Concurrent Care and Use of Advanced Cardiac Therapies for Hospitalized Veterans With Heart Failure.

Context: Concurrent care allows patients to receive hospice while continuing disease-directed therapies. This treatment model is available in the Veterans Administration (VA) medical system, but its use in Veterans with heart failure (HF) is unexplored.

Objective: To compare use of advanced HF therapies 30 days posthospitalization in Veterans on hospice versus not on hospice following admission for HF exacerbation.

Factors Associated With Early Palliative Care Among Patients With Heart Failure.

Heart failure (HF) is a progressive, life-limiting illness for which palliative care (PC) is considered standard of care. Among patients that do receive PC, consultation tends to occur late in the illness course. Our primary aim was to examine patient factors associated with receiving PC in HF.

Trends in Palliative Care Utilization in Deceased Veterans With Heart Failure.

Background: Specialist-level palliative care in the final days does not allow time to alleviate symptoms and suffering. This analysis examined the change in the time from initial specialty-level palliative care to death among Veterans with heart failure.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined Veterans with a diagnosis of heart failure (HF) who died between 2011 and 2021.

Disparities in Utilization of Palliative Care in Patients Experiencing Homelessness.

Background: Patients experiencing homelessness have increased disease burden, increased severity of illness, and increased barriers to accessing care. The provision of high-quality palliative care is therefore essential for this population. State of Homelessness: 18 out of every 10,000 people in the US and 10 out of every 10,000 Rhode Islanders (down from 12 in 2010) experience homelessness.

Impact of Geriatric Trauma Co-Management on 1-Year Mortality in Older Adults with Multiple Rib Fractures.

Background: Rib fractures in older adults are associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Geriatric trauma co-management programs have looked at in-hospital mortality but not long-term outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective study of multiple rib fracture patients 65 years and older (n=357), admitted from September 2012 to November 2014 comparing Geriatric trauma co-management (GTC) vs Usual Care by trauma surgery (UC).

Utilization of Palliative Care in Veterans Admitted With Heart Failure Experiencing Homelessness.

Context: Patients experiencing housing insecurity have numerous barriers affecting their utilization of medical care.

Objectives: Determine if housing insecurity is associated with palliative care (PC) encounters and hospice services in patients with heart failure who receive care in United States Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers.

Methods: This retrospective study included inpatients in VA hospitals with a primary diagnosis of congestive heart failure from 2010 to 2020.

Racial Differences in Burdensome Transitions in Heart Failure Patients with Palliative Care: A Propensity-Matched Analysis.

Examining racial disparities in the treatment of heart failure (HF) patients and the effects of palliative care (PC) consultation is important to developing culturally competent clinical behaviors. To compare burdensome transitions for Black and White Veterans hospitalized with HF after PC consultation. This retrospective study evaluated Veterans admitted for HF to Veterans Administration hospitals who received PC consultation from October 2010 through August 2017.

Decreased fetal size is associated with beta-cell hyperfunction in early life and failure with age.

Objective: Low birth weight is associated with diabetes in adult life. Accelerated or "catch-up" postnatal growth in response to small birth size is thought to presage disease years later. Whether adult disease is caused by intrauterine beta-cell-specific programming or by altered metabolism associated with catch-up growth is unknown.