Obesity and type 1 diabetes (T1DM) are the two most common conditions of altered metabolism in children and adolescents. In both, similar long-term cardiovascular complications are known to occur, mediated in large part by underlying inflammatory and oxidative processes whose biochemical details remain relatively unclear. Through a series of experiments in these patient populations, over the last decade our laboratory has clarified a number of key issues in this field. Interestingly, while obese and type 1 diabetic children often differed in the specific type and magnitude of molecular alterations, in both groups a clear exaggeration of inflammatory and oxidative activation was detected when compared to healthy, age-matched controls. Our main findings include definition of resting and exercise-induced cytokine patterns and leukocyte profiles, patterns of activation of immune cells in vitro, and correlation of the magnitude of observed alterations with severity of obesity and quality of glycemic control. Further, we have identified a series of alterations in growth factor profiles during exercise that parallel inflammatory changes in obese children. This paper offers a concise overview of the salient results from this decade-long research effort.
Objective Use of medical scribes reduces clinician burnout by sharing the burden of clinical documentation. However, medical scribes are cost-prohibitive for most settings, prompting a growing interest in developing ambient, speech-based technologies capable of automatically generating clinical documentation based on patient–provider conversation. Through a systematic review, we aimed to develop a thorough understanding of the work performed by medical scribes in order to inform the design of such technologies. Materials and Methods Relevant articles retrieved by searching in multiple literature databases. We conducted the screening process following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) in guidelines, and then analyzed the data using qualitative methods to identify recurring themes. Results The literature search returned 854 results, 65 of which met the inclusion criteria. We found that there is significant variation in scribe expectations and responsibilities across healthcare organizations; scribes also frequently adapt their work based on the provider’s style and preferences. Further, scribes’ job extends far beyond capturing conversation in the exam room; they also actively interact with patients and the care team and integrate data from other sources such as prior charts and lab test results. Discussion The results of this study provide several implications for designing technologies that can generate clinical documentation based on naturalistic conversations taking place in the exam room. First, a one-size-fits-all solution will be unlikely to work because of the significant variation in scribe work. Second, technology designers need to be aware of the limited role that their solution can fulfill. Third, to produce comprehensive clinical documentation, such technologies will likely have to incorporate information beyond the exam room conversation. Finally, issues of patient consent and privacy have yet to be adequately addressed, which could become paramount barriers to implementing such technologies in realistic clinical settings. Conclusions Medical scribes perform complex and delicate work. Further research is needed to better understand their roles in a clinical setting in order to inform the development of speech-based clinical documentation technologies.
Objectives To determine whether stability/accuracy of post-occlusive laser Doppler flowmetry following shortened, 1-min blood flow occlusion, increases in the post-exercise state or by averaging multiple measurements. Methods Six healthy adults (3F) underwent laser Doppler flowmetry 8 times at rest and following exercise, assessing post-occlusive (1-min occlusion) reactive hyperemia in the cutaneous microcirculation of the forefinger. Measured variables included: pre- and post-occlusion steady-state perfusion (Plat1, Plat2), maximum post-occlusive perfusion (Max), time to reach Max (PkT), and the ratio Max/Plat1. Results Stability/accuracy of all variables improved performing measurements after exercise (P<0.05 Plat 1, Plat 2, Max and Max/Plat1). PkT and Max/Plat 1 displayed the greatest accuracy at rest (26.6±5.1% and 26.6±4.4% average difference, %Diff, of single measurements from individual “true” means, respectively); for these variables, %Diff improved to 19.5±5.3 and 17.6±2.1, respectively, following exercise. Overall, averaging multiple measurements performed at rest also improved stability/accuracy in all variables. This improvement was comparable to that obtained with a single measurement following exercise. Conclusions A standardized exercise stimulus prior to testing significantly improves stability/accuracy of laser Doppler flowmetry following shortened, 1-min blood flow occlusion. Our results suggest the possibilities of broader applications of exercise to optimize measurements from a variety of skin perfusion methodologies.
Objective Qualitative methods are particularly well-suited to studying the complexities and contingencies that emerge in the development, preparation, and implementation of technological interventions in real-world clinical practice, and much remains to be done to use these methods to their full advantage. We aimed to analyze how qualitative methods have been used in health informatics research, focusing on objectives, populations studied, data collection, analysis methods, and fields of analytical origin. Methods We conducted a scoping review of original, qualitative empirical research in JAMIA from its inception in 1994 to 2019. We queried PubMed to identify relevant articles, ultimately including and extracting data from 158 articles. Results The proportion of qualitative studies increased over time, constituting 4.2% of articles published in JAMIA overall. Studies overwhelmingly used interviews, observations, grounded theory, and thematic analysis. These articles used qualitative methods to analyze health informatics systems before, after, and separate from deployment. Providers have typically been the main focus of studies, but there has been an upward trend of articles focusing on healthcare consumers. Discussion While there has been a rich tradition of qualitative inquiry in JAMIA, its scope has been limited when compared with the range of qualitative methods used in other technology-oriented fields, such as human–computer interaction, computer-supported cooperative work, and science and technology studies. Conclusion We recommend increased public funding for and adoption of a broader variety of qualitative methods by scholars, practitioners, and policy makers and an expansion of the variety of participants studied. This should lead to systems that are more responsive to practical needs, improving usability, safety, and outcomes.
Objectives To understand how medical scribes’ work may contribute to alleviating clinician burnout attributable directly or indirectly to the use of health IT. Materials and Methods Qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews with 32 participants who had scribing experience in a variety of clinical settings. Results We identified 7 categories of clinical tasks that clinicians commonly choose to offload to medical scribes, many of which involve delegated use of health IT. These range from notes-taking and computerized data entry to foraging, assembling, and tracking information scattered across multiple clinical information systems. Some common characteristics shared among these tasks include: (1) time-consuming to perform; (2) difficult to remember or keep track of; (3) disruptive to clinical workflow, clinicians’ cognitive processes, or patient–provider interactions; (4) perceived to be low-skill “clerical” work; and (5) deemed as adding no value to direct patient care. Discussion The fact that clinicians opt to “outsource” certain clinical tasks to medical scribes is a strong indication that performing these tasks is not perceived to be the best use of their time. Given that a vast majority of healthcare practices in the US do not have the luxury of affording medical scribes, the burden would inevitably fall onto clinicians’ shoulders, which could be a major source for clinician burnout. Conclusions Medical scribes help to offload a substantial amount of burden from clinicians—particularly with tasks that involve onerous interactions with health IT. Developing a better understanding of medical scribes’ work provides useful insights into the sources of clinician burnout and potential solutions to it.
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