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As policy makers increasingly recognize the value of community-driven energy investments, we highlight three examples of U.S. states where community-driven projects are an active part of the transitioning energy sector. Each demonstrates the importance of legislatures, regulators, utilities, third-party developers, non-profits, and individual community members in driving energy communities and community driven projects. These examples show that energy community programs use different business models, involve different levels of utility involvement, seek electricity products in addition to energy, and incorporate other policy goals. We draw out aspects of the programs that appear to be working well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine differences among adult patients with diabetes who receive care through a telementoring model versus care at an academic specialty clinic on guideline-recommended diabetes care and self-management behaviors.Methods: Endocrinology-focused Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO Endo) patients completed surveys assessing demographics, access to care, health care quality, and self-management behaviors at enrollment and 1 year after program enrollment. Diabetes Comprehensive Care Center (DCCC) patients completed surveys at comparable time points.Results: At baseline, ECHO patients were less likely than DCCC patients to identify English as their primary language, have postsecondary education, and private insurance. One year postenrollment, ECHO patients visited their usual source of diabetic care more frequently. There were no differences in A1C testing or feet checking by health care professionals, but ECHO patients were less likely to report eye exams and smoking status assessment. ECHO and DCCC patients did not differ in consumption of high-fat foods and soda, physical activity, or home feet checks. ECHO patients were less likely to space carbohydrates evenly and test glucose levels and more likely to have smoked cigarettes.Conclusions: Endo ECHO is a suitable alternative to specialty care for patients in underserved communities with restricted access to specialty care. Results support the value of the Project ECHO telementoring model in addressing barriers to high-quality care for underserved communities.

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.Structures (context of care delivery) and processes (actions aimed at delivery care) are posited to drive patient outcomes. Despite decades of primary care research, there remains a lack of evidence connecting specific structures/processes to patient outcomes to determine which of the numerous recommended structures/processes to prioritize for implementation. The objective of this study was to identify structures/processes most commonly present in high-performing primary care practices for chronic care management and prevention. We conducted key informant interviews with a national sample of 22 high-performing primary care practices. We identified the 10 most commonly present structures/processes in these practices, which largely enable 2 core functions: mobilizing staff to conduct patient outreach and helping practices avoid gaps in care. Given the costs of implementing and maintaining numerous structures/processes, our study provides a starting list for providers to prioritize and for researchers to investigate further for specific effects on patient outcomes.

Raoul L Wolf, MBBCh, FCCP(*); Carolyn A Berry, PhD; Kelly A Quinn, MPH and Annick M Gaye, MD. Department of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, La Rabida Children's Hospital/University of Chicago, [...]

Study objectives: The purpose of this study was to confirm the validity of a brief screen for pediatric asthma in schools. Background: Asthma is the most common chronic disease of [...]

Background:The Primary Care Information Project (PCIP) is a program administered by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to help primary care providers adopt a fully functional electronic health record (EHR) and focus on population health. PCIP also offers practices assistance with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition application. The objectives of this study were to assess the presence of key dimensions of PCMH among PCIP practices with 5 or fewer providers and to determine whether and to what extent NCQA recognition was related to the presence of these dimensions. Methods:Analyses relied on data collected from a comprehensive practice assessment survey of PCIP practices administered in summer 2012. The survey was developed to assess discrete dimensions of the PCMH model and other practice characteristics. The study population includes practices for which survey results were available among PCIP practices with 5 or fewer providers (63% response rate; n = 83). Results:At the time of survey, 57% of practices had received some level of NCQA recognition (n = 47). Practices with recognition scored significantly higher on several dimensions, including whole person orientation, team-based care, care coordination and integration, and quality and safety. Conclusions:Results indicate that very small urban practices in New York City are implementing many key features of PCMH. In general, practices with NCQA recognition scored higher on PCMH constructs and domains relative to practices without recognition; however, there is room for improvement on construct and domain scores in both groups.

Objective. To develop and validate a measure of contemporary life stressors. Study Setting. Three interview studies: Study 1 (pilot), 32 caregivers receiving case management services for a child with chronic illness; Study 2 (validation), 311 caregivers of children receiving general pediatric care at a university clinic; Study 3 (reliability), 17 caregivers of children with a complex medical diagnosis. Study Design. Study 1: item development via discussions with case managers; piloted with caregivers. Study 2 examined psychometric properties of the measure and correlated it with the CES-D, a measure of depressive symptomatology and the PRQ85-Part 2, a measure of perceived social support, to establish its convergent construct validity. Study 3 established the test-retest reliability of the measure over two weeks by correlating two administrations of the index. Data Collection. Face-to-face interviews in homes (Study 1) or in clinic waiting rooms (Studies 2 and 3) and by telephone (Study 3 retest). Principal Findings. The CRISYS is a flexible, multidimensional tool that demonstrates strong face, content, and construct validity, and excellent test-retest reliability. The format is easy to use and well accepted by respondents and is suitable for low-income populations. Conclusions. Researchers will find the CRISYS useful when evaluating the success of a clinical model or a healthcare system, and the effectiveness of an insurance plan or a government program. Clinicians may also find that the CRISYS is an effective screen for family needs. Key Words. Life events, stress, instrument development, test validation, health outcomes, Consumers, employers, and the government are demanding greater accountability from the healthcare industry in terms of quality, cost-effectiveness, and service. The application of clinical algorithms and the measurement of health [...]

Background.Depression is a common and potentially disabling condition, yet many patients remain undiagnosed, and many more fail to receive adequate treatment. To address this gap, clinicians must routinely evaluate patient care practices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a three- stage performance improvement (PI) continuing medical education (CME) initiative to strengthen evidence-based psychiatric practices for the screening and management of patients with depression. Methods. A total of 492 physician participants voluntarily registered to complete a three-stage initiative consisting of self-evaluation, improvement, and reevaluation. Participants were recruited through a series of faxes, e-mails, and direct-mail invitations. Results. Approximately 20 (n=86) of the registrants completed the three-stage initiative. Completers provided chart data on 2,122 patients encountered before and 2,130 patients encountered after engaging in the PI CME activity. Large gains were made in the percentage of patients screened using standardized criteria to assess depression status, particularly the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the PHQ-9 (26 of 1,378 patients at Stage A vs.68 of 1,711 patients at Stage C; p<0.001). Physicians were also more likely to rescreen patients 4 to 8 weeks after initial screening (48 of 1,961 patients at Stage A vs. 75 of 2,028 patients at Stage C; p<0.001) and to assess patient adherence to antidepressants using standardized measures (10 of 1,909 patients at Stage A vs. 45 of 1,740 patients at Stage C; p<0.001). Conclusions. PI CME provides insight into and aids in improving evidence-based patient care in psychiatric practices. (Journal of Psychiatric Practice2014;20:276–283)

Aims: The timely evidence-based care of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is imperative for achieving and maintaining glycemic control, reducing complications, and changing the paradigm of this epidemic. Based largely on results from earlier performance improvement (PI) activities, we conducted a continuing medical education (CME)–certified PI activity to foster improved adherence to guideline recommendations and current evidence for the care of patients with T2DM. Methods: Participants engaged in a 3-stage process of self-assessment, goal setting, and reassessment. Results: A total of 64 clinicians completed the entire PI process, abstracting data from 1600 patient charts before and after a period of self-improvement. After the intervention, clinicians were more likely to assess patients for disease-related complications and provide counseling on proper nutrition, exercise, and smoking cessation. Patients with A1C, blood pressure (BP), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) values above goal (defined as A1C ≥7, BP ≥130/80 mm Hg, and LDL-C >100 g/dL) were more likely to receive treatment modifications compared with baseline clinician performance. Significant changes observed in patient outcomes included improved mean A1C values (baseline 7.5% vs postintervention 7.3%; P = .027), decreased likelihood of BP at or above 130/80 mm Hg (baseline 37% vs postintervention 30%; P < .001), and decreased likelihood of LDL-C above 100 g/dL (baseline 33% vs postintervention, 27%; P < .001). Conclusions: Significant changes in clinician performance of key quality measures were reported in patients with T2DM after a PI CME activity improved adherence to evidence-based recommendations of care.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease marked by a heterogeneous clinical presentation and disease course. Although improvements in the recognition and management of MS have been made in recent years, challenges remain due to the complex nature of the disease. Clinicians must remain current with their skills as knowledge surrounding MS care continues to advance. Here we report results of a performance improvement (PI) continuing medical education (CME) activity that was designed to promote evidence-based care of patients with MS. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in assessing disease-related complications, treating cognitive dysfunction, assessing adherence, and providing disease-related educational materials. These data support the role of PI CME in improving clinician practices that align with quality MS patient care.

Despite the existence and wide acceptance of guidelines for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes, gaps in patient care still remain. To improve clinical processes of acute coronary syndromes care, a performance improvement (PI) continuing medical education (CME) program, a CME format approved by the American Medical Association, was developed. Clinician participants underwent a 3-stage process: (1) an initial patient chart review for self-assessment purposes, (2) the development and implementation of a personalized PI plan focusing on strategies to enhance processes of care, and (3) a second patient chart review to assess the changes in practice. Although participants provided a high baseline level of guideline-recommended care, there was an improvement in the documentation of the use of risk scores and a trend towards improved treatment times including many participants reaching a door-to-needle time of within 30 minutes. Participants were also more likely to measure cardiac biomarkers and document electrocardiogram performance times. These results demonstrate that PI is a valid and effective means of CME that has the potential to positively affect patient outcomes.

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association guidelines are the nationally accepted standards for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes. Despite this recognition, adherence to guideline recommendations remains suboptimal with 25% of opportunities to provide guideline appropriate care missed. To address performance gaps related to acute coronary syndrome care and improve patient outcomes, a performance improvement (PI) initiative was designed for cardiologists and emergency department physicians. As an American Medical Association-approved, standardized continuing medical education initiative, participating physicians can earn up to 20 American Medical Association-PRA Category 1 Creditsby completing 2 phases of self-assessment in addition to developing and implementing a PI plan to address self-identified areas where improvement in patient care is needed. As the second in a series of 3 articles, this article describes the initial data submitted by 101 participating physicians and how their treatment practices compared with American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines as well as with current national standards. Overall, participating physicians meet guideline expectations with performance and documentation of a 12-lead electrocardiography, measurement of cardiac biomarkers, and administration of aspirin. Identified areas of improvement were the standardization of treatment protocols, use of risk assessment scores, appropriate dosing of anticoagulants, and improvement in patient treatment times. A noted challenge of this PI initiative is the low rate of physician participation, with fewer than 10% of registered physicians actively submitting patient data. This fact may reflect several barriers to PI, such as: (1) lack of time to collect and submit data, (2) the belief that current practices do not need to be improved, and (3) the need for system-based improvements.

Arterial and venous thrombosis are serious health threats. Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), acute coronary syndromes (ACS), and venous thromboembolism (VTE) can reduce their risk of thrombosis through proper anticoagulation. Multiple evidence-based guidelines exist regarding the proper use of antithrombotic therapy, yet previous studies have shown the prevalence of inconsistent practices with respect to guideline recommendations. Here, we describe a survey of 647 practicing physicians and their current beliefs, behaviors, and knowledge surrounding the use of antithrombotic therapies in the treatment of their patients with AF, ACS, and VTE. Results show that while most physicians are confident in their abilities to treat patients with these conditions, specific knowledge of guideline recommendations for the optimal use of antithrombotic agents use is low. In addition, physician concerns over bleeding risks and complicated monitoring procedures associated with antithrombotic use were reported as barriers to their use in patients. Survey results also demonstrated that physicians have little knowledge of investigational antithrombotic agents, but would like education about them. These data suggest a need for education on guideline recommendations regarding the appropriate use of current antithrombotic therapies, as well as a need for information on the potential benefits and limitations of investigational drugs that may be used in the future to manage thrombosis in patients with AF, ACS, and VTE.

Although treatment guidelines from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have been published and widely accepted, barriers to the optimal management of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) still exist. Adherence to guidelines has been correlated with improvements in patient outcomes in ACS, including reduced mortality, yet data demonstrate that 25% of opportunities to provide guideline-recommended care are missed. This article describes a performance improvement (PI) initiative designed to address gaps in process-related ACS care and improve patient outcomes. PI is an American Medical Association-approved, standardized continuing medical education format in which physicians can earn up to 20 American Medical Association PRA category 1 credits by completing 2 phases of self-assessment and developing and implementing a PI plan to address self-identified areas in which patient care can be improved. In this ACS PI initiative, physicians will assess their practice using performance measures defined by the 2007 ACC/AHA ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and unstable angina or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction guideline updates within 3 general benchmark areas: (1) patient risk assessment, (2) initial pharmacologic management, and (3) time-to-treatment (ie, “door-to-needle,” “door-to-balloon,” and “door-in-door-out” times). After completing a self-assessment and identifying 1 or more areas of improvement, participants can complete educational interventions and access benchmark-specific tools that provide guidance on improving adherence with the ACC/AHA guidelines. This PI initiative supplements other ongoing quality improvement initiatives in ACS, but is unique in that it is the first to use individual physician self-assessment, benchmark-focused continuing medical education, and self-developed PI plans to improve process-related ACS care.

Increasing the representation of Spanish-speaking study participants requires development and dissemination of reliable and valid translated scales. In the current study the construct validity was assessed of the Spanish version of the Crisis in Family Systems-Revised, a measure of contemporary life stressors, with a convenience sample of 377 parents interviewed in a study of childhood asthma, although over half of the respondents did not have children with asthma. Most respondents were foreign-born women between 20 to 60 years old (M= 35, SD= 7). 52% had not completed high school or its equivalent, and 55% reported a household income of $15,000 or less. For a subsample of 25 respondents test-retest reliability was .86 over 2 wk. Reporting more life stressors was associated with greater depressive symptomatology, poorer physical and mental health function, and lower household income. These relationships support the construct validity of the test in Spanish. This study provided strong evidence that this version is a valid and reliable measure of life stressors for a Spanish-speaking population living in the United States.

The health and health care needs of non-English-speaking Hispanic families with children are poorly understood, in part because they are often excluded from research owing to language barriers. Instruments that are valid in English and Spanish are necessary to accurately evaluate the magnitude of asthma prevalence and morbidity among Hispanics.

Asthma is the most common disease of childhood, but the recognition and detection remain poor, especially among schoolchildren. There has been an increase in the number of instruments available to detect the risk of asthma earlier in children. We have previously validated a simple, self-reported screen, the Brief Pediatric Asthma Screen (BPAS).

PURPOSEthis paper describes the development and psychometric properties of the Diabetes Problem-Solving Measure for Adolescents (DPSMA).METHODSThe DPSMA is a structured, interview-based questionnaire that examines how adolescents with type 1 diabetes solve diabetes-related self-management problems. Seventeen diabetes-related self-management problem vignettes were derived from a survey of adolescents and their parents. The vignettes were reviewed and finalized by a multidisciplinary team of diabetes experts. A sample of 43 adolescents, 13 to 17 years old, with type 1 diabetes, was used to establish the psychometric properties of the instrument.RESULTSThe scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and interrater reliability. Predicted relationships with scores on concurrently administered measures of adherence, diabetes quality of life, and metabolic control provided support for construct validity.CONCLUSIONSThe results suggest that the DPSMA has acceptable internal consistency, interrater reliability, and construct validity. It may be a useful tool to help healthcare providers understand the diabetes-related problem-solving abilities of their adolescent patients.

The objectives of this study were to establish the validity of the Crisis in Family Systems–Revised, a recently developed measure of contemporary life stressors, using the same validation technique as in the original validation and to provide further evidence of construct validity by assessing its relationship to socioeconomic status and residential location. We conducted 124 in-person interviews with parents in three outpatient pediatric asthma clinics affiliated with an academic medical center. The design was cross-sectional and correlational. Total count of life stressors accounted for 19% of the variance in scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression. Respondents using Medicaid and living in the city experienced more objective stressors, but the proportions of stressors rated as negative or positive (Valence), and ongoing (Chronicity) were fairly constant across subsamples, as was the Difficulty rating. Psychologists and health and mental health services researchers are in need of constructs relevant to contemporary society and its issues and tools to measure these constructs. Life stressors appears to be such a construct and the Crisis in Family Systems–Revised a measure with considerable utility.

To assess the extent of physical disability in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), classified according to subtype, and whether synovitis or flexion contractures are present on examination. This retrospective study included 88 JRA patients and 50 controls without musculoskeletal disease. The outcome measure was the disability index (DI) derived from the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ). DI scores for JRA patients with synovitis (mean 0.49, range 0–1.88) and without synovitis (mean 0.37, range 0–1.75) were significantly higher (P &lt; 0.001 for both groups) than for controls (mean 0.06, range 0–0.75, P &lt; 0.001), but not significantly different from one another. Similarly, DI scores for JRA patients with and without any flexion contractures were higher than for controls, but not significantly different from one another. DI scores for JRA patients with both synovitis and flexion contractures were significantly higher than DI scores for JRA patients with neither, but were not distinguishable from JRA patients with synovitis only or flexion contractures only. Likewise, DI scores for JRA patients lacking synovitis and flexion contractures were not significantly different than those for JRA patients with one or the other. DI scores for systemic and polyarticular patients were higher than for pauciarticular patients, and DI scores for all 3 subtypes were higher than for controls. Our findings suggest that many JRA patients, including those with pauciarticular JRA, have problems with physical function, even when synovitis and flexion contractures are not present. Further attention and research is needed to elucidate the causes or origins of disability in JRA patients with seemingly well-controlled disease. We recommend that health status instruments like the CHAQ be more widely used for JRA patients to complement other assessments, especially in planning occupational and physical therapy.

Abstract:This study examines 253 newly hired home attendants to measure the degree to which employment-based health insurance can affect health status and utilization of health care services among a working poor population that has little experience with health insurance and may face other significant barriers to care. Physician contacts increased after benefits were received; attendants who had no coverage during the prior year experienced the greatest average increase. More attendants also reported using emergency rooms. Neither hospitalizations nor health status were affected. These findings indicate that insurance benefits may substantially improve access to care for many working poor persons, regardless of other barriers they may face.

Objective HealthyHearts NYC was a stepped wedge randomized control trial that tested the effectiveness of practice facilitation on the adoption of cardiovascular disease guidelines in small primary care practices. The objective of this study was to identify was to identify attributes of small practices that signaled they would perform well in a practice facilitation intervention implementation.Methods A mixed methods multiple-case study design was used. Six small practices were selected representing 3 variations in meeting the practice-level benchmark of >70% of hypertensive patients having controlled blood pressure. Inductive and deductive approaches were used to identify themes and assign case ratings. Cross-case rating comparison was used to identify attributes of high performing practices.Results Our first key finding is that the high-performing and improved practices in our study looked and acted similarly during the intervention implementation. The second key finding is that 3 attributes emerged in our analysis of determinants of high performance in small practices: (1) advanced use of the EHR; (2) dedicated resources and commitment to quality improvement; and (3) actively engaged lead clinician and office manager.Conclusions These attributes may be important determinants of high performance, indicating not only a small practice’s capability to engage in an intervention but possibly also its readiness to change. We recommend developing tools to assess readiness to change, specifically for small primary care practices, which may help external agents, like practice facilitators, better translate intervention implementations to context.