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Objective Judicious selection of potential liver transplant candidates and close monitoring of progress are essential to successful outcomes. Pretransplant psychosocial evaluations are the norm, but the relationship between psychosocial (and neurocognitive status) and longer term medical outcomes is understudied. This exploratory study sought to examine the relationship between objective measures of pretransplant psychosocial and neurocognitive status and service utilization, transplant status, and all-cause mortality. Methods This retrospective chart review examined outcomes among 108 psychiatric, high-risk liver transplant candidates up to four years following initial evaluation. Predictor variables of outcomes included demographic, medical, neurocognitive, psychological, and mental health treatment variables. Results Transplant status and neurocognitive functioning were independently associated with all-cause mortality. None of the other variables were associated with outcomes. Conclusions Better neurocognitive functioning in high-risk liver transplant candidates may allow for greater involvement in medical care and/or compliance with treatment recommendations. More aggressive assessment and management of neurocognitive dysfunction may improve outcomes. Objective measures identified significant psychopathology typical of liver transplant candidates but were not associated with outcomes; engagement in specialized mental health care may have attenuated this relationship. Further study is needed to better understand the relationship between psychosocial functioning and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol-associated liver disease poses a significant global health burden, with rising alcohol consumption and prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. This review examines the challenges and opportunities in the care of candidates and recipients of liver transplant (LT) with AUD. Despite advancements in posttransplant patient survival, the risk of disease recurrence and alcohol relapse remains substantial. Several challenges have been identified, including (1) rising disease burden of alcohol-associated liver disease, variable transplant practices, and systemic barriers; (2) disparities in mental health therapy access and the impact on transplant; (3) variable definitions, underdiagnosis, and stigma affecting access to care; and (4) post-LT relapse, its risk factors, and consequential harm. The review focuses on the opportunities to improve AUD care for candidates and recipients of LT through effective biochemical monitoring, behavioral and pharmacologic approaches, creating Centers of Excellence for post-LT AUD care, advocating for policy reforms, and ensuring insurance coverage for necessary services as essential steps toward improving patient outcomes. The review also highlights unmet needs, such as the scarcity of addiction specialists, and calls for further research on personalized behavioral treatments, digital health, and value-based care models to optimize AUD care in the LT setting., (Copyright © 2024 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.)

Background: Organ transplant lay caregivers perform an essential and complex role, but there is a paucity of comprehensive, accessible education regarding transplant caregiving. We sought to create a broad, multifaceted educational toolkit for transplant caregivers. Given the complexities of this population, we report on lessons learned by organising diverse stakeholder engagement to develop an educational resource covering the breadth and depth of organ transplantation., Approach: Following a call from organ transplant patients and caregivers, the American Society of Transplantation (AST) formed an Organ Transplant Caregiver Initiative with the aim to develop a comprehensive educational toolkit for transplant caregivers. The AST Organ Transplant Caregiver Toolkit was created through a shared, multi-step process involving transplant professionals and caregivers, who formed an education subcommittee to develop and refine content domains. The caregiver toolkit was reviewed with relevant external stakeholders and through an internal organisational review process., Evaluation: Lessons learned included seeking guidance from others with experience creating similar resources, flexibility in project development, creativity in engaging stakeholders and routine communication between all entities involved. Insights gained contributed to the caregiver toolkit completion despite project challenges., Implications: The AST Organ Transplant Caregiver Toolkit can be utilised by health care professionals to educate and counsel transplant patients and caregivers. Lessons learned from the development of the caregiver toolkit can provide guidance to health care professionals and clinical teachers for the development of future education resources., (© 2023 Association for the Study of Medical Education and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: Body image distress (BID) among head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors is a debilitating toxicity associated with depression, anxiety, stigma, and poor quality of life. BRIGHT (Building a Renewed ImaGe after Head & neck cancer Treatment) is a brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that reduces BID for these patients. This study examines the mechanism underlying BRIGHT., Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, HNC survivors with clinically significant BID were randomized to receive five weekly psychologist-led video tele-CBT sessions (BRIGHT) or dose-and delivery matched survivorship education (attention control [AC]). Body image coping strategies, the hypothesized mediators, were assessed using the Body Image Coping Skills Inventory (BICSI). HNC-related BID was measured with the Inventory to Measure and Assess imaGe disturbancE-Head and Neck (IMAGE-HN). Causal mediation analyses were used to estimate the mediated effects of changes in BICSI scores on changes in IMAGE-HN scores., Results: Among 44 HNC survivors with BID allocated to BRIGHT (n = 20) or AC (n = 24), mediation analyses showed that BRIGHT decreased avoidant body image coping (mean change in BICSI-Avoidance scale score) from baseline to 1-month post-intervention relative to AC (p = 0.039). Decreases in BICSI-Avoidance scores from baseline to 1-month resulted in decreases in IMAGE-HN scores from baseline to 3 months (p = 0.009). The effect of BRIGHT on IMAGE-HN scores at 3 months was partially mediated by a decrease in BICSI-Avoidance scores (p = 0.039)., Conclusions: This randomized trial provides preliminary evidence that BRIGHT reduces BID among HNC survivors by decreasing avoidant body image coping. Further research is necessary to confirm these results and enhance the development of interventions targeting relevant pathways to reduce BID among HNC survivors., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03831100 ., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Body image distress (BID) among head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors leads to depression, social isolation, stigma, and poor quality of life. BRIGHT (Building a Renewed ImaGe after Head and neck cancer Treatment) is a brief, tailored cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that reduces HNC-related BID. This trial examines the effect of BRIGHT on psychosocial outcomes among HNC survivors with BID., Methods: In this pilot randomized trial, HNC survivors with clinically significant BID were randomized to 5 weekly psychologist-led tele-CBT sessions (BRIGHT) or dose and delivery-matched survivorship education (attention control [AC]). Secondary psychosocial outcomes were assessed using validated patient-reported outcomes at baseline and 1 and 3-month post-intervention., Results: Among 44 HNC survivors with BID, BRIGHT resulted in a greater reduction in depression relative to AC (mean model-based 1-month difference in Δ PROMIS SF v1.0-Depression 8a score, -3.4; 90% CI, -6.4 to -0.4; 3-month difference, -4.3; 90% CI, -7.8 to -0.8). BRIGHT also decreased shame and stigma relative to AC (mean model-based 3-month difference in Δ Shame and Stigma Scale score, -9.7; 90% CI, -15.2 to -4.2) and social isolation (mean model-based 3-month difference in Δ PROMIS SF v2.0 Social Isolation 8a score, -2.9; 90% CI, -5.8 to -0.1)., Conclusions: In this planned secondary analysis of a pilot RCT, BRIGHT improved a broad array of psychosocial outcomes among HNC survivors with BID., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03831100 ., Implications for Cancer Survivors: These promising preliminary data suggest the need for a large efficacy trial evaluating the effect of BRIGHT on psychosocial outcomes among HNC survivors with BID., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Caregivers of adults with cancer often provide prolonged demanding assistance (e.g., physical, emotional) to their loved ones, resulting in caregiver burden. This meta-analytic review examined the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in reducing caregiver burden in caregivers of adults with cancer. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified from six electronic databases and clinical trial registries. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted for subgroups of interventions and control conditions. Overall, 90 records describing 50 RCTs showed that psychosocial interventions reduced caregiver burden compared to passive controls (e.g. wait-list) at post-intervention (g = 0.26, 95%CI [0.12, 0.40]), but not at the first follow-up (g = 0.10, 95%CI [-0.05, 0.24]). Subgroup analyses showed that compared to passive controls, therapeutic counseling and skills training interventions significantly reduced caregiver burden at post-intervention, whereas psycho-education/support interventions did not significantly reduce burden. Very few RCTs examined intervention efficacy compared to active controls (e.g., psycho-education/support). The evidence grade ranged from very low to moderate due to inconsistency and imprecision of the results. Therapeutic counseling and skills training interventions appear efficacious in improving caregiver burden at post-intervention, although these improvements attenuate over time. Rigorous trials examining intervention effects on long-term outcomes are needed to better understand the effective mechanisms to sustain reduction in caregiver burden., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Ekin Secinti is presently employed at Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN. This study was not financially supported by and does not necessarily represent the official views of Eli Lilly and Company. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Although 1 in 4 head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors experience clinically significant body image distress (BID), a psychosocial morbidity that adversely affects quality of life, effective interventions for these patients are lacking., Objective: To evaluate the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of BRIGHT (Building a Renewed ImaGe after Head and neck cancer Treatment), a brief tele-cognitive behavioral therapy, at reducing BID among HNC survivors., Design, Setting, and Participants: This parallel-group pilot randomized clinical trial recruited adult HNC survivors with BID between August 13, 2020, and December 9, 2021, from the Medical University of South Carolina HNC clinic during a routine survivorship encounter. Data were analyzed from May 3 to June 16, 2022., Interventions: BRIGHT consisted of 5 weekly psychologist-led video tele-cognitive behavioral therapy sessions. Attention control (AC) consisted of dose- and delivery-matched survivorship education., Main Outcomes and Measures: Change in HNC-related BID was assessed using IMAGE-HN (Inventory to Measure and Assess imaGe disturbancE-Head and Neck), a validated patient-reported outcome (score range, 0-84, with higher scores indicating greater HNC-related BID). Clinical response rate was measured as the proportion of patients with a clinically meaningful change in IMAGE-HN scores., Results: Of the 44 HNC survivors with BID allocated to BRIGHT (n = 20) or AC (n = 24), the median (range) age was 63 (41-80) years, and 27 patients (61%) were female. Patients rated BRIGHT's acceptability highly (all metrics had a mean rating of ≥4.5/5), and 19 of 20 patients (95%) receiving BRIGHT were likely or highly likely to recommend it to other HNC survivors with BID. BRIGHT decreased HNC-related BID from baseline to 1 month postintervention relative to AC (mean model-based difference in change in IMAGE-HN score, -7.9 points; 90% CI, -15.9 to 0.0 points) and from baseline to 3 months postintervention relative to AC (mean model-based difference in change in IMAGE-HN score, -17.1 points; 90% CI, -25.6 to -8.6 points). At 3 months postintervention, the clinical response rate of BRIGHT was 6.6-fold higher than AC (model-based odds ratio, 6.6; 90% CI, 2.0-21.8). The improvement in HNC-related BID for BRIGHT vs AC at 3 months was clinically significant, and the effect size was large (Cohen d, -0.9; 90% CI, -1.4 to -0.4)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this pilot randomized clinical trial, BRIGHT was acceptable, may result in a clinically meaningful improvement in HNC-related BID, and showed a high clinical response rate. These promising preliminary data support conducting a large efficacy trial to establish BRIGHT as the first evidence-based treatment for HNC survivors with BID., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03831100.

Transplant patients are frequently treated with substances that have dependence potential and/or they may have a history of substance use disorders. The Psychosocial and Ethics Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation formed a Drug Testing Workgroup with participation from members of the Pharmacy Community of Practice and members of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. The workgroup reviewed the literature regarding the following issues: the role of drug testing in patients with substance use disorders, for patients prescribed controlled substances, legal, ethical and prescription drug monitoring issues, financial and insurance issues, and which patients should be tested. We also reviewed current laboratory testing for substances. Group discussions to develop a consensus occurred, and summaries of each topic were reviewed. The workgroup recommends that transplant patients be informed of drug testing and be screened for substances prior to transplant to ensure optimal care and implement ongoing testing if warranted by clinical history. While use of certain substances may not result in the exclusion for transplantation, an awareness of the patient's practices and possible risk from substances is necessary, allowing transplant teams to screen for substance use disorders and ensure the patient is able to manage and minimize risks post-transplant., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The Inventory to Measure and Assess imaGe disturbance - Head and Neck (IMAGE-HN) is a validated patient-reported outcome measure of head and neck cancer-related body image-related distress (BID). However, the IMAGE-HN score corresponding to clinically relevant BID is unknown. The study objective is to determine the IMAGE-HN cutoff score that identifies head and neck cancer patients with clinically relevant BID. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at six academic medical centers. Individuals ≥18 years old with a history of head and neck cancer treated with definitive intent were included. The primary outcome measure was the IMAGE-HN. A Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis was performed to identify the IMAGE-HN score that maximized sensitivity and specificity relative to a Body Image Scale score of ≥10 (which indicates clinically relevant BID in a general oncology population). To confirm the validity of the IMAGE-HN cutoff score, we compared the severity of depressive [Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)] and anxiety symptoms [Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)], and quality of life [University of Washington-QOL (UW-QOL)] in patients with IMAGE-HN scores above and below the cutoff. Results: Of the 250 patients, 70.4% were male and the mean age was 62.3 years. An IMAGE-HN score of ≥22 was the optimal cutoff score relative to a Body Image Scale score of ≥10 and represents a clinically relevant level of head and neck cancer-related BID. Relative to those with an IMAGE-HN score of <22, patients with IMAGE-HN scores of ≥22 had a clinically meaningful increase in symptoms of depression (mean PHQ-9 score difference = 5.8) and anxiety (mean GAD-7 score difference = 4.1) as well as worse physical (mean UW-QOL score difference = 18.9) and social-emotional QOL (mean UW-QOL score difference = 21.5). Using an IMAGE-HN cutoff score ≥22, 28% of patients had clinically relevant BID. Conclusion: An IMAGE-HN score of ≥22 identifies patients with clinically relevant head and neck cancer-related BID. This score may be used to detect patients who could benefit from strategies to manage their distress, select patients for studies evaluating interventions to manage head and neck cancer-related BID, and improve our understanding of the underlying epidemiology of the disorder., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Macias, Hand, Pipkorn, Williams, Chang, Zenga, Nilsen, Rhoten, Huang, Osazuwa-Peters, Maurer, Balliet, Li, Ruggiero, Sterba and Graboyes.)

Importance: Body image-related distress (BID) is common among head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors and associated with significant morbidity. Risk factors for HNC-related BID remain poorly characterized because prior research has used outcome measures that fail to fully capture BID as experienced by HNC survivors., Objective: To assess the association of demographic and oncologic characteristics with HNC-related BID using the Inventory to Measure and Assess imaGe disturbancE-Head & Neck (IMAGE-HN), a validated, multidomain, patient-reported outcome measure of HNC-related BID., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study assessed 301 adult survivors of surgically managed HNC at 4 academic medical centers., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome measure was IMAGE-HN scores, for which higher scores reflect more severe HNC-related BID. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association of patient characteristics with IMAGE-HN global and 4 subdomain (other-oriented appearance concerns, personal dissatisfaction with appearance, distress with functional impairments, and social avoidance) scores., Results: Of the 301 participants (212 [70.4%] male; mean [SD] age, 65.3 [11.7] years), 181 (60.1%) underwent free flap reconstruction. Graduation from college (β = -9.6; 95% CI, -17.5 to -1.7) or graduate school (β = -12.6; 95% CI, -21.2 to -3.8) was associated with lower IMAGE-HN social avoidance scores compared with less than a high school education. Compared with paid work, unemployment was associated with higher IMAGE-HN other-oriented appearance (β = 10.7; 95% CI, 2.0-19.3), personal dissatisfaction with appearance (β = 12.5; 95% CI, 1.2-23.7), and global (β = 8.0; 95% CI, 0.6-15.4) scores. Compared with no reconstruction, free flap reconstruction was associated with higher IMAGE-HN global scores (β = 11.5; 95% CI, 7.9-15.0) and all subdomain scores (other-oriented appearance: β = 13.1; 95% CI, 8.6-17.6; personal dissatisfaction with appearance: β = 15.4; 95% CI, 10.0-20.7; distress with functional impairment: β = 12.8; 95% CI, 8.1-17.4; and social avoidance and isolation: β = 10.2; 95% CI, 5.8-14.6). Higher IMAGE-HN distress with functional impairment scores were found in those who received surgery and adjuvant radiation (β = 7.8; 95% CI, 2.9-12.7) or chemoradiotherapy (β = 6.5; 95% CI, 1.8-11.3) compared with surgery alone. The multivariable regression model accounted for a modest proportion of variance in IMAGE-HN global (R2 = 0.18) and subdomain scores (R2 = 0.20 for other-oriented appearance, 0.14 for personal dissatisfaction with appearance, 0.21 for distress with functional impairment, and 0.13 for social avoidance and isolation)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, factors associated with risk of HNC-related BID included free flap reconstruction, lower educational attainment, unemployment, and multiple treatment modalities. These characteristics explain a modest proportion of variance in IMAGE-HN scores, suggesting that other characteristics may be the major risk factors for HNC-related BID and should be explored in future studies.

Lay-caregivers are essential to the continuum of care in adult organ transplantation. However, we have a limited understanding of the experiences, exigencies, and outcomes associated with lay-caregiving for organ transplant patients. While much discussion and debate has focused on caregiver requirements in relation to transplant candidate selection, little focus has been given to understanding the needs of caregivers themselves. In response to this, the Organ Transplant Caregiver Initiative was created, and a meeting was held during October 6-7, 2019. Transplant healthcare professionals, researchers, and lay-caregivers discussed the experiences, educational needs, existing research, and research recommendations to improve the experience of lay-caregivers for adult organ transplant patients. In this report, we summarize the Organ Transplant Caregiver Initiative and meeting findings, providing a preliminary action plan to improve education, research, and advocacy for organ transplant caregivers., (© 2020 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Objectives: First-person storytelling (FPS) has the potential to engage patients in changing behavior differently than didactic education. We assessed the prevalence of FPS in health education interventions; whether published FPS research has shown improvements in attitudinal, knowledge, behavioral, or clinical outcomes; and whether randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including FPS have shown more effectiveness than non-FPS interventions., Methods: A scoping review of FPS studies published before October 2019 in five medical databases was conducted., Results: 22 out of 10,363 identified studies met eligibility criteria. FPS has been studied primarily in cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. Of the 12 RCTs, compared to controls, patients receiving FPS interventions improved attitudes (N = 6 studies) and knowledge (N = 1), improved health behaviors like quitting smoking (N = 6), and improved clinical outcomes like lowering A1C levels (N = 3). Of the 10 non-RCT studies, compared to baseline assessments, patients who received FPS interventions had improved knowledge (N = 1), attitudes (N = 3), clinical outcomes (N = 4), and improved health behaviors (N = 7)., Conclusion: While rarely used, FPS interventions can improve patient health attitudes and outcomes. Future research should expand FPS to new health areas and determine best practices for developing FPS interventions., Practice Implications: FPS may be particularly effective with low income patients and racial/ethnic minorities., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this article is to provide a data-driven exploration of an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program (PRP) as a viable option for addressing the dual crises of chronic pain and opioid use. Psychologists are crucial providers in the PRP, in both intervention and leadership roles. There is well-established literature supporting pain rehabilitation as an effective treatment for chronic pain and functioning, but there are few studies examining the effects of pain rehabilitation on opioid misuse risk. We evaluated data from 60 patients with diverse chronic pain conditions who completed an interdisciplinary PRP to evaluate changes in pain, functioning (self-report and objective physical measure), psychological symptoms, and health-related quality of life. To evaluate the effect of pain rehabilitation on opioid-related risks, we examined opioid use and opioid misuse behaviors (measured by the Current Opioid Misuse Measure; COMM) pre- and posttreatment. Results demonstrated statistically significant improvements in all outcomes, with medium effect sizes for pain severity and large effect sizes for functioning, psychological symptoms, and emotional quality of life. Fifty-eight percent of patients were on opioid medications at entry compared with 15% at discharge. Among patients who entered on opioids, mean COMM scores were significantly reduced from above the cutoff for misuse risk (M = 13.57) to below the cutoff (M = 5.86). Overall, this study provided strong support for pain rehabilitation as an effective treatment for chronic pain and related suffering, while also providing a prevention-based opportunity for reducing opioid-related risk. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Background: It is not common for people to come across a living kidney donor, let alone consider whether they would ever donate a kidney themselves while they are alive. Narrative storytelling, the sharing of first-person narratives based on lived experience, may be an important way to improve education about living donor kidney transplants (LDKTs). Developing ways to easily standardize and disseminate diverse living donor stories using digital technology could inspire more people to consider becoming living donors and reduce the kidney shortage nationally., Objective: This paper aimed to describe the development of the Living Donation Storytelling Project, a web-based digital library of living donation narratives from multiple audiences using video capture technology. Specifically, we aimed to describe the theoretical foundation and development of the library, a protocol to capture diverse storytellers, the characteristics and experiences of participating storytellers, and the frequency with which any ethical concerns about the content being shared emerged., Methods: This study invited kidney transplant recipients who had received LDKTs, living donors, family members, and patients seeking LDKTs to record personal stories using video capture technology by answering a series of guided prompts on their computer or smartphone and answering questions about their filming experience. The digital software automatically spliced responses to open-ended prompts, creating a seamless story available for uploading to a web-based library and posting to social media. Each story was reviewed by a transplant professional for the disclosure of protected health information (PHI), pressuring others to donate, and medical inaccuracies. Disclosures were edited., Results: This study recruited diverse storytellers through social media, support groups, churches, and transplant programs. Of the 137 storytellers who completed the postsurvey, 105/137 (76.6%) were white and 99/137 (72.2%) were female. They spent 62.5 min, on average, recording their story, with a final median story length of 10 min (00:46 seconds to 32:16 min). A total of 94.8% (130/137) of storytellers were motivated by a desire to educate the public; 78.1% (107/137) were motivated to help more people become living donors; and 75.9% (104/137) were motivated to dispel myths. The ease of using the technology and telling their story varied, with the fear of being on film, emotional difficulty talking about their experiences, and some technological barriers being reported. PHI, most commonly surnames and transplant center names, was present in 62.9% (85/135) of stories and was edited out., Conclusions: With appropriate sensitivity to ensure diverse recruitment, ethical review of content, and support for storytellers, web-based storytelling platforms may be a cost-effective and convenient way to further engage patients and increase the curiosity of the public in learning more about the possibility of becoming living donors., (©Amy D Waterman, Emily H Wood, Omesh N Ranasinghe, Amanda Faye Lipsey, Crystal Anderson, Wendy Balliet, Lauren Holland-Carter, Stacey Maurer, Maria Aurora Posadas Salas. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (http://formative.jmir.org), 21.07.2020.)

Background: Chronic opiate use leads to a sensitized behavioral response to acute pain, which in turn, leads to escalating doses of opiates. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that chronic opiate usage is also associated with a sensitized neurobiological response to acute pain in individuals that have used prescription opiates for 6 or more months., Methods: Fourteen patients with non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis that have been taking prescription opiates for 6 or more months and 14 gender matched, non-opiate using controls were enrolled. Functional neuroimaging data was acquired while participants received blocks of thermal stimulation to their wrist (individually-tailored to their pain threshold)., Results: Self-reported pain was significantly greater in opiate using patients (3.4 ± 3.4) than controls (0.2 ± 0.8: Brief Pain Inventory p < 0.005), however no significant difference between groups was observed in the individually-tailored pain thresholds. Opiate using patients evidenced a significantly greater response to pain than controls in two established nodes of the "Pain Matrix": somatosensory cortex (p FWE ≤0.001) and anterior cingulate cortex (p ≤ 0.01). This response was positively correlated with prescribed morphine equivalent dosages (average: 133.5 ± 94.8 mg/day)., Conclusion: The findings suggest that in chronic pancreatitis patients, a dose of opiates that normalizes their behavioral response to acute pain is associated with an amplified neural response to acute pain. Further longitudinal studies are needed to determine if this neural sensitization hastens a behavioral tolerance to opiates or the development of an opioid use disorder., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Kidney transplantation improves survival and quality of life for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). However, there is a shortage of donated organs, resulting in long wait times and the potential for death before a donor is found. Non-directed (also called altruistic) living kidney donation is a growing type of donation; however, few studies have examined the values and motivation of individuals evaluated to be a non-directed donor., Objectives: This qualitative study explores the motivations and values of individuals evaluated for non-directed donation., Design: Focus groups were conducted with individuals who had been evaluated for non-directed living kidney donation. Grounded theory method guided the data analysis., Participants: Participants (N = 11) were individuals who completed the evaluation for a non-directed living kidney donation., Findings: Qualitative analyses revealed eight major themes participants considered in making their decision to donate to a non-related person: (i) motivation to donate; (ii) minimise perceived risk; (iii) ideal selected recipient; (iv) change in lifestyle; (v) source of donation knowledge; (vi) history of altruistic acts; (vii) donation chain and (viii) others' response., Conclusions: Results suggest that non-directed living kidney donors think deeply about their decision and have a resolve to help others that is aligned with their values. As organ availability remains at a critical shortage, unwillingness to consider non-directed living donors (NDD) due to beliefs of ill motivations appears unsupported. Future directions call for the need of standard practice of care in kidney donation evaluations across transplant centers., (© 2019 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.)

Background: In the United States, there is a national shortage of organs donated for transplant. Among the solid organs, most often kidneys are donated by living donors, but the lack of information and complicated processes limit the number of individuals who serve as living kidney donors. Social media can be a tool for advocacy, educating the public about the need, process, and outcomes of live kidney donors, yet little is known about social media use by kidney transplant patients., Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the social media use of potential kidney transplant patients and their willingness to use social media and their networks to advocate and educate about living kidney donation., Methods: Using a validated survey, we modified the instrument to apply to the patient population of interest attending the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. The questions on the survey inquired about current social media use, sites visited, frequency and duration of social media use, and willingness to use social media to share the need for living kidney donors. We asked patients who had received a transplant and those awaiting a transplant to complete the survey during an office visit. Participation was voluntary., Results: A total of 199 patients completed the survey. Approximately half of all kidney transplant patients surveyed used social media (104/199, 52.3%), and approximately one-third (66/199, 33.2%) had more than 100 friends in their social media network. Facebook was the most popular site, and 51% (102/199) reported that they would be willing to post information about living kidney donation on their social networks. More than a quarter of the sample (75/199, 37.7%) had posted about their health status in the past., Conclusions: Social media holds great promise for health-related education and awareness. Our study shows the current social media use of kidney transplant patients. In turn, such information can be used to design interventions to ensure appropriate decision making about live kidney donation. Transplant programs can help increase the number of living donors by providing guidance to kidney transplant patients in how to use social media, to be advocates, and to provide information about living kidney donation to their social network., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared., (©Abby Swanson Kazley, Bashir Hamidi, Wendy Balliet, Prabhakar Baliga. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 20.12.2016.)

Background and Objectives: Person-centered clinical environments may promote living donation for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We implemented an observational study design to explore whether a patient navigator (PN) program with person-centered education in nephrology practice settings could increase potential living donors (PLDs) and, subsequently, increase living transplantation., Design, Setting, Participants, and Measures: Patients referred to (N = 4621) and/or transplanted at (N = 950) our transplant center during 2007-2012 were eligible for inclusion. Two analytical study populations were derived from propensity score matched patient groups. Outcomes comprised total PLDs per candidate and living vs. deceased transplantation for recipients., Results: Multivariable generalized estimating equations logistic regression showed that PN practice candidates were significantly more likely to have an initial inquiry PLD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-1.44) and a preliminary screening PLD (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.05-1.54), while there were no significant differences observed in evaluated PLD (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.61-1.45)., Conclusions: Our results suggest that our person-centered PN program stimulated willingness to seek living transplantation and was associated with a trend toward increased LD., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Selected patients with chronic pancreatitis can benefit from total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation. Patient selection is challenging and outcomes assessment is essential., Study Design: A prospective database of total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation patients was reviewed. Attention was given to psychometric assessments, including Short Form-12 Quality of Life Survey (SF-12), Center for Epidemiologic Studies 10-Item Depression scale, and Current Opioid Misuse Measure in the preoperative period, and SF-12 in the postoperative period., Results: One hundred and twenty-seven patients (76% women, mean age 40.5 years) underwent total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation. Preoperatively, the mean SF-12 physical quality of life score (physQOL) was 27.24 (SD 9.9) and the mean psychological QOL score (psychQOL) was 38.5 (SD 12.8), with a score of 50 representing the mean of a healthy population. Mean improvements in physQOL relative to baseline at 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years post surgery were 7.1, 5.8, and 7.8, respectively, which represented significant change (all p < 0.001). Mean improvements in psychQOL relative to baseline at 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years post surgery were 3.9, 4.9, and 6.6, which also represented significant improvement (all p < 0.001). The percentages of patients evidencing at least a 3-point improvement in physQOL at 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years post surgery were 65%, 60%, and 61%, respectively. The percentages of patients evidencing at least a 3-point improvement in psychQOL at 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years post surgery were 49%, 58%, and 66%, respectively. Exploratory regression analyses of SF-12, Current Opioid Misuse Measure, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies 10-Item Depression scale data revealed limited baseline predictability of surgical response; however, higher opioid misuse scores at baseline were significantly and positively related to physQOL improvement at 2 years (r[54] = 0.33, p = 0.02)., Conclusions: Total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation improves QOL for selected patients with chronic pancreatitis. The physQOL improves quickly after surgery, and psychQOL improvements are more gradual. Opioid misuse can predict physQOL improvement., (Copyright © 2015 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess clinical variables that may be associated with risk for opioid misuse in individuals with chronic pancreatitis., Design: This study utilized a descriptive, quasi-experimental, cross sectional design., Setting and Patients: Three hundred seven individuals with nonalcoholic chronic pancreatitis engaged in chronic opioid therapy for pain presented to an outpatient specialty clinic at an academic medical center., Measures: Participants completed the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Short Form (SF)-12 Quality of Life Measure, Center for Epidemiological Studies 10-item Depression Scale (CESD), and a single item asking about current alcohol use. Mean scores on the CESD, COMM, BPI, SF-12, and factors associated with opioid misuse measures from regression analyses were the outcome measures., Results: Mean scores on the CESD, COMM, BPI pain-on-average item, and the SF-12 physical and psychological quality of life factors (t scores) were 11.2 (standard deviation [SD] = 6.7), 8.5 (SD = 7.3), 4.8 (SD = 2.8), 39.7 (SD = 7.0), and 45 (SD = 9.0), respectively. Descriptive analyses revealed that 55% of participants scored above the clinical cutoff for depression on the CESD, and 39% scored above the cutoff for opioid misuse concerns on the COMM. Regression analyses identified several factors associated with higher opioid misuse measure scores, including increased depressive symptoms from the CESD (β = 0.38, P < 0.0001), increased pain rating at the time of the office visit (β = 0.16, P = 0.03), impairment of psychological quality of life (β = -0.27, P = 0.001) and endorsement of alcohol use (β = 0.16, P = 0.03). These factors accounted for 37% of the variance in current opioid misuse scores., Conclusions: Depression, quality of life, pain intensity and alcohol use may be good candidate variables for prospective studies to determine clinical risk factors for opioid misuse among patients with pancreatitis., (Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Breast cancer is a leading cancer diagnosis among women worldwide, with more than 210,000 new cases and 40,000 deaths per year in the United States. Pain, anxiety, and depression can be significant factors during the course of breast cancer. Pain is a complex experience with sensory, affective, and cognitive dimensions. While depression and anxiety symptoms are relatively common among breast cancer patients, little is known about the relation between these psychiatric factors and distinct components of the pain experience. In the present study 60 females presenting to an NCI-designated Cancer Center with newly diagnosed breast cancer completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies 10-item Depression Scale, the State Instrument of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Findings indicate that anxiety and depression are common among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients; furthermore, patients experience an appreciable amount of pain even before oncologic treatment starts. State anxiety serves as a predictor of the sensory dimension of the pain experience, whereas depression serves as a predictor of the affective dimension of the pain experience.

Psychiatric comorbidity is common among chronically medically ill populations and the presence of psychiatric conditions tends to be associated with increased costs and excess utilization of general medical services. The purpose of this pilot investigation was to determine whether differences in nonpsychiatric inpatient hospitalization frequency, duration, and costs existed between patients receiving outpatient psychiatric treatment and patients without identified psychiatric problems. Length of stay and cost information for patients that had at least 1 inpatient medical/surgical hospitalization during a 6-month period was extracted from the hospital's inpatient billing database (n = 10,865). The medical record numbers of these patients were then cross-referenced against the outpatient psychiatry-billing database for the same 6-month period, thereby identifying all patients that had both a nonpsychiatric inpatient hospitalization and an outpatient psychiatry visit (n = 149). Patients identified as having outpatient psychiatry involvement had significantly more nonpsychiatric hospitalizations on average (mean = 1.60) than nonpsychiatric patients (mean = 1.34) during the study period (t4381 = 2.94, P = .003). There was no difference in the total costs associated with these hospitalizations between the 2 groups. Those that had a psychiatry consult during the nonpsychiatric hospitalization had a significantly higher length of stay and costs than those without. Thus, the criteria used to determine whether or not a psychiatry consultation is triggered, and the timing of the consultation request need further study.