Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2025
Undervaluation of Perioperative Work for ACL Reconstruction by Relative Value Scale Update Committee Methodology in a Single Surgeon's Practice.
The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services current times and work relative value units (wRVUs) for the perioperative work involved in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction by directly timing perioperative tasks as they occur in real time. ⋯ The perioperative wRVU assigned by the RUC underestimates the amount of time assigned to perform the required tasks. The RUC should consider using prospective times collected by physicians to calculate a more accurate wRVU. In addition, the RUC should consider how modern patient care practices and requirements have increased the intensity of work for physicians.
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2025
Effect of COVID-19 on Emergency Department Visits for Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts among South Carolina Youth.
Evidence suggests that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic negatively affected children's mental health (MH). The emergency department (ED) is often the first point of contact with a physician for youth who are experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Population-level reports of ED utilization in South Carolina for suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SAs) during the pandemic are lacking. This study compares trends in ED visits for SI and SAs among youth in South Carolina ages 5 to 24 years, before (ie, March-December 2019) and during (ie, March-December 2020) the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. ⋯ The percentage of MH- and SI/SA-related visits increased during the pandemic. These data underscore the need for adequate MH services in EDs and increased access to outpatient MH resources to reduce the strain on EDs during public health emergencies.
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Southern medical journal · Jan 2025
Social Determinants' Role in Pediatric Respiratory Health: Health Insights from Central Florida.
Despite advances in therapies and educational initiatives, pediatric allergy disorders, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema, continue to pose substantial health challenges. Understanding the social determinants of health (SDoH) linked with these conditions is a critical area of research due to their multifactorial nature. This study aimed to assess the SDoH influencing pediatric allergy disorders in central Florida, specifically examining four groups of children: with asthma only, with eczema only, with both asthma and eczema, and a control group without these conditions. ⋯ Investigating the central Florida pediatric population provided crucial insights into the social determinants affecting pediatric allergy disorders. The study highlighted significant health disparities, particularly in parental employment status and housing instability, underscoring the critical role of social factors in these conditions. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions addressing social determinants to improve health outcomes for children with allergy disorders.
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Southern medical journal · Jan 2025
Trends in Medical Students' Legal Concerns Regarding Abortion Care in the Wake of the 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization Decision.
The 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization US Supreme Court decision dramatically shifted the legal landscape in health care, leaving state legislatures to redefine the ethics of medical practice. As gold-standard medical procedures become banned and criminalized, physicians are facing heightened legal uncertainty and grappling with moral dilemmas of where and how to practice. This study aimed to quantitatively assess trends in legal concern among medical students and identify correlations with decision making regarding future medical training. ⋯ Individuals with heightened proximity to reproductive healthcare may face greater ethical and moral dilemmas as they seek future career opportunities in a post-Roe v Wade world. These data suggest that they seem highly responsive to moving out of abortion-restricted states, indicating that the Dobbs decision, and the legal landscape it has created, may further exacerbate disparities in reproductive health care.