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Coll-Vinent B, Sugranyes G. Sex and gender need to be integrated into emergency medicine. Recommendations for research and clinical practice. Eur J Emerg Med 2024:00063110-990000000-00140. [PMID: 39037732 DOI: 10.1097/mej.0000000000001162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Coll-Vinent
- Comissió Clínica de Sexe i Gènere en Salut, Hospital Clínic
- Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona - Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)
- Emergency Department, Hospital Clínic
| | - Gisela Sugranyes
- Comissió Clínica de Sexe i Gènere en Salut, Hospital Clínic
- Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona - Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM G04, Madrid, Spain
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2
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McGregor AJ, Greenberg MR, Donnelly EA. Invited editorial: A guide to caring for patients who identify as transgender and gender diverse in the emergency department: The evolution of evidence-based medicine. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2024; 5:e13218. [PMID: 38903765 PMCID: PMC11187803 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.13218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alyson J. McGregor
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of South Carolina School of MedicineGreenvilleSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Marna Rayl Greenberg
- Department of Emergency and Hospital MedicineLehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network/USF Morsani College of Medicine, Lehigh CampusAllentownPennsylvaniaUSA
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Granton D, Rodrigues M, Raparelli V, Honarmand K, Agarwal A, Friedrich JO, Perna B, Spaggiari R, Fortunato V, Risdonne G, Kho M, VanderKaay S, Chaudhuri D, Gomez-Builes C, D'Aragon F, Wiseman D, Lau VI, Lin C, Reid J, Trivedi V, Prakash V, Belley-Cote E, Al Mandhari M, Thabane L, Pilote L, Burns KEA. Sex and gender-based analysis and diversity metric reporting in acute care trials published in high-impact journals: a systematic review. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e081118. [PMID: 38719297 PMCID: PMC11103199 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterise sex and gender-based analysis (SGBA) and diversity metric reporting, representation of female/women participants in acute care trials and temporal changes in reporting before and after publication of the 2016 Sex and Gender Equity in Research guideline. DESIGN Systematic review. DATA SOURCES We searched MEDLINE for trials published in five leading medical journals in 2014, 2018 and 2020. STUDY SELECTION Trials that enrolled acutely ill adults, compared two or more interventions and reported at least one clinical outcome. DATA ABSTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS 4 reviewers screened citations and 22 reviewers abstracted data, in duplicate. We compared reporting differences between intensive care unit (ICU) and cardiology trials. RESULTS We included 88 trials (75 (85.2%) ICU and 13 (14.8%) cardiology) (n=111 428; 38 140 (34.2%) females/women). Of 23 (26.1%) trials that reported an SGBA, most used a forest plot (22 (95.7%)), were prespecified (21 (91.3%)) and reported a sex-by-intervention interaction with a significance test (19 (82.6%)). Discordant sex and gender terminology were found between headings and subheadings within baseline characteristics tables (17/32 (53.1%)) and between baseline characteristics tables and SGBA (4/23 (17.4%)). Only 25 acute care trials (28.4%) reported race or ethnicity. Participants were predominantly white (78.8%) and male/men (65.8%). No trial reported gendered-social factors. SGBA reporting and female/women representation did not improve temporally. Compared with ICU trials, cardiology trials reported significantly more SGBA (15/75 (20%) vs 8/13 (61.5%) p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS Acute care trials in leading medical journals infrequently included SGBA, female/women and non-white trial participants, reported race or ethnicity and never reported gender-related factors. Substantial opportunity exists to improve SGBA and diversity metric reporting and recruitment of female/women participants in acute care trials. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42022282565.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Granton
- Department of Medicine and Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Myanca Rodrigues
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Valeria Raparelli
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- University Center for Studies on Gender Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Kimia Honarmand
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Critical Care, Mackenzie Health, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arnav Agarwal
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jan O Friedrich
- Department of Medicine and Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Critical Care and Medicine Departments, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benedetta Perna
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Riccardo Spaggiari
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Valeria Fortunato
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Gianluca Risdonne
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Michelle Kho
- School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Physiotherapy Department, Research Institute of St. Joe's Hamilton, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sandra VanderKaay
- School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dipayan Chaudhuri
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carolina Gomez-Builes
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frédérick D'Aragon
- Department of Anesthesiology, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Wiseman
- Departments of Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vincent Issac Lau
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Celina Lin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julie Reid
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vatsal Trivedi
- Department of Medicine and Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Varuna Prakash
- Department of Medicine and Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emilie Belley-Cote
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Divisions of Cardiology and Critical Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maha Al Mandhari
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lehana Thabane
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Louise Pilote
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen E A Burns
- Department of Medicine and Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Critical Care and Medicine Departments, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Tan CD, el Ouasghiri S, von Both U, Carrol ED, Emonts M, van der Flier M, de Groot R, Herberg J, Kohlmaier B, Levin M, Lim E, Maconochie IK, Martinon-Torres F, Nijman RG, Pokorn M, Rivero-Calle I, Tsolia M, Vermont CL, Zenz W, Zavadska D, Moll HA, Zachariasse JM. Sex differences in febrile children with respiratory symptoms attending European emergency departments: An observational multicenter study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271934. [PMID: 35921337 PMCID: PMC9348645 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To assess sex differences in presentation and management of febrile children with respiratory symptoms attending European Emergency Departments. Design and setting An observational study in twelve Emergency Departments in eight European countries. Patients Previously healthy children aged 0–<18 years with fever (≥ 38°C) at the Emergency Department or in the consecutive three days before Emergency Department visit and respiratory symptoms were included. Main outcome measures The main outcomes were patient characteristics and management defined as diagnostic tests, treatment and admission. Descriptive statistics were used for patient characteristics and management stratified by sex. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed for the association between sex and management with adjustment for age, disease severity and Emergency Department. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed in children with upper and lower respiratory tract infections and in children below five years. Results We included 19,781 febrile children with respiratory symptoms. The majority were boys (54%), aged 1–5 years (58%) and triaged as low urgent (67%). Girls presented less frequently with tachypnea (15% vs 16%, p = 0.002) and increased work of breathing (8% vs 12%, p<0.001) compared with boys. Girls received less inhalation medication than boys (aOR 0.82, 95% CI 0.74–0.90), but received antibiotic treatment more frequently than boys (aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02–1.15), which is associated with a higher prevalence of urinary tract infections. Amongst children with a lower respiratory tract infection and children below five years girls received less inhalation medication than boys (aOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.66–0.89; aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72–0.90). Conclusions Sex differences concerning presentation and management are present in previously healthy febrile children with respiratory symptoms presenting to the Emergency Department. Future research should focus on whether these differences are related to clinicians’ attitudes, differences in clinical symptoms at the time of presentation and disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal D. Tan
- Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Department of General Paediatrics, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Soufiane el Ouasghiri
- Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Department of General Paediatrics, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ulrich von Both
- Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munchen, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research, DZIF, Partner site Munich, Munchen, Germany
| | - Enitan D. Carrol
- University of Liverpool, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Marieke Emonts
- Great North Children’s Hospital, Paediatric Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Allergy, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre based at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust and Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Michiel van der Flier
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, RadboudUMC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Amalia Children’s Hospital, RadboudUMC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald de Groot
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, RadboudUMC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jethro Herberg
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Benno Kohlmaier
- Medical University of Graz, Department of General Paediatrics, Graz, Austria
| | - Michael Levin
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Lim
- Great North Children’s Hospital, Paediatric Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Allergy, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Department of Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Ian K. Maconochie
- Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Imperial College Healthcare Trust NHS, London, United Kingdom
| | - Federico Martinon-Torres
- Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela. Genetics, Vaccines, Infections and Paediatrics Research group (GENVIP), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ruud G. Nijman
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marko Pokorn
- University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Infectious Diseases and Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Irene Rivero-Calle
- Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela. Genetics, Vaccines, Infections and Paediatrics Research group (GENVIP), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Maria Tsolia
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Second Department of Paediatrics, P. and A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Clementien L. Vermont
- Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Department of Paediatric Infectious diseases and Immunology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Werner Zenz
- Medical University of Graz, Department of General Paediatrics, Graz, Austria
| | - Dace Zavadska
- Rīgas Stradiņa universitāte, Department of Paediatrics, Children clinical university hospital, Riga, Latvia
| | - Henriette A. Moll
- Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Department of General Paediatrics, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joany M. Zachariasse
- Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Department of General Paediatrics, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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5
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Yousif R, Katz KA. Sex and Gender Reporting and Analysis in Dermatology Clinical-Research Articles: A Cross-Sectional Study. Br J Dermatol 2022; 187:416-417. [PMID: 35192192 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.21065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rame Yousif
- University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, Ohio, USA
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6
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Candel BG, Dap S, Raven W, Lameijer H, Gaakeer MI, de Jonge E, de Groot B. Sex differences in clinical presentation and risk stratification in the Emergency Department: An observational multicenter cohort study. Eur J Intern Med 2022; 95:74-79. [PMID: 34521584 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate whether sex differences exist in disease presentations, disease severity and (case-mix adjusted) outcomes in the Emergency Department (ED). METHODS Observational multicenter cohort study using the Netherlands Emergency Department Evaluation Database (NEED), including patients ≥ 18 years of three Dutch EDs. Multivariable logistic regression was used to study the associations between sex and outcome measures in-hospital mortality and Intensive Care Unit/Medium Care Unit (ICU/MCU) admission in ED patients and in subgroups triage categories and presenting complaints. RESULTS Of 148,825 patients, 72,554 (48.8%) were females. Patient characteristics at ED presentation and diagnoses (such as pneumonia, cerebral infarction, and fractures) were comparable between sexes at ED presentation. In-hospital mortality was 2.2% in males and 1.7% in females. ICU/MCU admission was 4.7% in males and 3.1% in females. Males had higher unadjusted (OR 1.34(1.25-1.45)) and adjusted (AOR 1.34(1.24-1.46)) risks for mortality, and unadjusted (OR 1.54(1.46-1.63)) and adjusted (AOR 1.46(1.37-1.56)) risks for ICU/MCU admission. Males had higher adjusted mortality and ICU/MCU admission for all triage categories, and with almost all presenting complaints except for headache. CONCLUSIONS Although patient characteristics at ED presentation for both sexes are comparable, males are at higher unadjusted and adjusted risk for adverse outcomes. Males have higher risks in all triage categories and with almost all presenting complaints. Future studies should investigate reasons for higher risk in male ED patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Gj Candel
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, RC 2300, the Netherlands; Department of Emergency Medicine, Máxima Medical Center, De Run 4600, Veldhoven, DB 5504, the Netherlands.
| | - Saimi Dap
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, RC 2300, the Netherlands
| | - Wouter Raven
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, RC 2300, the Netherlands
| | - Heleen Lameijer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical Center Leeuwarden, Henri Dunantweg 2, Leeuwarden, AD 8934, the Netherlands
| | - Menno I Gaakeer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Adrz Hospital, 's-Gravenpolderseweg 114, Goes, RA 4462, the Netherlands
| | - Evert de Jonge
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, RC 2300, the Netherlands
| | - Bas de Groot
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, RC 2300, the Netherlands
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7
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Kruse MI, Voloshin D, Wan M, Clarizio A, Bigham BL, Upadhye S. Care of Sexual and Gender Minorities in the Emergency Department: A Scoping Review. Ann Emerg Med 2021; 79:196-212. [PMID: 34785088 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.09.422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE This scoping review was conducted to collate and summarize the published research literature addressing sexual and gender minority care in the emergency department (ED). METHODS Using PRISMA-ScR criteria, an electronic search was conducted of CINAHL, Embase, Ovid Medline, and Web of Science for all studies that were published after 1995 involving sexual and gender minorities, throughout all life stages, presenting to an ED. We excluded non-US and Canadian studies and editorials. Titles and abstracts were screened, and full-text review was performed independently with 4 reviewers. Abstraction focused on study design, demographics, and outcomes, and the resulting data were analyzed using an ad hoc iterative thematic analysis. RESULTS We found 972 unique articles and excluded 743 after title and abstract screening. The remaining 229 articles underwent full-text review, and 160 articles were included. Themes identified were HIV in sexual and gender minorities (n=61), population health (n=46), provider training (n=29), ED avoidance or barriers (n=23), ED use (n=21), and sexual orientation/gender identity information collection (n=9). CONCLUSION The current literature encompassing ED sexual and gender minority care cluster into 6 themes. There are considerable gaps to be addressed in optimizing culturally competent and equitable care in the ED for this population. Future research to address these gaps should include substantial patient stakeholder engagement in all aspects of the research process to ensure patient-focused outcomes congruent with sexual and gender minority values and preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael I Kruse
- Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Daniel Voloshin
- Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Melissa Wan
- Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexandra Clarizio
- Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Blair L Bigham
- Division of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Suneel Upadhye
- Division of Emergency Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Dessie A, Alvarez A, Lewiss RE. Standardizing terminology in academic medical journals: understanding sex and gender. Eur J Emerg Med 2021; 28:331-332. [PMID: 34433787 DOI: 10.1097/mej.0000000000000869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Almaz Dessie
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York
| | - Al'ai Alvarez
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Resa E Lewiss
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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9
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Mercel A, Newton ER, Marulanda K, Klein M, Helenowski I, Kibbe MR. Sex bias persists in surgical research: A 5-year follow-up study. Surgery 2021; 170:354-361. [PMID: 33814189 PMCID: PMC9733431 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2021.02.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Federal initiatives have recently addressed the sex bias that exists in biomedical and clinical research. However, improvement to the inclusion of sex as a biological variable remains unknown. METHODS We performed a 5-year follow-up study of all clinical and biomedical research articles published in 5 surgical journals from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2018. Human, animal, and cell subjects were analyzed for study/subject type, sex of participants, sex matching, and sex-based data reporting, analysis, and discussion. RESULTS Comparing 2017 to 2018 with 2011 to 2012, slightly more articles reported the sex of the human studied (87% vs 83%; P = .001). Inclusion of both sexes remained high (94% vs 95%; P = .22), but sex-based data reporting (36% vs 38%; P = .17), analysis (35% vs 33%; P = .39), and discussion of results (10% vs 23%; P < .0001) remained unchanged or worsened. Regarding animal research, the number of articles that stated the sex studied remained unchanged (79% vs 78%; P = .67); if stated, slightly more included both sexes (7% vs 3%; P = .002). Regarding cell research, fewer articles reported the sex of the cells studied (5% vs 24%; P = .0001); if stated, more articles included both sexes, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (25% vs 7%; P = .34). Sex matching remained poor with only 50% of human, 4% of animal, and 9% of cell studies matching the inclusion of both sexes by at least 50%. CONCLUSION Sex bias persists in surgical research. The majority of articles failed to report, analyze, or discuss results based on sex, which will negatively affect clinical translatability and outcomes of evidence-based medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Mercel
- Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Emily R. Newton
- Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | - Mia Klein
- Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Irene Helenowski
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Melina R. Kibbe
- Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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10
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Margus C, Brown N, Hertelendy AJ, Safferman MR, Hart A, Ciottone GR. Emergency Physician Twitter Use in the COVID-19 Pandemic as a Potential Predictor of Impending Surge: Retrospective Observational Study. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e28615. [PMID: 34081612 PMCID: PMC8281822 DOI: 10.2196/28615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The early conversations on social media by emergency physicians offer a window into the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective This retrospective observational study of emergency physician Twitter use details how the health care crisis has influenced emergency physician discourse online and how this discourse may have use as a harbinger of ensuing surge. Methods Followers of the three main emergency physician professional organizations were identified using Twitter’s application programming interface. They and their followers were included in the study if they identified explicitly as US-based emergency physicians. Statuses, or tweets, were obtained between January 4, 2020, when the new disease was first reported, and December 14, 2020, when vaccination first began. Original tweets underwent sentiment analysis using the previously validated Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner (VADER) tool as well as topic modeling using latent Dirichlet allocation unsupervised machine learning. Sentiment and topic trends were then correlated with daily change in new COVID-19 cases and inpatient bed utilization. Results A total of 3463 emergency physicians produced 334,747 unique English-language tweets during the study period. Out of 3463 participants, 910 (26.3%) stated that they were in training, and 466 of 902 (51.7%) participants who provided their gender identified as men. Overall tweet volume went from a pre-March 2020 mean of 481.9 (SD 72.7) daily tweets to a mean of 1065.5 (SD 257.3) daily tweets thereafter. Parameter and topic number tuning led to 20 tweet topics, with a topic coherence of 0.49. Except for a week in June and 4 days in November, discourse was dominated by the health care system (45,570/334,747, 13.6%). Discussion of pandemic response, epidemiology, and clinical care were jointly found to moderately correlate with COVID-19 hospital bed utilization (Pearson r=0.41), as was the occurrence of “covid,” “coronavirus,” or “pandemic” in tweet texts (r=0.47). Momentum in COVID-19 tweets, as demonstrated by a sustained crossing of 7- and 28-day moving averages, was found to have occurred on an average of 45.0 (SD 12.7) days before peak COVID-19 hospital bed utilization across the country and in the four most contributory states. Conclusions COVID-19 Twitter discussion among emergency physicians correlates with and may precede the rising of hospital burden. This study, therefore, begins to depict the extent to which the ongoing pandemic has affected the field of emergency medicine discourse online and suggests a potential avenue for understanding predictors of surge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colton Margus
- Division of Disaster Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Natasha Brown
- Division of Disaster Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Attila J Hertelendy
- Division of Disaster Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, College of Business, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Michelle R Safferman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai Morningside-West, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alexander Hart
- Division of Disaster Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Gregory R Ciottone
- Division of Disaster Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Duffy KA, Ziolek TA, Epperson CN. Filling the Regulatory Gap: Potential Role of Institutional Review Boards in Promoting Consideration of Sex as a Biological Variable. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2020; 29:868-875. [PMID: 32267784 PMCID: PMC7718845 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2019.8084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Consideration of sex differences in biomedical research is crucial to ensure the safety and effectiveness of drugs and devices for both sexes and to improve the rigor and reproducibility of scientific discoveries. Historically, women were underrepresented in clinical research and sex differences typically were not considered. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have played a role in improving the representation of women in clinical trials and in encouraging the consideration of sex differences. As it is not appropriate for all studies to be reviewed by the FDA nor do all studies have NIH funding, this results in a regulatory gap. We propose that local institutional review boards (IRBs) and institutional animal care and use committees (IACUCs) provide greater oversight by encouraging researchers to consider sex as a biological variable (SABV) during protocol review. In this perspective article, we review how FDA and NIH policies have fostered change and highlight how IRBs and IACUCs could encourage investigators to consider SABV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Korrina A. Duffy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Tracy A. Ziolek
- Office of Human Research Affairs, United HealthGroup, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - C. Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
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Safdar B, Jarman AF, Barron R, Gouger DH, Wiskel T, McGregor AJ. Integrating Sex and Gender into an Interprofessional Curriculum: Workshop Proceedings from the 2018 Sex and Gender Health Education Summit. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2019; 28:1737-1742. [PMID: 31755805 PMCID: PMC6919237 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2018.7339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In the last 3 years, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) declared advancement of understanding the role sex as a biological variable has in research a priority. The burden now falls on educators and clinicians to translate into clinical practice the ensuing body of evidence for sex as a biological variable that clearly shows the effect of sex/gender on disease diagnosis and management. The 2018 Sex and Gender Health Education Summit (SGHE) organized an interdisciplinary and interprofessional workshop to (1) analyze common clinical scenarios highlighting the nuances of sex- and gender-based medicine (SGBM) in presentation, diagnosis, or management of illness; (2) utilize valid educational and assessment tools for a multiprofessional audience; and (3) brainstorm standardized learning objectives that integrate both. Materials and Methods: We describe the iterative process used to create these scenarios, as well as an interprofessional forum to develop standardized SGBM case-based objectives. Results: A total of 170 health education professionals representing 137 schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Public Health, Nursing, Physical, and Occupational Therapy participated in this workshop. After attending the workshop, participants reported a significant increase in comfort level with using diverse educational modalities in the instruction of health profession learners. Recurrent themes included case-based learning, use of sex-neutral cases, simulation, and standardized patient scenarios for educational modalities; and self-assessment, peer assessment, and review of clinical documentation as used assessment tools. Materials created for the workshop included teaching SGBM case scenarios, methods of assessment, and sample standardized objectives. Conclusion: The SGHE Summit provided an interdisciplinary forum to create educational tools and materials for SABV instruction that may be applied to a diverse audience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basmah Safdar
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Angela F. Jarman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California
| | - Rebecca Barron
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
| | - Daniel H. Gouger
- Department of Anesthesiology, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Tess Wiskel
- Team Health Northeast Group, Emergency Physician Special Operations, Waterville, Maine
| | - Alyson J. McGregor
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
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