Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Musculoskeletal Care in the Emergency Room.

Objective: Study the effect of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on emergency room (ER) utilization for musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints.

Methods: Data from ER encounters in a teaching hospital for years 2019 and 2020 were extracted from an electronic database. The ICD-10-CM codes were used to assign the primary diagnosis.

Musculoskeletal Conditions in Older Men and Women: An Emergency Room Study.

Objective: To study the utilization of emergency room (ER) services for health complaints of the musculoskeletal (MSK) system in older men and women.

Methods: Data from all medical encounters at the ER of a teaching hospital for calendar years 2016-2020 were extracted from an electronic database. MSK encounters were defined as those with ICD 10-CM M and S codes in the primary diagnosis field of the database.

Musculoskeletal Conditions in the Emergency Room: A Teaching Opportunity for Medical Students and Residents.

Objective: Assess the potential value of an emergency room (ER) for the teaching of musculoskeletal (MSK) medicine to medical students and residents in training.

Methods: Data from all encounters to the ER of a teaching hospital for calendar years 2016-2019 were extracted from an electronic database. Encounters with ICD-10-CM M codes (MSK system) and S codes (injury) were selected (MSK encounters).

Single-Arm, Open-Label Phase 2 Trial of Preemptive Methylprednisolone to Avert Progression to Respiratory Failure in High-Risk Patients with COVID-19.

Introduction: Covid-19 is a triphasic disorder first typified by a viral phase that lasts from the first onset of symptoms until seven days later. This is followed by a second and third phase, initially characterized by the appearance of lung infiltrates, followed in 20% by respiratory failure. The second phase is usually heralded by an elevation of serologic inflammatory markers including CRP, ferritin, IL-6, LDH as well as D-dimers.

Home-based management of COVID-19 by identification of low-risk features.

Background: Covid-19 is a triphasic disorder characterized by a viral phase lasting 7-10 days from first onset of symptoms. In approximately 20% it is followed by a second stage heralded by elevation of pro-inflammatory markers such as ferritin, IL-6, CRP, LDH and D-dimers. We hypothesized that those with few abnormalities would have a low risk for progression to respiratory insufficiency and could be monitored at home without treatment.

Prevalence and Genetic Profile of Duchene and Becker Muscular Dystrophy in Puerto Rico.

Background: Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy (DMD and BMD, respectively), are common forms of inherited muscle disease. Information regarding the epidemiology of these conditions, including genotype, is still sparse.

Objective: To establish the prevalence and genetic profile of DMD and BMD in Puerto Rico.

SalHUD--A Graphical Interface to Public Health Data in Puerto Rico.

Purpose: This paper describes SalHUD, a prototype web-based application for visualizing health data from Puerto Rico. Our initial focus was to provide interactive maps displaying years of potential life lost (YPLL).

Methods: The public-use mortality file for year 2008 was downloaded from the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics website.

Procurement of shared data instruments for Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap).

REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a web-based software solution and tool set that allows biomedical researchers to create secure online forms for data capture, management and analysis with minimal effort and training. The Shared Data Instrument Library (SDIL) is a relatively new component of REDCap that allows sharing of commonly used data collection instruments for immediate study use by research teams. Objectives of the SDIL project include: (1) facilitating reuse of data dictionaries and reducing duplication of effort; (2) promoting the use of validated data collection instruments, data standards and best practices; and (3) promoting research collaboration and data sharing.

Anaerobic power and muscle strength in human immunodeficiency virus-positive preadolescents.

Objective: To determine the anaerobic power and muscle strength of preadolescents with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Design: Cross-sectional design.

Setting: Human performance laboratory at the University District Hospital at the Puerto Rico Medical Center.

Economic analysis of centralized vs. decentralized electronic data capture in multi-center clinical studies.

Background: New data management models are emerging in multi-center clinical studies. We evaluated the incremental costs associated with decentralized vs. centralized models.

Telehealth innovations in health education and training.

Telehealth applications are increasingly important in many areas of health education and training. In addition, they will play a vital role in biomedical research and research training by facilitating remote collaborations and providing access to expensive/remote instrumentation. In order to fulfill their true potential to leverage education, training, and research activities, innovations in telehealth applications should be fostered across a range of technology fronts, including online, on-demand computational models for simulation; simplified interfaces for software and hardware; software frameworks for simulations; portable telepresence systems; artificial intelligence applications to be applied when simulated human patients are not options; and the development of more simulator applications.

Research electronic data capture (REDCap)--a metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support.

Research electronic data capture (REDCap) is a novel workflow methodology and software solution designed for rapid development and deployment of electronic data capture tools to support clinical and translational research. We present: (1) a brief description of the REDCap metadata-driven software toolset; (2) detail concerning the capture and use of study-related metadata from scientific research teams; (3) measures of impact for REDCap; (4) details concerning a consortium network of domestic and international institutions collaborating on the project; and (5) strengths and limitations of the REDCap system. REDCap is currently supporting 286 translational research projects in a growing collaborative network including 27 active partner institutions.

Addressing health disparities through multi-institutional, multidisciplinary collaboratories.

The national research leadership has recently become aware of the tremendous potential of translational research as an approach to address health disparities. The Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Translational Research Network (RTRN) is a research network that supports multi-institutional, multidisciplinary collaboration with a focus on key diseases and conditions for which disproportionately adverse racial and ethnic health disparities exist. The RTRN is designed to facilitate the movement of scientific advances across the translational research spectrum by providing researchers at different institutions with the infrastructure and tools necessary to collaborate on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research projects relating to specific health outcomes for which major racial/ethnic disparities exist.

The role of translational research in addressing health disparities: a conceptual framework.

Translational research has tremendous potential as a tool to reduce health disparities in the United States, but a lack of common understanding about the scope of this dynamic, multidisciplinary approach to research has limited its use. The term "translational research" is often associated with the phrase "bench to bedside," but the expedited movement of biomedical advances from the laboratory to clinical trials is only the first phase of the translational process. The second phase of translation, wherein innovations are moved from the bedside to real-world practice, is equally important, but it receives far less attention.

An ethno-medical perspective on research participation: a qualitative pilot study.

Background: Recruitment of racial/ethnic minorities for clinical research continues to be problematic, yet critical to ensuring that research data will be applicable to diverse populations. There is a paucity of information about culturally appropriate methods for recruiting and retaining racial/ethnic minorities in research.

Objective: To cross-culturally assess perceptions of research participation by African American and immigrant Latinos living in the inner-city community of Watts, Los Angeles, California, using qualitative methods.

Use of Medicare services by elderly residents of Puerto Rico.

Objectives: We describe hospitalization rates among Medicare beneficiaries resident in Puerto Rico compared to beneficiaries in the mainland U.S., in 1999.