Association Between Length of Buprenorphine or Methadone Use and Nonprescribed Opioid Use Among Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder: A Cohort Study.

Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) affects millions of individuals each year in the United States. Patient retention in medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment is suboptimal. This study examines and quantifies the associations between each additional month of buprenorphine or methadone use and nonprescribed opioid use.

The Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Study: Methods and Initial Outcomes From an 18-Month Study of Patients in Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.

Objective: Opioid use disorder (OUD) affects approximately 5.6 million people in the United States annually, yet rates of the use of effective medication for OUD (MOUD) treatment are low. We conducted an observational cohort study from August 2017 through May 2021, the MOUD Study, to better understand treatment engagement and factors that may influence treatment experiences and outcomes.

Protecting the integrity of survey research.

Although polling is not irredeemably broken, changes in technology and society create challenges that, if not addressed well, can threaten the quality of election polls and other important surveys on topics such as the economy. This essay describes some of these challenges and recommends remediations to protect the integrity of all kinds of survey research, including election polls. These 12 recommendations specify ways that survey researchers, and those who use polls and other public-oriented surveys, can increase the accuracy and trustworthiness of their data and analyses.

Population-based correlates of COVID-19 infection: An analysis from the DFW COVID-19 prevalence study.

Background: COVID-19 has resulted in over 1 million deaths in the U.S. as of June 2022, with continued surges after vaccine availability.

Evaluation of a Gene-Environment Interaction of and Low-Level Nerve Agent Exposure with Gulf War Illness: A Prevalence Case-Control Study Drawn from the U.S. Military Health Survey's National Population Sample.

Background: Consensus on the etiology of 1991 Gulf War illness (GWI) has been limited by lack of objective individual-level environmental exposure information and assumed recall bias.

Objectives: We investigated a prestated hypothesis of the association of GWI with a gene-environment (GxE) interaction of the () Q192R polymorphism and low-level nerve agent exposure.

Methods: A prevalence sample of 508 GWI cases and 508 nonpaired controls was drawn from the 8,020 participants in the U.

FIT FOR PURPOSE IN ACTION: DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF THE NATIONAL INTERNET FLU SURVEY.

Researchers strive to design and implement high-quality surveys to maximize the utility of the data collected. The definitions of quality and usefulness, however, vary from survey to survey and depend on the analytic needs. Survey teams must evaluate the trade-offs of various decisions, such as when results are needed and their required level of precision, in addition to practical constraints like budget, before finalizing the design.

The Effectiveness of Incentives on Completion Rates, Data Quality, and Nonresponse Bias in a Probability-based Internet Panel Survey.

Previous research has shown that increasing the size of incentives can increase response rates for probability-based, cross-sectional surveys. However, the effects of incentives on web panels have not been extensively studied. We sought to answer the question: What is the effect of larger, postpaid incentives on (1) response, (2) data quality, and (3) nonresponse bias for individuals in a web panel? We analyzed data from the 2015 and 2016 National Internet Flu Survey, a survey that uses the GfK KnowledgePanel as its sampling frame.

Medicare Outpatient Physical Therapy Expenditures Vary by Diagnosis and Functional Mobility.

Background: Clinical characteristics driving variations in Medicare outpatient physical therapy expenditures are inadequately understood.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to examine variations in annual outpatient physical therapy expenditures of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries by primary diagnosis and baseline functional mobility, and to assess whether case mix groups based on primary diagnosis and functional mobility scores would be useful for expenditure differentiation.

Design: This was an observational, longitudinal study.

Influenza vaccination among adults living with persons at high-risk for complications from influenza during early 2016-17 influenza season.

Background: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends all persons aged ≥6 months get vaccinated for influenza annually, placing particular emphasis on persons who are at increased risk for influenza-related complications and persons living with or caring for them.

Methods: Data from the 2016 National Internet Flu Survey (NIFS), a nationally representative, probability-based Internet panel survey of the noninstitutionalized U.S.

Preventive behaviors adults report using to avoid catching or spreading influenza, United States, 2015-16 influenza season.

Introduction: Influenza vaccination can prevent influenza and potentially serious influenza-related complications. Although the single best way to prevent influenza is annual vaccination, everyday preventive actions, including good hygiene, health, dietary, and social habits, might help, too. Several preventive measures are recommended, including: avoiding close contact with people who are sick; staying home when sick; covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing; washing your hands often; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; and practicing other good health habits like cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, getting plenty of sleep, and drinking plenty of fluids.

Association of provider recommendation and offer and influenza vaccination among adults aged ≥18 years - United States.

Background: Influenza vaccination has been recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months since 2010.

Methods: Data from the 2016 National Internet Flu Survey were analyzed to assess provider vaccination recommendations and early influenza vaccination during the 2016-17 season among adults aged ≥18 years. Predictive marginals from a multivariable logistic regression model were used to identify factors independently associated with early vaccine uptake by provider vaccination recommendation status.

Knowledge of influenza vaccination recommendation and early vaccination uptake during the 2015-16 season among adults aged ≥18years - United States.

Background: Since 2010, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that all persons aged ≥6months receive annual influenza vaccination.

Methods: We analyzed data from the 2015 National Internet Flu Survey (NIFS), to assess knowledge and awareness of the influenza vaccination recommendation and early influenza vaccination coverage during the 2015-16 season among adults. Predictive marginals from a multivariable logistic regression model were used to identify factors independently associated with adults' knowledge and awareness of the vaccination recommendation and early vaccine uptake during the 2015-16 influenza season.

The SmokefreeTXT (SFTXT) Study: Web and Mobile Data Collection to Evaluate Smoking Cessation for Young Adults.

Background: Text messaging (short message service, SMS) has been shown to be effective in delivering interventions for various diseases and health conditions, including smoking cessation. While there are many published studies regarding smoking cessation text messaging interventions, most do not provide details about the study's operational methods. As a result, there is a gap in our understanding of how best to design studies of smoking cessation text messaging programs.

Refinements of the Medicare Outpatient Therapy Annual Expenditure Limit Policy.

Background: A Medicare beneficiary's annual outpatient therapy expenditures that exceed congressionally established caps are subject to extra documentation and review requirements. In 2011, these caps were $1,870 for physical therapy and speech-language pathology combined and $1,870 for occupational therapy separately.

Objective: This article considers the distributional effects of replacing current cap policy with equal caps by therapy discipline (physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology) or a single combined cap, and risk adjusting the physical therapy cap using beneficiary characteristics and functional status.

Preventing young children's injuries: analysis of data from a population-based surveillance.

The objective of this study is to determine prevention strategies for potentially serious injury events among children younger than 3 years of age based upon circumstances surrounding injury events. Surveillance was conducted on all injuries to District of Columbia (DC) residents less than 3 years old that resulted in an Emergency Department (ED) visit, hospitalization, or death for 1 year. Data were collected through abstraction of medical records and interviews with a subset of parents of injured children.