Receipt of respiratory vaccines among patients with heart failure in a multicenter health system registry.

Background: Heart failure affects people of all ages and is a leading cause of death for both men and women in most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Infections are common causes of hospitalizations in heart failure, with respiratory infections as the most frequent diagnosis. Vaccinations provide significant protection against preventable respiratory infections.

Individual and community socioeconomic status and receipt of influenza vaccines among adult primary care patients in a large academic health system: 2017-2019.

Introduction: Influenza causes significant mortality and morbidity in the U.S., yet less than half of adults receive influenza vaccination.

Association between telehealth use in oncology and downstream utilization at a large academic health system.

Background: While telemedicine has been beneficial in oncology by reducing infectious exposure and improving access for patients with poor functional status, it also has intrinsic limitations, including the inability to perform a physical exam, which could lead to increased downstream utilization in this population at high risk of medical decompensation. We conducted a retrospective cohort study investigating the relationship between telemedicine use in oncology and subsequent outpatient oncology encounters, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations.

Methods: We included outpatient oncology encounters, including telemedicine and in-person visits, occurring between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022 at a large academic health system.

Field testing the transferability of behavioural science knowledge on promoting vaccinations.

As behavioural science is increasingly adopted by organizations, there is a growing need to assess the robustness and transferability of empirical findings. Here, we investigate the transferability of insights from various sources of behavioural science knowledge to field settings. Across three pre-registered randomized controlled trials (RCTs, N = 314,824) involving a critical policy domain-COVID-19 booster uptake-we field tested text-based interventions that either increased vaccinations in prior field work (RCT1, NCT05586204), elevated vaccination intentions in an online study (RCT2, NCT05586178) or were favoured by scientists and non-experts (RCT3, NCT05586165).

A Multisite Electronic Health Record Integrated Remote Monitoring Intervention for Hypertension Improvement: Protocol for a Randomized Pragmatic Comparative Effectiveness Trial.

Background: Hypertension is a major contributor to various adverse health outcomes. Although previous studies have shown the benefits of home blood pressure (BP) monitoring over office-based measurements, there is limited evidence comparing the effectiveness of whether a BP monitor integrated into the electronic health record is superior to a nonintegrated BP monitor.

Objective: In this paper, we describe the protocol for a pragmatic multisite implementation of a quality improvement initiative directly comparing integrated to nonintegrated BP monitors for hypertension improvement.

A Qualitative Study of Perceptions and Preferences Regarding Social and Behavioral Risk Screening Among Primary Care Patients.

Background: Despite its relevance for healthcare settings, social and behavioral risk screening is not systematically performed by clinicians or healthcare systems.

Objective: To address clinician concerns, such as social and behavioral risk screening disrupting the clinician-patient relationship and lack of resources to respond, we interviewed primary care patients at an academic medical center regarding their perceptions and preferences on social and behavioral risk screening.

Participants: Between September and December 2020, we recruited a convenience sample of 14 English-speaking primary care patients 18 years + from three clinics affiliated with an academic medical center.

Novel protein biomarkers for pneumonia and acute exacerbations in COPD: a pilot study.

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) result in high morbidity, mortality, and socio-economic burden. The usage of easily accessible biomarkers informing on disease entity, severity, prognosis, and pathophysiological endotypes is limited in clinical practice. Here, we have analyzed selected plasma markers for their value in differential diagnosis and severity grading in a clinical cohort.

When peer comparison information harms physician well-being.

Policymakers and business leaders often use peer comparison information-showing people how their behavior compares to that of their peers-to motivate a range of behaviors. Despite their widespread use, the potential impact of peer comparison interventions on recipients' well-being is largely unknown. We conducted a 5-mo field experiment involving 199 primary care physicians and 46,631 patients to examine the impact of a peer comparison intervention on physicians' job performance, job satisfaction, and burnout.

Effect of Patient Portal Messaging Before Mailing Fecal Immunochemical Test Kit on Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening reduces CRC mortality; however, screening rates remain well below the national benchmark of 80%.

Objective: To determine whether an electronic primer message delivered through the patient portal increases the completion rate of CRC screening in a mailed fecal immunochemical test (FIT) outreach program.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this randomized clinical quality improvement trial at the University of California, Los Angeles Health of 2339 patients enrolled in a FIT mailing program from August 28, 2019, to September 20, 2020, patients were randomly assigned to either the control or intervention group, and the screening completion rate was measured at 6 months.

Examining the role of COVID-19 testing availability on intention to isolate: A Randomized hypothetical scenario.

Background: Little information exists on how COVID-19 testing influences intentions to engage in risky behavior. Understanding the behavioral effects of diagnostic testing may highlight the role of adequate testing on controlling viral transmission. In order to evaluate these effects, simulated scenarios were conducted evaluating participant intentions to self-isolate based on COVID-19 diagnostic testing availability and results.

The Impact of Telemedicine on Quality of Care for Patients with Diabetes After March 2020.

Background: The impact of telemedicine on ambulatory care quality is a key question for policymakers as they navigate payment reform for remote care.

Objective: To evaluate whether utilizing telemedicine in the first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted performance on a diabetes quality of care measure for patients at a large academic medical center. We hypothesized care quality would reduce less among telemedicine users.

Impact of COVID-19 on Primary Care Quality Measures in an Academic Integrated Health System.

Background: Access to primary care was hindered by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Objective: Evaluate changes in health screening rates before and during the pandemic.

Design: Retrospective analysis of health maintenance and disease management screening rates among primary care patients before and during the pandemic.

Utilizing point-of-care A1c to impact outcomes - can we make it happen in primary care?

Purpose Of Review: Hemoglobin A1c testing provides a marker of glycemic control and is the standard for diabetes risk assessment. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), only 67.3-71.

The Association of Broadband Internet Access and Telemedicine Utilization in rural Western Tennessee: an observational study.

Background: Broadband access has been highlighted as a national policy priority to improve access to care in rural communities.

Objective: To determine whether broadband internet availability was associated with telemedicine adoption among a rural patient population in western Tennessee.

Methods: Observational study using electronic medical record data from March 13th, 2019 to March 13th, 2021.

Behavioural nudges increase COVID-19 vaccinations.

Enhancing vaccine uptake is a critical public health challenge. Overcoming vaccine hesitancy and failure to follow through on vaccination intentions requires effective communication strategies. Here we present two sequential randomized controlled trials to test the effect of behavioural interventions on the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.

Patient Navigation After Positive Fecal Immunochemical Test Results Increases Diagnostic Colonoscopy and Highlights Multilevel Barriers to Follow-Up.

Background: The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a common colorectal cancer screening modality in the USA but often is not followed by diagnostic colonoscopy.

Aims: We investigated the efficacy of patient navigation to increase diagnostic colonoscopy after positive FIT results and determined persistent barriers to follow-up despite navigation in a large, academic healthcare system.

Methods: The study cohort included all health system outpatients with an assigned primary care provider, a positive FIT result between 12/01/2016 and 06/01/2019, and no documentation of colonoscopy after positive FIT.

Transcriptional analysis identifies potential biomarkers and molecular regulators in acute malaria infection.

Aims: Malaria is a serious health threat in tropical countries. The causative parasite of Malaria tropica, the severe form, is the protozoan Plasmodium falciparum. In humans, it infects red blood cells, compromising blood flow and tissue perfusion.

Transcriptional analysis identifies potential biomarkers and molecular regulators in pneumonia and COPD exacerbation.

Lower respiratory infections, such as community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rank among the most frequent causes of death worldwide. Improved diagnostics and profound pathophysiological insights are urgent clinical needs. In our cohort, we analysed transcriptional networks of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to identify central regulators and potential biomarkers.

Surface Proteome of Plasma Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers for Pneumonia and Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) represent a major burden of disease and death and their differential diagnosis is critical. A potential source of relevant accessible biomarkers are blood-borne small extracellular vesicles (sEVs).

Methods: We performed an extracellular vesicle array to find proteins on plasma sEVs that are differentially expressed and possibly allow the differential diagnosis between CAP and AECOPD.