No abstract

We examined whether electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) plus medications ("STABLE + PHARM" group) had superior HRQOL compared with medications alone ("PHARM" group) as continuation strategy after successful acute right unilateral ECT for major depressive disorder (MDD). We hypothesized that scores from the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) would be higher during continuation treatment in the "STABLE + PHARM" group versus the "PHARM" group. The overall study design was called "Prolonging Remission in Depressed Elderly" (PRIDE). Remitters to the acute course of ECT were re-consented to enter a 6 month RCT of "STABLE + PHARM" versus "PHARM". Measures of depressive symptoms and cognitive function were completed by blind raters; SF-36 measurements were patient self-report every 4 weeks. Participants were 120 patients >60 years old. Patients with dementia, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse were excluded. The "PHARM" group received venlafaxine and lithium. The "STABLE + PHARM" received the same medications, plus 4 weekly outpatient ECT sessions, with additional ECT session as needed. Participants were mostly female (61.7%) with a mean age of 70.5 ± 7.2 years. "STABLE + PHARM" patients received 4.5 ± 2.5 ECT sessions during Phase 2. "STABLE + PHARM" group had 7 point advantage (3.5-10.4, 95% CI) for Physical Component Score of SF-36 (P < 0.0001), and 8.2 point advantage (4.2-12.2, 95% CI) for Mental Component Score (P < 0.0001). Additional ECT resulted in overall net health benefit. Consideration should be given to administration of additional ECT to prevent relapse during the continuation phase of treatment of MDD. CLINICAL TRIALS.GOV: NCT01028508.

Findings from the current study, which are supported by prior studies, provide evidence that delivery of TDTS is a strategy that may help to reduce hospital readmissions.

Background:In 2014, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) implemented a Tobacco Dependence Treatment Service (TDTS) consistent with the Joint Commission (JC) standards recommending that hospitals screen patients for smoking, provide cessation support, and follow-up contact for relapse prevention within 1 month of discharge. We previously demonstrated that patients exposed to the MUSC TDTS were approximately half as likely to be smoking one month after discharge and 23% less likely to have a 30-day hospital readmission. This paper examines whether exposure to the TDTS influenced downstream health care charges 12 months after patients were discharged from the hospital.Methods:Data from MUSC’s electronic health records, the TDTS, and statewide health care utilization datasets (eg, hospitalization, emergency department, and ambulatory surgery visits) were linked to assess how exposure to the MUSC TDTS impacted health care charges. Total health care charges were compared for patients with and without TDTS exposure. To reduce potential TDTS exposure selection bias, propensity score weighting was used to balance baseline characteristics between groups. The cost of delivering the MUSC TDTS intervention was calculated, along with cost per smoker.Results:The overall adjusted mean health care charges for smokers exposed to the TDTS were $7299 lower than for those who did not receive TDTS services (P=0.047). The TDTS cost per smoker was modest by comparison at $34.21 per smoker eligible for the service.Discussion:Results suggest that implementation of a TDTS consistent with JC standards for smoking cessation can be affordably implemented and yield substantial health care savings that would benefit patients, hospitals, and insurers.

Stroke prevention guidelines for sickle cell anemia (SCA) recommend transcranial Doppler (TCD) screening to identify children at stroke risk; however, TCD screening implementation remains poor. This report describes results from Part 1 of the 28-site DISPLACE (Dissemination and Implementation of Stroke Prevention Looking at the Care Environment) study, a baseline assessment of TCD implementation rates. This report describes TCD implementation by consortium site characteristics; characteristics of TCDs completed; and TCD results based on age. The cohort included 5247 children with SCA, of whom 5116 were eligible for TCD implementation assessment for at least 1 study year. The majority of children were African American or Black, non-Hispanic and received Medicaid. Mean age at first recorded TCD was 5.9 and 10.5 years at study end. Observed TCD screening rates were unsatisfactory across geographic regions (mean 49.9%; range: 30.9% to 74.7%) independent of size, institution type, or previous stroke prevention trial participation. The abnormal TCD rate was 2.9%, with a median age of 6.3 years for first abnormal TCD result. Findings highlight real-world TCD screening practices and results from the largest SCA cohort to date. Data informed the part 3 implementation study for improving stroke screening and findings may inform clinical practice improvements.