Examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among staff and consumers at Florida centers for independent living.

Background: People with disabilities (PWD) face health disparities due to barriers that limit their access to essential healthcare services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, health disparities among PWD increased as stay-at-home mandates and other safety measures interrupted access to healthcare and social services. Community-based and consumer-driven Centers for Independent Living (CILs) attempt to reduce disparities faced by PWD by providing information and referrals, peer counseling, and advocacy.

Infection prevention and control in long-term care facilities in Florida: A needs assessment survey.

Background: Although several surveys of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices have been conducted in the United States, none have focused on the state of Florida, which has the fourth-largest number of certified nursing facilities in the country. A needs assessment survey was conducted to better understand the specific needs and practices of individuals responsible for IPC in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Florida.

Methods: In November and December of 2022, a 90-question online survey was distributed to individuals responsible for IPC activities at 3,690 LTCFs in Florida.

Development and implementation of learning collaboratives for infection prevention and control education in long-term care facilities.

Infections in long-term care facilities pose a critical challenge, with 1 to 3 million serious infections annually and up to 380,000 associated deaths. The vulnerability of aging populations and inadequate infection prevention and control programs underscore the need for intervention. This initiative provided tailored continuing education through 8 virtual learning collaboratives serving 541 infection preventionists.

Telehealth Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among People With Functional Disabilities in the U.S.: A Preliminary Analysis of National Health Interview Survey 2020 Data.

Introduction: Telehealth has been widely promoted and adopted at multiple levels in the U.S. healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marijuana use disorder among adults with functional disabilities-A US population-based cross-sectional study.

Background And Objectives: Recent studies suggest a growing trend in marijuana use, compared to a stable prevalence of marijuana use disorder among US adults over the first 15 years of the 21st century. This study investigated the recent patterns of marijuana use disorder among people with disabilities (PWD).

Methods: We extracted a nationally representative sample (N = 209,058) from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data set and examined associations by functional disability status (any disability, disability by type, and number of disabling limitations) with marijuana use disorder using a series of independent multivariable logistic regression models.

Drivers of Individual and Regional Variation in CMS Hierarchical Condition Categories Among Florida Beneficiaries.

Objective: To explore hierarchical condition categories (HCC) risk score variation among Florida Fee for Service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries between 2016 and 2018.

Data Sources: This study analyzed HCC risk score variation using Medicare claims data for Florida beneficiaries enrolled in Parts A & B between 2016 and 2018.

Study Design: The CMS methodology analyzed HCC risk score variation using annual mean county- and beneficiary-level risk score changes.

Hearing Impairment, Mental Health Services Use, and Perceived Unmet Needs Among Adults With Serious Mental Illness: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: Individuals with hearing impairment have higher risks of mental illnesses. We sought to develop a richer understanding of how the presence of any hearing impairment affects three types (prescription medication, outpatient services, and inpatient services) of mental health services utilization (MHSU) and perceived unmet needs for mental health care; also, we aimed to identify sociodemographic factors associated with outpatient mental health services use among those with hearing impairment and discuss potential implications under the U.S.

People With Functional Disability and Access to Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A US Population-based Study.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide restriction measures have disrupted health care delivery and access for the general population. There is limited evidence about access to care issues (delayed and forgone care) due to the pandemic among people with disability (PWD).

Methods: This study used the 2020 National Health Interview Survey data.

Opioid Use Behaviors Among People With Disability in the United States: An Analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Objective: People with disability (PWD) often experience chronic pain, and opioid is widely used prescription medication. However, population-based evidence of opioid use behaviors among PWD is lacking. This study examined the prevalence of opioid use behaviors by sociodemographic and health-related characteristics among PWD compared with people without disability (PWoD).

Association of functional disability and treatment modalities with perceived effectiveness of treatment among adults with depression: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Approximately 17.3 million US adults had at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in 2017. Of those, about two-thirds received mental health services from health professionals.

Association of functional disability with mental health services use and perceived unmet needs for mental health care among adults with serious mental illness.

Background: Approximately 13.1 million U.S.

Factors associated with persistently high-cost health care utilization for musculoskeletal pain.

Background: Musculoskeletal pain conditions incur high costs and produce significant personal and public health consequences, including disability and opioid-related mortality. Persistence of high-cost health care utilization for musculoskeletal pain may help identify system inefficiencies that could limit value of care. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with persistent high-cost utilization among individuals seeking health care for musculoskeletal pain.

Patient-provider communication quality for persons with disabilities: A cross-sectional analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey.

Background: It is unclear how perceived patient-provider communication quality (PPPCQ) varies according to disability status. Lack of adequate patient-provider communication may prevent providers from considering healthcare issues that are relevant and important to persons with disabilities (PWD), potentially contributing to poorer health outcomes.

Objective/hypothesis: To examine PPPCQ by disability status using current U.

The non-directed living kidney donor: Why donate to strangers?

Background: Kidney transplantation improves survival and quality of life for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). However, there is a shortage of donated organs, resulting in long wait times and the potential for death before a donor is found. Non-directed (also called altruistic) living kidney donation is a growing type of donation; however, few studies have examined the values and motivation of individuals evaluated to be a non-directed donor.

Risk for Medication Nonadherence Among Medicaid Enrollees With Fibromyalgia: Development of a Validated Risk Prediction Tool.

Objective: To develop and validate a risk assessment tool called the Prescription Medication Non-Adherence Prediction Tool (Rx-NAPT) to predict medication nonadherence in patients with fibromyalgia.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using claims data from South Carolina Medicaid. Patients with fibromyalgia who were ≥18 years old and who had filled at least 1 prescription medication for pregabalin, duloxetine, or milnacipran from January 1, 2005, through June 30, 2011 were included.

Comorbidity Subgroups Among Medicare Beneficiaries Seeking Health Care for Musculoskeletal Pain.

Background: Treatment of musculoskeletal pain in older adults may be more effective if it incorporates integrated management of comorbid health conditions. The purpose of this study was to define empirically derived comorbidity subgroups among Medicare beneficiaries with an index condition of osteoarthritis (OA) or low back pain (LBP) as a precursor to the development of comorbidity-specific pain treatment pathways.

Methods: This study included Medicare beneficiaries participating in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) and seeking care for OA (n = 723) or LBP (n = 617) with data available for 3 years after entry into the survey.

Impact of Provider Participation in ACO Programs on Preventive Care Services, Patient Experiences, and Health Care Expenditures in US Adults Aged 18-64.

Background: Little is known about the impact of accountable care organization (ACO) on US adults aged 18-64.

Objectives: To examine whether having a usual source of care (USC) provider participating in an ACO affects receipt of preventive care services, patient experiences, and health care expenditures among nonelderly Americans.

Research Design: A cross-sectional analysis of the 2015 Medical Organizations Survey linked with the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

Benchmarking Implications: Analysis of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations Spending Level and Quality of Care.

Early evidence has shown that Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have achieved some success in improving the quality of care and reducing Medicare costs. However, it has been argued that the ACO rewarding model may disproportionately affect relatively low-spending (LS; considered as efficient) organizations that have fewer options to cut unnecessary services compared with high-spending (HS; inefficient) organizations. We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study to compare ACO financial and quality of care performance between HS-ACO and LS-ACO.

Association between race/ethnicity and disability status and receipt of vaccines among older adults in Florida.

Background: Individuals living with a disability or are a member of a certain racial/ethnic group may be at heightened risk for not receiving important vaccinations.

Objective: This study examined whether race/ethnicity and disability status are associated with the receipt of two vaccines (influenza and pneumococcal) among older adults living in Florida.

Methods: Using the 2011-2015 Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a cross-sectional survey, we ran bivariate and multivariate analyses to determine the associations for race/ethnicity and disability status with receipt of vaccinations among individuals 65 years and older.

Comparative effectiveness of dual vs. single-action antidepressants on HIV clinical outcomes in HIV-infected people with depression.

Objective: Depression is highly prevalent among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and has deleterious effects on HIV clinical outcomes. We examined changes in depression symptoms, viral suppression, and CD4 T cells/μl among PLWHA diagnosed with depression who initiated antidepressant treatment during routine care, and compared the effectiveness of dual-action and single-action antidepressants for improving those outcomes.

Design: Comparative effectiveness study of new user dual-action or single-action antidepressant treatment episodes occurring from 2004 to 2014 obtained from the Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems.

Healthcare Costs and Medication Adherence Among Patients with Fibromyalgia: Combination Medication vs. Duloxetine, Milnacipran, Venlafaxine, and Pregabalin Initiators.

Objective: To examine medication adherence and healthcare costs for combination prescription initiators (duloxetine/milnacipran/venlafaxine with pregabalin) vs. monotherapy initiators (duloxetine, milnacipran, venlafaxine, and pregabalin) among patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).

Methods: Our retrospective cohort study used claims data for the South Carolina Blue Cross Blue Shield State Health Plan (SHP).