Association of phenotypic frailty and hand grip strength with telomere length in SLE.

Objective: Frailty and objective hand grip strength (one of the components of the frailty phenotype) are both risk factors for worse health outcomes in SLE. Whether telomere length, an established cellular senescence marker, is a biologic correlate of the frailty phenotype and hand grip strength in patients with SLE is not clear. First, we aimed to evaluate differences in telomere length between frail and non-frail women with SLE and then assessed whether frailty or hand grip strength is differentially associated with telomere length after adjusting for relevant confounders.

An Online Program for Primary Care Practitioners to Enhance Confidence in Ability to Care for Patients With or at Risk of Painful Knee Osteoarthritis.

Objective: Primary care practitioners (PCPs) care for the majority of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Despite the existing evidence-based guidelines, PCPs often feel unequipped to evaluate and effectively treat patients with KOA. To address this need, we designed and implemented a free internet-based program focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of KOA.

Gender Representation Among Ophthalmology Fellowship Directors in 2022.

Purpose: Women are underrepresented in several medical specialties, including ophthalmology. Reducing disparities is critical in diversifying perspectives and increasing equity within ophthalmology, both of which can ultimately improve care delivery. We examined ophthalmic fellowship programs directors in the United States to investigate gender disparities by subspecialty.

Comparison of two frailty definitions in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: Frailty is a risk factor for adverse health in SLE. The Fried phenotype (FP) and the SLICC Frailty Index (SLICC-FI) are common frailty metrics reflecting distinct approaches to frailty assessment. We aimed to (1) compare frailty prevalence according to both metrics in women with SLE and describe differences between frail and non-frail participants using each method and (2) evaluate for cross-sectional associations between each metric and self-reported disability.

Using an experiential learning model to teach clinical reasoning theory and cognitive bias: an evaluation of a first-year medical student curriculum.

Background: Most medical students entering clerkships have limited understanding of clinical reasoning concepts. The value of teaching theories of clinical reasoning and cognitive biases to first-year medical students is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the value of explicitly teaching clinical reasoning theory and cognitive bias to first-year medical students.

An Instrument for Measuring Critical Appraisal Self-Efficacy in Rheumatology Trainees.

Objective: Self-efficacy, the internal belief that one can perform a specific task successfully, influences behavior. To promote critical appraisal of medical literature, rheumatology training programs should foster both competence and self-efficacy for critical appraisal. This study aimed to investigate whether select items from the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory (CRAI), an instrument measuring clinical research self-efficacy, could be used to measure critical appraisal self-efficacy (CASE).