Journal of general internal medicine
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Recent literature has suggested racial disparities in Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AΩA) selection and raised concerns about its effects on the learning environment. Internal reviews at multiple institutions have led to changes in selection practices or suspension of student chapters; in October 2020, the national AΩA organization provided guidance to address these concerns. ⋯ This single-institution survey demonstrated significant student concerns regarding AΩA selection fairness and effects on the learning environment. Many critiques extended beyond AΩA itself, instead focusing on the perceived magnification of existing disparities in the learning environment. As the national conversation about AΩA continues, engaging student voices in the discussion is critical.
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The WHO ordinal severity scale has been used to predict mortality and guide trials in COVID-19. However, it has its limitations. ⋯ The present study proposes a new severity grading scale for COVID-19 hospitalized patients. In our opinion, it is the most informative, representative, and predictive scale in COVID-19 patients to date.
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Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly prevalent but underrecognized and undertreated in primary care settings. Alcohol Symptom Checklists can engage patients and providers in discussions of AUD-related care. However, the performance of Alcohol Symptom Checklists when they are used in routine care and documented in electronic health records (EHRs) remains unevaluated. ⋯ Alcohol Symptom Checklists used in routine care discriminated AUD severity consistently with current definitions of AUD and performed equitably across age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Integrating symptom checklists into routine care may help inform clinical decision-making around diagnosing and managing AUD.
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New bone-directed therapies, including denosumab, abaloparatide, and romosozumab, emerged during the past decade, and recent trends in use of these therapies are unknown. ⋯ Rates of denosumab use outpaced growth of all other bone-directed therapies over the past decade. Treatment rates after osteoporotic fractures were low and declined over time, highlighting major failings in osteoporosis treatment in the US.