Hospital Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts: Perspectives of Patient and Family Advisors.

Background And Objectives: Patient and family advisory councils are common within children's hospitals. However, lack of diversity among patient and family advisors (PFAs) may result in exclusion of crucial perspectives and perpetuate inequities. We sought to understand PFA perspectives on how children's hospitals should approach: (1) recruitment and support of PFAs from groups at greater risk of health inequities; and (2) development of meaningful partnerships with PFAs or patient and family advisory councils on institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Patient and Family Advisory Councils: Advancing Best Practice in Children's Hospitals.

Introduction: This qualitative research study explored practices that support and advance diverse membership in Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) in children's hospitals and the involvement of PFACs in organization-level diversity, equity, and inclusion work.

Method: This study consisted of a focused literature review and 17 key informant interviews. The study sought to identify important learnings about (1) recruiting and supporting patient and family advisors (PFAs) from historically marginalized populations and (2) ways to develop and sustain meaningful partnerships with PFAs and PFACs in diversity, equity, and inclusion work.

Strategies to Counteract Impact of Harmful Bias in Selection of Medical Residents.

Human biases impact medical care in ways that perpetuate health disparities. Research has demonstrated that biases negatively affect patient outcomes and stifle diversity across the physician workforce, further compounding health disparities by worsening patient-physician concordance. Taken as one, the application, interview, recruitment, and selection processes employed by residency programs has been one of the critical junctures where bias has exacerbated inequities among future physicians.

Reducing Caregiver Hunger During Pediatric Hospitalization.

Background And Objectives: Pediatric hospitalizations are costly, stressful events for families. Many caregivers, especially those with lower incomes, struggle to afford food while their child is hospitalized. We sought to decrease the mean percentage of caregivers of Medicaid-insured and uninsured children who reported being hungry during their child's hospitalization from 86% to <24%.

A telehealth intervention to promote weight loss and physical activity in overweight primary care patients.

Intervention: This pilot study was a 16-week Telehealth intervention using wearable devices, automated text messaging, and trained health coaching, in primary care clinics of an academic medical center. Thirty patients were enrolled in three cohorts, ages 18-64, BMI > 27, and MVPA < 150 minutes per week. The primary outcome was weight loss per week.

Disc degeneration and chronic low back pain: an association which becomes nonsignificant when endplate changes and disc contour are taken into account.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to assess the association between severe disc degeneration (DD) and low back pain (LBP).

Methods: A case-control study was conducted with 304 subjects, aged 35-50, recruited in routine clinical practice across six hospitals; 240 cases (chronic LBP patients with a median pain duration of 46 months) and 64 controls (asymptomatic subjects without any lifetime history of significant LBP). The following variables were assessed once, using previously validated methods: gender, age, body mass index (BMI), lifetime smoking exposure, degree of physical activity, severity of LBP, disability, and findings on magnetic resonance (MRI) (disc degeneration, Modic changes (MC), disc protrusion/hernia, annular tears, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis).

Appropriateness of lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging in Spain.

Objectives: To determine the minimum percentage of lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (LSMRI) which are inappropriately prescribed in routine practice.

Methods: LSMRI performed prospectively on 602 patients in 12 Radiology Services across 6 regions in Spain, were classified as "appropriate", "uncertain" or "inappropriate" based on the indication criteria established by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, the American College of Physicians and Radiology, and current evidence-based clinical guidelines. Studies on patients reporting at least one "red flag" were classified as "appropriate".

Modic changes and associated features in Southern European chronic low back pain patients.

Background Context: Conflicting reports exist regarding the prevalence of Modic changes among low back pain (LBP) patients and factors associated with their existence.

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of Modic changes and other findings on lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) among Spanish adult chronic LBP patients and the patient characteristics and radiological findings associated with Modic changes.

Study Design: A cross-sectional imaging study among chronic LBP patients.