Browsing by Author "Fenton, Brenda T."

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    Complementary and integrative medicine perspectives among veteran patients and VHA healthcare providers for the treatment of headache disorders: a qualitative study
    (Springer, 2022-01-25) Kuruvilla, Deena E.; Lindsey, Hayley; Grinberg, Amy S.; Goldman, Roberta E.; Riley, Samantha; Baird, Sean; Fenton, Brenda T.; Sico, Jason J.; Damush , Teresa M.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Objective To evaluate veteran patient and provider perceptions and preferences on complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) for headache management. Background The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has spearheaded a Whole Health system of care focusing on CIM-based care for veteran patients. Less is known about patients’ and providers’ CIM perceptions and preferences for chronic headache management. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 veteran patients diagnosed with headache and 43 clinical providers, across 12 VHA Headache Centers of Excellence (HCoE), from January 2019 to March 2020. We conducted thematic and case comparative analyses. Results Veteran patients and VHA clinical providers viewed CIM favorably for the treatment of chronic headache. Specific barriers to CIM approaches included: (1) A lack of personnel specialized in specific CIM approaches for timely access, and (2) variation in patient perceptions and responses to CIM treatment efficacy for headache management. Conclusion Veteran patients and VHA clinical providers in this study viewed CIM favorably as a safe addition to mainstream headache treatments. Advantages to CIM include favorable adverse effect profiles and patient autonomy over the treatment. By adding more CIM providers and resources throughout the VHA, CIM modalities may be recommended more routinely in the management of veterans with headache.
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    Frequency, Demographics, Comorbidities, and Health Care Utilization by Veterans With Migraine: A VA Nationwide Cohort Study
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2022) Seng, Elizabeth K.; Fenton, Brenda T.; Wang, Kaicheng; Lipton, Richard B.; Ney, John; Damush, Teresa; Grinberg, Amy S.; Skanderson, Melissa; Sico, Jason J.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Objective: To describe the relative frequency, demographics, comorbidities, and healthcare utilization of veterans who receive migraine care at the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) and to evaluate differences by gender. Methods: This study extracted data from VHA administrative sources. Veterans diagnosed with migraine by a healthcare provider between fiscal year 2008-2019 were included. Demographics and military exposures were extracted at cohort entry. Comorbidities were extracted within 18 months of the first migraine diagnosis. Health care utilization and headache comorbidities were extracted across the study period. Differences between men and women were evaluated using chi-square tests and student t-tests. Results: More than half a million (n = 567,121) veterans were diagnosed with migraine during the 12-year study period, accounting for 5.3% of the 10.8 million veterans served in the VHA; in the most recent year of the study period (2019), the annual incidence and one-year period prevalence of medically diagnosed migraine was 2.7% and 13.0% for women, and 0.7% and 2.5% for men. In the total cohort diagnosed with migraine, 27.8% were women and 72.2% men. Among those with diagnosed migraine, a higher proportion of men vs. women also had a TBI diagnosis (3.9% vs. 1.1%; p < 0.001). A higher proportion of women vs. men reported military sexual trauma (35.5% vs. 3.5%; p < 0.001). Participants with diagnosed migraine had an average of 1.44 (SD 1.73) annual encounters for headache. Primary care was the most common headache care setting (88.1%); almost one-fifth of veterans with diagnosed migraine sought care in the ED at least once during the study period. Common comorbidities were overweight/obesity (80.3%), non-headache pain disorders (61.7%), and mental health disorders (48.8%). Conclusions: Migraine is commonly treated in the VHA setting, but likely under ascertained. Most people treated for migraine in the VHA are men. Pain comorbidities and psychiatric disorders are common. Future research should identify methods to improve diagnosis and treatment and to reduce use of the emergency department.
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    Gender Differences in Demographic and Clinical Correlates among Veterans with Musculoskeletal Disorders
    (Elsevier, 2017-07) Higgins, Diana M.; Fenton, Brenda T.; Driscoll, Mary A.; Heapy, Alicia A.; Kerns, Robert D.; Bair, Matthew J.; Carroll, Constance; Brennan, Penny L.; Burgess, Diana J.; Piette, John D.; Haskell, Sally G.; Brandt, Cynthia A.; Goulet, Joseph L.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background Studies suggest that women may be at greater risk for developing chronic pain and pain-related disability. Methods Because musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are the most frequently endorsed painful conditions among veterans, we sought to characterize gender differences in sociodemographic and clinical correlates among veterans upon entry into Veterans Health Administration's Musculoskeletal Disorders Cohort (n = 4,128,008). Results Women were more likely to be younger, Black, unmarried, and veterans of recent conflicts. In analyses adjusted for gender differences in sociodemographics, women were more likely to have diagnoses of fibromyalgia, temporomandibular disorders, and neck pain. Almost one in five women (19.4%) had more than one MSD diagnosis, compared with 15.7% of men; this higher risk of MSD multimorbidity remained in adjusted analyses. Adjusting for sociodemographics, women with MSD were more likely to have migraine headache and depressive, anxiety, and bipolar disorders. Women had lower odds of cardiovascular diseases, substance use disorders, and several MSDs, including back pain conditions. Men were more likely to report “no pain” on the pain intensity Numeric Rating Scale, whereas more women (41%) than men (34%) reported moderate to severe pain (Numeric Rating Scale 4+). Conclusions Because women veterans are more likely to have conditions such as fibromyalgia and mental health conditions, along with greater pain intensity in the setting of MSD, women-specific pain services may be needed.
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    Mixed methods formative evaluation of a collaborative care program to decrease risky opioid prescribing and increase non-pharmacologic approaches to pain management
    (Elsevier, 2018) Becker, William C.; Mattocks, Kristin M.; Frank, Joseph W.; Bair, Matthew J.; Jankowski, Rebecca L.; Kerns, Robert D.; Painter, Jacob T.; Fenton, Brenda T.; Midboe, Amanda M.; Martino, Steve; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Introduction Opioid prescribing and subsequent rates of serious harms have dramatically increased in the past two decades, yet there are still significant barriers to reduction of risky opioid regimens. This formative evaluation utilized a mixed-methods approach to identify barriers and factors that may facilitate the successful implementation of Primary Care-Integrated Pain Support (PIPS), a clinical program designed to support the reduction of risky opioid regimens while increasing the uptake of non-pharmacologic treatment modalities. Methods Eighteen Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees across three sites completed a survey consisting of the Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC) scale; a subset of these individuals (n = 9) then completed a semi-structured qualitative phone interview regarding implementing PIPS within the VA. ORIC results were analyzed using descriptive statistics while interview transcripts were coded and sorted according to qualitative themes. Results Quantitative analysis based on ORIC indicated high levels of organizational readiness to implement PIPS. Interview analysis revealed several salient themes: system-level barriers such as tension among various pain management providers; patient-level barriers such as perception of support and tension between patient and provider; and facilitating factors of PIPS, such as the importance of the clinical pharmacist role. Conclusions While organizational readiness for implementing PIPS appears high, modifications to our implementation facilitation strategy (e.g., establishing clinical pharmacists as champions; marketing PIPS to leadership as a way to improve VA opioid safety metrics) may improve capacity of the sites to implement PIPS successfully.
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    Racial and Ethnic Differences in Total Knee Arthroplasty in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 2001-2013
    (Wiley, 2017-08) Hausmann, Leslie R.M.; Brandt, Cynthia A.; Carroll, Constance M.; Fenton, Brenda T.; Ibrahim, Said A.; Becker, William C.; Burgess, Diana J.; Wandner, Laura D.; Bair, Matthew J.; Goulet, Joseph L.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    OBJECTIVE: To examine black-white and Hispanic-white differences in total knee arthroplasty from 2001 to 2013 in a large cohort of patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. METHODS: Data were from the VA Musculoskeletal Disorders cohort, which includes data from electronic health records of more than 5.4 million veterans with musculoskeletal disorders diagnoses. We included white (non-Hispanic), black (non-Hispanic), and Hispanic (any race) veterans, age ≥50 years, with an OA diagnosis from 2001-2011 (n = 539,841). Veterans were followed from their first OA diagnosis until September 30, 2013. As a proxy for increased clinical severity, analyses were also conducted for a subsample restricted to those who saw an orthopedic or rheumatology specialist (n = 148,844). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to examine racial and ethnic differences in total knee arthroplasty by year of OA diagnosis, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, physical and mental diagnoses, and pain intensity scores. RESULTS: We identified 12,087 total knee arthroplasty procedures in a sample of 473,170 white, 50,172 black, and 16,499 Hispanic veterans. In adjusted models examining black-white and Hispanic-white differences by year of OA diagnosis, total knee arthroplasty rates were lower for black than for white veterans diagnosed in all but 2 years. There were no Hispanic-white differences regardless of when diagnosis occurred. These patterns held in the specialty clinic subsample. CONCLUSION: Black-white differences in total knee arthroplasty appear to be persistent in the VA, even after controlling for potential clinical confounders.
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    Telehealth perceptions and utilization for the delivery of headache care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study
    (Wiley, 2022) Grinberg, Amy S.; Fenton, Brenda T.; Wang, Kaicheng; Lindsey, Hayley; Goldman, Roberta E.; Baird, Sean; Riley, Samantha; Burrone, Laura; Seng, Elizabeth K.; Damush, Teresa M.; Sico, Jason J.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the utilization of telehealth for headache services within the Veterans Health Administration's facilities housing a Headache Centers of Excellence and multiple stakeholder's perspectives to inform future telehealth delivery. Background: Telehealth delivery of headache treatment may enhance patient access to headache care, yet little is known about the utilization or patient and provider perceptions of telehealth for veterans with headache. Methods: This mixed-methods study analyzed multiple data sources: (1) administrative data, which included 58,798 patients with medically diagnosed headache disorders, documented in at least one outpatient visit, from August 2019 through September 2020 from the 12 Veterans Health Administration's facilities with a Headache Center of Excellence and (2) qualitative semistructured interviews with 20 patients and 43 providers 6 months before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and 10 patients and 20 providers 6 months during the beginning of the pandemic. Results: During the pandemic, in-person visits declined from 12,794 to 6099 (52.0%), whereas video (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 2.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.66, 2.52), and telephone visits (IRR = 15.2, 95% CI = 10.7, 21.6) significantly increased. Utilization differed based on patient age, race/ethnicity, and rurality. Patients and providers perceived value in using telehealth, yet had limited experience with this modality pre-pandemic. Providers preferred in-person appointments for initial encounters and telehealth for follow-up visits. Providers and patients identified benefits and challenges of telehealth delivery, often relying on multiple delivery methods for telehealth to enhance patient engagement. Conclusions: The uptake of telehealth delivery of headache-related care rapidly expanded in response to the pandemic. Patients and providers were amenable to utilizing telehealth, yet also experienced technological barriers. To encourage equitable access to telehealth and direct resources to those in need, it is crucial to understand patient preferences regarding in-person versus telehealth visits and identify patient groups who face barriers to access.
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    Treatment of a Large Cohort of Veterans Experiencing Musculoskeletal Disorders with Spinal Cord Stimulation in the Veterans Health Administration: Veteran Characteristics and Outcomes
    (Dove Press, 2020-07-07) Wandner, Laura D.; Fenton, Brenda T.; Goulet, Joseph L.; Carroll, Constance M.; Heapy, Alicia; Higgins, Diana M.; Bair, Matthew J.; Sandbrink, Friedhelm; Kerns, Robert D.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Objective Spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implantation is used to treat chronic pain, including painful musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This study examined the characteristics and outcomes of veterans receiving SCSs in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities. Methods The sample was drawn from the MSD Cohort and limited to three MSDs with the highest number of implants (N=815,475). There were 1490 veterans with these conditions who received SCS implants from 2000 to 2012, of which 95% (n=1414) had pain intensity numeric rating scale (NRS) data both pre- and post-implant. Results Veterans who were 35–44 years old, White, and married reported higher pain NRS ratings, had comorbid inclusion diagnoses, had no medical comorbidities, had a BMI 25–29.9, or had a depressive disorder diagnosis were more likely to receive an SCS. Veterans 55+ years old or with an alcohol or substance use disorder were less likely to receive an SCS. Over 90% of those receiving an SCS were prescribed opioids in the year prior to implant. Veterans who had a presurgical pain score ≥4 had a clinically meaningful decrease in their pain score in the year following their 90-day recovery period (Day 91–456) greater than expected by chance alone. Similarly, there was a significant decrease in the percent of veterans receiving opioid therapy (92.4% vs 86.6%, p<0.0001) and a significant overall decrease in opioid dose [morphine equivalent dose per day (MEDD) =26.48 vs MEDD=22.59, p<0.0003]. Conclusion Results offer evidence of benefit for some veterans with the examined conditions. Given known risks of opioid therapy, the reduction is an important potential benefit of SCS implants.