Publications by authors named "Linda Cherney-Stafford"

Aim: To assess the risk and natural history of developing advanced anal disease after diagnosis of anal condyloma in people living with HIV (PLWH).

Methods: This was a single-centre retrospective cohort study of PLWH and anal condyloma from 2001 to 2021. Patients who developed advanced anal disease (AAD; anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and/or anal cancer) were compared to those who did not progress (non-AAD).

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Importance: The indications, safety, and efficacy of chemical venous thromboembolism prophylaxis (cVTE) in pediatric trauma patients remain unclear. A set of high-risk criteria to guide cVTE use was recently recommended; however, these criteria have not been evaluated prospectively.

Objective: To examine high-risk criteria and cVTE use in a prospective multi-institutional study of pediatric trauma patients.

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Background: Solid organ transplantation is a risk predictor for virally-mediated anal squamous intraepithelial lesions and cancer (anal disease). Precancerous squamous intraepithelial lesions can be detected by screening, and treatment may prevent cancer progression. Screening recommendations are not well defined.

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People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at high risk for anal cancer. Anal cancer screenings are recommended annually for US veterans with HIV. Screenings can identify treatable precursor lesions and prevent cancer development.

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Background: A CD4/CD8 ratio < 0.5 is associated with increased risk of advanced anal disease (AAD) but it is unknown if duration below 0.5 matters.

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Background: Poorly coordinated transitions of care in complex abdominal surgery patients contribute to frequent hospital readmissions and inflated healthcare spending. Mobile health (mHealth) transitional care technologies may reduce surgical readmissions yet remain understudied in high-risk surgical populations.

Methods: We conducted a single-group, prepost study of a mHealth transitional care app in 50 complex surgical patients.

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Background: Hospital readmissions are estimated to cost $17.4 billion per year in the Medicare population alone, with readmission rates as high as 30% for patients undergoing complex abdominal surgery. Improved transitional care and self-monitoring may reduce preventable readmissions for such high-risk populations.

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Introduction: Surveillance care including routine physical exams and testing following gastrointestinal (GI) cancer treatment can be fiscally and emotionally burdensome for patients. Emerging technology platforms may provide a resource-wise surveillance strategy. However, effective implementation of GI cancer surveillance is limited by a lack of patient level perspective regarding surveillance.

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Background/purpose: This study evaluated compliance with a multi-institutional quality improvement management protocol for Type-C esophageal atresia with distal tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF).

Methods: Compliance and outcomes before and after implementation of a perioperative protocol bundle for infants undergoing Type-C EA/TEF repair were compared across 11 children's hospitals from 1/2016-1/2019. Bundle components included elimination of prosthetic material between tracheal and esophageal suture lines during repair, not leaving a transanastomotic tube at the conclusion of repair (NO-TUBE), obtaining an esophagram by postoperative-day-5, and discontinuing prophylactic antibiotics 24 h postoperatively.

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Introduction: Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is utilized for peritoneal malignancies and is associated with significant resource use. To address potentially modifiable factors contributing to excessive cost, we sought to determine predictors of high cost of care for patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC.

Methods: An institutional CRS/HIPEC database was queried for adult patients from 2014 to 2018.

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Background: Image-guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (PCNB) is increasingly utilized to diagnose solid tumors. The objective of this study is to determine whether PCNB is adequate for modern biologic characterization of neuroblastoma.

Procedure: A multi-institutional retrospective study was performed by the Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative on children with neuroblastoma at 12 institutions over a 3-year period.

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Purpose: Chest tube (CT) management for pediatric primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is associated with long hospital stays and high recurrence rates. To streamline management, we explored simple aspiration as a test to predict need for surgery.

Methods: A multi-institution, prospective pilot study of patients with first presentation for PSP at 9 children's hospitals was performed.

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Background And Objectives: Negative consequences of tobacco use during cancer treatment are well-documented but more in-depth, patient-level data are needed to understand patient beliefs about continued smoking (vs cessation) during gastrointestinal (GI) cancer treatment.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 patients who were active smokers being treated for GI cancers and 5 caregivers of such patients. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and uploaded to NVivo.

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Background: Patient satisfaction is a patient-centered outcome of particular interest. Previous work has suggested that global measures of satisfaction may not adequately evaluate surgical care, therefore the surgery-specific Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey was developed. It remains unclear how traditional outcome measures, such as morbidity, impact patient satisfaction.

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Background: Patient satisfaction is widely reported and impacts satisfaction despite a limited understanding of the clinical and structural determinants. Patients with diverticulitis are admitted to various services, with variable disease severities. They, therefore, represent a unique group to delineate relationships between these factors and satisfaction.

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Objective: Increasing emphasis is being placed on appropriateness of care and avoidance of over- and under-treatment. Indeterminate thyroid nodules (ITNs) present a particular risk for this problem because cancer found via diagnostic lobectomy (DL) often requires a completion thyroidectomy (CT). However, initial total thyroidectomy (TT) for benign ITN results in lifelong thyroid hormone replacement.

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Background: Patient satisfaction is often measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Our aim was to examine the structural and clinical determinants of satisfaction among inpatients with prolonged lengths of stays (LOS).

Methods: Adult patients who were admitted between 2009 and 2012, had a LOS of 21 days or more, and completed the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, were included.

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Background: Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) have been increasingly emphasized, however, determining clinically valuable PRO has been problematic and investigation limited. This study examines the association of readiness for discharge, which has been described previously, with patient satisfaction and readmission.

Study Design: Data from adult patients admitted to our institution from 2009 to 2012 who completed both the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems and the Press Ganey surveys post discharge were extracted from an existing database of patients (composed of 220 patients admitted for small bowel obstruction and 98 patients with hospital stays ≥ 21 days).

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Background: Patient satisfaction has been emphasized increasingly in all aspects of medicine, including the imposition of financial penalties for underperformance. Current measures of patient satisfaction, however, do not address aspects specific to the care of operative patients. Therefore, our aim was to examine the recently validated Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (S-CAHPS) to determine which aspects of perioperative care are predictive of satisfaction with the surgeon.

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Background: For patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO), surgical care has been associated with improved outcomes; however, it remains unknown how it impacts satisfaction.

Methods: Patients admitted for SBO who completed the hospital satisfaction survey were eligible. Only those with adhesions or hernias were included.

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