Faculty Bibliography

PURPOSE: To determine if an existing ballroom dance classroom program meets national recommendations to engage children in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for >/=50% of class time and to determine class effects on body mass index (BMI). DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study. Setting . Two New York City public schools. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-nine fourth and fifth grade students. MEASUREMENTS: The System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) and direct heart rate monitoring were used to determine participants' MVPA levels during class time. Weight and height were measured to calculate BMI. ANALYSIS: Means were calculated for continuous variables; frequency counts and percentages were calculated for categorical variables. Change in BMI percentiles was assessed by using Bhapkar's chi(2) test of overall marginal homogeneity. RESULTS: Data from SOFIT observations showed that a mean of 50.0% and 67.0% of class time in the first and second halves of the program, respectively, were spent in MVPA. Data from the heart rate monitoring revealed that 71.1% of students were at >/=25% heart rate reserve, which indicated MVPA for >/=50% of class time. Improvement was seen in BMI percentile (p= .051). CONCLUSION: Ballroom dance provides MVPA in elementary school children for >/=50% of class time and has a positive impact on BMI percentiles.

Noninvasive ventilation is widely used for chronic respiratory failure in children with neuromuscular disorders, thus avoiding the need for tracheostomy. However, the pressures required to support ventilation in these children may be considerably higher than those necessary to treat obstructive sleep apnea. The complications of nasal positive airway pressure are numerous, including skin breakdown, conjunctivitis, nasal congestion, airway dryness, pneumothorax, and bowel obstruction. Ophthalmologic complaints are particularly common, largely attributed to an air leak in the mask. In the present case, we demonstrate, through two modalities-video and CT scan-retrograde airflow through the nasolacrimal duct causing sleep disruption and eye irritation in a profoundly hypotonic 14-month-old boy with chronic respiratory failure on bilevel ventilation during sleep.

BACKGROUND: With the epidemic of childhood obesity, it is crucial to devise a simple screening protocol to predict impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or pre-diabetes. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which is the gold standard for the diagnosis of IGT, is impractical for screening purposes. This pilot study was designed to formulate a simple, sensitive algorithm to predict IGT using clinical and laboratory parameters. METHODS: Ethnicity, family history of diabetes, pubertal status, BMI z-score, blood pressure, lipids, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and OGTT data were retrospectively collected from 209 overweight multi-ethnic subjects aged 3-21 years. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine independent predictors of IGT. RESULTS: HbA1c was the only significant predictor of IGT (p = 0.001), whereas fasting glucose was not. A cut-off of 5.5% had the best combined sensitivity (85.7%) and specificity (56.9%) with an odds ratio of 7.9 of having IGT when HbA1c is > or =5.5%. The remaining clinical parameters were not significant predictors of IGT. CONCLUSION: While fasting blood glucose does not seem to be a predictor of IGT, we propose that HbA1c > or =5.5% can be used as a screening test to assess the risk of IGT and to determine who should undergo diagnostic OGTT. Large prospective studies validating our findings are warranted.

INTRODUCTION: To determine important predictors of why parents seek care for their children at a pediatric emergency department (ED) compared to their child's primary care provider's (PCP's) walk-in clinic. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: An inner-city hospital located in New York City, from April 2003 to January 2004. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 170 parents with children younger than 18 years, Medicaid beneficiaries, had a PCP, and presented with a nonurgent medical problem either at the pediatric ED or walk-in clinic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome measure was the setting in which parents sought care for their child; odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for parents seeking care in the pediatric ED compared to those seeking care at the walk-in clinic, adjusting for predisposing, enabling, and need-related factors. RESULTS: Of the 170 parent-child visits, 87 (51%) were seeking care at the ED and 83 (49%) at their child's walk-in clinic. In logistic regression, single parenting was the strongest predictor for seeking care in the ED (OR, 5.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-26.9), followed by Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 4.96; 95% CI, 1.43-17.2), low parental perceptions of their child's physical health (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.99), controlling for number of chronic conditions, parental working status, and satisfaction with their PCP. CONCLUSIONS: Single parenting, Hispanic ethnicity, and perceptions of health are associated with health care-seeking behaviors in high cost settings among Medicaid beneficiaries. Targeted education programs could be used to influence future site of care.

Little is known about how providers expect the implementation of a new electronic health record (EHR) will affect their clinical workflow. We found that providers currently completing clinical tasks electronically are more satisfied with task completion than those completing similar tasks on paper. Yet, these already electronic providers expect less future satisfaction with the new EHR compared with paper-based providers. Further understanding of provider expectations can assist in optimally tailoring implementation plans.

Practitioners' resistance towards electronic health records (EHRs) is a known barrier to implementation and use. This is a cross-sectional study 467 practitioners working at 12 ambulatory care outpatient practices. We analyzed how mean expected satisfaction for future use of EHRs differed at both the level of the provider and the practice. We found that practitioners generally have positive expectations of EHR systems. However, these expectations depend on comfort with IT and typing skills.

BACKGROUND: Challenges in implementing electronic health records (EHRs) have received some attention, but less is known about the process of transitioning from legacy EHRs to newer systems. OBJECTIVE: To determine how ambulatory leaders differentiate implementation approaches between practices that are currently paper-based and those with a legacy EHR system (EHR-based). DESIGN: Qualitative study. PARTICIPANTS: Eleven practice managers and 12 medical directors all part of an academic ambulatory care network of a large teaching hospital in New York City in January to May of 2006. APPROACH: Qualitative approach comparing and contrasting perceived benefits and challenges in implementing an ambulatory EHR between practice leaders from paper- and EHR-based practices. Content analysis was performed using grounded theory and ATLAS.ti 5.0. RESULTS: We found that paper-based leaders prioritized the following: sufficient workstations and printers, a physician information technology (IT) champion at the practice, workflow education to ensure a successful transition to a paperless medical practice, and a high existing comfort level of practitioners and support staff with IT. In contrast, EHR-based leaders prioritized: improved technical training and ongoing technical support, sufficient protection of patient privacy, and open recognition of physician resistance, especially for those who were loyal to a legacy EHR. Unlike paper-based practices, EHR-based leadership believed that comfort level with IT and adjustments to workflow changes would not be difficult challenges to overcome. CONCLUSIONS: Leadership at paper- and EHR-based practices in 1 academic network has different priorities for implementing a new EHR. Ambulatory practices upgrading their legacy EHR have unique challenges.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there are racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, parental linguistic, or parental educational disparities in children who experienced an adverse drug event (ADE) in the ambulatory setting. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a prospective cohort study of pediatric patients <21 years seen during 2-month study periods from July 2002 to April 2003 at 6 office practices in Boston. The primary outcome measure was ADEs. Descriptive analysis of patient characteristics and types of ADEs experienced was followed by multivariate analysis to determine risk factors associated with presence of a preventable ADE. RESULTS: A total of 1689 patients receiving 2155 prescriptions were analyzed via a survey and chart review. Overall, 242 children (14%) experienced an ADE, of which 55 (23%) had a preventable ADE and 186 (77%) had a non-preventable ADE. In multivariate analysis, children with multiple prescriptions (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.01-2.11) were at increased risk of having a preventable ADE, controlling for parental education, racial/ethnic, English proficiency, practice type, and duration of care. CONCLUSIONS: Children with multiple prescriptions are at increased risk of having a preventable ADE. Further attention should be directed toward improved communication among healthcare providers and patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine pre-implementation perspectives of institutional, practice and vendor leadership regarding best practice for implementation of two ambulatory electronic health records (EHRs) at an academic institution. DESIGN: Semi-structured interviews with ambulatory care network and information systems leadership, medical directors, practice managers and vendors before EHR implementation. Results were analysed using grounded theory with ATLAS.ti version 5.0. MEASUREMENTS: Qualitative data on perceived benefits of EHRs as well as facilitators and barriers to successful implementation. RESULTS: Interviewees perceived data accessibility, quality and safety measurement, improvement and reporting as benefits of EHR use. Six themes emerged for EHR implementation best practice: effective communication; successful system migration; sufficient hardware, technical equipment, support and training; safeguards for patient privacy; improved efficiency; and a sustainable business plan. CONCLUSIONS: Achieving the benefits of EHRs identified by our interviewees depends on successful implementation and use. Further identification of best implementation practices for EHRs is required, given the financial and clinical consequences of poor implementation.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Irrigation, a critical component of wound management, is commonly performed with sterile normal saline solution. The purpose of this study was to compare the infection rates of wounds irrigated with normal saline solution versus those of wounds irrigated with running tap water. METHODS: A prospective trial was conducted in an urban pediatric emergency department. Tap water pressure and flow rates were measured, and cultures were obtained before the study and at 5 months after study initiation. Patients 1 to 17 years of age presenting to the pediatric ED with a simple laceration were eligible. Exclusion criteria included immunocompromise, complicated lacerations, or current use of or need for antibiotics. Patients were allocated to the running tap water group or the standard normal saline solution irrigation group. Wounds were closed in standard fashion. Patients returned to the pediatric ED in 48 to 72 hours for evaluation. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-one patients were enrolled in the normal saline solution group and 259 in the tap water group. Tap water and normal saline solution pressures and flow rates differed. The groups did not differ in terms of patient demographic characteristics or wound characteristics. However, more wounds were located on the hand in the tap water group (21.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 16.3% to 27.1%) compared with those in the normal saline solution group (9.2%; 95% CI 5.9% to 13.4%). The wound infection rates were similar in the 2 groups (normal saline solution group: 2.8% [95% CI 1.1% to 5.7%] versus running tap water group: 2.9% [95% CI 1.2% to 5.9%]). CONCLUSION: There were no clinically important differences in infection rates between wounds irrigated with tap water or normal saline solution. Tap water might be an effective alternative to normal saline solution for wound irrigation in children.