Ridgeway, Jennifer L.

Abstract Background Electronic health record–linked portals may improve health-care quality for patients with cancer. Barriers to portal access and use undermine interventions that rely on portals to reduce cancer care disparities. This study examined portal access and persistence of portal use and associations with patient and structural factors before the implementation of 3 portal-based interventions within the Improving the Management of symPtoms during And following Cancer Treatment (IMPACT) Consortium. Methods Portal use data were extracted from electronic health records for the 12 months preceding intervention implementation. Sociodemographic factors, mode of accessing portals (web vs mobile), and number of clinical encounters before intervention implementation were also extracted. Rurality was derived using rural-urban commuting area codes. Broadband access was estimated using the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. Multiple logistic regression models tested the associations of these factors with portal access (ever accessed or never accessed) and persistence of portal use (accessed the portal ≤20 weeks vs ≥21 weeks in the 35-week study period). Results Of 28 942 eligible patients, 10 061 (35%) never accessed the portal. Male sex, membership in a racial and ethnic minority group, rural dwelling, not working, and limited broadband access were associated with lower odds of portal access. Younger age and more clinical encounters were associated with higher odds of portal access. Of those with portal access, 25% were persistent users. Using multiple modalities for portal access, being middle-aged, and having more clinical encounters were associated with persistent portal use. Conclusion Patient and structural factors affect portal access and use and may exacerbate disparities in electronic health record–based cancer symptom surveillance and management.

Abstract Mammographic breast density (MBD) has been shown to be a strong, independent risk factor for breast cancer (BC) irrespective of race/ethnicity. Given the risk association of MBD and its potential to mask tumors on a mammogram, state and federal laws have mandated that women receive information regarding their personal MBD in their mammography reports. However, concerns have been raised regarding the impact of MBD notification on patient anxiety, especially written information for women who experience health disparities such as racial/ethnic minorities, lower health literacy, limited English proficiency and lower socioeconomic status. We performed a randomized controlled clinical trial to examine the impact of three different written and interpersonal approaches to MBD notification on patient anxiety, BC worry, and self-perceived BC risk, among Latinas receiving routine mammography screening at a federally qualified medical center (FQHC). We hypothesized that interpersonal education would reduce anxiety and worry, relative to the written notifications alone. The study was performed at the Baseline Clinic of Mountain Park Health Center, a FQHC in Phoenix, AZ. Women between ages 40 and 74 years presenting for screening mammogram were eligible. After providing signed informed consent, participants were randomized equally to usual care (UC- mailed notification letter); enhanced care (notification letter and MBD educational brochure designed for this study): interpersonal care (notification letter, brochure, promotora education via telephone). A stratified block randomization procedure was used with age > 50 years (yes vs no), ethnicity (Hispanic vs non-Hispanic), and language preference (Spanish vs. English) as strata. Study participants completed surveys at the time of enrollment/pre-intervention (T0), at two weeks to six months after intervention was delivered (T1), and about one year after randomization (T2). Anxiety state was measured using the state anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scale (STAI-S) (range from 20-80). BC worry was probed using the question: “How frequently do you worry about getting breast cancer someday”. The self-perceived lifetime risk of BC was rated between 0% (no chance of BC) to 100% (definitely will get BC). The proportion of participants with an increase or persistence of higher level for each outcome between time points was compared between the three study groups. The study was approved by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board. 1332 Latina women were enrolled and randomized between October 2016 and October 2019. All completed the baseline (T0) survey, 928 completed T1, 632 completed T2, and 516 completed both T1 and T2 surveys. At study entry, majority of the participants were young (64.1% between age 40-49 years), had no family history of breast cancer (81.0%), had less than high school education (68.8%), and were married or partnered (67.8%). At T0, the mean (SD) anxiety STAI score was 32.5 (11.1); 51.8% with moderate or severe anxiety (score > 30). With regard to BC worry, 41.3% reported worrying “sometimes”, “often”, or “almost all the time”. Further, 25.4% reported a self-perceived lifetime risk of developing BC of >10% while only 6.6% had a Gail model estimated lifetime risk score of >10%. There was no significant difference in changes in anxiety, BC worry or self-perceived risk from T0 to either T1 or T2 surveys between the intervention groups. In summary, this study found high levels of baseline anxiety and BC worry (despite the majority being 40-49 years old and having no family history of BC) which persisted regardless of how notification and education were delivered. Future work is needed to improve the understanding of factors that could lower anxiety and BC worry and improve risk perception in this population. Citation Format: Karthik Ghosh, Sarah Jenkins, Jennifer Ridgeway, Jessica D. Austin, Bijan Borah, Bhavika K. Patel, Deborah Rhodes, Aaron Norman, Edna P. Ramos, Matt Jewett, Crystal Gonzalez, Valentina Hernandez, Davinder Singh, Vera Suman, Celine Vachon. Breast Density Notification: Impact on anxiety, breast cancer worry, and self-perceived risk among Latinas at a federally qualified medical center. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-05-38.

Abstract Background. Social determinants of health lead to better cancer care. This multi-site, single-institution study sought to capture data on social determinants of health data in Asian Americans with hepatocellular carcinoma; this group constitutes 60% of patients with this malignancy and are often undertreated or not treated at all. Methods. This study took advantage of an institutional initiative designed to capture and integrate social determinants of health data into the electronic medical record for all patients. Medical records of Asian Americans with hepatocellular cancer were reviewed to acquire data on housing instability, lack of transportation, financial concerns, and social isolation; a score of 1 indicated poor social determinants of health. Results. Of 112 adult Asian American patients with hepatocellular cancer, 22 (20%) were Southeast Asian, and 74 (67%) described English proficiency. A score of 1 (highest risk) was observed in 1 patient (0.9%) for housing instability; 1 (0.9%) lack of transportation; no patient for financial hardship; and 1 (0.9%) for social isolation. However – and importantly -- total noncompletion per domain (no question answered within that domain) was observed in 90 patients (80%) for housing instability; 90 (80%) for lack of transportation; 92 (82%) for financial hardship; and 90 (80%) for social isolation. Of note, institution-wide benchmark total noncompletion rates were 0.3%, 0.3%, 47%, and 39% for these respective domains. Conclusion. High total noncompletion rates make social determinants of health data challenging to interpret and underscore the need for evidence-based guidelines on how best to capture such data in underserved patients.

BackgroundThe objective of this randomized trial was to evaluate the short‐term effect of bilingual written and interpersonal education regarding mammographic breast density (MBD).MethodsLatinas aged 40 to 74 years who were presenting for screening mammography were recruited and randomized 1:1:1 to receive a letter with their mammogram and MBD results (usual care [UC]), a letter plus a brochure (enhanced care [ENH]), or a letter plus a brochure and telephonic promotora education (interpersonal care [INT]). Surveys were administered at enrollment (T0) and 2 weeks to 6 months after intervention delivery (T1). Differences were assessed with χ2, Kruskal‐Wallis, and McNemar tests and pairwise comparisons as appropriate. INT metrics and audio recordings were analyzed with descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.ResultsBetween October 2016 and October 2019, 943 of 1108 Latina participants (85%) completed both surveys. At T1, INT participants were more likely (P < .001) to report seeing their MBD results in the letter (70.2%) than UC (53.1%) or ENH participants (55.1%). The percentage of INT women who reported speaking with a provider about MBD (29.0%) was significantly greater (P < .001) than the percentage of UC (14.7%) or ENH participants (15.6%). All groups saw significant (P < .001) but nondifferential improvements in their knowledge of MBD as a masking and risk factor. In the INT group, the promotora delivered education to 77.1% of the 446 participants randomized to INT and answered questions at 28.3% of the encounters for an average of $4.70 per participant.ConclusionsAmong Latinas in a low‐resource setting, MBD knowledge may increase with written or interpersonal education, but with modest investment, interpersonal education may better improve MBD awareness and prompt patient‐provider discussions.

Abstract Background The symptom burden associated with cancer and its treatment can negatively affect patients’ quality of life and survival. Symptom-focused collaborative care model (CCM) interventions can improve outcomes, but only if patients engage with them. We assessed the receptivity of severely symptomatic oncology patients to a remote nurse-led CCM intervention. Methods In a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, stepped-wedge trial conducted as part of the National Cancer Institute IMPACT Consortium (E2C2, NCT03892967), patients receiving cancer care were asked to rate their sleep disturbance, pain, anxiety, emotional distress, fatigue, and limitations in physical function. Patients reporting at least 1 severe symptom (≥7/10) were offered phone consultation with a nurse symptom care manager (RN SCM). Initially, patients had to “opt-in” to receive a call, but the protocol was later modified so they had to “opt-out” if they did not want a call. We assessed the impact of opt-in vs opt-out framing and patient characteristics on receptiveness to RN SCM calls. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results Of the 1204 symptom assessments (from 864 patients) on which at least 1 severe symptom was documented, 469 (39.0%) indicated receptivity to an RN SCM phone call. The opt-out period (odds ratio [OR] = 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12 to 2.32, P = .01), receiving care at a tertiary care center (OR = 3.59, 95% CI = 2.18 to 5.91, P &lt; .001), and having severe pain (OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.24 to 2.62, P = .002) were associated with statistically significantly greater willingness to receive a call. Conclusions Many severely symptomatic patients were not receptive to an RN SCM phone call. Better understanding of reasons for refusal and strategies for improving patient receptivity are needed.

Background Health care professionals working in intensive care units report a high degree of burnout, but this topic has not been extensively studied from an interdisciplinary perspective. Objective To characterize experiences of burnout among members of interprofessional intensive care unit teams and identify possible contributing factors. Methods This qualitative study involved interviews of registered nurses, respiratory therapists, physicians, pharmacists, and a personal care assistant working in multiple intensive care units of a single academic medical center to assess work stressors. Results Team composition was a factor in burnout, particularly when nonphysician team members felt that their opinions were not valued despite the institution’s emphasis on a multidisciplinary team-based model of care. This was especially true when roles were not well defined at the outset of a code situation. Members of nearly all disciplines stated that there was not enough time in a day to complete all the required tasks. Conclusions Multiple factors contribute to work-related stress and burnout across different professions in the intensive care unit. Improved communication and increased receptivity to diverse opinions among members of the multidisciplinary team may help reduce stress.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective treatment for patients with COPD, but patient uptake and adherence to the current offering of center-based pulmonary rehabilitation is modest due to transportation, access, poverty, and frailty, and even more so in the context of the COVID pandemic. Home-based options have been proposed and were found noninferior to center-based rehabilitation; however, there is a lack of home-based programs, and more understanding is needed. We aimed to test the feasibility, uptake, and adherence to a home-based program for COPD rehabilitation with health coaching. METHODS: We conducted a randomized trial with a wait-list controlled design to evaluate the effects of a home-based program with health coaching on breathlessness in subjects with moderate to severe COPD unable to attend the regular pulmonary rehabilitation program. The 8-week intervention consisted of video-guided exercises to be done 6 times a week and captured with a computer tablet. Health coaching was done weekly over the telephone to review subject activity and symptoms and to provide an opportunity for the subject to define their weekly goals. The primary outcomes were uptake, adherence, and Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) Dyspnea Domain. Secondary outcomes were self-management abilities and CRQ Emotions-Mastery-Fatigue. RESULTS: 154 subjects with moderate to severe COPD were randomized. Subject adherence was 86% to the proposed 6-times a week exercise routine. There ( P = .062) was no significant difference in breathlessness (CRQ dyspnea). There was a significant improvement in self-management abilities ( P < .001). The results of the qualitative interviews showed high levels of acceptability of the program. CONCLUSIONS: The tested home-based rehabilitation program with health coaching was feasible, highly acceptable, showed a high degree of adherence, and improved self-management abilities. This study offers seminal information for home-based rehabilitation programs to design alternative options of rehabilitation to individuals with COPD that cannot attend to the well-established center-based pulmonary rehabilitation. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT02557178.)

Introduction Latino populations, particularly those living in rural areas, experience a disproportionately high prevalence and poorer outcomes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of this study was to test the acceptability and perceived effectiveness of a group-based, facilitated digital storytelling intervention for T2DM self-management among rural Latino patients. Method Twenty Latino adults with T2DM participated in facilitated storytelling discussions at two primary clinics. Participants viewed a 12-minute T2DM self-management digital storytelling intervention, followed by a facilitated group discussion. Surveys, observations, and focus groups were used to assess for acceptability and perceived effectiveness of the intervention through descriptive and qualitative analysis, informed by narrative and social cognitive theory. Results All participants found the intervention interesting and useful and reported improvement in confidence, motivation, and behavioral intentions for T2DM self-management. Themes mapped closely with narrative theory models, further suggestive of the behavior change potential. Discussion Facilitated discussions may add value to viewing of digital stories and represent a scalable approach to provide culturally congruent health care for Latino patients with diabetes in rural settings. Within the paradigm of group-based diabetes educational programs, this lends itself well to critical transcultural nursing care.