No abstract

Objective.Raynaud phenomenon (RP) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) could be influenced by clinical phenotype, environmental factors (e.g., season), and personal factors (e.g., coping strategies and ill-health perceptions). We studied the relative influence of a range of putative factors affecting patient-reported assessment of SSc-RP severity.Methods.SSc patients were enrolled at UK and US sites. Participants completed the 2-week Raynaud Condition Score (RCS) diary alongside collection of patient demographics, clinical phenotype, the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire (SHAQ), and both patient/physician visual analog scale (VAS) assessments for RP, digital ulcer disease, and global disease. Environmental temperature data were obtained at each site. A second RCS diary was completed 6 months after enrollment.Results.We enrolled 107 patients (baseline questionnaires returned by 94). There were significant associations between RCS diary variables and both catastrophizing and coping strategies. There were significant associations between RCS diary outcomes and both environmental temperature and season of enrollment. Age, disease duration, sex, disease subtype, smoking, and vasodilator use were not associated with RCS diary outcomes. The best-fitting multivariate model identified the patient RP VAS, SHAQ pain VAS, and SHAQ gastrointestinal VAS subscales as the strongest independent predictors of the RCS.Conclusion.Patient-reported assessment of SSc-RP severity is associated with a number of factors including pain, catastrophizing, and coping strategies. The effects of seasonal variation in environmental temperature on SSc-RP burden has implications for clinical trial design. Treatments targeting SSc-RP pain and the development of behavioral interventions enhancing coping strategies may reduce the burden of SSc-RP.

Background: There are growing concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. With government-imposed restrictions as well as a general burden on healthcare systems, the pandemic has the potential to disrupt the access to, and delivery of, mental healthcare. Methods: Electronic healthcare records from primary care psychological therapy services (Improving Access to Psychological Therapy) in England were used to examine changes in access to mental health services and service delivery during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive time series was conducted using data from five NHS trusts to examine patterns in referrals to services (1st January 2019 to 24th May 2020) and appointments (1st January 2020 to 24th May 2020) taking place. Findings: The number of patients accessing mental health services dropped by an average of 55% in the early weeks after the March 2020 lockdown was announced, reaching a maximum reduction of 74% in the initial 3 weeks after lockdown in the UK, which gradually recovered to a 28% reduction by May. We found some evidence suggesting changes in the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of referrals. Despite a reduction in access, the impact on appointments appeared limited with service providers shifting to remote delivery of care. Interpretation: Services appeared to adapt to provide continuity of care in mental healthcare. However, patients accessing services reduced, potentially placing a future burden on service. Despite the observational nature of the data, the present study can inform the planning of service provision and policy.

Patients identify with distinct patterns of SSc-RP that may relate to progression of the obliterative microangiopathy of SSc. Difficulty distinguishing discrete SSc-RP attacks from persistent digital ischaemia in advanced SSc could influence diary-based approaches to assessing SSc-RP with implications for clinical trials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Parents of pediatric patients attending regional otologic medical clinics were given a questionnaire to document family risk factors predictive of poor appointment attendance, and to determine barriers which caused non-attendance of medical appointments. Family risk factors which affected clinic attendance were studied using univariate and multivariate analyses. Univariate analyses revealed all factors except patients' sex and family size to be correlated with attendance. However, multivariate analysis revealed that parental age (p less than 0.0153), ownership of car (p less than 0.0012), parental education (p less than 0.0048), and age of patient (p less than 0.0023) were major predictors of clinic attendance. Although ownership of a car was a major independent factor, it was highly correlated with parental age and parental education and only shown to be significant in the subset of patients not having access to public transportation. The identified parental factors which affect pediatric health care delivery underscores the importance of family centered case management in promoting the health care of children and casts doubt on the effectiveness of interventions which are solely centered on the patient or are designed to mitigate only one of these factors.