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To compare 2 frequently used area-level socioeconomic deprivation indices: the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). Index agreement was assessed via pairwise correlations, decile score distribution and mean comparisons, and mapping. The 2019 ADI and 2018 SVI indices at the U.S. census tract-level were analyzed. Index correlation was modest (R = 0.51). Less than half (44.4%) of all tracts had good index agreement (0-1 decile difference). Among the 6.3% of tracts with poor index agreement (≥6 decile difference), nearly 1 in 5 were classified by high SVI and low ADI scores. Index items driving poor agreement, such as high rents, mortgages, and home values in urban areas with characteristics indicative of socioeconomic deprivation, were also identified. Differences in index dimensions and agreement indicated that ADI and SVI are not interchangeable measures of socioeconomic deprivation at the tract level. Careful consideration is necessary when selecting an area-level socioeconomic deprivation measure that appropriately defines deprivation relative to the context in which it will be used. How deprivation is operationalized affects interpretation by researchers as well as public health practitioners and policymakers making decisions about resource allocation and working to address health equity.

Implicit racial bias affects many human interactions including patient-physician encounters. Its impact, however, varies between studies. We assessed the effects of physician implicit, racial bias on their management of cancer-related pain using a randomized field experiment. We conducted an analysis of a randomized field experiment between 2012 and 2016 with 96 primary care physicians and oncologists using unannounced, Black and White standardized patients (SPs)who reported uncontrolled bone pain from metastatic lung cancer. We assessed implicit bias using a pain-adaptation of the race Implicit Association Test. We assessed clinical care by reviewing medical records and prescriptions, and we assessed communication from coded transcripts and covert audiotapes of the unannounced standardized patient office visits. We assessed effects of interactions of physicians' implicit bias and SP race with clinical care and communication outcomes. We conducted a slopes analysis to examine the nature of significant interactions. As hypothesized, physicians with greater implicit bias provided lower quality care to Black SPs, including fewer renewals for an indicated opioid prescription and less patient-centered pain communication, but similar routine pain assessment. In contrast to our other hypotheses, physician implicit bias did not interact with SP race for prognostic communication or verbal dominance. Analysis of the slopes for the cross-over interactions showed that greater physician bias was manifested by more frequent opioid prescribing and greater discussion of pain for White SPs and slightly less frequent prescribing and pain talk for Black SPs with the opposite effect among physicians with lower implicit bias. Findings are limited by use of an unvalidated, pain-adapted IAT. Using SP methodology, physicians' implicit bias was associated with clinically meaningful, racial differences in management of uncontrolled pain related to metastatic lung cancer. There is favorable treatment of White or Black SPs, depending on the level of implicit bias.

Purpose Physician burnout is generally associated with worse clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of physician burnout on the quality of physicians’ pain assessment and opioid prescribing for patients with advanced lung cancer. Moreover, we test whether these relationships are moderated by patient-level factors, such as patient race and activation level, that have a demonstrated impact on clinical encounters. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a multisite randomized field experiment. From 2012 to 2016, 96 primary care physicians and oncologists who treated solid tumors were recruited from hospitals and medical sites in three small metropolitan and rural areas in the USA. Physicians saw two unannounced standardized patients who presented with advanced lung cancer. Standardized patients varied across race (Black or White) and activation level (activated, typical). Visits were audio recorded and transcribed. Pain management was evaluated by the quality of pain assessment and opioid prescribing during these visits. Results Mixed-effects linear regression and generalized mixed-effects modeling showed that higher levels of burnout were associated with a greater likelihood of prescribing an opioid and prescribing stronger opioid doses for patients. These effects were not moderated by patient race or activation level. Conclusion Findings from this work inform our understanding of physician-level factors that impact clinical decision-making in the context of cancer pain management. Specifically, this study identifies the role of physician burnout on the quality of prescribing for patients with advanced lung cancer.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and debilitating adverse effect of neurotoxic chemotherapy characterized by symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and weakness. Effective monitoring and detection of CIPN are crucial for avoiding progression to irreversible symptoms. Due to the inconvenience of clinic-based objective assessment, CIPN detection relies primarily on patients' reporting of subjective symptoms, and patient-reported outcomes are used to facilitate CIPN detection. Our previous study found evidence that objective functional assessments completed within a smartphone app may differentiate patients with and those without CIPN after treatment. This prospective, longitudinal observational cohort study aimed to determine the feasibility and accuracy of app-based remote monitoring of CIPN in patients with cancer undergoing neurotoxic chemotherapeutic treatment and to conduct exploratory comparisons of app-based functional CIPN monitoring versus patient-reported outcome-only monitoring. The NeuroDetect app (Medable Inc) includes subjective EORTC (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ)-20-item scale (CIPN20) and 6 objective functional assessments that use smartphone sensors to mimic neurological examinations, such as walking, standing, and manual dexterity tests. The functional assessment data were collected from patients with cancer undergoing neurotoxic chemotherapy, and a neurological examination was conducted at the end of treatment to diagnose CIPN in the feet (CIPN-f) or CIPN in the hands (CIPN-h). Various classification models including NeuroDetect features only (NeuroDetect Model) CIPN20-only (CIPN20 Model) or a combination of both (Combined Model) were trained and evaluated for accuracy in predicting CIPN probability. Of the 45 patients who completed functional assessments and neurological examinations, 24 had CIPN-f, and 29 had CIPN-h. The NeuroDetect Model could discriminate between patients with and those without CIPN-f (area under the curve=83.8%, comparison with no information rate P=.02) but not CIPN-h (area under the curve=67.9%, P=.18). The rolling rotation features from the eyes-closed phase of the Romberg Stance assessment showed the greatest contribution to CIPN-f (40% of total variable importance) and the Finger Tapping assessment showed the greatest contribution to CIPN-h (85% of total variable importance). The NeuroDetect Model had numerically, and at some time points statistically, superior performance to the CIPN20 Model in both CIPN-f and CIPN-h, particularly before and early in treatment. The Combined Model numerically, though not statistically, outperformed either assessment strategy individually, indicating that the combination of functional and patient-reported assessment within a smartphone may be optimal to CIPN detection. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of integrating subjective and objective CIPN assessment into a smartphone app for remote, longitudinal CIPN monitoring. Studies of larger patient cohorts are needed to refine the app-based CIPN detection models and determine whether their use in practice improves CIPN detection.

Background Little is known about how use of chemotherapy has evolved in breast cancer patients. We therefore describe chemotherapy patterns for women with stage I-IIIA breast cancer in the Optimal Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Dosing (OBCD) Study using data from KPNC (Kaiser Permanente Northern California) and KPWA (Kaiser Permanente Washington). Findings Among 33,670 women, aged 18 + y, diagnosed with primary stage I-IIIA breast cancer at KPNC and KPWA from 2006 to 2019, we explored patterns of intravenous chemotherapy use, defined here as receipt of intravenous cytotoxic drugs and/or anti-HER2 therapies. We evaluated trends in chemotherapy receipt, duration over which chemotherapy was received, and number of associated infusion visits. In secondary analyses, we stratified by receipt of anti-HER2 therapies (trastuzumab and/or pertuzumab), given their longer duration. 38.9% received chemotherapy intravenously, declining from 40.2% in 2006 to 35.6% in 2019 (p-trend < 0.001). Among 13,089 women receiving chemotherapy, neoadjuvant treatment increased (4.1–14.7%; p-trend < 0.001), as did receipt of anti-HER2 therapies (20.8–30.9%) (p-trend < 0.001). The average treatment duration increased (5.3 to 6.0 months; p-trend < 0.001), as did the number of infusion visits (10.8 to 12.5; p-trend < 0.001). For those receiving anti-HER2 therapies, treatment duration and average number of visits decreased; among those not receiving anti-HER2 therapies, number of visits increased, with no change in duration. Conclusions While the prevalence of chemotherapy receipt has decreased over time, the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy has increased, as has use of anti-HER2 therapies; duration and number of administration visits have also increased. Understanding these trends is useful to inform clinical and administrative planning.

Purpose Too little is understood about the quality of life (QoL) concerns of patients diagnosed with advanced disease. While body image has been found to be consistently important for women with early-stage breast cancer, the impact of body image on women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is less frequently studied. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify factors affecting QoL in a sample of patients diagnosed with MBC, with particular attention to body image, disease site, and time since diagnosis. Methods In total, 113 women diagnosed with MBC completed two QoL scales (EORTC QLQ30; EORTC BR23) as part of a larger study. Clinical characteristics were obtained via medical record review. Demographics, disease characteristics, and clinical factors were examined. Results Time since diagnosis and location of metastases were found to affect patients' QoL, and most strikingly, this effect often differed for those with higher and lower body image. Body image appears to remain highly influential even for those living with a shortened life expectancy. Conclusions These findings indicate that the development of QoL support should more carefully consider patients diagnosed with MBC and the unique sets of body concerns that affect this population.

The Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium developed a rapid patient-reported outcome measure (RapidPRO) focused on oral anticancer agents (OAAs). We piloted this measure in 6 oncology practices to determine its usefulness in representing the symptom experience and medication adherence among individuals taking OAAs. It is common in oncology for cancer-specific approaches to be used. We sought to use 1 instrument for all OAAs as a means to simplify future implementation in practice. This study aimed to describe the use of RapidPRO in practice and quantify clinical metrics in RapidPRO for symptom burden, confidence to manage symptoms, confidence to know when to seek care, and OAA medication adherence. This observational study was conducted across 6 practices from July 2016 to December 2018. RapidPRO assesses symptoms, patient confidence, and medication adherence with respect to OAAs. There were 2252 RapidPROs completed by 695 patients. Among individuals completing at least 2 RapidPROs, the median number of days between them was 28 (IQR 14-42). Of the 2252 completed RapidPROs, 1213 (53.9%) reported at least one moderate or severe symptom, and 28% (485/1705) reported medication nonadherence. Most bothersome symptoms (MBSs; n=1045) were reported in 35.1% (790/2252) of the RapidPROs, and 46.5% (323/695) of all patients reported an MBS. In exploratory analyses, RapidPROs that reported a moderate or severe symptom or lower confidence to manage symptoms were more likely to be nonadherent to OAA therapy. The most common reason for medication nonadherence was \"experienced side effects.\" These results show that most RapidPROs reported at least one moderate or severe symptom and 28% (485/1705) reported medication nonadherence. As well, RapidPRO was able to capture most patients' MBSs. By implementing RapidPRO, practices can identify patients who experience symptoms, as well as those who report medication nonadherence.

Background Several systemic treatments have been shown to increase survival for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. This study sought to characterize variation in use of the six “focus drugs” (docetaxel, abiraterone, enzalutamide, sipuleucel-T, radium-223, and cabazitaxel) that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer during the years 2010–2015. We hypothesized that the use of these treatments would vary over time and by region of the country. Methods We used Clinformatics DataMart™ Database (OptumInsight, Eden Prairie, MN), a de-identified claims database from a national insurance provider. Our sample included patients with prostate cancer who received any of the six drugs. We describe changes in usage patterns over time and geographic region of the United States via detailed descriptive statistics. We explore both patterns of first line therapy and sequence of treatments in our database. Results Our final analysis included 4275 patients with a mean age of 74 years. Docetaxel was the most commonly used first-line therapy in 2010 (97%), 2011 (66%), and 2012 (49%). Abiraterone was the most commonly used first-line therapy in 2013 (56%), 2014 (46%), and 2015 (34%). Approximately 14% of our study cohort received ≥3 of the 6 drugs throughout their disease course. There was marked geographic variation in use of each of the drugs. Conclusion Variation in treatment patterns were found with respect to both time and geographic location. Prescription rates of abiraterone outpaced docetaxel as the most commonly prescribed drug after 2013 when it became widely available. However, some regions of the country still lagged behind and prescribed less than would be expected.

Background Only a small proportion of patients who qualify for clinical genetic testing for cancer susceptibility get testing. Many patient‐level barriers contribute to low uptake. In this study, we examined self‐reported patient barriers and motivators for cancer genetic testing. Methods A survey comprised of both new and existing measures related to barriers and motivators to genetic testing was emailed to patients with a diagnosis of cancer at a large academic medical center. Patients who self‐reported receiving a genetic test were included in these analyses (n = 376). Responses about emotions following testing as well as barriers and motivators prior to getting testing were examined. Group differences in barriers and motivators by patient demographic characteristics were examined. Results Being assigned female at birth was associated with increased emotional, insurance, and family concerns as well as increased health benefits compared to patients assigned male at birth. Younger respondents had significantly higher emotional and family concerns compared to older respondents. Recently diagnosed respondents expressed fewer concerns about insurance implications and emotional concerns. Those with a BRCA‐related cancer had higher scores on social and interpersonal concerns scale than those with other cancers. Participants with higher depression scores indicated increased emotional, social and interpersonal, and family concerns. Conclusions Self‐reported depression emerged as the most consistent factor influencing report of barriers to genetic testing. By incorporating mental health resources into clinical practice, oncologists may better identify those patients who might need more assistance following through with a referral for genetic testing and the response afterwards. Many factors influence an individual's barriers and motivators to getting cancer genetic testing including age, sex, having children, time since cancer diagnosis, cancer type, and mental health. Depression showed the largest impact: those with higher depression scores were significantly more likely to endorse more barriers to testing.