BackgroundTransient ischemic attack (TIA) patients are at high risk of recurrent vascular events; timely management can reduce that risk by 70%. The Protocol-guided Rapid Evaluation of Veterans Experiencing New Transient Neurological Symptoms (PREVENT) developed, implemented, and evaluated a TIA quality improvement (QI) intervention aligned with Learning Healthcare System principles.MethodsThis stepped-wedge trial developed, implemented and evaluated a provider-facing, multi-component intervention to improve TIA care at six facilities. The unit of analysis was the medical center. The intervention was developed based on benchmarking data, staff interviews, literature, and electronic quality measures and included: performance data, clinical protocols, professional education, electronic health record tools, and QI support. The effectiveness outcome was the without-fail rate: the proportion of patients who receive all processes of care for which they are eligible among seven processes. The implementation outcomes were the number of implementation activities completed and final team organization level. The intervention effects on the without-fail rate were analyzed using generalized mixed-effects models with multilevel hierarchical random effects. Mixed methods were used to assess implementation, user satisfaction, and sustainability.DiscussionPREVENT advanced three aspects of a Learning Healthcare System. Learning from Data: teams examined and interacted with their performance data to explore hypotheses, plan QI activities, and evaluate change over time. Learning from Each Other: Teams participated in monthly virtual collaborative calls. Sharing Best Practices: Teams shared tools and best practices. The approach used to design and implement PREVENT may be generalizable to other clinical conditions where time-sensitive care spans clinical settings and medical disciplines.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov: NCT02769338 [May 11, 2016].

Hereditary gastrointestinal (GI) cancer syndromes due to specific germline mutations are characterized by an increased risk of GI tract malignancies, extra-GI tract cancers, and benign abnormalities. These syndromes include Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, juvenile polyposis syndrome, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Cowden syndrome, hereditary diffuse gastric cancer, and hereditary pancreatic cancer. Timely identification of the responsible genes will help predict future cancer risks in these patients and their family members. Early detection of cancers is possible with appropriate screening methods; risk-reducing measures will help in cancer prevention. Select malignancies and benign conditions associated with these syndromes have distinctive imaging features that can aid in classifying the syndromes. Imaging also plays a pivotal role in screening and surveillance of patients as well as their at-risk relatives and is invaluable for follow-up of treated malignancies. The American College of Gastroenterology has established specific guidelines for diagnosis and management of hereditary GI cancer syndromes. Knowledge of the imaging features of various pathologic conditions and screening strategies will guide appropriate management of patients and at-risk family members. ©