A scoping review of empathy recognition in text using natural language processing.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a scoping review of studies on empathy recognition in text using natural language processing (NLP) that can inform an approach to identifying physician empathic communication over patient portal messages. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched 6 databases to identify relevant studies published through May 1, 2023. The study selection was conducted through a title screening, an abstract review, and a full-text review. Our process followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. RESULTS: Of the 2446 publications identified from our searches, 39 studies were selected for the final review, which summarized: (1) definitions and context of empathy, (2) data sources and tested models, and (3) model performance. Definitions of empathy varied in their specificity to the context and setting of the study. The most common settings in which empathy was studied were reactions to news stories, health-related social media forums, and counseling sessions. We also observed an expected shift in methods used that coincided with the introduction of transformer-based models. DISCUSSION: Aspects of the current approaches taken across various domains may be translatable to communication over a patient portal. However, the specific barriers to identifying empathic communication in this context are unclear. While modern NLP methods appear to be able to handle empathy-related tasks, challenges remain in precisely defining and measuring empathy in text. CONCLUSION: Existing work that has attempted to measure empathy in text using NLP provides a useful basis for future studies of patient-physician asynchronous communication, but consideration for the conceptualization of empathy is needed.

Prevalence and Predictors of Distal Symmetric Polyneuropathy in Patients with HIV/AIDS not on Highly Active Anti Retroviral Therapy (HAART).

INTRODUCTION: HIV/AIDS is a chronic multisystem disease and about 70% develop neurologic complications (including distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN) any time during their life. DSPN is also a very common toxicity of drugs used to treat HIV infection. Little is known about the impact of HIV per se or other factors (apart from drugs) on the occurrence of DSPN in these patients. METHODS: It was a cross sectional, observational study, done at the department of Medicine, PGIMER, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India. Ninety consecutive 18-40 years old HIV infected but treatment naïve (ART naïve) cases and 30 age and sex matched healthy controls were recruited for this study. RESULTS: Out of 90 cases, 12 (13.4%) had DSPN (8 males and 4 females). The mean CD4 counts of these cases with and without DSPN was 294.73/µl and 370.84/µl respectively. Only 3 out of these 12 cases were symptomatic on presentation and rest nine were diagnosed on NCV study. No control had abnormal NCV. Presence of DSPN was found to be directly associated with infection with HIV per se (p<0.001) along with duration of HIV infection (p<0.01) and level of immunodeficiency (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that DSPN is already present in 13.4% of treatment naive patients with HIV/AIDS and even with milder immunodeficiency and at early stages of disease. Not only HAART but HIV by itself is a major causative risk factor for DSPN in these patients.

Association Between Specialist Office Visits and Health Expenditures in Accountable Care Organizations.

Importance: Accountable care organizations (ACOs) aim to control health expenditures while improving quality of care. Primary care has been emphasized as a means to reduce spending, but little is known about the implications of using specialists for achieving this ACO objective. Objective: To examine the association between ACO-beneficiary office visits conducted by specialists and the cost and utilization outcomes of those visits. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study obtained data on 620 distinct ACOs from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations Public-Use Files from April 1, 2012, to September 30, 2017. Generalized estimating equation models were used for analysis of ACOs, adjusting for ACO-beneficiary health status, Medicare enrollment groups, ACO size, and proportion of participating specialists. Exposures: Specialist encounter proportion, the percentage of office visits provided by a specialist, was categorized into 7 discrete groups: less than 35%, 35% to less than 40%, 40% to less than 45% (reference group), 45% to less than 50%, 50% to less than 55%, 55% to less than 60%, and 60% or greater. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was total expenditures (given in US dollars) per assigned beneficiary person-year. The secondary outcomes were total numbers of emergency department visits, hospital discharges, skilled nursing facility discharges, and magnetic resonance imaging orders. Results: In total, the data set included 1836 ACO-year (number of participation years per ACO) observations for 620 distinct ACOs. Those ACOs with a specialist encounter proportion of 40% to less than 45% had $1129 (95% CI, $445-$1814) lower per-beneficiary person-year spending than did ACOs in the lowest specialist encounter proportion group and had $752 (95% CI, $115-$1389) lower per-beneficiary person-year spending compared with ACOs in the highest specialist encounter proportion group. Monotonic decreases in emergency department visits, hospital discharges, and skilled nursing facility discharges were observed with increasing specialist encounter proportion. Conversely, monotonic increases in magnetic resonance imaging volume discharges were observed with increasing specialist encounter proportion. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that an ACO's ability to reduce spending may require sufficient involvement in care processes from specialists, who seem to complement the intrinsic primary care approach in ACOs.

Performance of Xpert MTB/RIF on Ascitic Fluid Samples for Detection of Abdominal Tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis (TB) from ascitic fluid samples using routinely available diagnostic methods is challenging due to its paucibacillary nature. Although performance of Xpert MTB/RIF assay has been evaluated extensively on pulmonary samples, its performance on extrapulmonary samples is still under evaluation. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to find out the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF on ascitic fluid samples obtained from suspected cases of abdominal TB. Performance was compared with Mycobacterium growth indicator tube-960 (MGIT-960) culture and in-house multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The latter detects and differentiates Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria simultaneously. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-seven patients suspected of probable/possible abdominal TB were included in this observational, prospective study. All samples were tested by Ziehl-Neelsen staining, MGIT-960 culture, in-house multiplex PCR, and Xpert MTB/RIF assay. RESULTS: All 67 samples were smear negative. Seventeen (25.4%) were MGIT-960 culture positive while 12 (17.9%) were detected positive by the Xpert MTB/RIF assay and 9 (13.4%) by in-house multiplex PCR. Sensitivity and specificity of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay compared with the MGIT-960 culture were 70.6% (95%, confidence interval [CI]: 44.1-89.7) and 100% (95%, CI: 92.8-100) and that of in-house multiplex PCR were 52.9% (95%, CI: 30.9-73.8) and 100% (95%, CI: 92.8-100), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic yield of Xpert MTB/RIF assay on ascitic fluid samples was lower than MGIT-960 culture. We thus emphasize on the need for urgent discovery of new biomarkers for paucibacillary TB.

Altered Sensorium in a Young Male: Marchiafava Bignami Disease Revisited.

Marchiafava Bignami disease (MBD) is a rare and devastating complication of chronic alcoholism. Degeneration of the corpus callosum is the hallmark feature of MBD. Early diagnosis of MBD by its typical "Sandwich Sign" on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Prompt institution of treatment and strict alcohol abstinence can cause regression of changes and hence, clinical improvement. Here we report the case of a young chronic alcoholic male admitted with altered sensorium and his further course in ward.

Extra-Pontine Myelinolysis in a Case of Pan-hypopituitarism Due to Empty Sella Syndrome.

Rapid correction of hyponatremia is known to cause central pontine myelinolysis (CPM). It may concurrently involve other areas of brain as well, referred as extra-pontine myelinolysis (EPM). Isolated EPM however is a very rare occurrence. We present a case of EPM where the hyponatremia was secondary to hypothyroidism due to empty sella syndrome. Chronic hyponatremia should always be corrected slowly to avoid such osmotic myelinolysis syndromes (OMS).

Allopurinol Induced DRESS Syndrome.

A 45 years old female on allopurinol for 3 months presented with itching, rash, facial oedema and eosinophilia with hepatic and renal dysfunction. Skin biopsy revealed interface dermatitis, suggesting the diagnosis of DRESS (Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms) syndrome.

Superior Vena Cava Syndrome Associated with Right-to-Left Shunt through Systemic-to-Pulmonary Venous Collaterals

Superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction is associated with the gradual development of venous collaterals. We present a rare form of systemic-to-pulmonary subpleural collateral pathway that developed in the bridging subpleural pulmonary veins in a 54-year-old woman with complete SVC obstruction. This uncommon collateral pathway represents a rare form of acquired right-to-left shunt due to previous pleural adhesions with an increased risk of stroke due to right-to-left venous shunting, which requires lifelong anticoagulation.

Incidence and outcome of ventilator associated pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the commonest infection acquired in intensive care unit. VAP is associated with increased patients mortality and morbidity. Many cases of VAP may be prevented by simple preventive strategies. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To note the incidence and outcome of patients with VAP. METHOD AND MATERIAL: Total 203 Patients, admitted over the period of 6 months from 1st July 2010 to 31st December 2010, requiring mechanical ventilator were studied. Disease profile and demography of the patients were studied. Ventilator associated complications were noted by treating intensivists. Mini brochoalveolar lavage were sent for culture and sensitivity testing. Incidence of VAP in patients with ALI (Acute lung injury) and ARDS (acute respiratory distress Syndrome) and without ALI and ARDS were noted. We also noted the incidence of other common complications like barotraumas and deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism. RESULTS: A total of 203 patients were studied. Undifferentiated fever was the commonest diagnosis followed by malaria in our patients. 49 patients required mechanical ventilation for acute lung injury and 110 patients required for acute respiratory distress syndrome due to variety of etiologies. VAP developed in 19 of total patients. CONCLUSIONS: Careful monitoring, MiniBAL sample surveillance and implementation of VAP bundles are important in preventing and for early diagnosis of complications of mechanical ventilators. Non Invasive Ventilation is associated with far less complications as compared to invasive ventilators.