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Introduction: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a well-described risk factor for mortality, but few studies have examined secular trends in mortality over time for patients with PAD. We characterized trends in mortality in patients with PAD in recent years among Medicare patients. Methods: We used Medicare claims to identify patients with a new diagnosis code for PAD between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2018 using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnosis codes. The primary outcome of interest was the 1-year all-cause age-adjusted mortality rate. Our secondary outcome was the 5-year all-cause mortality rate. Multivariable regression was used to identify factors which predict mortality at 1 year. Results: We identified 4,373,644 patients with a new diagnosis code for PAD during the study period. Between 2006 and 2018, 1-year all-cause age-adjusted mortality declined from 12.6% to 9.9% (p < 0.001). One-year crude all-cause mortality also declined from 14.6% to 9.5% (p < 0.001). Similar results were observed for 5-year age-adjusted mortality rates (40.9% to 35.2%, p < 0.001). Factors associated with increased risk of death at 1 year included age ⩾ 85 years (hazard ratio [HR] 3.030; 95% CI 3.008–3.053) and congestive heart failure (HR 1.86; 95% CI 1.85–1.88). Patients who were regularly dispensed statins, ace-inhibitors, beta-blockers, antithrombotic agents, and anticoagulants all had lower mortality (range OR 0.36; CI 0.35–0.37 for statins to OR 0.60; CI 0.59–0.61 for anticoagulants; all p < 0.001). Conclusion: Among US Medicare patients diagnosed with PAD between 2006 and 2019, 1-year age-adjusted mortality declined by 2.7%. This decline in mortality among patients with PAD occurred in the context of a younger mean age of diagnosis of PAD and improved cardiovascular prevention therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2014, the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion (ME) increased Medicaid eligibility for adults with an income level up to 138% of the federal poverty level. In this study, we examined the impact of ME on mortality and amputation in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Methods: The 100% MedPAR and Part-B Carrier files from 2011 to 2018 were queried to identify all fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with PAD using International Classification of Diseases codes. Our primary exposure was whether a state had adopted the ME on January 1, 2014. Our primary outcomes were the change in all-cause 1-year mortality and leg amputation. We used a state-level difference-in-differences (DID) analysis to compare the rates of the primary outcomes among patients who were in states (including the District of Columbia) who adopted ME (n = 25) versus those who were in states that did not (n = 26). We performed a subanalysis stratifying by sex, race, region, and dual-eligibility status. Results: Over the 8-year period, we studied 37,743,929 patients. The average unadjusted 1-year mortality decreased from 2011 to 2018 in both non-ME (9.5% to 8.7%, p < 0.001) and ME (9.1% to 8.3%, p < 0.001) states. The average unadjusted 1-year amputation rate did not improve in either the non-ME (0.86% to 0.87%, p = 0.17) or ME (0.69% to 0.69%, p = 0.65) states. Across the entire cohort, the DID model revealed that ME did not lead to a significant change in mortality (p = 0.15) or amputation (p = 0.34). Conclusion: Medicaid Expansion was not associated with reduced mortality or leg amputation in Medicare beneficiaries with PAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shared decision making (SDM) research has emphasized the role of decision aids (DAs) for helping patients make treatment decisions reflective of their preferences, yet there have been few collaborative multi-institutional efforts to integrate DAs in orthopedic consultations and primary care encounters. Objective: In the context of routine DA implementation for SDM, we investigate which patient-level characteristics are associated with patient preferences for surgery versus medical management before and after exposure to DAs. We explored whether DA implementation in primary care encounters was associated with greater shifts in patients' treatment preferences after exposure to DAs compared to DA implementation in orthopedic consultations. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: 10 High Value Healthcare Collaborative (HVHC) health systems. Study participants: A total of 495 hip and 1343 adult knee osteoarthritis patients who were exposed to DAs within HVHC systems between July 2012 to June 2015. Results: Nearly 20% of knee patients and 17% of hip patients remained uncertain about their treatment preferences after viewing DAs. Older patients and patients with high pain levels had an increased preference for surgery. Older patients receiving DAs from three HVHC systems that transitioned DA implementation from orthopedics into primary care had lower odds of preferring surgery after DA exposure compared to older patients in seven HVHC systems that only implemented DAs for orthopedic consultations. Conclusion: Patients' treatment preferences were largely stable over time, highlighting that DAs for SDM largely do not necessarily shift preferences. DAs and SDM processes should be targeted at older adults and patients reporting high pain levels. Initiating treatment conversations in primary versus specialty care settings may also have important implications for engagement of patients in SDM via DAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A high quality decision requires that patients who meet clinical criteria for surgery are informed about the options (including non-surgical alternatives) and receive treatments that match their goals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties and clinical sensibility of a patient self report instrument, to measure the quality of decisions about total joint replacement for knee or hip osteoarthritis. Methods: The performance of the Hip/Knee Osteoarthritis Decision Quality Instrument (HK-DQI) was evaluated in two samples: (1) a cross-sectional mail survey with 489 patients and 77 providers (study 1); and (2) a randomized controlled trial of a patient decision aid with 138 osteoarthritis patients considering total joint replacement (study 2). The HK-DQI results in two scores. Knowledge items are summed to create a total knowledge score, and a set of goals and concerns are used in a logistic regression model to develop a concordance score. The concordance score measures the proportion of patients whose treatment matched their goals. Hypotheses related to acceptability, feasibility, reliability and validity of the knowledge and concordance scores were examined. Results: In study 1, the HK-DQI was completed by 382 patients (79%) and 45 providers (58%), and in study 2 by 127 patients (92%), with low rates of missing data. The DQI-knowledge score was reproducible (ICC = 0.81) and demonstrated discriminant validity (68% decision aid vs. 54% control, and 78% providers vs. 61% patients) and content validity. The concordance score demonstrated predictive validity, as patients whose treatments were concordant with their goals had more confidence and less regret with their decision compared to those who did not. Conclusions: The HK-DQI is feasible and acceptable to patients. It can be used to assess whether patients with osteoarthritis are making informed decisions about surgery that are concordant with their goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the utility of quantitative computerized pain drawings (CPDs) in a sample of spine patients before and after surgery. Design. Analysis of changes in quantified CPDs, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Short Form-36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), and numerical ratings of pain intensity before and after surgery. Setting. Private clinic in large metropolitan area. Patients. Forty-six patients with spinal stenosis. Interventions. Surgery for the relief of pain due to spinal stenosis. Outcome Measures. A total points (TP) score was calculated from the CPD that reflected the total number of pixels filled by the patient, and the percentage of total pain area indicated as aching, stabbing, numbness, pins and needles, burning, and other, were each calculated separately. CPD scores, ODI score, Physical Components Summary (PCS) and Mental Components Summary scores of the SF-36, and pain intensity ratings (0–10 scale) were all recorded before and after surgical intervention. Results. After surgery, patients showed significant improvements in the extent of shaded pain area of the CPD, pain intensity ratings, ODI, and SF-36 PCS scores (paired t-test, P ≤ 0.01). Changes in TP scores calculated from the CPDs were significantly correlated ( P ≤ 0.05) with changes in ODI scores ( r = 0.34) and pain intensity ratings ( r = 0.37). Changes in the percentage of total pain area covered by specific qualities of pain were not significant. Conclusions. Results from the present study provide initial support for the use of automated quantified data collected from CPDs to evaluate treatment interventions and to serve the clinician as a record of changes in spatial location, radiation or extent of pain, and the sensory quality of pain when evaluating individual patient needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Receiving a new diagnosis of breast cancer is a distressing experience that may precipitate an episode of major depressive disorder. Efficient screening methods for detecting depression in the oncology setting are needed. This study evaluated the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) of the single-item Distress Thermometer (DT) for detecting depression in women newly diagnosed with Stage I–III breast cancer. Methods: We assessed 321 patients (of 345 consecutive patients) at the time of their pre-surgical consultation at a Comprehensive Breast Cancer Program. Patients were administered the DT along with the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-Item Depression Module (PHQ-9) as a gold standard diagnostic assessment of depression status. Results: Mean DT scores (11-point scale, 0–10) were significantly higher for depressed versus non-depressed patients (8.1 versus 4.4). In ROC analyses the DT showed strong discriminatory power relative to the PHQ-9-derived diagnosis of depression, with an area under the curve of 0.87. Patient age, education, marital status and stage of disease resulted in similar operating characteristics. A score of 7 represented the optimal trade-off between sensitivity (0.81) and specificity (0.85) characteristics for detecting depression. Conclusions: The single-item DT performs satisfactorily relative to the PHQ-9 for detecting depression in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. A cutoff score of 7 on the DT possesses the optimal sensitivity and specificity characteristics. The strength of these findings suggests that a careful psychosocial evaluation should follow a positive screen. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]