Days Not at Home: Association of Vulnerability with Healthcare Utilization After Hospitalization for Heart Failure.

Background: Heart failure (HF) hospitalizations are characterized by vulnerability in functioning and frequent post-discharge healthcare utilization in both acute and post-acute settings.

Objective: To determine, in patients hospitalized for decompensated HF, the association of vulnerability with (1) detailed forms of post-discharge healthcare utilization, and (2) days spent away from home after initial hospital discharge.

Design: Secondary analysis of a prospective longitudinal cohort study from a single-center academic institution in the USA.

Patient-reported predictors of postdischarge mortality after cardiac hospitalization.

Background: Adults hospitalized for cardiovascular events are at high risk for postdischarge mortality. Screening of psychosocial risk is prioritized by the Joint Commission. We tested whether key patient-reported psychosocial and behavioral measures could predict posthospitalization mortality in a cohort of adults hospitalized for a cardiovascular event.

Patient engagement with an automated postdischarge text messaging program for improving care transitions.

Automated text messaging is a promising approach to monitor patients after hospital discharge and avert readmissions; however, it is not known to what extent patients would engage with this type of program and whether engagement may vary based on patients' characteristics. Using data from a 30-day postdischarge texting program at a large university hospital, we examined engagement over time (operationalized as response rate to text messages) and patient characteristics associated with engagement. Of the 1324 patients in the study sample, 838 (63%) stayed in the program for the full duration.

Vulnerability to functional decline is associated with noncardiovascular cause of 90-day readmission in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

Background: Hospital readmission is common among patients with heart failure. Vulnerability to decline in physical function may increase the risk of noncardiovascular readmission for these patients, but the association between vulnerability and the cause of unplanned readmission is poorly understood, inhibiting the development of effective interventions.

Objectives: We examined the association of vulnerability with the cause of readmission (cardiovascular vs.

Patient-reported predictors of post-discharge mortality after cardiac hospitalization.

Background: Adults hospitalized for cardiovascular events are at high risk for post-discharge mortality. Hospital-based screening of health-related psychosocial risk factors is now prioritized by the Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum to achieve equitable, high-quality care. We tested our hypothesis that key patient-reported psychosocial and behavioral measures could predict post-hospitalization mortality in a cohort of adults hospitalized for a cardiovascular event.

Screening Health-Related Social Needs in Hospitals: A Systematic Review of Health Care Professional and Patient Perspectives.

Health outcomes are markedly influenced by health-related social needs (HRSN) such as food insecurity and housing instability. Under new Joint Commission requirements, hospitals have recently increased attention to HRSN to reduce health disparities. To evaluate prevailing attitudes and guide hospital efforts, the authors conducted a systematic review to describe patients' and health care providers' perceptions related to screening for and addressing patients' HRSN in US hospitals.

Factors Influencing Engagement with in-Person Intensive Care Unit Recovery Clinic Services.

Intensive Care Unit recovery clinics (ICU-RC), are multidisciplinary outpatient clinics designed to identify and treat post-intensive care syndrome impairments unique to each survivor of critical illness. Engagement is limited, thus we aimed to describe patient- and hospitalization-related sociodemographic factors associated with scheduling and attending in-person ICU-RC visits. Consecutive case series of prospectively collected ICU-RC referral data.

Gestational Diabetes and Maternal Weight Management During and After Pregnancy.

Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) substantially modify their diets during pregnancy to control hyperglycemia. These changes could also affect maternal weight management. From July 2014 to December 2015 we enrolled women with and without GDM in a prospective cohort study to compare their mean rates of (1) weight gain before GDM screening, (2) weight gain after GDM screening, and (3) postpartum weight loss.

Patients' perspectives on social and goal-based comparisons regarding their diabetes health status.

Objective: Social comparisons (ie, self-evaluation in comparison with others) influence patients' perspectives of their disease and may impact motivation and health behavior; however, little is known about patients' perspectives toward receiving such information in a clinical context (eg, from their doctor's office or health system). This study aims to understand patients' perspectives and anticipated responses to receiving social comparison information regarding measures of their diabetes-related health status (eg, A1C) and how receiving such information would compare with goal-based comparisons (ie, self-evaluation in comparison with goal).

Research Design And Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with 25 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) regarding social and goal-based comparisons involving their diabetes health status and qualitatively analyzed interviews for themes.