Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Consultation for Stroke Patients in Acute Care Setting May Be Associated With an Increased Rate of Discharge to the Community From the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine whether stroke patients who receive physical medicine and rehabilitation consultation in acute care setting are more likely to discharge from inpatient rehabilitation facility to a community setting compared with those who do not. DESIGN: This was a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients admitted with stroke to inpatient rehabilitation facility between June and October 2018. The primary outcome measure was discharge disposition. Other variables measured included functional independence measures and length of stay. Analysis of baseline covariates was conducted with t tests and analysis of primary outcome measured with Fisher exact test. RESULTS: We identified 184 consecutive patients, with 62 (33.7%) having and 122 (66.3%) not having a physical medicine and rehabilitation consult; 35 (56.5%) patients versus 51 (41.8%) in physical medicine and rehabilitation consult versus non-physical medicine and rehabilitation group were discharged home (P = 0.042). Between both groups, there were no differences in baseline admission/discharge cognitive or motor functional independence measure scores, total admission/discharge functional independence measure scores, functional independence measure efficiency, or length of stay. However, in both the groups, admission versus discharge overall functional independence measure scores were significantly improved, 71.34 vs. 94.76 and 66.52 vs. 89.94 (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite no difference in baseline functional scores or length of stay, physical medicine and rehabilitation consultation of poststroke patients in hospital may be associated with discharge home after inpatient rehabilitation facility.

Awareness of Heterotopic Ossification in Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Primer.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the presence of normal bone in soft tissue where bone should not exist. After direct musculoskeletal trauma of the surrounding soft tissue, HO is hypothesized to develop from a dysfunction of normal lamellar bone formation and remodeling that appears in nonskeletal areas of the body. Acquired HO related to total joint arthroplasty (TJA) of the hip and knee forms outside the joint capsule and can be a challenging condition when it impairs the essential healing process after elective surgery. Although HO is rare after elective TJA and thus clinically immaterial, when clinically relevant HO develops, patients may experience the following: 1) limited ambulation, 2) restricted range of motion, and 3) severe pain and discomfort that may lead to loss of function. Ultimately, patients with clinically relevant HO after elective TJA may require additional treatment, including medication, radiation therapy, manipulation under anesthesia, surgical excision of the HO, and possibly revision TJA. Awareness of HO and an understanding of the associated risk factors along with the various management options will enable health care practitioners and their patients to optimize their surgical outcomes.

Pain Management Associated with Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Primer.

This primer presents a synopsis of pain management strategies associated with total joint arthroplasty. Patients considering total joint arthroplasty often experience moderate to severe pain, which places them at risk of opioid abuse or addiction. Currently, the best practice strategies involve the development of individualized multimodal perioperative approaches to pain management. These practices include prescribing opioids at their lowest dose and for the shortest duration necessary to control symptoms, with close monitoring of common adverse effects. Implementing these practices is essential to battling the ongoing opioid crisis in the US.

Factors Affecting Voice Therapy Completion in Singers.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine (a) which factors may affect singers' completing voice therapy, and (b) develop predictive profiles to capture those singers at risk for dropping out of voice therapy. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study was conducted comparing singers who completed voice therapy to singers who dropped out of voice therapy. METHODS: Six factors, including age, gender, diagnosis, length of time between laryngology referral and commencement of therapy, type of singer, and referral source were investigated in relation to voice therapy completion using the medical records of 409 singers in the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center database. RESULTS: Referral source and type of singer were demonstrated to be the most robust predictor of singers' completion of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Forty-seven percent of singers who were referred to voice therapy completed their course of treatment. Sixty percent of singers who dropped out of voice therapy were reliably identified based on what types of music they sing (type of singer) and who referred them for laryngology evaluation (referral source), aiding in early identification of those singers who may need additional support to reach their therapy goals. Identifying specific characteristics of singers completing or dropping out of voice therapy may allow medical professionals to better serve the specialized needs of singers who use their voices professionally and recreationally.

Wheelchair use and lipophilic statin medications may influence bone loss in chronic spinal cord injury: findings from the FRASCI-bone loss study.

We identified a protective bone effect at the knee with lipophilic statin use in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury. Lipophilic statin users gained bone at the knee compared to non-users and wheelchair users lost bone compared to walkers. Ambulation and or statins may be effective osteogenic interventions in chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). INTRODUCTION: SCI increases the risk of osteoporosis and low-impact fractures, particularly at the knee. However, during the chronic phase of SCI, the natural history and factors associated with longitudinal change in bone density remain poorly characterized. In this study, we prospectively assessed factors associated with change in bone density over a mean of 21 months in 152 men and women with chronic SCI. METHODS: A mixed model procedure with repeated measures was used to assess predictors of change in bone mineral density (PROC MIXED) at the distal femur and proximal tibia. Factors with a p value of <0.10 in the univariate mixed models, as well as factors that were deemed clinically significant (gender, age, and walking status), were assessed in multivariable models. Factors with a p value of ≤0.05 were included in the final model. RESULTS: We found no association between bone loss and traditional osteoporosis risk factors, including age, gender, body composition, or vitamin D level or status (normal or deficient). In both crude and fully adjusted models, wheelchair users lost bone compared to walkers. Similarly, statin users gained bone compared to nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: The statin finding is supported by reports in the general population where statin use has been associated with a reduction in bone loss and fracture risk. Our results suggest that both walking and statins may be effective osteogenic therapies to mitigate bone loss and prevent osteoporosis in chronic SCI. Our findings also suggest that loss of mechanical loading and/or neuronal factors contribute more to disuse osteoporosis than traditional osteoporosis risk factors.

Assessing self-efficacy of frontline providers to perform newborn resuscitation in a low-resource setting.

OBJECTIVES: Newborn deaths comprise an alarming proportion of under-five mortality globally. In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated the effectiveness of focused newborn resuscitation training and delivery of a positive-pressure device in a rural midwife population in a low-resource setting. The present research attempts to better understand the extent to which knowledge and self-efficacy contribute to resuscitation attempts by birth attendants in practice. METHODS: A one-year retrospective cohort analysis was undertaken in Aceh, Indonesia of two groups of community-based midwives, one having received formal training and a positive-pressure resuscitative device and the other receiving usual educational resources and management. A path analysis was undertaken to evaluate relative determinants of actual resuscitation attempts. RESULTS: 348 community-based midwives participated in the evaluation and had attended 3116 births during the preceding year. Path analysis indicated that formal training in resuscitation and delivery of a positive-pressure device were significantly related to both increased knowledge (ß=0.55, p=0.001) and increased self-efficacy (ß=0.52, p=0.001) in performing neonatal resuscitations with a positive-pressure device. However, training impacted actual resuscitation attempts only indirectly through a relationship with self-efficacy and with knowledge. Combined across groups, self-efficacy was significantly associated with positive pressure ventilation attempts (ß=0.26, p<0.01) whereas knowledge was not (ß=-0.05, p=0.39). CONCLUSION: Although, to date, evaluations of newborn resuscitation programs have primarily focused on training and has reported process indicators, these results indicate that in order to improve intrapartum-related hypoxic events ("birth asphyxia"), increased emphasis should be placed on participant self-efficacy and mastery of newborn resuscitation.

The impact of stressful life events, symptom status, and adherence concerns on quality of life in people living with HIV.

Studies concerning persons living with HIV (PLWH) report that stressful life events (SLEs) contribute to an exacerbation of symptoms and reduced antiretroviral (ARV) adherence and quality of life (QOL). Little is known about whether these findings are site-specific. Our study's aims were to characterize the type and frequency of SLEs for PLWH in Puerto Rico, South Africa, and the United States, and to assess the impact of SLEs by national site, symptoms, and ARV adherence concerns on QOL. The sample consisted of 704 participants. The total number of SLEs correlated significantly with the total number of symptoms, adherence concerns, and QOL (p ≤ .001). Overall, 27.2% of the variance in QOL was explained by the aforementioned variables. Although SLEs were of concern to PLWH, worries about ARV adherence were of even greater concern. Routine assessment of ARV concerns and SLEs can promote ongoing ARV adherence and improved QOL.

Mediators of antiretroviral adherence: a multisite international study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of stressful life events (SLE) on medication adherence (3 days, 30 days) as mediated by sense of coherence (SOC), self-compassion (SCS), and engagement with the healthcare provider (eHCP) and whether this differed by international site. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of 2082 HIV positive adults between September 2009 and January 2011 from sites in Canada, China, Namibia, Puerto Rico, Thailand, and US. Statistical tests to explore the effects of stressful life events on antiretroviral medication adherence included descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance, analysis of variance with Bonferroni post-hoc analysis, and path analysis. An examination by international site of the relationships between SLE, SCS, SOC, and eHCP with adherence (3 days and 30 days) indicated these combined variables were related to adherence whether 3 days or 30 days to different degrees at the various sites. SLE, SCS, SOC, and eHCP were significant predictors of adherence past 3 days for the United States (p = < 0.001), Canada (p = 0.006), and Namibia (p = 0.019). The combined independent variables were significant predictors of adherence past 30 days only in the United States and Canada. Engagement with the provider was a significant correlate for antiretroviral adherence in most, but not all, of these countries. Thus, the importance of eHCP cannot be overstated. Nonetheless, our findings need to be accompanied by the caveat that research on variables of interest, while enriched by a sample obtained from international sites, may not have the same relationships in each country.

Psychometric evaluation of the surrogate decision making self-efficacy scale.

Currently, no instrument exists to assess self-efficacy for surrogate decision making. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Surrogate Decision Making Self-Efficacy Scale (SDM-SES). Interview data from surrogate decision makers (SDMs) were used to generate the items. Items were assessed for face validity by expert gerontological nurses. Responses from a sample of 155 SDMs for nursing home residents with dementia were analyzed to assess the psychometric properties of the scale scores. Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and construct validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient suggested high internal consistency, and results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity of the instrument. The SDM-SES may be useful as an assessment instrument, as well as an outcome measure for interventions aimed at increasing the capacity of SDMs. Future validations are suggested to optimize its utility.

Assessing the predictive validity of the admission process in a master's level speech language pathology program.

Astin's Input-Environment-Outcome (I-E-O) model served as the theoretical foundation to assess (a) undergraduate GPA, (b) undergraduate Speech Language Pathology majors, and (c, d) GRE-Q and GRE-V scores (Input) as predictors of students' graduate GPA (Environment), and graduate GPA as a predictor of PRAXIS scores (Outcome). The sample for this study was 122 students who completed the Speech-Language Pathology Program in recent academic cycles at a graduate school in the northeastern United States. The sample was representative of other programs in the country in terms of gender, undergraduate GPA, and GRE scores. Results appear to support the predictive validity of the linear combination of the input predictors of the environment variable (GPA) and of the environment variable on the outcome, i.e., PRAXIS scores.

Family satisfaction with care provided by nurse practitioners to nursing home residents with dementia at the end of life.

The purpose of this study was to examine family satisfaction with care provided by nurse practitioners (NP) to nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. A survey was mailed to 239 family members of nursing home residents who died with dementia. One open-ended question was added to provide comment about the care provided by the NP. A total of 131 surveys were returned (response rate 55%). The study revealed that 98% of family members agreed that they were satisfied with the end-of-life care provided by the NP. Survey responses were used to analyze the associations of communication, comfort, and satisfaction with NPs to total satisfaction with end-of-life care. Pearson's correlations demonstrated that overall satisfaction was significantly associated with NP-family communication, resident comfort, and satisfaction with NP care. Findings suggested that NPs using a model of care that emphasizes advance care planning, communication, and comfort results in high satisfaction of family members.

Uncertainty and decision making for residents with dementia.

Uncertainty is a significant barrier confronting surrogate decision makers(SDMs) who make treatment decisions for nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. The study purpose is to describe uncertainty among SDMs of NH residents with dementia and to identify factors associated with greater Uncertainty. We employed a nonexperimental, cross-sectional design using mailed survey and recruited 155 SDM participants from eight NHs in New England. The survey contained the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale For Family Members. Independent variables included resident and SDM sociodemographic characteristics, Advance Directives, Credible Authority, Social Support, and Perceived Self-Efficacy for Surrogate Decision Making. Results of a simultaneous multiple regression analysis identified Perceived Self-Efficacy,Social Support, and Close Relative explained 22% of the Uncertainty variance.These findings suggest that close family relatives who serve as SDMs for NH residents with dementia may benefit from increasing social support and enhancing SDMs' self-efficacy for decision making.

Effective multilevel teaching techniques on attending rounds: a pilot survey and systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: While numerous authors acknowledge the challenge of teaching simultaneously to medical students, interns, and residents, few offer specific advice on how to meet that challenge, and none have studied which techniques are most effective. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to determine whether multilevel teaching is challenging for attendings, whether trainees feel that teaching on rounds is appropriate to their level, and to define multilevel teaching techniques. METHODS: We surveyed attendings and trainees on the internal medicine services at two academic medical centers. RESULTS: Attendings were divided about whether teaching to multiple levels posed a challenge. Trainees reported that the teaching they received was usually appropriate to their level of training. The most effective techniques for multilevel teaching were Broadening (asking "what if" questions), Targeting (directing questions at specific team members), and Novelty (teaching newly published information), while the least effective were techniques that taught advanced material unfamiliar to most or all of the team. A systematic literature review yielded no studies that focused on multilevel teaching techniques. CONCLUSIONS: This article is the first to define and evaluate specific techniques for multilevel instruction in a medical setting and identifies certain techniques as more effective at engaging multiple levels of learners simultaneously.

Right-to-left shunt is common in chronic migraine.

Our aim was to determine the prevalence of right-to-left shunt (RtLS) in patients with chronic migraine (CM), and to correlate the presence and grade of RtLS with aura and neurological symptoms, and duration and severity of disease. The prevalence of RtLS in migraine without aura is similar to that of the general population (between 20 and 35%). In migraine with aura, the prevalence is much higher (approximately 50%). The prevalence in CM, with or without aura, is unknown. Consecutive patients between the ages of 18 and 60 years with CM attending a tertiary care specialty headache clinic over an 8-week period were eligible. There were 131 patients in the study. A structured diagnostic interview was performed. Bubble transcranial Doppler with Valsalva manoeuvre determined RtLS presence and grade. Sixty-six percent (86/131) of patients had RtLS, a statistically significantly greater rate than those reported in the general population and in migraine with or without aura (P < 0.001). There was no difference in RtLS rate or grade between those with and those without aura. Specific headache features and the presence of neurological symptoms were similar between those with and those without RtLS. Compared with both the general population and the episodic migraine population (with and without aura), patients with CM, with or without aura, are more likely to have RtLS. The clinical implications of our findings need to be determined.

Self-efficacy in a sample of education majors and teachers.

The teachers' self-efficacy, both personal and general, has a profound effect on students' learning. This study investigated the influence on education students' perceptions of their experience as teaching interns of Personal Teaching Efficacy and General Teaching Efficacy. The participants were 196 undergraduates and graduate students who were preparing for or active as interns in teaching or were teachers. There was a significant effect between Personal Teaching Efficacy and General Teaching Efficacy scores, with all respondents scoring higher on the former scale. A significant interaction indicated that students who had not completed internships scored significantly higher on General Teaching Efficacy than either students who had just completed internships or those who were engaged in teaching. Implications are discussed.

Attitudes towards the use of tests and test scores.

This exploratory study compared the perceived use of tests and test scores of 43 adult education teachers and 130 teachers in the K-12 system tested earlier.