Project description:Considerable efforts over the last decade have been placed on harnessing technology to improve access to behavioral health services. These efforts have exponentially risen since the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has prompted a move to novel systems of care, largely based on telehealth delivery. This article aims to provide a broad review of evidence for telehealth assessment and treatment of externalizing disorders and internalizing disorders in children and discuss practice considerations and established guidelines for telehealth delivery. Existing literature supports the promise of behavioral health interventions including behavioral parent training and combination approaches for externalizing disorders as well as cognitive-behavioral based interventions for internalizing disorders. There is a scarcity of work on assessment via telehealth compared with the available treatment literature. While treatment may be most pressing given the COVID-19 circumstances to continue delivery of care, movement toward establishing evidence-based assessment via telehealth will be of increased importance. Lastly, practice guidelines have been set forth by national associations, professional societies, and supported by the development of national Telehealth Centers of Excellence. These guidelines and practice considerations are discussed within the context of COVID-19.
Project description:As telehealth gains momentum as a service delivery model in the United States within the rehabilitation professions, regulatory and legal questions arise. This article examines the following questions: Is there a need to secure licenses in two states (i.e., where the practitioner resides, and where the client is located), before engaging in telehealth?Do state laws differ concerning if and how telehealth can occur?Do any states expressly disallow telehealth?Can services delivered through telehealth be billed the same way as services provided in-person?If practitioners fulfill the requirements to maintain licensure (e.g., continuing education obligations) in their state of residence, do they also need to fulfill the requirements to maintain licensure for the state in which the client resides?Will professional malpractice insurance cover services delivered through telehealth?Does a sole practitioner need to abide by HIPAA regulations?Responses to these questions are offered to raise awareness of the regulatory and legal implications associated with the use of a telehealth service delivery model within the professions of occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology and audiology.
Project description:ObjectiveThe main aim of this study was to explore the views and perceptions of dietetic educators on their ability to assess communication skills of undergraduate student dietitians in a telehealth setting. A secondary aim was to provide recommendations to educators when assessing these skills using telehealth.MethodsA descriptive qualitative study design was used. Australian and New-Zealand dietetic educators used a validated global communication rating scale to evaluate three pre-recorded telehealth encounters. Educators then answered a series of open-ended questions on their ability to assessed communication skills in the telehealth environment.AnalysisInductive analysis allowed the emergence of themes and sub-themes independent of a specific framework or theory. Peer debriefing and triangulation increased research rigor.ResultsTwenty-four educators were included in this study with the majority (87.5%) having > 10 years experience as a dietetic educator, and 41.6% (n = 10) with experience in assessing dietetics student using telehealth. Most (76%) educators reported the assessment of non-verbal communication skills were challenging in the telehealth environment. Five themes and 15 subthemes emerged relating to advice for students and educators when assessing communication skills and a checklist was developed from recommendations that students and educators can use when preparing, planning, implementing, and assessing telehealth consultations.ConclusionAssessing student communication skills via telehealth provides a useful opportunity with the growing use of the online environment, however, it also presents challenges that must be taken into consideration. While verbal communication skills are easier to assess than non-verbal, both need to be adapted for the telehealth setting.
Project description:Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and surgical intervention in the pediatric population have increased in the recent years. Although surgical techniques have advanced, evidence-based rehabilitation guidelines that consider all aspects of the youth athlete are currently lacking. The purpose of this commentary is to review the current evidence on unique considerations for the pediatric and adolescent population during rehabilitation and return to sport after ACL reconstruction (ACLR), with a focus on children under 18 years of age. This review revealed that returning a youth athlete to sport after ACLR requires knowledge and appreciation of various aspects of the growing athlete different from adults. In addition to postoperative precautions that contribute to a slow rehabilitation process, young athletes need additional time for strength gains. Address risk of reinjury and for contralateral injury by using neuromuscular training and rigorous return-to-sport training programs. Consider return to sport after 9 months because the reinjury rate is high in this population. A combination of time and objective measures, both quantitative and qualitative criteria, and psychological readiness should be used to assess readiness to return to sport and decrease risk of future injury. Healthcare providers should be aware of the psychosocial impact of injury on the youth athletes and refer to sport psychology when necessary. Level of Evidence Level V.
Project description:ObjectiveTo improve understanding of sex differences in clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment and outcomes between male and female patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.Summary background dataEsophageal cancer is a male predominant disease, and sex has not been considered in previous studies as an important factor in diagnosis or management. Sex differences in demographics, clinicopathologic characteristics, and postoperative outcomes remain largely undefined.MethodsRetrospective review of 1958 patients (21% female) with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy at a single institution between 1995 and 2017.ResultsMost patients had adenocarcinoma (83%); however, the rate of squamous cell carcinoma was significantly higher in females (35% vs 11%, respectively; P < .0001). Females had a lower rate of smoking (62 vs 73%) and heavy alcohol use (12 vs 19%) but a higher rate of previous mediastinal radiation (8.4 vs 1.8%) (P < 0.001). Postoperative mortality and overall survival (OS) were similar between sexes. However, subanalysis of patients with locoregional disease (clinical stage II/III) demonstrated that females received neoadjuvant therapy less frequently than males and had worse OS (median OS 2.56 yrs vs 2.08; P = 0.034). This difference remained significant on adjusted analysis (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.06-1.46).ConclusionsFemale patients had higher incidence of squamous cell carcinoma despite lower prevalence of behavioral risk factors. Among patients with locoregional disease, undertreatment in females may reflect treatment bias and history of previous mediastinal radiation. Esophageal cancer in females should be considered a unique entity as compared with the presentation and treatment of males.
Project description:This paper discusses pediatric image quality and radiation dose considerations in state-of-the-art fluoroscopic imaging equipment. Although most fluoroscopes are capable of automatically providing good image quality on infants, toddlers, and small children, excessive radiation dose levels can result from design deficiencies of the imaging device or inappropriate configuration of the equipment's capabilities when imaging small body parts. Important design features and setup choices at installation and during the clinical use of the imaging device can improve image quality and reduce radiation exposure levels in pediatric patients. Pediatric radiologists and cardiologists, with the help of medical physicists, need to understand the issues involved in creating good image quality at reasonable pediatric patient doses. The control of radiographic technique factors by the generator of the imaging device must provide a large dynamic range of mAs values per exposure pulse during both fluoroscopy and image recording as a function of patient girth, which is the thickness of the patient in the posterior-anterior projection at the umbilicus (less than 10 cm to greater than 30 cm). The range of pulse widths must be limited to less than 10 ms in children to properly freeze patient motion. Variable rate pulsed fluoroscopy can be leveraged to reduce radiation dose to the patient and improve image quality. Three focal spots with nominal sizes of 0.3 mm to 1 mm are necessary on the pediatric unit. A second, lateral imaging plane might be necessary because of the child's limited tolerance of contrast medium. Spectral and spatial beam shaping can improve image quality while reducing the radiation dose. Finally, the level of entrance exposure to the image receptor of the fluoroscope as a function of operator choices, of added filter thickness, of selected pulse rate, of the selected field-of-view and of the patient girth all must be addressed at installation.
Project description:PurposeFenestrated atrial septal defects (F-ASDs) in the pediatric population pose a challenge for transcatheter device closure since multiple devices are not preferred in small hearts. Oversizing the Amplatzer Septal Occluder (ASO) to cover the surrounding fenestrations usually distorts the central waist as well as the disc profile and often defeats the purpose. This is a retrospective observational study with an aim to assess the feasibility and safety of cribriform ASO in closing F-ASDs in small children.MethodsSixteen children with F-ASD who underwent device closure with cribriform ASO were included in the study. The fenestrated septal length (FSL) and the total septal length (TSL) were measured on transesophageal echocardiogram. A device size which was 1.5-2 times the FSL but smaller than the TSL was selected. The defect was closed with a device passed through a relatively centrally placed smaller fenestration.ResultsThe median age of the cohort was 5 years (2.5-10.5). Majority (14/16) required 25 or 30 mm cribriform ASO. Aneurysmal interatrial septum was seen in most of our patients (11/15). All the patients had successful device implantation. Complete closure of the defect was seen in 11 patients while 5 patients had insignificant residual shunt at a median follow-up of 40 months (1-60 months). There were no other complications.ConclusionsCribriform ASO can be used safely and effectively in closing F-ASDs in children. Deployment of the device through a small central hole allows covering maximum fenestrations and gives more stability to the device. Residual shunts, although not infrequent, are insignificant.
Project description:We conducted proteomic profiling of plasma, identifying both overlapping and unique differential proteins in adolescent patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SZ). Our results showed that the protein signatures of adolescent psychiatric disorders differ significantly from those of adults. We propose potential targets for drug development aimed at the prevention or precision therapy of these psychiatric disorders. These findings enhance our understanding of the molecular etiology of adolescent psychiatric disorders. The specific biomolecular signatures of MDD, BD, and SZ could potentially serve as targets for the development of novel interventions aimed at prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of these mental health conditions.
Project description:The liver is the third most common site of abdominal tumors in children. This review article aims to summarize current evidence surrounding identification and diagnosis of primary hepatic tumors in the pediatric population based upon clinical presentation, epidemiology, and risk factors as well as classical imaging, histopathological, and molecular diagnostic findings. Readers will be able to recognize the features and distinguish between benign and malignant hepatic tumors within different age groups.
Project description:Purpose:A correlation between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) was described in adults. In this study, we examined if there is a relationship between IDA and hearing loss in the pediatric population. Method:This was a retrospective cohort study of data collected from the Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside database from 2011 to 2016. Children and adolescents 4-21 years old seen at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, were examined for hearing loss and IDA status. Hearing loss was determined by International Classification of Disease-9 and -10 codes, and IDA was determined by both low hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels for age and sex. Results:We identified 20,113 patients. Prevalence of hearing loss and IDA was 1.7% and 2.3%, respectively. The prevalence of all hearing loss was 3.0% in the IDA cohort and 1.7% in those without IDA. Children and adolescents with IDA are at increased odds of developing SNHL (adjusted odds ratio: 3.67, 95% CI [1.60-7.30]). Conclusions:Children with IDA demonstrate increased likelihood of SNHL. Although correction of IDA in those with hearing loss has yet to be linked to improvements in hearing outcomes, screening for and correcting IDA among pediatric patients will positively affect overall health status.Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5087071.