Literature Collection

IMPORTANCE: There have only been 3 efficacy trials reporting head-to-head comparisons of pharmacotherapy and trauma-focused psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and none were conducted in primary care. In addition, few trials have examined treatment sequences for patients not responding to an initial treatment. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that (1) brief trauma-focused psychotherapy (written exposure therapy [WET]) is more effective than a choice of 3 selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; ie, sertraline, fluoxetine, or paroxetine) and (2) WET augmentation is more effective than switching to the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine for those not responding to an SSRI. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a pragmatic comparative effectiveness trial conducted from April 2021 to June 2024 that randomized primary care patients to 1 of 3 treatment sequences: (1) SSRI followed by WET augmentation, (2) SSRI followed by switch to SNRI, or (3) WET followed by SSRI. Effectiveness in this pragmatic trial depends on treatment engagement and treatment fidelity. The study included patients meeting clinical criteria for PTSD from primary care clinics of 7 federally qualified health centers and 8 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. INTERVENTIONS: SSRI followed by WET augmentation, SSRI followed by switch to SNRI, or WET followed by SSRI. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: PTSD symptom severity, as measured by the DSM-5 PTSD Checklist (PCL-5). RESULTS: A total of 700 patients (mean [SD] age, 45.1 [15.4] years; 368 men [62.1%]). The mean (SD) baseline PCL-5 score was 52.8 (11.1), indicating considerable symptom severity. At 4 months, 144 of 278 patients (51.8%) randomized to an SSRI were adherent and reported a 14.0-point PCL-5 decrease, whereas 111 of 352 patients (31.5%) randomized to WET completed all sessions and reported a 12.1-point decrease. There was no significant between-group difference (adjusted mean difference [MD], 1.79; 95% CI, -0.76 to 4.34; P = .17). For the 122 of 295 patients (41.4%) randomized to an SSRI who did not respond to treatment, those randomized to switch to the SNRI reported a 9.2-point PCL-5 decrease compared with a 2.3-point decrease for those randomized to WET augmentation, which was a statistically significant between-group difference (adjusted MD, 10.19; 95% CI, 4.97-15.41; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Study results showed that treatment of PTSD in primary care with either SSRIs or WET was feasible and effective. For patients not responding to an SSRI, switching to an SNRI may be more effective than WET augmentation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04597190.

BACKGROUND: The United States faces a growing challenge with over 6.5 million people living with dementia (PLwD). PLwD and their caregivers struggle with cognitive, functional, behavioral, and psychosocial issues. As dementia care shifts to home settings, caregivers receive inadequate support but bear increasing responsibilities, leading to higher healthcare costs. In response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the Guiding an Improving Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model. The study explores the real-world implementation of the Cedars-Sinai C.A.R.E.S. Program, a pragmatic dementia care model, detailing its recruitment process and initial outcomes. METHODS: The Cedars-Sinai C.A.R.E.S. Program was integrated into the Epic electronic health record system and focused on proactive patient identification, engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, care transitions, and ongoing care management. Eligible patients with a dementia diagnosis were identified through electronic health record and invited to join the program. Nurse practitioners with specialized training in dementia care performed comprehensive assessments using the CEDARS-6 tool, leading to personalized care plans developed in consultation with primary care providers. Patients benefited from a multidisciplinary team and support from care navigators. RESULTS: Of the 781 eligible patients identified, 431 were enrolled in the C.A.R.E.S. PROGRAM: Enrollees were racially diverse, with lower caregiver strain and patient behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) severity compared to other programs dementia care programs. Healthcare utilization, including hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) admissions, and urgent care visits showed a downward trend over time. Completion of advanced directives and Physician Order of Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) increased after enrollment. CONCLUSION: The Cedars-Sinai C.A.R.E.S. Program offers a promising approach to dementia care. Its real-world implementation demonstrates the feasibility of enrolling a diverse population and achieving positive outcomes for PLwD and their caregivers, supporting the goals of national dementia care initiatives.

Introduction: Access to prenatal care offers the opportunity for providers to assess for substance use disorders (SUDs) and to offer important treatment options, but utilization of treatment during pregnancy has been difficult to measure. This study presents pre-COVID trends of a subset of SUD diagnosis at the time of delivery and related trends in treatment utilization during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort design was used for the analysis of West Virginia Medicaid claims data from 2016 to 2019. Diagnosis of SUDs at the time of delivery and treatment utilization for opioid use disorder (OUD) and non-OUD diagnosis during pregnancy across time were the principal outcomes of interest. This study examined data from n = 49,398 pregnant individuals. Results: Over the 4-year period, a total of 2,830 (5.7%) individuals had a SUD diagnosis at the time of delivery. The frequency of opioid-related diagnoses decreased by 29.3%; however, non-opioid SUD diagnoses increased by 55.8%, with the largest increase in the diagnosis of stimulant use disorder (30.9%). Treatment for OUD increased by 13%, but treatment for non-opioid SUD diagnoses during pregnancy declined by 41.1% during the same period. Conclusions: Interventions enacted within West Virginia have improved access and utilization of treatment for OUD in pregnancy. However, consistent with national trends in the general population, non-opioid SUD diagnoses, especially for stimulants, have rapidly increased, while treatment for this group decreased. Early identification and referral to treatment by OB-GYN providers are paramount to reducing pregnancy and postpartum complications for the mother and neonate.