CTS Noon Seminar on Friday, October 24

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Matthew Price, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences. Dr. Price’s research focuses on creating innovative strategies to expand the reach of clinical care for victims of traumatic events and those suffering from anxiety disorders. A translational framework is used to identify fundamental mechanisms of treatment response for evidence-based interventions. These findings are then used to develop and evaluate novel interventions delivered through widely available technologies (e.g. mobile devices, remote sensors, websites).

 

Dr. Price will present  “Tracking mental health symptoms after a traumatic injury”  on Friday, October 24 at Noon in the Given Courtyard S359.

 

We look forward to seeing you there.

 

On behalf of Peter Durda- Pathology Grand Rounds report

Pathology Grand Rounds 10/15/2014

Michael Criqui, MD, MPH

New Markers for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Prediction – Coronary Artery Calcium Density and Abdominal Aortic Calcium

Dr. Criqui discussed his recent publication in ATVB (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014;34:1574-1579) where abdominal aortic calcium (AAC) and coronary artery calcium (CAC) were evaluated for their predictive value for incident coronary events.  AAC and CAC data were from computed tomographic scans of 1974 men and women randomly selected form the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.  In this cohort both CAC and AAC were found to be independently predictive of both cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease; while only AAC was found to be independently predictive of cardiovascular disease mortality.  Further study is needed to determine the clinical value of screening for AAC and its use in risk assessment.

Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: Oct 16, 2014

Present:  Marianne Burke, Kairn Kelley (by phone, after a scrubbed attempt to Skype), Ben Littenberg, Connie van Eeghen

Start Up:  Kairn had the opportunity to talk with a clinician about a planned audiology-related study based on an intervention that has been discredited for quite some time.  Coaching very determined people can be challenging, and possibly a good glimpse into the future of post-doctoral candidates.

1.                  Discussion Connie reviewed her presentation to Bridging the Divide: “Strategies for Managing Opioid Prescriptions.”  She received a cornucopia of new ideas and suggestions (in other words, the same kind of great input received by all those who come to this workshop).  Highlights:

a.       Punch line goes at the start of the presentation

b.      Clearly distinguish between “strategies” (which Ben pointed out aren’t really strategies but tactics) and “interventions”

c.       Use strategy numbers and names to connect to previous slides

d.      Replace the diagram: reflect both past and future workflows, but reflect them simply

e.       Complex graphs need to be reduced to a message that reinforces the punch line.  Go back to the message and re-do graphs to emphasize that point.

f.       Consolidate the Behavioral Health Integration slide for this presentation.  It’s a new topic, so either treat it like a sidebar and make a passing reference or build it into the entire presentation (which changes the point of the presentation). 

g.      Next step: Connie will revise and send out, asking for feedback by email.

h.      Thanks to all, present and not!

2.                  Next Workshop Meeting(s): Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., at Given Courtyard South Level 4.   Remember: the first 15 minutes are for checking in with each other.

a.       Oct 23: Kairn – Literature Review Draft for Feedback – or, "Dichotic Listening Test Review: Enhancement of a Manuscript Through Bullet-List(s) and Table(s)"

b.      Oct 30: Marianne’s topic – doctoral fellowship application(s)

c.       Nov 6:TBD

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen

Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: Oct 9, 2014

Present:  Marianne Burke, Juvena Hitt, Kairn Kelley, Rodger Kessler, Ben Littenberg, Connie van Eeghen, Jon van Luling

Start Up:  (missed this part!)

1.                  Discussion: Rodger reviewed his planned presentation, titled: “The errors of our ways:

From behavioral co-location carve-out to transformed integration of care”

a.       Focus on the policy question and organize the presentation about that question.

b.      This presentation identifies variation among primary care practices, with many variables

                                                  i.      Acknowledge that BHI is complex and hard to measure – introduce the VIP Profile.

                                                ii.      Describe the VIP domains and their meaning.  It may be best to exclude the “overall VIP profile score” for this presentation.

                                              iii.      Start with one, and explain medians and ranges, possibly a box plot

                                              iv.      Highlight the key findings: wide variation for “shared care plans”

c.       There is also variation among responders: managing directors and behavioral health clinicians

                                                  i.      How many practices?

                                                ii.      The pattern across domains is similar among respondent roles

d.      Practice examples

                                                  i.      Skip the sample of responses

                                                ii.      Focus on the exemplar practices

e.       Example of micro-system transformation (Berlin practice)

f.       Conclusions include:

                                                  i.      Lots of efficacy data about MH interventions

                                                ii.      Little effectiveness data about integration

                                              iii.      Change 1^st bullet: from co-located care to integrated primary care

                                              iv.      Last conclusion is a banner statement; think about how to present

g.      Reconsider title of slide: needs focus, based on the final organization of the presentation

2.                  Next Workshop Meeting(s): Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., at Given Courtyard South Level 4.   Remember: the first 15 minutes are for checking in with each other.

a.       Oct 16: Connie’s presentation to Bridging the Divide: “Strategies for Managing Opioid Prescriptions”

b.      Oct 23: Kairn – Literature Review Draft for Feedback – or, "Dichotic Listening Test Review: Enhancement of a Manuscript Through Bullet-List(s) and Table(s)"

c.       Oct 30: Marianne’s topic – doctoral fellowship application(s)

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen

CCTS report on health care price variation in Vermont

A new analysis for the Green Mountain Health Care Board was just released. Using data from VHCURES, it demonstrates large unexplained variations in the amounts patients and insurers pay for the same services depending upon which provider they go to. Congratulations to the authors, led by Christopher Jones, DPhil, Unit Director and Assistant Professor, Steven Kappel, MPA, Research Associate, and Mujde Erten, PhD, Assistant Professor of the Global Health Economics Unit of
Vermont Center for Clinical and Translational Science and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts.

Press report from VT Digger here.

Full report here.

Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: Oct 2, 2014

Present:  Patricia Berry, Marianne Burke, Juvena Hitt, Kairn Kelley, Rodger Kessler, Ben Littenberg, Connie van Eeghen, Jon van Luling

Start Up:  Rodger has been asked by AHRQ to deliver a presentation similar to the Letter of Intent that he, Ben and Connie have just submitted, with the likelihood that it will be avoided by colleagues who don’t want to change. He anticipates feeling frustrated.

1.                  Discussion: Rodger & Connie’s pre-training survey for students and residents prior to SBIRT training

a.       Rodger is the PI, and Connie is the evaluator, of a SAMHSA funded training grant to teach residents and students (counseling, social work, and nursing) on helping patients with problem drug/alcohol use (pre-abuse)  This pre-training survey attempts to identify where the students in five domains.  The questions for the workshop are: Are the questions appropriately aligned with domains?  Have the questions sufficiently saturated the domains?  Domains/feedback:

                                                  i.      Knowledge relative to medical conditions:

1.      Re-title the domain to include the key questions: Knowledge r/t medical consequences of problem use

2.      Turn A3 and A3 into more subtle questions that model something that the learners should do

                                                ii.      Knowledge of substance us and misuse behaviors:

1.      Confirm that the questions are up to date with NIAAA, especially B2

                                              iii.      Knowledge and use of SBIRT:

1.      Re-word the 5^th entry in C1, so that it is more accurately the exception.

2.      Consider combining C2 and C3 as they are close (although distinctly different in the training program)

3.      Specify “residents” as these will be the only respondents to these questions

                                              iv.      Attitudes about substance abuse patients:

1.      Check wording on D2

2.      Reformat

                                                v.      Attitudes about student ability to help patients:

1.      Check wording on E8/E12

b.      Many thanks to all who participated!

2.                  Next Workshop Meeting(s): Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., at Given Courtyard South Level 4.   Remember: the first 15 minutes are for checking in with each other.

a.       Oct 9: Rodger’s national webinar for AHQ titled “The errors of our ways: From co-located behavioral health carve-out to Transformed Triple Aim focused Medical Behavioral integration”

b.      Oct 16: Marianne’s topic – TBD

c.       Oct 23: Connie’s presentation to Bridging the Divide: “Strategies for Managing Opioid Prescriptions”

d.      Oct 30: Kairn?

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen