Emotional intelligence and LEGO-based communication assessments as indicators of peer evaluations.

Introduction: Much attention and effort are devoted to general surgery residency applicant interview strategies and ranking. However, few interview strategies are positively associated with applicant communication performance. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of a LEGO-based communication assessment and a standardized patient-based emotional intelligence assessment to serve as an indicator for communication and interpersonal skills among peers in residency.

The Minnesota Example.

In recent years, the Minnesota Attorney General's Office and the Minnesota Department of Health have cultivated a productive partnership to strengthen the state's multidisciplinary response to overlapping health equity and social justice issues. This article describes shared efforts in three areas: post-conviction justice, drug overdose, and human trafficking/exploitation.

Age as a moderator in the interplay among locus of control, coping, and quality of life of people with chronic pain.

Objective: Identifying the factors that determine the quality of life of patients with chronic pain is an integral part of developing interventions to reduce the negative impact of persistent pain. Locus of control (LoC) could play an important role in adaptation to prolonged pain, but the results of studies are inconsistent. We examined the link between pain LoC and quality of life.

Treatment of last resort? Psychological therapy seeking in chronic pain patients.

Objective: Our goal was to assess how many chronic pain patients seek psychological treatment for their condition and what psychological and demographic characteristics are associated with that decision.

Methods: The association between pain intensity, quality of life and psychological treatment seeking was tested in two hypothetical models which differed according to beliefs about either external or internal control over pain.

Results: A minority of patients had experience with psychological treatment of chronic pain.

Assessing the Costs of Excessive Alcohol Consumption in Minnesota.

Introduction: Alcohol consumption, particularly excessive drinking, incurs a high societal cost. This study aimed to apply current state-specific data from 1 state, Minnesota, to established national methods for estimating the societal cost of excessive alcohol consumption for 2 purposes: first, to update the cost estimate for the state and, second, to understand the potential benefits of using state-specific data versus a national apportionment strategy for economic burden estimates.

Methods: In 2021, established methods were used to apply alcohol-attributable fractions for health care, lost productivity, crime, and other effects (e.