PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Margaret Holmes-Rovner

Publications and source records attributed to Margaret Holmes-Rovner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Changes in practice patterns affecting in-hospital and post-discharge survival among ACS patients.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of specific illnesses may result in unexpected outcomes, given that multiple therapies must often be given to patients with diverse medical conditions. Yet, few studies have presented empirical evidence that quality improvement (QI) programs both change practice by improving adherence to guidelines and improve patient outcomes under the conditions of actual practice. Thus, we focus on patient survival, following hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome in three successive patient cohorts from the same community hospitals, with a quality improvement intervention occurring between cohorts two and three. METHODS: This study is a comparison of three historical cohorts of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients in the same five community hospitals in 1994-5, 1997, 2002-3. A quality improvement project, the Guidelines Applied to Practice (GAP), was implemented in these hospitals in 2001. Study participants were recruited from community hospitals located in two Michigan communities during three separate time periods. The cohorts comprise (1) patients enrolled between December 1993 and April 1995 (N = 814), (2) patients enrolled between February 1997 and September 1997 (N = 452), and (3) patients enrolled between January 14, 2002 and April 13, 2003 (N = 710). Mortality data were obtained from Michigan's Bureau of Vital Statistics for all three patient cohorts. Predictor variables, obtained from medical record reviews, included demographic information, indicators of disease severity (ejection fraction), co-morbid conditions, hospital treatment information concerning most invasive procedures and the use of ace-inhibitors, beta-blockers and aspirin in the hospital and as discharge recommendations. RESULTS: Adjusted in-hospital mortality showed a marked improvement with a HR = 0.16 (p < 0.001) comparing 2003 patients in the same hospitals to those 10 years earlier. Large gains in the in-hospital mortality were maintained based on 1-year mortality rates after hospital discharge. CONCLUSION: Changes in practice patterns that follow recommended guidelines can significantly improve care for ACS patients. In-hospital mortality gains were maintained in the year following discharge.

Hospitalization↗
PubMed2006

Hormone therapy after the Women's Health Initiative: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Publication of results from the Women's Health Initiative study in July 2002 was a landmark event in biomedical science related to postmenopausal women. The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of new hormone therapy recommendations on patients' attitudes and decision-making in a primary care practice. METHODS: A questionnaire including structured and open-ended questions was administered in a family practice office waiting room from August through October 2003. Rationale for taking or not taking hormone therapy was specifically sought. Women 50-70 years old attending for office visits were invited to participate. Data were analyzed qualitatively and with descriptive statistics. Chart review provided medication use rates for the entire practice cohort of which the sample was a subset. RESULTS: Respondents (n = 127) were predominantly white and well educated, and were taking hormone therapy at a higher rate (38%) than the overall rate (26%) for women of the same age range in this practice. Belief patterns about hormone therapy were, in order of frequency, 'use is risky', 'vindication or prior beliefs', 'benefit to me outweighs risk', and 'unaware of new recommendations'. Twenty-eight out of 78 women continued hormones use after July 2002. Of 50 women who initially stopped hormone therapy after July 2002, 12 resumed use. Women who had stopped hormone therapy were a highly symptomatic group. Responses with emotional overtones such as worry, confusion, anger, and grief were common. CONCLUSION: Strategies for decision support about hormone therapy should explicitly take into account women's preferences about symptom relief and the trade-offs among relevant risks. Some women may need emotional support during transitions in hormone therapy use.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Developing a quality criteria framework for patient decision aids: online international Delphi consensus process.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a set of quality criteria for patient decision support technologies (decision aids). DESIGN AND SETTING: Two stage web based Delphi process using online rating process to enable international collaboration. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals from four stakeholder groups (researchers, practitioners, patients, policy makers) representing 14 countries reviewed evidence summaries and rated the importance of 80 criteria in 12 quality domains on a 1 to 9 scale. Second round participants received feedback from the first round and repeated their assessment of the 80 criteria plus three new ones. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Aggregate ratings for each criterion calculated using medians weighted to compensate for different numbers in stakeholder groups; criteria rated between 7 and 9 were retained. RESULTS: 212 nominated people were invited to participate. Of those invited, 122 participated in the first round (77 researchers, 21 patients, 10 practitioners, 14 policy makers); 104/122 (85%) participated in the second round. 74 of 83 criteria were retained in the following domains: systematic development process (9/9 criteria); providing information about options (13/13); presenting probabilities (11/13); clarifying and expressing values (3/3); using patient stories (2/5); guiding/coaching (3/5); disclosing conflicts of interest (5/5); providing internet access (6/6); balanced presentation of options (3/3); using plain language (4/6); basing information on up to date evidence (7/7); and establishing effectiveness (8/8). CONCLUSIONS: Criteria were given the highest ratings where evidence existed, and these were retained. Gaps in research were highlighted. Developers, users, and purchasers of patient decision aids now have a checklist for appraising quality. An instrument for measuring quality of decision aids is being developed.

Decision Support Techniques↗
PubMed2006

Treatment preference patterns during a videotape decision aid for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

OBJECTIVE: As part of a study of men's responses to a videotape decision aid [Rovner DR, Wills CE, Bonham V, Williams G, Lillie J, Kelly-Blake K, Williams MV, Holmes-Rovner M. Decision aids for benign prostatic hyperplasia: applicability across race and education. Med Decis Making 2004;24:359-66], preferences for BPH treatment options were assessed. METHODS: One hundred and sixty men stratified by race and education completed a semi-structured interview that included assessments of treatment preferences. RESULTS: Most men initially and ultimately favored watchful waiting over other options, and 56.6% never changed their preference rank orders while viewing the videotape. BPH severity in context of treatment risk avoidance, efficacy, and expert opinion factors were frequently cited reasons for preference orders. Lesser education was associated with higher likelihood of changing preferences (r = -.30, p < .001), and percent increase in BPH knowledge pre- to post-videotape was weakly associated with fewer non-dominant preference shifts (r = -.19, p < .05). CONCLUSION: Conservatism regarding BPH treatment is moderated by context-specific factors, including new information. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: Counseling in a provider-patient partnership model should address both sources of variance in men's treatment preferences.

Black People↗
PubMed2006

Integrating Decision Making and Mental Health Interventions Research: Research Directions.

The importance of incorporating patient and provider decision-making processes is in the forefront of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) agenda for improving mental health interventions and services. Key concepts in patient decision making are highlighted within a simplified model of patient decision making that links patient-level/"micro" variables to services-level/"macro" variables via the decision-making process that is a target for interventions. The prospective agenda for incorporating decision-making concepts in mental health research includes (a) improved measures for characterizing decision-making processes that are matched to study populations, complexity, and types of decision making; (b) testing decision aids in effectiveness research for diverse populations and clinical settings; and (c) improving the understanding and incorporation of preference concepts in enhanced intervention designs.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Men's theories about benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer following a benign prostatic hyperplasia decision aid.

OBJECTIVE: To use qualitative methods to explore audiotape evidence of unanticipated confusion between benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer in using a videotape BPH treatment decision aid (DA). DESIGN: Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews and surveys originally collected to study men's interpretation of a DA. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Community sample of college and noncollege educated African American and white men (age> or =50; n=188). MEASURES: Transcript analysis identified themes in men's comments about BPH and cancer. Surveys measured BPH general and prostate cancer-specific knowledge, literacy (Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults), BPH symptoms, and demographics. RESULTS: In transcript analysis, 18/188 men spontaneously talked about BPH and cancer as being related to each other, despite explicit statements to the contrary in the video. Survey data suggest that up to 126/188 men (67%) persisted in misconceptions even after viewing the DA video. Three themes were identified in the transcripts: (1) BPH and cancer are equated, (2) BPH surgery is for the purpose of removing cancer, and (3) BPH leads to cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Overall knowledge increases with DA use may mask incorrect theories of disease process. Further research should identify decision support designs and clinical counseling strategies to address persistence of beliefs contrary to new information presented in evidence-based DAs.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2006

Outpatient medication use and health outcomes in post-acute coronary syndrome patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pattern of postdischarge evidence-based outpatient medication use and its impact on subsequent hospital readmissions in post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study. METHODS: A telephone survey was conducted to collect information from discharge to 8 months after discharge for 433 patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of ACS in 5 mid-Michigan hospitals. The survey data were then merged with chart review data from the initial hospitalization. We first conducted a longitudinal descriptive analysis of the utilization patterns of patient self-reported medication use from discharge to the 8-month survey. Then, multivariable logit analysis was used to estimate the effect of post-ACS medication use on self-reported hospital readmission at 3 months and 8 months after discharge. Propensity score matching was used to counter the possible bias induced by self-selection of outpatient medication use. RESULTS: The pattern of outpatient medication use was dynamic. Most changes to medication regimens occurred within 3 months after discharge, with fewer changes in the subsequent 5 months. Taking a beta-blocker, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, or angiotension receptor blocker significantly reduced the probability of hospital readmission 3 months after discharge. Propensity score matching produced similar statistically significant results. Re-hospitalization within 3 months after discharge was a strong predictor of later hospital readmission up to 8 months. CONCLUSION: Timely and appropriate medication adjustment in outpatient settings appears to be critically important to reduce hospital readmission among ACS patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Evidence-based patient choice: a prostate cancer decision aid in plain language.

BACKGROUND: Decision aids (DA) to assist patients in evaluating treatment options and sharing in decision making have proliferated in recent years. Most require high literacy and do not use plain language principles. We describe one of the first attempts to design a decision aid using principles from reading research and document design. The plain language DA prototype addressed treatment decisions for localized prostate cancer. Evaluation assessed impact on knowledge, decisions, and discussions with doctors in men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer. METHODS: Document development steps included preparing an evidence-based DA in standard medical parlance, iteratively translating it to emphasize shared decision making and plain language in three formats (booklet, Internet, and audio-tape). Scientific review of medical content was integrated with expert health literacy review of document structure and design. Formative evaluation methods included focus groups (n = 4) and survey of a new sample of men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer (n = 60), compared with historical controls (n = 184). RESULTS: A transparent description of the development process and design elements is reported. Formative evaluation among newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients found the DA to be clear and useful in reaching a decision. Newly diagnosed patients reported more discussions with doctors about treatment options, and showed increases in knowledge of side effects of radiation therapy. CONCLUSION: The plain language DA presenting medical evidence in text and numerical formats appears acceptable and useful in decision-making about localized prostate cancer treatment. Further testing should evaluate the impact of all three media on decisions made and quality of life in the survivorship period, especially among very low literacy men.

Choice Behavior↗
PubMed2004

Treatment decision-making and the form of risk communication: results of a factorial survey.

BACKGROUND: Prospective users of preventive therapies often must evaluate complex information about therapeutic risks and benefits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of relative and absolute risk information on patient decision-making in scenarios typical of health information for patients. METHODS: Factorial experiments within a telephone survey of the Michigan adult, non-institutionalized, English-speaking population. Average interview lasted 23 minutes. Subjects and sample design: 952 randomly selected adults within a random-digit dial sample of Michigan households. Completion rate was 54.3%. RESULTS: When presented hypothetical information regarding additional risks of breast cancer from a medication to prevent a bone disease, respondents reduced their willingness to recommend a female friend take the medication compared to the baseline rate (66.8% = yes). The decrease was significantly greater with relative risk information. Additional benefit information regarding preventing heart disease from the medication increased willingness to recommend the medication to a female friend relative to the baseline scenario, but did not differ between absolute and relative risk formats. When information about both increased risk of breast cancer and reduced risk of heart disease were provided, typical respondents appeared to make rational decisions consistent with Expected Utility Theory, but the information presentation format affected choices. Those 11% - 33% making decisions contrary to the medical indications were more likely to be Hispanic, older, more educated, smokers, and to have children in the home. CONCLUSIONS: In scenarios typical of health risk information, relative risk information led respondents to make non-normative decisions that were "corrected" when the frame used absolute risk information. This population sample made generally rational decisions when presented with absolute risk information, even in the context of a telephone interview requiring remembering rates given. The lack of effect of gender and race suggests that a standard strategy of presenting absolute risk information may improve patient decision-making.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Patient education materials about the treatment of early-stage prostate cancer: a critical review.

BACKGROUND: To ensure that patients make informed medical decisions, patient education materials must communicate treatment risks and benefits. OBJECTIVE: To survey publicly available patient education materials and assess their suitability to support informed decision making in early-stage prostate cancer. DESIGN: Cross-sectional review of Internet, print, and multimedia sources. SETTING: University data analysis laboratory. MEASUREMENTS: The content of 44 materials that described all standard treatment options was reviewed. Top-rated documents underwent plain-language review. Total score on 54 content items and accuracy, balance, and plain-language evaluation was measured. RESULTS: 502 of 546 patient education materials did not describe all standard treatments (watchful waiting, surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy). Eighty percent of the 44 materials that addressed standard treatments and underwent content review described anatomy, physiology, stage, and grade of cancer. Half of the materials fully described radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy. One third of the materials included risks and benefits of each treatment; none explicitly compared outcomes of all treatments in a single summary. Information was accurate and balanced but did not include key content for informed consent. LIMITATIONS: The search was restricted to publicly available materials and did not include books or materials written in languages other than English. The accuracy, balance, and plain-language reviews were evaluated by 1 reviewer. The criteria reflect the authors' focus on informed decision making. Other aspects of health education may require a different evaluation template. CONCLUSIONS: Currently available patient education materials on early-stage prostate cancer treatment do not contain comprehensive information about the risks and benefits of each treatment. To assist patients and physicians in choosing among prostate cancer treatment options, a new generation of materials is needed.

CD-ROM↗
PubMed2003

Estimating mean hospital cost as a function of length of stay and patient characteristics.

Statistical models have been used to assess the influence of clinical and demographic factors on hospital charge and length of stay (LOS). Hospital costs constitute a significant proportion of overall expenditure in health care. With escalating costs, knowing the correlates of LOS and in-hospital cost is important for decisions on allocating resources. However, hospital charge and LOS are correlated. We describe two regression models that permit estimation of mean charges as a function of patient hospital stay and adjust for the influence of patient characteristics and treatment procedures on LOS and charge. In the first model, the mean charge over a specified duration is a weighted average of the expected cumulative charge, with weighting determined by the distribution of LOS. The second model for LOS and charge explicitly accounts for their correlation and yields estimates of the average charge per average LOS. The methods are applied to assess mean charges and mean charge per day by cardiac procedure in a cohort of patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction, while adjusting for the impact of patient demographic and clinical factors on LOS and charge. For relatively short hospital stays, and when only total hospital charges are available, these models provide a flexible approach to estimating summary measures on resource use while controlling for the effects of covariates on LOS and charge.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

The mammography screening controversy: who and what is heard in the press?

The objective of this project was to analyze newspaper coverage of the January 2000 meta-analysis by Gotzsche and Olsen, "Is screening for breast cancer with mammography justified?" [Lancet 355 (2000) 129]. A content analysis was performed on a comprehensive set of newspaper clippings from the UK during the 2 weeks following publication of the Lancet article. The original authors were most quoted in Wave 1 (the first weekend); the screening programme was most quoted in Wave 2 (week 2). Screening programme description, and the "quality" of the Lancet article dominated Wave 1; patient testimonials increased in Wave 2. Newspaper articles were structured as debates between experts and advocates, thereby enhancing polarisation of opinion. We suggest this is counter-productive to evidence-based patient choice and public involvement in decision-making. Medical journals' and charities' press releases that begin to include discussion of uncertainty inherent in medical technologies can contribute to evidence-based public deliberation.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2003

Patient comprehension of information for shared treatment decision making: state of the art and future directions.

How does the way that information is presented potentially influence patients' consent for health treatments, in a shared decision making process? The goal of this paper is to present an overview of selected recent literature concerning patient health information presentation/use for treatment decision making. Recent work with patient populations has begun to extend early cognitive psychological work showing systematic biases in thinking. Key research findings are organized by type of format (probability, graphic, and qualitative/quantitative dimensions). The applied literature on this topic is amenable to only limited integration in regard to key findings, and relatively few novel approaches to improving information comprehension have been described in the health literature. Promising approaches being proposed, developed, and tested are described, such as enhanced-access computerized patient choice modules, "debiasing" techniques, and tailoring of information. Additional theoretical and practical issues are discussed, as well as selected policy implications of current knowledge.

Cognition↗
PubMed2003

The development of COMRADE--a patient-based outcome measure to evaluate the effectiveness of risk communication and treatment decision making in consultations.

Some instruments have been developed to evaluate 'decision effectiveness' such as the 'satisfaction with decision (SWD)' and 'decision conflict (DCS)' scales and are validated for the US context. Patients identify further outcome domains that are not fully covered in these scales. We developed a patient-based outcome measure to evaluate risk communication and decision making effectiveness, addressing these further domains and validated for use in the UK. Formulation of items was based on literature review and key informant interviews. The instrument was piloted and developed (including psychometric assessment) in the context of a trial of decision making and risk communication interventions in general practice. Patients were recruited to the trial with known atrial fibrillation, prostatism, menorrhagia or menopausal symptoms. High response rates (96% in first phase) indicated acceptability to patients. A 20 item patient-based outcome measure, with two sub-scales for 'risk communication' and 'confidence in decision', was produced. It allows for paternalistic, shared or informed choice decision making models. Usage in further studies will facilitate systematic reviews. Consequently, lessons for wider application of these interventions in practice, and policy implications regarding greater patient involvement should then be clearer.

Communication↗
PubMed2003

Preliminary validation of the Satisfaction With Decision scale with depressed primary care patients.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a preliminary validation of the Satisfaction With Decision (SWD) scale with depressed primary care patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational pilot study using a postal survey. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Depressed primary care patients (n = 97) who recently had made a new decision about antidepressant medication use completed surveys regarding their treatment decisions. MAIN VARIABLES: Measures included patient-reported satisfaction with decision, decisional conflict, knowledge about depression and treatment, decision involvement, pain and health status, antidepressant medication efficacy, and satisfaction with health services. RESULTS: The SWD scale had good internal consistency reliability (alpha = 0.85). Evidence for construct validity was confirmed via a hypothesized pattern of relationships between the SWD scale and other measures. Decision satisfaction was associated with several issues of relevance for designing patient-centred decision support interventions: (1) knowledge about depression and treatment; (2) involvement in health-related decisions; and (3) aiding evaluation of trade-offs among pros and cons of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this pilot study show that the SWD scale appears to be a psychometrically sound and practical measure for research with this population. Additional research is needed on the theoretical nature of decision satisfaction and developing and testing patient-centred decision support interventions for depression treatment.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed2002

Improving informed consent: insights from behavioral decision research.

BACKGROUND: With publication of The Belmont Report concerning ethical principles, informed consent gained explicit guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. However, there is still little evidence about how well informed consent works to assist patients to reach informed decisions about research participation. OBJECTIVE: To review behavioral decision theory and research to identify implications for informed consent. RESEARCH DESIGN: Traditional literature review and hand search of literature were used. RESULTS: Psychological research on biases and heuristics identifies cognitive biases in information processing (selection and interpretation of risks and benefits) that have implications for improving the informing process. A growing literature on patient decision aids provides evidence for the feasibility of more fully informing patients, and includes examples of "debiasing" procedures (to improve information comprehension and consent). CONCLUSIONS: Informing and consenting involve conceptually different challenges concerning effectiveness versus values. Debiasing techniques need to be developed and empirically tested to determine their effectiveness in informing patients. Consenting involves both social and individual values. Appealing to altruism when summarizing the goals of research may increase research participation and does not necessarily violate voluntariness of informed consent. Additional research is needed to determine when information-processing biases occur problematically in health-related informed consent, and whether appealing to altruism increases research participation.

Behavior↗
PubMed2000

Implementing shared decision-making in routine practice: barriers and opportunities.

OBJECTIVE: Determine feasibility of shared decision-making programmes in fee-for-service hospital systems including physicians' offices and in-patient facilities. DESIGN: Survey and participant observation. Data obtained during Phase 1 of a patient outcome study. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Three hospitals in Michigan: one 299-bed rural regional hospital, one 650-bed urban community hospital, one 459-bed urban and suburban teaching hospital. All nurses and physicians who agreed to use the programmes participated in the evaluation (n = 34). INTERVENTION: Two shared decision-making(R) (SDP) multimedia programmes: surgical treatment choice for breast cancer and ischaemic heart disease treatment choice. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) clinicians' evaluations of programme quality; (2) challenges in hospital settings; and (3) patient referral rates. RESULTS: SDP programmes were judged to be clear, accurate and about the right length and amount of information. Programmes were judged to be informative and appropriate for patients to see before making a decision. Clinicians were neutral about patients' desire to participate in treatment decision-making. Referral volume to SDPs was lower than expected: 24 patients in 7 months across three hospitals. Implementation challenges centred on time pressures in patient care. CONCLUSIONS: Productivity and time pressure in US health care severely constrain shared decision-making programme implementation. Physician referral may not be a reliable mechanism for patient access. Possible innovations include: (1) incorporation into the informed consent process; (2) provider or payer negotiated requirement in the routine hospital procedure to use the SDP as a quality indicator; and (3) payer reimbursement to professional providers who make SDP programmes available to patients.

Journal Article↗