Presenter Biography

I'm 2nd year graduate student in MS Biostatistics program. I'm working as an intern at Biostatistics & Design Program (BDP) at OHSU. This is my Biostatics lab project as well as BDP project.

Institution

OHSU

Program/Major

Biostatistics

Degree

MS

Presentation Type

Poster

Start Date

4-4-2024 1:00 PM

Creative Commons License or Rights Statement

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/41987

Subjects

Medical formula/supplement shortage, Patients with IEM, psychosocial impact, dietitian-patient relations

Abstract

Since Feb. of 2022, patients with inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) suffered medical formula shortages due to an abrupt shut down of a major formula company in the US. The goal of this project was to understand the nutritional and psychosocial impacts on patients with IEM and changes in patient-dietitian relations as a result of the unexpected formula shortage.

Two survey were set up and disseminated via REDCap to patients(18 years-old or older), parent/legal gurdian of patients in the US, from Dec.2023-Jan.2024. Of those 571 records, 139(60.4%) patient surveys and 166(48.7%) caregiver surveys were retained for analysis after dropping complete missingness. Data management and analyses were conducted with R software.

Logistic regression models were tested to investigate the association between household medical formula cutbacks, perceived weight impacts of the shortage, and the mediating effect of patient-dietitian relations. First, formula cutbacks were related to strained patient-dietitian relations (OR=2.94,95% CI=1.75,4.96). Secondly, strained patient-dietitian relations were associated with negative weight impacts(OR=2.85,95%CI=1.52,5.37). When predicting weight impact from formula cutbacks, patient-dietitian relations, and psychosocial impacts, cutting back on formula was not associated with negative weight changes(OR=1.84,95%CI=0.91,3.73). Finally, we found a significant indirect effect of formula cutbacks on negative weight impacts via strained patient-dietitian relations(OR=1.04,95%CI=1.01,1.07).

Our results suggest medical formula cutbacks due to the unexpected shortage may have had negative impacts on patients’ weight perceptions via their increasingly strained dietitian relationships. Findings have implications for dietitians, such that they may benefit from maintaining positive relationships with patients during times of crisis, like a formula shortage.

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Apr 4th, 1:00 PM

Impact of Medical Formula Shortage on Patients with Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM) and Their Dietitians

Since Feb. of 2022, patients with inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) suffered medical formula shortages due to an abrupt shut down of a major formula company in the US. The goal of this project was to understand the nutritional and psychosocial impacts on patients with IEM and changes in patient-dietitian relations as a result of the unexpected formula shortage.

Two survey were set up and disseminated via REDCap to patients(18 years-old or older), parent/legal gurdian of patients in the US, from Dec.2023-Jan.2024. Of those 571 records, 139(60.4%) patient surveys and 166(48.7%) caregiver surveys were retained for analysis after dropping complete missingness. Data management and analyses were conducted with R software.

Logistic regression models were tested to investigate the association between household medical formula cutbacks, perceived weight impacts of the shortage, and the mediating effect of patient-dietitian relations. First, formula cutbacks were related to strained patient-dietitian relations (OR=2.94,95% CI=1.75,4.96). Secondly, strained patient-dietitian relations were associated with negative weight impacts(OR=2.85,95%CI=1.52,5.37). When predicting weight impact from formula cutbacks, patient-dietitian relations, and psychosocial impacts, cutting back on formula was not associated with negative weight changes(OR=1.84,95%CI=0.91,3.73). Finally, we found a significant indirect effect of formula cutbacks on negative weight impacts via strained patient-dietitian relations(OR=1.04,95%CI=1.01,1.07).

Our results suggest medical formula cutbacks due to the unexpected shortage may have had negative impacts on patients’ weight perceptions via their increasingly strained dietitian relationships. Findings have implications for dietitians, such that they may benefit from maintaining positive relationships with patients during times of crisis, like a formula shortage.