New York City was the international epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. Health care providers responded by rapidly transitioning from in-person to video consultations. Telemedicine (ie, video visits) ...is a potentially disruptive innovation; however, little is known about patient satisfaction with this emerging alternative to the traditional clinical encounter.
This study aimed to determine if patient satisfaction differs between video and in-person visits.
In this retrospective observational cohort study, we analyzed 38,609 Press Ganey patient satisfaction survey outcomes from clinic encounters (620 video visits vs 37,989 in-person visits) at a single-institution, urban, quaternary academic medical center in New York City for patients aged 18 years, from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020. Time was categorized as pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 (before vs after March 4, 2020). Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests and multivariable linear regression were used for hypothesis testing and statistical modeling, respectively.
We experienced an 8729% increase in video visit utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the same period last year. Video visit Press Ganey scores were significantly higher than in-person visits (94.9% vs 92.5%; P<.001). In adjusted analyses, video visits (parameter estimate PE 2.18; 95% CI 1.20-3.16) and the COVID-19 period (PE 0.55; 95% CI 0.04-1.06) were associated with higher patient satisfaction. Younger age (PE -2.05; 95% CI -2.66 to -1.22), female gender (PE -0.73; 95% CI -0.96 to -0.50), and new visit type (PE -0.75; 95% CI -1.00 to -0.49) were associated with lower patient satisfaction.
Patient satisfaction with video visits is high and is not a barrier toward a paradigm shift away from traditional in-person clinic visits. Future research comparing other clinic visit quality indicators is needed to guide and implement the widespread adoption of telemedicine.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Reevaluating PSA Testing Rates in the PLCO Trial Shoag, Jonathan E; Mittal, Sameer; Hu, Jim C
New England journal of medicine/The New England journal of medicine,
05/2016, Volume:
374, Issue:
18
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The PLCO trial generated data that argue against PSA screening. However, participants in the control group also reported being screened. An analysis of health questionnaires suggests that more than ...80% of controls had been tested within the previous 3 years.
To the Editor:
In March, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services temporarily suspended the development of a proposed “Non-Recommended Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)–Based Screening” measure that would discourage PSA screening in all men. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is currently in the process of updating its recommendations for prostate-cancer screening. The decisions made by these two organizations are likely to determine the fate of PSA screening in the United States.
Much of the controversy surrounding screening revolves around the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, which randomly assigned men to annual prostate-cancer screening or usual . . .
To examine the impact of marital status on stage at diagnosis, use of definitive therapy, and cancer-specific mortality among each of the 10 leading causes of cancer-related death in the United ...States.
We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program to identify 1,260,898 patients diagnosed in 2004 through 2008 with lung, colorectal, breast, pancreatic, prostate, liver/intrahepatic bile duct, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, head/neck, ovarian, or esophageal cancer. We used multivariable logistic and Cox regression to analyze the 734,889 patients who had clinical and follow-up information available.
Married patients were less likely to present with metastatic disease (adjusted odds ratio OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.84; P < .001), more likely to receive definitive therapy (adjusted OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.51 to 1.56; P < .001), and less likely to die as a result of their cancer after adjusting for demographics, stage, and treatment (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.79 to 0.81; P < .001) than unmarried patients. These associations remained significant when each individual cancer was analyzed (P < .05 for all end points for each malignancy). The benefit associated with marriage was greater in males than females for all outcome measures analyzed (P < .001 in all cases). For prostate, breast, colorectal, esophageal, and head/neck cancers, the survival benefit associated with marriage was larger than the published survival benefit of chemotherapy.
Even after adjusting for known confounders, unmarried patients are at significantly higher risk of presentation with metastatic cancer, undertreatment, and death resulting from their cancer. This study highlights the potentially significant impact that social support can have on cancer detection, treatment, and survival.
CONTEXT Minimally invasive radical prostatectomy (MIRP) has diffused rapidly despite limited data on outcomes and greater costs compared with open retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP). OBJECTIVE To ...determine the comparative effectiveness of MIRP vs RRP. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Population-based observational cohort study using US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare linked data from 2003 through 2007. We identified men with prostate cancer who underwent MIRP (n = 1938) vs RRP (n = 6899). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We compared postoperative 30-day complications, anastomotic stricture 31 to 365 days postoperatively, long-term incontinence and erectile dysfunction more than 18 months postoperatively, and postoperative use of additional cancer therapies, a surrogate for cancer control. RESULTS Among men undergoing prostatectomy, use of MIRP increased from 9.2% (95% confidence interval CI, 8.1%-10.5%) in 2003 to 43.2% (95% CI, 39.6%-46.9%) in 2006-2007. Men undergoing MIRP vs RRP were more likely to be recorded as Asian (6.1% vs 3.2%), less likely to be recorded as black (6.2% vs 7.8%) or Hispanic (5.6% vs 7.9%), and more likely to live in areas with at least 90% high school graduation rates (50.2% vs 41.0%) and with median incomes of at least $60 000 (35.8% vs 21.5%) (all P < .001). In propensity score–adjusted analyses, MIRP vs RRP was associated with shorter length of stay (median, 2.0 vs 3.0 days; P<.001) and lower rates of blood transfusions (2.7% vs 20.8%; P < .001), postoperative respiratory complications (4.3% vs 6.6%; P = .004), miscellaneous surgical complications (4.3% vs 5.6%; P = .03), and anastomotic stricture (5.8% vs 14.0%; P < .001). However, MIRP vs RRP was associated with an increased risk of genitourinary complications (4.7% vs 2.1%; P = .001) and diagnoses of incontinence (15.9 vs 12.2 per 100 person-years; P = .02) and erectile dysfunction (26.8 vs 19.2 per 100 person-years; P = .009). Rates of use of additional cancer therapies did not differ by surgical procedure (8.2 vs 6.9 per 100 person-years; P = .35). CONCLUSION Men undergoing MIRP vs RRP experienced shorter length of stay, fewer respiratory and miscellaneous surgical complications and strictures, and similar postoperative use of additional cancer therapies but experienced more genitourinary complications, incontinence, and erectile dysfunction.
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•Thermal kinetics of pyrolysis and subsequent in-situ gasification of torrefied biomass pellets were studied.•Both torrefaction and densification treatments delayed the thermal ...decomposition of biomass pellets during pyrolysis.•In-situ gasification reactivity of torrefied pellet char decreased with the increase of torrefaction temperature.•Changed biomass properties by torrefaction and densification led to different pyrolysis/gasification kinetics.
Torrefaction followed by densification improves the heating value, grindability, and logistical treatment efficiency of biomass. Study of the pyrolysis and gasification of torrefied biomass pellets has great significance for the efficient conversion and utilization of biomass. In this study, the thermal behavior and reaction kinetics of pyrolysis and following in-situ CO2 gasification of torrefied corn stalk pellets were investigated in a macro-thermogravimetric analyzer. Torrefaction reduced the amounts of volatiles released during pyrolysis and the maximum pyrolysis rate of pellets decreased with the increase of torrefaction temperature. A three-pseudocomponent model applied for the pellet pyrolysis process suggested that the contribution of hemicellulose reduced as indicated by a decrease in activation energy, while lignin contributed more to the overall kinetics with the increased torrefaction temperature. The gasification of chars after the pyrolysis of torrefied pellets based on the nucleation and growth model indicated that as the torrefaction temperature increased, the gasification reactivity decreased, as implied by the evolutions of pore structures, ash compositions and graphitized crystal structures of the pellet pyrolysis chars. The higher activation energy increased the reaction resistance during the pellet gasification process. The results showed that torrefaction and densification together influenced the reaction behavior, reactivity and overall kinetics of biomass.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
This Viewpoint analyzes Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare linked data from 2010 to 2019 using a previously established method to examine contemporary radical prostatectomy outcomes.
The European Association of Urology and American Urological Association offer differing recommendations on the prostate biopsy approach to use to minimize infection. Current level 1 evidence ...demonstrates no difference in infectious complications.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Robotic-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (R-RPLND) is an emerging surgical option for testicular cancer with less morbidity than open RPLND. We outline the operative technique used at ...our center and review contemporary evidence in the advancement of R-RPLND.
R-RPLND is being applied effectively beyond clinical stage I testicular cancer to treat low-volume, clinical stage II disease in both the primary and postchemotherapy setting. Compared with the open approach, R-RPLND offers shorter hospitalization and less blood loss with comparably low complications and oncologic control.
With ongoing adoption and optimization of R-RPLND, future studies will assess long-term oncologic outcomes and disseminate R-RPLND in the treatment of testicular cancer.
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