Understanding cost variations in STD service delivery as state and federal agencies reduce funding

Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) continue to be a major health problem in the U.S. Despite the persistence of STDs and the critical role of the public health sector in controlling these diseases, STD services continue to be reduced. A linear regression was performed using county demographic and cost variables. Many of these variables in county public health agencies and the populations they serve were not significantly correlated with cost of service. However, the availability of local tax funding for county health departments (CHDs), which varies extensively across counties within the state, is statistically linked to higher STD expenditure per case. County STD rates were also negatively correlated with cost of service. As the STD rate increases, the cost per STD case decreases implying some economies of scale. County population size did not have any effect on the cost per case. Understanding the factors contributing to the unit costs of STD services is critical to be able to make actionable and prudent decisions about continued financial support for public health agency based STD prevention/control services

Enhancing Sexually Transmitted Infection Notification: A Quality Improvement Collaborative Case Report

This case study illustrates how a quality improvement (QI) Collaborative supports an implementation study of using mobile phone texting technology for notification of sexually transmitted infections (STI) test results. The County Health Departments making up the QI Collaborative meet monthly to discuss their progress in using QI to advance the use of texting for STI test results. The main purpose of QI Collaboratives is to maximize implementation outcomes through sharing of successes and challenges. The case study report describes how implementation research can adapt to the context of each unique CHD and the users of new knowledge rather than emphasizing the creation of new knowledge

Developing A Fair Individualized Polysocial Risk Score (iPsRS) for Identifying Increased Social Risk of Hospitalizations in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D)

Background: Racial and ethnic minority groups and individuals facing social disadvantages, which often stem from their social determinants of health (SDoH), bear a disproportionate burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications. It is therefore crucial to implement effective social risk management strategies at the point of care. Objective: To develop an EHR-based machine learning (ML) analytical pipeline to identify the unmet social needs associated with hospitalization risk in patients with T2D. Methods: We identified 10,192 T2D patients from the EHR data (from 2012 to 2022) from the University of Florida Health Integrated Data Repository, including contextual SDoH (e.g., neighborhood deprivation) and individual-level SDoH (e.g., housing stability). We developed an electronic health records (EHR)-based machine learning (ML) analytic pipeline, namely individualized polysocial risk score (iPsRS), to identify high social risk associated with hospitalizations in T2D patients, along with explainable AI (XAI) techniques and fairness assessment and optimization. Results: Our iPsRS achieved a C statistic of 0.72 in predicting 1-year hospitalization after fairness optimization across racial-ethnic groups. The iPsRS showed excellent utility for capturing individuals at high hospitalization risk; the actual 1-year hospitalization rate in the top 5% of iPsRS was ~13 times as high as the bottom decile. Conclusion: Our ML pipeline iPsRS can fairly and accurately screen for patients who have increased social risk leading to hospitalization in T2D patients

Key attributes of patient centered medical homes associated with patient activation of diabetes patients

Abstract Background Approximately 24 million Americans are living with diabetes. Patient activation among individuals with diabetes is critical to successful diabetes management. The Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model holds promise for increasing patient activation in managing their health. However, what is not well understood is the extent to which individual components of the PCMH model, such as the quality of physician-patient interactions and organizational features of care, contribute to patient activation. This study’s objective is to determine the relative importance of the PCMH constructs or domains to patient activation among individuals living with diabetes. Methods This study is a cross-sectional analysis of 1253 primary care patients surveyed with type II diabetes. The dependent variable, patient activation, was assessed using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM). Independent variables included 7 PCMH domains- organizational access, integration of care, comprehensive knowledge, office staff helpfulness, communication, interpersonal treatment and trust. Ordered logistic regression was performed to determine whether each PCMH domain was independently associated with patient activation, followed by a final ordered logistic regression that included all the PCMH domains in a single adjusted model. Results Using the full adjusted model, the odds of patients reporting higher activation scores (PAM) were found to be significant in the domains that represented organizational access (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.31–1.85) and comprehensive knowledge (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.13–1.85). Conclusions Many practices have struggled with the challenge to develop fully functional patient-centered medical homes. In an effort to become more patient-centered, this study aimed to address what factors activated diabetic patients to adhere to diabetes management plan. Understanding these factors can help identify PCMH attributes that practices can prioritize and improve upon to assist their patients in improving health outcomes. Trial registration Study was not a clinical trial; therefore it was not registered

Seeing the quality improvement forest through the quality improvement trees: A meta-synthesis of case studies in Florida and Georgia

Objectives: To identify important characteristics of quality improvement applications for population health and healthcare settings and to explore the use of quality improvement as a model for implementing and disseminating evidence-based or best practices. Methods: A meta-synthesis was used to examine published quality improvement case studies. A total of 10 published studies that were conducted in Florida and Georgia were examined and synthesized using meta-synthesis (a qualitative research methodology) for meaningful insights and lessons learned using defined meta-synthesis inclusion criteria. The primary focus of the analysis and synthesis were the reported processes and findings that included responses to structured questioning in addition to emergent results from direct observation and semi-structured open-ended interviewing. Results: The key insights for the use of quality improvement in public health and healthcare settings included (1) the essential importance of data monitoring, analysis, and data-based decision making; (2) the need to focus on internal mutable factors within organizations; (3) the critical role of quality improvement team group dynamics; (4) the value of using a quality improvement collaborative or multi-clinic quality council/committee for sharing and comparing performance on key metrics; and (5) the need to identify a quality improvement approach and methods for clarification as a structured quality improvement intervention. Conclusion: In addition to the advantages of using quality improvement to enhance or improve healthcare and public health services, there is also potential for quality improvement to serve as a model for enhancing the adoption of evidence-based practices within the context of dissemination and implementation research

Project Save Lives: Rapid treatment protocol using peer recovery specialists in the emergency department

Background: Overdose deaths involving opioids, heroin, and fentanyl-class drugs have dramatically increased in the United States in the last decade. In response to the epidemic, the City of Jacksonville (Florida) and local providers came together and developed a plan to reduce repeat overdoses and deaths called Project Save Lives (PSL). PSL utilized Certified Recovery Peer Specialists (CRPS) to engage overdose victims immediately following opioid overdose reversal and offered medication-assisted treatment, recovery support, overdose prevention services, and transportation to detox/treatment services all initiated within the Emergency Department (ED).&nbsp;Methods: This is an observational study of opioid related overdose victims who presented at a local health system’s two emergency departments from 11/16/2017 to 05/31/2018 and were tracked for 6 months after their initial index visit. Patients were tracked as 2 separate groups: those who were approached by a CRPS during their ED visit and those who did not have contact with a CRPS due to the staffing schedule (intake days versus non-intake days). Data collected included repeat overdoses, substance use treatment services received, and opioid related deaths from the initial index visit.Results: There were 45 individuals seen in the two participating EDs for an opioid related overdose on non-intake days (comparison group) and 101 individuals were seen on intake days (cases). Of the 101 patients that were approached by the CRPS in the ED during the 6 month evaluation period, 32 individuals accessed some type of substance use treatment and of those, 24 received medication assisted treatment. Both groups experienced a decrease in repeat overdoses during the post index visit 6 month period; however, those who declined to participate in PSL included individuals who had multiple overdoses during their post index visit period as compared to those who received treatment through the PSL program.&nbsp;Conclusions: The PSL program resulted in increasing access to and participation in substance use treatment programs. Immediate engagement by a CRPS with direct linkage to substance use treatment services in the ED is demonstrating to be an effective method in addressing the opioid epidemic. Additional research is needed to evaluate the long-term impact of ED engagement programs.&nbsp;</p

Practice Transformation: Using Team-Based Care Training to Improve Diabetes Outcomes

Background: One of the key factors of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) transformation require shifting mental models at the individual level and culture change at the practice level on how clinicians and support staff work together. This culture shift requires a reeducation on the roles and communication strategies within the medical practice. The objective of this project was to implement a team-based care training program based on the AHRQ TeamSTEPPS framework in 6 primary care practices affiliated with a Primary Care Practice Based Research Network to increase communication and performance of the care teams. Methods: Clinicians and staff from these sites received external facilitation by a certified TeamSTEPPS master trainer, who is a physician specializing in diabetes care, over a 1-year period. An analysis of their established diabetes patients’ hemoglobin A1c and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol before the training program and posttraining was performed using the paired t test and verified using the Wilcoxon sign rank test. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in the mean hemoglobin A1c levels from 7.48% to 7.32% ( P < .001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol from 92.34 to 88.34 mg/dL ( P = .002) for all the practices combined but only 3 practices saw significant improvement individually. Conclusions: Even though the practices participating in this training are PCMHs and are part of a larger primary care network, they have achieved different levels of success, partly due to leadership and buy-in by staff. Practice leaders and team members need to fully embrace team care concepts and continuously monitor teamwork experiences to support effective team-based care

Key attributes of patient centered medical homes associated with patient activation of diabetes patients

Abstract Background Approximately 24 million Americans are living with diabetes. Patient activation among individuals with diabetes is critical to successful diabetes management. The Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model holds promise for increasing patient activation in managing their health. However, what is not well understood is the extent to which individual components of the PCMH model, such as the quality of physician-patient interactions and organizational features of care, contribute to patient activation. This study’s objective is to determine the relative importance of the PCMH constructs or domains to patient activation among individuals living with diabetes. Methods This study is a cross-sectional analysis of 1253 primary care patients surveyed with type II diabetes. The dependent variable, patient activation, was assessed using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM). Independent variables included 7 PCMH domains- organizational access, integration of care, comprehensive knowledge, office staff helpfulness, communication, interpersonal treatment and trust. Ordered logistic regression was performed to determine whether each PCMH domain was independently associated with patient activation, followed by a final ordered logistic regression that included all the PCMH domains in a single adjusted model. Results Using the full adjusted model, the odds of patients reporting higher activation scores (PAM) were found to be significant in the domains that represented organizational access (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.31–1.85) and comprehensive knowledge (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.13–1.85). Conclusions Many practices have struggled with the challenge to develop fully functional patient-centered medical homes. In an effort to become more patient-centered, this study aimed to address what factors activated diabetic patients to adhere to diabetes management plan. Understanding these factors can help identify PCMH attributes that practices can prioritize and improve upon to assist their patients in improving health outcomes. Trial registration Study was not a clinical trial; therefore it was not registered