Severity of disease and quality of life in parents of children with alopecia areata, totalis, and universalis: A prospective, cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Caregiver-oriented quality of life (QoL) research in alopecia areata is limited. No study has used a parent-tailored survey to examine the relationship between QoL and severity of alopecia as measured by Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) scores. OBJECTIVES: This is a prospective study that describes QoL in parents of pediatric patients with all subtypes of alopecia areata and investigates the relationship between QoL and severity of disease, duration of disease, and age of patients. METHODS: Pediatric patients and their parents were invited to participate during clinic visits. Participating parents completed the Quality of Life in a Child's Chronic Disease Questionnaire (QLCCDQ) and the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI). A subset of children completed the Children's Dermatologic Life Quality Index (CDLQI). SALT scores at time of survey completion were recorded. RESULTS: In total, 153 patients were included. Significant mild-to-moderate negative correlations were found between SALT scores and FDLQI scores, QLCCDQ scores, and QLCCDQ emotional domain scores. Age of child correlated negatively with QLCCDQ scores but not FDLQI scores. No significant correlation was found between duration of disease and FDLQI scores, QLCCDQ scores, or QLCCDQ emotional domain scores. LIMITATIONS: This study is limited by its small sample size and cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired parent QoL might be associated with increasing severity of disease and age of affected child but not duration of disease. Providers should tailor counseling accordingly and help parents set realistic expectations for long-term experience with the disease.

Hair loss in women.

Hair loss is a common cause of morbidity for many women. As a key member of the woman's health care team, the obstetrician/gynecologist may be the first person to evaluate the complaint of hair loss. Common types of nonscarring hair loss, including female pattern hair loss and telogen effluvium, may be diagnosed and managed by the obstetrician/gynecologist. A systematic approach to diagnosis and management of these common forms of hair loss is presented.

Evaluation of the Prevalence and Incidence of Pediatric Alopecia Areata Using Electronic Health Record Data.

Importance: Pediatric alopecia areata (AA) prevalence and incidence data are key to understanding the natural history of this medical disease. Objective: To determine the prevalence and incidence of AA in a pediatric population across time, age, sex, race and ethnicity, and geographic areas within the US. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this multicenter cohort study conducted among 5 children's hospitals, data (January 2009 to November 2020) were collected from a standardized electronic health record (PEDSnet database, version 4.0) to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of pediatric AA. The study cohort included patients younger than 18 years with at least 2 physician visits during which a diagnosis code for AA was recorded, or 1 dermatologist specialty visit for which AA was recorded. Main Outcomes and Measures: The prevalence denominator population comprised 5 409 919 patients. The incidence denominator population was 2 896 241. We identified 5801 children for inclusion in the AA cohort, and 2398 (41.3%) had 12 months or more of follow-up and were included in the incidence analysis. Results: Of 5801 patients in the AA cohort, the mean (SD) age was 9.0 (4.5) years, 3259 (56.2%) were female, 359 (6.2) were Asian, 1094 (18.9%) were Black, 1348 (23.2%) were Hispanic, and 2362 (40.7%) were White. The overall prevalence of pediatric AA was 0.11%, and the participants in the AA cohort were more often older, female, and members of a racial and ethnic minority group than the full PEDSnet population. The 11-year overall incidence rate of pediatric AA between 2009 and 2020 was 13.6 cases per 100 000 person-years (95% CI, 13.1-14.2). The incidence rate by age was normally distributed and peaked at age 6 years. Rates were 22.8% higher in female patients than male patients (15.1 cases per 100 000 person-years for females vs 12.3 cases per 100 000 person-years for males). Additionally, incidence rates were highest among Hispanic children (31.5 cases per 100 000 person-years). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study examined the prevalence and incidence rates of pediatric AA in the US across time, age, sex, race and ethnicity, and region from 2009 to 2020, finding a prevalence of 0.11% (doubling during the last decade) and incidence rate of 13.6 cases per 100 000 person-years. Additionally, the results identified Asian and Hispanic children as high-risk demographic subgroups who were shown to be 2 and 3 times more likely, respectively, to receive a diagnosis of AA.

Can performance in medical school predict performance in residency? A compilation and review of correlative studies.

BACKGROUND: The current resident selection process relies heavily on medical student performance, with the assumption that analysis of this performance will aid in the selection of successful residents. Although there is abundant literature analyzing indicators of medical student performance measures as predictors of success in residency, wide-ranging differences in beliefs persist concerning their validity. OBJECTIVE: We sought to collect and review studies that have correlated medical student performance with residency performance. METHODS: The English-language literature from 1996 to 2009 was searched with PubMed. Selected studies evaluated medical students on the basis of US Medical Licensing Examination scores, preclinical and clinical performance, research experience, objective structured clinical examination performance, medical school factors, honor society membership, Medical Student Performance Evaluations, letters of recommendation, and faculty interviews. Outcome measures were standardized residency examinations and residency supervisor ratings. RESULTS: The medical student factors that correlated most strongly with performance on examinations in residency were medical student examination scores, clinical performance, and honor society membership. Those that correlated most strongly with supervisor ratings were clinical grades, faculty interview, and medical school attended. Overall, there were inconsistent results for most performance measures. LIMITATIONS: In addition to the lack of a widely used measure of success in residency, most studies were small, single institution, and single specialty, and thus of limited ability to generalize findings. CONCLUSION: No one medical student factor can be used to predict performance in residency. There is a need for a more consistent and systematic approach to determining predictors of success in residency.