"The curriculum brings equity to the forefront": Pediatric residents' perspectives and experiences in a longitudinal EDI curriculum.

BACKGROUND: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Common Program Requirements include training in caring for diverse populations and understanding social determinants of health. Our large pediatric residency program implemented a longitudinal equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) curriculum. OBJECTIVE: To explore pediatric residents' perspectives and experiences in our longitudinal EDI curriculum. METHODS: We applied the holistic framework by Haji et al. to characterize the effect of our EDI curriculum. We conducted 4 focus groups from November 2019 to September 2020 with trained facilitators using a structured question guide. We approached all eligible senior residents (n = 87) via email to participate. Project members coded written notes and transcripts and analyzed data using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: 26 pediatric senior residents participated either in person (n = 13) or online (n = 13). Themes emerged from domains of knowledge, attitudes and behavioral change. These included having: (1) increased knowledge surrounding EDI issues, (2) a framework and language to better engage in EDI efforts and (3) increased confidence interrupting bias and microaggressions. Additional themes demonstrated: an increased need for EDI education at the institutional level, the unique experiences of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) trainees, and systemic barriers to equitable care. CONCLUSION: A longitudinal EDI curriculum has the potential to influence individual trainees, their work, and perceptions of the broader institutions in which they operate. Residents recognized and valued the curriculum and felt driven to use this knowledge to ensure that institutional policies and practices led to equitable clinical care.

Machine Learning-Enabled Fully Automated Assessment of Left Ventricular Volume, Ejection Fraction and Strain: Experience in Pediatric and Young Adult Echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) volumes, ejection fraction (EF), and myocardial strain have been shown to be predictive of clinical and subclinical heart disease. Automation of LV functional assessment overcomes difficult technical challenges and complexities. We sought to assess whether a fully automated assessment of LV function could be reliably used in children and young adults. METHODS: Fifty normal volunteers (22/28, female/male) were prospectively recruited for research echocardiography. LV volumes, EF, and strain were measured both manually and automatically. An experienced sonographer performed all the manual analysis and recorded the analysis timing. The fully automated analyses were accomplished by 5 groups of observers with different knowledge and medical background. AutoLV and AutoSTRAIN (TomTec) were employed for the fully automated LV analysis. The LV volumes, EF, strain, and analysis time were compared between manual and automated methods, and among the 5 groups of observers. RESULTS: Software-determined endocardial border detection was achievable in all subjects. The analysis times of the experienced sonographer were significantly shorter for AutoLV and AutoSTRAIN than manual analyses (both p < 0.001). Strong correlations were seen between conventional EF and AutoLV (r = 0.8373), and between conventional three view global longitudinal strain (GLS) and AutoSTRAIN (r = 0.9766). The volumes from AutoLV and three view GLS from AutoSTRAIN had strong correlations among different observers regardless of level of expertise. EF from AutoLV analysis had moderately strong correlations among different observers. CONCLUSION: Automated pediatric LV analysis is feasible in normal hearts. Machine learning-enabled image analysis saves time and produces results that are comparable to traditional methods.

Grounded in Justice: An Equity Framework for Chief Residents.

The 2019-2020 academic year was unprecedented, with navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and meaningfully engaging with the causes and consequences of long-standing racism and social injustice in the United States. In this article, the authors, all former chief residents, reflect on how they carried out their role during this last year using an approach that was grounded in equity and justice. They describe a framework based on their experiences, including setting the tone and culture of the residency program; providing medical education, teaching, and feedback; advocating for resident well-being and inclusion; participating in quality improvement and hospital policymaking; and partnering for institutional change. They end with a call to action to reconceptualize the role of the chief resident to include the genuine work of diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure a more equitable future.

Outcomes after ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma injections for chronic tendinopathy: a multicenter, retrospective review.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are an effective treatment for chronic tendinopathies. DESIGN: A retrospective, cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Four academic sports medicine centers from across the United States. PATIENTS: A total of 180 men and women between the ages of 18 and 75 years who received ultrasound-guided PRP injections for tendinopathy refractory to conventional treatments. INTERVENTIONS: Survey on satisfaction and functional outcome. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Perceived improvement in symptoms at least 6 months after treatment, perceived change in visual analog scale score, assessment of functional pain, and overall satisfaction. RESULTS: On average, patients were 48 years old, had symptoms for a median of 18 months before treatment, and answered the survey on average 15 months after treatment. Overall, 82% of patients indicated moderate to complete improvement in symptoms. The most common injection sites were the lateral epicondyle, Achilles, and patellar tendons. Other sites treated included the rotator cuff, hamstring, gluteus medius, and medial epicondyle, among others. Furthermore, 60% of patients received only 1 injection, 30% received 2 injections, and 10% received 3 or more injections. Patients' perceived decrease in visual analog scale score was 75%, from 7.0 ± 1.8 to 1.8 ± 2.0 (-5.2, SD 2.7, 95% confidence interval -5.65 to -4.86, P < .0001). In addition, at follow-up, 95% of patients reported having no pain at rest that disrupted their activities of daily living and 68% reported no pain during activities. A total of 85% of patients were satisfied with the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective study, in which we evaluated administration of PRP for chronic tendinopathy, we found that the majority of patients reported a moderate (>50%) improvement in pain symptoms.

A prospective randomized FDA-IDE trial comparing Cortoss with PMMA for vertebroplasty: a comparative effectiveness research study with 24-month follow-up.

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, controlled, prospective (AAOS therapeutic level I) trial conducted under Food and Drug Administration Investigational Device Exemption hypothesized noninferiority of a novel bioactive composite material to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety and efficacy of a new, nonresorbable bioactive composite (Cortoss) compared with PMMA, the standard treatment of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Vertebroplasty with PMMA, the widely adopted treatment for VCFs nonresponsive to conservative care, provides effective, immediate pain relief, but the material has received criticism for its properties. A new bioactive composite material designed specifically for vertebroplasty showed promising results in animals and nonrandomized clinical studies and was subsequently compared with PMMA in a randomized study. This study represents the first prospective study evaluating vertebroplasty comparing PMMA with another material with 24-month follow-up. METHODS: Using 2:1 randomization, vertebroplasty was performed with Cortoss on 162 patients and PMMA on 94 patients. Inclusion criteria were painful osteoporotic VCFs with a visual analogue scale pain score of at least 50 mm on a 100-mm scale and at least 30% disability as measured by the Oswestry Disability Index. Evaluations at pretreatment, treatment day, and 7 posttreatment intervals out to 24 months included pain, disability, neurological status, adverse events, quality of life, patient satisfaction, analgesic use, and independently reviewed radiographs. RESULTS: Noninferiority of Cortoss relative to PMMA was observed, with Cortoss-treated patients experiencing significant pain relief at 3 months (P = 0.0395) and better maintenance or improvement in function at 24 months (P = 0.0299). Incidence of serious device-related adverse events was 4.3% in both groups; none were life threatening. CONCLUSION: Vertebroplasty using either Cortoss or PMMA provides effective, immediate, and lasting pain relief and prevents further loss of function. Both materials performed comparably at most time points; Cortoss demonstrated better results for pain reduction at 3 months and for function at 24 months.