U.S. Newspaper Coverage of Lung Cancer Screening From 2010 to 2022.

BACKGROUND. Newspapers are an important source of information for the public about low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening (LCS) and may influence public perception and knowledge of this important cancer screening service. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article was to evaluate the volume, content, and other characteristics of articles pertaining to LCS that have been published in U.S. newspapers. METHODS. The ProQuest U.S. Newsstream database was searched for U.S. newspaper articles referring to LCS published between January 1, 2010 (the year of publication of the National Lung Screening Trial results), and March 28, 2022. Search terms included "lung cancer screening(s)," "lung screening(s)," "low dose screening(s)," and "LDCT." Search results were reviewed to identify those articles mentioning LCS. Characteristics of included articles and originating newspapers were extracted. Articles were divided among nine readers, who independently assessed article sentiment regarding LCS and additional article content using a standardized form. RESULTS. The final analysis included 859 articles, comprising 816 nonsyndicated articles published in a single newspaper and 43 syndicated articles published in multiple newspapers. Sentiment regarding LCS was positive in 76% (651/859) of articles, neutral in 21% (184/859), and negative in 3% (24/859). Frequency of positive sentiment was lowest (61%) for articles published from 2010 to 2012; frequency of negative sentiment was highest (8%) for articles published in newspapers in the highest quartile for weekly circulation. LCS enrollment criteria were mentioned in 52% of articles, smoking cessation programs in 28%, need for annual CT in 27%, and shared decision-making in 4%. Cost or insurance coverage for LCS was mentioned in 33% in articles. A total of 64% of articles mentioned at least one benefit of LCS (most commonly early detection or possible cure of lung cancer), and 23% mentioned at least one harm (most commonly false-positives). A total of 9% of articles interviewed or mentioned a radiologist. CONCLUSION. The sentiment of U.S. newspaper articles covering LCS from 2010 to 2022 was overall positive. However, certain key elements of LCS were infrequently mentioned. CLINICAL IMPACT. The findings highlight areas for potential improvement of LCS media coverage; radiologists have an opportunity to take a more active role in this coverage.

Demographics and characteristics of leadership at allergy and immunology fellowships in the U.S. as of 2022.

Background: The subspecialty of allergy and immunology (AI) has grown tremendously since the first fellowship programs were developed nearly 80 years ago; however, there is little information with regard to the demographic characteristics and trends in training of fellowship directors (FDs). Objective: Our goal was to analyze the demographic characteristics and pathways in training that have led FDs to advance in the field and train the next generation of allergists and immunologists. Methods: We created a list of all current AI fellowship programs and FDs within the United States. Specific biographical, training, and research information was collected via an Internet search and questionnaire responses. The data were recorded and analyzed in a spreadsheet and unpaired t-tests were performed between male versus female groups for H - index comparison to establish if there was a statistically significant difference. Results: There were 84 total AI fellowship programs with 84 FDs. Forty-one FDs (48.8%) were men and 43 FDs (51.2%) were women; mean age was 51.1 years; and the average age at appointment for men was 45.7 years and for women was 41.4 years, with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.02). Self-reported race and ethnicity (77.4% response rate [n = 65]) were as follows: 55.4% white (n = 36), 23.1% Asian (n = 15), 6.2% biracial (n = 4), 7.7% Middle Eastern (n = 5), 4.6% Hispanic (n = 3), and 3.1% Black (n = 2). The average Hirsch-index (h-index) for FDs was 14.2, with an average of 42.1 publications and 1532.2 citations. The difference between the h-index for the men and for the women was statistically significant, being 17.8 and 11.2 respectively, with p = 0.0143. Conclusion: In AI FDs, women were adequately represented, and men and women were hired at similar ages. There was a statistically significant difference in research output (estimated by the h-index) between men and women. This suggests that research output did not limit women in being appointed as FDs.

Racial and ethnic disparities in prostate cancer screening following the 2018 US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.

OBJECTIVE: In 2018, the United States Preventive Services Task Force promoted shared decision making between healthcare provider and patient for men aged 55 to 69. This study aimed to analyze rates of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing across racial and ethnic groups following this new recommendation. METHODS: A secondary analysis was conducted of the 2020-2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System database to assess men aged 55 or older without a history of prostate cancer. We defined four race-ethnicity groups: non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs), non-Hispanic Blacks (NHBs), Hispanics, and Other. The primary outcome was the most recent PSA test (MRT), defined as the respondent's most recent PSA test occurring pre-2018 or post-2018 guidelines. Logistic regression adjusted for covariates including age, socioeconomic status factors, marital status, smoking history, and healthcare access factors. RESULTS: In the age 55 to 69 study sample, NHW men had the greatest proportion of MRT post-2018 guidelines (n = 15,864, 72.5%). NHB men had the lowest percentage of MRT post-2018 guidelines (n = 965, 66.6%). With NHW as referent, the crude odds of the MRT post-2018 guidelines was 0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.53-0.90) for NHB. The maximally adjusted odds ratio was 0.78 (0.59-1.02). CONCLUSIONS: We found that NHB aged 55 to 69 reported decreased rates of PSA testing after 2018 when compared to NHW. This was demonstrated on crude analysis but not after adjustment. Such findings suggest the influence of social determinants of health on preventative screening for at-risk populations.

Cross-sectional Evaluation of Neurotology Fellowship Directors: A Present-day Snapshot of Leadership.

Objective: To identify demographic, training, and career trends of neurotology fellowship directors (FDs). Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: United States. Subjects: All 26 neurotology FDs identified using the American Neurotology Society (ANS) ACGME Accredited Neurotology Fellowship Program Directory, accessed November 2021. Main Outcome Measures: Data were collected via CVs, institutional biographies, and emailed questionnaires. Data collected includes age, gender, race and ethnicity, residency and fellowship training institution, time since training completion until FD, length of time as FD, and Hirsch-index (h-index). Results: Twenty-six FDs were identified, and 17/26 (65.4%) FDs responded to the questionnaire. The majority (23/26; 88.5%) were male. The mean age of male and female FDs was 56 versus 47 years, respectively. Of the 17 that responded to the survey, 82.4% (14/17) self-identified as Caucasian. The mean h-index was 25.4. Older age correlated with a higher h-index (r = 0.46, P = 0.019). The duration (mean ± SD, years) from fellowship graduation to FD appointment was 10.7 ± 8.1 and 6.3 ± 4.8 from institutional hire. Six (23.1%) FDs had secondary graduate degrees, and 9 (34.6%) held a leadership position at a national otolaryngology organization. Conclusion: This observational study assesses demographic data on current neurotology FDs in the United States with an analysis of gender disparities. The objective measures identified can provide a baseline for growth in FD leadership.

Trends in Mohs surgery fellowship directors.

The purpose of this study is to illustrate demographic trends among Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) Fellowship Directors. Our search was constructed from the 2022 to 2023 Mohs Micrographic Surgery Fellowship Directory on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) website. Datapoints gathered included: age, sex, residency/fellowship training location, time since training completion until FD appointment, length in FD role, and personal research H-index. We identified 77 FDs, of which all 77 were included in this study. The mean age was 55.5 years; 55 (71.4%) were men and 20 (26.0%) were women. Most of the FDs who completed the survey did not self-report ethnicity or race, so these measures were not included. The top residency institutions that produced the most FDs were Cleveland Clinic (n = 4), Mayo Clinic (n = 4), New York University Medical Center (NYU, n = 4), and University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA, n = 4); the top fellowship institutions were NYU (n = 7), UCLA (n = 5), Cleveland Clinic (n = 4), and Geisinger Medical Center (n = 4). The mean H-index was 15.9, the mean number of peer-reviewed publications was 71, and the mean time from training completion until FD appointment was 10 years. Our results indicate that a majority of FDs are men (71.4%) and that FDs are more likely to have graduated from certain residency and fellowship programs.

Gynecologic oncology fellowship leadership trends by gender.

Our objective was to examine the educational, research, and leadership trends among gynecologic oncology (GYO) fellowship program directors (PD) and how these vary by gender. PDs were identified using the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Directory. Surveys were sent to PDs' emails to obtain information about demographics, education, and research background. Publicly available data and institutional biographies were used to supplement primary survey data for incomplete responses or survey non-responders. Scopus was used to determine the h-index and number of publications and citations for each PD. Parametric data were compared using unpaired two-tailed t-tests. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were performed for categorical data. The significance level was p < 0.05. Approximately one-half of PDs were female (50.8%). Female PDs had a younger mean age than male PDs (46.4 years vs 51.9 years, p = 0.0014). The average overall h-index was 22 (SD = 14.5) and the average number of publications was 71.2 (SD = 63.3). The average h-index was higher in male PDs than females (27.8 vs 16.3, p = 0.0012), as were the number of publications (97.3 vs 45.8, p = 0.0008). Differences exist among GYO PDs by gender. While research productivity may be reflective of age, gender-based equity in research time should be further explored.

Trends in leadership at breast surgical oncology fellowships.

Introduction: Breast surgical oncology is a defined sub-specialty of general surgery that focuses on the surgical management of breast disease and malignancy within a multidisciplinary context. The fellowship directors (FD) that lead these programs have been selected for their abilities. As programs do research to ensure proper training for the next generation of breast surgical oncologists, we wanted to look into the FDs responsible for their training. Methods: The Breast Surgical Oncology care program list was compiled via the Society of Surgical Oncology and American Society of Breast Surgeons Accredited programs (n = 60). The demographic information that was of interest included, but was not limited to, gender, age, ethnicity/background, past residency training, past fellowship training, year graduated from residency and fellowship, year since graduation to FD appointment, time at institution till FD appointment, and Hirsch index (h-index). Results: Data were collected on all 60 FDs. The average age of FDs was 52 years old, 27% of FDs are men and 73% of FDs are women. The average H-index, number of publications, and number of citations were 19, 67, and 2648, respectively. The mean graduation year from residency was 2003, and from fellowship was 2006; with a mean of 9 years post fellowship graduation until becoming an FD. The most frequently attended residency was Rush (n = 4), and the most common fellowships were Memorial Sloan Kettering (n = 8), MD Anderson Cancer Center (n = 7), and John Wayne Cancer Institute (n = 4). Nine of the FDs stayed at the same institution after doing both residency and fellowship there (15%). Conclusion: This is the first study to examine the demographics of those in FD positions in Surgical Breast Oncology, which is a relatively young fellowship. We found that FDs in Breast Surgical Oncology are defined by their high output of research. This qualification may be why the average age, and the number of years to FD are higher compared to other specialties where this research has been undertaken. Initial evaluation of FDs suggest more diversity in this field is needed. Further insight into the leaders training our next generation of surgeons is warranted.

Demographics and Academic Productivity of Cardiothoracic Imaging Fellowship Program Directors in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Review.

Background In this study, we aimed to assess current demographics, measures of academic productivity, and other objective leadership characteristics among United States cardiothoracic imaging fellowship directors (FDs). Methodology A survey was sent to active members listed in the Society of Thoracic Radiology Cardiothoracic Imaging Fellowship Directory. Demographic, post-graduate training, and scholarly activity data were collected, including, but not limited to, age, sex, residency and fellowship training institutions, time since training completion until FD, length of time as FD, and Hirsch-index (h-index) to measure research activity. Results We identified 53 FDs from 50 cardiothoracic imaging fellowship programs. Of these, 31 (58.5%) were male and 22 (41.5%) were female with an average age of 48.5 years (standard deviation (SD) = 8.4, range = 35-67). There was no statistically significant difference between the mean age of male and female FDs (47.5 vs 50.2 years, p = 0.2811). The mean age of appointment to the FD role was 41.8 years. On average, FDs graduated from residency in 2005 and 2007 for fellowships. Most attended allopathic medical schools (52/53, 98.1%). The average Scopus h-index was 15.7 (SD = 17.4). Gender-wise comparison of mean h-indices revealed 16.2 for males and 15 for females, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.81). Ten (18.9%) FDs and 20 (37.7%) FDs were at the same location they completed residency and fellowship training, respectively. Conclusions This cross-sectional study shows the present demographics within the cardiothoracic radiology FD position. This field of radiology is observed to have FDs with research productivity that is comparable with other medical specialties. Some radiology residency and fellowship programs were shown to produce more FDs than others; however, we were not able to identify causality. Program directors appear to be selected from a familiar pool of applicants, and ultimately FDs are being replaced by individuals with similar distinctions. Overall, this research into cardiothoracic radiology FDs demographics and research productivity can add to the current body of literature on FDs in various medical specialties. It is important to continue to reflect on medical leadership as the field continues to advance.