Publications by authors named "Jane C Bittner"
Objective: In 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended universally screening patients for social needs, and in 2018, a quality measure for social needs screening was included in some Massachusetts Medicaid contracts. However, exact guidelines for screening were not provided. We describe the results and implications from a broad-based health-related social needs (HRSN or "social needs") screening program within our large, pediatric primary care network.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: While asthma disproportionately affects minorities, little is known about racial/ethnic differences in asthma care at hospital discharge. : Secondary data analysis of multicenter retrospective study using standardized medical record review. A random sample of patients aged 2-54 years, who were hospitalized for asthma at 25 hospitals from 2012 to 2013 was analyzed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: In June 2016, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Emergency Quality Network began its , designed to "reduce testing and imaging with low risk patients through the implementation of ecommendations." However, it is unknown whether New England emergency departments (ED) have already implemented evidence-based interventions to improve adherence to ACEP recommendations related to imaging after their initial release in 2013. Our objective was to determine this, as well as whether provider-specific audit and feedback for imaging had been implemented in these EDs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Hospitalizations for acute asthma are thought to be highly preventable through the use of efficacious medications, though many patients have poor metered-dose inhaler (MDI) techniques, thus lessening these medications' real-world effectiveness. Teaching MDI techniques during hospitalization may therefore lead to improved outcomes. However, MDIs may be underutilized to deliver short-acting β-agonists (SABAs) in the inpatient setting, despite equivalent efficacy to nebulizer delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In a previous multicenter study during 1999-2000, we found a high prevalence of smoking among patients hospitalized for asthma exacerbations (35%) and suboptimal smoking cessation efforts. There have been no recent multicenter efforts to examine the smoking status and implementation of smoking cessation efforts among patients hospitalized for asthma exacerbation.
Objective: To investigate the prevalence of cigarette smoking and the proportion and characteristics of patients who received an inpatient smoking cessation intervention.
Objectives: The opioid abuse and overdose epidemic in the United States has led to the need for new practice policies to guide clinicians. We describe implementation of opioid-related policies in emergency departments (EDs) in New England to gauge progress and determine where further work is needed.
Methods: This study analyzed data from the 2015 National Emergency Department Inventory-New England survey.
Background: Little is known about the longitudinal change in the quality of acute asthma care for hospitalized children and adults in the United States. We investigated whether the concordance of inpatient asthma care with the national guidelines improved over time, identified hospital characteristics predictive of guideline concordance, and determined whether guideline-concordant care is associated with a shorter hospital length of stay (LOS).
Methods: This study was an analysis of data from two multicenter chart review studies of hospitalized patients aged 2 to 54 years with acute asthma during two time periods: 1999-2000 and 2012-2013.
Objectives: The objectives were to determine whether guideline-concordant emergency department (ED) management of acute asthma is associated with a shorter hospital length of stay (LOS) among patients hospitalized for asthma.
Methods: A multicenter chart review study of patients aged 2-54 years who were hospitalized for acute asthma at one of the 25 U.S.
Background: Recent studies have identified the "eosinophilic phenotype" of asthma that is characterized by persistent eosinophilic inflammation and frequent exacerbations. However, the prevalence of eosinophilia in patients hospitalized for asthma exacerbation is not known.
Methods: We performed a pilot study in two sites participating in a multicenter chart review project of children and adults hospitalized for asthma exacerbation during 2012-2013.
Background: Despite the significant burden of childhood asthma, little is known about prevention-oriented management before and after hospitalizations for asthma exacerbation.
Objective: To investigate the proportion and characteristics of children admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for asthma exacerbation and the frequency of guideline-recommended outpatient management before and after the hospitalization.
Methods: A 14-center medical record review study of children aged 2 to 17 years hospitalized for asthma exacerbation during 2012-2013.
Background: Earlier studies reported that many patients were frequently hospitalized for asthma exacerbation. However, there have been no recent multicenter studies to characterize this patient population with high morbidity and health care utilization.
Objective: To examine the proportion and characteristics of children and adults with frequent hospitalizations for asthma exacerbation.