Publications

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to describe perceptions of practicing emergency physicians (EPs) regarding the appropriateness and medicolegal implications of using shared decision-making (SDM) in the emergency department (ED).

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of EPs at a large, national professional meeting to assess perceived appropriateness of SDM for different categories of ED management (e.g., diagnostic testing, treatment, disposition) and in common clinical scenarios (e.g., low-risk chest pain, syncope, minor head injury). A 21-item survey instrument was iteratively developed through review by content experts, cognitive testing, and pilot testing. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

We approached 737 EPs; 709 (96%) completed the survey. Two-thirds (67.8%) of respondents were male; 51% practiced in an academic setting and 44% in the community. Of the seven management decision categories presented, SDM was reported to be most frequently appropriate for deciding on invasive procedures (71.5%), computed tomography (CT) scanning (56.7%), and post-ED disposition (56.3%). Among the specific clinical scenarios, use of thrombolytics for acute ischemic stroke was felt to be most frequently appropriate for SDM (83.4%), followed by lumbar puncture to rule out subarachnoid hemorrhage (73.8%) and CT head for pediatric minor head injury (69.9%). Most EPs (66.8%) felt that using and documenting SDM would decrease their medicolegal risk while a minority (14.2%) felt that it would increase their risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Acceptance of SDM among EPs appears to be strong across management categories (diagnostic testing, treatment, and disposition) and in a variety of clinical scenarios. SDM is perceived by most EPs to be medicolegally protective.

Background. Kenyan antiretroviral (ART) guidelines encourage treatment buddies (TBy) to maximize treatment adherence. This study examined the effect of TBys on clinic attendance in men and women on ART. Methods. This retrospective cohort study included all adult patients initiating ART from August 2007 to December 2011 at four health facilities in Kenya. Data were abstracted from electronic medical records and analyzed using Poisson regression. Results. Of 2,430 patients, 2,199 (91%) had a TBy. Relationship between TBy and clinic attendance differed in females and males (interaction p = 0.09). After demographic and clinic factor adjustment, females with a TBy were 28% more likely to adhere to all appointments than those without (adjusted aRR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.08-1.53), whereas males were no more likely to adhere (aRR = 1.01; 95% CI 0.76-1.32). Males reported partner/spouse (33%) or brother (11%) as the TBy while females reported sister (17%), partner/spouse (14%), or another family member (12%). Multivariable analysis found no association between clinic attendance and TBy relationship in either gender. Conclusion. Clinic attendance was higher among women with TBys but not men. Results support TBys to help women achieve ART success; alternate strategies to bolster TBy benefits are needed for men.

BACKGROUND

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are the preferred treatment for achieving asthma control. However, little is known regarding the factors contributing to treatment response and whether treatment response differs by population group.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to assess behavioral, sociodemographic, and genetic factors related to ICS response among African American and European American subjects with asthma.

METHODS

Study participants were part of the Study of Asthma Phenotypes and Pharmacogenomic Interactions by Race-ethnicity (SAPPHIRE). The analytic sample included asthmatic subjects aged 12 to 56 years with greater than 12% bronchodilator reversibility and percent predicted FEV1 of between 40% and 90%. Participants received 6 weeks of inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate. The primary measure of ICS response was a change in Asthma Control Test (ACT) score; the secondary measure was a change in prebronchodilator FEV1. Adherence was measured with electronic monitors. Genetic ancestry was estimated for African American participants by using genome-wide genotype data.

RESULTS

There were 339 study participants; 242 self-identified as African American and 97 as European American. Baseline ACT score, percent predicted FEV1, degree of bronchodilator response, and ICS adherence were significantly associated with ICS response. A baseline ACT score of 19 or less was useful in identifying those who would respond, as evidenced by the significant dose-response relationship with ICS adherence. Neither self-reported race-ethnicity among all participants nor proportion of African ancestry among African American participants was associated with ICS responsiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that baseline lung function measures and self-reported asthma control predict ICS response, whereas self-reported race-ethnicity and genetic ancestry do not.