Browsing by Author "Dixon, Brian E."
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Item Analyzing Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Health Disparities from Health Information Systems: A Closer Examination Using Spatial Statistics and Geographical Information Systems(2022-05) Lai, Patrick T. S.; Jones, Josette; Dixon, Brian E.; Wilson, Jeffrey; Wu, Huanmei; Shih, PatrickThe emergence and development of electronic health records have contributed to an abundance of patient data that can greatly be used and analyzed to promote health outcomes and even eliminate health disparities. However, challenges exist in the data received with factors such as data inconsistencies, accuracy issues, and unstructured formatting being evident. Furthermore, the current electronic health records and clinical information systems that are present do not contain the social determinants of health that may enhance our understanding of the characteristics and mechanisms of disease risk and transmission as well as health disparities research. Linkage to external population health databases to incorporate these social determinants of health is often necessary. This study provides an opportunity to identify and analyze health disparities using geographical information systems on two important sexually transmitted diseases in chlamydia and gonorrhea using Marion County, Indiana as the geographical location of interest. Population health data from the Social Assets and Vulnerabilities Indicators community information system and electronic health record data from the Indiana Network for Patient Care will be merged to measure the distribution and variability of greatest chlamydia and gonorrhea risk and to determine where the greatest areas of health disparities exist. A series of both statistical and spatial statistical methods such as a longitudinal measurement of health disparity through the Gini index, a hot-spot and cluster analysis, and a geographically weighted regression will be conducted in this study. The outcome and broader impact of this research will contribute to enhanced surveillance and increased effective strategies in identifying the level of health disparities for sexually transmitted diseases in vulnerable localities and high-risk communities. Additionally, the findings from this study will lead to improved standardization and accuracy in data collection to facilitate subsequent studies involving multiple disparate data sources. Finally, this study will likely introduce ideas for potential social determinants of health to be incorporated into electronic health records and clinical information systems.Item Applied Public Health Informatics: An eHealth Discipline Focused on Populations(2020-12) Dixon, Brian E.; Epidemiology, School of Public HealthThe discipline of public health informatics, part of the broader eHealth field, brings methods, knowledge, and theories from computer science and information science to support population health and well-being. This branch of informatics is most often found in governmental public health agencies that focus on population-level activities, including surveillance of disease as well as disease prevention. There are several specialised public health information systems used to prevent or mitigate disease, including syndromic surveillance, electronic laboratory reporting, and population health dashboards. This article defines and describes public health informatics and its role in eHealth. The article further discusses the role of public health information systems and challenges they face for the future. Strengthening public health will require greater investment in interoperability as well as analytics and the workforce. Disease outbreaks like COVID-19, Ebola, and H1N1 demonstrate the need for robust public health informatics applications and methods. Yet there is much work to be done to evolve existing tools and methods to strengthen the public health infrastructure for the next pandemic.Item Association of Health Status and Nicotine Consumption with SARS-CoV-2 positivity rates(BMC, 2021-10) Duszynski, Thomas J.; Fadel, William; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara K.; Dixon, Brian E.; Yiannoutsos, Constantin; Halverson, Paul K.; Menachemi, Nir; Epidemiology, School of Public HealthBACKGROUND: Much of what is known about COVID-19 risk factors comes from patients with serious symptoms who test positive. While risk factors for hospitalization or death include chronic conditions and smoking; less is known about how health status or nicotine consumption is associated with risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among individuals who do not present clinically. METHODS: Two community-based population samples (including individuals randomly and nonrandomly selected for statewide testing, n = 8214) underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing in nonclinical settings. Each participant was tested for current (viral PCR) and past (antibody) infection in either April or June of 2020. Before testing, participants provided demographic information and self-reported health status and nicotine and tobacco behaviors (smoking, chewing, vaping/e-cigarettes). Using descriptive statistics and a bivariate logistic regression model, we examined the association between health status and use of tobacco or nicotine with SARS-CoV-2 positivity on either PCR or antibody tests. RESULTS: Compared to people with self-identified "excellent" or very good health status, those reporting "good" or "fair" health status had a higher risk of past or current infections. Positive smoking status was inversely associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Chewing tobacco was associated with infection and the use of vaping/e-cigarettes was not associated with infection. CONCLUSIONS: In a statewide, community-based population drawn for SARS-CoV-2 testing, we find that overall health status was associated with infection rates. Unlike in studies of COVID-19 patients, smoking status was inversely associated with SARS-CoV-2 positivity. More research is needed to further understand the nature of this relationship.Item Automating Provider Reporting of Communicable Disease Cases using Health Information Technology(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Dixon, Brian E.; Lai, Patrick T. S.; Kirbiyik, Uzay; Grannis, Shaun J.Introduction Disease surveillance is a core public health (PH) function, which enables PH authorities to monitor disease outbreak and develop programs and policies to reduce disease burden. To manage and adjudicate cases of suspected communicable disease, PH workers gather data elements about persons, clinical care, and providers from various clinical sources, including providers, laboratories, among others. Current processes are paper-based and often yield incomplete and untimely reporting across different diseases requiring time-consuming follow-up by PH authorities to get needed information. Health information technology (HIT) refers to a wide range of technologies used in health care settings, including electronic health records and laboratory information systems. Health information exchange (HIE) involves electronic sharing of data and information between HIT systems, including those used in PH. Previous research has shown that using HIE to electronically report laboratory results to PH can improve surveillance practice, yet there has been little utilization of HIE for improving provider-based disease reporting [1]. Methods Our study uses an intervention to electronically pre-populate provider-based communicable disease case reporting forms with existing clinical, laboratory and patient data available through one of the largest and oldest HIE infrastructures in the U.S., the Indiana Network for Patient Care. Evaluation of the intervention will be conducted utilizing mixed methods in a concurrent design framework in which qualitative methods are embedded within the quantitative methods. Quantitative data will include reporting rates, timeliness and burden and report completeness and accuracy, analyzed using interrupted time-series and other pre-post comparisons. Qualitative data regarding pre-post provider perceptions of report completeness, accuracy, and timeliness, reporting burden, data quality, benefits, utility, adoption, utilization and impact on reporting workflow will be collected using semi-structured interviews and open-ended survey items. Data will be triangulated to find convergence or agreement by cross-validating results to produce a contextualized portrayal of the facilitators and barriers to implementation and use of the intervention. Results The intervention has been implemented in seven primary care clinics in the metropolitan Indianapolis area plus one rural clinic in Edinburgh. Analysis of baseline data shows that provider-based reports vary in their completeness, yet they contain critical information not available from laboratory information systems [2]. Furthermore, PH workers access a range of sources to gather the data they need to investigate disease cases [3]. Discussion and Conclusion By applying mixed research methods and measuring context, facilitators and barriers, and individual, organizational and data quality factors that may impact adoption and utilization of the intervention, we will document whether and how the intervention streamlines provider-based manual reporting workflows, lowers barriers to reporting, increases data completeness, improves reporting timeliness and captures a greater portion of communicable disease burden in the community. Early results are promising, and continued evaluation will be completed over the next 24 months.Item Building a Production-Ready Infrastructure to Enhance Medication Management: Early Lessons from the Nationwide Health Information Network(2009-11) Simonaitis, Linas; Dixon, Brian E.; Belsito, Anne; Miller, Theda; Overhage, J. MarcPoor medication management practices can lead to serious erosion of health care quality and safety. The DHHS Medication Management Use Case outlines methods for the exchange of electronic health information to improve medication management practices. In this case report, the authors describe initial development of Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) services to support the Medication Management Use Case. The technical approach and core elements of medication management transactions involved in the NHIN are presented. Early lessons suggest the pathway to improvements in quality and safety are achievable, yet there are challenges for the medical informatics community to address through future research and development activities.Item Building Cancer Control Capacity in Health Professionals Through Telementoring: A Survey Study of a Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Care ECHO Program(IOS Press, 2022) Milgrom, Zheng Z.; Severance, Tyler S.; Scanlon, Caitlin M.; Carson, Anyé T.; Vik, Terry A.; Duwve, Joan M.; Dixon, Brian E.; Mendonca, Eneida A.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineProject Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO©) was developed to democratize knowledge among health professionals in underserved communities. Evidence supporting the use of this model for cancer control is limited. Using surveys adapted from Moore’s evaluation framework, we evaluated the training outcomes of an ECHO program on cancer prevention and survivorship care. The study provides preliminary evidence that the ECHO model is a feasible way to build cancer control capacity among the healthcare workforce.Item Capturing COVID-19–Like Symptoms at Scale Using Banner Ads on an Online News Platform: Pilot Survey Study(JMIR, 2021-05-20) Dixon, Brian E.; Mukherjee, Sumit; Wiensch, Ashley; Gray, Mary L.; Ferres, Juan M. Lavista; Grannis, Shaun J.; Epidemiology, School of Public HealthBackground: Identifying new COVID-19 cases is challenging. Not every suspected case undergoes testing, because testing kits and other equipment are limited in many parts of the world. Yet populations increasingly use the internet to manage both home and work life during the pandemic, giving researchers mediated connections to millions of people sheltering in place. Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility of using an online news platform to recruit volunteers willing to report COVID-19–like symptoms and behaviors. Methods: An online epidemiologic survey captured COVID-19–related symptoms and behaviors from individuals recruited through banner ads offered through Microsoft News. Respondents indicated whether they were experiencing symptoms, whether they received COVID-19 testing, and whether they traveled outside of their local area. Results: A total of 87,322 respondents completed the survey across a 3-week span at the end of April 2020, with 54.3% of the responses from the United States and 32.0% from Japan. Of the total respondents, 19,631 (22.3%) reported at least one symptom associated with COVID-19. Nearly two-fifths of these respondents (39.1%) reported more than one COVID-19–like symptom. Individuals who reported being tested for COVID-19 were significantly more likely to report symptoms (47.7% vs 21.5%; P<.001). Symptom reporting rates positively correlated with per capita COVID-19 testing rates (R2=0.26; P<.001). Respondents were geographically diverse, with all states and most ZIP Codes represented. More than half of the respondents from both countries were older than 50 years of age. Conclusions: News platforms can be used to quickly recruit study participants, enabling collection of infectious disease symptoms at scale and with populations that are older than those found through social media platforms. Such platforms could enable epidemiologists and researchers to quickly assess trends in emerging infections potentially before at-risk populations present to clinics and hospitals for testing and/or treatment.Item Characteristics of Veterans with non-VA encounters enrolled in a trial of standards-based, interoperable event notification and care coordination(American Board of Family Medicine, 2021) Kartje, Rebecca; Dixon, Brian E.; Schwartzkopf, Ashley L.; Guerrero, Vivian; Judon, Kimberly M.; Yi, Joanne C.; Boockvar, Kenneth; Epidemiology, School of Public HealthIntroduction: Understanding how veterans use Veterans Affairs (VA) for primary care and non-VA for acute care can help policy makers predict future health care resource use. We aimed to describe characteristics of veterans enrolled in a multisite clinical trial of non-VA acute event notifications and care coordination and to identify patient factors associated with non-VA acute care. Methods: Characteristics of 565 veterans enrolled in a prospective cluster randomized trial at the Bronx and Indianapolis VA Medical Centers were obtained by interview and chart review. Results: Veterans' mean age was 75.8 years old, 98.3% were male, and 39.2% self-identified as a minority race; 81.2% reported receiving the majority of care at the VA. There were 197 (34.9%) veterans for whom a non-VA acute care alert was received. Patient characteristics significantly associated with greater odds of a non-VA alert included older age (OR = 1.05; 95% CI, 1.04-1.05); majority of care received is non-VA (OR = 1.83; 95% CI, 1.06-3.15); private insurance (OR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.19-1.62); and higher income (OR = 4.01; 95% CI, 2.68-5.98). Conclusions: We identified several patient-level factors associated with non-VA acute care that can inform the design of VA services and policies for veterans with non-VA acute care encounters and reintegration back into the VA system.Item Characterizing health care utilization following hospitalization for a traumatic brain injury: a retrospective cohort study(Taylor & Francis, 2021) Eliacin, Johanne; Yang, Ziyi; Kean, Jacob; Dixon, Brian E.; Psychiatry, School of MedicineObjective: The purpose of this study was to characterize health services utilization among individuals hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) 1-year post-injury. Methods: Using a retrospective cohort design, adult patients (n = 32, 042) hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury between 2005 and 2014 were selected from a statewide traumatic brain injury registry. Data on health services utilization for 1-year post-injury were extracted from electronic medical and administrative records. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to characterize the cohort and a subgroup of superutilizers of health services. Results: One year after traumatic brain injury, 56% of participants used emergency department services, 80% received inpatient services, and 93% utilized outpatient health services. Superutilizers had ≥3 emergency department visits, ≥3 inpatient admissions, or ≥26 outpatient visits 1-year post-injury. Twenty-six percent of participants were superutilizers of emergency department services, 30% of inpatient services, and 26% of outpatient services. Superutilizers contributed to 81% of emergency department visits, 70% of inpatient visits, and 60% of outpatient visits. Factors associated with being a superutilizer included sex, race, residence, and insurance type. Conclusions: Several patient characteristics and demographic factors influenced patients’ healthcare utilization post-TBI. Findings provide opportunities for developing targeted interventions to improve patients’ health and traumatic brain injury-related healthcare delivery.Item Characterizing Informatics Roles and Needs of Public Health Workers: Results from the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey(Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2015-11) Dixon, Brian E.; McFarlane, Timothy D.; Dearth, Shandy; Grannis, Shaun J.; Gibson, P. Joseph; Department of Epidemiology, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public HealthObjective: To characterize public health workers who specialize in informatics and to assess informatics-related aspects of the work performed by the public health workforce. Methods (Design, Setting, Participants): Using the nationally representative Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), we characterized and compared responses from informatics, information technology (IT), clinical and laboratory, and other public health science specialists working in state health agencies. Main Outcome Measures: Demographics, income, education, and agency size were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Weighted medians and interquartile ranges were calculated for responses pertaining to job satisfaction, workplace environment, training needs, and informatics-related competencies. Results: Of 10 246 state health workers, we identified 137 (1.3%) informatics specialists and 419 (4.1%) IT specialists. Overall, informatics specialists are younger, but share many common traits with other public health science roles, including positive attitudes toward their contributions to the mission of public health as well as job satisfaction. Informatics specialists differ demographically from IT specialists, and the 2 groups also differ with respect to salary as well as their distribution across agencies of varying size. All groups identified unmet public health and informatics competency needs, particularly limited training necessary to fully utilize technology for their work. Moreover, all groups indicated a need for greater future emphasis on leveraging electronic health information for public health functions. Conclusions: Findings from the PH WINS establish a framework and baseline measurements that can be leveraged to routinely monitor and evaluate the ineludible expansion and maturation of the public health informatics workforce and can also support assessment of the growth and evolution of informatics training needs for the broader field. Ultimately, such routine evaluations have the potential to guide local and national informatics workforce development policy.