Providing 0.1 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Support to Fellowship Core Faculty Improves Faculty Involvement in Fellowship Education and Recruitment.

In 2022, the American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) recommended that core faculty (CF) in medical subspecialty fellowships receive at least 0.1 full-time equivalent (FTE) salary support, with plans to enforce compliance in July 2023. After early feedback raised concerns about potential unintended consequences, ACGME deferred enforcement to July 2024. Hence, there is an urgent need to understand the ramifications of providing FTE support for CF. In 2020, the Yale hematology and medical oncology (HO) fellowship program began providing 0.1 FTE support to all CF. Perceptions regarding this were assessed via surveys distributed to all CF in 2021 and 2022 and to all HO fellows in 2021. The vast majority (83.3%) of CF survey respondents reported improved job satisfaction and an increased sense of involvement in the fellowship program as a result of the new 0.1 FTE-supported CF program. Most CF increased attendance at fellowship conferences, devoted more time to mentorship, and increased participation in recruitment. In free text comments, CF respondents described that providing 0.1 FTE support made them "feel rewarded," gave them "a sense of commitment" to the fellowship, and helped "offset clinical requirements." HO fellows reported "a positive impact" of the new program with faculty being "more present at lectures." The median number of times faculty were available to interview fellowship applicants rose markedly after introduction of the program. The FTE-supported CF program was viewed enthusiastically by fellows and faculty, resulting in increased CF involvement in fellowship education and recruitment.

COVID-19 outcomes in sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait.

Throughout the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, understanding the effects of COVID-19 on persons with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) has garnered interest. Patients with SCD diagnosed with COVID-19 utilize the emergency department and are hospitalized at significantly higher rates compared to the general population, with vaso-occlusive crisis and acute chest syndrome as the leading presentations. Whether SCD alone increases the likelihood of severe COVID-19 illness remains uncertain; however, potential risk factors for severe disease among patients with SCD include older age, frequent acute care visits for pain, haemoglobin SC disease, and pre-existing end-organ disease. SCT status may also influence COVID-19 outcomes, particularly among those with pre-existing co-morbidities. Corticosteroids in patients with SCD and COVID-19 should be used with extreme caution given strong associations between corticosteroid exposure and severe vaso-occlusive crisis, with prophylactic transfusion administered if corticosteroids are deemed necessary. Hydroxyurea may be protective in COVID-19.

Patient perspectives on ipilimumab across the melanoma treatment trajectory.

PURPOSE: Ipilimumab was the first FDA-approved agent for advanced melanoma to improve survival and represents a paradigm shift in melanoma and cancer treatment. Its unique toxicity profile and kinetics of treatment response raise novel patient education challenges. We assessed patient perceptions of ipilimumab therapy across the treatment trajectory. METHODS: Four patient cohorts were assessed at different time points relative to treatment initiation: (1) prior to initiation of ipilimumab (n = 10), (2) at weeks 10-12 before restaging studies (n = 11), (3) at week 12 following restaging studies indicating progression of disease (n = 10), and (4) at week 12 following restaging studies indicating either a radiographic response or disease stability (n = 10). Patients participated in a semistructured qualitative interview to assess their experiences with ipilimumab. Quality of life was assessed via the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General and its Melanoma-specific module. RESULTS: Perceived quality of life was comparable across cohorts, and a majority of the sample understood side effects from ipilimumab and the potential for a delayed treatment response. Patients without progression of disease following restaging studies at week 12 held more positive views regarding ipilimumab compared to patients who had progressed. CONCLUSION: Patients generally regarded ipilimumab positively despite the risk of unique toxicities and potential for delayed therapeutic responses; however, those with progression expressed uncertainty regarding whether taking ipilimumab was worthwhile. Physician communication practices and patient education regarding realistic expectations for therapeutic benefit as well as unique toxicities associated with ipilimumab should be developed so that patients can better understand the possible outcomes from treatment.

Coping with discrimination among HIV-positive Black men who have sex with men.

In the USA, HIV-positive Black men who have sex with men show large disparities in disease outcomes compared to other racial/ethnic and risk groups. This study examined the strategies that HIV-positive Black men who have sex with men use to cope with different types of discrimination. A total of 27 HIV-positive Black men who have sex with men participated in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and coded using thematic analysis by multiple raters. Major coping themes included reactive avoidance (using behaviours, cognitions and emotions to escape from discrimination), a common reaction to racism; proactive avoidance (avoiding situations in which discrimination is anticipated), manifested as selective disclosure of HIV-serostatus; external attribution for discrimination (versus self-blame), used more for sexual orientation and HIV discrimination; and social support-seeking, which most often emerged in response to racism. Active coping strategies, such as self-advocacy (countering discrimination directly or indirectly), were infrequently reported. Findings suggest a need for structural anti-discrimination interventions, in tandem with culturally congruent individual- or group-level interventions that aim to enhance men's existing adaptive coping strategies.