Nurturing Context: TRACE, the Arts, Medical Practice, and Health Literacy.

This chapter builds upon prior research on the interconnectedness of context to content as it relates to health and health literacy. The authors focus on the use of the arts as a novel way to engage with and to promote health and health communication. Most published efforts exploring the humanities and health emphasize how healthcare practitioners can enhance their clinical skills, promote wellness, and prevent burnout through engagement with the arts.

Solid noninfectious growing masses over cerebrospinal fluid shunts: report of 3 cases.

The authors describe 3 children who presented with progressively enlarging skin-covered solid masses over the shunt catheter in the neck/clavicular region. The authors reviewed the clinical, laboratory, pathological, radiographic, and follow-up data for all 3 patients and reviewed the literature on the subject. The patients had no clinical evidence of an infectious process.

Advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants in the practice of pediatric neurosurgery: a clinical report.

Objective: This report addresses the clinical experience of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery with dedicated nurse practitioners and a physician assistant (PA) in outpatient and inpatient health care delivery, including surgical activities, as well as participation with the neurosurgery call schedule, quality improvement, teaching, and clinical research activities.

Methods: We report on the activities of allied health personnel in the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery for the purpose of identifying the current and future role for health care delivery, related to the care of the child with a neurosurgical condition. This addresses the participation of 2 advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) and a PA in the outpatient and inpatient setting, call schedule, interventions in and out of the operating room, quality improvement sessions, continuing medical education, clinical research, clinical databases, presentations in meetings, teaching, and scientific publications.

Ultrasound-aided fixation of biodegradable implants in pediatric craniofacial surgery.

Purpose: Bioresorbable implant systems have been used for the rigid fixation of cranial and facial bones. A relatively recent advancement has been the fixation of these implants using an ultrasonic device. Published reports with such a device in pediatric craniofacial surgery have been limited.

Initiating, developing and evaluating a comprehensive spinal defects clinic: a clinical report.

Objective: The Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery of the University of Florida College of Medicine - Jacksonville developed a multidisciplinary clinic for the better management of pediatric patients with spinal defects. The purpose of this report is to assist neurosurgeons in those regions and countries where there are no spinal defects clinics (SDC).

Methods: We induced a staged process to develop a comprehensive multidisciplinary clinic for pediatric patients with spinal defects: phase I - during December 2003 to June 2004, the organizational planning, multiinstitutional recruitment of health care personnel and location of clinic space occurred; phase II - the SDC sessions initiated in June 2004 and have consequently been held on a monthly basis; phase III - this consisted of a quality improvement program during which parents/caregivers were surveyed.