Longitudinal advocacy training for medical students: a virtual workshop series.

Advocacy curricula in Canadian medical schools vary significantly. Expert-led, interactive workshops can effectively teach students how to address social determinants of health and advocate for patients. The Longitudinal Advocacy Training Series (LATS) is a free-of-charge, virtual program providing advocacy training created for Canadian medical students by students. The program was straightforward to implement and had high participation rates with 1140 participants representing 9.7% of enrolled Canadian medical students. As well, the program had high satisfaction reported by 87.6% of participants. The LATS toolkit enables health professional programs to develop similar programs for empowering effective health advocates.

Au Canada, les programmes de formation en matière de promotion et de défense des droits varient considérablement d'une faculté de médecine à l'autre. Les ateliers interactifs dirigés par des experts constituent un outil efficace pour enseigner aux étudiants la façon aborder les déterminants sociaux de la santé afin de défendre les droits des patients. La Longitudinal Advocacy Training Series (LATS) est un programme virtuel gratuit de formation à la défense des droits, créé par des étudiants pour les étudiants. Le programme, facile à mettre en œuvre, a connu un taux de participation élevé, à savoir 1140 participants représentant 9,7 % des étudiants en médecine au Canada. En outre, 87,6 % des participants se sont dits très satisfaits du programme. La trousse à outils LATS permet aux programmes de formation des professions de la santé de mettre sur pied des modules similaires pour donner aux étudiants les moyens de devenir des défenseurs de la santé efficaces.

Barriers to medication adherence and degree of nonadherence in a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) outpatient population.

To estimate the level of medication adherence and barriers to adherence among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Patients taking antimalarials, immunosuppressives, and/or steroids to treat SLE were included. Adherence was measured using the Medication Adherence Self Report Inventory (MASRI) and adherence rates < 80% were considered nonadherent while rates ≥ 80% sufficiently adherent. Pill counts were conducted in a proportion of participants. Barriers to adherence were identified using the Identification of Medication Adherence Barriers Questionnaire 30 (IMAB-Q 30). Associations between adherence and patient demographics and disease-specific characteristics were explored. A total of 94 patients were studied and 28 pill counts conducted. 10 patients were classified as nonadherent and 84 patients as sufficiently adherent. 46% of patients were taking steroids, 77.7% antimalarials, and 55.3% immunosuppressives. 88% of patients were taking ≥ 1 medication for non-SLE conditions. The mean medication adherence rate for the SLE patients was 90.7%. Important barriers to adherence reported by nonadherent patients were: concern about harmful side effects (50%), being easily distracted (50%), life getting in the way (50%), being unsure or disagreeing that their condition will worsen without medications (50%), and having personal reasons for not taking medications (50%). Non-adherent patients reported significantly more barriers than sufficiently adherent patients (p < 0.001). The adherence rate in our population was higher than expected, reaching 90%. Barriers to medication adherence were identified and should be addressed on a population and individualized basis to improve patient outcomes.

A student-led curriculum framework for homeless and vulnerably housed populations.

BACKGROUND: Medical student demands for competency based homeless health education is increasing. Indeed, humans living homeless is a treatable health and social emergency. This innovation report outlines the initial development of an education framework for homeless health. METHODS: A medical student task force and educators conducted a mixed method study, including a scoping review of homeless health curriculum and competencies, a cross-country survey of medical students, and unique clinical guidelines. The task force collaborated with persons with lived experience and clinical guideline developers from the Homeless Health Research Network. The students presented at the Toronto Homeless Health Summit and refined the framework with feedback from homeless health experts. RESULTS: The main outcome was an evidence-based Homeless Health Curriculum Framework. It uses seven core competencies; with communication, advocacy, leadership, and upstream approaches playing the strongest roles. The framework integrated the new clinical guideline (housing, income assistance, case management and addiction). In addition, it identified approaches to support mental health care with trauma informed and patient centered care. It identified public health values, clinical objectives, and case studies. The framework aims to inform the design, delivery, service learning and evaluation for medical school curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: This student-led curriculum framework can support the design, implementation, delivery and evaluation of homeless health within the undergraduate medical curriculum. The framework can lay the foundation for new doctors, research and development; support consistency across programs; and support the creation of national learning and evaluation tools.

Interpretation of Do Not Attempt Resuscitation Orders for Children Requiring Anesthesia and Surgery.

This clinical report addresses the topic of pre-existing do not attempt resuscitation or limited resuscitation orders for children and adolescents undergoing anesthesia and surgery. Pertinent considerations for the clinician include the rights of children, decision-making by parents or legally approved representatives, the process of informed consent, and the roles of surgeon and anesthesiologist. A process of re-evaluation of the do not attempt resuscitation orders, called "required reconsideration," should be incorporated into the process of informed consent for surgery and anesthesia, distinguishing between goal-directed and procedure-directed approaches. The child's individual needs are best served by allowing the parent or legally approved representative and involved clinicians to consider whether full resuscitation, limitations based on procedures, or limitations based on goals is most appropriate.

Status of pediatric anesthesiology fellowship research education in the United States: a survey of fellowship program directors.

BACKGROUND: Currently, very little information is known regarding the research education of pediatric anesthesia fellows. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the current investigation was to evaluate the status of research training in pediatric anesthesia fellowship programs in the United States. METHODS: Survey responses were solicited from forty-six pediatric anesthesia fellowship directors. Questions evaluated department demographic information, the extent of faculty research activity, research resources and research funding in the department, the characteristics of fellow research education and fellow research productivity, departmental support for fellow research, and perceived barriers to fellow research education. RESULTS: Thirty-six of forty-six fellowship directors responded to the survey, for a response rate of 78%. Eight of fourteen (57%) programs with a structured curriculum had more than 20% of graduating fellows publish a peer-reviewed manuscript compared with only five of twenty-two (23%) programs, which did not have a structured research curriculum (P = 0.03). While the majority of program directors (thirty of thirty-six (83%)) did not think that fellows are adequately trained to pursue research activities, only a minority of program directors (7 of 36 (19%)) thought that an extra year of fellowship dedicated to research should become a requirement. CONCLUSION: Structured research curriculum is associated with increased research productivity during pediatric anesthesia fellowship. Important barriers to fellows' research education include high clinical demands and lack of research time for faculty. Despite acknowledging the poor research education, a small minority of fellowship directors supports the addition of an extra year exclusively dedicated to research.

Heart transplantation for the failing Fontan.

BACKGROUND: Patients with failing Fontan circulation are at high risk for complications after heart transplantation (HTx) because of multiple prior operations, elevated panel reactive antibody, hepatic dysfunction, coagulopathy, protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), and poor nutrition. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the outcome of HTx for these patients, including those who are status post-Fontan conversion. METHODS: Of 206 heart transplants at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago from 1990 to 2012, 22 patients had a failing Fontan. Median age at HTx was 12.2 years, median interval from initial Fontan to HTx was 7.1 years. Potential preoperative risk factors included PLE (n = 15), mechanical ventilation (n = 8), prior Fontan conversion (n = 7), renal failure (n = 3), and plastic bronchitis (n = 2) Median number of prior operations was 3. Donor branch pulmonary arteries were used in 17 patients. RESULTS: There were 5 early deaths (23%), due to graft failure (1), pulmonary hypertension (1), and infection (3). There were 3 late deaths (13%) at 1, 5, and 8 years. Two of 3 patients with preoperative renal failure died. Survivors who had preoperative PLE (n = 11) and preoperative plastic bronchitis (n = 2) experienced complete resolution of these pathological conditions after heart transplantation. Median length of stay was 30 days. Five of 7 Fontan conversion patients survived, and 6 of 8 preoperative ventilator-dependent patients survived. One-, 5-, and 10-year survival was 77%, 66%, and 45%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The operative mortality of HTx for patients with a failing Fontan is high. Using the donor branch pulmonary arteries greatly facilitated the transplant. Because infection caused the majority of early deaths, lower intensity initial immunosuppression may be warranted. Transplantation was successful in treating PLE in all survivors. Prior Fontan conversion was not a risk factor. Preoperative mechanical ventilation was not a risk factor. Preoperative renal failure may be a relative contraindication. Earlier referral of failing Fontan patients may improve results.

Standardized multidisciplinary protocol improves handover of cardiac surgery patients to the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the implementation of a standardized handover protocol could reduce the number of errors occurring during patient transitions from the operating room to the intensive care unit. DESIGN: Prospective, interventional study. SETTING: Pediatric cardiac intensive care unit. SUBJECTS: Seventy-nine patient handovers in patients transitioning from the operating room to the cardiac intensive care unit after congenital cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: A preintervention assessment of patient handovers was obtained by direct observation using a standardized checklist. A teamwork-driven handover process and protocol was developed using traditional and novel quality-improvement techniques. The postimplementation observational assessment of handovers was performed using the same preintervention assessment tool. Preintervention and postintervention data metrics were analyzed and compared. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Forty-one and 38 observations were performed in the preintervention and postintervention periods, respectively. Protocol implementation improved key areas of the handover process. Technical errors per handover were reduced from 6.24 to 1.52 (p < .0001), and critical verbal handoff information omissions were reduced from 6.33 to 2.38 (p < .0001) per handover. There was no change in duration of either the verbal handoff briefing or the overall handover process. Caregivers noted improvement in teamwork and handoff content received after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: A formal, structured handover process for pediatric patients transitioning to the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery can reduce medical errors that occur during the admission process and improve teamwork among caregivers.