Griffin, Joan M.

This was a hypothesis-generating exploration of relationships between caregiver training during TBI/polytrauma rehabilitation and caregiver mental health. In this cross-sectional study, 507 informal caregivers to US service members with TBI who received inpatient rehabilitation care in a Veterans Affairs’ Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center from 2001 to 2009 completed a retrospective, self-report survey. Embedded in the survey were measures of caregiver mental health, including the National Institutes of Health’s Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Anxiety and Depression Short Forms, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale, and the Zarit Burden Short Form. Though no groups endorsed clinical levels, mental health symptoms varied by caregiver training category (Trained, Not Trained, and Did Not Need Training). Caregivers who did not receive training on how to navigate healthcare systems endorsed higher depression and burden and lower self-esteem than those who did. Caregivers who did not receive training in supporting their care recipients’ emotions endorsed higher anxiety, depression, and burden and lower self-esteem than those who did. Analyses also suggested a different association between training and mental health based on caregivers’ relationship to the care recipient and the intensity of care recipient needs. Potential hypotheses for testing in future studies raised by these findings are discussed.

Objective: We conducted a systematic review to evaluate whether caregiver-involved interventions improve patient outcomes among adults with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Method: We identified and summarized data from randomized controlled trials enrolling adults with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease by searching MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and other sources. Patient outcomes included global quality of life, physical and cognitive functioning, depression/anxiety, symptom control and management, and health care utilization. Results: We identified 31 trials; 20 compared a caregiver intervention with usual care or usual care with promise of intervention at completion of study period. Fifteen compared one caregiver intervention with another individual or caregiver intervention (active control). Compared with usual care or active controls, caregiver-involved interventions had low to insufficient strength of evidence and did not consistently improve patient outcomes. Discussion: Evidence is insufficient to endorse use of most caregiver interventions to improve outcomes for patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

BACKGROUNDThe current study was performed to determine whether patient characteristics, including race/ethnicity, were associated with patient‐reported care coordination for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) who were treated in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, with the goal of better understanding potential goals of quality improvement efforts aimed at improving coordination.METHODSThe nationwide Cancer Care Assessment and Responsive Evaluation Studies survey involved VA patients with CRC who were diagnosed in 2008 (response rate, 67%). The survey included a 4‐item scale of patient‐reported frequency (“never,” “sometimes,” “usually,” and “always”) of care coordination activities (scale score range, 1‐4). Among 913 patients with CRC who provided information regarding care coordination, demographics, and symptoms, multivariable logistic regression was used to examine odds of patients reporting optimal care coordination.RESULTSVA patients with CRC were found to report high levels of care coordination (mean scale score, 3.50 [standard deviation, 0.61]). Approximately 85% of patients reported a high level of coordination, including the 43% reporting optimal/highest‐level coordination. There was no difference observed in the odds of reporting optimal coordination by race/ethnicity. Patients with early‐stage disease (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.45‐0.81), greater pain (OR, 0.97 for a 1‐point increase in pain scale; 95% CI, 0.96‐0.99), and greater levels of depression (OR, 0.97 for a 1‐point increase in depression scale; 95% CI, 0.96‐0.99) were less likely to report optimal coordination.CONCLUSIONSPatients with CRC in the VA reported high levels of care coordination. Unlike what has been reported in settings outside the VA, there appears to be no racial/ethnic disparity in reported coordination. However, challenges remain in ensuring coordination of care for patients with less advanced disease and a high symptom burden. Cancer 2015;121:2207–2213. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

Summary The objective of this study was to critically review the empirical evidence from all relevant disciplines regarding obesity stigma in order to (i) determine the implications of obesity stigma for healthcare providers and their patients with obesity and (ii) identify strategies to improve care for patients with obesity. We conducted a search of M edline and PsychInfo for all peer‐reviewed papers presenting original empirical data relevant to stigma, bias, discrimination, prejudice and medical care. We then performed a narrative review of the existing empirical evidence regarding the impact of obesity stigma and weight bias for healthcare quality and outcomes. Many healthcare providers hold strong negative attitudes and stereotypes about people with obesity. There is considerable evidence that such attitudes influence person‐perceptions, judgment, interpersonal behaviour and decision‐making. These attitudes may impact the care they provide. Experiences of or expectations for poor treatment may cause stress and avoidance of care, mistrust of doctors and poor adherence among patients with obesity. Stigma can reduce the quality of care for patients with obesity despite the best intentions of healthcare providers to provide high‐quality care. There are several potential intervention strategies that may reduce the impact of obesity stigma on quality of care.

Purpose High-quality supportive care is an essential component of comprehensive cancer care. We implemented a patient-centered quality of cancer care survey to examine and identify predictors of quality of supportive care for bowel problems, pain, fatigue, depression, and other symptoms among 1,109 patients with colorectal cancer. Patients and Methods Patients with new diagnosis of colorectal cancer at any Veterans Health Administration medical center nationwide in 2008 were ascertained through the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry and sent questionnaires assessing a variety of aspects of patient-centered cancer care. We received questionnaires from 63% of eligible patients (N = 1,109). Descriptive analyses characterizing patient experiences with supportive care and binary logistic regression models were used to examine predictors of receipt of help wanted for each of the five symptom categories. Results There were significant gaps in patient-centered quality of supportive care, beginning with symptom assessment. In multivariable modeling, the impact of clinical factors and patient race on odds of receiving wanted help varied by symptom. Coordination of care quality predicted receipt of wanted help for all symptoms, independent of patient demographic or clinical characteristics. Conclusion This study revealed substantial gaps in patient-centered quality of care, difficult to characterize through quality measurement relying on medical record review alone. It established the feasibility of collecting patient-reported quality measures. Improving quality measurement of supportive care and implementing patient-reported outcomes in quality-measurement systems are high priorities for improving the processes and outcomes of care for patients with cancer.