Browsing by Author "Blewer, Audrey L"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Birth Prevalence of Sickle Cell Disease and County-Level Social Vulnerability - Sickle Cell Data Collection Program, 11 States, 2016-2020.
    (MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 2024-03) Kayle, Mariam; Blewer, Audrey L; Pan, Wei; Rothman, Jennifer A; Polick, Carri S; Rivenbark, Joshua; Fisher, Elliott; Reyes, Camila; Strouse, John J; Weeks, Shelby; Desai, Jay R; Snyder, Angela B; Zhou, Mei; Sutaria, Ankit; Valle, Jhaqueline; Horiuchi, Sophia S; Sontag, Marci K; Miller, Joshua I; Singh, Ashima; Dasgupta, Mahua; Janson, Isaac A; Galadanci, Najibah; Reeves, Sarah L; Latta, Krista; Hurden, Isabel; Cromartie, Shamaree J; Plaxco, Allison P; Mukhopadhyay, Ayesha; Smeltzer, Matthew P; Hulihan, Mary
    Sickle cell disease (SCD) remains a public health priority in the United States because of its association with complex health needs, reduced life expectancy, lifelong disabilities, and high cost of care. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted to calculate the crude and race-specific birth prevalence for SCD using state newborn screening program records during 2016-2020 from 11 Sickle Cell Data Collection program states. The percentage distribution of birth mother residence within Social Vulnerability Index quartiles was derived. Among 3,305 newborns with confirmed SCD (including 57% with homozygous hemoglobin S or sickle β-null thalassemia across 11 states, 90% of whom were Black or African American [Black], and 4% of whom were Hispanic or Latino), the crude SCD birth prevalence was 4.83 per 10,000 (one in every 2,070) live births and 28.54 per 10,000 (one in every 350) non-Hispanic Black newborns. Approximately two thirds (67%) of mothers of newborns with SCD lived in counties with high or very high levels of social vulnerability; most mothers lived in counties with high or very high levels of vulnerability for racial and ethnic minority status (89%) and housing type and transportation (64%) themes. These findings can guide public health, health care systems, and community program planning and implementation that address social determinants of health for infants with SCD. Implementation of tailored interventions, including increasing access to transportation, improving housing, and advancing equity in high vulnerability areas, could facilitate care and improve health outcomes for children with SCD.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Dissemination of Evidence-Based Recommendations for Sickle Cell Disease to Primary Care and Emergency Department Providers in North Carolina: A Cost Benefit Analysis.
    (Journal of health economics and outcomes research, 2021-04) Tanabe, Paula; Blewer, Audrey L; Bonnabeau, Emily; Bosworth, Hayden B; Clayton, Denise H; Crego, Nancy; Earls, Marian F; Eason, Kern; Forlines, Grayson; Rains, Gary; Young, Matthew; Shah, Nirmish
    Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic condition affecting primarily individuals of African descent, who happen to be disproportionately impacted by poverty and who lack access to health care. Individuals with SCD are at high likelihood of high acute care utilization and chronic pain episodes. The multiple complications seen in SCD contribute to significant morbidity and premature mortality, as well as substantial costs to the healthcare system. Objectives: SCD is a complex chronic disease resulting in the need for primary, specialty and emergency care. Many providers do not feel prepared to care for individuals with SCD, despite the existence of evidence-based guidelines. We report the development of a SCD toolbox and the dissemination process to primary care and emergency department (ED) providers in North Carolina (NC). We report the effect of this dissemination on health-care utilization, cost of care, and overall cost-benefit. Methods: The SCD toolbox was adapted from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommendations. Toolbox training was provided to quality improvement specialists who then disseminated the toolbox to primary care providers (PCPs) affiliated with the only NC managed care coordination system and ED providers. Tools were made available in paper, online, and in app formats to participating managed care network practices (n=1 800). Medicaid claims data were analyzed for total costs and benefits of the toolbox dissemination for a 24-month pre- and 18-month post-intervention period. Results: There was no statistically significant shift in the number of outpatient specialty visits, ED visits or hospitalizations. There was a small decrease in the number of PCP visits in the post-implementation period. The dissemination resulted in a net cost-savings of $361 414 ($14.03 per-enrollee per-month on average). However, the estimated financial benefit associated with the dissemination of the SCD toolbox was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Although we did not find the expected shift to increased PCP visits and decreased ED visits and hospitalizations, there were many lessons learned.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Factors influencing support for the implementation of community-based out-of-hospital cardiac arrest interventions in high- and low-performing counties.
    (Resuscitation plus, 2024-03) Ezem, Natalie; Lewinski, Allison A; Miller, Julie; King, Heather A; Oakes, Megan; Monk, Lisa; Starks, Monique A; Granger, Christopher B; Bosworth, Hayden B; Blewer, Audrey L

    Aim of the study

    Survival to hospital discharge from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) after receiving treatment from emergency medical services (EMS) is less than 10% in the United States. Community-focused interventions improve survival rates, but there is limited information on how to gain support for new interventions or program activities within these populations. Using data from the RAndomized Cluster Evaluation of Cardiac ARrest Systems (RACE-CARS) trial, we aimed to identify the factors influencing emergency response agencies' support in implementing an OHCA intervention.

    Methods

    North Carolina counties were stratified into high-performing or low-performing counties based on the county's cardiac arrest volume, percent of bystander-cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed, patient survival to hospital discharge, cerebral performance in patients after cardiac arrest, and perceived engagement in the RACE-CARS project. We randomly selected 4 high-performing and 3 low-performing counties and conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with emergency response stakeholders in each county.

    Results

    From 10/2021 to 02/2022, we completed 29 interviews across the 7 counties (EMS (n = 9), telecommunications (n = 7), fire/first responders (n = 7), and hospital representatives (n = 6)). We identified three themes salient to community support for OHCA intervention: (1) initiating support at emergency response agencies; (2) obtaining support from emergency response agency staff (senior leadership and emergency response teams); and (3) and maintaining support. For each theme, we described similarities and differences by high- and low-performing county.

    Conclusions

    We identified techniques for supporting effective engagement of emergency response agencies in community-based interventions for OHCA improving survival rates. This work may inform future programs and initiatives around implementation of community-based interventions for OHCA.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Impact of bystander-focused public health interventions on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and survival: a cohort study.
    (The Lancet. Public health, 2020-08) Blewer, Audrey L; Ho, Andrew Fu Wah; Shahidah, Nur; White, Alexander Elgin; Pek, Pin Pin; Ng, Yih Yng; Mao, Desmond Renhao; Tiah, Ling; Chia, Michael Yih-Chong; Leong, Benjamin Sieu-Hon; Cheah, Si Oon; Tham, Lai Peng; Kua, Jade Phek Hui; Arulanandam, Shalini; Østbye, Truls; Bosworth, Hayden B; Ong, Marcus Eng Hock

    Background

    Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) increases an individual's chance of survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), but the frequency of bystander CPR is low in many communities. We aimed to assess the cumulative effect of CPR-targeted public health interventions in Singapore, which were incrementally introduced between 2012 and 2016.

    Methods

    We did a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of adult, non-traumatic OHCAs, through the Singapore registry. National interventions introduced during this time included emergency services interventions, as well as dispatch-assisted CPR (introduced on July 1, 2012), a training programme for CPR and automated external defibrillators (April 1, 2014), and a first responder mobile application (myResponder; April 17, 2015). Using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression, we modelled the likelihood of receiving bystander CPR with the increasing number of interventions, accounting for year as a random effect.

    Findings

    The Singapore registry contained 11 465 OHCA events between Jan 1, 2011, and Dec 31, 2016. Paediatric arrests, arrests witnessed by emergency medical services, and healthcare-facility arrests were excluded, and 6788 events were analysed. Bystander CPR was administered in 3248 (48%) of 6788 events. Compared with no intervention, likelihood of bystander CPR was not significantly altered by the addition of emergency medical services interventions (odds ratio [OR] 1·33 [95% CI 0·98-1·79]; p=0·065), but increased with implementation of dispatch-assisted CPR (3·72 [2·84-4·88]; p<0·0001), with addition of the CPR and automated external defibrillator training programme (6·16 [4·66-8·14]; p<0·0001), and with addition of the myResponder application (7·66 [5·85-10·03]; p<0·0001). Survival to hospital discharge increased after the addition of all interventions, compared with no intervention (OR 3·10 [95% CI 1·53-6·26]; p<0·0001).

    Interpretation

    National bystander-focused public health interventions were associated with an increased likelihood of bystander CPR, and an increased survival to hospital discharge. Understanding the combined impact of public health interventions might improve strategies to increase the likelihood of bystander CPR, and inform targeted initiatives to improve survival from OHCA.

    Funding

    National Medical Research Council, Clinician Scientist Award, Singapore and Ministry of Health, Health Services Research Grant, Singapore.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    RAndomized Cluster Evaluation of Cardiac ARrest Systems (RACE-CARS) trial: Study rationale and design.
    (American heart journal, 2024-07) Krychtiuk, Konstantin A; Starks, Monique A; Al-Khalidi, Hussein R; Mark, Daniel B; Monk, Lisa; Yow, Eric; Kaltenbach, Lisa; Jollis, James G; Al-Khatib, Sana M; Bosworth, Hayden B; Ward, Kimberly; Brady, Sarah; Tyson, Clark; Vandeventer, Steve; Baloch, Khaula; Oakes, Megan; Blewer, Audrey L; Lewinski, Allison A; Hansen, Carolina Malta; Sharpe, Edward; Rea, Thomas D; Nelson, R Darrell; Sasson, Comilla; McNally, Bryan; Granger, Christopher B; RACE-CARS NC Counties
    Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurs in nearly 350,000 people each year in the United States (US). Despite advances in pre and in-hospital care, OHCA survival remains low and is highly variable across systems and regions. The critical barrier to improving cardiac arrest outcomes is not a lack of knowledge about effective interventions, but rather the widespread lack of systems of care to deliver interventions known to be successful. The RAndomized Cluster Evaluation of Cardiac ARrest Systems (RACE-CARS) trial is a 7-year pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial of 62 counties (57 clusters) in North Carolina using an established registry and is testing whether implementation of a customized set of strategically targeted community-based interventions improves survival to hospital discharge with good neurologic function in OHCA relative to control/standard care. The multifaceted intervention comprises rapid cardiac arrest recognition and systematic bystander CPR instructions by 9-1-1 telecommunicators, comprehensive community CPR training and enhanced early automated external defibrillator (AED) use prior to emergency medical systems (EMS) arrival. Approximately 20,000 patients are expected to be enrolled in the RACE CARS Trial over 4 years of the assessment period. The primary endpoint is survival to hospital discharge with good neurologic outcome defined as a cerebral performance category (CPC) of 1 or 2. Secondary outcomes include the rate of bystander CPR, defibrillation prior to arrival of EMS, and quality of life. We aim to identify successful community- and systems-based strategies to improve outcomes of OHCA using a cluster randomized-controlled trial design that aims to provide a high level of evidence for future application.