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Biomedical subjects

D M Elnicki

Publications and source records attributed to D M Elnicki.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Interpretive and procedural skills of the internal medicine clerkship: performance and supervision.

This descriptive study prospectively examined the performance and supervision of interpretive and procedural skills during an internal medicine clerkship. Students (N = 150) documented having done 7 required and 12 elective skills. Preceptors of required skills were interns (44%), residents (29%), attending physicians (12%), and others (16%). The elective procedures and the percentage of students doing them were as follows: skin tests, 78%; nasogastric tube insertion, 57%; paracentesis, 44%; bone marrow sampling, 35%; lumbar puncture, 34%; thoracentesis, 34%; Papanicolaou smear, 29%; central line placement, 27%; cardioversion, 13%; bladder catheter insertion, 11%; arthrocentesis, 9%; and skin biopsy, 7%. Elective procedures per student ranged from 0 to 9 (mean = 4) and were done less often in the first clerkship group than later in the academic year. Preceptors of electives were interns (46%), residents (39%), and attending physicians (9%). House staff were more likely and faculty less likely to precept electives than required procedures. Students' exposures to these skills are unequal. Their preceptor are generally house staff. To prepare medical students for postgraduate training, technical skills should be specifically addressed in the curriculum.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1995

Patient-perceived barriers to preventive health care among indigent, rural Appalachian patients.

OBJECTIVE: To examine perceptions of a cohort of rural Appalachian patients regarding barriers to the use of preventive health measures. METHODS: Consecutive new patients (N = 188) at a clinic for the indigent were confidentially surveyed about their use of six preventive health measures: blood pressure screening, cholesterol level, diphtheria-tetanus immunization, mammography, cervical Papanicolaou smear, and physical examination. When any of these measures was lacking, patients were asked why, and whether they would have the measure performed if the relevant barriers were removed. RESULTS: Applicable screening measures lacking were as follows: blood pressure screening, 16%; cholesterol level, 60%; diphtheria-tetanus immunization, 67%; mammography, 69%; Papanicolaou smear, 22%; and physical examination, 32%. Of the patients, 85% were lacking at least one measure. Patients most often identified the following reasons for having omitted these measures: lack of knowledge about prevention (51%) and cost (36%). Older and less educated patients more often identified cost (P < .01 and P = .06, respectively), and men were more likely to list lack of knowledge (P = .04). If the identified barriers could be removed, 72% of those lacking a screen indicated they would obtain the screening measures. DISCUSSION: This indigent population expressed a desire for preventive care. Our patients identified cost and lack of knowledge as the major reasons for omitting these health screening measures. Data obtained from health care providers, rather than patients, may fail to disclose the barriers these patients face. Adequate education about disease prevention may be as crucial as sufficient funding in improving compliance with preventive guidelines.

Appalachian Region↗
PubMed1995

Telephone management training in internal medicine residencies: a national survey of program directors.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about how internal medicine residents train for and practice telephone management. To address this deficiency, a national survey of program directors at accredited internal medicine training sites was conducted to evaluate residents' training for and practice of telephone medicine. METHOD: A 43-item questionnaire was mailed in December 1993 to all program directors at the 416 accredited internal medicine training sites in the United States. A limited questionnaire, regarding the most essential training questions, was mailed to all non-responders. RESULTS: The response rate was 60% (250) for the full questionnaire. Only 15 (6%) of the programs offered formal training in telephone management to their residents. This training usually consisted of single lectures (nine programs) or reading materials (seven programs). The respondents felt that formal training in telephone management was very important (155, 62%) and that such training should be a part of every internal medicine curriculum (150, 60%). CONCLUSION: Few internal medicine programs offered training in telephone management. When training occurred, it was usually limited and informal. Most program directors felt that training was important and that current training efforts were unsatisfactory, emphasizing the need for curriculum development and implementation in telephone management.

Humans↗
PubMed1994

Can you hold please? How internal medicine residents deal with patient telephone calls. Telephone Encounters Learning Initiative Group.

Little is known about the mechanisms used in internal medicine residency programs to handle patient telephone calls. To address this, a survey of internal medicine residents was conducted at 10 different internal medicine residency programs. The response rate was 76% (N = 388). Approximately 90% of the residents handled patient telephone calls. The residents saw a mean of 7 patients per week in clinic (standard deviation +/- 2) and received an average of 2 patient calls daily (standard deviation +/- 2). The mean number of patient calls received each night on-call was 3 (standard deviation +/- 6) and on weekend call days, an average of 4 patient calls were received (standard deviation +/- 8). Internal medicine residents reported spending an average of 7 minutes per call talking to the patient (standard deviation +/- 5) and 8 minutes in follow-up activities (standard deviation +/- 6). Residents reported documenting calls less than 35% of the time. Residents disagreed with the statements "I am very satisfied with my patient telephone call system" and "My patients are very satisfied with my telephone call system." Most internal medicine residents handle a significant amount of patient telephone calls, and the systems for handling these calls are less than satisfactory. The procedures used to manage patient calls and the training for this component of practice should be improved.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1994

Internal medicine preceptorships: three successful programs.

Undergraduate medical education is evolving to include community physicians in the training of students in the outpatient setting. The task of designing and implementing such preceptorships can be hindered by financial, institutional, and logistic factors. Nonetheless, several institutions have successfully begun such preceptorships, even in the absence of major federal or philanthropic funding. In this article, three institutions offer suggestions for overcoming the factors hindering the development of a successful preceptorship.

Education, Medical, Undergraduate↗
PubMed1993

Creating an objective structured clinical examination for the internal medicine clerkship: pitfalls and benefits.

The objective-structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a useful tool in evaluating clinical competence. Traditional clinical-evaluation measures have been criticized as arbitrary and lacking reliability, whereas written exams test primarily cognitive aspects. The OSCE focuses on learner actions rather than abstract knowledge and evaluates in a uniform fashion. A 15-station OSCE was created for an internal medicine junior clerkship, based on predetermined skill and content goals. The exams then were scored by a single, blinded reviewer, again in a predetermined fashion. The OSCE has been studied in terms of reliability, content validity, and construct validity. The exam has become accepted by the department and has guided the continuing curricular development. The OSCE is not designed to measure all the domains of a learner's educational process. However, when used in conjunction with other evaluating mechanisms, it provides an objective outcome measure of the medical education process.

Clinical Clerkship↗
PubMed1992

Preventing postoperative medical complications. How primary care physicians can help.

Just as your concern for your patients' welfare does not stop at the operating room door, neither does your opportunity to improve their prognosis. Drs Elnicki and Shockcor believe that primary care physicians have a unique role in total patient care. In this article, they discuss prevention of major postoperative complications and recommend ways primary care physicians can help optimize their patients' perioperative status.

Communication↗
PubMed1992

Evaluating the complaint of fatigue in primary care: diagnoses and outcomes.

PURPOSE: This case series describes associated diagnoses and prognoses of persistent fatigue in a community-based, primary care population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients presenting to a private practice internist with a chief complaint of fatigue of more than 1 month's duration were prospectively evaluated with clinically directed examination and diagnostic testing. Patients were excluded if they had a previously diagnosed illness associated with fatigue. Fatigue was attributed to newly established diagnoses or medication use based on explicit criteria. Change in the state of each patient's fatigue was measured 6 months after entry. RESULTS: Fifty-two consecutive patients entered the study. The diagnoses associated with fatigue were a medical disorder in 25 patients, depression in 10 patients, and no definitive diagnosis in 18 patients. The mean cost of diagnostic testing was $131. At 6 months, 37 of 52 patients (72%) reported improvement in or resolution of their fatigue. CONCLUSION: In a primary care setting, many patients presenting with persistent fatigue have an associated, treatable disease that can be determined using a cost-effective, clinically directed approach. Most will experience an improvement in their fatigue.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Hereditary angioedema.

Hereditary angioedema is a rare disease resulting from a lack of functional C1 esterase inhibitor (C1 INH). Several genetic defects can cause decreased production of the protein or the synthesis of a biologically inactive form. A similar, acquired condition is occasionally seen, associated with malignancies or as an autoimmune process. Disease severity varies greatly among affected individuals. Most patients have cutaneous, laryngeal, or gastrointestinal edema, often in combinations. The symptoms may appear spontaneously or result from a stimulus, usually trauma. When clinical suspicion exists, measurement of the C4 level screens for the disease. An assay showing low serum C1 INH function confirms the diagnosis. When disease severity warrants, symptoms can be controlled with anabolic steroids or antifibrinolytics. Doses should be increased before symptom-provoking events. Emergencies are treated with plasma infusions, fluids, and pain control. Where available, C1 INH concentrate is the treatment of choice. Therapy can usually be monitored by control of symptoms. With appropriate therapy, most cases remain well controlled.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Musculoskeletal disorders. When are they caused by hormone imbalance?

Often, the source of a musculoskeletal problem can be traced to an endocrine disorder. For example, carpal tunnel syndrome is not uncommon in patients who are pregnant or have diabetes, hypothyroidism, or acromegaly. Joint problems and arthritis are other common findings in diabetes, pregnancy, and hyperparathyroidism. Muscle weakness or stiffness is seen in both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, and muscle wasting is a characteristic of adrenocorticoid insufficiency. Bone disorders are common with glucocorticoid excess, acromegaly, and hyperparathyroidism. Some presentations are a classic picture of a specific endocrine condition and are readily recognized if the index of suspicion is appropriately high.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

Mountain sickness.

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a failure to adapt to high altitude. Although some people may be at increased risk, most cases are unpredictable. Much can be done, however, to prevent AMS or limit its severity. Staging ascent, sleeping low, and avoiding overexertion and respiratory depressants are all helpful. For some, drug prophylaxis should be considered. Treatment is based on clinical severity, with descent remaining the primary treatment for severe cases.

Acetazolamide↗