Featured Publications
Mortality Along the Rheumatic Heart Disease Cascade of Care in Uganda
Chang A, Barry M, Bendavid E, Watkins D, Beaton A, Lwabi P, Ssinabulya I, Longenecker C, Okello E. Mortality Along the Rheumatic Heart Disease Cascade of Care in Uganda. Circulation Cardiovascular Quality And Outcomes 2022, 15: e008445. PMID: 35041475, DOI: 10.1161/circoutcomes.121.008445.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchOutcomes and Care Quality Metrics for Women of Reproductive Age Living With Rheumatic Heart Disease in Uganda
Chang A, Nabbaale J, Okello E, Ssinabulya I, Barry M, Beaton A, Webel A, Longenecker C. Outcomes and Care Quality Metrics for Women of Reproductive Age Living With Rheumatic Heart Disease in Uganda. Journal Of The American Heart Association 2020, 9: e015562. PMID: 32295465, PMCID: PMC7428530, DOI: 10.1161/jaha.119.015562.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdolescentAdultAge FactorsAnticoagulantsComorbidityFemaleHealthcare DisparitiesHumansMaleMedication AdherenceOutcome and Process Assessment, Health CareQuality Indicators, Health CareRegistriesReproductive HealthRetention in CareRetrospective StudiesRheumatic Heart DiseaseRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsSex FactorsTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeUgandaWomen's HealthYoung AdultConceptsRheumatic heart diseaseWomen of reproductive ageHeart diseaseReproductive ageClinical rheumatic heart diseaseRheumatic Heart Disease RegistryAdherence to guideline-based therapyNew York Heart Association class III-IV heart failurePrescription of warfarinRisk of cardiovascular complicationsCox proportional hazards modelsProportional hazards modelRetrospective cohort studyGuideline-based therapyAdherence ratesDisease RegistryCohort studyAnticoagulant prescriptionSub-Saharan AfricaAnticoagulant useCardiovascular complicationsClinical outcomesCompare comorbiditiesHazards modelHeart failureMotivations of women in Uganda living with rheumatic heart disease: A mixed methods study of experiences in stigma, childbearing, anticoagulation, and contraception
Chang A, Nabbaale J, Nalubwama H, Okello E, Ssinabulya I, Longenecker C, Webel A. Motivations of women in Uganda living with rheumatic heart disease: A mixed methods study of experiences in stigma, childbearing, anticoagulation, and contraception. PLOS ONE 2018, 13: e0194030. PMID: 29590159, PMCID: PMC5874006, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194030.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsWomen of childbearing ageRheumatic heart diseaseFocus groupsLack of health system resourcesLimited health literacyQualitative descriptive methodologyHealth system resourcesHeart diseaseMixed methods studyMiddle-income countriesMale partnersChildbearing ageHealth literacyPatient empowermentWomen of reproductive ageAbandonment of patientsHealth programsPremature mortalitySide effects of contraceptivesDescriptive methodologyConsiderable stigmaIncreased risk of cardiovascular complicationsQualitative studyRisk of cardiovascular complicationsLMICs
2023
Clinical Profile and Outcomes of Rheumatic Heart Disease Patients Undergoing Surgical Valve Procedures in Uganda
Rwebembera J, Chang A, Kitooleko S, Kaudha G, de Loizaga S, Nalule M, Ahabwe K, Zhang W, Okello E, Sinha P, Mwambu T, Sable C, Beaton A, Longenecker C. Clinical Profile and Outcomes of Rheumatic Heart Disease Patients Undergoing Surgical Valve Procedures in Uganda. Global Heart 2023, 18: 62. PMID: 38028964, PMCID: PMC10655755, DOI: 10.5334/gh.1260.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRheumatic heart diseaseAcute rheumatic feverComplication of acute rheumatic feverHeart diseaseValve surgery proceduresPost-operative survivalCohort of patientsProportion of patientsOutcome of operated patientsRetrospective cohort studyFifteen-year survivalValvular heart diseaseChronic valvular heart diseaseLong-term complicationsMortality of patientsValve surgeryValve repairValvular operationsValve proceduresPublic health problemRe-operationValve replacementSurgical managementUgandan patientsValvular interventions
2021
Health system and patient-level factors serving as facilitators and barriers to rheumatic heart disease care in Sudan
Edwards J, Barry M, Essam D, Elsayed M, Abdulkarim M, Elhossein B, Mohammed Z, Elnogomi A, Elfaki A, Elsayed A, Chang A. Health system and patient-level factors serving as facilitators and barriers to rheumatic heart disease care in Sudan. Global Health Research And Policy 2021, 6: 35. PMID: 34598719, PMCID: PMC8486630, DOI: 10.1186/s41256-021-00222-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsCross-Sectional StudiesHealth Services AccessibilityHumansPenicillin G BenzathineRheumatic Heart DiseaseSudanConceptsBenzathine penicillin GRheumatic heart disease careTreatment adherenceHealth system factorsHealth system levelHealth service factorsPatient self-efficacyHealth system infrastructureProphylaxis adherenceFactors associated with increased likelihoodPatient-level factorsAssociated with increased oddsCross-sectional surveyLocal healthcare systemMixed-methods studyFocus group discussionsHeart disease careImprove treatment adherenceHealthcare staffingRHD careBackgroundRheumatic heart diseaseFacility staffingDisease careHealthcare accessPatient knowledgeClinical Outcomes, Echocardiographic Findings, and Care Quality Metrics for People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Rheumatic Heart Disease in Uganda
Chang A, Rwebembera J, Bendavid E, Okello E, Barry M, Beaton A, Haeffele C, Webel A, Kityo C, Longenecker C. Clinical Outcomes, Echocardiographic Findings, and Care Quality Metrics for People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Rheumatic Heart Disease in Uganda. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2021, 74: 1543-1548. PMID: 34382644, DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab681.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultBenchmarkingEchocardiographyFemaleHIVHIV InfectionsHumansMaleRheumatic Heart DiseaseStrokeUgandaConceptsHuman immunodeficiency virusRheumatic heart diseaseEchocardiographic findingsImmunodeficiency virusHeart diseaseClinical outcomesDiagnosis of human immunodeficiency virusPrescription ratesAge- and sex-matched cohortMedication prescription ratesLongitudinal outcomes of patientsCare quality metricsOutcomes of patientsMiddle-income countriesEpidemiology of patientsSex-matched cohortAll-cause mortalityStroke/transient ischemic attackRate of strokeMedian ageClinical careCardiovascular complicationsClinical characteristicsMultivariable adjustmentConcurrent diagnosis