Evaluation of Reliability Between Race and Ethnicity Data Obtained from Self-report Versus Electronic Health Record.

INTRODUCTION: Disparities based on perceived race and ethnicity exist in all fields of medicine. Accurate data collection is crucial to addressing these disparities, yet few studies have evaluated the validity of data gathered. This study compares self-reported race and ethnicity data, considered the gold standard, with data documented in the electronic health record (EHR), to assess the validity of that data. METHODS: Data from self-reported questionnaires was collected from adolescents admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit from February 2019 to July 2022. Demographic questionnaires were self-administered as part of a larger battery completed during the admission process. Data was compared to demographic information collected from the hospital's EHR for the same patients and time. RESULTS: In a sample of 1191 patients (ages 11-18, 61.9% female, 89% response rate), substantial agreement was observed for Hispanic ethnicity (κ = 0.64), while agreement for specific racial groups ranged from slight to substantial (κ = 0.10-0.63). In addition, it was noted that there was discrepancy between multiracial identification, with 17.1% of patients identifying as more than one race in self-reported data compared to 3.1% in EHR data. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this data set highlight the need for caution when using EHR data to draw conclusions about health disparities. It also suggests that the method of data collection meaningfully influences the responses patients provide. Addressing these challenges is essential for advancing equitable healthcare and mitigating disparities among patients.

Associations of Restraint and Seclusion With Race and Ethnicity on an Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry Service.

There is limited work examining the association of race and ethnicity with restraint and seclusion (R/S) in pediatric inpatient psychiatric units. The present study assessed risk of R/S by race and ethnicity based on a retrospective review of electronic medical records (EMRs) from an adolescent inpatient psychiatric service. Demographic, diagnostic, and R/S data were analyzed for all 1,865 admissions of 1,327 patients from an adolescent unit at a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital from June 2018 to June 2021. R/S occurred in 459 of the admissions. For the purpose of patient privacy and statistical analysis, race was grouped into the following: Black or African American, other (American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, multiracial, other), and White. Patients identified as unknown were not included in the analysis. A binary logistic regression with a repeated subject effect regressed R/S onto race and adjusted for age, gender, and length of stay (LOS). There was an overall significant association of R/S and race (χ22 = 16.81, p < .001), but not ethnicity. In a regression model adjusted for age, gender, and LOS, patients identified as Black or African American were at significantly higher risk of R/S compared with patients identified as White (odds ratio = 1.66, p = .036). There was no significant difference in risk of R/S between patients identified as White vs other. Younger age and longer LOS were also significantly associated with R/S. These findings highlight a critical health care disparity related to race on an inpatient adolescent psychiatry service. There is likely a combination of individual and systemic factors leading to discriminatory practices in the use of R/S. Future work will assess potential associations with diagnosis and child welfare involvement and will examine additional characteristics of R/S. Focus groups held with hospital and community stakeholders will guide next steps to address these findings.

Adapting Teaching to the Clinical Setting.

Adapting teaching to the clinical setting is most successful when the teacher and trainee are able to work alongside of each other allowing the cognitive apprenticeship model to be embraced. Six tools of experiential learning as components of this framework are described including scaffolding, modeling, coaching/supervision, articulation, reflection, and exploration. These tools provide useful guidance for supervisors to teach in clinical settings. Inherent in this process is the concept of validation of the trainees and includes the importance of supervisors cultivating nonjudgmental acceptance of themselves. Optimal teaching and learning in the clinical environment requires investment of time and resources.

Elemental mercury poisoning presenting as hypertension in a young child.

Mercury intoxication is an uncommon cause of hypertension in children and can mimic several other diseases, such as pheochromocytoma and vasculitis. Mercury intoxication can present as a diagnostic challenge because levels of catecholamines may be elevated, suggesting that the etiology is a catecholamine-secreting tumor. Once acrodynia is identified as a primary symptom, a 24-hour urine mercury level can confirm the diagnosis. Inclusion of mercury intoxication in the differential diagnosis early on can help avoid unnecessary and invasive diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions. We discuss a case of mercury intoxication in a 3-year-old girl presenting with hypertension and acrodynia, without a known history of exposure. Chelation therapy successfully treated our patient's mercury intoxication. However, it was also necessary to concurrently treat her hypertension and the pain associated with her acrodynia. Because there were no known risk factors for mercury poisoning in this case, and because ritual use of mercury is common in much of the United States, we recommend high clinical suspicion and subsequent testing in all cases of acrodynia.