Publications by authors named "Clyde B Schechter"

Background: Guidelines recommend primary care practitioners ("PCPs") engage women ≥ 75 years in shared decision-making (SDM) around mammography screening. Therefore, we aimed to develop a web-based conversation aid about mammography screening for women ≥ 75 using output from established simulation models to provide screening outcomes based on > 23,000 combinations of individual women's health and breast cancer risk factors.

Methods: We used an end-user centered design approach to develop a prototype web-based conversation aid incorporating feedback.

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The National Cancer Institute-funded Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) breast cancer mathematical models have been increasingly utilized by policymakers to address breast cancer screening policy decisions and influence clinical practice. These well-established and validated models have a successful track record of use in collaborations spanning over 2 decades. While mathematical modeling is a valuable approach to translate short-term screening performance data into long-term breast cancer outcomes, it is inherently complex and requires numerous inputs to approximate the impacts of breast cancer screening.

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Importance: Cancer mortality has decreased over time, but the contributions of different interventions across the cancer control continuum to averting cancer deaths have not been systematically evaluated across major cancer sites.

Objective: To quantify the contributions of prevention, screening (to remove precursors [interception] or early detection), and treatment to cumulative number of cancer deaths averted from 1975 to 2020 for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this model-based study using population-level cancer mortality data, outputs from published models developed by the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network were extended to quantify cancer deaths averted through 2020.

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Objectives:  The main objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of the Large Language Model Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) to accurately answer the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) board-style medical ethics questions compared to medical knowledge-based questions. This study has the additional objectives of comparing the overall accuracy of GPT-3.5 to GPT-4 and assessing the variability of responses given by each version.

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Importance: Information on long-term benefits and harms of screening with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) with or without supplemental breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is needed for clinical and policy discussions, particularly for patients with dense breasts.

Objective: To project long-term population-based outcomes for breast cancer mammography screening strategies (DBT or digital mammography) with or without supplemental MRI by breast density.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Collaborative modeling using 3 Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) breast cancer simulation models informed by US Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium data.

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Purpose: The purpose of the 12-month randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Telephonic Self-Management Support (T-SMS) program among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: Eight hundred twelve adults with T2D participated in NYC Care Calls (mean age = 59.2, SD = 10.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to analyze the outcomes of different mammography screening strategies for breast cancer, focusing on various start and stop ages as well as screening intervals.
  • Using six cancer modeling models, the research found that biennial digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) screening starting at ages 40, 45, or 50 significantly reduced breast cancer deaths, with the most effective strategy a 30% reduction in mortality for those screened from age 40 to 74.
  • While annual screening offered higher benefits, it also led to increased false-positive recalls and overdiagnosis, showing a critical need to balance benefits against potential harms in screening recommendations.
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Studying near-miss errors is essential to preventing errors from reaching patients. When an error is committed, it may be intercepted (near-miss) or it will reach the patient; estimates of the proportion that reach the patient vary widely. To better understand this relationship, we conducted a retrospective cohort study using two objective measures to identify wrong-patient imaging order errors involving radiation, estimating the proportion of errors that are intercepted and those that reach the patient.

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Background: Guidelines recommend shared decision-making (SDM) around mammography screening for women ≥ 75 years old.

Objective: To use microsimulation modeling to estimate the lifetime benefits and harms of screening women aged 75, 80, and 85 years based on their individual risk factors (family history, breast density, prior biopsy) and comorbidity level to support SDM in clinical practice.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We adapted two established Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) models to evaluate the remaining lifetime benefits and harms of screening U.

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Article Synopsis
  • Black women in the U.S. have higher breast cancer death rates compared to the overall population, even though they have a lower chance of getting breast cancer.* -
  • Researchers used different models to figure out why Black women have higher breast cancer death rates, looking at factors like access to treatment, the type of cancer, and how well treatments work.* -
  • The study shows that improving access to treatment could help reduce these death rate differences, and future research will explore how different policy changes can make things better.*
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A prior randomized controlled trial (RCT) showed no significant difference in wrong-patient errors between clinicians assigned to a restricted electronic health record (EHR) configuration (limiting to 1 record open at a time) versus an unrestricted EHR configuration (allowing up to 4 records open concurrently). However, it is unknown whether an unrestricted EHR configuration is more efficient. This substudy of the RCT compared clinician efficiency between EHR configurations using objective measures.

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Importance: Preschool-aged children often lack sufficient sleep and experience sleep difficulties. A consistent bedtime routine, falling asleep alone, and other sleep practices reduce difficulties and increase sleep duration.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a preschool-based sleep health literacy program on children's sleep duration and difficulties and on parent sleep knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and beliefs 9 and 12 months after the program.

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Background: Screening mammography guidelines do not explicitly consider racial differences in breast cancer epidemiology, treatment, and survival.

Objective: To compare tradeoffs of screening strategies in Black women versus White women under current guidelines.

Design: An established model from the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network simulated screening outcomes using race-specific inputs for subtype distribution; breast density; mammography performance; age-, stage-, and subtype-specific treatment effects; and non-breast cancer mortality.

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Article Synopsis
  • High-risk women, particularly those who survived childhood cancer without chest radiation, may benefit significantly from early breast cancer screening despite uncertainties regarding cost-effectiveness.* -
  • Simulation models indicated that starting annual mammograms and MRI screenings between ages 25 and 40 could avert 52.6% to 64.3% of breast cancer deaths in these survivors.* -
  • Screening initiated at age 40 demonstrated the best cost-effectiveness, making it a viable recommendation to improve health outcomes for these specific cancer survivors.*
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Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted breast cancer control, leading to decreased screening, delayed diagnoses, and reduced chemotherapy for early-stage cases.
  • By 2030, models predict an increase of approximately 2,487 excess breast cancer deaths due to these disruptions, mainly from reduced screening and delayed diagnosis.
  • If pandemic effects last longer than six months, the mortality impact could double, emphasizing the need for prompt resumption of screenings and timely evaluations for symptomatic patients.
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  • There is a need for a flexible decision-making tool that incorporates various clinical and genomic factors for women with early-stage breast cancer, specifically those with certain hormone receptor status and no lymph node involvement.
  • The study utilized a simulation model to analyze the 10-year risks and benefits of chemoendocrine versus endocrine therapy for different patient subgroups, focusing on various characteristics like age, tumor size, and comorbidities.
  • The findings suggest that for certain patients, the choice of therapy has minimal effects on long-term outcomes, and the model can be used to assess treatment options and genomic testing effectively.
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Objective: To compare rates of wrong-patient orders among patients on obstetric units compared with reproductive-aged women admitted to medical-surgical units.

Methods: This was an observational study conducted in a large health system in New York between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018. The primary outcome was near-miss wrong-patient orders identified using the National Quality Forum-endorsed Wrong-Patient Retract-and-Reorder measure.

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Article Synopsis
  • Since 2000, the National Cancer Institute's CISNET has developed microsimulation models for breast cancer, showcasing how systems modeling can tackle key clinical and policy questions.
  • These models incorporate various data sources and consider factors like tumor characteristics, patient history, and health systems, revealing insights into issues like overdiagnosis and race disparities.
  • Looking ahead, CISNET aims to continue its research in systems modeling to address cancer control challenges, particularly focusing on structural inequities that contribute to racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes.
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Background: Emergency Department (ED) visits and health care costs are increasing globally, but little is known about contributing factors of ED resource consumption. This study aims to analyse and to predict the total ED resource consumption out of the patient and consultation characteristics in order to execute performance analysis and evaluate quality improvements.

Methods: Characteristics of ED visits of a large Swiss university hospital were summarized according to acute patient condition factors (e.

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Background: A paucity of research addresses breast cancer screening strategies for women at lower-than-average breast cancer risk. The aim of this study was to examine screening harms and benefits among women aged 50-74 years at lower-than-average breast cancer risk by breast density.

Methods: Three well-established, validated Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Network models were used to estimate the lifetime benefits and harms of different screening scenarios, varying by screening interval (biennial, triennial).

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Background: Proton therapy is a promising advancement in radiation oncology especially in terms of reducing normal tissue toxicity, although it is currently expensive and of limited availability. Here we estimated the individual quality of life benefit and cost-effectiveness of proton therapy in patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated with definitive radiation therapy (RT), as a decision-making tool for treatment individualization.

Methods And Materials: Normal tissue complication probability models were used to estimate the risk of dysphagia, esophagitis, hypothyroidism, xerostomia and oral mucositis for 33 patients, comparing delivered photon intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) plans to intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans.

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Research examining the responders of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks of 9/11 has found that Hispanic responders are at greater risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than non-Hispanic White responders. However, no studies have examined how acculturation may influence the relationship between coping and PTSD in Hispanic 9/11 responders. This novel study is the first to examine differences in coping and PTSD among Hispanic responders by level of acculturation.

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Background: Nearly 20 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, multiple studies have documented the adverse mental consequences among World Trade Center (WTC) rescue, recovery, and clean-up workers. However, scarce research has examined mental health stigma and barriers to care in WTC-exposed individuals, and no known study has examined whether rates of endorsement may differ between police and "nontraditional" responders, the latter comprising a heterogeneous group of workers and volunteers.

Objective: To identify the prevalence and correlates of mental health stigma and barriers to care in WTC responders.

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Forced expiratory time (FET) is a spirometrically derived variable thought to reflect lung function, but its physiological basis remains poorly understood. We developed a mathematical theory of FET assuming a linear forced expiratory flow-volume profile that terminates when expiratory flow falls below a defined detection threshold. FET is predicted to correlate negatively with both FEV and FVC if variations in the rate of lung emptying (relative to normal) among individuals in a population exceed variations in the amount of lung emptying.

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