Does patient gender impact resident physicians' approach to the cardiac exam?

Background: Physical examination remains an important part of the initial evaluation of patients presenting with chest pain but little is known about the effect of patient gender on physician performance of the cardiovascular exam.

Objective: To determine if resident physicians are less likely to perform five key components of the cardiovascular exam on female versus male standardized patients (SPs) presenting with acute chest pain.

Design: Videotape review of SP encounters during Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) administered by the Emory University Internal Medicine Residency Program in 2006 and 2007.

Older women and HIV: how much do they know and where are they getting their information?

Objectives: To assess older urban women's knowledge about sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and to evaluate the relationship between their HIV/AIDS knowledge level and sources of information.

Design: Cross-sectional survey conducted between June 2001 and July 2002. Trained research assistants administered a questionnaire in a face-to-face interview.