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Background: The authors examined baseline physical functional (PF) impairment among cancer outpatients in the National Cancer Institute Cancer Moonshot study Northwestern University Improving the Management of Symptoms During and Following Cancer Treatment (NU IMPACT). They hypothesized that PF impairment, measured with the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System-Physical Function (PROMIS-PF) survey, would (1) be common and more prevalent for patients receiving treatment compared with no treatment and (2) differ across tumor types, independent of cancer continuum phase., Methods: Adults who were diagnosed with cancer in NU IMPACT (n = 2273) were sampled, and their PROMIS-PF scores were compared across tumor types and cancer continuum (curative, noncurative, or no treatment), with scores ≤40 indicating moderate-severe impairment. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relation among patient and cancer factors and PF scores using a 95% confidence interval., Results: Forty percent of the surveyed patients reported moderate-severe PF impairment. Patients with melanoma reported the least impairment, and those with lung cancer were 6.5 times more likely to have moderate-severe impairment (95% confidence interval, 2.393-17.769). The noncurative group was 1.5 times more likely to have moderate-severe impairment (95% confidence interval, 1.045-2.145; mean score, 43; p < .001) than the curative (mean score, 6) and no treatment (mean score, 48) groups. One-third of those who reported PF impairment also had significant pain and/or fatigue., Conclusions: A sizeable minority experienced PF impairment across tumor types for which pain and/or fatigue co-occurred, particularly in the noncurative group. The PROMIS-PF survey effectively identified variations in physical function. Future studies will explore how screening for PF impairment can be used to refer patients for appropriate cancer rehabilitation services., (© 2024 The Author(s). Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Cancer Society.)

Importance: Increased secure firearm storage can reduce youth firearm injury and mortality, a leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the US. Despite the availability of evidence-based secure firearm storage programs and recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, few pediatric clinicians report routinely implementing these programs., Objective: To compare the effectiveness of an electronic health record (EHR) documentation template (nudge) and the nudge plus facilitation (ie, clinic support to implement the program; nudge+) at promoting delivery of a brief evidence-based secure firearm storage program (SAFE Firearm) that includes counseling about secure firearm storage and free cable locks during all pediatric well visits., Design, Setting, and Participants: The Adolescent and Child Suicide Prevention in Routine Clinical Encounters (ASPIRE) unblinded parallel cluster randomized effectiveness-implementation trial was conducted from March 14, 2022, to March 20, 2023, to test the hypothesis that, relative to nudge, nudge+ would result in delivery of the firearm storage program to an additional 10% or more of the eligible population, and that this difference would be statistically significant. Thirty pediatric primary care clinics in 2 US health care systems (in Michigan and Colorado) were included, excluding clinics that were not the primary site for participating health care professionals and a subset selected at random due to resource limitations. All pediatric well visits at participating clinics for youth ages 5 to 17 years were analyzed., Interventions: Clinics were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the nudge or nudge+., Main Outcomes and Measures: Patient-level outcomes were modeled to estimate the primary outcome, reach, which is a visit-level binary indicator of whether the parent received both components of the firearm storage program (counseling and lock), as documented by the clinician in the EHR. Secondary outcomes explored individual program component delivery., Results: A total of 47 307 well-child visits (median [IQR] age, 11.3 [8.1-14.4] years; 24 210 [51.2%] male and 23 091 [48.8%] female) among 46 597 children and 368 clinicians were eligible to receive the firearm storage program during the trial and were included in analyses. Using the intention-to-treat principle, a higher percentage of well-child visits received the firearm storage program in the nudge+ condition (49%; 95% CI, 37-61) compared to nudge (22%; 95% CI, 13-31)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, the EHR strategy combined with facilitation (nudge+) was more effective at increasing delivery of an evidence-based secure firearm storage program compared to nudge alone., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04844021.

Objectives: To assess the use of a co-designed patient-reported outcome (PRO) clinical dashboard and estimate its impact on shared decision-making (SDM) and symptomatology in adults with advanced cancer or chronic kidney disease (CKD)., Materials and Methods: We developed a clinical PRO dashboard within the Northwestern Medicine Patient-Reported Outcomes system, enhanced through co-design involving 20 diverse constituents. Using a single-group, pretest-posttest design, we evaluated the dashboard's use among patients with advanced cancer or CKD between June 2020 and January 2022. Eligible patients had a visit with a participating clinician, completed at least two dashboard-eligible visits, and consented to follow-up surveys. PROs were collected 72 h prior to visits, including measures for chronic condition management self-efficacy, health-related quality of life (PROMIS measures), and SDM (collaboRATE). Responses were integrated into the EHR dashboard and accessible to clinicians and patients., Results: We recruited 157 participants: 66 with advanced cancer and 91 with CKD. There were significant improvements in SDM from baseline, as assessed by collaboRATE scores. The proportion of participants reporting the highest level of SDM on every collaboRATE item increased by 15 percentage points from baseline to 3 months, and 17 points between baseline and 6-month follow-up. Additionally, there was a clinically meaningful decrease in anxiety levels over study period (T-score baseline: 53; 3-month: 52; 6-month: 50; P < .001), with a standardized response mean (SRM) of -0.38 at 6 months., Discussion: PRO clinical dashboards, developed and shared with patients, may enhance SDM and reduce anxiety among patients with advanced cancer and CKD., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.)

Background: Few study authors examined factors influencing health-related quality of life (HRQOL) early after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation., Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether 5 novel self-report measures and other variables were significantly associated with overall HRQOL at 3 months after LVAD surgery., Methods: Patients were recruited between October 26, 2016, and February 29, 2020, from 12 US sites. Data were collected before LVAD implantation and at 3 months post LVAD implantation. Overall HRQOL measures included the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-12 (KCCQ-12) overall summary score (OSS) and EuroQol 5-dimension- 3L visual analog scale. Potential factors associated with overall HRQOL included 5 novel self-report measures (Satisfaction with Treatment, Being Bothered by VAD Self-care and Limitations, VAD Team Communication, Self-efficacy regarding VAD Self-care, and Stigma), and demographic and clinical characteristics. Statistics included regression analyses., Results: Of enrollees, 242 completed self-report measures at baseline, and 142 completed measures 3 months postoperatively. Patients were 55 ± 13 years old, with 21% female, 24% non-White, 39% high school or lower educated, and 47% destination therapy. Using the KCCQ-12 OSS, higher Satisfaction with Treatment was associated with a higher KCCQ-12 OSS; Being Bothered by VAD Self-care and Limitations, high school or lower education, chest incision pain, cardiac dysrhythmias within 3 postoperative months, and peripheral edema were associated with a worse KCCQ-12 OSS (R2 = 0.524). Factors associated with a worse 3-month EuroQol 5-dimension-3L visual analog scale were female sex, adverse events within 3 months post implantation (cardiac dysrhythmias, bleeding, and venous thrombosis), and chest incision pain (R2 = 0.229). No factors were associated with a higher EuroQol 5-dimension-3L visual analog scale score at 3 months., Conclusions: Two novel measures, demographics, postimplantation adverse events, and symptoms were associated with post-LVAD KCCQ-12 OSS early after surgery., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures of distinct concepts are often put together into patient profile assessments. When brief, profile assessments can decrease respondent burden and increase measure completion rates. In this report, we describe the creation of 5 self-reported 4-item short forms and the Mechanical Circulatory Support: Measures of Adjustment and Quality of Life (MCS A-QOL) 20-item profile to assess PROs specific to adjustment and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients who undergo left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation., Methods: Using a cross-sectional sample of patients (n = 620) who underwent LVAD implantation at 12 U.S. sites or participated in the MyLVAD.com support group, we created 5 4-item short forms: Satisfaction with Treatment, ventricular assist device (VAD) Team Communication, Being Bothered by VAD Self-care and Limitations, Self-efficacy Regarding VAD self-care, and Stigma, which we combined into a 20-item profile. Analyses included intercorrelations among measures, Cronbach's alpha (i.e., internal consistency reliability)/score-level-specific reliability, and construct validity., Results: The 620 patients were mean age = 57 years, 78% male, 70% White, and 56% on destination therapy LVADs. Intercorrelations among the 5 4-item measures were low to moderate (≤0.50), indicating they are associated yet largely distinct, and correlations with calibrated measures and 6-item short forms were ≥0.76, indicating their ability to reflect full-item bank scores. Internal consistency reliability for the 5 4-item short forms ranged from acceptable (≥0.70) to good (≥0.80). Construct validity was demonstrated for these measures., Conclusions: Our 5 4-item short forms are reliable and valid and may be used individually or together as a 20-item profile to assess adjustment and HRQOL in patients who undergo LVAD implantation., Competing Interests: Disclosure statement Kathleen L. Grady, PhD, RN – NIH Grants (NIA and NHLBI) and payment of room reservation by NIH as faculty at the Ten-day Seminar; lecturer (registration fees paid for meeting: Heart Failure Society of America, American Heart Association, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and American College of Cardiology); leadership or fiduciary role (ISHLT Board of Directors, Foundation Board, Research Oversight Committee, Governance Committee, Leadership Advisory Forum, and chair, Grants and Awards Committee). Michael Kallen, PhD – Deceased; ICMJE Disclosure Form not completed. Larry A. Allen, MD, MHS – Grant from PCORI and NIH; Consultant for ACI Clinical, Boston Scientific, Cytokinetics, Novartis, UpToDate, and Quidel. JoAnn Lindenfeld, MD –Consulting fees from Abbott, Alleviant, Axon, Astra Zenaca, Boston Scientific, CVRx, Merck, Medtronic, VWave, Edwards Lifesciences, Whiteswell, and Vascular Dynamicx. Colleen K. McIlvennan, PhD, DNP, ANP – Grant from PCORI and Cambia Health Foundation; HFSA Board of Directors. Christopher S. Lee, PhD, RN – DSMB chair: COMBAT-DS; US Department of Health and Human Services: National Advisory Council (member). Josef Stehlik, MD – Grants from Natera and Merck and consulting for Medtronic, Natera, and TransMedics. James K. Kirklin, MD – Intellectual properties for IT software development in registry database design developed at and licensed from the University of Alabama at Birmingham; chair of DSMB for Xeltis cardiac conduit clinical trial, chair of DSMB for Carmat TAH clinical trial, chair XVIVO Clinical Safety Monitoring Board; President World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery; common stock in Kirklin Solutions Co. Database development and analytics (20% ownership; $3.75 per share; current market value $700,000); partial salary support as Director of the Data Center for STS Intermacs/Pedimacs (no payments for any of these roles related to this publication). Jeffrey Teuteberg, MD – Consultant for Abbott, CareDx, Medtronic and Takeda; Lecturer for CareDx, Cytokinetics, Medtronic, and Paragonix. Eric Adler, MD – Grants from Lexeo Therapeutics, Rocket Pharmaceuticals, and California Institute for Regenerative Medicines; Royalties or licenses from Lexeo Therapeutics, Rocket Pharmaceuticals, and Papillion Therapeutics; consulting fees from Abiomed, Norvartis, Abbott, Ionis, Kiniska, Sana, Medtronic, and Cytokinetics; payment for expert testimony on behalf of Astro Zeneca; patents planned, issued or pending: Method for treating Danon disease and other disorders of autophagy and ex vivo genetic modification of hematopoietic cells for the treatment of Danon Disease; participation on DSMB: Edwards Lifesciences, Ancora Heart, and Corstasis Therapeutics; leadership or fiduciary role: Chief Science Officer for Lexeo Therapeutics, Scientific Advisory Board for Sarnoff Foundation, and Board of Directors for Papillion Therapeutics; stock or stock options: Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Lexeo Therapeutics, Corstasis Therapeutics, and Papillion Therapeutics. Michael Kiernan, MD – Steering Committee: Medtronic and Endotronix. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Michael Kallen, PhD, MPH, coauthor and statistician/psychometrician for MCS A-QOL and this paper, passed away on July 27, 2023. His contributions to this manuscript were substantial and his passion for the development of patient-reported outcome measures was inspiring. He was a kind and gentle person who is genuinely missed by Beth Hahn, my co-PI on MCS A-QOL, and me. Words cannot adequately express our deep sense of gratitude and loss. This work was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Mechanical Circulatory Support: Measures of Adjustment and Quality of Life (MCS A-QOL, [R01HL130502], Grady K.L. and Hahn E.A. [co-PIs])., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: The percentage of older adults living into their 80s and beyond is expanding rapidly. Characterization of typical cognitive performance in this population is complicated by a dearth of normative data for the oldest old. Additionally, little attention has been paid to other aspects of health, such as motor, sensory, and emotional functioning, that may interact with cognitive changes to predict quality of life and well-being. The current study used the NIH Toolbox (NIHTB) to determine age group differences between persons aged 65-84 and 85+ with normal cognition., Method: Participants were recruited in two age bands (i.e., 65-84 and 85+). All participants completed the NIHTB Cognition, Motor, Sensation, and Emotion modules. Independent-samples t-tests determined age group differences with post-hoc adjustments using Bonferroni corrections. All subtest and composite scores were then regressed on age and other demographic covariates., Results: The 65-84 group obtained significantly higher scores than the 85+ group across all cognitive measures except oral reading, all motor measures except gait speed, and all sensation measures except pain interference. Age remained a significant predictor after controlling for covariates. Age was not significantly associated with differences in emotion scores., Conclusions: Results support the use of the NIHTB in persons over 85 with normal cognition. As expected, fluid reasoning abilities and certain motor and sensory functions decreased with age in the oldest old. Inclusion of motor and sensation batteries is warranted when studying trajectories of aging in the oldest old to allow for multidimensional characterization of health., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Generic and heart failure-specific measures do not capture unique aspects of living with a ventricular assist device (VAD). Using state-of-the-science psychometric measurement methods, we developed a measurement system to assess post-ventricular assist device adjustment and health-related quality of life (HRQOL)., Methods: Patients were recruited from 10/26/16-2/29/20 from 12 U.S. VAD programs. We created a dataset of participants (n = 620) enrolled before left (L)VAD implantation, with data at 3- or 6- months post-implantation (group1 [n = 154]), and participants enrolled after LVAD implantation, with data at one timepoint (group 2 [n = 466]). We constructed 5 item banks: 3 modified from existing measures and 2 new measures. Analyses included item response theory (IRT) modeling, differential item functioning tests for systematic measurement bias, and indicators of reliability and validity., Results: Of 620 participants, 56% (n = 345) were implanted as destination therapy, 51% (n = 316) were <12 months post-implantation, mean age = 57.3 years, 78% (n = 485) male, 70% (n = 433) White, 58% (n = 353) married/partnered, and 58% (n = 357) with >high school education. We developed 5 new VAD item banks/measures: 6-item VAD Team Communication; 12-item Self-efficacy Regarding VAD Self-care; 11-item Being Bothered by VAD Self-care and Limitations; 7-item Satisfaction with Treatment; and 11-item Stigma. Cronbach's alpha reliability ranged from good (≥0.80) to excellent (≥0.90) for item banks/measures. All measures, except VAD Team Communication, demonstrated at least moderate correlations (≥0.30) with construct validity indicators., Conclusions: These measures meet IRT modeling assumptions and requirements; scores demonstrate reliability and validity. Use of these measures may assist VAD clinicians to inform patients about VADs as a treatment option and guide post-VAD interventions., (Copyright © 2023 International Society for the Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study participants (n = 272) completed 12 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical, mental and social health measures (questionnaires) prior to implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and again at 3 and 6 months postimplant. All but 1 PROMIS measure demonstrated significant improvement from pre-implant to 3 months; there was little change between 3 and 6 months. Because PROMIS measures were developed in the general population, patients with an LVAD, their caregivers and their clinicians can interpret the meaning of PROMIS scores in relation to the general population, helping them to monitor a return to normalcy in everyday life., Competing Interests: Disclosures CSL reports grants or contracts from NIH and QED Medical Research Foundation; JS reports grants from Natera; BR, PCORI, UCSD) and consulting fees from LAA, ACI Clinical, Amgen, Boston Scientific, Cytokinetics, and Novartis; JS reports from Medtronic; JL reports from Abbott, AstraZeneca, Alleviant, Boston Scientific, Merck, CVRx, VWave, and Edwards; EDA reports from Abiomed, Novartis, Abbott, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Sana Biotechnology, Medtronic, Lexeo Pharmaceuticals, and Cytokinetics; KLG reports payment or honoraria from Amgen; JJT reports CareDx, Medtronic, and Paragonix; MSK reports from Medtronic; BR reports TEACH faculty development program; KLG reports AHA, payment for expert testimony (EDA: Astra Zeneca), meeting/travel support; MSK reports Abbott; KLG: ISHLT, AHA); Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board; JJT reports from CareDx, Medtronic, Abiomed, Takeda, Abbott; MSK reports Medtronic; JKK reports Carmat and Xeltis clinical trials), leadership or fiduciary role (EDA Papillon Therapeutics, ResQ Pharmaceuticals); JKK reports ISHLT Research Foundation, International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation; KLG reports ISHLT; LAA reports being associate editor of Circulation: Heart Failure; DC reports being President-elect, PROMIS Health Organization; JKK reports being Director of the Data Center for STS-Intermacs Registry for Mechanical Circulatory Support., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox (NIHTB) provides computerized measures of cognition, emotion, sensation, and motor abilities across the lifespan. The ARMADA (Assessing Reliable Measurement in Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Aging) study validated the NIHTB in individuals across the cognitive aging spectrum. This article reports the characteristics of our sample of participants., Methods: Participants were recruited across nine sites and classified clinically as cognitively normal (NC), with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or with dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT.) They completed the NIHTB at multiple time points and many had at least one Alzheimer's biomarker previously obtained., Results: Groups differed with respect to dementia severity levels, as anticipated, but were well-matched across many demographic characteristics., Discussion: The ARMADA study demographics and baseline characteristics provide a suitable sample for validating the NIHTB across the cognitive aging spectrum. Other enriched samples (African American participants, Spanish NIHTB, 85+ years of age) will be reported elsewhere., Highlights: There is a need for assessments that can detect the early stages of cognitive decline in older adults. The ARMADA (Assessing Reliable Measurement in Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Aging) study will validate the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox across the aging spectrum, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT). Here we report the characteristics of participants. Groups were well-matched across most demographic characteristics, and clinical characteristics differed as expected. ARMADA study cohorts reflect their respective clinical syndromes for validating the NIH Toolbox., (© 2022 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)

Background: A better understanding is needed of the burdens and benefits of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation on patients' physical, mental, and social well-being. The purpose of this report was to evaluate the validity of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures for LVAD patients and to estimate clinically important score differences likely to have implications for patient treatment or care., Methods: Adults from 12 sites across all US geographic regions completed PROMIS measures ≥3 months post-LVAD implantation. Other patient-reported outcomes (eg, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-12 item), clinician ratings, performance tests, and clinical adverse events were used as validity indicators. Criterion and construct validity and clinically important differences were estimated with Pearson correlations, ANOVA methods, and Cohen d effect sizes., Results: Participants' (n=648) mean age was 58 years, and the majority were men (78%), non-Hispanic White people (68%), with dilated cardiomyopathy (55%), long-term implantation strategy (57%), and New York Heart Association classes I and II (54%). Most correlations between validity indicators and PROMIS measures were medium to large (≥0.3; p <0.01). Most validity analyses demonstrated medium-to-large effect sizes (≥0.5) and clinically important differences in mean PROMIS scores (up to 14.8 points). Ranges of minimally important differences for 4 PROMIS measures were as follows: fatigue (3-5 points), physical function (2-3), ability to participate in social roles and activities (3), and satisfaction with social roles and activities (3-5)., Conclusions: The findings provide convincing evidence for the relevance and validity of PROMIS physical, mental, and social health measures in patients from early-to-late post-LVAD implantation. Findings may inform shared decision-making when patients consider treatment options. Patients with an LVAD, their caregivers, and their clinicians should find it useful to interpret the meaning of their PROMIS scores in relation to the general population, that is, PROMIS may help to monitor a return to normalcy in everyday life.

Background: Patient-reported outcomes-symptoms, treatment side effects, and health-related quality of life-are important to consider in chronic illness care. The increasing availability of health IT to collect patient-reported outcomes and integrate results within the electronic health record provides an unprecedented opportunity to support patients' symptom monitoring, shared decision-making, and effective use of the health care system., Objective: The objectives of this study are to co-design a dashboard that displays patient-reported outcomes along with other clinical data (eg, laboratory tests, medications, and appointments) within an electronic health record and conduct a longitudinal demonstration trial to evaluate whether the dashboard is associated with improved shared decision-making and disease management outcomes., Methods: Co-design teams comprising study investigators, patients with advanced cancer or chronic kidney disease, their care partners, and their clinicians will collaborate to develop the dashboard. Investigators will work with clinic staff to implement the co-designed dashboard for clinical testing during a demonstration trial. The primary outcome of the demonstration trial is whether the quality of shared decision-making increases from baseline to the 3-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include longitudinal changes in satisfaction with care, self-efficacy in managing treatments and symptoms, health-related quality of life, and use of costly and potentially avoidable health care services. Implementation outcomes (ie, fidelity, appropriateness, acceptability, feasibility, reach, adoption, and sustainability) during the co-design process and demonstration trial will also be collected and summarized., Results: The dashboard co-design process was completed in May 2020, and data collection for the demonstration trial is anticipated to be completed by the end of July 2022. The results will be disseminated in at least one manuscript per study objective., Conclusions: This protocol combines stakeholder engagement, health care coproduction frameworks, and health IT to develop a clinically feasible model of person-centered care delivery. The results will inform our current understanding of how best to integrate patient-reported outcome measures into clinical workflows to improve outcomes and reduce the burden of chronic disease on patients and health care systems., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/38461., (©Laura M Perry, Victoria Morken, John D Peipert, Betina Yanez, Sofia F Garcia, Cynthia Barnard, Lisa R Hirschhorn, Jeffrey A Linder, Neil Jordan, Ronald T Ackermann, Alexandra Harris, Sheetal Kircher, Nisha Mohindra, Vikram Aggarwal, Rebecca Frazier, Ava Coughlin, Katy Bedjeti, Melissa Weitzel, Eugene C Nelson, Glyn Elwyn, Aricca D Van Citters, Mary O'Connor, David Cella. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 21.09.2022.)