Health care of the chronically mentally Ill: The culture broker model

The chronically mentally ill tend to receive inadequate medical care for nonpsychiatric illnesses and to have poor health care status. Their medical problems lead to excessive morbidity and mortality and adversely affect their adjustment to psychiatric illness. The authors argue that many of the barriers to medical care for these patients can be overcome by using case managers as culture brokers—persons who provide bridges between the worlds of the chronically mentally ill and medical providers. This paper presents the culture broker model and its roots in anthropology, and illustrates its application to the medical care of the chronically mentally ill with case examples.     

‘Rational use of high‐flow therapy in infants with bronchiolitis. What do the latest trials tell us?’ A Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative perspective

Bronchiolitis is the most common reason for infants to be hospitalised. Over the past decade, the use of high‐flow nasal cannulae (HFNC) therapy has increased markedly and it is now utilised not only in the intensive care unit setting but in general paediatric wards and emergency departments. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise and critique the current evidence‐base for the use of HFNC in infants with bronchiolitis. We searched Ovid Medline, OvidEmbase, PubMed, Cinahl, Cochrane Library, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials of HFNC therapy in infants with bronchiolitis from 1 January 2000 to 27 June 2018. We identified four randomised controlled trials (n = 1891) of HFNC in infants with bronchiolitis: three of these studies involved infants treated in emergency departments and inpatient paediatric wards in Spain, Australia and New Zealand, and one study involved infants treated in paediatric intensive care units in France. The findings of this review suggest that HFNC should be used as a rescue treatment for hypoxaemic infants who have not responded to standard sub nasal oxygen therapy. The use of HFNC for work of breathing in the absence of hypoxaemia, and severe disease, is not currently supported by the evidence, and should only be considered in the context of an appropriate research trial.     

Age-related changes in social and psychological models predicting dental care in children

Social and psychological factors associated with dental care were examined in two groups of children ages 6-8 and 9-11 years. Level of surface plaque, measures of dental health status (that is, total number of primary teeth decayed, missing, and filled [dmft] and total number of permanent teeth decayed, missing, and filled [DMFT] ), and frequency of dental visits were used as indicators of preventive behavior. The importance of social and psychological factors associated with these indicators was shown to vary with age group and with the specific preventive behavior indicator. Perceived level of dental anxiety and dental vulnerability were significantly associated with dental care, with dental anxiety being an important factor only in the lower group. Accessibility to a free school dental service was an important predictor of dental health status (DMFT) in the older age group, however, the data indicate that only when this service was offered within an organized structure of referral and transport was there an optimal effect on subsequent dental health.     

The LIFESTYLE study: costs and effects of a structured lifestyle program in overweight and obese subfertile women to reduce the need for fertility treatment and improve reproductive outcome. A randomised controlled trial

Background

In the Netherlands, 30% of subfertile women are overweight or obese, and at present there is no agreement on fertility care for them. Data from observational and small intervention studies suggest that reduction of weight will increase the chances of conception, decrease pregnancy complications and improve perinatal outcome, but this has not been confirmed in randomised controlled trials. This study will assess the cost and effects of a six-months structured lifestyle program aiming at weight reduction followed by conventional fertility care (intervention group) as compared to conventional fertility care only (control group) in overweight and obese subfertile women. We hypothesize that the intervention will decrease the need for fertility treatment, diminish overweight-related pregnancy complications, and will improve perinatal outcome.

Methods/Design

Multicenter randomised controlled trial in subfertile women (age 18-39 year) with a body mass index between 29 and 40 kg/m². Exclusion criteria are azoospermia, use of donor semen, severe endometriosis, premature ovarian failure, endocrinopathies or pre-existent hypertensive disorders. In the intervention group the aim is a weight loss of at least 5% to10% in a six-month period, to be achieved by the combination of a diet, increase of physical activity and behavioural modification. After six months, in case no conception has been achieved, these patients will start fertility treatment according to the Dutch fertility guidelines. In the control group treatment will be started according to Dutch fertility guidelines, independently of the patient's weight.

Outcome measures and analysis

The primary outcome measure is a healthy singleton born after at least 37 weeks of gestation after vaginal delivery. Secondary outcome parameters including pregnancy outcome and complications, percentage of women needing fertility treatment, clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates, body weight, quality of life and costs. Data will be analysed according to the intention to treat principle, and cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed to compare the costs and health effects in the intervention and control group.

Discussion

The trial will provide evidence for costs and effects of a lifestyle intervention aiming at weight reduction in overweight and obese subfertile women and will offer guidance to clinicians for the treatment of these patients.

Trial registration

Dutch Trial Register NTR1530     

Exploring invisibility and epistemic injustice in Long Covid—A citizen science qualitative analysis of patient stories from an online Covid community

BackgroundIn 2020, the long‐lasting effects of the Covid‐19 virus were not included in public messages of risks to public health. Long Covid emerged as a novel and enigmatic illness with a serious and life‐changing impact. Long Covid is poorly explained by objective medical tests, leading to widespread disbelief and stigma associated with the condition. The aim of this organic research is to explore the physical and epistemic challenges of living with Long Covid.MethodsUnlike any previous pandemic in history, online Covid communities and ‘citizen science’ have played a leading role in advancing our understanding of Long Covid. As patient‐led research of this grassroots Covid community, a team approach to thematic analysis was undertaken of 66 patient stories submitted online to covid19‐recovery.org at the beginning of the Covid‐19 pandemic between April and September 2020.ResultsThe overriding theme of the analysis highlights the complexities and challenges of living with Long Covid. Our distinct themes were identified: the life‐changing impact of the condition, the importance of validation and how, for many, seeking alternatives was felt to be their only option.ConclusionsLong Covid does not easily fit into the dominant evidence‐based practice and the biomedical model of health, which rely on objective indicators of the disease process. Patient testimonies are vital to understanding and treating Long Covid, yet patients are frequently disbelieved, and their testimonies are not taken seriously leading to stigma and epistemic injustice, which introduces a lack of trust into the therapeutic relationship.Patient ContributionThe research was undertaken in partnership with our consumer representative(s) and all findings and subsequent recommendations have been coproduced.     

Prospective Evaluation of a Machine-Learning Prediction Model for Missed Radiology Appointments

The term “no-show” refers to scheduled appointments that a patient misses, or for which she arrives too late to utilize medical resources. Accurately predicting no-shows creates opportunities to intervene, ensuring that patients receive needed medical resources. A machine-learning (ML) model can accurately identify individuals at high no-show risk, to facilitate strategic and targeted interventions. We used 4,546,104 non-same-day scheduled appointments in our medical system from 1/1/2017 through 1/1/2020 for training data, including 631,386 no-shows. We applied eight ML techniques, which yielded cross-validation AUCs of 0.77–0.93. We then prospectively tested the best performing model, Gradient Boosted Regression Trees, over a 6-week period at a single outpatient location. We observed 123 no-shows. The model accurately identified likely no-show patients retrospectively (AUC 0.93) and prospectively (AUC 0.73, p < 0.0005). Individuals in the highest-risk category were three times more likely to no-show than the average of all other patients. No-show prediction modeling based on machine learning has the potential to identify patients for targeted interventions to improve their access to medical resources, reduce waste in the medical system and improve overall operational efficiency. Caution is advised, due to the potential for bias to decrease the quality of service for patients based on race, zip code, and gender.