Lerodalcibep and evolocumab for the treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia with PCSK9 inhibition (LIBerate-HoFH): a phase 3, randomised, open-label, crossover, non-inferiority trial.

Background: Lerodalcibep, a small binding anti-PCSK9 protein (adnectin), showed effective LDL cholesterol reduction in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of lerodalcibep and evolocumab in a globally diverse homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia population.

Methods: This phase 3, randomised, open-label, crossover, non-inferiority study consisted of two 24-week treatment periods separated by an 8-week washout.

Development and validation of computable social phenotypes for health-related social needs.

Objective: Measurement of health-related social needs (HRSNs) is complex. We sought to develop and validate computable phenotypes (CPs) using structured electronic health record (EHR) data for food insecurity, housing instability, financial insecurity, transportation barriers, and a composite-type measure of these, using human-defined rule-based and machine learning (ML) classifier approaches.

Materials And Methods: We collected HRSN surveys as the reference standard and obtained EHR data from 1550 patients in 3 health systems from 2 states.

A Clinical Decision Support System for Addressing Health-Related Social Needs in Emergency Department: Defining End User Needs and Preferences.

Background:  Health-related social needs (HRSNs) are the unmet social and economic needs (e.g., housing instability) that affect individuals' health and well-being.

Associations between patient portal use and electronic health record (EHR) data timeliness in type 2 diabetes mellitus care.

Objective: Patient data is subject to missingness and errors. Patient portals enable patients managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to review and correct data to avoid retesting, medication errors, and diagnostic mistakes. We examined whether patient portal use was associated with electronic health record (EHR) data timeliness in T2DM care.

Comparing the performance of screening surveys versus predictive models in identifying patients in need of health-related social need services in the emergency department.

Background: Health-related social needs (HRSNs), such as housing instability, food insecurity, and financial strain, are increasingly prevalent among patients. Healthcare organizations must first correctly identify patients with HRSNs to refer them to appropriate services or offer resources to address their HRSNs. Yet, current identification methods are suboptimal, inconsistently applied, and cost prohibitive.

Availability of behavioral health crisis care and associated changes in emergency department utilization.

Objective: To determine whether availability of behavioral health crisis care services is associated with changes in emergency department (ED) utilization.

Data Sources And Study Setting: We used longitudinal panel data (2016-2021) on ED utilization from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's State ED Databases and a novel dataset on crisis care services compiled using information from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Directories of Mental Health Treatment Facilities. A total of 1002 unique zip codes from Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, and Wisconsin were included in our analyses.

Acceptance of Automated Social Risk Scoring in the Emergency Department: Clinician, Staff, and Patient Perspectives.

Introduction: Healthcare organizations are under increasing pressure from policymakers, payers, and advocates to screen for and address patients' health-related social needs (HRSN). The emergency department (ED) presents several challenges to HRSN screening, and patients are frequently not screened for HRSNs. Predictive modeling using machine learning and artificial intelligence, approaches may address some pragmatic HRSN screening challenges in the ED.

Efficacy and Safety of Lerodalcibep in Patients With or at High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Recent changes in national and international lipid guidelines for reducing cardiovascular events recommend additional drugs, greater reductions, and lower targets for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) if not attained with statins. The achievement of these targets with proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors has not yet been evaluated in a randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To evaluate the 52-week safety and efficacy of lerodalcibep, a small anti-PCSK9-binding protein, in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or who are at very high or high risk of CVD and requiring addition LDL-C-lowering treatment.

Market Factors Associated with Comprehensive Behavioral Health Crisis Care Availability: A Resource Dependence Theory Study.

Behavioral health crisis care (BHCC) is a care delivery model for individuals experiencing acute distress related to a mental health or substance use disorder. We examined market factors associated with comprehensive BHCC availability using 2022 data on mental health treatment facilities (n = 9385) obtained from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. We aggregated facility-level data by county (n = 3142) and merged with county-level market factors.

New insights about community benefit evaluation: Using the Community Health Implementation Evaluation Framework to assess what hospitals are measuring.

Background: Nonprofit hospitals are required to conduct community health needs assessments (CHNA) every 3 years and develop corresponding implementation plans. Implemented strategies must address the identified community needs and be evaluated for impact.

Purpose: Using the Community Health Implementation Evaluation Framework (CHIEF), we assessed whether and how nonprofit hospitals are evaluating the impact of their CHNA-informed community benefit initiatives.

Concordance Between Electronic Health Record-Recorded Race and Ethnicity and Patient Report in Emergency Department Patients.

Objective: We assessed the concordance of patient-reported race and ethnicity for emergency department (ED) patients compared with what was recorded in the electronic health record.

Methods: We conducted a single-center, prospective, observational study of 744 ED patients (English- and/or Spanish-speaking), asking them to describe their race and ethnicity. We compared the distributions of ethnicity and race between patient-reported and electronic health record data using McNemar's test.

Observation of spectators' mask-wearing behavior at a national basketball tournament.

Rationale/purpose: 1.Mass gathering events have resumed with the availability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. However, the pandemic is ongoing and such events potentially contribute to upsurges in COVID-19 cases.

Patisiran, an RNAi therapeutic for hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis: Sub-analysis in Taiwanese patients from the APOLLO study.

Background: To examine the efficacy and safety of patisiran, an RNA interference therapeutic, in patients from Taiwan with hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis with polyneuropathy.

Methods: The APOLLO phase 3 trial included patients from Taiwan who received patisiran 0.3 mg/kg intravenously or placebo once every 3 weeks (q3w) for 18 months (18 M), followed by patisiran 0.

Manual Evaluation of Record Linkage Algorithm Performance in Four Real-World Datasets.

Objectives:  Patient data are fragmented across multiple repositories, yielding suboptimal and costly care. Record linkage algorithms are widely accepted solutions for improving completeness of patient records. However, studies often fail to fully describe their linkage techniques.

Health-related social needs information in the emergency department: clinician and patient perspectives on availability and use.

Background: Patient health-related social needs (HRSN) complicate care and drive poor outcomes in emergency department (ED) settings. This study sought to understand what HRSN information is available to ED physicians and staff, and how HRSN-related clinical actions may or may not align with patient expectations.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews guided by HRSN literature, the 5 Rights of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) framework, and the Contextual Information Model.

How legal problems are conceptualized and measured in healthcare settings: a systematic review.

Legal problems encompass issues requiring resolution through the justice system. This social risk factor creates barriers in accessing services and increases risk of poor health outcomes. A systematic review of the peer-reviewed English-language health literature following the PRISMA guidelines sought to answer the question, how has the concept of patients' "legal problems" been operationalized in healthcare settings? Eligible articles reported the measurement or screening of individuals for legal problems in a United States healthcare or clinical setting.

Associations between Outpatient Laboratory Test Age and Healthcare Utilization in Type 2 Diabetes Care.

Purpose: To examine the longitudinal relationship between the age or shelf-life of common type 2 diabetes laboratory tests for serum creatinine, cholesterol, and glycated hemoglobin A1c conducted in outpatient settings and subsequent inpatient hospitalizations and emergency department visits.

Methods: This study analyzes panel data from two healthcare delivery systems' electronic health records (EHR) for patients aged 18 years and older managing type 2 diabetes. We used EHR data to quantify the age of three laboratory tests: serum creatinine, cholesterol, and glycated hemoglobin A1c.

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Patisiran in Patients with hATTR Amyloidosis and with Polyneuropathy After Liver Transplantation.

Background And Objective: Variants of the transthyretin (TTR) gene cause hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis, or ATTRv amyloidosis (v for variant), which results from deposition of misfolded TTR protein as amyloid in organs and tissues. Patisiran is an RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic that suppresses the hepatic production of TTR protein. Patisiran improves multiple clinical manifestations of hATTR amyloidosis in patients without liver transplantation (LT).