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Hacker, Michele

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Michele

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Hacker, Michele
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Now showing 1 - 10 of 11
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    Assessment of a high-fidelity mobile simulator for intrauterine contraception training in ambulatory reproductive health centres
    (Taylor & Francis, 2016) Dodge, Laura; Hacker, Michele; Averbach, Sarah H.; Voit, Sara F.; Paul, Maureen
    Objectives. Little is known about the utility of simulation-based training in office gynaecology. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the self-reported effectiveness and acceptability of the PelvicSim™ (VirtaMed), a high-fidelity mobile simulator, to train clinicians in intrauterine device (IUD) insertion. Methods. Clinicians at ambulatory healthcare centres participated in a PelvicSim IUD training programme and completed a self-administered survey. The survey assessed prior experience with IUD insertion, pre- and post-training competency and comfort and opinions regarding the acceptability of the PelvicSim. Results. The 237 participants were primarily female (97.5%) nurse practitioners (71.3%). Most had experience inserting the levonorgestrel LNG20 IUD and the copper T380A device, but only 4.1% had ever inserted the LNG14 IUD. For all three devices, participants felt more competent following training, with the most striking change reported for insertion of the LNG14 IUD. The majority of participants reported increased comfort with uterine sounding (57.7%), IUD insertion on a live patient (69.8%), and minimizing patient pain (72.8%) following training. Of the respondents, 89.6% reported the PelvicSim IUD insertion activities as “valuable” or “very valuable.” All participants would recommend the PelvicSim for IUD training, and nearly all (97.2%) reported that the PelvicSim was a better method to teach IUD insertion than the simple plastic models supplied by IUD manufacturers. Conclusions. These findings support the use of the PelvicSim for IUD training, though whether it is superior to traditional methods and improves patient outcomes requires evaluation.
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    An assessment of attitudes toward gender inequitable sexual and reproductive health norms in South Sudan: a community-based participatory research approach
    (BioMed Central, 2013) Scott, Jennifer; Averbach, Sarah; Modest, Anna Merport; Hacker, Michele; Cornish, Sarah; Spencer, Danielle; Murphy, Maureen; Parmar, Parveen
    Background: Communities in South Sudan have endured decades of conflict. Protracted conflict exacerbated reproductive health disparities and gender inequities. This study, conducted prior to the country’s 2011 independence, aimed to assess attitudes toward gender inequitable norms related to sexual relationships and reproductive health and the effects of sex, age, and education on these attitudes. Methods: Applying a community-based participatory research approach and quota sampling, 680 adult male and female respondents were interviewed in seven sites within South Sudan in 2009–2011. The verbally administered survey assessed attitudes using the Gender Equitable Men scale. Data were stratified by sex, age (≤35 years and >35 years), and education. Results: Of 680 respondents, 352 were female, 326 were male, and 2 did not indicate their sex. The majority of women (77%) and men (74%) agreed “a man needs other women, even if things with his wife are fine”. Respondents who reported no education (60%) were more likely than those who reported any education (45%) to agree “if a woman is married, she should have sex with her husband whenever he wants to, even if she doesn’t want to” (p = 0.002). The majority of women (74%) and men (73%) agreed “it is a woman’s responsibility to avoid getting pregnant”. Respondents who reported no education (81%) were more likely than those who reported any education (72%) to agree with this statement (p = 0.04). When asked about condom use, the majority of respondents, across both sexes and both age groups, agreed “it would be outrageous for a wife to ask her husband to use a condom” and “women who carry condoms are easy”. There were no statistically significant differences between the two age groups for any of the assessed gender inequitable norms. Conclusion: The study reveals differences in attitudes toward gender inequitable sexual and reproductive health norms among those surveyed in South Sudan when stratified by sex and education. As a new nation seeks to strengthen its health system, these data can inform sexual and reproductive health policies and programming in South Sudan.
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    The Effect of Hospital Volume on Mortality in Patients Admitted with Severe Sepsis
    (Public Library of Science, 2014) Shahul, Sajid; Hacker, Michele; Novack, Victor; Mueller, Ariel; Shaefi, Shahzad; Mahmood, Bilal; Ali, Syed Haider; Talmor, Daniel
    Importance The association between hospital volume and inpatient mortality for severe sepsis is unclear. Objective: To assess the effect of severe sepsis case volume and inpatient mortality. Design Setting and Participants Retrospective cohort study from 646,988 patient discharges with severe sepsis from 3,487 hospitals in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2002 to 2011. Exposures The exposure of interest was the mean yearly sepsis case volume per hospital divided into tertiles. Main Outcomes and Measures Inpatient mortality. Results: Compared with the highest tertile of severe sepsis volume (>60 cases per year), the odds ratio for inpatient mortality among persons admitted to hospitals in the lowest tertile (≤10 severe sepsis cases per year) was 1.188 (95% CI: 1.074–1.315), while the odds ratio was 1.090 (95% CI: 1.031–1.152) for patients admitted to hospitals in the middle tertile. Similarly, improved survival was seen across the tertiles with an adjusted inpatient mortality incidence of 35.81 (95% CI: 33.64–38.03) for hospitals with the lowest volume of severe sepsis cases and a drop to 32.07 (95% CI: 31.51–32.64) for hospitals with the highest volume. Conclusions and Relevance We demonstrate an association between a higher severe sepsis case volume and decreased mortality. The need for a systems-based approach for improved outcomes may require a high volume of severely septic patients.
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    Patient satisfaction and wait times following outpatient manual vacuum aspiration compared to electric vacuum aspiration in the operating room: a cross-sectional study
    (Springer Nature, 2017) Dodge, Laura; Hofler, Lisa G.; Hacker, Michele; Haider, Sadia
    Background Outpatient manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) is a safe and equally effective alternative to electric vacuum aspiration (EVA) in the operating room. This project was conducted to determine whether outpatient MVA expedites care while maintaining patient satisfaction. Methods A cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of patients undergoing surgical management of spontaneous abortion, induced abortion, or retained products of conception with either outpatient MVA under local anesthesia or EVA in the operating room was conducted. Of 138 women completing surveys, 48 (34.8%) underwent outpatient MVA and 90 (65.2%) underwent EVA in the operating room. Procedure length, time from decision to procedure, and patient satisfaction were assessed through a self-administered questionnaire completed post-procedure. Results Most (77%) patients in the MVA group reported waiting fewer than 2 h from the time of their decision to the procedure, while most (74%) EVA patients reported waiting over 12 h (P < 0.001); the MVA group reported higher satisfaction with time to procedure (P = 0.02). The median procedure length was significantly shorter in the EVA group (10 vs. 20 min, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between groups in overall satisfaction with the procedure (P = 0.16). Conclusion Outpatient MVA under local anesthesia is a suitable alternative to operating room-based EVA for management of spontaneous abortion, induced abortion, and retained products of conception. Outpatient MVA is associated with shorter decision-to-procedure time and is highly acceptable to patients. Integration of outpatient MVA into clinical settings can add time- and resource-saving options for uterine evacuation while maintaining a positive patient experience.
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    The effect of adopting the IADPSG screening guidelines on the risk profile and outcomes of the gestational diabetes population
    (Taylor & Francis, 2015) March, Melissa I.; Modest, Anna M.; Ralston, Steven Joseph; Hacker, Michele; Gupta, Munish; Brown, Florence
    Abstract Objective:: To compare characteristics and outcomes of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) by the newer one-step glucose tolerance test and those diagnosed with the traditional two-step method. Research design and methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of women with GDM who delivered in 2010–2011. Data are reported as proportion or median (interquartile range) and were compared using a Chi-square, Fisher's exact or Wilcoxon rank sum test based on data type. Results:: Of 235 women with GDM, 55.7% were diagnosed using the two-step method and 44.3% with the one-step method. The groups had similar demographics and GDM risk factors. The two-step method group was diagnosed with GDM one week later [27.0 (24.0–29.0) weeks versus 26.0 (24.0–28.0 weeks); p = 0.13]. The groups had similar median weight gain per week before diagnosis. After diagnosis, women in the one-step method group had significantly higher median weight gain per week [0.67 pounds/week (0.31–1.0) versus 0.56 pounds/week (0.15–0.89); p = 0.047]. In the one-step method group more women had suspected macrosomia (11.7% versus 5.3%, p = 0.07) and more neonates had a birth weight >4000 g (13.6% versus 7.5%, p = 0.13); however, these differences were not statistically significant. Other pregnancy and neonatal complications were similar. Conclusions:: Women diagnosed with the one-step method gained more weight per week after GDM diagnosis and had a non-statistically significant increased risk for suspected macrosomia. Our data suggest the one-step method identifies women with at least equally high risk as the two-step method.
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    The Effect of a Universal Cervical Length Screening Program on Antepartum Management and Birth Outcomes
    (Thieme Medical Publishers, 2016) Shainker, Scott; Modest, Anna; Hacker, Michele; Ralston, Steven Joseph
    Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a universal cervical length screening program on the incidence of antepartum interventions. Study Design This retrospective cohort study included women delivering ≥ 20 weeks of gestation with singleton pregnancies before and after implementing universal cervical length screening. Antepartum interventions included admission for threatened preterm birth, ≥ 2 cervical length measurements, cervical cerclage, neonatology consultation, betamethasone, antibiotic administration for preterm premature rupture of membranes, and tocolysis. Results: There were 1,131 women—506 before the screening program (unexposed) and 625 afterward (exposed). The screening program resulted in significantly more women screened (3.0 vs. 69.9%, p < 0.0001). The exposed group was more likely to undergo ≥ 1 intervention (20.0 vs. 9.5%, p < 0.0001); specifically, admission for threatened preterm birth (3.8 vs. 1.8%, p = 0.04) and ≥ 2 cervical measurements (11.2 vs. 2.0%, p < 0.001). Other interventions were similar between groups (all p ≥ 0.06). Median gestation length was significantly longer in the exposed (39.6 weeks [interquartile, IQR: 38.6–40.4] vs. 39.0 weeks [IQR: 38.0–40.0, p < 0.001]); however, preterm delivery incidence was unaffected (9.4 vs. 10.9%, p = 0.43). Remaining neonatal outcomes were similar (all p ≥ 0.14). Conclusion: Implementing universal cervical length screening significantly increased the proportion of women undergoing ≥ 1 antepartum intervention. With the exception of a modestly prolonged gestation, other outcomes were unaffected.
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    Respondent-driven sampling to assess mental health outcomes, stigma and acceptance among women raising children born from sexual violence-related pregnancies in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
    (BMJ Publishing Group, 2015) Scott, Jennifer; Rouhani, Shada; Greiner, Ashley; Albutt, Katherine; Kuwert, Philipp; Hacker, Michele; VanRooyen, Michael; Bartels, Susan
    Objectives: Assess mental health outcomes among women raising children from sexual violence-related pregnancies (SVRPs) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and stigma toward and acceptance of women and their children. Design: Participants were recruited using respondent-driven sampling. Setting: Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012. Participants: 757 adult women raising children from SVRPs were interviewed. A woman aged 18 and older was eligible for the study if she self-identified as a sexual violence survivor since the start of the conflict (∼1996), conceived an SVRP, delivered a liveborn child and was currently raising the child. A woman was ineligible for the study if the SVRP ended with a spontaneous abortion or fetal demise or the child was not currently living or in the care of the biological mother. Intervention Trained female Congolese interviewers verbally administered a quantitative survey after obtaining verbal informed consent. Outcome measures Symptom criteria for major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and suicidality were assessed, as well as stigma toward the woman and her child. Acceptance of the woman and child from the spouse, family and community were analysed. Results: 48.6% met symptom criteria for major depressive disorder, 57.9% for post-traumatic stress disorder, 43.3% for anxiety and 34.2% reported suicidality. Women who reported stigma from the community (38.4%) or who reported stigma toward the child from the spouse (42.9%), family (31.8%) or community (38.1%) were significantly more likely to meet symptom criteria for most mental health disorders. Although not statistically significant, participants who reported acceptance and acceptance of their children from the spouse, family and community were less likely to meet symptom criteria. Conclusions: Women raising children from SVRPs experience symptoms of mental health disorders. Programming addressing stigma and acceptance following sexual violence may improve mental health outcomes in this population.
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    Cardiac Angiogenic Imbalance Leads to Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
    (Nature Publishing Group, 2012) Patten, Ian S.; Farrell, Caitlin; Tudorache, Igor; Bauersachs, Johann; Hilfiker-Kleiner, Denise; Rana, Sarosh; Shahul, Sajid; Rowe, Glenn C; Jang, Cholsoon; Liu, Laura; Hacker, Michele; Rhee, Julie S.; Mitchell, John; Mahmood, Feroze-Ud-Den; Hess, Philip; Koulisis, Nicole; Khankin, Eliyahu; Burke, Suzanne; Del Monte, Federica; Karumanchi, Subbian; Arany, Zoltan Pierre
    Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an often fatal disease that affects pregnant women who are near delivery, and it occurs more frequently in women with pre-eclampsia and/or multiple gestation. The aetiology of PPCM, and why it is associated with pre-eclampsia, remain unknown. Here we show that PPCM is associated with a systemic angiogenic imbalance, accentuated by pre-eclampsia. Mice that lack cardiac PGC-\(1\alpha\), a powerful regulator of angiogenesis, develop profound PPCM. Importantly, the PPCM is entirely rescued by pro-angiogenic therapies. In humans, the placenta in late gestation secretes VEGF inhibitors like soluble FLT1 (sFLT1), and this is accentuated by multiple gestation and pre-eclampsia. This anti-angiogenic environment is accompanied by subclinical cardiac dysfunction, the extent of which correlates with circulating levels of sFLT1. Exogenous sFLT1 alone caused diastolic dysfunction in wild-type mice, and profound systolic dysfunction in mice lacking cardiac PGC-\(1\alpha\). Finally, plasma samples from women with PPCM contained abnormally high levels of sFLT1. These data indicate that PPCM is mainly a vascular disease, caused by excess anti-angiogenic signalling in the peripartum period. The data also explain how late pregnancy poses a threat to cardiac homeostasis, and why pre-eclampsia and multiple gestation are important risk factors for the development of PPCM.
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    An assessment of gender inequitable norms and gender-based violence in South Sudan: a community-based participatory research approach
    (BioMed Central, 2013) Scott, Jennifer; Averbach, Sarah; Modest, Anna; Hacker, Michele; Cornish, Sarah; Spencer, Danielle; Murphy, Maureen; Parmar, Parveen
    Background: Following decades of conflict, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Prolonged conflict, which included gender-based violence (GBV), exacerbated gender disparities. This study aimed to assess attitudes towards gender inequitable norms related to GBV and to estimate the frequency of GBV in sampled communities of South Sudan. Methods: Applying a community-based participatory research approach, 680 adult male and female household respondents were interviewed in seven sites within South Sudan in 2009–2011. Sites were selected based on program catchment area for a non-governmental organization and respondents were selected by quota sampling. The verbally-administered survey assessed attitudes using the Gender Equitable Men scale. Results were stratified by gender, age, and education. Results: Of 680 respondents, 352 were female, 326 were male, and 2 did not provide gender data. Among respondents, 82% of females and 81% of males agreed that ‘a woman should tolerate violence in order to keep her family together’. The majority, 68% of females and 63% of males, also agreed that ‘there are times when a woman deserves to be beaten’. Women (47%) were more likely than men (37%) to agree that ‘it is okay for a man to hit his wife if she won’t have sex with him’ (p=0.005). Agreement with gender inequitable norms decreased with education. Across sites, 69% of respondents knew at least one woman who was beaten by her husband in the past month and 42% of respondents knew at least one man who forced his wife or partner to have sex. Conclusion: The study reveals an acceptance of violence against women among sampled communities in South Sudan. Both women and men agreed with gender inequitable norms, further supporting that GBV programming should address the attitudes of both women and men. The results support promotion of education as a strategy for addressing gender inequality and GBV. The findings reveal a high frequency of GBV across all assessment sites; however, population-based studies are needed to determine the prevalence of GBV in South Sudan. South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, has the unique opportunity to implement policies that promote gender equality and the protection of women.
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    Subclinical Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Preeclamptic Women With Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction
    (Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2012-11) Shahul, Sajid; Rhee, Julie; Gulati, Gaurav; Hess, Philip; Mahmood, Feroze-Ud-Den; Arany, Zolt; Rana, Sarosh; Talmor, Daniel; Hacker, Michele; Mitchell, John
    Background-Patients with preeclampsia are at risk for cardiovascular disease. Changes in cardiac function are subtle in preeclampsia and are difficult to quantify with conventional imaging. Strain measurements using speckle-tracking echocardiography have been used to sensitively quantify abnormalities in other disease settings.Methods and Results-We evaluated the feasibility and sensitivity of strain imaging using speckle-tracking echocardiography in women with preeclampsia. Forty-seven women were enrolled in this pilot study and 39 were analyzed: 11 with preeclampsia, 17 without a hypertensive disorder, and 11 with nonproteinuric hypertension. Echocardiographic ejection fraction and global peak longitudinal, radial, and circumferential strain were measured. Longitudinal strain was significantly worsened in women with preeclampsia compared with women without a hypertensive disorder (P=0.0001). Similar results were observed for radial strain (P=0.006) and circumferential strain (P=0.03). Women with preeclampsia also had significantly worsened longitudinal (P=0.04), radial (P=0.01), and circumferential (P=0.002) strain compared with women with nonproteinuric hypertension. Women with preeclampsia did not have a significantly different ejection fraction compared with women without a hypertensive disorder (P=0.16) and women with nonproteinuric hypertension (P=0.44).Conclusions-Myocardial strain imaging using speckle tracking is more sensitive than left ventricular ejection fraction to detect differences in left ventricular systolic function in women with and without preeclampsia.