Background Dental practitioners and students of dentistry are potentially at increased risk of CO... more Background Dental practitioners and students of dentistry are potentially at increased risk of COVID-19 infection due to frequent usage of aerosol-generating procedures. To mitigate risk to patients and providers, the University of Utah School of Dentistry began regular surveillance PCR testing of its patient-facing faculty, staff, and students in May 2020. Methods Surveillance testing occurred every other week for non-vaccinated individuals and continued through February 2022. After May 2021, fully vaccinated individuals were tested monthly and encouraged to seek additional testing if symptoms or an exposure occurred. We assessed risk of positive test among faculty, student, and staff groups through a Cox proportional hazards regression, accounting for multiple events and time-dependent variables with the Andersen-Gill model. To account for inconsistent testing after vaccination, time was examined as number of tests rather than calendar time. Results In total, 410 participants were...
Introduction: Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) are individually rare, but their cumulative frequ... more Introduction: Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) are individually rare, but their cumulative frequency is high. Most importantly, IEM are in the differential diagnosis for common clinical emergencies and childhood illnesses. Biochemical genetics (BCG) testing is used to diagnose IEM or follow-up with patients after treatment. A basic grasp of the strengths and limitations of biochemical testing is critical for clinicians to understand test results, identify when to seek a consultation with a specialist, or explain results to patients. Methods: This resource is designed as an introduction to BCG testing for aminoacidopathies and urea cycle disorders, and includes eight cases. The resource was first developed for the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program at the University of Utah School of Medicine, and used in the last 2 years in small-group settings, where students were each engaged with one case (eight per session). Results: Overall, students gave high ratings to the effectiveness of the examples used, and the interactive format encouraged students' questions. The resource has been tested with medical students and residents rotating through the Maternal Newborn Care Unit at the University Hospital. In this setting, a small-group case-based discussion was used. As expected, prior knowledge of IEM or BCG testing was low. Confidence in evaluating BCG testing after completing the learning activity improved. Discussion: This resource facilitates the integration of specialized knowledge of IEM in a primary care-oriented setting. Genetics counseling students' feedback demonstrated the overall success of this activity in the specialized, genetics-oriented setting.
The CATCH (Community Access to Child Health) Program, which supports pediatricians who engage wit... more The CATCH (Community Access to Child Health) Program, which supports pediatricians who engage with the community to improve child health, increase access to health care, and promote advocacy through small seed grants, was last evaluated in 1998. The objective was to describe the characteristics of CATCH grant recipients and projects and assess the community impact of funded projects. Prospective data was collected from CATCH applications (grantee characteristics, topic area and target population for projects funded from 2006–2012) and post-project 2-year follow-up survey (project outcomes, sustainability, and impact for projects funded from 2008 through 2010). From 2006 through 2012, the CATCH Program awarded 401 projects to grantees working mostly in general pediatrics. Eighty-five percent of projects targeted children covered by Medicaid, 33% targeted uninsured children, and 75% involved a Latino population. Main topic areas addressed were nutrition, access to health care, and med...
Background Dental practitioners and students of dentistry are potentially at increased risk of CO... more Background Dental practitioners and students of dentistry are potentially at increased risk of COVID-19 infection due to frequent usage of aerosol-generating procedures. To mitigate risk to patients and providers, the University of Utah School of Dentistry began regular surveillance PCR testing of its patient-facing faculty, staff, and students in May 2020. Methods Surveillance testing occurred every other week for non-vaccinated individuals and continued through February 2022. After May 2021, fully vaccinated individuals were tested monthly and encouraged to seek additional testing if symptoms or an exposure occurred. We assessed risk of positive test among faculty, student, and staff groups through a Cox proportional hazards regression, accounting for multiple events and time-dependent variables with the Andersen-Gill model. To account for inconsistent testing after vaccination, time was examined as number of tests rather than calendar time. Results In total, 410 participants were...
Introduction: Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) are individually rare, but their cumulative frequ... more Introduction: Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) are individually rare, but their cumulative frequency is high. Most importantly, IEM are in the differential diagnosis for common clinical emergencies and childhood illnesses. Biochemical genetics (BCG) testing is used to diagnose IEM or follow-up with patients after treatment. A basic grasp of the strengths and limitations of biochemical testing is critical for clinicians to understand test results, identify when to seek a consultation with a specialist, or explain results to patients. Methods: This resource is designed as an introduction to BCG testing for aminoacidopathies and urea cycle disorders, and includes eight cases. The resource was first developed for the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program at the University of Utah School of Medicine, and used in the last 2 years in small-group settings, where students were each engaged with one case (eight per session). Results: Overall, students gave high ratings to the effectiveness of the examples used, and the interactive format encouraged students' questions. The resource has been tested with medical students and residents rotating through the Maternal Newborn Care Unit at the University Hospital. In this setting, a small-group case-based discussion was used. As expected, prior knowledge of IEM or BCG testing was low. Confidence in evaluating BCG testing after completing the learning activity improved. Discussion: This resource facilitates the integration of specialized knowledge of IEM in a primary care-oriented setting. Genetics counseling students' feedback demonstrated the overall success of this activity in the specialized, genetics-oriented setting.
The CATCH (Community Access to Child Health) Program, which supports pediatricians who engage wit... more The CATCH (Community Access to Child Health) Program, which supports pediatricians who engage with the community to improve child health, increase access to health care, and promote advocacy through small seed grants, was last evaluated in 1998. The objective was to describe the characteristics of CATCH grant recipients and projects and assess the community impact of funded projects. Prospective data was collected from CATCH applications (grantee characteristics, topic area and target population for projects funded from 2006–2012) and post-project 2-year follow-up survey (project outcomes, sustainability, and impact for projects funded from 2008 through 2010). From 2006 through 2012, the CATCH Program awarded 401 projects to grantees working mostly in general pediatrics. Eighty-five percent of projects targeted children covered by Medicaid, 33% targeted uninsured children, and 75% involved a Latino population. Main topic areas addressed were nutrition, access to health care, and med...
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