Preference of mHealth versus in-person treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in Kenya: demographic and clinical characteristics

Objectives
We conducted an implementation science mental health treatment study in western Kenya, testing strategies for scale up of evidence-based mental health services for common adult disorders using a non-specialist workforce, integrated with existing primary care (Sequential Multiple, Assignment Randomized Trial of non-specialist-delivered psychotherapy (Interpersonal Psychotherapy) and/or medication (fluoxetine) for major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (SMART DAPPER)). Because study launch coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, participants were allowed to attend treatment visits via mHealth (audio-only mobile phone) or in-person. We conducted a secondary data analysis of the parent study to evaluate preference for mHealth or in-person treatment among our study participants, including rationale for choosing in-person or mHealth treatment modality, and comparison of baseline demographic and clinical characteristics.

Design, setting, participants and interventions
Participants were public sector primary care patients at Kisumu County Hospital in western Kenya with major depression and/or PTSD and were individually randomised to non-specialist delivery of evidence-based psychotherapy or medication (n=2162).

Outcomes
Treatment modality preference and rationale were ascertained before randomised assignment to treatment arm (psychotherapy or medication). The parent SMART DAPPER study baseline assessment included core demographic (age, gender, relationship status, income, clinic transport time and cost) and clinical data (eg, depression and PTSD symptoms, trauma exposures, medical comorbidities and history of mental healthcare). Given that this evaluation of mHealth treatment preference sought to identify the demographic and clinical characteristics of participants who chose in-person or mHealth treatment modality, we included most SMART DAPPER core measurement domains (not all subcategories).

Results
649 (30.3%) SMART DAPPER participants preferred treatment via mHealth, rather than in person. The most cited rationales for choosing mHealth were affordability (18.5%) (eg, no transportation cost) and convenience (12.9%). On multivariate analysis, compared with those who preferred in-person treatment, participants who chose mHealth were younger and had higher constraints on receiving in-person treatment, including transport time 1.004 (1.00, 1.007) and finances 0.757 (0.612, 0.936). Higher PTSD symptoms 0.527 (0.395, 0.702) and higher disability 0.741 (0.559, 0.982) were associated with preference for in-person treatment.

Conclusions
To our knowledge, this is the first study of public sector mental healthcare delivered by non-specialists via mHealth for major depression and/or PTSD in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our finding that mHealth treatment is preferred by approximately one-third of participants, particularly younger individuals with barriers to in-person care, may inform future mHealth research to (1) address knowledge gaps in mental health service implementation and (2) improve mental healthcare access to evidence-based treatment.

Trial registration number
NCT03466346.

Read More
Novembre 2024

Post-COVID in healthcare workers and its consequences on quality of life, activities, participation, need for rehabilitation and care experiences: protocol of a cohort study

Introduction
Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been of particular relevance for overcoming the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. At the same time they have been affected by SARS-CoV-2 infections with above average probability. Around 6.5% of the overall infected persons are likely to develop persistent symptoms resulting from the infection, known as long-COVID or post-COVID syndrome (PCS). The aim of this study is (1) to investigate the prevalence, course and characteristics of PCS in German HCWs, (2) to examine its effects on psychosocial variables, (3) to identify rehabilitation and healthcare needs and (4) to analyse treatment experiences.

Methods and analysis
In a cohort study with a randomised selection of participants (N=20 000) from the Employer’s Liability Insurance Association for Health and Welfare Care, the health status of HCWs, who had COVID-19 in their professional context will be examined. There will be two measurement points: baseline (T1) and a 12-month follow-up (T2). The outcome measures are the health status with a particular focus on persistent or newly occurring symptoms after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, health-related quality of life, functional capacity, the subjective need for and utilisation of healthcare services. Pre-existing conditions, the course of the acute infection and sociodemographic factors are considered as predictors. An advisory board made up of affected HCWs supports the study by contributing to the surveys’ contents.

Ethics and dissemination
The study has been approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the Center for Psychosocial Medicine at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (LPEK-0518). For dissemination, the results will be published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences and communicated to relevant stakeholders in general and rehabilitation medicine.

Trail registration number
https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00029314

Read More
Novembre 2024

Post-traumatic growth, moral sensitivity and service behaviour among healthcare workers in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19 in mainland China: a cross-sectional study

Objectives
To investigate how post-traumatic growth (PTG) and moral sensitivity influence service behaviour among healthcare workers (HCWs) in mainland China post-COVID-19, with a focus on the mediating role of moral sensitivity.

Design
Cross- sectional survey design.

Setting
This study was conducted in 27 provinces across mainland China, from 16 March to 2 April 2023.

Participants
1,193 HCWs, including 378 physicians and 815 nurses, were selected using convenience and snowball sampling methods.

Methods
The survey included the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory-Chinese version (PTGI-C), the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-Revised Chinese Version (MSQ-R-CV) and a service behaviour scale. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyse the data, focusing on the associations between PTG, moral sensitivity, and service behaviours.

Results
The study found significant associations between PTG and moral sensitivity (r=0.49, p

Read More
Novembre 2024

Management of Post-transplant Infections in Collaborating Hospitals (MATCH) Programme: a prospective cohort of all transplant recipients at Copenhagen University Hospital–Rigshospitalet, Denmark

Purpose
The Management of Post-transplant Infections in Collaborating Hospitals (MATCH) programme, initiated in 2011 and still ongoing, was created to 1) optimise the implementation of existing preventive strategies against viral infections in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients and allogenic haematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT) recipients and 2) advance research in the field of transplantation by collecting data from a multitude of sources.

Participants
All SOT and HSCT recipients at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, are followed in MATCH. By February 2021, a total of 1192 HSCT recipients and 2039 SOT recipients have been included. Participants are followed life long. An automated electronic data capture system retrieves prospective data from nationwide registries. Data from the years prior to transplantation are also collected.

Findings to date
Data entries before and after transplantation include the following: biochemistry: 13 995 222 and 26 127 817; microbiology, cultures: 242 023 and 410 558; other microbiological analyses: 265 007 and 566 402; and pathology: 170 884 and 200 394. There are genomic data on 2431 transplant recipients, whole blood biobank samples from 1003 transplant recipients and faeces biobank samples from 207 HSCT recipients. Clinical data collected in MATCH have contributed to 50 scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals and have demonstrated success in reducing cytomegalovirus disease in SOT recipients. The programme has established international collaborations with the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study and the lung transplant cohort at Toronto General Hospital.

Future plans
Enrolment into MATCH is ongoing with no planned end date for enrolment or follow-up. MATCH will continue to provide high-quality data on transplant recipients and expand and strengthen international collaborations.

Read More
Novembre 2024

Pain control post total knee replacement in patients given local infiltrative analgesia combined with adductor canal block compared to either modality alone: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives
Optimising postoperative pain following knee replacement is important for patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare funders. Adductor canal blocks (ACB) are widely used but there is uncertainty about their efficacy when combined with local infiltration analgesia (LIA) compared with either LIA or ACB alone.

Design
A systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised controlled. The primary outcome was pain over the first 72 hours. Secondary outcomes included morphine use, range of movement, distance walked, length of hospital stay, health economic outcomes and reported adverse events.

Data sources
MEDLINE, Embase, EB Health – KSR Evidence, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, International HTA database, ClinicalTrials.gov and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO) were searched up to June 2023.

Eligibility criteria
Randomised controlled trials involving patients undergoing primary total knee replacement comparing LIA combined with ACB to either LIA or ACB alone.

Data extraction and synthesis
All eligible studies were data extracted independently by two reviewers. Studies were pooled for each outcome at each timepoint in a random effects meta-analysis.

Results
We identified 13 completed studies including 1154 participants. 12 studies compared LIA vs combination and 5 compared ACB vs combination. We identified that participants receiving the combination had lower pain scores at rest at 24 hours compared with LIA alone (SMD 0.42, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.64) or ACB alone (SMD 0.63, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.83). Pain on movement at 24 hours was also lower for patients with combination vs LIA alone (SMD 0.37, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.73) or ACB alone (SMD 0.81, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.26). We also identified that patients on combination used less morphine than on LIA alone (MD 1.06, 95% CI –0.09 to 2.20) or ACB alone (MD 5.94, 95% CI –2.41 to 14.29). The same was seen with range of motion at 24 hours with combination having a larger improvement than LIA alone (MD –5.19, 95% CI –5.55 to –4.83) or ACB alone (MD –3.80, 95% CI –4.37 to –3.23). These findings were consistent across all time points; however, there were no studies deemed to be at a low risk of bias.

Conclusions
Further well-designed and conducted randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm if a combination of LIA and ACB is superior to either option alone for patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42023436895.

Read More
Novembre 2024

ICU follow-up services and their impact on post-intensive care syndrome: a scoping review protocol

Introduction
Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) seriously affects the quality of life of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, their ability to return to work and society and the quality of life of their families, increasing overall care costs and healthcare expenditures. ICU follow-up services have important potential to improve PICS. However, the best clinical practice model of ICU follow-up service has not been fully defined and its benefits for ICU survivors are not clear. This review will synthesise and map the current types of follow-up services for ICU survivors and summarise the impact of follow-up services on PICS.

Methods and analysis
This scoping review will be conducted by applying the five-stage protocol proposed by Arksey and O’Malley in an updated version of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Eight academic databases including the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO Academic, CINAHL, PsycInfo and SinoMed (China Biology Medicine) will be systematically searched from inception to the present. Peer-reviewed literature and grey literature will be included. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies will be included. Studies published in English or Chinese will be included. There will be no time restriction. Two reviewers will screen and select the articles independently and if there is any disagreement, the two reviewers will discuss or invite a third reviewer to make decisions together. Descriptive analysis will be used to conduct an overview of the literature. The results will be presented in a descriptive format in response to the review questions accompanied by the necessary tables or charts.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review because data could be obtained by reviewing published primary study results and do not involve human participants. Findings should be disseminated at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Read More
Novembre 2024

Abstract 4136969: Empagliflozin's Role in Post-Myocardial Infarction Management: Insights from a Meta-Analysis

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4136969-A4136969, November 12, 2024. Background:Empagliflozin, a Sodium Glucose Cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) Inhibitor, is used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure. Its safety and efficacy in patients with Myocardial Infarction (MI) have been studied recently.Research Questions/Hypothesis:What is the role of Empagliflozin in post-myocardial infarction management by preventing cardiovascular deaths, reducing hospitalization due to heart failure, and minimizing adverse events?Goals/Aims:Role of Empagliflozin in post-myocardial infarction management by preventing cardiovascular deaths, reducing hospitalization due to heart failure, and minimizing adverse eventsMethods:A literature search was done on PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception until May 2024. All Randomized Control Trials (RCT) reporting the safety and efficacy of Empagliflozin in MI management were selected. Outcomes were pooled as Mean Difference (MD) or Risk Ratio (RR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) in this meta-analysis using Revman 5.4.Results:Data from ten RCTs, with a combined sample size of 10,560 patients was pooled, and showed that Empagliflozin is superior to placebo in terms of Cardiovascular death (RR=0.75, 95% CI [0.64, 0.88],p < 0.0004) and hospitalization due to heart failure (RR=0.70, 95% CI [0.59, 0.82], p < 0.0001). However, the results were non-significant for both groups in terms of adverse events (RR=1.00, 95% CI [0.96, 1.03], p < 0.78).Conclusion:Empagliflozin significantly lowers the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with MI who are at a high risk of death due to cardiovascular causes.

Read More
Novembre 2024

Abstract 4144529: Cardiac Allograft Hypertrophy (CAH) at 6 Months Post Transplant Is a Prognostic Marker of Long-Term Outcomes: Are We Missing a Simple Biomarker?

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4144529-A4144529, November 12, 2024. Introduction:Cardiac hypertrophy is a known adverse prognostic marker in various non-transplant pathologies. In heart transplant patients, due to many confounders, it has been controversial on the relevance and timing of cardiac hypertrophy as an adverse remodeling vs acute injury pattern in an immunologically hostile environment. Previous studies have shown prognostication of hypertrophy on echocardiogram at 1-year post-heart transplant.Research Questions:Does cardiac hypertrophy within a year after transplant have long-term prognostic implications?Methods:We collected relevant clinical variables for all heart transplants using EPIC EHR’s Clarity database. Hypertrophy was defined based on LV Mass Indexed to body surface area where LV Mass = 0.8 x (1.04 x (((LVIDD + IVSd + PWd)3- LVIDD3))) + 0.6. Relative Wall Thickness was defined as RWT = 2 x PWd / LVIDD. We used a rule-based natural language processing program validated by correlation with manual readings by trained cardiologists (r=0.96, p=0.007) to abstract echo variables.Results:Inclusion criteria were heart transplants performed from 2015 to 2023 at our center, with an echocardiogram closest to 6 months (+/- 1 month). Ten percent (n=33) showed hypertrophy on echocardiograms at 6 months (Table 1). Of these, 20 (61%) had mild, 3 (9%) severe, and 10 (30%) moderate hypertrophy. Of 33 patients, 28 (85%) had concentric, and 5 (15%) had eccentric hypertrophy. Patients with hypertrophy at 6 months had significantly worse survival at 5 years (p=0.01) and 10 years (p=0.05) compared to patients without hypertrophy (Fig 1). Survival at 5 and 10 years was not statistically different for patients with hypertrophy at 3 months (5 yrs p=0.17, 10 yrs p=0.06), 12 months (5 yrs p=0.38, 10 yrs p=0.30), and 18 months (5 yrs p=0.15, 10 yrs p=0.08) compared to those without hypertrophy.Conclusion:Cardiac hypertrophy on echocardiogram at 6 months predicts adverse long-term survival, while other time points did not.

Read More
Novembre 2024

Abstract 4144502: Comparing Readmission Rates and Exercise Capacity Following Left Ventricular Assistive Device Placement With and Without Post-Operative Inpatient Rehabilitation

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4144502-A4144502, November 12, 2024. Introduction:Patients with heart failure may undergo mechanical assistive device placement as a bridge to heart transplantation or for destination therapy. Thereafter, patients may be discharged home or admitted to inpatient rehabilitation.Research Question:We hypothesized that within 8 months, patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation (IR) would have fewer readmissions and greater exercise capacity compared to patients discharged home following left ventricular assistive device (LVAD) placement.Aim:The readmission rates and exercise capacity of patients admitted to (IR) were compared to those discharged home within 8 months of (LVAD) placement.Methods:Readmission rates, impairment percentages (IP) (determined by Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care scores) and walking distance after (LVAD) placement between March 1st, 2020 to November 30th, 2022 were collected via retrospective chart review at Jackson Memorial Hospital.Adults with heart failure and heart assistive device (ICD10 code Z95.811), discharged home or admitted to the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for at least 7 consecutive days within 8 months were included. Patients who were noncompliant, expired, transferred, or unable to ambulate were excluded. 24 patients were admitted to rehab, and 16 were discharged home. Statistical significance was denoted at the 0.05 level using the Mann-Whitney U Test.Results:There was a higher proportion of females in the rehab group (45.8%) and males in the no rehab group (93.8%) (p=0.02). The groups were otherwise comparable.Average (IP) at hospital discharge was higher for the rehab group (51.79%, SD 17.65) compared to the no rehab group (14.20%, SD 18.93) (p

Read More
Novembre 2024

Abstract 4135630: Improving Cardiac Rehab Referral and Enrollment Post-Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Through a Workflow Intervention at the Minneapolis VA: A Quality Improvement Study

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4135630-A4135630, November 12, 2024. Introduction:Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a Class 1A recommendation post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), yet it remains underutilized. At the Minneapolis VA, the referral and enrollment rates for CR post-PCI are significantly below the national goal of 70%, indicating a need for improved strategies to enhance veteran participation.Research Questions:This study investigates the impact of a workflow intervention on CR enrollment rates and seeks to understand how staffing changes may influence these rates. It also explores the potential for advanced practice providers to affect CR enrollment.Aim:We aim to increase CR enrollment to 40% and referrals to 50% post-PCI at the Minneapolis VA by August 2023, utilizing a nurse practitioner dedicated to interventional cardiology patients post-PCI.Methods:Utilizing the VA CART database, demographic data for patients undergoing PCI between October 2017 and August 2023 were analyzed, excluding those who died within 30 days of PCI. CR referrals within 90 days and enrollments within one year were tracked. Statistical process control charts were used to detect variations in referral and enrollment rates, with a t-test determining significance. The staffing change intervention occurred in May of 2020.Results:The intervention led to a significant increase in both referral and enrollment rates. The average monthly referral rate rose from 24% to 37%, and the enrollment rate from 14% to 28%. A statistical process control chart indicated special cause variation in the sample after the intervention, suggesting meaningful change. Statistical analysis confirmed these increases as significant (p

Read More
Novembre 2024

Abstract 4144573: Cardiac biomarkers, intensive lifestyle intervention, and risk of heart failure subtypes in type 2 diabetes – a post-hoc analysis of the Look AHEAD trial

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4144573-A4144573, November 12, 2024. Background:N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) identify subclinical heart failure (HF) in type 2 diabetes (T2D). The contribution of changes in cardiac biomarkers to HF risk, particularly HF subtypes, is unclear. Whether HF risk associated with cardiac biomarkers is modifiable with an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) targeting weight loss is unknown.Methods:Adults with T2D and overweight/obesity in the Look Action for Health in Diabetes (AHEAD) trial without prevalent HF were included. NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT were measured at baseline, 1- and 4-years (Roche Diagnostics). Adjusted Cox models were created to evaluate the associations of baseline, 1- and 4-year change in NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT with risk of HF with preserved and reduced ejection fraction (HFpEF and HFrEF, respectively). Interaction testing was performed to evaluate heterogeneous effects of the ILI vs diabetes support and education (DSE) across baseline cardiac biomarkers.Results:Of the 3,959 participants included, 212 had incident HF (108 HFpEF, 84 HFrEF) over 12 years. Higher baseline NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT were each significantly associated with higher risk of HFpEF and HFrEF (Table). Increases in NT-proBNP over 1- and 4-years were significantly associated with higher risk of HFpEF and HFrEF with a similar pattern of association for hs-cTnT and HF subtypes. After accounting for risk factor changes, the association of 1- and 4-year changes in NT-proBNP, but not hs-cTnT, with risk of HF subtypes remained significant. There was a significant interaction between NT-proBNP and ILI for risk of HFpEF but not HFrEF (p-int = 0.001). The ILI reduced HFpEF risk among participants with elevated (≥125 pg/mL) but not non-elevated NT-proBNP (

Read More
Novembre 2024