Returning Individual-Level Urgent or Emergent Research Results to Participants: The Project Baseline Health Study Experience

Background: Returning results to research participants is increasingly recognized as an ethical mandate, yet little is known about best practices to optimally communicate urgent or emergent results. Methods: We describe the development of and experience with a process to return results to participan...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Neha Pagidipati, Brooke Heidenfelder, Lydia Coulter Kwee, Fatima Rodriguez, Ranee Chatterjee, Kishan S. Parikh, Michel G. Khouri, Jennifer Stiller, Julie Eckstrand, P. Kelly Marcom, Priyatham S. Mettu, Glenn J. Jaffe, Sumana Shashidhar, Susan Swope, Susan Spielman, Elizabeth Fraulo, L. Kristin Newby, Pamela Douglas, Charlene Wong, Robert Green, Scarlet Shore, Jessica Mega, Adrian Hernandez, Paul Campbell, Kenneth W. Mahaffey, Svati H. Shah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:American Journal of Medicine Open
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667036425000068
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849725609734832128
author Neha Pagidipati
Brooke Heidenfelder
Lydia Coulter Kwee
Fatima Rodriguez
Ranee Chatterjee
Kishan S. Parikh
Michel G. Khouri
Jennifer Stiller
Julie Eckstrand
P. Kelly Marcom
Priyatham S. Mettu
Glenn J. Jaffe
Sumana Shashidhar
Susan Swope
Susan Spielman
Elizabeth Fraulo
L. Kristin Newby
Pamela Douglas
Charlene Wong
Robert Green
Scarlet Shore
Jessica Mega
Adrian Hernandez
Paul Campbell
Kenneth W. Mahaffey
Svati H. Shah
author_facet Neha Pagidipati
Brooke Heidenfelder
Lydia Coulter Kwee
Fatima Rodriguez
Ranee Chatterjee
Kishan S. Parikh
Michel G. Khouri
Jennifer Stiller
Julie Eckstrand
P. Kelly Marcom
Priyatham S. Mettu
Glenn J. Jaffe
Sumana Shashidhar
Susan Swope
Susan Spielman
Elizabeth Fraulo
L. Kristin Newby
Pamela Douglas
Charlene Wong
Robert Green
Scarlet Shore
Jessica Mega
Adrian Hernandez
Paul Campbell
Kenneth W. Mahaffey
Svati H. Shah
author_sort Neha Pagidipati
collection DOAJ
description Background: Returning results to research participants is increasingly recognized as an ethical mandate, yet little is known about best practices to optimally communicate urgent or emergent results. Methods: We describe the development of and experience with a process to return results to participants in the Project Baseline Health Study (PBHS), which was a prospective observational cohort study of 2502 participants enrolled from 2017 to 2019 and followed through 2023. Urgent or emergent results were returned during or after the baseline visit from vital signs; clinical laboratory testing; and ocular, cardiovascular, and pulmonary imaging. Results: Among 2002 participants in this analysis, 39.7% had at least one urgent or emergent finding returned, representing a total of 1159 results returned over 3 years. The most commonly returned results were eye findings (n = 246), pulmonary nodules (n = 159), abnormal stress echocardiograms (n = 123), abnormal rest electrocardiograms (bradycardia) (n = 74), and lung parenchyma findings (n = 55). Participants with urgent or emergent incidental findings were older (mean [SD] 58.0 [16.2] years vs 48.0 [16.6] years) with a greater burden of cardiovascular, metabolic, or cancer comorbidities than those without urgent or emergent incidental findings. Conclusions: This report from the PBHS study is one of the first to describe a process to systematically return urgent or emergent results to research participants. This process led to the successful return of clinically important results to participants but also required significant time and effort from study clinicians and staff.
format Article
id doaj-art-314ef8ac2b814856a33ae50078eb22dc
institution DOAJ
issn 2667-0364
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series American Journal of Medicine Open
spelling doaj-art-314ef8ac2b814856a33ae50078eb22dc2025-08-20T03:10:25ZengElsevierAmerican Journal of Medicine Open2667-03642025-06-011310009210.1016/j.ajmo.2025.100092Returning Individual-Level Urgent or Emergent Research Results to Participants: The Project Baseline Health Study ExperienceNeha Pagidipati0Brooke Heidenfelder1Lydia Coulter Kwee2Fatima Rodriguez3Ranee Chatterjee4Kishan S. Parikh5Michel G. Khouri6Jennifer Stiller7Julie Eckstrand8P. Kelly Marcom9Priyatham S. Mettu10Glenn J. Jaffe11Sumana Shashidhar12Susan Swope13Susan Spielman14Elizabeth Fraulo15L. Kristin Newby16Pamela Douglas17Charlene Wong18Robert Green19Scarlet Shore20Jessica Mega21Adrian Hernandez22Paul Campbell23Kenneth W. Mahaffey24Svati H. Shah25Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and the Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CalifDepartment of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.; WakeMed, Raleigh, N.C.Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Kannapolis, N.C.Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Stanford Center for Clinical Research, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CalifStanford Center for Clinical Research, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CalifStanford Center for Clinical Research, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CalifDuke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Mass General Brigham, Broad Institute, Ariadne Labs and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MassVerily Life Sciences, Inc., South San Francisco, CalifVerily Life Sciences, Inc., South San Francisco, CalifDepartment of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute Concord, Concord, N.C.Stanford Center for Clinical Research, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif; Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CalifDepartment of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.; Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.; Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.; Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Kannapolis, N.C.; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C.; Requests for reprints should be addressed to Svati H. Shah, MD, MPH, Duke University School of Medicine, 300 N. Duke Street, Durham, NC 27701.Background: Returning results to research participants is increasingly recognized as an ethical mandate, yet little is known about best practices to optimally communicate urgent or emergent results. Methods: We describe the development of and experience with a process to return results to participants in the Project Baseline Health Study (PBHS), which was a prospective observational cohort study of 2502 participants enrolled from 2017 to 2019 and followed through 2023. Urgent or emergent results were returned during or after the baseline visit from vital signs; clinical laboratory testing; and ocular, cardiovascular, and pulmonary imaging. Results: Among 2002 participants in this analysis, 39.7% had at least one urgent or emergent finding returned, representing a total of 1159 results returned over 3 years. The most commonly returned results were eye findings (n = 246), pulmonary nodules (n = 159), abnormal stress echocardiograms (n = 123), abnormal rest electrocardiograms (bradycardia) (n = 74), and lung parenchyma findings (n = 55). Participants with urgent or emergent incidental findings were older (mean [SD] 58.0 [16.2] years vs 48.0 [16.6] years) with a greater burden of cardiovascular, metabolic, or cancer comorbidities than those without urgent or emergent incidental findings. Conclusions: This report from the PBHS study is one of the first to describe a process to systematically return urgent or emergent results to research participants. This process led to the successful return of clinically important results to participants but also required significant time and effort from study clinicians and staff.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667036425000068Cardiovascular diseaseDiabetesIncidental findingsLung diseaseProspective studiesReturn of results
spellingShingle Neha Pagidipati
Brooke Heidenfelder
Lydia Coulter Kwee
Fatima Rodriguez
Ranee Chatterjee
Kishan S. Parikh
Michel G. Khouri
Jennifer Stiller
Julie Eckstrand
P. Kelly Marcom
Priyatham S. Mettu
Glenn J. Jaffe
Sumana Shashidhar
Susan Swope
Susan Spielman
Elizabeth Fraulo
L. Kristin Newby
Pamela Douglas
Charlene Wong
Robert Green
Scarlet Shore
Jessica Mega
Adrian Hernandez
Paul Campbell
Kenneth W. Mahaffey
Svati H. Shah
Returning Individual-Level Urgent or Emergent Research Results to Participants: The Project Baseline Health Study Experience
American Journal of Medicine Open
Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Incidental findings
Lung disease
Prospective studies
Return of results
title Returning Individual-Level Urgent or Emergent Research Results to Participants: The Project Baseline Health Study Experience
title_full Returning Individual-Level Urgent or Emergent Research Results to Participants: The Project Baseline Health Study Experience
title_fullStr Returning Individual-Level Urgent or Emergent Research Results to Participants: The Project Baseline Health Study Experience
title_full_unstemmed Returning Individual-Level Urgent or Emergent Research Results to Participants: The Project Baseline Health Study Experience
title_short Returning Individual-Level Urgent or Emergent Research Results to Participants: The Project Baseline Health Study Experience
title_sort returning individual level urgent or emergent research results to participants the project baseline health study experience
topic Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Incidental findings
Lung disease
Prospective studies
Return of results
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667036425000068
work_keys_str_mv AT nehapagidipati returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT brookeheidenfelder returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT lydiacoulterkwee returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT fatimarodriguez returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT raneechatterjee returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT kishansparikh returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT michelgkhouri returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT jenniferstiller returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT julieeckstrand returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT pkellymarcom returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT priyathamsmettu returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT glennjjaffe returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT sumanashashidhar returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT susanswope returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT susanspielman returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT elizabethfraulo returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT lkristinnewby returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT pameladouglas returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT charlenewong returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT robertgreen returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT scarletshore returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT jessicamega returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT adrianhernandez returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT paulcampbell returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT kennethwmahaffey returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience
AT svatihshah returningindividuallevelurgentoremergentresearchresultstoparticipantstheprojectbaselinehealthstudyexperience