Evaluation of augmented reality technology in global urologic surgery.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced opportunities for surgical skill sharing between high-income and low to middle-income countries. Augmented reality (AR) technology allows mentors in one country to virtually train a mentee in another country during surgical cases without international travel. We hypothesize that AR technology is an effective live surgical training and mentorship modality. METHODS: Three senior urologic surgeons in the US and UK worked with four urologic surgeon trainees across the continent of Africa using AR systems. Trainers and trainees individually completed post-operative questionnaires evaluating their experience. RESULTS: Trainees rated the quality of virtual training as equivalent to in-person training in 83% of cases (N = 5 of 6 responses). Trainers reported the technology's visual quality as "acceptable" in 67% of cases (N = 12 of 18 responses). The audiovisual capabilities of the technology had a "high" impact in the majority of the cases. CONCLUSION: AR technology can effectively facilitate surgical training when in-person training is limited or unavailable.

The utility of prostate MRI within active surveillance: description of the evidence.

PURPOSE: We present an overview of the literature regarding the use of MRI in active surveillance of prostate cancer. METHODS: Both MEDLINE® and Cochrane Library were queried up to May 2020 for studies of men on active surveillance with MRI and later confirmatory biopsy. The terms studied were 'prostate cancer' as the anchor followed by two of the following: active surveillance, surveillance, active monitoring, MRI, NMR, magnetic resonance imaging,  MRI, and multiparametric MRI. Studies were excluded if pathologic reclassification (GG1 → ≥ GG2) and PI-RADS or equivalent was not reported. RESULTS: Within active surveillance, baseline MRI is effective for identifying clinically significant prostate cancer and thus associated with fewer reclassification events. A positive initial MRI (≥ PI-RADS 3) with GG1 identified at biopsy has a positive predictive value (PPV) of 35-40% for reclassification by 3 years. MRI possessed a stronger negative predictive value, with a negative MRI (≤ PI-RADS 2) yielding a negative predictive value of up to 85% at 3 years. Surveillance MRI, obtained after initial biopsy, yielded a PPV of 11-65% and NPV of 85-95% for reclassification. CONCLUSION: MRI is useful for initial risk stratification of prostate cancer in men on active surveillance, especially if MRI is negative when imaging is obtained during surveillance. While useful, MRI cannot replace biopsy and further research is necessary to fully integrate MRI into active surveillance.

Social Determinants of Kidney Stone Disease: The Impact of Race, Income and Access on Urolithiasis Treatment and Outcomes.

The medical and surgical management of kidney stones is one of the most common functions of the urologist. Management choices are often nuanced, involving the decision to embark on one surgical plan among several options. As the wider medical community critically evaluates the care we provide to an increasingly diverse population, it will be important to examine patient outcomes with a particular focus on ensuring equitable care. This review examines the influence of social parameters on the care of kidney stone patients. The dearth of literature in this area warrants rigorous studies on the relationship between race as well as socioeconomic status and the management of kidney stone disease.

Predictors of Research Assessment Completion in a Latino Sample with Dual Disorders.

Latinos are underrepresented in clinical trials, where they encounter challenges in participation and a lack of effective recruitment and retention strategies. For Latino migrants with mental health and substance use problems, these challenges are even greater. Analyzing results from a multicenter randomized clinical trial for Latino migrants with mental health and substance use problems in Boston, Massachusetts, USA as well as Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, we describe six retention strategies used to facilitate participant engagement in follow-up assessments, and report the sociodemographic, clinical, and educational factors associated with research assessment completion. Among 341 randomized participants, 77% completed the 12-month follow-up and 75% completed at least 3 of the 4 follow-up assessments. Having a high school diploma, being recruited at community centers versus other sites, and having a less severe mental health condition were significantly associated with completing more follow-up interviews. Rigorous and customized methods reflecting participant's individual context can bolster research assessment completion for diverse Latino populations with behavioral health concerns.

The effect of minority status and social context on the development of depression and anxiety: a longitudinal study of Puerto Rican descent youth.

Few longitudinal studies have explored to date whether minority status in disadvantaged neighborhoods conveys risk for negative mental health outcomes, and the mechanisms possibly leading to such risk. We investigated how minority status influences four developmental mental health outcomes in an ethnically homogeneous sample of Puerto Rican youth. We tested models of risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depressive and anxiety symptoms (DAS), and psychological distress, as Puerto Rican youth (aged 5-13 years) transitioned to early adulthood (15-29 years) in two sites, one where they grew up as a majority (the island of Puerto Rico), and another where they were part of a minority group (South Bronx, New York). At baseline, a stratified sample of 2,491 Puerto Rican youth participated from the two sites. After baseline assessment (Wave 1), each youth participant and one caregiver were assessed annually for two years, for a total of three time points (Waves 1-3). From April 2013 to August 2017, participants were contacted for a Wave 4 interview, and a total of 2,004 young people aged 15 to 29 years participated in the assessment (response rate adjusted for eligibility = 82.8%). Using a quasi-experimental design, we assessed impacts of minority status on MDD, GAD, DAS and psychological distress. Via mediation analyses, we explored potential mechanisms underlying the observed relationships. Data from 1,863 Puerto Rican youth (after exclusion of those with MDD or GAD during Waves 1-3) indicated links between minority status and higher rates of lifetime and past-year GAD, DAS and past 30-day psychological distress at Wave 4, and a marginal trend for MDD, even after adjustments. Childhood social support and peer relationships partially explained the differences, as did intercultural conflict, neighborhood discrimination, and unfair treatment in young adulthood. The experience of growing up as a minority, as defined by context, seemingly elevates psychiatric risks, with differences in social relationships and increased social stress as mediators of this relationship. Our findings suggest that interventions at the neighborhood context rather than at the individual level might be important levers to reduce risks for the development of mood disorders in minority youth.