Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating The American Society Of Hematology Quality Measure On Timeliness Of Analgesics For Sickle Cell Disease Pain Crisis, Ibrahim Gwarzo, Harish Chandra Dega, Paula Tanabe, Robin Miller, David C. Brousseau

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) proposed the median time to first emergency department (ED) administration of pain medication for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) vaso-occlusive pain episodes (VOE) as a site-level quality measure. Generalizable studies assessing current guideline adherence recommending pain medications within 60 minutes are lacking. We leveraged multisite electronic health record data from Epic's Cosmos research platform to analyze ED encounters for SCD VOE from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2024, with administration of at least 1 pain medication. We calculated the quality measure (median time to first pain medication) and ranked sites based on …

S6k1 Modulates Stat3 Activation To Promote Resistance To Radiotherapy In Lung Cancer, Ali Calderon-Aparicio, Noelle Francois, Tyler Grenda, Shan Xu, Olugbenga Okusanya, Jun He, Nicole L Simone

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Radiotherapy is a mainstay in the management of locally advanced lung cancer; however, intrinsic and acquired radioresistance contribute to poor prognosis. S6K1, a serine/threonine kinase, regulates cell growth, protein synthesis, and survival, and is increased in tumors, which is linked to enhanced survival under therapeutic stress, including radiation. The mechanisms, however, are not fully understood. This study investigates the role of S6K1 in lung cancer radioresistance and the mechanisms involved. Intrinsic radioresistance in lung cancer cells was associated with increased S6K1 activation. Pharmacologic inhibition or genetic deletion of S6K1 enhanced radiosensitivity both in vitro and in vivo, highlighting the therapeutic …

Molecular Profiling And Tumor Biomarker Analysis Of Gog281/Logs: A Positive Late-Phase Trial Of Trametinib For Recurrent/Persistent Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma, Robert L. Hollis, Austin Miller, Heather A. Lankes, Kwong-Kwok Wong, William Rodgers, David Millan, Karen Carty, Robert L. Coleman, Kathleen N. Moore, Angeles Alvarez Secord, David M. O'Malley, John K. Chan, Andrea R. Hagemann, Stephanie Gaillard, Saketh R. Guntupalli, Mitchell I. Edelson, Peter G. Rose, Oliver Dorigo, Susana Banerjee, Ailith Ewing, Michael Churchman, Anil K. Sood, C. Simon Herrington, Charlie Gourley, David M. Gershenson

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

PURPOSE: Low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (LGSOC) is a distinct form of ovarian cancer characterized by younger patient age and relative chemoresistance. The GOG281/LOGS trial (NCT02101788) investigated the efficacy of the MEK inhibitor trametinib compared with physician's choice standard-of-care (SOC) in patients with LGSOC with persistent/recurrent disease. The study demonstrated significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in the trametinib-treated arm.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Two hundred and sixty patients with recurrent/persistent LGSOC were enrolled and randomly assigned in GOG281. We performed molecular analysis of 170 patients with available tumor specimens, comprising whole-exome sequencing and phospho-ERK (pERK) IHC, to identify biomarkers of clinical benefit from …

Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer To The Penis Resulting In Malignant Priapism And Urethral Obstruction, Courtney Stewart, Joon Yau Leong, William Kevin Kelly, Mihir Shah

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

A 76-year-old male with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer was found to have metastatic disease to the urethra and penis on PSMA PET scan. This resulted in constant pain due to obstruction of blood flow through the corpora cavernosum resulting in priapism and urethral obstruction. The patient underwent a radical penectomy, partial urethrectomy and perineal urethrostomy creation. Final pathology confirmed metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma. Although rare, prostate cancer can metastasize to the corpora spongiosum or cavernosa. Treatment options are limited, and surgical excision with urinary diversion is likely to provide the most durable outcomes for one's quality of life.

Metformin Exposure After Glioblastoma Diagnosis And Mortality: A Large Population-Based Study, Vittorio Maio, Roshani Shah, Manisha Lin, Patrick J. Moeller, Iyad Alnahhas, Richard Hass, Wenyin Shi, Scott W Keith

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain malignancy with limited therapeutic options and poor survival outcomes. Recent real-world studies and early-phase clinical trials evaluating metformin have yielded mixed findings. This study assessed the association between post-diagnosis metformin exposure and all-cause mortality in a large population-based cohort of older adults with GBM.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Adults aged ≥66 years diagnosed with GBM between 2007 and 2018 were included, excluding those with other malignancies or diagnoses made by autopsy or death certificate. Metformin exposure was modeled as …

Relationship Between Navigation Success, Diagnostic Accuracy, And Ventilation Strategy: Retrospective Chart Review Of 224 Consecutive Navigational Bronchoscopic Procedures Performed Under General Anesthesia, Basavana Goudra, Prarthna Chandar, Divakara Gouda, Harrison Yang, Ganan Muhunthan, Suvan Sundaresh, Michael Stuart Green

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Navigational bronchoscopy (NB) enables precise sampling of peripheral and central pulmonary nodules using shape-sensing or electromagnetic guidance. A major challenge is anesthesia-induced atelectasis, which alters lung anatomy, reduces registration accuracy, and is known to lower diagnostic accuracy. To counteract this, ventilatory protocols such as the Ventilatory Strategy to Prevent Atelectasis (VESPA) and the Lung Navigation Ventilation Protocol (LNVP) have been recommended. Their adoption and clinical impact, however, remain uncertain. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 224 consecutive NB procedures performed under general anesthesia at a single academic medical center (January 2020–August 2024). Demographic, anesthetic, and ventilatory data were …

Feasibility And Form Factor Validation Of Reflective Shoulder-Mounted Pulse Oximeter In Patients With Suspected Sleep Apnea, Katie N. Kanter, Aaron Wang, David Gordon, Adina Singer, Jacob S. Brenner, Indira Gurubhagavatula, Anush Lingamoorthy, Olumuyiwa Oni, Cameron M. Baston

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

The shoulder may be an effective central site for continuous oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring but studies of shoulder-mounted pulse oximetry technology are limited. We hypothesized that an alternative location would be similar in function and user acceptance to a standard FDA-cleared finger-based pulse oximeter. We conducted a quantitative and descriptive pilot study of two prototype biosensor designs in patients with clinical suspicion of hypoxic episodes at an outpatient sleep center. Participants wore two prototype biosensors-the primary a shoulder-mounted adhesive and the secondary a combination ring-bracelet-in addition to a control FDA-approved finger-based pulse oximeter. We assessed the comfort of the devices …

Evaluating Website Resources Shared Online Amongst Women With Intimate Partner Violence Experiences: Analysis Of An Online Health Community, Vivian Hui, Lidan Tian, Malavika Eby, Bohan Zhang, Rose E. Constantino

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects around one in four women globally, posing substantial health risks. IPV survivors often consult online health communities for anonymous assistance rather than formal services. Though online health community members frequently share websites to answer questions, no studies have investigated the characteristics and relevance of websites shared in IPV online health communities. This study aims to identify the categories of websites shared in IPV online health communities and evaluate associations between post characteristics and website relevance to survivors' help-seeking needs.

METHODS: Data were extracted from posts and comments on the r/domesticviolence, a subreddit (topic-specific community) …

Evolving Strategies In Prostate Cancer: Emerging Approaches And Unmet Needs From The Bridging The Gaps In Prostate Cancer Expert Panel, Rana Mckay, Benjamin Maughan, Alicia Morgans, Neal Shore, Evan Yu, Ravi Madan, Jacob Berchuck, Bradley Carthon, Steven Finkelstein, Leonard Gomella, Michael Gorin, Andrew Hahn, Stacy Loeb, Vivek Narayan, Daniel Petrylak, Charles Ryan, Karine Tawagi, Phuoc Tran, Tanya Dorff

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The expansion of treatment options for prostate cancer (PC) has improved disease-specific and overall survival outcomes but has also raised questions about the optimal level of treatment needed for patients based on their individual prognosis and accounting for potential toxicity, incorporating quality of life considerations.

METHODS: A panel of experts met to discuss current controversies in the care of patients with PC across the disease continuum. Multidisciplinary experts review advances and persistent uncertainties in biomarker-guided assessment, imaging, and systemic therapy for prostate cancer. The discussion outlines priority gaps in evidence that must be addressed to optimize individualized patient care. …

P-15 Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft In Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Randomized, Controlled, Investigational Device Exemption Study Demonstrating Improved Composite Clinical Success, James Harrop, John E. O'Toole, Michael P. Steinmetz, Rick C. Sasso, Christopher D. Chaput, K. Brandon Strenge, Greg Maislin, Jeffrey P. Mullin, Thomas B. Freeman, Anthony Guanciale, Howard Lantner, Michael E. Janssen, David G. Schwartz, John M. Small, Wellington K. Hsu, Paul M. Arnold

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, multicenter, single-blind, randomized, controlled pivotal study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether P-15L (PearlMatrix P-15 Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft) is noninferior in effectiveness to local autograft when applied in single-level instrumented transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: P-15L, an FDA-designated Breakthrough Drug-Device, is a composite drug-device combination bone graft containing P-15, a 15-amino acid polypeptide, which enhances cell binding, proliferation, and differentiation, resulting in bone formation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Skeletally mature patients, aged 22 to 80 years, with degenerative disc disease (DDD) were randomized 1:1 to P-15L (investigational) or to the local autograft (control) during single-level …

Safety Of Carotid Endarterectomy In The Elderly And Octogenarian Population: A Nationwide Study Including 80,000 Patients, Victor Gabriel El-Hajj, Joanna Roy, Basel Musmar, Wi Jin Kim, Michael Rizzuto, Nathaniel Ellens, Rabab Alshahrani, Victor Staartjes, Adrian Elmi-Terander, Ramachandra Tummala, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Michael Gooch, Robert Rosenwasswer, Ziad Khabbaz, Pascal Jabbour

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is an established procedure for stroke prevention in patients with carotid artery stenosis. While CEA is considered safe in younger patients, perioperative risks in octogenarians remain debated, with current guidelines classifying the procedure as "high-risk" in this patient population. This study aimed to evaluate short-term outcomes of CEA across age groups and to assess whether comorbidity burden better predicts outcomes than chronological age.

METHODS: The ACS-NSQIP database (2013-2020), was used to identify patients eligible for inclusion. The cohort was stratified based on age <  60, 60-80, and > 80 years. Propensity score matching and multivariable logistic regression were used to compare …

Generative Artificial Intelligence: Clinical Perceptions And Use In Physical Therapy Practice, Robert Dekerlegand, Malachy Clancy, Alison Bell, Erin Pletcher, Travis Pollen

Department of Physical Therapy Posters

Background and Purpose

• Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is an innovative technology that is reshaping healthcare with potentials ranging from improved efficiency to advancing personalized medicine.¹
• Ensuring the appropriate use of GenAI in teaching and learning has expanded in academia to also ensure graduates can competently use and partner with this technology in their fields.^2-4
• GenAI needs to be both accepted and adopted for these initiatives to translate into professional practice.
• Use of GenAI in physical therapy (PT) is being explored5,6and though therapists appear to understand aspects of this technology, current perceptions and actual use of GenAI in practice …

Primary Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis: Natural History, Pathogenesis, And Treatment, Edward J. Filippone, John L. Farber

Division of Nephrology Faculty Papers

Primary membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is an ultrarare disease characterized by immunofluorescence microscopy as either immune-complex mediated (IC-MPGN) or C3 glomerulopathy (C3), the latter subdivided by electron microscopy to C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN) and dense deposit disease (DDD). Both IC-MPGN and C3G typically have obvious C3 staining differentiating them from other causes of MPGN histology. Secondary causes must be excluded, including infections, autoimmune disease, and neoplasia. Clinical presentations are variable, including urinary sediment abnormalities, nephrotic syndrome, or a rapidly progressive course. The prognosis is unfavorable with about 50% reaching kidney failure by 10 years. Recurrence following transplantation is frequent, and allograft survival …

Reliability Of Existing Measures And Classification Systems For Trochlear Dysplasia, Sean R. Waldron, Nihar S. Shah, Matthew W. Veerkamp, Brendan A. Williams, John A. Schlechter, Lauren H. Redler, Matthew D. Ellington, Shital N. Parikh

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral instability (PFI) is common in adolescent patients and can lead to a reduction in quality of life and function, as well as long-term arthritis. Treatment of PFI involves assessing and, at times, surgically correcting underlying anatomic abnormalities. Trochlear dysplasia is the most common anatomic risk factor present in PFI.

PURPOSE: To determine the interrater reliability of existing measures and classification systems for the assessment of trochlear dysplasia.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: As part of the PRISM (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) patellar instability Research Interest Group (RIG) project, a …

Green Vessel Signal On Multicolor Imaging As An Early Sign Of Ischemic Vasculitis In Irvan Syndrome: A Case Report, Daniel M. Markowitz, Jirat Nimworaphan, Carl Regillo, James P. Dunn, Robert C. Sergott

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: Idiopathic retinitis, vasculitis, aneurysms, and neuroretinitis (IRVAN) syndrome is typically diagnosed after characteristic intravenous fluorescein angiography (IVFA) findings develop. This case demonstrates that identifying a green intravascular and perivascular signal on multicolor fundus imaging may be a potential noninvasive imaging sign for ischemic retinal vasculitis in IRVAN.

OBSERVATIONS: A 55-year-old female presented with bilateral optic disc edema and subtle peripapillary retinal vascular changes. Multicolor imaging showed a distinct green intravascular and perivascular signal before undergoing IVFA evaluation. Subsequent IVFA ultimately showed peripheral capillary nonperfusion, microaneurysms, and leakage consistent with IRVAN.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: This case demonstrates the potential utility …

Designing A Wellness Initiative Residents Actually Use: Data From Four Years Of Opt-Out Check-Ins, Meghan O’Meara, Phd, Lpc, Alexandra Hughes, Lcsw, Shawn Blue, Psyd, Emily Lisco, Md

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Posters

Background

• Resident well-being remains a critical concern in GME, with increasing rates of burnout, mental health challenges, and persistent barriers to accessing care.^2,4
• Burnout among residents is linked to higher rates of medical errors and lower patient satisfaction.^4,5
• ACGME emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture of wellness including the opportunity for residents to attend healthcare appointments during working hours; however, programs often struggle to translate these goals into sustainable, practical interventions.¹
• Opt-out programs have been used to target residents and medical students to increase help-seeking and provide access to mental health care with limited barriers.
• Stigma, …

Evaluating The Residential Lead Remediation Program In The City Of Lancaster, Kaitlin Mcgowan, Divine Oludi, Harriet Okatch

Phase 1

Introduction: Residential lead remediation is an effective primary prevention approach for addressing lead exposure. Current guidelines require residents of a home get relocated during the remediation. Relocation is often for a period of ten days; however, no study has explored the effect of relocation on families. This study aims to understand the experiences of relocated families with a goal to develop a framework for relocation informed by the experiences of previously relocated families.

Methods. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals from the city of Lancaster whose homes had been remediated during the last two years. Participants described their …

Resident Mental Health: Creating An Innovative, Sustainable, And Scalable Counseling Program, Emily Lisco, Md, Alexandra Hughes, Lcsw, Shawn Blue, Psyd Thomas Jefferson University, Meghan O’Meara, Phd, Lpc

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Posters

Background

• The ACGME Common Program Requirements emphasize resident well-being and expect GME programs to support resident mental health.¹
• There are limited specific guidelines on how mental health support should be delivered, resulting in wide variability.^1,3
• Research on resident-specific mental health services is limited, making best practices difficult to define.
• Medical students typically receive care through student counseling centers; but this support ends after graduation.³
• Residents occupy a dual role as both hospital employees and learners, creating gaps in existing support models, as employee assistance programs are often underutilized by residents.
• Residents experience higher rates of burnout than …

Editorial: Unveiling The Next Generation Of Cancer Immunity & Immunotherapy, Mohanraj Sadasivam, Nethaji Muniraj, Chellappagounder Thangavel

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1769324.].

Interrelationship Between Body Mass Index, Venous Sinus Pressures, Craniospinal Elastance, And Intracranial Pressure In Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, Rachel Wang, Scott W. Keith Phd, Pascal Jabbour Md, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris Md, Michael J. Marmura Md, M. R. Gooch Md, Hsiangkuo Yuan Phd

Phase 1

Introduction/Purpose: Body mass index (BMI), venous sinus pressure (VSP), and craniospinal elastance each correlate with lumbar puncture opening pressure (LP OP) in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), but their mechanistic interactions remain unclear. This study examined how these factors jointly influence OP, hypothesizing that BMI has a stronger positive association with intracranial pressure (ICP) when elastance is elevated.

Methods: A single-center retrospective review was conducted to identify patients who underwent venous manometry (8/2021–11/2025) followed by LP within 7 days. VSPs were recorded at the torcula (TP) and sigmoid/jugular (SIJ) sinuses. Elastance was calculated as (OP – closing pressure)/volume of CSF removed. …

Cardiovascular Outcomes In Smoking And Nonsmoking Psoriasis Patients On Low- And Moderate-Intensity Statin Therapy, Eliana Khojasteh, Mahaa Ayub, Julianne Bartz, Matthew Keller, Md

Phase 1

Introduction: Psoriasis is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, and smoking amplifies this burden by worsening cardiovascular outcomes and psoriasis severity. Statins are the cornerstone of cardiovascular risk reduction; however, their lipid-lowering effectiveness in psoriasis patients across smoking statuses remains incompletely understood. This study evaluated whether smoking status influences LDL-C before and after statin initiation in adults with psoriasis.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of adults with psoriasis treated at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital between 2014 and 2024 who were prescribed low- or moderate-intensity statins. Data collected included smoking status (current vs. former/never) and LDL-C values before and at …

Effect Of Adherent Cpap Use On Dyslipidemia, Evelyn Miller, Cindy Cheng, Md, Phd

Phase 1

Introduction/Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by upper airway closure during sleep, resulting in surges of sympathetic activity, elevated blood pressure and arterial oxygen desaturation. Over time, this can lead to systemic hypertension, congestive cardiac failure, and acute coronary syndrome. The current gold standard treatment is CPAP (continuous positive pressure airway),  which reduces blood pressure and heart rate while improving oxygen saturation. However, the effect of CPAP treatment on dyslipidemia is less understood.  Accordingly, this study aims to determine the effect of adherent CPAP use on dyslipidemia in our sleep medicine practice in Philadelphia.

Methods: The retrospective …

Utility Of Neurosurgery-Specific Rag-Llm In Accurate Patient Outcome Prediction, Alexander Hone, Basel Musmar, Joanna Roy, Pascal Jabbour

Phase 1

Large Language Models (LLMs) have been previously utilized in the medical field to successfully generate information. However, LLMs may hallucinate, which generates a response based on false or misleading information. This can negatively impact healthcare outcomes, thus, there is an increasing need to develop a model free of hallucinations.

A multi-target voting ensemble (Random Forest with HistGradientBoosting) algorithm was utilized in the analysis of 454 training data and 114 test data. Raw accuracy and macro-F1 statistics determined that the model is capable of identifying clinically meaningful data for majority classes, while minority-class detection was insignificant. This demonstrates moderate predictive value …

Noninvasive Patient-Level Detection Of Nafld Using Mri Radiomics And Machine Learning, Vladimir Kirichenko, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli

Phase 1

Introduction— Current noninvasive assessment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) relies primarily on MRI-based fat quantification, such as proton density fat fraction (PDFF). This study explored the use of an MRI radiomics–based machine learning approach for accurate patient-level classification of NAFLD.

Methods— Liver MRI images from patients with suspected NAFLfD were retrospectively analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted using PyRadiomics from full-liver masks across 4–6 axial slices per patient. Slice-level features were aggregated to the patient level using summary statistics (mean, median, and standard deviation). To reduce redundancy and multicollinearity, features were pruned using Pearson correlation analysis with a threshold of …

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors And Vulvovaginal Candidiasis, Gabriela Skovronsky, Natalie Suozzi, Paul Nyirjesy

Phase 1

Introduction: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are widely used for type 2 diabetes management, but are associated with increased risk of genital infections. Despite their use, there is limited evidence to quantify this risk. We conducted a systematic review to determine the incidence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) in patients taking SGLT2is compared to other diabetes treatments. We hypothesized that SGLT2i use would be associated with an increased incidence of VVC compared to other treatments.

Methods: Using PRISMA guidelines, we searched five databases using MESH terms for studies examining VVC in females with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with SGLT2is versus …

Patient Experiences With Provision Of Telehealth Addiction Treatment Services, Kaleigh Spollen, Shane Nieves, Mph, Gregory Jaffe, Md, Msed, Vanessa Short, Phd, Mph

Phase 1

Introduction: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a nationwide public health crisis, and deaths from opioids have risen significantly since 1999. In recent years, telehealth has emerged as a novel modality for SUD treatment. This study aims to evaluate patient experiences with a telehealth program for SUD, identifying barriers and facilitators to participation in the program, as well as opportunities for program improvement.

Methods: This qualitative study comprises an online survey and semi-structured interview. Individuals 18 years of age or older who have attended at least one session of Jefferson’s telemedicine program for SUD treatment were enrolled in the …

Training Protocol Efficacy On Empowerment And Sustainability In Staff Serving Marginalized Youth In Peru, Hannah Park, Abigail Sugarman, Stephen Didonato, Phd, Lpc, Ncc

Phase 1

Introduction: In Peru, there is limited longitudinal research evaluating trauma-informed care (TIC) training for residential child-care staff, despite evidence that it reduces distress, improves confidence and expertise. This project addresses this gap, studying the impact of a trauma-informed training protocol on staff perceptions of the residential care environment and on staff self-awareness. We hypothesize that an effective protocol would yield improvements in both domains.

Methods: As Phase 3 of a study under Dr. Stephen DiDonato (Jefferson College of Nursing) and Dr. Wayne Centrone (Health Bridges International, HBI), this phase evaluates supplemental training under an established protocol while introducing a self-sustainability …

Healthcare Capital: Leveraging Social Connections To Navigate The Healthcare System, Ona Ichoku, Nicholas Wahba, Rosemary Frasso, Phd, Sm, Cph

Phase 1

Introduction: Navigating the healthcare system can be overwhelming for patients, who face rising costs, long wait times, and complex health information. Many patients leverage personal connections to decode healthcare information, yet little is understood about that process. The objective of this study is to investigate how do patients leverage social connections, “Healthcare Capital,” to navigate their healthcare?

Methods: In this study, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of adults who sought healthcare within the last 12 months. Participants were selected through convenience and snowball sampling. 30-minute interviews were recorded on Zoom, transcribed, and de-identified. A directed content analysis …

Cardiovascular Outcomes Of Youth Female Athletes: Stratifications Of Risk Using Subdivisions In Sports, Jillian D'Souza, Nikta Nair, David Shipon, Md

Phase 1

Introduction: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in youth athletes is a rare, but devastating event that may proactively be prevented through identification of pathologic structural, functional and electrical cardiac remodeling changes. Pathological changes in female athletes along with the associated risk and protective factors related to SCD are understudied. This study aims to identify pathological cardiac changes in female athletes and inquire whether strength-based versus endurance-based sports carry different levels of risk.

Methods: The HeartBytes database was compiled from cardiac screenings of youth athletes in Southeastern Pennsylvania conducted from 2014 to 2021. Screenings collected information from health questionnaires, physical …

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors And Vulvovaginal Candidiasis, Natalie Suozzi, Gabriela Skovronsky, Paul Nyirjesy

Phase 1

Introduction: Sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are associated with an increased risk of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), negatively impacting quality of life. Most studies evaluate risk with individual SGLT2is or the class as a whole, rather than comparing risk between different SGLT2is. The objective of this study was to compare the risk of VVC across individual SGLT2is.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review to find studies examining VVC rates in women taking SGLT2is. Of 74 studies identified, four met inclusion criteria for a meta-analysis, with several others used for background. For canagliflozin, ertugliflozin, and empagliflozin, we calculated risk ratios and …