scholarly journals Barriers to Colonoscopy in an Uninsured Patient Population—A Quality Improvement Project

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-114
Author(s):  
Maxwell S. Wagner ◽  
Jessica Burgess ◽  
Rebecca C. Britt

Colorectal cancer remains common, with the “80 per cent by 2018” initiative proposed by the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. This study was designed to examine obstacles for patients who did not receive their scheduled colonoscopy, focusing on the impact of insurance status. Retrospective chart review was carried out on patients who did not complete their colonoscopy as scheduled from January 2013 to June 2017. The control group consisted of patients who completed their scheduled colonoscopy. One hundred and seventy five patients missed 200 colonoscopies. The most common reasons for cancellation were patient illness (16%), no-show (14%), no prep carried out (13%), inadequate prep (10%), and no transportation (11%). The canceled patients were significantly more likely to have the combination of no insurance and no Primary Care Provider (PCP) (13% vs 4%, P = 0.008), personal history of cancer (22% vs 12%, P = 0.02), and higher rates of prior GI issues (78% vs 50%, P < 0.001). The canceled group had a significantly lower history of colon polyps (37% vs 53%, P = 0.006). Difficulty with the bowel prep in addition to lack of insurance and poverty likely does create a barrier, even in a system that has a safety net, atop other issues such as transportation and inability to miss work playing a role.

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Ziegelmann ◽  
Brian J. Linder ◽  
Marcelino E. Rivera ◽  
Boyd R. Viers ◽  
Daniel S. Elliott

Introduction: We sought to evaluate device outcomes in men who underwent primary artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement after failed male urethral sling (MUS).Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 990 men who underwent an AUS procedure between 2003 and 2014. Of these, 540 were primary AUS placements, including 30 (5.5%) with a history of MUS. AUS revisions and explantations were compared between men stratified by the presence of prior sling. Hazard ratios (HR) adjusting for competing risks were used to determine the association with prior sling and AUS outcomes (infection/ erosion, urethral atrophy, and mechanical malfunction), while overall device failure was estimated using Kaplan-Meier and Coxregression analysis.Results: There was no significant difference in age, body mass index, prior prostatectomy, or pelvic radiation when stratified by history of MUS. However, patients with a history of MUS were more likely to have undergone prior collagen injection (p=0.01). On univariate and multivariate analysis, prior MUS was not associated with device failure (HR 1.54; p=0.27). Three-year overall device survival did not significantly differ between those with and without prior MUS (70% vs. 85%; p=0.21). Also, there were no significant differences in the incidence of device infection/erosion, mechanical malfunction, and urethral atrophy.Conclusions: AUS remains a viable treatment option for men with persistent or recurrent stress urinary incontinence after MUS. However, while not statistically significant, we identified a trend towards lower three-year device outcomes in patients with prior urethral sling. These findings indicate the need for longer-term studies to determine if slings pose an increased hazard.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Na Zhou ◽  
Li-Qiang Weng ◽  
Chun-Xia Feng ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Ping Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: People suffer from schistosomiasis, leading to liver fibrosis, splenomegaly and thrombocytopenia. The effects of bevacizumab plus oxaliplatin or irinotecan-based chemotherapy regimens on platelets are different, but have not been determined. We conducted a retrospective analysis in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients evaluating the impact of bevacizumab on platelet, in order to find a more suitable plan for mCRC patients with a history of schistosomiasis.Methods: The medical records of all mCRC patients with a history of schistosomiasis who received FOLFOX or FOLFIRI with or without bevacizumab from September 1, 2017 to June 30, 2019 in Kunshan Hospital were reviewed. Platelet counts and spleen sizes were compared from the first cycle until completion of chemotherapy.Results: Evaluable splenic enlargement and thrombocytopenia results were obtained from 73 Bevacizumab-treated patients and 80 non-bevacizumab treated patients. In patients treated with oxaliplatin, the rates of splenic enlargement (19.5% vs. 66.7%, P=0.01) and thrombocytopenia (31.7% vs. 77.2%, P=0.02) were lower in the bevacizumab-treated cohort than that in the nonbevacizumab cohort. When stratified for irinotecan, there were no statistical differences of frequency of splenic enlargement between the two groups, however, the rates of thrombocytopenia were higher in the bevacizumab-treated cohort than that in the nonbevacizumab cohort (59.4% vs. 8.7%, P=0.01 ).Conclusion: The bevacizumab plus oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy regimen is more suitable for mCRC patients with a history of schistosomiasis, especially for lower platelet count patients.


Author(s):  
Alimohammad Ranjbar ◽  
Elahe Kamali Ardakani ◽  
Rahele Zareshahi

Aims: In Iranian culture, due to some narratives from the prophet Mohammad about the use of frankincense during pregnancy for increasing IQ in children, some women consume frankincense during expectancy. This study's goal is to evaluate the relationship between frankincense used during pregnancy and the incidence of ADHD. Methods: In this study, the case group comprised children 4-17 years old referring to Shahid Chamran Pharmacy in Yazd from summer to winter 2018 for receiving Methylphenidate, those with whom a psychologist had identified ADHD based on DSM-V factors.  The control group included children of the same age group but without ADHD. For data gathering, a checklist was used with some questions on smoking, family history of ADHD, presence/absence of a specific disease during pregnancy, frankincense used during pregnancy, and a chemical medication consumed during pregnancy. Results: The main result demonstrated that the children whose mothers used frankincense during pregnancy were 0.67 times less likely to be affected by ADHD than those whose mothers did not use this substance. However, the difference failed to be statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Some studies report that frankincense can bear a positive effect on the development of the brain and possibly adequate formation of dendrites trees, axons and induce proper communication between them, so the impact of frankincense on the brain may be justified by its protective effect against the hyperactive child.


2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002190
Author(s):  
Amanda Drury ◽  
Sheila Payne ◽  
Anne-Marie Brady

ObjectiveCancer survivors’ perceptions of healthcare have been identified as a predictor of quality of life (QoL) outcomes. This study aims to explore colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors’ perceptions of how cancer-related healthcare affects their QoL.MethodsSemistructured interviews were conducted with 22 CRC survivors receiving follow-up care between 1 and 5 years post diagnosis. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.ResultsFive themes described the impact of healthcare experiences on CRC survivors’ QoL. While cancer survivors spoke positively of their relationships with healthcare professionals, many experienced a range of unmet information and supportive care needs. Participants described a range of positive and negative experiences, as power dynamics and navigation of healthcare systems had implications for their QoL. Where negative healthcare events aligned, survivors’ autonomy, dignity and confidence were undermined, and survivorship issues could be inadequately addressed. To address persistent unmet needs, survivors developed a safety net(work) of supports to bridge the gap of unmet needs in healthcare with varying outcomes.ConclusionsCancer survivors’ experience of follow-up and healthcare can positively or negatively affect their QoL. Preparation for cancer survivorship must be incorporated into the acute phase of diagnosis and treatment and interlinked with clear pathways of survivorship care and accessible supportive care, which support survivors to be equal partners in their healthcare. Understanding cancer survivors’ knowledge, expertise and mastery of their condition is essential to ensure delivery of person-centred supportive care that adequately addresses the survivor’s unmet needs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 162 (1) ◽  
pp. 142-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura J. Vandelaar ◽  
Zi Yang Jiang ◽  
Alok Saini ◽  
William C. Yao ◽  
Amber U. Luong ◽  
...  

Objective Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has been associated with comorbid depression, yet the prevalence of depression among all patients with CRS is not well described. The Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9), a validated instrument for diagnosing depression, has been used to assess depression in a variety of clinical settings. PHQ-9 scores ≥10 are the threshold for a depression diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of depression in a rhinology practice and compare the PHQ-9 with the 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22). Study Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Tertiary rhinology practice. Subjects and Methods During the 2-month period ending April 30, 2018, all rhinology patients were asked to complete the PHQ-9 and SNOT-22. Results Among 216 patients, 46 (21.3%) had a self-reported history of depression, and 39 (18.1%) had a PHQ-9 score ≥10. Of the 39 patients screening positive for depression, 18 (41.9%) had no history of depression. Comparison of PHQ-9 with overall SNOT-22 score had a Pearson’s coefficient of 0.632 ( P < .005). Logistic regression showed that the highest 2 quintiles of SNOT-22 scores had an odds ratio of 60.6 (95% CI, 9.7-378.3) for a positive depression screen (PHQ-9 score ≥10). Conclusion Depression rates (estimated by PHQ-9 responses) among rhinology patients are similar to chronic disease populations; depression may be underdiagnosed in rhinology patients. Higher SNOT-22 scores were associated with higher PHQ-9 scores. Further studies are warranted to understand the impact of comorbid conditions of depression and CRS in patient quality of life.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 1169-1172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niam Yaraghi

Abstract Objective To examine the impact of health information exchange (HIE) on reducing laboratory tests and radiology examinations performed in an emergency department (ED). Materials and Methods The study was conducted in an ED setting in Western New York over a period of 2 months. The care of the patients in the treatment group included an HIE query for every encounter, while the care of other patients in the control group did not include such queries. A group of medical liaisons were hired to query the medical history of patients from an HIE and provide it to the ED clinicians. Negative binomial regression was used to analyze the effects of HIE queries on the number of performed laboratory tests and radiology examinations. The log files of the HIE system since 1 year before the ED admission were used to analyze the differences in outcome measures between the 2 groups of patients. Results Ceteris paribus, HIE usage is associated with, respectively, 52% and 36% reduction in the expected total number of laboratory tests and radiology examinations ordered per patient at the ED. Conclusions The results indicate that access to additional clinical data through the HIE will significantly reduce the number of laboratory tests and radiology examinations performed in the ED settings and thus support the ongoing HIE efforts.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (19) ◽  
pp. 2702-2708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Küchler ◽  
Beate Bestmann ◽  
Stefanie Rappat ◽  
Doris Henne-Bruns ◽  
Sharon Wood-Dauphinee

Purpose The impact of psychotherapeutic support on survival for patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing surgery was studied. Patients and Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted in cooperation with the Departments of General Surgery and Medical Psychology, University Hospital of Hamburg, Germany, from January 1991 to January 1993. Consenting patients (N = 271) with a preliminary diagnosis of cancer of the esophagus, stomach, liver/gallbladder, pancreas, or colon/rectum were stratified by sex and randomly assigned to a control group that received standard care as provided on the surgical wards, or to an experimental group that received formal psychotherapeutic support in addition to routine care during the hospital stay. From June 2003 to December 2003, the 10-year follow-up was conducted. Survival status for all patients was determined from our own records and from three external sources: the Hamburg cancer registry, family doctors, and the general citizen registration offices. Results Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated better survival for the experimental group than the control group. The unadjusted significance level for group differences was P = .0006 for survival to 10 years. Cox regression models that took TNM staging or the residual tumor classification and tumor site into account also found significant differences at 10 years. Secondary analyses found that differences in favor of the experimental group occurred in patients with stomach, pancreatic, primary liver, or colorectal cancer. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that patients with gastrointestinal cancer, who undergo surgery for stomach, pancreatic, primary liver, or colorectal cancer, benefit from a formal program of psychotherapeutic support during the inpatient hospital stay in terms of long-term survival.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (11_suppl3) ◽  
pp. 2325967114S0018
Author(s):  
Ceyda Sarıal ◽  
Abdulhamıt Tayfur ◽  
Beyza Kap ◽  
Dılara Donder ◽  
Ozum Melıs Ertuzun ◽  
...  

Objectives: To investigate the impact of having previous history of inversion ankle sprain on balance tests in adolescent volleyball players. Methods: Fourty-five adolescent volleyball players with mean age of 15.26±1.03 participated in our study. Twenty-nine were uninjured (control group) and sixteen had previously experienced inversion injuries on right ankle. 9 players had the injury more than than one year ago and 7 players had it before six to twelf months. Balancing abilities were evaluated by Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and Single Limb Hurdle Test (SLHT). The fact that players with history of injury had the ankle sprain at right foot led us to perform the measurements in the control group also for the right foot. We compared the results of injured and uninjured players on both tests. Results: Uninjured players' reaching distance on right foot was found out to be significantly more than in players with ankle sprain at medial and posteromedial directions of SEBT(p<.05), whereas there were no differences detected for the other directions (p>.05). For comparing athletes' performances with SLHT, finishing time was found significantly better in uninjured players (p<.05). Conclusion: Adolescent volleyball players with history of injury show lower performance on balance tests compared to uninjured players. This demonstrates that they should be given a training including balance and stabilization programs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e13070-e13070
Author(s):  
Hamzah Abu-Sbeih ◽  
Faisal Ali ◽  
Wei Qiao ◽  
Phillip Lum ◽  
Mehnaz Shafi ◽  
...  

e13070 Background: In the last two decades, the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has decreased dramatically after the implementation of CRC screening in the United States. Several risk factors for colonic adenoma (CA), the main precursor for CRC, have been found. Whether personal history of non-colorectal cancer (NCRC) is a risk factor for CA has not been studied. Here, we assess the risk of CA in patients with NCRCs. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of cancer patients who underwent colonoscopy after cancer diagnosis between 2009 and 2018. We included patients without history of NCRC as a control group. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess independent risk factors for CA (Table 1). Results: Total of 9408 patients with NCRC were included; CA was detected in 4503 (48%). Histology revealed tubulovillous features in 611 (14%) patients and villous in 51 (1%). High grade dysplasia was detected in 1,317 (29%) patients and adenocarcinoma in 388 (9%). The rate of adenocarcinoma was the highest in patients with multiple myeloma (14%). Adenoma detection rate (ADR) was 30% in patients younger than 40 years ( n= 1621), 32% in patients between 40 and 50 years ( n= 812), 47% in patients between 50 and 60 years ( n= 2892), and 55% in patients older than 60 years ( n= 4493). Multivariate analysis revealed an increased risk of CA with old age, male sex, family history of CRC, and high body mass index ( P< 0.05). The median time from NCRC diagnosis to CA detection was 3 years (IQR 1-8). Conclusions: ADR in patients with a personal history of NCRC is higher than the ADR of patients without NCRC. CRC screening should be performed after the diagnosis of NCRC is made, even if it was before the standard threshold of CRC screening age of 50 years.[Table: see text]


2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 212-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sejal K. Shah ◽  
Andrew F. Alexis

Background: Few studies have investigated central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA). Thus, our understanding of CCCA is largely based on anecdotal evidence. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical characteristics and hair care practices in CCCA patients. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective chart review of patients with a clinicopathologic diagnosis of CCCA. Results: Medical records of 69 patients were reviewed. Of these, 97% were female. The mean ages at onset and presentation were 38.2 and 42.4 years, respectively. All subjects for whom hair care data were available had used a traumatic practice at least once, the most common being chemical relaxer. Family history data were available for 27 subjects (39%). Of these, 56% had a positive family history of hair loss. Seborrheic dermatitis was the leading concurrent diagnosis. Limitations: Limitations include lack of a control group, retrospective design, and selection bias. Conclusions: Our results confirm that CCCA primarily affects adult women of African descent. The majority of patients presented several years after onset, suggesting that efforts to encourage earlier diagnosis are warranted. Although the role of hair care remains unclear, traumatic practices were reported in all patients in our study for whom hair care was documented.


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