Interventions to improve outcomes for minority adults with asthma: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To systematically review the literature to characterize interventions with potential to improve outcomes for minority patients with asthma.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Trial Databases, expert review, reference review, meeting abstracts.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, PARTICIPANTS, AND INTEVENTIONS

Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms related to asthma were combined with terms to identify intervention studies focused on minority populations. Inclusion criteria: adult population; intervention studies with majority of non-White participants.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS OF METHODS

Study quality was assessed using Downs and Black (DB) checklists. We examined heterogeneity of studies through comparing study population, study design, intervention characteristics, and outcomes.

RESULTS

Twenty-four articles met inclusion criteria. Mean quality score was 21.0. Study populations targeted primarily African American (n = 14), followed by Latino/a (n = 4), Asian Americans (n = 1), or a combination of the above (n = 5). The most commonly reported post-intervention outcome was use of health care resources, followed by symptom control and self-management skills. The most common intervention-type studied was patient education. Although less-than half were culturally tailored, language-appropriate education appeared particularly successful. Several system–level interventions focused on specialty clinics with promising findings, although health disparities collaboratives did not have similarly promising results.

LIMITATIONS

Publication bias may limit our findings; we were unable to perform a meta-analysis limiting the review’s quantitative evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS

Overall, education delivered by health care professionals appeared effective in improving outcomes for minority patients with asthma. Few were culturally tailored and one included a comparison group, limiting the conclusions that can be drawn from cultural tailoring. System-redesign showed great promise, particularly the use of team-based specialty clinics and long-term follow-up after acute care visits. Future research should evaluate the role of tailoring educational strategies, focus on patient-centered education, and incorporate outpatient follow-up and/or a team-based approach.KEY WORDS: asthma, disparities, interventions, culturally tailored     

Is the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Metabolic Abnormalities Increased in Early Schizophrenia? A Comparative Meta-Analysis of First Episode,Untreated and Treated Patients

We aimed to discover whether metabolic complications of schizophrenia (SZ) are present in first episode (FE) and unmedicated (UM) patients, in comparison with patients established on antipsychotic medication (AP).

Method:

A systematic search, critical appraisal, and meta-analysis were conducted of studies to December 2011 using Medline, PsycINFO, Embase and experts. Twenty-six studies examined FE SZ patients (n = 2548) and 19 included UM SZ patients (n = 1325). For comparison we identified 78 publications involving 24 892 medicated patients who had chronic SZ already established on AP.

Results:

In UM, the overall rate of metabolic syndrome (MetS) was 9.8% using any standardized criteria. Diabetes was found in only 2.1% and hyperglycaemia (>100mg/dl) in 6.4%. In FE, the overall MetS rate was 9.9%, diabetes was found in only 1.2%, and hyperglycaemia in 8.7%. In UM and FE, the rates of overweight were 26.6%, 22%; hypertriglyceridemia 16.9%, 19.6%; low HDL 20.4%, 21.9%; high blood pressure 24.3%, 30.4%; smoking 40.2%, 46.8%, respectively. In both groups all metabolic components and risk factors were significantly less common in early SZ than in those already established on AP. Waist size, blood pressure and smoking were significantly lower in UM compared with FE.

Conclusion:

There is a significantly lower cardiovascular risk in early SZ than in chronic SZ. Both diabetes and pre-diabetes appear uncommon in the early stages, especially in UM. However, smoking does appear to be elevated early after diagnosis. Clinicians should focus on preventing initial cardiometabolic risk because subsequent reduction in this risk is more difficult to achieve, either through behavioral or pharmacologic interventions.Key words: cardiovascular risk, diabetes, lipids, glucose, waist, obesity     

Experience and outcomes of stepping stones triple P for families of children with autism

This study investigated the experience and perceived outcomes of a behavioural family intervention, standard stepping stones triple P (SSTP), for parents of children with autism. An indepth, prospective, mixed-methods, multiple case-study design was employed. Parent participants and SSTP practitioners took part. Participation in SSTP was consistently associated with improved parental self-efficacy, and was also associated with improved parental psychological well-being and decreased perceived need for behavioural services for some families. Three key themes emerged from the qualitative interview data, reflecting changes attributed to participation in SSTP: (1) changes in the “attribution of cause” of misbehaviour, (2) “Who's the boss?” reflecting a change to parents feeling more in charge of their child's behaviour, daily routines and choices, and (3) “Rewarding is rewarding!” reflecting appreciation of a positive approach to behaviour management. Practitioners discussed their impressions of appropriate participants, timing, structure, and session preferences for SSTP, and implications related to the professional qualifications of practitioners delivering SSTP. Clinical implications for the use of SSTP with families of children with autism are discussed.     

Single‐Center Experience With HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist Device Explantation

In patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (CF‐LVADs) myocardial recovery is uncommon. Given the heterogeneity of the population implanted and low incidence of recovery, the discovery of native left ventricular (LV) recovery and criteria for explantation of CF‐LVAD system is not clearly determined. We sought to analyze the characteristics of the patients who underwent CF‐LVAD explantation at our institution. Prospectively collected data on patients supported with CF‐LVADs were reviewed retrospectively. Patients who underwent CF‐LVAD explants were identified and their characteristics were analyzed with a focus on patient presentation and determinants of explantability. From November 2006 to June 2014, 223 patients (181 male, 42 female) underwent implantation of HeartMate II LVAD. Seven female (16.7%) and one male (0.6%) patients were explanted (P < 0.001). Mean age was 43 ± 9 years and etiology for cardiomyopathy was ischemic in three (37.5%) patients, nonischemic in four (50%) patients, and mixed in the one (12.5%) male patient of the cohort. Five (62.5%) patients presented acutely with significant hemolysis, and were found to have LV improvement as well as reduced, absent, or reversed diastolic flow velocities on echocardiography. Overall, mean lactate dehydrogenase level before explantation was 1709 ± 1168 U/L compared to the mean baseline level of 601 ± 316 U/L (P = 0.048). Mean LV ejection fraction (LVEF) improved from 17 ± 7% preimplant to 56 ± 11% pre‐explantation (P < 0.001). Median number of days on CF‐LVAD support was 870 (interquartile range, 209–975) while mean duration of follow‐up after the CF‐LVAD explantation was 276 ± 240 days. Mean LVEF dropped from 46 ± 19% postexplantation to 34 ± 10% during the most recent follow‐up (P = 0.015). At our institution, patients who underwent LVAD explants were predominantly women with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Clinical evidence of hemolysis and echocardiographic evidence of reduced or absent diastolic flow velocities were common findings in these patients. Over time, patient's native LV function declined in the absence of LVAD (after LVAD explantation). Significant challenges remain in predicting LV recovery and identifying those individuals who have recovered myocardial function significant enough to be explanted.