Working toward gender diversity and inclusion in medicine: myths and solutions.

Women's representation in science and medicine has slowly increased over the past few decades. However, this rise in numbers of women, or gender diversity, has not been matched by a rise in gender inclusion. Despite increasing representation, women still encounter bias and discrimination when compared with men in these fields across a variety of outcomes, including treatment at school and work, hiring, compensation, evaluation, and promotion. Individual and systemic biases create unwelcome environments for women, particularly for those who additionally identify with other traditionally devalued groups (eg, women of colour). This Review draws on several decades of research in the field of management and its cognate disciplines to identify five myths that continue to perpetuate gender bias and five strategies for improving not only the number of women in medicine, but also their lived experiences, capacity to aspire, and opportunity to succeed. We argue for a move away from a singular focus on interventions aimed at targeting individual attitudes and behaviour to more comprehensive interventions that address structural and systemic changes.

Transformational Leadership Meets Innovative Strategy: How Nurse Leaders and Clinical Nurses Redesigned Bedside Handover to Improve Nursing Practice.

In 2000, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, highlighting medical errors resulting from failure in perception, assumption, and communication. The handover process is a high-risk activity prone to the communication vulnerabilities described in the IOM report. The handover project started as a 3-month pilot with plans to expand to the entire facility. The handover education had 4 elements: questionnaire, presentation, video, and simulation. Compliance with the new process was measured using audits completed by the unit managers. Sixty-four registered nurses on 2 acute units were educated by nurse champions. After a successful implementation, the surge of COVID-19 patients in spring of 2020 required us to adjust expectations regarding bedside handover. As the number of hospitalized COVID patients began to decrease, we reinvigorated the project and re-established the expectation that handover be performed at the bedside. A post-questionnaire was completed after implementation and revealed more favorable responses toward bedside handover. We also saw improvements in our patient satisfaction scores (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems [HCAHPS]). With direct observation and a checklist, we were able to return to the practice of bedside handover following the surge of COVID-19 patients. As a direct result of the bedside RN involvement, we created and implemented a handover process that prioritized nursing needs and concerns. Our implementation of this evidence-based practice enhanced patient experience and improved safety. Through education, observational audits, and use of a checklist, we were able to re-establish the expectation and practice of handover being completed at the bedside.

Journey to zero harm.

Using apparent and systemic cause analysis to reduce HAPIs.

Effects of orthodontic appliances on the diagnostic capability of magnetic resonance imaging in the head and neck region: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Patients in active fixed orthodontic treatment or fixed retention phase may require magnetic resonance (MR) scans of the head and neck region. Orthodontists are challenged to decide whether to keep or remove orthodontic appliances prior to the scans. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of orthodontic appliances on the diagnostic capability of MR images. METHODS: Four electronic databases were searched, with no language restrictions, from database inception to October 2016: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, EBMR. A search in Google Scholar and ProQuest, as well as a manual search, were also conducted. Two independent reviewers assessed articles for inclusion. Original studies including any orthodontic appliance on human subjects were considered. Outcomes measured were development of artefacts, diagnostic quality, accuracy, and treatment outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment and QUADAS-2 tools. RESULTS: Five of 1052 studies identified were included in the final qualitative synthesis. A total of 90 adult human subjects were included. Orthodontic appliances evaluated were brackets, bands, archwires, and fixed retainers. The outcomes assessed were production of artefacts, diagnostic quality and diagnostic accuracy. Detrimental effects on diagnostic quality, and subsequently diagnostic accuracy, rose with increased stainless steel (SS) and proximity to anatomic area of interest. Orthodontic appliances may render images uninterpretable and non-diagnostic. CONCLUSIONS: There is fair evidence to suggest orthodontic appliances, mainly those with SS, cause MR artefacts. Removal of metal orthodontic appliances prior to MR scans is recommended, especially if the area of interest is near the orthodontic appliance. Additional evidence is needed to provide guidelines to clinicians.

Prevalence of an increased ascending thoracic aorta diameter diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography versus 64-multislice cardiac computed tomography.

The prevalence of an enlarged ascending thoracic aortic diameter (AAD) diagnosed by 2-dimensional echocardiography compared with 64-slice cardiac computed tomography (MSCT) was investigated in 97 women and 117 men (mean age 65 +/- 12 years). Enlarged AADs were diagnosed in 42 of 214 patients (20%) by echocardiography and in 45 of 214 patients (21%) by MSCT (p = NS). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of echocardiography in diagnosing an enlarged AAD using MSCT were 69%, 93%, 74%, and 92%, respectively. A Bland-Altman plot showed that the agreement for AAD measured by echocardiography and MSCT was 95% inside the 2-SD limits. In conclusion, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 2-dimensional echocardiography in diagnosing enlarged AAD using MSCT were 69%, 93%, 74%, and 92%, respectively.

Comparison of age, body mass index, and frequency of systemic hypertension and diabetes mellitus in patients having coronary angioplasty in 1996 versus in 2006.

The data submitted to the New York State Department of Health Coronary Angioplasty Reporting System Database on coronary angioplasties performed at Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College from 1996 to 2005 were analyzed. Compared with 1996, during 2005, more coronary angioplasties were performed (1,624 vs 1,122), and the patients were older (mean age 64.5 vs 61.0 years, p <0.001), weighed more (84.2 vs 82.0 kg, p <0.001), had a higher mean body mass index (28.8 vs 28.3 kg/m(2), p <0.001), and had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (27% vs 17%, p <0.001). The prevalence of systemic hypertension was significantly higher in 2005 (76%) than in 1996 (54%) (p <0.001). In conclusion, in 2005 compared with 1996, patients who underwent coronary angioplasty at Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College were older, had higher body mass indexes, and had higher prevalences of diabetes mellitus and systemic hypertension.

Prevalence of an increased ascending and descending thoracic aorta diameter diagnosed by multislice cardiac computed tomography in men versus women and in persons aged 23 to 50 years, 51 to 65 years, 66 to 80 years, and 81 to 88 years.

The prevalence of increased ascending thoracic aortic diameter (AAD) and increased descending thoracic aortic diameter (DAD) diagnosed using multislice cardiac computed tomography was investigated in 624 consecutive patients at an academic cardiology practice in 2006. Increased AAD (>3.7 cm) was present in 71 of 361 men (20%) and in 23 of 263 women (9%) (p <0.001). Increased DAD (>3.0 cm) was present in 26 of 339 men (8%) and in 8 of 258 women (3%) (p <0.02). Increased AAD was present in (1) 7 of 96 patients (7%) aged 23 to 50 years, (2) 22 of 234 patients (9%) aged 51 to 65 years, (3) 53 of 263 patients (20%) aged 66 to 80 years, and (4) 12 of 31 patients (39%) aged 81 to 88 years (p <0.005 comparing groups 3 and 1; p <0.001 comparing groups 4 and 1, groups 4 and 2, and groups 3 and 2; p <0.02 comparing groups 4 and 3). Increased DAD was present in (1) 0 of 96 patients (0%) aged 23 to 50 years, (2) 5 of 227 patients (2%) aged 51 to 65 years, (3) 21 of 244 patients (9%) aged 66 to 80 years, and (4) 8 of 30 patients (27%) aged 81 to 88 years (p <0.005 comparing groups 3 and 1, groups 3 and 2, and groups 4 and 3; p <0.001 comparing groups 4 and 1 and groups 4 and 2). In conclusion, men have a higher prevalence of increased AAD and DAD than women, and increasing age increases the prevalence of increased AAD and DAD.

Impact of interventional edge-to-edge repair on mitral valve geometry.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The acute and long-term effects of interventional edge-to-edge repair on the mitral valve (MV) geometry are unclear. We sought to assess MV-annular geometry and the association of changes in MV-diameters with functional response one year after MitraClip implantation. METHODS: Consecutive patients (n=84; age 81.2±8.3years, logistic EuroSCORE 21.7±17.9%) with symptomatic moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation (MR) underwent MitraClip-procedure. MV-annular geometry was assessed with 3D TOE before, immediately and one year after clip implantation. RESULTS: 96.7% of secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) patients presented with moderate-to-severe MR, 3.3% with severe SMR, respectively. 66.7% of primary MR (PMR) patients had moderate-to-severe MR, and 33.3% severe PMR respectively. When analyzing immediate effects of MitraClipC on mitral geometry, only patients with SMR (n=60, 71.4%) experienced significant reductions of the diastolic MV anterior-posterior diameters (AP: 3.9±0.5cm, 3.5±0.7cm; p<0.001), and annulus-areas (2D: 12.9±3.8cm2, 12.6±3.7cm2; p<0.001; 3D: 13.4±3.8, 13.1±3.2cm2; p<0.001). All measures on MV annular geometry were not significantly altered in patients with PMR (p>0.05). After one year of follow-up, MV annular parameters remained significantly reduced in SMR patients (p<0.05) and remained unchanged in subjects with PMR (p>0.05). Only SMR patients experienced significant increase in 6min walking distances (p=0.004), decrease in pulmonary pressures (p=0.007) and functional NYHA-class (p<0.001); in patients with PMR only NYHA class improved after one year (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Edge-to-edge repair with the MitraClip-system impacts on MV-geometry in patients with SMR with stable results after 12months. Reduction of MV-annular dimensions was associated with higher rates of persisting MR reduction and better functional status in patients with SMR.

Comparison of prevalence of unrecognized myocardial infarction and of silent myocardial ischemia detected by a treadmill exercise sestamibi stress test in patients with versus without diabetes mellitus.

We investigated, in 287 patients with diabetes (71% men; mean age 63 +/- 8 years) and 292 age- and gender-matched patients with diabetes, the prevalence of unrecognized myocardial infarction (MI) and silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) detected by a treadmill exercise sestamibi stress test. In the patients without a history of MI, MI was diagnosed by treadmill exercise sestamibi stress test in 40 of 217 patients (18%) with diabetes and 16 of 224 patients (7%) without diabetes (p <0.001). In patients with a history of angina, SMI was diagnosed in 35 of 98 patients (36%) with diabetes and 30 of 101 patients (30%) without diabetes (p = NS). In patients without a history of angina, SMI was diagnosed in 62 of 189 patients (33%) with diabetes and 35 of 191 patients (15%) without diabetes (p <0.001). In patients with 2 or 3 risk factors, SMI was diagnosed in 58 of 144 patients (40%) with diabetes and 41 of 142 patients (29%) without diabetes (p <0.005). In patients with 0 or 1 risk factor, SMI was diagnosed in 39 of 143 patients (27%) with diabetes and 24 of 150 patients (16%) without diabetes (p <0.02). In conclusion, patients with diabetes have a higher prevalence of unrecognized MI and a higher prevalence of SMI without a history of angina than patients without diabetes.

Self-Report of Waking-State Oral Parafunctional Behaviors in the Natural Environment.

AIMS: To determine if retrospective self-report of oral parafunctional behaviors potentially relevant to pain conditions is valid, by comparing oral parafunctional behaviors via a self-report instrument (Oral Behaviors Checklist [OBC]) with in-field reports of oral parafunction. METHODS: Individuals with a range of oral parafunctional behaviors, as identified by the OBC, were recruited, and 22 completed the field study. Using the Ecological Momentary Assessment paradigm, each subject was randomly prompted about eight times per day, for a target of 7 days, via portable handheld computer to report current behaviors among 11 queried items. Before and after the field study, a paper version of the OBC was administered. Separately, 74 individuals participated in a test-retest study of the paper OBC. Analyses included regression, correlation, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and area under the receiving operating curve (AUC). RESULTS: Pre- and postfield study administration of the OBC exhibited substantial reliability (ICC = 0.65), indicating no reactivity during the intervening in-field data collection. Reliability across in-field days was low, indicating high variability in which behavior occurred on which day. Nonobservable behaviors were reported more frequently than observable behaviors. Self-report via OBC was linear with in-field data collection methods (R2 values ranged from 0.1 to 0.7; most values were within 0.3 to 0.4). The predictive value of the self-report total score was AUC (0.88) relative to the in-field study score. Separate test-retest reliability of the OBC was almost perfect (ICC = 0.88). CONCLUSIONS: The OBC is a reliable and valid way to predict behaviors in the natural environment and will be useful for further pain research.

Client satisfaction with nursing-led sexual assault and domestic violence services in Ontario.

INTRODUCTION: There is still little known about survivors' experiences of and satisfaction with comprehensive nursing-led hospital-based sexual assault and domestic violence treatment programs. METHOD: To address this gap, we surveyed and collected information from clients/guardians presenting to 30 of 35 of Ontario's Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centres across seven domains: presentation characteristics, client characteristics, assailant characteristics, assault characteristics, health consequences, service use, and satisfaction with services. RESULTS: One thousand four hundred eighty-four clients participated in the study, 96% of whom were women/girls. Most were White (75.3%), 12-44 years old (87.8%), and living with family (69.6%); 97.9% of clients used at least one service. The most commonly used service was assessment and/or documentation of injury (84.8%), followed by on-site follow-up care (73.6%). Almost all clients/guardians reported that they received the care needed (98.6%), rated the overall care as excellent or good (98.8%), and stated that the care had been provided in a sensitive manner (95.4%). Concerns and recommendations to improve care expressed by a small proportion of clients/guardians focused on long wait times, negative emergency department staff attitudes, issues of privacy and confidentiality, and difficulty with accessing services. DISCUSSION: The high uptake and positive evaluation of services provided by Ontario's Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centre programs confirms the value of nursing-led, hospital-based care in the aftermath of sexual assault and domestic violence. Ongoing evaluation of such services will ensure the best care possible for this patient population.

Patients with echocardiographic aortic valve calcium or mitral annular calcium have an increased prevalence of moderate or severe coronary artery calcium diagnosed by cardiac computed tomography.

The association between aortic valve calcium (AVC) and mitral annular calcium (MAC), as diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography, was investigated in 138 patients (76 women and 62 men, mean age 64±8 years) seen in a private cardiology practice at the New York Medical College. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores were diagnosed by 64-multislice computed tomography. AVC was present in 25 of 57 patients (44%) with moderate or severe CAC (a CAC score of more than 100) and in 15 of 81 patients (19%) with no or mild CAC (a CAC score of 0 to 100), P<0.001. Moderate or severe AVC was present in nine of 57 patients (16%) with moderate or severe CAC, and in two of 81 patients (2%) with no or mild CAC, P<0.005. MAC was present in 18 of 57 patients (32%) with moderate or severe CAC, and in seven of 81 patients (9%) with no or mild CAC, P<0.001. Moderate or severe MAC was present in eight of 57 patients (14%) with moderate or severe CAC, and in two of 81 patients (2%) with no or mild CAC, P<0.001.

Long-term results of tacrolimus monotherapy in cardiac transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Conventional immunosuppression for heart transplantation is associated with various adverse effects. Tacrolimus monotherapy (TM) is an alternative strategy that minimizes exposure to additional immunosuppressants. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data for all adult transplant recipients between January 1, 1996 and May 1, 2004. Clinical outcomes were analyzed according to immunosuppressive regimen. RESULTS: A total of 167 heart transplants were performed at our center. Eight patients died before receiving calcineurin inhibitors and were excluded from analysis. The mean follow-up for the 159 surviving patients was 1,520 +/- 78 days. Ninety of 124 patients initially treated with tacrolimus and corticosteroids were weaned to TM without the use of an anti-proliferative agent (Group A), resulting in an overall success rate of 75% at an average of 271 +/- 18 days after transplant. The remaining 69 recipients were treated with other tacrolimus- or cyclosporine-based regimens (Group B). Survival was significantly greater in Group A. The prevalence of high-grade rejection within the first year and incidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy were similar between groups. Ten patients (11%) in Group A required recommencement of combination immunosuppression at an average of 768 +/- 772 days. CONCLUSIONS: TM is achievable in the majority of cardiac transplant recipients. Patients who tolerated reduced immunosuppression enjoyed greater survival than those treated with other regimens, without additional high-grade rejection or vasculopathy. These promising results remain to be confirmed in a prospective trial.