Background Surgery is the main modality of cure for solid cancers and was prioritised to continue during COVID-19 outbreaks. This study aimed to identify immediate areas for system strengthening by comparing the delivery of elective cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic in periods of lockdown versus light restriction. Methods This international, prospective, cohort study enrolled 20 006 adult (≥18 years) patients from 466 hospitals in 61 countries with 15 cancer types, who had a decision for curative surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic and were followed up until the point of surgery or cessation of follow-up (Aug 31, 2020). Average national Oxford COVID-19 Stringency Index scores were calculated to define the government response to COVID-19 for each patient for the period they awaited surgery, and classified into light restrictions (index <20), moderate lockdowns (20–60), and full lockdowns (>60). The primary outcome was the non-operation rate (defined as the proportion of patients who did not undergo planned surgery). Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to explore the associations between lockdowns and non-operation. Intervals from diagnosis to surgery were compared across COVID-19 government response index groups. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT04384926 . Findings Of eligible patients awaiting surgery, 2003 (10·0%) of 20 006 did not receive surgery after a median follow-up of 23 weeks (IQR 16–30), all of whom had a COVID-19-related reason given for non-operation. Light restrictions were associated with a 0·6% non-operation rate (26 of 4521), moderate lockdowns with a 5·5% rate (201 of 3646; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·77–0·84; p<0·0001), and full lockdowns with a 15·0% rate (1775 of 11 827; HR 0·51, 0·50–0·53; p<0·0001). In sensitivity analyses, including adjustment for SARS-CoV-2 case notification rates, moderate lockdowns (HR 0·84, 95% CI 0·80–0·88; p<0·001), and full lockdowns (0·57, 0·54–0·60; p<0·001), remained independently associated with non-operation. Surgery beyond 12 weeks from diagnosis in patients without neoadjuvant therapy increased during lockdowns (374 [9·1%] of 4521 in light restrictions, 317 [10·4%] of 3646 in moderate lockdowns, 2001 [23·8%] of 11 827 in full lockdowns), although there were no differences in resectability rates observed with longer delays. Interpretation Cancer surgery systems worldwide were fragile to lockdowns, with one in seven patients who were in regions with full lockdowns not undergoing planned surgery and experiencing longer preoperative delays. Although short-term oncological outcomes were not compromised in those selected for surgery, delays and non-operations might lead to long-term reductions in survival. During current and future periods of societal restriction, the resilience of elective surgery systems requires strengthening, which might include...
IMPORTANCE International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes are used to characterize coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related symptoms. Their accuracy is unknown, which could affect downstream analyses. OBJECTIVE To compare the performance of fever-, cough-, and dyspnea-specific ICD-10 codes with medical record review among patients tested for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study included patients who underwent quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 at University of Utah Health from March 10 to April 6, 2020. Data analysis was performed in April 2020. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of ICD-10 codes for fever (R50*), cough (R05*), and dyspnea (R06.0*) were compared with manual medical record review. Performance was calculated overall and stratified by COVID-19 test result, sex, age group (<50, 50-64, and >64 years), and inpatient status. Bootstrapping was used to generate 95% CIs, and Pearson χ 2 tests were used to compare different subgroups. RESULTS Among 2201 patients tested for COVD-19, the mean (SD) age was 42 (17) years; 1201 (55%) were female, 1569 (71%) were White, and 282 (13%) were Hispanic or Latino. The prevalence of fever was 66% (1444 patients), that of cough was 88% (1930 patients), and that of dyspnea was 64% (1399 patients). For fever, the sensitivity of ICD-10 codes was 0.26 (95% CI, 0.24-0.29), specificity was 0.98 (95% CI, 0.96-0.99), PPV was 0.96 (95% CI, 0.93-0.97), and NPV was 0.41 (95% CI, 0.39-0.43). For cough, the sensitivity of ICD-10 codes was 0.44 (95% CI, 0.42-0.46), specificity was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.84-0.92), PPV was 0.96 (95% CI, 0.95-0.97), and NPV was 0.18 (95% CI, 0.16-0.20). For dyspnea, the sensitivity of ICD-10 codes was 0.24 (95% CI, 0.22-0.26), specificity was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96-0.98), PPV was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.90-0.96), and NPV was 0.42 (95% CI, 0.40-0.44). ICD-10 code performance was better for inpatients than for outpatients for fever (χ 2 = 41.30; P < .001) and dyspnea (χ 2 = 14.25; P = .003) but not for cough (χ 2 = 5.13; P = .16). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings suggest that ICD-10 codes lack sensitivity and have poor NPV for symptoms associated with COVID-19. This inaccuracy has implications for any downstream data model, scientific discovery, or surveillance that relies on these codes.
Aims Incorporating patient-reported outcomes (PROs) into routine care of atrial fibrillation (AF) enables direct integration of symptoms, function, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) into practice. We report our initial experience with a system-wide PRO initiative among AF patients. Methods and results All patients with AF in our practice undergo PRO assessment with the Toronto AF Severity Scale (AFSS), and generic PROs, prior to electrophysiology clinic visits. We describe the implementation, feasibility, and results of clinic-based, electronic AF PRO collection, and compare AF-specific and generic HRQoL assessments. From October 2016 to February 2019, 1586 unique AF patients initiated 2379 PRO assessments, 2145 of which had all PRO measures completed (90%). The median completion time for all PRO measures per visit was 7.3 min (1st, 3rd quartiles: 6, 10). Overall, 38% of patients were female (n = 589), mean age was 68 (SD 12) years, and mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.8 (SD 2.0). The mean AFSS symptom score was 8.6 (SD 6.6, 1st, 3rd quartiles: 3, 13), and the full range of values was observed (0, 35). Generic PROs of physical function, general health, and depression were impacted at the most severe quartiles of AF symptom score (P < 0.0001 for each vs. AFSS quartile). Conclusion Routine clinic-based, PRO collection for AF is feasible in clinical practice and patient time investment was acceptable. Disease-specific AF PROs add value to generic HRQoL instruments. Further research into the relationship between PROs, heart rhythm, and AF burden, as well as PRO-guided management, is necessary to optimize PRO utilization.
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