Publications by authors named "Robert Volk"

Annual lung cancer screening using low dose computed tomography (LDCT) effectively reduces mortality from lung cancer and is recommended for persons who are at high risk of developing the disease. The utilization of the lung cancer screening, however, has remained low. Due to significantly higher cigarette smoking rates, patients with behavioral health disorders (those living with mental illness and/or substance use disorders) are more likely to be diagnosed with and die from lung cancer; at the same time, they are less likely to undergo cancer screenings.

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Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the perspectives of international experts and Danish citizens on relevant knowledge about population-based breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screening.

Methods: This was a qualitative interview study with focus group interviews with experts and Danish citizens eligible for breast, colorectal and/or cervical cancer screening. Data were collected using semi-structured interview guides, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim.

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  • * A study was conducted to create and test an educational website aimed at helping these patients understand ICBs, with content developed through community and expert input.
  • * The alpha testing showed positive results regarding usability and acceptability, with feedback leading to improvements in navigation, accessibility, and additional content on managing autoimmune flare-ups during ICB treatment.
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Background: Lung cancer screening (LCS) can reduce lung cancer mortality but has potential harms for patients. A shared decision-making (SDM) conversation about LCS is required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for LCS reimbursement. To overcome barriers to SDM in primary care, this protocol describes a telehealth decision coaching and navigation intervention for LCS in primary care clinics delivered by patient navigators.

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Background: We evaluated sociodemographic and clinical predictors of financial toxicity (FT) among patients with breast cancer with higher risk clinical factors warranting regional nodal irradiation (RNI).

Methods: Among 183 participants in a clinical trial of conventional vs. hypofractionated treatment with RNI, 125 (68 %) completed a pilot survey of FT measured using the validated Economic Strain and Resilience in Cancer (ENRICh) instrument, scored from 0 (minimal) to 10 (severe) FT.

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Shared decision making (SDM) between health care professionals and patients is essential to help patients make well informed choices about lung cancer screening (LCS). Patients who participate in SDM have greater LCS knowledge, reduced decisional conflict, and improved adherence to annual screening compared with patients who do not participate in SDM. SDM tools are acceptable to patients and clinicians.

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Objective: To assess stakeholders' perspectives on integrating personalized risk scores (PRS) into left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation decisions and how these perspectives might impact shared decision making (SDM).

Methods: We conducted 40 in-depth interviews with physicians, nurse coordinators, patients, and caregivers about integrating PRS into LVAD implantation decisions. A codebook was developed to identify thematic patterns, and quotations were consolidated for analysis.

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  • A study was done to see if a small group discussion about mammograms would help Chinese American immigrant women get more mammograms.
  • They compared two groups: one that talked in-person with community health workers and one that only watched a video at home.
  • Both groups got more women to get mammograms, but the ones who participated in the group discussion got more than those who just watched the video alone.
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Objective: To evaluate the impact of training quitline staff in lung cancer screening (LCS) on knowledge and attitudes towards connecting quitline callers to LCS educational materials.

Methods: We conducted a pre-post evaluation within a larger implementation project in the U.S.

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Background: Accurate variant classification and relaying reclassified results to patients is critical for hereditary cancer care delivery. Over a 5- to 10-year period, 6%-15% of variants undergo reclassification. As the frequency of reclassifications increases, the issue of whether, how, when, and which providers should recontact patients becomes important but remains contentious.

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Background: Lung cancer screening (LCS) can reduce lung cancer mortality but has potential harms for patients. A shared decision-making (SDM) conversation about LCS is required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for LCS reimbursement. To overcome barriers to SDM in primary care, this protocol describes a telehealth decision coaching intervention for LCS in primary care clinics delivered by patient navigators.

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Background: Personalized risk (PR) estimates may enhance clinical decision making and risk communication by providing individualized estimates of patient outcomes. We explored stakeholder attitudes toward the utility, acceptability, usefulness and best-practices for integrating PR estimates into patient education and decision making about Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD).

Methods And Results: As part of a 5-year multi-institutional AHRQ project, we conducted 40 interviews with stakeholders (physicians, nurse coordinators, patients, and caregivers), analyzed using Thematic Content Analysis.

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  • * This update of a Cochrane review examines the impact of these aids on adults making treatment or screening decisions, drawing on data from multiple health databases up to March 2022.
  • * The review includes randomized controlled trials comparing decision aids to standard care, measuring outcomes such as informed choices, knowledge level, decision confidence, and healthcare system impacts.
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Unlabelled: Current lung cancer screening (LCS) guidelines rely on age and smoking history. Despite its benefit, only 5%-15% of eligible patients receive LCS. Personalized screening strategies select individuals based on their lung cancer risk and may increase LCS's effectiveness.

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Background: Veterans suffer substantial morbidity and mortality from lung cancer. Lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) can reduce mortality. Guidelines recommend counseling and shared decision-making (SDM) to address the benefits and harms of screening and the importance of tobacco cessation before patients undergo screening.

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Background: Acute care (AC) visits by cancer patients are costly sources of healthcare resources and can exert a financial burden of oncology care both for individuals with cancer and healthcare systems. We sought to identify whether cancer patients who reported more severe initial financial toxicity (FT) burdens shouldered excess risks for acute care utilization.

Methods: In 225 adult patients who participated in the Economic Strain and Resilience in Cancer (ENRICh) survey study of individuals receiving ambulatory cancer care between March and September 2019, we measured the baseline FT (a multidimensional score of 0-10 indicating the least to most severe global, material, and coping FT burdens).

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  • Patients with cancer and pre-existing autoimmune diseases need clear information about the risks and benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), especially regarding immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and autoimmune flare-ups.
  • A study involving 29 patients found that they had similar information needs, whether they had already started ICI treatment or were still candidates, focusing on irAE management, treatment modifications, and clarity on when to contact their healthcare providers.
  • Many patients expressed a preference for visual educational materials to help them understand their treatment options and facilitate discussions with their healthcare providers.
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Background: Financial toxicity (FT) reflects multi-dimensional personal economic hardships borne by cancer patients. It is unknown whether measures of FT-to date derived largely from English-speakers-adequately capture economic experiences and financial hardships of medically underserved low English proficiency US Hispanic cancer patients. We piloted a Spanish language FT instrument in this population.

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Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved cancer outcomes but can cause severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and flares of autoimmune conditions in cancer patients with pre-existing autoimmune disease. The objective of this study was to identify the information physicians perceived as most useful for these patients when discussing treatment initiation with ICIs. Twenty physicians at a cancer institution with experience in the treatment of irAEs were interviewed.

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Objective: To evaluate the role of timing (either before or during initial consultation) on the effectiveness of decision aids (DAs) to support shared-decision-making in a minority-enriched sample of patients with localized prostate cancer using a patient-level randomized controlled trial design.

Methods: We conducted a 3-arm, patient-level-randomized trial in urology and radiation oncology practices in Ohio, South Dakota, and Alaska, testing the effect of preconsultation and within-consultation DAs on patient knowledge elements deemed essential to make treatment decisions about localized prostate cancer, all measured immediately following the initial urology consultation using a 12-item Prostate Cancer Treatment Questionnaire (score range 0 [no questions correct] to 1 [all questions correct]), compared to usual care (no DAs).

Results: Between 2017 and 2018, 103 patients-including 16 Black/African American and 17 American Indian or Alaska Native men-were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive usual care (n = 33) or usual care and a DA before (n = 37) or during (n = 33) the consultation.

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Background: Patients eligible for lung cancer screening (LCS) are those at high risk of lung cancer due to their smoking histories and age. While screening for LCS is effective in lowering lung cancer mortality, primary care providers are challenged to meet beneficiary eligibility for LCS from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including a patient counseling and shared decision-making (SDM) visit with the use of patient decision aid(s) prior to screening.

Methods: We will use an effectiveness-implementation type I hybrid design to: 1) identify effective, scalable smoking cessation counseling and SDM interventions that are consistent with recommendations, can be delivered on the same platform, and are implemented in real-world clinical settings; 2) examine barriers and facilitators of implementing the two approaches to delivering smoking cessation and SDM for LCS; and 3) determine the economic implications of implementation by assessing the healthcare resources required to increase smoking cessation for the two approaches by delivering smoking cessation within the context of LCS.

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Objective: Smoking rates among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) exceed those in the general population. This study identified smoking cessation strategies used in patients with RA and synthesized data on their effects.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies that reported effects of interventions for smoking cessation in patients with RA.

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Background: Clinical interpretation of genetic test results is complicated by variants of uncertain significance (VUS) that have an unknown impact on health but can be clarified through reclassification. There is little empirical evidence regarding VUS reclassification in oncology care settings, including the prevalence and outcomes of reclassification, and racial/ethnic differences.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of persons with and without a personal history of cancer carrying VUS (with or without an accompanying pathogenic or likely pathogenic [P/LP] variant) in breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancer predisposition genes seen at four cancer care settings (in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and New Jersey) between 2013 and 2019.

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