In This Edition

Literature at a Glance

A guide to this month’s studies

• Risk of VTE with travel
• Hyponatremia and mortality
• Clopidogrel and aspirin for atrial fibrillation
• Cost-effective evaluation of syncope
• Early vs. delayed intervention in STEMI patients receiving fibrinolytics
• Predictors of prolonged SSU length of stay
• Rates of survival for in-hospital CPR
• Hospitalists and hospital quality measures

Travel Increases Risk for Venous Thromboembolism in a Dose-Response Relationship

Clinical question: What is the association between travel and the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE)?

Background: Previous studies evaluating the relationship between long-distance travel and VTE have been heterogeneous and inconclusive. Though a relationship is often discussed, only about half of prior investigations have identified an elevated VTE risk in those who travel, and the impact of duration on VTE risk is unclear.

Study design: Meta-analysis.

Setting: Western countries.

Synopsis: Studies were included if they investigated the association between travel and VTE for persons using any mode of transportation and if nontraveling persons were included for comparison. Fourteen studies met the criteria, and included 4,055 patients with VTE. Compared with nontravelers, the overall pooled relative risk for VTE in travelers was 2.0 (95% CI, 1.5-2.7).

Significant heterogeneity was present among these 14 studies, specifically with regard to the method used for selecting control participants. Six case-control studies used control patients who had been referred for VTE evaluation. When these studies were excluded, the pooled relative risk for VTE in travelers was 2.8 (95% CI, 2.2-3.7).

A dose-response relationship was identified. There was an 18% higher risk for VTE for each two-hour increase in duration of travel among all modes of transportation (P=0.010). When studies evaluating only air travel were analyzed, a 26% higher risk was found for every two-hour increase in air travel (P=0.005).

Bottom line: Travel is associated with a three-fold increase in the risk for VTE, and for each two-hour increase in travel duration, the risk increases approximately 18%.

Citation: Chandra D, Parisini E, Mozaffarian D. Meta-analysis: travel and risk for venous thromboembolism. Ann Intern Med. 2009;151(3):180-190.

Hyponatremia in Hospitalized Patients is Associated with Increased Mortality

Clinical question: Is hyponatremia in hospitalized patients associated with increased mortality?

Background: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients. Patients admitted with hyponatremia have increased in-hospital mortality. Long-term mortality in hospitalized patients with hyponatremia is not known. Further, the effects of the degree of hyponatremia on mortality are not known.

Study design: Prospective cohort.

Setting: Two teaching hospitals in Boston.

Synopsis: The study identified 14,290 patients with hyponatremia (serum sodium <135 mEq/L) at admission (14.5%) and an additional 5,093 patients (19,383 total patients, or 19.7% of the 98,411 study patients) with hyponatremia at some point during their hospital stay. After multivariable adjustments and correction for hyperglycemia, patients with hyponatremia had increased mortality in the hospital (OR 1.47, 95% CI, 1.33-1.62), at one year (HR 1.38, 95% CI, 1.32-1.46), and at five years (HR 1.25, 95% CI, 1.21-1.30) compared with normonatremic patients. These mortality differences were seen in patients with mild, moderate, and moderately severe hyponatremia (serum sodium concentrations 130-134, 125-129, and 120-124 mEq/L, respectively), but not in patients with severe hyponatremia (serum sodium <120 mEq/L).

This study is limited by its post-hoc identification and classification of patients using ICD-9-CM codes, which could have resulted in some misclassification. Also, this study includes only two teaching hospitals in an urban setting; the prevalence of hyponatremia might differ in other settings. Causality cannot be determined based on these results.

Bottom line: Hospitalized patients with hyponatremia have increased in-hospital and long-term mortality.

Citation: Waikar SS, Mount DB, Curhan GC. Mortality after hospitalization with mild, moderate, and severe hyponatremia. Am J Med. 2009;122(9):857-865.

Clopidogrel Plus Aspirin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Reduces Risk of Major Vascular Events

Clinical question: Does the addition of clopidogrel to aspirin therapy reduce the risk of major vascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation for whom vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) are unsuitable?

Background: Although VKAs reduce the risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation, many patients are unable to use VKAs and are treated with aspirin instead. The potential benefits of adding clopidogrel to aspirin therapy in this population are unknown.

Study design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Five hundred eighty medical centers in 33 countries.

Synopsis: More than 7,500 patients with atrial fibrillation who were also at high risk for stroke were randomly assigned to receive either clopidogrel or placebo once daily. All patients also received aspirin at a dose of 75 mg to 100 mg daily. A major vascular event occurred in 6.8% of patients per year who received clopidogrel and in 7.6% of patients per year who received placebo (RR 0.89, 95% CI, 0.89-0.98, P=0.01). This reduction primarily was due to a reduction in stroke, which occurred in 2.4% of patients per year who received clopidogrel, compared with 3.3% of patients per year who received placebo (RR 0.72, 95% CI, 0.62-0.83, P<0.001).

Major bleeding occurred in 2% of patients per year who received clopidogrel and in 1.3% of patients per year who received placebo (RR 1.57, 95% CI, 1.29-1.92, P<0.001).

Bottom line: Adding clopidogrel to aspirin in patients with atrial fibrillation who are not eligible for VKAs decreases the risk of major vascular events, including stroke, but increases risk of major hemorrhage compared with aspirin alone.

Citation: ACTIVE Investigators, Connolly SJ, Pogue J, et al. Effect of clopidogrel added to aspirin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(20):2066-2078.

Prioritize Syncope Testing by Diagnostic Yield and Cost Effectiveness

Clinical question: What are the utilization, yield, and cost effectiveness of tests used for evaluation of syncope in older patients?

Background: Clinicians utilize multiple diagnostic tests to help delineate the cause of syncope, but the yield and cost effectiveness of many of these tests are unclear. Further, it is unknown if considering patient characteristics, as in the San Francisco syncope rule (SFSR), can improve the yield of diagnostic tests.

Study design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Single acute-care hospital.

Synopsis: Review of 2,106 admissions in patients 65 and older with syncope revealed that the most common tests were electrocardiogram (99%), telemetry (95%), cardiac enzymes (95%), and head computed tomography (CT) scan (63%). The majority of tests did not affect diagnosis or management.

Postural blood pressure (BP) reading was infrequently recorded (38%) but had the highest yield. BP influenced diagnosis at least 18% of the time and management at least 25% of the time. Tests with the lowest likelihood of affecting diagnosis and management were head CT, carotid ultrasound, electroencephalography (EEG), and cardiac enzymes.

EEG had the highest cost per test affecting the diagnosis or management ($32,973), followed by head CT. The cost per test affecting diagnosis or management for postural BP was $17. Cardiac testing, including telemetry, echocardiogram, and cardiac enzymes, had significantly better yield in patients who met SFSR criteria.

Bottom line: In patients with syncope, the history and exam should guide evaluation, and tests with high yield and low cost per test, such as postural BP, should be prioritized.

Citation: Mendu ML, McAvay G, Lampert R, Stoehr J, Tinetti ME. Yield of diagnostic tests in evaluating syncopal episodes in older patients. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(14): 1299-1305.

Early PCI is Superior to Delayed Intervention in Patients with STEMI Receiving Fibrinolytic Therapy

Clinical question: Does early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improve clinical outcomes compared with standard management in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who receive fibrinolysis?

Background: Prior research has demonstrated the benefit of timely PCI in the management of acute coronary syndrome, specifically with ST elevation. However, many hospitals do not have this capability and utilize fibrinolysis as a standard alternative. The optimal timing of subsequent invasive intervention following fibrinolysis has not been established.

Study design: Multicenter randomized trial.

Setting: Fifty-two sites in three provinces in Canada.

Synopsis: This study randomized 1,059 patients presenting with STEMI and receiving fibrinolysis to early intervention (immediate transfer to another hospital with PCI less than six hours after fibrinolysis) versus standard intervention (rescue PCI if needed, or delayed angiography at more than 24 hours). The primary outcome was the composite of death, reinfarction, recurrent ischemia, new or worsening congestive heart failure, or cardiogenic shock within 30 days.

The primary outcome occurred in 11% of patients in the early intervention group, compared with 17.2% of patients randomized to standard intervention (RR 0.64, 95% CI, 0.47-0.87, P=0.004). Urgent catheterization was performed within 12 hours of fibrinolysis in 34.9% of patients randomized to the standard treatment group.

This study was not powered to detect differences in mortality and other individual components of the primary endpoint.

Bottom line: STEMI patients who received fibrinolysis had a lower risk of adverse outcomes when receiving transfer and PCI within six hours, compared with standard delayed intervention.

Citation: Cantor WJ, Fitchett D, Borgundvaag B, et al. Routine early angioplasty after fibrinolysis for acute myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(26):2705-2718.

Specialty Consultation and Limited Access Tests Predict Unsuccessful SSU Admissions

Clinical question: In patients admitted to short-stay units (SSUs), what characteristics are associated with unsuccessful SSU admission?

Background: Short-stay units have become prevalent in U.S. hospitals, but it is unclear which patient populations are best served by SSUs.

Study design: Prospective cohort.

Setting: Fourteen-bed SSU in a 500-bed public teaching hospital in Chicago.

Synopsis: More than 700 patients admitted to the Cook County Hospital SSU over a four-month period were interviewed and examined, and their ED and inpatient records were reviewed. An SSU admission was defined as “successful” if the length of stay (LOS) was less than 72 hours and the patient was discharged directly from the SSU.

Overall, 79% of patients had a successful SSU admission. In multivariate analysis, the strongest predictors of an unsuccessful SSU stay were subspecialty consultation (OR 8.1, P<0.001), a provisional diagnosis of heart failure (OR 1.9, P=0.02), and limited availability of a diagnostic test (OR 2.5, P<0.001).

The study was limited primarily to patients with cardiovascular diagnoses.

Bottom line: Patients admitted to SSUs who receive specialty consultation, carry a diagnosis of heart failure, or require diagnostic testing that is not readily available might have a longer LOS or eventual inpatient admission.

Citation: Lucas BP, Kumapley R, Mba B, et al. A hospitalist-run short-stay unit: features that predict length-of-stay and eventual admission to traditional inpatient services. J Hosp Med. 2009;4(5):276-284.

Lack of Significant Gains in Survival Rates Following In-Hospital CPR

Clinical question: Is survival after in-hospital CPR improving over time, and what are the factors associated with survival?

Background: Advances in out-of-hospital CPR have improved outcomes. However, it is unknown whether the survival rate after in-hospital CPR is improving over time, and it is unclear which patient and/or hospital characteristics predict post-CPR survival.

Study design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Inpatient Medicare beneficiaries from 1992 to 2005.

Synopsis: The study examined more than 150 million Medicare admissions, 433,985 of which underwent in-hospital CPR. Survival to discharge occurred in 18.3% of CPR events and did not change significantly from 1992 to 2005. The cumulative incidence of in-hospital CPR events was 2.73 per 1,000 admissions; it did not change substantially over time.

The survival rate was lower among black patients (OR 0.76, 95% CI, 0.74-0.79), which is partially explained due to the fact they tended to receive CPR at hospitals with lower post-CPR survival. Gender (specifically male), older age, race (specifically other nonwhite patients), higher burden of chronic illness, and admission from a skilled nursing facility were significantly associated with decreased survival to hospital discharge following CPR.

Limitations of this study included the identification of CPR by ICD-9 codes, which have not been validated for this purpose and could vary among hospitals. Other factors that might explain variations in survival were not available, including severity of acute illness and the presence (or absence) of a shockable rhythm at initial presentation.

Bottom line: Rates of survival to hospital discharge among Medicare beneficiaries receiving in-hospital CPR have remained constant over time, with poorer survival rates among blacks and other nonwhite patients.

Citation: Ehlenbach WJ, Barnato AE, Curtis JR, et al. Epidemiologic study of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the elderly. N Engl J Med. 2009;361(1):22-31.

Hospitalists Are Associated with Improved Performance on Quality Metrics

Clinical question: Is the presence of hospitalist physicians associated with improved performance on standard quality measures for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), and pneumonia?

Background: Previous investigations have demonstrated significant improvements in cost and LOS for patients under the care of hospitalists compared with other inpatient providers. The association between hospitalist prevalence and quality of care, as measured by standard quality process measures, is unknown.

Study design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: More than 3,600 hospitals participating in the Health Quality Alliance (HQA) program.

Synopsis: Investigators looked at a large sample of HQA hospitals in the American Hospital Association survey, and identified facilities with hospitalist services and those without. The primary endpoint was the adherence to composites of standard quality process measures across three disease categories (AMI, CHF, and pneumonia) and two domains of care (disease treatment/diagnosis and counseling/prevention).

Multivariable analyses revealed a statistically significant association between the presence of hospitalists and adherence to composite quality measures for AMI and pneumonia. This association was demonstrated for both treatment and counseling domains.

The study is cross-sectional, so conclusions cannot be drawn about causality. Also, there are likely unmeasured differences between hospitals that utilize hospitalists compared with those that do not, which could further confound the relationship between the presence of hospitalists and adherence to quality measures.

Finally, this study only evaluated hospital-level performance, and it cannot offer insight on the quality of individual patient care by hospitalist providers.

Bottom line: The presence of hospitalists is associated with improvement in adherence to quality measures for both AMI and pneumonia, and across clinical domains of treatment and counseling.

Citation: López L, Hicks LS, Cohen AP, McKean S, Weissman JS. Hospitalists and the quality of care in hospitals. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(15):1389-1394. TH

PEDIATRIC HM LITerature

Inpatient Curriculum Implicit, but Aligns with ACGME Competencies

By Mark Shen, MD

Reviewed by Pediatric Editor Mark Shen, MD, medical director of hospital medicine at Dell Children’s Medical Center, Austin, Texas.

Clinical question: Does implicit resident learning on an inpatient unit correspond to the explicit Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies?

Background: The ACGME competency-based model of education places an emphasis on task-oriented ability as a translation of skills and knowledge. Although it is recognized that most learning occurs through the process of daily patient care, it is unclear how much learning is explicit and linked to ACGME competencies, as defined in the goals and objectives of an inpatient rotation.

Study design: Qualitative, ethnographic case study.

Setting: One general pediatric floor in a large, urban pediatric hospital.

Synopsis: Over an eight-month period, one researcher directly observed and asked questions of inpatient teams as they worked on a general pediatric service. There was a particular emphasis on morning rounds. Data coding was completed in an iterative manner, and both data and method triangulation were used to enhance trustworthiness.

Curricular convergence occurred and was most obvious in the patient-care domain; however, the explicit curriculum was not formally referred to during the study period. The implicit curriculum was ill-structured and unpredictable, typically dictated by the patients’ socioclinical environment.

Make sure to check out Dr. Shen’s column on the need for strategic HM planning.

The primary limitations of this work are the focus on one service on one hospital floor, and that the study authors were former trainees or employees of that institution. This institution-specific bias, however, might be gauged by the degree to which the themes in this research will resonate with clinician-educators who read this article. Given the increasing time constraints on explicit inpatient didactic teaching, the vignettes and conclusions within this report are likely to find many a sympathetic ear. Illumination of the hidden curriculum could further support learner-centered education.

Bottom line: The inpatient service is a fertile and primarily implicit training ground for the ACGME competencies.

Citation: Balmer DF, Master CL, Richards B, Giardino AP. Implicit versus explicit curricula in general pediatrics education: is there a convergence? Pediatrics. 2009;124(2):e347-354.

In This Edition

Literature at a Glance

A guide to this month’s studies

• Risk of VTE with travel
• Hyponatremia and mortality
• Clopidogrel and aspirin for atrial fibrillation
• Cost-effective evaluation of syncope
• Early vs. delayed intervention in STEMI patients receiving fibrinolytics
• Predictors of prolonged SSU length of stay
• Rates of survival for in-hospital CPR
• Hospitalists and hospital quality measures

Travel Increases Risk for Venous Thromboembolism in a Dose-Response Relationship

Clinical question: What is the association between travel and the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE)?

Background: Previous studies evaluating the relationship between long-distance travel and VTE have been heterogeneous and inconclusive. Though a relationship is often discussed, only about half of prior investigations have identified an elevated VTE risk in those who travel, and the impact of duration on VTE risk is unclear.

Study design: Meta-analysis.

Setting: Western countries.

Synopsis: Studies were included if they investigated the association between travel and VTE for persons using any mode of transportation and if nontraveling persons were included for comparison. Fourteen studies met the criteria, and included 4,055 patients with VTE. Compared with nontravelers, the overall pooled relative risk for VTE in travelers was 2.0 (95% CI, 1.5-2.7).

Significant heterogeneity was present among these 14 studies, specifically with regard to the method used for selecting control participants. Six case-control studies used control patients who had been referred for VTE evaluation. When these studies were excluded, the pooled relative risk for VTE in travelers was 2.8 (95% CI, 2.2-3.7).

A dose-response relationship was identified. There was an 18% higher risk for VTE for each two-hour increase in duration of travel among all modes of transportation (P=0.010). When studies evaluating only air travel were analyzed, a 26% higher risk was found for every two-hour increase in air travel (P=0.005).

Bottom line: Travel is associated with a three-fold increase in the risk for VTE, and for each two-hour increase in travel duration, the risk increases approximately 18%.

Citation: Chandra D, Parisini E, Mozaffarian D. Meta-analysis: travel and risk for venous thromboembolism. Ann Intern Med. 2009;151(3):180-190.

Hyponatremia in Hospitalized Patients is Associated with Increased Mortality

Clinical question: Is hyponatremia in hospitalized patients associated with increased mortality?

Background: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients. Patients admitted with hyponatremia have increased in-hospital mortality. Long-term mortality in hospitalized patients with hyponatremia is not known. Further, the effects of the degree of hyponatremia on mortality are not known.

Study design: Prospective cohort.

Setting: Two teaching hospitals in Boston.

Synopsis: The study identified 14,290 patients with hyponatremia (serum sodium <135 mEq/L) at admission (14.5%) and an additional 5,093 patients (19,383 total patients, or 19.7% of the 98,411 study patients) with hyponatremia at some point during their hospital stay. After multivariable adjustments and correction for hyperglycemia, patients with hyponatremia had increased mortality in the hospital (OR 1.47, 95% CI, 1.33-1.62), at one year (HR 1.38, 95% CI, 1.32-1.46), and at five years (HR 1.25, 95% CI, 1.21-1.30) compared with normonatremic patients. These mortality differences were seen in patients with mild, moderate, and moderately severe hyponatremia (serum sodium concentrations 130-134, 125-129, and 120-124 mEq/L, respectively), but not in patients with severe hyponatremia (serum sodium <120 mEq/L).

This study is limited by its post-hoc identification and classification of patients using ICD-9-CM codes, which could have resulted in some misclassification. Also, this study includes only two teaching hospitals in an urban setting; the prevalence of hyponatremia might differ in other settings. Causality cannot be determined based on these results.

Bottom line: Hospitalized patients with hyponatremia have increased in-hospital and long-term mortality.

Citation: Waikar SS, Mount DB, Curhan GC. Mortality after hospitalization with mild, moderate, and severe hyponatremia. Am J Med. 2009;122(9):857-865.

Clopidogrel Plus Aspirin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Reduces Risk of Major Vascular Events

Clinical question: Does the addition of clopidogrel to aspirin therapy reduce the risk of major vascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation for whom vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) are unsuitable?

Background: Although VKAs reduce the risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation, many patients are unable to use VKAs and are treated with aspirin instead. The potential benefits of adding clopidogrel to aspirin therapy in this population are unknown.

Study design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Five hundred eighty medical centers in 33 countries.

Synopsis: More than 7,500 patients with atrial fibrillation who were also at high risk for stroke were randomly assigned to receive either clopidogrel or placebo once daily. All patients also received aspirin at a dose of 75 mg to 100 mg daily. A major vascular event occurred in 6.8% of patients per year who received clopidogrel and in 7.6% of patients per year who received placebo (RR 0.89, 95% CI, 0.89-0.98, P=0.01). This reduction primarily was due to a reduction in stroke, which occurred in 2.4% of patients per year who received clopidogrel, compared with 3.3% of patients per year who received placebo (RR 0.72, 95% CI, 0.62-0.83, P<0.001).

Major bleeding occurred in 2% of patients per year who received clopidogrel and in 1.3% of patients per year who received placebo (RR 1.57, 95% CI, 1.29-1.92, P<0.001).

Bottom line: Adding clopidogrel to aspirin in patients with atrial fibrillation who are not eligible for VKAs decreases the risk of major vascular events, including stroke, but increases risk of major hemorrhage compared with aspirin alone.

Citation: ACTIVE Investigators, Connolly SJ, Pogue J, et al. Effect of clopidogrel added to aspirin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(20):2066-2078.

Prioritize Syncope Testing by Diagnostic Yield and Cost Effectiveness

Clinical question: What are the utilization, yield, and cost effectiveness of tests used for evaluation of syncope in older patients?

Background: Clinicians utilize multiple diagnostic tests to help delineate the cause of syncope, but the yield and cost effectiveness of many of these tests are unclear. Further, it is unknown if considering patient characteristics, as in the San Francisco syncope rule (SFSR), can improve the yield of diagnostic tests.

Study design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Single acute-care hospital.

Synopsis: Review of 2,106 admissions in patients 65 and older with syncope revealed that the most common tests were electrocardiogram (99%), telemetry (95%), cardiac enzymes (95%), and head computed tomography (CT) scan (63%). The majority of tests did not affect diagnosis or management.

Postural blood pressure (BP) reading was infrequently recorded (38%) but had the highest yield. BP influenced diagnosis at least 18% of the time and management at least 25% of the time. Tests with the lowest likelihood of affecting diagnosis and management were head CT, carotid ultrasound, electroencephalography (EEG), and cardiac enzymes.

EEG had the highest cost per test affecting the diagnosis or management ($32,973), followed by head CT. The cost per test affecting diagnosis or management for postural BP was $17. Cardiac testing, including telemetry, echocardiogram, and cardiac enzymes, had significantly better yield in patients who met SFSR criteria.

Bottom line: In patients with syncope, the history and exam should guide evaluation, and tests with high yield and low cost per test, such as postural BP, should be prioritized.

Citation: Mendu ML, McAvay G, Lampert R, Stoehr J, Tinetti ME. Yield of diagnostic tests in evaluating syncopal episodes in older patients. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(14): 1299-1305.

Early PCI is Superior to Delayed Intervention in Patients with STEMI Receiving Fibrinolytic Therapy

Clinical question: Does early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improve clinical outcomes compared with standard management in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who receive fibrinolysis?

Background: Prior research has demonstrated the benefit of timely PCI in the management of acute coronary syndrome, specifically with ST elevation. However, many hospitals do not have this capability and utilize fibrinolysis as a standard alternative. The optimal timing of subsequent invasive intervention following fibrinolysis has not been established.

Study design: Multicenter randomized trial.

Setting: Fifty-two sites in three provinces in Canada.

Synopsis: This study randomized 1,059 patients presenting with STEMI and receiving fibrinolysis to early intervention (immediate transfer to another hospital with PCI less than six hours after fibrinolysis) versus standard intervention (rescue PCI if needed, or delayed angiography at more than 24 hours). The primary outcome was the composite of death, reinfarction, recurrent ischemia, new or worsening congestive heart failure, or cardiogenic shock within 30 days.

The primary outcome occurred in 11% of patients in the early intervention group, compared with 17.2% of patients randomized to standard intervention (RR 0.64, 95% CI, 0.47-0.87, P=0.004). Urgent catheterization was performed within 12 hours of fibrinolysis in 34.9% of patients randomized to the standard treatment group.

This study was not powered to detect differences in mortality and other individual components of the primary endpoint.

Bottom line: STEMI patients who received fibrinolysis had a lower risk of adverse outcomes when receiving transfer and PCI within six hours, compared with standard delayed intervention.

Citation: Cantor WJ, Fitchett D, Borgundvaag B, et al. Routine early angioplasty after fibrinolysis for acute myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(26):2705-2718.

Specialty Consultation and Limited Access Tests Predict Unsuccessful SSU Admissions

Clinical question: In patients admitted to short-stay units (SSUs), what characteristics are associated with unsuccessful SSU admission?

Background: Short-stay units have become prevalent in U.S. hospitals, but it is unclear which patient populations are best served by SSUs.

Study design: Prospective cohort.

Setting: Fourteen-bed SSU in a 500-bed public teaching hospital in Chicago.

Synopsis: More than 700 patients admitted to the Cook County Hospital SSU over a four-month period were interviewed and examined, and their ED and inpatient records were reviewed. An SSU admission was defined as “successful” if the length of stay (LOS) was less than 72 hours and the patient was discharged directly from the SSU.

Overall, 79% of patients had a successful SSU admission. In multivariate analysis, the strongest predictors of an unsuccessful SSU stay were subspecialty consultation (OR 8.1, P<0.001), a provisional diagnosis of heart failure (OR 1.9, P=0.02), and limited availability of a diagnostic test (OR 2.5, P<0.001).

The study was limited primarily to patients with cardiovascular diagnoses.

Bottom line: Patients admitted to SSUs who receive specialty consultation, carry a diagnosis of heart failure, or require diagnostic testing that is not readily available might have a longer LOS or eventual inpatient admission.

Citation: Lucas BP, Kumapley R, Mba B, et al. A hospitalist-run short-stay unit: features that predict length-of-stay and eventual admission to traditional inpatient services. J Hosp Med. 2009;4(5):276-284.

Lack of Significant Gains in Survival Rates Following In-Hospital CPR

Clinical question: Is survival after in-hospital CPR improving over time, and what are the factors associated with survival?

Background: Advances in out-of-hospital CPR have improved outcomes. However, it is unknown whether the survival rate after in-hospital CPR is improving over time, and it is unclear which patient and/or hospital characteristics predict post-CPR survival.

Study design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Inpatient Medicare beneficiaries from 1992 to 2005.

Synopsis: The study examined more than 150 million Medicare admissions, 433,985 of which underwent in-hospital CPR. Survival to discharge occurred in 18.3% of CPR events and did not change significantly from 1992 to 2005. The cumulative incidence of in-hospital CPR events was 2.73 per 1,000 admissions; it did not change substantially over time.

The survival rate was lower among black patients (OR 0.76, 95% CI, 0.74-0.79), which is partially explained due to the fact they tended to receive CPR at hospitals with lower post-CPR survival. Gender (specifically male), older age, race (specifically other nonwhite patients), higher burden of chronic illness, and admission from a skilled nursing facility were significantly associated with decreased survival to hospital discharge following CPR.

Limitations of this study included the identification of CPR by ICD-9 codes, which have not been validated for this purpose and could vary among hospitals. Other factors that might explain variations in survival were not available, including severity of acute illness and the presence (or absence) of a shockable rhythm at initial presentation.

Bottom line: Rates of survival to hospital discharge among Medicare beneficiaries receiving in-hospital CPR have remained constant over time, with poorer survival rates among blacks and other nonwhite patients.

Citation: Ehlenbach WJ, Barnato AE, Curtis JR, et al. Epidemiologic study of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the elderly. N Engl J Med. 2009;361(1):22-31.

Hospitalists Are Associated with Improved Performance on Quality Metrics

Clinical question: Is the presence of hospitalist physicians associated with improved performance on standard quality measures for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), and pneumonia?

Background: Previous investigations have demonstrated significant improvements in cost and LOS for patients under the care of hospitalists compared with other inpatient providers. The association between hospitalist prevalence and quality of care, as measured by standard quality process measures, is unknown.

Study design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: More than 3,600 hospitals participating in the Health Quality Alliance (HQA) program.

Synopsis: Investigators looked at a large sample of HQA hospitals in the American Hospital Association survey, and identified facilities with hospitalist services and those without. The primary endpoint was the adherence to composites of standard quality process measures across three disease categories (AMI, CHF, and pneumonia) and two domains of care (disease treatment/diagnosis and counseling/prevention).

Multivariable analyses revealed a statistically significant association between the presence of hospitalists and adherence to composite quality measures for AMI and pneumonia. This association was demonstrated for both treatment and counseling domains.

The study is cross-sectional, so conclusions cannot be drawn about causality. Also, there are likely unmeasured differences between hospitals that utilize hospitalists compared with those that do not, which could further confound the relationship between the presence of hospitalists and adherence to quality measures.

Finally, this study only evaluated hospital-level performance, and it cannot offer insight on the quality of individual patient care by hospitalist providers.

Bottom line: The presence of hospitalists is associated with improvement in adherence to quality measures for both AMI and pneumonia, and across clinical domains of treatment and counseling.

Citation: López L, Hicks LS, Cohen AP, McKean S, Weissman JS. Hospitalists and the quality of care in hospitals. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(15):1389-1394. TH

PEDIATRIC HM LITerature

Inpatient Curriculum Implicit, but Aligns with ACGME Competencies

By Mark Shen, MD

Reviewed by Pediatric Editor Mark Shen, MD, medical director of hospital medicine at Dell Children’s Medical Center, Austin, Texas.

Clinical question: Does implicit resident learning on an inpatient unit correspond to the explicit Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies?

Background: The ACGME competency-based model of education places an emphasis on task-oriented ability as a translation of skills and knowledge. Although it is recognized that most learning occurs through the process of daily patient care, it is unclear how much learning is explicit and linked to ACGME competencies, as defined in the goals and objectives of an inpatient rotation.

Study design: Qualitative, ethnographic case study.

Setting: One general pediatric floor in a large, urban pediatric hospital.

Synopsis: Over an eight-month period, one researcher directly observed and asked questions of inpatient teams as they worked on a general pediatric service. There was a particular emphasis on morning rounds. Data coding was completed in an iterative manner, and both data and method triangulation were used to enhance trustworthiness.

Curricular convergence occurred and was most obvious in the patient-care domain; however, the explicit curriculum was not formally referred to during the study period. The implicit curriculum was ill-structured and unpredictable, typically dictated by the patients’ socioclinical environment.

Make sure to check out Dr. Shen’s column on the need for strategic HM planning.

The primary limitations of this work are the focus on one service on one hospital floor, and that the study authors were former trainees or employees of that institution. This institution-specific bias, however, might be gauged by the degree to which the themes in this research will resonate with clinician-educators who read this article. Given the increasing time constraints on explicit inpatient didactic teaching, the vignettes and conclusions within this report are likely to find many a sympathetic ear. Illumination of the hidden curriculum could further support learner-centered education.

Bottom line: The inpatient service is a fertile and primarily implicit training ground for the ACGME competencies.

Citation: Balmer DF, Master CL, Richards B, Giardino AP. Implicit versus explicit curricula in general pediatrics education: is there a convergence? Pediatrics. 2009;124(2):e347-354.

In This Edition

Literature at a Glance

A guide to this month’s studies

• Risk of VTE with travel
• Hyponatremia and mortality
• Clopidogrel and aspirin for atrial fibrillation
• Cost-effective evaluation of syncope
• Early vs. delayed intervention in STEMI patients receiving fibrinolytics
• Predictors of prolonged SSU length of stay
• Rates of survival for in-hospital CPR
• Hospitalists and hospital quality measures

Travel Increases Risk for Venous Thromboembolism in a Dose-Response Relationship

Clinical question: What is the association between travel and the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE)?

Background: Previous studies evaluating the relationship between long-distance travel and VTE have been heterogeneous and inconclusive. Though a relationship is often discussed, only about half of prior investigations have identified an elevated VTE risk in those who travel, and the impact of duration on VTE risk is unclear.

Study design: Meta-analysis.

Setting: Western countries.

Synopsis: Studies were included if they investigated the association between travel and VTE for persons using any mode of transportation and if nontraveling persons were included for comparison. Fourteen studies met the criteria, and included 4,055 patients with VTE. Compared with nontravelers, the overall pooled relative risk for VTE in travelers was 2.0 (95% CI, 1.5-2.7).

Significant heterogeneity was present among these 14 studies, specifically with regard to the method used for selecting control participants. Six case-control studies used control patients who had been referred for VTE evaluation. When these studies were excluded, the pooled relative risk for VTE in travelers was 2.8 (95% CI, 2.2-3.7).

A dose-response relationship was identified. There was an 18% higher risk for VTE for each two-hour increase in duration of travel among all modes of transportation (P=0.010). When studies evaluating only air travel were analyzed, a 26% higher risk was found for every two-hour increase in air travel (P=0.005).

Bottom line: Travel is associated with a three-fold increase in the risk for VTE, and for each two-hour increase in travel duration, the risk increases approximately 18%.

Citation: Chandra D, Parisini E, Mozaffarian D. Meta-analysis: travel and risk for venous thromboembolism. Ann Intern Med. 2009;151(3):180-190.

Hyponatremia in Hospitalized Patients is Associated with Increased Mortality

Clinical question: Is hyponatremia in hospitalized patients associated with increased mortality?

Background: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients. Patients admitted with hyponatremia have increased in-hospital mortality. Long-term mortality in hospitalized patients with hyponatremia is not known. Further, the effects of the degree of hyponatremia on mortality are not known.

Study design: Prospective cohort.

Setting: Two teaching hospitals in Boston.

Synopsis: The study identified 14,290 patients with hyponatremia (serum sodium <135 mEq/L) at admission (14.5%) and an additional 5,093 patients (19,383 total patients, or 19.7% of the 98,411 study patients) with hyponatremia at some point during their hospital stay. After multivariable adjustments and correction for hyperglycemia, patients with hyponatremia had increased mortality in the hospital (OR 1.47, 95% CI, 1.33-1.62), at one year (HR 1.38, 95% CI, 1.32-1.46), and at five years (HR 1.25, 95% CI, 1.21-1.30) compared with normonatremic patients. These mortality differences were seen in patients with mild, moderate, and moderately severe hyponatremia (serum sodium concentrations 130-134, 125-129, and 120-124 mEq/L, respectively), but not in patients with severe hyponatremia (serum sodium <120 mEq/L).

This study is limited by its post-hoc identification and classification of patients using ICD-9-CM codes, which could have resulted in some misclassification. Also, this study includes only two teaching hospitals in an urban setting; the prevalence of hyponatremia might differ in other settings. Causality cannot be determined based on these results.

Bottom line: Hospitalized patients with hyponatremia have increased in-hospital and long-term mortality.

Citation: Waikar SS, Mount DB, Curhan GC. Mortality after hospitalization with mild, moderate, and severe hyponatremia. Am J Med. 2009;122(9):857-865.

Clopidogrel Plus Aspirin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Reduces Risk of Major Vascular Events

Clinical question: Does the addition of clopidogrel to aspirin therapy reduce the risk of major vascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation for whom vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) are unsuitable?

Background: Although VKAs reduce the risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation, many patients are unable to use VKAs and are treated with aspirin instead. The potential benefits of adding clopidogrel to aspirin therapy in this population are unknown.

Study design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Five hundred eighty medical centers in 33 countries.

Synopsis: More than 7,500 patients with atrial fibrillation who were also at high risk for stroke were randomly assigned to receive either clopidogrel or placebo once daily. All patients also received aspirin at a dose of 75 mg to 100 mg daily. A major vascular event occurred in 6.8% of patients per year who received clopidogrel and in 7.6% of patients per year who received placebo (RR 0.89, 95% CI, 0.89-0.98, P=0.01). This reduction primarily was due to a reduction in stroke, which occurred in 2.4% of patients per year who received clopidogrel, compared with 3.3% of patients per year who received placebo (RR 0.72, 95% CI, 0.62-0.83, P<0.001).

Major bleeding occurred in 2% of patients per year who received clopidogrel and in 1.3% of patients per year who received placebo (RR 1.57, 95% CI, 1.29-1.92, P<0.001).

Bottom line: Adding clopidogrel to aspirin in patients with atrial fibrillation who are not eligible for VKAs decreases the risk of major vascular events, including stroke, but increases risk of major hemorrhage compared with aspirin alone.

Citation: ACTIVE Investigators, Connolly SJ, Pogue J, et al. Effect of clopidogrel added to aspirin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(20):2066-2078.

Prioritize Syncope Testing by Diagnostic Yield and Cost Effectiveness

Clinical question: What are the utilization, yield, and cost effectiveness of tests used for evaluation of syncope in older patients?

Background: Clinicians utilize multiple diagnostic tests to help delineate the cause of syncope, but the yield and cost effectiveness of many of these tests are unclear. Further, it is unknown if considering patient characteristics, as in the San Francisco syncope rule (SFSR), can improve the yield of diagnostic tests.

Study design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Single acute-care hospital.

Synopsis: Review of 2,106 admissions in patients 65 and older with syncope revealed that the most common tests were electrocardiogram (99%), telemetry (95%), cardiac enzymes (95%), and head computed tomography (CT) scan (63%). The majority of tests did not affect diagnosis or management.

Postural blood pressure (BP) reading was infrequently recorded (38%) but had the highest yield. BP influenced diagnosis at least 18% of the time and management at least 25% of the time. Tests with the lowest likelihood of affecting diagnosis and management were head CT, carotid ultrasound, electroencephalography (EEG), and cardiac enzymes.

EEG had the highest cost per test affecting the diagnosis or management ($32,973), followed by head CT. The cost per test affecting diagnosis or management for postural BP was $17. Cardiac testing, including telemetry, echocardiogram, and cardiac enzymes, had significantly better yield in patients who met SFSR criteria.

Bottom line: In patients with syncope, the history and exam should guide evaluation, and tests with high yield and low cost per test, such as postural BP, should be prioritized.

Citation: Mendu ML, McAvay G, Lampert R, Stoehr J, Tinetti ME. Yield of diagnostic tests in evaluating syncopal episodes in older patients. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(14): 1299-1305.

Early PCI is Superior to Delayed Intervention in Patients with STEMI Receiving Fibrinolytic Therapy

Clinical question: Does early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improve clinical outcomes compared with standard management in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who receive fibrinolysis?

Background: Prior research has demonstrated the benefit of timely PCI in the management of acute coronary syndrome, specifically with ST elevation. However, many hospitals do not have this capability and utilize fibrinolysis as a standard alternative. The optimal timing of subsequent invasive intervention following fibrinolysis has not been established.

Study design: Multicenter randomized trial.

Setting: Fifty-two sites in three provinces in Canada.

Synopsis: This study randomized 1,059 patients presenting with STEMI and receiving fibrinolysis to early intervention (immediate transfer to another hospital with PCI less than six hours after fibrinolysis) versus standard intervention (rescue PCI if needed, or delayed angiography at more than 24 hours). The primary outcome was the composite of death, reinfarction, recurrent ischemia, new or worsening congestive heart failure, or cardiogenic shock within 30 days.

The primary outcome occurred in 11% of patients in the early intervention group, compared with 17.2% of patients randomized to standard intervention (RR 0.64, 95% CI, 0.47-0.87, P=0.004). Urgent catheterization was performed within 12 hours of fibrinolysis in 34.9% of patients randomized to the standard treatment group.

This study was not powered to detect differences in mortality and other individual components of the primary endpoint.

Bottom line: STEMI patients who received fibrinolysis had a lower risk of adverse outcomes when receiving transfer and PCI within six hours, compared with standard delayed intervention.

Citation: Cantor WJ, Fitchett D, Borgundvaag B, et al. Routine early angioplasty after fibrinolysis for acute myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(26):2705-2718.

Specialty Consultation and Limited Access Tests Predict Unsuccessful SSU Admissions

Clinical question: In patients admitted to short-stay units (SSUs), what characteristics are associated with unsuccessful SSU admission?

Background: Short-stay units have become prevalent in U.S. hospitals, but it is unclear which patient populations are best served by SSUs.

Study design: Prospective cohort.

Setting: Fourteen-bed SSU in a 500-bed public teaching hospital in Chicago.

Synopsis: More than 700 patients admitted to the Cook County Hospital SSU over a four-month period were interviewed and examined, and their ED and inpatient records were reviewed. An SSU admission was defined as “successful” if the length of stay (LOS) was less than 72 hours and the patient was discharged directly from the SSU.

Overall, 79% of patients had a successful SSU admission. In multivariate analysis, the strongest predictors of an unsuccessful SSU stay were subspecialty consultation (OR 8.1, P<0.001), a provisional diagnosis of heart failure (OR 1.9, P=0.02), and limited availability of a diagnostic test (OR 2.5, P<0.001).

The study was limited primarily to patients with cardiovascular diagnoses.

Bottom line: Patients admitted to SSUs who receive specialty consultation, carry a diagnosis of heart failure, or require diagnostic testing that is not readily available might have a longer LOS or eventual inpatient admission.

Citation: Lucas BP, Kumapley R, Mba B, et al. A hospitalist-run short-stay unit: features that predict length-of-stay and eventual admission to traditional inpatient services. J Hosp Med. 2009;4(5):276-284.

Lack of Significant Gains in Survival Rates Following In-Hospital CPR

Clinical question: Is survival after in-hospital CPR improving over time, and what are the factors associated with survival?

Background: Advances in out-of-hospital CPR have improved outcomes. However, it is unknown whether the survival rate after in-hospital CPR is improving over time, and it is unclear which patient and/or hospital characteristics predict post-CPR survival.

Study design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Inpatient Medicare beneficiaries from 1992 to 2005.

Synopsis: The study examined more than 150 million Medicare admissions, 433,985 of which underwent in-hospital CPR. Survival to discharge occurred in 18.3% of CPR events and did not change significantly from 1992 to 2005. The cumulative incidence of in-hospital CPR events was 2.73 per 1,000 admissions; it did not change substantially over time.

The survival rate was lower among black patients (OR 0.76, 95% CI, 0.74-0.79), which is partially explained due to the fact they tended to receive CPR at hospitals with lower post-CPR survival. Gender (specifically male), older age, race (specifically other nonwhite patients), higher burden of chronic illness, and admission from a skilled nursing facility were significantly associated with decreased survival to hospital discharge following CPR.

Limitations of this study included the identification of CPR by ICD-9 codes, which have not been validated for this purpose and could vary among hospitals. Other factors that might explain variations in survival were not available, including severity of acute illness and the presence (or absence) of a shockable rhythm at initial presentation.

Bottom line: Rates of survival to hospital discharge among Medicare beneficiaries receiving in-hospital CPR have remained constant over time, with poorer survival rates among blacks and other nonwhite patients.

Citation: Ehlenbach WJ, Barnato AE, Curtis JR, et al. Epidemiologic study of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the elderly. N Engl J Med. 2009;361(1):22-31.

Hospitalists Are Associated with Improved Performance on Quality Metrics

Clinical question: Is the presence of hospitalist physicians associated with improved performance on standard quality measures for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), and pneumonia?

Background: Previous investigations have demonstrated significant improvements in cost and LOS for patients under the care of hospitalists compared with other inpatient providers. The association between hospitalist prevalence and quality of care, as measured by standard quality process measures, is unknown.

Study design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: More than 3,600 hospitals participating in the Health Quality Alliance (HQA) program.

Synopsis: Investigators looked at a large sample of HQA hospitals in the American Hospital Association survey, and identified facilities with hospitalist services and those without. The primary endpoint was the adherence to composites of standard quality process measures across three disease categories (AMI, CHF, and pneumonia) and two domains of care (disease treatment/diagnosis and counseling/prevention).

Multivariable analyses revealed a statistically significant association between the presence of hospitalists and adherence to composite quality measures for AMI and pneumonia. This association was demonstrated for both treatment and counseling domains.

The study is cross-sectional, so conclusions cannot be drawn about causality. Also, there are likely unmeasured differences between hospitals that utilize hospitalists compared with those that do not, which could further confound the relationship between the presence of hospitalists and adherence to quality measures.

Finally, this study only evaluated hospital-level performance, and it cannot offer insight on the quality of individual patient care by hospitalist providers.

Bottom line: The presence of hospitalists is associated with improvement in adherence to quality measures for both AMI and pneumonia, and across clinical domains of treatment and counseling.

Citation: López L, Hicks LS, Cohen AP, McKean S, Weissman JS. Hospitalists and the quality of care in hospitals. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(15):1389-1394. TH

PEDIATRIC HM LITerature

Inpatient Curriculum Implicit, but Aligns with ACGME Competencies

By Mark Shen, MD

Reviewed by Pediatric Editor Mark Shen, MD, medical director of hospital medicine at Dell Children’s Medical Center, Austin, Texas.

Clinical question: Does implicit resident learning on an inpatient unit correspond to the explicit Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies?

Background: The ACGME competency-based model of education places an emphasis on task-oriented ability as a translation of skills and knowledge. Although it is recognized that most learning occurs through the process of daily patient care, it is unclear how much learning is explicit and linked to ACGME competencies, as defined in the goals and objectives of an inpatient rotation.

Study design: Qualitative, ethnographic case study.

Setting: One general pediatric floor in a large, urban pediatric hospital.

Synopsis: Over an eight-month period, one researcher directly observed and asked questions of inpatient teams as they worked on a general pediatric service. There was a particular emphasis on morning rounds. Data coding was completed in an iterative manner, and both data and method triangulation were used to enhance trustworthiness.

Curricular convergence occurred and was most obvious in the patient-care domain; however, the explicit curriculum was not formally referred to during the study period. The implicit curriculum was ill-structured and unpredictable, typically dictated by the patients’ socioclinical environment.

Make sure to check out Dr. Shen’s column on the need for strategic HM planning.

The primary limitations of this work are the focus on one service on one hospital floor, and that the study authors were former trainees or employees of that institution. This institution-specific bias, however, might be gauged by the degree to which the themes in this research will resonate with clinician-educators who read this article. Given the increasing time constraints on explicit inpatient didactic teaching, the vignettes and conclusions within this report are likely to find many a sympathetic ear. Illumination of the hidden curriculum could further support learner-centered education.

Bottom line: The inpatient service is a fertile and primarily implicit training ground for the ACGME competencies.

Citation: Balmer DF, Master CL, Richards B, Giardino AP. Implicit versus explicit curricula in general pediatrics education: is there a convergence? Pediatrics. 2009;124(2):e347-354.

New Generics

• Nateglinide (generic Starlix) tablets1

New Drugs, Indications, and Dosage Forms

• Abatacept (Orencia), a selective costimulation modulator used in treating moderate to severe juvenile idiopathic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), has undergone a label change regarding earlier use in methotrexate-naïve patients with moderate to severe RA of less than two years’ disease duration.2,3
• Aliskiren/valsartan (Valturna) has been approved by the FDA for treating hypertension in patients with inadequate hypertension control using aliskiren or valsartan alone. It’s also approved for first-line treatment of patients who are likely to need multiple agents to manage their hypertension.4
• Cethromycin (Restanza) has been granted orphan drug approval as a once-daily agent for the prophylaxis of anthrax, tularemia, and the plague. Studies are being conducted on the drug as a potential bioterrorism countermeasure agent through a Department of Defense contract.5
• Ganciclovir ophthalmic gel 0.15% (Zirgan) has been approved by the FDA for treating acute herpetic keratitis. It held orphan drug status for this indication since April 2007. Comparable clinical resolution of herpetic keratitis was obtained compared with acyclovir at day seven in an open-label, multicenter study of 213 patients (77% ganciclovir; 72% acyclovir). The most common adverse effects in clinical trials were blurred vision, eye irritation, punctate keratitis, and conjunctival hyperemia. Dosing recommendations are to instill one drop of ganciclovir in the affected eye five times daily until the ulcer heals, then instill one drop three times daily for seven days. It is anticipated that this product will be available in a 5-g tube in early 2010.6
• Glycerol phenylbutyrate (HPN-100), an experimental intermittent or chronic treatment for patients with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy, has received orphan drug status. A phase-2 trial is planned for late 2009 or early 2010.7 Glycerol phenylbutyrate is a pre-pro-drug of phenylacetic acid, the active component of buphenyl (approved by the FDA to treat urea cycle disorders). Glycerol phenylbutyrate is administered in liquid form and also has orphan drug status for treating urea cycle disorders.
• Guanfacine extended-release tablets (Intuiv), a once-daily, nonstimulant treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has been approved by the FDA for treating patients 6 to 17 years old. Because guanfacine is not a controlled substance, a 90-day supply can be prescribed.8
• Pancrelipase (Zenpep), a delayed-release pancrelipase enzyme product, has been approved by the FDA for treating adults and children (ages 1 to 12) with cystic fibrosis. The most common adverse effects reported in clinical trials were flatulence, abdominal pain, headache, and cough. The product is available in four prescription strengths: “Eurand 5” is 5,000 USP units of lipase, 17,000 USP units of protease, and 27,000 USP units of amylase; “Eurand 10” is 10,000 units lipase, 34,000 units protease, and 55,000 units amylase; “Eurand 15” is 15,000 units lipase, 51,000 units protease, and 82,000 units amylase; and “Eurand 20” is 20,000 units lipase, 68,000 units protease, and 109,000 units amylase.9,10
• Vigabatrin (Sabril) has been approved by the FDA in an oral solution as monotherapy for treating infantile spasms in children ages one month to 2 years. The tablets also are approved for adjunctive therapy for refractory complex partial seizures in adults who have not adequately responded to other treatments. It is available in 500-mg powder packets for oral solution preparation and 500-mg tablets.11 One severe adverse effect is progressive peripheral vision loss with the potential to decrease visual acuity. Due to this risk of permanent vision loss, vigabatrin is available only through a restricted distribution program.

Pipeline

• Human papillomavirus quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18; Gardasil) has been recommended for approval to prevent genital warts in boys and young men 9 to 26 years old. The FDA is expected to make a decision by the end of 2009.12,13 This vaccine already is approved for use in men in 112 countries.
• Oral insulin (Ora-Lyn) is a proprietary formulation that delivers insulin spray through the buccal mucosa.14 In September, Ora-Lyn was approved under the FDA’s Treatment Investigational New Drug (IND) program for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. This program allows manufacturers to provide early medication access to investigational drugs for patients with life-threatening or other serious conditions for which there are no satisfactory treatment alternatives. Doctors must register with the IND program to obtain the medication for their patients.15Ora-Lyn already is approved abroad.

Drug Information

• On Sept. 22, the FDA banned candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The goal is to reduce smoking in America.16 Menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco products are not part of this ban, but they are being evaluated as many of these products are seen as a gateway for children and young adults to begin smoking. More information is available at www.fda.gov/flavoredtobacco. TH

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BSc, RPh, is a freelance medical writer based in New York City and a clinical pharmacist at New York Downtown Hospital.

References

1. Par Pharma to begin marketing Starlix generic. Pharmaceutical-Technology.com Web site. Available at: www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/news64185.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
2. Highlights of prescribing information. FDA Web site. Available at: www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/125118s0086lbl.pdf Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
3. Bratulic A. Bristol Myers Squibb: Orencia label updated to support earlier use in adults with RA. FirstWord Web site. Available at: www.firstwordplus.com/Fws.do?articleid=DA78CDE71605485C9BC1B3B40392B1C0&logRowId=323904. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
4. Bratulic A. FDA approves Novartis’ Valturna for hypertension. FirstWord Web site. Available at: www.firstwordplus.com/Fws.do?articleid=4D45881D26B8447D950A4D63E80B806C&logRowId=327307. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
5. Advanced Life Sciences’ Restanza could treat plague and anthrax. Pharmaceutical-Technology.com Web site. Available at: www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/News/News64553.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
6. FDA approves Zirgan. Drugs.com Web site. Available at: www.drugs.com/newdrugs/sirion-therapeutics-announces-fda-approval-zirgan-ganciclovir-ophthalmic-gel-0-15-herpetic-keratitis-1657.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
7. 7. Hyperion Therapeutics receives orphan drug designation for HPN-100 for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. Hyperion Therapeutics Web site. Available at: www.hyperiontx.com/press/release/pr_1253144476. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
8. George J. FDA approves nonstimulant Shire ADHD drug. Philadelphia Business Journal Web site. Available at: philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/08/31/daily40.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
9. Petrochko C. FDA approves first EPI drug for kids. Medpage Today Web site. Available at: www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/GeneralGastroenterology/15734. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
10. Highlights of prescribing information. FDA Web site. Available at: www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/022210s000lbl.pdf. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
11. Sabril approved for infantile spasms and adult epileptic seizures. Monthly Prescribing Reference Web site. Available at: www.empr.com/Sabril-approved-for-infantile-spasms-and-adult-epileptic-seizures/article/147148/. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
12. FDA advisory committee recommends approval for use of Gardasil in boys and men. Merck Web site. Available at: www.merck.com/newsroom/press_releases/product/2009_0909.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
13. Bratulic A. Merck & Co.’s Gardasil recommended by FDA panel for use in boys and men. FirstWord Web site. Available at: www.firstwordplus.com/Fws.do?articleid=352E8E6109E14925B0168FF465E27C1F&logRowId=325991. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
14. Generex technology. Generex Biotechnology Web site. Available at: www.generex.com/technology.php. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
15. Reidy C. Generex Drug is OK’d under special FDA program. The Boston Globe Web site. www.generex.com/fckuploads/file/Boston_Globe_09_10_09.pdf. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
16. Quinn K. Candy and fruit flavored cigarettes now illegal in United States; step is first under new tobacco law. Food and Drug Administration Web site. Available at: www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm183211.htm. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.

New Generics

• Nateglinide (generic Starlix) tablets1

New Drugs, Indications, and Dosage Forms

• Abatacept (Orencia), a selective costimulation modulator used in treating moderate to severe juvenile idiopathic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), has undergone a label change regarding earlier use in methotrexate-naïve patients with moderate to severe RA of less than two years’ disease duration.2,3
• Aliskiren/valsartan (Valturna) has been approved by the FDA for treating hypertension in patients with inadequate hypertension control using aliskiren or valsartan alone. It’s also approved for first-line treatment of patients who are likely to need multiple agents to manage their hypertension.4
• Cethromycin (Restanza) has been granted orphan drug approval as a once-daily agent for the prophylaxis of anthrax, tularemia, and the plague. Studies are being conducted on the drug as a potential bioterrorism countermeasure agent through a Department of Defense contract.5
• Ganciclovir ophthalmic gel 0.15% (Zirgan) has been approved by the FDA for treating acute herpetic keratitis. It held orphan drug status for this indication since April 2007. Comparable clinical resolution of herpetic keratitis was obtained compared with acyclovir at day seven in an open-label, multicenter study of 213 patients (77% ganciclovir; 72% acyclovir). The most common adverse effects in clinical trials were blurred vision, eye irritation, punctate keratitis, and conjunctival hyperemia. Dosing recommendations are to instill one drop of ganciclovir in the affected eye five times daily until the ulcer heals, then instill one drop three times daily for seven days. It is anticipated that this product will be available in a 5-g tube in early 2010.6
• Glycerol phenylbutyrate (HPN-100), an experimental intermittent or chronic treatment for patients with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy, has received orphan drug status. A phase-2 trial is planned for late 2009 or early 2010.7 Glycerol phenylbutyrate is a pre-pro-drug of phenylacetic acid, the active component of buphenyl (approved by the FDA to treat urea cycle disorders). Glycerol phenylbutyrate is administered in liquid form and also has orphan drug status for treating urea cycle disorders.
• Guanfacine extended-release tablets (Intuiv), a once-daily, nonstimulant treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has been approved by the FDA for treating patients 6 to 17 years old. Because guanfacine is not a controlled substance, a 90-day supply can be prescribed.8
• Pancrelipase (Zenpep), a delayed-release pancrelipase enzyme product, has been approved by the FDA for treating adults and children (ages 1 to 12) with cystic fibrosis. The most common adverse effects reported in clinical trials were flatulence, abdominal pain, headache, and cough. The product is available in four prescription strengths: “Eurand 5” is 5,000 USP units of lipase, 17,000 USP units of protease, and 27,000 USP units of amylase; “Eurand 10” is 10,000 units lipase, 34,000 units protease, and 55,000 units amylase; “Eurand 15” is 15,000 units lipase, 51,000 units protease, and 82,000 units amylase; and “Eurand 20” is 20,000 units lipase, 68,000 units protease, and 109,000 units amylase.9,10
• Vigabatrin (Sabril) has been approved by the FDA in an oral solution as monotherapy for treating infantile spasms in children ages one month to 2 years. The tablets also are approved for adjunctive therapy for refractory complex partial seizures in adults who have not adequately responded to other treatments. It is available in 500-mg powder packets for oral solution preparation and 500-mg tablets.11 One severe adverse effect is progressive peripheral vision loss with the potential to decrease visual acuity. Due to this risk of permanent vision loss, vigabatrin is available only through a restricted distribution program.

Pipeline

• Human papillomavirus quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18; Gardasil) has been recommended for approval to prevent genital warts in boys and young men 9 to 26 years old. The FDA is expected to make a decision by the end of 2009.12,13 This vaccine already is approved for use in men in 112 countries.
• Oral insulin (Ora-Lyn) is a proprietary formulation that delivers insulin spray through the buccal mucosa.14 In September, Ora-Lyn was approved under the FDA’s Treatment Investigational New Drug (IND) program for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. This program allows manufacturers to provide early medication access to investigational drugs for patients with life-threatening or other serious conditions for which there are no satisfactory treatment alternatives. Doctors must register with the IND program to obtain the medication for their patients.15Ora-Lyn already is approved abroad.

Drug Information

• On Sept. 22, the FDA banned candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The goal is to reduce smoking in America.16 Menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco products are not part of this ban, but they are being evaluated as many of these products are seen as a gateway for children and young adults to begin smoking. More information is available at www.fda.gov/flavoredtobacco. TH

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BSc, RPh, is a freelance medical writer based in New York City and a clinical pharmacist at New York Downtown Hospital.

References

1. Par Pharma to begin marketing Starlix generic. Pharmaceutical-Technology.com Web site. Available at: www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/news64185.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
2. Highlights of prescribing information. FDA Web site. Available at: www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/125118s0086lbl.pdf Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
3. Bratulic A. Bristol Myers Squibb: Orencia label updated to support earlier use in adults with RA. FirstWord Web site. Available at: www.firstwordplus.com/Fws.do?articleid=DA78CDE71605485C9BC1B3B40392B1C0&logRowId=323904. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
4. Bratulic A. FDA approves Novartis’ Valturna for hypertension. FirstWord Web site. Available at: www.firstwordplus.com/Fws.do?articleid=4D45881D26B8447D950A4D63E80B806C&logRowId=327307. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
5. Advanced Life Sciences’ Restanza could treat plague and anthrax. Pharmaceutical-Technology.com Web site. Available at: www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/News/News64553.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
6. FDA approves Zirgan. Drugs.com Web site. Available at: www.drugs.com/newdrugs/sirion-therapeutics-announces-fda-approval-zirgan-ganciclovir-ophthalmic-gel-0-15-herpetic-keratitis-1657.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
7. 7. Hyperion Therapeutics receives orphan drug designation for HPN-100 for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. Hyperion Therapeutics Web site. Available at: www.hyperiontx.com/press/release/pr_1253144476. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
8. George J. FDA approves nonstimulant Shire ADHD drug. Philadelphia Business Journal Web site. Available at: philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/08/31/daily40.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
9. Petrochko C. FDA approves first EPI drug for kids. Medpage Today Web site. Available at: www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/GeneralGastroenterology/15734. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
10. Highlights of prescribing information. FDA Web site. Available at: www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/022210s000lbl.pdf. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
11. Sabril approved for infantile spasms and adult epileptic seizures. Monthly Prescribing Reference Web site. Available at: www.empr.com/Sabril-approved-for-infantile-spasms-and-adult-epileptic-seizures/article/147148/. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
12. FDA advisory committee recommends approval for use of Gardasil in boys and men. Merck Web site. Available at: www.merck.com/newsroom/press_releases/product/2009_0909.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
13. Bratulic A. Merck & Co.’s Gardasil recommended by FDA panel for use in boys and men. FirstWord Web site. Available at: www.firstwordplus.com/Fws.do?articleid=352E8E6109E14925B0168FF465E27C1F&logRowId=325991. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
14. Generex technology. Generex Biotechnology Web site. Available at: www.generex.com/technology.php. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
15. Reidy C. Generex Drug is OK’d under special FDA program. The Boston Globe Web site. www.generex.com/fckuploads/file/Boston_Globe_09_10_09.pdf. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
16. Quinn K. Candy and fruit flavored cigarettes now illegal in United States; step is first under new tobacco law. Food and Drug Administration Web site. Available at: www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm183211.htm. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.

New Generics

• Nateglinide (generic Starlix) tablets1

New Drugs, Indications, and Dosage Forms

• Abatacept (Orencia), a selective costimulation modulator used in treating moderate to severe juvenile idiopathic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), has undergone a label change regarding earlier use in methotrexate-naïve patients with moderate to severe RA of less than two years’ disease duration.2,3
• Aliskiren/valsartan (Valturna) has been approved by the FDA for treating hypertension in patients with inadequate hypertension control using aliskiren or valsartan alone. It’s also approved for first-line treatment of patients who are likely to need multiple agents to manage their hypertension.4
• Cethromycin (Restanza) has been granted orphan drug approval as a once-daily agent for the prophylaxis of anthrax, tularemia, and the plague. Studies are being conducted on the drug as a potential bioterrorism countermeasure agent through a Department of Defense contract.5
• Ganciclovir ophthalmic gel 0.15% (Zirgan) has been approved by the FDA for treating acute herpetic keratitis. It held orphan drug status for this indication since April 2007. Comparable clinical resolution of herpetic keratitis was obtained compared with acyclovir at day seven in an open-label, multicenter study of 213 patients (77% ganciclovir; 72% acyclovir). The most common adverse effects in clinical trials were blurred vision, eye irritation, punctate keratitis, and conjunctival hyperemia. Dosing recommendations are to instill one drop of ganciclovir in the affected eye five times daily until the ulcer heals, then instill one drop three times daily for seven days. It is anticipated that this product will be available in a 5-g tube in early 2010.6
• Glycerol phenylbutyrate (HPN-100), an experimental intermittent or chronic treatment for patients with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy, has received orphan drug status. A phase-2 trial is planned for late 2009 or early 2010.7 Glycerol phenylbutyrate is a pre-pro-drug of phenylacetic acid, the active component of buphenyl (approved by the FDA to treat urea cycle disorders). Glycerol phenylbutyrate is administered in liquid form and also has orphan drug status for treating urea cycle disorders.
• Guanfacine extended-release tablets (Intuiv), a once-daily, nonstimulant treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has been approved by the FDA for treating patients 6 to 17 years old. Because guanfacine is not a controlled substance, a 90-day supply can be prescribed.8
• Pancrelipase (Zenpep), a delayed-release pancrelipase enzyme product, has been approved by the FDA for treating adults and children (ages 1 to 12) with cystic fibrosis. The most common adverse effects reported in clinical trials were flatulence, abdominal pain, headache, and cough. The product is available in four prescription strengths: “Eurand 5” is 5,000 USP units of lipase, 17,000 USP units of protease, and 27,000 USP units of amylase; “Eurand 10” is 10,000 units lipase, 34,000 units protease, and 55,000 units amylase; “Eurand 15” is 15,000 units lipase, 51,000 units protease, and 82,000 units amylase; and “Eurand 20” is 20,000 units lipase, 68,000 units protease, and 109,000 units amylase.9,10
• Vigabatrin (Sabril) has been approved by the FDA in an oral solution as monotherapy for treating infantile spasms in children ages one month to 2 years. The tablets also are approved for adjunctive therapy for refractory complex partial seizures in adults who have not adequately responded to other treatments. It is available in 500-mg powder packets for oral solution preparation and 500-mg tablets.11 One severe adverse effect is progressive peripheral vision loss with the potential to decrease visual acuity. Due to this risk of permanent vision loss, vigabatrin is available only through a restricted distribution program.

Pipeline

• Human papillomavirus quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18; Gardasil) has been recommended for approval to prevent genital warts in boys and young men 9 to 26 years old. The FDA is expected to make a decision by the end of 2009.12,13 This vaccine already is approved for use in men in 112 countries.
• Oral insulin (Ora-Lyn) is a proprietary formulation that delivers insulin spray through the buccal mucosa.14 In September, Ora-Lyn was approved under the FDA’s Treatment Investigational New Drug (IND) program for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. This program allows manufacturers to provide early medication access to investigational drugs for patients with life-threatening or other serious conditions for which there are no satisfactory treatment alternatives. Doctors must register with the IND program to obtain the medication for their patients.15Ora-Lyn already is approved abroad.

Drug Information

• On Sept. 22, the FDA banned candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The goal is to reduce smoking in America.16 Menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco products are not part of this ban, but they are being evaluated as many of these products are seen as a gateway for children and young adults to begin smoking. More information is available at www.fda.gov/flavoredtobacco. TH

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BSc, RPh, is a freelance medical writer based in New York City and a clinical pharmacist at New York Downtown Hospital.

References

1. Par Pharma to begin marketing Starlix generic. Pharmaceutical-Technology.com Web site. Available at: www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/news64185.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
2. Highlights of prescribing information. FDA Web site. Available at: www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/125118s0086lbl.pdf Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
3. Bratulic A. Bristol Myers Squibb: Orencia label updated to support earlier use in adults with RA. FirstWord Web site. Available at: www.firstwordplus.com/Fws.do?articleid=DA78CDE71605485C9BC1B3B40392B1C0&logRowId=323904. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
4. Bratulic A. FDA approves Novartis’ Valturna for hypertension. FirstWord Web site. Available at: www.firstwordplus.com/Fws.do?articleid=4D45881D26B8447D950A4D63E80B806C&logRowId=327307. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
5. Advanced Life Sciences’ Restanza could treat plague and anthrax. Pharmaceutical-Technology.com Web site. Available at: www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/News/News64553.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
6. FDA approves Zirgan. Drugs.com Web site. Available at: www.drugs.com/newdrugs/sirion-therapeutics-announces-fda-approval-zirgan-ganciclovir-ophthalmic-gel-0-15-herpetic-keratitis-1657.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
7. 7. Hyperion Therapeutics receives orphan drug designation for HPN-100 for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. Hyperion Therapeutics Web site. Available at: www.hyperiontx.com/press/release/pr_1253144476. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
8. George J. FDA approves nonstimulant Shire ADHD drug. Philadelphia Business Journal Web site. Available at: philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/08/31/daily40.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
9. Petrochko C. FDA approves first EPI drug for kids. Medpage Today Web site. Available at: www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/GeneralGastroenterology/15734. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
10. Highlights of prescribing information. FDA Web site. Available at: www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/022210s000lbl.pdf. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
11. Sabril approved for infantile spasms and adult epileptic seizures. Monthly Prescribing Reference Web site. Available at: www.empr.com/Sabril-approved-for-infantile-spasms-and-adult-epileptic-seizures/article/147148/. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
12. FDA advisory committee recommends approval for use of Gardasil in boys and men. Merck Web site. Available at: www.merck.com/newsroom/press_releases/product/2009_0909.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
13. Bratulic A. Merck & Co.’s Gardasil recommended by FDA panel for use in boys and men. FirstWord Web site. Available at: www.firstwordplus.com/Fws.do?articleid=352E8E6109E14925B0168FF465E27C1F&logRowId=325991. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
14. Generex technology. Generex Biotechnology Web site. Available at: www.generex.com/technology.php. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
15. Reidy C. Generex Drug is OK’d under special FDA program. The Boston Globe Web site. www.generex.com/fckuploads/file/Boston_Globe_09_10_09.pdf. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
16. Quinn K. Candy and fruit flavored cigarettes now illegal in United States; step is first under new tobacco law. Food and Drug Administration Web site. Available at: www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm183211.htm. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.

From continued membership growth to increased visibility in the national media, SHM and its members have been influencing healthcare for more than a decade. But even by the highest of standards, 2009 has been a landmark year—one that demonstrated hospitalists’ collective ability to transform healthcare and improve care to the hospitalized patient.

“The momentum of the hospital medicine movement has been growing for years, and 2009 has been no exception,” says Scott Flanders, MD, FHM, president of SHM. “This year built on the successes of the past and plainly illustrated the impact that hospital medicine will have on the future of healthcare.”

Groundbreaking QI Programs Go Nationwide

This year, SHM and its members began to tackle some of the most pressing QI issues in healthcare: reducing readmissions to the hospital and glycemic control. New research in the New England Journal of Medicine couldn’t have made the need for reducing readmissions any clearer: Unplanned hospital readmissions cost Medicare $17.4 billion annually.1

TOMOGRAF/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

SHM’s Project BOOST (Better Outcomes for Older Adults through Safe Transitions) helps hospitals implement customized programs to reduce readmissions through improved discharge processes. Hospitalists who enroll in the yearlong program take advantage of a one-on-one mentorship arrangement with experts in the field. Participants can also access the Project BOOST resource toolkit.

Project BOOST began in six pilot hospital sites in 2008 and added 24 new sites in March 2009. The program’s leaders are looking forward to further expansion in 2010. “The response to Project BOOST has been overwhelmingly positive. Given today’s healthcare climate, we know its impact will be even greater in years to come,” says Jane Kelly-Cummings, RN, CPHQ, SHM’s senior director of quality initiatives. “There is a very serious need to improve discharge processes in hospitals across the country. With Project BOOST, hospitalists are taking the initiative to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home.”

SHM also launched the Glycemic Control Mentored Implementation (GCMI) program. Like Project BOOST, GCMI uses a combination of one-on-one mentorships and customized resources to assist hospitalists with QI program implementation.

GCMI takes on another common chronic issue hospitalists face daily: managing glycemic levels in hospitalized patients. The GCMI program is currently in 30 sites across the country.

With Project BOOST, hospitalists are taking the initiative to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home.

—Jane Kelly-Cummings, RN, CPHQ, SHM’s senior director of quality initiatives

HM09 Draws Capacity Crowd in Chicago

In an economic climate that forced many industries’ annual meetings to be canceled, delayed, or scaled back, Hospital Medicine 2009 (HM09) in Chicago exceeded expectations. SHM had expected about 1,500 participants in the annual conference; organizers were pleasantly surprised to receive more than 2,000 registrations for the May event. The demand for exhibition space also surpassed projections.

“We’ve long known that hospitalists see real value in a meeting specifically designed for them, with relevant educational sessions and plenty of time for networking,” says Geri Barnes, SHM’s senior director of education and meetings. “Each year, we’ve received more and more interest in the annual conference, but the response to our 2009 conference was unprecedented.”

HM10 is April 8-11 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

SHM, MGMA Form Research Partnership

Beginning in 2010, SHM and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) will team up to give hospitalists and healthcare executives an even clearer picture on hospitalist compensation and productivity.

Prior to the partnership, SHM had conducted its own research. Now, hospitals and HM managers will have new data at their fingertips, and additional analysis and name-brand recognition of one of the leaders in medical practice research. The first round of research will be available in summer 2010. SHM and MGMA already have collaborated on educational webinars for hospitalists, and SHM is offering books published by MGMA on its Web site.

“This new alliance will pay dividends for years to come,” says Leslie Flores, the director of SHM’s Practice Management Institute. “The information from our compensation and productivity surveys has always been valuable to hospitals. Having the MGMA name attached to next year’s product will only increase its significance and usefulness.”

Hospitalists will receive the joint survey questionnaire from SHM and MGMA in January.

Fellow in Hospital medicine Spotlight

Penny McDonald, MD, FACP, FHM

Dr. McDonald is a practicing hospitalist with Inpatient Physicians of Forsyth at Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Undergraduate education: High Point University, High Point, N.C.

Medical school: East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, N.C.

Notable: Dr. McDonald has been a practicing hospitalist since 1997 and an SHM member since 1999. She has served on the physician leadership board and ethics committee at Forsyth. She has been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

FYI: Outside the hospital, Dr. McDonald is an avid hiker and loves to travel. Last year, she reached her own personal goal of visiting all 50 states. Her new goal is to visit every national park in the U.S.

Quotable: “I have a secret desire that our specialty be renamed. Describing us as ‘hospitalists,’ based on where we practice, doesn’t seem to cover it. I think ‘medical complexity specialist’ would be more fitting and would encompass all of what we do.”

For more information about the FHM program, visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/fellows.

HM Fellows

Three letters can mean a lot, especially for hospitalists looking for ways to demonstrate their commitment to the specialty. This year was the first in which qualified hospitalists could earn the Fellow in Hospital Medicine (FHM) designation. The first class of more than 500 FHM designees was introduced in an on-stage ceremony at HM09.

“This is a special way for SHM—and the healthcare industry as a whole—to recognize the unique achievements and dedication that hospital medicine requires,” says Todd Von Deak, MBA, CAE, SHM’s vice president for marketing and membership. “As the specialty grows in number and influence, so will the fellows program.”

In 2010, SHM will induct the first class of Senior Fellows in Hospital Medicine (SFHM). While the process for applying for the senior designation will be similar to the FHM designation, the SFHM will require additional years of practice and leadership in the specialty.

The fellows program also features the Master in Hospital Medicine (MHM) designation, the highest level of recognition available. The MHM will be available in 2011, and the nomination process will be invitation-only.

Outside Recognition

SHM isn’t the only group recognizing the impact hospitalists are making on healthcare. In September, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) announced that hospitalists will be able to apply for Recognition of Focused Practice (RFP) in Hospital Medicine as part of ABIM’s maintenance of certification (MOC) program. The application process will be available as early as next month.

SHM will be assisting hospitalists in the application process through online resources and the MOC pre-course, which will be offered before HM10. Hospitalists with three years of experience in the field can apply for the RFP program. Although most physicians are required to recertify every 10 years, hospitalists won’t have to wait until their certification is up to apply for focused recognition. For more information about the RFP in HM program, visit www.abim.org.

Hospital-Provider Partners

Treating hospitalized patients has always been a team sport. From caseworkers and pharmacists to physicians and critical-care nurses, the diverse and specialized needs of hospital care demand collaboration and coordination.

That’s the idea behind the Hospital Care Collaborative (HCC), which convened for the first time in 2009. The group is made up of six national organizations that represent hundreds of thousands of care providers. The HCC has developed and published “Common Principles for Team-Based Healthcare.” The principles emphasize the need for teamwork within the hospital setting and a focus on the patient.

As part of its goals for the future, the HCC will identify best practices in teamwork and promote educational programs that encourage interdisciplinary teams.

Look Back, Look Forward

For SHM CEO Larry Wellikson, MD, FHM, the end of 2009 is an opportunity to look forward to 2010 and beyond. “Ten years ago, hospital medicine was little more than an idea,” he says. “Today, it is a growing medical specialty, recognized by leaders in healthcare and public policy, with thousands of experienced and enthusiastic hospitalists throughout the country.

“I am confident that when we look back ten years from now, we will see a hospital landscape transformed for the better, and that hospitalists and the rest of the new healthcare team will have played an important role.”­ TH

Brendon Shank is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia.

Reference

1. Jencks SF, Williams MV, Coleman A. Rehospitaliza- tions among patients in the Medicare fee-for-service program. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(14):1418-1428.

Chapter Updates

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles chapter met Sept. 24 at Craft restaurant. The event was hosted by Manoj K. Mathew, MD, FHM. The presentation, “An Update in Hospital Medicine,” was offered by Joseph Li, MD, FHM, director of hospitalist services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and an SHM board member. Nearly 30 attendees from 10 hospitalist organizations attended the meeting. The next Los Angeles chapter meeting is scheduled for January 2010.

Southwest Wisconsin

Transitions of care was the featured topic at the Aug. 6 Southwest Wisconsin chapter meeting. Monica Anderson, director of business development at Select Specialty Hospital in Madison, presented valuable information about the role long-term acute-care hospitals play in a patient’s continuum of care. Following the presentation, attendees discussed ways in which hospitalists can collaborate across HM groups to address patient care and quality issues that are common to hospitalist practices.

Philadelphia Tri-State Area

The Philadelphia Tri-State Area chapter met Sept. 30 at Ristorante Panorama. About 20 hospitalists attended the event, which was sponsored by the France Foundation.

Todd Hecht, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania lectured on DVT prophylaxis. Chapter founder Jennifer Myers, MD, FHM, preceded the lecture by announcing she was stepping down as co-president after a six-year tenure. She thanked the audience for their support and introduced Susan Krekun, MD, chair of the division of hospital medicine at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, as the new chapter co-president.

The chapter sponsored a job fair Nov. 19 at the downtown Marriott. Medical directors from more than 10 programs attended the event to meet aspiring hospitalists and discuss the state of hospital medicine in the Philadelphia area.

Indiana

TOMOGRAF/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

The Indiana chapter held a meeting Sept. 2 at Maggiano’s Italian Restaurant in Indianapolis. The meeting was sponsored by AstraZeneca and featured a meet-and-greet before the regular program. Attendees were treated to a report about SHM’s recent Leadership Academy in Miami, and election results were revealed.

Angela Corea, MD, announced the 2010 chapter election nomination results: vice president, John Gilbert, MD, unopposed; secretary, Robert Blessing, MD, unopposed; president, Angela Corea, MD, Raphael Villavicencio, MD, and Gordon Reed, MD, FHM. All three chapter president nominees addressed the attendees.

David Mares, MD, held a question-and-answer session to discuss “New Maintenance Options for the Treatment of COPD.” Drs. Reed and Corea discussed the results of the SHM survey. The meeting concluded with a secret ballot.

Nashville and Middle Tennessee

The Nashville and Middle Tennessee chapter met Oct. 27, with 16 attendees representing eight local hospitals. The speaker, Anton Maki, MD, of Kingsport, presented a thorough review of the microbiology and antimicrobial treatment recommendations for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Attendees also were provided information about upcoming SHM conferences and training academies, the application process for the fellowship program, and plans for the ABIM Recognition of Focused Practice in Hospital Medicine certification.

Boston

Anita Barry, the infectious-disease bureau chief and director of communicable-disease control for the Boston Public Health Commission, spoke to nearly 60 hospitalists and guests during the Sept. 10 Boston chapter meeting at Legal Sea Foods. Dr. Barry’s topic was the H1N1 virus. The next chapter event is a clinical investigator training course Dec. 10-11 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Anyone interested in learning more about conducting clinical trials can attend. This course is not limited to physicians; nurses and others are encouraged to attend. There is no fee to attend Boston chapter events. For more information or to RSVP, contact Dr. Li at jli2@bidmc.harvard.edu or 617-632-0205.

From continued membership growth to increased visibility in the national media, SHM and its members have been influencing healthcare for more than a decade. But even by the highest of standards, 2009 has been a landmark year—one that demonstrated hospitalists’ collective ability to transform healthcare and improve care to the hospitalized patient.

“The momentum of the hospital medicine movement has been growing for years, and 2009 has been no exception,” says Scott Flanders, MD, FHM, president of SHM. “This year built on the successes of the past and plainly illustrated the impact that hospital medicine will have on the future of healthcare.”

Groundbreaking QI Programs Go Nationwide

This year, SHM and its members began to tackle some of the most pressing QI issues in healthcare: reducing readmissions to the hospital and glycemic control. New research in the New England Journal of Medicine couldn’t have made the need for reducing readmissions any clearer: Unplanned hospital readmissions cost Medicare $17.4 billion annually.1

TOMOGRAF/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

SHM’s Project BOOST (Better Outcomes for Older Adults through Safe Transitions) helps hospitals implement customized programs to reduce readmissions through improved discharge processes. Hospitalists who enroll in the yearlong program take advantage of a one-on-one mentorship arrangement with experts in the field. Participants can also access the Project BOOST resource toolkit.

Project BOOST began in six pilot hospital sites in 2008 and added 24 new sites in March 2009. The program’s leaders are looking forward to further expansion in 2010. “The response to Project BOOST has been overwhelmingly positive. Given today’s healthcare climate, we know its impact will be even greater in years to come,” says Jane Kelly-Cummings, RN, CPHQ, SHM’s senior director of quality initiatives. “There is a very serious need to improve discharge processes in hospitals across the country. With Project BOOST, hospitalists are taking the initiative to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home.”

SHM also launched the Glycemic Control Mentored Implementation (GCMI) program. Like Project BOOST, GCMI uses a combination of one-on-one mentorships and customized resources to assist hospitalists with QI program implementation.

GCMI takes on another common chronic issue hospitalists face daily: managing glycemic levels in hospitalized patients. The GCMI program is currently in 30 sites across the country.

With Project BOOST, hospitalists are taking the initiative to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home.

—Jane Kelly-Cummings, RN, CPHQ, SHM’s senior director of quality initiatives

HM09 Draws Capacity Crowd in Chicago

In an economic climate that forced many industries’ annual meetings to be canceled, delayed, or scaled back, Hospital Medicine 2009 (HM09) in Chicago exceeded expectations. SHM had expected about 1,500 participants in the annual conference; organizers were pleasantly surprised to receive more than 2,000 registrations for the May event. The demand for exhibition space also surpassed projections.

“We’ve long known that hospitalists see real value in a meeting specifically designed for them, with relevant educational sessions and plenty of time for networking,” says Geri Barnes, SHM’s senior director of education and meetings. “Each year, we’ve received more and more interest in the annual conference, but the response to our 2009 conference was unprecedented.”

HM10 is April 8-11 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

SHM, MGMA Form Research Partnership

Beginning in 2010, SHM and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) will team up to give hospitalists and healthcare executives an even clearer picture on hospitalist compensation and productivity.

Prior to the partnership, SHM had conducted its own research. Now, hospitals and HM managers will have new data at their fingertips, and additional analysis and name-brand recognition of one of the leaders in medical practice research. The first round of research will be available in summer 2010. SHM and MGMA already have collaborated on educational webinars for hospitalists, and SHM is offering books published by MGMA on its Web site.

“This new alliance will pay dividends for years to come,” says Leslie Flores, the director of SHM’s Practice Management Institute. “The information from our compensation and productivity surveys has always been valuable to hospitals. Having the MGMA name attached to next year’s product will only increase its significance and usefulness.”

Hospitalists will receive the joint survey questionnaire from SHM and MGMA in January.

Fellow in Hospital medicine Spotlight

Penny McDonald, MD, FACP, FHM

Dr. McDonald is a practicing hospitalist with Inpatient Physicians of Forsyth at Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Undergraduate education: High Point University, High Point, N.C.

Medical school: East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, N.C.

Notable: Dr. McDonald has been a practicing hospitalist since 1997 and an SHM member since 1999. She has served on the physician leadership board and ethics committee at Forsyth. She has been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

FYI: Outside the hospital, Dr. McDonald is an avid hiker and loves to travel. Last year, she reached her own personal goal of visiting all 50 states. Her new goal is to visit every national park in the U.S.

Quotable: “I have a secret desire that our specialty be renamed. Describing us as ‘hospitalists,’ based on where we practice, doesn’t seem to cover it. I think ‘medical complexity specialist’ would be more fitting and would encompass all of what we do.”

For more information about the FHM program, visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/fellows.

HM Fellows

Three letters can mean a lot, especially for hospitalists looking for ways to demonstrate their commitment to the specialty. This year was the first in which qualified hospitalists could earn the Fellow in Hospital Medicine (FHM) designation. The first class of more than 500 FHM designees was introduced in an on-stage ceremony at HM09.

“This is a special way for SHM—and the healthcare industry as a whole—to recognize the unique achievements and dedication that hospital medicine requires,” says Todd Von Deak, MBA, CAE, SHM’s vice president for marketing and membership. “As the specialty grows in number and influence, so will the fellows program.”

In 2010, SHM will induct the first class of Senior Fellows in Hospital Medicine (SFHM). While the process for applying for the senior designation will be similar to the FHM designation, the SFHM will require additional years of practice and leadership in the specialty.

The fellows program also features the Master in Hospital Medicine (MHM) designation, the highest level of recognition available. The MHM will be available in 2011, and the nomination process will be invitation-only.

Outside Recognition

SHM isn’t the only group recognizing the impact hospitalists are making on healthcare. In September, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) announced that hospitalists will be able to apply for Recognition of Focused Practice (RFP) in Hospital Medicine as part of ABIM’s maintenance of certification (MOC) program. The application process will be available as early as next month.

SHM will be assisting hospitalists in the application process through online resources and the MOC pre-course, which will be offered before HM10. Hospitalists with three years of experience in the field can apply for the RFP program. Although most physicians are required to recertify every 10 years, hospitalists won’t have to wait until their certification is up to apply for focused recognition. For more information about the RFP in HM program, visit www.abim.org.

Hospital-Provider Partners

Treating hospitalized patients has always been a team sport. From caseworkers and pharmacists to physicians and critical-care nurses, the diverse and specialized needs of hospital care demand collaboration and coordination.

That’s the idea behind the Hospital Care Collaborative (HCC), which convened for the first time in 2009. The group is made up of six national organizations that represent hundreds of thousands of care providers. The HCC has developed and published “Common Principles for Team-Based Healthcare.” The principles emphasize the need for teamwork within the hospital setting and a focus on the patient.

As part of its goals for the future, the HCC will identify best practices in teamwork and promote educational programs that encourage interdisciplinary teams.

Look Back, Look Forward

For SHM CEO Larry Wellikson, MD, FHM, the end of 2009 is an opportunity to look forward to 2010 and beyond. “Ten years ago, hospital medicine was little more than an idea,” he says. “Today, it is a growing medical specialty, recognized by leaders in healthcare and public policy, with thousands of experienced and enthusiastic hospitalists throughout the country.

“I am confident that when we look back ten years from now, we will see a hospital landscape transformed for the better, and that hospitalists and the rest of the new healthcare team will have played an important role.”­ TH

Brendon Shank is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia.

Reference

1. Jencks SF, Williams MV, Coleman A. Rehospitaliza- tions among patients in the Medicare fee-for-service program. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(14):1418-1428.

Chapter Updates

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles chapter met Sept. 24 at Craft restaurant. The event was hosted by Manoj K. Mathew, MD, FHM. The presentation, “An Update in Hospital Medicine,” was offered by Joseph Li, MD, FHM, director of hospitalist services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and an SHM board member. Nearly 30 attendees from 10 hospitalist organizations attended the meeting. The next Los Angeles chapter meeting is scheduled for January 2010.

Southwest Wisconsin

Transitions of care was the featured topic at the Aug. 6 Southwest Wisconsin chapter meeting. Monica Anderson, director of business development at Select Specialty Hospital in Madison, presented valuable information about the role long-term acute-care hospitals play in a patient’s continuum of care. Following the presentation, attendees discussed ways in which hospitalists can collaborate across HM groups to address patient care and quality issues that are common to hospitalist practices.

Philadelphia Tri-State Area

The Philadelphia Tri-State Area chapter met Sept. 30 at Ristorante Panorama. About 20 hospitalists attended the event, which was sponsored by the France Foundation.

Todd Hecht, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania lectured on DVT prophylaxis. Chapter founder Jennifer Myers, MD, FHM, preceded the lecture by announcing she was stepping down as co-president after a six-year tenure. She thanked the audience for their support and introduced Susan Krekun, MD, chair of the division of hospital medicine at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, as the new chapter co-president.

The chapter sponsored a job fair Nov. 19 at the downtown Marriott. Medical directors from more than 10 programs attended the event to meet aspiring hospitalists and discuss the state of hospital medicine in the Philadelphia area.

Indiana

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The Indiana chapter held a meeting Sept. 2 at Maggiano’s Italian Restaurant in Indianapolis. The meeting was sponsored by AstraZeneca and featured a meet-and-greet before the regular program. Attendees were treated to a report about SHM’s recent Leadership Academy in Miami, and election results were revealed.

Angela Corea, MD, announced the 2010 chapter election nomination results: vice president, John Gilbert, MD, unopposed; secretary, Robert Blessing, MD, unopposed; president, Angela Corea, MD, Raphael Villavicencio, MD, and Gordon Reed, MD, FHM. All three chapter president nominees addressed the attendees.

David Mares, MD, held a question-and-answer session to discuss “New Maintenance Options for the Treatment of COPD.” Drs. Reed and Corea discussed the results of the SHM survey. The meeting concluded with a secret ballot.

Nashville and Middle Tennessee

The Nashville and Middle Tennessee chapter met Oct. 27, with 16 attendees representing eight local hospitals. The speaker, Anton Maki, MD, of Kingsport, presented a thorough review of the microbiology and antimicrobial treatment recommendations for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Attendees also were provided information about upcoming SHM conferences and training academies, the application process for the fellowship program, and plans for the ABIM Recognition of Focused Practice in Hospital Medicine certification.

Boston

Anita Barry, the infectious-disease bureau chief and director of communicable-disease control for the Boston Public Health Commission, spoke to nearly 60 hospitalists and guests during the Sept. 10 Boston chapter meeting at Legal Sea Foods. Dr. Barry’s topic was the H1N1 virus. The next chapter event is a clinical investigator training course Dec. 10-11 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Anyone interested in learning more about conducting clinical trials can attend. This course is not limited to physicians; nurses and others are encouraged to attend. There is no fee to attend Boston chapter events. For more information or to RSVP, contact Dr. Li at jli2@bidmc.harvard.edu or 617-632-0205.

From continued membership growth to increased visibility in the national media, SHM and its members have been influencing healthcare for more than a decade. But even by the highest of standards, 2009 has been a landmark year—one that demonstrated hospitalists’ collective ability to transform healthcare and improve care to the hospitalized patient.

“The momentum of the hospital medicine movement has been growing for years, and 2009 has been no exception,” says Scott Flanders, MD, FHM, president of SHM. “This year built on the successes of the past and plainly illustrated the impact that hospital medicine will have on the future of healthcare.”

Groundbreaking QI Programs Go Nationwide

This year, SHM and its members began to tackle some of the most pressing QI issues in healthcare: reducing readmissions to the hospital and glycemic control. New research in the New England Journal of Medicine couldn’t have made the need for reducing readmissions any clearer: Unplanned hospital readmissions cost Medicare $17.4 billion annually.1

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SHM’s Project BOOST (Better Outcomes for Older Adults through Safe Transitions) helps hospitals implement customized programs to reduce readmissions through improved discharge processes. Hospitalists who enroll in the yearlong program take advantage of a one-on-one mentorship arrangement with experts in the field. Participants can also access the Project BOOST resource toolkit.

Project BOOST began in six pilot hospital sites in 2008 and added 24 new sites in March 2009. The program’s leaders are looking forward to further expansion in 2010. “The response to Project BOOST has been overwhelmingly positive. Given today’s healthcare climate, we know its impact will be even greater in years to come,” says Jane Kelly-Cummings, RN, CPHQ, SHM’s senior director of quality initiatives. “There is a very serious need to improve discharge processes in hospitals across the country. With Project BOOST, hospitalists are taking the initiative to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home.”

SHM also launched the Glycemic Control Mentored Implementation (GCMI) program. Like Project BOOST, GCMI uses a combination of one-on-one mentorships and customized resources to assist hospitalists with QI program implementation.

GCMI takes on another common chronic issue hospitalists face daily: managing glycemic levels in hospitalized patients. The GCMI program is currently in 30 sites across the country.

With Project BOOST, hospitalists are taking the initiative to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home.

—Jane Kelly-Cummings, RN, CPHQ, SHM’s senior director of quality initiatives

HM09 Draws Capacity Crowd in Chicago

In an economic climate that forced many industries’ annual meetings to be canceled, delayed, or scaled back, Hospital Medicine 2009 (HM09) in Chicago exceeded expectations. SHM had expected about 1,500 participants in the annual conference; organizers were pleasantly surprised to receive more than 2,000 registrations for the May event. The demand for exhibition space also surpassed projections.

“We’ve long known that hospitalists see real value in a meeting specifically designed for them, with relevant educational sessions and plenty of time for networking,” says Geri Barnes, SHM’s senior director of education and meetings. “Each year, we’ve received more and more interest in the annual conference, but the response to our 2009 conference was unprecedented.”

HM10 is April 8-11 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

SHM, MGMA Form Research Partnership

Beginning in 2010, SHM and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) will team up to give hospitalists and healthcare executives an even clearer picture on hospitalist compensation and productivity.

Prior to the partnership, SHM had conducted its own research. Now, hospitals and HM managers will have new data at their fingertips, and additional analysis and name-brand recognition of one of the leaders in medical practice research. The first round of research will be available in summer 2010. SHM and MGMA already have collaborated on educational webinars for hospitalists, and SHM is offering books published by MGMA on its Web site.

“This new alliance will pay dividends for years to come,” says Leslie Flores, the director of SHM’s Practice Management Institute. “The information from our compensation and productivity surveys has always been valuable to hospitals. Having the MGMA name attached to next year’s product will only increase its significance and usefulness.”

Hospitalists will receive the joint survey questionnaire from SHM and MGMA in January.

Fellow in Hospital medicine Spotlight

Penny McDonald, MD, FACP, FHM

Dr. McDonald is a practicing hospitalist with Inpatient Physicians of Forsyth at Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Undergraduate education: High Point University, High Point, N.C.

Medical school: East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, N.C.

Notable: Dr. McDonald has been a practicing hospitalist since 1997 and an SHM member since 1999. She has served on the physician leadership board and ethics committee at Forsyth. She has been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

FYI: Outside the hospital, Dr. McDonald is an avid hiker and loves to travel. Last year, she reached her own personal goal of visiting all 50 states. Her new goal is to visit every national park in the U.S.

Quotable: “I have a secret desire that our specialty be renamed. Describing us as ‘hospitalists,’ based on where we practice, doesn’t seem to cover it. I think ‘medical complexity specialist’ would be more fitting and would encompass all of what we do.”

For more information about the FHM program, visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/fellows.

HM Fellows

Three letters can mean a lot, especially for hospitalists looking for ways to demonstrate their commitment to the specialty. This year was the first in which qualified hospitalists could earn the Fellow in Hospital Medicine (FHM) designation. The first class of more than 500 FHM designees was introduced in an on-stage ceremony at HM09.

“This is a special way for SHM—and the healthcare industry as a whole—to recognize the unique achievements and dedication that hospital medicine requires,” says Todd Von Deak, MBA, CAE, SHM’s vice president for marketing and membership. “As the specialty grows in number and influence, so will the fellows program.”

In 2010, SHM will induct the first class of Senior Fellows in Hospital Medicine (SFHM). While the process for applying for the senior designation will be similar to the FHM designation, the SFHM will require additional years of practice and leadership in the specialty.

The fellows program also features the Master in Hospital Medicine (MHM) designation, the highest level of recognition available. The MHM will be available in 2011, and the nomination process will be invitation-only.

Outside Recognition

SHM isn’t the only group recognizing the impact hospitalists are making on healthcare. In September, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) announced that hospitalists will be able to apply for Recognition of Focused Practice (RFP) in Hospital Medicine as part of ABIM’s maintenance of certification (MOC) program. The application process will be available as early as next month.

SHM will be assisting hospitalists in the application process through online resources and the MOC pre-course, which will be offered before HM10. Hospitalists with three years of experience in the field can apply for the RFP program. Although most physicians are required to recertify every 10 years, hospitalists won’t have to wait until their certification is up to apply for focused recognition. For more information about the RFP in HM program, visit www.abim.org.

Hospital-Provider Partners

Treating hospitalized patients has always been a team sport. From caseworkers and pharmacists to physicians and critical-care nurses, the diverse and specialized needs of hospital care demand collaboration and coordination.

That’s the idea behind the Hospital Care Collaborative (HCC), which convened for the first time in 2009. The group is made up of six national organizations that represent hundreds of thousands of care providers. The HCC has developed and published “Common Principles for Team-Based Healthcare.” The principles emphasize the need for teamwork within the hospital setting and a focus on the patient.

As part of its goals for the future, the HCC will identify best practices in teamwork and promote educational programs that encourage interdisciplinary teams.

Look Back, Look Forward

For SHM CEO Larry Wellikson, MD, FHM, the end of 2009 is an opportunity to look forward to 2010 and beyond. “Ten years ago, hospital medicine was little more than an idea,” he says. “Today, it is a growing medical specialty, recognized by leaders in healthcare and public policy, with thousands of experienced and enthusiastic hospitalists throughout the country.

“I am confident that when we look back ten years from now, we will see a hospital landscape transformed for the better, and that hospitalists and the rest of the new healthcare team will have played an important role.”­ TH

Brendon Shank is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia.

Reference

1. Jencks SF, Williams MV, Coleman A. Rehospitaliza- tions among patients in the Medicare fee-for-service program. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(14):1418-1428.

Chapter Updates

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles chapter met Sept. 24 at Craft restaurant. The event was hosted by Manoj K. Mathew, MD, FHM. The presentation, “An Update in Hospital Medicine,” was offered by Joseph Li, MD, FHM, director of hospitalist services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and an SHM board member. Nearly 30 attendees from 10 hospitalist organizations attended the meeting. The next Los Angeles chapter meeting is scheduled for January 2010.

Southwest Wisconsin

Transitions of care was the featured topic at the Aug. 6 Southwest Wisconsin chapter meeting. Monica Anderson, director of business development at Select Specialty Hospital in Madison, presented valuable information about the role long-term acute-care hospitals play in a patient’s continuum of care. Following the presentation, attendees discussed ways in which hospitalists can collaborate across HM groups to address patient care and quality issues that are common to hospitalist practices.

Philadelphia Tri-State Area

The Philadelphia Tri-State Area chapter met Sept. 30 at Ristorante Panorama. About 20 hospitalists attended the event, which was sponsored by the France Foundation.

Todd Hecht, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania lectured on DVT prophylaxis. Chapter founder Jennifer Myers, MD, FHM, preceded the lecture by announcing she was stepping down as co-president after a six-year tenure. She thanked the audience for their support and introduced Susan Krekun, MD, chair of the division of hospital medicine at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, as the new chapter co-president.

The chapter sponsored a job fair Nov. 19 at the downtown Marriott. Medical directors from more than 10 programs attended the event to meet aspiring hospitalists and discuss the state of hospital medicine in the Philadelphia area.

Indiana

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The Indiana chapter held a meeting Sept. 2 at Maggiano’s Italian Restaurant in Indianapolis. The meeting was sponsored by AstraZeneca and featured a meet-and-greet before the regular program. Attendees were treated to a report about SHM’s recent Leadership Academy in Miami, and election results were revealed.

Angela Corea, MD, announced the 2010 chapter election nomination results: vice president, John Gilbert, MD, unopposed; secretary, Robert Blessing, MD, unopposed; president, Angela Corea, MD, Raphael Villavicencio, MD, and Gordon Reed, MD, FHM. All three chapter president nominees addressed the attendees.

David Mares, MD, held a question-and-answer session to discuss “New Maintenance Options for the Treatment of COPD.” Drs. Reed and Corea discussed the results of the SHM survey. The meeting concluded with a secret ballot.

Nashville and Middle Tennessee

The Nashville and Middle Tennessee chapter met Oct. 27, with 16 attendees representing eight local hospitals. The speaker, Anton Maki, MD, of Kingsport, presented a thorough review of the microbiology and antimicrobial treatment recommendations for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Attendees also were provided information about upcoming SHM conferences and training academies, the application process for the fellowship program, and plans for the ABIM Recognition of Focused Practice in Hospital Medicine certification.

Boston

Anita Barry, the infectious-disease bureau chief and director of communicable-disease control for the Boston Public Health Commission, spoke to nearly 60 hospitalists and guests during the Sept. 10 Boston chapter meeting at Legal Sea Foods. Dr. Barry’s topic was the H1N1 virus. The next chapter event is a clinical investigator training course Dec. 10-11 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Anyone interested in learning more about conducting clinical trials can attend. This course is not limited to physicians; nurses and others are encouraged to attend. There is no fee to attend Boston chapter events. For more information or to RSVP, contact Dr. Li at jli2@bidmc.harvard.edu or 617-632-0205.

Ethan Cumbler, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, and has practiced hospital medicine for six years, first at a community hospital and now at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), where he directs the Acute Care for the Elderly service. The prevalence of stroke in his practice and the daily challenges of managing stroke patients led Dr. Cumbler to seek additional training in stroke care. He is the hospitalist representative to the UCD stroke council, a researcher in the arena of acute stroke care, and is helping UCD become a Joint Commission-certified stroke center.

“There are a variety of roles for the hospitalist in stroke care,” Dr. Cumbler says, explaining that HM physicians can be admitting attendings for stroke patients or part of acute stroke teams, and participate in decisions to start such treatments as intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), the Food and Drug Administration-approved clot-busting therapy. “[Hospitalists] can be medical consultants on stroke patients admitted to other hospital services, managing common comorbid conditions such as blood pressure and glucose levels, which have particular character for patients immediately post-stroke.”

Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S., as well as a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. How many stroke patients are seen by hospitalists is not known, but it is reasonable to assume that a majority of hospitalized stroke patients will encounter a hospitalist, if not for acute treatment, then for ongoing medical management.

Some hospitalists think stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)—temporary neurological deficits sometimes called “mini-strokes,” and a major risk factor for full-blown strokes—are among the most common diseases seen by hospitalists.1 Acute stroke care is a growing part of HM practice because neurologist availability in emergent situations varies widely between hospitals. The rapid evolution of stroke treatment and the time-sensitive needs of stroke patients represents a huge opportunity for hospitalists to fill that void for their hospitals—whether they want to or not.

“I think hospitalists are fully capable of learning and mastering stroke care, but it requires both interest and training,” Dr. Cumbler says.

HM Can Help Fill a Void

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), there are four neurologists per 100,000 Americans, and not all of those neurologists specialize in stroke care.2 The scarcity of neurological specialists means that in many hospitals, a neurologist won’t be available for the critical assessment and treatment decisions required in the first few hours after a stroke is diagnosed. Yet many hospitalists complain that their preparation during internal-medicine residency did not equip them to care for acute stroke patients.3

S. Andrew Josephson, MD, a neurovascular physician and director of the neurohospitalist program at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center, says the number of hospitalists on the front lines of acute stroke care is growing every day. “A new stroke is a very treatable neurological emergency that requires ultra-fast intervention,”7 Dr. Josephson says, “and hospitalists, increasingly, are the people who matter most in that intervention.” The reason, in most cases, is hospitalists are available at all times, and neurologists aren’t.

Given variable access to neurologists at the time of urgent need in many hospitals, the actions hospitalists can take in acute stroke management include:

• Become better trained in stroke care. Sessions on stroke management are included in numerous HM educational programs, including SHM conferences and in continuing medical education (CME) offerings from such groups as the American Academy of Neurology (see “Stroke Training, Resources, and Opportunities,” p. 30).
• Partner with neurologists in your hospital. One trend is to develop a neurohospitalist practice.
• Push for increased organization and response times for stroke patients. Given HM’s focus on quality and patient safety, hospitalists are natural champions for improving systems of care for stroke. Hospitalists can work with neurologists, radiologists, pharmacists, and other providers to develop stroke treatment protocols and rapid response capabilities.
• Help develop a stroke team, and seek certification as a primary stroke center. The Joint Commission certifies stroke centers (www.jointcommission.org/CertificationPrograms/PrimaryStroke Centers) based on demonstrated compliance with disease-based standards, effective use of clinical practice guidelines, and performance-improvement activities.
• Establish a collaborative relationship with a regional stroke center or tertiary hospital. This could manifest as a telemedicine link to aid in stroke assessment and treatment decisions (see “Rural Response: The ‘Drip and Ship’ Method,” p. 28).
• Refine approaches to more rapidly identify and work up patients who experience a stroke while they are in the hospital.

Hospitalists are going to continue to be out front on stroke management.

—S. Andrew Josephson, MD, director, neurohospitalist program, University of California at San Francisco Medical Center

Streamline In-Hospital Stroke Response

From 6.5% to 15% of stroke patients experience their stroke while they are in the hospital.4 “Hospitals are not always geared up to deal with neurological emergencies, and yet these patients are firmly within our domain,” Dr. Cumbler says. “We found that it took three times longer in our hospital to complete the evaluation when the stroke happened in the hospital than for strokes presenting in the emergency department.”

Through a hospitalwide quality-improvement (QI) project, UCD’s in-hospital stroke response time was reduced to 37 minutes from 70 minutes.

A comprehensive approach to stroke QI should include training first witnesses in the hospital (e.g., nurses, physical therapists, and housekeepers) to recognize potential stroke symptoms; creating a rapid response capability from personnel who understand how to evaluate and treat suspected stroke and are able to respond quickly; and making suspected stroke a top priority in the radiology lab.

Stroke patient management processes need to be improved and provider roles better defined. Hospitalists can help on the frontlines, and should advocate for quality and patient safety measures.

“Stroke has so many facets: the need to reduce risk, to educate the public about the need for prompt response, the appropriate evaluation of risks and benefits of treatment,” Dr. Cumbler says. “How do you achieve a system in the hospital where patients are fully able to realize benefits of all these advances? I think there’s something in stroke treatment for every hospitalist and, for those with a particular interest, opportunities to play leadership roles.”

New Era in Stroke Care

Many compare the evolution of stroke care to that of more common conditions, and hospitalists have a buffet of new and improved treatments and technologies at their disposal. “This is an interesting time in the treatment of stroke,” Dr. Cumbler says. “We are at the cusp of a new era. Previously, stroke was one of the classic neurologic issues in hospital medicine, but we did not have much to offer. Now, as with heart attack, we have a growing array of urgent and effective treatment options, and new imaging techniques to determine whether to treat and with what type of treatment.”

New and emerging treatment approaches include:

• Induced hypothermia, to protect the brain;
• Enhanced thrombolytics by ultrasound;
• Perfusion-based treatment time windows;
• Recanalization;
• Extended cardiac telemetry targeting atrial fibrillation;
• Neuroprotective agents; and
• Pressor usage to raise blood pressure in the post-stroke patient.

Interventional strategies seek to combine intravenous t-PA with localized techniques to open occluded vessels. While these are cutting-edge and not yet integrated into medical routine, “they illustrate why stroke management is so exciting right now,” Dr. Cumbler says.

As stroke treatment becomes more standardized, hospitals will expect HM physicians to be thoroughly versed in optimal stroke care, says David Yu, MD, MBA, FACP, medical director of hospitalist services at Decatur Memorial Hospital in Illinois and a member of Team Hospitalist. “There will be a shift in hospital medicine, with the practice of neurology becoming more open to non-neurologists,” he says. “As opportunities for stroke treatment increase, more responsibility will fall on hospitalists. It is part of the evolution of our field.”

That evolution is reflected in Medicare’s decision in 2005 to begin paying hospitals a higher diagnostic-related grouping (DRG) rate for administering intravenous t-PA.5 DRG 559 pays a hospital about $6,000 more, regionally adjusted, for stroke treatment that includes intravenous t-PA, compared with stroke care without it. That differential creates incentives for the hospital to invest in infrastructure, staffing, and training.

The Neurohospitalist

Recent journal articles have explored the emergence of neurohospitalists—hybrid physicians who are loosely defined as neurologists whose primary focus is the care of hospitalized patients. The neurohospitalist trend is spurred by the same time and fiscal constraints that drove the HM movement, says William Freeman, MD, neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and coauthor of one of those articles.6

Office-based neurologists increasingly are unavailable to respond to neurological emergencies in the hospital. Depending on the size of the hospital and its need for specialist access, an organized neurohospitalist group covering a schedule in the hospital could make significant contributions to quality of care, length of stay, and other stroke outcomes, Dr. Freeman says. “This field is starting to gel and crystallize, as more neurologists find themselves focusing their practice on site of care,” he notes.

Although not all experts agree, Dr. Freeman says that general hospitalists could become neurohospitalists, and vice versa. Neurologists could learn more internal medicine, and the two groups could work together more closely, he says.

Dr. Josephson of the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center reserves the term “neurohospitalist” for neurologists, but adds that medical hospitalists can manage neurologic disorders. He also sees potential for joint research on the management of hospitalized neurologic patients.

Drs. Freeman and Josephson have led discussions of the neurohospitalist model, both within AAN and in a recent conference call with SHM representatives. Data are limited on the numbers of physicians practicing this specialty, but job postings are growing and a neurohospitalist listserv sponsored by AAN grew to 250 members from 50 within six months. The University of California at San Francisco Medical Center established the first neurohospitalist fellowship in 2008, and a neurohospitalist journal is in development. “Most stroke patients are not seen by neurologists. I keep saying that at stroke conventions,” Dr. Josephson explains. “Hospitalists are going to continue to be out front on stroke management. Some will have a neurologist available. More likely, the hospitalist and neurologist will be participating in acute stroke management as part of some system of care with the emergency department or critical care.” TH

Larry Beresford is a freelance writer based in Oakland, Calif.

References

1. Glasheen J, Cumbler E, Tailoring internal medicine training to improve hospitalist outcomes. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:204-205.
2. Telemedicine helps experts treat stroke from afar. National Stroke Association Web site. Available at: http://www.stroke.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8208&news_iv_ctrl=1221. Accessed Nov. 4, 2009.
3. Plauth WH, Pantilat SZ, Wachter RM, Fenton CL. Hospitalists’ perceptions of their residency training needs: results of a national survey. Am J Med. 2001;111(3)247-254.
4. Blacker DJ. In-hospital stroke. Lancet Neurol. 2003;2(12):741-746.
5. Demaerschalk BM, Durocher DL. How diagnosis-related group 559 will change the US Medicare cost reimbursement ratio for stroke centers. Stroke. 2007;38:1309-1312.
6. Freeman WD, Gronseth G, Eidelman BH. Is it time for neurohospitalists? Neurology. 2009;72:476-477.
7. Hacke W, Kaste M, Bluhmki E, et al. Thrombolysis with alteplase 3 to 4.5 hours after acute ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(13):1317-1329.
8. Del Zoppo GJ, Saver JL, Jauch EC, Adams HP Jr. American Heart Association Stroke Council. Expansion of the time window for treatment of acute ischemic stroke with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator: a science advisory from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2009;40(8):2945-2948.
9. Lyden P. Thrombolytic therapy for acute stroke—not a moment to lose. N Engl J Med. 2008;359:1393-1397.
10. Doheny K. Few stroke patients get clot-busting drug. Business Week Web site. Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/624280.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
11. Sacco RL, Diener HC, Yusuf S, et al. Aspirin and extended-release dipyridamole versus clopidogrel for recurrent strokes. N Engl J Med. 2008;359:1238-1251.
12. Cumbler E, Glasheen J. Risk stratification tools for TIA: Which patients require hospital admission? J Hosp Med. 2009;4:247-251.
13. Johnston SC, Rothwell PM, Nguyen-Huynh MN, et al. Validation and refinement of scores to predict very early stroke risk after transient ischaemic attack. Lancet. 2007; 369:283-292.
14. Cumbler E, Glasheen J. Management of blood pressure after acute ischemic stroke: An evidence-based guide for the hospitalist. J Hosp Med. 2007;2:261-267.

Image Source: FORESTPATH/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Ethan Cumbler, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, and has practiced hospital medicine for six years, first at a community hospital and now at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), where he directs the Acute Care for the Elderly service. The prevalence of stroke in his practice and the daily challenges of managing stroke patients led Dr. Cumbler to seek additional training in stroke care. He is the hospitalist representative to the UCD stroke council, a researcher in the arena of acute stroke care, and is helping UCD become a Joint Commission-certified stroke center.

“There are a variety of roles for the hospitalist in stroke care,” Dr. Cumbler says, explaining that HM physicians can be admitting attendings for stroke patients or part of acute stroke teams, and participate in decisions to start such treatments as intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), the Food and Drug Administration-approved clot-busting therapy. “[Hospitalists] can be medical consultants on stroke patients admitted to other hospital services, managing common comorbid conditions such as blood pressure and glucose levels, which have particular character for patients immediately post-stroke.”

Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S., as well as a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. How many stroke patients are seen by hospitalists is not known, but it is reasonable to assume that a majority of hospitalized stroke patients will encounter a hospitalist, if not for acute treatment, then for ongoing medical management.

Some hospitalists think stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)—temporary neurological deficits sometimes called “mini-strokes,” and a major risk factor for full-blown strokes—are among the most common diseases seen by hospitalists.1 Acute stroke care is a growing part of HM practice because neurologist availability in emergent situations varies widely between hospitals. The rapid evolution of stroke treatment and the time-sensitive needs of stroke patients represents a huge opportunity for hospitalists to fill that void for their hospitals—whether they want to or not.

“I think hospitalists are fully capable of learning and mastering stroke care, but it requires both interest and training,” Dr. Cumbler says.

HM Can Help Fill a Void

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), there are four neurologists per 100,000 Americans, and not all of those neurologists specialize in stroke care.2 The scarcity of neurological specialists means that in many hospitals, a neurologist won’t be available for the critical assessment and treatment decisions required in the first few hours after a stroke is diagnosed. Yet many hospitalists complain that their preparation during internal-medicine residency did not equip them to care for acute stroke patients.3

S. Andrew Josephson, MD, a neurovascular physician and director of the neurohospitalist program at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center, says the number of hospitalists on the front lines of acute stroke care is growing every day. “A new stroke is a very treatable neurological emergency that requires ultra-fast intervention,”7 Dr. Josephson says, “and hospitalists, increasingly, are the people who matter most in that intervention.” The reason, in most cases, is hospitalists are available at all times, and neurologists aren’t.

Given variable access to neurologists at the time of urgent need in many hospitals, the actions hospitalists can take in acute stroke management include:

• Become better trained in stroke care. Sessions on stroke management are included in numerous HM educational programs, including SHM conferences and in continuing medical education (CME) offerings from such groups as the American Academy of Neurology (see “Stroke Training, Resources, and Opportunities,” p. 30).
• Partner with neurologists in your hospital. One trend is to develop a neurohospitalist practice.
• Push for increased organization and response times for stroke patients. Given HM’s focus on quality and patient safety, hospitalists are natural champions for improving systems of care for stroke. Hospitalists can work with neurologists, radiologists, pharmacists, and other providers to develop stroke treatment protocols and rapid response capabilities.
• Help develop a stroke team, and seek certification as a primary stroke center. The Joint Commission certifies stroke centers (www.jointcommission.org/CertificationPrograms/PrimaryStroke Centers) based on demonstrated compliance with disease-based standards, effective use of clinical practice guidelines, and performance-improvement activities.
• Establish a collaborative relationship with a regional stroke center or tertiary hospital. This could manifest as a telemedicine link to aid in stroke assessment and treatment decisions (see “Rural Response: The ‘Drip and Ship’ Method,” p. 28).
• Refine approaches to more rapidly identify and work up patients who experience a stroke while they are in the hospital.

Hospitalists are going to continue to be out front on stroke management.

—S. Andrew Josephson, MD, director, neurohospitalist program, University of California at San Francisco Medical Center

Streamline In-Hospital Stroke Response

From 6.5% to 15% of stroke patients experience their stroke while they are in the hospital.4 “Hospitals are not always geared up to deal with neurological emergencies, and yet these patients are firmly within our domain,” Dr. Cumbler says. “We found that it took three times longer in our hospital to complete the evaluation when the stroke happened in the hospital than for strokes presenting in the emergency department.”

Through a hospitalwide quality-improvement (QI) project, UCD’s in-hospital stroke response time was reduced to 37 minutes from 70 minutes.

A comprehensive approach to stroke QI should include training first witnesses in the hospital (e.g., nurses, physical therapists, and housekeepers) to recognize potential stroke symptoms; creating a rapid response capability from personnel who understand how to evaluate and treat suspected stroke and are able to respond quickly; and making suspected stroke a top priority in the radiology lab.

Stroke patient management processes need to be improved and provider roles better defined. Hospitalists can help on the frontlines, and should advocate for quality and patient safety measures.

“Stroke has so many facets: the need to reduce risk, to educate the public about the need for prompt response, the appropriate evaluation of risks and benefits of treatment,” Dr. Cumbler says. “How do you achieve a system in the hospital where patients are fully able to realize benefits of all these advances? I think there’s something in stroke treatment for every hospitalist and, for those with a particular interest, opportunities to play leadership roles.”

New Era in Stroke Care

Many compare the evolution of stroke care to that of more common conditions, and hospitalists have a buffet of new and improved treatments and technologies at their disposal. “This is an interesting time in the treatment of stroke,” Dr. Cumbler says. “We are at the cusp of a new era. Previously, stroke was one of the classic neurologic issues in hospital medicine, but we did not have much to offer. Now, as with heart attack, we have a growing array of urgent and effective treatment options, and new imaging techniques to determine whether to treat and with what type of treatment.”

New and emerging treatment approaches include:

• Induced hypothermia, to protect the brain;
• Enhanced thrombolytics by ultrasound;
• Perfusion-based treatment time windows;
• Recanalization;
• Extended cardiac telemetry targeting atrial fibrillation;
• Neuroprotective agents; and
• Pressor usage to raise blood pressure in the post-stroke patient.

Interventional strategies seek to combine intravenous t-PA with localized techniques to open occluded vessels. While these are cutting-edge and not yet integrated into medical routine, “they illustrate why stroke management is so exciting right now,” Dr. Cumbler says.

As stroke treatment becomes more standardized, hospitals will expect HM physicians to be thoroughly versed in optimal stroke care, says David Yu, MD, MBA, FACP, medical director of hospitalist services at Decatur Memorial Hospital in Illinois and a member of Team Hospitalist. “There will be a shift in hospital medicine, with the practice of neurology becoming more open to non-neurologists,” he says. “As opportunities for stroke treatment increase, more responsibility will fall on hospitalists. It is part of the evolution of our field.”

That evolution is reflected in Medicare’s decision in 2005 to begin paying hospitals a higher diagnostic-related grouping (DRG) rate for administering intravenous t-PA.5 DRG 559 pays a hospital about $6,000 more, regionally adjusted, for stroke treatment that includes intravenous t-PA, compared with stroke care without it. That differential creates incentives for the hospital to invest in infrastructure, staffing, and training.

The Neurohospitalist

Recent journal articles have explored the emergence of neurohospitalists—hybrid physicians who are loosely defined as neurologists whose primary focus is the care of hospitalized patients. The neurohospitalist trend is spurred by the same time and fiscal constraints that drove the HM movement, says William Freeman, MD, neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and coauthor of one of those articles.6

Office-based neurologists increasingly are unavailable to respond to neurological emergencies in the hospital. Depending on the size of the hospital and its need for specialist access, an organized neurohospitalist group covering a schedule in the hospital could make significant contributions to quality of care, length of stay, and other stroke outcomes, Dr. Freeman says. “This field is starting to gel and crystallize, as more neurologists find themselves focusing their practice on site of care,” he notes.

Although not all experts agree, Dr. Freeman says that general hospitalists could become neurohospitalists, and vice versa. Neurologists could learn more internal medicine, and the two groups could work together more closely, he says.

Dr. Josephson of the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center reserves the term “neurohospitalist” for neurologists, but adds that medical hospitalists can manage neurologic disorders. He also sees potential for joint research on the management of hospitalized neurologic patients.

Drs. Freeman and Josephson have led discussions of the neurohospitalist model, both within AAN and in a recent conference call with SHM representatives. Data are limited on the numbers of physicians practicing this specialty, but job postings are growing and a neurohospitalist listserv sponsored by AAN grew to 250 members from 50 within six months. The University of California at San Francisco Medical Center established the first neurohospitalist fellowship in 2008, and a neurohospitalist journal is in development. “Most stroke patients are not seen by neurologists. I keep saying that at stroke conventions,” Dr. Josephson explains. “Hospitalists are going to continue to be out front on stroke management. Some will have a neurologist available. More likely, the hospitalist and neurologist will be participating in acute stroke management as part of some system of care with the emergency department or critical care.” TH

Larry Beresford is a freelance writer based in Oakland, Calif.

References

1. Glasheen J, Cumbler E, Tailoring internal medicine training to improve hospitalist outcomes. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:204-205.
2. Telemedicine helps experts treat stroke from afar. National Stroke Association Web site. Available at: http://www.stroke.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8208&news_iv_ctrl=1221. Accessed Nov. 4, 2009.
3. Plauth WH, Pantilat SZ, Wachter RM, Fenton CL. Hospitalists’ perceptions of their residency training needs: results of a national survey. Am J Med. 2001;111(3)247-254.
4. Blacker DJ. In-hospital stroke. Lancet Neurol. 2003;2(12):741-746.
5. Demaerschalk BM, Durocher DL. How diagnosis-related group 559 will change the US Medicare cost reimbursement ratio for stroke centers. Stroke. 2007;38:1309-1312.
6. Freeman WD, Gronseth G, Eidelman BH. Is it time for neurohospitalists? Neurology. 2009;72:476-477.
7. Hacke W, Kaste M, Bluhmki E, et al. Thrombolysis with alteplase 3 to 4.5 hours after acute ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(13):1317-1329.
8. Del Zoppo GJ, Saver JL, Jauch EC, Adams HP Jr. American Heart Association Stroke Council. Expansion of the time window for treatment of acute ischemic stroke with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator: a science advisory from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2009;40(8):2945-2948.
9. Lyden P. Thrombolytic therapy for acute stroke—not a moment to lose. N Engl J Med. 2008;359:1393-1397.
10. Doheny K. Few stroke patients get clot-busting drug. Business Week Web site. Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/624280.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
11. Sacco RL, Diener HC, Yusuf S, et al. Aspirin and extended-release dipyridamole versus clopidogrel for recurrent strokes. N Engl J Med. 2008;359:1238-1251.
12. Cumbler E, Glasheen J. Risk stratification tools for TIA: Which patients require hospital admission? J Hosp Med. 2009;4:247-251.
13. Johnston SC, Rothwell PM, Nguyen-Huynh MN, et al. Validation and refinement of scores to predict very early stroke risk after transient ischaemic attack. Lancet. 2007; 369:283-292.
14. Cumbler E, Glasheen J. Management of blood pressure after acute ischemic stroke: An evidence-based guide for the hospitalist. J Hosp Med. 2007;2:261-267.

Image Source: FORESTPATH/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Ethan Cumbler, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, and has practiced hospital medicine for six years, first at a community hospital and now at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), where he directs the Acute Care for the Elderly service. The prevalence of stroke in his practice and the daily challenges of managing stroke patients led Dr. Cumbler to seek additional training in stroke care. He is the hospitalist representative to the UCD stroke council, a researcher in the arena of acute stroke care, and is helping UCD become a Joint Commission-certified stroke center.

“There are a variety of roles for the hospitalist in stroke care,” Dr. Cumbler says, explaining that HM physicians can be admitting attendings for stroke patients or part of acute stroke teams, and participate in decisions to start such treatments as intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), the Food and Drug Administration-approved clot-busting therapy. “[Hospitalists] can be medical consultants on stroke patients admitted to other hospital services, managing common comorbid conditions such as blood pressure and glucose levels, which have particular character for patients immediately post-stroke.”

Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S., as well as a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. How many stroke patients are seen by hospitalists is not known, but it is reasonable to assume that a majority of hospitalized stroke patients will encounter a hospitalist, if not for acute treatment, then for ongoing medical management.

Some hospitalists think stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)—temporary neurological deficits sometimes called “mini-strokes,” and a major risk factor for full-blown strokes—are among the most common diseases seen by hospitalists.1 Acute stroke care is a growing part of HM practice because neurologist availability in emergent situations varies widely between hospitals. The rapid evolution of stroke treatment and the time-sensitive needs of stroke patients represents a huge opportunity for hospitalists to fill that void for their hospitals—whether they want to or not.

“I think hospitalists are fully capable of learning and mastering stroke care, but it requires both interest and training,” Dr. Cumbler says.

HM Can Help Fill a Void

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), there are four neurologists per 100,000 Americans, and not all of those neurologists specialize in stroke care.2 The scarcity of neurological specialists means that in many hospitals, a neurologist won’t be available for the critical assessment and treatment decisions required in the first few hours after a stroke is diagnosed. Yet many hospitalists complain that their preparation during internal-medicine residency did not equip them to care for acute stroke patients.3

S. Andrew Josephson, MD, a neurovascular physician and director of the neurohospitalist program at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center, says the number of hospitalists on the front lines of acute stroke care is growing every day. “A new stroke is a very treatable neurological emergency that requires ultra-fast intervention,”7 Dr. Josephson says, “and hospitalists, increasingly, are the people who matter most in that intervention.” The reason, in most cases, is hospitalists are available at all times, and neurologists aren’t.

Given variable access to neurologists at the time of urgent need in many hospitals, the actions hospitalists can take in acute stroke management include:

• Become better trained in stroke care. Sessions on stroke management are included in numerous HM educational programs, including SHM conferences and in continuing medical education (CME) offerings from such groups as the American Academy of Neurology (see “Stroke Training, Resources, and Opportunities,” p. 30).
• Partner with neurologists in your hospital. One trend is to develop a neurohospitalist practice.
• Push for increased organization and response times for stroke patients. Given HM’s focus on quality and patient safety, hospitalists are natural champions for improving systems of care for stroke. Hospitalists can work with neurologists, radiologists, pharmacists, and other providers to develop stroke treatment protocols and rapid response capabilities.
• Help develop a stroke team, and seek certification as a primary stroke center. The Joint Commission certifies stroke centers (www.jointcommission.org/CertificationPrograms/PrimaryStroke Centers) based on demonstrated compliance with disease-based standards, effective use of clinical practice guidelines, and performance-improvement activities.
• Establish a collaborative relationship with a regional stroke center or tertiary hospital. This could manifest as a telemedicine link to aid in stroke assessment and treatment decisions (see “Rural Response: The ‘Drip and Ship’ Method,” p. 28).
• Refine approaches to more rapidly identify and work up patients who experience a stroke while they are in the hospital.

Hospitalists are going to continue to be out front on stroke management.

—S. Andrew Josephson, MD, director, neurohospitalist program, University of California at San Francisco Medical Center

Streamline In-Hospital Stroke Response

From 6.5% to 15% of stroke patients experience their stroke while they are in the hospital.4 “Hospitals are not always geared up to deal with neurological emergencies, and yet these patients are firmly within our domain,” Dr. Cumbler says. “We found that it took three times longer in our hospital to complete the evaluation when the stroke happened in the hospital than for strokes presenting in the emergency department.”

Through a hospitalwide quality-improvement (QI) project, UCD’s in-hospital stroke response time was reduced to 37 minutes from 70 minutes.

A comprehensive approach to stroke QI should include training first witnesses in the hospital (e.g., nurses, physical therapists, and housekeepers) to recognize potential stroke symptoms; creating a rapid response capability from personnel who understand how to evaluate and treat suspected stroke and are able to respond quickly; and making suspected stroke a top priority in the radiology lab.

Stroke patient management processes need to be improved and provider roles better defined. Hospitalists can help on the frontlines, and should advocate for quality and patient safety measures.

“Stroke has so many facets: the need to reduce risk, to educate the public about the need for prompt response, the appropriate evaluation of risks and benefits of treatment,” Dr. Cumbler says. “How do you achieve a system in the hospital where patients are fully able to realize benefits of all these advances? I think there’s something in stroke treatment for every hospitalist and, for those with a particular interest, opportunities to play leadership roles.”

New Era in Stroke Care

Many compare the evolution of stroke care to that of more common conditions, and hospitalists have a buffet of new and improved treatments and technologies at their disposal. “This is an interesting time in the treatment of stroke,” Dr. Cumbler says. “We are at the cusp of a new era. Previously, stroke was one of the classic neurologic issues in hospital medicine, but we did not have much to offer. Now, as with heart attack, we have a growing array of urgent and effective treatment options, and new imaging techniques to determine whether to treat and with what type of treatment.”

New and emerging treatment approaches include:

• Induced hypothermia, to protect the brain;
• Enhanced thrombolytics by ultrasound;
• Perfusion-based treatment time windows;
• Recanalization;
• Extended cardiac telemetry targeting atrial fibrillation;
• Neuroprotective agents; and
• Pressor usage to raise blood pressure in the post-stroke patient.

Interventional strategies seek to combine intravenous t-PA with localized techniques to open occluded vessels. While these are cutting-edge and not yet integrated into medical routine, “they illustrate why stroke management is so exciting right now,” Dr. Cumbler says.

As stroke treatment becomes more standardized, hospitals will expect HM physicians to be thoroughly versed in optimal stroke care, says David Yu, MD, MBA, FACP, medical director of hospitalist services at Decatur Memorial Hospital in Illinois and a member of Team Hospitalist. “There will be a shift in hospital medicine, with the practice of neurology becoming more open to non-neurologists,” he says. “As opportunities for stroke treatment increase, more responsibility will fall on hospitalists. It is part of the evolution of our field.”

That evolution is reflected in Medicare’s decision in 2005 to begin paying hospitals a higher diagnostic-related grouping (DRG) rate for administering intravenous t-PA.5 DRG 559 pays a hospital about $6,000 more, regionally adjusted, for stroke treatment that includes intravenous t-PA, compared with stroke care without it. That differential creates incentives for the hospital to invest in infrastructure, staffing, and training.

The Neurohospitalist

Recent journal articles have explored the emergence of neurohospitalists—hybrid physicians who are loosely defined as neurologists whose primary focus is the care of hospitalized patients. The neurohospitalist trend is spurred by the same time and fiscal constraints that drove the HM movement, says William Freeman, MD, neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and coauthor of one of those articles.6

Office-based neurologists increasingly are unavailable to respond to neurological emergencies in the hospital. Depending on the size of the hospital and its need for specialist access, an organized neurohospitalist group covering a schedule in the hospital could make significant contributions to quality of care, length of stay, and other stroke outcomes, Dr. Freeman says. “This field is starting to gel and crystallize, as more neurologists find themselves focusing their practice on site of care,” he notes.

Although not all experts agree, Dr. Freeman says that general hospitalists could become neurohospitalists, and vice versa. Neurologists could learn more internal medicine, and the two groups could work together more closely, he says.

Dr. Josephson of the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center reserves the term “neurohospitalist” for neurologists, but adds that medical hospitalists can manage neurologic disorders. He also sees potential for joint research on the management of hospitalized neurologic patients.

Drs. Freeman and Josephson have led discussions of the neurohospitalist model, both within AAN and in a recent conference call with SHM representatives. Data are limited on the numbers of physicians practicing this specialty, but job postings are growing and a neurohospitalist listserv sponsored by AAN grew to 250 members from 50 within six months. The University of California at San Francisco Medical Center established the first neurohospitalist fellowship in 2008, and a neurohospitalist journal is in development. “Most stroke patients are not seen by neurologists. I keep saying that at stroke conventions,” Dr. Josephson explains. “Hospitalists are going to continue to be out front on stroke management. Some will have a neurologist available. More likely, the hospitalist and neurologist will be participating in acute stroke management as part of some system of care with the emergency department or critical care.” TH

Larry Beresford is a freelance writer based in Oakland, Calif.

References

1. Glasheen J, Cumbler E, Tailoring internal medicine training to improve hospitalist outcomes. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:204-205.
2. Telemedicine helps experts treat stroke from afar. National Stroke Association Web site. Available at: http://www.stroke.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8208&news_iv_ctrl=1221. Accessed Nov. 4, 2009.
3. Plauth WH, Pantilat SZ, Wachter RM, Fenton CL. Hospitalists’ perceptions of their residency training needs: results of a national survey. Am J Med. 2001;111(3)247-254.
4. Blacker DJ. In-hospital stroke. Lancet Neurol. 2003;2(12):741-746.
5. Demaerschalk BM, Durocher DL. How diagnosis-related group 559 will change the US Medicare cost reimbursement ratio for stroke centers. Stroke. 2007;38:1309-1312.
6. Freeman WD, Gronseth G, Eidelman BH. Is it time for neurohospitalists? Neurology. 2009;72:476-477.
7. Hacke W, Kaste M, Bluhmki E, et al. Thrombolysis with alteplase 3 to 4.5 hours after acute ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(13):1317-1329.
8. Del Zoppo GJ, Saver JL, Jauch EC, Adams HP Jr. American Heart Association Stroke Council. Expansion of the time window for treatment of acute ischemic stroke with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator: a science advisory from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2009;40(8):2945-2948.
9. Lyden P. Thrombolytic therapy for acute stroke—not a moment to lose. N Engl J Med. 2008;359:1393-1397.
10. Doheny K. Few stroke patients get clot-busting drug. Business Week Web site. Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/624280.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2009.
11. Sacco RL, Diener HC, Yusuf S, et al. Aspirin and extended-release dipyridamole versus clopidogrel for recurrent strokes. N Engl J Med. 2008;359:1238-1251.
12. Cumbler E, Glasheen J. Risk stratification tools for TIA: Which patients require hospital admission? J Hosp Med. 2009;4:247-251.
13. Johnston SC, Rothwell PM, Nguyen-Huynh MN, et al. Validation and refinement of scores to predict very early stroke risk after transient ischaemic attack. Lancet. 2007; 369:283-292.
14. Cumbler E, Glasheen J. Management of blood pressure after acute ischemic stroke: An evidence-based guide for the hospitalist. J Hosp Med. 2007;2:261-267.

Image Source: FORESTPATH/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Listen to HM pioneer Bob Wachter recap his HM09 keynote address about the quality and patient safety revolution

Listen to HM pioneer Bob Wachter recap his HM09 keynote address about the quality and patient safety revolution

Listen to HM pioneer Bob Wachter recap his HM09 keynote address about the quality and patient safety revolution

There are times when Dan Hale, MD, FAAP, wishes he had more standardized tools to use when he leads a team of four full-time and four part-time pediatric hospitalists at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston. Even after five years at the community hospital, the pediatric HM program still is searching for the best way to hand off patients who are leaving the hospital to their primary-care physicians (PCPs).

It also would be beneficial to have markers against which CMMC could compare itself with similarly sized pediatric HM programs around the country, says Dr. Hale, chief of pediatrics at the medical center. CMMC, which averages about 4,000 patient encounters per year, is one of three hospitals in the state with a pediatric HM program. “It would be nice to see progress being made in these areas,” he says.

Dr. Hale might not have to wait long to see his wishes granted. More than 20 pediatric hospitalists from across the nation met in Chicago earlier this year, intent on developing a strategic framework for pediatric HM (PHM). About 10% of the 30,000-plus hospitalists practicing in the U.S. focus exclusively on pediatrics, according to SHM’s 2007-2008 “Bi-Annual Survey on the State of the Hospital Medicine Movement.” Like the hospitalist movement in general, PHM is growing in number and influence as pediatric hospitalists take on leadership roles and develop working relationships with hospital administrators. The time has come to clearly define the discipline for other physicians, as well as patients and their families, and leverage PHM’s growth and usefulness to improve medical care for children, says Erin Stucky, MD, FHM, a pediatric hospitalist at Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center in San Diego.

With this dashboard, we want to be able to say, “Here are the things you should look at to ensure quality care for your kids, and as you look at them, you should probably track them over time.”

—Jennifer Daru, MD, FAAP, FHM, chief, division of pediatric hospital medicine, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco

“It’s a little bit of pie in the sky, a little bit of rose-colored glasses, but it’s good to aim high,” she says.

Some PHM leaders think the subspecialty has advanced enough in recent years to apply its collective knowledge and influence on a broader stage. “We have gone through our adolescence, and now we are a big community,” says Jack Percelay, MD, MPH, FHM, a pediatric hospitalist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New York City and SHM board member. “We’re active at almost all the major medical centers and we need to step up to the plate. We need to start the hard work of bringing our vision to fruition.”

Definition and Strategy

Drs. Stucky and Percelay attended the Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) Strategic Planning Roundtable and serve on the roundtable’s planning committee. SHM, the Academic Pediatric Association (APA), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sponsored the gathering, which included young and veteran pediatric hospitalists, clinicians, researchers, and hospitalists from academic, children’s, and community hospitals. The net was cast far and wide to gather information from a broad cross-section of stakeholders.

We have gone through our adolescence and now we are a big community. We’re active at almost all the major medical centers and we need to step up to the plate.

—Jack Percelay, MD, MPH, FHM, pediatric hospitalist, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, New York City, SHM board member

As pediatric hospitalists strive to better demonstrate how they can help hospitals improve the quality of patient care and safety while decreasing its cost, the roundtable is charged with defining and educating healthcare professionals on the key issues. Also in the crosshairs: simultaneously advancing evidence-based medicine and family-based care.

“We need to distinguish that we are not just house physicians, but really establish ourselves as content-area knowledge experts,” Dr. Percelay says. In other words, pediatric hospitalists are physicians who specialize in effective and efficient medicine in resource-intensive facilities.

Pediatric hospitalists also grapple with how to enhance career satisfaction and sustainability at a time when many PHM programs require a burdensome clinical load that fosters burnout. Many PHM leaders also think pediatric hospitalists need extra training but fear they will lose those physicians to fellowships. And as the PHM ranks fill with physicians who have little or no outpatient training, there is the challenge of explaining the capabilities and limitations pediatric hospitalists and primary-care physicians (PCPs) have in order to avoid unrealistic expectations and friction.

Participants in the strategic roundtable aim to address several broad goals outlined in an executive summary, which can be viewed in the “Section on Hospital Medicine” on the AAP Web site (www.aap.org/sections/hospcare/default.cfm). The following are some of the goals:

• Ensure care for hospitalized children is fully integrated and includes the medical home;
• Design and support systems for children that eliminate harm associated with hospital care;
• Develop a skilled and stable workforce that provides expert care for hospitalized children;
• Use collaborative research models to answer questions of clinical efficacy, comparative effectiveness, and quality improvement inclusive of patient safety, and deliver care based on that knowledge;
• Provide the expertise that supports innovative continuing education in the care of the hospitalized child for pediatric hospitalists, trainees, midlevel providers, and hospital staff;
• Create value and provide academic and systems leadership for patients and organizations based on pediatric hospitalists’ unique expertise in PHM clinical care, research, and education; and
• Be leaders and influential agents in local, state, and national healthcare policies that affect hospital care.

Although it was discussed, the roundtable decided against the establishment of a professional organization for pediatric hospitalists. Instead, the group agreed to continue to utilize the resources and organizational support provided by SHM, APA, and AAP. All three groups contributed money to the roundtable, sent representatives to the meeting, and are interested in the results.

DRASCHWARTZ/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

“The Academic Pediatric Association has been involved with pediatric hospital medicine from the beginning, and we plan on continuing our involvement,” says Daniel Rauch, MD, FHM, associate director of pediatrics at Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York City and co-chair of the APA’s Hospital Medicine Special Interest Group, which is paying close attention to PHM education and research issues.

Strategic Initiatives

The roundtable established four workgroups: clinical practice/workforce, quality and safety, research, and education. The workgroups are directed to create strategic initiative projects focused on advancing the goals laid out at the roundtable meeting and complete most of the projects no later than the July 2010 PHM Conference in Minneapolis (see “A Closer Look at the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Initiatives,” p. 7). At the 2009 PHM conference in Tampa, Fla., roundtable participants reported on some of the initiatives’ preliminary results.

“I walked away … energized and ready to help change the world, which is a pretty great feeling,” says Jennifer Daru, MD, FAAP, FHM, chief of the division of pediatric hospital medicine at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and co-leader of the roundtable’s clinical practice/workforce workgroup.

One of Dr. Daru’s workgroup’s strategic initiative projects should make Dr. Hale and his pediatric hospitalists at Central Maine Medical Center happy. Dr. Daru’s group is creating a clinical practice dashboard template that PHM programs can use to internally track patient care and compare themselves with other programs and national standards.

“I think very few programs have a dashboard, because it’s a relatively newer thing for pediatric hospital medicine,” Dr. Daru says. “With this dashboard, we want to be able to say, ‘Here are the things you should look at to ensure quality care for your kids, and as you look at them, you should probably track them over time.’ ”

Steve Narang, MD, medical director of quality/safety and pediatric emergency services at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., is leading the quality and safety workgroup, which is focused on patient identification, patient handoffs between pediatric hospitalists and PCPs, and clinical outcomes for common pediatric diagnoses.

“Most doctors don’t like standardized forms or cookbook medicine, but they do understand good care. Hopefully, we will show success in these initiatives and they will serve as a launching pad to other initiatives,” Dr. Narang says.

Dr. Hale, for one, is excited by the initiatives and workgroups, and optimistic the strategic projects will help his program. In recent years, the PHM community has talked about these kinds of advances, and he’s encouraged to see them moving forward. “These initiatives contribute to the strength of our field,” says Dr. Hale, who also serves on the executive board of AAP’s Maine chapter.

About 80 pediatric hospitalists have volunteered to help with the strategic initiatives. Earlier this year, a request for help was broadcast over the Section on Hospital Medicine listserv run by the AAP. It was announced at HM09 in Chicago and the PHM conference in Tampa. Everyone who submitted a resume or CV, references, and a statement of interest is included, Dr. Percelay says. “This is not supposed to be some exclusive club that no one can get into,” he says. “We are committed to a transparent process.”

While the application deadline has passed, organizers expect additional calls for volunteers in the future as strategic projects move forward, projects are added, and current volunteers depart (see “How to Get Involved,” above).

“They will be the next volunteer go-tos. We will essentially build them into new projects that come up or if gaps emerge,” Dr. Daru says. “We want to have as many people as possible who are really motivated.”

Group Effort

You don’t necessarily have to volunteer for workgroups to be a part of the broader effort. You can read and comment on draft reports released by some of the project teams, or review the roundtable’s executive summary and find ways to apply the vision and goals to your own PHM program, says Mark Shen, MD, medical director of hospital medicine at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, and pediatric editor of The Hospitalist.

“If each pediatric hospitalist set strategic initiatives for their own group or hospital, chances are they would find remarkable similarity between what they came up with and what the strategic planning roundtable came up with,” says Dr. Shen, who is directing one of the quality and safety workgroup’s initiatives. “There are plenty of ways to think globally and act locally.” TH

Lisa Ryan is a freelance writer based in New Jersey.

Top Image Source: HOMER SYKES/ALAMY

A Closer Look at the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Initiatives

Four workgroups emerged from the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Strategic Planning Roundtable in February. Each group was charged with directing strategic initiative projects over the next 16 to 18 months. The mission is to transform the delivery of hospital care for children. Here is a synopsis of the workgroup initiatives, some of which have estimated completion dates:

SJLOCKE/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Clinical Practice/Workforce

• Create a PHM position paper that defines what it means to be a pediatric hospitalist and where the field is headed. A progress report is to be published within the next few months.
• Create a clinical practice dashboard template that PHM programs can use to monitor patient care and eventually compare their program with other programs and national standards. The template will include such markers as patient readmissions and pediatric rapid response events that PHM programs should measure and track. The first version of the dashboard template should be ready by the end of 2009; test sites are to be selected by 2010.
• Develop a “return on investment” document to help pediatric hospitalists effectively discuss with hospital administrators and other stakeholders the benefits of adding or expanding PHM programs. Target deadline: February 2010.
• Assess career satisfaction among pediatric hospitalists. A large part of this initiative will involve SHM’s career satisfaction survey.

Quality and Safety

• Launch a safety project involving six to eight hospitals that is aimed at improving pediatric patient identification. Preliminary results are expected by July 2010.
• Develop a standardized communications tool that pediatric hospitalists can use when handing off patients to primary-care physicians after patients leave the hospital.
• Create a benchmarking process for the most common pediatric inpatient diagnoses (e.g., bronchiolitis, skin infections, and pneumonia) by expanding the Value in Inpatient Pediatrics (VIP) Network, a pediatric-hospitalist-led effort to find cost-effective ways to treat patients.

Research

• Restructure the existing Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) network, an independent entity founded through a joint SHM-AAP-APA effort, to better advance research on issues important to pediatric care.
• Secure funding to conduct studies relevant to inpatient pediatrics. Tap into American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding for comparative effectiveness research. Target deadline: ARRA proposals by fall 2009.
• Create a mentorship system to connect pediatric hospitalists who are interested in research with PHM researchers through the AAP listserv.

Education

• Develop an educational plan supporting PHM core competencies to assist medical schools, post-graduate training programs, and continuing medical education programs in PHM teaching. The core competencies should be released by the end of the year.
• Meet the needs of PHM educators by focusing efforts on topics of interest to them, such as family-centered rounds, night float curriculum, and handoffs. Establish a repository of curriculum information that educators can access for guidance.

There are times when Dan Hale, MD, FAAP, wishes he had more standardized tools to use when he leads a team of four full-time and four part-time pediatric hospitalists at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston. Even after five years at the community hospital, the pediatric HM program still is searching for the best way to hand off patients who are leaving the hospital to their primary-care physicians (PCPs).

It also would be beneficial to have markers against which CMMC could compare itself with similarly sized pediatric HM programs around the country, says Dr. Hale, chief of pediatrics at the medical center. CMMC, which averages about 4,000 patient encounters per year, is one of three hospitals in the state with a pediatric HM program. “It would be nice to see progress being made in these areas,” he says.

Dr. Hale might not have to wait long to see his wishes granted. More than 20 pediatric hospitalists from across the nation met in Chicago earlier this year, intent on developing a strategic framework for pediatric HM (PHM). About 10% of the 30,000-plus hospitalists practicing in the U.S. focus exclusively on pediatrics, according to SHM’s 2007-2008 “Bi-Annual Survey on the State of the Hospital Medicine Movement.” Like the hospitalist movement in general, PHM is growing in number and influence as pediatric hospitalists take on leadership roles and develop working relationships with hospital administrators. The time has come to clearly define the discipline for other physicians, as well as patients and their families, and leverage PHM’s growth and usefulness to improve medical care for children, says Erin Stucky, MD, FHM, a pediatric hospitalist at Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center in San Diego.

With this dashboard, we want to be able to say, “Here are the things you should look at to ensure quality care for your kids, and as you look at them, you should probably track them over time.”

—Jennifer Daru, MD, FAAP, FHM, chief, division of pediatric hospital medicine, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco

“It’s a little bit of pie in the sky, a little bit of rose-colored glasses, but it’s good to aim high,” she says.

Some PHM leaders think the subspecialty has advanced enough in recent years to apply its collective knowledge and influence on a broader stage. “We have gone through our adolescence, and now we are a big community,” says Jack Percelay, MD, MPH, FHM, a pediatric hospitalist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New York City and SHM board member. “We’re active at almost all the major medical centers and we need to step up to the plate. We need to start the hard work of bringing our vision to fruition.”

Definition and Strategy

Drs. Stucky and Percelay attended the Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) Strategic Planning Roundtable and serve on the roundtable’s planning committee. SHM, the Academic Pediatric Association (APA), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sponsored the gathering, which included young and veteran pediatric hospitalists, clinicians, researchers, and hospitalists from academic, children’s, and community hospitals. The net was cast far and wide to gather information from a broad cross-section of stakeholders.

We have gone through our adolescence and now we are a big community. We’re active at almost all the major medical centers and we need to step up to the plate.

—Jack Percelay, MD, MPH, FHM, pediatric hospitalist, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, New York City, SHM board member

As pediatric hospitalists strive to better demonstrate how they can help hospitals improve the quality of patient care and safety while decreasing its cost, the roundtable is charged with defining and educating healthcare professionals on the key issues. Also in the crosshairs: simultaneously advancing evidence-based medicine and family-based care.

“We need to distinguish that we are not just house physicians, but really establish ourselves as content-area knowledge experts,” Dr. Percelay says. In other words, pediatric hospitalists are physicians who specialize in effective and efficient medicine in resource-intensive facilities.

Pediatric hospitalists also grapple with how to enhance career satisfaction and sustainability at a time when many PHM programs require a burdensome clinical load that fosters burnout. Many PHM leaders also think pediatric hospitalists need extra training but fear they will lose those physicians to fellowships. And as the PHM ranks fill with physicians who have little or no outpatient training, there is the challenge of explaining the capabilities and limitations pediatric hospitalists and primary-care physicians (PCPs) have in order to avoid unrealistic expectations and friction.

Participants in the strategic roundtable aim to address several broad goals outlined in an executive summary, which can be viewed in the “Section on Hospital Medicine” on the AAP Web site (www.aap.org/sections/hospcare/default.cfm). The following are some of the goals:

• Ensure care for hospitalized children is fully integrated and includes the medical home;
• Design and support systems for children that eliminate harm associated with hospital care;
• Develop a skilled and stable workforce that provides expert care for hospitalized children;
• Use collaborative research models to answer questions of clinical efficacy, comparative effectiveness, and quality improvement inclusive of patient safety, and deliver care based on that knowledge;
• Provide the expertise that supports innovative continuing education in the care of the hospitalized child for pediatric hospitalists, trainees, midlevel providers, and hospital staff;
• Create value and provide academic and systems leadership for patients and organizations based on pediatric hospitalists’ unique expertise in PHM clinical care, research, and education; and
• Be leaders and influential agents in local, state, and national healthcare policies that affect hospital care.

Although it was discussed, the roundtable decided against the establishment of a professional organization for pediatric hospitalists. Instead, the group agreed to continue to utilize the resources and organizational support provided by SHM, APA, and AAP. All three groups contributed money to the roundtable, sent representatives to the meeting, and are interested in the results.

DRASCHWARTZ/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

“The Academic Pediatric Association has been involved with pediatric hospital medicine from the beginning, and we plan on continuing our involvement,” says Daniel Rauch, MD, FHM, associate director of pediatrics at Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York City and co-chair of the APA’s Hospital Medicine Special Interest Group, which is paying close attention to PHM education and research issues.

Strategic Initiatives

The roundtable established four workgroups: clinical practice/workforce, quality and safety, research, and education. The workgroups are directed to create strategic initiative projects focused on advancing the goals laid out at the roundtable meeting and complete most of the projects no later than the July 2010 PHM Conference in Minneapolis (see “A Closer Look at the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Initiatives,” p. 7). At the 2009 PHM conference in Tampa, Fla., roundtable participants reported on some of the initiatives’ preliminary results.

“I walked away … energized and ready to help change the world, which is a pretty great feeling,” says Jennifer Daru, MD, FAAP, FHM, chief of the division of pediatric hospital medicine at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and co-leader of the roundtable’s clinical practice/workforce workgroup.

One of Dr. Daru’s workgroup’s strategic initiative projects should make Dr. Hale and his pediatric hospitalists at Central Maine Medical Center happy. Dr. Daru’s group is creating a clinical practice dashboard template that PHM programs can use to internally track patient care and compare themselves with other programs and national standards.

“I think very few programs have a dashboard, because it’s a relatively newer thing for pediatric hospital medicine,” Dr. Daru says. “With this dashboard, we want to be able to say, ‘Here are the things you should look at to ensure quality care for your kids, and as you look at them, you should probably track them over time.’ ”

Steve Narang, MD, medical director of quality/safety and pediatric emergency services at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., is leading the quality and safety workgroup, which is focused on patient identification, patient handoffs between pediatric hospitalists and PCPs, and clinical outcomes for common pediatric diagnoses.

“Most doctors don’t like standardized forms or cookbook medicine, but they do understand good care. Hopefully, we will show success in these initiatives and they will serve as a launching pad to other initiatives,” Dr. Narang says.

Dr. Hale, for one, is excited by the initiatives and workgroups, and optimistic the strategic projects will help his program. In recent years, the PHM community has talked about these kinds of advances, and he’s encouraged to see them moving forward. “These initiatives contribute to the strength of our field,” says Dr. Hale, who also serves on the executive board of AAP’s Maine chapter.

About 80 pediatric hospitalists have volunteered to help with the strategic initiatives. Earlier this year, a request for help was broadcast over the Section on Hospital Medicine listserv run by the AAP. It was announced at HM09 in Chicago and the PHM conference in Tampa. Everyone who submitted a resume or CV, references, and a statement of interest is included, Dr. Percelay says. “This is not supposed to be some exclusive club that no one can get into,” he says. “We are committed to a transparent process.”

While the application deadline has passed, organizers expect additional calls for volunteers in the future as strategic projects move forward, projects are added, and current volunteers depart (see “How to Get Involved,” above).

“They will be the next volunteer go-tos. We will essentially build them into new projects that come up or if gaps emerge,” Dr. Daru says. “We want to have as many people as possible who are really motivated.”

Group Effort

You don’t necessarily have to volunteer for workgroups to be a part of the broader effort. You can read and comment on draft reports released by some of the project teams, or review the roundtable’s executive summary and find ways to apply the vision and goals to your own PHM program, says Mark Shen, MD, medical director of hospital medicine at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, and pediatric editor of The Hospitalist.

“If each pediatric hospitalist set strategic initiatives for their own group or hospital, chances are they would find remarkable similarity between what they came up with and what the strategic planning roundtable came up with,” says Dr. Shen, who is directing one of the quality and safety workgroup’s initiatives. “There are plenty of ways to think globally and act locally.” TH

Lisa Ryan is a freelance writer based in New Jersey.

Top Image Source: HOMER SYKES/ALAMY

A Closer Look at the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Initiatives

Four workgroups emerged from the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Strategic Planning Roundtable in February. Each group was charged with directing strategic initiative projects over the next 16 to 18 months. The mission is to transform the delivery of hospital care for children. Here is a synopsis of the workgroup initiatives, some of which have estimated completion dates:

SJLOCKE/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Clinical Practice/Workforce

• Create a PHM position paper that defines what it means to be a pediatric hospitalist and where the field is headed. A progress report is to be published within the next few months.
• Create a clinical practice dashboard template that PHM programs can use to monitor patient care and eventually compare their program with other programs and national standards. The template will include such markers as patient readmissions and pediatric rapid response events that PHM programs should measure and track. The first version of the dashboard template should be ready by the end of 2009; test sites are to be selected by 2010.
• Develop a “return on investment” document to help pediatric hospitalists effectively discuss with hospital administrators and other stakeholders the benefits of adding or expanding PHM programs. Target deadline: February 2010.
• Assess career satisfaction among pediatric hospitalists. A large part of this initiative will involve SHM’s career satisfaction survey.

Quality and Safety

• Launch a safety project involving six to eight hospitals that is aimed at improving pediatric patient identification. Preliminary results are expected by July 2010.
• Develop a standardized communications tool that pediatric hospitalists can use when handing off patients to primary-care physicians after patients leave the hospital.
• Create a benchmarking process for the most common pediatric inpatient diagnoses (e.g., bronchiolitis, skin infections, and pneumonia) by expanding the Value in Inpatient Pediatrics (VIP) Network, a pediatric-hospitalist-led effort to find cost-effective ways to treat patients.

Research

• Restructure the existing Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) network, an independent entity founded through a joint SHM-AAP-APA effort, to better advance research on issues important to pediatric care.
• Secure funding to conduct studies relevant to inpatient pediatrics. Tap into American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding for comparative effectiveness research. Target deadline: ARRA proposals by fall 2009.
• Create a mentorship system to connect pediatric hospitalists who are interested in research with PHM researchers through the AAP listserv.

Education

• Develop an educational plan supporting PHM core competencies to assist medical schools, post-graduate training programs, and continuing medical education programs in PHM teaching. The core competencies should be released by the end of the year.
• Meet the needs of PHM educators by focusing efforts on topics of interest to them, such as family-centered rounds, night float curriculum, and handoffs. Establish a repository of curriculum information that educators can access for guidance.

There are times when Dan Hale, MD, FAAP, wishes he had more standardized tools to use when he leads a team of four full-time and four part-time pediatric hospitalists at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston. Even after five years at the community hospital, the pediatric HM program still is searching for the best way to hand off patients who are leaving the hospital to their primary-care physicians (PCPs).

It also would be beneficial to have markers against which CMMC could compare itself with similarly sized pediatric HM programs around the country, says Dr. Hale, chief of pediatrics at the medical center. CMMC, which averages about 4,000 patient encounters per year, is one of three hospitals in the state with a pediatric HM program. “It would be nice to see progress being made in these areas,” he says.

Dr. Hale might not have to wait long to see his wishes granted. More than 20 pediatric hospitalists from across the nation met in Chicago earlier this year, intent on developing a strategic framework for pediatric HM (PHM). About 10% of the 30,000-plus hospitalists practicing in the U.S. focus exclusively on pediatrics, according to SHM’s 2007-2008 “Bi-Annual Survey on the State of the Hospital Medicine Movement.” Like the hospitalist movement in general, PHM is growing in number and influence as pediatric hospitalists take on leadership roles and develop working relationships with hospital administrators. The time has come to clearly define the discipline for other physicians, as well as patients and their families, and leverage PHM’s growth and usefulness to improve medical care for children, says Erin Stucky, MD, FHM, a pediatric hospitalist at Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center in San Diego.

With this dashboard, we want to be able to say, “Here are the things you should look at to ensure quality care for your kids, and as you look at them, you should probably track them over time.”

—Jennifer Daru, MD, FAAP, FHM, chief, division of pediatric hospital medicine, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco

“It’s a little bit of pie in the sky, a little bit of rose-colored glasses, but it’s good to aim high,” she says.

Some PHM leaders think the subspecialty has advanced enough in recent years to apply its collective knowledge and influence on a broader stage. “We have gone through our adolescence, and now we are a big community,” says Jack Percelay, MD, MPH, FHM, a pediatric hospitalist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New York City and SHM board member. “We’re active at almost all the major medical centers and we need to step up to the plate. We need to start the hard work of bringing our vision to fruition.”

Definition and Strategy

Drs. Stucky and Percelay attended the Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) Strategic Planning Roundtable and serve on the roundtable’s planning committee. SHM, the Academic Pediatric Association (APA), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sponsored the gathering, which included young and veteran pediatric hospitalists, clinicians, researchers, and hospitalists from academic, children’s, and community hospitals. The net was cast far and wide to gather information from a broad cross-section of stakeholders.

We have gone through our adolescence and now we are a big community. We’re active at almost all the major medical centers and we need to step up to the plate.

—Jack Percelay, MD, MPH, FHM, pediatric hospitalist, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, New York City, SHM board member

As pediatric hospitalists strive to better demonstrate how they can help hospitals improve the quality of patient care and safety while decreasing its cost, the roundtable is charged with defining and educating healthcare professionals on the key issues. Also in the crosshairs: simultaneously advancing evidence-based medicine and family-based care.

“We need to distinguish that we are not just house physicians, but really establish ourselves as content-area knowledge experts,” Dr. Percelay says. In other words, pediatric hospitalists are physicians who specialize in effective and efficient medicine in resource-intensive facilities.

Pediatric hospitalists also grapple with how to enhance career satisfaction and sustainability at a time when many PHM programs require a burdensome clinical load that fosters burnout. Many PHM leaders also think pediatric hospitalists need extra training but fear they will lose those physicians to fellowships. And as the PHM ranks fill with physicians who have little or no outpatient training, there is the challenge of explaining the capabilities and limitations pediatric hospitalists and primary-care physicians (PCPs) have in order to avoid unrealistic expectations and friction.

Participants in the strategic roundtable aim to address several broad goals outlined in an executive summary, which can be viewed in the “Section on Hospital Medicine” on the AAP Web site (www.aap.org/sections/hospcare/default.cfm). The following are some of the goals:

• Ensure care for hospitalized children is fully integrated and includes the medical home;
• Design and support systems for children that eliminate harm associated with hospital care;
• Develop a skilled and stable workforce that provides expert care for hospitalized children;
• Use collaborative research models to answer questions of clinical efficacy, comparative effectiveness, and quality improvement inclusive of patient safety, and deliver care based on that knowledge;
• Provide the expertise that supports innovative continuing education in the care of the hospitalized child for pediatric hospitalists, trainees, midlevel providers, and hospital staff;
• Create value and provide academic and systems leadership for patients and organizations based on pediatric hospitalists’ unique expertise in PHM clinical care, research, and education; and
• Be leaders and influential agents in local, state, and national healthcare policies that affect hospital care.

Although it was discussed, the roundtable decided against the establishment of a professional organization for pediatric hospitalists. Instead, the group agreed to continue to utilize the resources and organizational support provided by SHM, APA, and AAP. All three groups contributed money to the roundtable, sent representatives to the meeting, and are interested in the results.

DRASCHWARTZ/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

“The Academic Pediatric Association has been involved with pediatric hospital medicine from the beginning, and we plan on continuing our involvement,” says Daniel Rauch, MD, FHM, associate director of pediatrics at Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York City and co-chair of the APA’s Hospital Medicine Special Interest Group, which is paying close attention to PHM education and research issues.

Strategic Initiatives

The roundtable established four workgroups: clinical practice/workforce, quality and safety, research, and education. The workgroups are directed to create strategic initiative projects focused on advancing the goals laid out at the roundtable meeting and complete most of the projects no later than the July 2010 PHM Conference in Minneapolis (see “A Closer Look at the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Initiatives,” p. 7). At the 2009 PHM conference in Tampa, Fla., roundtable participants reported on some of the initiatives’ preliminary results.

“I walked away … energized and ready to help change the world, which is a pretty great feeling,” says Jennifer Daru, MD, FAAP, FHM, chief of the division of pediatric hospital medicine at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and co-leader of the roundtable’s clinical practice/workforce workgroup.

One of Dr. Daru’s workgroup’s strategic initiative projects should make Dr. Hale and his pediatric hospitalists at Central Maine Medical Center happy. Dr. Daru’s group is creating a clinical practice dashboard template that PHM programs can use to internally track patient care and compare themselves with other programs and national standards.

“I think very few programs have a dashboard, because it’s a relatively newer thing for pediatric hospital medicine,” Dr. Daru says. “With this dashboard, we want to be able to say, ‘Here are the things you should look at to ensure quality care for your kids, and as you look at them, you should probably track them over time.’ ”

Steve Narang, MD, medical director of quality/safety and pediatric emergency services at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., is leading the quality and safety workgroup, which is focused on patient identification, patient handoffs between pediatric hospitalists and PCPs, and clinical outcomes for common pediatric diagnoses.

“Most doctors don’t like standardized forms or cookbook medicine, but they do understand good care. Hopefully, we will show success in these initiatives and they will serve as a launching pad to other initiatives,” Dr. Narang says.

Dr. Hale, for one, is excited by the initiatives and workgroups, and optimistic the strategic projects will help his program. In recent years, the PHM community has talked about these kinds of advances, and he’s encouraged to see them moving forward. “These initiatives contribute to the strength of our field,” says Dr. Hale, who also serves on the executive board of AAP’s Maine chapter.

About 80 pediatric hospitalists have volunteered to help with the strategic initiatives. Earlier this year, a request for help was broadcast over the Section on Hospital Medicine listserv run by the AAP. It was announced at HM09 in Chicago and the PHM conference in Tampa. Everyone who submitted a resume or CV, references, and a statement of interest is included, Dr. Percelay says. “This is not supposed to be some exclusive club that no one can get into,” he says. “We are committed to a transparent process.”

While the application deadline has passed, organizers expect additional calls for volunteers in the future as strategic projects move forward, projects are added, and current volunteers depart (see “How to Get Involved,” above).

“They will be the next volunteer go-tos. We will essentially build them into new projects that come up or if gaps emerge,” Dr. Daru says. “We want to have as many people as possible who are really motivated.”

Group Effort

You don’t necessarily have to volunteer for workgroups to be a part of the broader effort. You can read and comment on draft reports released by some of the project teams, or review the roundtable’s executive summary and find ways to apply the vision and goals to your own PHM program, says Mark Shen, MD, medical director of hospital medicine at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, and pediatric editor of The Hospitalist.

“If each pediatric hospitalist set strategic initiatives for their own group or hospital, chances are they would find remarkable similarity between what they came up with and what the strategic planning roundtable came up with,” says Dr. Shen, who is directing one of the quality and safety workgroup’s initiatives. “There are plenty of ways to think globally and act locally.” TH

Lisa Ryan is a freelance writer based in New Jersey.

Top Image Source: HOMER SYKES/ALAMY

A Closer Look at the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Initiatives

Four workgroups emerged from the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Strategic Planning Roundtable in February. Each group was charged with directing strategic initiative projects over the next 16 to 18 months. The mission is to transform the delivery of hospital care for children. Here is a synopsis of the workgroup initiatives, some of which have estimated completion dates:

SJLOCKE/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Clinical Practice/Workforce

• Create a PHM position paper that defines what it means to be a pediatric hospitalist and where the field is headed. A progress report is to be published within the next few months.
• Create a clinical practice dashboard template that PHM programs can use to monitor patient care and eventually compare their program with other programs and national standards. The template will include such markers as patient readmissions and pediatric rapid response events that PHM programs should measure and track. The first version of the dashboard template should be ready by the end of 2009; test sites are to be selected by 2010.
• Develop a “return on investment” document to help pediatric hospitalists effectively discuss with hospital administrators and other stakeholders the benefits of adding or expanding PHM programs. Target deadline: February 2010.
• Assess career satisfaction among pediatric hospitalists. A large part of this initiative will involve SHM’s career satisfaction survey.

Quality and Safety

• Launch a safety project involving six to eight hospitals that is aimed at improving pediatric patient identification. Preliminary results are expected by July 2010.
• Develop a standardized communications tool that pediatric hospitalists can use when handing off patients to primary-care physicians after patients leave the hospital.
• Create a benchmarking process for the most common pediatric inpatient diagnoses (e.g., bronchiolitis, skin infections, and pneumonia) by expanding the Value in Inpatient Pediatrics (VIP) Network, a pediatric-hospitalist-led effort to find cost-effective ways to treat patients.

Research

• Restructure the existing Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) network, an independent entity founded through a joint SHM-AAP-APA effort, to better advance research on issues important to pediatric care.
• Secure funding to conduct studies relevant to inpatient pediatrics. Tap into American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding for comparative effectiveness research. Target deadline: ARRA proposals by fall 2009.
• Create a mentorship system to connect pediatric hospitalists who are interested in research with PHM researchers through the AAP listserv.

Education

• Develop an educational plan supporting PHM core competencies to assist medical schools, post-graduate training programs, and continuing medical education programs in PHM teaching. The core competencies should be released by the end of the year.
• Meet the needs of PHM educators by focusing efforts on topics of interest to them, such as family-centered rounds, night float curriculum, and handoffs. Establish a repository of curriculum information that educators can access for guidance.

Dr. Percelay, an SHM board member, says pediatric hospitalists need to: "establish ourselves as content-area knowledge experts” who specialize in effective and efficient medicine in resource-intensive facilities.

Click here to listen to the audio file

Dr. Percelay, an SHM board member, says pediatric hospitalists need to: "establish ourselves as content-area knowledge experts” who specialize in effective and efficient medicine in resource-intensive facilities.

Click here to listen to the audio file

Dr. Percelay, an SHM board member, says pediatric hospitalists need to: "establish ourselves as content-area knowledge experts” who specialize in effective and efficient medicine in resource-intensive facilities.

Click here to listen to the audio file

Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital are the Boston-based hubs for the Partners TeleStroke Network. The system connects 27 participating hospitals across three states with an escalating chain of access to stroke resources. Spoke hospitals transmit, through a secure link, such clinical data as noncontrast head CT scans to the hub, where a stroke expert “examines” the patient via live video feed and shares in the responsibility for deciding whether to initiate t-PA.

Click here to listen to the audio file.

Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital are the Boston-based hubs for the Partners TeleStroke Network. The system connects 27 participating hospitals across three states with an escalating chain of access to stroke resources. Spoke hospitals transmit, through a secure link, such clinical data as noncontrast head CT scans to the hub, where a stroke expert “examines” the patient via live video feed and shares in the responsibility for deciding whether to initiate t-PA.

Click here to listen to the audio file.

Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital are the Boston-based hubs for the Partners TeleStroke Network. The system connects 27 participating hospitals across three states with an escalating chain of access to stroke resources. Spoke hospitals transmit, through a secure link, such clinical data as noncontrast head CT scans to the hub, where a stroke expert “examines” the patient via live video feed and shares in the responsibility for deciding whether to initiate t-PA.

Click here to listen to the audio file.

Supplement Editor:
Laurence Kennedy, MD

Contents

Incretin-based therapies for type 2 diabetes mellitus: New therapeutic mechanisms
Laurence Kennedy, MD

Current antihyperglycemic treatment strategies for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Lawrence Blonde, MD

Role of the incretin pathway in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Jeffrey S. Freeman, DO

Patient and treatment perspectives: Revisiting the link between type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and cardiovascular risk
Anne L. Peters, MD, CDE

Advances in therapy for type 2 diabetes: GLP-1 receptor agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors
Jaime A. Davidson, MD

Redefining treatment success in type 2 diabetes mellitus: Comprehensive targeting of core defects
William T. Cefalu, MD; Robert J. Richards, MD; and Lydia Y. Melendez-Ramirez, MD

Supplement Editor:
Laurence Kennedy, MD

Contents

Incretin-based therapies for type 2 diabetes mellitus: New therapeutic mechanisms
Laurence Kennedy, MD

Current antihyperglycemic treatment strategies for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Lawrence Blonde, MD

Role of the incretin pathway in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Jeffrey S. Freeman, DO

Patient and treatment perspectives: Revisiting the link between type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and cardiovascular risk
Anne L. Peters, MD, CDE

Advances in therapy for type 2 diabetes: GLP-1 receptor agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors
Jaime A. Davidson, MD

Redefining treatment success in type 2 diabetes mellitus: Comprehensive targeting of core defects
William T. Cefalu, MD; Robert J. Richards, MD; and Lydia Y. Melendez-Ramirez, MD

Supplement Editor:
Laurence Kennedy, MD

Contents

Incretin-based therapies for type 2 diabetes mellitus: New therapeutic mechanisms
Laurence Kennedy, MD

Current antihyperglycemic treatment strategies for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Lawrence Blonde, MD

Role of the incretin pathway in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Jeffrey S. Freeman, DO

Patient and treatment perspectives: Revisiting the link between type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and cardiovascular risk
Anne L. Peters, MD, CDE

Advances in therapy for type 2 diabetes: GLP-1 receptor agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors
Jaime A. Davidson, MD

Redefining treatment success in type 2 diabetes mellitus: Comprehensive targeting of core defects
William T. Cefalu, MD; Robert J. Richards, MD; and Lydia Y. Melendez-Ramirez, MD

Almost a decade into the 21st century, the global epidemic of diabetes—which accelerated in the 1970s—shows no sign of slowing. At the same time, our insights into both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have increased at a similarly rapid rate.

At the beginning of the 1970s, it was far from clear whether improved glycemic control made much difference in the long-term well-being of people with diabetes other than to relieve their symptoms of hyperglycemia and decrease the likelihood of diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic coma. Concerns were expressed about the risk/benefit ratio of antihyperglycemic drugs—so there is nothing new under the sun! The drugs available in the United States were limited to insulin and sulfonylureas. The rest of the world also had access to metformin, but, in truth, its potential was underestimated until much later.

RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF GLYCEMIC CONTROL

Out of this milieu of scientific uncertainty grew the two clinical trials that effectively ended the debate about the value of glycemic control: the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT)¹ for type 1 diabetes, and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS)^2,3 for T2DM. The conduct of these trials was facilitated by the timely demonstration of the utility of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as an objective measure of glycemic control, and of microalbuminuria as a marker of early nephropathy.

Both the DCCT and the UKPDS, in their initial “end of study” analyses in the 1990s, established the role of glycemic control in reducing the risk of retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy—the microvascular complications of diabetes. Additionally, the UKPDS demonstrated that in T2DM, hypertension management was at least as important as glycemic control in reducing the risk of microvascular complications.

Neither the DCCT nor the UKPDS was powered to determine initially whether glycemic control was a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, careful longer-term surveillance of the patient cohorts in the studies has recently borne fruit in this regard. Reports from both studies have shown that efforts to control glycemia early in the course of diabetes are rewarded many years later by a decreased risk of cardiovascular events and death.^4,5 This is true even when excellent glycemic control achieved early on is not sustained indefinitely. It has also become widely recognized that the management of diabetes, with prevention of microvascular and cardiovascular disease as major aims, involves much more than a simple preoccupation with glycemic control—important as that is.

NEW TREATMENT OPTIONS

Concurrent with the DCCT and the UKPDS being conducted with, in effect, the therapeutic tools of the 1970s, considerable strides were being made in the development of new classes of antihyperglycemic agents for use in T2DM. These include the thiazolidinediones (TZDs), alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, nonsulfonylurea insulin secretagogues (also known as glinides), and, more recently, the incretin-based drugs that are the focus of this supplement to the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.

Understandable enthusiasm for tapping into the hitherto unexploited pathways and mechanisms targeted by a new drug class is inevitably tempered by known, or sometimes unforeseen, adverse effects. Some of the adverse effects typically associated with antihyperglycemic drugs used before the incretin-based therapies became available include hypoglycemia, weight gain, and fluid retention; all of these are perceived as possibly increasing the risk of the very thing we are striving to avoid in diabetes—cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Such is the concern about this risk—epitomized, rightly or wrongly, in the controversial meta-analysis of clinical trials involving rosiglitazone⁶—that the US Food and Drug Administration now requires new antihyperglycemic drugs not only to meet efficacy standards for improving glycemia but also to show no sign of increased cardiovascular risk. The requirement must be met in preapproval trials, to be followed by postmarketing studies to prove the lack of cardiovascular risk.

As the contributions in this supplement point out, incretin-based therapies generally are either weight neutral or promote weight loss; by their modes of action, they are unlikely to cause hypoglycemia; and, as shown thus far, they are unassociated with fluid retention or increased likelihood of heart failure. Continued vigilance regarding cardiovascular risk will be important for the new incretin-based therapies, however.

 

 

BETA-CELL FUNCTION STILL A CHALLENGE

Another aspect of T2DM highlighted by the UKPDS is the degree of pancreatic beta-cell function loss—typically about 50% or more—at the time of clinical diagnosis, and the steady decline in function thereafter.⁷ This, as much as the understandable fatigue with lifestyle modification that normal humans experience, accounts for the frequent failure of oral antihyperglycemic monotherapy or dual therapy to maintain satisfactory glycemic control over the years. Relieving hyperglycemia at the time of diagnosis by any means usually leads to a temporary improvement in beta-cell function, but the possibility of slowing or even reversing the long-term decline has been an elusive therapeutic goal.

Although direct quantitative assessment of beta-cell function in humans is difficult in routine practice or outside of strict research protocols, a randomized study comparing different monotherapies for T2DM showed that over several years, the rise in HbA1c was more gradual with rosiglitazone than with glyburide or metformin; this suggests that, at least compared with metformin and sulfonylureas, the TZDs may have some longer-term benefit with respect to beta-cell function.⁸

That incretin-based treatments may help preserve or improve beta-cell function has been suggested by animal data.⁹ Proving that that is the case in humans will be much more challenging. A recent randomized study in patients with T2DM already taking metformin showed that addition of exenatide for 1 year resulted in improved beta-cell function, assessed by C-peptide responses to glucose and to arginine during a combined euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic and hyperglycemic clamp procedure. The improvement was evident compared with baseline function and with patients randomized to receive insulin glargine in addition to metformin for a year.¹⁰ However, 4 weeks after exenatide and glargine were discontinued, the beta-cell function had reverted to the pretreatment level and was not significantly different in the two groups of patients. Moreover, 3 months after treatment discontinuation, the HbA1c levels, which had decreased during the year to a similar extent in both groups, had returned to pretreatment levels. The investigators acknowledged that it was impossible in their study to “discriminate between acute and long-term effects of exenatide on beta-cell function.”¹⁰ So, in my opinion, the challenge remains to show that meaningful long-term effects on beta-cell function can be achieved with incretin-based therapy.

That said, there is no doubt that the incretin-based therapies bring a new dimension to our ability to treat diabetes. The articles in this supplement will provide both the specialist and nonspecialist with a better understanding of these relatively new therapies.

Almost a decade into the 21st century, the global epidemic of diabetes—which accelerated in the 1970s—shows no sign of slowing. At the same time, our insights into both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have increased at a similarly rapid rate.

At the beginning of the 1970s, it was far from clear whether improved glycemic control made much difference in the long-term well-being of people with diabetes other than to relieve their symptoms of hyperglycemia and decrease the likelihood of diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic coma. Concerns were expressed about the risk/benefit ratio of antihyperglycemic drugs—so there is nothing new under the sun! The drugs available in the United States were limited to insulin and sulfonylureas. The rest of the world also had access to metformin, but, in truth, its potential was underestimated until much later.

RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF GLYCEMIC CONTROL

Out of this milieu of scientific uncertainty grew the two clinical trials that effectively ended the debate about the value of glycemic control: the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT)¹ for type 1 diabetes, and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS)^2,3 for T2DM. The conduct of these trials was facilitated by the timely demonstration of the utility of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as an objective measure of glycemic control, and of microalbuminuria as a marker of early nephropathy.

Both the DCCT and the UKPDS, in their initial “end of study” analyses in the 1990s, established the role of glycemic control in reducing the risk of retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy—the microvascular complications of diabetes. Additionally, the UKPDS demonstrated that in T2DM, hypertension management was at least as important as glycemic control in reducing the risk of microvascular complications.

Neither the DCCT nor the UKPDS was powered to determine initially whether glycemic control was a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, careful longer-term surveillance of the patient cohorts in the studies has recently borne fruit in this regard. Reports from both studies have shown that efforts to control glycemia early in the course of diabetes are rewarded many years later by a decreased risk of cardiovascular events and death.^4,5 This is true even when excellent glycemic control achieved early on is not sustained indefinitely. It has also become widely recognized that the management of diabetes, with prevention of microvascular and cardiovascular disease as major aims, involves much more than a simple preoccupation with glycemic control—important as that is.

NEW TREATMENT OPTIONS

Concurrent with the DCCT and the UKPDS being conducted with, in effect, the therapeutic tools of the 1970s, considerable strides were being made in the development of new classes of antihyperglycemic agents for use in T2DM. These include the thiazolidinediones (TZDs), alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, nonsulfonylurea insulin secretagogues (also known as glinides), and, more recently, the incretin-based drugs that are the focus of this supplement to the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.

Understandable enthusiasm for tapping into the hitherto unexploited pathways and mechanisms targeted by a new drug class is inevitably tempered by known, or sometimes unforeseen, adverse effects. Some of the adverse effects typically associated with antihyperglycemic drugs used before the incretin-based therapies became available include hypoglycemia, weight gain, and fluid retention; all of these are perceived as possibly increasing the risk of the very thing we are striving to avoid in diabetes—cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Such is the concern about this risk—epitomized, rightly or wrongly, in the controversial meta-analysis of clinical trials involving rosiglitazone⁶—that the US Food and Drug Administration now requires new antihyperglycemic drugs not only to meet efficacy standards for improving glycemia but also to show no sign of increased cardiovascular risk. The requirement must be met in preapproval trials, to be followed by postmarketing studies to prove the lack of cardiovascular risk.

As the contributions in this supplement point out, incretin-based therapies generally are either weight neutral or promote weight loss; by their modes of action, they are unlikely to cause hypoglycemia; and, as shown thus far, they are unassociated with fluid retention or increased likelihood of heart failure. Continued vigilance regarding cardiovascular risk will be important for the new incretin-based therapies, however.

 

 

BETA-CELL FUNCTION STILL A CHALLENGE

Another aspect of T2DM highlighted by the UKPDS is the degree of pancreatic beta-cell function loss—typically about 50% or more—at the time of clinical diagnosis, and the steady decline in function thereafter.⁷ This, as much as the understandable fatigue with lifestyle modification that normal humans experience, accounts for the frequent failure of oral antihyperglycemic monotherapy or dual therapy to maintain satisfactory glycemic control over the years. Relieving hyperglycemia at the time of diagnosis by any means usually leads to a temporary improvement in beta-cell function, but the possibility of slowing or even reversing the long-term decline has been an elusive therapeutic goal.

Although direct quantitative assessment of beta-cell function in humans is difficult in routine practice or outside of strict research protocols, a randomized study comparing different monotherapies for T2DM showed that over several years, the rise in HbA1c was more gradual with rosiglitazone than with glyburide or metformin; this suggests that, at least compared with metformin and sulfonylureas, the TZDs may have some longer-term benefit with respect to beta-cell function.⁸

That incretin-based treatments may help preserve or improve beta-cell function has been suggested by animal data.⁹ Proving that that is the case in humans will be much more challenging. A recent randomized study in patients with T2DM already taking metformin showed that addition of exenatide for 1 year resulted in improved beta-cell function, assessed by C-peptide responses to glucose and to arginine during a combined euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic and hyperglycemic clamp procedure. The improvement was evident compared with baseline function and with patients randomized to receive insulin glargine in addition to metformin for a year.¹⁰ However, 4 weeks after exenatide and glargine were discontinued, the beta-cell function had reverted to the pretreatment level and was not significantly different in the two groups of patients. Moreover, 3 months after treatment discontinuation, the HbA1c levels, which had decreased during the year to a similar extent in both groups, had returned to pretreatment levels. The investigators acknowledged that it was impossible in their study to “discriminate between acute and long-term effects of exenatide on beta-cell function.”¹⁰ So, in my opinion, the challenge remains to show that meaningful long-term effects on beta-cell function can be achieved with incretin-based therapy.

That said, there is no doubt that the incretin-based therapies bring a new dimension to our ability to treat diabetes. The articles in this supplement will provide both the specialist and nonspecialist with a better understanding of these relatively new therapies.

Almost a decade into the 21st century, the global epidemic of diabetes—which accelerated in the 1970s—shows no sign of slowing. At the same time, our insights into both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have increased at a similarly rapid rate.

At the beginning of the 1970s, it was far from clear whether improved glycemic control made much difference in the long-term well-being of people with diabetes other than to relieve their symptoms of hyperglycemia and decrease the likelihood of diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic coma. Concerns were expressed about the risk/benefit ratio of antihyperglycemic drugs—so there is nothing new under the sun! The drugs available in the United States were limited to insulin and sulfonylureas. The rest of the world also had access to metformin, but, in truth, its potential was underestimated until much later.

RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF GLYCEMIC CONTROL

Out of this milieu of scientific uncertainty grew the two clinical trials that effectively ended the debate about the value of glycemic control: the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT)¹ for type 1 diabetes, and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS)^2,3 for T2DM. The conduct of these trials was facilitated by the timely demonstration of the utility of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as an objective measure of glycemic control, and of microalbuminuria as a marker of early nephropathy.

Both the DCCT and the UKPDS, in their initial “end of study” analyses in the 1990s, established the role of glycemic control in reducing the risk of retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy—the microvascular complications of diabetes. Additionally, the UKPDS demonstrated that in T2DM, hypertension management was at least as important as glycemic control in reducing the risk of microvascular complications.

Neither the DCCT nor the UKPDS was powered to determine initially whether glycemic control was a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, careful longer-term surveillance of the patient cohorts in the studies has recently borne fruit in this regard. Reports from both studies have shown that efforts to control glycemia early in the course of diabetes are rewarded many years later by a decreased risk of cardiovascular events and death.^4,5 This is true even when excellent glycemic control achieved early on is not sustained indefinitely. It has also become widely recognized that the management of diabetes, with prevention of microvascular and cardiovascular disease as major aims, involves much more than a simple preoccupation with glycemic control—important as that is.

NEW TREATMENT OPTIONS

Concurrent with the DCCT and the UKPDS being conducted with, in effect, the therapeutic tools of the 1970s, considerable strides were being made in the development of new classes of antihyperglycemic agents for use in T2DM. These include the thiazolidinediones (TZDs), alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, nonsulfonylurea insulin secretagogues (also known as glinides), and, more recently, the incretin-based drugs that are the focus of this supplement to the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.

Understandable enthusiasm for tapping into the hitherto unexploited pathways and mechanisms targeted by a new drug class is inevitably tempered by known, or sometimes unforeseen, adverse effects. Some of the adverse effects typically associated with antihyperglycemic drugs used before the incretin-based therapies became available include hypoglycemia, weight gain, and fluid retention; all of these are perceived as possibly increasing the risk of the very thing we are striving to avoid in diabetes—cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Such is the concern about this risk—epitomized, rightly or wrongly, in the controversial meta-analysis of clinical trials involving rosiglitazone⁶—that the US Food and Drug Administration now requires new antihyperglycemic drugs not only to meet efficacy standards for improving glycemia but also to show no sign of increased cardiovascular risk. The requirement must be met in preapproval trials, to be followed by postmarketing studies to prove the lack of cardiovascular risk.

As the contributions in this supplement point out, incretin-based therapies generally are either weight neutral or promote weight loss; by their modes of action, they are unlikely to cause hypoglycemia; and, as shown thus far, they are unassociated with fluid retention or increased likelihood of heart failure. Continued vigilance regarding cardiovascular risk will be important for the new incretin-based therapies, however.

 

 

BETA-CELL FUNCTION STILL A CHALLENGE

Another aspect of T2DM highlighted by the UKPDS is the degree of pancreatic beta-cell function loss—typically about 50% or more—at the time of clinical diagnosis, and the steady decline in function thereafter.⁷ This, as much as the understandable fatigue with lifestyle modification that normal humans experience, accounts for the frequent failure of oral antihyperglycemic monotherapy or dual therapy to maintain satisfactory glycemic control over the years. Relieving hyperglycemia at the time of diagnosis by any means usually leads to a temporary improvement in beta-cell function, but the possibility of slowing or even reversing the long-term decline has been an elusive therapeutic goal.

Although direct quantitative assessment of beta-cell function in humans is difficult in routine practice or outside of strict research protocols, a randomized study comparing different monotherapies for T2DM showed that over several years, the rise in HbA1c was more gradual with rosiglitazone than with glyburide or metformin; this suggests that, at least compared with metformin and sulfonylureas, the TZDs may have some longer-term benefit with respect to beta-cell function.⁸

That incretin-based treatments may help preserve or improve beta-cell function has been suggested by animal data.⁹ Proving that that is the case in humans will be much more challenging. A recent randomized study in patients with T2DM already taking metformin showed that addition of exenatide for 1 year resulted in improved beta-cell function, assessed by C-peptide responses to glucose and to arginine during a combined euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic and hyperglycemic clamp procedure. The improvement was evident compared with baseline function and with patients randomized to receive insulin glargine in addition to metformin for a year.¹⁰ However, 4 weeks after exenatide and glargine were discontinued, the beta-cell function had reverted to the pretreatment level and was not significantly different in the two groups of patients. Moreover, 3 months after treatment discontinuation, the HbA1c levels, which had decreased during the year to a similar extent in both groups, had returned to pretreatment levels. The investigators acknowledged that it was impossible in their study to “discriminate between acute and long-term effects of exenatide on beta-cell function.”¹⁰ So, in my opinion, the challenge remains to show that meaningful long-term effects on beta-cell function can be achieved with incretin-based therapy.

That said, there is no doubt that the incretin-based therapies bring a new dimension to our ability to treat diabetes. The articles in this supplement will provide both the specialist and nonspecialist with a better understanding of these relatively new therapies.