2025
Factors Associated with Influenza Vaccination in a National Veteran Cohort
Chen A, Farmer M, Han L, Runels T, Bade B, Crothers K, Bastian L, Bazan I, Bean-Mayberry B, Brandt C, Akgün K. Factors Associated with Influenza Vaccination in a National Veteran Cohort. AJPM Focus 2025, 4: 100290. DOI: 10.1016/j.focus.2024.100290.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchOdds of vaccinationInfluenza vaccineFemale veteransAmerican Indian/Alaskan Native raceFactors associated with influenza vaccinationReceipt of influenza vaccinationDocumenting influenza vaccinationReduced oddsRetrospective cohort studyElectronic health record dataMale veteransHealth record dataAmbulatory care utilizationInfluenza seasonRuralMale sexWhite male veteransWhite veteransAssociated with raceCohort studyBlack veteransBlack raceEthnic groupsRacial disparitiesInfluenza
2024
Use of Hospice and End-of-Life Care Quality Among Medical Centers with High Versus Lower Specialist Palliative Care Reach Among People with Heart Failure: An Observational Study
Feder S, Han L, Zhan Y, Abel E, Akgün K, Fried T, Ersek M, Redeker N. Use of Hospice and End-of-Life Care Quality Among Medical Centers with High Versus Lower Specialist Palliative Care Reach Among People with Heart Failure: An Observational Study. Journal Of Palliative Medicine 2024 PMID: 39515377, DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2024.0182.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSpecialist palliative careVeterans Affairs Medical CenterEnd of lifeCare qualityInpatient hospiceEnd of life outcomesUse of hospiceInpatient hospice careMedical CenterMultilevel logistic regressionFamilies of patientsAffairs Medical CenterHospice carePalliative careRetrospective cohort studyAdvanced heart failureBlack adultsHospiceCohort studyFacility rateLogistic regressionStudy outcomesObservational studyCareHeart failureVariation in Uptake of Specialist Palliative Care Among People with Advanced Heart Failure Across VA Medical Centers
Zhan Y, Han L, Abel E, Akgun K, Redeker N, Feder S. Variation in Uptake of Specialist Palliative Care Among People with Advanced Heart Failure Across VA Medical Centers. Journal Of Pain And Symptom Management 2024, 67: e551-e552. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.02.339.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSpecialist palliative careVA Medical CenterDepartment of Veterans AffairsPalliative careVeterans AffairsRandom intercept multilevel logistic regressionPalliative care deliveryDelivery characteristicsMedical CenterMultilevel logistic regressionCare deliveryICD-9/10 codesAdvanced heart failureRetrospective cohort studyHealth careModifiable factorsCareTeam staffingCohort studyHeart failureLogistic regressionImplementation effortsIdentified factorsICD-9/10Study findingsVariation in Specialist Palliative Care Reach and Associated Factors Among People With Advanced Heart Failure in the Department of Veterans Affairs
Feder S, Han L, Zhan Y, Abel E, Akgün K, Fried T, Ersek M, Redeker N. Variation in Specialist Palliative Care Reach and Associated Factors Among People With Advanced Heart Failure in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Journal Of Pain And Symptom Management 2024, 68: 22-31.e1. PMID: 38561132, PMCID: PMC11168897, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.03.022.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchOutpatient specialist palliative careSpecialist palliative careVeterans Affairs Medical CenterPalliative careSpecialist palliative care consultationRandom intercept multilevel logistic regressionDepartment of Veterans AffairsMultilevel logistic regressionAffairs Medical CenterClinical practice guidelinesICD-9/10 codesAdvanced heart failureRetrospective cohort studyVeterans AffairsOutpatient palliativeOutpatient deliveryPractice guidelinesCohort studyLogistic regressionCardiology involvementDelivery characteristicsAssociated factorsMedical CenterIdentified factorsICD-9/10
2023
1312. Incidence and Microbiology of Prosthetic Joint Infection According to Time Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study Among US Veterans
Weinstein E, Re V, Stephens-Shields A, Newcomb C, Silibovsky R, Nelson C, O’Donnell J, Glaser L, Hsieh E, Hanberg J, Akgün K, Tate J, King J. 1312. Incidence and Microbiology of Prosthetic Joint Infection According to Time Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study Among US Veterans. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 2023, 10: ofad500.1151. PMCID: PMC10678406, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad500.1151.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLate prosthetic joint infectionsPrimary total knee arthroplastyProsthetic joint infectionTotal knee arthroplastyIncidence rate ratiosElective primary total knee arthroplastyJoint infectionKnee arthroplastyIncidence rateChi-squared testGram-negative organismsCumulative incidenceConfidence intervalsIncidence of PJIMicrobiology dataEarly prosthetic joint infectionKaplan-Meier failure curvesCulture-negative prosthetic joint infectionPrimary TKA surgeryRetrospective cohort studyKaplan-Meier methodPearson's chi-squared testGrant/research supportOverall study periodIncident hospitalization1313. Determinants of Prosthetic Joint Infection According to Time Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study Among US Veterans
Weinstein E, Re V, Stephens-Shields A, Newcomb C, Silibovsky R, Nelson C, O’Donnell J, Glaser L, Hsieh E, Hanberg J, Akgün K, Tate J, King J. 1313. Determinants of Prosthetic Joint Infection According to Time Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study Among US Veterans. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 2023, 10: ofad500.1152. PMCID: PMC10679182, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad500.1152.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPrimary total knee arthroplastyProsthetic joint infectionIncidence rate ratiosTotal knee arthroplastyAutoimmune inflammatory arthritisYear of TKAEarly prosthetic joint infectionLate prosthetic joint infectionsVA Surgical Quality Improvement ProgramPeri-operative factorsVeterans Health AdministrationJoint infectionKnee arthroplastyHCV infectionInflammatory arthritisAlcohol use disorderOperative timeRate ratioUse disordersElective primary total knee arthroplastySurgical Quality Improvement ProgramSkin/soft tissueRetrospective cohort studyConfidence intervalsQuality Improvement ProgramRacial, Ethnic, and Rural Disparities in U.S. Veteran COVID-19 Vaccine Rates
Bernstein E, DeRycke E, Han L, Farmer M, Bastian L, Bean-Mayberry B, Bade B, Brandt C, Crothers K, Skanderson M, Ruser C, Spelman J, Bazan I, Justice A, Rentsch C, Akgün K. Racial, Ethnic, and Rural Disparities in U.S. Veteran COVID-19 Vaccine Rates. AJPM Focus 2023, 2: 100094. PMID: 37362395, PMCID: PMC10038675, DOI: 10.1016/j.focus.2023.100094.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRace/ethnicity groupsFirst vaccinationFirst COVID-19 vaccinationVeterans AffairsWhite veteransCharlson Comorbidity IndexRetrospective cohort studyPrimary care visitsEthnicity groupsCOVID-19 vaccinationLarge healthcare systemEquitable vaccine distributionAsian Americans/Pacific IslandersRace/ethnicityUnvaccinated patientsComorbidity indexInfluenza vaccinationSelf-reported categoriesBlack groupCare visitsCohort studyHazard ratioPrimary outcomeWhite patientsBlack patients