The Neurostimulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC)®: Recommendations for the Mitigation of Complications of Neurostimulation.

INTRODUCTION: The International Neuromodulation Society convened a multispecialty group of physicians based on expertise and international representation to establish evidence-based guidance on the mitigation of neuromodulation complications. This Neurostimulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC)® project intends to update evidence-based guidance and offer expert opinion that will improve efficacy and safety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Authors were chosen on the basis of their clinical expertise, familiarity with the peer-reviewed literature, research productivity, and contributions to the neuromodulation literature. Section leaders supervised literature searches of MEDLINE, BioMed Central, Current Contents Connect, Embase, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed from 2017 (when NACC last published guidelines) to October 2023. Identified studies were graded using the United States Preventive Services Task Force criteria for evidence and certainty of net benefit. Recommendations are based on the strength of evidence or consensus when evidence was scant. RESULTS: The NACC examined the published literature and established evidence- and consensus-based recommendations to guide best practices. Additional guidance will occur as new evidence is developed in future iterations of this process. CONCLUSIONS: The NACC recommends best practices regarding the mitigation of complications associated with neurostimulation to improve safety and efficacy. The evidence- and consensus-based recommendations should be used as a guide to assist decision-making when clinically appropriate.

Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Pain Medicine: Results of a National Palliative Physician Survey.

CONTEXT: Pain is a prevalent symptom in patients with serious illness and often requires interventional approaches for adequate treatment. Little is known about referral patterns and collaborative attitudes of palliative physicians regarding pain management specialists. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate referral rates, co-management strategies, and beliefs of palliative physicians about the value of Pain Medicine specialists in patients with serious illness. METHODS: A 30-question survey with demographic, referral/practice, and attitudes/belief questions was mailed to 1000 AAHPM physician members. Responses were characterized with descriptive statistics and further analyzed for associations between training experiences, practice environment, and educational activities with collaborative practice patterns and beliefs. RESULTS: The response rate was 52.6%. Most survey respondents had initial board certification primarily in internal medicine (n = 286, 56%) or family medicine (n = 144, 28%). A minority of respondents had completed a formal ABMS Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship (n = 178, 34%). Respondents had been in practice for a median of nine years, (range 1-38 years) primarily in community hospitals (n = 249, 47%) or academic hospitals (n = 202, 38%). The variables best associated with collaborative practices and attitudes was practice in an academic hospital setting and participation in regular joint academic conferences with pain medicine clinicians. CONCLUSION: This study shows that Palliative Care physicians have highly positive attitudes toward Pain Medicine specialists, but referrals remain low. Facilitating professional collaboration via joint educational/clinical sessions is one possible solution to drive ongoing interprofessional care in patients with complex pain.

Is Response to a Pre-implant Diagnostic Peripheral Nerve Block Associated With Efficacy After Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Implantation? A Ten-Year Enterprise-Wide Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess whether patient response to targeted diagnostic peripheral nerve block before peripheral nerve stimulator (PNS) device implantation is associated with efficacy after PNS implantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The electronic medical records from the Mayo Clinic Enterprise (three quarternary care medical centers and additional satellite medical centers) were reviewed to identify patients who underwent PNS implantation between January 2014 and January 2023. A primary outcome of interest was to assess whether administration of a preimplant diagnostic peripheral nerve block predicted pain relief at three months and six months after temporary and permanent PNS implantation. Another primary outcome was to investigate whether there was an association between the pain relief from a preimplant diagnostic peripheral nerve block and pain relief after three and six months after temporary or permanent PNS therapy. Linear regression analysis was conducted for outcomes of interest. RESULTS: Of 193 eligible patients who underwent PNS therapy, a total of 173 patients were included in the final analysis and were stratified into either the temporary PNS cohort (n = 112) or the permanent PNS cohort (n = 61). Overall, 77.5% of all patients (134/173) underwent a preimplant diagnostic peripheral nerve block and reported a mean percentage relief of 70.1 ± 27.0 from the diagnostic block. Of patients in the temporary PNS cohort, there was no difference in postimplant percentage pain relief between patients who received a diagnostic block (n = 93) and control patients (n = 19) at three months (35.4 ± 36.0 vs 49.8 ± 36.1, respectively; ß -14.45, 95% CI -32.98 to 4.07, p = 0.125) or at six months (23.3 ± 30.8 vs 45.7 ± 40.0, respectively; ß -22.39, 95% CI -46.86 to 2.08, p = 0.072). Of patients in the permanent PNS cohort, there was no difference in postimplant percentage pain relief between patients who received a diagnostic block (n = 41) and control patients (n = 20) at three months (42.4 ± 34.3 vs 43.2 ± 42.4, respectively; ß -0.79, 95% CI -23.56 to 21.99, p = 0.945) or at six months (44.3 ± 35.0 vs 38.8 ± 40.9, respectively; ß 5.42, 95% CI -20.04 to 30.88, p = 0.669). Pain relief from preimplant diagnostic blocks was associated with postimplant pain relief from temporary PNS at three months (ß 0.33, 95% CI 0.04-0.61, p = 0.025). However, pain relief from preimplant diagnostic blocks did not predict postimplant pain relief from temporary PNS at six months, or permanent PNS at three months and six months. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of a diagnostic block is not associated with superior pain relief at three or six months after PNS implantation to that of an approach without diagnostic block. Pain relief from a diagnostic block may potentially predict short-term pain relief after temporary PNS therapy, although future prospective studies are warranted to evaluate the prognostic utility of diagnostic blocks.

Needs-based novel digital curriculum for the neuromodulation training deficit: Pain Rounds.

This study reports the needs-based development, effectiveness and feasibility of a novel, comprehensive spinal cord stimulation (SCS) digital curriculum designed for pain medicine trainees. The curriculum aims to address the documented systematic variability in SCS education and empower physicians with SCS expertise, which has been linked to utilization patterns and patient outcomes. Following a needs assessment, the authors developed a three-part SCS e-learning video curriculum with baseline and postcourse knowledge tests. Best practices were used for educational video production and test-question development. The study period was from 1 February 2020 to 31 December 2020. A total of 202 US-based pain fellows across two cohorts (early-fellowship and late-fellowship) completed the baseline knowledge assessment, while 122, 96 and 88 participants completed all available post-tests for Part I (Fundamentals), Part II (Cadaver Lab) and Part III (Decision Making, The Literature and Critical Applications), respectively. Both cohorts significantly increased knowledge scores from baseline to immediate post-test in all curriculum parts (p<0.001). The early-fellowship cohort experienced a higher rate of knowledge gain for Parts I and II (p=0.045 and p=0.027, respectively). On average, participants viewed 6.4 out of 9.6 hours (67%) of video content. Self-reported prior SCS experience had low to moderate positive correlations with Part I and Part III pretest scores (r=0.25, p=0.006; r=0.37, p<0.001, respectively). Initial evidence suggests that Pain Rounds provides an innovative and effective solution to the SCS curriculum deficit. A future controlled study should examine this digital curriculum's long-term impact on SCS practice and treatment outcomes.

Incidence of Temporary Peripheral Nerve Stimulator Lead Tip Retention: A Retrospective Review of 80 Lead Placements.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to determine the current rate of lead fracture during temporary percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulator (PNS) lead removal at the Mayo Clinic Rochester Division of Pain Medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of electronic medical records was performed for patients implanted with a temporary percutaneous PNS device between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020. Patients were included if they underwent temporary percutaneous PNS system implant, with planned lead removal at 60 days. Data collection included date of implant, diagnosis, peripheral nerve target(s), number of leads, and lead tip status at the time of removal (intact vs fractured). RESULTS: Fifty patients underwent a total of 80 temporary percutaneous PNS leads placed during the time frame analyzed. Of the 80 temporary percutaneous PNS leads implanted, there were five lead fractures at the time of intentional lead removal. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective review of 50 patients with 80 temporary percutaneous PNS leads implanted for chronic peripheral neuropathic pain resulted in a 6.25% rate of retained lead fragment at the time of lead removal by the provider at the end of 60-day treatment. This fracture and retention rate is consistent with previous published retrospective data on PNS, which has shown a 3% to 21% lead fracture rate during intentional lead removal.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Top-Cited Journal Articles Related to Neuromodulation for Chronic Pain.

OBJECTIVES: Since its foundation in the 1960s, neuromodulation has become an increasingly used treatment option for chronic pain. This bibliometric analysis examines the most cited research in this field with the aim of uncovering existing trends and future directions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clarivate's Web of Science data base was searched for the top 25 most cited studies focusing on neuromodulation for chronic pain. Various bibliometric parameters were then extracted and analyzed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were compared with non-RCTs. RESULTS: The top 25 articles had a mean of 347 citations and 22.2 citations per year, with more recent articles having a higher citation rate. Most were published in the last two decades and predominantly originated from the United States. There were 13 RCTs, which were significantly more recent (p = 0.004) and more cited per year (p = 0.001) than the 12 non-RCTs. Sources included 15 journals with a mean impact factor of 13.896. The most studied modality was spinal cord stimulation with 20 articles (76.9%), followed by intrathecal drug delivery (15.4%), dorsal root ganglion stimulation (3.8%), and peripheral nerve stimulation (3.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the most cited articles on neuromodulation reveals a focal shift from historical reports to innovative RCTs that have increasingly guided pain practice in the recent years. As novel techniques and technologies continue to develop, high-quality evidence coupled with broadening indications will likely direct further expansion of this field.

Speaker Gender Representation at the North American Neuromodulation Society Annual Meeting (2017-2021): Have We Made Progress in Closing the Gender Gap?

Background: Speaker gender representation at medical conferences is a significant site of gender disparity. Our primary objective was to quantify the proportion of female speakers and compare plenary session opportunities by gender at the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) Annual Conference. Methods: Data from the 2017-2021 NANS Annual Conference presentations were abstracted. Primary outcomes included gender composition of speaker slots, gender composition of individual speakers, and comparison of plenary speaker slots by gender. Secondary outcomes included comparisons of session size, age, professional degree, and number of presentations per speaker based on gender. Results: Gender composition of annual speaker slots was (% slots presented by women): 2017:14.6%; 2018:20.5%; 2019:23.5%; 2020:21.0%; 2021:41.4%. Annual gender composition of individual speakers was (% women): 2017:18.7%; 2018:20.6%; 2019:24.6%; 2020:24.9%; 2021:33.8%. Of all speaker slots, the percentage of plenary slots did not differ based on gender, with 11.4% presented by female speakers versus 11.2% presented by male speakers (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.7-1.5, P=0.893). Compared to male speaker slots, there was an association of lower age (43.9±5.6 vs 50.8±8.9, P<0.001), lower odds of holding a single doctorate degree (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.5, P<0.001), and lower odds of holding a dual MD/PhD or DO/PhD degree (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.5, P<0.001) in female speaker slots. Compared to male speakers, there was an association of higher number of presentations per female speaker at the 2021 NANS Annual Meeting (2.48±1.60 vs 1.79±1.30, P=0.008). Conclusion: Although the volume of female speaker slots and individual speakers trailed behind their male counterparts, female speaker representation steadily increased at each subsequent annual NANS meeting. We identified no difference in plenary session slots based on gender.

Social Support, Social Isolation, and Burnout: Cross-Sectional Study of U.S. Residents Exploring Associations With Individual, Interpersonal, Program, and Work-Related Factors.

PURPOSE: To examine associations of social support and social isolation with burnout, program satisfaction, and organization satisfaction among a large population of U.S. residents and fellows and to identify correlates of social support and social isolation. METHOD: All residents and fellows enrolled in graduate medical education programs at Mayo Clinic sites were surveyed in February 2019. Survey items measured social support (emotional and tangible), social isolation, burnout, program satisfaction, and organization satisfaction. Factors of potential relevance to social support were collected (via the survey, institutional administrative records, and interviews with program coordinators and/or program directors) and categorized as individual, interpersonal, program, or work-related factors (duty hours, call burden, elective time, vacation days used before survey administration, required away rotations, etc.). Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between variables. RESULTS: Of 1,146 residents surveyed, 762 (66%) from 58 programs responded. In adjusted models, higher emotional and tangible support were associated with lower odds of burnout and higher odds of program and organization satisfaction, while higher social isolation scores were associated with higher odds of burnout and lower odds of program satisfaction and organization satisfaction. Independent predictors of social support and/or social isolation included age, gender, relationship status, parental status, postgraduate year, site, ratings of the program leadership team, ratings of faculty relationships and faculty professional behaviors, satisfaction with autonomy, and vacation days used before survey administration. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that social support and social isolation are strongly related to burnout and satisfaction among residents and fellows. Personal and professional relationships, satisfaction with autonomy, and vacation days are independently associated with social support and/or social isolation, whereas most program and work-related factors are not. Additional studies are needed to determine if social support interventions targeting these factors can improve well-being and enhance satisfaction with training.

Comparative Effectiveness of Landmark-guided Greater Occipital Nerve (GON) Block at the Superior Nuchal Line Versus Ultrasound-guided GON Block at the Level of C2: A Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT).

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this single center, prospective randomized controlled trial was to compare clinical outcomes between an ultrasound-guided greater occipital nerve block (GONB) at the C2 vertebral level versus landmark-based GONB at the superior nuchal line. METHODS: Patients with occipital neuralgia or cervicogenic headache were randomized to receive either a landmark-based GONB with sham ultrasound at the superior nuchal line or ultrasound-guided GONB at the C2 vertebral level with blinding of patients and data analysis investigators. Clinical outcomes were assessed at 30 minutes, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks postinjection. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were recruited with 16 participants in each group. Despite randomization, the ultrasound-guided GONB group reported higher numeric rating scale (NRS) scores at baseline. Those in the ultrasound-guided GONB group had a significant decrease in NRS from baseline compared with the landmark-based GONB group at 30 minutes (change of NRS of 4.0 vs. 2.0) and 4-week time points (change of NRS of 2.5 vs. -0.5). Both groups were found to have significant decreases in Headache Impact Test-6. The ultrasound-guided GONB had significant improvements in NRS, severe headache days, and analgesic use at 4 weeks when compared with baseline. No serious adverse events occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided GONBs may provide superior pain reduction at 4 weeks when compared with landmark-based GONBs for patients with occipital neuralgia or cervicogenic headache.

The painful shoulder arthroplasty: appropriate work-up and review of interventional pain treatments.

Shoulder arthroplasty is a successful surgical procedure for several conditions when patients become refractory to conservative management modalities. Unfortunately, some patients experience persistent chronic pain after shoulder arthroplasty. These individuals should undergo a comprehensive evaluation by an orthopedic surgeon to determine whether structural pathology is responsible for the pain and to decide whether reoperation is indicated. At times, a surgical solution does not exist. In these circumstances, a thorough and specific plan for the management of persistent chronic pain should be developed and instituted. In this article, we review common reasons for persistent pain after shoulder arthroplasty and outline the evaluation of the painful shoulder arthroplasty. We then provide a thorough review of interventional pain management strategies. Finally, we hypothesize developments in our field that might provide better outcomes in the future for patients suffering with chronic intractable pain after shoulder arthroplasty.

Impact of Mentorship, by Gender, on Career Trajectory in an Academic Anesthesiology Department: A Survey Study.

INTRODUCTION: Mentorship has been identified as a key component of success in business and in academic medicine. METHODS: After institutional review board approval of the study, an email survey was sent to anesthesiologists in one anesthesiology department to assess mentorship status. A survey link was sent to nonrespondents at 2 weeks and 4 weeks. All participants were deidentified. The identification of a mentor was compared by gender, academic rank, and years of practice. RESULTS: Among 233 anesthesiologists, 103 (44.2%) responded to the survey. More than 90% of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that having a mentor is important to career success. Of the 103 respondents, 31 (30%) indicated they had a mentor. Overall, 84% of the identified mentors were men; however, this percentage differed significantly between men and women respondents (95% versus 60%; P = .03). Characteristics associated with having a mentor included younger age (P = .007), fewer years since finishing training (P = .004), and working full time (P = .02). For respondent age and years since finishing training, there was some evidence that the association was dependent on the gender of the respondent (age-by-gender interaction, P = .08; experience-by-gender interaction, P = .08). DISCUSSION: Anesthesiologists in this department believed that mentorship led to more academic success. Few women mentors were reported, and women were unlikely to identify a mentor once advanced past an assistant professor rank. Most respondents believed that mentorship was important for overall career success, but only approximately one-third identified a mentor at the time of the survey.

GRIT: Women in Medicine Leadership Conference Participants' Perceptions of Gender Discrimination, Disparity, and Mitigation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess demographic characteristics and perceptions of female physicians in attendance at a medical conference for women with content focused on growth, resilience, inspiration, and tenacity to better understand major barriers women in medicine face and to find solutions to these barriers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A Likert survey was administered to female physicians attending the conference (September 20 to 22, 2018). The survey consisted of demographic data and 4 dimensions that are conducive to women's success in academic medicine: equal access, work-life balance, freedom from gender biases, and supportive leadership. RESULTS: All of the 228 female physicians surveyed during the conference completed the surveys. There were 70 participants (31.5%) who were in practice for less than 10 years (early career), 111 (50%) who were in practice for 11 to 20 years (midcareer), and 41 (18.5%) who had more than 20 years of practice (late career). Whereas participants reported positive support from their supervisors (mean, 0.4 [SD 0.9]; P<.001), they did not report support in the dimensions of work-life balance (mean, -0.2 [SD 0.8]; P<.001) and freedom from gender bias (mean, -0.3 [SD 0.9]; P<.001). CONCLUSION: Female physicians were less likely to feel support for work-life balance and did not report freedom from gender bias in comparison to other dimensions of support. Whereas there was no statistically significant difference between career stage, trends noting that late-career physicians felt less support in all dimensions were observed. Future research should explore a more diverse sample population of women physicians.

Closing the Mentorship Gap: Implementation of Speed Mentoring Events for Women Faculty and Trainees in Anesthesiology.

Introduction: Mentorship is a key component to success in academic medicine. Women are under-represented in leadership positions within medicine. Women are less likely to identify mentors than men. Speed mentoring is an innovative strategy to facilitate mentorship in academic medicine. Materials and Methods: A speed mentoring event for women faculty members in an academic anesthesiology department was held, followed by a second event for trainees. Attendees completed surveys about mentorship experiences at baseline and in follow-up. Questions were rated on a 7-point Likert scale with 1 = strongly disagree and 7 = strongly agree with values reported as median (1st, 3rd quartile). Results: Baseline surveys indicated poor satisfaction with mentoring in the prior 6 months as 4.5 (3, 5.25). Twelve months later, mentees reported increased satisfaction with mentoring 6 (6, 6). Mentors and mentees felt their time was well spent during both events. There was an increase in the number of mentors identified after the events by both groups. Conclusions: Our results suggest speed mentoring is well received and impactful with minimal time and monetary investment. The attendees of the events identified an increased number of mentors after speed mentoring events, and this effect was maintained at 6-12 months. Speed mentoring may be one path to providing support for women to advance their careers in academic medicine. More research is warranted to better evaluate effectiveness of formats such as speed mentoring to facilitate improved mentorship for women in academic anesthesiology.

Differences in calculated percentage improvement versus patient-reported percentage improvement in pain scores: a review of spinal cord stimulation trials.

INTRODUCTION: Spinal cord stimulation is frequently used for the treatment of intractable chronic pain conditions. Trialing of the spinal cord stimulator device is recommended to assess the patient's response to neurostimulation before permanent implantation. The trial response is often assessed by Numeric Rating Scale changes and patient-reported percentage pain improvement. Using number rating scale changes between prespinal and postspinal cord stimulation trial, a calculated percentage pain improvement can be obtained. The aim of this study was to assess the difference between calculated and patient-reported percentage improvement in pain scale during spinal cord stimulation trials. METHODS: This study was a retrospective single center review of all spinal cord stimulation trials from January 1 2017 to July 1 2019. A total of 174 patients were included. The paired t-test was used to compare numeric pain scores obtained prestimulation versus poststimulation. The mean difference between methods (patient-reported minus calculated) was compared with zero using the 1-sample t-test. Lin's concordance correlation coefficient was computed with a 95% CI, calculated using Fisher z-transformation; and a bootstrapping approach was used to compare the concordance correlation coefficient between groups. In all cases, two-tailed tests were used with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Based on prestimulation and poststimulation numeric rating scale scores, the mean±SD calculated percentage improvement in pain scale was 54±28. The mean±SD patient-reported percentage improvement in pain scale was 59±25. The overall 95% limits of agreement for the two methods are -30% to +41%. The overall concordance correlation coefficient was 0.76 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.81). CONCLUSION: Although the two methods are highly correlated, there is substantial lack of agreement between patient-reported and calculated percentage improvement in pain scale, suggesting that these measures should not be used interchangeably for spinal cord stimulator trial outcome assessment. This emphasizes the need for improved metrics to better measure patient response to neuromodulation therapies. Additionally, patient-reported percentage improvement in pain was found to be higher than calculated percentage improvement in pain, potentially highlighting the multidimensional experience of pain and the unpredictability of solely using Numeric Rating Scale scores to assess patient outcomes.

Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block vs trigger point injections for chronic abdominal wall pain: a randomized clinical trial.

ABSTRACT: The primary aim of this randomized clinical trial is to investigate the effects of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) vs ultrasound-guided trigger point injections (TPIs) on numerical rating scale pain scores at month 3 follow-up in patients with a chronic abdominal wall pain. The primary outcome measure was the difference in mean numeric rating scale pain scores between the TAP and TPI groups at month 3 in an intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis. A total of 60 patients were randomized 1:1 to receive an ultrasound-guided TAP block (n = 30) or an ultrasound-guided TPI (n = 30). No significant group differences in baseline demographic or clinical characteristics were observed. The mean baseline pain score for the TAP and TPI groups was 5.5 and 4.7, respectively. In the ITT analysis at month 3, the between-group difference in pain scores was 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 0.3-3.0) favoring the TPI group. In a secondary per-protocol analysis, the between-group difference in pain scores was 1.8 (95% confidence interval, 0.4-3.2) favoring the TPI group. For the ITT and per-protocol analyses, the group differences in pain scores were consistent with a medium effect size. The main finding of this randomized clinical trial is that adults with chronic abdominal wall pain who received a TPI reported significantly lower pain scores at month 3 follow-up compared with patients who received a TAP block.

Factors Associated With Implantable Pulse Generator Site Pain: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: Implantable pulse generator (IPG) site pain following neuromodulation procedures is a recognized complication. The site of the IPG placement varies depending on the neuromodulation type and physician preference. The incidence of IPG site pain as a function of the site of IPG implantation has not been studied systematically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a multicenter cross-sectional survey of the incidence, severity, and quality of IPG site pain, location of the IPG, the pain management needs, functional impairment, and cosmetic appearance related to the IPG placement. Contingency table analysis was conducted for categorical variables, and logistic regression analysis and linear regression model was used. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 60.5% (n = 510). Overall, 31.0% of patients reported pain at the IPG site in the last 72 hours with 31.4% reporting moderate to severe pain and 7.6% reporting severe pain. Older age was inversely associated with IPG-related pain (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.96-0.99, p = 0.001). IPG implantation site did not have a statistically significant interaction with IPG site pain (p > 0.05). The most important factor for IPG site-associated pain was having a spinal cord stimulator implanted as compared to a deep brain stimulator, or sacral nerve stimulator. Most subjects reported no functional impairment related to IPG site pain (91%), found the IPG site pain as expected (80%), and found IPG site cosmetic appearance as expected (96%). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of IPG site pain is an important complication of invasive neuromodulation. The anatomic location of the IPG placement does not appear to affect the incidence or severity of IPG site pain. However, the presence of a pre-implant chronic pain disorder does appear to affect the frequency and severity of IPG site pain.

The Relationship Between Burnout and Help-Seeking Behaviors, Concerns, and Attitudes of Residents.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between help-seeking concerns and attitudes and burnout among residents. METHOD: In 2019, all residents across the 4 Mayo Clinic sites were surveyed. The survey included 2 items from the Maslach Burnout Inventory, an item from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication about likelihood of seeking professional help for a serious emotional problem, and items developed to explore residents' help-seeking behaviors and concerns. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted for each outcome variable and included age, gender, specialty, postgraduate year, site, and burnout. RESULTS: Of the 1,146 residents to whom surveys were sent, 762 (66.5%) responded. Nearly half (342/747, 45.8%) were concerned about negative consequence to their career if they went on medical leave, and one-third (247/753, 32.8%) were reluctant to seek professional help for a serious emotional concern. Of the 437 residents who had never attended a personal health appointment during scheduled work, 34.6% (151) thought it would be difficult to tell a supervising physician they needed to miss work due to a scheduled appointment. On multivariable analysis, burnout was independently associated with reporting it would be difficult to tell a supervising physician of a need to attend an appointment (odds ratio [OR] 2.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46, 3.67; P < .001), being concerned about negative consequence to their career if they went on medical leave (OR 2.09; 95% CI 1.49, 2.93; P < .001), and reluctance to seek professional care for a serious emotional problem (OR 1.65; 95% CI 1.17, 2.34; P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: Barriers to self-care and help-seeking are common among residents and may be worse among those with burnout. Strategies to reduce stigma and promote a culture of well-being are needed.

The Relationship Between Residents' Perceptions of Residency Program Leadership Team Behaviors and Resident Burnout and Satisfaction.

PURPOSE: To explore the relationship between residents' perceptions of residency program leadership team behaviors and resident burnout and satisfaction. METHOD: In February 2019, the authors surveyed all residents across the 77 graduate medical education training programs at Mayo Clinic's multiple sites. Survey items measured residents' perceptions of program director and associate program director behaviors (using a composite residency program leadership team score), resident burnout, and resident satisfaction with the program and organization. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships between these variables at the individual resident (adjusting for age, sex, postgraduate training year, program location, and specialty) and program (including only programs with at least 5 respondents) levels. RESULTS: Of the 1,146 residents surveyed, 762 (66.5%) responded. At the individual resident level, higher composite leadership team scores were associated with lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and higher overall satisfaction with the residency program and organization (all P < .001). In adjusted logistic regression models, each 1-point gain in composite leadership team score was associated with 9% lower odds of burnout, 20% higher odds of program satisfaction, and 19% higher odds of satisfaction with the organization (all P < .001). At the residency program level, higher mean composite leadership team scores were associated with a lower rate of burnout (r = -0.35, P = .03) and higher program and organization satisfaction (r = 0.67 and 0.74, respectively, both P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The behaviors of residency program leadership teams influence residents' burnout and satisfaction. Additional studies are needed to determine if leadership training results in improved resident well-being and satisfaction.