Cardiac rehabilitation: socially deprived patients are less likely to attend but patients ineligible for thrombolysis are less likely to be invited

OBJECTIVE—To identify factors associated with the uptake of cardiac rehabilitation following acute myocardial infarction.
DESIGN—Retrospective analysis using multivariate logistic regression modelling.
SETTING—Two large teaching hospitals in Nottingham.
PATIENTS—Cohorts of patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction in 1992 and 1996.
INTERVENTIONS—None.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES—Factors in multivariate analysis found to be associated with attendance at cardiac rehabilitation. Use of secondary prevention in those who were and were not invited and those who did and did not attend cardiac rehabilitation.
RESULTS—58% of all patients were offered cardiac rehabilitation. Attendance rates were 60% in 1992 and 74% in 1996. Invitations were more likely to be offered to younger patients, those who had received thrombolysis, and to patients admitted to one of the two Nottingham hospitals. Use of secondary prevention was only 48% in 1992 but this increased to 80% in 1996. Patients not receiving secondary prevention were less likely to be invited to cardiac rehabilitation. Social deprivation was the only factor significantly associated with poor uptake of cardiac rehabilitation in both years. There was no difference in the use of secondary prevention between those who did and did not attend cardiac rehabilitation.
CONCLUSION—Those invited to attend a cardiac rehabilitation programme are likely to be in a good prognosis group, comprising those who are young and have received thrombolysis. Those at greatest risk, particularly patients from socially deprived areas, seem to be missing out on the potential benefits of cardiac rehabilitation. High risk patients should be specifically targeted to ensure that they are invited to, and encouraged to, attend a programme of cardiac rehabilitation.


Keywords: cardiac rehabilitation; acute myocardial infarction; thrombolysis     

Impact of socioeconomic status on the course of rheumatoid arthritis and on related use of health care services

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) among patients with rheumatoid arthritis on 1) health outcomes and related health care utilization in relation to disease duration and 2) changes in health outcomes and related health care utilization over a 2-year period. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 878 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), varying in disease duration from 0 to more than 15 years. To determine the impact of SES on the health outcomes and health care use, patients were compared within and between 3 disease duration groups. Additionally, longitudinal changes in health outcomes and health care use were assessed with a followup questionnaire sent out 2 years later. RESULTS: Patients with low SES have worse disease activity, physical health, mental health, and quality of life than patients with high SES. These differences, however, decreased over time. Regarding health care use, we found that patients with low SES made considerably less use of allied health care than patients with high SES. CONCLUSION: Efforts should be undertaken in health care to alleviate the health disadvantages of RA patients in lower socioeconomic groups. In particular, the access to allied health care could be improved.     

Social contact, socioeconomic status, and the health status of older Malaysians

We tested the applicability of the stress buffering hypothesis in a developing country setting with data from the Senior Sample of the Malaysian Family Life Survey-2. Using ordered logistic regression methods, we examined whether having daily contact with adult children moderates the effect of low socioeconomic status (SES; conceptualized as a chronic stressor) on self-assessed health status. We found that low SES is associated with poorer health for all three ethnic groups--Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Further, for Malays and Chinese, we found that the negative effects of low SES on health tend to be stronger for older people with less frequent contact with adult children than for those who have daily contact. These results provide general support for the buffering model and suggest that, as found in developed countries, active intergenerational relationships in developing country settings may have protective effects on the health of older people experiencing chronic stressors.     

Elderly nursing home and day care participants are less likely than young adults to approach imbalance during voluntary forward reaching

The goal of this study was to determine whether differences exist between young and elderly adults in cautiousness or tendency to approach imbalance during a forward reaching task. Young (n = 26) and elderly (n = 25) adults participated in trials that required them to reach forward as quickly as possible to contact a target that moved back and forth, in and out of reach. "Voluntary reach" was calculated as the 75th percentile in reach distance over 20 trials. Measures were also acquired separately of "maximum attainable reach." Voluntary reach averaged 53% smaller in elderly than young subjects. This was due to differences in maximum attainable reach, and to increased cautiousness among elderly in approaching maximum attainable reach (voluntary reach averaged 65% +/- 23% of maximum attainable reach in elderly, and 95% +/- 5% in young; p < .001). Thus, cautiousness in approaching imbalance reduces voluntary reach in elderly but not young subjects. Furthermore, physical capacity (as measured by maximum attainable reach) and capacity utilization (as measured by voluntary reach) are independent predictors of reaching behavior among nursing home elderly.     

Diabetes-related inequalities in health status and financial barriers to health care access in a population-based study.

AIMS: We evaluated the relationship between diabetes, health status, household income and expenditure on health care in the general population in Trinidad. METHODS: Multistage sampling of 300 households was used to select a sample of 548 adults aged > or = 25 years. There were 64 (12%) who reported a diagnosis of diabetes. Comparison was made with 128 non-diabetic controls who were frequency matched for age and sex. RESULTS: Subjects with diabetes had lower income levels than non-diabetic controls [income < or = US dollars 533 per month for 66% diabetes cases and 48% controls, test for trend P = 0.007]. Compared with controls, subjects with diabetes were less likely to have good or very good self-rated health (diabetes 32%, controls 67%; P < 0.001), and more frequently reported long-standing illness, limitation of activities, visual impairment, or self-reported history of high blood pressure, angina or heart attack. Subjects with diabetes (11%) were less likely than controls (30%) to have private health insurance (P = 0.005). Diabetic subjects (35%) were more likely than controls (16%) to have incurred expenditure on doctors' services in the last 4 weeks (P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes is associated with worse health status and more frequent expenditure on medical services but greater financial barriers to access in terms of low income and lack of health insurance. Policies for diabetes should specifically address the problem of income-related variations in risk of diabetes, health care needs and barriers to uptake of preventive and treatment services, otherwise inequalities in health from this condition may increase.     

Delayed access to health care: risk factors, reasons, and consequences

OBJECTIVE: To determine characteristics of patients reporting delays in care before hospitalization and the reasons for those delays. DESIGN: Survey; personal interviews. SETTING: Five hospitals in Massachusetts. PATIENTS: Subjects were drawn from a consecutive sample of all adult patients (excluding obstetrics or psychiatry patients) hospitalized during the first 6 months of 1987 as part of a larger study of hospital costs. For the current study, if patients were re-admitted, we included in our analysis only data on the first admission during the study period. We obtained usable survey data from 12,068 of 17,231 eligible patients. RESULTS: Delays in care were reported by 16% of patients. The odds of reporting delays in care among patients who were black, poor, uninsured, or without a regular physician were 40% to 80% greater than those for other patients (P less than 0.01). Most patients who reported delays thought that their problem was not serious (64%). Cost was an important factor in delaying care for patients in lower socioeconomic positions; the odds of delaying care because of cost for patients who were both poor and uninsured were 12 times greater than the odds for other patients (P less than 0.001). After controlling for diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and severity, patients who reported delays had 9% longer hospital stays compared with others (P less than 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients generally thought to be disadvantaged are at especially high risk for delaying care for conditions that eventually lead to hospitalization. Because these delays are associated with longer hospital stays and potentially poorer health outcomes, interventions that reduce delays seem especially important.     

Attempt to classify patients with arthritis of the hip suitable for prosthetic replacement, and their femoral heads.

Using clinical, radiological, and morbid anatomical data about patients with arthritis of the hip and their femoral heads resected during total hip replacement, an attempt has been made first, to classify patients and femoral heads by a cluster analysis technique, and secondly and more realistically, to use existing clinical and radiological classification as a basis for seeking discriminating features in the data from the femoral head. Both types of analysis failed to give results, and led to a conclusion that arthritis of the hip is a spectrum of disease. This may not pose problems to the clinician, but it does to the investigator studying the pathogenesis of osteoarthrosis. This problem is briefly discussed.     

Sessile serrated adenomas in the proximal colon are likely to be flat,large and occur in smokers

AIM:To examine the epidemiology and the morphology of the proximal sessile serrated adenomas(SSAs).METHODS:We conducted a retrospective study to identify patients with SSAs using a university-based hospital pathology database query from January 2007to April 2011.Data collected included:age,gender,ethnicity,body mass index,diabetes,smoking,family history of colorectal cancer,aspirin,and statin use.We collected data on morphology of SSAs including site(proximal or distal),size,and endoscopic appearance(flat or protuberant).We also compared proximal SSAs to proximal tubular adenomas detected during same time period.RESULTS:One hundred and twenty patients with SSAs were identified:61%were distal and 39%were proximal SSAs.Proximal SSAs were more likely to be flat than distal(100%vs 78%respectively;P=0.0001).Proximal SSAs were more likely to occur in smokers(OR=2.63;95%CI:1.17-5.90;P=0.02)and in patients with family history of colorectal cancer(OR=4.72;95%CI:1.43-15.55;P=0.01)compared to distal.Proximal SSAs were statistically more likely to be≥6 mm in size(OR=2.94;P=0.008),and also more likely to be large(≥1 cm)(OR=4.55;P=0.0005)compared to the distal lesions.Smokers were more likely to have proximal(P=0.02),flat(P=0.01)and large(P=0.007)SSAs compared to non-smokers.Compared to proximal tubular adenomas,proximal SSAs were more likely to be large and occur in smokers.CONCLUSION:Proximal SSAs which accounted for two-fifths of all SSAs were more likely to present as flat lesions,larger SSAs,and were more likely to occur in smokers and in patients with family history of colorectal cancer.Our data has implications for colorectal cancer screening.     

Type of substance use and access to HIV-related health care

HIV-infected substance users have poorer health outcomes than other HIV risk groups. Few studies have examined the impact of specific types of substance use on health care. This study investigated the associations between specific types of substances of abuse and access to health care. HIV-infected individuals living in eight different single room occupancy hotels in the Bronx, New York, were interviewed between August 1999 and February 2001 regarding demographics, health care access and utilization, and drug and alcohol use. Of the 238 participants, the majority were male (59%), black or Hispanic (93%), and active drug users (61%). Individuals reporting any drug or crack/cocaine use were less likely to have a regular provider than those reporting no drug or no crack/cocaine use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.50, p = 0.05; AOR =0.35, p = 0.004, respectively), while those with binge alcohol use were more likely to have a regular doctor than those without binge alcohol use (AOR = 2.61, p = 0.05). Individuals reporting any drug or crack/cocaine use were also less likely to perceive quality of health care positively (AOR = 0.50, p = 0.02; AOR = 0.37, p = 0.002, respectively). Heroin use, and injection drug use were not associated with these outcomes. When the sample was limited to recent drug users, similar patterns were found. Although drug use in general is associated with negative health outcomes, in this study, poorer measures of access to health care among substance users was associated predominantly with crack/cocaine use. It is important that clinicians and researchers working with substance-using populations understand how specific types of substance use differentially impact on health care.     

Improving access to better care for people with knee and/or hip pain: service evaluation of allied health professional‐led primary care

Introduction

Chronic knee and hip pain is prevalent, impairing mobility, function and quality of life. Allied health professions (AHPs) are better trained and have more time than general practitioners in primary care to advise and support people to adopt healthier lifestyles (maintain healthy weight, increase physical activity) that reduce joint pain. We evaluated whether AHP‐led primary care delivering person‐centred, practical lifestyle coaching was a feasible, effective way to manage chronic knee and/or hip pain.

Methods

At initial assessment the ‘Joint Pain Advisor’ assessed pain, function, quality of life, physical activity, waist circumference and body mass, taught simple self‐management strategies and used behaviour change techniques (motivational interviewing, goal setting, action/coping planning) to alter participants' lifestyles. Participants were invited for 6‐week and 6‐month reviews, when the Advisor reassessed clinical outcomes, fed back progress and reinforced health messages. Feasibility and effectiveness of the service was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative methods.

Results

Uptake of the service was good: 498 people used the service. Between initial assessment and reviews, participants' pain, function, quality of life, weight, waist circumference and physical activity improved (p < 0.005). Service user satisfaction was high; they reported easier access to advice and support tailored to their needs that translated into clinical benefits and a more efficient pathway reducing unnecessary consultations and investigations. Relatively few people returned for a 6‐month review as they considered they had received sufficient advice.

Conclusions

AHP‐led care is a popular, effective, efficient and sustainable way to manage joint pain, without compromising safety or quality of care.