Burn care often involves procedures that result in significant pain experiences for patients which, in turn, can lead to poorer physical and psychological health outcomes. Distraction and virtual reality (VR) are an effective adjunct to pharmacological interventions in reducing pain. Much of the research that has demonstrated efficacy for VR in burn care has involved expensive and extensive technology. Thus, identifying cost-effective, feasible, acceptable, and effective approaches to apply distraction within routine burn care is important. The objective of this mixed-methods study was to evaluate key stakeholder (i.e., patients, providers) perceptions of feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness for the use of low-cost VR technology during routine burn care with adult patients. Ten adult patients used VR during burn care dressing changes in an outpatient clinic setting, after which they completed a satisfaction survey and individual qualitative interview. Providers also completed a satisfaction/perception survey after each participant's care. Quantitative and qualitative results from both patient and provider perspectives consistently supported the feasibility and utility of applying low-cost VR technology in this outpatient burn clinic setting. Special considerations (e.g., aspects to consider when choosing an apparatus or application) stemming from stakeholder feedback are discussed.

The PAT2.0_GEN AYA holds promise as a screener to identify psychosocial risk factors that may compromise health outcomes in AYAs with SCD.

Background Patient empowerment is recognized as an important component of a multimodal strategy to improve hand hygiene adherence. We examined the attitudes of adult patients and parents of pediatric patients towards a new patient empowerment tool (PET) at our hospital. We also surveyed physicians to determine their perceptions about the PET. Methods A cross-sectional survey was performed of hospitalized children’s parents and adult patients in a 531 bed tertiary care teaching hospital in West Virginia. Surveys were anonymous and self-administered. A separate survey was administered via e-mail to resident and attending physicians from the Departments of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Family Medicine. Results Most parents and adult patients felt it was their role to speak up if a provider did not perform hand hygiene, but a smaller number actually felt comfortable using the PET. Only 54.9% of physicians felt that patients should be involved in reminding providers to perform hand hygiene. Overall, physicians indicated that they would prefer a patient to use words rather than the PET to remind them to perform hand hygiene. Conclusions In our study, parents and adult patients supported use of the PET, but physicians were less supportive. As the patient empowerment movement grows, we should work to improve physician acceptance of patient involvement if it is to be successful.

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To assess the burden of COVID-19 on patients with food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) and their caregivers. METHODS: An anonymous survey was distributed online to subscribers of the International FPIES Association website, https://www.fpies.org, from March-July, 2020. RESULTS: 147 surveys were completed, 142 of which were submitted by mothers of children affected by FPIES with mean age of 3.3 years (Range: 2mo-16yrs). No cases of COVID-19 were reported by respondents or their children. Increased stress during the pandemic was widespread with 57.1% reporting difficulty buying safe, nutritious food, 82.3% utilizing multiple retailers to buy safe foods, and 80.3% spending more money on food during the pandemic. Among respondents, 59.1% reported stress of 7 or greater on a 10-point scale due to inability to safely obtain adequate nutrition during COVID-19. 64.6% reported significant worry that FPIES/food allergies would result in more severe symptoms in the case of COVID-19 infection. 74.1% reported worries about managing FPIES or anaphylactic reactions during COVID-19, and 82.3% reported significant worries about having to go to the emergency department for these reactions during the pandemic. Among respondents, 16.3% consulted with a registered dietitian to develop a meal plan during COVID-19, and 36.1% contacted a physician with questions regarding managing FPIES or food allergies during the pandemic. 59.9% reported having a physician office visit canceled during COVID-19, and 58.5% reported utilizing telemedicine to contact their physician during this period. CONCLUSIONS: Families affected by FPIES experienced increased stress during the pandemic even in the absence of acute COVID-19 infection in this population.