Primary care is well positioned to address trauma within the adolescent visit given the impact on health that trauma presents. Trauma not only predisposes adolescents to health consequences in adulthood but mitigates neurobiological functioning which impacts emotional and behavioral functioning.(37) Trauma is likely to occur amongst children who experience adverse social determinants of health such as housing instability, less food access, and racism and discrimination. Trauma-informed practices are an optimal way to engage with adolescents and their families to address these needs. However, barriers to utilization of TIC may include a lack of awareness of the tools needed to implement this approach and concerns regarding the possibility of retraumatization. Tools can include strategies for integrating a trauma-informed approach to the physical examination, mental health screening tools that address trauma, and ways to integrate trauma-informed systems by addressing staff well-being. Approaching TIC from the framework of universal precautions is an effective tool in which trauma-informed systems can approach all patients. In this way, policies and practices within a clinic are designed with an eye toward trauma. For example, screening for trauma may not occur at the initial visit but may occur as rapport is built and is couched in terms of understanding the needs that the family may have. Addressing trauma throughout the course of clinical care will, in the long run, save time within the patient's course of treatment. Universal precautions can also be a meaningful approach because the ubiquity of trauma makes it such that we cannot make assumptions about a person's likelihood of exposure based on gender, socioeconomic status, or other dimension of identity. We recognize that historically minoritized and marginalized individuals experience racial traumatization at other intersectionalities. Because of this reality, TIC supports equitable treatment in an inequitable health care landscape. Racism impacts the health of adolescents and staff members. Attention to the role of racial equity is a key component to TIC. Trauma-informed care practices not only serve to promote person-centered care, but they serve to avoid retraumatizing adolescents in the health care setting by promoting cultural humility and patient-centered care. Trauma- informed systems recognize the importance of attending to the health care environment which is critical for clinician and staff well-being. Trauma-informed systems benefit patients, physicians, APPs, and all those individuals who interact with patients. Medicine has embarked on a new era of understanding the role of structural determinants on health outcomes and is no longer only focusing on individuals and individual behavior when understanding health outcomes. TIC practices promote that notion by understanding that an individual's experience is an important determinant in their health outcomes and providers support this by utilizing trauma-informed care.
Background:Assessing perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccines is essential for understanding vaccine hesitancy and for improving uptake during public health emergencies. In the complicated landscape of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and rampant misinformation, many individuals faced challenges during vaccination decision-making. The purpose of our mixed methods study is to elucidate factors affecting vaccine decision-making and to highlight the discourse surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines in diverse and underserved communities.Methods:This mixed methods study was conducted in Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, and Wisconsin between March and November 2021, combining a cross-sectional survey (n = 3593) and focus groups (n = 47).Results:The groups least likely to report receiving a vaccination were non-Hispanic Whites, Indigenous people, males, and those with moderate socioeconomic status (SES). Those indicating high and low SES reported similar vaccination uptake. Focus group data highlighted resistance to mandates, distrust, misinformation, and concerns about the rapid development surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines. Psychological reactance theory posits that strongly persuasive messaging and social pressure can be perceived as a threat to freedom, encouraging an individual to take action to restore that freedom.Conclusion:Our findings indicate that a subsection of participants felt pressured to get the vaccine, which led to weaker intentions to vaccinate. These results suggest that vaccine rollout strategies should be reevaluated to improve and facilitate informed decision-making.
Women in the fields of medicine and science often consider career pivots to transition out or transition up; in this review, we offer 4 lessons learned to make those pivots maximally successful. These lessons emphasize the need to honor the feeling that it is time to pivot, especially if you develop a strong sense of restlessness indicating you are in a space that no longer serves you; they also emphasize the importance of seeking the guidance of a mentor, sponsor, or coach. Although flexibility is a substantial part of the transition, it is important to have a road map in the form of a career development plan, and it is of utmost importance to complete the transition professionally.
PURPOSE Stigma related to mental health is well documented and a major barrier to using mental and physical health care. Integrated behavioral health (IBH) in primary care, in which behavioral/mental health care services are located within a primary care setting, may reduce the experience of stigma. The purpose of this study was to assess the opinions of patients and health care professionals about mental illness stigma as a barrier to engagement with IBH and to gain insight into strategies to reduce stigma, encourage discussion of mental health, and increase uptake of IBH care. METHODS We conducted semistructured interviews with 16 patients referred to IBH in a prior year and 15 health care professionals (12 primary care physicians and 3 psychologists). Interviews were transcribed and inductively coded separately by 2 coders for common themes and subthemes under the topic headings of barriers, facilitators, and recommendations. RESULTS We identified 10 converging themes from interviews with patients and the health care professionals, representing important complementary perspectives, with respect to barriers, facilitators, and recommendations. Barriers included professionals, families, and the public as sources of stigma, as well as self-stigma or avoidance, or internalizing negative stereotypes. Facilitators and recommendations included normalizing discussion of mental health and mental health care-seeking action, using patient-centered and empathetic communication strategies, sharing by health care professionals of their own experiences, and tailoring the discussion of mental health to patients' preferred understanding. CONCLUSIONS Health care professionals can help reduce perceptions of stigma by having conversations with patients that normalize mental health discussion, use patient-centered communication, promote professional self-disclosure, and are tailored to patients' preferred understanding.
BACKGROUND:Telehealth has been increasingly adopted by health care systems since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although telehealth may provide convenience for patients and clinicians, there are several barriers to accessing it and using it effectively to provide high-quality patient care.OBJECTIVE:This study was part of a larger multisite community-engaged study conducted to understand the impact of COVID-19 on diverse communities. The work described here explored the perceptions of and experience with telehealth use among diverse and underserved community members during COVID-19.METHODS:We used mixed methods across three regions in the United States (Midwest, Arizona, and Florida) from January to November 2021. We promoted our study through social media and community partnerships, disseminating flyers in English and Spanish. We developed a moderator guide and conducted focus groups in English and Spanish, mostly using a videoconferencing platform. Participants were placed in focus groups with others who shared similar demographic attributes and geographic location. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed. We analyzed our qualitative data using the framework analytic approach. We developed our broader survey using validated scales and with input from community and scientific leaders, which was then distributed through social media in both English and Spanish. We included a previously published questionnaire that had been used to assess perceptions about telehealth among patients with HIV. We analyzed our quantitative data using SAS software and standard statistical approaches. We examined the effect of region, age, ethnicity/race, and education on the use and perceptions of telehealth.RESULTS:We included data from 47 focus groups. Owing to our mode of dissemination, we were not able to calculate a response rate for the survey. However, we received 3447 English-language and 146 Spanish-language responses. Over 90% of participants had internet access and 94% had used telehealth. Approximately half of all participants agreed or strongly agreed that telehealth would be beneficial in the future because it better fit their schedules and they would not need to travel. However, approximately half of the participants also agreed or strongly agreed they would not be able to express themselves well and could not be examined when using telehealth. Indigenous participants were especially concerned about these issues when compared to other racial groups.CONCLUSIONS:This work describes findings from a mixed methods community-engaged research study about telehealth, including perceived benefits and concerns. Although participants enjoyed the benefits of telehealth (eg, not having to travel and easier scheduling), they also had concerns (eg, not being able to express themselves well and not having a physical exam) about telehealth. These sentiments were especially notable among the Indigenous population. Our work highlights the importance of fully understanding the impact of these novel health delivery modalities on the patient experience and actual or perceived quality of care received.
PURPOSE:Many individuals with behavioral health challenges receive services in primary care, and integrated behavioral health (IBH) programs can help increase access to evidence-based interventions. IBH programs can benefit substantially from integrating standardized tracking databases that allow for the implementation of measurement-based care to evaluate patient-, clinician-, and practice-level outcomes. We describe the development and integration of Mayo Clinic's pediatric and adult primary care psychotherapy tracking database.METHODS:IBH practice leaders directed the development of a large psychotherapy tracking database that continuously populates from Mayo Clinic's electronic health record system. The database captures numerous patient variables including demographics, behavioral health and substance use issues, psychotherapy principles used, and self-reported symptoms. We retrieved current data for patients empaneled in Mayo Clinic's pediatric and adult primary care psychotherapy programs from June 2014 to June 2022.RESULTS:The tracking database contained data for 16,923 adult patients and 6,298 pediatric patients. The mean age of adult patients was 43.2 years (SD 18.3), 88.1% were non-Latine White, and 66.7% identified as female. The mean age of pediatric patients was 11.6 years (SD 4.2), 82.5% were non-Latine White, and 56.9% identified as female. We provide examples of practical applications of the database across clinical, educational, research, and administrative domains.CONCLUSIONS:The development and integration of a psychotherapy tracking database supports clinician communication, examination of patient outcomes, practice quality improvement efforts, and clinically relevant research. Our description of Mayo Clinic's IBH database may serve as a model for other IBH practices.
Background. This systematic review was commissioned to identify new variables associated with transplant outcomes that are not currently collected by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Methods. We identified 81 unique studies including 1 193 410 patients with median follow-up of 36 months posttransplant, reporting 108 unique risk factors. Results. Most risk factors (104) were recipient related; few (4) were donor related. Most risk factors were judged to be practical and feasible to routinely collect. Relative association measures were small to moderate for most risk factors (ranging between 1.0 and 2.0). The strongest relative association measure for a heart transplant outcome with a risk factor was 8.6 (recipient with the previous Fontan operation), for a kidney transplant 2.8 (sickle cell nephropathy as primary cause of end-stage renal disease), for a liver transplant 14.3 (recipient serum ferritin >500 mu g/L), and for a lung transplant 6.3 (Burkholderia cepacia complex infection for 1 y or less). OPTN may consider some of these 108 variables for future collection to enhance transplant research and clinical care. Conclusions. Evidence-based approaches can be used to determine variables collected in databases and registries. Several candidate variables have been identified for OPTN.
A 62-year-old Caucasian man with past medical history significant for coronary artery disease, status post drug eluting stent to the left anterior descending artery 10 years prior, was admitted for elective total right knee arthroplasty. His intraoperative course was uneventful, and he was discharged on hospital day 2 on aspirin 325 mg twice daily for 6 weeks for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis. Three weeks later the patient developed chest pain shortly after an approximately 1-hour flight and presented to a local emergency department where computed tomography angiogram showed pulmonary emboli involving segmental and subsegmental pulmonary arteries bilaterally. He was transitioned from aspirin 325 mg twice a day to rivaroxaban 15 mg twice daily for 21 days, with a plan to transition to 20 mg daily to complete a 3-month course. He returned to his primary care physician 6 days after discharge with questions about his current anticoagulation therapy as well as the regimen he was on prior to the pulmonary embolism. Two major organizations, The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and The American College of Chest Physicians, provide recommendations for VTE prophylaxis, but they differ regarding the preferred pharmacologic modality and duration. Although the goal is to provide optimal patient care, lack of guideline consensus may lead to different postoperative recommendations. It is important for clinicians to discuss with their patients the pharmacologic options available for VTE prophylaxis, how organizations differ in their recommendations, and the limitations of these pharmacologic agents.
Background: Exercise during pregnancy has minimal risks and has been shown to benefit most women, including reduction in cesarean section rates, appropriate maternal and fetal weight gain managing gestational diabetes as well as preventing and treating antenatal depression. There are, however, multiple factors that may influence an expectant mother’s decision to engage in physical activity, including concerns for potentially harming the baby or the pregnancy. We designed a study to determine whether or not a prior pregnancy loss or pre-term delivery would increase an expectant mother’s concern about exercise during a current pregnancy.Methods: Our prospective survey study consisted of 572 obstetric patients, 173 (30.2%) had a history of prior pregnancy loss or pre-term delivery (PPLPT) compared to 399 (69.8%) with no history of a prior pregnancy loss (NPL).Results: Logistic regression modeling was performed, including the following variables: history of abortion, miscarriage, or pregnancy loss, age, pre-pregnancy BMI, typical weekly pre-pregnancy exercise minutes, physical wellbeing and emotional wellbeing. Patients in the PPLPT group were more likely to express a fear of hurting the baby as a barrier to exercise during pregnancy, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.358 (95% CI 1.111-3.852, p<0.001).Conclusions: Pregnant women who have experienced prior pregnancy loss or pre-term delivery were associated with a significantly higher endorsement of concern that exercise could harm their current pregnancy. This was despite their acknowledgement that exercise is considered safe and encouraged for pregnancies. An awareness of this concern will allow the clinicians who care for these patients to consider additional discussion regarding exercise in pregnancy.
Background:Individuals with personality disorders (PDs) are high utilizers of primary care and mental health services; however, they struggle to utilize the care effectively and studies have shown a strong association between having a PD and higher impairment in social role functioning. This is especially important because PDs are highly comorbid with a wide range of other mental health disorders. The collaborative care model (CCM) for depression was developed with an emphasis on patient engagement and aimed to reduce health care utilization, while improving treatment outcomes in primary care. We hypothesized that the diagnosis of a personality disorder in primary care patients will negatively affect 6-month depression outcomes after enrollment into a CCM. Methods: This retrospective chart review study was conducted on patients enrolled into CCM over a period of 7 years with collection of 6-month follow-up data. A total of 2826 patients were enrolled into CCM with a clinical diagnosis of depression and a baseline Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9) ≥10 were included in the study cohort. Using the depression database, baseline and 6-month follow-up data were obtained. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were determined for both remission and persistent depressive symptoms using logistic regression modeling for the 6-month PHQ-9 outcome; while retaining all the study variables. Results: Of the 2826 CCM patients with depression in our study, 216 (7.6%) were found to have a PD. Patients with PD were younger (37.7 vs 42.5 years, P < .001) and more likely to be unmarried (36.1% vs 55.6%, P < .001) than patients without a PD. While age, marital status, clinical diagnosis, and Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ) score were significant predictors of remission; anxiety symptoms, gender, and race were not. The presence of a PD diagnosis was associated with a 60% lower likelihood of remission at 6 months (AOR = 0.39; 95% CI 0.28-0.54). Conversely, patients without a PD were 2.5 times as likely to experience remission at 6-month remission compared to patients with PD (AOR =2.57; 95% CI 1.85-3.56). Conclusion: Patients with a personality disorder were more likely to have a recurrent depressive disorder diagnosis, an abnormal MDQ score, increased anxiety symptoms, and higher baseline PHQ-9 score. Patients with PD had worse CCM outcomes at 6 months with only 25.0% able to achieve remission versus 54.3% (P < .001) without a PD. The presence of a PD with depression was associated with poor outcomes (reduced remission rates and increased persistent depressive symptoms rates) in comparison to patients without a diagnosis of PD, while treated within CCM.