Interpreting hydroxychloroquine blood levels for medication non-adherence: a pharmacokinetic study.

OBJECTIVE: Characterise the relationship between hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) blood levels and the number of missed doses, accounting for dosage, dose timing and the large variability in pharmacokinetics (PK) between patients. METHODS: We externally validated a published PK model and then conducted dosing simulations. We developed a virtual population of 1000 patients for each dosage across a range of body weights and PK variability. Using the model, 10 Monte Carlo simulations for each patient were conducted to derive predicted whole blood concentrations every hour over 24 hours (240 000 HCQ levels at steady state). To determine the impact of missed doses on levels, we randomly deleted a fixed proportion of doses. RESULTS: For patients receiving HCQ 400 mg daily, simulated random blood levels <200 ng/mL were exceedingly uncommon in fully adherent patients (<0.1%). In comparison, with 80% of doses missed, approximately 60% of concentrations were <200 ng/mL. However, this cut-off was highly insensitive and would miss many instances of severe non-adherence. Average levels quickly dropped to <200 ng/mL after 2-4 days of missed doses. Additionally, mean levels decreased by 29.9% between peak and trough measurements. CONCLUSIONS: We propose an algorithm to optimally interpret HCQ blood levels and approximate the number of missed doses, incorporating the impact of dosage, dose timing and pharmacokinetic variability. No single cut-off has adequate combinations of both sensitivity and specificity, and cut-offs are dependent on the degree of targeted non-adherence. Future studies should measure trough concentrations to better identify target HCQ levels for non-adherence and efficacy.

Development and psychometric evaluation of a physician global assessment for type 2 systemic lupus erythematosus symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: Manifestations of SLE can be categorised as type 1 (classic signs and symptoms of SLE) or type 2 (fatigue, widespread pain and brain fog with an unclear relationship to inflammation). While measures of type 1 SLE activity exist, most current physician-reported measures do not encompass type 2 SLE manifestations. To better evaluate type 2 SLE symptoms, we developed and psychometrically evaluated a physician-reported measure of type 2 symptoms, the Type 2 Physician Global Assessment ('Type 2 PGA'). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Type 2 PGA was developed and evaluated by six rheumatologists practising in the same academic lupus clinic. The study began with a roundtable discussion to establish consensus guidelines for scoring the Type 2 PGA. Following the roundtable, the Type 2 PGA was psychometrically evaluated using data prospectively collected from 263 patients with SLE enrolled in the Duke Lupus Registry. RESULTS: There was strong intra-rater and inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.83), indicating the Type 2 PGA scores were consistent within a rheumatologist and across rheumatologists. The Type 2 PGA was correlated with patient-reported symptoms of polysymptomatic distress (r=0.76), fatigue (r=0.68), cognitive dysfunction (r=0.63), waking unrefreshed (r=0.62) and forgetfulness (r=0.60), and weakly correlated with the Type 1 PGA and the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index. CONCLUSION: The Type 2 PGA performed well as a physician-reported measure of type 2 SLE symptoms. The incorporation of the Type 2 PGA into a routine rheumatology visit may improve patient care by bringing the provider's attention to certain symptoms not well represented in conventional measures of disease activity.

Virtual Learning and Assessment in Rheumatology Fellowship Training: Objective Structured Clinical Examination Revisited.

OBJECTIVE: With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an annual multi-institutional face-to-face rheumatology objective structured clinical examination (ROSCE) was transformed into a virtual format. The educational goals of the virtual ROSCE (vROSCE) were to reproduce the educational value of the previous in-person ROSCE, providing a valuable formative assessment of rheumatology training activities encompassing the 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies for fellows-in-training (FITs). This article describes the novel design, feasibility, and stakeholder value of a vROSCE. METHODS: Through an established collaboration of 5 rheumatology fellowship training programs, in February 2021, a vROSCE was created and conducted using a Zoom platform. Station development included learning objectives, FIT instructions, faculty proctor instructions, and a checklist by which to provide structured formative feedback. An anonymous, optional web-based survey was sent to FIT participants to evaluate the experience. RESULTS: Twenty-three rheumatology FITs from 5 institutions successfully rotated through 6 stations in the vROSCE. Immediate feedback was given to each FIT using standardized rubrics structured around ACGME core competencies. A total of 65% of FITs (15 of 23) responded to the survey, and 93% of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the vROSCE was a helpful educational activity and identified individualized opportunities for improvement. CONCLUSION: A vROSCE is an innovative, feasible, valuable, and well-received educational technology tool. The vROSCE enriched rheumatology FITs' education and offered collaborative learning experiences across institutions.

Incorporating Telemedicine in Rheumatology Fellowship Training Programs: Needs Assessment, Curricular Intervention, and Evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To increase the confidence of rheumatology fellows in training (FITs) in delivering virtual care (VC) and prepare them for independent practice, we developed educational materials addressing gaps in their skills. METHODS: We identified gaps in telemedicine skills based on FIT performance in a virtual rheumatology objective structured clinical examination (vROSCE) station on VC delivery using video teleconference technology and survey (survey 1) responses. We created educational materials including videos of "mediocre" and "excellent" VC examples, discussion/reflection questions, and a document summarizing key practices. We measured change in the confidence levels of FITs for delivering VC with a post-intervention survey (survey 2). RESULTS: Thirty-seven FITs (19 first-year, 18 second- plus third-year fellows) from 7 rheumatology fellowship training programs participated in a vROSCE and demonstrated gaps in skills mapping to several Rheumatology Telehealth Competency domains. Confidence levels of FITs improved significantly from survey 1 to survey 2 for 22 of 34 (65%) questions. All participating FITs found the educational materials helpful for learning and reflecting on their own VC practice; 18 FITs (64%) qualified usefulness as "moderately" or "a lot." Through surveying, 17 FITs (61%) reported implementing skills from the instructional videos into VC visits. CONCLUSION: Continually assessing our learners' needs and creating educational materials addressing gaps in training are requisite. Using a vROSCE station, needs assessments, and targeted learning with videos and discussion-guidance materials enhanced the confidence level of FITs in VC delivery. It is imperative to incorporate VC delivery into fellowship training program curricula to ensure breadth in skills, attitudes, and knowledge of new entrants into the rheumatology workforce.

Association of Health Literacy and Numeracy With Lupus Knowledge and the Creation of the Lupus Knowledge Assessment Test.

OBJECTIVE: Limited health literacy and numeracy are associated with worse patient-reported outcomes and higher disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but which factors may mediate this association is unknown. We sought to determine the association of health literacy and numeracy with SLE knowledge. METHODS: Patients with SLE were recruited from an academic center clinic. Participants completed validated assessments of health literacy (Newest Vital Sign [NVS]; n = 96) and numeracy (Numeracy Understanding in Medicine Instrument, Short Version [S-NUMI]; n = 85). They also completed the Lupus Knowledge Assessment Test (LKAT), which consists of 4 questions assessing SLE knowledge that were determined through consensus expert opinion for their wide applicability and importance related to self-management of the disease. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression modeling were used to analyze the results. RESULTS: In our SLE cohort (n = 125), 33% (32/96) had limited health literacy and 76% (65/85) had limited numeracy. The majority correctly identified that hydroxychloroquine prevented SLE flares (91%); however, only 23% of participants correctly answered a numeracy question assessing which urine protein to creatinine (UPC) ratio was > 1000 mg/g. The mean LKAT score was 2.7 out of 4.0. Limited health literacy, but not numeracy, was associated with lower knowledge about SLE as measured by the LKAT, even after adjusting for education. CONCLUSION: Patients with SLE with limited health literacy had lower knowledge about SLE. The LKAT could be further refined and/or used as a screening tool to identify patients with knowledge gaps. Further work is needed to improve patients' understanding of proteinuria and investigate whether literacy-sensitive education can improve care.

What do internal medicine residents know about rheumatology? A needs assessment for curriculum design.

We sought to determine if analyzing internal medicine (IM) resident performance on the in-training exam (ITE) might reveal curricular needs in rheumatology education beyond those intuitive to learners and educators from their perceptions and experience. We analyzed ITE scores of post-graduate year (PGY) 2 IM residents at our institution from 2010 to 2017. We sorted rheumatology-related educational objectives on the ITEs into 10 disease categories and calculated average scores. We then surveyed our IM residents' self-reported confidence and rheumatology educators' perceptions of IM resident proficiency in the 10 categories on a 10-point Likert scale. Finally, we tallied diagnoses in each category encountered by IM residents in rheumatology clinic. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated for the relationship between these data. The ITEs exposed 402 residents to 63 rheumatology-related educational objectives in the 10 categories; 24 objectives were categorized as "other." Survey respondents included 38 residents and 22 educators. There was no correlation between ITE scores in the 10 categories and resident confidence (r = - 0.226, p = 0.530), educator perception (r = - 0.274, p = 0.445), or diagnoses encountered (r = - 0.310, p = 0.383). There was a strong positive correlation between resident confidence and educator perception (r = 0.934, p < 0.001). ITE performance was low in crystalline arthritis and osteoarthritis despite high resident confidence, educator perception, and number of diagnoses seen. Our analysis of IM resident ITE performance identified curricular gaps not apparent in surveys of learner and educator perceptions or an assessment of learner experience. Key Points • In this study, we demonstrate how a systematic analysis of internal medicine resident performance on the in-training exam can identify important curricular gaps in rheumatology education that are not apparent in assessments of learners and educator perceptions or learner experience in rheumatology clinic. • In-training exam performance was low in crystalline arthritis and osteoarthritis despite high resident confidence, educator perception of proficiency, and number of diagnoses seen in these categories. • When rheumatology curricula for internal medicine residents are developed solely on the basis of learner and educator perceptions, common disorders traditionally considered "easy" may be overlooked.

Racial Disparities in Medication Adherence between African American and Caucasian Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Their Associated Factors.

OBJECTIVE: Medication nonadherence is more common in African Americans compared with Caucasians. We examined the racial adherence gaps among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and explored factors associated with nonadherence. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were obtained from consecutive patients prescribed SLE medications seen at an academic lupus clinic between August 2018 and February 2019. Adherence was measured using both self-report and pharmacy refill data. High composite adherence was defined as having both high self-reported adherence and high refill rates. Covariates were patient-provider interaction, patient-reported health status, and clinical factors. We compared adherence rates by race and used race-stratified analyses to identify factors associated with low composite adherence. RESULTS: Among 121 patients (37% Caucasian, 63% African American), the median age was 44 years (range 22-72), 95% were female, 51% had a college education or more, 46% had private insurance, and 38% had high composite adherence. Those with low composite adherence had higher damage scores, patient-reported disease activity scores, and more acute care visits. High composite adherence rate was lower among African Americans compared with Caucasians (30% vs 51%, P = 0.02), and the gap was largest for those taking mycophenolate (26% vs 75%, P = 0.01). Among African Americans, low composite adherence was associated with perceiving fewer "Compassionate respectful" interactions with providers and worse anxiety and negative affect. In contrast, among Caucasians, low composite adherence was only associated with higher SLE medication regimen burden and fibromyalgia pain score. CONCLUSION: Significant racial disparities exist in SLE medication adherence, which likely contributes to racial disparities in SLE outcomes. Interventions may be more effective if tailored by race, such as improving patient-provider interaction and mental health among African Americans.

Turning Objective Structured Clinical Examinations into Reality.

Objective structured clinical examinations assess learners "showing how" to perform complex clinical tasks. Devised as summative evaluations, these examinations with immediate feedback are useful formative evaluations to improve learner performance. This review describes how objective structured clinical examinations have been used in rheumatology education. Steps for creating an objective structured clinical examination are discussed. Validity and reproducibility are important considerations, especially for high-stakes summative objective structured clinical examinations. Consideration of the potential benefits in clinical education and their hazards are reviewed. When well-designed, formative objective structured clinical examinations have high educational value for learners and medical educators.

Physician Assistant Student Training for the Inpatient Setting: A Needs Assessment.

PURPOSE: The number of physician assistants (PAs) practicing hospital medicine is rapidly expanding. Little research has been done to determine which inpatient medicine rotation experiences are most helpful to prepare PA students for a career in inpatient medicine. We aimed to determine those skills that practicing hospitalists believe are most critical for PA students to master and to describe hospitalists' current understanding of PA training. We also sought to evaluate the current performance of our own inpatient medicine rotation for PA students. METHODS: We surveyed 85 practicing hospitalists, including physicians and advanced-practice providers, from 3 hospitals in the Duke University Health System to identify (1) the clinical topics and skills deemed most essential for PA students on an inpatient medicine rotation, (2) the percentage of hospitalists able to correctly answer basic questions about PA training, and (3) current rotation performance. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses. RESULTS: Hospitalists identified the clinical conditions and health care systems with the most educational value for PA students. Hospitalists were found to have variable levels of understanding of the PA training pathway, with more than 20% incorrectly answering questions about the training process. According to mean responses, the rotation performed positively for 15 of 19 medical conditions. The majority of survey respondents suggested that a formal curriculum would help faculty teach and improve the learning experience for PA students. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the most essential content can facilitate curriculum development. Hospitalists have a knowledge gap about the training of PA students. The inpatient medicine rotation was rated positively, but survey responses suggested that a formal curriculum could have a positive effect and would be well received.

Rheumatology Research Foundation Clinician Scholar Educator Award: Fifteen Years Promoting Rheumatology Educators and Education.

OBJECTIVE: The Rheumatology Research Foundation's Clinician Scholar Educator (CSE) award is a 3-year career development award supporting medical education research while providing opportunities for mentorship and collaboration. Our objective was to document the individual and institutional impact of the award since its inception, as well as its promise to strengthen the subspecialty of rheumatology. METHODS: All 60 CSE Award recipients were surveyed periodically. Fifty-six of those 60 awardees (90%) responded to requests for survey information that included post-award activities, promotions, and further funding. Data were also collected from yearly written progress reports for each grant. RESULTS: Of the total CSE recipients to date, 48 of 60 (80%) are adult rheumatologists, 11 of 60 (18%) are pediatric rheumatologists, and 1 is an adult and pediatric rheumatologist. Two-thirds of survey respondents spend up to 30% of their total time in educational activities, and one-third spend greater than 30%. Thirty-one of the 60 CSE recipients (52%) have published a total of 86 medical education papers. Twenty-six of 52 (50%) had received an academic promotion following the award. Eleven awardees earned advanced degrees. CONCLUSION: We describe the creation and evolution of a grant program from a medical subspecialty society foundation and the impact on producing education research, individual identity formation, and ongoing support for educators. This community of rheumatology scholar educators now serves as an important resource at the national level for the American College of Rheumatology and its membership. We believe that this grant may serve as a model for other medical societies that want to promote education scholarship and leadership within their specialties.

Fellow As Teacher Curriculum: Improving Rheumatology Fellows' Teaching Skills During Inpatient Consultation.

OBJECTIVE: Enhancing rheumatology fellows' teaching skills in the setting of inpatient consultation may have a broad positive impact. Such efforts may improve fellows' clinical skills and overall patient care. Most importantly, effective resident-fellow teaching interactions may not only increase residents' knowledge of rheumatology but may influence their career choice. However, a number of barriers to the resident-fellow teaching interaction have been identified, including fellows' teaching skills. We developed the Fellow As Clinical Teacher (FACT) curriculum in order to enhance fellows' teaching skills during inpatient consultation. METHODS: The FACT curriculum was delivered in two 45-minute workshops during the 3-day Winter Symposium of the Carolinas Fellows Collaborative. We evaluated its effect with self-assessment surveys and fellow performance on the objective structured teaching exercise (OSTE) before and after participation in the curriculum. RESULTS: Nineteen fellows from 4 rheumatology training programs participated in the pre- and post-curriculum OSTEs and 18 fellows completed pre- and post-curriculum surveys. OSTE scores improved on 5 of the 8 items assessed, and the total OSTE score improved as well (34.7 versus 29.5; P < 0.01) after the FACT curriculum. Fellows' self-assessment of their teaching skills and intent to teach during consultation also increased after participation in the curriculum. CONCLUSION: The FACT curriculum, focused on teaching during consultation, improved fellows' teaching skills and attitudes toward teaching. Improving and increasing fellow teaching, particularly in the consultation setting, may impact patient care, resident and fellow learning, and teaching skills of future faculty, and could potentially influence residents' career choice.

Expert panel consensus on assessment checklists for a rheumatology objective structured clinical examination.

OBJECTIVE: While several regional fellowship groups conduct rheumatology objective structured clinical examinations (ROSCEs), none have been validated for use across programs. We aimed to establish agreement among subspecialty experts regarding checklist items for several ROSCE stations. METHODS: We administered a 1-round survey to assess the importance of 173 assessment checklist items for 11 possible ROSCE stations. We e-mailed the survey to 127 rheumatology educators from across the US. Participants rated each item's importance on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not important to 5 = very important). Consensus for high importance was predefined as a lower bound of the 95% confidence interval ≥4.0. RESULTS: Twenty-five individuals (20%) completed the expert panel survey. A total of 133 of the 173 items (77%) met statistical cutoff for consensus to retain. Several items that had population means of ≥4.0 but did not meet the predetermined definition for consensus were rejected. The percentage of retained items for individual stations ranged from 24% to 100%; all items were retained for core elements of patient counseling and radiograph interpretation tasks. Only 24% of items were retained for a rehabilitation medicine station and 60% for a microscope use/synovial fluid analysis station. CONCLUSION: This single-round expert panel survey established consensus on 133 items to assess on 11 proposed ROSCE stations. The method used in this study, which can engage a diverse geographic representation and employs rigorous statistical methods to establish checklist content agreement, can be used in any medical field.

Competency-based goals, objectives, and linked evaluations for rheumatology training programs: a standardized template of learning activities from the Carolinas Fellows Collaborative.

OBJECTIVE: American Council on Graduate Medical Education program requirements mandate that rheumatology training programs have written goals, objectives, and performance evaluations for each learning activity. Since learning activities are similar across rheumatology programs, we aimed to create competency-based goals and objectives (CBGO) and evaluations that would be generalizable nationally. METHODS: Through an established collaboration of the 4 training programs' directors in North Carolina and South Carolina, we collaboratively composed CBGO and evaluations for each learning activity for rheumatology training programs. CBGO and linked evaluations were written using appropriate verbs based on Bloom's taxonomy. Draft documents were peer reviewed by faculty at the 4 institutions and by members of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Clinician Scholar Educator Group. RESULTS: We completed templates of CBGO for core and elective rotations and conferences. Templates detail progressive fellow performance improvement appropriate to educational level. Specific CBGO are mirrored in learning activity evaluations. Templates are easily modified to fit individual program attributes, have been successfully implemented by our 4 programs, and have proven their value in 4 residency review committee reviews. CONCLUSION: We propose adoption of these template CBGO by the ACR, with access available to all rheumatology training programs. Evaluation forms that exactly reflect stated objectives ensure that trainees are assessed using standardized measures and that trainees are aware of the learning expectations. The objectives mirrored in the evaluations closely align with the proposed milestones for internal medicine training, and will therefore be a useful starting point for creating these milestones in rheumatology.