The Impact of Tele-Education on Family Medicine Clerkship Students' Learning Outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid changes to medical education for student and patient protection. A dearth of published US studies examine resulting clinical education outcomes due to pandemic-induced curricula changes. We describe adaptations made to a family medicine clerkship to move it from traditional in-person delivery to virtual only, and then from virtual to hybrid; and compare educational outcomes of students across delivery types. METHODS: We stratified 386 medical students in their third year completing their 8-week family medicine clerkship by type of content delivery, including in person, virtual only, and hybrid instruction. We examined the impact of these changes on three clerkship learning outcomes: the midblock assessment score, the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) exam score, and the final numeric score (FNS). RESULTS: In our sample, 164 (42.5%) received content in person, 36 (9.3%) received virtual only, and 186 (48.2%) received hybrid content. Students receiving virtual only (M=76.4, SD=9.1) had significantly higher midblock assessment scores (F=8.06, df=2, P=.0004) than students receiving hybrid (M=71.7, SD=8.8) and in-person training (M=74.5, SD=7.2). No significant differences existed in students' NBME exam scores or FNSs across delivery types. CONCLUSIONS: Students receiving virtual-only or hybrid content performed at least as well on three clerkship-related educational outcomes as their pre-COVID peers participating in person. Further research is needed to understand how changes to medical education affected student learning and skill development.

A Possible Case of COVID-19 Booster Vaccine-Associated Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Kidney Injury.

Background: Nearly 10 billion doses of the various messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and viral vector vaccines against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been administered worldwide. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have been overwhelmingly mild to moderate in nature. Rare side effects have included myocarditis/pericarditis, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), and death. However, vaccine-related ADR data are still being collected using a variety of reporting systems. Purpose: We will describe a case of suspected mRNA coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) booster-related rhabdomyolysis in a woman who developed signs and symptoms 10 days after administration of the vaccine dose. With a Naranjo ADR probability score of 4, the vaccine was deemed to be a possible cause of our patient's rhabdomyolysis. Methods: A search of the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) mined in November 2021 revealed 386 reported cases of COVID-19 vaccine-related rhabdomyolysis. However, system limitations make the utility of the information problematic. Conclusions: It is vitally important that clinicians, scientists, and patients are aware of rhabdomyolysis as a potential side effect of vaccination. Suspected vaccine-related ADRs should be promptly and accurately reported via VAERS or other surveillance systems to support the ongoing effort to ensure vaccine safety.

A Comparison of Rural and Academic Training Environments for Third-Year Medical Students on a Family Medicine Rotation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Medical students have been training in rural environments for many years. However, there is sparse research demonstrating that training in a rural environment provides an equivalent learning experience to training in an academic medical setting. This study addresses that gap by comparing student performance after training in rural or community environment versus an academic setting while completing the family medicine clerkship. METHODS: Participants in this retrospective cohort study were students who completed an 8-week family medicine third-year clerkship between 2013 and 2016. Half spent the first 4 weeks in a rural or community setting while the other half were in an academic setting. These placements were reversed after midterm exams. Data were collected from both student academic files and from rural rotation tracking systems at two time points: midterm and following the 8-week rotation. RESULTS: Results from our sample of 159 medical students (89 [56.0%] male and 70 [44.0%] female) revealed no statistically significant differences in students' midterm (P=.63) and final scores (P=.74) based on training locations. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings suggest that rural and academic clerkships provide equivalent levels of knowledge for family medicine students. This finding has particular relevance for students whose intent is to practice in a rural location. Additional research is needed to identify if these findings are generalizable to other medical schools and locations.

Improving Chronic Pain Management Processes in Primary Care Using Practice Facilitation and Quality Improvement: The Central Appalachia Inter-Professional Pain Education Collaborative.

PURPOSE: With the increasing burden of chronic pain and opioid use, provider shortages in Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia have experienced many challenges related to chronic pain management. This study tested a practice facilitator model in both academic and community clinics that selected and implemented best practice processes to better assist patients with chronic pain and increase the use of interdisciplinary health care services. METHODS: Using a quasi-experimental design, a practice facilitator was assigned to each state's clinics and trained clinic teams in quality improvement methods to implement chronic pain tool(s) and workflow processes. Charts for 695 patients with chronic pain using opioids, from 8 randomly selected clinics in eastern Appalachia, were reviewed to assess for changes in clinic processes. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements were found in 10 out of 16 chronic pain best practice process measures. These included improved workflow implementation (P<0.001), increased urine drug screen test orders (P=0.001) and increased utilization of controlled medication agreements (P=0.004). In total, 7 of 8 clinics significantly improved in at least one, if not all, selected and implemented process measures. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that practice facilitation, standardization of workflows and formation of structured clinical teams can improve processes of care in chronic pain management and facilitate the use of interdisciplinary services. Future studies are needed to assess long-term patient-centered outcomes that may result from improved processes of chronic pain care.

Appropriate use of medical interpreters.

More than 25 million Americans speak English "less than very well," according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This population is less able to access health care and is at higher risk of adverse outcomes such as drug complications and decreased patient satisfaction. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act mandates that interpreter services be provided for patients with limited English proficiency who need this service, despite the lack of reimbursement in most states. Professional interpreters are superior to the usual practice of using ad hoc interpreters (i.e., family, friends, or untrained staff). Untrained interpreters are more likely to make errors, violate confidentiality, and increase the risk of poor outcomes. Children should never be used as interpreters except in emergencies. When using an interpreter, the clinician should address the patient directly and seat the interpreter next to or slightly behind the patient. Statements should be short, and the discussion should be limited to three major points. In addition to acting as a conduit for the discussion, the interpreter may serve as a cultural liaison between the physician and patient. When a bilingual clinician or a professional interpreter is not available, phone interpretation services or trained bilingual staff members are reasonable alternatives. The use of professional interpreters (in person or via telephone) increases patient satisfaction, improves adherence and outcomes, and reduces adverse events, thus limiting malpractice risk.