Acceptability of a Serious Illness Conversation Guide to Black Americans: Results from a focus group and oncology pilot study.

Objectives: Serious illness conversations (SICs) can improve the experience and well-being of patients with advanced cancer. A structured Serious Illness Conversation Guide (SICG) has been shown to improve oncology patient outcomes but was developed and tested in a predominantly White population. To help address disparities in advanced cancer care, we aimed to assess the acceptability of the SICG among African Americans with advanced cancer and their clinicians.

Comparing eating disorder treatment outcomes of transgender and nonbinary individuals with cisgender individuals.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare symptom severity of eating disorders (EDs), depression and anxiety at admission and discharge for transgender and nonbinary (TNB) individuals and cisgender adult individuals receiving treatment for EDs at higher levels of care (HLOC), adding to the limited research in this area.

Method: Participants were 25 TNB individuals and 376 cisgender individuals admitted to a HLOC ED treatment facility. Participants completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Beck Anxiety Inventory at admission and discharge.

Examining the relationship between clinician communication and patient participatory behaviors in cardiology encounters.

Objectives: Examine the association of coder ratings of cardiologist behaviors and global scores of cardiologist communication style with patient participation in clinic encounters.

Methods: We coded transcripts of clinic encounters for patient participatory behaviors: asking questions, assertive statements, and expressing negative emotions; clinician behavior counts: reflective statements, open-ended questions, empathic statements, and eliciting questions. We used general linear regression models to examine associations of mean number of patient participatory behaviors with clinician behaviors.

Mutational profiles of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas based upon human papillomavirus status in the Veterans Affairs National Precision Oncology Program.

Background: Patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) demonstrate favorable clinical outcomes compared to patients bearing HPV-negative HNSCC. We sought to characterize the association between HPV status and mutational profiles among patients served by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all Veterans with primary HNSCC tumors who underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) through the VHA's National Precision Oncology Program between July 2016 and February 2019.

Telehealth for the Longitudinal Management of Chronic Conditions: Systematic Review.

Background: Extensive literature support telehealth as a supplement or adjunct to in-person care for the management of chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure (CHF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Evidence is needed to support the use of telehealth as an equivalent and equitable replacement for in-person care and to assess potential adverse effects.

Objective: We conducted a systematic review to address the following question: among adults, what is the effect of synchronous telehealth (real-time response among individuals via phone or phone and video) compared with in-person care (or compared with phone, if synchronous video care) for chronic management of CHF, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and T2DM on key disease-specific clinical outcomes and health care use?

Methods: We followed systematic review methodologies and searched two databases (MEDLINE and Embase).

Association Between Standardized Mortality Ratio and Utilization of Care in US Veterans With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy Compared With All US Veterans and the US General Population.

Importance: Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) is thought to be associated with increased mortality, but larger population-based studies are lacking. Additionally, the benefit of effective management in DRE lacks evidence.

Objective: To examine the association of utilization of care with mortality in US veterans with DRE.

Ordering and Interpreting Precision Oncology Studies for Adults With Advanced Solid Tumors: A Primer.

Background: The promise of precision oncology can only be realized when genetic alterations are identified that can be leveraged to improve response and minimize toxicity. Identifying those alterations requires the knowledge to order the right test and to interpret the results correctly. This primer is designed to help clinicians order the appropriate testing for patients with specific malignancies and to give them an informed approach to interpretation.

Rates and Factors Associated With Documentation of Diagnostic Codes for Long COVID in the National Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Importance: Some persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience symptoms or impairments many months after acute infection.

Objectives: To determine the rates, clinical setting, and factors associated with documented receipt of COVID-19-related care 3 or more months after acute infection.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the US Department of Veterans Affairs health care system.

Analysis of actionable genetic alterations in lung carcinoma from the VA National Precision Oncology Program.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in men and women. Genomic sequencing of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is critical for the optimal treatment of NSCLC. In this study we sought to describe the frequencies of highly actionable driver mutations in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), squamous cell (LUSQ) and other NSCLC histologies (LUOT) in Veterans tested through the VA's National Precision Oncology Program (NPOP) and compare these frequencies to other published datasets from highly specialized academic cancer centers.

SARS-CoV-2 reinfection across a spectrum of immunological states.

Purpose: Several cases of symptomatic reinfection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) after full recovery from a prior episode have been reported. As reinfection has become an increasingly common phenomenon, an improved understanding of the risk factors for reinfection and the character and duration of the serological responses to infection and vaccination is critical for managing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: We described four cases of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in individuals representing a spectrum of healthy and immunocompromised states, including (1) a healthy 41-year-old pediatrician, (2) an immunocompromised 31-year-old with granulomatosis with polyangiitis, (3) a healthy 26-year-old pregnant woman, and (4) a 50-year-old with hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

CE: Original Research: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Symptom Management in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia.

Background: Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) comes with significant medical comorbidities, including heart disease, liver disease, and diabetes-all of which contribute to higher mortality rates and shortened life expectancy. Second-generation antipsychotic medications do not consistently alleviate psychotic symptoms, especially among patients with TRS. Clozapine, the gold standard of pharmacological treatment for TRS, offers only partial relief for many patients.

Clin-Star corner: What is new at the interface of geriatrics and nephrology?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent and burdensome among older adults in the United States. CKD affects at least 15% of the US population, and adults over 65 comprise the largest subset within this group. In this special article, we highlight key findings of three recent original investigations in nephrology and describe each study, relevance to the care of older adults, and current areas of uncertainty that warrant further investigation.

Improving implementation of evidence-based therapies for heart failure.

Treatment options for patients with heart failure have improved rapidly over the last few decades. Data from large scale clinical trials demonstrate that medical and device therapies can improve quality of life, reduce hospitalizations for acute heart failure, and reduce mortality. However, the use of many of these therapies in routine practice is remarkably low.

Exposures to low-levels of fine particulate matter are associated with acute changes in heart rate variability, cardiac repolarization, and circulating blood lipids in coronary artery disease patients.

Exposure to air pollution is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, disease risk factors, and mortality. Specifically, particulate matter (PM), and to some extent ozone, are contributors to these effects. In addition, exposures to these pollutants may be especially dangerous for susceptible populations.

Opioid and Alcohol Misuse in Veterans with Chronic Pain: A Risk Screening Study.

In United States military veterans, chronic pain represents a risk factor for opioid and alcohol misuse, yet few studies have examined interactions among chronic pain, opioid prescription, and opioid and alcohol misuse. Previous work found substantial risk of co-morbid alcohol and opioid misuse in a community sample of opioid-prescribed individuals with chronic pain, a finding expanded upon here. Specifically, 211 veterans assessed within a chronic pain treatment service for opioid-prescribed individuals completed self-report measures of opioid misuse, alcohol misuse, pain intensity, depression, pain catastrophizing, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTS).

Statins and prostate cancer-hype or hope? The epidemiological perspective.

Background: Men using cholesterol-lowering statin medications have been found to have lower risks of both advanced and fatal prostate cancer in multiple registry-based studies and prospective cohort studies. Statin use has also been associated with longer survival among men already diagnosed with prostate cancer. Mechanisms responsible for purported anti-cancer effects of statins are not well understood but may offer insight into prostate cancer biology.

Does This Patient With Acute Infectious Conjunctivitis Have a Bacterial Infection?: The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review.

Importance: Acute infectious conjunctivitis is characterized by ocular redness and discharge, and is a common clinical entity. Evidence-based tools to aid the clinical diagnosis of viral vs bacterial conjunctivitis are lacking and may contribute to overprescribing of topical antibiotics.

Objective: To determine the relative prevalence of viral vs bacterial conjunctivitis in adults and children, and to determine which symptoms or signs are suggestive of a viral vs bacterial etiology.

Changes in Fall Rates From Before to During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From the Prospective AMBROSIA Study.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) social distancing policies resulted in reductions in community movement, however, fall rates during this time have not been described.

Methods: This prospective study included adults ≥65 years old participating in the Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Older Adults (AMBROSIA) cohort and who completed ≥1 monthly falls calendar (August 2019-March 2021; n = 250). Months were grouped to correspond to the fall 2020 phased reopening (August-October) and the shelter-in-place policy during the winter 2020 surge (November-January) in Los Angeles, California and compared to the same months, 1 year earlier (ie, before the pandemic).