Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as primary cervical cancer screening has not been studied in Caribbean women. We tested vaginal self-collection versus physician cervical sampling in a population of Haitian women. Methods Participants were screened for high-risk HPV with self-performed vaginal and clinician-collected cervical samples using Hybrid Capture 2 assays (Qiagen, Gaithersburg, Maryland). Women positive by either method then underwent colposcopy with biopsy of all visible lesions. Sensitivity and positive predictive value were calculated for each sample method compared to biopsy results, with kappa statistics performed for agreement. McNemar’s tests were performed for differences in sensitivity at ≥ cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)-I and ≥ CIN-II. Results Of 1845 women screened, 446 (24.3%) were HPV-positive by either method, including 105 (5.7%) only by vaginal swab and 53 (2.9%) only by cervical swab. Vaginal and cervical samples were 91.4% concordant (κ= 0.73 [95% CI: 0.69 – 0.77], p < 0.001). Overall, 133 HPV-positive women (29.9%) had CIN-I, while 32 (7.2%) had ≥ CIN-II. The sensitivity of vaginal swabs was similar to cervical swabs for detecting ≥ CIN-I (89.1% vs 87.9%, respectively, p=0.75) lesions and ≥ CIN-II disease (87.5% vs 96.9%, p=0.18). Eighteen of 19 cases of CIN-III and invasive cancer were found by both methods. Conclusions HPV screening via self-collected vaginal swabs or physician-collected cervical swabs are feasible options in this Haitian population. The agreement between cervical and vaginal samples was high, suggesting vaginal sample-only algorithms for screening could be effective for improving screening rates in this under-screened population.

BACKGROUND: Technology-based systems can facilitate remote decision-making to triage patients to the appropriate level of care. Despite technologic advances, the effects of implementation of these systems on patient and utilization outcomes are unclear. We evaluated the effects of remote triage systems on healthcare utilization, case resolution, and patient safety outcomes. METHODS: English-language searches of MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, and CINAHL were performed from inception until July 2018. Randomized and nonrandomized comparative studies of remote triage services that reported healthcare utilization, case resolution, and patient safety outcomes were included. Two reviewers assessed study and intervention characteristics independently for study quality, strength of evidence, and risk of bias. RESULTS: The literature search identified 5026 articles, of which eight met eligibility criteria. Five randomized, two controlled before-and-after, and one interrupted time series study assessed 3 categories of remote triage services: mode of delivery, triage professional type, and system organizational level. No study evaluated any other delivery mode other than telephone and in-person. Meta-analyses were unable to be performed because of study design and outcome heterogeneity; therefore, we narratively synthesized data. Overall, most studies did not demonstrate a decrease in primary care (PC) or emergency department (ED) utilization, with some studies showing a significant increase. Evidence suggested local, practice-based triage systems have greater case resolution and refer fewer pa-systems. No study identified statistically significant differences in safety outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our review found limited evidence that remote triage reduces the burden of PC or ED utilization. However, remote triage by telephone can produce a high rate of call resolution and appears to be safe. Further study of other remote triage modalities is needed to realize the promise of remote triage services in optimizing healthcare outcomes. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: This study was registered and followed a published protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42019112262).

Pediatric E. coli isolates differ significantly in antimicrobial susceptibility at our institution, particularly to frequently administered oral antibiotics. Knowledge of pediatric-specific data altered empirical antibiotic choices in case vignettes. Care of pediatric patients could be improved with use of a pediatric-specific antibiogram.

In this low-prevalence cohort, fewer than 20% of positive Lyme disease tests are obtained from patients with clinically likely Lyme disease. Positive Lyme disease test results may have little diagnostic value in this setting.

Background Failure to follow up and communicate test results to patients in outpatient settings may lead to diagnostic and therapeutic delays. Residents are less likely than attending physicians to report results to patients, and may face additional barriers to reporting, given competing clinical responsibilities.

Objectives Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Haiti. Given this high disease burden, we sought to better understand women’s knowledge of its causes and the socio-demographic and health correlates of cervical cancer screening. Methods Participants were 410 adult women presenting at clinics in Léogâne and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. We used bivariate and multivariate logic regression to identify correlates of Pap smear receipt. Results Only 29% of respondents had heard of human papillomavirus (HPV), while 98% were aware of cervical cancer. Of those aware of cervical cancer, 12% believed sexually transmitted infections (STIs) cause it, and only 4% identified HPV infection as the cause. Women with a previous STI were more likely to have had Pap smear (34% vs. 71%, OR=3.45; 95% CI: 1.57–7.59). Screening was also more likely among women who were older than age 39, better educated and employed (all p<.05). Almost all women (97%) were willing to undergo cervical cancer screening. Conclusions This sample of Haitian women had limited awareness of HPV and cervical cancer causes; but when provided with health information, they saw the benefits of cancer screening. Future initiatives should provide health education messages, with efforts targeting young and at-risk women.

Ordering prompts for TTEs initially minimally reduced the number of TTEs ordered and increased BNP measurement at a single institution, but the effect on TTEs ordered was likely insignificant from a utilisation standpoint and decayed over time.

This study sought to determine burnout prevalence and factors associated with burnout in internal medicine residents after introduction of the 2011 ACGME duty hour rules. Burnout was evaluated using an anonymized, abbreviated version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Surveys were collected biweekly for 48 weeks during the 2013-2014 academic year. Burnout severity was compared across subgroups and time. A score of 3 or higher signified burnout. Overall, 944 of 3936 (24%) surveys were completed. The mean burnout score across all surveys was 2.8. Categorical residents had higher burnout severity than noncategorical residents (2.9 vs 2.7, P = .005). Postgraduate year 2 residents had the highest burnout severity by year (3.1, P < .001). Residents on inpatient rotations had higher burnout severity than residents on outpatient or consultation rotations (3.1 vs 2.2 vs 2.2, P < .001). Night float rotations had the highest severity (3.8). Burnout remains a significant problem even with recent duty hour modifications.