ABSTRACT Understanding clinical trajectories of sepsis patients is crucial for prognostication, resource planning, and to inform digital twin models of critical illness. This study aims to identify common clinical trajectories based on dynamic assessment of cardiorespiratory support using a validated electronic health record data that covers retrospective cohort of 19,177 patients with sepsis admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) of Mayo Clinic Hospitals over 8-year period. Patient trajectories were modeled from ICU admission up to 14 days using an unsupervised machine learning two-stage clustering method based on cardiorespiratory support in ICU and hospital discharge status. Of 19,177 patients, 42% were female with a median age of 65 (interquartile range [IQR], 55–76) years, The Acute Physiology, Age, and Chronic Health Evaluation III score of 70 (IQR, 56–87), hospital length of stay (LOS) of 7 (IQR, 4–12) days, and ICU LOS of 2 (IQR, 1–4) days. Four distinct trajectories were identified: fast recovery (27% with a mortality rate of 3.5% and median hospital LOS of 3 (IQR, 2–15) days), slow recovery (62% with a mortality rate of 3.6% and hospital LOS of 8 (IQR, 6–13) days), fast decline (4% with a mortality rate of 99.7% and hospital LOS of 1 (IQR, 0–1) day), and delayed decline (7% with a mortality rate of 97.9% and hospital LOS of 5 (IQR, 3–8) days). Distinct trajectories remained robust and were distinguished by Charlson Comorbidity Index, The Acute Physiology, Age, and Chronic Health Evaluation III scores, as well as day 1 and day 3 SOFA (P< 0.001 ANOVA). These findings provide a foundation for developing prediction models and digital twin decision support tools, improving both shared decision making and resource planning.
more »
« less
Development and usability testing of a patient digital twin for critical care education: a mixed methods study
BackgroundDigital twins are computerized patient replicas that allow clinical interventions testingin silicoto minimize preventable patient harm. Our group has developed a novel application software utilizing a digital twin patient model based on electronic health record (EHR) variables to simulate clinical trajectories during the initial 6 h of critical illness. This study aimed to assess the usability, workload, and acceptance of the digital twin application as an educational tool in critical care. MethodsA mixed methods study was conducted during seven user testing sessions of the digital twin application with thirty-five first-year internal medicine residents. Qualitative data were collected using a think-aloud and semi-structured interview format, while quantitative measurements included the System Usability Scale (SUS), NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and a short survey. ResultsMedian SUS scores and NASA-TLX were 70 (IQR 62.5–82.5) and 29.2 (IQR 22.5–34.2), consistent with good software usability and low to moderate workload, respectively. Residents expressed interest in using the digital twin application for ICU rotations and identified five themes for software improvement: clinical fidelity, interface organization, learning experience, serious gaming, and implementation strategies. ConclusionA digital twin application based on EHR clinical variables showed good usability and high acceptance for critical care education.
more »
« less
- PAR ID:
- 10530337
- Publisher / Repository:
- Frontiers
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Frontiers in Medicine
- Volume:
- 10
- ISSN:
- 2296-858X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Clinically, nurses must rapidly identify deteriorating patients and escalate patient care to adverse events. Novices, however, can easily succumb to cognitive overload. Augmented-reality (AR) devices, such as the Microsoft HoloLens 2, may help nurses attend to task-relevant information more effectively. The aim of this pilot study was to assess experienced nurses’ perceptions on the usability of AR. Practicing nurses were recruited for this study. Following a brief tutorial, demonstration and hands-on use of the HoloLens, nurses completed the system-usability scale (SUS) to rate usability. Additionally, interviews were conducted after the simulated use session. Experienced nurses (n=11) rated the usability of AR as 62.5±7.8. Themes that emerged from our open-ended interviews included the need for AR in nursing education and the potential benefit of a patient care checklist. Use of AR to support nurse decision making may reduce cognitive workload and focus attention on critical areas to recognize patient deterioration.more » « less
-
Persons with dementia (PwD) are heavily dependent on the support of informal, dementia caregivers to fulfill their day-to-day care needs. Dementia caregivers, often friends and family members of the PwD, are unpaid, non-professional individuals who take on many of the care responsibilities. Due to the lack of formal training, social support, and information resources, among other factors, dementia caregivers are often at risk for negative outcomes such as stress and burden. There have not been any comprehensive assessment tools to predict these negative outcomes. Therefore, we employ the NASA TLX dimensions to conceptualize caregiver workload. This study operationalizes the NASA TLX dimensions in the context of dementia caregiving and illustrates examples for each of the dimensions. The results indicate that the NASA TLX does not include all of the factors necessary to conceptualize caregiver workload and prescribe a need for developing a robust caregiver workload assessment tool.more » « less
-
Chua Chin Heng, Matthew (Ed.)Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is the most common childhood disease worldwide and a health disparity among underserved children. ECC is preventable and reversible if detected early. However, many children from low-income families encounter barriers to dental care. An at-home caries detection technology could potentially improve access to dental care regardless of patients’ economic status and address the overwhelming prevalence of ECC. Our team has developed a smartphone application (app), AICaries, that uses artificial intelligence (AI)-powered technology to detect caries using children’s teeth photos. We used mixed methods to assess the acceptance, usability, and feasibility of the AICaries app among underserved parent-child dyads. We conducted moderated usability testing (Step 1) with ten parent-child dyads using "Think-aloud" methods to assess the flow and functionality of the app and analyze the data to refine the app and procedures. Next, we conducted unmoderated field testing (Step 2) with 32 parent-child dyads to test the app within their natural environment (home) over two weeks. We administered the System Usability Scale (SUS) and conducted semi-structured individual interviews with parents and conducted thematic analyses. AICaries app received a 78.4 SUS score from the participants, indicating an excellent acceptance. Notably, the majority (78.5%) of parent-taken photos of children’s teeth were satisfactory in quality for detection of caries using the AI app. Parents suggested using community health workers to provide training to parents needing assistance in taking high quality photos of their young child’s teeth. Perceived benefits from using the AICaries app include convenient at-home caries screening, informative on caries risk and education, and engaging family members. Data from this study support future clinical trial that evaluates the real-world impact of using this innovative smartphone app on early detection and prevention of ECC among low-income children.more » « less
-
Background Telemedicine as a mode of health care work has grown dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic; the impact of this transition on clinicians’ after-hours electronic health record (EHR)–based clinical and administrative work is unclear. Objective This study assesses the impact of the transition to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic on physicians’ EHR-based after-hours workload (ie, “work outside work”) at a large academic medical center in New York City. Methods We conducted an EHR-based retrospective cohort study of ambulatory care physicians providing telemedicine services before the pandemic, during the acute pandemic, and after the acute pandemic, relating EHR-based after-hours work to telemedicine intensity (ie, percentage of care provided via telemedicine) and clinical load (ie, patient load per provider). Results A total of 2129 physicians were included in this study. During the acute pandemic, the volume of care provided via telemedicine significantly increased for all physicians, whereas patient volume decreased. When normalized by clinical load (ie, average appointments per day by average clinical days per week), telemedicine intensity was positively associated with work outside work across time periods. This association was strongest after the acute pandemic. Conclusions Taking physicians’ clinical load into account, physicians who devoted a higher proportion of their clinical time to telemedicine throughout various stages of the pandemic engaged in higher levels of EHR-based after-hours work compared to those who used telemedicine less intensively. This suggests that telemedicine, as currently delivered, may be less efficient than in-person–based care and may increase the after-hours work burden of physicians.more » « less
An official website of the United States government

