Ridgeway, Jennifer L

ABSTRACT Purpose To explore the opioid decision‐making process of prescribers in primary care, surgery, and subspecialty pain management. Methods This was a multistage qualitative‐qualitative study with clinicians involved in opioid prescribing and management from a single healthcare organization with locations in Minnesota, Florida, Arizona, and Wisconsin. Clinicians in this study included physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), and physician assistants (PAs) practicing in primary care, surgery, or pain medicine. The interview guide was organized in three domains of a conceptual model for opioid use: (1) prescriber characteristics, (2) patient characteristics, and (3) practice environment characteristics. Individual interviews ( N = 20) were performed first, and data were summarized using a rapid template‐based approach. Subsequently, focus groups (FGs) ( N = 4) were conducted with an additional 21 clinicians to confirm and explore interview results. Data from interviews and FGs were analyzed using a common codebook. Results Findings were organized as decision factors into the three domains. Factors in the prescriber domain included characteristics such as formal pain management training, as well as factors that influenced knowledge and beliefs (e.g., advice from or observation of supervising clinicians and expert colleagues). Decision factors in the patient domain included patient pain etiology, comorbid medical or mental health conditions, and demographic characteristics. Clinicians' perceptions of these factors, such as viewing older age as having lesser risk for opioid misuse, influenced prescribing decisions. Clinicians also described challenges associated with “legacy patients” whose therapy was previously managed by a different clinician. Primary care clinicians, in particular, expressed difficulties managing post‐surgical or trauma‐related pain after care transition. Relevant decision factors reported by prescribers in the practice environment domain included guidelines and practice oversight. Most participants reported practicing in an environment that promoted conservative opioid use and having access to standardized institutional guidelines that reduced perceived decision‐making burden. Clinicians described how they used prescribing guidelines to help them communicate with patients about opioid use and prescribing decisions. Conclusions Intersecting prescriber, patient, and practice environment factors shape opioid analgesic prescribing decisions. Available resources in the practice environment, including peer input and institutional guidelines, may support clinician decision‐making and conversations with patients at the point of care, including in cases where patients have complex histories or personal characteristics that influence decision making.

Background: Southeast Asian Americans (SEAAs) experience a disproportionately high burden of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with incidence in several subgroups (i.e., Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese individuals) reaching up to nine times that of non-Hispanic Whites. HCC in SEAAs is largely driven by chronic hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). Despite established screening guidelines, under-detection and delayed diagnosis remain common. Objective: To summarize epidemiologic patterns, risk factors, screening challenges, and potential interventions aimed at reducing HCC disparities among SEAAs. Design and Methods: This narrative review synthesized evidence from population based epidemiologic studies, community-based interventions, health services research, and policy analyses. Attention was given to studies reporting disaggregated SEAA subgroup data. Findings derived from SEAA specific studies were distinguished from evidence drawn from broader Asian American or general cirrhosis populations, with inferential steps explicitly noted where subgroup specific data were limited. Key Findings: HCC incidence varies widely across SEAA subgroups, with elevated HBV- and HCV-related HCC in Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian communities, and increasing MASLD-related HCC including among lean individuals who fall outside many surveillance frameworks. Screening and surveillance remain suboptimal, with fewer than 30% of patients with cirrhosis receiving recommended semiannual HCC surveillance and even lower uptake among SEAAs. Barriers include low HBV/HCV screening rates, limited disease awareness, language barriers, underinsurance, provider knowledge gaps, and lack of automated EHR-based reminders. Structural challenges such as poverty, transportation barriers, and limited access to specialty care further delay diagnosis. Proposed Interventions: Culturally tailored outreach programs, bilingual navigators, and community-based screening initiatives have demonstrated improved HBV/HCV testing and linkage to care. AI-enabled EHR tools may enhance identification of high-risk patients, streamline follow-up, and increase surveillance adherence. Expanded use of non-invasive fibrosis assessment and recognition of MASLD-related risk in non-obese individuals may support earlier detection. Policy priorities include mandatory Asian subgroup data disaggregation, expanded insurance coverage, and strengthened community-level healthcare infrastructure. Conclusions: SEAAs face a substantial and preventable HCC burden. A coordinated approach combining culturally tailored community engagement, improved provider support systems, and policy reforms is essential to improving early detection and reducing HCC disparities in this diverse population.

PURPOSE This national study was undertaken to determine screening mammography rates among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals. METHODS TGD individuals and cisgender women who qualified to receive screening mammography based on American College of Radiology guidelines were identified in the longitudinal OptumLabs Data Warehouse. The primary end point was the percentage of patients who had high rates of screening (>75% recommended screenings). Multivariable analyses were conducted in a matched population of transgender men to cisgender women to identify and adjust for factors associated with high adherence. Individuals were matched at a 1:4 ratio (transgender men: cisgender women) on age, race/ethnicity, year of enrollment in their health care plan, and duration of follow-up. RESULTS This study focused on 10,478 TGD individuals (3,778 transgender men; 1,294 transgender women; 5,406 with gender dysphoria not meeting other TGD criteria, NMOT) and 6,218,369 cisgender women. For transgender men, transgender women, individuals with gender dysphoria NMOT, and cisgender women, high mammography rates were observed in 41.1% (95% CI, 39.5 to 42.6), 7.4% (95% CI, 6.0 to 8.8), 11.9% (95% CI, 11.0 to 12.7), and 38.3% (95% CI, 38.3 to 38.4), respectively ( P < .0001). When transgender men were compared with 15,112 matched cisgender women, an age-based differential association was observed between sex and high mammography rates (interaction P = .0003); compared with cisgender women, transgender men appeared more likely to manifest high rates of screening at age 40-49 years (odds ratios [ORs], 1.38 [95% CI, 1.28 to 1.50]; P < .0001) and 50-59 years (OR, 1.57 [95% CI, 1.35 to 1.81]; P < .0001) but not in the older age groups. CONCLUSION The relatively high rates of screening mammography in cisgender women and transgender men suggest clinicians are offering mammography to individuals who are at average or high breast cancer risk, as compared with cisgender women, and not to transgender women at low risk.

ABSTRACT Background The Geriatric Emergency Department (ED) guidelines recommend screening older adults for delirium using evidence‐based screening tools, but these tools are often underutilized. We aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing an electronic health record (EHR)‐based delirium screening tool as intended. Methods This mixed methods and focused ethnographic study combined a review of structured delirium screening data with observations of real‐time delirium screenings and semi‐structured in‐person interviews at an academic ED that previously implemented the Delirium Triage Screen (DTS) and Brief Confusion Assessment Method (bCAM) tool. Content analysis of field notes from observations and interview transcripts was guided by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment implementation framework. Results From a total of 40,818 ED visits, 6196 (15.2%) had incomplete screens (i.e., without fidelity). We observed 62 encounters, of which 25 (40.3%) screenings were implemented without fidelity due to (1) not asking the required screening questions, (2) assuming patient responses, or (3) not completing the screen due to uncertainty regarding a patient's baseline mentation. We conducted 32 interviews. Identified barriers included staff prioritization of other tasks (e.g., stroke code, cleaning patients), limited knowledge of the screen's importance and utility, and language discordance. Facilitators included care partners providing baseline mental status information and nurses prefacing the screening to increase patient engagement. Conclusion The fidelity of ED delirium screening is influenced by an interplay of environmental, patient, provider, and caregiver factors. Fidelity may be improved by focusing education on the importance of screening, training screeners on how to determine whether a patient's mentation is acutely changed, providing clear action steps when a patient screens positive, and addressing how to administer the delirium screen to patients who do not speak English fluently.

AbstractElectronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) can improve care for people with cancer, but effectiveness hinges on well-supported integration in clinical settings.We evaluated clinician use of specific clinical decision support (CDS) tools in the electronic health record (EHR) designed to facilitate timely, clinically appropriate responses to ePROM scores for six symptoms commonly experienced by cancer patients.The parent pragmatic trial, which took place at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota, United States) and its affiliated community health care system between March 2019 and January 2023, evaluated the population-level effectiveness and implementation of an ePROM surveillance and EHR-facilitated collaborative care symptom management intervention. The present evaluation used a case study approach with four data sources: (1) clinician interactions with CDS tools abstracted from the EHR; (2) clinician notes identified with an institution-specific textual search tool; (3) qualitative interviews and group discussions with care teams; and (4) administrative records reviewed to identify training and outreach to care teams.EHR metrics showed very low adoption of CDS tools including alerts and symptom-specific order sets, despite educational outreach and information technology support provided to clinical care teams. Qualitative findings revealed that CDS use was not easy to integrate into busy clinical workflows and highlighted clinician perceptions that the collaborative care intervention provided additional patient support that reduced clinicians' need to utilize CDS tools. They also highlight the importance of contextual factors, including institutional priorities and EHR changes.This pragmatic clinical trial case study found limited adoption of EHR CDS tools that had been developed to increase clinicians' awareness of and responses to ePROM data. Findings suggest the need to align clinician and organizational implementation strategies, simplify CDS tools to fit practice expectations, and identify and address contextual factors that could undercut strategies like education and peer support. This may be especially important for teams who aim to iteratively evaluate and refine CDS and implementation strategies for multicomponent interventions or introduce new strategies that are responsive to barriers while maintaining scalability.

Background: Collaborative methods are necessary to meet patient palliative care (PC) needs because of the inadequate supply of PC specialists. Objective: This study aimed to conduct a needs assessment and determine primary care, emergency, and hospital physicians’ general attitudes about primary PCs, confidence in managing common PC scenarios, and preferences for interaction with specialty PCs. Design: A sequential mixed-methods study design was used, whereby individual qualitative interviews informed the content of a quantitative survey. Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted by a member of the study team with expertise in qualitative research methods. Setting/Subjects: The quantitative survey, delivered to primary care, emergency, and hospital physicians across four distinct geographic locations of a large health system, solicited impressions on common clinical PC scenarios that might pose challenges. Measurements: Survey data included demographic information, clinician confidence levels, preferences for support in managing PC scenarios, and likelihood to refer to PC. Results: The quantitative survey was completed by 126 physicians (response rate, 13.9%). Overall mean (standard deviation) confidence levels were lowest for a scenario about handling pain (5.57 [2.35] out of 10) and highest for goals-of-care conversations with the patient (7.80 [2.02]). Spearman correlations between mean confidence and likelihood to refer to PC demonstrated weak to moderate inverse correlations. Respondents with previous training in PC had higher mean confidence in managing symptoms and goals-of-care conversations. Conclusions: Continuing efforts are needed to help improve physicians’ confidence in primary PC skills and develop innovative methods to provide collaborative support of specialty PCs across various specialties and PC needs.

Abstract Introduction: Pragmatic trials aim to speed translation to practice by integrating study procedures in routine care settings. This study evaluated implementation outcomes related to clinician and patient recruitment and participation in a trial of community paramedicine (CP) and presents successes and challenges of maintaining pragmatic study features. Methods: Adults in the pre-hospital setting, emergency department (ED), or hospital being considered for referral to the ED/hospital or continued hospitalization for intermediate-level care were randomized 1:1 to CP care or usual care. Referral and enrollment data were tracked administratively, and patient characteristics were abstracted from the electronic health record (EHR). Enrolled patients completed baseline surveys, and a subset of intervention patients were interviewed. All CPs and a sample of clinicians and administrators were invited to complete a survey and interview. Results: Between January 2022 and February 2023, 240 enrolled patients (42% rural) completed surveys, and 22 completed an interview; 63 staff completed surveys and 20 completed an interview. Ninety-three clinicians in 27 departments made at least one referral. Factors related to referrals included program awareness and understanding the CP practice scope. Most patients were enrolled in the hospital, but characteristics were similar to the primary care population and included older and medically complex patients. Challenges to achieving representativeness included limited EHR infrastructure, constraints related to patient consenting, and clinician concerns about patient randomization disrupting preferred care. Conclusion: Future pragmatic trials in busy clinical settings may benefit from regulatory policies and EHR capabilities that allow for real-world study conduct and representative participation. Trial registration: NCT05232799.

PURPOSE The enhanced, electronic health record (EHR)–facilitated cancer symptom control (E2C2) trial is a cohort cluster-randomized, stepped-wedge, hybrid type II trial that leverages EHR systems to facilitate a collaborative care model (CCM) approach with the goal of improving cancer symptom management. Understanding factors that influence care team adoption of EHR systems remains a critical understudied area of research. This study examines how oncology care teams' perceptions regarding the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of E2C2 EHR systems preimplementation were associated with adoption 3 months after implementation and characterizes differences in adoption by individual- and system-level factors. METHODS Care team members completed an electronic survey before and 3 months after implementation of E2C2 for their respective sequence. Adoption was defined as frequency of use to statements aligned with care team–directed EHR systems designed to facilitate CCM approaches. Chi-square tests assessed differences in adoption while logistic regression models estimated associations between baseline mean scores of acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness on care team adoption at 3 months. RESULTS Results from 94 care team members (37.2% oncologists, 72.6% female, 55.3% in their role for 6+ years) found that adoption rates ranged from 48.9% to 71.7%, with significant differences observed by location (community-based health care systems v tertiary medical center) and professional role. Adjusting for professional role, care team members reporting higher levels of perceived acceptability and appropriateness at baseline had greater odds of adopting EHR systems at 3 months. CONCLUSION EHR systems perceived as acceptable and appropriate are more likely to be adopted by oncology care teams in our sample. Future implementation efforts should consider tailored strategies to facilitate adoption of EHR systems designed to promote CCM-based approaches to improve cancer symptom management.

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.