Stimulating and evaluating acquired knowledge of addiction among residents through repeat testing: A pilot study

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108638/1/ajad12141.pd

Suicide Screening in Primary Care: Use of an Electronic Screener to Assess Suicidality and Improve Provider Follow-Up for Adolescents

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of using an existing computer decision support system to screen adolescent patients for suicidality and provide follow-up guidance to clinicians in a primary care setting. Predictors of patient endorsement of suicidality and provider documentation of follow-up were examined. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted to examine the implementation of a CDSS that screened adolescent patients for suicidality and provided follow-up recommendations to providers. The intervention was implemented for patients aged 12–20 years in two primary care clinics in Indianapolis, Indiana. Results The sample included 2,134 adolescent patients (51% female; 60% black; mean age = 14.6 years [standard deviation = 2.1]). Just over 6% of patients screened positive for suicidality. A positive endorsement of suicidality was more common among patients who were female, depressed, and seen by an adolescent−medicine board-certified provider as opposed to general pediatric provider. Providers documented follow-up action for 83% of patients who screened positive for suicidality. Documentation of follow-up action was correlated with clinic site and Hispanic race. The majority of patients who endorsed suicidality (71%) were deemed not actively suicidal after assessment by their provider. Conclusions Incorporating adolescent suicide screening and provider follow-up guidance into an existing computer decision support system in primary care is feasible and well utilized by providers. Female gender and depressive symptoms are consistently associated with suicidality among adolescents, although not all suicidal adolescents are depressed. Universal use of a multi-item suicide screener that assesses recency might more effectively identify suicidal adolescents

Preventive Care Use Among Justice-Involved and Non–Justice-Involved Youth

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Youth involved in the juvenile justice system (ie, arrested youth) are at risk for health problems. Although increasing preventive care use by justice-involved youth (JIY) is 1 approach to improving their well-being, little is known about their access to and use of care. The objective of this study was to determine how rates of well-child (WC) and emergency department visits, as well as public insurance enrollment continuity, differed between youth involved in the justice system and youth who have never been in the system. We hypothesized that JIY would exhibit less frequent WC and more frequent emergency service use than non–justice-involved youth (NJIY). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of administrative medical and criminal records of all youth (ages 12–18) enrolled in Medicaid in Marion County, Indiana, between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2011. RESULTS: The sample included 88 647 youth; 20 668 (23%) were involved in the justice system. JIY had lower use rates of WC visits and higher use rates of emergency services in comparison with NJIY. JIY had more and longer gaps in Medicaid coverage compared with NJIY. For all youth sampled, both preventive and emergency services use varied significantly by Medicaid enrollment continuity. CONCLUSIONS: JIY experience more and longer gaps in Medicaid coverage, and rely more on emergency services than NJIY. Medicaid enrollment continuity was associated with differences in WC and emergency service use among JIY, with policy implications for improving preventive care for these vulnerable youth

Provider-specific quality measurement for ERCP using natural language processing

Background and Aims Natural language processing (NLP) is an information retrieval technique that has been shown to accurately identify quality measures for colonoscopy. There are no systematic methods by which to track adherence to quality measures for ERCP, the highest risk endoscopic procedure widely used in practice. Our aim was to demonstrate the feasibility of using NLP to measure adherence to ERCP quality indicators across individual providers. Methods ERCPs performed by 6 providers at a single institution from 2006 to 2014 were identified. Quality measures were defined using society guidelines and from expert opinion, and then extracted using a combination of NLP and data mining (eg, ICD9-CM codes). Validation for each quality measure was performed by manual record review. Quality measures were grouped into preprocedure (5), intraprocedure (6), and postprocedure (2). NLP was evaluated using measures of precision and accuracy. Results A total of 23,674 ERCPs were analyzed (average patient age, 52.9 ± 17.8 years, 14,113 were women [59.6%]). Among 13 quality measures, precision of NLP ranged from 84% to 100% with intraprocedure measures having lower precision (84% for precut sphincterotomy). Accuracy of NLP ranged from 90% to 100% with intraprocedure measures having lower accuracy (90% for pancreatic stent placement). Conclusions NLP in conjunction with data mining facilitates individualized tracking of ERCP providers for quality metrics without the need for manual medical record review. Incorporation of these tools across multiple centers may permit tracking of ERCP quality measures through national registries

Rates of Tobacco Use Disorder, Pharmacologic Treatment, and Associated Mental Health Disorders in a Medicaid Claim Review Among Youth in Indiana, USA

Purpose This study delineates a number of Medicaid youth with tobacco use disorder (TUD), prescribing habits for treatment, and associated externalizing disorders. Methods Youth Medicaid claims from 2007-2017 processed in a large Midwestern city were analyzed for a diagnosis of TUD, related pharmacotherapy, and externalizing mental health and substance use disorders. Results Claims connected 6541 patients with 42 890 visits. Mean age was 16.4 with 40% female. 1232 of the 6541 charts contained a TUD diagnosis equating to 1848 visits. A comorbid diagnosis of ADHD, cannabis use, and conduct disorder were more common in males (3.9% vs 1.3% in females; 3.4% vs .8%; and 2.8% vs .8%; P < .05). 808 scripts were provided to 152 of the 1232 youths, with 4.7% of those scripts a nicotine replacement product. Conclusions Pharmacotherapy is underutilized in this Medicaid claims data set. Certain externalizing factors were associated with males with TUD more than females

Characteristics of testicular tumors in prepubertal children (age 5–12 years)

Introduction Testicular tumors in children have two peaks with different types of tumors; in the first 4 years of life a third to half are benign with increased risk of malignancy during puberty. The pathology of testicular tumors between these peaks, at the age of 5–12 years, is not known. We hypothesized that because of the low level of testosterone at this time, the incidence of malignant tumors is very low. Objective To compare malignancy risk of primary testicular tumors in children in the prepubertal period (5–12 years) compared with younger (0–4 years) and pubertal (13–18 years) children. Study design We retrospectively (2002–2016) identified patients <18 years with surgery for primary testicular tumor. Patients with testicular tumor risk were excluded. Ultrasound studies were reviewed for contralateral testis volume, tumor morphology, and tumor maximal diameter, for three age groups: 0–4, 5–12, and 13–18 years. The Freeman-Halton extension of the Fisher exact probability test was adopted for categorical outcomes, and one-way ANOVA for continuous outcomes. Results Fifty-two patients (mean age 11.0 years, range 6 days–18 years) were identified. Malignant tumor prevalence significantly differed ( p 4 mL (pubertal surge) significantly ( p 4 mL. Discussion We found that preadolescent children between the ages of 5 and 12 years have distinctive characteristics compared with the other age groups. Most importantly, no malignant testicular tumors were found in this age group. About a third of the children presented with an incidental testicular mass. The testicular tumors were significantly smaller (9.3 ± 6.7 mm) compared with those in children aged 13–18 years (29.8 ± 4.4 mm). There were limitations because of the retrospective nature of the study. Conclusion We found no malignant testicular tumors in children aged 5–12 years with no risk factors and prior to pubertal surge. Our study suggests use of more conservative treatment in this group of patients

Physician Intervention to Positive Depression Screens Among Adolescents in Primary Care

Purpose The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of computer-based screening and physician feedback to guide adolescent depression management within primary care. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study within two clinics of the computer-based depression screening and physician feedback algorithm among youth aged 12–20 years between October 2014 and October 2015 in Marion County (Indianapolis), Indiana. Results Our sample included 2,038 youth (51% female; 60% black; mean age = 14.6 years [standard deviation = 2.1]). Over 20% of youth screened positive for depression on the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and 303 youth (14.8%) screened positive on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The most common follow-up action by physicians was a referral to mental health services (34.2% mild, 46.8% moderate, and 72.2% severe range). Almost 11% of youth in the moderate range and 22.7% of youth in the severe range were already prescribed a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. When predicting mental health service referral, significant predictors in the multivariate analysis included clinic site (40.2% vs. 73.9%; p < .0001) and PHQ-9 score (severe range 77.8% vs. mild range 47.5%; p < .01). Similarly, when predicting initiation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, only clinic site (28.6% vs. 6.9%; p < .01) and PHQ-9 score (severe range 46.7% vs. moderate range 10.6%; p < .001) were significant. Conclusions When a computer-based decision support system algorithm focused on adolescent depression was implemented in two primary care clinics, a majority of physicians utilized screening results to guide clinical care

Design and Baseline Characteristics of the Chlorthalidone in Chronic Kidney Disease (CLICK) Trial

Background: Hypertension often accompanies chronic kidney disease (CKD), and diuretics are widely prescribed to reduce blood pressure (BP). Chlorthalidone (CTD) is a thiazide-like diuretic and an effective antihypertensive drug, yet little data exist to support its use in treating hypertension in individuals with advanced CKD. Methods: Chlorthalidone in Chronic Kidney Disease (CLICK) is a phase II, single-institution, multicenter, double-blind randomized control trial to test the hypothesis that CTD improves BP, through reduction of extracellular fluid volume, and results in target organ protection in patients with stage 4 CKD and poorly controlled hypertension. After a single-blind placebo run-in for 2 weeks and confirmation of hypertension by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP), patients are randomized to either placebo or CTD 12.5 mg once daily (QD) followed by dose escalation. Randomization is stratified by prior loop diuretic use, and the double-blind phase lasts 12 weeks. With a total of 160 patients, the study will have ≥80% power to detect a 6 mm Hg difference in systolic 24-h ABP between the 2 treatment groups. Results: Between June 2016 and October 2019, 131 patients have been randomized. The baseline characteristics are as follows: average age 65.8 years, 79% men, 36% Black, 79% with diabetes, mean eGFR 23.2 mL/min/1.73 m2, median urine albumin/creatinine ratio 923 mg/g, average number of BP medications 3.4, 60% on loop diuretics, and 24-h ABP averaged 141.7/73.8 mm Hg. Conclusion: Among patients with stage 4 CKD and uncontrolled hypertension, CLICK should answer the question whether CTD is safe and effective

Developing a prognostic model in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients in the presence of missing data

Purpose: To assess the use of tumor serum markers, such as circulating tumor cells (CTC), as independent predictors of overall survival in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer, and to find the best combination of such markers to use in predicting survival. To compare different methods of handling missing data - pairwise deletion, mean substitution, and multiple imputation (using either a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach or Multiple Imputation by Chained Equations (MICE)) - in multivariable prognostic models. Methods: This retrospective study included 99 men with castration-resistant prostate cancer. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to both measured and imputed data to test associations of survival with baseline tumor serum markers and clinical or pathological factors. The effectiveness of the four different strategies of handling missing data were compared, using regression coefficients and model performance measures. Results: In univariate analyses, high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, CTC counts, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels, and erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR), and low hemoglobin levels were associated with increased risk of death. In multivariable models, LDH, CTC counts, and CEA remained predictive of overall survival. In comparisons of methods for handling missing data, pairwise deletion (equivalent to complete case analysis in univariate analyses) produced inflated regression coefficient estimates for variables with 10% or more missingness. Mean substitution underestimated standard errors and p-values. With multiple imputation, models based on the MCMC approach did not differ much from the models derived from the MICE approach. Conclusion: Our results should be validated in a larger sample, but if verified, the multivariable model should aid in understanding and predicting survival time for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. For handling missing data, multiple imputation is superior to complete case analysis and mean substitution. Future simulation studies may lead to a better assessment of the relative merits of the MCMC and MICE methods for multiple imputation

Transposable element-like non-conserved miRNAs and their targets in rice: evolutionary and functional implications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 20- to 24 nt riboregulators that play important roles in eukaryotic growth and development. Their evolution is poorly understood and there are no conserved miRNAs between plants and animals, yet transposon-like miRNAs have been described for both kingdoms. A recent report (Nature 464: 628 [2010]) established transposon-derived small RNAs (sRNAs) as causal for female gametophyte fate specification in the dicot Arabidopsis thaliana by an unknown mechanism. We hypothesize that transposon-like miRNAs may target protein-coding genes which function in a regulatory network analogous to small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) involved in leaf morphogenesis. Plant miRNAs act on messenger RNAs (mRNAs) by near-perfect base pairing, facilitating computational prediction of targets. We customized miRNA prediction program miRanda V2.0 and performed a comprehensive prediction of miRNA targets in genomes of Arabidopsis and rice Oryza sativa subsp. japonica. Among the predicted targets of rice miRNAs, more than 20% of hits were in the 5’ and 3’ untranslated (UTR) regions of protein coding genes, which was rare in Arabidopsis (< 7%) except the case of recently described miR5021 (25%) that has homology to a graminaceous monocot transposon TREP776 CACTA, "Caspar_453N11-1" (http://plantrepeats.plantbiology.msu.edu/search.html). The majority (~51%) of plant 3’-UTR targets are homologous to an abundant class of DNA miniature inverted repeat transposable element (MITEs), and this complementarity is restricted to the corresponding mature miRNAs, whereas this TE class makes up only ~ 7% and 9% of 5’ UTR- and coding region homologies, respectively. We found that rice UTRs predicted to be targets of miR1432 appear to be under purifying selection for the miRNA footprint based on maize, sorghum, and sugarcane target homologies, suggesting a functional significance for this element. We found extended homology between TE STOWAWAY2 and predicted 3’ UTR targets of miR1884b and miR808, with evidence of purifying selection for the mature miR1884b compared to flanking sequences. A miR1884 (24 nt) is expressed predominantly in rice roots, but not flowers. We propose a model of miRNA evolution in rice through the constraint of acquisition for siRNA binding sites mediated by the exaptation of DNA transposons. Subject to post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) mechanisms, the translocation of MITEs into the 3’-UTRs of rice genes, which spawn or are targets of TEsiRNAs could put them under natural selection as targets of PTGS pathways. In this sense, the TE-associated siRNAs may represent intermediate molecular species between TEs and miRNAs