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Long-term benzodiazepine use is common despite known risks. In the original Eliminating Medications Through Patient Ownership of End Results (EMPOWER) Study set in Canada, patient education led to increased rates of benzodiazepine cessation. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of implementing an adapted EMPOWER quality improvement (QI) initiative in a US-based healthcare system.
We used a pre–post design with a non-randomised control group.
A network of primary care clinics.
Patients with ≥60 days’ supply of benzodiazepines in 6 months and ≥1 risk factor (≥65 years of age, a concurrent high-risk medication prescribed or a diazepam equivalent daily dose ≥10) were eligible.
In March 2022, we engaged 22 primary care physicians (PCPs), and 308 of their patients were mailed an educational brochure, physician letter and flyer detailing benzodiazepine risks; the control group included 4 PCPs and 291 of their patients.
The primary measure was benzodiazepine cessation by 9 months. We used logistic regression and a generalised estimating equations approach to control for clustering by PCP, adjusting for demographics, frailty, number of risk factors, and diagnoses of arthritis, depression, diabetes, falls, and pain.
Patients in the intervention and control groups were comparable across most covariates; however, a greater proportion of intervention patients had pain-related diagnoses and depression. By 9 months, 26% of intervention patients (81 of 308) had discontinued benzodiazepines, compared with 17% (49 of 291) of control patients. Intervention patients had 1.73 greater odds of benzodiazepine discontinuation compared with controls (95% CI: 1.09, 2.75, p=0.02). The unadjusted number needed to treat was 10.5 (95% CI: 6.30, 34.92) and the absolute risk reduction was 0.095 (95% CI: 0.03 to 0.16).
Results from this non-randomised QI initiative indicate that patient education programmes using the EMPOWER brochures have the potential to promote cessation of benzodiazepines in primary care.
To define nurse-led clinics in primary health care, identify barriers and enablers that influence their successful implementation, and understand what impact they have on patient and population health outcomes.
Nurse-led clinics definitions remain inconsistent. There is limited understanding regarding what enablers and barriers impact successful nurse-led clinic implementation and their impact on patient health care.
Scoping review using narrative synthesis.
PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched to identify nurse-led clinic definitions and models of care between 2000 and 2023. Screening and selection of studies were based on eligibility criteria and methodological quality assessment. Narrative synthesis enabled to communicate the phenomena of interest and follows the PRISMA for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist.
Among the 36 identified studies, key principles of what constitutes nurse-led clinics were articulated providing a robust definition. Nurse-led clinics are, in most cases, commensurate with standard care, however, they provide more time with patients leading to greater satisfaction. Enablers highlight nurse-led clinic success is achieved through champions, partners, systems, and clear processes, while barriers encompass key risk points and sustainability considerations.
The review highlights several fundamental elements are central to nurse-led clinic success and are highly recommended when developing interventional nurse-led strategies. Nurse-led clinics within primary health care seek to address health care through community driven, health professional and policy supported strategies. Overall, a robust and contemporary definition of nurse-led care and the clinics in which they operate is provided.
The comprehensive definition, clear mediators of success and the health impact of nurse-led clinics provide a clear framework to effectively build greater capacity among nursing services within primary health care. This, in addition, highlights the need for good health care policy to ensure sustainability.
No Patient or Public Contribution.
by Chris Bradley, Kaihua Hou, Patrick Herbert, Mathias Unberath, Greg Hager, Michael V. Boland, Pradeep Ramulu, Jithin Yohannan
Linear regression of optical coherence tomography measurements of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness is often used to detect glaucoma progression and forecast future disease course. However, current measurement frequencies suggest that clinicians often apply linear regression to a relatively small number of measurements (e.g., less than a handful). In this study, we estimate the accuracy of linear regression in predicting the next reliable measurement of average retinal nerve fiber layer thickness using Zeiss Cirrus optical coherence tomography measurements of average retinal nerve fiber layer thickness from a sample of 6,471 eyes with glaucoma or glaucoma-suspect status. Linear regression is compared to two null models: no glaucoma worsening, and worsening due to aging. Linear regression on the first M ≥ 2 measurements was significantly worse at predicting a reliable M+1st measurement for 2 ≤ M ≤ 6. This range was reduced to 2 ≤ M ≤ 5 when retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements were first “corrected” for scan quality. Simulations based on measurement frequencies in our sample—on average 393 ± 190 days between consecutive measurements—show that linear regression outperforms both null models when M ≥ 5 and the goal is to forecast moderate (75th percentile) worsening, and when M ≥ 3 for rapid (90th percentile) worsening. If linear regression is used to assess disease trajectory with a small number of measurements over short time periods (e.g., 1–2 years), as is often the case in clinical practice, the number of optical coherence tomography examinations needs to be increased.by Alex Buga, David G. Harper, Teryn N. Sapper, Parker N. Hyde, Brandon Fell, Ryan Dickerson, Justen T. Stoner, Madison L. Kackley, Christopher D. Crabtree, Drew D. Decker, Bradley T. Robinson, Gerald Krystal, Katherine Binzel, Maryam B. Lustberg, Jeff S. Volek
PurposeKetogenic diets may positively influence cancer through pleiotropic mechanisms, but only a few small and short-term studies have addressed feasibility and efficacy in cancer patients. The primary goals of this study were to evaluate the feasibility and the sustained metabolic effects of a personalized well-formulated ketogenic diet (WFKD) designed to achieve consistent blood beta-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) >0.5 mM in women diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer (MBC) undergoing chemotherapy.
MethodsWomen (n = 20) were enrolled in a six month, two-phase, single-arm WFKD intervention (NCT03535701). Phase I was a highly-supervised, ad libitum, personalized WFKD, where women were provided with ketogenic-appropriate food daily for three months. Phase II transitioned women to a self-administered WFKD with ongoing coaching for an additional three months. Fasting capillary βHB and glucose were collected daily; weight, body composition, plasma insulin, and insulin resistance were collected at baseline, three and six months.
ResultsCapillary βHB indicated women achieved nutritional ketosis (Phase I mean: 0.8 mM (n = 15); Phase II mean: 0.7 mM (n = 9)). Body weight decreased 10% after three months, primarily from body fat. Fasting plasma glucose, plasma insulin, and insulin resistance also decreased significantly after three months (p Conclusions
Women diagnosed with MBC undergoing chemotherapy can safely achieve and maintain nutritional ketosis, while improving body composition and insulin resistance, out to six months.
The prevention of HIV/AIDS is not making sufficient progress. The slow reduction of HIV/AIDS infections needs to prioritise hesitancy towards service utilisation, including treatment duration, social support and social stigma. This study investigates HIV-positive patients’ avoidance of healthcare services and its correlates.
A cross-sectional study.
The secondary data analysis used cross-sectional data from a randomised controlled intervention, examining the effectiveness of HIV-assisted smartphone applications in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in the Bach Mai and Ha Dong clinics in Hanoi.
Simple random sampling was used to identify 495 eligible patients. Two-tailed 2, Mann-Whitney, multivariate logistic and ordered logistic regression models were performed.
The main study outcome was the patients’ healthcare avoidance and frequency of healthcare avoidance. The association of individual characteristics, social and behavioural determinants of HIV patients’ usage of health services was also determined based on the collected data using structured questionnaires.
Nearly half of the participants avoid health service use (47.3%), while 30.7% rarely avoid health service use. Duration of antiretroviral therapy and initial CD4 cell count were negatively associated with avoidance of health services and frequency of health service avoidance. Similarly, those with the middle and highest income were more likely to avoid health services compared with those with the lowest income. People having health problems avoided health service use more frequently (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.35 to 1.61).
Our study’s findings identify characteristics of significance in relation to health service avoidance and utilisation among HIV-positive patients. The results highlighted the need to improve satisfaction, adherence and utilisation of treatment. Moreover, identifying ways to address or incorporate those social determinants in new policy may also help the treatment of HIV/AIDS and strategically allocate funding in the changing financial and political climate of Vietnam.
Thai Clinical Trials Registry TCTR20220928003.
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