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OBJECTIVE: Objective structured clinical exams (OSCE) are used to train and assess resident foundational family-centered communication skills incorporating key stakeholders. In 2020 encounters were conducted virtually. We sought to compare standardized patient (SP) and family faculty (FF) assessment across OSCE and virtual OSCE (VOSCE) formats. METHODS: The intern classes of 2019 and 2020 completed a live OSCE and VOSCE respectively where they disclosed an error to an SP. The 10 minute encounter was observed by an FF and facilitator followed by a 20 minute debrief. The SP and FF completed a behavioral checklist to evaluate skill mastery. RESULTS: Eighteen (90%) of the 20 interns completed the encounter each year. Total mastery scores were significantly higher for SP assessment than for FF assessment in both OSCE [68% vs 46% (z = -3.005, P < .05)] and VOSCE formats [68% vs 53% (z = -2.105, P < .05)]. Total mastery scores of SPs across OSCE and VOSCE formats did not significantly differ, nor did FF scores based on evaluation format. CONCLUSIONS: Our current experience suggests VOSCEs are a viable alternative to in person sessions given the comparable assessment across the two modalities. The ease of participating in virtual sessions may provide a way to more easily partner with key stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Capivasertib, an AKT inhibitor, added to fulvestrant, was previously reported to improve progression-free survival in women with aromatase inhibitor-resistant oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. The benefit appeared to be independent of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) pathway alteration status of tumours, as ascertained using assays available at the time. Here, we report updated progression-free survival and overall survival results, and a prespecified examination of the effect of PI3K/AKT/PTEN pathway alterations identified by an expanded genetic testing panel on treatment outcomes.Methods: This randomised, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial recruited postmenopausal adult women aged at least 18 years with ER-positive, HER2-negative, metastatic or locally advanced inoperable breast cancer and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2, who had relapsed or progressed on an aromatase inhibitor, from across 19 hospitals in the UK. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive intramuscular fulvestrant 500 mg (day 1) every 28 days (plus a 500 mg loading dose on day 15 of cycle 1) with either capivasertib 400 mg or matching placebo, orally twice daily on an intermittent weekly schedule of 4 days on and 3 days off, starting on cycle 1 day 15. Treatment continued until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, loss to follow-up, or withdrawal of consent. Treatment was allocated by an interactive web-response system using a minimisation method (with a 20% random element) and the following minimisation factors: measurable or non-measurable disease, primary or secondary aromatase inhibitor resistance, PIK3CA status, and PTEN status. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. Secondary endpoints shown in this Article were overall survival and safety in the intention-to-treat population, and the effect of tumour PI3K/AKT/PTEN pathway status identified by an expanded testing panel that included next-generation sequencing assays. Recruitment is complete. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01992952.Findings: Between March 16, 2015, and March 6, 2018, 183 participants were screened for eligibility and 140 (77%) were randomly assigned to receive fulvestrant plus capivasertib (n=69) or fulvestrant plus placebo (n=71). Median follow-up at the data cut-off of Nov 25, 2021, was 58·5 months (IQR 45·9-64·1) for participants treated with fulvestrant plus capivasertib and 62·3 months (IQR 62·1-70·3) for fulvestrant plus placebo. Updated median progression-free survival was 10·3 months (95% CI 5·0-13·4) in the group receiving fulvestrant plus capivasertib compared with 4·8 months (3·1-7·9) for fulvestrant plus placebo (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0·56 [95% CI 0·38-0·81]; two-sided p=0·0023). Median overall survival in the capivasertib versus placebo groups was 29·3 months (95% CI 23·7-39·0) versus 23·4 months (18·7-32·7; adjusted HR 0·66 [95% CI 0·45-0·97]; two-sided p=0·035). The expanded biomarker panel identified an expanded pathway-altered subgroup that contained 76 participants (54% of the intention-to-treat population). Median progression-free survival in the expanded pathway-altered subgroup for participants receiving capivasertib (n=39) was 12·8 months (95% CI 6·6-18·8) compared with 4·6 months (2·8-7·9) in the placebo group (n=37; adjusted HR 0·44 [95% CI 0·26-0·72]; two-sided p=0·0014). Median overall survival for the expanded pathway-altered subgroup receiving capivasertib was 38·9 months (95% CI 23·3-50·7) compared with 20·0 months (14·8-31·4) for those receiving placebo (adjusted HR 0·46 [95% CI 0·27-0·79]; two-sided p=0·0047). By contrast, there were no statistically significant differences in progression-free or overall survival in the expanded pathway non-altered subgroup treated with capivasertib (n=30) versus placebo (n=34). One additional serious adverse event (pneumonia) in the capivasertib group had occurred subsequent to the primary analysis. One death, due to atypical pulmonary infection, was assessed as possibly related to capivasertib treatment.Interpretation: Updated FAKTION data showed that capivasertib addition to fulvestrant extends the survival of participants with aromatase inhibitor-resistant ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. The expanded biomarker testing suggested that capivasertib predominantly benefits patients with PI3K/AKT/PTEN pathway-altered tumours. Phase 3 data are needed to substantiate the results, including in patients with previous CDK4/6 inhibitor exposure who were not included in the FAKTION trial.Funding: AstraZeneca and Cancer Research UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Australasian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (Aus-ROC) out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) Epistry (Epidemiological Registry) now covers 100% of Australia and New Zealand (NZ). This study reports and compares the Utstein demographics, arrest characteristics and outcomes of OHCA patients across our region.Methods: We included all OHCA cases throughout 2019 as submitted to the Epistry by the eight Australian and two NZ emergency medical services (EMS). We calculated crude and age-standardised incidence rates and performed a national and EMS regional comparison.Results: We obtained data for 31,778 OHCA cases for 2019: 26,637 in Australia and 5,141 in NZ. Crude incidence was 107.9 per 100,000 person-years in Australia and 103.2/100,000 in NZ. Overall, the majority of OHCAs occurred in adults (96%), males (66%), private residences (76%), were unwitnessed (63%), of presumed medical aetiology (83%), and had an initial monitored rhythm of asystole (64%). In non-EMS-witnessed cases, 38% received bystander CPR and 2% received public defibrillation. Wide variation was seen between EMS regions for all OHCA demographics, arrest characteristics and outcomes. In patients who received an EMS-attempted resuscitation (13,664/31,778): 28% (range across EMS = 13.1% to 36.7%) had return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) at hospital arrival and 13% (range across EMS = 9.9% to 20.7%) survived to hospital discharge/30-days. Survival in the Utstein comparator group (bystander-witnessed in shockable rhythm) varied across the EMS regions between 27.4% to 42.0%.Conclusion: OHCA across Australia and NZ has varied incidence, characteristics and survival. Understanding the variation in survival and modifiable predictors is key to informing strategies to improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Sleep-wake disturbances (SWD) are common following stroke, and often extend into the post-acute to chronic periods of recovery. Of particular interest to recovery is a reduction in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, as we know REM sleep to be important for learning and memory. While there is a breadth of evidence linking SWD and stroke, much less work has been done to identify and determine if differences in sleep architecture and apnea severity are dependent on stroke infarct topographies.Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 48 ischemic stroke patients having underwent a full, overnight polysomnography (PSG). All patients were over 30 days post-injury (post-acute) at the time of the PSG. Patients were divided into supra- and infratentorial infarct topography groups based on available medical and imaging records. In addition to sleep study record review, cognitive and outcome measures were examined.Results: Results showed that patients with infratentorial stroke had poorer sleep efficiency, decreased REM sleep, and higher apnea hypopnea index (AHI) than those with supratentorial injuries. Longer continuous REM periods were correlated with higher verbal learning/memory scores, higher levels of positive affect, and lower levels of emotional/behavioral dyscontrol. Neither age nor AHI were significantly correlated with the amount or duration of REM. Slow-wave sleep was significantly reduced across both injury topographies.Conclusions: Infratentorial ischemic stroke patients display significant disruptions in sleep architecture and may require close monitoring for SWDs in the post-acute period to maximize outcome potential. REM sleep is particularly affected when compared to supratentorial ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The emergency department (ED) plays an important role in out-hospital-cardiac arrest (OHCA) management. However, ED outcomes are not widely reported. This study aimed to (1) describe OHCA ED outcomes and reasons for ED deaths, and (2) whether these differed between hospitals.Methods: Data were obtained from the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry and 12 hospitals for adult, non-traumatic OHCA cases transported to ED between 2014 and 2016. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association of level of cardiac arrest centre on ED survival in a subset of cases (non-paramedic witnessed OHCA who were unconscious on ED arrival with ROSC).Results: Of 1547 eligible OHCA cases, 81% (N = 1254) survived ED, varying between 57% to 88% between EDs. Among non-survivors, the majority had either: cessation of resuscitation after presenting with CPR in progress (27%); withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for non-neurological (n = 65, 22%) or neurological (16%) reasons; or a unsuccessful resuscitation following a rearrested in ED (20%). These causes of ED deaths varied between the different levels of cardiac arrest centres, and in our subset of interest (n = 952) ED survival was associated with transportation to centres with high annual OHCA volumes and with 24-hour cardiac intervention capabilities (AOR = 3.43, 95% CI 1.89-6.21).Conclusion: Our study found wide variation in survival between EDs, which was associated with hospital characteristics. Such data suggests the need for a detailed review of ED deaths, particularly in non-cardiac arrest centres, and potentially the need for monitoring ED survival as a measure of quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) has significant consequences for women's mental health, and it also compromises women's economic security and livelihood, including housing stability. There is a dearth of research, however, on protective factors in the link between housing instability and psychopathology in IPV-exposed women.Methods: The current study examines the protective role of social support in the association between housing instability and mental health (depression, posttraumatic stress) in a sample of pregnant, IPV-exposed women (N = 137).Results: Overall models for both depression and posttraumatic stress were significant (F = 6.42, p<.001; R2=16.3%; F = 15.09, p<.001; R2=31.0%, respectively). Housing instability was significantly associated with higher levels of depressed mood (β=0.20, p<.016), but not posttraumatic stress symptoms. Social support was significantly associated with lower levels of depressed mood (β=-0.17, p<.036) and posttraumatic stress (β=-0.38, p =0.001). The addition of the interaction term (housing instability*social support) resulted in a significant improvement in variance explained from the main effects model for depression (F = 4.90, p<.028, ∆R2=3.0%) and the interaction term was significant (β=-0.60, p=.029). An interaction effect of housing instability and social support on posttraumatic stress was not identified.Limitations: Although the current study is the first to examine protective factors in the relationship between housing instability and psychopathology in IPV-exposed pregnant women, data were cross-sectional and therefore directionality and temporality cannot be inferred.Conclusions: Results suggest that housing instability may play a greater role in women's depressed mood than in their experience of posttraumatic stress symptoms, and the presence of social support may substantially ameliorate the effect of this adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Research has consistently suggested social media exerts negative effects on sleep and anxiety. Researchers have however, relied heavily on self-report measures of social media use and correlational designs. The present study employed an experimental manipulation to examine the effects of an acute reduction of social media use over a one-week period to assess the potential causal role of social media use in anxiety and sleep quality.Methods: Baseline social media use across one week was captured via smartphones, in addition to questionnaire measures of anxiety and sleep quality in a group of 93 unselected participants (female = 48, male = 43, did not specify = 2). Participants were then randomly assigned to suspend social media use for one week, whilst the other half used social media as normal. At the end of this week participants returned for a second data collection session where the same measures were re-administered.Results: No evidence of a causal effect of social media use on anxiety or sleep quality was observed.Limitations: While capturing objective mobile social media data, future research could also benefit from incorporating usage data from computers and other devices.Conclusions: The discussion considers the possibility that the findings may represent the genuine absence of such a relationship versus the failure to detect an extant relationship and the importance of including objective measures of social media use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination targets, simplified care engaging people who inject drugs is required. We evaluated whether fingerstick HCV RNA point-of-care testing (PoCT) increased the proportion of clients attending a supervised injecting facility who were tested for hepatitis C. Prospective single-arm study with recruitment between 9 November 2020 and 28 January 2021 and follow-up to 31 July 2021. Clients attending the supervised injecting facility were offered HCV RNA testing using the Xpert® HCV Viral Load Fingerstick (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA) PoCT. Participants with a positive HCV RNA test were prescribed direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. The primary endpoint was the proportion of clients who engaged in HCV RNA PoCT, compared to a historical comparator group when venepuncture-based hepatitis C testing was standard of care. Among 1618 clients who attended the supervised injecting facility during the study period, 228 (14%) engaged in PoCT. This was significantly higher than that observed in the historical comparator group (61/1,775, 3%; p < 0.001). Sixty-five (28%) participants were HCV RNA positive, with 40/65 (62%) receiving their result on the same day as testing. Sixty-one (94%) HCV RNA positive participants were commenced on DAA therapy; 14/61 (23%) started treatment on the same day as diagnosis. There was no difference in the proportion of HCV RNA positive participants commenced on treatment with DAA therapy when compared to the historical comparator group (61/65, 94% vs 22/26, 85%; p = 0.153). However, the median time to treatment initiation was significantly shorter in the PoCT cohort (2 days (IQR 1–20) vs 41 days (IQR 22–76), p < 0.001). Among participants who commenced treatment and had complete follow-up data available, 27/36 (75%) achieved hepatitis C cure. HCV RNA PoCT led to a significantly higher proportion of clients attending a supervised injecting facility engaging in hepatitis C testing, whilst also reducing the time to treatment initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: More than a third of hospitalized women are overdue or nonadherent to breast cancer screening guidelines, and almost a third of them are also at high risk for developing breast cancer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of coordinating inpatient breast cancer screening mammography for these women before their discharge from the hospital.Methods: A prospective intervention study was conducted among 101 nonadherent women aged 50-74 years who were hospitalized to a general medicine service. Sociodemographic, reproductive history, family history of breast cancer, and medical comorbidities data were collected for all patients from January 2015 to October 2016. The data were analyzed in March 2018. Fisher's exact tests and unpaired t-tests were utilized to compare the characteristics of the study population.Results: Of the 101 women enrolled who were nonadherent to breast cancer screening recommendations, their mean age was 59.3 (SD=6) years, the mean 5-year Gail risk score was 1.63 (SD=0.69), and 29% of the women were African American. Almost 80% (n=79) underwent inpatient screening mammography. All women who underwent screening mammography during their inpatient stay were extremely satisfied with the experience. The convenience of having screening mammography while hospitalized was reported to be a major facilitator of completing the overdue screening. All nurses (100%) taking care of these women believed that this practice should become part of the standard of care, and most hospitalist physicians (66%) agreed that this practice is feasible.Conclusions: This study shows that it is possible to coordinate mammography for hospitalized women who were overdue for screening and at high risk for developing breast cancer.Trial Registration: This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT04164251. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social connections can lead to contagion of healthy behaviors. Successful treatment of patients with opioid use disorder may lay in rebuilding social networks. Strong social networks of support can reinforce the benefits of medication treatments that are the current standard of care and the most effective tool physicians have to fight the opioid epidemic.Methods: The research team conducted a systematic review of electronic research databases, specialist journals and grey literature up to August 2020 to identify randomized controlled trials of social network support in patient populations receiving medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The research team placed the studies into a framework of dynamic social networks, examining the role of networks before MOUD treatment is initiated, during the treatment, and in the long-term following the treatment. The research team analyzed the results across three sources of social network support: partner relationships, family, and peer networks.Results: Of 5193 articles screened, eight studies were identified as meeting inclusion criteria. Five studies indicated that social network support had a statistically significant effect on improved MOUD treatment outcomes. We find the strongest support for the positive impact of family social network support.Conclusions: Social networks significantly shape effectiveness of opioid use disorder treatments. While negative social ties reinforce addiction, positive social support networks can amplify the benefits of medication treatments. Targeted interventions to improve treatment outcomes can be designed and added to MOUD treatment with their effects evaluated in improving patients' odds of recovery from opioid use disorder and reversing the rising trend in opioid deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dizziness and gait impairments are commonly observed following a concussion, and both are associated with prolonged concussion recovery.Research Question: Is there a correlation between combined self-reported dizziness and balance impairment severity with objective gait impairments after concussion?Methods: Participants (n = 51; 15.4 ± 1.6 years; 51 % female; 7.3 ± 3.2 days post-injury) age 12-18 years self-reported ratings of dizziness and balance impairment using the Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI) within 14 days of injury. Individual ratings of dizziness, balance impairment, and moving clumsily on the PCSI were combined to create a comprehensive dizziness and imbalance score. Participants also completed a smartphone-based gait evaluation under single-task and dual-task conditions. Correlation coefficients (Pearson r for normally distributed and Spearman rho for non-normally distributed variables) were calculated between self-reported symptoms and single and dual-task spatiotemporal gait parameters, specifically step velocity, step time, and step length.Results: Correlation coefficients indicated that there was low to no correlation between self-reported dizziness and imbalance impairment severity and smartphone-obtained gait parameters under single- or dual-task conditions, including step velocity (single-task: r=-0.22, p = 0.13; dual-task: r=-0.05, p = 0.72), step time (single-task: rho = 0.16, p = 0.27; dual-task: rho = 0.14, p = 0.33), and step length (single-task: r=-0.15, p = 0.30; dual-task: r = 0.03, p = 0.84).Significance: Self-reported dizziness and balance impairment severity within the first two weeks of concussion may not reflect objectively measured gait performance, given the lack of association between subjective symptom ratings and functional measures. Further, smartphone collected gait parameters may not provide the necessary sensitivity to detect an association with dizziness. The lack of significant correlation between self-reported symptoms and objective gait performance highlights the importance of using both objective and subjective measures to obtain a more complete picture of concussion deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our purpose was to compare the clinical and injury characteristics of concussion patients with a receded near point of convergence (NPC) vs those without a receded NPC. Concussion patients were seen within 14 days of injury. We compared those with receded a NPC (>6 cm) break point distance and those with a normal NPC distance on symptom, behavioral, and clinical assessments. We also compared NPC break points between those who did/did not recover within 28 days of injury. 123 patients completed the assessment. 77/123 (63%) of participants demonstrated a receded NPC when tested within 14 days of injury. Those with receded a NPC break point (n = 77; mean = 14.9, SD = 1.5 years; 47% female) were significantly younger than those with a normal NPC break point (n = 46; mean = 15.7, SD = 1.7 years; 46% female). The receded NPC break point group had a significantly greater proportion of patients reporting headaches (86% vs. 61%), as well as significantly greater cognitive (mean = 13.4, SD = 8.7 vs. mean = 8.8, SD = 8.6), somatic (mean = 10.0, SD = 5.9 vs. mean = 6.9, SD = 6.6), and overall (mean = 23.7, SD = 13.6 vs. mean = 15.8, SD = 14.4) symptom severity. Our multivariable model indicated among all potential predictor variables, more severe somatic symptoms were significantly associated with a greater NPC break point (β = 0.26; 95% CI = 0.01, 0.52). The group who went onto experience persistent symptoms had a significantly greater NPC break point at initial evaluation than those without persistent symptoms (mean = 9.7, SD = 7.5 cm vs. mean = 7.0, SD = 4.0 cm). Those with a receded NPC break point at initial evaluation showed an increased symptom burden, most notable with somatic symptoms, compared with those without a receded NPC break point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Recent research has identified neighborhoods as an important contributor to later-life frailty. However, little is known about how neighborhood resources are associated with frailty trajectories over time, especially in developing countries. This study examines the impact of neighborhood physical and social resources on the trajectories of frailty over time among older people in China.Research Design and Methods: Using the four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011-2018), 5673 respondents aged 60 and above at baseline were included for analyses. Multilevel growth modeling was fitted to estimate the effects of neighborhood resources on frailty trajectories over a 7-year period, controlling for individual-level characteristics.Results: Older Chinese people who lived in neighborhoods with better basic infrastructures and a greater number of voluntary organizations were less frail at baseline. Accessible exercise facilities were associated with a lower initial level of frailty only among rural older adults, while higher community-level socioeconomic status (SES) was associated with a lower initial level of frailty only among urban older adults. Over the 7-year follow-up period, better basic infrastructures and accessible exercise facilities were associated with a slower increase rate of frailty scores among rural residents.Discussion and Implications: Neighborhood resources are important contributors to the level of frailty among older Chinese people. Our findings of significant urban-rural differences have important implications for designing and implementing infrastructure development and community building programs in rural and urban China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the current opioid crisis among justice-involved individuals and the need to intervene at the intersection of justice and community health, the JCOIN TCU hub study explores outcomes associated with a multi-level hybrid implementation approach. The study capitalizes on facilitated collaboration, training, and cross-system data sharing to leverage improvements in criminal justice (CJ) and community behavioral health (CBH) interagency collaboration. The goal is to improve local community public health and safety outcomes for reentering justice-involved individuals who have a history of (or are at risk for) using opioids. The study compares two implementation strategies: one (vertical) in which all units in a community are trained and begin the program simultaneously and another (horizontal) in which one lead-off unit in the community is trained as a prototype of the program, the prototype is tested and refined, and then the lead-off unit helps to train other units within the community. Specific aims are to 1) increase access to and retention in CBH and medications for opioid use disorder services; 2) improve outcomes associated with public health and safety; 3) compare two implementation strategies on systems-level outcomes designed to increase service initiation and receipt of implementation and services; and 4) examine the impact of these strategies on justice-involved individuals' outcomes. The study examines both implementation and implementation-effectiveness, seeking to answer the questions of which implementation strategy is most effective for rapid and sustainable uptake of evidence-based practices and for increasing service linkage and initiation, services retention, and improved opioid-related public health safety outcomes. The study uses a hybrid type 3 study design. The study's primary aim is to compare two implementation strategies and two interventions at two levels (client and system), with a secondary aim to assess client-level outcomes associated with the trial. The study design integrates 2 robust methodologies (stepped wedge and cluster randomized trial), and plans to include 18 research performance sites (communities) located in Texas, New Mexico, and Illinois. The study will contribute to the JCOIN network's effort to establish a national consortium of investigators examining promising strategies to enhance the capabilities and capacity of the justice system to more effectively address the opioid epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]