Serum cortisol level to screen for significant hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression in patients receiving multiple steroid injections.

BACKGROUND: Morning serum cortisol level (mSCL) is a practical screening tool for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis suppression and has been used to assess for duration of cortisol deficiency after epidural and peripheral glucocorticoid injections. More evidence is needed to establish the utility of mSCL in patients undergoing repeat injections with increasing cumulative glucocorticoid equivalent dose (CGED) that could place them at higher risk of HPA axis suppression. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of spine injection candidates with significant HPA axis suppression (sigAS), to understand the correlation between 12 months of CGED and the presence of sigAS based on the timing of mSCL collection after the most recent glucocorticoid injection (within 6 weeks or between 6 weeks and 12 months), and to investigate demographic and clinical factors relating to sigAS. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of patients scheduled for spine injection who had an associated mSCL and documented histories of prior glucocorticoid injections. The steroid name, dose, type, and procedure location were recorded for each injection that occurred within 12 months before mSCL. CGED was calculated from standard glucocorticoid equivalent conversion factors. RESULTS: SigAS was present in 7.8% to 22% of the analysis cohorts. There was no association found between CGED and sigAS regardless of timing of mSCL. There was a trend toward lower mSCL and sigAS with increasing CGED. There were no significant relationships found between sigAS and overall demographic or clinical factors. CONCLUSIONS: A 3-fold reduction in the rate of sigAS was noted 6 weeks after the most recent steroid injection. Using mSCL provides a template to investigate the impact of CGED and the best timing for mSCL collection in order to define a more practical guideline to identify patients at higher risk of sigAS earlier and plan for future spine injections.

Duration of neonatal intensive care unit exposure associated with decreased risk of atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Premature infants have lower rates of atopic dermatitis (AD) compared with full-term infants, though little is known about the factors contributing to this association. We explored the infant and environmental factors that may contribute to the association between prematurity and atopic dermatitis, including mode of delivery, birthweight, gestation, and duration of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective study. Independent samples t tests or chi-square tests were used to compare groups on continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Logistic regression then examined the association of the predictor variables with AD. RESULTS: Four thousand sixteen mother-infant dyads were included. Infants had a higher risk of developing AD if they were delivered vaginally (P = .013), did not stay in the NICU (P < .001), had a longer gestation (P = .001), or had a higher birthweight (P = .002). In modeling atopic dermatitis with the predictor variables, only NICU length of stay remained significantly associated with a lower risk of AD (P = .004). CONCLUSION: Infants had a lower risk of developing AD if they had a longer stay in the NICU.

Considerations for Clock Drawing Scoring Systems in Perioperative Anesthesia Settings.

The Clock Drawing Test is a cognitive screening tool gaining popularity in the perioperative setting. We compared 3 common scoring systems: (1) the Montreal Cognitive Assessment; (2) the Mini-Cog; and (3) the Libon scale. Three novice raters acquired interrater and intrarater reliability for each scoring system and then scored 738 preoperative clock drawings with each scoring system. Final scores correlated with each other but with notable discrepancies, indicating the need to attend to interrater and intrarater reliability when implementing any scoring approach in a clinical setting.

Feasibility and Rationale for Incorporating Frailty and Cognitive Screening Protocols in a Preoperative Anesthesia Clinic.

BACKGROUND: Advanced age, frailty, low education level, and impaired cognition are generally reported to be associated with postoperative cognitive complications. To translate research findings into hospital-wide preoperative assessment clinical practice, we examined the feasibility of implementing a preoperative frailty and cognitive assessment for all older adults electing surgical procedures in a tertiary medical center. We examined associations among age, education, frailty, and comorbidity with the clock and 3-word memory scores, estimated the prevalence of mild to major cognitive impairment in the presurgical sample, and examined factors related to hospital length of stay. METHODS: Medical staff screened adults ≥65 years of age for frailty, general cognition (via the clock-drawing test command and copy, 3-word memory test), and obtained years of education. Feasibility was studied in 2 phases: (1) a pilot phase involving 4 advanced nurse practitioners and (2) a 2-month implementation phase involving all preoperative staff. We tracked sources of missing data, investigated associations of study variables with measures of cognition, and used 2 approaches to estimate the likelihood of dementia in our sample (ie, using extant data and logistic regression modeling and using Mini-Cog cut scores). We explored which protocol variables related to hospital length of stay. RESULTS: The final implementation phase sample included 678 patients. Clock and 3-word memory scores were significantly associated with age, frailty, and education. Education, clock scores, and 3-word scores were not significantly different by surgery type. Likelihood of preoperative cognitive impairment was approximately 20%, with no difference by surgery type. Length of stay was significantly associated with preoperative comorbidity and performance on the clock copy condition. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty and cognitive screening protocols are feasible and provide information for perioperative care planning. Challenges to clinical adaptation include staff training, missing data, and additional administration time. These challenges appear minimal relative to the benefits of identifying frailty and cognitive impairment in a group at risk for negative postoperative cognitive outcome.

Clock Drawing Performance Slows for Older Adults After Total Knee Replacement Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Clock drawing is a neurocognitive screening tool used in preoperative settings. This study examined hypothesized changes in clock drawing to command and copy test conditions 3 weeks and 3 months after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with general anesthesia. METHODS: Participants included 67 surgery and 66 nonsurgery individuals >60 years who completed the digital clock drawing test before TKA (or a pseudosurgery date), and 3 weeks and 3 months postsurgery. Generalized linear mixed models assessed digital clock drawing test latency (ie, total time to completion, seconds between digit placement) and graphomotor output (ie, total number of strokes, clock size). Reliable change analyses examined the percent of participants showing change beyond differences found in nonsurgery peers. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, education, and baseline cognition, both digital clock drawing test latency measures were significantly different for surgery and nonsurgery groups, where the surgery group performed slower on both command and copy test conditions. Reliable change analyses 3 weeks after surgery found that total time to completion was slower among 25% of command and 21% of copy constructions in the surgery group. At 3 months, 18% of surgery participants were slower than nonsurgery peers. Neither graphomotor measure significantly changed over time. CONCLUSIONS: Clock drawing construction slowed for nearly one-quarter of patients after TKA surgery, whereas nonsurgery peers showed the expected practice effect, ie, speed increased from baseline to follow-up time points. Future research should investigate the neurobiological basis for these changes after TKA.

Association between early life antibiotic exposure and development of early childhood atopic dermatitis.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease commonly onset during infancy. Objective: We examine the association between pre-and postnatal antibiotic exposure and the development of AD. Methods: A retrospective, observational study analyzed 4106 infants at the University of Florida from June 2011 to April 2017. Results: Antibiotic exposure during the first year of life was associated with a lower risk of AD. The association was strongest for exposure during the first month of life. There were no significant differences in the rates of AD in infants with or without exposure to antibiotics in months 2 through 12, when examined by month. Antibiotic exposure during week 2 of life was associated with lower risk of AD, with weeks 1, 3, and 4 demonstrating a similar trend. Limitations: Retrospective data collection from a single center, use of electronic medical record, patient compliance with prescribed medication, and variable follow-up. Conclusions: Early life exposures, such as antibiotics, may lead to long-term changes in immunity. Murine models of atopic dermatitis demonstrate a "critical window" for the development of immune tolerance to cutaneous microbes. Our findings suggest that there may also be a "critical window" for immune tolerance in human infants, influenced by antibiotic exposure.

Association between atopic dermatitis and race from infancy to early childhood: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common pediatric skin condition with significant morbidity. It is unclear what factors contribute to racial differences in disease prevalence. METHODS: A single-site, retrospective cohort study of infants born from June 1, 2011, to April 30, 2017, was performed. RESULTS: Of the 4016 infants included, 39.2% (n = 1574) were Black, 38.5% (n = 1543) White (non-Hispanic), 7.1% (n = 286) Hispanic, 5.3% (n = 213) Asian, 6.5% (n = 262) "other" race, 3.4% (n = 135) multiracial, and 0.1% (n = 3) not reported. Prevalence of AD differed by race, with 37.0% (n = 583) of Black, 25.8% (n = 55) of Asian, 24.1% (n = 69) of Hispanic, 23.0% (n = 31) of multiracial, 19.1% (n = 50) of "other" race, and 17.9% (n = 276) of White patients diagnosed (P < 0.0001). Delivery mode, NICU stay, and gestational age were all significantly associated with race. In modeling AD with logistic regression, race was significantly associated with the development of AD (P < 0.0001, OR Black = 2.6 [2.2-3.2], OR Asian = 1.6 [1.1-2.2], OR Hispanic = 1.4 [1.0-1.9], OR multiracial 1.4 [0.91-2.2], OR "other" 0.97 [0.67-1.4], and OR White 1.0). CONCLUSIONS: Racial differences in rates of AD arise early in life. Diagnosis is associated with race rather than delivery mode, insurance type, and gestational age. Further investigation into these disparities and interventions to mitigate them should focus on infancy and early childhood.

Preclinical Research Reporting in Shock: Room for Improvement.

ABSTRACT: The ARRIVE (Animals in Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments) guidelines were endorsed by the Shock Society in 2012, but to date there has been no systematic evaluation of research reporting quality for Shock. We systematically assessed 100 randomly selected animal-based research articles published between 2014 and 2018 for reporting quality and statistical practice, compared with 40 pre-ARRIVE studies. More than half of surveyed papers omitted verifiable ethical oversight information and basic animal descriptive information. Few papers reported best-practice methods, such as sample size justification (10%), randomization (43%), randomization method (7%), blinding (23%). Only one paper reported effect sizes to interpret study results. Most troubling was inadequate reporting of welfare-related information (anesthesia, analgesia, humane endpoints, euthanasia). Almost a decade after ARRIVE endorsement, our findings show that reporting deficiencies have persisted with little sign of correction. There is a clear need for investigators to increase transparency of research methods reporting, and drastically improve skills in experimental design. Improvement in standards and greater attention paid to reporting will lead to improvement in reproducibility, replicability, and research quality. It is incumbent upon the research community to improve reporting practices; accurate and transparent reporting is integral to producing rigorous and ethical science.

Proof of concept: digital clock drawing behaviors prior to transcatheter aortic valve replacement may predict length of hospital stay and cost of care.

AIMS: Reduced pre-operative cognitive functioning in older adults is a risk factor for postoperative complications, but it is unknown if preoperative digitally-acquired clock drawing test (CDT) cognitive screening variables, which allow for more nuanced examination of patient performance, may predict lengthier hospital stay and greater cost of hospital care. This issue is particularly relevant for older adults undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), as this surgical procedure is chosen for intermediate-risk older adults needing aortic replacement. This proof of concept research explored if specific latency and graphomotor variables indicative of planning from digitally-acquired command and copy clock drawing would predict post-TAVR duration and cost of hospitalization, over and above age, education, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification score, and frailty. METHODS: Form January 2018 to December 2019, 162 out of 190 individuals electing TAVR completed digital clock drawing as part of a hospital wide cognitive screening program. Separate hierarchical regressions were computed for the command and copy conditions of the CDT and assessed how a-priori selected clock drawing metrics (total time to completion, ideal digit placement difference, and hour hand distance from center; included within the same block) incrementally predicted outcome, as measured by R2 change significance values. RESULTS: Above and beyond age, education, ASA physical status classification score, and frailty, only digitally-acquired CDT copy performance explained significant variance for length of hospital stay (9.5%) and cost of care (8.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Digital variables from clock copy condition provided predictive value over common demographic and comorbidity variables. We hypothesize this is due to the sensitivity of the copy condition to executive dysfunction, as has been shown in previous studies for subtypes of cognitive impairment. Individuals undergoing TAVR procedures are often frail and executively compromised due to their cerebrovascular disease. We encourage additional research on the value of digitally-acquired clock drawing within different surgery types. Type of cognitive impairment and the value of digitally-acquired CDT command and copy parameters in other surgeries remain unknown.

Psychometric Properties of the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale Completed by Juvenile Corrections Staff.

Objective: This research tests the psychometric performance of the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Teacher Rating Scale (VADTRS) completed by juvenile corrections (JC) staff. Method: With institutional review board (IRB) approval and appropriate consents/assents, data were collected from case managers (n = 18), teachers (n = 9), youth (n = 261), and an administrative database. Separate psychometric analyses were conducted for case managers and teachers. Results: For both respondent groups, 2-week retest reliability and internal consistency were high for all four VADTRS subscales, and confirmatory factor analysis suggested fit with previously reported VADTRS subscale structure. Significant correlations of VADTRS with respective Revised Behavior Problem Checklist subscale scores indicated good concurrent validity. Discriminative validity was strong for ADHD, but not for conduct subscales. Interrater agreement was poor, similar as reported in other settings. Conclusion: Acceptable VADTRS psychometric performance among two JC staff groups supports guideline-consistent practice of obtaining standardized rating scale information from JC staff to enhance the quality of ADHD treatment.

Loss of somatosensory-evoked potentials and the timing of perception.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if patients with brain lesions who have a unilateral loss of their primary somatosensory-evoked potential (SSEP) have altered temporal perception. BACKGROUND: Benjamin Libet postulated that the neural processing of stimuli to reach the conscious awareness takes 300 to 500 milliseconds and that accurate temporal perception of stimulus onset requires a retroactive computation. Although Libet proposed that the primary SSEP acts as a timing marker for this backward referral of perceived stimulus onset time, there has not been a systematic study of the necessity of the primary SSEP for perceptual timing. METHODS: Participants were 10 healthy older adults and 10 stroke patients with hemisensory deficits. SSEPs were recorded from each hemisphere using median nerve stimulation. The participants' temporal perception of sensory stimuli was determined by asking them the temporal order of bilateral hand stimuli over varying interstimulus intervals. RESULTS: Patients with unilateral loss of SSEPs had a significantly greater mean delay in perception of stimuli from their contralesional arm than participants with intact bilateral SSEPs [mean delay (+/-standard deviation): 134 (+/-142) msec vs. 2.5 (+/-13) msec; P=0.03]. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that loss of SSEP is associated with a delay in perceptual awareness. This observation is consistent with the hypotheses that the SSEP acts as a marker for cortical events important for perceptual timing.

How dentists diagnose and treat defective restorations: evidence from the dental practice-based research network.

OBJECTIVES: To (1) identify and quantify the types of treatment that dentists use to manage defective dental restorations and (2) identify characteristics that are associated with these dentists' decisions to replace existing restorations. The Dental Practice-Based Research Network (DPBRN) consists of dentists in outpatient practices from five regions: AL/MS: Alabama/Mississippi; FL/GA: Florida/Georgia; MN: dentists employed by HealthPartners and private practitioners in Minnesota; PDA: Permanente Dental Associates in cooperation with Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research and SK: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all DPBRN practitioner-investigators who reported doing some restorative dentistry (n = 901). Questions included clinical case scenarios that used text and clinical photographs of defective restorations. Dentists were asked what type of treatment, if any, they would use in each scenario. Treatment options ranged from no treatment to full replacement of the restoration with or without different preventive treatment options. The authors of the current study used logistic regression to analyze associations between the decision to intervene surgically (repair or replace) and the specific dentist, practice and patient characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 65% of dentists would replace a composite restoration when the defective margin was located on dentin and 49% would repair it when the defective margin was located on enamel. Most (52%) dentists would not intervene surgically when the restoration in the scenario was amalgam. Dentists participating in a solo or small private practice (SPP) chose surgical intervention more often than dentists participating in large group practices (LGP) or in public health practices (PHP) (p < .0001). Dentists who do not routinely assess caries risk during treatment planning were more likely to intervene surgically and less likely to choose prevention treatment (p < .05). Dentists from the SK region chose the "no treatment" option more often than dentists in the other regions. CONCLUSIONS: Dentists were more likely to intervene surgically when the restoration was an existing composite, compared to an amalgam restoration. Treatment options chosen by dentists varied significantly by specific clinical case scenario, whether the dentist routinely performs caries risk assessment, type of practice and DPBRN region.

A randomized controlled trial of hamstring stretching: comparison of four techniques.

This study compared the efficacy of 4 different hamstring-stretching techniques. Flexibility can be achieved by a variety of stretching techniques, yet little research has been performed on the most effective method. The 2 basic types include active stretching, in which range of motion is increased through voluntary contraction, and passive stretching, in which range of motion is increased through external assistance. The 2 types of active stretching include neuromobilization and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). Our study aims to determine which type of stretching technique is most effective in improving hamstring length. One hundred subjects between the ages of 21 and 57 were enrolled in the study. Intrarater reliability of hamstring length measurement was performed using 10 subjects. All 100 subjects were included in a randomized controlled trial of 5 different groups comparing different hamstring-stretching techniques. Outcome measures, including hamstring length and perceived level of hamstring tightness, were recorded on all subjects initially, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks. After 4 weeks of stretching, there was a statistically significant improvement in hamstring length (p < 0.05) using active stretches as compared with passive stretches. From weeks 4 through 8, hamstring length for the active stretching groups decreased. After 8 weeks of stretching, the straight leg raise (SLR) passive stretch group had the greatest improvement in hamstring length. There was no correlation between hamstring flexibility and age, initial tightness, or frequency of exercise per week. Improvement in hamstring flexibility was greatest for the SLR passive stretch. Also, using PNF in the 90/90 active stretch provided better knee range-of-motion improvements than the 90/90 passive methods did.

Restorative treatment thresholds for interproximal primary caries based on radiographic images: findings from the Dental Practice-Based Research Network.

This study sought to quantify the depths of proximal caries lesions that lead dentists in regular clinical practice to intervene restoratively, based on hypothetical scenarios that present radiographic images and patient background information, and to identify characteristics associated with restorative intervention in lesions that have penetrated only the enamel surface. This study surveyed dentists from the Dental Practice-Based Research Network (DPBRN) who had reported doing at least some restorative dentistry (n = 901). Dentists were asked to indicate the depth at which they would restore a lesion, based on a series of radiographic images depicting interproximal caries at increasing lesion depths in a mandibular premolar; in addition, the dentists were questioned regarding two caries risk scenarios: one involving a patient with low caries risk and another involving a patient at higher risk. Logistic regression was used to analyze associations between the decision to intervene restoratively and specific dentist, practice, and patient characteristics. Of the 901 DPBRN practitioner-investigators, 500 (56%) completed the survey. For a high caries risk patient, 66% of respondents indicated that they would restore a proximal enamel lesion, while 24% would do so once the lesion had reached into the outer third of the dentin. For a low caries risk patient, 39% of respondents reported that they would restore an enamel lesion, and 54% would do so once the lesion had reached into the outer third of the dentin. In multivariate analyses that accounted for dentist and practice characteristics, dentists in large group practices were less likely to intervene surgically for enamel caries, regardless of patient's caries risk.

Proof of principle: Preoperative cognitive reserve and brain integrity predicts intra-individual variability in processed EEG (Bispectral Index Monitor) during general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative cognitive reserve and brain integrity may explain commonly observed intraoperative fluctuations seen on a standard anesthesia depth monitor used ubiquitously in operating rooms throughout the nation. Neurophysiological variability indicates compromised regulation and organization of neural networks. Based on theories of neuronal integrity changes that accompany aging, we assessed the relative contribution of: 1) premorbid cognitive reserve, 2) current brain integrity (gray and white matter markers of neurodegenerative disease), and 3) current cognition (specifically domains of processing speed/working memory, episodic memory, and motor function) on intraoperative neurophysiological variability as measured from a common intraoperative tool, the Bispectral Index Monitor (BIS). METHODS: This sub-study included participants from a parent study of non-demented older adults electing unilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) with the same surgeon and anesthesia protocol, who also completed a preoperative neuropsychological assessment and preoperative 3T brain magnetic resonance imaging scan. Left frontal two-channel derived EEG via the BIS was acquired preoperatively (un-medicated and awake) and continuously intraoperatively with time from tourniquet up to tourniquet down. Data analyses used correlation and regression modeling. RESULTS: Fifty-four participants met inclusion criteria for the sub-study. The mean (SD) age was 69.5 (7.4) years, 54% were male, 89% were white, and the mean (SD) American Society of Anesthesiologists score was 2.76 (0.47). We confirmed that brain integrity positively and significantly associated with each of the cognitive domains of interest. EEG intra-individual variability (squared deviation from the mean BIS value between tourniquet up and down) was significantly correlated with cognitive reserve (r = -.40, p = .003), brain integrity (r = -.37, p = .007), and a domain of processing speed/working memory (termed cognitive efficiency; r = -.31, p = .021). Hierarchical regression models that sequentially included age, propofol bolus dose, cognitive reserve, brain integrity, and cognitive efficiency found that intraoperative propofol bolus dose (p = .001), premorbid cognitive reserve (p = .008), and current brain integrity (p = .004) explained a significant portion of intraoperative intra-individual variability from the BIS monitor. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with higher premorbid reserve and less brain disease were more stable intraoperatively on a depth of anesthesia monitor. Researchers need to replicate findings within larger cohorts and other surgery types.

Type and severity of cognitive decline in older adults after noncardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: The authors investigated type and severity of cognitive decline in older adults immediately and 3 months after noncardiac surgery. Changes in instrumental activities of daily living were examined relative to type of cognitive decline. METHODS: Of the initial 417 older adults enrolled in the study, 337 surgery patients and 60 controls completed baseline, discharge, and/or 3-month postoperative cognitive and instrumental activities of daily living measures. Reliable change methods were used to examine three types of cognitive decline: memory, executive function, and combined executive function/memory. SD cutoffs were used to grade severity of change as mild, moderate or severe. RESULTS: At discharge, 186 (56%) patients experienced cognitive decline, with an equal distribution in type and severity. At 3 months after surgery, 231 patients (75.1%) experienced no cognitive decline, 42 (13.6%) showed only memory decline, 26 (8.4%) showed only executive function decline, and 9 (2.9%) showed decline in both executive and memory domains. Of those with cognitive decline, 36 (46.8%) had mild, 25 (32.5%) had moderate, and 16 (20.8%) had severe decline. The combined group had more severe impairment. Executive function or combined (memory and executive) deficits involved greater levels of functional (i.e., instrumental activities of daily living) impairment. The combined group was less educated than the unimpaired and memory groups. CONCLUSION: Postsurgical cognitive presentation varies with time of testing. At 3 months after surgery, more older adults experienced memory decline, but only those with executive or combined cognitive decline had functional limitations. The findings have relevance for patients and caregivers. Future research should examine how perioperative factors influence neuronal systems.

Psychometric testing of SPIDER: data capture tool for systematic literature reviews.

OBJECTIVE: Systematic literature reviews contribute to evidence-based occupational therapy, yet no data capture tool currently exists to validly and reliably appraise the characteristics and quality of primary studies. METHOD: We determined the psychometrics of Systematic Process for Investigating and Describing Evidence-Based Research (SPIDER) and piloted it with 201 studies included in a systematic literature review. RESULTS: Content validity showed item relevance with 73% agreement between two experts. For the quality construct, seven of nine quality indicators were positively (p < .05) correlated with the overall quality score. The quality scores were positively correlated (p < .05) with two objective measures, inferring criterion validity. Intrarater reliability was moderate to perfect (kappa = 0.4-1.0). Cross-tab analyses showed less variation in experienced reviewers' interrater reliability. CONCLUSION: SPIDER provides plausible opportunities for occupational therapy researchers and graduate students to appraise the characteristics and quality of primary studies but requires testing across other settings.

Relationships Among the Knowledge, Efficacy, and Practices Instrument, Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale, Deamonte Driver Survey, and Defining Issues Test 2.

Concordance studies indicate the degree to which instruments measure the same or similar constructs or something different. The aims of this study were to identify the factor structure of the Deamonte Driver Survey and determine the relationship between the Deamonte Driver (a measure of social class stereotyping), the Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT2; a measure of ethical sensitivity), the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS; a measure of racial stereotyping), and the Knowledge, Efficacy, and Practices Instrument (KEPI; a measure of cultural competence). The results showed a three-factor solution for the Deamonte Driver Survey and significant relationships between CoBRAS and DIT2 subscales and between CoBRAS and Deamonte Driver subscales. Significant relationships between the measures and exploratory variables, underrepresented minority status, age, citizenship, marital status, political stance, English as a first language, and gender were found. The lack of a significant relationship between the KEPI and Deamonte Driver, DIT2, or CoBRAS subscales suggests that the KEPI is measuring a unique construct. These findings showed how these scales contributed to the assessment of cultural competence among dental students and faculty.

Developing and Testing the Short-Form Knowledge, Efficacy, and Practices Instrument for Assessing Cultural Competence.

The importance of educating dental students in cultural competence has been widely emphasized, but there is a need to assess cultural competence in a consistent and reliable way. The aims of this study were to determine latent constructs for the initial measure of cultural competence for oral health providers, the Knowledge, Efficacy, and Practices Instrument (KEPI), and to determine how well these factors related to previously identified latent constructs. Data were collected in surveys of dental students and from dental hygiene, dental assisting, and dental faculty members in 44 academic dental institutions from 2012 to 2015. There were a total of 1,786 respondents to the surveys; response rates to individual surveys ranged from 35% to 100%. There were 982 (55%) female and 804 (45%) male respondents, 286 (16%) underrepresented minority (URM) and 1,500 (84%) non-URM respondents, and 339 (19%) faculty and 1,447 (81%) student respondents. Three latent constructs were identified. Female respondents scored significantly higher on the culture-centered practice and efficacy of assessment factors, while URM respondents had significantly higher scores on all three of the KEPI factors. Measurements indicated that the long-form KEPI could be shortened by ten questions and still have three meaningful measurements. Continued research in assessing other health care providers' cultural competence is needed to expand the KEPI to measure providers' cultural competence with patients with minority sexual orientation and gender identity issues and those with physical disabilities, mental illness, and autism to advance patient-centric communication.