Antibiotic resistance has been identified by both the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization as a worldwide epidemic. Antimicrobial stewardship programs have been utilized at inpatient settings that include educational programs about antibiotic resistance. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial resistance education in outpatient settings. The databases searched were MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar and CINAHL. PRISMA checklist and flow diagram were used for identifying the randomized control trials for the systematic review. A total of five articles were identified and organized using data collection tables. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist was used to assess the quality of the trials. All five of the articles showed improvement in overall antibiotic prescribing with education in an outpatient setting. Limitations to the studies included patient/provider drop-out rates, changing diagnoses to order antibiotics, lack of inclusion of all antibiotics ordered by practices, time of year the studies took place, and provider access to training regardless of being in sample. Implications for advanced practice nursing were identified as education, starting antibiotic research, utilizing APRN in research and leadership were discussed. Further research is indicated in the effectiveness of outpatient teaching to reduce antibiotic resistance as well as other areas of research the antimicrobial stewardship programs are utilizing in the inpatient settings.
Massachusetts signed into law An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control (hereinafter, the Act) in 2019, which restricted retail sales of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. This study assessed differences in advertising exposure to flavored tobacco products among adolescents in Massachusetts compared with adolescents in 4 neighboring states after passage of the Act.
Abstract Background Although balancing treatment efficacy with risks of complications is critical for older adults with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), few studies have described these patients’ clinical outcomes, rates of toxicities, and health care utilization. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of adults ≥65 years diagnosed with aggressive NHL and receiving systemic therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital from April 2000 to July 2020. We abstracted patient characteristics, clinical outcomes, treatment toxicity, unplanned hospitalizations, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions within 6 months of treatment initiation from the medical record. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined factors associated with rates of grade 3+ nonhematologic toxicity and unplanned hospitalization. Results Among 295 patients (median age, 73 years; 39.0% female), 5-year overall survival (OS) was 74.2%. Five-year OS by age group (65–69, 70–74, 75–79, and 80+ years) was 82.2%, 72.0%, 73.6%, and 66.4%, respectively. Overall, 42.4% experienced grade 3+ toxicity, with 8.1% experiencing grades 4–5. The rates of unplanned hospitalization and ICU admission were 41.0% and 6.1%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, hypoalbuminemia (odds ratio [OR], 4.29; p < .001) and high comorbidity score (OR, 4.22; p < .001) were associated with likelihood of grade 3+ toxicity. Hypoalbuminemia (OR, 2.83; p = .003), high comorbidity score (OR, 3.93; p = .001), and receipt of EPOCH (etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin; OR, 5.45; p = .012) were associated with likelihood of unplanned hospitalization. Conclusions The majority of older adults receiving upfront therapy for aggressive NHL survive beyond 5 years, yet nearly half experience substantial treatment toxicities and unplanned hospitalizations. Our findings underscore the need for supportive care interventions to enhance the care experience of this population. Implications for Practice The results of this study highlight the potential benefits of intensive chemoimmunotherapy for the majority of older adults with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma, even at advanced ages. Nearly half of older adults experienced substantial treatment toxicities and unplanned hospitalizations, emphasizing the unmet need for supportive care interventions in this population. The present study also identified hypoalbuminemia and patient comorbidity score as factors associated with grade 3+ nonhematologic toxicity and unplanned hospitalization. These findings may guide the development and implementation of targeted supportive care interventions in high-risk older adults with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Importance There is a need for observational studies to supplement evidence from clinical trials, and the target trial emulation (TTE) framework can help avoid biases that can be introduced when treatments are compared crudely using observational data by applying design principles for randomized clinical trials. Adalimumab (ADA) and tofacitinib (TOF) were shown to be equivalent in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a randomized clinical trial, but to our knowledge, these drugs have not been compared head-to-head using routinely collected clinical data and the TTE framework. Objective To emulate a randomized clinical trial comparing ADA vs TOF in patients with RA who were new users of a biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (b/tsDMARD). Design, Setting, and Participants This comparative effectiveness study emulating a randomized clinical trial of ADA vs TOF included Australian adults aged 18 years or older with RA in the Optimising Patient Outcomes in Australian Rheumatology (OPAL) data set. Patients were included if they initiated ADA or TOF between October 1, 2015, and April 1, 2021; were new b/tsDMARD users; and had at least 1 component of the disease activity score in 28 joints using C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) recorded at baseline or during follow-up. Intervention Treatment with either ADA (40 mg every 14 days) or TOF (10 mg daily). Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was the estimated average treatment effect, defined as the difference in mean DAS28-CRP among patients receiving TOF compared with those receiving ADA at 3 and 9 months after initiating treatment. Missing DAS28-CRP data were multiply imputed. Stable balancing weights were used to account for nonrandomized treatment assignment. Results A total of 842 patients were identified, including 569 treated with ADA (387 [68.0%] female; median age, 56 years [IQR, 47-66 years]) and 273 treated with TOF (201 [73.6%] female; median age, 59 years [IQR, 51-68 years]). After applying stable balancing weights, mean DAS28-CRP in the ADA group was 5.3 (95% CI, 5.2-5.4) at baseline, 2.6 (95% CI, 2.5-2.7) at 3 months, and 2.3 (95% CI, 2.2-2.4) at 9 months; in the TOF group, it was 5.3 (95% CI, 5.2-5.4) at baseline, 2.4 (95% CI, 2.2-2.5) at 3 months, and 2.3 (95% CI, 2.1-2.4) at 9 months. The estimated average treatment effect was −0.2 (95% CI, −0.4 to −0.03; P = .02) at 3 months and −0.03 (95% CI, −0.2 to 0.1; P = .60) at 9 months. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, there was a modest but statistically significant reduction in DAS28-CRP at 3 months for patients receiving TOF compared with those receiving ADA and no difference between treatment groups at 9 months. Three months of treatment with either drug led to clinically relevant average reductions in mean DAS28-CRP, consistent with remission.
Background: Interventions to address sexual health in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors are limited. Methods: We conducted a pilot randomized trial of a digital app, SHIFT (Sexual Health and Intimacy Following Transplant), to address sexual dysfunction in HSCT survivors who were ≥3 months post autologous or allogeneic HSCT. Patients were randomly assigned to SHIFT or enhanced usual care. All participants first underwent a brief physical examination by a trained HSCT clinician. Participants assigned to the intervention received access to SHIFT for 8 weeks. SHIFT consists of 5 modules addressing the biological, interpersonal, social, and psychological causes of sexual dysfunction. The primary endpoint was feasibility, defined a priori as ≥60% enrollment of eligible patients, and 60% of those assigned to SHIFT completing ≥70% of the modules. We assessed patient satisfaction with sex, interest in sex, orgasm pleasure (using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS]), quality of life (QoL; using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Bone Marrow Transplant [FACT-BMT]), and anxiety and depression symptoms (using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]) at baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. The preliminary effects of SHIFT on study outcomes were explored using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and estimates of effect size at 8 weeks (Cohen’s d). Results: We enrolled 64.2% (61/95) of eligible patients. Of those assigned to the intervention, 70.0% completed 4 of the 5 SHIFT modules and 66.7% completed all SHIFT modules. At 8 weeks, SHIFT participants reported improved satisfaction with sex (14.6 vs 12.3; d=0.46), interest in sex (6.7 vs 5.7; d=0.59), orgasm pleasure (9.7 vs 8.3; d=0.37), QoL (115.6 vs 108.3; d=0.45), and symptoms of anxiety (4.5 vs 6.4; d=0.47) and depression (3.6 vs 5.4; d=0.62) compared with the control group. Conclusions: The SHIFT digital app to address sexual dysfunction demonstrated feasibility and promising preliminary efficacy in improving sexual health outcomes, QoL, and psychological distress for HSCT survivors.
e18582 Background: Social support plays a crucial role for patients with aggressive hematologic malignancies as they navigate their illness course. We examined associations of social support with overall survival and health care utilization in this population. Methods: We conducted a cross sectional secondary analysis using data from a prospective longitudinal cohort study of 251 hospitalized patients with aggressive hematologic malignancies at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2014 through 2017. We utilized Natural Language Processing (NLP) to identify extent of patients’ social support (limited versus adequate as defined by NLP-aided chart review of the Electronic Health Record (EHR)). We used multivariable regression models to examine associations of social support with: 1) overall survival; 2) death or readmission within 90 days of discharge from index hospitalization; 3) time to readmission within 90 days; and 4) index hospitalization length of stay. Results: Patients had a median age of 64 (range: 19-93) years, and most were white (89.6%), male (68.9%), and married (65.3%). A plurality of patients had leukemia (42.2%) followed by lymphoma (37.9%) and myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (19.9%). Using NLP, we identified that 8.8% (22/251) of patients had limited social support. In multivariable analyses, limited social support was associated with worse overall survival (HR = 2.00, p = 0.042) and higher likelihood of death or readmission within 90 days of discharge (OR = 3.11, P = 0.043), but not with time to readmission within 90 days, or index hospital length of stay. Conclusions: In this cohort of hospitalized patients with aggressive hematologic malignancies, we found associations of limited social support with lower overall survival and higher likelihood of death or readmission within 90 days of hospital discharge. These findings underscore the utility of NLP for evaluating extent of social support and the need for larger studies evaluating social support in patients with aggressive hematologic malignancies.
Patients with cancer often endure substantial symptoms and treatment toxicities leading to high healthcare utilization, including hospitalizations and emergency department visits, throughout the continuum of their illness. Innovative oncology care models are needed to improve patient outcomes and reduce their healthcare utilization. Using a novel hospital at home care platform, we developed a Supportive Oncology Care at Home intervention to address the needs of patients with cancer.
7557 Background: Aggressive NHLs frequently affect older adults, and are often treated with intensive systemic therapy that is potentially curative but can cause substantial toxicities. Although balancing treatment efficacy with the risk of complications is critically important for older adults with NHL, few studies have described these patients’ survival outcomes, rates of toxicities, and healthcare utilization. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of adults > 65 years diagnosed with aggressive NHL and treated with systemic therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital from 4/2000-7/2020. We abstracted patient demographic and clinical information, survival outcomes, treatment toxicity (rates and grade), and healthcare utilization outcomes (intensive care unit [ICU] admissions and unplanned hospitalizations within six months of treatment initiation) from the electronic health record. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined patient and disease factors associated with rates of grade 3+ non-hematologic toxicity and unplanned hospitalization. Results: Of 295 patients (median age = 73 years [age 65-69: 32.5%; age 70-74: 26.1%; age 75-79: 20.0%; age 80+: 21.4%], 39.0% female), most had advanced stage disease (59.5%) and an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1 (83.1%). The most common diagnosis was de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or grade 3B follicular lymphoma (69.2%). Most common therapies were CHOP (65.8%) and EPOCH (17.0%) with or without Rituximab. With a median follow up of 5.9 years, 5-year overall survival (OS) was 74.2%. Among patients age 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and 80+ years, 5-year OS by age group were 82.1%, 72.2%, 73.5%, and 66.3%, respectively. Overall, 42.4% had grade 3+ toxicity, while 8.1% had grade 4 or 5 toxicity. The rates of unplanned hospitalization and ICU admission during the first 6 months of therapy were 41.0% and 6.1%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, hypoalbuminemia (OR 4.22, 95%, p < 0.001) and number of comorbidities (OR 1.75, p < 0.001) were associated with a greater likelihood of grade 3+ toxicity. Hypoalbuminemia (OR 2.76, p = 0.003), number of comorbidities (OR 1.61, p = 0.001), and receipt of EPOCH (OR 5.41, p = 0.012) were associated with a greater likelihood of unplanned hospitalization. Conclusions: The majority of older adults receiving upfront therapy for aggressive NHL survive beyond 5 years, yet nearly half experience substantial treatment toxicities and unplanned hospitalizations. Our findings underscore the need to develop supportive care interventions to enhance the care experience for older adults with NHL.
In February 2003, Needham, Massachusetts, became the first town in the nation to raise the minimum legal sales age for tobacco and nicotine products to 21 years (Tobacco 21). This legislation marked a dramatic departure from existing state and federal laws, which generally set the minimum sales age at 18 years. The Needham law significantly preceded and ultimately heralded the emergence of a nationwide movement to raise such sales age. As of May 2019, 14 states and more than 450 cities and counties have passed legislation raising the minimum legal sales age for tobacco and nicotine products to 21 years, covering more than 30% of the United States' population. The National Academy of Medicine projects that this policy will lower tobacco use rates, particularly among adolescents, and save a substantial number of lives. This narration of the process that led to Needham's passing of Tobacco 21 legislation and to the growth and spread of the Tobacco 21 movement highlights the significant role of public health advocacy and policy in the control of tobacco, the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. (Am J Public Health. 2019;109:1540-1547. doi: 10.2105/AJPH. 2019.305209).
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