Ambulatory Clinic Research Articles

Evaluation of Emergency Department Surge Spaces During the COVID-19 Crisis

Background: In response to the surge of COVID-19 patients in March and April 2020, our emergency department in New York City implemented a novel triage screening process to identify low acuity patients who could be diverted from the emergency department to a surge space. Patients who were (1) ≤ 70 years old; (2) triaged as Emergency Severity Index category 4 or 5, and (3) not requiring use of a stretcher (4) displaying mild COVID-19 symptoms were diverted to one of two surge spaces [West Surge Space (WSS) or Ambulatory Clinic Surge Space (ACSS)], where a complete set of vital signs were taken and an exam by a medical provider was conducted. Methods: From March 12 to April 20, 2020, we analyzed the total volume of patients diverted to the surge space and their discharge disposition (i.e., admitted to hospital, transfer to main emergency department, left against medical advice, discharged from a surge space, or expired). A receiver operator curve (ROC) was calculated to predict discharge disposition based on triage diversion to either surge space. Results: There were 6,241 patients triaged during the study period, in which one-quarter [n = 1,753 (26%)] were diverted to a surge space. The average number of patients per day was 141.8 (standard deviation [SD] 54.5) in the main emergency department and 39.8 (SD 29.9) in the surge spaces. Of the patients triaged and diverted to a surge space, a large proportion were successfully discharged from those areas without entering the main emergency department (84%, n = 866 in WSS and 94%, n = 745 in ACSS). Very few signed out against medical advice (3%, n = 26 in WSS and 2%, n = 12 in ACSS), transferred to the main emergency department (1%, n = 8 in WSS and 0.4%, n = 3 in ACSS), or admitted (13%, n = 130 in WSS and 4%, n = 30 in ACSS]. No patients expired in either surge space. The ROC analysis showed that the model had excellent discrimination power, with an area under the curve of 0.97 for WSS and 0.96 for ACSS. Conclusion: A novel triage screening process successfully diverted 26% of low acuity patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 to surge spaces. Nearly 92% of these patients were successfully discharged without entering the main emergency department footprint.

Evaluating Thrombopoietin's Potential to Predict Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease

Thrombopoietin (TPO) is a humoral growth factor that can induce megakaryocyte proliferation and differentiation. Elevated levels of TPO hve previously been posited as a marker of cardiovascular disease. In this investigation, we sought to evaluate the predictive potential of TPO of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Patients presenting to ambulatory clinics at St Michael's Hospital were recruited for this study. Overall, 403 patients (n = 256 PAD and n = 147 non-PAD) participated in this study. Baseline levels of TPO were measured and quantified, and study participants were prospectively followed over a 2-year period. In this investigation, major adverse limb event (MALE; a composite of need for vascular intervention or major amputation) served as the primary outcome, whereas worsening PAD status (drop in ankle-brachial index ≥0.15) was the secondary outcome. Adjusted multivariable regression were performed to assess the prognostic value of TPO in predicting MALE and worsening PAD status. Plasma TPO levels (ng/mL) were significantly higher in patients with PAD (1.873 ± 0.746) than those without PAD (1.175 ± 0.631) (P-value = 26). The primary outcome of MALE outcomes occurred in 78 patients (19%). Individual components of MALE, namely need for arterial revascularization and need for major limb amputation, occurred in 72 patients (18%) and 15 patients (4%), respectively. The secondary outcome, decrease in ankle-brachial index (≥0.15), occurred in 36 patients (9%). With regard to predictive potential, TPO demonstrated adequate prognostic capabilities with a significant hazard ratio of 1.12 (95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.38; P-value = .003) for MALE, but not worsening PAD status (hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.98-1.29; P-value = .27). Our analyses demonstrate the capabilities of TPO in predicting MALE, but not worsening PAD status.

Standardized Venous Access Assessment and Safe Chemotherapy Administration to Reduce Adverse Venous Events.

Staff of the ambulatory infusion clinic at a Magnet-designated academic medical center observed the rates of adverse venous events, including infiltration and extravasation. An evidence-based quality improvement project was d.

The Community Rehabilitation Assessment: patient and clinician-reported outcomes in ambulatory rehabilitation.

The interRAI Community Rehabilitation Assessment (CRA) is a comprehensive health assessment designed to collect essential health and function information for rehabilitation care planning, benchmarking, and evaluation of clinic and home-based programs. A portion of the CRA is completed through patient self-report. The objective of this study was to demonstrate how the CRA can be used to describe the baseline clinical characteristics of patients participating in ambulatory rehabilitation programs and measure change across numerous domains of function, health, and wellbeing over time. Cohort study. In total, 709 patients were assessed with the CRA across 25 ambulatory clinics in Ontario, Canada between January 1st, 2018, to December 31st, 2018. We examined sub-groups of patients receiving rehabilitation following stroke (n = 82) and hip or knee total joint replacement (n = 210). Frequency responses and means were compared between admission and discharge from the ambulatory rehabilitation programs. Measures of interest included self-reported difficulty in completing instrumental activities of daily living, locomotion, fear of falling, and pain. Significant improvement relative to at admission was detected for the overall cohort and both sub-samples on individual instrumental activities of daily living, stair difficulty, use of mobility aides, distance walked, fear of falling, and pain. The standardized and comparable information collected by the CRA is expected to provide clinicians, clinic, and health system administrators with essential health and function information that can be used for care planning, benchmarking, and evaluation.

Optimizing diagnostic and therapeutic measures for different types of melasma based on the biophysical characteristics of facial skin

ABSTRACT The goal was to determine ways to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic measures for various types of melasma in the outpatient setting of the dermatovenerological ambulatory clinic. The study involved 112 women with a confirmed diagnosis of facial melasma whose disease lasted for at least 2 years. The severity of patient pigmentation was evaluated using the Melasma Area Severity Index and the Melasma Severity Scale. There was a significant increase in melanin levels across all melasma types, an increase in erythema in the dermal type, and an increase in sebum production in the epidermal type.

Uncontrolled blood pressure and associated factors in adult hypertensive patients undergoing follow-up at public health facility ambulatory clinics in Bishoftu town, Ethiopia: a multi-center study

BackgroundUncontrolled blood pressure is an important medical and public health problem in developing countries like Ethiopia. Improving the management of hypertension requires a better comprehension of the factors influencing blood pressure control and the application of interventions. But in clinical practice, blood pressure is still not adequately controlled. Thus, this study aimed to assess uncontrolled blood pressure and associated among adult hypertensive patients on follow-up at public health facility ambulatory clinics in Bishoftu, Ethiopia.MethodsA hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 398 adult hypertensive patients who were on treatment and follow-up from April to May 31, 2022. Systematic random sampling was used to select study participants. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire and chart review. The Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8) criteria was applied to define blood pressure control status. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to model the association between dependent and independent variables. An adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were used to measure the strength of the association. Finally, at a p-value < 0.05, statistical significance was proclaimed.ResultOf the total study participants, 249(62.6%) were male. The mean age was 62.26 ± 11.55 years. The overall proportion of uncontrolled blood pressure was 58.8% (95% CI: 54–64). Salt intake (AOR = 2.51; 95% CI: 1.49–4.24), lack of physical activity (AOR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.10–2.62), habitual coffee consumption (AOR = 4.52; 95% CI: 2.67–7.64), higher BMI (AOR = 2.08; 95% CI: 1.24–3.49), and non-adherence to antihypertensive medications (AOR = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.3–3.89) were independent predictors of uncontrolled blood pressure.ConclusionMore than half of the hypertensive patients in this study had uncontrolled blood pressure. Healthcare providers and other accountable stakeholders should urge patients to follow salt restriction, physical activity, and antihypertensive medication regimes. Reduced coffee consumption and weight maintenance are other crucial blood pressure control measures.

Collaboration between pharmacists in community pharmacy and ambulatory clinic settings: Current state and future directions

AbstractPharmacists in the community and ambulatory settings are primed for collaboration that can optimize care. Now is the time to capitalize on the momentum and positive disruption of the COVID‐19 pandemic that propelled pharmacists and their organizations to respond with agility to deliver care in new ways, pivot to develop new partnerships, and leverage technology. The growth of collaborative practice agreements within ambulatory care settings, the enhancement of clinically integrated networks, and the growth in professional organization support create an environment ripe for implementation of pharmacist‐to‐pharmacist collaborations. The American College of Clinical Pharmacy 2022 Clinical Practice Affairs B Committee sought out literature, as well as prepublication contemporary examples, demonstrating models of intraprofessional collaboration among pharmacists in community and ambulatory settings. The committee formulated six key recommendations to optimize pharmacist collaborations in the community and ambulatory settings and formed a framework for practical implementation strategies at the levels of individual pharmacists, organizations, and educational institutions and for legislative advocacy.

The impact of medical students on work after clinic for neurology preceptors

ObjectiveTo determine whether medical students significantly impact preceptor physicians’ clinic volume and work after clinic (WAC), we compared the time to note completion and the number of patients seen per hour (PPH) for outpatient neurologists with and without students present in their clinic. MethodsOutpatient neurologists (n = 47) involved in the Johns Hopkins Neurology Clerkship from 2015 to 2017 were included. WAC for each patient encounter was calculated as the interval between the date and time of a scheduled patient appointment and the time of clinic note completion. The number of patient encounters per scheduled clinic hour (PPH) was also calculated for each preceptor. Measurements were compared for each preceptor, serving as their own control, to account for variability in efficiency between preceptors. ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference in WAC or PPH for individual preceptors with and without students (WAC p-value = 0.837; PPH p-value = 0.139). Preceptors did see significantly more patients per day with students than without (6.28 with students, 5.07 without students, p-value <0.001). ConclusionsIn this study, assigning a student to an outpatient ambulatory clinic did not significantly increase work after clinic. In addition, students did not significantly alter the number of patients faculty saw per hour. Public Interest SummaryBoth medical students and educators have highlighted the importance of greater student involvement in clinic in providing a valuable outpatient educational experience, but it is often difficult for academic programs to recruit physician preceptors willing to teach and actively involve students in outpatient clinics. This study shows that medical student presence in clinic does not delay physician preceptors’ note completion and is not associated with less patients seen. To further optimize the outpatient educational and efficiency model, it is important for future investigations to evaluate training programs that enhance the efficacy of a student in clinic, particularly for students with less outpatient experience. This could encourage more preceptors to involve medical students in their clinic, potentially increasing student competence and interest in outpatient medicine.

Worst area local Hidradenitis suppurativa Activity and Severity Index-Revised (W-HASI-R): a study evaluating construct validity.

Current validated hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) severity assessment tools are time-consuming and impractical in fast-paced, ambulatory clinic settings. This study evaluated the construct validity of the most severe or ‘worst’ area local Hidradenitis suppurativa Activity and Severity Index-Revised (W-HASI-R) as a novel target area assessment tool for clinical setting use. W-HASI-R had strong association with the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System and abscess and nodule count, moderate association with Hurley stage and HS physician global assessment and weak, negative association with reverse-scored Dermatology Quality Life Index. The resulting data suggest that W-HASI-R may be an option as an efficient target area assessment tool for fast-paced, ambulatory settings.

Reduction of Very Rapid Emergency Transfers to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Emergency transfers are associated with increased inpatient pediatric mortality. Therefore, interventions to improve system-level situational awareness were utilized to decrease a subset of emergency transfers that occurred within four hours of admission to an inpatient medical-surgical unit called very rapid emergency transfers (VRET). Specifically, we aimed to increase the days between VRET from non-ICU inpatient units from every 10 days to every 25 days over 1 year. Using the Model for Improvement, we developed an interdisciplinary team to reduce VRET. The key drivers targeted were the admission process from the emergency department and ambulatory clinics, sepsis recognition and communication, and expansion of our situational awareness framework. Days between VRET defined the primary outcome metric for this improvement project. After six months of interventions, our baseline improved from a VRET every 10 days to every 79 days, followed by another shift to 177 days, which we sustained for 3 years peaking at 468 days between events. Interventions targeting multiple admission sources to improve early recognition and communication of potential clinical deterioration effectively reduced and nearly eliminated VRET at our organization.

Immunogenicity and safety of mixed COVID-19 vaccine regimens in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: a single-centre prospective cohort study

ObjectiveAmong persons with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) who received SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, we compared postvaccine antibody responses and IMID disease activity/states.DesignSingle-centre prospective cohort study.SettingSpecialty ambulatory clinics in central Canada.ParticipantsPeople with inflammatory...

Association of Weight Loss in Ambulatory Care Settings With First Diagnosis of Lung Cancer in the US

Lung cancer, the US's leading cause of cancer death, is often diagnosed following presentation to health care settings with symptoms, and many patients present with late-stage disease. To investigate the association between weight loss and subsequent diagnosis of incident lung cancer in an ambulatory care population and to assess whether recorded weight change had higher odds of lung cancer diagnosis than objective measurements. This case-control study included patients visiting a US academic medical center between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2019. Data were derived from US ambulatory care electronic health records from the University of Washington Medical Center linked to the local Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry. Cases were identified from patients who had a primary lung cancer diagnosis between 2012 and 2019; controls were matched on age, sex, smoking status, and presenting to the same type of ambulatory clinic as cases. Data were analyzed from March 2022 through January 2023. Continuous and categorical weight change were assessed. Odds ratios estimating the likelihood of a diagnosis of lung cancer were calculated using univariable and multivariable conditional logistic regression. A total of 625 patients aged 40 years or older with a first primary lung cancer diagnosis and 4606 matched controls were included (1915 [36.6%] ages 60 to 69 years; 418 [8.0%] Asian, 389 [7.4%] Black, 4092 [78.2%] White). In unadjusted analyses, participants with weight loss of 1% to 3% (odds ratio [OR], 1.12; 95% CI, 0.88-1.41), 3% to 5% (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.99-1.88), or 5% to 10% (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.82-1.85) over a 2-year period did not have statistically significantly increased risk of lung cancer diagnosis compared with those who maintained a steady weight. However, participants with weight loss of 10% to 50% had more than twice the odds of a lung cancer diagnosis (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.27-4.05). Most categories of weight loss showed significant associations with an increased risk of lung cancer diagnosis for at least 6 months prior to diagnosis. Patients who had weight loss both recorded in clinicians' notes and measured had higher odds of lung cancer compared with patients who had only recorded (OR, 1.26; odds; 95% CI, 1.04-1.52) or measured (OR, 8.53; 95% CI, 6.99-10.40) weight loss. In this case-control study, weight loss in the prior 6 months was associated with incident lung cancer diagnosis and was present whether weight loss was recorded as a symptom by the clinician or based on changes in routinely measured weight, demonstrating a potential opportunity for early diagnosis. The association between measured and recorded weight loss by clinicians presents novel results for the US.

Refining Vendor-Defined Measures to Accurately Quantify EHR Workload Outside Time Scheduled With Patients.

Accurately quantifying clinician time spent on electronic health record (EHR) activities outside the time scheduled with patients is critical for understanding occupational stress associated with ambulatory clinic environments. We make 3 recommendations regarding EHR workload measures that are intended to capture time working in the EHR outside time scheduled with patients, formally defined as work outside of work (WOW): (1) separate all time working in the EHR outside of time scheduled with patients from time working in the EHR during time scheduled with patients, (2) do not exclude any time before or after scheduled time with patients, and (3) encourage the EHR vendor and research communities to develop and standardize validated, vendor-agnostic methods for measuring active EHR use. Attributing all EHR work outside time scheduled with patients to WOW, regardless of when it occurs, will produce an objective and standardized measure better suited for use in efforts to reduce burnout, set policy, and facilitate research.

A Comparison of Pediatric Mental Health Diagnoses and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Prescribing Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PurposeTo assess the rate of mental health diagnoses and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) prescribing before and during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study at an ambulatory pediatric clinic. A prepandemic (June 2018 to June 2019) and intrapandemic (June 2020 to June 2021) cohort were reviewed. The rate of mental health visits and new SSRI prescriptions were compared. Chi-squared analyses demonstrated a variance of statistical significance. ResultsFrom 15,414 encounters (9,791 prepandemic and 5,623 intrapandemic), 397 mental health encounters were identified. 231 (4.1%) encounters occurred during the pandemic (vs. 1.7% prepandemic) and 63 (27.3%) SSRIs were prescribed (vs. 5.4% prepandemic). Mental health encounters (prevalence ratio 2.42, 95% confidence interval, 1.99–2.95, p < .001) and SSRI prescriptions (prevalence ratio 5.03, 95% confidence interval, 2.58–9.82, p < .001) were higher during the pandemic. DiscussionOur findings demonstrate increased rates of SSRI prescribing and mental health diagnoses during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, suggesting an increased incidence of these conditions. Clinicians should be prepared to manage and screen for mental health conditions.

Predictors of No-show in Neurology clinics (P1-5.032)

<h3>Objective:</h3> In this study, we aim to identify predictors of a no-show in neurology clinics at our institution. We conducted a retrospective review of neurology clinics from July 2013 through September 2018. <h3>Background:</h3> No-show in ambulatory neurology clinics does not only affect the efficiency and quality of workflow, but it also directly impacts the revenue and healthcare resources available to other patients. Moreover, clinic no show has significant implications on patients including delayed diagnosis and treatment, clinical worsening, and affects the management of medications that require close laboratory follow up such as anticonvulsant medications and immunotherapies. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> We compared the odds ratio of patients who missed appointments (no-show) to those who were present at appointments (show) in terms of age, lead-time, subspecialty, race, gender, quarter of the year, insurance type, and distance from hospital. <h3>Results:</h3> There were 60,012 (84%) show and 11,166 (16%) no-show patients. With each day increase in lead time, odds of no-show increased by a factor of 1.0019 (p &lt; 0.0001). Odds of no-show were higher in younger (p ≤ 0.0001, OR = 0.49) compared to older (age ≥ 60) patients and in women (p &lt; 0.001, OR = 1.1352) compared to men. They were higher in Black/African American (p &lt; 0.0001, OR = 1.4712) and lower in Asian (p = 0.03, OR = 0.6871) and American Indian/Alaskan Native (p = 0.055, OR = 0.6318) as compared to White/Caucasian. Patients with Medicare (p &lt; 0.0001, OR = 1.5127) and Medicaid (p &lt; 0.0001, OR = 1.3354) had higher odds of no-show compared to other insurance. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> Young age, female, Black/African American, long lead time to clinic appointments, Medicaid/Medicare insurance, and certain subspecialties (resident and stroke clinics) are associated with high odds of no show. Possible suggested interventions include better communication and flexible appointments for the high-risk groups as well as utilizing telemedicine. <b>Disclosure:</b> Dr. Dhasakeerthi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Elkhider has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sharma has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thatikala has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nalleballe has nothing to disclose. Dr. Onteddu has nothing to disclose.

Building Resident Quality Improvement Knowledge and Engagement Through a Longitudinal, Mentored, and Experiential Learning-Based Quality Improvement Curriculum.

Quality improvement (QI) training is an essential component of resident medical education and a part of the ACGME core competencies. We present our residency's evidence-based QI curriculum, which outlines key components identified in the literature for successful QI education. Our curriculum included a mandatory five-part longitudinal educational series during ambulatory education sessions for second-year residents. Modeled after the Institute for Healthcare Improvement model for improvement and taught by a chief resident, our curriculum introduced residents to key QI concepts through case-based, just-in-time didactics and applied experiential learning via concurrent resident-led longitudinal QI projects. Residents received structured, multilayer mentorship from a faculty mentor in their field of interest and the chief resident of quality and patient safety. Their work-in-progress projects were presented to faculty QI experts and institutional leadership for additional feedback and mentorship. Since 2016, a total of 234 internal medicine residents have completed our QI curriculum and developed 67 QI projects, which have been presented at various local, regional, and national conferences. In the 2 most recent academic years, Quality Improvement Knowledge Application Tool Revised (QIKAT-R) scores significantly increased from 4.6 precurriculum to 6.3 postcurriculum (p < .001). A longitudinal, experiential, and mentored QI curriculum teaches residents QI skill sets through incorporating mechanisms associated with successful educational initiatives and adult learning theory. Our QIKAT-R results and project output show that our curriculum is associated with improved trainee QI knowledge and systems-level improvements.

Thoracic Ultrasound in COVID-19: Use of Lung and Diaphragm Ultrasound in Evaluating Dyspnea in Survivors of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome from COVID-19 Pneumonia in a Post-ICU Clinic.

Dyspnea is a common symptom in survivors of severe COVID-19 pneumonia. While frequently employed in hospital settings, the use of point-of-care ultrasound in ambulatory clinics for dyspnea evaluation has rarely been explored. We aimed to determine how lung ultrasound score (LUS) and inspiratory diaphragm excursion (DE) correlate with patient-reported dyspnea during a 6-min walk test (6MWT) in survivors of COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We hypothesize higher LUS and lower DE will correlate with dyspnea severity. Single-center cross-sectional study of survivors of critically ill COVID-19 pneumonia (requiring high-flow nasal cannula, invasive, or non-invasive mechanical ventilation) seen in our Post-ICU clinic. All patients underwent standardized scanning protocols to compute LUS and DE. Pearson correlations were performed to detect an association between LUS and DE with dyspnea at rest and exertion during 6MWT. We enrolled 45 patients. Average age was 61.5years (57.7% male), with average BMI of 32.3 Higher LUS correlated significantly with dyspnea, at rest (r = + 0.41, p = < 0.01) and at exertion (r = + 0.40, p = < 0.01). Higher LUS correlated significantly with lower oxygen saturation during 6MWT (r = -0.55, p = < 0.01) and lower 6MWT distance (r = -0.44, p = < 0.01). DE correlated significantly with 6MWT distance but did not correlate with dyspnea at rest or exertion. Higher LUS correlated significantly with patient-reported dyspnea at rest and exertion. Higher LUS significantly correlated with more exertional oxygen desaturation during 6MWT and lower 6MWT distance. DE did not correlate with dyspnea.

Pain and Malnutrition in Elderly Cancer Patients: Examples of Southern Turkey

Objective: The prevalence of geriatric cancer disease is gradually increasing. Both the cancer diagnosis and many accompanying symptoms affect individuals bio-psycho-socially and impair the quality of life. This study was conducted to evaluate pain and nutritional status in geriatric cancer patients.&#x0D; Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with geriatric cancer patients receiving treatment in the ambulatory chemotherapy outpatient clinic of a university and oncology hospital. The population of the study consisted of cancer patients receiving treatment in the hospital and the sample consisted of 215 geriatric cancer patients who were voluntary to participate in the study. The data of the study were collected using a questionnaire, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the Mini Nutritional Assessment.&#x0D; Results: The mean age of the patients was 69.3±4.7 years. Respiratory tract cancers ranked first (28.8%). 42.8% of the patients were at stage four and they frequently experienced symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite and poor nutrition. VAS mean score was 4.8±2.8, Mini nutritional assessment mean score was 9.2±3.0, and there was a negative significant correlation between the VAS and Mini nutritional assessment mean scores (p

Comparison of stone-free rate between percutaneous nephrolithotomy and retrograde intrarenal surgery.

The management of urolithiasis in the kidney has been drastically changed in the era of endourology, mainly consisting of three surgical procedures: extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). Since ESWL is usually less invasive via ambulatory clinic routes, this study aimed to examine the stone-free rate (SFR) between PCNL and RIRS. We retrospectively reviewed patients who had renal stones and were treated with either PCNL or RIRS from June 2016 to June 2018. Staghorn stones, stones with diameters <1 cm, and stones with diameters >2 cm were excluded. Patients who underwent multiple surgeries for bilateral renal stones and those with graft kidney stones were excluded from the study. X-ray, sonography, and/or computed tomography (CT) were used to calculate the size of the stones. Follow-up was evaluated by the same image examination within three months after surgery. Stone-free was defined as no residual stone or the presence of asymptomatic calculi <4 mm. The operation time was defined as a skin-to-skin interval. Following exclusion criteria, there were 39 patients in each arm, with no difference in age, sex, or any other demographic data. The average stone size in the PCNL and RIRS groups was 16.3 and 14.0 mm, respectively ( p = 0.009). There was no significant difference in SFR (71.8% vs 61.5%, p = 0.337); the operation time was significant longer ( p < 0.001), and the hospital stay was significantly shorter ( p < 0.001) in the RIRS group. PCNL and RIRS are both feasible options for managing kidney stones. However, the initial stone size might affect the selection of operation. The SFR in the PCNL group was numerically but not statistically higher. The RIRS group, on the other hand, had a longer operation time but a shorter hospital stays.

Improving Vaccination Rates in the Clinical Setting.

Pediatric providers can consider using the 5 P's paradigm for process improvement to optimize vaccination rates in the clinical settings: People, Processes, Pharmacy principles, Pain prevention, and Presumptive vaccine communications. Maintaining high clinical setting vaccination rates requires hiring and training the right people with vaccination details for the population being served, perfecting safe vaccine delivery processes including when and where to vaccinate, using pharmacy principles for proper vaccine storage and handling, operationalizing proper pain prevention for consistent care, and providing clear presumptive vaccine communications for success. A dedicated role of Vaccine Specialist or a clearly defined Vaccine Champion serves as the content expert of the 5 P's in the clinical setting who is critical to improving and sustaining high vaccination rates. The 5 P's Checklist for increased vaccination rates can be a tool for success in achieving and sustaining high vaccination rates in clinical settings such as ambulatory clinics, pharmacies, and school-based vaccination events. [Pediatr Ann. 2023;52(3):e89-e95.].