Journal of rehabilitation research and development
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We evaluated the improvement in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) race data completeness that could be achieved by linking VA data with data from Medicare and the Department of Defense (DOD) and examined agreement in values across the data sources. After linking VA with Medicare and DOD records for a 10% sample of VA patients, we calculated the percentage for which race could be identified in those sources. To evaluate race agreement, we calculated sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values (PPVs), negative predictive values, and kappa statistics. ⋯ Kappa statistics reflected these patterns. Supplementing VA with Medicare and DOD data improves VA race data completeness substantially. More study is needed to understand poor rates of agreement between VA and external sources in identifying non-African-American minority individuals.
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Access to appropriate and timely healthcare is critical to the overall health and well-being of patients with chronic diseases. In this study, we used geographic information system (GIS) tools to map Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their access to MS specialty care. ⋯ We demonstrate the utility of using GIS tools in decision-making by providing three examples of how patients' access to care is affected when additional specialty clinics are added. The mapping technique used in this study provides a powerful and valuable tool for policy and planning personnel who are evaluating how to address underserved populations and areas within the VHA healthcare system.
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Quantitative sensory testing (QST) has been used to assess neurological function in various chronic pain patient populations. In the present study, we investigated the ability of QST to reliably characterize somatosensory dysfunction in subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) and neuropathic pain by measuring mechanical, vibration, and thermal detection and pain thresholds. Test-retest reliability was determined based on data collected from 10 subjects with SCI and neuropathic pain who underwent QST on two occasions approximately 3 weeks apart. ⋯ To determine the validity of QST in persons with SCI-related neuropathic pain, we evaluated the relationship between somatosensory thresholds and severity of neuropathic pain symptoms with multiple linear regression analysis. Thermal pain threshold was the only QST variable significantly related to the severity of neuropathic pain symptoms. The present study provides preliminary evidence that QST is a reliable and valid adjunct measurement strategy for quantifying the neurological dysfunction associated with neuropathic pain in persons with SCI.
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Improved diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are needed for our military and veterans, their families, and society at large. Advances in brain imaging offer important biomarkers of structural, functional, and metabolic information concerning the brain. This article reviews the application of various imaging techniques to the clinical problems of TBI and PTSD. For TBI, we focus on findings and advances in neuroimaging that hold promise for better detection, characterization, and monitoring of objective brain changes in symptomatic patients with combat-related, closed-head brain injuries not readily apparent by standard computed tomography or conventional magnetic resonance imaging techniques.
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Altered sensations, including pain, are well-documented consequences associated with spinal cord injury (SCI). Although loss of sensory and motor functions at and below the level of injury is commonly thought to affect individuals with SCI most significantly, secondary consequences that include spasticity, bladder and bowel dysfunctions, infertility, and pain rank among the most difficult conditions to deal with following injury. ⋯ Over the past 15 years, a systematic examination related to the pathophysiology, clinical characteristics, and treatment of pain associated with SCI has provided insights into the spinal and supraspinal mechanisms associated with the development of at- and below-level pain. In this review, experimental studies focusing on the spinal and supraspinal mechanisms associated with pain at and below level will be discussed.