Background: Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) commonly affects older adults and is often trea... more Background: Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) commonly affects older adults and is often treated with intensive therapies. Receipt of intensive therapies and absence of a clear transition between the curative and palliative phases of treatment yield prognostic uncertainty and risk for poor end-of-life (EOL) outcomes. However, data regarding the EOL outcomes of this population are lacking. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of adults >65 years with aggressive NHL treated with systemic therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital from 4/2000-7/2020 who subsequently died. We abstracted patient and clinical characteristics and EOL outcomes from the electronic health record (EHR), including patients' place of death, cause of death, palliative care and hospice utilization, and hospice length of stay using the EHR and the Social Security Death Index. We also determined whether patients were hospitalized (yes versus no), received systemic therapy (yes versus no), or were...
Concussions and head injuries are profound facets of sports and are complicated pathophysiologica... more Concussions and head injuries are profound facets of sports and are complicated pathophysiological processes affecting the brain, caused by a traumatic force. Concussions typically involve short‐lived impairment of neurologic function and a graded set of clinical symptoms. Diagnosis is difficult because of complexity and usually requires a multidimensional approach. Management of a concussion requires a gradual, multistep process, involving baseline testing, postural stability testing, and neurocognitive examination. Recent research has given some insight into the long term damage of brain trauma in sports and has placed concussions in the forefront of the public's perception. Young athletes as well as athletes with prior history of concussions are at a higher risk for postconcussional syndrome. Research advancements and increased awareness suggest promise for the coming decade in concussion research, prevention, and diagnosis. Introduction Postconcussional syndrome is a potenti...
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Background: Social support plays a crucial role for patients with aggressive hematologic malignan... more Background: Social support plays a crucial role for patients with aggressive hematologic malignancies as they navigate their illness course. The aim of this study was to examine associations of social support with overall survival (OS) and healthcare utilization in this population. Methods: A cross-sectional secondary analysis was conducted using data from a prospective longitudinal cohort study of 251 hospitalized patients with aggressive hematologic malignancies at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2014 through 2017. Natural Language Processing (NLP) was used to identify the extent of patients’ social support (limited vs adequate as defined by NLP-aided chart review of the electronic health record). Multivariable regression models were used to examine associations of social support with (1) OS, (2) death or readmission within 90 days of discharge from index hospitalization, (3) time to readmission within 90 days, and (4) index hospitalization length of stay. Results: Patients ha...
10123Background: Patients with incurable cancer often require hospitalizations for symptom manage... more 10123Background: Patients with incurable cancer often require hospitalizations for symptom management, but the relationship between patients’ symptom burden and their hospital LOS is unknown. We so...
The aim of this study is to assess the impact of preoperative comanagement with complex care pedi... more The aim of this study is to assess the impact of preoperative comanagement with complex care pediatricians (CCP) on children with neuromuscular scoliosis undergoing spinal fusion. We performed chart review of 79 children aged 5–21 years undergoing spinal fusion 1/2014–6/2016 at a children’s hospital, with abstraction of clinical documentation from preoperative health evaluations performed regularly by anesthesiologists and irregularly by a CCP. Preoperative referrals to specialists, labs, tests, and care plans needed last minute for surgical clearance were measured. The mean age at surgery was 14 (SD 3) years; cerebral palsy (64%) was the most common neuromuscular condition. Thirty-nine children (49%) had a preoperative CCP evaluation a median 63 days (interquartile range (IQR) 33–156) before the preanesthesia visit. Children with CCP evaluation had more organ systems affected by coexisting conditions than children without an evaluation (median 11 (IQR 9–12) vs. 8 (IQR 5–11); p <...
e18275 Background: Cancer patients and their clinicians often wish to avoid preventable hospital ... more e18275 Background: Cancer patients and their clinicians often wish to avoid preventable hospital admissions, but efforts to understand the predictors of avoidable hospitalizations are lacking. We sought to examine reasons for hospital admissions in patients with advanced cancer, identify potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAH), and explore predictors of PAH. Methods: We prospectively enrolled hospitalized patients with advanced cancer from 9/2014 - 11/2014 as part of a longitudinal data repository to define symptom burden in this population. Upon admission, we assessed patients’ symptom burden (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [ESAS]; scored 0-10). We created a summated ESAS physical symptom variable. We used consensus-driven medical record review to identify the primary reason for each hospital admission and categorize it as PAH or not based on of an adaptation of Graham’s criteria for PAH. We used mixed multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify predictors of PA...
BACKGROUND The Pediatric Perioperative Surgical Home (PPSH) model is an integrative care model de... more BACKGROUND The Pediatric Perioperative Surgical Home (PPSH) model is an integrative care model designed to provide better patient care and value by shifting focus from the patient encounter level to the overarching surgical episode of care. So far, no PPSH model has targeted a complex airway disorder. It was hypothesized that the development of a PPSH for laryngeal cleft repair would reduce the high rates of postoperative resource utilization observed in this population. METHODS Institutional review board approval was obtained for the purpose of data collection and analysis. A multidisciplinary team of anesthesiologists, surgeons, nursing staff, information technology specialists, and finance administrators was gathered during the PPSH development phase. Standardized perioperative (preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative) protocols were developed, with a focus on preoperative risk stratification. Patients presenting before surgery with ≥1 predefined medical comorbidity were triaged to the intensive care unit (ICU) postoperatively, while patients without severe systemic disease were triaged to a lower-acuity floor for overnight observation. The success of the PPSH protocol was defined by quality outcome and value measurements. RESULTS The PPSH initiative included 120 patients, and the pre-PPSH period included 115 patients who underwent laryngeal cleft repair before implementation of the new process. Patients in the pre-PPSH period were reviewed and classified as ICU candidates or lower acuity floor candidates had they presented in the post-PPSH period. Among the 79 patients in the pre-PPSH period who were identified as candidates for the lower-acuity floor transfer, 70 patients (89%) were transferred to the ICU (P < .001). Retrospective analysis concluded that 143 ICU bedded days could have been avoided in the pre-PPSH group by using PPSH risk stratification. Surgery duration (P = .034) and hospital length of stay (P = .015) were found to be slightly longer in the group of pre-PPSH observation unit candidates. Rates of 30-day unplanned readmissions to the hospital were not associated with the new PPSH initiative (P = .093). No patients in either group experienced emergent postoperative intubation or other expected complications. Total hospital costs were not lower for PPSH observation unit patients as compared to pre-PPSH observation unit candidates (difference = 8%; 95% confidence interval, -7% to 23%). CONCLUSIONS A well-defined preoperative screening protocol for patients undergoing laryngeal cleft repair can reduce postoperative ICU utilization without affecting patient safety. Further research is needed to see if these findings are applicable to other complex airway surgeries.
98 Background: Patients with incurable cancer are often hospitalized and have frequent readmissio... more 98 Background: Patients with incurable cancer are often hospitalized and have frequent readmissions after discharge. Considering the high physical and psychological symptom burden in this population, we sought to investigate symptoms as predictors of hospital length of stay (LOS) and time to first unplanned readmission. Methods: We consecutively enrolled incurable cancer patients with unplanned hospital admissions from 9/2014-4/2016. Within the first 5 days of admission, we assessed physical (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [ESAS]; scored 0-10) and mood symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire 4 [PHQ-4]; scored categorically). We created summated ESAS total and physical symptom variables. To identify predictors of LOS we used linear regression and for time to readmission we used Cox regression, with all models adjusted for age, sex, marital status, comorbidity, education, cancer type and time since incurable diagnosis. Results: We enrolled 1,000 of 1,227 (81%) eligible patients (me...
Background: Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) commonly affects older adults and is often trea... more Background: Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) commonly affects older adults and is often treated with intensive therapies. Receipt of intensive therapies and absence of a clear transition between the curative and palliative phases of treatment yield prognostic uncertainty and risk for poor end-of-life (EOL) outcomes. However, data regarding the EOL outcomes of this population are lacking. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of adults >65 years with aggressive NHL treated with systemic therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital from 4/2000-7/2020 who subsequently died. We abstracted patient and clinical characteristics and EOL outcomes from the electronic health record (EHR), including patients' place of death, cause of death, palliative care and hospice utilization, and hospice length of stay using the EHR and the Social Security Death Index. We also determined whether patients were hospitalized (yes versus no), received systemic therapy (yes versus no), or were...
Concussions and head injuries are profound facets of sports and are complicated pathophysiologica... more Concussions and head injuries are profound facets of sports and are complicated pathophysiological processes affecting the brain, caused by a traumatic force. Concussions typically involve short‐lived impairment of neurologic function and a graded set of clinical symptoms. Diagnosis is difficult because of complexity and usually requires a multidimensional approach. Management of a concussion requires a gradual, multistep process, involving baseline testing, postural stability testing, and neurocognitive examination. Recent research has given some insight into the long term damage of brain trauma in sports and has placed concussions in the forefront of the public's perception. Young athletes as well as athletes with prior history of concussions are at a higher risk for postconcussional syndrome. Research advancements and increased awareness suggest promise for the coming decade in concussion research, prevention, and diagnosis. Introduction Postconcussional syndrome is a potenti...
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Background: Social support plays a crucial role for patients with aggressive hematologic malignan... more Background: Social support plays a crucial role for patients with aggressive hematologic malignancies as they navigate their illness course. The aim of this study was to examine associations of social support with overall survival (OS) and healthcare utilization in this population. Methods: A cross-sectional secondary analysis was conducted using data from a prospective longitudinal cohort study of 251 hospitalized patients with aggressive hematologic malignancies at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2014 through 2017. Natural Language Processing (NLP) was used to identify the extent of patients’ social support (limited vs adequate as defined by NLP-aided chart review of the electronic health record). Multivariable regression models were used to examine associations of social support with (1) OS, (2) death or readmission within 90 days of discharge from index hospitalization, (3) time to readmission within 90 days, and (4) index hospitalization length of stay. Results: Patients ha...
10123Background: Patients with incurable cancer often require hospitalizations for symptom manage... more 10123Background: Patients with incurable cancer often require hospitalizations for symptom management, but the relationship between patients’ symptom burden and their hospital LOS is unknown. We so...
The aim of this study is to assess the impact of preoperative comanagement with complex care pedi... more The aim of this study is to assess the impact of preoperative comanagement with complex care pediatricians (CCP) on children with neuromuscular scoliosis undergoing spinal fusion. We performed chart review of 79 children aged 5–21 years undergoing spinal fusion 1/2014–6/2016 at a children’s hospital, with abstraction of clinical documentation from preoperative health evaluations performed regularly by anesthesiologists and irregularly by a CCP. Preoperative referrals to specialists, labs, tests, and care plans needed last minute for surgical clearance were measured. The mean age at surgery was 14 (SD 3) years; cerebral palsy (64%) was the most common neuromuscular condition. Thirty-nine children (49%) had a preoperative CCP evaluation a median 63 days (interquartile range (IQR) 33–156) before the preanesthesia visit. Children with CCP evaluation had more organ systems affected by coexisting conditions than children without an evaluation (median 11 (IQR 9–12) vs. 8 (IQR 5–11); p <...
e18275 Background: Cancer patients and their clinicians often wish to avoid preventable hospital ... more e18275 Background: Cancer patients and their clinicians often wish to avoid preventable hospital admissions, but efforts to understand the predictors of avoidable hospitalizations are lacking. We sought to examine reasons for hospital admissions in patients with advanced cancer, identify potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAH), and explore predictors of PAH. Methods: We prospectively enrolled hospitalized patients with advanced cancer from 9/2014 - 11/2014 as part of a longitudinal data repository to define symptom burden in this population. Upon admission, we assessed patients’ symptom burden (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [ESAS]; scored 0-10). We created a summated ESAS physical symptom variable. We used consensus-driven medical record review to identify the primary reason for each hospital admission and categorize it as PAH or not based on of an adaptation of Graham’s criteria for PAH. We used mixed multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify predictors of PA...
BACKGROUND The Pediatric Perioperative Surgical Home (PPSH) model is an integrative care model de... more BACKGROUND The Pediatric Perioperative Surgical Home (PPSH) model is an integrative care model designed to provide better patient care and value by shifting focus from the patient encounter level to the overarching surgical episode of care. So far, no PPSH model has targeted a complex airway disorder. It was hypothesized that the development of a PPSH for laryngeal cleft repair would reduce the high rates of postoperative resource utilization observed in this population. METHODS Institutional review board approval was obtained for the purpose of data collection and analysis. A multidisciplinary team of anesthesiologists, surgeons, nursing staff, information technology specialists, and finance administrators was gathered during the PPSH development phase. Standardized perioperative (preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative) protocols were developed, with a focus on preoperative risk stratification. Patients presenting before surgery with ≥1 predefined medical comorbidity were triaged to the intensive care unit (ICU) postoperatively, while patients without severe systemic disease were triaged to a lower-acuity floor for overnight observation. The success of the PPSH protocol was defined by quality outcome and value measurements. RESULTS The PPSH initiative included 120 patients, and the pre-PPSH period included 115 patients who underwent laryngeal cleft repair before implementation of the new process. Patients in the pre-PPSH period were reviewed and classified as ICU candidates or lower acuity floor candidates had they presented in the post-PPSH period. Among the 79 patients in the pre-PPSH period who were identified as candidates for the lower-acuity floor transfer, 70 patients (89%) were transferred to the ICU (P < .001). Retrospective analysis concluded that 143 ICU bedded days could have been avoided in the pre-PPSH group by using PPSH risk stratification. Surgery duration (P = .034) and hospital length of stay (P = .015) were found to be slightly longer in the group of pre-PPSH observation unit candidates. Rates of 30-day unplanned readmissions to the hospital were not associated with the new PPSH initiative (P = .093). No patients in either group experienced emergent postoperative intubation or other expected complications. Total hospital costs were not lower for PPSH observation unit patients as compared to pre-PPSH observation unit candidates (difference = 8%; 95% confidence interval, -7% to 23%). CONCLUSIONS A well-defined preoperative screening protocol for patients undergoing laryngeal cleft repair can reduce postoperative ICU utilization without affecting patient safety. Further research is needed to see if these findings are applicable to other complex airway surgeries.
98 Background: Patients with incurable cancer are often hospitalized and have frequent readmissio... more 98 Background: Patients with incurable cancer are often hospitalized and have frequent readmissions after discharge. Considering the high physical and psychological symptom burden in this population, we sought to investigate symptoms as predictors of hospital length of stay (LOS) and time to first unplanned readmission. Methods: We consecutively enrolled incurable cancer patients with unplanned hospital admissions from 9/2014-4/2016. Within the first 5 days of admission, we assessed physical (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [ESAS]; scored 0-10) and mood symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire 4 [PHQ-4]; scored categorically). We created summated ESAS total and physical symptom variables. To identify predictors of LOS we used linear regression and for time to readmission we used Cox regression, with all models adjusted for age, sex, marital status, comorbidity, education, cancer type and time since incurable diagnosis. Results: We enrolled 1,000 of 1,227 (81%) eligible patients (me...
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