Association of Novel Ventricular Assist Device Self-report Measures With Overall Health-Related Quality of Life.

Background: Few study authors examined factors influencing health-related quality of life (HRQOL) early after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether 5 novel self-report measures and other variables were significantly associated with overall HRQOL at 3 months after LVAD surgery.

Methods: Patients were recruited between October 26, 2016, and February 29, 2020, from 12 US sites.

Impact of COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies on outcomes of COVID-19 infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant and chimeric antigen receptor therapy recipients.

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) recipients are at higher risk of serious complications of COVID-19 infection than the general population. Though there is evidence that monoclonal antibodies (MCA) against COVID-19 reduce the risk of death and hospitalization in the general population, data regarding their efficacy in HSCT and CAR-T recipients remains scarce.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of HSCT and CAR-T recipients to compare 30-day outcomes between patients who did and did not receive MCA after their first episode of COVID-19 between May 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022.

Validation of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients With Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer Receiving Comprehensive Nodal Irradiation in the RadComp Trial.

Purpose: Our purpose was to evaluate the measurement properties of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures used in the ongoing RadComp pragmatic randomized clinical trial (PRCT).

Methods And Materials: The deidentified and blinded data set included 774 English-speaking female participants who completed their 6-month posttreatment assessment. Eleven PRO measures were evaluated, including the Trial Outcome Index from the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B), Satisfaction with Breast Cosmetic Outcomes, the BREAST-Q, and selected Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures.

Efficient measurement of multiple ventricular assist device patient-reported outcomes: Creation of a 20-item profile from the MCS A-QOL study.

Background: Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures of distinct concepts are often put together into patient profile assessments. When brief, profile assessments can decrease respondent burden and increase measure completion rates. In this report, we describe the creation of 5 self-reported 4-item short forms and the Mechanical Circulatory Support: Measures of Adjustment and Quality of Life (MCS A-QOL) 20-item profile to assess PROs specific to adjustment and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients who undergo left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.

COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Mediates the Relationship between Health Literacy and Vaccination in a Diverse Sample of Urban Adults.

We sought to analyze the relationship between health literacy, confidence in COVID-19 vaccines, and self-reported vaccination. We hypothesized that the relationship between health literacy and vaccination would be mediated by vaccine confidence. We recruited (N = 271) English- and Spanish-speaking adults in Boston and Chicago from September 2018 to September 2021.

Novel measures to assess ventricular assist device patient-reported outcomes: Findings from the MCS A-QOL study.

Background: Generic and heart failure-specific measures do not capture unique aspects of living with a ventricular assist device (VAD). Using state-of-the-science psychometric measurement methods, we developed a measurement system to assess post-ventricular assist device adjustment and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Methods: Patients were recruited from 10/26/16-2/29/20 from 12 U.

A Standardized Protocol for Opioid Prescribing After Surgery Decreases Total Morphine Equivalents Prescribed.

Introduction: Perioperative opioid analgesia has been extensively reexamined during the opioid epidemic. Multiple studies have demonstrated over prescription of opioids, demonstrating the need for change in prescribing practices. A standard opioid prescribing protocol was implemented to evaluate opioid prescribing trends and practices.

PROMIS: Physical, Mental and Social Health Outcomes Improve From Before to Early After LVAD Implant: Findings From the Mechanical Circulatory Support: Measures of Adjustment and Quality of Life (MCS A-QOL) Study.

Study participants (n = 272) completed 12 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical, mental and social health measures (questionnaires) prior to implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and again at 3 and 6 months postimplant. All but 1 PROMIS measure demonstrated significant improvement from pre-implant to 3 months; there was little change between 3 and 6 months. Because PROMIS measures were developed in the general population, patients with an LVAD, their caregivers and their clinicians can interpret the meaning of PROMIS scores in relation to the general population, helping them to monitor a return to normalcy in everyday life.

The mediating effect of health literacy on COVID-19 vaccine confidence among a diverse sample of urban adults in Boston and Chicago.

Background: A high rate of COVID-19 vaccination is critical to reduce morbidity and mortality related to infection and to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the factors that influence vaccine confidence can inform policies and programs aimed at vaccine promotion. We examined the impact of health literacy on COVID-19 vaccine confidence among a diverse sample of adults living in two major metropolitan areas.

Validity of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical, Mental, and Social Health Measures After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation and Implications for Patient Care.

Background: A better understanding is needed of the burdens and benefits of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation on patients' physical, mental, and social well-being. The purpose of this report was to evaluate the validity of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures for LVAD patients and to estimate clinically important score differences likely to have implications for patient treatment or care.

Methods: Adults from 12 sites across all US geographic regions completed PROMIS measures ≥3 months post-LVAD implantation.

Resource and Reimbursement Barriers to Comprehensive Cancer Care Delivery: An Analysis of Association of Community Cancer Centers Survey Data.

Purpose: Comprehensive cancer care (CCC) delivery is recommended in guidelines and considered essential for high-quality cancer management. Barriers, such as insufficient reimbursement, prevent consistent access to and delivery of CCC. Association of Community Cancer Centers conducted a national survey to elucidate capacity and barriers to CCC delivery to inform policy and value-based payment reform.

Implementing HIV Prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of Interventions Targeting Systems, Communities, and Individuals.

HIV remains a threat to global public health, disproportionately affecting countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. Although treatment and access to care have improved, prevention remains critical to ending new HIV infections by 2030. A variety of prevention strategies exist, yet their effectiveness is difficult to measure and variable due to the nature of the interventions and vulnerability of the intervention during implementation.

Defining and utilizing individualized learning objectives to achieve learning priorities for global health leaders.

Introduction: Learning objectives (LOs) are a common tool used to define learning goals and guide curricula. As the field of global health has expanded, more rigorous and tailored approaches to effectively teach the next generation of the workforce are needed. The STAR project developed and utilized individualized LOs as the basis for on-the-job learning plans for senior global health leaders from low- and middle-income countries and from the US.

Research engagement and experiences of patients pre- and post-implant of a left ventricular assist device from the mechanical circulatory support measures of adjustment and quality of life (MCS A-QOL) study.

Purpose: Adults living with mechanical circulatory support (MCS) present with unique challenges (e.g., left ventricular assist device [LVAD]-related self-care, adverse events) to research study enrollment, engagement, and completion.

A Systematic Review of Linkage-to-Care and Antiretroviral Initiation Implementation Strategies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Linkage to care (LTC) and initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) are key components in the longitudinal care cascade for people living with HIV. Many strategies to optimize these stages of HIV care have been implemented, though there is a paucity of analyses comparing the outcomes of these efforts in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted a systematic review of studies assessing interventions along all stages of the HIV care continuum published between 2008 and 2020.

A Systematic Review of HIV Testing Implementation Strategies in Sub-Saharan African Countries.

HIV/AIDS remains a looming presence in public health across the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The HIV Care Cascade hinges on testing and knowledge of HIV status. Though significant advances have been made in diagnosing people living with HIV (PLHIV), limitations in understanding which strategies are best suited to certain regions or populations have contributed to the uneven distribution in the success of various HIV testing strategies.

The geography of emergency department-based HIV testing in South Africa: Can patients link to care?

Background: Emergency Departments (EDs) can serve as clinical sites for identification of new HIV infections and their entry into care. We examined if HIV-positive patients who present to EDs in South Africa are able to successfully link to care.

Methods: We conducted a one-year longitudinal prospective cohort study in four hospitals across the Eastern Cape, South Africa, with participants followed between July 2016 and July 2018.

A Low Literacy, Multimedia Health Information Technology Intervention to Enhance Patient-Centered Cancer Care in Safety Net Settings Increased Cancer Knowledge in a Randomized Controlled Trial.

We tested whether a low-literacy-friendly, multimedia information and assessment system used in daily clinical practice enhanced patient-centered care and improved patient outcomes. This was a prospective, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial with 2 arms, CancerHelp-Talking Touchscreen (CancerHelp-TT) versus control, among adults with Stage I-III breast or colorectal cancer receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy in safety net settings. Each patient was assessed for outcomes at 4 timepoints: after starting treatment (baseline), during treatment, immediately after treatment, and at follow-up assessment.

Training Global Health Leaders: A Critical Review of Competency Gaps.

Background: Global health leadership training seeks to strengthen the existing global health workforce to build leaders that have the necessary knowledge, attitudes, and skills to deliver a vision for public health and healthcare delivery. In order to develop impactful training curricula, there is a greater need to understand the areas of focus required to strengthen the global health workforce.

Objectives: This paper seeks to present a critical analysis of the competency gaps among participants of a single global health training program.

REAPing the benefits: development and use of a structured evaluation framework to codify learning resources for Global Health professionals.

Background: The learning opportunities for global health professionals have expanded rapidly in recent years. The diverse array of learners and wide range in course quality underscore the need for an improved course vetting process to better match learners with appropriate learning opportunities.

Methods: We developed a framework to assess overall course quality by determining performance across four defined domains Relevance, Engagement, Access, and Pedagogy (REAP).

Rasch Analysis of Social Attitude Barriers and Facilitators to Participation for Individuals with Disabilities.

Objectives: To develop item banks of social attitude barriers and facilitators to participation and validate them with established instruments.

Design: We used the Rasch model to identify misfitting items and rating scale problems, calibrate items, and develop KeyForms and short forms. Correlations between the Social Attitude Barriers and Facilitators item banks with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Social Health domain and National Institutes of Health Toolbox Emotional Battery Social Relationships domain were computed to evaluate convergent and divergent validity.

Validation of a Short Form for Health Literacy Assessment Using Talking Touchscreen Technology.

Background: Health literacy is an area of growing research and clinical interest, necessitating short, accurate measures of this complex construct. Health Literacy Assessment Using Talking Touchscreen Technology (Health LiTT) measures prose, document, and quantitative literacy by self-administration on a touchscreen computer.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the validity of a short form of Health LiTT and to identify a meaningful cutoff score for adequate health literacy.

Feasibility of implementing same-day antiretroviral therapy initiation during routine care in Ekurhuleni District, South Africa: Retention and viral load suppression.

Background: Same-day initiation (SDI) of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been advocated as an approach to increase linkage to care and overall ART initiation. Clinical trials have demonstrated impressive benefits. However, questions regarding patient preparedness and retention in care remain for routine implementation of this approach.

The impact of HIV knowledge and attitudes on HIV testing acceptance among patients in an emergency department in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Background: Transmission of HIV in South Africa continues to be high due to a large proportion of individuals living with undiagnosed HIV. Uptake of HIV testing is influenced by a multitude of factors including the patient's knowledge and beliefs about HIV.

Methods: This study sought to quantify the impact of knowledge and attitudes on HIV testing acceptance in an emergency department by co-administering a validated HIV knowledge and attitudes survey to patients who were subsequently offered HIV testing.