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Biomedical subjects

J D Piette

Publications and source records attributed to J D Piette.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The RE-AIM framework for evaluating interventions: what can it tell us about approaches to chronic illness management?

BACKGROUND: The RE-AIM framework is used as a method of systematically considering the strengths and weaknesses of chronic illness management interventions in order to guide program planning. METHOD: The RE-AIM dimensions of Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance are used to rate one-on-one counseling interventions, group sessions, interactive computer-mediated interventions, telephone calls, mail interventions, and health system policies. RESULTS: The RE-AIM ratings suggest that, although often efficacious for those participating, traditional face-to-face intervention modalities will have limited impact if they cannot be delivered consistently to large segments of the target population. Interventions using new information technologies may have greater reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance, and thereby greater public health impact. Policy changes received high ratings across a variety of RE-AIM dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Program planners should make decisions regarding implementing and funding health services based on multiple dimensions, rather than only considering efficacy in randomized clinical trials. Doing so may improve the resulting public health impact. Directions for future chronic illness management research related to RE-AIM, and implications for decision making, are described.

Chronic Disease↗

Impact of automated calls with nurse follow-up on diabetes treatment outcomes in a Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated automated telephone disease management (ATDM) with telephone nurse follow-up as a strategy for improving diabetes treatment processes and outcomes in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics. We also compared the results with those of a prior ATDM trial conducted in a county health care system. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 272 VA patients with diabetes using hypoglycemic medications were randomized. During the 1-year study period, intervention patients received biweekly ATDM health assessment and self-care education calls, and a nurse educator followed up with patients based on their ATDM assessment reports. Telephone surveys were used to measure patients' self-care, symptoms, and satisfaction with care. Outpatient service use was evaluated using electronic databases and self-reports, and glycemic control was measured by HbA1c and serum glucose testing. RESULTS: At 12 months, intervention patients reported more frequent glucose self-monitoring and foot inspections than patients receiving usual care and were more likely to be seen in podiatry and diabetes specialty clinics. Intervention patients also were more likely than control patients to have had a cholesterol test. Among patients with baseline HbA1c levels > or =8%, mean end-point values were lower among intervention patients than control patients (8.7 vs. 9.2%, respectively; P = 0.04). Among intervention and control patients with baseline values > or =9%, mean end-point values were 9.1 and 10.2%, respectively (P = 0.04). At follow-up, intervention patients reported fewer symptoms of poor glycemic control than control patients and greater satisfaction with their health care. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention improved the quality of VA diabetes care. Intervention effects for most end points replicated findings from the prior county clinic trial, although intervention-control differences in the current study were smaller because of the relatively good self-care and health status among the current study's enrollees.

Ambulatory Care↗

Do automated calls with nurse follow-up improve self-care and glycemic control among vulnerable patients with diabetes?

PURPOSE: We sought to evaluate the effect of automated telephone assessment and self-care education calls with nurse follow-up on the management of diabetes. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 280 English- or Spanish-speaking adults with diabetes who were using hypoglycemic medications and who were treated in a county health care system. Patients were randomly assigned to usual care or to receive an intervention that consisted of usual care plus bi-weekly automated assessment and self-care education calls with telephone follow-up by a nurse educator. Outcomes measured at 12 months included survey-reported self-care, perceived glycemic control, and symptoms, as well as glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb A1c) and serum glucose levels. RESULTS: We collected follow-up data for 89% of enrollees (248 patients). Compared with usual care patients, intervention patients reported more frequent glucose monitoring, foot inspection, and weight monitoring, and fewer problems with medication adherence (all P -0.03). Follow-up Hb A,, levels were 0.3% lower in the intervention group (P = 0.1), and about twice as many intervention patients had Hb A1c levels within the normal range (P = 0.04). Serum glucose levels were 41 mg/dL lower among intervention patients than usual care patients (P = 0.002). Intervention patients also reported better glycemic control (P = 0.005) and fewer diabetic symptoms (P <0.0001 ), including fewer symptoms of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. CONCLUSIONS: Automated calls with telephone nurse follow-up may be an effective strategy for improving self-care behavior and glycemic control, and for decreasing symptoms among vulnerable patients with diabetes.

Adult↗

Perceived access problems among patients with diabetes in two public systems of care.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the prevalence of access problems among public clinic patients after participating in trials of automated telephone disease management with nurse follow-up. DESIGN: Randomized trial. SETTING: General medicine clinics of a county health care system and a Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred seventy adults with diabetes using hypoglycemic medication were enrolled and randomized; 520 (91%) provided outcome data at 12 months. INTERVENTION: Biweekly automated telephone assessments with telephone follow-up by diabetes nurse educators. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: At follow-up, patients reported whether in the prior 6 months they had failed to obtain each of six types of health services because of a financial or nonfinancial access problem. Patients receiving the intervention were significantly less likely than patients receiving usual care to report access problems (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43 to 0.97). The risk of reporting access problems was greater among county clinic patients than VA patients even when adjusting for their experimental condition, and socioeconomic and clinical risk factors (AOR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.53). County patients were especially more likely to avoid seeking care because of a worry about the cost (AOR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.48 to 5.37). CONCLUSIONS: Many of these public sector patients with diabetes reported that they failed to obtain health services because they perceived financial and nonfinancial access problems. Automated telephone disease management calls with telephone nurse follow-up improved patients' access to care. Despite the impact of the intervention, county clinic patients were more likely than VA patients to report access problems in several areas.

California↗

The effect of automated calls with telephone nurse follow-up on patient-centered outcomes of diabetes care: a randomized, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the impact of automated telephone disease management (ATDM) calls with telephone nurse follow-up as a strategy for improving outcomes such as mental health, self-efficacy, satisfaction with care, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) among low-income patients with diabetes mellitus. RESEARCH DESIGN: This was a randomized, controlled trial. SUBJECTS: Two hundred forty-eight primarily English- and Spanish-speaking adults with diabetes enrolled at the time of visits to a county health care system. INTERVENTION: In addition to usual care, intervention patients received biweekly ATDM calls with telephone follow-up by a diabetes nurse educator. Patients used the ATDM calls to report information about their health and self-care and to access self-care education. The nurse used patients' ATDM reports to allocate her time according to their needs. MEASURES: Patient-centered outcomes were measured at 12 months via telephone interview. RESULTS: Compared with patients receiving usual care, intervention patients at follow-up reported fewer symptoms of depression (P = 0.023), greater self-efficacy to conduct self-care activities (P = 0.006), and fewer days in bed because of illness (P = 0.026). Among English-speaking patients, those receiving the intervention reported greater satisfaction with their health care overall and with the technical quality of the services they received, their choice of providers and continuity of care, their communication with providers, and the quality of their health outcomes (all P <0.042). Intervention and control patients had roughly equivalent scores for established measures of anxiety, diabetes-specific HRQL, and general HRQL. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention had several positive effects on patient-centered outcomes of care but no measurable effects on anxiety or HRQL.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Interactive voice response systems in the diagnosis and management of chronic disease.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility, reliability, validity, and potential clinical impact of interactive voice response (IVR) systems in the diagnosis and management of chronic disease. STUDY DESIGN: Literature review. RESULTS: Interactive voice response assessment systems have been implemented in the treatment of patients with chronic health problems such as heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, and mental health disorders. The information patients report during IVR assessments is at least as reliable as information obtained via structured clinical interviews or medical record reviews. Patients often are more inclined to report health problems to an IVR system than directly to a clinician. The few outcome evaluations of IVR-supported chronic illness management services indicate that they can have moderate impacts on some health and health behavior outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should evaluate the extent to which IVR assessment data can improve the prediction of clinical problems over and above what is possible using data usually available to primary care providers. Studies also should evaluate the outcomes of IVR-supported chronic disease management and the use of IVR assessments to measure variation in patient-centered treatment outcomes.

Chronic Disease↗

Patient education via automated calls: a study of English and Spanish speakers with diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: Using diabetes as a prototype, we examined whether automated telephone disease management (ATDM) calls can improve chronically ill patients' access to self-care and dietary information. METHODS: Two-hundred-twenty-six English-speaking patients and 30 Spanish-speaking patients who were recruited from outpatient clinics received bi-weekly ATDM calls for 1 year, in which they were given the opportunity to access patient education messages. We compared the proportion of English-speaking and Spanish-speaking patients who selected brief self-care tips and interactive dietary education modules. Within each language group, we examined trends in patients' likelihood of selecting the messages over time. RESULTS: On average, Spanish-speaking patients selected self-care tips during 64% of their ATDM calls compared to 36% for English speakers (p < 0.0001). Spanish speakers also selected dietary education modules more often (52% versus 28%, p < 0.0001). Patients were less likely to select each type of message over the course of their participation in the study. However, after 12 months, most Spanish speakers and roughly one fourth of English speakers continued to select each message type. As a result, participants in both language groups received a substantial amount of patient education. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with diabetes are receptive to self-care and dietary education via ATDM. Spanish speakers especially are willing to use ATDM calls to access patient education.

Adult↗

Satisfaction with care among patients with diabetes in two public health care systems.

OBJECTIVES: We compared patient satisfaction among adults with diabetes treated in a Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system with the satisfaction of patients treated in a county-funded health care system. We also examined whether satisfaction differences reflected differences in the process of patient care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional telephone survey of patients recruited from outpatient clinics. SUBJECTS: Five hundred and thirty eight adults, including 310 patients from 4 VA clinics and 228 patients from 2 county clinics. MEASURES: Overall satisfaction with care and satisfaction with 6 separate dimensions of care were measured using the Employee Health Care Value Survey. RESULTS: VA patients were more satisfied than were county patients overall and with 5 of 6 dimensions of their care. These differences increased when we adjusted for patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. VA patients reported more diabetes counseling and shorter waiting times to see their doctor. Each of these self-reported process measures was positively correlated with satisfaction and, when taken into account, reduced the differences in satisfaction between the two systems. However, even when we controlled both for patient characteristics and the process of care, VA patients still were more satisfied than were county patients with their care overall as well as with their access to care, communication with providers, and the quality of their health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, VA patients with diabetes were more satisfied with their health care than were county patients. Perceived diabetes-related counseling and shorter waiting times contributed to differences between the systems in patient satisfaction but did not explain them completely.

Adult↗

Use of automated telephone disease management calls in an ethnically diverse sample of low-income patients with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: We examined whether low-income patients with diabetes were able and willing to use automated telephone disease management (ATDM) calls to provide health status information that could improve the quality of their care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 252 adults with diabetes, 30 of whom spoke Spanish as their primary language, were enrolled at the time of clinic visits in a Department of Veterans Affairs health care system (n = 132) or a county health care system (n = 120). Patients received ATDM calls for 12 months and responded to queries using their touch-tone telephones. We examined 1) whether patients completed ATDM assessments consistently over the year and used the calls to report their self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) levels, 2) the characteristics of patients most likely to use the system frequently, 3) whether patients responded consistently within ATDM assessments, and 4) whether ATDM assessments differentiated among groups of patients with different clinical profiles at baseline. RESULTS: Half of all patients completed at least 77% of their attempted assessments, and one-fourth completed at least 91%. Half of all patients reported SMBG levels during at least 86% of their assessments. Patients completed assessments and reported glucose levels consistently over the year. Health status indicators were the most important determinants of assessment completion rates, while socioeconomic factors were more strongly associated with patients' likelihood of reporting SMBG data during assessments. Patients' responses within assessments were consistent, and the information they provided during their initial assessments identified groups with poor glycemic control and other health problems. CONCLUSIONS: Most low-income patients with diabetes can and will use ATDM calls as part of their care. The information they provide is reliable and has clinical significance. ATDM calls could improve the information base for diabetes management while relieving some of the pressures of delivering diabetes care under cost constraints.

Automation↗

First-time admissions with alcohol-related medical problems: a 10-year follow-up of a national sample of alcoholic patients.

OBJECTIVE: We estimated the rate of first-time hospital admission over 10 years with alcohol-related medical problems among a large national sample of patients with diagnosed alcohol abuse disorders. METHOD: We identified a nationwide cohort of all patients (N = 46,680) discharged in 1980 from all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers with alcohol-related diagnoses. Two comparison cohorts also were identified: patients with musculoskeletal disorders (N = 18,231) and a random sample of nonalcoholic patients (N = 45,204). Using secondary databases, ICD-9-CM coded diagnostic information was collected for all VA inpatient admissions these patients experienced over the decade following their index hospitalizations. Admission rates within age strata and age/race standardized rates were computed. Adjusted rate ratios were estimated using Poisson regression. RESULTS: Alcoholic patients were at substantial risk of admission for multiple medical disorders. Admission rates varied for patients of different ages. Those who were between 50 and 59 years of age during their index hospital stay were at the highest risk of admission with an alcohol-related medical disease over the subsequent decade. CONCLUSIONS: The admission rates for these medical disorders among alcoholic patients provide an important baseline estimate of individual patients' risk profiles and may help providers set priorities among diagnostic tests.

Accidents, Traffic↗

The feasibility of automated voice messaging as an adjunct to diabetes outpatient care.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether automated voice messaging (AVM) systems could be used as an adjunct to primary care for diabetic patients, we examined whether patients were able to respond to AVM queries for clinical information, whether sufficient numbers of problems were identified to warrant the implementation of the service, and whether patients found the system helpful. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The AVM system we examined uses specialized computer technology to telephone patients, communicate messages, and collect information. Sixty-five diabetic patients participated. Based on a review of the literature and the input of diabetes clinician-researchers, we developed an AVM monitoring protocol to inquire about patients' symptoms, glucose monitoring, foot care, diet, and medication adherence. Patients also were given the option to listen to health promotion messages and to report their satisfaction with the calls. Patients responded by using their touch-tone telephone keypads. RESULTS: A total of 216 AVM calls were successfully completed, an average of 3.3 out of four calls per patient. Patients reported a variety of health problems that signaled the need for follow-up. Many patients reported not checking their blood glucose or their feet, and one in four reported problems with medication and diet adherence. Health and self-care problems varied across patient subgroups in ways suggesting that the AVM reports were reliable and valid. Overall, 98% of all patients reported that the calls were helpful, 98% reported that they had no difficulty responding to the calls, and 77% reported that receiving AVM calls would make them more satisfied with their health care. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that diabetic patients can respond to AVM queries and find the calls helpful. Such calls are a feasible strategy for identifying health and self-care problems that would otherwise go unnoticed by clinicians.

Aged↗

The influence of distance on ambulatory care use, death, and readmission following a myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether patients admitted for treatment of a myocardial infarction (MI) who live farther from their source of care are less likely to be followed in an outpatient clinic, and whether patients who receive follow-up care are less likely to die or to have a subsequent acute care admission. DATA SOURCE: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) databases to identify a national sample of 4,637 MI patients discharged in 1992, their use of care, and vital status within the subsequent year. Sociodemographics, comorbid diagnoses, invasive cardiac procedures, hospital teaching status, and distance to patients' admitting hospital were determined. STUDY DESIGN: Using these longitudinal data, we examined the relationship between patient characteristics, distance to care, and use of outpatient care after discharge. We then examined the relationship between the use of ambulatory care and subsequent death and readmission. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Patients living more than 20 miles from their admitting hospital were less likely to use ambulatory services. Patients receiving ambulatory care were 79 percent as likely to die within the year as those without any follow-up care (95% C.I. = 0.66, 0.94). Patients living more than 20 miles from their admitting hospital were more likely to die independent of their likelihood of receiving VA outpatient follow-up. Among patients who did not die in the subsequent year, those receiving ambulatory care were 33 percent more likely to be readmitted to a VA hospital with a cardiac diagnosis (95% C.I. = 1.12, 1.57). CONCLUSIONS: Distance may pose a barrier to outpatient follow-up for some VA patients after a MI. It also may limit patients' ability to access medical care quickly in the event of a recurrent acute event. Ambulatory care after discharge may be an important factor determining survival for patients with cardiac disease.

Aftercare↗

Perceived needs and unmet needs for formal services among people with HIV disease.

This study presents estimates of the prevalence of perceived needs and unmet needs among people with HIV disease in the United States for six areas of community services: mental health, drug treatment, home care, housing, transportation, and entitlements. The prevalence of service needs and unmet needs within racial, gender, drug use history, and other subgroups was also examined. The study is based on a nonrandom cross-sectional sample of 907 people with HIV disease interviewed between November 1988 and May 1989 in nine major urban areas of the United States. Respondents reported high levels of need and unmet need across a variety of service areas. One third or more of all respondents reported a need for mental health services (57%), housing (39%), entitlements (34%), and transportation (32%). Within each of the six service areas, 40% or more reported unmet need. Women, people of color, and injected drug users were more likely to report unmet service need in a number of areas. Given the limitations of the sampling and the focus on current needs, these estimates may represent a lower bound on the magnitude of service need and unmet need within this population.

Activities of Daily Living↗

The effects of immune status and race on health service use among people with HIV disease.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between CD4 lymphocyte count and health service use, and to determine whether differences in the rates of service use between Whites and people of color could be identified. METHODS: Medical records for 571 HIV-infected individuals were analyzed. Incidence rates and relative rates across CD4 strata (defined by cell counts) were calculated for inpatient and outpatient events. Rate ratios comparing people of color with Whites were estimated within strata, adjusting for confounding factors using a Mantel-Haenszel pooling procedure. RESULTS: Both inpatient and outpatient service use increased over progressively lower levels of CD4 counts. Within each CD4 stratum and controlling for other factors, White participants had more HIV clinic visits and fewer admissions than people of color. Among participants with fewer than 51 CD4 cells per cubic millimeter, people of color were admitted 20% more often, had 35% more inpatient days per person-year, and had only 74% as many HIV clinic visits as their White counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that CD4 lymphocyte count is strongly associated with increased usage of health services. People of color with HIV disease are more likely than similar Whites to be admitted to the hospital and less likely to use outpatient care.

Ambulatory Care↗

An exploratory analysis of survival with AIDS using a nonparametric tree-structured approach.

We illustrate an analysis with classification and regression trees applied to survival data. Through this application, we provide a description of the opportunistic diseases and sociodemographic factors that contribute to survival among people with human immunodeficiency virus disease. The analyses are based on 43,795 cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control between January 1, 1984, and December 31, 1987. We used vital status as of December 31, 1989, to estimate mortality rates. We identified Kaposi's sarcoma and opportunistic diseases causing central nervous system damage (cryptococcosis, primary lymphoma of the brain, cytomegalovirus disease, and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy) as important predictors of death. In addition, advanced age at diagnosis (50+), race (white/other), and history of illicit drug use were found to be important determinants. Estimates of the cumulative probability of survival for subgroups of individuals defined by the tree structure illustrate the effect of these determinants on mortality. For the purpose of comparison, two proportional hazards models were also fit to the data using factors identified in the tree structure as the determinants of interest. This application illustrates the utility and limitations of both this new technique and proportional hazards models for epidemiologic research.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Sampling and accessing people with AIDS. Implications for program evaluation.

This article describes issues that arose in attempting to conduct a survey of people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) as part of an evaluation of a program to deliver health and social services to this population. Demands to maintain the confidentiality of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection posed a large impediment to randomly sampling and accessing program recipients. Efforts to contact people with AIDS through the mediation of health service providers encountered problems of nonimplementation and slow accrual. Comparisons of the obtained sample with a more comprehensive data base of program clients suggest that clients who were more accessible and compliant were overrepresented in the sample. People with AIDS themselves, however, were willing to be interviewed, as demonstrated by refusal rates less than 11%. Future studies of people with AIDS must overcome direct service providers' lack of time to contact and recruit respondents; it may be wise to allocate funds to support recruitment activities conducted by an administrative staff person in the service delivery agency.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗