptoms, and fatigue.ConclusionsAmidst many research challenges during the pandemic, recruitment, retention, and efficacy results from this feasibility trial support advancement to a larger RCT to study Yoga + MR for chronic pain and PTSD