Accuracy of colon tumor localization: Computed tomography scanning as a complement to colonoscopy.

Aim: To determine the utility of computed tomography (CT) scanning in localizing colon tumors.

Methods: At a single tertiary care teaching hospital, a retrospective chart review was conducted on patients who underwent surgery for colon malignancies between January 2004 and May 2006. One hundred and four charts containing all of the following data were reviewed: preoperative colonoscopy report, preoperative CT report, surgical operative report, tumor pathology report.

Focused versus screening CT scans for evaluation of nontraumatic abdominal pain in the emergency department.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of computed tomography (CT) scans in patients with abdominal pain in the emergency department. We compared focused scans (having a single diagnosis in mind) and screening scans (having no diagnosis or more than one diagnosis in mind) with the hypothesis that focused scans will reveal pathology more often than screening scans. Treatment plans and patient outcomes were also compared between the two populations.

Improving surgical residents' performance on written assessments of cultural competency.

Context: The pressure to implement cultural-competency training at the level of GME is high. The rapidly diversifying American population and the ACGME demand it, and cultural competency is recognized as a core competency under "Professionalism."

Objectives: The objectives for this study were (1) to assess residents' baseline levels of cultural competence, (2) define barriers to skill-acquisition, and (3) examine efficacy of educational programs in improving cultural competence.

Cost-aware care: critical core competency.

Hypothesis: Resident core competence can be improved by learning to accurately estimate the costs of postoperative complications.

Design: Prospective, institutional review board-approved study. In step 1, residents were provided 3 clinical vignettes detailing specific treatment measures for postsurgical complications and asked to assign total cost estimates for the treatment for each vignette; in step 2 they were given a pocket-sized cost card listing hospital costs, and in step 3, after 2 weeks, they were retested using the same clinical vignettes as in step 1.