Development and Validation of a Geriatrics Knowledge Test to Evaluate Geriatrics Fellowship Programs.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires that geriatrics fellowship programs be evaluated, evaluation is challenging because of lack of appropriate instruments. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a geriatrics knowledge test appropriate for evaluation of geriatrics fellowship programs. DESIGN: Initial and replication cross-sectional validation studies. SETTING: Academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Initial study: 11 postgraduate year (PGY)-2 and five PGY-3 internal medicine residents, eight incoming and eight graduating geriatrics fellows, and 11 geriatrics faculty (N = 43). Replication study: nine graduating fellows and three mid-year fellow cohorts (n = 11, 8, and 9) (N = 37). MEASUREMENTS: A geriatrics knowledge test was developed consisting of 31 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) selected from a 54-item pool of MCQs that the authors created. Selection criteria included content appropriateness, item correlation with total score, item discriminatory power, and item difficulty. RESULTS: The instrument demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach alpha = 0.83) and known group validity. The mean percentage correct scores on the knowledge test were progressively higher with more geriatrics training (P < .001). The replication study continued to show patterns of progressive increases in score with additional training. There were no floor or ceiling effects. CONCLUSION: A 31-item geriatrics knowledge test demonstrates sound reliability and validity. The findings support that it is appropriate as a tool for evaluation of geriatrics fellowship programs.

Characteristics of older at-risk drinkers who drive after drinking and those who do not drive after drinking.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and compare characteristics of older adults who drive after drinking and those who do not, whether an intervention addressing at-risk drinking reduces risk among those reporting driving after drinking, and reasons reported for driving after drinking. METHODS: Secondary data analysis of a randomized trial testing the efficacy of a multifaceted intervention to reduce at-risk drinking among adults with a mean age of 68 years in primary care (N = 631). RESULTS: Almost a quarter of at-risk drinkers reported driving after drinking (N = 154). Compared to those who did not drive after drinking, those who did were more likely to be younger, male, and working. They consumed a higher average number of drinks per week, had more reasons they were considered at-risk drinkers, and were more likely to meet at-risk drinking criteria due to amount of drinking and binge drinking. Those driving after drinking at baseline reduced the frequency of this behavior at 3 and 12 months and there were no statistically significant differences in the proportions of persons still engaging in driving after drinking among those who were assigned to intervention or control groups. Reasons for driving after drinking included not thinking that it was a problem and having to get home. CONCLUSIONS: Driving after drinking is common in this population of older, at-risk drinkers recruited in primary care settings and, like younger adults, men and those reporting binge drinking are more likely to engage in this behavior. Given that this behavior is dangerous and the population of older adults is fast growing, interventions addressing driving after drinking are needed.

Skin model surface temperatures during single and multiple cryogen spurts used in laser dermatologic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Although cryogen spray cooling (CSC) is used to minimize the risk of epidermal damage during laser dermatologic surgery, concern has been expressed that CSC may induce cryo-injury. In order to address this concern, it is necessary to evaluate the effects of prolonged exposure of human skin phantoms (HSP) to CSC. OBJECTIVE: To measure the minimum surface temperature (T(min)) and the time at which it occurs (t(Tmin)) as well as determine the time the sprayed HSP surface remains below 0 degrees C (sub-zero time, Deltat(s)) and -26 degrees C (residence time, Deltat(r)) during the application of single (SCS) and multiple (MCS) cryogen spurts. Two initial HSP substrate temperatures were studied, T(i): 23 and 70 degrees C. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: An epoxy-based HSP was constructed to measure T(min), t(Tmin), Deltat(s), and Deltat(r), for 17 spray patterns: 1 SCS with a total cryo-delivery time (Deltat(c)) of 40 milliseconds; 8 MCS patterns with identical Deltat(c), but with a total cooling time (Deltat(total)) varying from 50 to 280 milliseconds; and 8 SCS patterns that matched the Deltat(total) of the MCS patterns. RESULTS: For both T(i), our results show that it is possible to distinguish between two different cooling regimes. For Deltat(total)

Evaluation of single versus multiple cryogen spray cooling spurts on in vitro model human skin.

Many commercially available dermatologic lasers utilize cryogen spray cooling for epidermal protection. A previous tissue culture study demonstrated that single cryogen spurts (SCS) of 80 ms or less were unlikely to cause cryo-injury in light-skinned individuals. More recently, multiple cryogen spurts (MCS) have been incorporated into commercial devices, but the effects of MCS have not been evaluated. The aim was to study an in vitro tissue culture model and the epidermal and dermal effects of SCS vs patterns of shorter MCS with the same preset total cryogen delivery time (Deltat(c)) and provide an explanation for noted differences. Four different spurt patterns were evaluated: SCS: one 40-ms cryogen spurt; MCS2: two 20-ms cryogen spurts; MCS4: four 10-ms cryogen spurts; MCS8: eight 5-ms cryogen spurts. Actual Deltat(c) and total cooling time (Deltat(Total)) were measured for each spurt pattern. RAFT tissue culture specimens were exposed to cryogen spurt patterns and biopsies were taken immediately and at days 3 and 7. Actual Deltat(c) was increased while Deltat(Total) remained relatively constant as the preset Deltat(c) of 40 ms was delivered as shorter MCS. Progressively more epidermal damage was noted with exposure to the MCS patterns. No dermal injury was noted with either SCS or MCS. For a constant preset Deltat(c) of 40 ms, delivering cryogen in patterns of shorter MCS increased the actual Deltat(c) and consequently the observed epidermal cryo-injury as compared to an SCS.