De Novo Natural Language Processing Algorithm Accurately Identifies Myxofibrosarcoma From Pathology Reports.

Background: Available codes in the ICD-10 do not accurately reflect soft tissue sarcoma diagnoses, and this can result in an underrepresentation of soft tissue sarcoma in databases. The National VA Database provides a unique opportunity for soft tissue sarcoma investigation because of the availability of all clinical results and pathology reports. In the setting of soft tissue sarcoma, natural language processing (NLP) has the potential to be applied to clinical documents such as pathology reports to identify soft tissue sarcoma independent of ICD codes, allowing sarcoma researchers to build more comprehensive databases capable of answering a myriad of research questions.

Mortality and Conversion to Transfemoral Amputation After Transtibial Amputation in the Veterans Affairs Health System.

Introduction: Transtibial below-knee amputation (BKA) is associated with considerable morbidity, particularly in the vasculopathic population. The purpose of this study was to determine the cumulative probability of undergoing transfemoral above-knee amputation (AKA) conversion within 5 years of BKA and associated risk factors while accounting for the competing risk of death.

Methods: This is a retrospective, national database study with structured query of the Veterans Affairs (VA) database for patients who underwent BKA from 1999 to 2020, identified by Current Procedural Terminology codes.

Statin use is associated with improved overall survival in patients with melanoma.

Melanoma remains a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality. Recent literature suggests that statin use may improve outcomes in patients with cancer. In order to determine whether statins may improve survival in melanoma patients, we analyzed data from the Veterans Health Administration Corporate Data Warehouse that contains individually identifiable clinical and demographic information from the 1990s to the present for over 19 million individual veterans.

Thromboembolic risk in patients with lung cancer receiving systemic therapy.

In this retrospective study, we investigated the influence of chemotherapy and immunotherapy on thromboembolic risk among United States Veterans with lung cancer during their first 6 months (180 days) following initiation of systemic therapy. Included patients received treatment with common front-line agents that were divided into four groups: chemotherapy alone, immunotherapy alone, combination of chemo- and immunotherapies, and molecularly targeted therapies (control group). The cohort experienced a 7·4% overall incidence of thrombosis, but the analysis demonstrated significantly different rates among the different groups.

How Stakeholder Assessment of E-Prescribing Can Help Determine Incentives to Facilitate Management of Care: A Delphi Study.

Background: Little research has been conducted on the quality, benefits, costs, and financial considerations associated with health information technology (HIT), particularly informatics technologies such as e-prescribing, from the perspective of all of its stakeholders.

Objectives: To (a) identify the stakeholders involved in e-prescribing and (b) identify and rank order the positives and negatives of e-prescribing from the perspective of stakeholders in order to create a framework for payers, integrated delivery systems, policymakers and legislators, and those who influence public policy to assist them in the development of incentives and payment mechanisms that result in the better management of care.

Methods: The Delphi method was used to enlist a panel of experts in e-prescribing, informatics, and/or HIT who have published in the field.

A Quality, Benefit, Cost, and Financial Framework for Health Information Technology, E-Prescribing: A Delphi Study.

Background: Little research has been conducted about the quality, benefits, costs, and financial considerations associated with health information technology (HIT), particularly informatics technologies, such as e-prescribing, from the perspective of all its stakeholders.

Objectives: This research effort sought to identify the stakeholders involved in e-prescribing and to identify and rank-order the positives and the negatives from the perspective of the stakeholders to create a framework to assist in the development of incentives and payment mechanisms which result in better managed care.

Methods: The Delphi method was employed by enlisting a panel of experts.