Medical University of South Carolina

BACKGROUND: With the removal of many barriers to direct-to-consumer telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a historic surge in the adoption of telehealth into ongoing practice, health systems must now identify the most efficient and effective way to sustain these visits. The Medical University of South Carolina Center for Telehealth developed a Telehealth Centralized Support team as part of a strategy to mature the support infrastructure for the continued large-scale use of outpatient virtual care...

INTRODUCTION: The emergence of Big Data health research has exponentially advanced the fields of medicine and public health but has also faced many ethical challenges. One of most worrying but still under-researched aspects of the ethical issues is the risk of potential biases in data sets (eg, electronic health records (EHR) data) as well as in the data curation and acquisition cycles. This study aims to develop, refine and pilot test an ethical framework-guided instrument for assessing bias in Big Data research using EHR data sets...

There is a critical need to develop a capable and well-trained workforce dedicated to the systematic study of sex differences and examination of sex as a biological variable. Through the support of the Office of Research on Women's Health and partner National Institute of Health centers, the Specialized Centers of Research Excellence (SCORE) on Sex Differences Career Enhancement Cores (CECs) were established to help address this need. We describe the integration of the Medical University of South Carolina SCORE CEC with other National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded and institutional training programs to promote training synergies, share resources, and enhance mentorship opportunities...

IMPORTANCE: Reward circuitry dysfunction is a candidate mechanism of co-occurring bipolar disorder and alcohol use disorder (BD + AUD) that remains understudied. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research represents the first evaluation of alcohol cue reward processing in BD + AUD. OBJECTIVE: To determine how alcohol cue processing in individuals with BD + AUD may be distinct from that of individuals with AUD or BD alone...

INTRODUCTION: Since the US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 became Pass/Fall in 2022, medical students competing for residency spots must distinguish themselves with alternative criteria. Research experiences and output offer valuable skill development and objective metrics to support competitive residency applications. OBJECTIVE: We describe the methodological development of a structured program to support, enhance, and track medical student research efforts at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, explain the implementation of the program, and summarize initial program outcomes...

There is little information on the differential diagnosis and prognosis of hospitalized patients with hyperbilirubinemia. Here, we hypothesized that hyperbilirubinemia in hospitalized patients is associated with specific diseases and outcomes. This retrospective cohort analysis included patients admitted to the Medical University of South Carolina with a total bilirubin >3 mg/dL from January 9, 2015 to August 25, 2017. Collected clinical data included demographics, primary diagnosis, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), laboratory data, and clinical outcomes...

PURPOSE: Cannabis use among patients with cancer is common, yet data are limited regarding use patterns, reasons for use, and degree of benefit, which represents an unmet need in cancer care delivery. This need is salient in states without legal cannabis programs, where perceptions and behavior among providers and patients may be affected. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of patients with cancer and survivors at the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina (no legal cannabis marketplace in SC) was completed as part of the NCI Cannabis Supplement...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the level of pharmacy student well-being during the first 2 years of their didactic education utilizing the Well-being Index (WBI) and 5 Gears assessment. METHODS: WBI and 5 Gears data were tracked monthly for first- and second-year students enrolled at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy from September 2019 to March 2022. Data were collected through monthly RedCap surveys, then de-identified and separated into 4 study cohorts (A-D)...

BACKGROUND: ABOi heart transplant has become routine for the majority of children <2 years old. An 8-month-old child with complex congenital heart disease presented to the Medical University of South Carolina Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital in need of transplantation. METHODS: This case report describes the use of ABOi transplantation and describes the details of the total exchange transfusion prior to cardiopulmonary bypass. RESULTS: After a successful intraoperative total exchange transfusion following the ABOi protocol, the patient's isohemagglutinin titers were 1 VC on postoperative day (POD) 1, and isohemagglutinin titer was <1 VC on POD 14...

BACKGROUND: Literature worldwide has linked periodontitis to preterm births and/or low-birth-weight infants. However, to our knowledge, research on this topic is scarce in India. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports that South Asian nations, particularly India, have the highest rates of preterm births and low-birth-weight infants as well as periodontitis due to poor socioeconomic conditions. Overall, 70% of perinatal fatalities result from prematurity and/or low birth weight, which also increases the incidence of morbidity and drives up the cost of postpartum care by a factor of ten...

Anxiety levels in medical students have been reported as higher than the aged-matched general population, yet medical students are less likely to seek care for mental health issues. Medical students carry high levels of self-stigma about their own mental health and fear the negative consequences of seeking care. The purpose of this study was to examine the student population at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville (UofSC SOMG) for anxiety levels and determine the self-stigma attitudes this population carries...

INTRODUCTION: The breasts are a female symbol, impacts self-image and self-esteem. Breast reconstructive and oncoplastic surgeries have an important role in minimizing injuries. In Brazil less than a third of public health system (SUS) users have access to immediate reconstructive surgery. The low rate of breast reconstructions has multiple causes and the deficiency in availability and surgeons' technical qualification play a role. In 2010, the Breast Reconstruction and Oncoplastic Surgery Improvement Course was created by professors of the Mastology Department of Santa Casa de São Paulo and State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)...

Deaths occurring in police custody have dominated public discourse over recent years. However, deaths occurring after law enforcement have initiated nonphysical contact but before active restraint or containment lie outside the strict definition of "in custody." These "antecustodial" deaths demonstrate a unique population and interaction with law enforcement. A retrospective analysis of medicolegal cases referred to the Medical University of South Carolina from September 1, 2012, to April 28, 2022 was performed...

In this profile, Shannon D. Jones, MLS, MEd, AHIP, FMLA, Medical Library Association President, 2022-2023, MJ Tooey describes her as someone who "takes chances on people, valuing those others might not see as valuable". Jones embraces lifelong learning, and it shows up in her collegiate journey; she has been a student of leadership, a leader of institutions, especially within the Medical Library Association (MLA); and a leader in librarianship. She is a trailblazer, the second African American MLA president, and a champion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging...

In 2021, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) XXXX launched In Our DNA SC. This large-scale initiative will screen 100,000 individuals in South Carolina for three preventable hereditary conditions that impact approximately two million people in the USA but often go undetected. In anticipation of inevitable changes to the delivery of this complex initiative, we developed an approach to track and assess the impact of evaluate adaptations made during the pilot phase of program implementation. We used a modified version of the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modification-Enhanced (FRAME) and Adaptations to code adaptations made during the 3-month pilot phase of In Our DNA SC...

BACKGROUND: To advance new therapies into clinical care, clinical trials must recruit enough participants. Yet, many trials fail to do so, leading to delays, early trial termination, and wasted resources. Under-enrolling trials make it impossible to draw conclusions about the efficacy of new therapies. An oft-cited reason for insufficient enrollment is lack of study team and provider awareness about patient eligibility. Automating clinical trial eligibility surveillance and study team and provider notification could offer a solution...

BACKGROUND: With this rising popularization of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, it is important to ask if the current and developing pathways are fully comprehensive for the patient's perioperative experience. Many current pathways discuss aspects of care including fluid management, pain management, and anti-emetic medication regiments, but few delineate recommendations for lung protective strategies. The hypothesis was that intraoperative lung protective strategies would results in improved postoperative lung function...

The potential utilization of a cold-contact approach to research recruitment, where members of the research team are unknown to the patient, has grown with the expanded use of electronic health records (EHRs) and affiliated patient portals. Institutions that permit this strategy vary in their implementation and management of it but tend to lean towards more conservative approaches. This process paper describes the Medical University of South Carolina's transition to an opt-out model of "cold-contact" recruitment (known as patient outreach recruitment or POR), wherein patients can be contacted so long as they do not express an unwillingness to receive such communication...

IMPORTANCE: Disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis (DSAP) is an inherited or sporadic disorder of keratinization associated with germline variations. There is no effective standard of care therapy for DSAP, but treatment with topical lovastatin combined with cholesterol cream has shown promise. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the safety and efficacy of topical lovastatin 2% plus cholesterol 2% cream (lovastatin-cholesterol) and topical lovastatin 2% cream (lovastatin) alone in adults diagnosed with DSAP...

BACKGROUND: Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders and Substance Use Disorders are common and result in significant morbidities and mortality. Despite evidence-based treatment availability, multiple barriers exist to care delivery. Because telemedicine offers opportunities to overcome these barriers, the objective of this study was to characterize barriers and facilitators to implementing a mental health and substance use disorder telemedicine program in community obstetric and pediatric clinics...