Browsing by Author "Shapiro, Abigail"

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    Accelerating Implementation of Virtual Care in an Integrated Health Care System: Future Research and Operations Priorities.
    (Journal of general internal medicine, 2021-08) Lewinski, Allison A; Sullivan, Caitlin; Allen, Kelli D; Crowley, Matthew J; Gierisch, Jennifer M; Goldstein, Karen M; Gray, Kaileigh; Hastings, Susan N; Jackson, George L; McCant, Felicia; Shapiro, Abigail; Tucker, Matthew; Turvey, Carolyn; Zullig, Leah L; Bosworth, Hayden B

    Background

    Virtual care is critical to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) efforts to expand veterans' access to care. Health care policies such as the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability (CHOICE) Act and the Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act impact how the VHA provides care. Research on ways to refine virtual care delivery models to meet the needs of veterans, clinicians, and VHA stakeholders is needed.

    Objective

    Given the importance of virtual approaches for increasing access to high-quality VHA care, in December 2019, we convened a Think Tank, Accelerating Implementation of Virtual Care in VHA Practice, to consider challenges to virtual care research and practice across the VHA, discuss novel approaches to using and evaluating virtual care, assess perspectives on virtual care, and develop priorities to enhance virtual care in the VHA.

    Methods

    We used a participatory approach to develop potential priorities for virtual care research and activities at the VHA. We refined these priorities through force-ranked prioritization and group discussion, and developed solutions for selected priorities.

    Results

    Think Tank attendees (n = 18) consisted of VHA stakeholders, including operations partners (e.g., Office of Rural Health, Office of Nursing Services, Health Services Research and Development), clinicians (e.g., physicians, nurses, psychologists, physician assistants), and health services researchers. We identified an initial list of fifteen potential priorities and narrowed these down to four. The four priorities were (1) scaling evidence-based practices, (2) centralizing virtual care, (3) creating high-value care within the VHA with virtual care, and (4) identifying appropriate patients for virtual care.

    Conclusion

    Our Think Tank took an important step in setting a partnered research agenda to optimize the use of virtual care within the VHA. We brought together research and operations stakeholders and identified possibilities, partnerships, and potential solutions for virtual care.
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    Barriers and facilitators to implementation of epilepsy self-management programs: a systematic review using qualitative evidence synthesis methods.
    (Systematic reviews, 2020-04-25) Lewinski, Allison A; Shapiro, Abigail; Gierisch, Jennifer M; Goldstein, Karen M; Blalock, Dan V; Luedke, Matthew W; Gordon, Adelaide M; Bosworth, Hayden B; Drake, Connor; Lewis, Jeffrey D; Sinha, Saurabh R; Husain, Aatif M; Tran, Tung T; Van Noord, Megan G; Williams, John W

    Background

    Epilepsy affects nearly 50 million people worldwide. Self-management is critical for individuals with epilepsy in order to maintain optimal physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Implementing and adopting a self-management program requires considering many factors at the person, program, and systems levels. We conducted a systematic review of qualitative and mixed-methods studies to identify facilitators and barriers that impact implementation and adoption of self-management programs for adults with epilepsy.

    Methods

    We used established systematic review methodologies for qualitative and mixed-methods studies. We included studies addressing facilitators (i.e., factors that aided) or barriers (i.e., factors that impeded) to implementation and adoption of self-management interventions for adults with epilepsy. We conducted a narrative thematic synthesis to identify facilitators and barriers.

    Results

    The literature search identified 2700 citations; 13 studies met eligibility criteria. Our synthesis identified five themes that categorize facilitators and barriers to successful implementation epilepsy self-management: (1) relevance, intervention content that facilitates acquisition of self-management skills; (2) personalization, intervention components that account for the individual's social, physical, and environmental characteristics; (3) intervention components, components and dosing of the intervention; (4) technology considerations, considerations that account for individual's use, familiarity with, and ownership of technology; and (5) clinician interventionist, role and preparation of the individual who leads intervention. We identified facilitators in 11 of the 13 studies and barriers in 11 of the 13 studies and classified these by social-ecological level (i.e., patient/caregiver, program, site/system).

    Conclusion

    Identification of facilitators and barriers at multiple levels provides insight into disease-specific factors that influence implementation and adoption of self-management programs for individuals with epilepsy. Our findings indicate that involving individuals with epilepsy and their caregivers in intervention development, and then tailoring intervention content during the intervention, can help ensure the content is relevant to intervention participants. Our findings also indicate the role of the clinician (i.e., the individual who provides self-management education) is important to intervention implementation, and key issues with clinicians were identified as barriers and opportunities for improvement. Overall, our findings have practical value for those seeking to implement and adopt self-management interventions for epilepsy and other chronic illnesses.

    Systematic review registration

    PROSPERO registration number is CRD42018098604.
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    Diabetes distress in Veterans with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Qualitative descriptive study.
    (Journal of health psychology, 2024-02) Lewinski, Allison A; Shapiro, Abigail; Crowley, Matthew J; Whitfield, Chelsea; Jones, Joanne Roman; Jeffreys, Amy S; Coffman, Cynthia J; Howard, Teresa; McConnell, Eleanor; Tanabe, Paula; Barcinas, Susan; Bosworth, Hayden B
    Diabetes distress (DD) is a negative psychosocial response to living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We sought insight into Veterans' experiences with DD in the context of T2DM self-management. The four domains in the Diabetes Distress Scale (i.e. regimen, emotional, interpersonal, healthcare provider) informed the interview guide and analysis (structural coding using thematic analysis). The mean age of the cohort (n = 36) was 59.1 years (SD 10.4); 8.3% of patients were female and 63.9% were Black or Mixed Race; mean A1C was 8.8% (SD 2.0); and mean DDS score was 2.4 (SD 1.1), indicating moderate distress. Veterans described DD and challenges to T2DM self-management across the four domains in the Diabetes Distress Scale. We found that (1) Veterans' challenges with their T2DM self-management routines influenced DD and (2) Veterans experienced DD across a wide range of domains, indicating that clinical interventions should take a "whole-person" approach.Trial Registration: NCT04587336.
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    Optimizing the Equitable Deployment of Virtual Care for Women: Protocol for a Qualitative Evidence Synthesis Examining Patient and Provider Perspectives Supplemented with Primary Qualitative Data.
    (Health equity, 2023-01) Goldstein, Karen M; Patel, Dhara B; Van Loon, Katherine A; Shapiro, Abigail; Rushton, Sharron; Lewinski, Allison A; Lanford, Tiera J; Cantrell, Sarah; Zullig, Leah L; Wilson, Sarah M; Shepherd-Banigan, Megan; Alton Dailey, Susan; Sims, Catherine; Robinson, Cheryl; Chawla, Neetu; Bosworth, Hayden B; Hamilton, Alison; Naylor, Jennifer; Gierisch, Jennifer M

    Introduction

    Women experience numerous barriers to patient-centered health care (e.g., lack of continuity). Such barriers are amplified for women from marginalized communities. Virtual care may improve equitable access. We are conducting a partner-engaged, qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) of patients' and providers' experiences with virtual health care delivery for women.

    Methods

    We use a best-fit framework approach informed by the Non-adoption, Abandonment, Scale-up, Spread, and Sustainability framework and Public Health Critical Race Praxis. We will supplement published literature with qualitative interviews with women from underrepresented communities and their health care providers. We will engage patients and other contributors through multiple participatory methods.

    Results

    Our search identified 5525 articles published from 2010 to 2022. Sixty were eligible, of which 42 focused on women and 24 on provider experiences. Data abstraction and analysis are ongoing.

    Discussion

    This work offers four key innovations to advance health equity: (1) conceptual foundation rooted in an antiracist action-oriented praxis; (2) worked example of centering QES on marginalized communities; (3) supplementing QES with primary qualitative information with populations historically marginalized in the health care system; and (4) participatory approaches that foster longitudinal partnered engagement.

    Health equity implications

    Our approach to exploring virtual health care for women demonstrates an antiracist praxis to inform knowledge generation. In doing so, we aim to generate findings that can guide health care systems in the equitable deployment of comprehensive virtual care for women.
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    Self-management of Epilepsy: A Systematic Review.
    (Annals of internal medicine, 2019-07) Luedke, Matthew W; Blalock, Dan V; Goldstein, Karen M; Kosinski, Andrzej S; Sinha, Saurabh R; Drake, Connor; Lewis, Jeffrey D; Husain, Aatif M; Lewinski, Allison A; Shapiro, Abigail; Gierisch, Jennifer M; Tran, Tung T; Gordon, Adelaide M; Van Noord, Megan G; Bosworth, Hayden B; Williams, John W
    Background:Although self-management is recommended for persons with epilepsy, its optimal strategies and effects are uncertain. Purpose:To evaluate the components and efficacy of self-management interventions in the treatment of epilepsy in community-dwelling persons. Data Sources:English-language searches of MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, and CINAHL in April 2018; the MEDLINE search was updated in March 2019. Study Selection:Randomized and nonrandomized comparative studies of self-management interventions for adults with epilepsy. Data Extraction:An investigator assessed study characteristics; intervention details, including 6 components of self-management; and outcomes, which were verified by a second reviewer. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed independently by 2 investigators. Data Synthesis:13 randomized and 2 nonrandomized studies (2514 patients) evaluated self-management interventions. Interventions were delivered primarily in group settings, used a median of 4 components, and followed 2 general strategies: 1 based on education and the other on psychosocial therapy. Education-based approaches improved self-management behaviors (standardized mean difference, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.0 to 1.04]), and psychosocial therapy-based approaches improved quality of life (mean difference, 6.64 [CI, 2.51 to 10.77]). Overall, self-management interventions did not reduce seizure rates, but 1 educational intervention decreased a composite of seizures, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Limitation:High ROB in most studies, incomplete intervention descriptions, and studies limited to English-language publications. Conclusion:There is limited evidence that self-management strategies modestly improve some patient outcomes that are important to persons with epilepsy. Overall, self-management research in epilepsy is limited by the range of interventions tested, the small number of studies using self-monitoring technology, and uncertainty about components and strategies associated with benefit. Primary Funding Source:U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (PROSPERO: CRD42018098604).
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    Veterans' Interpretation of Diabetes Distress in Diabetes Self-Management: Findings From Cognitive Interviews.
    (The science of diabetes self-management and care, 2021-10) Lewinski, Allison A; Shapiro, Abigail; Bosworth, Hayden B; Crowley, Matthew J; McCant, Felicia; Howard, Teresa; Jeffreys, Amy S; McConnell, Eleanor; Tanabe, Paula; Barcinas, Susan; Coffman, Cynthia J; King, Heather A

    Purpose

    The purpose of this project was to identify additional facets of diabetes distress (DD) in veterans that may be present due to the veteran's military-related experience.

    Methods

    The study team completed cognitive interviews with veterans with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to examine how they answered the Diabetes Distress Scale (DD Scale), a tool that assesses DD. The DD Scale was used because of its strong associations with self-management challenges, physician-related distress, and clinical outcomes.

    Results

    The veterans sample (n= 15) was 73% male, mean age of 61 (SD = 8.6), 53% Black, 53% with glycosylated hemoglobin level <9%, and 67% with prescribed insulin. The DD Scale is readily understood by veterans and interpreted. Thematic analysis indicated additional domains affecting DD and T2DM self-management, including access to care, comorbidities, disruptions in routine, fluctuations in emotions and behaviors, interactions with providers, lifelong nature of diabetes, mental health concerns, military as culture, personal characteristics, physical limitations, physical pain, sources of information and support, spirituality, and stigma.

    Conclusions

    This study describes how a veteran's military experience may contribute to DD in the context of T2DM self-management. Findings indicate clinicians and researchers should account for additional domains when developing self-management interventions and discussing self-management behaviors with individuals with T2DM.