Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Jul 2021
Multicenter StudyA Multicenter Curricular Intervention to Address Resident Knowledge and Perceptions of Personal Finance.
We evaluated internal medicine residents' confidence and knowledge of personal finance, perceptions of burnout, and relations between these issues before and after an educational intervention. ⋯ Our findings show that residents want to learn about finances. Our brief educational intervention is a practical way to improve overall knowledge. Our intervention suggests that improving knowledge of finance may be associated with decreased feelings of burnout.
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Southern medical journal · Jul 2021
Observational StudyOutcomes of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Improve with Obesity: A Rural Appalachian Experience.
Obesity can be an independent predictor of fibrosis in tissues, including the liver, heart, and skin. We evaluated a rural Appalachian cohort of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) for its relation to obesity. ⋯ Our study represents a first known effort to develop an IPF cohort in a rural Appalachian region. Although they shared an increased burden of comorbidities, the obese subgroup showed less advanced fibrosis with a lower mortality rate relative to nonobese subgroup, suggesting a potential "obesity paradox" in IPF. The study findings significantly advance our understanding of challenges posed by IPF in a rural population that also suffers from an alarming rate of obesity. We highlight the need for the multidisciplinary management of these patients and prospective studies to better define this complex relation.
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Southern medical journal · Jul 2021
HIT-It or Quit It: Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Testing Appropriateness Using 4T Scoring and Inappropriate Testing Cost Analysis.
The American Society of Hematology's 4T scoring system is a validated tool to assess a patient's probability of having heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) before testing is performed. There is no benefit to testing patients with a low probability 4T score for HIT. This study aimed to assess for inappropriate HIT testing at our institution based on 4T scoring. ⋯ Inappropriate testing for HIT is still a prevalent issue despite literature supporting the 4T score for guidance in testing appropriateness.
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Southern medical journal · Jul 2021
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Incidence of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer in Florida by Histology, 2001-2015: Analysis of Trends.
Because the population in Florida is 25.6% Hispanic, it is possible to evaluate the influence of race and ethnicity within clinically relevant subgroups of women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), including histology and tumor grade. This study explores racial/ethnic disparities in the incidence of EOC in Florida by histology and tumor grade. ⋯ We found significant declines in the incidence of EOC for all races/ethnicities, but not for high-grade EOC. The observed incidence decline in Hispanic women differs from previous research. More research is needed to understand women the causes of overall racial/ethnic differences and the decline in EOC.