The Development and Validation of Data Elements and Process Steps for an Electronic Health Record for Hand Surgery Outreach Trips.

Background The surgical burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as reported by the number of surgical cases per capita is great. To improve global health and help address this burden, there has been a rise in surgical outreach to LMICs. In high-income countries, an electronic health record (EHR) is used to document and communicate data critical to the quality of care and patient safety. Despite this, there is little guidance or precedence on the data elements or processes for utilizing an EHR on outreach trips. We validated data elements and process steps for utilizing an EHR for hand surgery outreach trips. Methods We conducted a literature review to identify data elements collected during surgical outreach trips. A future-state process map for the collection and documentation of data elements within an EHR was developed through literature review and semistructured interviews with experts in global outreach. An expert consortium completed a modified RAND/University of California at Los Angeles Delphi process to evaluate the importance and feasibility of each data element and process step. Results In total, 65 data elements (e.g., date of birth) and 24 process steps (e.g., surgical site marking) were validated for use in an EHR for hand surgery outreach trips to LMICs. Conclusion This validated portfolio of data elements/process steps can serve as the foundation for pilot testing of an EHR to document and communicate critical patient data on hand surgery outreach trips. Utilization of an EHR during outreach trips to LMICs may serve to improve the safety and quality of care provided. The validated data elements/process steps can serve as a guide for EHR development and implementation of other surgical specialties.

Capacity Assessment Tool to Promote Capacity Building in Global Orthopaedic Surgical Outreach.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of nongovernmental organizations from high-income countries aim to provide surgical outreach for patients in low- and middle-income countries in a manner that builds capacity. There remains, however, a paucity of measurable steps to benchmark and evaluate capacity-building efforts. Based on a framework for capacity building, the present study aimed to develop a Capacity Assessment Tool for orthopaedic surgery (CAT-os) that could be utilized to evaluate and promote capacity building. METHODS: To develop the CAT-os tool, we utilized methodological triangulation-an approach that incorporates multiple different types of data. We utilized (1) the results of a systematic review of capacity-building best practices in surgical outreach, (2) the HEALTHQUAL National Organizational Assessment Tool, and (3) 20 semistructured interviews to develop a draft of the CAT-os. We subsequently iteratively used a modified nominal group technique with a consortium of 8 globally experienced surgeons to build consensus, which was followed by validation through member-checking. RESULTS: The CAT-os was developed and validated as a formal instrument with actionable steps in each of 7 domains of capacity building. Each domain includes items that are scaled for scoring. For example, in the domain of partnership, items range from no formalized plans for sustainable, bidirectional relationships (no capacity) to local surgeons and other health-care workers independently participating in annual meetings of surgical professional societies and independently creating partnership with third party organizations (optimal capacity). CONCLUSIONS: The CAT-os details steps to assess capacity of a local facility, guide capacity-improvement efforts during surgical outreach, and measure the impact of capacity-building efforts. Capacity building is a frequently cited and commendable approach to surgical outreach, and this tool provides objective measurement to aid in improving the capacity in low and middle-income countries through surgical outreach.

Effect of Hospital Characteristics on Performance of Pediatric Digit Replantation in the United States.

Introduction Utilize a national pediatric database to assess whether hospital characteristics such as location, teaching status, ownership, or size impact the performance of pediatric digit replantation following traumatic digit amputation in the United States. Materials and Methods The Kid's Inpatient Database (KID) was used to query pediatric traumatic digit amputations between 2000 and 2012. Ownership (private and public), teaching status (teaching and non-teaching), location (urban and rural), hospital type (general and children's), and size (large and small-medium) characteristics were evaluated. Replantations were then divided into those that required subsequent revision replantation or amputation. Fisher's exact tests and multivariable logistic regressions were performed with p <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results Overall, 1,015 pediatric patients were included for the digit replantation cohort. Hospitals that were privately owned, general, large, urban, or teaching had a significantly greater number of replantations than small-medium, rural, non-teaching, public, or children's hospitals. Privately owned (odds ratio [OR]: 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-3.06; p = 0.03) and urban (OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.41-3.73; p = 0.005) hospitals were significantly more likely to perform replantation. Urban (OR: 4.02; 95% CI: 1.90-8.47; p = 0.0003) and teaching (OR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.17-3.83; p = 0.014) hospitals were significantly more likely to perform a revision procedure following primary replantation. Conclusion Private and urban hospitals were significantly more likely to perform replantation, but urban and teaching hospitals carried a greater number of revision procedures following replantation. Despite risk of requiring revision, the treatment of pediatric digit amputations in private, urban, and teaching centers provide the greatest likelihood for an attempt at replantation in the pediatric population. The study shows Level of Evidence III.

A Framework and Blueprint for Building Capacity in Global Orthopaedic Surgical Outreach.

BACKGROUND: Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from high-income countries provide surgical outreach for patients in low and middle-income countries (LMICs); however, these efforts lack a coordinated measurement of their ability to build capacity. While the World Health Organization and others recommend outreach trips that aim to build the capacity of the local health-care system, no guidance exists on how to accomplish this. The objective of this paper is to establish a framework and a blueprint to guide the operations of NGOs that provide outreach to build orthopaedic surgical capacity in LMICs. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews with 16 orthopaedic surgeons and administrators located in 7 countries (6 LMICs) on the necessary domains for capacity-building; the analysis was guided by a literature review of capacity-building frameworks. We subsequently conducted a modified nominal group technique with a consortium of 10 U.S.-based surgeons with expertise in global surgical outreach, which was member-checked with 8 new stakeholders from 4 LMICs. RESULTS: A framework with 7 domains for capacity-building in global surgical outreach was identified. The domains included professional development, finance, partnerships, governance, community impact, culture, and coordination. These domains were tiered in a hierarchical system to stratify the level of capacity for each domain. A blueprint was developed to guide the operations of an organization seeking to build capacity. CONCLUSIONS: The developed framework identified 7 domains to address when building capacity during global orthopaedic surgical outreach. The framework and its tiered system can be used to assess capacity and guide capacity-building efforts in LMICs. The developed blueprint can inform the operations of NGOs toward activities that focus on building capacity in order to ensure a measured and sustained impact.

Avascular necrosis of the trapezoid bone following carpometacarpal arthroplasty.

A 58-year-old female developed avascular necrosis of her trapezoid approximately 3 months after undergoing carpometacarpal arthroplasty. The patient was treated conservatively with immobilization and had complete resolution of her clinical symptoms during her year of follow-up. Additionally, radiographic examination showed complete restoration of the height of her trapezoid approximately 1 year after the index procedure. Avascular necrosis of the trapezoid is extremely rare with very few cases described in the literature. This is the first description of avascular necrosis following carpometacarpal arthroplasty.

Predictors of failure of nonoperative treatment for type-2 supracondylar humerus fractures.

BACKGROUND: Closed reduction and casting for type-2 supracondylar fractures is a viable treatment option, but studies have shown that some patients will fail to maintain the initial reduction in a cast. This study sought to identify predictors of failed treatment of closed reduction and casting for these fractures. METHODS: We performed a retrospective case-control study of type-2 supracondylar fractures treated by closed reduction and casting. Using radiographic failure of reduction as our primary outcome measure, we examined injury, postreduction, and follow-up films evaluating the anterior humeral line, cast flexion angle, and degree of cast padding in an attempt to identify predictors of failure. RESULTS: We reviewed 645 fractures. Of 126 type-2 fractures, 61 fractures were included in the study. There were 49 (80%) nonoperative treatment successes and 12 failures (20%) with an average follow-up of 41 days (range, 20 to 161 d). We found that (1) the degree of fracture extension using an index based on the anterior humeral line on the injury film was significantly related to failure of cast treatment (P=<0.01), and (2) the width of the soft tissue shadow of the upper arm on the postreduction film was of borderline significance (P=0.02). Cast flexion angle and cast padding were not predictive of radiographic loss of reduction (P=0.94 and 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: Despite adequate reduction and casting of type-2 supracondylar fractures, some fractures will lose reduction and require delayed pinning. The degree of extension of the distal fragment at the time of injury may help to predict the likelihood of failure of nonoperative treatment.