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BACKGROUND Postoperative pulmonary complications can have a significant impact on the morbidity and mortality of patients undergoing major surgeries. Intraoperative lung protective strategies using low tidal volume (TV) ventilation and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) have been demonstrated to reduce the incidence of pulmonary injury and infection while improving oxygenation and respiratory mechanics. The purpose of this study was to develop decision support systems designed to optimize behavior of the attending anesthesiologist with regards to adherence with established intraoperative lung-protective ventilation (LPV) strategies. METHODS Over a 4-year period, data were obtained from 49,386 procedures and 109 attendings. Cases were restricted to patients aged 18 years or older requiring general anesthesia that lasted at least 60 minutes. We defined protective lung ventilation as a TV of 6-8 mL/kg ideal body weight and a PEEP of ≥4 cm H2O. There was a baseline period followed by 4 behavioral interventions: education, near real-time feedback, individualized post hoc feedback, and enhanced multidimensional decision support. Segmented logistic regression using generalized estimating equations was performed in order to assess temporal trends and effects of interventions on adherence to LPV strategies. RESULTS Consistent with improvement in adherence with LPV strategies during the baseline period, the predicted probability of adherence with LPV at the end of baseline was 0.452 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.422-0.483). The improvements observed for each phase were relative to the preceding phase. Education alone was associated with an 8.7% improvement (P < .01) in adherence to lung-protective protocols and was associated with a 16% increase in odds of adherence (odds ratio [OR] = 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01-1.33; P = .04). Near real-time, on-screen feedback was associated with an estimated 15.5% improvement in adherence (P < .01) with a 69% increase in odds of adherence (OR = 1.69; 95% CI, 1.46-1.96; P < .01) over education alone. The addition of an individualized dashboard with personal adherence and peer comparison was associated with a significant improvement over near real-time feedback (P < .01). Near real-time feedback and dashboard feedback systems were enhanced based on feedback from the in-room attendings, and this combination was associated with an 18.1% (P < .01) increase in adherence with a 2-fold increase in the odds of adherence (OR = 2.23; 95% CI, 1.85-2.69; P < .0001) between the end of the previous on-screen feedback phase and the start of the individualized post hoc dashboard reporting phase. The adherence with lung-protective strategies using the multidimensional approach has been sustained for over 24 months. The difference between the end of the previous phase and the start of this last enhanced multidimensional decision support phase was not significant (OR = 1.08; 95% CI, 0.86-1.34; P = .48). CONCLUSIONS Consistent with the literature, near real-time and post hoc reporting are associated with positive and sustained behavioral changes aimed at adopting evidence-based clinical strategies. Many decision support systems have demonstrated impact to behavior, but the effect is often transient. The implementation of near real-time feedback and individualized post hoc decision support tools has resulted in clinically relevant improvements in adherence with LPV strategies that have been sustained for over 24 months, a common limitation of decision support solutions.

Background: Low health literacy is associated with poor health outcomes in many chronic diseases and may have an important role in determining surgical outcomes. This study aims to comprehensively review the current state of science on adult health literacy in surgery and to identify knowledge gaps for future research. Methods: Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, a systematic search was conducted to identify all studies from January 2002 through May 2018 that used validated instruments to assess health literacy among adult patients undergoing surgery. Studies were assessed for quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and evaluated on findings by their focus on identifying health literacy levels, understanding associations with surgical outcomes, and/or developing interventions to address low health literacy. Key Results: There were 51 studies on health literacy with data from 22,139 patients included in this review. Low health literacy was present in more than one-third of surgical patients (34%, interquartile range 16%–50%). The most commonly used validated instrument for assessment of health literacy in the surgical population was the Newest Vital Sign. Most studies were focused on identifying the prevalence of low health literacy within a surgery population (84%, n = 43). Few studies focused on understanding the association of health literacy to surgical outcomes (12%, n = 6) and even fewer studies developed interventions to address health literacy (4%, n = 2). Discussion: Low health literacy is common among surgical patients. Important opportunities exist to better understand the role of health literacy in determining surgical outcomes and to develop more health literacy-sensitive models of surgical care. [ HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice . 2020;4(1):e45–e65.] Plain Language Summary: Health literacy has not been well-studied in surgery but likely plays an important role. In this article, we reviewed all current research on health literacy in surgery to help us understand where we are at and where we need to go. We found that low health literacy is common and we need more ways to address it in surgery.

Background: Low health literacy is common in general populations, but its prevalence in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population is unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of low health literacy in a diverse IBD population and to identify risk factors for low health literacy. Methods: Adult patients with IBD at a single institution from November 2017 to May 2018 were assessed for health literacy using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). Demographic and socioeconomic data were also collected. Primary outcome was the prevalence of low health literacy. Secondary outcomes were length-of-stay (LOS) and 30-day readmissions after surgical encounters. Bivariate comparisons and multivariable regression were used for analyses. Results: Of 175 IBD patients, 59% were women, 23% were African Americans, 91% had Crohn disease, and mean age was 46 years (SD = 16.7). The overall prevalence of low health literacy was 24%. Compared to white IBD patients, African Americans had significantly higher prevalence of low health literacy (47.5% vs 17.0%, P < 0.05). On multivariable analysis, low health literacy was associated with older age and African American race (P < 0.05). Of 83 IBD patients undergoing abdominal surgery, mean postoperative LOS was 5.5 days and readmission rate was 28.9%. There was no significant difference between LOS and readmissions rates by health literacy levels. Conclusions: Low health literacy is present in IBD populations and more common among older African Americans. Opportunities exist for providing more health literacy-sensitive care in IBD to address disparities and to benefit those with low health literacy., Lay Summary Low health literacy exists in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population. Older African Americans with IBD represent a subset at even higher risk for low health literacy. Opportunities exist for providing more health literacy-sensitive care in IBD to address disparities.

ObjectiveAcute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of complex aortic surgery with high mortality, morbidity and health care expense. The current definition of AKI does not allow for structural characterization of the kidneys and utilizes functional indices with substantial limitations leading to delayed diagnosis and ineffective interventions. The aim of this study is to develop a method of early detection of structural renal abnormalities that can precede and predict the occurrence of AKI in this population. We propose a novel combined index of ultrasonography (shear wave elastography), biomarkers of renal stress (urinary insulin growth factor binding protein-7, IGFBP-7 and inhibitor of tissue metalloproteinase-2, TIMP-2) and renal injury markers (urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin -NGAL)- the bio-sonographic index (BSI).MethodsA prospective observational study at a tertiary referral center will be performed enrolling 80 patients undergoing elective open and endovascular repair of the visceral aorta. The BSI will be evaluated at baseline, and at 6 and 24 hours after the procedure. The primary outcome is the occurrence of AKI according to the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Each patient will be his/her own control. A reference group of 15 healthy volunteers who are not undergoing interventions will be enrolled to test the feasibility of and to refine the novel SWE protocol. The BSI will be tested for its predictability of the occurrence of AKI. Comparisons will be made between individual and combined components of the BSI and traditional markers used in the KDIGO definition; serum creatinine and urine output in terms of baseline status of the kidney. Correlations will be made between the BSI and conventional indices of AKI and exploratory analyses will be conducted to identify individual disease patterns using the BSI.DiscussionWe hypothesize that the BSI will be a sensitive index of early structural abnormalities that precede and predict the occurrence of AKI as defined by KDIGO in complex vascular surgery.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.govNCT04144894. Registered 1/6/2020.

Aims To examine the association of elevated depressive symptoms with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and determine whether these associations differ for those with and without diabetes. Methods We included 22,807 black and white men and women aged 45–98 years at baseline (2003–2007) from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study. Elevated depressive symptoms were defined as a score ≥ 4 on the 4-item Centers for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression Scale. Participants were classified as having diabetes, prediabetes, or no prediabetes/diabetes based on glucose levels and diabetes medication use. All-cause mortality events were available through 2018 and adjudicated CVD mortality events were available through 2015. Results During follow-up, there were 5383 all-cause deaths, of which 1585 were adjudicated CVD deaths. The mean survival time was lower for participants with elevated depressive symptoms than those without elevated depressive symptoms for those with diabetes, prediabetes, and no prediabetes/diabetes. In multivariable adjusted models, elevated depressive symptoms increased the risk of all-cause mortality for those with diabetes (HR = 1.15; 95% CI = 1.00–1.32), prediabetes (HR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.28–1.91), and neither prediabetes/diabetes (HR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.19–1.50) (p for interaction = 0.0342). Findings were similar for CVD mortality. Conclusion Elevated depressive symptoms increased the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality among individuals with and without diabetes, with a stronger magnitude of association observed among those with prediabetes. This underscores the need for assessing depressive symptoms across the glycemic spectrum, including those with prediabetes.

The American Cancer Society is a leader in the development of cancer survivorship resources. One resource of the American Cancer Society is the I Can Cope program, an educational program for cancer survivors and their families. Evaluations of this program indicate that cancer patients highly rate its objectives. Yet, there are gaps in the understanding of the full impact of the program on diverse cancer survivors. In this study, the authors used a randomized trial to evaluate the program. Participants included 140 low-income survivors (79% Black; 38% breast cancer) from community hospitals who were randomized to 4 sessions of I Can Cope (learning about cancer; understanding cancer treatments; relieving cancer pain; and keeping well in mind and body) or 4 sessions of a wellness intervention (humor, meditation, relaxation, and music therapy). The authors’ primary outcome was “met information needs.” After controlling for covariates, their analysis indicated that I Can Cope was no more effective than the wellness intervention in addressing survivor information needs relative to the learning objectives. Participants provided high overall ratings for both interventions. Self-efficacy for obtaining advice about cancer, age, education, and income were associated with information needs. Educational programs tailored to levels of self-efficacy and patient demographics may be needed.

To test the hypothesis that noninvasive urinary biomarkers may improve early identification, differentiate causes, and predict outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in very low birth weight subjects.We performed 2 nested case-control studies to compare the ability of 6 urine biomarkers to predict AKI (rise in serum creatinine of at least 0.3 mg/dL) and mortality (death before 36 weeks postmenstrual age).Compared to subjects without AKI (n = 21), those with AKI (n = 9) had higher maximum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (OR = 1.2 [1.0, 1.6]; P.01; receiver operator characteristics [ROC] area under the curve [AUC] = .80) and higher maximum osteopontin (OR = 3.2 [1.5, 9.9]; P.01; ROC AUC = 0.83). Compared with survivors (n = 100), nonsurvivors (n = 23) had higher maximum kidney injury molecule 1 (OR = 1.1 [1.0, 1.2]; P.02; ROC AUC = 0.64) and higher maximum osteopontin (OR = 1.8 (1.2, 2.7); P.001; AUC of ROC = 0.78). The combination of biomarkers improved predictability for both AKI and mortality. Controlling for gestational age and birth weight did not affect results considerably.Urinary biomarkers can predict AKI and mortality in very low birth weight infants independent of gestational age and birth weight.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES to identify the information and stress-management topics of most interest to low-income, predominantly African American cancer survivors. RESEARCH APPROACH descriptive, cross sectional. SETTING outpatient oncology clinic in a public hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. PARTICIPANTS 25 patients with cancer; 12 were men, 22 were African Americans, and 16 had a 12th-grade education or less. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH patients ranked potential topics to be included in an educational curriculum. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES quantitative rankings of information and stress-management priorities. FINDINGS learning about cancer, understanding cancer treatments, relieving cancer pain, and keeping well in mind and body were the most highly ranked topics among those offered within the American Cancer Society's I Can Cope curriculum, which also included supportive topics such as mobilizing social support. The preferred stress-management topics were humor therapy, music therapy, meditation, and relaxation; lower-ranked topics included pet therapy and art as therapy. CONCLUSIONS cancer survivors appear most interested in topics specific to their illness and treatment versus supportive topics. Stress management also received high rankings. INTERPRETATION nurses have a key role in providing patient education and support. Tailoring education programs may better target specific needs and improve the quality of cancer care of underserved patients.