Volume 118, Issue 6

Initial data from the first phase of a nationwide study of cognitive empathy, the Project in Osteopathic Medical Education and Empathy (POMEE), have been gathered. At the beginning of their first year of medical school, more than 6000 osteopathic medical students filled out the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. The POMEE principal investigator and co-investigators—Mohammadreza Hojat, PhD; Leonard H. Calabrese, DO; and Stephen C. Shannon, DO—responded to a series of questions posed by the author pertaining to the importance of POMEE and the impact the findings will have on educating osteopathic medical students. Continued success of this large-scale study will depend on the deans of the 41 participating osteopathic medical schools to continue to encourage student involvement in the study as they progress through their 4 years of undergraduate medical education. Study results will be disseminated via national and international meetings and professional journals.

Context Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a global health issue among Asians, with rising prevalence and increasing disparities in proper disease management. However, studies on the perceptions of and attitudes toward diabetes, conducted to improve diabetes disparities, are disproportionately limited in Asian populations compared with other minority populations in the United States. Objective To determine Chinese Americans’ perceptions of and attitudes toward diabetes. Methods Chinese Americans from the greater Los Angeles, California, area were asked to complete a survey. The survey was a self-administered 15-item true/false questionnaire to assess the respondents’ perceptions of and attitudes toward diabetes. The results of the questionnaire were grouped by age: younger adults (aged <55 years) and older adults (aged ≥55 years). A subset of respondents in each age group was matched based on gender and education, and their responses were analyzed for differences in attitudes toward diabetes. Two-tailed t test and χ 2 test were used to compare continuous variables and categorical variables, respectively. Results with P <.05 were considered significant. Results A total of 449 of 485 Chinese Americans (93%) completed the survey. Among matched respondents (n=91 in each age group), more older respondents than younger respondents believed that (1) research on diabetes is solely beneficial for profiting pharmaceutical companies (23.1% vs 6.6%; P =.002) and (2) health insurance policies should not cover any costs of diabetes-related illnesses (28.6% vs 15.4%; P =.032). Conclusions Older Chinese Americans were more likely to hold stigmatized negative perceptions of and attitudes toward diabetes in relation to pharmaceutical companies and health insurance policies. Considering that an individual's belief system largely influences self-care behaviors, actions should be taken to minimize negative perceptions of and attitudes toward diabetes.

Context The responsibility-affect-helping model proposes that helping behavior is a function of perceived responsibility and affect. Objective To examine the effect of medical students’ degree (DO or MD) and gender on attitudes toward patients and how these factors could act as moderators in the responsibility-affect-helping model. Methods This 2×3 experimental study included third- and fourth-year osteopathic (ie, DO) and allopathic (ie, MD) medical students. Students were given a survey that included the medical record and photograph of a fictitious male patient with diabetes and a message from the patient regarding his diet nonadherence. The patients differed in race (black or white) and the cause of diet nonadherence (healthy foods don't taste good, no reason given, or inability to access healthy foods). Survey items measured students’ perception of the patient's responsibility for his nonadherence, level of anger, intention to help, level of sympathy, and ethnocentrism. Data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of covariance with ethnocentrism as a covariate. Results Of 1520 potential students, 231 were included in the study. Mean (SD) responsibility scale scores showed that DO students viewed the patient who gave dislike of healthy food or no reason for their diet nonadherence as more responsible for his nonadherence than did MD students (4.69 [0.99] vs 3.93 [1.00] and 4.35 [0.88] vs 3.65 [1.01], respectively). Conversely, mean (SD) responsibility scores showed that DO students viewed patients who indicated lack of access to healthy food as his reason for diet nonadherence as less responsible for his nonadherence than did MD students (2.45 [0.94] vs 2.59 [1.08]) ( F 2,228 =3.21, P <.05, η 2 =.03). Furthermore, female students perceived patients to be less responsible for their diet nonadherence than did male students (3.28 [1.22] vs 3.88 [1.22]) ( F 2,228 =8.87, P <.01, η 2 =.04). Ethnocentrism was consistently a significant covariate for students’ perception of patient characteristics, predicted patient behaviors, perception of the patient's responsibility for his nonadherence, students’ level of anger, students’ intention to help, and students’ level of sympathy. Conclusion Survey results showed that DO students perceived patients who reported dislike of healthy food or no reason for diet nonadherence as more responsible for their health issue and patients who indicated lack of access to healthy food as less responsible for their nonadherence than did MD students. Additionally, female students perceived patients to be less responsible for their health issue than did male students. Results of the current study indicate that physician demographic factors could be taken into account as proxy variables when using the responsibility-affect-helping model in the health care field.

Context Enrollment in colleges of osteopathic medicine continues to increase, as does the need for physicians practicing in underserved areas. The cost of osteopathic medical education is substantial, with students often incurring debt of $200,000 or more. It is unclear whether practice patterns of new graduates will be affected by debt-to-income ratios. Objective To determine whether the intended practice location of graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine is associated with medical education debt. Methods Using data from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine's annual survey to graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine, the authors focused on graduates’ intention to practice in an underserved area, the amount of debt incurred, and plans to enter a loan-repayment program. Survey data from 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016 were analyzed. Results From 2007 to 2016, the percentage of graduates who intended to practice in underserved areas increased (27.5% to 35.3%, respectively). Graduates with the most debt intended to practice in underserved areas at a higher percentage than those with the least amount of debt, and they also planned on using loan-repayment programs at a higher rate. Conclusion There is a strong association among the intention to practice in an underserved area, high debt load, and intention to use a loan-repayment program. Therefore, the osteopathic medical community should support increased access to loan-repayment programs to help its graduates surmount economic and social barriers to providing care in underserved areas.

Context Current guidelines recommend that primary care physicians provide physical activity counseling as part of routine preventive health care. However, education regarding physical activity counseling often is not included or is inadequately covered in medical school curriculum, and it is unclear whether future physicians are prepared to offer effective counseling in this area. Objective To examine first-year medical students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward physical activity and the importance of physical activity in patient counseling. Methods An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to all first-year students enrolled at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. The survey assessed students’ knowledge, beliefs, and behavior regarding physical activity and physical activity counseling for patients. The frequencies of students’ weekly physical activity were computed to assess students’ physical activity behaviors. Attitudes toward personal importance of physical activity and physical activity counseling in primary care were also assessed by response frequency. The relationship between students’ knowledge of and participation in physical activity and the priority placed on exercise for future patients were assessed by correlation. Results Of 243 potential participants, 144 students (59.3%) returned the survey. The majority of students (131 of 144 [91.0%]) indicated that living a healthy lifestyle was very or extremely important to them, and 125 of 144 (86.9%) prioritized physical activity as moderately, very, or extremely important. Of 122 students, 81 (66.4%) exercised for at least 30 minutes on 3 or more of the past 7 days, and 36 (29.5%) reported doing so on 5 or more of the past 7 days. Nearly all of the students (127 of 133 [95.5%]) indicated that exercise is important for their future patients, 97 of 133 (72.9%) indicated feeling moderately or extremely comfortable counseling patients on exercise, and 113 of 134 (84.3%) desired to include physical activity counseling in their practice. Fifty of 134 students (40.3%) indicated that they were aware of current physical activity recommendations for adults in the United States; however, of these 50 students, 1 (2.0%) provided a correct definition of the national recommendations. Conclusion Although students prioritized healthy lifestyles for themselves and their future patients and indicated a desire to include physical activity counseling as part of routine clinical care, the majority were unaware of the current physical activity recommendations. Thus, there is a need to address physical activity recommendations in the medical school curriculum.

Context Osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMTh; manipulative care provided by foreign-trained osteopaths) is effective in managing pain caused by a variety of clinical conditions. Nevertheless, the physiologic mechanisms at the basis of the clinical improvement are poorly understood. Objective To investigate the effects of OMTh, muscle stretching, and soft touch interventions on motor cortical excitability through a rapid-rate paired associative stimulation (PAS) protocol. Methods In this crossover study, participants underwent OMTh, muscle stretching, and soft touch interventions. A rapid-rate PAS transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol was performed immediately after each intervention session, which consisted of 600 pairs of stimuli continuously delivered to the left primary motor cortex and to the right median nerve at a rate of 5 Hz for 2 minutes. The interstimulus intervals between the peripheral stimulus and the transcranial magnetic stimulation was set at 25 milliseconds. Before and after rapid-rate PAS (immediately after and 15 minutes after), changes in the amplitude of the motor evoked potentials were measured in the right abductor pollicis brevis and the right first dorsal interosseous. Results Of the potential 15 participants initially recruited, 12 fit the inclusion criteria. Two of the 12 participants were excluded from the final analysis because of excessive artifact movements. Rapid-rate PAS induced a more pronounced, longer-lasting increase in cortical excitability in the abductor pollicis brevis muscle in patients 15 minutes after the OMTh intervention than after the muscle stretching or sham interventions ( P =.016). Conclusion Results of the current study provide support for the effects of OMTh on cortical plasticity.

Context Osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine is not a well-established adjunct to conventional treatment for patients with postconcussion symptoms. Objective To determine whether adjunctive osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine is safe for patients with concussion when accompanied by conventional treatments. Design Prospective observational pilot study. Setting Outpatient concussion clinic. Participants Patients who sustained a concussion were prospectively recruited from an outpatient concussion clinic by a neuropsychologist specialized in concussion. All participants were identified to have a cranial dysfunction. Intervention Each eligible participant received 1 session of the osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine vault hold technique. Main Outcome Measures Self-reported adverse events during or after 1 session of the osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine procedure and improvement in concussion symptoms at return to follow-up. Results None of the 9 participants reported adverse events during or immediately after receiving osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine. Five of the 7 participants who returned for follow-up demonstrated improvement in their overall concussion symptoms based on the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale scores. Conclusions Osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine was considered a safe adjunctive treatment option to improve concussion-related symptoms and recovery.

The Emergency Medicine Milestones Project, developed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Board of Emergency Medicine, includes competence targets for residents to attain and, ultimately, to exceed American Osteopathic Association and ACGME expectations for residents. The authors sought to use the clinical pathologic conference (CPC) format in their institutions’ Emergency Medicine Milestones Project to provide measurable residency academic and faculty development outcomes. The CPC is an event in which a resident presents an unknown case to a discussant in advance of a didactic session to demonstrate an organized approach and decision-making rationale to a differential diagnosis. Feedback forms included the assessment of resident discussants from the perspective of level-5 Milestone achievements in particular. Developing an internal CPC competition with a dedicated core faculty coordinator who provides skill development for both resident and faculty presentation has proven successful. Such a competition can document the level-5 achievements for senior residents, be a source of faculty development, and increase peer-reviewed academic output.

Signet ring cell carcinoma, a subtype of adenocarcinoma, is a rare cause of primary lung cancer. The authors report a case of primary lung signet ring cell carcinoma presenting as a cavitary Pancoast tumor in a 32-year-old male smoker. Beyond the rarity of primary lung signet ring cell carcinoma itself, the youth of the patient, his smoking status, the presence of cavitation, and the location of the tumor in the superior sulcus make it especially atypical.