Expanding the purview of wellness indicators: validating a new measure that includes attitudes, behaviors, and perspectives.

Objective: The present study validated the DeltaQuest Wellness Measure (DQ Wellness), a new 15-item measure of wellness that spans relevant attitudes, behaviors, and perspectives.

Design: This cross-sectional web-based study recruited chronically-ill patients and/or caregivers ( = 3,961) and a nationally representative comparison group (n = 855).

Main Outcome Measures: The DQ Wellness assesses: a way of being in the world that involves seeing and embracing the good and expressing kindness toward others; engagement in one's activities and self-care; downplaying negative thoughts that reduce one's energy; and an ability to feel joy.

Response-shift effects in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: estimating response-shift-adjusted scores using equating.

Background: In our companion paper, random intercept models (RIMs) investigated response-shift effects in a clinical trial comparing Eculizumab to Placebo for people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). RIMs predicted Global Health using the EQ-5D Visual Analogue Scale item (VAS) to encompass broad criteria that people might consider. The SF36™v2 mental and physical component scores (MCS and PCS) helped us detect response shift in VAS.

Response-shift effects in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: a secondary analysis of clinical trial data.

Background: Researchers have long posited that response-shift effects may obfuscate treatment effects. The present work investigated possible response-shift effects in a recent clinical trial testing a new treatment for Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD). This pivotal trial provided impressive support for the drug Eculizumab in preventing relapse, but less strong or null results as the indicators became more subjective or evaluative.

Does response shift impact interpretation of change even among scales developed using item response theory?

Background: Response-shift effects impact the interpretation of change in quality-of-life (QOL) measures developed with classical test theory (CTT) methods. This study evaluated the impact of response shift on measures developed using Item Response Theory (IRT), as compared to CTT.

Methods: Chronically ill patients and caregivers (n = 1481) participated in a web-based survey at baseline and 17 months later.

Positive emotions despite substantial burden: The alchemy of haemophilia caregiving.

Introduction: Qualitative interviews when developing the haemophilia caregiver impact measure (HCI) documented the importance of capturing the positive aspects of caregiving, not just the negative.

Aim: The present study thus investigates the construct underlying the positive emotions HCI subscale and tests models proposing a more comprehensive way of thinking about this construct.

Methods: Secondary analysis was implemented on longitudinal web-based survey data (n = 323) from haemophilia A or haemophilia B caregivers.

Is the link between socioeconomic status and resilience mediated by reserve-building activities: mediation analysis of web-based cross-sectional data from chronic medical illness patient panels.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that the link between socioeconomic status (SES) and resilience is mediated by reserve-building activities.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the mediation hypothesis.

Patient-Reported Outcome-Based Performance Measures for Older Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions.

As measures of health care quality have become more sophisticated, the goals of patient care have expanded into helping patients optimize their functional status and well-being. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) based performance measures (PMs) can measure how well these aspects of care are being delivered and compare the performance of health care systems and different provider groups. Most PMs focus on technical quality of care or such outcomes as survival.

Healthcare provider counseling to quit smoking and patient desire to quit: The role of negative smoking outcome expectancies.

Aims: The U.S. Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline on treating tobacco use and dependence recommends providing advice to quit to every tobacco user seen in a healthcare setting.

Development and Maintenance of Standardized Cross Setting Patient Assessment Data for Post-Acute Care: Summary Report of Findings from Alpha 1 Pilot Testing.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracted with the RAND Corporation to identify and/or develop standardized items to include in the post-acute care patient assessment instruments. RAND was tasked by CMS with developing and testing items to measure seven areas of health status for Medicare beneficiaries: (1) vision and hearing; (2) cognitive status; (3) depressed mood; (4) pain; (5) care preferences; (6) medication reconciliation; and (7) bladder and bowel continence. This article presents results of the first Alpha 1 feasibility test of a proposed set of items for measuring each of these health status areas.

A Psychometric Study of the Modified Bridges for Newborns Screening Tool.

Welcome Baby, a program that First 5 Los Angeles (First 5 LA) sponsors, provides new mothers with supportive services intended to create enriching environments for their children. To identify mothers in need of these services, First 5 LA employs hospital liaisons who administer a maternal risk assessment tool, the Modified Bridges for Newborns screening tool, during postpartum interviews of mothers. First 5 LA uses risk assessment scores from the Modified Bridges to classify mothers as low, moderate, or high risk; high-risk mothers are eligible for additional supportive services that are not available to low- and moderate-risk mothers.

Effects of a Pilot Church-Based Intervention to Reduce HIV Stigma and Promote HIV Testing Among African Americans and Latinos.

HIV-related stigma and mistrust contribute to HIV disparities. Addressing stigma with faith partners may be effective, but few church-based stigma reduction interventions have been tested. We implemented a pilot intervention with 3 Latino and 2 African American churches (4 in matched pairs) in high HIV prevalence areas of Los Angeles County to reduce HIV stigma and mistrust and increase HIV testing.

Additional validity evidence for the PROMIS Smoking Assessment Toolkit.

Introduction: The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Smoking Initiative has developed six item banks for assessing smoking behaviors and biopsychosocial correlates of smoking among daily and nondaily adult cigarette smokers. This paper presents new validity evidence for the item banks including correlations of the item banks to the existing legacy measures of smoking (Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU), and the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM)).

Methods: Using data from a follow-up sample (N=491) and a community sample (N=369) of adult daily and nondaily smokers, we replicated the findings from Edelen et al.

Calibration of the Spanish PROMIS Smoking Item Banks.

Introduction: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Smoking Initiative has developed item banks for assessing six smoking behaviors and biopsychosocial correlates of smoking among adult cigarette smokers. The goal of this study is to evaluate the performance of the Spanish version of the PROMIS smoking item banks as compared to the original banks developed in English.

Methods: The six PROMIS banks for daily smokers were translated into Spanish and administered to a sample of Spanish-speaking adult daily smokers in the United States (N = 302).

Possibilities for Shortening the CAHPS Clinician and Group Survey.

Background: The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Clinician and Group adult survey (CG-CAHPS) includes 34 items used to monitor the quality of ambulatory care from the patient's perspective. CG-CAHPS includes items assessing access to care, provider communication, and courtesy and respect of office staff. Stakeholders have expressed concerns about the length of the CG-CAHPS survey.

Predictors of HIV-related stigmas among African American and Latino religious congregants.

Objectives: To inform church-based stigma interventions by exploring dimensions of HIV stigma among African American and Latino religious congregants and determining how these are related to drug addiction and homosexuality stigmas and knowing someone HIV-positive.

Method: In-person, self-administered surveys of congregants 18+ years old across 2 African American and 3 Latino churches (n = 1,235, response rate 73%) in a western U.S.

Understanding asthma-specific quality of life: moving beyond asthma symptoms and severity.

This study identifies the unique contributions of asthma severity, symptoms, control and generic measures of quality of life (QoL) to asthma-specific QoL, as measured by the 12-item RAND Negative Impact of Asthma on Quality of Life scale (RAND-IAQL-12).Using a sample of 2032 adults with asthma, we conducted multiple regression analyses that sequentially examined hypothesised predictors of asthma-specific QoL. The change in variance accounted for and total unique variance accounted for is calculated as hypothesised predictors are added in each step.

The Psychometric Performance of the PROMIS Smoking Assessment Toolkit: Comparisons of Real-Data Computer Adaptive Tests, Short Forms, and Mode of Administration.

Introduction: The PROMIS Smoking Initiative has developed six item banks for assessment related to cigarette smoking among adult smokers (Nicotine Dependence, Coping Expectancies, Emotional and Sensory Expectancies, Health Expectancies, Psychosocial Expectancies, and Social Motivations). This article evaluates the psychometric performance of the banks when administered via short form (SF), computer adaptive test (CAT), and by mode of administration (computer vs. paper-and-pencil).

Acculturation and Drug Use Stigma Among Latinos and African Americans: An Examination of a Church-Based Sample.

Substance use patterns among Latinos likely reflect changes in attitudes resulting from acculturation, but little is known about Latinos' attitudes regarding drug addiction. We surveyed a church-based sample of Latinos and African Americans (N = 1,235) about attitudes toward drug addiction and socio-demographics. Linear regression models compared Latino subgroups with African-Americans.

Item-level informant discrepancies between children and their parents on the PROMIS(®) pediatric scales.

Objective: The study objective was to describe the individual item-level discrepancies between children ages 8-17 years and their parents for the PROMIS(®) pediatric scales. Contextual effects on item-level informant discrepancies for the pediatric pain interference items were further analyzed conditional on whether the child, the parent, or anyone else in the household experienced chronic pain.

Methods: Parallel pediatric self-report and parent proxy-report items were completed by approximately 300 parent-child dyads depending on form assignment and individual nonresponse.

Emergency Department Patient Experience of Care Survey: Development and Field Test.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have implemented Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) surveys to assess patient experience in a number of settings. Following CAHPS principles, RAND researchers designed and field tested an Emergency Department Patient Experience of Care Survey that consists of three survey instruments for use with adult patients who have visited the emergency department (ED). One instrument is for use with those patients who are discharged to the community following their ED visit; the other two are for use with those patients who are admitted to the hospital from the ED (one for use on its own and one to supplement an existing inpatient survey).

The PROMIS Smoking Initiative: initial validity evidence for six new smoking item banks.

Introduction: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Smoking Initiative has developed 6 item banks for assessing smoking behaviors and biopsychosocial correlates of smoking among daily and nondaily adult cigarette smokers. This paper presents descriptive information and preliminary validity evidence for the item banks (Nicotine Dependence, Coping Expectancies, Emotional and Sensory Expectancies, Health Expectancies, Psychosocial Expectancies, and Social Motivations).

Methods: Using data from a large sample of daily (N = 4,201) and nondaily (N = 1,183) smokers, we generated mean daily and nondaily smoking bank scores according to select demographic groups.

Development of the PROMIS Social Motivations for Smoking item banks.

Introduction: Smoking behavior is influenced by social motivations such as the expected social benefits of smoking and the social cues that induce craving. This paper describes development of the PROMIS Social Motivations for Smoking item banks, which will serve to standardize assessment of these social motivations among daily and nondaily smokers.

Methods: Daily (N = 4,201) and nondaily (N =1,183) smokers completed an online survey.

Development of the PROMIS negative psychosocial expectancies of smoking item banks.

Introduction: Negative psychosocial expectancies of smoking include aspects of social disapproval and disappointment in oneself. This paper describes analyses conducted to develop and evaluate item banks for assessing psychosocial expectancies among daily and nondaily smokers.

Methods: Using data from a sample of daily (N = 4,201) and nondaily (N =1,183) smokers, we conducted a series of item factor analyses, item response theory analyses, and differential item functioning analyses (according to gender, age, and race/ethnicity) to arrive at a unidimensional set of psychosocial expectancies items for daily and nondaily smokers.

Development of the PROMIS health expectancies of smoking item banks.

Introduction: Smokers' health-related outcome expectancies are associated with a number of important constructs in smoking research, yet there are no measures currently available that focus exclusively on this domain. This paper describes the development and evaluation of item banks for assessing the health expectancies of smoking.

Methods: Using data from a sample of daily (N = 4,201) and nondaily (N = 1,183) smokers, we conducted a series of item factor analyses, item response theory analyses, and differential item functioning analyses (according to gender, age, and race/ethnicity) to arrive at a unidimensional set of health expectancies items for daily and nondaily smokers.

Development of the PROMIS positive emotional and sensory expectancies of smoking item banks.

Introduction: The positive emotional and sensory expectancies of cigarette smoking include improved cognitive abilities, positive affective states, and pleasurable sensorimotor sensations. This paper describes development of Positive Emotional and Sensory Expectancies of Smoking item banks that will serve to standardize the assessment of this construct among daily and nondaily cigarette smokers.

Methods: Data came from daily (N = 4,201) and nondaily (N =1,183) smokers who completed an online survey.