Resident and Faculty Attitudes Toward Osteopathic-Focused Education.

CONTEXT: The transition period for the single accreditation system for graduate medical education under the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) began on July 1, 2015, and will end June 30, 2020. As of February 5, 2018, 82.6% of residency programs accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) have applied for or achieved ACGME accreditation and 160 programs have applied for or achieved osteopathic recognition. OBJECTIVE: To assess baseline attitudes of osteopathic and allopathic faculty and residents in AOA-accredited and dually accredited residency programs regarding the value of osteopathic-focused educational curricula and mentors. METHODS: A survey was emailed to 60 program directors of AOA-accredited programs and dually accredited residency programs, some of which had obtained ACGME osteopathic recognition. The survey was to be completed by residents and faculty. Items were formulated to obtain baseline measurements regarding the level of awareness of osteopathic principles and practice (OPP), attitudes regarding osteopathic culture, and the weighted importance of aspects of the osteopathic curriculum. Principal components analysis with Varimax rotation was used. Comparison analysis was accomplished by either independent t tests for subscale scores or Mann-Whitney U tests for item-level scores. RESULTS: A total of 327 people responded to the survey (115 faculty members, 211 residents, and 1 no response). Of the 60 program directors contacted, 53 replied with at least 1 program representative. One hundred twenty-nine of all 211 residents (61.7%), including 107 of 134 osteopathic family medicine residents (79.9%), agreed that they intended to use OMT when in practice. The curricular component item with the lowest total survey score, indicating the highest-ranked level of importance, was the ability to work with osteopathic faculty (mean [SD], 1.98 [0.98]). Of the items measuring osteopathic awareness, statements with the strongest level of agreement from all respondents were "I have seen OMT performed on a patient or a peer" and "I am familiar with the basic tenets of OPP." CONCLUSION: Residents in AOA-accredited programs value osteopathic mentors and OMT, and they generally intend to use OMT when in practice. Respondents from programs with osteopathic recognition had more favorable attitudes toward osteopathic culture and curriculum than did respondents from programs without osteopathic recognition.

The "Magic Triangle" Foundation to Effective Use of Information Technology in the Exam Room.

The computer has become an integral part of the exam room and plays an important role in provider-patient interaction. The special arrangement of the provider-patient and computer as well as the provider's computer skills and hardware knowledge play a pivotal role in patient satisfaction, engagement and productivity. Patient satisfaction and engagement play an ever increasing role as medicine migrates to value-based reimbursement. How a physician uses the computer and interacts with patients in the exam room can encourage or discourage participation. Many physicians practice in rooms ill designed for optimal computer use. Learning how to adapt and incorporate the computer is a key patient interaction skill required of all clinicians. This paper discusses the research supporting this activity and describes how we are attempting to teach this to resident physicians in our practice.

In a safety net population HPV4 vaccine adherence worsens as BMI increases.

OBJECTIVES: Obesity adversely inhibits antibody response to vaccination. Three doses of HPV4 may or may not provide adequate long term protection against HPV 16/18 in obese females. The aim of this study was to determine whether adherence to HPV4 vaccination in a safety net population was reduced with increasing body mass index (BMI). METHODS: We designed a historical prospective study evaluating the number and dates of HPV4 dosing that occurred from July 1, 2006 through October 1, 2009 by the demographic characteristics of the 10-26 year old recipient females. The defined dosing intervals were adapted from the literature and obesity categories were defined by the WHO. RESULTS: 1240 females with BMI measurements received at least one dose of HPV4; 38% were obese (class I, II and III) and 25% were overweight. Females with normal BMI received on-time triplet dosing significantly more often than did the obese class II and III females (30% vs. 18%, p<0.001). Obese class II/III females have a significant 45% less chance of completing the on-time triplet HPV4 series than normal women (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.83). Pregnancy history has a significant influence on BMI and HPV4 dosing compliance in this safety net population where 71% had been gravid. Hispanic females were less likely to complete HPV4 dosing regardless of BMI (aOR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.95). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity, as well as gravidity and Hispanic race, are risk factors for lack of HPV4 vaccine adherence among young females in a safety net population.

Urban and rural safety net health care system clinics: no disparity in HPV4 vaccine completion rates.

OBJECTIVE: Safety net health care centers in the US serve vulnerable and underinsured females. The primary aim of this work was to determine if HPV4 dosing compliance differs between females who receive doses at rural vs. urban core safety net health care locations. METHODS: Females exclusively receiving health care in the Truman Medical Center (TMC) safety net system at the urban core and rural locations were identified by their HPV4 vaccine records. Dates and number of HPV4 doses as well as age, gravidity, parity and race/ethnicity were recorded from the electronic medical record (EMR). Appropriate HPV4 dosing intervals were referenced from the literature. RESULTS: 1259 females, 10-26 years of age, received HPV4 vaccination at either the rural (23%) or urban core location (77%). At the rural location, 23% received three doses on time, equal to the 24% at the urban core. Females seen in the urban core were more likely to receive on-time doublet dosing than on-time triplet dosing (82% vs. 67%, p<0.001). Mistimed doses occurred equally often among females receiving only two doses, as well as those receiving three doses. CONCLUSIONS: Compliance with on-time HPV4 triplet dose completion was low at rural and urban core safety net health clinics, but did not differ by location.

The influence of free quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV4) on the timely completion of the three dose series.

OBJECTIVE: Economic incentives can positively influence social determinants to improve the health care of the uninsured and underserved populations. The aim of this study was to determine if free HPV4 vaccine would lead to on-time series completion in our safety net health care system in the US Midwest. METHODS: A nested retrospective cohort study of females receiving HPV4 vaccine between 2006 and 2009 was conducted. Patient characteristics and payor source for each of the three HPV4 doses were abstracted from electronic records. Logistic regression was used to predict on-time completion rates. RESULTS: The proportion of adolescent and adult females completing three on-time HPV4 doses was equal (21% (28/136) vs. 18% (66/358), respectively) from among the 494 females receiving 927 HPV4 doses in this study. No adolescent receiving free HPV4 vaccine completed three doses. Grant sponsorship of at least one HPV4 dose among adults did not predict three dose on-time completion (OR=1.56, 95%CI: 0.80, 3.06). Neither was adult grant sponsorship of HPV4 significant when analyzing exclusive payor sources vs. a combination of payor sources (OR=0.72, 95%CI: 0.10, 5.17). CONCLUSIONS: Free HPV4 vaccine does not influence the on-time completion rates among adults.

Quantifying clinical HPV4 dose inefficiencies in a safety net population.

PURPOSE: HPV4 is the most expensive vaccine requiring three appropriately timed doses to provide maximal efficacy against two oncogenic HPV types. The primary purpose of this study is to quantify the use of HPV4 vaccine in a safety net health care system in terms of its inefficiencies. METHODS: A retrospective study of HPV4 dosing from 2006-2009, among females 10-26 years old who sought care in a safety net health care system was conducted to determine dose usage patterns among those at highest risk for cervical cancer. Dose descriptors abstracted from the electronic medical record (EMR) included timing and number in series as well as characteristics of the person to whom and visit at which the dose was given. Dose inefficiencies were separated into "less than three doses" and "mistimed doses" for analysis. RESULTS: The majority (66%) of HPV4 doses administered were insufficient to induce the maximal immune response necessary for HPV infection prevention. Among on-time doses, 58% were singleton or doublet doses. Mistimed doses accounted for 19% of all doses administered with late intervals being more common than early intervals among those receiving more than one dose (9% vs. 4%, p<0.001). Third doses were mistimed twice as often as second doses (10% vs. 5%, p<0.001). Black women were more likely to have a mistimed second dose and Hispanic women more likely to have a mistimed third dose compared to white women (OR = 1.70 (95% CI: 1.11, 2.61 and 2.44 (1.19, 5.00), respectively). The HPV4-only visit type at which HPV4 was initiated was the most significant predictor of on-time doublet completion. CONCLUSIONS: In a safety net health care system the large inefficiencies associated with HPV4 vaccination must be addressed in order to maximize our patient's cervical cancer prevention.