Browsing by Author "Kroenke, Kurt"
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Item Acceptance and commitment therapy for fatigue interference in advanced gastrointestinal cancer and caregiver burden: protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial(BMC, 2021-04-20) Mosher, Catherine E.; Secinti, Ekin; Kroenke, Kurt; Helft, Paul R.; Turk, Anita A.; Loehrer, Patrick J., Sr.; Sehdev, Amikar; Al-Hader, Ahmad A.; Champion, Victoria L.; Johns, Shelley A.; Psychology, School of ScienceBackground: Fatigue interference with activities, mood, and cognition is one of the most prevalent and bothersome concerns of advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients. As fatigue interferes with patient functioning, family caregivers often report feeling burdened by increasing responsibilities. Evidence-based interventions jointly addressing cancer patient fatigue interference and caregiver burden are lacking. In pilot studies, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown promise for addressing symptom-related suffering in cancer patients. The current pilot trial seeks to test a novel, dyadic ACT intervention for both advanced GI cancer patients with moderate-to-severe fatigue interference and their family caregivers with significant caregiving burden or distress. Methods: A minimum of 40 patient-caregiver dyads will be randomly assigned to either the ACT intervention or an education/support control condition. Dyads in both conditions attend six weekly 50-min telephone sessions. Outcomes are assessed at baseline as well as 2 weeks and 3 months post-intervention. We will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of ACT for improving patient fatigue interference and caregiver burden. Secondary outcomes include patient sleep interference and patient and caregiver engagement in daily activities, psychological flexibility, and quality of life. We will also explore the effects of ACT on patient and caregiver physical and mental health service use. Discussion: Findings will inform a large-scale trial of intervention efficacy. Results will also lay the groundwork for further novel applications of ACT to symptom interference with functioning and caregiver burden in advanced cancer.Item Access to communication technologies in a sample of cancer patients: an urban and rural survey(BioMed Central, 2005-02-17) Abdullah, Ma'n; Theobald, Dale E.; Butler, Donna; Kroenke, Kurt; Perkins, Anthony; Edgerton, Sara; Dugan Jr., William M.; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground There is a growing awareness among providers of the symptom burden experienced by cancer patients. Systematic symptom screening is difficult. Our plan was to evaluate a technology-based symptom screening process using touch-tone telephone and Internet in our rural outreach cancer program in Indiana. Would rural patients have adequate access to technologies for home-based symptom reporting? Objectives 1) To determine access to touch-tone telephone service and Internet for patients in urban and rural clinics; 2) to determine barriers to access; 3) to determine willingness to use technology for home-based symptom reporting. Methods Patients from representative clinics (seven rural and three urban) in our network were surveyed. Inclusion criteria were age greater than 18, able to read, and diagnosis of malignancy. Results The response rate was 97%. Of 416 patients completing the survey (230 rural, 186 urban), 95% had access to touch-tone telephone service, while 46% had Internet access (56% of urban patients, 38% of rural patients). Higher rates of Internet access were related to younger patient age, current employment, and higher education and income. The primary barrier to Internet access was lack of interest. Use of the Internet for health related activities was less than 50%. The preferred means of symptom reporting in patients with internet access were the touch-tone telephone (70%), compared to reporting by the Internet (28%). Conclusion Access to communication technologies appears adequate for home-based symptom reporting. The use of touch-tone telephone and Internet reporting, based upon patient preference, has the potential of enhancing symptom detection among cancer patients that is not dependent solely upon clinic visits and clinician inquiry.Item Addressing Mental Health Needs of Health Care Workers through Peer Support Groups During the COVID-19 Crisis(Indiana University, 2020-12) Thornsberry, Tanner; Nault Connors, Jill; Welch, Julie; Hayden, Julie; Hartwell, Jennifer; Ober, Michael; Sotto-Santiago, Sylk; Draucker, Claire; Wasmuth, Sally; Boustani, Malaz; Overley, Ashley; Monahan, Patrick; Kroenke, KurtItem Assessing Depression Improvement with the Remission Evaluation and Mood Inventory Tool (REMIT)(Elsevier, 2019-09) Bushey, Michael A.; Kroenke, Kurt; Baye, Fitsum; Lourens, Spencer; Psychiatry, School of MedicineObjective The Remission Evaluation and Mood Inventory Tool (REMIT) was developed as a brief complementary measure to provide a more robust assessment of depression improvement than tracking DSM-V symptom improvement alone. This study provides further validation of the REMIT tool and examines its utility in predicting depression improvement. Methods The sample comprised 294 primary care patients enrolled in a telecare trial of pain plus depression and/or anxiety. Assessments collected included: REMIT, PHQ-9 and measures assessing anxiety, pain, sleep, fatigue, somatization, health-related quality of life and disability. Data was analyzed to assess the REMIT's validity, its minimally important difference (MID), and its utility in predicting 6-month depression improvement. Results Convergent and construct validity of REMIT was supported by moderate correlations with mental health measures and weaker correlation with physical health measures. MID of approximately 2 points for REMIT was estimated by two metrics: 0.5 standard deviation and 1 standard error of measurement. Both baseline and 3-month change in REMIT scores predicted depression improvement at 6 months. Indeed, REMIT was as good or better predictor than the PHQ-9. Conclusion The REMIT measure is a brief 5-item tool that augments core DSM-V symptom-oriented metrics in assessing and predicting recovery from major depression.Item Association of Mental Health Conditions and Treatments With Long-term Opioid Analgesic Receipt Among Adolescents(American Medical Association, 2018-05-01) Quinn, Patrick D.; Hur, Kwan; Chang, Zheng; Scott, Eric L.; Krebs, Erin E.; Bair, Matthew J.; Rickert, Martin E.; Gibbons, Robert D.; Kroenke, Kurt; D’Onofrio, Brian M.; Medicine, School of MedicineImportance: Adults with mental health conditions are more likely than those without to receive long-term opioid therapy. Less is known about opioid therapy among adolescents, especially those with mental health conditions. Objective: To examine associations between preexisting mental health conditions and treatments and initiation of any opioid and long-term opioid therapy among adolescents. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cohort of 1 224 520 incident opioid recipients without cancer diagnoses aged 14 to 18 years at first receipt was extracted from nationwide commercial health care claims data from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2014. Analysis was conducted from August 19, 2016, to November 16, 2017. Associations between preexisting mental health conditions and treatments and any opioid receipt were examined by comparing recipients with nonrecipients matched on sex, calendar year and years of age of first enrollment, and months of enrollment (prior to the index month for recipients, ever for nonrecipients). Associations between preexisting mental health conditions and treatments and subsequent long-term opioid therapy were examined among recipients with at least 6 months' follow-up using Cox proportional hazards regressions adjusted for demographics. Exposures: Mental health condition diagnoses and treatments recorded in inpatient, outpatient, and filled-prescription claims prior to opioid receipt. Main Outcomes and Measures: Opioid receipt, defined as any opioid analgesic prescription claim, and long-term opioid therapy, defined as more than 90 days' supply within a 6-month window having no gaps in supply of more than 32 days. Results: Of the 1 224 520 new opioid recipients included, the median age at first receipt was 17 years (interquartile range, 16-18 years), and 51.1% were female. Median follow-up after first receipt was 625 days (interquartile range, 255-1268 days). Adolescents with anxiety, mood, neurodevelopmental, sleep, and nonopioid substance use disorders and most mental health treatments were significantly more likely to receive any opioid (odds ratios from 1.13 [95% CI, 1.10-1.16] for nonopioid substance use disorders to 1.69 [95% CI, 1.58-1.81] for nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics). Among the 1 000 453 opioid recipients (81.7%) who had at least 6 months' follow-up, the cumulative incidence of long-term opioid therapy was 3.0 (95% CI, 2.8-3.1) per 1000 recipients within 3 years after first opioid receipt. All preexisting mental health conditions and treatments were strongly associated with higher rates of long-term opioid therapy (adjusted hazard ratios from 1.73 [95% CI 1.54-1.95] for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to 8.90 [95% CI, 5.85-13.54] for opioid use disorder). Conclusions and Relevance: Commercially insured adolescents with many types of preexisting mental health conditions and treatments were modestly more likely to receive any opioid and were substantially more likely to subsequently transition to long-term opioid therapy relative to those without, although overall rates of long-term opioid therapy were low.Item Automated Self-management (ASM) vs. ASM-Enhanced Collaborative Care for Chronic Pain and Mood Symptoms: the CAMMPS Randomized Clinical Trial(Springer, 2019-06-21) Kroenke, Kurt; Baye, Fitsum; Lourens, Spencer G.; Evans, Erica; Weitlauf, Sharon; McCalley, Stephanie; Porter, Brian; Matthias, Marianne S.; Bair, Matthew J.; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground Chronic musculoskeletal pain is often accompanied by depression or anxiety wherein co-occurring pain and mood symptoms can be more difficult to treat than either alone. However, few clinical trials have examined interventions that simultaneously target both pain and mood conditions. Objective To determine the comparative effectiveness of automated self-management (ASM) vs. ASM-enhanced collaborative care. Design Randomized clinical trial conducted in six primary care clinics in a VA medical center. Participants Two hundred ninety-four patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain of at least moderate intensity and clinically significant depressive and/or anxiety symptoms. Intervention ASM consisted of automated monitoring and 9 web-based self-management modules. Comprehensive symptom management (CSM) combined ASM with collaborative care management by a nurse-physician team. Both interventions were delivered for 12 months. Main Measures Primary outcome was a composite pain-anxiety-depression (PAD) z-score consisting of the mean of the BPI, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 z-scores: 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 represent potentially small, moderate, and large clinical differences. Secondary outcomes included global improvement, health-related quality of life, treatment satisfaction, and health services use. Key Results Both CSM and ASM groups had moderate PAD score improvement at 12 months (z = − 0.65 and − 0.52, respectively). Compared to the ASM group, the CSM group had a − 0.23 (95% CI, − 0.38 to − 0.08; overall P = .003) greater decline in composite PAD z-score over 12 months. CSM patients were also more likely to report global improvement and less likely to report worsening at 6 (P = .004) and 12 months (P = .013). Conclusions Two intervention models relying heavily on telecare delivery but differing in resource intensity both produced moderate improvements in pain and mood symptoms. However, the model combining collaborative care led by a nurse-physician team with web-based self-management was superior to self-management alone.Item Balancing the Risks and Benefits of Benzodiazepines(AMA, 2021-01) Hirschtritt, Matthew E.; Olfson, Mark; Kroenke, Kurt; Medicine, School of MedicineIn September 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an anticipated update to the boxed warning on all benzodiazepines to explicitly “address the serious risks of abuse, addiction, physical dependence, and withdrawal reactions” among this class of medications.1 The current boxed warning for benzodiazepines (eg, alprazolam, lorazepam, clonazepam, diazepam) highlights only the risks of coadministration of opioids and benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are prescribed for multiple indications, most notably generalized anxiety disorder, panic, social phobia, insomnia, and seizure prophylaxis and rescue.Item Benefits of Intervention in Managing Chronic Pain(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Benbow, Kyle L.; Miller, Megan; Scott, Eric; Kroenke, KurtAs studies of individuals with chronic pain continue more is being understood about cognitive and behavioral components that drive pain. While the goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate the locus of pain, another model known as intervention, focuses more on self-management and cognitive change. The presented research is the 12-month results of trails of intervention for chronic pain management. Three hundred participants were recruited from the VA of Indianapolis. All participants were being seen in a primary care setting for severe pain that persisted for more than 3 months. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group, which would continue receiving the usual care for their pain; and the variable group, which would receive intervention. Intervention methods included automated home-based monitoring, selective care manager calls, weekly case review with MD specialist and escalation of therapy using an evidence-based stepped care analgesic algorithm. Participants pain was measured using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), which is a self-report assessing the severity of pain and impact of pain on daily functioning. The trial results showed that a 1-point difference in BPI scores between the intervention and control group. Participants in the intervention group showed a good adherence and satisfaction with automate and nurse components of intervention. These results show pain management through intervention has a positive effect on pain, which in turn has an effect on depression, anxiety, and outlook. Intervention aims to empower patients to become active participants in the management of their illness and feel more in control of their pain in hopes of giving them a better outlook of their situation.Item Benzodiazepine and Unhealthy Alcohol Use Among Adult Outpatients(Managed Care & Healthcare Communications, 2019-12-13) Hirschtritt, Matthew E.; Palzes, Vanessa A.; Kline-Simon, Andrea H.; Kroenke, Kurt; Campbell, Cynthia I.; Sterling, Stacy A.; Medicine, School of MedicineOBJECTIVES: Concomitant excessive alcohol consumption and benzodiazepine use is associated with adverse health outcomes. We examined associations of unhealthy alcohol use and other patient characteristics with benzodiazepine use. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis of 2,089,525 Kaiser Permanente of Northern California outpatients screened for unhealthy alcohol use in primary care between November 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016. METHODS: We fit multivariable generalized linear models to estimate the associations between unhealthy alcohol use and benzodiazepine dispensation and, among patients who were dispensed a benzodiazepine, mean doses (in mean lorazepam-equivalent daily doses [LEDDs]) and prescription durations. We controlled for patient sex, age, race/ethnicity, estimated household income, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score, anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder, insomnia, musculoskeletal pain, and epilepsy. RESULTS: In the 12 months centered around (6 months before and 6 months after) the first alcohol-screening visit, 7.5% of patients used benzodiazepines. The following characteristics were independently associated with higher rates of benzodiazepine use, higher LEDD, and longer prescription duration: older age, white race/ethnicity, lower estimated household income, higher CCI score, and the presence of an anxiety disorder, insomnia, musculoskeletal pain, or epilepsy. Women and patients with an alcohol use disorder or unhealthy alcohol use, compared with men and patients with low-risk drinking or abstinence, were more likely to use a benzodiazepine; however, their LEDDs were lower and their prescription durations were shorter. CONCLUSIONS: Benzodiazepine use in primary care was associated with older age, female sex, white race/ethnicity, lower socioeconomic status, and unhealthy alcohol use. These findings may be applied to develop policies and interventions to promote judicious benzodiazepine use.Item The Cancer Loneliness Scale and Cancer-related Negative Social Expectations Scale: development and validation(SpringerLink, 2017-07) Adams, Rebecca N.; Mosher, Catherine E.; Rand, Kevin L.; Hirsh, Adam T.; Monahan, Patrick O.; Abonour, Rafat; Kroenke, Kurt; Psychology, School of SciencePURPOSE: Loneliness is a known risk factor for poor mental and physical health outcomes and quality of life in the general population, and preliminary research suggests that loneliness is linked to poorer health outcomes in cancer patients as well. Various aspects of the cancer experience contribute to patients feeling alone and misunderstood. Furthermore, loneliness theory suggests that negative social expectations, which may specifically relate to the cancer experience, precipitate and sustain loneliness. Cancer-specific tools are needed to assess key constructs of this theory. In the current study, we developed and tested measures of (1) loneliness attributed to cancer (i.e., cancer-related loneliness) and (2) negative social expectations related to cancer. METHODS: First, we developed the items for the measures based on theory, prior research, and expert feedback. Next, we assessed the measures' psychometric properties (i.e., internal consistency and construct validity) in a diverse sample of cancer patients. RESULTS: The final products included a 7-item unidimensional Cancer Loneliness Scale and a 5-item unidimensional Cancer-related Negative Social Expectations Scale. Evidence of excellent reliability and validity was found for both measures. CONCLUSIONS: The resulting measures have both clinical and research utility.