Optimizing number and timing of appointment reminders: a randomized trial.

Objectives: To compare missed appointment rates for patients receiving a single reminder either 3 days prior to a primary care visit, 1 day prior to the visit, or both 3 days and 1 day prior to the visit.

Study Design: Three-armed randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Text messages or interactive voice response calls were sent to patients with appointments at 25 primary care clinics in an integrated delivery system.

Reducing Missed Primary Care Appointments in a Learning Health System: Two Randomized Trials and Validation of a Predictive Model.

Background: Collaborations between clinical/operational leaders and researchers are advocated to develop "learning health systems," but few practical examples are reported.

Objectives: To describe collaborative efforts to reduce missed appointments through an interactive voice response and text message (IVR-T) intervention, and to develop and validate a prediction model to identify individuals at high risk of missing appointments.

Research Subjects And Design: Random assignment of 8804 adults with primary care appointments to a single IVR-T reminder or no reminder at an index clinic (IC) and 7497 at a replication clinic (RC) in an integrated health system in Denver, CO.

Synergistic effect of statins and postmenopausal hormone therapy in the prevention of skeletal fractures in elderly women.

Study Objective: To examine the role of concurrent 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor (statin) use and postmenopausal hormone therapy on osteoporosis-related fractures.

Design: Case-control study. Data Source.

Operative versus nonoperative treatment of leg pain in adults with scoliosis: a retrospective review of a prospective multicenter database with two-year follow-up.

Study Design: Retrospective review of a prospective, multicenter study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of leg pain in adults with scoliosis and to assess whether surgery significantly improved leg pain compared with nonoperative management.

Summary Of Background Data: Patients with adult scoliosis characteristically present with pain.

Does treatment (nonoperative and operative) improve the two-year quality of life in patients with adult symptomatic lumbar scoliosis: a prospective multicenter evidence-based medicine study.

Study Design: Prospective observational cohort study with matched and unmatched comparisons. Level II evidence.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare results of adult symptomatic lumbar scoliosis (ASLS) patients treated nonoperatively and operatively.

Predicting SF-6D utility scores from the Oswestry disability index and numeric rating scales for back and leg pain.

Study Design: Cross-sectional cohort.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide a model to allow estimation of utility from the Short Form (SF)-6D using data from the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Back Pain Numeric Rating Scale (BPNRS), and the Leg Pain Numeric Rating Scale (LPNRS).

Summary Of Background Data: Cost-utility analysis provides important information about the relative value of interventions and requires a measure of utility not often available from clinical trial data.

Improvement of back pain with operative and nonoperative treatment in adults with scoliosis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether back pain is improved with surgical treatment compared with nonoperative management in adults with scoliosis.

Methods: This is a retrospective review of a prospective, multicentered database of adults with spinal deformity. At the time of enrollment and follow-up, patients completed standardized questionnaires, including the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Scoliosis Research Society 22 questionnaire (SRS-22), and assessment of back pain using a numeric rating scale (NRS) score, with 0 and 10 corresponding to no and maximal pain, respectively.

Predicting outcome and complications in the surgical treatment of adult scoliosis.

Study Design: prospective, multicenter.

Objective: To determine if models for predicting outcome and complications in the setting of adult deformity surgery can be constructed.

Summary Of Background Data: A classification of adult spinal deformity has been established.

Surgical rates and operative outcome analysis in thoracolumbar and lumbar major adult scoliosis: application of the new adult deformity classification.

Study Design: Multicenter prospective consecutive clinical series.

Objective: Investigate the interaction between the Adult Deformity Classification and treatment patterns, surgical strategies, surgery effectiveness, and complication rates.

Summary Of Background Data: An Adult Deformity Classification has been established that applies radiographic parameters of disability.

Is the SRS-22 instrument responsive to change in adult scoliosis patients having primary spinal deformity surgery?

Study Design: Multicenter study.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to prospectively analyze responsiveness of the SRS-22 to change at 1 and 2 years following primary surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: A number of efforts have been directed at validation of the SRS-22 instrument in the setting of adolescent and adult spinal deformity.

Hospital, pharmacy, and outpatient costs for osteoarthritis and chronic back pain.

Objective: We examined the direct medical costs for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and chronic back pain (CBP) in comparison to similar patients not treated for these conditions.

Methods: All persons age 18 years and over enrolled in the Lovelace Health Plan (LHP) who had at least 2 outpatient or one inpatient visits during the study period (June 30, 2000 to July 1, 2001) for OA or CBP were identified using discharge billing records. Each patient with OA or CBP was matched to 3 persons of the same age group, sex, and ethnicity, and then utilization and pharmacy records for each study subject were abstracted for comparison.