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Publications

The Wolff Center at UPMC and Wolff Learning Academy provide continuous learning in support of life changing medicine. This section highlights efforts that have been recognized across peer-reviewed journals with support from the Wolff Center. 

Featured Publications 

Evolving Real-World Effectiveness of Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of COVID-19
This research found early mAb treatment among outpatients with COVID-19 is associated with a lower risk of hospitalization or death for various mAb products and SARS-CoV2 variants.
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Development, Evaluation, and Multisite Deployment of a Machine Learning Decision Tree Algorithm To Optimize Urinalysis Parameters for Predicting Urine Culture Positivity
Read how a recursive partitioning decision tree algorithm for predicting urine culture (UC) positivity based on macroscopic and microscopic urinalysis (UA) parameters was developed to support a broader system-side diagnostic stewardship initiative to increase the appropriateness of UC testing.
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Healthcare-associated infections during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the modulating effect of centralized surveillance
The aim of this study was to analyze HAI rates between sites with CSIP program surveillance and sites without CSIP program surveillance and to determine the effect of the CSIP program on the relationship between COVID-19 and HAI rates.
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Below is a chronological bibliography of Wolff Center Publications where the contributions were supported by Wolff Center Quality Analytics and/or through quality improvement project work approved by the Quality Improvement Review Committee:

Berg M, Baxter C, Ayres A, Chung A, Slaughter J, Bilderback A, ….Snyder G. The impact of autocancellation of uncollected Clostridioides difficile specimens after 24 hours on reported healthcare-associated infections: A quality improvement intervention. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. 2023 Jun 19: 1-6. doi: 10.1017/ice.2023.117.

Joint Commission. Be Prepared: Drilling Down on Emergency Management Exercises. EC News. 2023 Jun. 26(6): 5-9. https://www.jcrinc.com/.

NEW Kip KE, McCreary EK, Collins K, Minnier TE, Snyder GM, Garrard W, ….Marroquin OC. Evolving Real-World Effectiveness of Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of COVID-19 : A Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med. 2023 Apr; 176(4): 496-504. doi: 10.7326/M22-1286.

Klousnitzer J, Tatar JM, Snyder AH, Snyder GM. A retrospective review of COVID-19 testing and mitigation strategies at a psychiatric hospital and subsequent COVID-19 acquisition. Am J Infect Control. 2023 May 30: S0196-6553(23)00384-X. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2023.05.011.

McDonough CM, Altieri Dunn SC, Bilderback A, Yates AJ Jr, Hogan MV, MD, MBA, FAAOS, FAOA; Hall, Daniel E. MD, MDiv, MHSc, FACS. The Relationship Between Frailty and Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcomes After Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study. JAAOS: Global Research and Reviews 7(1):e22.00249, January 2023. doi: 10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-22-00249.

Perpetua Z, Lennon J, Shovel JA, Appell KE, Patterson L, Martin SC, ….McLaughlin M. A Current State Assessment on Nursing Work Activities: An Observational Study. J Nurs Care Qual. 2023 Jun 2. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000723.

Painter LM, Biggans KA, Turner CT. Risk Management-Obstetrics and Gynecology Perspective. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2023 Jun 1; 66(2): 331-341. doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000775.

NEW Seheult JN, Stram MN, Contis L, Pontzer RE, Hardy S, Wertz W, ….Pasculle AW. Development, Evaluation, and Multisite Deployment of a Machine Learning Decision Tree Algorithm To Optimize Urinalysis Parameters for Predicting Urine Culture Positivity. J Clin Microbiol. 2023 Jun 20; 61(6): e0029123. doi: 10.1128/jcm.00291-23.

Snyder GM, Wagester S, Harris PL, Valek AL, Hodges JC, Bilderback AL, ….Minnier TE. Development and implementation of a centralized surveillance infection prevention program in a multi-facility health system: A quality improvement project. Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol. 2023 Mar 22; 3(1): e56. doi: 10.1017/ash.2023.126.

NEW Snyder, G., Wagester, S., Harris, P., Valek, A., Hodges, J., Bilderback, A., . . . Minnier, T. (2023). Healthcare-associated infections during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the modulating effect of centralized surveillance.  Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. 2023;  3(1): E72. doi: 10.1017/ash.2023.139

Haidar G, Agha M, Bilderback A, Lukanski A, Linstrum K, Troyan R, ….Mellors JW. Prospective Evaluation of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccine Responses Across a Broad Spectrum of Immunocompromising Conditions: the COVID-19 Vaccination in the Immunocompromised Study (COVICS). Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Aug 24; 75(1): e630-e644. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac103.

Hodges JC, Bilderback AL, Bridge CM, Wagester S, Colaianne BV, Babiker A, Minnier T, Zapf RL, Kip PL, Snyder GM. Assessment of the effectiveness of ultraviolet-C disinfection on transmission of hospital-acquired pathogens from prior room occupants. Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol. 2022 Jul 7; 2(1): e110. doi: 10.1017/ash.2022.254.

Mady LJ, Baddour K, Hodges JC, Magaña LC, Schwarzbach HL, Borrebach JD, Nilsen ML, Johnson JT, Hall DE. The impact of frailty on mortality in non-surgical head and neck cancer treatment: Shifting the clinical paradigm. Oral Oncol. 2022 Mar; 126: 105766. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2022.105766.

Martin EM, Colaianne B, Bridge C, Bilderback A, Tanner C, Wagester S, Yassin M, Pontzer R, Snyder GM. Discontinuing MRSA and VRE contact precautions: Defining hospital characteristics and infection prevention practices predicting safe de-escalation. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2022 Nov; 43(11): 1595-1602. doi: 10.1017/ice.2021.457.

McCreary EK, Lemon L, Megli C, Oakes A, Seymour CW; UPMC Magee Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Group. Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Pregnancy: A Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med. 2022 Dec; 175(12): 1707-1715. doi: 10.7326/M22-1329.

McCreary EK, Kip KE, Collins K, Minnier TE, Snyder GM, Steiner A, ….Marroquin OC. Evaluation of Bebtelovimab for Treatment of Covid-19 During the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Era. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2022 Oct 1; 9(10): ofac517. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac517. 

McCreary EK, Bariola JR, Minnier TE, Wadas RJ, Shovel JA, Albin D, ….Huang DT. The comparative effectiveness of COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies: A learning health system randomized clinical trial. Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 Aug; 119: 106822. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.106822.

McCreary EK, Bariola JR, Wadas RJ, Shovel JA, Wisniewski MK, Adam M, ….Kip KE. Association of Subcutaneous or Intravenous Administration of Casirivimab and Imdevimab Monoclonal Antibodies With Clinical Outcomes in Adults With COVID-19. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Apr 1; 5(4): e226920. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.6920.

Ruscetti A, Chrisman M, Wagester S, Smith P, O’Hare C, Mallon A, ….Snyder GM. Healthcare personnel early return-to-work program after higher-risk SARS-CoV-2 exposure: A learning health system quality improvement project. Am J Infect Control. 2022 May; 50(5): 542-547. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.01.027.

Wilson JD, Altieri Dunn SC, Roy P, Joseph E, Klipp S, Liebschutz J. Inpatient Addiction Medicine Consultation Service Impact on Post-discharge Patient Mortality: a Propensity-Matched Analysis. J Gen Intern Med. 2022 Aug; 37(10): 2521-2525. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07362-8.

Zheng, Y., Anton, B., Rodakowski, J., Altieri Dunn, S.C., Fields, B., Hodges, J.C., ….James, A.E. Associations between implementation of the CARE Act and health service utilization for older adults with diabetes: Retrospective observational study. JMIR Aging 2022 Apr/Jun; 5(2): e32790. doi: 10.2196/32790

Agarwal N, Goldschmidt E, Taylor T, Roy S, Dunn SCA, Bilderback A, Friedlander RM, Kanter AS, Okonkwo DO, Gerszten PC, Hamilton DK, Hall DE. Impact of Frailty on Outcomes Following Spine Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Analysis of 668 Patients. Neurosurgery. 2021 Feb 16; 88(3): 552-557. doi: 10.1093/neuros/nyaa468.

Al Abbas AI, Borrebach JD, Pitt HA, Bellon J, Hogg ME, Zeh HJ 3rd, Zureikat AH. Development of a Novel Pancreatoduodenectomy-Specific Risk Calculator: an Analysis of 10,000 Patients. J Gastrointest Surg. 2021 Jun; 25(6): 1503-1511. doi: 10.1007/s11605-020-04725-0.

Altieri Dunn SC, Bellon JE, Bilderback A, Borrebach JD, Hodges JC, Wisniewski MK, ….Hall DE. SafeNET: Initial development and validation of a real-time tool for predicting mortality risk at the time of hospital transfer to a higher level of care. PLoS One. 2021 Feb 8; 16(2): e0246669. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246669.

Chou A, Euloth T, Matcho B, Pastva AM, Bilderback A, Freburger JK. Is Discordance Between Recommended and Actual Postacute Discharge Setting a Risk Factor for Readmission in Patients With Congestive Heart Failure? J Am Heart Assoc. 2021 Aug 3; 10(15): e020425. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.120.020425.

Chopra A, Zamora R, Vodovotz Y, Hodges JC, Barclay D, Brand R, Simmons RL, Lee KK, Paniccia A, Murthy P, Lotze MT, Boone BA, Zureikat AH. Baseline Plasma Inflammatory Profile Is Associated With Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. J Immunother. 2021 Jun 1; 44(5): 185-192. doi: 10.1097/CJI.0000000000000370.

Ernecoff NC, Altieri-Dunn SC, Bilderback A, Wilson CL, Saxon S, Ahuja Yende N, Arnold RM, Boninger M. Evaluation of a Home-Based, Nurse Practitioner-led Advanced Illness Care Program. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2021 Nov; 22(11): 2389-2393. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.05.013.

Ernecoff NC, Bilderback A, Bellon J, Arnold RM, Boninger M, Kavalieratos D. Associations between Reason for Inpatient Palliative Care Consultation, Timing, and Cost Savings. J Palliat Med. 2021 Sep; 24(10): 1525-1538. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2020.0636.

Freburger JK, Chou A, Euloth T, Matcho B, Bilderback A. Association Between Use of Rehabilitation in the Acute Care Hospital and Hospital Readmission or Mortality in Patients With Stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2021 Sep; 102(9): 1700-1707.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2021.02.026.

Haidar G, Ayres A, King WC, McDonald M, Wells A, Mitchell SL, Bilderback AL, Minnier T, Mellors JW. Preprocedural SARS-CoV-2 Testing to Sustain Medically Needed Health Care Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Observational Study. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Jan 18; 8(2): ofab022. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab022.

Nace DA, Kip KE, Mellors JW, Peck Palmer OM, Shurin MR, Mulvey K, ….Wells A. Antibody Responses After mRNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccination in Residential Older Adults: Implications for Reopening. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2021 Aug; 22(8): 1593-1598. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.06.006.

Sakhuja A, Bataineh A, Dealmeida D, Bilderback A, Ambrosino R, Fuhrman DY, Kellum JA. Creating a High-Specificity Acute Kidney Injury Detection System for Clinical and Research Applications. Am J Kidney Dis. 2021 Nov; 78(5): 764-766. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2021.03.024.

Varley PR, Borrebach JD, Arya S, Massarweh NN, Bilderback AL, Wisniewski MK, Nelson JB, Johnson JT, Johanning JM, Hall DE. Clinical Utility of the Risk Analysis Index as a Prospective Frailty Screening Tool within a Multi-practice, Multi-hospital Integrated Healthcare System. Ann Surg. 2021 Dec 1; 274(6): e1230-e1237. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000003808. 

Al Abbas AI, Borrebach JD, Bellon J, Zureikat AH. Does Preoperative MELD Score Predict Adverse Outcomes Following Pancreatic Resection: an ACS NSQIP Analysis. J Gastrointest Surg. 2020 Oct; 24(10): 2259-2268. doi: 10.1007/s11605-019-04380-0.

Arya S, Varley P, Youk A, Borrebach JD, Perez S, Massarweh NN, Johanning JM, Hall DE. Recalibration and External Validation of the Risk Analysis Index: A Surgical Frailty Assessment Tool. Ann Surg. 2020 Dec; 272(6): 996-1005. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000003276.

Bataineh A, Dealmeida D, Bilderback A, Ambrosino R, Al-Jaghbeer MJ, Fuhrman DY, Kellum JA. Sustained effects of a clinical decision support system for acute kidney injury. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2020 Oct 1; 35(10): 1819-1821. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfaa099.

Gopalan P, Shenai N, Dunn S, Bilderback A. Healthcare utilization in patients pre-and post-telepsychiatry consultation compared to in-person consultation-liaison sites. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2020 Nov-Dec; 67: 154-155. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2020.05.001.

Rice MK, Hodges JC, Bellon J, Borrebach J, Al Abbas AI, Hamad A, ….Hogg ME. Association of Mentorship and a Formal Robotic Proficiency Skills Curriculum With Subsequent Generations’ Learning Curve and Safety for Robotic Pancreaticoduodenectomy. JAMA Surg. 2020 Jul 1; 155(7): 607-615. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2020.1040.

 Saadeddin ZM, Borrebach JD, Hodges JC, Avgerinos ED, Singh M, Siracuse JJ, Makaroun M, Eslami MH. Novel bypass risk predictive tool is superior to the 5-Factor Modified Frailty Index in predicting postoperative outcomes. J Vasc Surg. 2020 Oct; 72(4): 1427-1435.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2019.11.050.

Shah R, Borrebach JD, Hodges JC, Varley PR, Wisniewski MK, Shinall MC Jr, ….Hall DE. Validation of the Risk Analysis Index for Evaluating Frailty in Ambulatory Patients. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Aug; 68(8): 1818-1824. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16453.

Agarwal N, Faramand A, Bellon J, Borrebach J, Hamilton DK, Okonkwo DO, Kanter AS. Limitations of patient experience reports to evaluate physician quality in spine surgery: analysis of 7485 surveys. J Neurosurg Spine. 2019 Jan 11: 1-4. doi: 10.3171/2018.8.SPINE18104.

Bellon JE, Bilderback A, Ahuja-Yende NS, Wilson C, Altieri Dunn SC, Brodine D, Boninger ML. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Home Transitions Multidisciplinary Care Coordination Reduces Readmissions for Older Adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019 Jan; 67(1): 156-163. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15643.

Leighton C, Conroy M, Bilderback A, Kalocay W, Henderson JK, Simhan HN. Implementation and Impact of a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Telemedicine Program. Am J Perinatol. 2019 Jun; 36(7): 751-758. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1675158.

Tam V, Borrebach J, Dunn SA, Bellon J, Zeh HJ, Hogg ME. Proficiency-based training and credentialing can improve patient outcomes and decrease cost to a hospital system. Am J Surg. 2019 Apr; 217(4): 591-596. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2018.07.053.

Tam V, Rogers DE, Al-Abbas A, Borrebach J, Dunn SA, Zureikat AH, Zeh HJ 3rd, Hogg ME. Robotic Inguinal Hernia Repair: A Large Health System’s Experience With the First 300 Cases and Review of the Literature. J Surg Res. 2019 Mar; 235: 98-104. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2018.09.070.

Al-Jaghbeer M, Dealmeida D, Bilderback A, Ambrosino R, Kellum JA. Clinical Decision Support for In-Hospital AKI. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2018 Feb; 29(2): 654-660. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2017070765.

Rubin FH, Bellon J, Bilderback A, Urda K, Inouye SK. Effect of the Hospital Elder Life Program on Risk of 30-Day Readmission. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018 Jan; 66(1): 145-149. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15132.

Higgins LW, Shovel JA, Bilderback AL, Lorenz HL, Martin SC, Rogers DJ, Minnier TE. Hospital Nurses’ Work Activity in a Technology-Rich Environment: A Triangulated Quality Improvement Assessment. J Nurs Care Qual. 2017 Jul/Sep; 32(3): 208-217. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000237.

Zureikat AH, Borrebach J, Pitt HA, Mcgill D, Hogg ME, Thompson V, Bentrem DJ, Hall BL, Zeh HJ. Minimally invasive hepatopancreatobiliary surgery in North America: an ACS-NSQIP analysis of predictors of conversion for laparoscopic and robotic pancreatectomy and hepatectomy. HPB (Oxford). 2017 Jul; 19(7): 595-602. doi: 10.1016/j.hpb.2017.03.004.