Browsing by Author "Carter, Jessica L."

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    Patterns of Opioid Prescriptions in the Veterans Health Administration for Patients With Chronic Low-Back Pain After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis
    (Elsevier, 2024-06) Matthias, Marianne S.; Myers, Laura J.; Coffing, Jessica M.; Carter, Jessica L.; Daggy, Joanne K.; Slaven, James E.; Bair, Matthew J.; Bravata, Dawn M.; McGuire, Alan B.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    The COVID-19 pandemic led to severe disruptions in health care and a relaxation of rules surrounding opioid prescribing—changes which led to concerns about increased reliance on opioids for chronic pain and a resurgence of opioid-related harms. Although some studies found that opioid prescriptions increased in the first 6 months of the pandemic, we know little about the longer-term effects of the pandemic on opioid prescriptions. Further, despite the prevalence of pain in veterans, we know little about patterns of opioid prescriptions in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) associated with the pandemic. Using a retrospective cohort of VA patients with chronic low-back pain, we examined the proportion of patients with an opioid prescription and mean morphine milligram equivalents over a 3-year period—1 year prior to and 2 years after the pandemic’s onset. Analyses revealed that both measures fell during the entire observation period. The largest decrease in the odds of filling an opioid prescription occurred in the first quarter of the pandemic, but this downward trend continued throughout the observation period, albeit at a slower pace. Clinically meaningful differences in opioid prescriptions and dose over time did not emerge based on patient race or rurality; however, differences emerged between female and male veterans, with decreases in opioid prescriptions slowing more markedly for women after the pandemic onset. These findings suggest that the pandemic was not associated with short- or long-term increases in opioid prescriptions or doses in the VA.
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    Recovery-oriented Acute Inpatient Mental Health Care: Operationalization and Measurement
    (American Psychological Association, 2021) McGuire, Alan B.; Kukla, Marina; Rollins, Angela L.; Garabrant, Jennifer; Henry, Nancy; Eliacin, Johanne; Myers, Laura J.; Flanagan, Mindy E.; Hunt, Marcia G.; Iwamasa, Gayle Y.; Bauer, Sarah M.; Carter, Jessica L.; Salyers, Michelle P.; Psychology, School of Science
    Objective: The current article describes efforts to develop and test a measure of recovery-oriented inpatient care. Method: The Recovery-oriented Acute INpatient (RAIN) scale was based on prior literature and current Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policy and resources and further revised based on data collection from 34 VHA acute inpatient units. Results: A final scale of 23, behaviorally anchored items demonstrated a four-factor structure including the following factors: inpatient treatment planning, outpatient treatment planning, group programming, and milieu. While several items require additional revision to address psychometric concerns, the scale demonstrated adequate model fit and was consistent with prior literature on recovery-oriented inpatient care. Conclusions and Implementations for Practice: The RAIN scale represents an important tool for future implementation and empirical study of recovery-oriented inpatient care.
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    Recovery-oriented inpatient mental health care and readmission
    (American Psychological Association, 2022) McGuire, Alan B.; Flanagan, Mindy E.; Myers, Laura J.; Kukla, Marina; Rollins, Angela L.; Garabrant, Jennifer; Henry, Nancy; Eliacin, Johanne; Hunt, Marcia G.; Iwamasa, Gayle Y.; Carter, Jessica L.; Salyers, Michelle P.; Psychology, School of Science
    Objective: This article examines the relationship between inpatient mental health units' adherence to recovery-oriented care and 30-day patient readmission. Method: The sample included patients admitted to one of 34 Veterans Health Administration inpatient mental health units. Recovery-oriented care was assessed using interviews and site visits. Patient characteristics and readmission data were derived from administrative data. Findings: Overall recovery orientation was not associated with readmission. Exploratory analyses found higher scores on a subsample of items pertaining to inpatient therapeutic programming were associated with lower patient readmissions. Additionally, patients with more prior service use and substance abuse or personality disorders were more likely to be readmitted. Conclusions and implications for practice: A growing body of literature supports the association between psychotherapeutic services in inpatient units and better patient outcomes. However, further research is needed to examine this association. More work is needed to develop appropriate psychotherapy services for the inpatient setting and support their implementation.