Marissa Song Mayeda

Background: Osteoporosis continues to be underdiagnosed and inadequately treated in older hip-fracture patients. Our aim was to improve the rate of osteoporosis treatment with IV bisphosphonate therapy in eligible patients admitted for hip-fracture surgery. Methods: The present study was designed as a quality improvement initiative using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles at an academic medical center in Portland, Oregon, over 2.5 years. A protocol was developed (1) to administer IV zoledronate on postoperative day 2 to inpatients aged ≥50 years who underwent surgery for a low-energy hip fracture and (2) to formally diagnose osteoporosis during admission. The protocol was introduced across 3 care settings in a stepped-wedge manner. Outcome measures were the percentage of inpatient zoledronate administered to eligible patients and formal documented diagnosis of osteoporosis. Balance measures included fever after administration and hospital length of stay (LOS). Measures were assessed through quarterly chart review and tracked via control charts. Results: The rate of zoledronate administration significantly increased from 34.5% (29 of 84) to 74.6% (53 of 71) following the second PDSA cycle (p < 0.001). Documented osteoporosis diagnosis also significantly improved from 51.0% (53 of 104) to 85.7% (96 of 112) following the second PDSA cycle (p < 0.001). No significant differences were shown for hospital LOS, and 1 of 82 patients had medical work-up for post-infusion acute phase reaction after administration. Conclusions: This initiative was effective at improving osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment among older hip-fracture patients at our institution. Protocol development for administrating inpatient zoledronate after hip fracture is a reliable way to predictably offer bone health care and secondary-fracture prevention to hip-fracture patients and can be adapted and implemented at other institutions. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Introduction. Some medical centers and surgeons require patients to stop smoking cigarettes prior to elective orthopaedic surgeries in an effort to decrease surgical complications. Given higher rates of smoking among rural individuals, rural patients may be disproportionately impacted by these requirements. We assessed the perceptions and experiences of rural-residing Veterans and clinicians related to this requirement. Methods. We conducted qualitative semistructured one-on-one interviews of 26 rural-residing veterans, 10 VA orthopaedic surgery staff (from two Veterans Integrated Services Networks), 24 PCPs who serve rural veterans (14 VA; 10 non-VA), and 4 VA pharmacists. Using the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior framework, we performed conventional content analysis. Results. We found three primary themes across respondents: (1) knowledge of and the evidence base for the requirement varied widely; (2) strong personal attitudes toward the requirement; and (3) implementation and possible implications of this requirement. All surgery staff reported knowledge of requirements at their institution. VA PCPs reported knowledge of requirements but typically could not recall specifics. Most patients were unaware. The majority of respondents felt this requirement could increase motivation to quit smoking. Some PCPs felt a more thorough explanation of smoking-related complications would result in increased quit attempts. About half of all patients reported belief that the requirement was reasonable regardless of initial awareness. Respondents expressed little concern that the requirement might increase rural-urban disparities. Most PCPs and patients felt that there should be exceptions for allowing surgery, while surgical staff disagreed. Discussion. Most respondents thought elective surgery was a good motivator to quit smoking; but patients, PCPs, and surgical staff differed on whether there should be exceptions to the requirement that patients quit preoperatively. Future efforts to augment perioperative smoking cessation may benefit from improving coordination across services and educating patients more about the benefits of quitting.

Metastatic bony disease is a significant health issue, with approximately 700,000 new cases annually that tend to metastasize to bones. The proximal femur in the appendicular skeleton is commonly affected. Our study aimed to investigate mortality rates and hospital stay duration in patients with pathologic proximal femur fractures treated with either intramedullary nailing or arthroplasty within the Veterans Health Administration system. In total, 679 patients (265 arthroplasty, 414 intramedullary nails) were identified through ICD-9 and CPT codes from 30 September 2010 to 1 October 2015. Hospital stays were similar for both groups (arthroplasty: 10.5 days, intramedullary nails: 11 days, p = 0.1). Mortality was associated with increased age and Gagne comorbidity scores (p < 0.001). Arthroplasty showed a survival benefit in the log-rank test (p = 0.018), and this difference persisted in the multivariate analysis after adjusting for age and comorbidities, with a hazard ratio of 1.3. Our study reported evidence that arthroplasty is associated with increased patient survival even when accounting for age and comorbidities in treating metastatic disease of the proximal femur.

Background: Internet access is increasingly critical for adolescents with regard to obtaining health information and resources, participating in web-based health promotion, and communicating with health practitioners. However, past work demonstrates that access is not uniform among youth in the United States, with lower access found among groups with higher health-related needs. Population-level data yield important insights about access and internet use in the United States. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine internet access and mode of access by social class and race and ethnicity among youth (aged 14-17 years) in the United States. Methods: Using the Current Population Survey, we examined internet access, cell phone or smartphone access, and modes of connecting to the internet for adolescents in 2015 (unweighted N=6950; expanded weights N=17,103,547) and 2017 (unweighted N=6761; expanded weights N=17,379,728). Results: Internet access increased from 2015 to 2017, but socioeconomic status (SES) and racial and ethnic disparities remained. In 2017, the greatest disparities were found for youth in low-income households (no home access=23%) and for Black youth (no home access=18%) and Hispanic youth (no home access=14%). Low-income Black and Hispanic youth were the most likely to lack home internet access (no home access, low SES Black youth=29%; low SES Hispanic youth=21%). The mode of access (eg, from home and smartphone) and smartphone-only analyses also revealed disparities. Conclusions: Without internet access, web-based dissemination of information, health promotion, and health care will not reach a significant segment of youth. Currently, SES and racial and ethnic disparities in access prolong health inequalities. Moreover, the economic impact of COVID-19 on Black, Hispanic, and low-income communities may lead to losses in internet access for youth that will further exacerbate disparities.

BACKGROUND Internet access is increasingly critical for adolescents with regard to obtaining health information and resources, participating in web-based health promotion, and communicating with health practitioners. However, past work demonstrates that access is not uniform among youth in the United States, with lower access found among groups with higher health-related needs. Population-level data yield important insights about access and internet use in the United States. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to examine internet access and mode of access by social class and race and ethnicity among youth (aged 14-17 years) in the United States. METHODS Using the Current Population Survey, we examined internet access, cell phone or smartphone access, and modes of connecting to the internet for adolescents in 2015 (unweighted N=6950; expanded weights N=17,103,547) and 2017 (unweighted N=6761; expanded weights N=17,379,728). RESULTS Internet access increased from 2015 to 2017, but socioeconomic status (SES) and racial and ethnic disparities remained. In 2017, the greatest disparities were found for youth in low-income households (no home access=23%) and for Black youth (no home access=18%) and Hispanic youth (no home access=14%). Low-income Black and Hispanic youth were the most likely to lack home internet access (no home access, low SES Black youth=29%; low SES Hispanic youth=21%). The mode of access (eg, from home and smartphone) and smartphone-only analyses also revealed disparities. CONCLUSIONS Without internet access, web-based dissemination of information, health promotion, and health care will not reach a significant segment of youth. Currently, SES and racial and ethnic disparities in access prolong health inequalities. Moreover, the economic impact of COVID-19 on Black, Hispanic, and low-income communities may lead to losses in internet access for youth that will further exacerbate disparities.