Publications

IMPORTANCE: Resource limitations because of pandemic or other stresses on infrastructure necessitate the triage of time-sensitive care, including cancer treatments. Optimal time to treatment is underexplored, so recommendations for which cancer treatments can be deferred are often based on expert opinion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between increased time to definitive therapy and mortality as a function of cancer type and stage for the 4 most prevalent cancers in the US.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study assessed treatment and outcome information from patients with nonmetastatic breast, prostate, non-small cell lung (NSCLC), and colon cancers from 2004 to 2015, with data analyzed January to March 2020. Data on outcomes associated with appropriate curative-intent surgical, radiation, or medical therapy were gathered from the National Cancer Database.

EXPOSURES: Time-to-treatment initiation (TTI), the interval between diagnosis and therapy, using intervals of 8 to 60, 61 to 120, 121 to 180, and greater than 180 days.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: 5-year and 10-year predicted all-cause mortality.

RESULTS: This study included 2 241 706 patients (mean [SD] age 63 [11.9] years, 1 268 794 [56.6%] women, 1 880 317 [83.9%] White): 1 165 585 (52.0%) with breast cancer, 853 030 (38.1%) with prostate cancer, 130 597 (5.8%) with NSCLC, and 92 494 (4.1%) with colon cancer. Median (interquartile range) TTI by cancer was 32 (21-48) days for breast, 79 (55-117) days for prostate, 41 (27-62) days for NSCLC, and 26 (16-40) days for colon. Across all cancers, a general increase in the 5-year and 10-year predicted mortality was associated with increasing TTI. The most pronounced mortality association was for colon cancer (eg, 5 y predicted mortality, stage III: TTI 61-120 d, 38.9% vs. 181-365 d, 47.8%), followed by stage I NSCLC (5 y predicted mortality: TTI 61-120 d, 47.4% vs 181-365 d, 47.6%), while survival for prostate cancer was least associated (eg, 5 y predicted mortality, high risk: TTI 61-120 d, 12.8% vs 181-365 d, 14.1%), followed by breast cancer (eg, 5 y predicted mortality, stage I: TTI 61-120 d, 11.0% vs. 181-365 d, 15.2%). A nonsignificant difference in treatment delays and worsened survival was observed for stage II lung cancer patients-who had the highest all-cause mortality for any TTI regardless of treatment timing.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study, for all studied cancers there was evidence that shorter TTI was associated with lower mortality, suggesting an indirect association between treatment deferral and mortality that may not become evident for years. In contrast to current pandemic-related guidelines, these findings support more timely definitive treatment for intermediate-risk and high-risk prostate cancer.

This anthropological study explores why more women in the rural Sierra Madre region of Chiapas, Mexico birth at home rather than at the hospital. Between January and May of 2014, the primary investigator conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with twenty-six interlocutors: six parteras (home birth attendants), nine pregnant women, four mothers, four healthcare providers, and three local government leaders. Participant observation occurred in the health clinic, participants' homes, and other spaces in a community with a population of 1,188 people. Drawing from narrative analysis, the findings suggest that women face structural obstacles to accessing high-quality childbirth care, which lead them to give birth at home instead of the hospital. These obstacles include financial barriers in obtaining facility-based care and poor quality of care, such as mistreatment in the facility. The study highlights the importance of centreing community narratives in healthcare programming in order to bridge the implementation gap between women in rural communities, healthcare workers, and policymakers.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in quality of care after implementing an adapted safe childbirth checklist (SCC) in Chiapas, Mexico.

METHODS: A convergent mixed-methods study was conducted among 447 women in labor who attended a rural community hospital between September 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate adherence to evidence-based practices over time, adjusting for provider. Participants were surveyed about their perceptions of care after hospital discharge. A purposefully sampled subgroup also completed in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was performed to evaluate perceptions of care.

RESULTS: 384 (85.9%) women were attended by staff that used the adapted SCC during delivery. Of these, 221 and 28 completed the hospital discharge survey and in-depth interview, respectively. Adherence with offering a birth companion (odds ratio [OR] 3.06, 95% CI 1.40-6.68), free choice of birth position (2.75, 1.21-6.26), and immediate skin-to-skin contact (4.53, 1.97-10.39) improved 6-8 months after implementation. Participants' perceived quality of care improved over time. Provider communication generated positive perceptions. Reprimanding women for arriving in early labor or complaining of pain generated negative perceptions.

CONCLUSION: Use of the adapted SCC improved quality of care through increased adherence with essential and respectful delivery practices.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines suggest that cholecystectomy during the third trimester of pregnancy is safe for both the woman and the fetus. However, no population-based study has examined this issue. The aim of this analysis was to compare the results of cholecystectomy during the third trimester of pregnancy with outcomes in women operated on in the early postpartum period in a large population.

METHODS: The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database was queried from 2005 to 2014. Women undergoing cholecystectomy during the third trimester of pregnancy (n = 403) were compared with those having this procedure in the 3 months post partum (n = 17,490). Patient demographics as well as maternal delivery and cholecystectomy-related outcomes were compared by standard statistics as well as after adjustments for age, race, comorbidities, insurance status, and hospital setting.

RESULTS: Women who underwent cholecystectomy during the third trimester were older (27 vs 25 years; p < 0.001), but did not differ in race or insurance status. Cholecystectomy during pregnancy was more likely to require hospitalization (85% vs 63%; p < 0.001) and more likely to be performed open (13% vs 2%; p < 0.001). Composite maternal outcomes (odds ratio 1.88; p < 0.001), including preterm delivery (odds ratio 2.05; p < 0.001) as well as length of hospital stay (+0.83 days; p < 0.001) and readmissions (odds ratio 2.05; p = 0.002), were all significantly increased when cholecystectomy was performed during pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS: Maternal delivery and procedure-related outcomes were worse when cholecystectomy was performed during the third trimester of pregnancy. Preterm delivery, which is associated with multiple adverse infant outcomes, was increased in third-trimester women. Whenever possible, cholecystectomy should be delayed until the postpartum period.

Maternal morbidity and mortality, important indicators of healthcare quality both nationally and internationally, have gained increasing public attention in the United States (U.S.). The U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality among high-income countries; notably, this rate has more than doubled since 1990. Black women in the U.S. die at three to four times the rate of white women from pregnancy-related complications, one of the widest of all racial disparities in women's health. Medical complications, including cardiovascular disease and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, remain leading contributors to disparities in maternal outcomes including pregnancy-related deaths. However, an under-explored opportunity for improvement is the failure to transition from obstetrical to primary care, which limits optimizing postpartum health. Health system approaches, community-based interventions, and policy solutions that facilitate transitions of care may be critical to eliminating persistent disparities in maternal outcomes.

Caesarean delivery rates in Mexico are among the highest in the world. Given heightened public and professional awareness of this problem and the updated 2014 national guidelines to reduce the frequency of caesarean delivery, we analysed trends in caesarean delivery by type of facility in Mexico from 2008 to 2017. We obtained birth-certificate data from the Mexican General Directorate for Health Information and grouped the total number of vaginal and caesarean deliveries into five categories of facility: health-ministry hospitals; private hospitals; government employment-based insurance hospitals; military hospitals; and other facilities. Delivery rates were calculated for each category nationally and for each state. On average, 2 114 630 (95% confidence interval, CI: 2 061 487-2 167 773) live births occurred nationally each year between 2008 and 2017. Of these births, 53.5% (1 130 570; 95% CI: 1 108 068-1 153 072) were vaginal deliveries, and 45.3% (957 105; 95% CI: 922 936-991 274) were caesarean deliveries, with little variation over time. During the study period, the number of live births increased by 4.4% (from 1 978 380 to 2 064 507). The vaginal delivery rate decreased from 54.8% (1 083 331/1 978 380) to 52.9% (1 091 958/2 064 507), giving a relative percentage decrease in the rate of 3.5%. The caesarean delivery rate increased from 43.9% (869 018/1 978 380) to 45.5% (940 206/2 064 507), giving a relative percentage increase in the rate of 3.7%. The biggest change in delivery rates was in private-sector hospitals. Since 2014, rates of caesarean delivery have fallen slightly in all sectors, but they remain high at 45.5%. Policies with appropriate interventions are needed to reduce the caesarean delivery rate in Mexico, particularly in private-sector hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Community health centers (CHCs) and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are critical health care access points for medically underserved areas in the United States. They also provide opportunities for residents to learn about health system challenges, including workforce shortages, social determinants of health, and health equity.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe current obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) resident engagement and training in community health settings.

METHODS: We conducted a website review and survey to identify the prevalence and types of OB-GYN resident exposure to CHCs, including FQHCs. We reviewed 241 program websites to identify community health electives or rotations. We then surveyed program administrators regarding departmental affiliations with CHCs, types of resident involvement, and barriers to resident rotations at CHCs.

RESULTS: The website review revealed that 18% (44 of 241) of programs offered a community health rotation. Of the 241 programs surveyed, 78 program administrators responded (32%). Forty-three programs (55%) had at least 1 affiliated CHC, and 34 programs (44%) allowed residents to rotate at a CHC. The most common barrier to resident rotations at a CHC was inadequate resident coverage of hospital-based clinical responsibilities. Respondents reported that among 782 graduating residents in the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years, 76 (10%) planned to pursue a position at a CHC.

CONCLUSIONS: According to their websites, a small percentage of US OB-GYN residency programs offered a CHC rotation. Of programs responding to a survey on the topic, less than half offered CHC rotations and less than 1 in 10 residents planned to work in CHCs after graduation.