Rooting for Wellness: An Initiative Introducing Plant-Based Nutrition to First Year Medical Students

Author(s):  
Lakshman Mulpuri ◽  
Nakia Allen ◽  
Audrey Lunde ◽  
Shanita Thomas ◽  
Marissa Ray ◽  
...  

Advances in preventive medicine have demonstrated the crucial role of whole-food unprocessed plant-based nutrition in reducing disease burden. Nutrition education and plant-based nutrition is seldom included in medical curriculum and is thus seldom incorporated into clinical care. Additionally, personal exposure to lifestyle modifications, including nutrition and diet, is associated with a provider’s willingness to recommend lifestyle modifications in clinical encounters. We offer this editorial to our fellow health professions’ students, practicing healthcare providers, and those community leaders intending to advocate for the patient population via evidence-based curricular enhancement. Our primary effort, Rooting for Wellness, consisted of a mandatory four-week segment within Wayne State University School of Medicine’s (WSUSOM’s) Patient, Population, Physician and Professional (P4) curriculum, which culminated in a required half-day event consisting of patient/provider panels and an interactive cooking demonstration. Prior to the curriculum, we provided several voluntary extracurricularopportunities for plant-based engagement including a 4-week plant-based kickstart program, cooking demonstration, journal club, and guest speaker events. To our knowledge, this is the first exclusively mandatory plant-based nutritional intervention undertaken at a medical institution in the United States. The strategy presented here may serve as a model for similar initiatives at a variety of institutions and settings.

Author(s):  
Sabina Gainotti ◽  
Carlo Petrini

Background: Absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI) is a kind of infertility that is completely attributable to uterine absence (surgical or congenital for women with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome: MRKH) or anatomic or functional abnormality that prevents embryo implantation or completion of pregnancy to term. Until recently, the only viable option to parenthood for couples with AUFI were adoption or surrogacy. Since a first attempt of uterus transplant (UTx) in 2000, nine babies were born from women with a transplanted uterus from 2014, eight of which in Sweden, and one in the United States. These promising results are raising immense hopes for the women with AUFI and there is optimism about the possibility for UTx to become part of clinical care even though, besides encouraging results, the procedure has also resulted in increased risks and harms for both the donors and recipients and increased risks of premature birth for the fetus. At present UTx is still considered as experimental and requiring more research and safety assessment before becoming a therapeutic option for AUFI. The transition from experimental procedure to therapeutic care would result in less strict ethical scrutiny for UTx and in the possibility for patients to get reimbursement for the procedure by the relevant healthcare insurance or public healthcare providers. In turn, an increase in the number of UTx performed yearly by specialized surgical teams would result in a general improvement of the “field strength”. However, at present it is difficult to establish the amount of evidence that we need in order to consider UTx as no longer experimental but routine clinical practice. The literature on UTx provides recommendations on the different outcomes that should be monitored in this experimental phase but no study is anticipating the number of subjects that should be followed and for how long. Conclusion: As for other transplants that have become routine practice, like renal transplant and heart transplant, it is likely that the decision on “routine practice readiness” will result from available cumulated evidences, from expert capacity to find a consensus on best practices and on political considerations as well, including pressures form patients and patient groups.


Author(s):  
Cindy Hunt ◽  
Alicja Michalak ◽  
Donna Ouchterlony ◽  
Shawn Marshall ◽  
Cheryl Masanic ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground:Standardized data collection for traumatic brain injury (TBI) (including concussion) using common data elements (CDEs) has strengthened clinical care and research capacity in the United States and Europe. Currently, Ontario healthcare providers do not collect uniform data on adult patients diagnosed with concussion.Objective:The Ontario Concussion Care Strategy (OCCS) is a collaborative network of multidisciplinary healthcare providers, brain injury advocacy groups, patient representatives, and researchers with a shared vision to improve concussion care across the province, starting with the collection of standardized data.Methods:The International Framework of Functioning Disability and Health was selected as the conceptual framework to inform the selection of CDEs. The CDEs recommended by the OCCS were identified using key literature, including the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke–Zurich Consensus Statements for concussion in sport and the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation Concussion/mTBI clinical guidelines.Results:The OCCS has recommended and piloted CDEs for Ontario that are readily available at no cost, clinically relevant, patient friendly, easy to interpret, and recognized by the international scientific community.Conclusions:The implementation of CDEs can help to shift Ontario toward internationally recognized standard data collection, and in so doing yield a more comprehensive evidence-based approach to care while also supporting rigorous research.


Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason W. Guy ◽  
Isha Patel ◽  
Julie H. Oestreich

Pharmacogenomics—defined as the study of how genes affect a person’s response to drugs—is growing in importance for clinical care. Many medications have evidence and drug labeling related to pharmacogenomics and patient care. New evidence supports the use of pharmacogenomics in clinical settings, and genetic testing may optimize medication selection and dosing. Despite these advantages, the integration of pharmacogenomics into clinical decisions remains variable and challenging in certain practice settings. To ensure consistent application across settings, sufficient education amongst current and future healthcare providers is necessary to further integrate pharmacogenomics into routine clinical practice. This review highlights current evidence supporting clinical application of medications with pharmacogenomic labeling. The secondary objective is to review current strategies for educating health professionals and student trainees. One national organization predicts that most regions in the United States will soon contain at least one healthcare system capable of applying pharmacogenomic information. Applying genotype-guided dosing to several FDA-approved medications may help produce beneficial changes in patient outcomes. Identifying best practices for educating health care professionals and trainees remains vitally important for continuing growth of pharmacogenomic services. As pharmacogenomics continues to expand into more areas of healthcare, current and future practitioners must pursue and maintain competence in pharmacogenomics to ensure better outcomes for patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander C. Razavi ◽  
Dominique J. Monlezun ◽  
Alexander Sapin ◽  
Zachary Stauber ◽  
Kara Schradle ◽  
...  

Background. Adherence to Mediterranean dietary patterns reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease and other major chronic diseases. We aimed to assess the association between participation in kitchen-based nutrition education and Mediterranean diet intake and lifestyle medicine counseling competencies among medical trainees. Methods. The Cooking for Health Optimization with Patients (CHOP) curriculum is a hands-on cooking-based nutrition education program implemented at 32 medical programs (4125 medical trainees) across the United States. Mediterranean diet intake, nutrition attitudes, and lifestyle medicine counseling competencies were assessed via validated surveys. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression assessed the relationship of CHOP education with Mediterranean diet intake, nutrition attitudes, and lifestyle medicine counseling competencies. Results. Individuals participating in the CHOP program were 82% more likely to follow the Mediterranean diet compared with those receiving traditional nutrition education (OR = 1.82; P < .001). CHOP participants were more likely to satisfy daily intake of fruits (OR = 1.33; P = .019) and vegetables (OR = 2.06; P < .001) and agree that nutrition counseling should be a routine component of clinical care (OR = 2.43; P < .001). Kitchen-based nutrition education versus traditional curricula is associated with a higher likelihood of total counseling competency involving 25 lifestyle medicine categories (OR = 1.67; P < .001). Conclusion. Kitchen-based nutrition education is associated with cardioprotective dietary patterns and lifestyle medicine counseling among medical trainees.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 738-761
Author(s):  
Tess K. Koerner ◽  
Melissa A. Papesh ◽  
Frederick J. Gallun

Purpose A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect information from clinical audiologists about rehabilitation options for adult patients who report significant auditory difficulties despite having normal or near-normal hearing sensitivity. This work aimed to provide more information about what audiologists are currently doing in the clinic to manage auditory difficulties in this patient population and their views on the efficacy of recommended rehabilitation methods. Method A questionnaire survey containing multiple-choice and open-ended questions was developed and disseminated online. Invitations to participate were delivered via e-mail listservs and through business cards provided at annual audiology conferences. All responses were anonymous at the time of data collection. Results Responses were collected from 209 participants. The majority of participants reported seeing at least one normal-hearing patient per month who reported significant communication difficulties. However, few respondents indicated that their location had specific protocols for the treatment of these patients. Counseling was reported as the most frequent rehabilitation method, but results revealed that audiologists across various work settings are also successfully starting to fit patients with mild-gain hearing aids. Responses indicated that patient compliance with computer-based auditory training methods was regarded as low, with patients generally preferring device-based rehabilitation options. Conclusions Results from this questionnaire survey strongly suggest that audiologists frequently see normal-hearing patients who report auditory difficulties, but that few clinicians are equipped with established protocols for diagnosis and management. While many feel that mild-gain hearing aids provide considerable benefit for these patients, very little research has been conducted to date to support the use of hearing aids or other rehabilitation options for this unique patient population. This study reveals the critical need for additional research to establish evidence-based practice guidelines that will empower clinicians to provide a high level of clinical care and effective rehabilitation strategies to these patients.


2018 ◽  
pp. E51-E54
Author(s):  
Jennifer Beatty ◽  
Michael Peplowski ◽  
Noreen Singh ◽  
Craig Beers ◽  
Evan M Beck ◽  
...  

The Leader in Medicine (LIM) Program of the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, hosted its 7th Annual LIM Research Symposium on October 30, 2015 and participation grew once again, with a total of six oral and 99 posters presentations! Over 45 of our Faculty members also participated in the symposium. This year’s LIM Symposium theme was “Innovations in Medicine” and the invited guest speaker was our own Dr. Breanne Everett (MD/MBA). She completed her residency in plastic surgery at University of Calgary and holds both a medical degree and an MBA from the University of Calgary. In her inspiring talk, entitled “Marrying Business and Medicine: Toe-ing a Fine Line”, she described how she dealt with a clinical problem (diabetic foot ulcers), came up with an innovation that optimized patient care, started her own company and delivered her product to market to enhance the health of the community. She clearly illustrated how to complete the full circle, from identifying a clinical problem to developing and providing a solution that both enhances clinical care and patient health as well as reduces health care costs and hospital admissions. The research symposium was an outstanding success and the abstracts are included in companion article in CIM.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabbir Syed-Abdul ◽  
Shwetambara Malwade ◽  
Sim-Mei Choo

UNSTRUCTURED The outbreak of COVID-19 that started in December 2019, was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Currently, there is no specific treatment recommended and healthcare providers are struggling to find appropriate treatment regimes. Medication misinformation spread through social media has caused panic situations and self-prescription leading to harmful drug effects. The situation worsened following false propaganda via social media, leading to shortage of some medications. Our study shows the frequency of search for the medications Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), Azithromycin and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in Google Trends, across 6 countries. Public interests from the United States, Italy and Spain leaned towards HCQ, whereas those from Taiwan, Japan and South Korea were keen towards learning about the BCG vaccine. Our article aimed to inform the general public of the adverse drug reactions to avoid self-prescription or yield to the assumptions of leaders and unanimous social media posts. Proactive participation and preventive measures such as social distancing, use of face masks and hand sanitizers are recommended to help curb COVID-19 and other infections.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237428952110102
Author(s):  
Susan A. Kirch ◽  
Moshe J. Sadofsky

Medical schooling, at least as structured in the United States and Canada, is commonly assembled intuitively or empirically to meet concrete goals. Despite a long history of scholarship in educational theory to address how people learn, this is rarely examined during medical curriculum design. We provide a historical perspective on educational theory–practice–philosophy and a tool to aid faculty in learning how to identify and use theory–practice–philosophy for the design of curriculum and instruction.


2002 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 491-502
Author(s):  
Mary L. Durham

While the new Health Insurance Privacy and Accountability Act (HIPAA) research rules governing privacy, confidentiality and personal health information will challenge the research and medical communities, history teaches us that the difficulty of this challenge pales in comparison to the potential harms that such regulations are designed to avoid. Although revised following broad commentary from researchers and healthcare providers around the country, the HIPAA privacy requirements will dramatically change the way healthcare researchers do their jobs in the United States. Given our reluctance to change, we risk overlooking potentially valid reasons why access to personal health information is restricted and regulated. In an environment of electronic information, public concern, genetic information and decline of public trust, regulations are ever-changing. Six categories of HIPAA requirements stand out as transformative: disclosure accounting/tracking, business associations, institutional review board (IRB) changes, minimum necessary requirements, data de-identification, and criminal and civil penalties.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Erica Sood ◽  
Jeffrey P Jacobs ◽  
Bradley S Marino

Abstract Neurodevelopmental and psychosocial impairments negatively impact health-related quality of life for survivors with CHD and complicate the transition to independent adulthood. Risk for neurodevelopmental and psychosocial impairments is influenced by a complex interplay among genetic, foetal, surgical, perioperative, family, and social factors, requiring a multi-pronged approach to neuroprotection and intervention. To ensure future research can ultimately reduce the burden of CHD for individuals, families, and society, the most pressing issues in cardiac neurodevelopment requiring scientific investigation must be identified. Through funding from an R13 Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health of the United States of America, the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative convened a two-day meeting of international experts in cardiac neurodevelopmental and psychosocial research, clinical care, and health disparities, including patient and family stakeholders, to define the cardiac neurodevelopmental and psychosocial outcomes research agenda for the next decade. Seven multidisciplinary working groups were formed to address key domains crucial to the advancement of cardiac neurodevelopmental and psychosocial outcomes research: 1) Foetal Brain Development and Neuroprotection, 2) Surgical/Perioperative Neuroprotection and Neurodevelopment, 3) Characterization of Neurodevelopmental and Psychological Outcomes, 4) Neurodevelopmental and Psychosocial Intervention, 5) Parent Mental Health and Family Functioning, 6) Neurodevelopmental Education, Outreach and Advocacy, and 7) Health Disparities and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes. Working groups identified significant gaps in knowledge and critical questions that must be answered to further knowledge, policy, care, and outcomes. The development of a research agenda in cardiac neurodevelopmental and psychosocial outcomes is critical for informing collaborative initiatives and allocation of funding for research to scientific inquiries of highest value to key stakeholders.


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