Hawaii medical journal
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Hawaii medical journal · Jun 2010
Designing a cultural competency curriculum: asking the stakeholders.
The design of a cultural competency curriculum can be challenging. The 2002 Institute of Medicine report, Unequal Treatment, challenged medical schools to integrate cross-cultural education into the training of all current and future health professionals. However, there is no current consensus on how to do this. The Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the John A. Burns School of Medicine formed a Cultural Competency Curriculum Development team that was charged with developing a curriculum for the medical school to address Native Hawaiian health disparities. By addressing cultural competency training of physicians, the team is hoping to help decrease the health disparities found in Native Hawaiians. Prior attempts to address culture at the time consisted of conferences sponsored by the Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence for faculty and clinicians and Problem Based Learning cases that have imbedded cultural issues. ⋯ Cultural competency or sensitivity training was important to patients, students and physicians. The focus group data is being used to help guide the development of the Department of Native Hawaiian Health's cultural competency curriculum.
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Hawaii medical journal · Jun 2010
Splenic rupture: a case of massive hemoperitoneum following therapeutic colonoscopy.
Colonoscopies are usually regarded as safe procedures with low complication rates and are recommended for anyone over the age of fifty for colon cancer screening. Splenic rupture is a rare complication of colonoscopy with few reported cases in the English literature. We present the only reported case of such a complication in the state of Hawai'i and the 44th reported case in the English literature. Physicians need to be more aware of the possibility of splenic rupture following colonoscopy to avoid delay of diagnosis and treatment of this life-threatening complication.
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Hawaii medical journal · Jun 2010
Perceptions and use of complementary and alternative medicine in American Samoa: a survey of health care providers.
American Samoa health care providers' use and perceptions of common complementary and alternative treatments, with a focus on traditional Samoan healing for women diagnosed with breast cancer or cervical cancer, was investigated to inform the development of the first locally produced women's cancer prevention radio drama and the first cancer patient navigator program in the US Territory. ⋯ CAM use is likely to continue in American Samoa as long as health care deficiencies exist. Most American Samoa health care professionals accept common CAM in the United States, but local providers are more likely to endorse traditional healing methods than their mainland counterparts. Little is known of the impact different CAM have on quality of life, especially amongst cancer patients. The majority of American Samoa health care providers request more information about tradition al healing which would facilitate more comprehensive medical documentation and patient care.
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Hawaii medical journal · Mar 2010
Case ReportsA case of septic arthritis from rat-bite fever in Hawai'i.
Infection associated with a rat bite has been known for centuries. Streptobacillus moniliformis is a zoonotic organism identified in the 20th century as the causative agent of most cases of rat bite fever outside of mainland Asia. There are no previously published cases of this pathogen in Hawai'i. ⋯ Diagnosis of infection from Streptobacillus moniliformis is difficult to make because of the fastidious nature of the organism's growth, as well as inhibitors present in standard blood culture bottles. The use of bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing may aid in an earlier diagnosis for this disease. More research is required to identify host and virulence risk factors for involvement of specific organ systems.
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Hawaii medical journal · Dec 2009
Comparative StudySlippers and a white coat? (Hawai'i physician attire study).
To ascertain patient preference regarding physician attire in Hawai'i, based on a sampling of patients at the Physician Center at Mililani (PCM), and to compare the findings with studies of patients in the continental United States. ⋯ Patients in Hawai'i, according to this small study, differ in many respects from their mainland counterparts. More casual forms of dress are generally accepted, and the white medical coat is actually NOT preferred, by a small majority. More extremes in casual attire, such as shorts and slippers were not approved as appropriate physician attire by the majority of Hawai'i patients in this study.