Sources of Joy In Medical Educators as Described by the PERMA Model.

Phenomenon: Burnout is prevalent amongst long-practicing physicians. For medical educators, it has deleterious effects not only on the educator themselves, but also the students they are teaching. Though significant research has focused on factors associated with burnout, there is limited understanding of its counter: how physicians, particularly medical educators, derive joy from their work. Approach: This qualitative study included 15 highly-rated clinician educators in Internal Medicine who took part in individual semi-structured interviews. Participants were invited to discuss their sources of professional joy. After transcription, we used thematic content analysis: 50 themes were identified. Themes were then coded using the domains of the PERMA (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) model of positive psychology, assigning each theme a best fit domain. Forty-five themes were mapped into the PERMA model. Findings: When describing professional joy, highly-rated clinician educators displayed high levels of overlap with all domains of the PERMA model. Interaction with the learner was a prominent source of professional joy, particularly within Positive Emotion, Engagement, and Relationship domains. Insights: Our findings indicate that the PERMA model appropriately defines the sources of professional joy for these educators. Future research could employ this model to identify targets for interventions aimed at amplifying joy at work for this group.

Factors Associated with Routine Recommendation of Mammography for Women Aged 40-49: Provider Characteristics and Screening Influences.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against screening mammography in women younger than 50 years, rates remain high, suggesting that screening recommendations may be motivated by other factors. The objective of this study was to understand provider-reported influences on screening recommendations for women 40 to 49 years old at average risk for breast cancer. METHODS: An online survey of primary care providers was conducted at four health centers in Cleveland, Ohio in 2015. Provider-reported routine recommendation of mammography for women aged 40 to 49 at average risk for breast cancer was the primary outcome. The independent measures included influence of electronic health records, national guidelines, institutional policy, patient preferences, concerns about overtreatment, concerns about false-positives, and interest in early detection on screening recommendations. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate the odds of recommending screening by potential influences, controlling for provider characteristics and provider-assessed balance of harms and benefits of screening in this age group. RESULTS: Of 612 providers invited, 220 completed the survey (response rate 36%); 69% routinely recommended screening and 24% believed that the harms of screening in younger women outweighed the benefits. Being influenced by institutional policy was associated with higher odds of recommending screening (odds ratio [OR] 4.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35-12.9), as was interest in early detection (OR 4.19, 95% CI 1.31-12.9). Conversely, strong influence of national guidelines was associated with a lower odds of recommending screening (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.71). The influence of patient preferences was not associated with screening recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: Providers face competing influences on screening recommendations for younger patients, some of which may be at odds with their beliefs. Institutional policy change allowing individually tailored screening discussions may improve patient-centered care.

Training internal medicine residents to manage chronic pain and prescription opioid misuse.

BACKGROUND: Residents feel unprepared to care for patients with chronic pain on long-term opioids who exhibit signs of prescription opioid misuse. OBJECTIVE: Describe an educational intervention for internal medicine residents to improve confidence, practices, attitudes, and self-reported knowledge of resources for chronic pain and opioid misuse. METHODS: The intervention included 2 sessions. Session 1 (3 hours): a lecture on chronic pain, prescription opioid misuse, and opioid use disorders and communication skills practice. The residents were asked to use one of these skills during the following week. Session 2 (1.5 hours): debriefing of patient encounters and overview of: prescription opioid monitoring strategies, discontinuation of prescription opioids when appropriate, and treatment for opioid use disorders. Pre- and post-assessments evaluated change in residents' safe opioid prescribing confidence, self-reported practices, attitudes, and self-reported knowledge of available patient resources. RESULTS: Ninety-one residents completed the intervention, with 44 and 43 completing the pre- and post-assessments, respectively. Utilizing a 4-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = agree 4 = strongly agree), residents reported improved confidence in skills managing patients with chronic pain (3.0 vs. 2.4, P < .0001), skills identifying which patients with chronic pain have developed an opioid use disorder (3.0 vs. 2.4, P < .0001), and understanding how to monitor for benefit versus harm (3.0 vs. 2.5, P < .0005). They also noted improved ability identifying resources for patients with chronic pain and opioid use disorders. There was a nonsignificant improvement in resident reported comfort talking to patients about the need to discontinue opioids. Residents did not report an increase in use of safe opioid prescribing monitoring strategies or feelings of support in their prescribing decisions by preceptors. CONCLUSIONS: A brief training can improve residents' self-reported knowledge and confidence in managing patients with chronic pain and safe opioid prescribing practices. How this change in confidence affects patient care requires further study.

The use of pre-existing CT imaging in screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is recommended for male smokers >65 years of age, but screening rates remain low. If computed tomography (CT) performed for other indications could be considered adequate for screening, one-third of ultrasounds would potentially be unnecessary, and overall screening rates would be substantially higher. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of CT imaging of the abdomen for the detection of AAA when performed for other clinical indications. We performed a retrospective study of patients eligible for AAA screening who had undergone an abdominal ultrasound as well as an abdominal CT scan for other indications within 3 years prior to that study. The primary outcome was identification of an AAA, recorded in the findings narrative or impression of the CT scan report. Of 142 patients with both a CT scan and an AAA on ultrasound, 127 (89.4%) were noted to have an AAA in the report of a CT scan performed within the 3 years prior to the ultrasound. An additional 10 films demonstrated an AAA that was not mentioned in the report. The sensitivity of pre-existing CT scans for AAA screening was 97.2% (137/141) [95% CI: 93.4-99.0%]; 123 (86.6%) of these positive findings were reported in the findings narrative and 120 (84.5%) were reported in the radiologist's final impression. The sensitivity for AAA identification in the report of a pre-existing CT scan of the abdomen performed for alternate indications appears high enough to use as a screening test. When radiologists note an AAA, they should be sure to include it in the final impression.

Development of a multicomponent implementation strategy to reduce upper gastrointestinal bleeding risk in patients using warfarin and antiplatelet therapy, and protocol for a pragmatic multilevel randomized factorial pilot implementation trial.

BACKGROUND: The concomitant use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications increases the risk of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Two underused evidence-based practices (EBPs) can reduce the risk: de-prescribe unnecessary antiplatelet therapy or initiate a proton pump inhibitor. We describe the development of a multicomponent intervention to increase use of these EBPs in patients treated with warfarin and followed by an anticoagulation monitoring service (AMS), and the design of a pilot pragmatic implementation trial. METHODS: A participatory planning group iteratively used Implementation Mapping and the Multiphase Optimization Strategy to develop implementation strategies and plan the trial. Informed by qualitative interviews with patients and clinicians, we drew on several implementation science theories, as well as self-determination theory, to design interventions. For patients, we developed an activation guide to help patients discuss the EBPs with their clinicians. For clinicians, we developed two electronic health record (EHR)-based interventions: (1) clinician notification (CN) consists of a templated message that identifies a patient as high risk, summarizes the EBPs, and links to a guidance statement on appropriate use of antiplatelet therapy. (2) Clinician notification with nurse facilitation (CN+NF) consists of a similar notification message but includes additional measures by nursing staff to support appropriate and timely decision-making: the nurse performs a chart review to identify any history of vascular disease, embeds indication-specific guidance on antiplatelet therapy in the message, and offers to assist with medication order entry and patient education. We will conduct a pilot factorial cluster- and individual-level randomized controlled trial with a primary objective of evaluating feasibility. Twelve clinicians will be randomized to receive either CN or CN+NF for all their patients managed by the AMS while 50 patients will be individually randomized to receive either the activation guide or usual care. We will explore implementation outcomes using patient and clinician interviews along with EHR review. DISCUSSION: This pilot study will prepare us to conduct a larger optimization study to identify the most potent and resource conscious multicomponent implementation strategy to help AMSs increase the use of best practices for upper GI bleeding risk reduction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05085405 . Registered on October 19, 2021-retrospectively registered.

Improving preprocedure antithrombotic management: Implementation and sustainment of a best practice alert and pharmacist referral process.

BACKGROUND: Electronic medical record-based interventions such as best practice alerts, or reminders, have been proposed to improve evidence-based medication prescribing. Formal implementation evaluation including long-term sustainment are not commonly reported. Preprocedural medication management is often a complex issue for patients taking antithrombotic medications. METHODS: We implemented a best practice alert (BPA) that recommended referral to an anticoagulation clinic before outpatient elective gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopies. Eligible patients were taking an oral anticoagulant (warfarin or direct oral anticoagulant [DOAC]) and/or antiplatelet medications. Patients referred to the anticoagulation clinic were compared to those managed by the ordering provider. Outcomes assessed included guideline-adherent drug management before endoscopy, documentation of a medication management plan, guideline-adherent rates of bridging for high-risk patients taking warfarin, and evaluation for sustained use of BPA. RESULTS: Eighty percent of patients (553/691) were referred to the anticoagulation clinic during the initial 13-month study period. Most referrals came from gastroenterologists (397/553; 71.8%) followed by primary care providers (127/554; 22.9%). Patients referred had improved rates of guideline-adherent medication management compared to those who were not referred (97.4% vs 91.0%; P = .001). Documentation of medication plan was significantly higher in the referred group (99.1% vs 59.4%; P ≤ .001). There were no differences in rates of appropriate bridging for patients taking warfarin. Implementation of the BPA also resulted in sustained, consistent use over an additional 18 months following the initial study period. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a BPA before elective outpatient GI endoscopies was associated with improved rates of guideline-adherent medication management and documented management plan, while streamlining preprocedural medication management.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Clinical Learning Environment: Addressing Identified Gaps and Seizing Opportunities.

The clinical learning environment (CLE) encompasses the learner's personal characteristics and experiences, social relationships, organizational culture, and the institution's physical and virtual infrastructure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all 4 of these parts of the CLE have undergone a massive and rapid disruption. Personal and social communications have been limited to virtual interactions or shifted to unfamiliar clinical spaces because of redeployment. Rapid changes to the organizational culture required prompt adaptations from learners and educators in their complex organizational systems yet caused increased confusion and anxiety among them. A traditional reliance on a physical infrastructure for classical educational practices in the CLE was challenged when all institutions had to undergo a major transition to a virtual learning environment. However, disruptions spurred exciting innovations in the CLE. An entire cohort of physicians and learners underwent swift adjustments in their personal and professional development and identity as they rose to meet the clinical and educational challenges they faced due to COVID-19. Social networks and collaborations were expanded beyond traditional institutional walls and previously held international boundaries within multiple specialties. Specific aspects of the organizational and educational culture, including epidemiology, public health, and medical ethics, were brought to the forefront in health professions education, while the physical learning environment underwent a rapid transition to a virtual learning space. As health professions education continues in the era of COVID-19 and into a new era, educators must take advantage of these dynamic systems to identify additional gaps and implement meaningful change. In this article, health professions educators and learners from multiple institutions and specialties discuss the gaps and weaknesses exposed, opportunities revealed, and strategies developed for optimizing the CLE in the post-COVID-19 world.

Assessment of a Best Practice Alert and Referral Process for Preprocedure Antithrombotic Medication Management for Patients Undergoing Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Procedures.

Importance: Management of antithrombotic medications presents a challenge for many clinicians and patients before procedures. Anticoagulation clinic involvement may improve preprocedure coordination, satisfaction on the part of patients and clinicians, last-minute procedure cancellations, and patient safety. Objective: To assess the implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) best practice alert (BPA) and anticoagulation clinic referral process to assist with management of antithrombotic medication before gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multimodal evaluation of a quality improvement intervention using EMRs and survey data included patients using oral antithrombotic medications who were scheduled for elective gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures at an academic medical center along with the clinicians who ordered these procedures. Data were collected from November 1, 2017, through December 19, 2018. Data were analyzed in September 2019. Exposures: Following a multidisciplinary intervention, a BPA and referral process for periprocedural antithrombotic medication management was implemented in November 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: The following implementation outcomes were assessed through EMR review and surveys through December 2018: use of BPAs, patient and clinician satisfaction with preprocedure anticoagulation management, procedure cancelation rates, reach, and spread by patient and clinician characteristics. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate variance in BPA use at the clinician level. Results: A total of 2082 patients (mean [SD] age, 64.1 [11.9] years) and 144 clinicians were included in the analysis. The BPA was used broadly across the health system, resulting in anticoagulation clinic referral for 1389 patients (66.7%). Referral was more common for patients using anticoagulant vs antiplatelet medications (1041 of 1524 [68.3%] vs 346 of 556 [62.2%]; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.51; 95% CI, 1.15-1.98) and for procedures ordered by gastroenterologists vs primary care clinicians (933 of 1241 [75.2%] vs 365 of 618 [59.1%]; aOR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.46-3.17). Individual clinician behavior patterns explained 26.5% (95% CI, 18.7%-36.1%) of variation in anticoagulation clinic referrals. Implementation of the intervention was associated with high patient satisfaction and improvements in multidimensional measures of clinician satisfaction (clinician response rate, 44.2% [144 of 326]). In multivariable analysis, the odds of altered or canceled procedures because of medication mismanagement declined after implementation (8 of 50 [16.0%] vs 1 of 52 [1.9%]; aOR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.01-0.96; P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance: A newly implemented BPA and anticoagulation clinic referral process was broadly adopted and used, had high satisfaction by patients and clinicians, and was associated with fewer disruptions to planned procedures caused by medication mismanagement.

Ease of ordering high- and low-value services in various electronic health records.

OBJECTIVES: The use of electronic health record (EHR) systems by US clinicians is nearly ubiquitous. One motivation for EHR implementation is the ability to increase provider efficiency and improve patient-centered outcomes. There are no data examining how EHR design aligns with the ordering of high- and low-value clinical services. STUDY DESIGN: A survey of outpatient providers utilizing various EHR systems. METHODS: Five high-value and 5 low-value services that would typically be ordered in a primary care setting were identified. Providers using different EHR systems quantified the number of computer clicks required to order each service. RESULTS: Five unique EHR systems representing those used by nearly two-thirds of health systems were included. No correlation was found between the ease of EHR ordering and the value of the clinical service. Three of the 5 services that were easiest to order were low value, and 3 high-value services were among the most difficult to order. CONCLUSIONS: In EHR systems used nationwide, no association existed between the clinical value of a service and the ease of ordering. This disconnect suggests that EHR redesign can significantly improve clinician workflow to facilitate the use of more high-value care and fewer low-value services.

Are Providers Prepared to Engage Younger Women in Shared Decision-Making for Mammography?

BACKGROUND: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends providers engage women aged 40-49 years in shared decision-making (SDM) for mammography. This requires mammography knowledge, adequate time to discuss screening, and self-confidence in doing so. Yet, to date, no studies have assessed provider readiness to engage younger women in SDM. METHODS: An online survey of primary care providers was conducted in Cleveland in 2015. It inquired about knowledge of screening benefits and harms, including the impact of screening on mortality, risk of additional imaging, biopsy, overtreatment following screening, and likelihood of a true-positive result. Key knowledge was defined as accurate estimation of the impact of screening on mortality and risk of overtreatment. Respondents reported time typically spent with patients discussing mammography, self-assessed competence in engaging patients in screening discussions, and perspectives on SDM for mammography. RESULTS: Of 612 providers invited, 220 completed the survey (response rate: 36%). Knowledge of harms was low: 90% and 82% underestimated the risk of additional imaging or breast biopsy, respectively. Sixty-two percent correctly estimated screening's impact on mortality. The majority (83%) believed in SDM for mammography, yet, most (77%) spent less than 5 minutes with patients discussing screening. Of those who believed in SDM, only 10% had key mammography knowledge and also felt highly competent at engaging women in screening discussions. CONCLUSIONS: Most providers in our sample were inadequately equipped to engage women in SDM for mammography. Broad-based efforts are needed to increase the capacity of providers to engage younger women in decision-making.

Adult Onset Still's Disease Associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.

Adult Onset Still's Disease (AOSD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder that can be associated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare but potentially fatal disease of overactive histiocytes and lymphocytes. We present a unique case of AOSD complicated by Mycoplasma pneumonia infection and HLH. A 28-year-old female developed joint pains followed by a diffuse, erythematous, pruritic skin rash that quickly spread throughout the body. The patient deteriorated and developed fever, chills, cough, and dyspnea and had to be intubated. She had hypoalbuminemia, elevated liver enzymes, a very high serum ferritin level, positive anti-Mycoplasma pneumonia IgG and IgM antibodies, and normal rheumatoid factor and anti-nuclear antibodies. The chest X-ray showed diffuse bilateral infiltrates. Bone marrow biopsy revealed hemophagocytosis. The patient was treated with azithromycin, methylprednisolone, and anakinra and was discharged home on cyclosporine and prednisone. This case highlights that patients can develop features of both AOSD and HLH at the beginning of the disease and early diagnosis and treatment increase the likelihood of recovery.

Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms in outpatient primary care clinics.

BACKGROUND: The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines recommend one-time abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound screening for men aged 65 to 75 years who ever smoked. Reported screening rates have been 13% to 26% but did not include computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and nonaortic abdominal ultrasound, which provide adequate visualization of the aorta. The objective of this study was to evaluate rates of screening performed intentionally with ultrasound and incidentally with other abdominal imaging, determine rates of redundant screening, and evaluate patient and physician characteristics associated with screening. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of patient encounters in 2007 and 2012 to determine abdominal aortic aneurysm screening trends in primary care practices. Participants included all patients who were seen in a primary care office and were eligible for screening by USPSTF guidelines. The primary outcome was percentage of eligible patients screened for abdominal aortic aneurysm by ultrasound or other abdominal imaging. RESULTS: There were 15,120 patients eligible for screening in 2007, and 22,355 in 2012. Screening with ultrasounds increased from 3.6% in 2007 to 9.2% in 2012. Screening with any imaging that included the aorta increased from 31% in 2007 to 41% in 2012. Of 2595 screening ultrasounds performed in either cohort, 800 (31%) were performed on patients who had already undergone another imaging modality. Of 153 physicians who had >50 eligible patients, rates of abdominal aortic aneurysm screening ranged from 7.5% to 79% (median 39%, interquartile range 31%-47%), and rates of ultrasound screening ranged from 0% to 47% (median 6.3%, interquartile range 3.6%-11.4%). Physician characteristics positively associated with screened patients included female sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-1.54), specialty (Internal Medicine vs Family Medicine: OR 1.32; 95% CI, 1.14-1.54), and location (academic medical center vs family health center: OR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.04-1.62). CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening rates remain below 50%, but are improving over time. Screening by individual physicians varied widely, indicating substantial opportunity for educational interventions. Most abdominal aortic aneurysm screening is completed incidentally, and some patients later undergo unnecessary ultrasound screening. Before ordering screening, physicians and electronic health record-based reminder tools should ensure that the aorta has not been previously visualized.