Reimagining the Rheumatology Fellowship Interview: Using Participatory Design-Thinking Process to Create a More Applicant-Centered Experience.

OBJECTIVE: Design thinking is a creative problem-solving process used to better understand users' needs and experiences so that a product or service can be improved. Its emphasis on empathy, iterative prototyping, and participatory collaboration make it an ideal methodology for innovation in medical education. We apply this framework to the virtual rheumatology fellowship interview process so that interviews can become more applicant centered. METHODS: This educational quality improvement project uses a design-thinking framework to identify opportunities and challenges for rheumatology fellowship applicants. The investigators use the 5-step process (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) and incorporate rapid qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews to innovate the interview experience. The iterative and collaborative nature of this process has empowered participants to codesign an applicant-centered interview experience. RESULTS: Interviews with fellowship applicants (n = 9), fellow physicians (n = 4), and faculty members (n = 3) identified three major dynamics of the interview process: (1) Is it a safe environment to ask questions? (2) How do I exchange information effectively? and (3) How do I fit all these data into the bigger picture? Creative brainstorming techniques at a series of three workshops yielded four prototypes emphasizing customization, hybridization, facilitation, and preparation. A finalized applicant-centered interview template was devised in preparation for the 2023-2024 application season. CONCLUSION: Design thinking has yielded insights into three important dynamics that drive applicant experiences. These insights allow for a redesign of processes so that virtual interviews can be more applicant centered. This framework allows for further iterations and modifications as the needs of applicants and programs evolve over time.

Nationwide analysis of adult hospitalizations with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

INTRODUCTION: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a well-recognized complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study aims to characterize HLH with and without SLE in the US adult inpatient population. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of HLH with and without SLE from the 2016-2019 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. We described the demographic characteristics of HLH with and without SLE. Multivariable analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios (OR) for in-hospital death. RESULTS: A total of 8690 hospitalizations had HLH. Of those 605 (7%) had SLE, and 8085 (93%) did not have SLE. Relative to the non-SLE group, the SLE group was younger, had more females, less whites, more African Americans, more Hispanics, and more Asian/Pacific Islanders. Over 60% of HLH with or without SLE had a concurrent infection. Sixty (9.9%) of HLH hospitalizations with SLE died compared to 1735 (21.5%) of those without SLE. Among HLH hospitalizations, multivariable analysis showed that age (OR 1.02; 95% C.I. 1.016-1.031), Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR 1.15; 95% C.I. 1.091-1.213), infections (OR 3.35; 95% C.I. 2.467-4.557), and leukemia/lymphoma (OR 1.46; 95% C.I. 1.112-1.905) had higher odds of in-hospital death. SLE did not increase the odds of death. CONCLUSIONS: Inpatients with both HLH and SLE were younger, had a higher proportion of racial/ethnic minorities, and were predominately female. One out of every 10 hospitalizations for HLH ended in death but SLE itself was not an independent risk factor for death. Concurrent infection was the variable most associated with HLH death. Key Points • HLH and SLE group were younger and had higher proportions of female and racial/ethnic minorities. • SLE was not an independent risk factor for death in HLH patients.

Does the "July effect" of new trainees at teaching hospitals impact outcomes for patients hospitalized with heart failure? Real-world analyses of more than half a million US admissions.

Introduction: The "July effect" refers to the potential of adverse clinical outcomes related to the annual turnover of trainees. We investigated whether this impacts inpatient heart failure (HF) outcomes. Methods: Data from all adults (≥18 years) admitted with a primary diagnosis of HF at US teaching hospitals from the 2012-2014 National Inpatient Sample were analyzed. Non-teaching hospital admissions were excluded. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary metrics included hospital length of stay (LOS) and total cost adjusted for inflation. Logistic and linear regression models were used to adjust for confounders. Admissions were classified into 4 quarters (Q1-Q4), based on the academic calendar. Q1 and Q4 were designated to assess the effect of novice (July effect) versus experienced trainees, respectively. Results: There were 699,675 HF admissions during Q1 and Q4 in the study period. Mean age was 71 ± 15 years and 48% were females. There were 20,270 in-hospital deaths, with no difference between Q1 and Q4; crude odds ratio (OR) 1.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94-1.07, p = 0.95. After risk adjustment, there was no in-hospital mortality difference between Q1 and Q4 admissions; adjusted OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.89-1.03, p = 0.23. There was no difference in hospital LOS or total cost; 5.8 versus 5.8 days, p = 0.66 and $13,755 versus $13,586, p = 0.46, in Q1 and Q4, respectively. Conclusions: In this nationally representative sample, there was no evidence of a "July effect" on inpatient HF outcomes in the US. This suggests that HF patients should not delay seeking care during trainee transitions at teaching hospitals.

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Hospitalizations in Adults and Its Association With Rheumatologic Diseases: Data From Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

OBJECTIVE: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare potentially fatal multisystem inflammatory condition that is often triggered by an underlying medical condition. Epidemiologic data of HLH in adults with rheumatologic diseases are limited. The aim of our study was to characterize HLH hospitalizations in the US adult population with a special focus on patients with concomitant rheumatologic diseases. METHODS: We conducted a medical records review of hospitalizations in the United States during 2016 and 2017 with a diagnosis of HLH. Hospitalizations were selected from the National Inpatient Sample. International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes were used to identify rheumatologic diseases. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORadj) for the association of HLH and rheumatologic diseases. RESULTS: Seven hundred fifty hospitalizations had a principal billing diagnosis of HLH. The median age of our study population was 47.5 years, and males made up 55% of the population. Overall mortality was 17%, and the median length of stay was 12 days. Twenty-five percent of the HLH cases had a concomitant rheumatologic diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with nephritis (ORadj, 5.7), SLE without nephritis (ORadj, 9.2), adult-onset Still disease (ORadj, 338.9), and ankylosing spondylitis (ORadj, 10.7) were significantly associated with HLH. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis represents the largest sample to date to assess HLH hospitalizations. Our study showed that SLE, adult-onset Still disease, and ankylosing spondylitis were strongly associated with HLH.

The Co-existence of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis: Two Cases and Review of the Literature.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have shared features including vasculitis, ocular inflammation, interstitial lung disease, and arthritis but existing evidence indicates they are distinct conditions. Interestingly, the co-existence of GPA and RA has been described in the literature. Herein, we report two cases of GPA developing in patients with underlying RA and examine the relationship between the two conditions. Two cases of GPA that developed in patients with preexisting RA are described in detail. Additionally, PubMed was searched for articles in English showing an association of RA and GPA using keywords "rheumatoid arthritis, and vasculitis, and Wegener's, and ANCA, and granulomatosis polyangiitis." In addition to our two cases of RA and GPA overlap, 14 reports were identified in PubMed library from 1970 to 2020. Most of the cases were females (14/16, 88%), and had RA as the initial diagnosis (15/16, 94%). The mean age of RA diagnosis was 45.5 years, the mean age of GPA diagnosis was 52 years and the mean interval between both diagnoses was 101 months. Cyclophosphamide and steroid therapy were used in most of the cases. There are numerous reports of GPA and RA overlap in the literature. GPA should be considered in the differential diagnosis when vasculitis develops in patients with RA.

Psoriasis does not worsen outcomes in patients admitted for ischemic stroke: an analysis of the National Inpatient Sample.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory state associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases, stroke, and mortality. Although psoriasis increases the risk of ischemic stroke, whether outcomes, including mortality, are adversely affected is unknown.This study aims to compare inpatient mortality of patients admitted for ischemic stroke with and without psoriasis. The secondary outcome measures were hospital length of stay (LOS), total hospital charges, odds of receiving tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), and mechanical thrombectomy between both groups.Data were obtained from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2016 and 2017 databases using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analysis were used accordingly to account for confounders of the outcomes.The combined 2016 and 2017 NIS database comprised over 71 million discharges. Of these, ischemic stroke accounted for 525,570 hospitalizations and 2425 (0.5%) had a concomitant diagnosis of psoriasis. Patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke with coexisting psoriasis did not have a difference in inpatient mortality (3.5% vs 5.5%; p=0.285) compared with those without psoriasis. However, psoriasis cohort had shorter LOS (5.0 vs 5.7 days; p=0.029) and lower total hospital charges ($60,471 vs $70,246; p=0.003) compared with the non-psoriasis cohort. The odds of receiving TPA and undergoing mechanical thrombectomy were not different in both groups.Inpatient mortality, odds of receiving TPA, and undergoing mechanical thrombectomy in patients who had an ischemic stroke with or without psoriasis were not different. However, patients with psoriasis had a significantly shorter LOS and lower hospital charges.

Coexisting psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for patients with inflammatory bowel disease: an analysis of the National Inpatient Sample database.

This study compares the odds of being admitted for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in patients with psoriasis compared with those without psoriasis alone. We also compared hospital outcomes of patients admitted primarily for IBD with and without a secondary diagnosis of psoriasis. Data were abstracted from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2016 and 2017 database to search for hospitalizations of interest using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to calculate the adjusted OR (AOR) of IBD being the principal diagnosis for hospitalizations with and without a secondary diagnosis of psoriasis. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were used accordingly to compare outcomes of hospitalizations for IBD with and without secondary diagnosis of psoriasis. There were over 71 million discharges included in the combined 2016 and 2017 NIS database. Hospitalizations with a secondary diagnosis of psoriasis have an AOR of 2.66 (95% CI 2.40 to 2.96, p<0.0001) of IBD being the principal reason for hospitalization compared with hospitalizations without psoriasis as a secondary diagnosis. IBD hospitalizations with coexisting psoriasis have similar lengths of stay, hospital charges, need for blood transfusion, and similar likelihood of having a secondary discharge diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis, gastrointestinal bleed, sepsis, and acute kidney injury compared with those without coexisting psoriasis. Patients with coexisting psoriasis have almost three times the odds of being admitted for IBD compared with patients without psoriasis. Hospitalizations for IBD with coexisting psoriasis have similar hospital outcomes compared with those without coexisting psoriasis.

Statins and Incidence of Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Following Coronary Angiography - Five Year Experience at a Tertiary Care Center.

BACKGROUND: Role of statins in prevention of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) in patients undergoing coronary angiography remains controversial. We studied the use of statins in decreasing CI-AKI following coronary angiography. METHODS: We reviewed all patients who underwent coronary angiography with or without PCI and had a follow-up creatinine from January 2012 to December 2016 at a single tertiary care center in the United States. CI-AKI was defined as 0.3 mg/dL absolute rise in creatinine. Patients who were on moderate to high-intensity statins or received moderate to high-intensity statins prior to coronary angiography were included in the statin group. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated using univariate multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Out of 2055 patients (females = 30.7%, mean age 58.0 ±â€¯12.5 years, statin group = 886, non-statin group = 1169), 293 (14.3%) developed CI-AKI. Mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was not significantly different between the statin and the non-statin group (86.5 mL/min/1.73 m2 vs 87.1 mL/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.65). There was no significant difference in the incidence of CI-AKI between statin and non-statin group (14.4% vs 14.1%, p = 0.83). When adjusted for other risk factors, statin use was not significantly associated with decreased risk of CI-AKI (AOR) = 0.8, [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.6-1.1, p = 0.19]. Results remained statistically non-significant on subgroup analysis of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (OR = 0.8, 95% CI = 0.6-1.2, p = 0.27), patients who had percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.6-1.7, p = 0.81) and patients with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.6-1.5, p = 0.9). CONCLUSION: Statin use prior to coronary angiography is not associated with decreased incidence of CI-AKI.