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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Integrating Multimodal EHR Data for Mortality Prediction in ICU Sepsis Patients

Stat Med. 2025 May;44(10-12):e70060. doi: 10.1002/sim.70060.

ABSTRACT

Rapid and accurate prediction of mortality risk among intensive care unit (ICU) sepsis patients is crucial for timely intervention and improving patient outcomes. However, due to the multimodal and dynamic time-series nature of patient visit information and the limited data samples, it is challenging to obtain discriminative patient representations, leading to suboptimal mortality prediction results. To address this issue, we design a time-aware graph embedding attention model (TGAM) to integrate multimodal data and predict mortality in ICU sepsis patients. Our approach involves modeling and generating patient representations that encompass not only demographic information but also dynamic time-series data reflecting patient health status. Additionally, the graph convolutional network is used to obtain informative concept embeddings from medical ontologies, and an improved transformer is used to capture the temporal information of the patient’s health status and handle missing values, overcoming the limitations of small samples. The experimental results on the MIMIC-III and MIMIC-IV datasets demonstrate that TGAM significantly improves prediction accuracy, with AUROC scores of 87.65% and 87.00% on the MIMIC-III and MIMIC-IV datasets, respectively, outperforming baseline models by over 5 percentage points. TGAM also achieves higher sensitivity, specificity, and AUPRC metrics, and lower Brier Score compared with baseline models, highlighting its effectiveness in identifying high-risk patients. These findings suggest that TGAM has the potential to become a valuable tool for identifying high-risk sepsis patients, enabling clinicians to make more informed and timely intervention decisions.

PMID:40378163 | DOI:10.1002/sim.70060

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Incidence and predictors of cardiovascular disease mortality and all-cause mortality in patients with type II diabetes with peripheral arterial disease

PLoS One. 2025 May 16;20(5):e0322502. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0322502. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This cohort study estimated the incidence and predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and various stages of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) at the largest tertiary referral hospitals in upper-northern Thailand.

METHODS: This study recruited 278 T2DM and PAD patients for a 7-year cohort study. These patients completed health questionnaires and underwent physical examinations including ankle-brachial index measurements and clinical assessment to determine PAD severity. Mortality endpoints were determined using hospital death registers and national death records. The Cox proportional hazards and subdistribution hazard models were used to estimate PAD’s effect on mortality, quantifying the association with hazard ratios (HR) and subdistribution hazard ratios (SHR).

RESULTS: PAD patients were categorized into three subgroups. Over seven years, the cumulative all-cause mortality rate was 36%, or 6.4 deaths per 100 person-years. Multivariable analysis revealed critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients had significantly higher risks of all-cause (HR 5.26, 95%CI 3.10-8.94) and CVD mortality (SHR 6.20, 95%CI 3.20-12.03) compared to their asymptomatic peers. No statistically significant differences in non-CVD mortality were noted across PAD subgroups.

CONCLUSION: CLI, chronic kidney disease, and underweight (body mass index < 18.5 kg/m2) emerged as independent mortality predictors. Conversely, asymptomatic PAD patients had a similar overall mortality risk as those with intermittent claudication. These findings highlight the need for risk stratification and patient empowerment to optimize management of these complex conditions.

PMID:40378162 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0322502

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Gender differences in the association between weight-adjusted waist index and migraine: A cross-sectional study

PLoS One. 2025 May 16;20(5):e0323087. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323087. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study examines how weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) correlates with the occurrence of migraine in U.S. adults.

BACKGROUND: Being overweight significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing migraines; nonetheless, conventional metrics like waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) might not completely capture the level of migraine risk tied to obesity. WWI integrates the strengths of WC while minimizing its correlation with BMI, which might make it a more accurate indicator of central obesity-related migraine susceptibility.

METHODS: This study performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from 9,688 participants obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), covering the years 1999-2004. Migraine occurrence was evaluated through questionnaires, and participants’ WWI was computed. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between WWI and migraines. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) were applied to evaluate the dose-response relationship between WWI and migraines. Furthermore, interaction tests and subgroup analyses were executed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, paired with DeLong et al.’s test, was employed to compare the predictive power of WWI, BMI, and WC for migraines.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of migraines was found to be 21.50% (weighted population: 31,888,075 out of 148,278,824). In Model 3, the link between WWI and migraines in women showed no statistical significance (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.82-1.07). In this model, each unit increase in WWI among men was linked to a 22% higher risk of migraines (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05-1.42). When stratified by quintiles, individuals in the third quintile (Q3) displayed a 69% higher likelihood of experiencing migraines compared to those in the first quintile (Q1) (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.19-2.40), with a significant inflection point observed at 10.95 cm/√kg. Significant interactions were noted among various age groups (p for interaction = 0.018). WWI demonstrated a stronger predictive capability for migraine compared to BMI and WC.

CONCLUSION: A U-shaped positive correlation of WWI with migraines was observerd among adult males in the U.S., while no significant correlation was found in females. Within the context of BMI and WC, WWI exhibited a superior predictive capacity for migraines.

PMID:40378149 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0323087

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Outpatient care changes and associated mortality among Veterans with heart failure during the COVID-19 pandemic

PLoS One. 2025 May 16;20(5):e0323308. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323308. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The mortality risk associated with loss of in-person outpatient visits or transition to virtual care in patients with heart failure (HF) during the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown.

OBJECTIVES: Assess changes in outpatient HF care patterns and associated mortality.

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of HF patients using national Veterans-Health-Administration (VHA) data. Among 509,511 HF patients who received VHA care, we compared mean monthly days-with-an-outpatient-visit from 2/2018-1/2020 (pre-COVID) versus 2/2020-1/2021 (COVID) using T-tests. In a subset of 321,439 patients with ≥1 VHA cardiology or primary-care visit in 2019, we related the presence and type of outpatient visit with mortality using Cox-Regression estimated hazard-ratios (HRs).

RESULTS: Despite a 2-3-fold increase in video-only visits and use of telephone visits to maintain access, the overall days with outpatient visits decreased from a monthly-average of 81.4 ± 6.1 in 2018-2019 and 81.0 ± 5.6 in 2019-2020, to 57.8 ± 11 days in 2020-2021 (P < 0.01 for both), per 100 Veterans. When compared to patients with no-visits during the study period, the adjusted-mortality risk was lowest for patients with at least one in-person (HR 0.42, 95%CI: 0.41-0.44), followed by video-only (HR 0.52, 95%CI: 0.50-0.55) and then telephone-only (HR 0.57, 95%CI: 0.54-0.60) visits (p = 0.14 for trend). Results remained similar when the analysis was repeated (without including telephone visits) for pre-COVID (2/2018-1/2020) periods.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite an increase in video and use of telephone visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was still a decrease in total outpatient visits for patients with HF. The presence and type of outpatient encounter was associated with the adjusted risk of mortality.

PMID:40378140 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0323308

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

The probability of reducing hospitalization rates for bronchiolitis with epinephrine and dexamethasone: A Bayesian analysis

PLoS One. 2025 May 16;20(5):e0318853. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0318853. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Bronchiolitis exerts a high burden on children, their families and the healthcare system. The Canadian Bronchiolitis Epinephrine Steroid Trial (CanBEST) assessed whether administering epinephrine alone, dexamethasone alone, or in combination (EpiDex) could reduce bronchiolitis-related hospitalizations among children less than 12 months of age compared to placebo. CanBEST demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in 7-day hospitalization risk with EpiDex in an unadjusted analysis but not after adjustment.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the probability that EpiDex results in a reduction in hospitalizations using Bayesian methods.

STUDY DESIGN: Using prior distributions that represent varying levels of preexisting enthusiasm or skepticism, i.e., how confident or doubtful one is that EpiDex may reduce hospitalizations, and information about the treatment effect before data were collected, the posterior distribution of the relative risk of hospitalization compared to placebo was determined. The probability that the treatment effect is less than 1, 0.9, 0.8 and 0.6, indicating increasing reductions in hospitalization risk, are computed alongside 95% credible intervals.

RESULTS: Combining a minimally informative prior distribution with the data from CanBEST provides comparable results to the original analysis. Unless strongly skeptical views about the effectiveness of EpiDex were considered, the 95% credible interval for the treatment effect lies below 1, indicating a reduction in hospitalizations. There is a 90% probability that EpiDex results in a clinically meaningful reduction in hospitalization of 10% even when incorporating skeptical views, with a 67% probability when considering strongly skeptical views.

CONCLUSION: A Bayesian analysis demonstrates a high chance that EpiDex reduces hospitalization rates for bronchiolitis, although strongly skeptical individuals may require additional evidence to change practice.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial registry name, registration number: Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN56745572.

PMID:40378135 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0318853

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Comparison of perceived family state and functioning among individuals with depression and general population in Southern Thailand

PLoS One. 2025 May 16;20(5):e0323866. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323866. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine perceived family functioning among individuals with depression, then compare these perceptions with those of the general population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals with depression at Songklanagarind Hospital and individuals from the general population; from May to July 2024. Participants completed three questionnaires: 1) Personal and demographic inquiry, 2) the Family State and Functioning Assessment Scale (FSFAS-25), and 3) the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and Student’s t-test.

RESULTS: The study compared 41 individuals with depression with 41 from the general population; revealing significant differences in family functioning scores. The depression group reported lower median family functioning scores (76 [IQR 64-84]) compared with the general population (87 [IQR 77-93]). Fewer individuals in the depression group reported high total family functioning scores (56.1% vs. 82.9%, p = 0.016). They also showed lower percentages in family support (61.0% vs. 95.1%, p < 0.001) and discipline dimensions (46.3% vs. 78.0%, p = 0.006). Furthermore, those with residual depression symptoms (PHQ-9 having a score of nine or higher) showed significant differences in family support (37.5% vs. 76.0%, p = 0.033) and emotional status (18.8% vs. 60.0%, p = 0.023) compared with those without residual depression symptoms.

CONCLUSION: Individuals with depression demonstrated lower levels of family functioning compared with the general population. Acknowledging and addressing the influence of family dynamics on the development and persistence of the disorder may be essential for improving treatment outcomes. Integrating these factors into person-centered mental health interventions can lead to more comprehensive, individualized, and effective care.

PMID:40378133 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0323866

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mother’s Milk Provision Among Mothers of Preterm Infants

JAMA Netw Open. 2025 May 1;8(5):e2510781. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10781.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: The extent of mother’s milk provision by race and ethnicity and its change over time is poorly understood in the US preterm population.

OBJECTIVE: To examine US prevalence and trends over time of mother’s milk initiation and continuation at 12 weeks after birth (2009-2019) by maternal race and ethnicity and to examine associations of maternal race and ethnicity and mother’s milk initiation and continuation among mothers of preterm infants.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used data from the nationally representative Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System database. Participants included mothers of preterm infants identifying as non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic any race, or non-Hispanic White, with survey completion 12 or more weeks post partum from 2009 to 2019. Data were analyzed from February 2022 to June 2024.

EXPOSURE: Maternal race and ethnicity obtained from birth certificate data.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Mother’s milk initiation and continuation at 12 weeks were assessed using survey questions. The overall prevalence and trends over time by maternal race and ethnicity were determined. Multivariable regression was used to analyze independent associations between maternal race and ethnicity and mother’s milk initiation and continuation.

RESULTS: Among 1 523 131 (weighted) mother-preterm infant dyads, mother’s milk initiation increased significantly from 2009 to 2019 for White and Black mothers but not for Asian or Hispanic mothers. Mother’s milk provision at 12 weeks increased significantly among all groups. There were significant differences in mother’s milk outcomes between groups. Initiation was highest for Asian mothers (92.8%; 95% CI, 91.1%-94.4%), followed by Hispanic (88.1%; 95% CI, 86.5%-89.8%), White (84.1%; 95% CI, 83.3%-84.9%), and Black (75.3%; 95% CI, 73.4%-76.6%) mothers. After adjusting for covariates of interest, compared with White mothers, initiation remained higher for Asian (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 1.09; 95% CI, 1.06-1.12) and Hispanic (aRR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.08-1.12) mothers. Continuation at 12 weeks was highest for Asian mothers (65.4%; 95% CI, 62.7%-68.0%), followed by Hispanic (48.2%; 95% CI, 46.1%-50.3%), White (47.7%; 95% CI, 46.7%-48.7%), and Black (34.3%; 95% CI, 32.9%-35.7%) mothers. After adjustment, continuation was higher for Asian (aRR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.24-1.47) and Hispanic (aRR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.27-1.41) mothers compared with White mothers.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study, mother’s milk provision among preterm infants increased from 2009 to 2019, but notable racial and ethnic disparities persist. Future work should address barriers to continued provision of mother’s milk for preterm infants.

PMID:40377941 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10781

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Adherence to Perinatal Asphyxia or Sepsis Management Guidelines in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

JAMA Netw Open. 2025 May 1;8(5):e2510790. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10790.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Most of the 2.3 million annual neonatal deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with perinatal asphyxia and neonatal sepsis being the leading causes of neonatal mortality. Most neonatal deaths are considered preventable through high-quality clinical care, which includes adherence to clinical care guidelines.

OBJECTIVE: To assess adherence to World Health Organization clinical care guidelines for management of perinatal asphyxia and neonatal sepsis and to identify patient-level factors in adherence among neonates who died from these conditions.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study obtained data from December 2015 through October 2023 from the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) catchment areas in 7 low- and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and South Africa) and South Asia (Bangladesh). Participants were neonates who were born alive and were aged 0 to 28 days at the time of death and had either perinatal asphyxia or neonatal sepsis.

EXPOSURE: Medical records of neonates who died from perinatal asphyxia or neonatal sepsis determined by postmortem diagnostics.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The main outcome was the proportion of deceased neonates who received guideline-adherent treatments before they died. Mixed-effect multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with administration of at least bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation for perinatal asphyxia.

RESULTS: Of the 1194 neonates (median [IQR] age at the time of death, 2 [1-6] days; 692 males [58.0%]) who died and were enrolled in CHAMPS with available clinical data, 476 (39.9%) died from perinatal asphyxia, 562 (47.0%) died from neonatal sepsis, and 156 (13.1%) from both conditions. These neonates had a median (IQR) birth weight of 2130 (1266-2988) g. For cases with perinatal asphyxia, guideline adherence ranged from 12.2% (n = 77) for adrenaline administration to 85.4% (540) for supplemental oxygen administration. Only 4.4% of neonates (28) with perinatal asphyxia received all recommended treatments. Among cases with neonatal sepsis, antibiotics were administered to 86.8% (623), although the recommended treatment was administered to only 61.0% (438). In multivariable analyses, neonates in whom clinicians accurately identified perinatal asphyxia were more likely to receive BVM ventilation than those who had received discordant antemortem and postmortem diagnoses (adjusted odds ratio, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.29-3.12).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study, clinical care guideline adherence was suboptimal among neonates who died from perinatal asphyxia or neonatal sepsis. This finding underscores the critical need to increase adherence in regions with high rates of neonatal mortality and may inform strategies for strengthening health systems to support compliance with clinical care guidelines.

PMID:40377940 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10790

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Race, Ethnicity, Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Discrimination in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

JAMA Netw Open. 2025 May 1;8(5):e2510799. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10799.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Children are disproportionately exposed to sexual orientation-based discrimination and ethnic or racial discrimination due to intersections of sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and assigned sex at birth. Yet, there is sparse evidence in clinical settings.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how social strata of sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and assigned sex at birth intersect and are associated with experiences of sexual orientation-based discrimination and ethnic or racial discrimination.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This survey study included data retrieved from children enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study between 2016 and 2020. Children were recruited from 21 study sites across 17 states. Eligible participants were between ages 9 and 11 years at recruitment. Baseline data (2016-2018), first-year follow-up data (2017-2019), and second-year follow-up data (2018-2020) were included. Analyses were conducted between June and October 2024.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Logistic regressions were conducted to test the association between children’s social strata indicated by intersections of sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and assigned sex at birth and discrimination based on sexual orientation and ethnic or racial discrimination.

RESULTS: Among 9854 children (mean [SD] age at baseline, 9.5 [0.5] years; 4582 girls [46.5%]; 202 Asian [2.0%], 1488 Black [15.1%], 2030 Latinx [20.6%], 906 multiple races [9.2%], 4921 White [49.9%]), White sexual minority girls reported the highest percentage of sexual orientation-based discrimination (113 of 312 [36.2%]). Ethnically or racially minoritized boys reported the highest percentage of ethnic or racial discrimination (41 of 174 [23.7%]). After accounting for covariates, ethnically or racially minoritized sexual minority girls were less likely to report sexual orientation-based discrimination compared with ethnically or racially minoritized heterosexual boys (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43-0.85). Ethnically or racially minoritized sexual minority boys (OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.71-5.88) and girls (OR, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.47-2.97) were more likely to report ethnic or racial discrimination compared with ethnically or racially minoritized heterosexual boys. Moreover, ethnically or racially minoritized sexual minority boys (OR, 3.39; 95% CI, 1.81-6.34) and girls (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.56-3.21) were more likely to report ethnic or racial discrimination compared with ethnically or racially minoritized heterosexual girls.

CONCLUSIONS: In this survey study investigating experience of sexual orientation-based discrimination alongside ethnic or racial discrimination during late childhood, findings highlighted that intersections of sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and assigned sex at birth contributed to disproportionate exposures to sexual orientation-based discrimination and ethnic or racial discrimination among children. These findings provide valuable insight into intersectional experiences of discrimination among children.

PMID:40377939 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10799

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Trends in Home Health Care Among Traditional Medicare Beneficiaries With or Without Dementia

JAMA Netw Open. 2025 May 1;8(5):e2510933. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10933.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: A growing number of people with dementia are opting to live at home and receive care in the community rather than enter a nursing home. Adequately supporting their care at home can be challenging, and Medicare-funded home health care is one common source of care.

OBJECTIVE: To examine trends in the use of home-based care among traditional Medicare beneficiaries with dementia compared with those without dementia.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A cross-sectional study of home health care use from January 1, 2010, to June 30, 2022, was conducted among 13 604 086 traditional Medicare beneficiaries aged 68 years or older who were receiving home health care during the study period. Statistical analysis took place from February 2024 to March 2025.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Receipt of Medicare-funded home health care, as home health “spells” (the initial Medicare-certified home health episode and all subsequent recertifications were considered 1 home health spell for analysis).

RESULTS: Among the 13 604 086 traditional Medicare beneficiaries included in the study (mean [SD] age, 79.4 [7.7] years; 60.4% women), 27.7% had a diagnosis of dementia. Compared with beneficiaries using home health care without a diagnosis of dementia, those with a diagnosis of dementia were older (mean [SD] age, 82.2 [7.5] vs 78.4 [7.5] years), and a higher percentage were female (61.9% vs 59.9%) and dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (17.0% vs 11.1%). There were 30 549 666 new home health spells during the study. Individuals with dementia more commonly used community-initiated home health care than postacute care (53.8% vs 46.2%). Among individuals with a diagnosis of dementia, the initiation of home health spells increased between 2010 and 2019 by 16.8% (from 35.4 to 40.2 spells per 1000 beneficiaries) for community-initiated care and by 21.4% (from 28.9 to 35.1 spells per 1000 beneficiaries) for postacute care. Between 2020 and 2022, home health care use decreased among individuals with dementia; community-initiated spells decreased from 40.2 to 33.6 spells per 1000 beneficiaries, and postacute spells decreased from 35.1 to 28.5 spells per 1000 beneficiaries. In comparison, home health use among individuals without a diagnosis of dementia was relatively low and gradually decreased over the study period: between 2010 and 2019, home health spells decreased by 20.1% (from 8.9 to 7.1 spells per 1000 beneficiaries) for community-initiated care and by 20.7% (from 12.8 to 10.1 spells per 1000 beneficiaries) for postacute care. Home health spells were longer for people with dementia compared with people without dementia (community-initiated care: median, 47 days [IQR, 27-80 days] to 52 days [IQR, 29-89 days] vs 44 days [IQR, 25-76 days] to 50 days [IQR, 27-91 days]; postacute care: median, 40 days [IQR, 23-59 days] to 43 days [IQR, 25-59 days] vs 32 days [IQR, 19-56 days] to 34 days [IQR, 20-56 days]) and increased after 2020 (community-initiated care: median, 55 days [IQR, 33-111 days] vs 53 days [IQR, 27-98 days]; postacute care: median, 48 days [IQR, 27-59 days] vs 42 days [IQR, 24-58 days]).

CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that home health use is high and has increased among people with dementia. Decreasing rates of home health use since 2020 in this high-need population suggest a need for ongoing monitoring of service use and outcomes for people with dementia.

PMID:40377938 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10933