Factors Associated with Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship Program Ranking Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Goffredo P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8432288 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundVariables considered by hip and knee arthroplasty fellowship program directors (PDs) to select fellowship candidates are not well known.MethodsA web-based questionnaire containing 5 questions was developed and sent to all 92 adult reconstruction fellowship PDs via email. Three questions collected program information including the number of positions available, the number of candidates interviewed, and ranked annually. PDs were then given a list of 12 factors and asked to rank them in the order of importance. A weighted score for each factor was calculated using the following scale: 5 points each time a factor was ranked 1st, 4 points each time a factor was ranked 2nd, 3 points for each 3rd place rank, 2 points for each 4th place rank, and 1 point for each 5th place rank. PDs were also allowed to write in other factors they considered important when ranking fellowship candidates.ResultsThe overall response rate was 34.8% (32/92). Seventy-five percent of responding programs indicated that they interview between 21 and 40 applicants per year for their fellowship position(s). The interview was ranked as the most important variable in selecting applicants by 53.1% of responding PDs, followed by letters of recommendation (ranked first by 25% of PDs) and personal connections to the applicant and/or letter writer(s) (ranked first by 9% of PDs). A positive correlation was identified between the program size and an applicant's geographical ties to the city/town of the fellowship program (r s = 0.472; P = .006).ConclusionsAccording to hip and knee arthroplasty fellowship PDs, the interview, letters of recommendation, and personal connections to the applicant and/or letter writers are the most important factors considered in selecting arthroplasty fellowship candidates.
| S-EPMC7502560 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide-reaching impact. Graduate medical education of orthopedic surgeons was not spared from the jarring changes. Purpose: We sought to survey fellowship program directors in the field of orthopedic surgery about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the education of the 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 fellowship classes and the future of their programs. Methods: In October 2020, an 18-item survey was distributed by an official of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) to the specialty societies that govern fellowship training. Each specialty society then distributed the survey to its respective program directors. A reminder email was sent during the enrollment period. Each respondent was able to complete the survey once. Survey questions were grouped into 3 sections: general information about the fellowship training programs, the impact of COVID-19 on the 2019 to 2020 fellowship class, and the future impact of COVID-19 on the fellowship training programs. Results: Of the 564 accredited orthopedic surgery fellowship programs in the United States, 190 directors responded. Of these, 73.59% reported COVID-19 had a negative impact on the 2019 to 2020 fellowship class. A normal distribution of responses was found regarding didactic and academic learning, research, and mentorship opportunities. A majority of respondents said they believe that there will be no negative impact on patient care the fellows provide in the years to come. Conclusion: Orthopedic surgery fellowship program directors acknowledged that while there were negative effects to training in the pandemic, they did not think these would negatively affect patient care provided by 2019 to 2020 fellows in the short and medium term. They also reported positive outcomes from the experience of the pandemic, including new ways to educate fellows.
| S-EPMC8753546 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Many GI training programs have needed to adjust to the serious disruption to the training and education of fellows worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A silent problem that has arisen within programs is the issue of burnout among their trainees. Burnout is common among gastroenterologists, especially in fellows (Keswani et al. in Gastroenterology 147(1):11-14, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2014.05.023 , Am J Gastroenterol 106(10):1734-1740, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1038/ajg.2011.148 ), with negative consequences to patient care and the safety of the trainees if not effectively dealt with. In this article, the author describes several additional factors potentially contributing to the intensifying burnout of the fellows in their home institution during this pandemic. Moreover, he describes specific practical interventions that the hospital and program have taken in order to address these factors.
| S-EPMC7280469 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Robotic surgery, used generally for colorectal cancer, has the advantages of a three-dimensional surgical view, steadiness, and seven degrees of robotic arms. However, there are disadvantages, such as a decreased sense of touch, extra time needed to dock the robotic cart, and high cost. Robotic surgery is performed using various techniques, with or without laparoscopic surgery. Because the results of this approach are reported to be similar to or less favorable than those of laparoscopic surgery, the learning curve for robotic colorectal surgery remains controversial. However, according to short- and long-term oncologic outcomes, robotic colorectal surgery is feasible and safe compared with conventional surgery. Advanced technologies in robotic surgery have resulted in favorable intraoperative and perioperative clinical outcomes as well as functional outcomes. As the technical advances in robotic surgery improve surgical performance as well as outcomes, it increasingly is being regarded as a treatment option for colorectal surgery. However, a multicenter, randomized clinical trial is needed to validate this approach.
| S-EPMC4751169 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Quality improvement in health care has become a major topic of discussion among health care providers, patients, insurance companies, and the government. National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP), along with a multitude of other programs, exists in an attempt to create objective data that can be used to compare hospitals and providers against a national average. Studies have shown that despite good patient care and proper surgical technique, patients who undergo procedures such as colectomy have a higher incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) and other morbidities. Therefore, hospitals with a large volume of colon and rectal surgery cases are routinely identified as "high outliers" in these quality improvement programs. Programs, such as NSQIP, may not be the best way to measure quality in specific subspecialties such as colon and rectal surgery.
| S-EPMC3926922 | biostudies-other
Project description:Clinical decision support (CDS) has been shown to improve clinical processes, promote patient safety, and reduce costs in healthcare settings, and it is now a requirement for clinicians as part of the Meaningful Use Regulation. However, most evidence for CDS has been evaluated primarily in internal medicine care settings, and colon and rectal surgery (CRS) has unique needs with CDS that are not frequently described in the literature. The authors reviewed published literature in informatics and medical journals, combined with expert opinion to define CDS, describe the evidence for CDS, outline the implementation process for CDS, and present applications of CDS in CRS.CDS functionalities such as order sets, documentation templates, and order facilitation aids are most often described in the literature and most likely to be beneficial in CRS. Further research is necessary to identify and better evaluate additional CDS systems in the setting of CRS.
| S-EPMC3699146 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) use colon surgical site infection (SSI) rates to rank hospitals and apply financial penalties. The CMS' risk-adjustment model omits potentially impactful variables that might disadvantage hospitals with complex surgical populations.MethodsWe analyzed adult patients who underwent colon surgery within facilities associated with HCA Healthcare from 2014 to 2016. SSIs were identified from National Health Safety Network (NHSN) reporting. We trained and validated 3 SSI prediction models, using (1) current CMS model variables, including hospital-specific random effects (HCA-adapted CMS model); (2) demographics and claims-based comorbidities (expanded-claims model); and (3) demographics, claims-based comorbidities, and NHSN variables (claims-plus-electronic health record [EHR] model). Discrimination, calibration, and resulting rankings were compared among all models and the current CMS model with published coefficient values.ResultsWe identified 39 468 colon surgeries in 149 hospitals, resulting in 1216 (3.1%) SSIs. Compared to the HCA-adapted CMS model, the expanded-claims model had similar performance (c-statistic, 0.65 vs 0.67, respectively), while the claims-plus-EHR model was more accurate (c-statistic, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, .67-.73; P = .004). The sampling variation, due to the low surgical volume and small number of infections, contributed 74% of the total variation in observed SSI rates between hospitals. When CMS model rankings were compared to those from the expanded-claims and claims-plus-EHR models, 18 (15%) and 26 (22%) hospitals changed quartiles, respectively, and 10 (8.3%) and 12 (10%) hospitals changed into or out of the lowest-performing quartile, respectively.ConclusionsAn expanded set of variables improved colon SSI risk predictions and quartile assignments, but low procedure volumes and SSI events remain a barrier to effectively comparing hospitals.
| S-EPMC7823072 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has created numerous unique challenges for the recruitment of prospective trainees. Cancellation of visiting electives and in-person interviews created challenges for programs to showcase elements that have been shown to influence applicants' program selection, including geographical considerations and program collegiality. Novel strategies have been recommended and employed to facilitate candidate recruitment, but it is unclear how influential such strategies are on candidates' program ranking. It is also unclear what factors influence program selection among CCFP(EM) candidates. We sought to evaluate the impact of novel recruitment strategies on applicants' ranking of the University of Ottawa CCFP(EM) program and determine factors which were most influential in applicants' first-choice program selection.MethodsAn online survey was distributed to all candidates (n = 127) who applied to the University of Ottawa CCFP(EM) program. The survey instrument included 33 items. Respondents were asked to rate on a 3-point scale how influential specific recruitment strategies were on their ranking of our program and the influence of different training factors on their selection of first-choice program.ResultsThe survey response rate was 27% (34/127). Recruitment strategies rated as most positively influential included virtual one-on-one meetings with program directors (100%), virtual Q&A sessions (77.8%), virtual communication with chief residents (73.3%), and a mailed personalized recruitment package (72.2%). The top factors influencing applicants' first-choice program selection included: collegiality between faculty and residents (96.4%); level of responsibility given to residents (96.4%); support within the program (96.4%); and procedural opportunities within the program (96.3%).ConclusionFacilitating virtual personal interaction with program leadership is highly influential in how CCFP(EM) candidates rank programs. CCFP(EM) candidates value characteristics of a training program over the geographical location and available amenities. Program leaders should consider these findings when recruiting prospective candidates.
| S-EPMC8390012 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has radically impacted the world lifestyle. Epidemics are well-known to cause mental distress, and patients with a current or past history of obesity are at increased risk for the common presence of psychological comorbidities. This study investigates the psychological impact of the current pandemic in patients participating in a bariatric surgery program.MethodsPatients were consecutively enrolled during the Italian lockdown among those waiting for bariatric surgery or attending a post-bariatric follow-up, and were asked to complete through an online platform the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 and a self-assessment questionnaire of 22 items evaluating the resilience, change in eating behavior and emotional responses referring to the ongoing pandemic.Results59% of the 434 enrolled subjects reported of being worried about the pandemic, and 63% specifically reported of being worried about their or their relatives' health. 37% and 56% felt lonelier and more bored, respectively. 66% was hungrier with increased frequency of snacking (55%) and 39% reported more impulse to eat. Noteworthy, 49% felt unable to follow a recommended diet. No difference in terms of psychological profile was recorded among pre and post-bariatric subjects. Logistic regression analysis on post-bariatric patients showed a relationship between snacking, hunger, eating impulsivity, and anxiety, stress, and/or depression symptoms.ConclusionThe pandemic led to increased psychological distress in patients with a current or past history of obesity, reducing quality of life and affecting dietary compliance. Targeted psychological support is warranted in times of increased stress for fragile subjects such as pre- and post-bariatric patients.Level of evidenceLevel V: cross-sectional descriptive study.
| S-EPMC7453189 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe exceptional competitiveness of the orthopedic surgery specialty, combined with the unclear impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residency recruitment, has presented significant challenges to applicants and residency program directors. With limited in-person opportunities in the 2020-2021 application cycle, applicants have been pressed to gauge chances and best fit by browsing program websites.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to assess the accessibility and content of accredited orthopedic surgery residency program websites during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsUsing the online database of the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), we compiled a list of accredited orthopedic surgery residency programs in the United States. Program websites were evaluated across four domains: program overview, education, research opportunities, and application details. Each website was assessed twice in July 2020, during a period of adjustment to the COVID-19 pandemic, and twice in November 2020, following the October ERAS application deadline.ResultsA total of 189 accredited orthopedic surgery residency programs were identified through ERAS. Of these programs, 3 (1.6%) did not have functional website links on ERAS. Data analysis of content in each domain revealed that most websites included program details, a description of the didactic curriculum, and sample rotation schedules. Between the two evaluation periods in July and November 2020, the percentage of program websites containing informative videos and virtual tours rose from 12.2% (23/189) to 48.1% (91/189; P<.001) and from 0.5% (1/189) to 13.2% (25/189; P<.001), respectively. However, the number of programs that included information about a virtual subinternship or virtual interview on their websites did not change. Over the 4-month period, larger residency programs with 5 or more residents were significantly more likely to add a program video (P<.001) or virtual tour (P<.001) to their websites.ConclusionsMost residency program websites offered program details and an overview of educational and research opportunities; however, few addressed the virtual transition of interviews and subinternships during the COVID-19 pandemic.
| S-EPMC8437405 | biostudies-literature