Reporting and analysis of sex in vascular surgery research.

OBJECTIVE: To examine sex in human vascular surgery research by quantifying the inclusion and analysis of sex-based data in high-impact vascular surgery journals. METHODS: A bibliographic review of original articles published in the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Journal of Vascular Surgery, JVS: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders, Journal of Endovascular Therapy, and Annals of Vascular Surgery from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2020, and from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, was conducted. Abstracted data included sex-based data analysis, inclusion of sex as a variable in multivariable analysis, inclusion of sex as an independent variable, and a discussion of sex-based results. RESULTS: Of the 3762 articles that included human, animal, or cell subjects, 249 (6.6%) did not state sex. Of those 249 articles, 183 included human subjects, 55 included animal subjects, and 11 used cell lines as the subjects. These were removed from analysis as well as the remaining 68 articles with animal subjects. In addition, 23 researched a sex-specific pathology and were removed from analysis. Of the remaining 3422 articles included in our study, 42.3% analyzed sex, 46.9% included sex in multivariable analysis, 4.8% included sex as an independent variable, and 26.6% included a discussion of sex. There were no significant differences in all four sex variables between 2018, 2019, and 2020. Between 2018-2020 and 2023, there were significant increases in all four sex variables. Multicenter studies had significantly higher rates of independent analysis of sex over single-center studies (7.4% vs 3.3%, P < .001). There was no significant difference in independent analysis of sex between U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based studies. Only 191 articles (5.6%) had 90% or greater matching of men and women in their study. CONCLUSIONS: Equitable inclusion and analysis of sex is rare in vascular surgery research. Less than 5% of articles included an independent analysis of data by sex, and few studies included males and females equally. Clinical research is the basis for evidence-based medicine; therefore, it is important to strive for equitable inclusion, analysis, and reporting of data to foster generalizability of clinical research to men and women.

Improved follow-up care for gun violence survivors in the Trauma Quality of Life Clinic.

Background: Outpatient follow-up represents a crucial opportunity to re-engage with gun violence survivors (GVS) and to facilitate positive health outcomes. Current outpatient models for firearm-related injuries and trauma care are inconsistent and unstandardized across trauma centers. This project describes the patient population served by the multidisciplinary Trauma Quality of Life (TQoL) Clinic for GVS. Also of primary interest was the outpatient follow-up services used by patients prior to their clinic appointment. Subsequent referrals placed during Clinic, as well as rate of attendance, was a secondary aim. Methods: This was a descriptive retrospective analysis of a quality improvement project of the TQoL Clinic. Data were extracted from the electronic medical record and were supplemented with information from the trauma registry and the hospital-based violence intervention program database. Descriptive statistics characterized the patient population served. A Χ2 analysis was used to compare no-show rates for the TQoL Clinic against two historical cohorts of trauma clinic attendees. Results: Most attendees were young (M=32.0, SD=1.8, range=15-88 years), Black (80.1%), and male (82.0%). Of the 306 total TQoL Clinic attendees, 82.3% attended their initial scheduled appointment. Most non-attendee patients rescheduled their appointments (92.1%), and 89.5% attended the rescheduled appointment. TQoL Clinic demonstrated a significantly lower no-show rate than the traditional trauma clinic model, including after the implementation of the hospital's inpatient violence intervention program (χ2(2)=75.52, p<0.001). Conclusion: The TQoL Clinic has demonstrated improved outpatient follow-up to address the comprehensive needs of GVS. Trauma centers with high gunshot wound volume should consider the implementation of the multidisciplinary TQoL Clinic model to increase access to care and to continue partnership with violence intervention programs to address health outcomes in those most at risk of future morbidity and mortality. Level of evidence: Therapeutic/care management, level III.