Creating a collaborative peer writing group during residency.

Residency training principally aims to educate trainees on the clinical care of patients. This arduous period of training also offers access to mentorship and institutional resources for research; however, the demands of rigorous clinical training present barriers to conducting meaningful research during this time. Peer writing groups have been shown to be effective means to increase scholarly output among faculty but have not been well described as models to increase scholarly output among residents. The authors established a collaborative peer writing group during residency that resulted in several peer-reviewed publications along with national and international conference presentations. Based on their experience and a review of the literature, the authors present practical tips on establishing and implementing a resident peer writing group.

Socially Awkward Abroad: A Call for Social Media Policies in Residencies that Offer Global Health Electives.

Both social media use and the popularity of global health electives (GHEs) have increased in recent years. Social media use during GHE is commonplace and has benefits, yet sharers may not consider the ramifications of these posts, including privacy violations. Social media policies-which have become more common in residency programs-may aid in providing clear expectations to trainees abroad. The authors aimed to determine the prevalence of social media policies among pediatric residency programs that offer GHE. The authors used a cross-sectional survey design in which educators at pediatric residency programs that offer GHE were surveyed using REDCap®. For all quantitative data, proportions of responses were calculated and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2013®. The authors analyzed qualitative data using a conventional content analysis approach. The survey was sent to 74 educators; 39 (53%) responses were received. Most (62%; n = 24) of the pediatric residency programs that offer GHE reported that their institution had a social media policy. About one-third (34%; n = 13) of respondents stated that their programs had social media guidelines that pertained specifically to GHE and fewer indicated that social media guidelines were included in their programs' GHE predeparture curricula (32%; n = 12). This study found that most of the residency programs surveyed had social media guidelines, but few had guidelines applicable or specific to GHE. Informed by this study and a literature review, the authors propose template language for a social media guideline with considerations for social media use in the context of GHE.

Host clinical preceptors' perceptions of professionalism among learners completing global health electives.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to gain an understanding of the perceptions of host clinical preceptors in Malawi and Lesotho of the professionalism exhibited by short-term learners from the United States and Canada during short-term global health electives. METHODS: Focus group discussions were conducted with 11 host clinical preceptors at two outpatient pediatric HIV clinics in sub-Saharan Africa (Malawi and Lesotho). These clinics host approximately 50 short-term global health learners from the United States and Canada each year. Focus group moderators used open-ended discussion guides to explore host clinical preceptors' perceptions of the professionalism of short-term global health learners. Thematic analysis with an inductive approach was used to identify salient themes from these focus group discussions. RESULTS: Eleven of the 18 possible respondents participated in two focus group discussions. Adaptability, eagerness to learn, active listening, gratitude, initiative, and punctuality was cited as professional behaviors among short-term global health learners. Cited unprofessional behaviors included disregard of local clinicians' expertise and unresponsiveness to feedback. Host clinical preceptors described difficulty providing feedback to short-term global health learners and discrepancies between what may be considered professional in their home setting versus in the study settings. Respondents requested pre-departure orientation for learners and their own orientation before hosting learners. CONCLUSIONS: Both host clinical preceptors and short-term global health learners should be aware that behaviors that may be considered best practice in one clinical setting may be perceived as unprofessional in another. Future studies to develop a common definition of professionalism during short-term global health electives are merited.

Prevalence and correlates of HIV testing among adolescents 10-19 years in a post-conflict pastoralist community of Karamoja region, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents are a priority group in HIV prevention and treatment. This study sought to determine the prevalence and correlates of HIV testing services (HTS) among adolescents in the pastoralist post-conflict area of Karamoja sub region, Uganda. METHODS: A cross sectional study of 1439 adolescents aged 10-19 years, attending nine public health facilities in five of the seven districts of Karamoja, was conducted between August to September 2016. Adolescents were consecutively selected and interviewed using structured interviewer administered questionnaires. All respondents who had never tested for HIV were offered HTS. The main outcome was ever tested for HIV. Correlates of ever tested were analysed using multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of the 1439 adolescents, 904 (62.8%) were females, 1203 (83.6%) were aged 15-19 years, 618 (43.0%) had attained primary education and 885 (61.5%) had ever had sex. Overall 1177 (81.8%) had ever tested and received HIV results. Older age (15-19 years) (adj.OR = 2.71, 95% CI: 1.85-3.96), secondary level education or higher (adj.OR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.33-4.10), and ever had sex (adj.OR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.42-2.90) were associated with higher odds of HIV testing. Of the 262 who had never tested, 169 (64.5%) accepted testing and 2.4% were HIV positive. Reasons for not accepting the test included fear of being tested and not ready for an HIV test because of perceived suffering HIV positive clients go through. CONCLUSION: Awareness of HIV status and uptake of HTS among adolescents in this hard-to-reach post-conflict region was high and close to the global UNAIDS target of 90%. However, the HIV prevalence of 2.4% among the non-testers who accepted to be tested was high and emphasises the need for targeted testing to reach the undiagnosed HIV infected adolescents in this region.

Global Health: Preparation for Working in Resource-Limited Settings.

Trainees and clinicians from high-income countries are increasingly engaging in global health (GH) efforts, particularly in resource-limited settings. Concomitantly, there is a growing demand for these individuals to be better prepared for the common challenges and controversies inherent in GH work. This is a state-of-the-art review article in which we outline what is known about the current scope of trainee and clinician involvement in GH experiences, highlight specific considerations and issues pertinent to GH engagement, and summarize preparation recommendations that have emerged from the literature. The article is focused primarily on short-term GH experiences, although much of the content is also pertinent to long-term work. Suggestions are made for the health care community to develop and implement widely endorsed preparation standards for trainees, clinicians, and organizations engaging in GH experiences and partnerships.

Partnerships for Global Child Health.

Child mortality remains a global health challenge and has resulted in demand for expanding the global child health (GCH) workforce over the last 3 decades. Institutional partnerships are the cornerstone of sustainable education, research, clinical service, and advocacy for GCH. When successful, partnerships can become self-sustaining and support development of much-needed training programs in resource-constrained settings. Conversely, poorly conceptualized, constructed, or maintained partnerships may inadvertently contribute to the deterioration of health systems. In this comprehensive, literature-based, expert consensus review we present a definition of partnerships for GCH, review their genesis, evolution, and scope, describe participating organizations, and highlight benefits and challenges associated with GCH partnerships. Additionally, we suggest a framework for applying sound ethical and public health principles for GCH that includes 7 guiding principles and 4 core practices along with a structure for evaluating GCH partnerships. Finally, we highlight current knowledge gaps to stimulate further work in these areas. With awareness of the potential benefits and challenges of GCH partnerships, as well as shared dedication to guiding principles and core practices, GCH partnerships hold vast potential to positively impact child health.

Authorship in paediatric research conducted in low- and middle-income countries: parity or parasitism?

OBJECTIVES: Interest in global health has increased greatly in the past two decades. Concomitantly, the number and complexity of research partnerships between high-income (HIC) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has grown. We aimed to determine whether there is authorship parity (equitable representation and author order) or parasitism (no authors from study countries) in paediatric research conducted in LMICs. METHODS: We reviewed all articles published from 2006 to 2015 in the four paediatric journals with the highest Eigenfactor scores. We limited our review to articles from LMICs and abstracted information on author affiliation and order, funding source and study design. We calculated Student's t-tests and chi-square using Fisher's exact test with Monte Carlo estimates. RESULTS: There were 24 169 articles published during the study period, and 1243 met inclusion criteria. Of those, 95.9% (n = 1,192) included at least one author affiliated with a LMIC. Among multicountry studies (n = 165), 40.4% did not include authors from every LMIC involved. Of the 9876 authors, most were affiliated with institutions from upper-middle-income countries (41.7%) and HICs (32.7%), with far fewer affiliated with lower middle-income (15.5%) and low-income countries (5.4%) (P < 0.001). In articles from low-income countries, first and last authors from HICs were more common than authors with low-income country affiliations (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Authorship parasitism was rare overall but common in multicountry studies. In studies conducted in low-income countries, HIC authors more commonly occupied first and last author positions than authors from the study countries. Where LMIC authors make substantial contributions, researchers should strive for authorship parity.

Antiretroviral therapy initiation within seven days of enrolment: outcomes and time to undetectable viral load among children at an urban HIV clinic in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Viral suppression is a critical indicator of HIV treatment success. In the era of test-and-start, little is known about treatment outcomes and time to undetectable viral loads. This study compares treatment outcomes, median times to achieve undetectable viral loads and its predictors under different antiretroviral (ART) treatment initiation schedules (i.e. within seven days of enrolment or later). METHODS: A retrospective cohort of 367 patients <18 years who enrolled in care between January 2010 and December 2015 with a baseline viral load of >5000 copies/ml were followed up for 60 months. Undetectable viral load measurements were based on both Roche (<20copies/ml) and Abbot (<75copies/ml). Clinical treatment outcomes were compared using chi-squared test. Survival experiences between the two cohorts were assessed through incidence rates and Kaplan Meier curves. A cox model with competing risks was used to assess predictors for time to undetectable viral load. RESULTS: Of the 367 patients, 180 (49.1%) initiated ART within seven days from enrolment, 192 (52.3%) attained undetectable viral load of which 133 (69.3%) were children below six years and 101 (52.6%) were females. Among those who initiated ART within seven days 15 (8.3%) died and 6 (3.3%) were lost to follow-up compared to 27 (14.4%) and 16 (8.6%) respectively in the later initiators. The median time to undetectable viral load was 24.9 months (95% CI: 19.7, 28.5) among early ART initiators and 38.5 months (95% CI: 31.1, 44.5) among those initiating beyond seven days. There was a significant difference in failure estimates between those initiating within seven and those that deferred (log rank, p = 0.001). Significant predictors for time to undetectable viral load were; starting ART within seven days (SHR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.24, 3.28), baseline WHO stage I or II (SHR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.28), inconsistent adherence on three consecutive clinic visits (SHR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.67), and baseline weight (SRH = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.07). CONCLUSION: Prompt initiation of ART within the first week of enrolment is associated with better treatment outcomes. Early timing, baseline WHO clinical stage and adherence rates should be major considerations while managing HIV among children.

Mapping the Epidemiology of Kaposi Sarcoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Among Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review.

Children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have an increased risk of developing Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) compared to HIV-negative children. We compiled currently published epidemiologic data on KS and NHL among children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Among countries with available data, the median incidence of KS was 2.05/100,000 in the general pediatric population and 67.35/100,000 among HIV-infected children. The median incidence of NHL was 1.98/100,000 among the general pediatric population, while data on NHL incidence among HIV-infected children were lacking. Larger regional studies are needed to better address the dearth of epidemiologic information on pediatric KS and NHL in SSA.

Perceptions and Expectations of Host Country Preceptors of Short-Term Learners at Four Clinical Sites in Sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVE: The demand for global health electives among medical students and residents has grown substantially, yet perspectives of international hosts are not well documented. This study aimed to assess how host country supervising clinical preceptors perceive learners on short-term global health electives of up to 6 weeks. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional survey design and assessed international clinical preceptors' perceptions of short-term learners' (STLs) professional behaviors, medical knowledge, competency in systems-based care, as well as the benefits and burdens of hosting STLs. Surveys were sent to all clinical preceptors (n = 47) at 4 clinical sites in sub-Saharan Africa in 2015. RESULTS: Thirty-two preceptors (68%) responded to the survey. Most respondents (97%) were satisfied in their role hosting STLs and reported that STLs enhanced patient care and the professional image of the clinical site. Nearly half of respondents (45%) reported decreased self-perceived efficiency in clinical care tasks. Qualitative data identified concerns related to STLs' professionalism and teamwork. Respondents also identified knowledge gaps in understanding differences in health systems and epidemiology in host country settings. Respondents preferred that rotations last at least 4 weeks and that STLs complete predeparture training. CONCLUSIONS: STLs were largely positively regarded by international host clinical preceptors. To improve mutuality of benefits, sending institutions should ensure learners understand host country expectations of professionalism and that learners are well prepared for medical, ethical, and cultural challenges through participation in predeparture curricula that prepare them clinically and emotionally for these international experiences. Rotations of at least 4 weeks may enhance benefits to learners and hosts.