Faculty Bibliography

Background/UNASSIGNED:The use of fine art in medical education has a long history. Numerous studies have investigated the potential benefits of incorporating art in medical education; however, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the efficacy, methodology, and clinical significance of these studies. Objective/UNASSIGNED:This scoping review of the literature aims to describe the available literature on the incorporation of art education in medical school and residency. Methods/UNASSIGNED:PubMed, Google Scholar, and MedEDPortal were queried from their inception dates through December 2019. English-language studies providing a detailed methodology and detailed analysis were included. A total of 37 studies were identified. Upon further screening of the studies' methodologies and results, 16 studies describing art education implemented with medical students and 12 studies describing art education implemented with residents were included for final review. Results/UNASSIGNED:Various methods of art education exist, including Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), rigorous curricula, and unstructured roundtable discussions with art curators or artistically minded clinicians. Studies range in duration, art media, and type of analysis. Conclusions/UNASSIGNED:There has been an increasing effort to incorporate fine art education into medical training, primarily to enhance visual perception skills and empathy. Although there is limited research on its efficacy, and wide variations in study methodologies exist, results consistently indicate that participants find the incorporation of art into curricula beneficial. Further research analyzing which methodologies are most likely to yield statistically and clinically significant improvements in visual perception and empathy may lead to increased utilization of this teaching method.

Occupation contact dermatitis (CD) is a common inflammatory skin condition impacting every professional industry in the United States. It is associated with significant personal and professional distress, loss of revenue, and decreased productivity. Occupational CD is further subdivided into irritant CD and allergic CD. Frequently, workers may suffer from a combination of both types. Numerous workplace exposures are implicated, but there are several themes across professions, such as CD related to frequent handwashing and wet work. A detailed occupational history, physical examination, and patch testing can help to make the diagnosis. Treatment includes identification of the substance and avoidance, which often is quite challenging.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) are common T-cell-mediated inflammatory skin conditions that can share clinical presentations. The variable expression of ACD among patients with AD represents the shades of gray of the multifaceted relationship between the 2 disorders, where increased allergen permeation in compromised epidermal barriers augments antigen presentation and sensitization, with subsequent immune dysregulation. Further studies are needed to define the relationship and immunologic intersection points of these 2 conditions.

The field of contact dermatitis is constantly evolving. Trends in irritant and allergic contact dermatitis are shaped by the introduction of new chemicals, revival of older allergens, industrial practices, and consumer behaviors. This article discusses the most noteworthy trends within the field, organized by allergen category, with particular attention to newer and/or controversial allergens.

BACKGROUND:Medical photography enhances patient care, medical education, and research. Despite medical photography's widespread use, little is known about how dermatologists choose to implement photography in routine clinical practice, and how they approach issues of image storage, image security, and patient consent. OBJECTIVE:To characterize dermatologists' medical photography habits and opinions. METHODS:A 32-item anonymous, multiple-choice SurveyMonkey questionnaire about medical photography practices was emailed to program directors of the 117 United States (US) dermatology residency programs between May and August 2015, with a request to forward to faculty and affiliated dermatologists. Only board-certified dermatologists practicing in the US were eligible. The Institutional Review Board exempted our study from full review. RESULTS:Our survey included 153 board-certified dermatologists, primarily representing the northeast (43.1%) and identifying as academic dermatologists (75.5%). Medical photography is prevalent: 61.8% report everyday use and 21.7% photograph every patient. Those reporting rare use (3.3%) were, on average, 20 years older. Dermatologists most commonly use photography to mark biopsy sites (87.5%), track disease (82.9%), and for education/teaching (72.4%). Nearly half (46%) use smartphone cameras. Emailing and texting photographs with patients or colleagues are common (69.1%). Most dermatologists (75.7%) always request patient consent for photographs. Only 23.7% adhere to a photography protocol and 73.9% desire more training opportunities. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Dermatologists value medical photography. While patterns of image acquisition, storage, and consent are noted, a variety of methods and preferences exist. Clearer photography guidelines and increased educational resources are likely to improve image quality, exchangeability, and confidentiality.