Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

Conference Proceedings: Select Abstracts Presented At 2023 Advocate Aurora Scientific Day

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

This abstract supplement includes findings presented at the 49th annual Advocate Aurora Scientific Day on May 24, 2023. The Scientific Day symposium provides a virtual forum for the sharing of preliminary results from research and case studies conducted by faculty, fellows, residents, and other health professionals associated with Illinois-based Advocate Health Care and Wisconsin-based Aurora Health Care.

Calcium Carbonate As A Potential Intervention To Prevent Labor Dystocia: Narrative Review Of The Literature, Sabahat Raees, Marie Forgie, Rita Mitchell, Emily Malloy

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Anecdotally, there are attestations from clinicians of calcium carbonate being used successfully for laboring people experiencing labor dystocia. The goal of this narrative review was to provide a synopsis of pertinent literature on calcium use in obstetrics to explore the potential benefit of calcium carbonate as a simple and low-cost intervention for prevention or treatment of labor dystocia. To answer how calcium and carbonate physiologically contribute to myometrium contractility, we conducted a literature search of English-language peer-reviewed articles, with no year limitation, consisting of the keywords “calcium,” “calcium carbonate,” “calcium gluconate,” “pregnancy,” “hemorrhage,” and variations of “smooth muscle contractility” and …

Chewed Versus Swallowed Ticagrelor In P2y12 Inhibitor-Naïve Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Thomas F. Wilson, Muddasir Ashraf, M. Fuad Jan, Tonga Nfor, Louie Kostopoulos, Joaquin Solis, Jayant Khitha, Ahmad Khraisat, Anthony C. Defranco, Tanvir Bajwa, Suhail Q. Allaqaband

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Dual antiplatelet therapy is standard for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stents. Traditionally, patients swallow the loading dose of a P2Y12 inhibitor before or during PCI. Time to achieve adequate platelet inhibition after swallowing the loading dose varies significantly. Chewed tablets may allow more rapid inhibition of platelet aggregation. However, data for this strategy in patients with stable ischemic heart disease or non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) are less robust.

Methods: In this single-center prospective trial, 112 P2Y12-naïve patients with stable ischemic heart disease or NSTE-ACS on aspirin therapy and who received ticagrelor after coronary angiography but …

Conference Proceedings: Select Abstracts Presented At Advocate Aurora Scientific Day 2022

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The abstracts published in this supplement were presented at the 48th annual Advocate Aurora Scientific Day on May 25, 2022. This scholarly symposium provides a closed forum for sharing preliminary results from research studies conducted by faculty physicians and nurses, fellows, residents, scientists, and other health professionals associated with U.S. Midwest-based health system Advocate Aurora Health, publisher of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

Partnering To Advance Health Equity And A Welcome Opportunity To Gather: Proceedings From The 28th Annual Conference Of The Health Care Systems Research Network, Robert T. Greenlee

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

In April 2022, the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN) — a consortium of 20 research institutions affiliated with large health systems spread across the United States (and one in Israel) — held its 28th annual conference in Pasadena, California, with 275 researchers, health care colleagues, and external academic partners in attendance. With a conference theme of “Promoting Collaboration and Partnerships to Advance Health Equity,” the scientific program was assembled by a multisite planning committee with input from representatives of informal local host Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Objectives of the annual conference are to showcase scientific findings from HCSRN projects …

Is Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Effective At Controlling Hypertension In African American Patients? A Clin-Iq, Rebecca Nye, Wilhelm Lehmann, Deborah Simpson

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

African Americans are disproportionately affected by hypertension, a modifiable contributor to multiple chronic diseases and premature death. Primary care physicians play an important role in hypertension control. Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is an evidence-based method for confirming diagnosis and monitoring hypertension over time. Some studies have found that HBPM may lead to clinically relevant reductions in blood pressure when combined with additional interventions, but few studies have focused specifically on African American populations. Evidence of effectiveness could increase clinical recommendation of HBPM. This clinical inquiry examined whether HBPM improves blood pressure control in African Americans with uncontrolled hypertension. Reviewed …

Can Variables From The Electronic Health Record Identify Delirium At Bedside?, Ariba Khan, Kayla Heslin, Michelle Simpson, Michael L. Malone

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Delirium, a common and serious disorder in older hospitalized patients, remains underrecognized. While several delirium predictive models have been developed, only a handful have focused on electronic health record (EHR) data. This prospective cohort study of older inpatients (≥ 65 years old) aimed to determine if variables within our health system’s EHR could be used to identify delirium among hospitalized patients at the bedside. Trained researchers screened daily for delirium using the 3-minute diagnostic Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM). Patient demographic and clinical variables were extracted from the EHR. Among 408 participants, mean age was 75 years, 60.8% were female, and …

Electrocardiogram-Based Machine Learning Emulator Model For Predicting Novel Echocardiography-Derived Phenogroups For Cardiac Risk-Stratification: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study, Heenaben B. Patel, Naveena Yanamala, Brijesh Patel, Sameer Raina, Peter D. Farjo, Srinidhi Sunkara, Márton Tokodi, Nobuyuki Kagiyama, Grace Casaclang-Verzosa, Partho P. Sengupta

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Electrocardiography (ECG)-derived machine learning models can predict echocardiography (echo)-derived indices of systolic or diastolic function. However, systolic and diastolic dysfunction frequently coexists, which necessitates an integrated assessment for optimal risk-stratification. We explored an ECG-derived model that emulates an echo-derived model that combines multiple parameters for identifying patient phenogroups at risk for major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Methods: In this substudy of a prospective, multicenter study, patients from 3 institutions (n = 727) formed an internal cohort, and the fourth institution was reserved as an external test set (n = 518). A previously validated patient similarity analysis model was used …

Stroke Network Of Wisconsin (Snow) Scale Predicts Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke In The Prehospital Setting, Kessarin Panichpisal, Sarah Erpenbeck, Paul Vilar, Reji P. Babygirija, Maharaj Singh, M. Riccardo Colella, Richard A. Rovin

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: In previous trials, the Stroke Network of Wisconsin (SNOW) scale accurately predicted large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke in the hospital setting. This study evaluated SNOW scale performance in the prehospital setting and its ability to predict LVO or distal medium vessel occlusion (DMVO) in patients suspected of having acute ischemic stroke (AIS), a scenario in which transport time to an endovascular treatment-capable facility (ECSC) is critical.

Methods: All potential AIS patients with last-known-well time of ≤ 24 hours were assessed by Milwaukee County Emergency Medical Services for LVO using SNOW. Patients with a positive SNOW score were transferred to …

Seroprevalence Of Covid-19 Igg Antibody In Resident And Fellow Physicians In Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Analysis Of A Cross-Sectional Survey, Dennis J. Baumgardner, Alexander Schwank, Jessica J. F. Kram, Wilhelm Lehmann, Jacob Bidwell, Tricia La Fratta, Kenneth Copeland

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Medical trainees are likely at differential risk of exposure to COVID-19 per respective clinical activity. We sought to determine the seroprevalence of COVID-19 antibody (Ab) among resident and fellow physicians with varying degrees of exposure to COVID-19.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of Milwaukee-based resident and fellow physicians, encompassing December 2019–June 2020, was conducted. Relevant variables of interest were ascertained by survey and payroll data, and Abbott ARCHITECT Ab test (index cut-off of ≥ 1.4) was performed. Descriptive statistics were generated, with 95% CI calculated for the study’s primary outcome of seroprevalence.

Results: Among survey respondents (92 of 148, 62%), …

Prevalence Of Endocrine Disorders Among 6078 Individuals With Down Syndrome In The United States, Anne Rivelli, Veronica Fitzpatrick, Danielle Wales, Laura Chicoine, Gengjie Jia, Andrey Rzhetsky, Brian Chicoine

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Findings from a recent study describing prevalence of common disease conditions in the largest documented cohort of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) in the United States strongly suggested significant disparity in endocrine disorders among these individuals when compared with age- and sex-matched individuals without DS. This retrospective, descriptive study is a follow-up report documenting prevalence of 21 endocrine disorder conditions, across 28 years of data, from 6078 individuals with DS and 30,326 age- and sex-matched controls, abstracted from electronic medical records within a large integrated health system. Overall, individuals with DS experienced higher prevalence of adrenal insufficiency and Addison’s disease; …

Patient Satisfaction With Care Is Associated With Better Outcomes In Function And Pain 1 Year After Lumbar Spine Surgery, Björn Knutsson, Bakir Kadum, Ted Eneqvist, Sebastian Mukka, Arkan S. Sayed-Noor

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: There has been increasing interest in patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) to evaluate the patient experience and satisfaction with care. We conducted a prospective multicenter cohort study to determine any association between patients’ satisfaction of care and their outcomes 1 year after lumbar spine surgery.

Methods: Satisfaction with care was recorded through telephone interviews and a standardized questionnaire. Baseline data collection (300 patients) and 1-year follow-up (209 patients) were conducted through The Swedish National Register for Spine Surgery (Swespine). Exposures were patient experiences, health care professional (HCP) attitudes, shared decision-making, and overall satisfaction with care. Associations were evaluated using adjusted …

A Physical Therapy Mobility Checkup For Older Adults: Feasibility And Participant Preferences From A Discrete Choice Experiment, Dalerie Lieberz, Hannah Borgeson, Steven Dobson, Lindsey Ewings, Karen Johnson, Kori Klaysmat, Abby Schultz, Rachel Tasson, Alexandra L. Borstad

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Physical performance measures, like walking speed, identify and predict preclinical mobility disability but are rarely used in routine medical care. A preventive model of care called Mobility Checkup is being designed to reduce mobility disability in older adults. This study had two purposes: 1) determine feasibility and outcomes of the Mobility Checkup, and 2) identify preferences of older adults regarding this model of care using a discrete choice experiment.

Methods: Adults over 55 years of age were recruited from the community. In the study’s first phase, participants completed a Mobility Checkup, with feasibility evaluated using 6 criteria. In the …

Refining A Postpandemic Approach To Cancer Screening, Michael A. Thompson

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

In introducing Volume 8, Issue 4 of Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews — a specially themed issue comprised of several works focused on improving cancer screening processes in clinical practice — JPCRR editor and hematologist/oncologist Michael Thompson reflects on the current state of various screening modalities and how the pandemic has already begun to shape ongoing research in this area. A delicate balance must be struck between avoiding overtesting or overdiagnosis and identifying the presence of malignant tumors early enough to allow for successful treatment.

Conference Proceedings: Select Abstracts Presented At 2021 Advocate Aurora Health Scientific Day

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Abstracts published within this supplement were presented at the 47th annual Advocate Aurora Health Scientific Day, held virtually on May 26, 2021. This research symposium provides a forum for disseminating results from studies conducted by faculty, fellows, residents, and other allied health professionals associated with Midwest-based health system Advocate Aurora Health, which publishes the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

Supply, Demand, And Quality: A Three-Pronged Approach To Blood Product Management In Developing Countries, Kyle L. Gress, Karina Charipova, Ivan Urits, Omar Viswanath, Alan D. Kaye

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

While transfusion of blood and blood products is instinctively linked to the provision of emergent care, blood and blood products are also routinely used for the treatment of subacute and chronic conditions. Despite the efforts of the World Health Organization and others, developing countries are faced with a three-part problem when it comes to access to and delivery of transfusions: insufficient supply, excessive demand, and inadequate quality of available supply. Developing countries rely heavily on replacement and remunerated donors rather than voluntary nonremunerated donors due to concerns regarding donation- and transfusion-transmitted infection as well as local and cultural beliefs. While …

Musings On Patient Willingness To Pay, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The editor-in-chief of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews introduces an original research article published within Volume 8, Issue 2, and comments on the relative willingness-to-pay values placed on various medical tests, treatments, and cures. How do we adequately educate patients on the risk of chronic disease and inspire them to embrace advisable lifestyle changes before there is a bigger bill to balk at?

Preprocedure Covid-19 Testing In Early Phase Of Pandemic, Renuka Jain, Bradley Kruger, Robert Citronberg, Stacie Kroboth, Ana Cristina Perez Moreno, Bijoy K. Khandheria

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a nationwide shutdown of elective medical procedures. Upon resumption of services, preprocedure nasopharyngeal swab testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was introduced for all patients requiring surgical or other aerosol-generating procedures. We investigated preprocedure COVID-19 testing in one of the largest U.S. health systems. Patients included in this retrospective, observational study were asymptomatic and scheduled for a procedure or surgery. All patients underwent a nasopharyngeal swab test for SARS-CoV-2 performed 24–72 hours prior to a planned procedure. Clinical demographics, type of procedure, test results, and subsequent procedure status were evaluated. Of 38,608 …

Seroprevalence Of Sars-Cov-2 Antibody In Echocardiography And Stress Laboratory, Renuka Jain, Stacie Kroboth, Denise Ignatowski, Bijoy K. Khandheria

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Transesophageal echocardiography is an aerosol-generating procedure, and exercise stress testing is a potentially aerosol-generating activity. Concern has been raised about heightened risk of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among health care personnel participating in these procedures. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of past coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in echocardiography and stress laboratory staff.

Methods: All staff who worked in the echocardiography and stress laboratories of one high-traffic urban hospital from March 15, 2020, to June 15, 2020, were asked to voluntarily participate. Those willing to participate were consented, and past COVID-19 infection was …

Association Of Presenting Symptoms With Abnormal Laboratory Values For Vector-Borne Illness — Experience In An Urban Gastroenterology Practice, Michael D. Erdman, Niloofar Kossari, Jessica Ye, Kristen H. Reynolds, Emily Blodget, B. Robert Mozayeni, Farshid Sam Rahbar

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: In the clinical setting, it is not common practice to consider a vector bite, such as from a tick or flea, to be a contributing factor to chronic digestive symptoms. This article investigates associations we have observed among symptomatic patients and positive blood tests for vector-borne illness (VBI).

Methods: Patients who visited an urban gastroenterology clinic over a 3-year period were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 270 patients presenting with a constellation of digestive symptoms — and who had no apparent digestive pathology and reported no prior diagnosis or treatments for VBI — were analyzed. Before the initial visit, …

Comprehensive Echocardiographic Findings In Critically Ill Covid-19 Patients With Or Without Prior Cardiac Disease, Renuka Jain, Pedro D. Salinas, Stacie Kroboth, Abigail Kaminski, Sarah Roemer, Ana Cristina Perez Moreno, Bijoy K Khandheria

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents with a spectrum of disease severity, the most serious cases requiring intensive care. Echocardiography is a front-line tool in evaluating cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU); we analyzed transthoracic echocardiograms obtained from this patient population with state-of-the-art ultrasound technology.

Methods: All patients with COVID-19 requiring ICU admission on whom a transthoracic echocardiogram was obtained were included in the study. Focused transthoracic protocols were performed by experienced sonographers. Echocardiographic variables, including speckle-tracking echocardiography, were collected and analyzed. Clinical information was obtained from the electronic medical record. Patients were followed until discharge. …

Conference Proceedings: Aurora Scientific Day 2020

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Abstracts published in this supplement were among those presented at the 46th annual Aurora Scientific Day research symposium, held virtually on May 20, 2020. The symposium provides a forum for describing research studies conducted by faculty, fellows, residents, and allied health professionals affiliated with Wisconsin-based Aurora Health Care, a part of the Advocate Aurora Health health system, which publishes the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

Feasibility And Validity Of Asking Patients To Define Individual Levels Of Meaningful Change On Patient-Reported Outcomes, Salene M.W. Jones, Yuxian Du, Ari Bell-Brown, Kaylin Bolt, Joseph M. Unger

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are frequently used in clinical care to monitor treatment response. However, most guidelines on PRO use treat all patients the same. This study tested the feasibility and validity of a method for determining individually meaningful change in PRO measures.

Methods: Participants (n = 398) completed 12 pain and distress questions to define individually meaningful change. This mixed-methods study used both quantitative and qualitative analyses, including descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and content analysis.

Results: Two-thirds (67%) of the sample reported at least one medical condition, including depression and back pain. Most participants (70%–90%) were able to answer …

Epidemiologic Survey Of Legionella Urine Antigen Testing Within A Large Wisconsin-Based Health Care System, Caroline P. Toberna, Hannah M. William, Jessica J. F. Kram, Kayla Heslin, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Legionella pneumophila pneumonia is a life-threatening, environmentally acquired infection identifiable via Legionella urine antigen tests (LUAT). We aimed to identify cumulative incidence, demographic distribution, and undetected disease outbreaks of Legionella pneumonia via positive LUAT in a single eastern Wisconsin health system, with a focus on urban Milwaukee County.

Methods: A multilevel descriptive ecologic study was conducted utilizing electronic medical record data from a large integrated health care system of patients who underwent LUAT from 2013 to 2017. A random sample inclusive of all positive tests was reviewed to investigate geodemographic differences among patients testing positive versus negative. Statistical comparisons …

Can Magnetic Resonance Imaging Predict Pathologic Findings For Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer?, Elizabeth L. Dickson Michelson, Jessica J. F. Kram, Kayla Heslin, David Baugh, Vikram Bamra, Jiahao Hu, Abhishek Shukla, Scott A. Kamelle

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of precisely measuring tumor diameter and myometrial invasion in patients with endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) using preoperative contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Adult patients with confirmed diagnosis of complex hyperplasia with atypia or EEC were included. Three radiologists separately measured tumor diameter and myometrial invasion. Basic descriptive statistics were used to describe patient characteristics and to compare radiology- and pathology-measured tumor diameter and myometrial invasion. Using the pathology results for tumor diameter as the gold standard for comparison, at least 1 radiologist was able to predict largest tumor diameter within 5 mm …

Abstracts From The 26th Annual Health Care Systems Research Network Conference, April 8–10, 2020

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN) is made up of community-based care delivery systems with a shared mission to improve health and health care through research. The network’s annual conference serves as a forum for attendees to disseminate study findings, stimulate collaborations, and share insights about conducting research in real-world care settings. Although this year’s live conference was cancelled to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the oral and poster abstracts accepted for presentation at HCSRN 2020 are published in this open access supplement to Volume 7, Issue 1 of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews, the …

Listening To The Patient: A Typology Of Contextual Red Flags In Disease Management Encounters, Amy E. Binns-Calvey, Gunjan Sharma, Naomi Ashley, Brendan Kelly, Frances M. Weaver, Saul J. Weiner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Patients send clues, often unwittingly, when they are grappling with a life challenge that complicates their care. For instance, a patient may lose control of a previously well-managed chronic condition or start missing appointments. When explored, these clues help clinicians uncover the life circumstance impacting the individual’s ability to manage their health and health care. Such clues are termed “contextual red flags.” Effective care requires recognizing them, asking about them, and customizing the care plan where feasible. We sought to develop a typology of contextual red flags by analyzing audio recordings along with the medical records of encounters between …

Cryptococcal Antigen Testing In An Integrated Medical System: Eastern Wisconsin, Marianne Klumph, Brian Hoeynck, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Cryptococcosis is a serious environmentally acquired endemic fungal infection commonly associated with immunocompromised hosts. Little is known regarding frequency or distribution in Wisconsin. We explored the geodemographic and clinical features of patients tested with cryptococcal antigen tests (CrAg) — previously shown to be >90% sensitive and >90% specific — within a large health care system located in eastern Wisconsin. To examine this, we retrospectively analyzed 1465 CrAg tests on 1211 unique patients (female: 50.2%; white race: 73.9%; mean age: 53.7 ± 16.5 years). At least one CrAg result was positive in 23 of 1211 patients (1.9%). From these, 21 of …

Surgeons’ Views On Shared Decision-Making, Suraj Kannan, Jayhyun Seo, Kevin R. Riggs, Gail Geller, Emily F. Boss, Zackary D. Berger

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Shared decision-making (SDM) has a significant role in surgical encounters, where decisions are influenced by both clinician and patient preferences. Herein, we sought to explore surgeons’ practices and beliefs about SDM.

Methods: We performed a qualitative study consisting of semi-structured individual interviews with 18 surgeons from private practice and academic surgery practices in Baltimore, Maryland. We purposively sampled participants to maximize diversity of practice type (academic vs private), surgical specialty, gender, and experience level. Interview topics included benefits and challenges to patient involvement in decision-making, communicating uncertainty to patients, and use of decision aids. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. …

Measuring Patients’ Perceptions Of Health Care Encounters: Examining The Factor Structure Of The Revised Patient Perception Of Patient-Centeredness (Pppc-R) Questionnaire, Bridget L. Ryan, Judith Belle Brown, Paul F. Tremblay, Moira Stewart

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Given the ongoing desire to make health care more patient-centered and growing evidence supporting the provision of patient-centered care, it is important to have valid tools for measuring patient-centered care. The patient-centered clinical method (PCCM) is a conceptual framework for providing patient-centered care. A revision to the PCCM framework led to a corresponding need to enhance the Patient Perception of Patient-Centeredness (PPPC) questionnaire. The original PPPC was aligned with the components of the PCCM conceptual framework and developed to measure patient-centeredness from the patient’s perspective. The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of a revised …