Browsing by Subject "Health care utilization"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Differences in Health-Related Outcomes and Health Care Resource Utilization in Breast Cancer Survivors With and Without Type 2 Diabetes
    (AdvocateAuroraHealth, 2022-01-17) Storey, Susan; Zhang, Zuoyi; Luo, Xiao; Metzger, Megan; Jakka, Amrutha Ravali; Huang, Kun; Von Ah, Diane; School of Nursing
    Purpose: Up to 74% of breast cancer survivors (BCS) have at least one preexisting comorbid condition, with diabetes (type 2) common. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in health-related outcomes (anemia, neutropenia, and infection) and utilization of health care resources (inpatient, outpatient, and emergency visits) in BCS with and without diabetes. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data were leveraged from the electronic health records of a large health network linked to the Indiana State Cancer Registry. BCS diagnosed between January 2007 and December 2017 and who had received chemotherapy were included. Multivariable logistic regression and generalized linear models were used to determine differences in health outcomes and health care resources. Results: The cohort included 6851 BCS, of whom 1121 (16%) had a diagnosis of diabetes. BCS were, on average, 55 (standard deviation: 11.88) years old, the majority self-reported race as White (90%), and 48.8% had stage II breast cancer. BCS with diabetes were significantly older (mean age of 60.6 [SD: 10.34] years) than those without diabetes and were often obese (66% had body mass index of ≥33). BCS with diabetes had higher odds of anemia (odds ratio: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.96) and infection (odds ratio: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.35, 2.55) and utilized more outpatient resources (P<0.0001). Conclusions: Diabetes has a deleterious effect on health-related outcomes and health care resource utilization among BCS. These findings support the need for clinical practice guidelines to help clinicians manage diabetes among BCS throughout the cancer trajectory and for coordinated models of care to reduce high resource utilization.
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    "Does this Look Infected to You?" Social Network Predictors of Dental Help-Seeking Among Mexican Immigrants
    (Springer Nature, 2018-04) Pullen, Erin; Perry, Brea L.; Maupome, Gerardo; Periodontology, School of Dentistry
    Compared to U.S. born Latinos, Mexican immigrants (MAs) have diminished health care access and face substantial barriers to accessing needed dental health services. However, little research has examined how MAs social networks shape their use of dental health services. Using data from 332 Mexican immigrants to the Midwest, this research examines the significance of individual and egocentric network characteristics on two measures of dental health service utilization. Findings reveal that network size, network dental service utilization, and the frequency with which MAs discuss acute problems with network ties, positively correspond to use of oral health services. Conversely, embeddedness in networks where ties hassle egos about dental issues and have low levels of dental health knowledge correspond to lower odds of using these services. This research is among the first to use ego network data and methods to examine the ways network characteristics shape oral health behaviors among this underserved population.
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    Errors in self-reports of health services use: impact on alzheimer disease clinical trial designs
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2015-03) Callahan, Christopher M.; Tu, Wanzhu; Stump, Timothy E.; Clark, Daniel O.; Unroe, Kathleen T.; Hendrie, Hugh C.; Department of Medicine, IU School of Medicine
    BACKGROUND: Most Alzheimer disease clinical trials that compare the use of health services rely on reports of caregivers. The goal of this study was to assess the accuracy of self-reports among older adults with Alzheimer disease and their caregiver proxy respondents. This issue is particularly relevant to Alzheimer disease clinical trials because inaccuracy can lead both to loss of power and increased bias in study outcomes. METHODS: We compared respondent accuracy in reporting any use and in reporting the frequency of use with actual utilization data as documented in a comprehensive database. We next simulated the impact of underreporting and overreporting on sample size estimates and treatment effect bias for clinical trials comparing utilization between experimental groups. RESULTS: Respondents self-reports have a poor level of accuracy with κ-values often below 0.5. Respondents tend to underreport use even for rare events such as hospitalizations and nursing home stays. In analyses simulating underreporting and overreporting of varying magnitude, we found that errors in self-reports can increase the required sample size by 15% to 30%. In addition, bias in the reported treatment effect ranged from 3% to 18% due to both underreporting and overreporting errors. CONCLUSIONS: Use of self-report data in clinical trials of Alzheimer disease treatments may inflate sample size needs. Even when adequate power is achieved by increasing sample size, reporting errors can result in a biased estimate of the true effect size of the intervention.
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    Hepatitis C Virus Screening: Factors Associated With Test Completion in a Large Academic Health Care System
    (Sage, 2022) Kasting, Monica L.; Christy, Shannon M.; Reich, Richard R.; Rathwell, Julie A.; Roetzheim, Richard G.; Vadaparampil, Susan T.; Giuliano, Anna R.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Objectives: In 2012, onetime hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening was recommended for all baby boomers (people born during 1945-1965) in the United States, but only 4.0%-12.9% of baby boomers have ever had a screening ordered by a health care provider. This study examined the HCV screening prevalence among adult patients in a large academic health care system and assessed factors associated with the completion of screening when ordered for baby boomers. Methods: We defined HCV screening completion as the completion of an HCV antibody test when it was ordered. We used electronic health records to examine HCV screening completion rates among adults (N = 106 630) from August 1, 2015, through July 31, 2020, by birth cohort. Among baby boomers whose health care provider ordered HCV screening, we examined frequency and percentages of HCV screening completion by sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. We conducted univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to assess factors associated with HCV screening completion among baby boomers. Results: During the study period, 73.0% of baby boomers completed HCV screening when it was ordered. HCV completion did not differ by sex or race and ethnicity among baby boomers. Baby boomers with Medicare supplemental health insurance compared with commercial health insurance (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.87) and those seeing only advanced practice professionals compared with specialty care physicians (aOR = 2.24) were more likely to complete HCV screening when it was ordered. Conclusions: Noncompletion of HCV screening is one of many barriers along the HCV treatment continuum. Our findings suggest a need for interventions targeting systems, health care providers, and patients to increase HCV screening rates in the United States.
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    Social patterns and pathways of HIV care among HIV-positive transgender women
    (2015-06-23) Hines, Dana Darnell; Draucker, Claire Burke; Habermann, Barbara; Rawl, Susan M.; Wright, Eric R.; Foote, Carrie Elizabeth
    Transgender women have the highest HIV prevalence rates of all gender and sexual minorities, yet are less likely to enter and be retained in HIV care. As a result, they are at high risk for HIV-related morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to describe the illness career of transgender women living with HIV and to describe how interactions with health care providers and important others influenced their illness trajectory. The findings are a theoretical model that includes four stages: Having the world come crashing down, shutting out the world, living in a dark world, and reconstructing the world. Relationships within the social network (family, friends, and romantic partners) and the network of health care providers provided the context of the women's illness careers. Pivotal moments marked movement from one phase to the next. Having the World Crashing Down was the first stage that occurred when the participants were diagnosed with HIV. They felt that their lives as they knew them had been destroyed. They indicated that the "whole world just shattered" the moment they found out they had HIV. Shutting Out the World occurred next. During this stage, many participants experienced withdrawal, denial, social isolation and loneliness. As they struggled with their diagnosis, they often avoided HIV care and avoided contact with important others. During the third stage, Living in a Dark World, participants descended into a dark phase of self-destructive life and health-threatening behaviors following their diagnosis. During the fourth stage, Reconstructing the World, participants began to reestablish themselves in the world and found new ways to reengage with important others and resume meaningful life activities. Findings confirm that the illness careers of HIV-positive transgender women are influenced by the social context of the health care setting and interactions with health care providers and important others.