2023
The Association of Prescribed Opioids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease
Sung M, Eden S, Becker W, Crystal S, Duncan M, Gordon K, Kerns R, Kundu S, Freiberg M, So-Armah K, Edelman E. The Association of Prescribed Opioids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease. Journal Of Pain 2023, 25: 104436. PMID: 38029949, PMCID: PMC11058015, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.11.019.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchIncident cardiovascular diseaseModifiable CVD risk factorsCVD risk factorsHuman immunodeficiency virusCardiovascular diseasePrescribed opioidsOpioid receiptRisk factorsUse disordersCox proportional hazards regression modelVeterans Aging Cohort StudyVeterans Health Administration (VHA) carePropensity scoreProportional hazards regression modelsCVD incidence ratesPrescription opioid exposureIncident CVD eventsPrevalence of hypertensionAging Cohort StudyHigher opioid dosesOpioid use disorderHazards regression modelsNational prospective cohortVeterans Administration dataCocaine use disorder
2022
Longitudinal analysis of the prevalence and correlates of heavy episodic drinking and self‐reported opioid use among a national cohort of patients with HIV
Oldfield BJ, Li Y, Vickers‐Smith R, Barry DT, Crystal S, Gordon KS, Kerns RD, Williams EC, Marshall BDL, Edelman EJ. Longitudinal analysis of the prevalence and correlates of heavy episodic drinking and self‐reported opioid use among a national cohort of patients with HIV. Alcohol Clinical And Experimental Research 2022, 46: 600-613. PMID: 35257397, PMCID: PMC9018502, DOI: 10.1111/acer.14801.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSelf-reported opioid useOpioid useHeavy episodic drinkingNational cohortRisk factorsDepressive symptomsVeterans Aging Cohort StudyVeterans Health Administration sitesOpioid-related risksHIV disease progressionModifiable risk factorsPast-year cigarette smokingAging Cohort StudyGreater illness severityEpisodic drinkingOpioid-related overdoseHigh-risk drinkingCohort studyProspective cohortIllness severityCigarette smokingClinical correlatesDisease progressionLower oddsMultinomial logistic regressionRisk Factors Associated with Healthcare Utilization for Spine Pain
Higgins DM, Han L, Kerns RD, Driscoll MA, Heapy AA, Skanderson M, Lisi AJ, Mattocks KM, Brandt C, Haskell SG. Risk Factors Associated with Healthcare Utilization for Spine Pain. Pain Medicine 2022, 23: 1423-1433. PMID: 34999899, DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnab351.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSpine pain careSpine painHealthcare utilizationPain careRisk factorsPain episodesObservation periodNew episodesMultivariable logistic regression modelPotential risk factorsOutpatient visit dataLogistic regression analysisMental health conditionsBaseline observation periodLogistic regression modelsBaseline characteristicsOutpatient visitsClinical correlatesContinued careLower oddsPainVisit dataContinued episodesHealth conditionsCare
2021
Risk Factors Associated With Nonfatal Opioid Overdose Leading to Intensive Care Unit Admission: A Cross-sectional Study
Mitra A, Ahsan H, Li W, Liu W, Kerns RD, Tsai J, Becker W, Smelson DA, Yu H. Risk Factors Associated With Nonfatal Opioid Overdose Leading to Intensive Care Unit Admission: A Cross-sectional Study. JMIR Medical Informatics 2021, 9: e32851. PMID: 34747714, PMCID: PMC8663596, DOI: 10.2196/32851.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNonfatal opioid overdoseIntensive care unit admissionCare unit admissionRisk factorsOpioid overdoseElectronic health recordsIllicit drug useUse disordersUnit admissionClinical variablesICU settingEHR notesEHRs of patientsICD codesDrug useAdmission dataMultivariable logistic regression analysisCovariate-adjusted odds ratioBeth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterNinth Revision diagnosisNoncritical care settingsClinical risk factorsImportant risk factorDrug use disordersRelevant clinical variablesMilitary sexual trauma and suicidal ideation in VHA-care-seeking OEF/OIF/OND veterans without mental health diagnosis or treatment
Decker SE, Ramsey CM, Ronzitti S, Kerns RD, Driscoll MA, Dziura J, Skanderson M, Bathulapalli H, Brandt CA, Haskell SG, Goulet JL. Military sexual trauma and suicidal ideation in VHA-care-seeking OEF/OIF/OND veterans without mental health diagnosis or treatment. Psychiatry Research 2021, 303: 114089. PMID: 34247061, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114089.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMental health diagnosesMilitary sexual traumaVeterans Healthcare AdministrationSuicidal ideationHealth diagnosisSexual traumaRelative risk estimatesOEF/OIF/OND veteransSample of veteransPost-9/11 veteransSuicide risk factorsMental health concernsClinical remindersRisk factorsRelative riskHigh riskMen veteransMental healthcareHealth concernRisk estimatesMST survivorsWomenDiagnosisTraumaVeterans
2020
Are we missing opioid-related deaths among people with HIV?
Becker WC, Gordon KS, Edelman EJ, Goulet JL, Kerns RD, Marshall BDL, Fiellin DA, Justice AC, Tate JP. Are we missing opioid-related deaths among people with HIV? Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2020, 212: 108003. PMID: 32417360, PMCID: PMC9580216, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVeterans Aging Cohort StudyOpioid useOverdose deathsLife-limiting conditionsUnnatural deathsGreater oddsAging Cohort StudyVACS IndexOpioid exposureCohort studyHIV infectionHIV statusRisk factorsOdds ratioDeath filesIndex causeHIVDisease severityDeathDecedentsIllicit useDifferential misclassificationOddsCauseOpioids
2018
Duration of opioid prescriptions predicts incident nonmedical use of prescription opioids among U.S. veterans receiving medical care
Barry DT, Marshall BDL, Becker WC, Gordon AJ, Crystal S, Kerns RD, Gaither JR, Gordon KS, Justice AC, Fiellin DA, Edelman EJ. Duration of opioid prescriptions predicts incident nonmedical use of prescription opioids among U.S. veterans receiving medical care. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2018, 191: 348-354. PMID: 30176548, PMCID: PMC6596307, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.07.008.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPrescription opioid receiptPrescription opioidsMedical careOpioid receiptVeterans Health Administration primary careNonmedical useMultivariable Cox modelInfectious disease clinicProspective cohort studyProportional hazards regressionPrescription opioid medicationsPublic health problemSubstance use disordersMedication-related characteristicsOpioid therapyOpioid medicationsOpioid prescriptionsCohort studyDisease clinicMedian ageHazards regressionEligible participantsPrimary careRisk factorsIncidence rate
2011
A multidisciplinary stroke clinic for outpatient care of veterans with cerebrovascular disease
Schmid AA, Kapoor JR, Miech EJ, Kuehn D, Dallas MI, Kerns RD, Lo AC, Concato J, Phipps MS, Couch CD, Moran E, Williams LS, Goble LA, Bravata DM. A multidisciplinary stroke clinic for outpatient care of veterans with cerebrovascular disease. Journal Of Multidisciplinary Healthcare 2011, Volume 4: 111-118. PMID: 21594062, PMCID: PMC3093955, DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s17154.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCerebrovascular risk factorsCerebrovascular diseaseStroke clinicClinic visitsRisk factorsClinic modelDiastolic blood pressurePost-stroke careClinical care outcomesLow-density lipoproteinQuality of careBlood pressureComplex patientsPatient satisfactionClinical managementOutpatient careProvider satisfactionCare outcomesCare managementPatientsClinicInternal medicineProgram evaluationRehabilitation medicineDisease
1998
Health Risk Behaviors and Their Relationships to Health Care Utilization Among Veterans Receiving Primary Medical Care
Benedetto M, Kerns R, Rosenberg R, Burg M, Westgate K. Health Risk Behaviors and Their Relationships to Health Care Utilization Among Veterans Receiving Primary Medical Care. Journal Of Clinical Psychology In Medical Settings 1998, 5: 441-447. DOI: 10.1023/a:1026258911757.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHealth care utilizationCare utilizationHealth risk behaviorsAffective distressRisk factorsRisk behaviorsBehavioral health risk factorsPrimary care providersPrimary care settingBehavioral risk factorsCurrent tobacco usePrimary medical careHealth risk factorsBehavioral health risksHealth care systemBrief self-report questionnaireBehaviour change interventionsRisk drinkingCare settingsTobacco useSelf-report questionnairesCare providersPatterns of useMedical careMild range
1987
The role of denial in recovery from coronary heart disease.
Levine J, Warrenburg S, Kerns R, Schwartz G, Delaney R, Fontana A, Gradman A, Smith S, Allen S, Cascione R. The role of denial in recovery from coronary heart disease. Psychosomatic Medicine 1987, 49: 109-117. PMID: 3575599, DOI: 10.1097/00006842-198703000-00001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCoronary heart diseaseDenial of illnessHeart diseaseCoronary bypass surgerySeverity of illnessHigh deniersCourse of recoveryBypass surgeryHospital dischargeHospital recoveryMale patientsCardiac dysfunctionIntensive careMyocardial infarctionRisk factorsIllness ScaleLow deniersMedical recommendationsLevine DenialMore daysIllnessLongitudinal studyPatientsInternal consistencyDisease