Reducing no-show visits and disparities in access: The impact of telemedicine.

Background: No-show visits have serious consequences for patients, providers, and healthcare systems as they lead to delays in care, increased costs, and reduced access to services. Telemedicine has emerged as a promising alternative to in-person visits by reducing travel barriers, but risks exacerbating the digital divide. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of telemedicine (video and phone) at a tertiary care academic center on no-show visits compared to in-person visits.

Inequity in Telemedicine Use Among Patients with Cancer in the Deep South During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Telemedicine use has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains unclear if its rapid growth exacerbates disparities in healthcare access. We aimed to characterize telemedicine use among a large oncology population in the Deep South during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telehealth for Home Dialysis in COVID-19 and Beyond: A Perspective From the American Society of Nephrology COVID-19 Home Dialysis Subcommittee.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, technological advancements, regulatory waivers, and user acceptance have converged to boost telehealth activities. Due to the state of emergency, regulatory waivers in the United States have made it possible for providers to deliver and bill for services across state lines for new and established patients through Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)- and non-HIPAA-compliant platforms with home as the originating site and without geographic restrictions. Platforms have been developed or purchased to perform videoconferencing, and interdisciplinary dialysis teams have adapted to perform virtual visits.

Setting Up and Expanding a Home Dialysis Program: Is There a Recipe for Success?

Home dialysis modalities remain significantly underused in the United States despite similar overall survival in the modalities, and recent incentives to expand these modalities. Although the absolute number of patients using home modalities has grown, the proportion compared to in-center hemodialysis (ICHD) continues to remain quite low. Well known barriers to home dialysis utilization exist, and an organized and team-based approach is required to overcome these barriers.

Conjunctival lymphangiectasia associated with classic Fabry disease.

Background: Fabry disease (FD) is a treatable multisystem disease caused by a defect in the alpha-galactosidase gene. Ocular signs of FD, including corneal verticillata, are among the earliest diagnostic findings. Conjunctival lymphangiectasia (CL) has not previously been associated with FD.

Home Dialysis Utilization Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the United States at the National, Regional, and State Level.

♦ BACKGROUND: United States Renal Data System (USRDS) data from 2014 show that African Americans (AA) are underrepresented in the home dialysis population, with 6.4% versus 9.2% utilization in the general populace.

Anti-Thrombotic Effects of Statins in Acute Coronary Syndromes: At the Intersection of Thrombosis, Inflammation, and Platelet-Leukocyte Interactions.

HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, or statins, are standard of care for preventing cardiovascular disease in at-risk populations. Statins are a well-established therapy proven to reduce long-term cardiovascular mortality and morbidity for prevention of secondary cardiovascular events and have become guidelinerecommended therapy following acute myocardial infarction. Emerging data from clinical trials over the last decade indicates that statin therapy may provide broad beneficial effects beyond their primary lipid lowering mechanisms.

Catheter Insertion and Perioperative Practices Within the ISPD North American Research Consortium.

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Background: In general, efforts to standardize care based on group consensus practice guidelines have resulted in lower morbidity and mortality. Although there are published guidelines regarding insertion and perioperative management of peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters, variation in practice patterns between centers may exist. The objective of this study is to understand variation in PD catheter insertion practices in preparation for conducting future studies.

Long-Term Outcomes and Causes of Death in Patients With Renovascular Disease Undergoing Renal Artery Stenting.

Renovascular disease (RVD) can lead to hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease (PAD) have a 5-year mortality of ∼30%. Rate and causes of death in patients with significant RVD, who share similar risk factors with patients having PAD, are not well defined.

A retrospective analysis of catheter-based thrombolytic therapy for acute submassive and massive pulmonary embolism.

Catheter-based thrombolysis (CBT) is emerging as an option for acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Although prior studies have demonstrated improvement in right ventricular function, little data is available regarding clinical patient outcomes. Our institution adopted CBT as an option for patients with submassive and massive PE and we evaluated its effect on patient outcomes.

Intravascular-ultrasound assisted localization and revascularization of an ostial chronic total occlusion: utility of near-field and far-field imaging.

Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) can be technically challenging, but are valuable in patients with severe angina. Recently, algorithms for CTO-PCI have been proposed to facilitate the selection of the PCI approach that can best achieve procedural success. When the ostium of the occluded vessel is ambiguous or not well visualized, the success rate of antegrade approaches is significantly diminished.

The effect of rosuvastatin on thromboinflammation in the setting of acute coronary syndrome.

In patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), early therapy with high-dose statins may reduce short-term adverse clinical outcomes. The mechanisms responsible are not known but could involve anti-inflammatory or anti-thrombotic effects. Compelling evidence from experimental models and clinical studies suggests that the interplay between inflammatory and thrombotic systems, typified by platelet-monocyte and platelet-neutrophil interactions, might be a key regulator of ischemic vascular events.

Targeting platelet thrombin receptor signaling to prevent thrombosis.

Platelets contribute fundamentally to ischemic heart disease, and antiplatelet therapy has been critical to reducing acute thrombotic complications of atherosclerotic disease. Thrombin, by acting on protease activated receptors (PAR), is one of the most potent platelet activators. PAR-1 antagonists may therefore provide more comprehensive antithrombotic effects.

Septal perforator anatomy and variability of perfusion bed by myocardial contrast echocardiography: a study of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients undergoing alcohol septal ablation.

Objective: To characterize the perfusion bed of the first septal perforator by myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy undergoing alcohol septal ablation (ASA).

Background: MCE is used to define the septal perforator anatomy prior to ASA. Occasionally, ASA cannot be performed due to unfavorable septal anatomy or perfusion outside the interventricular septum.