Enhancing the Clinical Utility of DriveSafe DriveAware for People with Huntington’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-357
Author(s):  
Monique K. Sondhu ◽  
Fiona Fisher ◽  
Julie C. Stout
Keyword(s):  
Processing Speed ◽  
Completion Time ◽  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Driving Safety ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Cognitive Information ◽  
Completion Times

DriveSafe DriveAware (DSDA) is a cognitive screening tool assessing driving safety. Previously, we found DSDA categorised some HD participants as ‘likely to pass’ on-road assessments, despite displaying cognitive impairments in domains known to impact driving. As processing speed is affected early in HD, we examined whether DSDA completion time could provide supplementary cognitive information to support clinical decision-making. The HD group completed subtests significantly slower than controls, and completion times correlated with cognitive functions essential for driving. Considering DSDA completion time may tailor the assessment for people with HD so that it is more reflective of HD-related cognitive functioning.

scholarly journals Clinical utility of targeted SARS-CoV-2 serology testing to aid the diagnosis and management of suspected missed, late or post-COVID-19 infection syndromes: Results from a pilot service implemented during the first pandemic wave

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249791
Author(s):  
Nicola Sweeney ◽  
Blair Merrick ◽  
Rui Pedro Galão ◽  
Suzanne Pickering ◽  
Alina Botgros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Performance Characteristics ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Serological Testing ◽  
Internal Validation ◽  
Assay Performance ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
Test Probability

During the first wave of the global COVID-19 pandemic the clinical utility and indications for SARS-CoV-2 serological testing were not clearly defined. The urgency to deploy serological assays required rapid evaluation of their performance characteristics. We undertook an internal validation of a CE marked lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) (SureScreen Diagnostics) using serum from SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive individuals and pre-pandemic samples. This was followed by the delivery of a same-day named patient SARS-CoV-2 serology service using LFIA on vetted referrals at central London teaching hospital with clinical interpretation of result provided to the direct care team. Assay performance, source and nature of referrals, feasibility and clinical utility of the service, particularly benefit in clinical decision-making, were recorded. Sensitivity and specificity of LFIA were 96.1% and 99.3% respectively. 113 tests were performed on 108 participants during three-week pilot. 44% participants (n = 48) had detectable antibodies. Three main indications were identified for serological testing; new acute presentations potentially triggered by recent COVID-19 e.g. pulmonary embolism (n = 5), potential missed diagnoses in context of a recent COVID-19 compatible illness (n = 40), and making infection control or immunosuppression management decisions in persistently SARS-CoV-2 RNA PCR positive individuals (n = 6). We demonstrate acceptable performance characteristics, feasibility and clinical utility of using a LFIA that detects anti-spike antibodies to deliver SARS-CoV-2 serology service in adults and children. Greatest benefit was seen where there is reasonable pre-test probability and results can be linked with clinical advice or intervention. Experience from this pilot can help inform practicalities and benefits of rapidly implementing new tests such as LFIAs into clinical service as the pandemic evolves.

Histomolecular Phenotypes and Outcome in Adenocarcinoma of the Ampulla of Vater

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 1348-1356 ◽  
Author(s):  
David K. Chang ◽  
Nigel B. Jamieson ◽  
Amber L. Johns ◽  
Christopher J. Scarlett ◽  
Marina Pajic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Ampulla Of Vater ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Prognostic Variables ◽  
Histologic Subtype ◽  
Prognostic Group ◽  
Potential Clinical Utility ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies

Purpose Individuals with adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater demonstrate a broad range of outcomes, presumably because these cancers may arise from any one of the three epithelia that converge at that location. This variability poses challenges for clinical decision making and the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Patients and Methods We assessed the potential clinical utility of histomolecular phenotypes defined using a combination of histopathology and protein expression (CDX2 and MUC1) in 208 patients from three independent cohorts who underwent surgical resection for adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. Results Histologic subtype and CDX2 and MUC1 expression were significant prognostic variables. Patients with a histomolecular pancreaticobiliary phenotype (CDX2 negative, MUC1 positive) segregated into a poor prognostic group in the training (hazard ratio [HR], 3.34; 95% CI, 1.69 to 6.62; P < .001) and both validation cohorts (HR, 5.65; 95% CI, 2.77 to 11.5; P < .001 and HR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.25 to 7.17; P = .0119) compared with histomolecular nonpancreaticobiliary carcinomas. Further stratification by lymph node (LN) status defined three clinically relevant subgroups: one, patients with histomolecular nonpancreaticobiliary (intestinal) carcinoma without LN metastases who had an excellent prognosis; two, those with histomolecular pancreaticobiliary carcinoma with LN metastases who had a poor outcome; and three, the remainder of patients (nonpancreaticobiliary, LN positive or pancreaticobiliary, LN negative) who had an intermediate outcome. Conclusion Histopathologic and molecular criteria combine to define clinically relevant histomolecular phenotypes of adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater and potentially represent distinct diseases with significant implications for current therapeutic strategies, the ability to interpret past clinical trials, and future trial design.

scholarly journals Precision physiology and rescue of brain ion channel disorders

2017 ◽  
Vol 149 (5) ◽  
pp. 533-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Noebels
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channel ◽  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Central Nervous System Disease ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Channel Structure ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Developmental Relationships ◽  
System Disease ◽  
Phenotypic Spectrum

Ion channel genes, originally implicated in inherited excitability disorders of muscle and heart, have captured a major role in the molecular diagnosis of central nervous system disease. Their arrival is heralded by neurologists confounded by a broad phenotypic spectrum of early-onset epilepsy, autism, and cognitive impairment with few effective treatments. As detection of rare structural variants in channel subunit proteins becomes routine, it is apparent that primary sequence alone cannot reliably predict clinical severity or pinpoint a therapeutic solution. Future gains in the clinical utility of variants as biomarkers integral to clinical decision making and drug discovery depend on our ability to unravel complex developmental relationships bridging single ion channel structure and human physiology.

scholarly journals 1157. Determining the Clinical Utility of 16S rRNA in the Management of Pediatric Infections

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S670-S670
Author(s):  
Peter Paul Lim ◽  
Ankita P Desai ◽  
Sree Sarah Cherian ◽  
Sindhoosha Malay
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Joint Fluid ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pediatric Infections ◽  
Tissue Specimens ◽  
Antimicrobial Regimen

Abstract Background Conventional culture remains the gold standard to facilitate a targeted antimicrobial regimen in the treatment of bacterial infections. However, certain pediatric infections are caused by fastidious organisms and treatment with antibiotics prior to specimen collection may hamper growth of pathogens in routine culture. The use of 16S rRNA in culture negative infections has improved identification of bacterial pathogens in select scenarios. However, the specific impact of 16S rRNA on clinical decision making, especially in pediatric infections, is not well-defined. This study aims to elucidate the utility of 16S rRNA on clinical management of pediatric infections. Methods A retrospective analysis was done on different clinical specimens which had 16S rRNA performed from August 2016 – March 2020 in our institution. Detailed chart review was performed to determine how the 16S rRNA result impacted clinical decision making. Clinical utility was defined as change in patient’s overall antimicrobial regimen, pathogen confirmation, and treatment duration. Results Seventy-four samples from 71 pediatric patients were included in the analysis: 32 (43%) were fluid specimens and 42 (57%) were tissue specimens. Significant clinical utility was identified in 30 (40.5%) of 74 clinical samples (p &lt; 0.0001). Of all specimens, pulmonary samples yielded the most clinical utility (n=9, 30%) followed equally by joint fluid (n=6, 20%) and bone (n=6, 20%). There was no significant difference in clinical utility between fluid and tissue specimens (p= 0.346). In 64 patients whose antimicrobial spectrum coverage was analyzed, patients with broad spectrum coverage was decreased from 48 to 21 and narrow spectrum coverage increased from 16 to 43 using 16S rRNA result, though not significant (p= 0.4111). Of all patients included in the analysis, the median number of antibiotics used before 16S rRNA result, 2, was significantly decreased to 1 (p &lt; 0.0001). Conclusion 16S rRNA has a significant impact in terms of decreasing number of antibiotics used in treatment of pediatric infections. Pulmonary specimens have the highest clinical utility among all samples. Additional cost benefit analysis needs to be completed to further determine clinical benefit. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals The reliability and validity of self-reported reproductive history and obstetric morbidity amongst birth to ten mothers in Soweto

Curationis ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
GTH Ellison ◽  
T De Wet ◽  
KP Matshidze ◽  
P Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Reproductive History ◽  
Medical Disorders ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Obstetric Morbidity ◽  
Clinical Measurements

Objective: To assess whether self-reports of reproductive history and obstetric morbidity provide an accurate basis for clinical decision-making. Setting, participants and methods: Self-reports of maternal age and reproductive history, together with clinical measurements of five medical disorders, were abstracted from the obstetric notes of 517 mothers whose children were enrolled in the Birth to Ten study. These data were compared to self-reported information collected by interview during the Birth to Ten study. Findings: The reliability of self-reported age and gravidity was high (R=0.810-0.993), yet self-reports of previous miscarriages, terminations, premature- and stillbirths were only fairly reliable (Kappa=0.48-0.50). Self-reported diabetes and high blood pressure had specificities of more than 95% for glycosuria, hypertension and pre-eclampsia. However, the specificity of self-reported oedema for hypertensive disorders and the specificity of self-reported urinary tract infection for STD seropositivity were only around 65%. Conclusions: The modest reliability and limited validity of self-reported obstetric morbidity undermines the clinical utility of this information. Recommendations: These results strengthen the case for providing mothers with “Home-based Maternal Records” to facilitate access to accurate obstetric information during subsequent clinical consultations.

The clinical utility of the ICD-11 classification of personality disorders and related traits: A preliminary scoping review

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110256
Author(s):  
Mikaela Tracy ◽  
Nikolaos Tiliopoulos ◽  
Louise Sharpe ◽  
Bo Bach
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Diagnostic System ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Electronic Screening ◽  
Study Characteristics

Objectives: A diagnostic system that fails to deliver clinically useful information will not be utilized and consequently will be unable to provide valuable data for health policy and clinical decision making. Therefore, it is imperative to obtain an accurate depiction of the clinical utility of the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) Personality Disorder (PD) model. The current mixed-methods systematic review aimed to determine the clinical utility of the ICD-11 PD classification system. Method: An electronic screening of six databases was conducted and resulting studies were subjected to specific exclusion criteria, which elicited eight studies of interest. Study characteristics were tabulated and methodological quality was appraised. Results: Four studies offered strong support for the model’s clinical utility, three offered some support accompanied by notable limitations and one study could only offer criticisms. Conclusion: Future investigation of the ICD-11 PD classification system’s (a) communicative value between clinicians and their patients, and between clinicians and their patient’s families; (b) ease of use; and (c) feasibility in terms of practical application is required to achieve a complete understanding of its clinical utility and ultimately bring clarity to the current ambiguous findings.

scholarly journals Using Video Replay of Simulated Driving to Estimate Driving Safety and Cognitive Status

Safety ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Michael A. Armstrong ◽  
Olivier Mercier ◽  
Arne Stinchcombe ◽  
Stephanie Yamin ◽  
Frank Knoefel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Independent Living ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Driving Safety ◽  
Simulated Driving ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
Short Video

Cognitive decline resulting from Dementia of Alzheimer’s Type (DAT) can lead to reduced ability to perform complex daily tasks required for independent living, including driving an automobile. This study explores the ability of untrained observers to classify driving safety using short video clips of simulated driving through intersections; it also examined whether untrained observers could predict whether the driver was cognitively healthy or cognitively impaired. Participants (n = 54) were shown a series of 30 video clips arranged in an online survey and asked to answer questions following each clip regarding the safety of the maneuver and the cognitive status of the driver. Results showed that participants’ subjectively rated DAT drivers as significantly less safe in comparison to control drivers, F (1, 52) = 228.44, p < 0.001. Participant’s classification of DAT drivers and controls was also significantly higher than chance (i.e., >50% correct). Findings provide preliminary support for the development of a clinical decision-making aid using video replay of driving simulator performance in fitness-to-drive assessments for individuals with cognitive impairment.

scholarly journals Use of an Abbreviated Geriatric Screening Tool in the Assessment of Older Cancer Patients’ Functional Status, Dependency, and Comorbidities: Cross-Sectional Audit and Observations From a Regional Cancer Center in Australia

JMIR Cancer ◽  
10.2196/16408 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e16408
Author(s):  
Mathew George ◽  
Alexandra Smith
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Functional Status ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Geriatric Oncology ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Older Cancer Patients

Background Malignancies are the leading cause of disease burden in Australia, comprising 19% of total diseases. Approximately 1 in 4 men and 1 in 6 women die from malignancies by 85 years of age, with patients aged 65 years and older contributing to 58% of diagnoses and 76% of cancer mortality. In the context of malignancy-related disease and age-related degeneration, there is a need for comprehensive assessment of older patients to plan for appropriate management and predict prognosis. The utility of available comprehensive geriatric assessment tools has been limited in routine practice because of their time-consuming nature, despite their informing clearer understanding of patients’ functional status, better clinical decision making, prevention of unpredictable admissions and emergency department overload, and support services planning. Though there are several promising tools available, there is a lack of literature on tools that can comprehensively assess functional status in an expedited fashion. Objective This study aimed to document functional status and comorbidities among a geriatric oncology patient cohort attending a regionally located, dedicated cancer care facility, using the completed Adelaide tool assessments. This study documents cohort characteristics, including sociodemographics, malignancy type, and comorbidities. Secondarily, we observed the utility of an abridged functional assessment in the multidisciplinary team (MDT) management of older cancer patients. Methods The study comprised a facility-based cross-sectional audit of results obtained from a screening tool administered to patients aged 65 years and older and attending an outpatient medical oncology clinic for management of cancer from late 2015 to 2017. Data relating to five domains were collected, including instrumental activities of daily living, activities of daily living, performance status, unintended weight loss, and exhaustion. Sociodemographic and disease-related factors were summarized as frequencies with percentages or mean with SD. Distribution of functional status based on sociodemographic characteristics, living status, disease-related factors, and comorbidities was analyzed using a chi-square test. Cumulative dependencies in the five domains were identified, and patients were classified as fit, vulnerable, or frail. Supplementary review of presentation notes for cases discussed at MDT meetings was undertaken to identify discrepancies. Results A majority of the study population showed poor functional status, with 88.7% (243/274) categorized as vulnerable and 8.4% (23/274) as frail. Exhaustion and unintended weight loss were identified as the most common contributors to dependency. Polypharmacy was strongly associated with decreased functional status. Conclusions The outcomes of this study are congruent with the existence of dependency in various domains, and with similar research in geriatric oncology. The Adelaide tool provided a useful basis for MDT discussion and management, where cases were referred to the MDT. We recommend further examination of the tool’s utility and impact in clinical decision making, and the distribution of dependencies in a rural cohort compared with metropolitan patients.

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