Understanding Perceptions of Care Coordination and Chronic Illness Management among Black Breast and Prostate Cancer Survivors and Providers: Findings from a Quality Improvement Study.

Navigating cancer care is complex and is exacerbated by pre-existing comorbidities managed by multiple providers. In this quality improvement study, we evaluated changes in perceived care coordination, navigation, and chronic illness care with community health worker (CHW) and mHealth support among Black breast cancer and prostate cancer patients with hypertension and/or diabetes. We collected patient and provider surveys on chronic illness care coordination at baseline and six months and found improvements in multiple domains. These findings support engaging CHWs to improve care coordination among cancer patients with comorbidities and demonstrate a use case of importance with emerging navigation reimbursement policies.

Supporting ColoREctal Equitable Navigation (SCREEN): a protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial for patient navigation in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Black individuals in the United States (US) have a higher incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC) compared to other racial groups, and CRC is the second leading cause of death among Hispanic/Latino populations in the US. Patient navigation is an evidence-based approach to narrow inequities in cancer screening among Black and Hispanic/Latino patients. Despite this, limited healthcare systems have implemented patient navigation for screening at scale. METHODS: We are conducting a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial of 15 primary care clinics with six steps of six-month duration to scale a patient navigation program to improve screening rates among Black and Hispanic/Latino patients. After six months of baseline data collection with no intervention we will randomize clinics, whereby three clinics will join the intervention arm every six months until all clinics cross over to intervention. During the intervention roll out we will conduct training and education for clinics, change infrastructure in the electronic health record, create stakeholder relationships, assess readiness, and deliver iterative feedback. Framed by the Practical, Robust Implementation Sustainment Model (PRISM) we will focus on effectiveness, reach, provider adoption, and implementation. We will document adaptations to both the patient navigation intervention and to implementation strategies. To address health equity, we will engage multilevel stakeholder voices through interviews and a community advisory board to plan, deliver, adapt, measure, and disseminate study progress. Provider-level feedback will include updates on disparities in screening orders and completions. DISCUSSION: Primary care clinics are poised to close disparity gaps in CRC screening completion but may lack an understanding of the magnitude of these gaps and how to address them. We aim to understand how to tailor a patient navigation program for CRC screening to patients and providers across diverse clinics with wide variation in baseline screening rates, payor mix, proximity to specialty care, and patient volume. Findings from this study will inform other primary care practices and health systems on effective and sustainable strategies to deliver patient navigation for CRC screening among racial and ethnic minorities. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT06401174.

Virtual reality for pain management in hospitalized patients with cancer: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized patients with cancer often experience acute and/or chronic pain. Although virtual reality (VR) has been extensively studied across a wide range of clinical settings, no studies have yet evaluated potential impact on pain management in this patient population. METHODS: Prospective randomized controlled trial at an urban academic hospital comparing VR against an active control to mitigate moderate-severe cancer disease and treatment-related pain. RESULTS: A total of 128 adult hospitalized patients with cancer (any tumor type) were randomized to 10 minutes of immersive VR distraction therapy or 10 minutes of two-dimensional guided imagery distraction therapy delivered by handheld tablet. Participants in the two arms were similar in age, sex, race, presence of metastatic disease, concurrent pain specialist consultation, and baseline opioid use. Although both groups experienced improved self-reported pain scores (primary outcome), those randomized to VR experienced significantly greater reduction in pain immediately after intervention compared with active control (p = .03). This difference was sustained for 24 hours as well (p = .004). Within-group analysis showed significant improvement in VR arm of pain bothersomeness (p = .05) and general distress (p = .03) as well. CONCLUSION: Among hospitalized adult patients with moderate-severe pain related to cancer and cancer therapies, VR provided more nonpharmacologic pain relief than active control and this benefit sustained long after conclusion of the intervention. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Virtual reality (VR), a developing technology that immerses the user in new environments, has been shown to improve pain in different patient populations. To test the role of VR in improving pain in hospitalized patients with cancer who report moderate-severe pain, we compared the impact of a 10-minute immersive VR intervention to that of a 10-minute two-dimensional guided imagery experience to improve self-reported pain scores. We found that, although both interventions improved pain, VR did so significantly more. Moreover, participants assigned to VR had sustained improvement in pain 24 hours later.

Prescription Opioids and Patient-Reported Outcomes and Satisfaction After Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Amount of opioid use correlates poorly with procedure-related pain; however, prescription limits raise concerns about inadequate pain control and impacts on patient-reported quality indicators. There remain no consistent guidelines for postoperative pain management after carpal tunnel release (CTR). We sought to understand how postoperative opioid use impacts patient-reported outcomes after CTR. METHODS: This is a pragmatic cohort study using prospectively collected data from all adult patients undergoing uncomplicated primary CTR over 17 months at our center. Patients were categorized as having received or not received a postoperative opioid prescription, and then as remaining on a prescription opioid at 2-week follow-up or not. Questionnaires were completed before surgery and at 2-week follow-up. We collected brief Michigan Hand questionnaire (bMHQ) score, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health score, satisfaction, and pain score. RESULTS: Of 505 included patients, 405 received a postoperative prescription and 67 continued use at 2-weeks. These 67 patients reported lower bMHQ, lower satisfaction, and higher postoperative pain compared to those that discontinued. Multivariable regressions showed that receiving postoperative prescriptions did not significantly influence outcomes or satisfaction. However, remaining on the prescription at 2 weeks was associated with significantly lower bMHQ scores, particularly in patients reporting less pain. CONCLUSIONS: Patients remaining on a prescription after CTR reported worse outcomes compared to those who discontinued. Unexpectedly, the widest bMHQ score gap was seen across patients reporting lowest pain scores. Further research into this high-risk subgroup is needed to guide policy around using pain and patient-reported outcomes as quality measures.Level of Evidence: Level III.

A Multinational Study of The Impact of Covid-19 On Urologic Surgery Residency and Wellbeing.

OBJECTIVE: To assess changes to the experiences and wellbeing of urology trainees in the United States (US) and European Union (EU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A 72-item anonymous online survey was distributed September 2020 to urology residents of Italy, France, Portugal, and the US. The survey assessed burnout, professional fulfillment, loneliness, depression and anxiety as well as 38 COVID specific questions. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-three urology residents responded to the survey. Surgical exposure was the main educational concern for 81% of US and 48% of EU residents. E-learning was utilized by 100% of US and 57% of EU residents with two-thirds finding it equally or more useful than traditional didactics. No significant differences were seen comparing burnout, professional fulfillment, depression, anxiety, or loneliness among US or EU residents, 73% of US and 71% of EU residents reported good to excellent quality of life during the pandemic. In the US and EU, significantly less time was spent in the hospital, clinic, and operating room (P <.001) and residents spent more time using telehealth and working from home during the pandemic and on research projects, didactic lectures, non-medical hobbies and reading. The majority of residents reported benefit from more schedule flexibility, improved work life balance, and increased time for family, hobbies, education, and research. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant restructuring of residents' educational experience around the globe. Preservation of beneficial changes such as reduction of work hours and online learning should be pursued within this pandemic and beyond it.

Metastatic Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Survival Is Unaffected by Mode of Preparation for 131I Administration.

Context: Recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH) is currently not Food and Drug Administration approved for the treatment of high-risk patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Objective: The goal of our study was to compare the outcomes in higher-risk patients with metastatic DTC prepared for radioiodine (RAI) therapy with rhTSH vs thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW). Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients with metastatic DTC in follow-up at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital from 2009 to 2017. Patients were divided according to their preparation for RAI therapy, with assessment of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Fifty-five patients with distant metastases (16 men, 39 women) were prepared for RAI therapy exclusively either with rhTSH (n = 27) or with THW (n = 28). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding clinicopathological features and history of RAI therapies. The median follow-up time for patients with rhTSH-aided therapies was 4.2 years (range, 3.3-5.5 years) and for patients with THW-aided therapies was 6.8 years (range, 4.2-11.6 years) (P = .002). Multivariate analysis showed that the method of thyrotropin stimulation was not associated with a difference in PFS or OS. Conclusion: As has been shown previously for low-risk DTC, this study indicates that the mode of preparation for RAI therapy does not appear to influence the outcomes of patients with metastatic DTC. PFS and OS were similar for patients with THW-aided or rhTSH-aided RAI therapies.

Virtual reality for management of cancer pain: Study rationale and design.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer commonly experience acute and/or chronic moderate to severe pain related to disease, treatment, or both. While pain management strategies typically focus on drug therapies, non-pharmacological interventions may prove beneficial without risk of significant clinical side effects or contraindications. One novel strategy, virtual reality, has been shown to improve pain control in addition to usual pharmacological interventions. METHODS: This is a prospective, two-armed, single center randomized controlled study of a virtual reality intervention in 128 hospitalized subjects with cancer reporting pain rated at least 4/10 compared to an active control intervention, two-dimensional guided imagery. The primary outcome is change in self-reported pain score. Secondary end points include changes in self-reported distress, quality of life, and satisfaction with pain management. We will also explore patient preferences for distraction therapy content and themes through quantitative analysis of survey data, semi-structured interviews, and a collaging exercise. CONCLUSION: This randomized controlled study aims to provide empiric data to support application and expansion of novel technologies such as virtual reality to augment usual pharmacological pain management strategies in hospitalized patients with cancer.

Beyond burnout: Understanding the well-being gender gap in general surgery by examining professional fulfillment and control over schedule.

BACKGROUND: Prior research has revealed a gender gap in physician burnout. Our study attempts to elucidate the cause for the differences in burnout among male and female general surgeons (GS). METHODS: The study is based on a sample of 431 GS from 11 healthcare organizations participating in the Physician Wellness Academic Consortium. RESULTS: Female (N = 154) and male (N = 277) GS significantly differed in burnout (46% vs 33%, p = 0.008) and professional fulfillment (PF), (37% vs 56% p < 0.001). Male surgeons reported a higher sense of control over their schedule (COS) (5.0 vs 4.2, p = 0.001). Mediation analyses showed that the gender effect on burnout was fully mediated through PF and COS. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the observed differences in burnout between female and male GS are due to their differences in PF and COS. Longitudinal research is needed to determine whether interventions targeting PF and COS may mitigate burnout among female GS.

Development of a Simplified Patient-Centered Pelvic Floor Surgery Complication Scale.

OBJECTIVES: There does not currently exist a complication scale to evaluate pelvic reconstructive surgery (PRS) that takes in account patient-centered outcomes. The purpose of this study was to characterize and compare patient and surgeon responses to a simplified, patient-centered version of the previously described Pelvic Floor Complication Scale (PFCS). METHODS: This is a multicenter (4 female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery practices) cross-sectional study of patients and surgeons. Using focus groups and telephone surveys, the original PFCS questionnaire was simplified. One hundred and twenty-four patients were recruited 6-12 months after PRS. Fifty-seven surgeons were recruited via electronic questionnaires. Surgeons and patients were asked to rank the severity and bother of each complication on a scale of 0 to 5 (0, none; 1, mild; 3, moderate; 5, major). RESULTS: Patients rated bother higher than severity for 36 of 38 complications (all differences ≤0.5 points). For statistical analysis, the highest response to patient bother/severity was chosen to weigh in favor of the patient. Patient bother/severity scores were significantly different (±0.5 points) for 27 of 38 complications compared with surgeon responses. Surgeon scores were higher for 5 complications (0.5-1.9 point differences) related to major injury requiring repair and wound breakdown. Patient scores were higher for 22 complications with the highest differences related to dyspareunia, constipation, or new/persistent urinary incontinence. CONCLUSIONS: This mixed methods investigation revealed key differences between how patients and surgeons value PRS complications. Surgeons scored major surgical injuries higher than patients, whereas patients rated issues that many surgeons consider quality-of-life outcomes higher due to potential long-term bother. These data will be used to create a simplified, patient-centered PFCS.

Biotin Interference in Assays for Thyroid Hormones, Thyrotropin and Thyroglobulin.

Background: Biotin has been reported to interfere with several commonly used laboratory assays resulting in misleading values and possible erroneous diagnosis and treatment. This report describes a prospective study of possible biotin interference in thyroid-related laboratory assays, with a comparison of different commonly used assay platforms. Materials and Methods: Thirteen adult subjects (mean age 45 ± 13 years old) were administered biotin 10 mg/day for eight days. Blood specimens were collected at three time points on day 1 and on day 8 (baseline, two, and five hours after biotin ingestion). Thyrotropin (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), total triiodothyronine (TT3), total thyroxine (TT4), thyroxine binding globulin (TBG), and thyroglobulin (Tg) levels were analyzed with four different platforms: Abbott Architect, Roche Cobas 6000, Siemens IMMULITE 2000, and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). TSH, fT3, fT4, TT3, and TT4 were measured with Abbott Architect and Roche Cobas 6000. fT3, fT4, TT3, and TT4 were also measured by LC-MS/MS. Tg was measured by Siemens IMMULITE 2000. TBG was assessed with Siemens IMMULITE 2000. Results: Significant changes in TSH, fT4, and TT3 measurements were observed after biotin exposure when the Roche Cobas 6000 platform was used. Biotin intake resulted in a falsely lower Tg level when measurements were performed with Siemens IMMULITE 2000. At the time points examined, maximal biotin interference was observed two hours after biotin exposure both on day 1 and day 8. Conclusions: A daily dose of 10 mg was shown to interfere with specific assays for TSH, fT4, TT3, and Tg. Physicians must be aware of the potential risk of erroneous test results in subjects taking biotin supplements. Altered test results for TSH and Tg can be particularly problematic in patients requiring careful titration of levothyroxine therapy such as those with thyroid cancer.

Major acute cardiovascular events in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation and immune-mediated diseases have been associated with ischemic heart disease in addition to traditional risk factors. In this study, we investigate associations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and acute cardiovascular events. METHODS: An observational study where patient data were extracted from our health system patient pool of 3 917 894. Propensity scores were calculated for all 15 292 patients (0.39%) with IBD to assemble a 1:1 matched cohort balanced for age, gender, race and known cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and smoking (current and former). Secondary analyses were performed independently for 6658 patients with ulcerative colitis and 9406 patients with Crohn's disease. ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes were used to identify cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes. RESULTS: Matched patients (n = 30 584) had a mean age of 51 years, with 58% being women, and 63% Caucasian. During the median follow-up of 4.4 years, all-cause mortality was observed in 1.7 versus 1.2% of patients from IBD and non-IBD groups, respectively [hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-1.58; P = 0.005]. Combined outcome for myocardial infarction or cardiovascular mortality was noted in 2.3 and 2.1% from IBD and non-IBD groups, respectively (hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.90-1.21; P = 0.588), while hazard ratios for cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction and unstable angina were 1.04 (0.74-1.47; P = 0.833), 1.05 (0.89-1.23; P = 0.591) and 1.10 (0.83-1.46; P = 0.524), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with IBD, incidence of acute coronary events did not show a statistically significant difference when compared to the matched cohort.

Ethnicity and insurance status predict metastatic disease presentation in prostate, breast, and non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ethnicity and insurance status have been shown to impact odds of presenting with metastatic cancer, however, the interaction of these two predictors is not well understood. We evaluate the difference in odds of presenting with metastatic disease in minorities compared to white patients despite access to the same insurance across three common cancer types. METHODS: Using the National Cancer Database, a multilevel logistic regression model that estimated the odds of metastatic disease was fit, adjusting for covariates including year of diagnosis, ethnicity, insurance, income, and region. We included adults diagnosed with metastatic prostate, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and breast cancer from 2004 to 2015. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 1 191 241 prostate cancer (PCa), 1 310 986 breast cancer (BCa), and 1 183 029 NSCLC patients. Private insurance was the most protective factor against metastatic presentation. Odds of presenting with metastatic disease were 0.190 [95% CI, 0.182-0.198], 0.616 [95% CI, 0.602-0.630], and 0.270 [95% CI, 0.260-0.279] for PCa, NSCLC, and BCa compared to uninsured patients, respectively. Private insurance provided the most significant benefit to non-Hispanic White PCa patients with 81% reduction in odds of metastatic presentation and conferred the least benefit to African-American NSCLC patients at 30.4% reduction in odds of metastatic presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Insurance status provided the single most protective effect against metastatic presentation. This benefit varied for minorities despite similar insurance. Reducing metastatic disease presentation rates requires addressing social barriers to care independent of insurance.

The Effects of Medicaid Expansion on Triage and Regional Transfer After Upper-Extremity Trauma.

PURPOSE: Underinsured hand trauma patients are more likely to be transferred to quaternary care centers, which burdens these patients and centers. By increasing insurance coverage, care for less severe upper-extremity injuries may be available closer to patients' homes. We evaluated whether the 2014 expansion of Medicaid in Maryland under the Affordable Care Act decreased the number of uninsured upper-extremity trauma patients and the volume of unnecessary emergency trauma visits at our hand center. METHODS: We identified all upper-extremity trauma patients between 2010 and 2017 at our hand trauma referral center. Injury severity was classified based on the need for subspecialty care. Bivariate relations between insurance status and demographic covariates, including injury type and distance, both before and after Medicaid expansion were evaluated. We used patient-level and multinomial logistic regression models to evaluate changes in payer and transfer appropriateness. RESULTS: We studied 12,009 acute upper-extremity trauma patients. With Medicaid expansion, the percentage of trauma patients with Medicaid coverage increased from 15% to 24%, with a decrease in uninsured from 31% to 24%. After Medicaid expansion, non-transfer patient appropriateness decreased and appropriateness of transfers remained consistent across all payers. The average distance patients traveled for care remained similar before and after expansion. CONCLUSIONS: Medicaid expansion significantly decreased the proportion of uninsured upper-extremity trauma patients. We identified no significant changes in the distances these patients traveled for specialized care. In addition, the appropriateness of transferred patients did not change significantly after expansion, whereas appropriateness of nontransferred patients actually declined after Medicaid expansion. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study indicates no notable change in adherence to transfer guidelines after expansion, and a possible increase in use of emergency services by newly insured patients.

Brain Metastases From Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: Prevalence, Current Therapies, and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The brain is an unusual site for distant metastases of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). The aim of this study was to document the prevalence of brain metastases from DTC at our institutions and to analyze the current therapies and the outcomes of these patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with DTC and secondary neoplasia of the brain. RESULTS: From 2002 to 2016, 9514 cases of thyroid cancer were evaluated across our institutions and 24 patients met our inclusion criteria, corresponding to a prevalence of 0.3% of patients with DTC. Fourteen (58.3%) were female and 10 (41.7%) were male. Fifteen patients had papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) (62.5%). Brain metastases were diagnosed 0 to 37 years (mean ± SD, 10.6 ± 10.4 years) after the initial diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Patients undergoing surgery had a median survival time longer than those that did not undergo surgery (27.3 months vs 6.8 months; P = 0.15). Patients who underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) had a median survival time longer than those that did not receive SRS (52.5 months vs 6.7 months; P = 0.11). Twelve patients (50%) were treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and they had a better survival than those who have not used a TKI (median survival time, 27.2 months vs 4.7 months; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of brain metastases of DTC in our institutions was 0.3% over 15 years. The median survival time after diagnosis of brain metastases was 19 months. In our study population, the use of TKI improved the survival rates.

The Association of Abdominal Striae With Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of abdominal wall striae among women with and without pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in a population with pelvic floor disorders. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included nonpregnant women with urinary incontinence and POP presenting to a tertiary urogynecology practice between December 2012 and August 2013. Participants completed a nonvalidated questionnaire about striae, and the degree of abdominal wall striae was quantified on physical examination. Baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) measurements were recorded. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-two women were approached for participation, of which 110 (83%) completed study questionnaires. Of these 110, 59 had POP defined at POP-Q stages 2-4, whereas 51 had normal pelvic support, POP-Q stages 0-1. The mean (SD) age was 55.5 (12) years, and most (78/110) were sexually active. Women with POP were more parous than women without POP (median 2 vs 1, respectively; P = 0.03). However, there was no difference in medical comorbidities, smoking status, or steroid use between groups (P > 0.05). More women with POP reported striae (42/59 [71%] vs 23/51 [45%], P = 0.006) and had quantifiable abdominal wall striae compared with women with normal support (39/59 [66%] vs 22/51 [44%], P = 0.02). On multivariate logistic regression, women with POP were 2.5 times more likely to have striae compared with women without POP after adjusting for skin type and smoking status (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-6.06; P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Women with POP are more likely to have striae compared with women without POP.

Video intervention increases participation of black breast cancer patients in therapeutic trials.

There is a striking racial and ethnic disparity in incidence and mortality of cancer yet minorities remain markedly underrepresented in clinical trials. This pilot study set out to determine the impact of a 15-min culturally tailored educational video on three outcomes relating to clinical trials: likely participation, attitudes (assessed based on six barriers), and actual enrollment. Breast cancer patients with Stage I-III, if diagnosed within previous 6 months, or metastatic disease who self-identified as black or African American were invited to participate. The primary outcome measure was the decision to participate in a therapeutic clinical trial after the intervention. Patients' intention to enroll on a therapeutic clinical trial and the change in attitudes toward clinical trials were measured by the previously developed Attitudes and Intention to Enroll in Therapeutic Clinical Trials (AIET) questionnaire. Of the 200 patients that participated, 39 (19.5%) patients signed consent to participate in a therapeutic clinical trial; 27 (13.5%) patients enrolled, resulting in a 7.5% increase from our baseline comparison of 6% clinical trial enrollment rate in black cancer patients (p < .001). Pre-test versus post-test assessment demonstrated the proportion of patients expressing likelihood to enroll in a therapeutic trial following the intervention increased by 14% (p < .001). Among 31 AIET items, 25 (81%) showed statistically significant and positive change post-intervention. The findings suggest the promising utility of a culturally tailored video intervention for improving black patients' attitudes regarding clinical trial participation and resultant enrollment. Future efforts should continue to target facilitators of population-specific recruitment, enrollment, and retention in therapeutic and non-therapeutic clinical trials.

Minimally Invasive Surgery Survey: A Survey of Surgical Team Members' Perceptions for Successful Minimally Invasive Surgery.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To develop a valid and reliable survey to measure surgical team members' perceptions regarding their institution's requirements for successful minimally invasive surgery (MIS). DESIGN: Questionnaire development and validation study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING: Three hospital types: rural, urban/academic, and community/academic. PARTICIPANTS: Minimally invasive staff (team members). INTERVENTION: Development and validation of a minimally invasive surgery survey (MISS). MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Using the Safety Attitudes questionnaire as a guide, we developed questions assessing study participants' attitudes regarding the requirements for successful MIS. The questions were closed-ended and responses based on a 5-point Likert scale. The large pool of questions was then given to 4 focus groups made up of 3 to 6 individuals. Each focus group consisted of individuals from a specific profession (e.g., surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and surgical technicians). Questions were revised based on focus group recommendations, resulting in a final 52-question set. The question set was then distributed to MIS team members. Individuals were included if they had participated in >10 MIS cases and worked in the MIS setting in the past 3 months. Participants in the trial population were asked to repeat the questionnaire 4 weeks later to evaluate internal consistency. Participants' demographics, including age, gender, specialty, profession, and years of experience, were captured in the questionnaire. Factor analysis with varimax rotation was performed to determine domains (questions evaluating similar themes). For internal consistency and reliability, domains were tested using interitem correlations and Cronbach's α. Cronbach's α > .6 was considered internally consistent. Kendall's correlation coefficient τ closer to 1 and with p < .05 was considered significant for the test-retest reliability. Two hundred fifty participants answered the initial question set. Of those, 53 were eliminated because they did not meet inclusion criteria or failed to answer all questions, leaving 197 participants. Most participants were women (68% vs 32%), and 42% were between the ages 30 and 39 years. Factor analysis identified 6 domains: collaboration, error reporting, job proficiency/efficiency, problem-solving, job satisfaction, and situational awareness. Interitem correlations testing for redundancy for each domain ranged from .2 to .7, suggesting similar themed questions while avoiding redundancy. Cronbach's α, testing internal consistency, was .87. Sixty-two participants from the original cohort repeated the question set at 4 weeks. Forty-three were analyzed for test-retest reliability after excluding those who did not meet inclusion criteria. The final questions showed high test-retest reliability (τ = .3-.7, p < .05). The final questionnaire was made up of 29 questions from the original 52 question set. CONCLUSION: The MISS is a reliable and valid tool that can be used to measure how surgical team members conceptualize the requirements for successful MIS. The MISS revealed that participants identified 6 important domains of a successful workenvironment: collaboration, error reporting, job proficiency/efficiency, problem-solving, job satisfaction, and situational awareness. The questionnaire can be used to understand and align various surgical team members' goals and expectations and may help improve quality of care in the MIS setting.

Number of Foci of Functioning Thyroid Tissue Remaining after Thyroidectomy for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: Institutional Experience.

Radioiodine imaging of the neck with a pinhole collimator (PinC) is frequently performed in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients for visualizing individual, and a total number of foci (NOF) of functioning residual thyroid tissue (FRTT) within the thyroid bed in postthyroidectomy patients. The objective of this study was to determine our experience regarding the NOF of FRTT visualized on pretherapy radioiodine PinC images. We performed a retrospective review of radioiodine PinC images of the neck of patients with very low-risk DTC and who had thyroidectomy performed by selected surgeons at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. For each patient's image, the NOF of FRTT was determined by two blind readers. Statistical analysis was performed. One hundred and twenty-six patients met the criteria. Surgeon (S1, S2, S3, and S4) performed 17, 10, 86, and 13 thyroidectomies, respectively. The analysis (mean, range, and standard deviation) of NOF of FRTT was: S1: (2.2, 0-5, 1.3); S2: (1.6, 1-3, 0.8); S3: (2.6, 0-7, 1.5); S4: (3.3, 1-5, 1.3). The percentages of < 2, ≤3, ≤4, and <5 foci remaining were 4.9%, 21.5%, 77.0%, and 91.3%, respectively. For the selected surgeons, the NOF of FRTT in the thyroid bed or neck in postthyroidectomy patients never exceeded 7, rarely exceeded 5 (2.4%), and infrequently exceeded 4 (8.7%). Based on these data, our thresholds of the NOF for which we perform further workup for possible locoregional disease are ≥5. Each facility is encouraged to establish their own criteria for their facility and preferably for each of their surgeons.

Screening nasal swabs for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: A regional burn center's experience.

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a pathogen that can result in substantial morbidity and mortality. Early detection of MRSA colonization by screening nasal swabs may be important in the management of burn-injured patients. However, studies examining its use in this population are limited. The aim of this study was to study the utility of admission MRSA screening nasal swabs and determine if being positive for MRSA on admission impacted outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of burn patients who presented to a single regional burn center between June 2012 and December 2014. Electronic medical records and charts were reviewed for patient demographics and management. MRSA screening swabs were obtained from the anterior nares of burn patients upon admission. Patients without a MRSA nasal swab within 48h of admission were excluded. Outcomes analyzed included overall length of stay, ICU admission and length of stay, mechanical ventilation, procedure count, time to excision, and wound complications after normalizing to total body surface area burn size (%TBSA). RESULTS: During the study period, 601 patients received a MRSA screening nasal swab upon admission. Of these, 24 patients screened positive for MRSA (4%). Patients who screened positive for MRSA had a significantly increased mean length of stay (3.95v 2.36 days; p<0.05) and number of surgical procedures (1.92v 1.06; p<0.05). Positively screened patients also had a higher proportion of wound infections (50% v 18.2%; p<0.05), half of which were caused by MRSA. Subsequent graft complications were seen in 50% of patients with a wound complication. Only 2 positively screened patients were started on empiric antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Burn patients who screened positive for MRSA had greater lengths of stay, more surgical procedures, and higher wound complications. Early identification of MRSA colonized patients in this patient population might allow for treatment modifications that improve outcomes. Further study is warranted in a prospective clinical trial.