Browsing by Author "Subramanian, Usha"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Adherence to Cardiovascular Disease Medications: Does Patient-Provider Race/Ethnicity and Language Concordance Matter?
    (Springer, 2010-06-23) Traylor, Ana H.; Schmittdiel, Julie A.; Uratsu, Connie S.; Mangione, Carol M.; Subramanian, Usha; Medicine, School of Medicine
    BACKGROUND: Patient–physician race/ethnicity and language concordance may improve medication adherence and reduce disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) by fostering trust and improved patient–physician communication. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of patient race/ethnicity and language and patient–physician race/ethnicity and language concordance on medication adherence rates for a large cohort of diabetes patients in an integrated delivery system. DESIGN: We studied 131,277 adult diabetes patients in Kaiser Permanente Northern California in 2005. Probit models assessed the effect of patient and physician race/ethnicity and language on adherence to CVD medications, after controlling for patient and physician characteristics. RESULTS: Ten percent of African American, 11 % of Hispanic, 63% of Asian, and 47% of white patients had same race/ethnicity physicians.24% of Spanish-speaking patients were linguistically concordant with their physicians. African American (46%), Hispanic (49%) and Asian (52%) patients were significantly less likely than white patients (58%) to be in good adherence to all of their CVD medications (p<0.001). Spanish-speaking patients were less likely than English speaking patients to be in good adherence (51%versus 57%, p<0.001). Race concordance for African American patients was associated with adherence to all their CVD medications (53% vs. 50%, p<0.05). Language concordance was associated with medication adherence for Spanish-speaking patients (51% vs. 45%, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Increasing opportunities for patient– physician race/ethnicity and language concordance may improve medication adherence for African American and Spanish-speaking patients, though a similar effect was not observed for Asian patients or Englishproficient Hispanic patients.
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    Barriers to Insulin Initiation The Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes Insulin Starts Project
    (2010-04) Karter, Andrew J.; Subramanian, Usha; Saha, Chandan; Crosson, Jesse C.; Parker, Melissa M.; Swain, Bix E.; Moffet, Howard H.; Marrero, David G.
    OBJECTIVE Reasons for failing to initiate prescribed insulin (primary nonadherence) are poorly understood. We investigated barriers to insulin initiation following a new prescription. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We surveyed insulin-naïve patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, already treated with two or more oral agents who were recently prescribed insulin. We compared responses for respondents prescribed, but never initiating, insulin (n = 69) with those dispensed insulin (n = 100). RESULTS Subjects failing to initiate prescribed insulin commonly reported misconceptions regarding insulin risk (35% believed that insulin causes blindness, renal failure, amputations, heart attacks, strokes, or early death), plans to instead work harder on behavioral goals, sense of personal failure, low self-efficacy, injection phobia, hypoglycemia concerns, negative impact on social life and job, inadequate health literacy, health care provider inadequately explaining risks/benefits, and limited insulin self-management training. CONCLUSIONS Primary adherence for insulin may be improved through better provider communication regarding risks, shared decision making, and insulin self-management training.
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    Correlates of depression among people with diabetes: The Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD) study
    (Elsevier, 2010-12) Waitzfelder, Beth; Gerzoff, Robert B.; Karter, Andrew J.; Crystal, Stephen; Bair, Mathew J.; Ettner, Susan L.; Brown, Arleen F.; Subramanian, Usha; Lu, Shou-En; Marrero, David; Herman, William H.; Selby, Joseph V.; Dudley, R. Adams; Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, IU School of Medicine
    Aim The broad objective of this study was to examine multiple dimensions of depression in a large, diverse population of adults with diabetes. Specific aims were to measure the association of depression with: (1) patient characteristics
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    Effect of Advanced Access Scheduling on Processes and Intermediate Outcomes of Diabetes Care and Utilization
    (2009-03) Subramanian, Usha; Ackermann, Ronald T.; Brizendine, Edward J.; Saha, Chandan; Rosenman, Marc B.; Willis, Deanna R.; Marrero, David G.
    BACKGROUND The impact of open access (OA) scheduling on chronic disease care and outcomes has not been studied. OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of OA implementation at 1 year on: (1) diabetes care processes (testing for A1c, LDL, and urine microalbumin), (2) intermediate outcomes of diabetes care (SBP, A1c, and LDL level), and (3) health-care utilization (ED visits, hospitalization, and outpatient visits). METHODS We used a retrospective cohort study design to compare process and outcomes for 4,060 continuously enrolled adult patients with diabetes from six OA clinics and six control clinics. Using a generalized linear model framework, data were modeled with linear regression for continuous, logistic regression for dichotomous, and Poisson regression for utilization outcomes. RESULTS Patients in the OA clinics were older, with a higher percentage being African American (51% vs 34%) and on insulin. In multivariate analyses, for A1c testing, the odds ratio for African-American patients in OA clinics was 0.47 (CI: 0.29-0.77), compared to non-African Americans [OR 0.27 (CI: 0.21-0.36)]. For urine microablumin, the odds ratio for non-African Americans in OA clinics was 0.37 (CI: 0.17-0.81). At 1 year, in adjusted analyses, patients in OA clinics had significantly higher SBP (mean 6.4 mmHg, 95% CI 5.4 – 7.5). There were no differences by clinic type in any of the three health-care utilization outcomes. CONCLUSION OA scheduling was associated with worse processes of care and SBP at 1 year. OA clinic scheduling should be examined more critically in larger systems of care, multiple health-care settings, and/or in a randomized controlled trial.
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    Patient Race/Ethnicity and Patient-Physician Race/Ethnicity Concordance in the Management of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors for Patients With Diabetes
    (American Diabetes Association, 2010-03) Traylor, Ana H.; Subramanian, Usha; Uratsu, Connie S.; Mangione, Carol M.; Selby, Joe V.; Schmittdiel, Julie A.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    OBJECTIVE Patient-physician race/ethnicity concordance can improve care for minority patients. However, its effect on cardiovascular disease (CVD) care and prevention is unknown. We examined associations of patient race/ethnicity and patient-physician race/ethnicity concordance on CVD risk factor levels and appropriate modification of treatment in response to high risk factor values (treatment intensification) in a large cohort of diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study population included 108,555 adult diabetic patients in Kaiser Permanente Northern California in 2005. Probit models assessed the effect of patient race/ethnicity on risk factor control and treatment intensification after adjusting for patient and physician-level characteristics. RESULTS African American patients were less likely than whites to have A1C <8.0% (64 vs. 69%, P < 0.0001), LDL cholesterol <100 mg/dl (40 vs. 47%, P < 0.0001), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) <140 mmHg (70 vs. 78%, P < 0.0001). Hispanic patients were less likely than whites to have A1C <8% (62 vs. 69%, P < 0.0001). African American patients were less likely than whites to have A1C treatment intensification (73 vs. 77%, P < 0.0001; odds ratio [OR] 0.8 [95% CI 0.7–0.9]) but more likely to receive treatment intensification for SBP (78 vs. 71%, P < 0.0001; 1.5 [1.3–1.7]). Hispanic patients were more likely to have LDL cholesterol treatment intensification (47 vs. 45%, P < 0.05; 1.1 [1.0–1.2]). Patient-physician race/ethnicity concordance was not significantly associated with risk factor control or treatment intensification. CONCLUSIONS Patient race/ethnicity is associated with risk factor control and treatment intensification, but patient-physician race/ethnicity concordance was not. Further research should investigate other potential drivers of disparities in CVD care.
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    Predictors and Impact of Intensification of Antihyperglycemic Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes
    (American Diabetes Association, 2009-02-19) McEwen, Laura N.; Bilik, Dori; Johnson, Susan L.; Halter, Jeffrey B.; Karter, Andrew J.; Mangione, Carol M.; Subramanian, Usha; Waitzfelder, Beth; Crosson, Jesse C.; Herman, William H.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of intensification of antihyperglycemic therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes; its impact on A1C, body weight, symptoms of anxiety/depression, and health status; and patient characteristics associated with improvement in A1C. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We analyzed survey, medical record, and health plan administrative data collected in Translating Research into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD). We examined patients who were using diet/exercise or oral antihyperglycemic medications at baseline, had A1C >7.2%, and stayed with the same therapy or intensified therapy (initiated or increased the number of classes of oral antihyperglycemic medications or began insulin) over 18 months. RESULTS Of 1,093 patients, 520 intensified therapy with oral medications or insulin. Patients intensifying therapy were aged 58 ± 12 years, had diabetes duration of 11 ± 9 years, and had A1C of 9.1 ± 1.5%. Younger age and higher A1C were associated with therapy intensification. Compared with patients who did not intensify therapy, those who intensified therapy experienced a 0.49% reduction in A1C (P < 0.0001), a 3-pound increase in weight (P = 0.003), and no change in anxiety/depression (P = 0.5) or health status (P = 0.2). Among those who intensified therapy, improvement in A1C was associated with higher baseline A1C, older age, black race/ethnicity, lower income, and more physician visits. CONCLUSIONS Treatment intensification improved glycemic control with no worsening of anxiety/depression or health status, especially in elderly, lower-income, and minority patients with type 2 diabetes. Interventions are needed to overcome clinical inertia when patients might benefit from treatment intensification and improved glycemic control.
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    Thiazolidinediones and Fractures: Evidence from Translating Research into Action for Diabetes
    (2010-10) Bilik, Dori; McEwen, Laura N.; Brown, Morton B.; Pomeroy, Nathan E.; Kim, Catherine; Asao, Keiko; Crosson, Jesse C.; Duru, O Kenrik; Ferrara, Assiamira; Hsiao, Victoria C.; Karter, Andrew J.; Lee, Pearl G.; Marrero, David G.; Selby, Joe V.; Subramanian, Usha; Herman, William H.
    Background: Thiazolidinedione (TZD) treatment has been associated with fractures. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between TZD treatment and fractures in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: Using data from Translating Research into Action for Diabetes, a multicenter prospective observational study of diabetes care in managed care, we conducted a matched case-control study to assess the odds of TZD exposure in patients with type 2 diabetes with and without fractures. We identified 786 cases based on fractures detected in health plan administrative data. Up to four controls without any fracture diagnoses were matched to each case. Controls were matched on health plan, date of birth within 5 yr, sex, race/ethnicity, and body mass index within 5 kg/m2. We performed conditional logistic regression for premenopausal and postmenopausal women and men to assess the odds of exposure to potential risk factors for fracture, including medications, self-reported limited mobility, and lower-extremity amputations. Results: We found statistically significant increased odds of exposure to TZDs, glucocorticoids, loop diuretics, and self-reported limited mobility for women 50 yr of age and older with fractures. Exposure to both loop diuretics and TZDs, glucocorticoids, and insulin and limited mobility and lower-extremity amputation were associated with fractures in men. Conclusion: Postmenopausal women taking TZDs and the subset of men taking both loop diuretics and TZDs were at increased risk for fractures. In postmenopausal women, risk was associated with higher TZD dose. No difference between rosiglitazone and pioglitazone was apparent.