Variable Practice, Variable Results: Impact of Postinterview Communication Practices Among Critical Care Medicine/Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Applicants and Program Directors.

BACKGROUND: Although postinterview communication (PIC) guidelines exist, adherence is voluntary. There are no studies of PIC practices in critical care medicine (CCM) and pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) fellowship recruitment. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the frequency, format, goals, and content of PIC between CCM/PCCM applicants and program directors? What is the impact of PIC on applicant and program rank order lists (ROLs)? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: CCM/PCCM applicants and program directors were separately surveyed after the 2022-2023 National Resident Matching Program Specialty Match. Surveys included multiple-choice, Likert-scale, and two free text questions. Thematic content analysis of free text responses was performed. RESULTS: One-third of eligible participants responded (applicants: n = 373 [34%]; program directors: n = 86 [32%]). Applicant respondents applied to CCM (19%), PCCM (69%), or both (12%). Program directors represented CCM (17%), PCCM (57%), or both (26%) programs. Applicant (66%) and program director (49%) respondents reported initiating PIC. PIC did not impact ROL decision for most applicants (73%) or program directors (83%), though 21% of applicants and 17% of program directors moved programs or applicants up on their ROL in response to PIC. One-quarter (23%) of applicants strongly agreed or agreed that PIC was helpful in creating their ROL, 27% strongly disagreed or disagreed, and 29% were neutral. PIC challenges identified by both groups included time; lack of uniformity; peer pressure; misleading language; and uncertainty about motives, rules, and response protocols. INTERPRETATION: PIC is common among CCM/PCCM applicants and program directors. About 50% of applicants and 20% of program directors share ranking intentions via PIC. Although PIC did not impact ROL for most applicants and program directors, a minority of applicants and program directors moved programs up on their ROL after receiving PIC from the other party. Applicants have mixed perspectives on PIC value. Applicants and program directors alike desire clear guidance on PIC to minimize ambiguous and misleading communication.

The Virtual Interview Experience: Perspectives of Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Applicants.

Background: Because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, graduate medical education programs adopted virtual interviews (VIs) as the default modality for the 2020 recruitment season. It is unknown whether VIs allowed applicants to effectively evaluate programs, and the best interview format for the future is unclear. Objective: To 1) assess pulmonary and critical care applicants' perceived ability to evaluate programs using VIs, 2) determine the attitudes of applicants toward the components of VIs, and 3) identify applicants' preferences for the future fellowship interview format. Methods: After the National Residency Matching Program medical subspecialty match, an electronic survey was sent to 1,067 applicants to pulmonary and critical care medicine programs asking them to compare their fellowship VI experience with their residency in-person interview (IPI) experience. Results: Three hundred six (29%) applicants responded to the survey, and 289 completed it (27%). There were 117 (40%) women and 146 (51%) White individuals. Most respondents believed that VIs hindered their ability to evaluate programs' culture, faculty-fellow relationships, location, facilities, and their own fit within the program. They believed they were able to evaluate the clinical experience, curriculum, and potential for academic development equally well compared with IPIs. The most helpful elements of VIs were the interview with the program director, meetings with the fellows, and interviews with faculty members. Less helpful elements included conference access, prerecorded program director presentations, virtual hospital and city tours, and video testimonials. One hundred twenty-three respondents (43%) chose VIs with an optional visit as their preferred future interview format, 85 (29%) chose IPIs, 54 (19%) wanted a choice between VIs and IPIs, and 27 (9%) chose VIs only. Conclusion: Most pulmonary and critical care medicine applicants preferred future interviews to include both VIs and the option of an in-person visit or interview. This study can assist programs in designing their future interview formats in a trainee-centric fashion.

Improving the performance of peripheral arterial tonometry-based testing for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.

Outside sleep laboratory settings, peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT, eg, WatchPat) represents a validated modality for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We have shown before that the accuracy of home sleep apnea testing by WatchPat 200 devices in diagnosing OSA is suboptimal (50%-70%). In order to improve its diagnostic performance, we built several models that predict the main functional parameter of polysomnography (PSG), Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI). Participants were recruited in our Sleep Center and underwent concurrent in-laboratory PSG and PAT recordings. Statistical models were then developed to predict AHI by using robust functional parameters from PAT-based testing, in concert with available demographic and anthropometric data, and their performance was confirmed in a random validation subgroup of the cohort. Five hundred synchronous PSG and WatchPat sets were analyzed. Mean diagnostic accuracy of PAT was improved to 67%, 81% and 85% in mild, moderate-severe or no OSA, respectively, by several models that included participants' age, gender, neck circumference, body mass index and the number of 4% desaturations/hour. WatchPat had an overall accuracy of 85.7% and a positive predictive value of 87.3% in diagnosing OSA (by predicted AHI above 5). In this large cohort of patients with high pretest probability of OSA, we built several models based on 4% oxygen desaturations, neck circumference, body mass index and several other variables. These simple models can be used at the point-of-care, in order to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the PAT-based testing, thus ameliorating the high rates of misclassification for OSA presence or disease severity.

Performance of peripheral arterial tonometry-based testing for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in a large sleep clinic cohort.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT)-based technology represents a validated portable monitoring modality for the diagnosis of OSA. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of PAT-based technology in a large point-of-care cohort of patients studied with concurrent polysomnography (PSG). METHODS: During study enrollment, all participants suspected to have OSA and tested by in-laboratory PSG underwent concurrent PAT device recordings. RESULTS: Five hundred concomitant PSG and WatchPat tests were analyzed. Median (interquartile range) PSG AHI was 18 (8-37) events/h and PAT AHI3% was 25 (12-46) events/h. Average bias was + 4 events/h. Diagnostic concordance was found in 42%, 41%, and 83% of mild, moderate, and severe OSA, respectively (accuracy = 53%). Among patients with PAT diagnoses of moderate or severe OSA, 5% did not have OSA and 19% had mild OSA; in those with mild OSA, PSG showed moderate or severe disease in 20% and no OSA in 30% of patients (accuracy = 69%). On average, using a 3% desaturation threshold, WatchPat overestimated disease prevalence and severity (mean + 4 events/h) and the 4% threshold underestimated disease prevalence and severity by -6 events/h. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was an overall tendency to overestimate the severity of OSA, a significant percentage of patients had clinically relevant misclassifications. As such, we recommend that patients without OSA or with mild disease assessed by PAT undergo repeat in-laboratory PSG. Optimized clinical pathways are urgently needed to minimize therapeutic decisions instituted in the presence of diagnostic uncertainty.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: is it a familial disease?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressively fatal interstitial lung disease associated with pathological findings of usual interstitial pneumonia. Its pathogenesis is unknown, and there are no proven effective therapies. Familial cases account for 0.5-2% of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Familial idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis occurs as an autosomal dominant disorder with variable penetrance. The clinical characteristics of familial idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are indistinguishable from sporadic idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. These marked similarities support the hypothesis there may, in part, be a genetic basis for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. RECENT FINDINGS: Many investigations have evaluated genetic polymorphisms and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Candidate genes include cytokines and surfactant protein genes. To date, no gene has been consistently identified to be associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Recent studies in familial idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have demonstrated a strong association with surfactant protein C gene mutations in one large kindred. SUMMARY: The pathogenesis of both idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and familial idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis remains unclear. A consistent genetic basis has not yet been demonstrated in all cases. Other factors, including variable gene expression, co-carriage of other modifying genes and environmental stimuli, particularly cigarette smoke, significantly contribute to disease expression.