Effect of Electronic Health Record Clinical Decision Support on Contextualization of Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Contextualizing care is a process of incorporating information about the life circumstances and behavior of individual patients, termed contextual factors, into their plan of care. In 4 steps, clinicians recognize clues (termed contextual red flags), clinicians ask about them (probe for context), patients disclose contextual factors, and clinicians adapt care accordingly. The process is associated with a desired outcome resolution of the presenting contextual red flag. Objective: To determine whether contextualized clinical decision support (CDS) tools in the electronic health record (EHR) improve clinician contextual probing, attention to contextual factors in care planning, and the presentation of contextual red flags. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial was performed at the primary care clinics of 2 academic medical centers with different EHR systems. Participants were adults 18 years or older consenting to audio record their visits and their physicians between September 6, 2018, and March 4, 2021. Patients were randomized to an intervention or a control group. Analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis. Interventions: Patients completed a previsit questionnaire that elicited contextual red flags and factors and appeared in the clinician's note template in a contextual care box. The EHR also culled red flags from the medical record, included them in the contextual care box, used passive and interruptive alerts, and proposed relevant orders. Main Outcomes and Measures: Proportion of contextual red flags noted at the index visit that resolved 6 months later (primary outcome), proportion of red flags probed (secondary outcome), and proportion of contextual factors addressed in the care plan by clinicians (secondary outcome), adjusted for study site and for multiple red flags and factors within a visit. Results: Four hundred fifty-two patients (291 women [65.1%]; mean [SD] age, 55.6 [15.1] years) completed encounters with 39 clinicians (23 women [59.0%]). Contextual red flags were not more likely to resolve in the intervention vs control group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.96 [95% CI, 0.57-1.63]). However, the intervention increased both contextual probing (aOR, 2.12 [95% CI, 1.14-3.93]) and contextualization of the care plan (aOR, 2.67 [95% CI, 1.32-5.41]), controlling for whether a factor was identified by probing or otherwise. Across study groups, contextualized care plans were more likely than noncontextualized plans to result in improvement in the presenting red flag (aOR, 2.13 [95% CI, 1.38-3.28]). Conclusions and Relevance: This randomized clinical trial found that contextualized CDS did not improve patients' outcomes but did increase contextualization of their care, suggesting that use of this technology could ultimately help improve outcomes. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03244033.

Time Pressure During Primary Care Office Visits: a Prospective Evaluation of Data from the Healthy Work Place Study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between worklife factors, clinician outcomes, and time pressure during office visits is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To quantify associations between time pressure, workplace characteristics ,and clinician outcomes. DESIGN: Prospective analysis of data from the Healthy Work Place randomized trial. PARTICIPANTS: 168 physicians and advanced practice clinicians in 34 primary care practices in Upper Midwest and East Coast. MAIN MEASURES AND METHODS: Time pressure was present when clinicians needed more time than allotted to provide quality care. Other metrics included work control, work pace (calm to chaotic), organizational culture and clinician satisfaction, stress, burnout, and intent to leave the practice. Hierarchical analysis assessed relationships between time pressure, organizational characteristics, and clinician outcomes. Adjusted differences between clinicians with and without time pressure were expressed as effect sizes (ESs). KEY RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent of clinicians needed more time for new patients and 53% needed additional time for follow-up appointments. Time pressure in new patient visits was more prevalent in general internists than in family physicians (74% vs 55%, p < 0.05), women versus men (78% vs 55%, p < 0.01), and clinicians with larger numbers of complex psychosocial (81% vs 59%, p < 0.01) and Limited English Proficiency patients (95% vs 57%, p < 0.001). Time pressure in new patient visits was associated with lack of control, clinician stress, and intent to leave (ESs small to moderate, p < 0.05). Time pressure in follow-up visits was associated with chaotic workplaces and burnout (small to moderate ESs, p's < 0.05). Time pressure improved over time in workplaces with values alignment and an emphasis on quality. CONCLUSIONS: Time pressure, more common in women and general internists, was related to chaos, control and culture, and stress, burnout, and intent to leave. Future studies should evaluate these findings in larger and more geographically diverse samples.

Characteristics of Health Care Organizations Associated With Clinician Trust: Results From the Healthy Work Place Study.

Importance: There is new emphasis on clinician trust in health care organizations but little empirical data about the association of trust with clinician satisfaction and retention. Objective: To examine organizational characteristics associated with trust. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study uses data collected from 2012 to 2014 from 34 primary care practices employing physicians (family medicine and general internal medicine) and advanced practice clinicians (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) in the upper Midwest and East Coast of the United States as part of the Healthy Work Place randomized clinical trial. Analyses were performed from 2015 to 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures: Clinician trust was measured using a 5-item scale, including belonging, loyalty, safety focus, sense of trust, and responsibility to clinicians in need (range, 1-4, with 1 indicating low and 4 indicating high; Cronbach α = 0.77). Other metrics included work control, work atmosphere (calm to chaotic), organizational culture (cohesiveness, emphases on quality and communication, and values alignment; range, 1-4, with 1 indicating low and 4 indicating high), and clinician stress (range, 1-5, with 1 indicating low and 5 indicating high), satisfaction (range, 1-5, with 1 indicating low and 4 indicating high), burnout (range, 1-5, with 1 indicating no burnout and 5 indicating very high feeling of burnout), and intention to leave (range, 1-5, with 1 indicating no intention to leave and 5 indicating definite intention to leave). Analyses included 2-level hierarchical modeling controlling for age, sex, specialty, and clinician type. Cohen d effect sizes (ESs) were considered small at 0.20, moderate at 0.50, and large at 0.80 or more. Results: The study included 165 clinicians (mean [SD] age, 47.3 [9.2] years; 86 [52.1%] women). Of these, 143 (87.7%) were physicians and 22 (13.3%) were advanced practice clinicians; 105 clinicians (63.6%) worked in family medicine, and 60 clinicians (36.4%) worked in internal medicine. Compared with clinicians with low levels of trust, clinicians who reported high levels of trust had higher mean (SD) scores for work control (2.49 [0.52] vs 2.18 [0.45]; P < .001), cohesiveness (3.11 [0.46] vs 2.51 [0.51]; P < .001), emphasis on quality vs productivity (3.12 [0.48] vs 2.58 [0.41]; P < .001), emphasis on communication (3.39 [0.41] vs 3.01 [0.44]; P < .001), and values alignment (2.61 [0.59] vs 2.12 [0.52]; P < .001). Men were more likely than women to express loyalty (ES, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.05-0.66; P = .02) and high trust (ES, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.01-0.62; P = .04). Compared with clinicians with low trust at baseline, clinicians with high trust at baseline had a higher mean (SD) satisfaction score (3.99 [0.08] vs 3.51 [0.07]; P < .001; ES, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.39-1.02). Compared with clinicians in whom trust declined or remained low, clinicians with improved or stable high trust reported higher mean (SD) satisfaction (4.01 [0.07] vs 3.43 [0.06]; P < .001; ES, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.66-1.31) and lower stress (3.21 [0.09] vs 3.53 [0.09]; P = .02; ES, -0.39; 95% CI, -0.70 to -0.08) scores and had approximately half the odds of intending to leave (odds ratio, 0.481; 95% CI, 0.241-0.957; P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance: Addressing low levels of trust by improving work control and emphasizing quality, cohesion, communication, and values may improve clinician satisfaction, stress, and retention.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the impact of gender.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a widely prevalent and potentially preventable cause of death worldwide. The purpose of this review is to summarize the influence of gender on various attributes of this disease, which will help physicians provide more personalized care to COPD patients. RECENT FINDINGS: Cultural trends in smoking have morphed the epidemiology of this traditionally male disease. There is an increasing 'disease burden' among women with COPD as suggested by the higher prevalence and slower decline in death rates as compared with men. Biologic differences between the genders account for some, but not all of these differences. In women, distinct features need to be considered to boost success of therapeutic interventions such as smoking cessation, addressing comorbidities, and attendance to pulmonary rehabilitation. SUMMARY: COPD in women is distinct from that in men with respect to phenotype, symptom burden, and comorbidities. Women are more predisposed to develop chronic bronchitis, have more dyspnea, and suffer more frequently from coexistent anxiety or depression. They may be more subject than men to misdiagnoses and/or underdiagnoses of COPD, often as a result of physician bias. Knowledge of these gender differences can lead to more effective tailored care of the COPD patient.

Do Work Condition Interventions Affect Quality and Errors in Primary Care? Results from the Healthy Work Place Study.

BACKGROUND: While primary care work conditions are associated with adverse clinician outcomes, little is known about the effect of work condition interventions on quality or safety. DESIGN: A cluster randomized controlled trial of 34 clinics in the upper Midwest and New York City. PARTICIPANTS: Primary care clinicians and their diabetic and hypertensive patients. INTERVENTIONS: Quality improvement projects to improve communication between providers, workflow design, and chronic disease management. Intervention clinics received brief summaries of their clinician and patient outcome data at baseline. MAIN MEASURES: We measured work conditions and clinician and patient outcomes both at baseline and 6-12 months post-intervention. Multilevel regression analyses assessed the impact of work condition changes on outcomes. Subgroup analyses assessed impact by intervention category. KEY RESULTS: There were no significant differences in error reduction (19 % vs. 11 %, OR of improvement 1.84, 95 % CI 0.70, 4.82, p = 0.21) or quality of care improvement (19 % improved vs. 44 %, OR 0.62, 95 % CI 0.58, 1.21, p = 0.42) between intervention and control clinics. The conceptual model linking work conditions, provider outcomes, and error reduction showed significant relationships between work conditions and provider outcomes (p ≤ 0.001) and a trend toward a reduced error rate in providers with lower burnout (OR 1.44, 95 % CI 0.94, 2.23, p = 0.09). LIMITATIONS: Few quality metrics, short time span, fewer clinicians recruited than anticipated. CONCLUSIONS: Work-life interventions improving clinician satisfaction and well-being do not necessarily reduce errors or improve quality. Longer, more focused interventions may be needed to produce meaningful improvements in patient care. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT02542995.

Impact of Work Conditions and Minority Patient Populations on Quality and Errors.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether workplace conditions affect care quality and errors, especially in primary care clinics serving minority patients. METHODS: We conducted a 3-year assessment of work conditions and patient outcomes in 73 primary care clinics in the upper Midwest and New York City. Study participants included 287 physicians and 1204 patients with hypertension and/or diabetes. Chart audit data were contrasted between clinics with ≥30% minority patients (minority-serving clinics, or MSCs) and those with <30% (nonminority-serving clinics, or NMSCs). Physicians reported on time pressure, work control, clinical resources, and specialty referral access; managers described room availability; and chart audits determined care errors and quality. Two-level hierarchical models tested work conditions as mediators between MSC status and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Error rates were higher in MSCs than NMSCs (29.6% vs 24.8%, P < .05). Lack of clinical resources explained 41% of the effect of MSC status on errors (P < .05). Diabetes control was poorer in MSCs than in NMSCs (53.8% controlled vs 76.1%, P < .05); lack of clinical resources explained 24% of this difference (P < .05). Room availability increased quality in both MSCs and NMSCs by 5.95% for each additional room per clinician per session. Lack of access to rooms and specialists decreased the likelihood of blood pressure control in MSCs. CONCLUSION: Work conditions such as clinical resources, examination room availability, and access to referrals are significantly associated with errors and quality, especially in MSCs.

A Cluster Randomized Trial of Interventions to Improve Work Conditions and Clinician Burnout in Primary Care: Results from the Healthy Work Place (HWP) Study.

BACKGROUND: Work conditions in primary care are associated with physician burnout and lower quality of care. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess if improvements in work conditions improve clinician stress and burnout. SUBJECTS: Primary care clinicians at 34 clinics in the upper Midwest and New York City participated in the study. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cluster randomized controlled trial. MEASURES: Work conditions, such as time pressure, workplace chaos, and work control, as well as clinician outcomes, were measured at baseline and at 12-18 months. A brief worklife and work conditions summary measure was provided to staff and clinicians at intervention sites. INTERVENTIONS: Diverse interventions were grouped into three categories: 1) improved communication; 2) changes in workflow, and 3) targeted quality improvement (QI) projects. ANALYSIS: Multilevel regressions assessed impact of worklife data and interventions on clinician outcomes. A multilevel analysis then looked at clinicians whose outcome scores improved and determined types of interventions associated with improvement. RESULTS: Of 166 clinicians, 135 (81.3%) completed the study. While there was no group treatment effect of baseline data on clinician outcomes, more intervention clinicians showed improvements in burnout (21.8% vs 7.1% less burned out, p = 0.01) and satisfaction (23.1% vs 10.0% more satisfied, p = 0.04). Burnout was more likely to improve with workflow interventions [Odds Ratio (OR) of improvement in burnout 5.9, p = 0.02], and with targeted QI projects than in controls (OR 4.8, p = 0.02). Interventions in communication or workflow led to greater improvements in clinician satisfaction (OR 3.1, p = 0.04), and showed a trend toward greater improvement in intention to leave (OR 4.2, p = 0.06). LIMITATIONS: We used heterogeneous intervention types, and were uncertain how well interventions were instituted. CONCLUSIONS: Organizations may be able to improve burnout, dissatisfaction and retention by addressing communication and workflow, and initiating QI projects targeting clinician concerns.

Effects of 2- vs 4-week attending physician inpatient rotations on unplanned patient revisits, evaluations by trainees, and attending physician burnout: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT: Data are sparse on the effect of varying the durations of internal medicine attending physician ward rotations. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of 2- vs 4-week inpatient attending physician rotations on unplanned patient revisits, attending evaluations by trainees, and attending propensity for burnout. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cluster randomized crossover noninferiority trial, with attending physicians as the unit of crossover randomization and 4-week rotations as the active control, conducted in a US university-affiliated teaching hospital in academic year 2009. Participants were 62 attending physicians who staffed at least 6 weeks of inpatient service, the 8892 unique patients whom they discharged, and the 147 house staff and 229 medical students who evaluated their performance. INTERVENTION: Assignment to random sequences of 2- and 4-week rotations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was 30-day unplanned revisits (visits to the hospital's emergency department or urgent ambulatory clinic, unplanned readmissions, and direct transfers from neighboring hospitals) for patients discharged from 2- vs 4-week within-attending-physician rotations. Noninferiority margin was a 2% increase (odds ratio [OR] of 1.13) in 30-day unplanned patient revisits. Secondary outcomes were length of stay; trainee evaluations of attending physicians; and attending physician reports of burnout, stress, and workplace control. RESULTS: Among the 8892 patients, there were 2437 unplanned revisits. The percentage of 30-day unplanned revisits for patients of attending physicians on 2-week rotations was 21.2% compared with 21.5% for 4-week rotations (mean difference, -0.3%; 95% CI, -1.8% to +1.2%). The adjusted OR of a patient having a 30-day unplanned revisit after 2- vs 4-week rotations was 0.97 (1-sided 97.5% upper confidence limit, 1.07; noninferiority P = .007). Average length of stay was not significantly different (geometric means for 2- vs 4-week rotations were 67.2 vs 67.5 hours; difference, -0.9%; 95% CI, -4.7% to +2.9%). Attending physicians were more likely to score lower in their ability to evaluate trainees after 2- vs 4-week rotations by both house staff (41% vs 28% rated less than perfect; adjusted OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.50-3.02) and medical students (82% vs 69% rated less than perfect; adjusted OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.06-2.10). They were less likely to report higher scores of both burnout severity (16% vs 35%; adjusted OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.26-0.58) and emotional exhaustion (19% vs 37%; adjusted OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.64) after 2- vs 4-week rotations. CONCLUSIONS: The use of 2-week inpatient attending physician rotations compared with 4-week rotations did not result in an increase in unplanned patient revisits. It was associated with better self-rated measures of attending physician burnout and emotional exhaustion but worse evaluations by trainees. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00930111.

Working conditions in primary care: physician reactions and care quality.

BACKGROUND: Adverse primary care work conditions could lead to a reduction in the primary care workforce and lower-quality patient care. OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship among adverse primary care work conditions, adverse physician reactions (stress, burnout, and intent to leave), and patient care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING: 119 ambulatory clinics in New York, New York, and in the upper Midwest. PARTICIPANTS: 422 family practitioners and general internists and 1795 of their adult patients with diabetes, hypertension, or heart failure. MEASUREMENTS: Physician perception of clinic workflow (time pressure and pace), work control, and organizational culture (assessed survey); physician satisfaction, stress, burnout, and intent to leave practice (assessed by survey); and health care quality and errors (assessed by chart audits). RESULTS: More than one half of the physicians (53.1%) reported time pressure during office visits, 48.1% said their work pace was chaotic, 78.4% noted low control over their work, and 26.5% reported burnout. Adverse workflow (time pressure and chaotic environments), low work control, and unfavorable organizational culture were strongly associated with low physician satisfaction, high stress, burnout, and intent to leave. Some work conditions were associated with lower quality and more errors, but findings were inconsistent across work conditions and diagnoses. No association was found between adverse physician reactions, such as stress and burnout, and care quality or errors. LIMITATION: The analyses were cross-sectional, the measures were self-reported, and the sample contained an average of 4 patients per physician. CONCLUSION: Adverse work conditions are associated with adverse physician reactions, but no consistent associations were found between adverse work conditions and the quality of patient care, and no associations were seen between adverse physician reactions and the quality of patient care.

Prophylactic vaccinations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: current status.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most acute exacerbations are triggered by community-acquired respiratory infections. Medications to treat COPD exacerbations are limited; therefore, identifying effective ways to prevent exacerbations are needed. Influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are currently recommended for all persons with COPD. However, current immunization rates are far lower than the Healthy People 2010 Goals. The reasons for nonadherence are multifactorial and strategies for overcoming these barriers are discussed. RECENT FINDINGS: Influenza vaccine clearly reduces the number of acute exacerbations that occur in persons with COPD. Influenza vaccine may reduce hospitalizations and mortality from COPD, but the evidence is not conclusive. Pneumococcal vaccine reduces the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease. However, there is not enough evidence to conclude that pneumococcal vaccination in persons with COPD has a significant impact on reducing morbidity or mortality. Vaccination with both influenza and pneumococcal vaccine may produce an additive effect that reduces exacerbations more effectively than either vaccine alone. Whole genome sequencing of bacteria and genome mining may represent a powerful way to identify novel potential vaccine antigens for future vaccine development. SUMMARY: Although clinical trial data are limited, vaccinations can prevent some of the infections that cause COPD exacerbations and should be administered to all patients with COPD. Vaccines do not cause exacerbations of COPD. Patient and physician barriers to vaccination can be overcome with targeted education and system-wide interventions. Further research efforts should focus on improving current vaccines and identifying novel targets for future vaccine development.

Separate and unequal: clinics where minority and nonminority patients receive primary care.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the influence of physician workplace conditions on health care disparities. We compared 96 primary care clinics in New York, New York, and in the upper Midwest serving various proportions of minority patients to determine differences in workplace organizational characteristics. METHODS: Cross-sectional data are from surveys of 96 clinic managers, 388 primary care physicians, and 1701 of their adult patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or congestive heart failure participating in the Minimizing Error, Maximizing Outcome (MEMO) study. Data from 27 clinics with at least 30% minority patients were contrasted with data from 69 clinics with less than 30% minority patients. RESULTS: Compared with clinics serving less than 30% minority patients, clinics serving at least 30% minority patients have less access to medical supplies (2.7 vs 3.4, P < .001), referral specialists (3.0 vs 3.5, P < .005) on a scale of 1 (none) to 4 (great), and examination rooms per physician (2.2 vs 2.7, P =.002) . Their patients are more frequently depressed (22.8% vs 12.1%), are more often covered by Medicaid (30.2% vs 11.4%), and report lower health literacy (3.7 vs 4.4) on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high) (P < .001 for all). Physicians from clinics serving higher proportions of minority populations perceive their patients as frequently speaking little or no English (27.1% vs 3.4%, P =.004), having more chronic pain (24.1% vs 12.9%, P < .001) and substance abuse problems (15.1% vs 10.1%, P =.005), and being more medically complex (53.1% vs 39.9%) and psychosocially complex (44.9% vs 28.2%) (P < .001 for both). In regression analyses, clinics with at least 30% minority patients are more likely to have chaotic work environments (odds ratio, 4.0; P =.003) and to have fewer physicians reporting high work control (0.2; P =.003) or high job satisfaction (0.4; P =.01). CONCLUSION: Clinics serving higher proportions of minority patients have more challenging workplace and organizational characteristics.

Part-time physicians...prevalent, connected, and satisfied.

OBJECTIVE: The health care workforce is evolving and part-time practice is increasing. The objective of this work is to determine the relationship between part-time status, workplace conditions, and physician outcomes. DESIGN: Minimizing error, maximizing outcome (MEMO) study surveyed generalist physicians and their patients in the upper Midwest and New York City. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Physician survey of stress, burnout, job satisfaction, work control, intent to leave, and organizational climate. Patient survey of satisfaction and trust. Responses compared by part-time and full-time physician status; 2-part regression analyses assessed outcomes associated with part-time status. Of 751 physicians contacted, 422 (56%) participated. Eighteen percent reported part-time status (n = 77, 31% of women, 8% of men, p < .001). Part-time physicians reported less burnout (p < .01), higher satisfaction (p < .001), and greater work control (p < .001) than full-time physicians. Intent to leave and assessments of organizational climate were similar between physician groups. A survey of 1,795 patients revealed no significant differences in satisfaction and trust between part-time and full-time physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Part-time is a successful practice style for physicians and their patients. If favorable outcomes influence career choice, an increased demand for part-time practice is likely to occur.

Evaluating the performance of inpatient attending physicians: a new instrument for today's teaching hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: Instruments available to evaluate attending physicians fail to address their diverse roles and responsibilities in current inpatient practice. We developed a new instrument to evaluate attending physicians on medical inpatient services and tested its reliability and validity. DESIGN: Analysis of 731 evaluations of 99 attending physicians over a 1-year period. SETTING: Internal medicine residency program at a university-affiliated public teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All medical residents (N= 145) and internal medicine attending physicians (N= 99) on inpatient ward rotations for the study period. MEASUREMENTS: A 32-item questionnaire assessed attending physician performance in 9 domains: evidence-based medicine, bedside teaching, clinical reasoning, patient-based teaching, teaching sessions, patient care, rounding, professionalism, and feedback. A summary score was calculated by averaging scores on all items. RESULTS: Eighty-five percent of eligible evaluations were completed and analyzed. Internal consistency among items in the summary score was 0.95 (Cronbach's alpha). Interrater reliability, using an average of 8 evaluations, was 0.87. The instrument discriminated among attending physicians with statistically significant differences on mean summary score and all 9 domain-specific mean scores (all comparisons, P <.001). The summary score predicted winners of faculty teaching awards (odds ratio [OR], 17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8 to 36) and was strongly correlated with residents' desire to work with the attending again (r =.79; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.83). The single item that best predicted the summary score was how frequently the physician made explicit his or her clinical reasoning in making medical decisions (r(2)=.90). CONCLUSION: The new instrument provides a reliable and valid method to evaluate the performance of inpatient teaching attending physicians.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in women: exploring gender differences.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. This major public health threat is ranked twelfth as a worldwide burden of disease and is projected to rank fifth by the year 2020 as a cause of lost quantity and quality of life. The impact of this disease in women is significantly understudied but the evidence that does exist reveals potentially substantial gender differences in the susceptibility to, severity of, and response to management of COPD. RECENT FINDINGS: The best known risk factor for the development of COPD is tobacco smoking. While smoking rates in women have largely stabilized in developed countries, the rates are continuing to climb in developing countries. While it is not clear whether women are more susceptible to the toxic effects of cigarette smoke than men, it is known that the incidence and prevalence of COPD will continue to climb as more women smoke. Other known risk factors for the development of COPD include air pollution, infections, occupational exposures, and genetic factors. Air pollution, particularly fine particulate indoor air pollution from biomass fuels disproportionately affects women. Infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) disproportionately affect vulnerable populations such as poor women and occupational exposures to various dusts and toxins are often gender specific. Genetic factors are still being explored but there seems a preponderance of women who are affected by early-onset and non-smoking related COPD. Women with COPD also seem to be underdiagnosed by physicians and may have different responses to medical treatment, smoking cessation interventions, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. SUMMARY: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in women is an understudied subject but is gaining attention as a significant public health threat. In developed countries, efforts at preventing the initiation of tobacco smoking and targeting smoking cessation programs in women are needed. In developing countries, efforts to promote cleaner fuels, improved stoves, better home ventilation, reduce toxic dust and fume exposures, combat infectious diseases such as TB and HIV, and improve nutrition are all ways in which the lung health of women can be improved.