United States

Introduction: 
The Dobbs decision (June 24, 2022), which overturned Roe v. Wade, introduced significant changes to abortion laws across the United States. It remains unclear how this policy shift has impacted reproductive health care among different racial groups. This study aims to evaluate these effects, hypothesizing that the Dobbs decision would lead to increased preventive measures and decreased abortion procedures due to heightened awareness and potential legal restrictions.
Methods: 
Utilizing data from the TriNetX global health research network, which aggregates electronic health records (EHR) from over 120 clinical sites, patient cohorts were categorized based on ICD, CPT, or medication codes, focusing on periods before and after the Dobbs decision (June 30, 2020, to January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, to June 30, 2024, with a 6-month washout period). The groupings included prevention (contraceptive medication, emergency contraceptives, encounters for general counseling and advice on contraception, and insertion of IUD), screening (PAP tests), complications (preterm labor, spontaneous abortion, pregnancy with abortive outcome), and overall abortion procedures. Statistical analyses, including propensity matching for demographic features and access to healthcare services, were performed to identify significant trends and disparities within TriNetX.
Results: 
TriNetX identified 9,124,941 patients after propensity matching 35 ± 13.1 age of which 60.1% white, 16.8% black, 13.1% Hispanic, and 4.3% Asian. Adverse pregnancy outcomes slightly increased post-Dobbs (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.04-1.06, p-value &lt; 0.01). There was an increase in abortion procedures post-Dobbs (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03-1.08, p-value &lt; 0.01), but disaggregated data into individual racial groups found unique reproductive health behavioral patterns. Abortions were non-significant for the white and Asian populations (p = .24, and .80, respectively). The only racial group to have increased preventive measures post-Dobbs were Asians (OR: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.07-1.12, p-value &lt; 0.01). Screenings statistically significantly decreased for all racial groups (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 1.77-1.78, p-value &lt; 0.01) post-Dobbs.
Conclusion:
Adverse pregnancy outcomes rose for all racial groups except African Americans, and Asians were the only group with a significant increase in preventive measures. Odds ratio for these findings are slightly above 1.0, which indicates that the observed changes may not be clinically significant. This analysis underscores the importance of continuing research and dialogue on the potential impacts of the Dobbs decision on women&#39;s health and racial disparities.


AMA Research Challenge 2024 

Impact of the Dobbs Decision on Abortion Rates, Preventive Measures, and Pregnancy Outcomes Across Racial Groups: A Large Public Health Database Analysis

This informative series covers everything from career advancement and educational development for anthropologists to academic freedom and newsworthy events from around the world.

Anthropology Live Webinar Series (previous webinars)

Introduction: 
The Dobbs decision (June 24, 2022), which overturned Roe v. Wade, introduced significant changes to abortion laws across the United States. It remains unclear how this policy shift has impacted reproductive health care among different racial groups. This study aims to evaluate these effects, hypothesizing that the Dobbs decision would lead to increased preventive measures and decreased abortion procedures due to heightened awareness and potential legal restrictions.
Methods: 
Utilizing data from the TriNetX global health research network, which aggregates electronic health records (EHR) from over 120 clinical sites, patient cohorts were categorized based on ICD, CPT, or medication codes, focusing on periods before and after the Dobbs decision (June 30, 2020, to January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, to June 30, 2024, with a 6-month washout period). The groupings included prevention (contraceptive medication, emergency contraceptives, encounters for general counseling and advice on contraception, and insertion of IUD), screening (PAP tests), complications (preterm labor, spontaneous abortion, pregnancy with abortive outcome), and overall abortion procedures. Statistical analyses, including propensity matching for demographic features and access to healthcare services, were performed to identify significant trends and disparities within TriNetX.
Results: 
TriNetX identified 9,124,941 patients after propensity matching 35 ± 13.1 age of which 60.1% white, 16.8% black, 13.1% Hispanic, and 4.3% Asian. Adverse pregnancy outcomes slightly increased post-Dobbs (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.04-1.06, p-value < 0.01). There was an increase in abortion procedures post-Dobbs (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03-1.08, p-value < 0.01), but disaggregated data into individual racial groups found unique reproductive health behavioral patterns. Abortions were non-significant for the white and Asian populations (p = .24, and .80, respectively). The only racial group to have increased preventive measures post-Dobbs were Asians (OR: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.07-1.12, p-value < 0.01). Screenings statistically significantly decreased for all racial groups (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 1.77-1.78, p-value < 0.01) post-Dobbs.
Conclusion:
Adverse pregnancy outcomes rose for all racial groups except African Americans, and Asians were the only group with a significant increase in preventive measures. Odds ratio for these findings are slightly above 1.0, which indicates that the observed changes may not be clinically significant. This analysis underscores the importance of continuing research and dialogue on the potential impacts of the Dobbs decision on women's health and racial disparities.

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Background:
The use of soft tissue filler injections in aesthetic and medical procedures has seen a significant growth in popularity in recent years, with a reported 317% increase from 2000 to 2017 globally. With this increase also is a rise in associated periorbital complications, ranging from temporary skin discoloration to permanent vision loss. While many complications have been reported to date, there is a lack of comprehensive data on the geographic locations where these complications are being reported from. Our objective was to perform a review of filler complications reported globally to identify trends.

Methods:
Several databases were used to identify articles globally published on periorbital complications from filler injections. The following terms were used to search across PubMed and Scopus: “blindness filler complications”, “ocular filler complications”, “filler complications vision loss”, and “filler complications”. Articles were identified from 2000 to 2024. Screening was performed to determine relevance of articles for this study via the title and abstract of each study. Articles were then analyzed for authors, country of study, injection site, filler material, and type of filler complication. Non-English studies were translated using Google Translate to extract pertinent information for our research.

Results:
A total of 2463 cases were identified of filler complications, with hyaluronic acid fillers being 79.7% of cases, calcium hydroxylapatite being 3.3% of cases, and polymethylmethacrylate being 1% of cases. A total of 526 cases reported on complications associated with vision loss or other ocular conditions, with most cases reported from China. Overall, the three countries with the highest number of filler complications reported were China (144 cases), the United States (130 cases), and Malaysia (91 cases).

Conclusion:
The findings of this study illuminate global trends in filler complications and underscores the prevalence of serious complications associated with vision loss. Our data suggests that there may be significant underreporting in the literature of complications associated with filler injections and emphasizes a need to further investigate whether lower reports of complications in certain countries are a result of lower incidence of complications or from underreporting. As we delve deeper into global trends concerning periorbital complications, we advocate for increased reporting of cases through publication or other complication-focused databases. This will enhance our understanding and inform better and safer practices in the field.


Mapping Reports of Periorbital Filler Complications Globally

Background 
Street Medicine Phoenix, a medical outreach program advocating for unhoused individuals, is the first United States based program utilizing the USee global vision refraction kit (USee) to enhance vision care. Costing $5 per use, the USee can refract patients and provide eyewear within 15 minutes, avoiding delays associated with shipment times and patients lost to follow-up. Other more widely used forms of refraction, such as the portable PlenOptika autorefractor (PlenOptika), are more expensive and can only provide a prescription, which is usually paired with another modality of creating and distributing glasses. This two-step process leads to the delivery of glasses weeks after initial refraction, which is not optimal for a population in constant flux. We report on the USee’s effectiveness in improving visual acuity compared to the PlenOptika.

Methods
This participation-based study first assessed patients' uncorrected refraction. Patients were then refracted using PlenOptika and USee devices. Applying the manual refraction prescription, USee corrective lenses were inserted into frames, and corrected visual acuity was rerecorded. 2x2 Factorial ANOVA, spilt plot design was used to compare before and after refraction visual acuity. Bland Altman assessed the difference in spheres obtained from both devices. In addition, patients whose visual acuity improved to at least 20/40 monocularly were recorded (the legal minimum for driving in Arizona).

Results
180 eyes in 90 patients with mean age of 51.50 ± 12.66 years underwent refraction utilizing each device. Primary outcome was change in visual acuity with use of the USee device. Visual acuity in LogMar before refraction was 0.713 (0.624 - 0.801) and visual acuity in LogMar after refraction was 0.322 (0.269 - 0.374), p< 0.001. Bland Altman showed minimal outliers. 76% of patients were refracted to within 20/40. Median VA improved from 20/80 to 20/30, a 4 Snellen line improvement. Before and after percentage of patients with the ability to drive was 35.9% and 79.2%, respectively.

Conclusion
The USee provides refractive measurements similar to that from the PlenOptika and provides measurable improvement in visual acuity among patients, making it a viable, more expedient option for use in under-resourced populations. By increasing this population's ability to drive, the intervention enables more individual freedom and job opportunities. Refraction with instantaneous eyewear distribution significantly improves outcomes for transient populations in need of refractive improvement.

Novel Refractive Technology to Improve Vision in an Urban Homeless Population

The growing popularity of social media platforms like TikTok has facilitated increased discourse on refractive eye surgeries (RESs), such as Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), among healthcare providers and patients. This study aims to evaluate the quality, reliability, and user engagement of RES-related content on TikTok, with a focus on comparing content created by ophthalmology-related providers (ORPs) and non-ORPs (patients). A total of 124 videos were analyzed based on understandability, reliability, and accountability, using the PEMAT-A/V, CRAAP, and JAMA Benchmark criteria, respectively. Videos were selected through predefined search terms and hashtags, and statistical analysis was performed using independent two-tailed t-tests. Results showed that ORP videos garnered significantly more views than non-ORP videos (p = 0.027), although user engagement metrics did not differ substantially between the two groups. ORP videos scored higher in both actionability (PEMAT, p = 0.024) and overall quality (CRAAP and JAMA, p = 0.001). Despite these strengths, ORP content frequently omitted explanations of technical jargon and potential negative outcomes such as chronic dry eye or financial conflicts of interest. In contrast, non-ORP content was more transparent about costs and negative experiences but scored lower in reliability and accuracy. This study underscores the need for enhanced regulation and standardized criteria to ensure the dissemination of accurate and transparent RES-related information on social media. Future research should focus on addressing existing gaps in accountability, reliability, and educational quality in TikTok's medical content.

Ophthalmology and TikTok: A Study on the Portrayal of Refractive Eye Surgery Procedures on Social Media

Abstract
Aims: To examine if healthcare access modifies the association between age at diagnosis of diabetes and the prevalence of retinopathy. 
Methods: BRFSS 2020 survey data was obtained from 12,198 adults. Participants with missing information in the variables “retinopathy” (N = 569) and "insurance-cost barrier” (N = 75) were excluded. The final sample included 11,556 participants. Age at diagnosis of diabetes was the main exposure and retinopathy was the main outcome. We tested if the main association was different among the insurance-cost barrier variable. Binary logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). 
Results: The odds of retinopathy decreased by 26% in patients 46-64 years-of-age (OR 0.74; 95 CI 0.58-0.95) and 57% in those 65+ (OR 0.43; 95 CI 0.28-0.64). The odds decreased by 39% if female (OR 0.61; 95 CI 0.49- 0.76). An increase in odds by 83% (OR 1.83; 95 CI 1.07-3.14) occurred in other non-Hispanics, 50% (OR 1.50; 95 CI 1.14-1.98) in black non-Hispanics and 60% (OR 1.60; 95 CI 1.10-2.31) in Hispanics. There was no evidence that age at diagnosis of diabetes and presence of retinopathy varied by insurance cost (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Health professionals may utilize these results to advocate for early disease intervention.



The Association Between Age at Diagnosis of Diabetes and Development of Diabetic Retinopathy and Assessment of Healthcare Access as an Effect Modifier

Introduction: Socioeconomic status (SES) has been associated with differences in patient-reported outcome scores and complication rates across orthopedics. Area Deprivation Index (ADI) is a validated measure of an area’s socioeconomic status based on 17 different census variables. ADI has been associated with complications following total knee arthroplasty and may be associated with clinical outcomes and complications following rotator cuff repair.  The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact socioeconomic factors have on outcomes following primary arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.   
  
Methods: Patients who underwent primary rotator cuff repair at a single institution from 3/11/2014-9/29/2022 were identified. Patient demographics, pre- and post-operative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scores—specifically PROMIS Upper Extremity (UE) function, PROMIS Pain Interference (PI), and PROMIS Depression (D)—range of motion, complications, and subsequent ipsilateral shoulder surgeries were collected. ADI was collected from an online mapping database using each patient’s home address. Patients were split into ADI terciles, with ADI 1 representing the least disadvantaged group and ADI 3 representing the most disadvantaged group. ANOVA, T-test and chi-square analyses were conducted for continuous variables and categorical variables, respectively.   
  
Results: In total 467 patients underwent rotator cuff repair and had complete demographic data and postoperative follow-up through one year. There was a significant difference in race, with 78.2% of patients identifying as black in ADI 3 versus 18.1% in ADI 1 (P<0.001). Pre-operative PROMIS-PI, VAS, forward flexion (FF), and abduction (ABD) were significantly worse in ADI 3 compared to ADI 1 (P=0.001, P<0.001, P=0.012, P=0.023). Patients in ADI 3 had significantly worse PROMIS-UE score, PROMIS-PI, VAS, FF and ABD at 1-year postoperatively compared to ADI 1 (P=0.016, P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.001, P=0.034). 9.8% of patients in ADI 1, 32.6% in ADI 2 and 57.6% in ADI 3 experienced a postoperative complication (P=0.54). Retears were more common in ADI 3 (62%) compared to ADI 2 (28%) and ADI 1 (10%) (P=0.47). There was a greater but not significant number of reoperations performed for patients in ADI 3 (63.4%) compared to ADI 2 (31.7%) and ADI 1 (4.9%) (P=0.22).   
  
Conclusion: Lower socioeconomic status measured by ADI is associated with worse preoperative and 1-year postoperative pain, shoulder function and range of motion following rotator cuff repair, but no difference in reoperation or complications.

Lower Socioeconomic Status is Correlated with Worse Outcomes After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

Background: Downward trends in inflation-adjusted Medicare reimbursement to hand surgeons have been reported, likely to offset increasing costs associated with the aging population. Less is known regarding Medicaid reimbursement to physicians, but generally Medicaid reimbursement rates are thought to be lower than Medicare. Given the ability for each state to set rates for a given procedure, discrepancies exist in Medicaid reimbursements between states. This study compared Medicaid and Medicare rates for common hand surgery procedures to determine national and state differences in reimbursement.

Methods: Medicare rates for 26 commonly billed hand procedures, based on prior reimbursement studies, were obtained from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid fee schedule database. Corresponding work RVUs for each procedure were also collected here. Medicaid rates were found at states’ Medicaid online fee schedule website. State rates were compared to corresponding Medicare rates using mean values and dollar differences. These dollar differences were also divided by work RVUs. Each states’ reimbursement values were also adjusted using the Medicare Wage Index to account for regional wage differences. Variability between states and between procedures was analyzed using percentages as a function of Medicare reimbursement and by coefficient of variation values. Coefficient of variation values were calculated by dividing the standard deviation by the mean for each procedure, and values further from zero indicate higher variability within a dataset.

Results: Medicaid reimbursement was lower than Medicare for 22 of the 26 procedures included in the analysis. On average, Medicaid rates were 18% lower than Medicare, a difference that increased to 29% when accounting for wage differences. Average dollar differences by procedure ranged from $205 less to $110 more for Medicaid. Dollar differences per RVU ranged from $38 less to $48 more for Medicaid. State Medicaid rates ranged from 30% to 158% of Medicare. Variability was low among Medicare procedures, with a coefficient of variation of 0.06. Medicaid variability between states ranged from 0.26-0.57 for unadjusted data and 0.36-0.67 for wage-adjusted data.

Conclusion: On average, Medicaid reimbursement is substantially lower than Medicare for common hand surgery procedures. There was wide variability in Medicaid rates, both between states and procedures. Adjustment for wage differences increased the percent difference and variability, suggesting a lack of objective metrics used to set Medicaid prices. Hand surgeons should be aware of variable prices between states and advocate for policy that fairly reimburses them while promoting better access to care for this vulnerable population.

Medicaid Reimbursement to Hand Surgeons is 18% Less than Medicare and Highly Variable, Ranging from 30-158% of Average Medicare Rates by State

Objective: This study aims to compare HPV vaccination rates, knowledge, and treatment decision-making between a predominantly white and Asian population. 

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey-based study

Setting: Otolaryngology clinics at a tertiary academic center. 

Methods: Descriptive statistics were utilized to assess rates of vaccination, HPV knowledge, and HPV vaccine treatment decision-making, with significance testing utilized to compare between the Asian American and non-Asians of the sample. Multivariable logistic regression was utilized to understand factors associated with vaccination. 

Results: In this cohort (n=237), vaccination among adults (n=69, 29.4%) and their children (n=62, 51.2%) was low. Knowledge that the HPV vaccine is not recommended only for women was lower among the Asian cohort (66.7% vs. 79.9%; p=0.023), while knowledge that full protection requires more than one dose was higher among Asians (76.3% vs. 54.2%; p=0.001). Asians were more likely to report that when they did not receive HPV vaccination it was due to not being knowledgeable about the vaccine (52.6% vs. 17.4%; p<0.001). Among those with non-vaccinated children, Asians were more likely to report that their children were not vaccinated because they were not knowledgeable about the vaccine (40.0% vs. 32.4%; p=0.045), friends and family discouraged vaccination (12.0% vs. 0.0% p=0.038). In a multivariable regression of factors associated with HPV vaccination, only increased age showed significant association with likelihood (OR: 0.92 [95%CI: 0.89-0.94]).

Conclusion: This study generates hypotheses regarding reasons why Asian-Americans may be less likely to receive HPV vaccination, and it demonstrates a potential opportunity to improve HPV vaccination in this cohort.

HPV Vaccination and Treatment Decision-Making Among Asian-Americans

Introduction:
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited hematological disorder characterized by the presence of sickle-shaped red blood cells, leading to various systemic complications due to vaso-occlusion and hemolysis. ENT manifestations, particularly hearing loss, are less frequently highlighted but can significantly impact patients' quality of life and overall health outcomes.

Methods:
A retrospective study was conducted within the TriNetX database. Queries targeted patients aged 18 or older with or without a diagnosis of sickle cell disease (SCD) who had a documented outpatient visit between May 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022. Cohorts were propensity score-matched by age, sex, ethnicity, and race. Selected ENT outcomes were extracted using relevant ICD-10 codes to compare the occurrence between the SCD and non-SCD cohorts.

Results:
Among 8,934,438 adults identified, 13,870 were diagnosed with SCD. After propensity score matching, 13,870 patients were retained in each cohort, with a mean age of 40.9 years. The majority in each cohort were Black or African American (N=9,966, 71.9%) and a small proportion were Hispanic or Latino (N=613, 4.4%). Hearing loss was more likely in the SCD cohort (6.0% vs. 2.6%; OR=2.4, 95% CI=2.1-2.7, p<.001). When stratified by hearing loss type, only sensorineural hearing loss was found to be higher (3.2% vs. 1.3%; OR=2.5, 95% CI=2.1-3.0, p<.001), while conductive hearing loss incidence did not differ from the non-SCD cohort (p=.238). Other conditions found to be more likely in the SCD cohort were obstructive sleep apnea (11.9% vs. 6.8%; OR=1.8, 95% CI=1.7-2.0, p<.001), allergic rhinitis (5.9% vs. 3.6%; OR=1.7, 95% CI=1.5-1.9, p<.001), and acute or chronic sinusitis (5.2% vs. 4.5%; OR=1.2, 95% CI=1.1-1.3, p=.004).

Conclusions:
SCD patients included in the TriNetX database have a higher risk of sensorineural hearing loss compared to those without SCD. This finding underscores the need for routine hearing assessments in SCD patients to mitigate this risk and improve overall patient care.

Prevalence of Hearing Loss in Adult Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background
Since the early 2000’s, there have been local, state, and federal efforts to provide a framework for developing school health programs that meet a minimum recommendation for emergency preparedness. New York State has instituted multiple educational and public health laws offering guidance to school health officials on program infrastructure, school health communicable disease, emergency medical care, and school safety plans. These laws allow for, but do not require, schools to stock and maintain epinephrine auto-injectors, narcotic overdose kits, tourniquet kits, and allow for the development of school safety plans in response to a school crisis. However, compliance with these recommendations and statutes in schools has not been investigated. The objective of this study is to systematically identify the policies and procedures that schools have implemented to address community and individual emergencies.

Methods
Cross-sectional study conducted between March 2024 and May 2024. An electronic survey based on a priori policies, federal regulations and NYS laws was sent to 6,600 eligible schools from a publicly available registry of NYS schools. Each respondent reported the school's demographics, as well as questions pertaining to various elements of emergency preparedness policies. There was no incentive provided by the research team for respondents to complete the survey. Descriptive analysis of the survey results was performed.

Results
185 total survey responses were received. The policies with the greatest implementation included presence of an emergency crisis plan (68.11%), emergency communication plan (67.57%), onsite CPR equipment (67.57%), onsite AED (63.78%), emergency contact information for all students and staff (63.24%), and staff trained in CPR onsite (61.62%). The presence of Narcan (28.65%), tourniquets (25.41%), glucagon (21.08%), and stress dose steroids (7.03%) onsite was notably low. Overall implementation of the recommended policies was found to be approximately the same (44-46%) among all school types, except for religious nonpublic schools, which noted substantially less (29.2%) overall adherence to the policy recommendations.

Conclusion
We found that many of the policies recommended by state and federal authorities were not implemented by the majority of schools that responded. This creates a potential gap in care that is especially relevant given the recent increase in school violence. Further studies should focus on identifying trends in noncompliance and barriers to implementation of these policies, with the ultimate goal of providing students with the proper resources when school emergencies do occur.

Are New York State Schools Adequately Prepared For School Health Emergencies?
A Descriptive Analysis

Purpose 
Food insecurity (FI), the lack of access to sufficient food to meet nutritional needs, is strongly associated with poor quality of life, child development, and mental health. The stress and financial strain of their child’s hospital admission may incite caregivers to go hungry during the hospitalization, a term known as inpatient FI. Caregiver hunger may hinder processing and comprehension of information which poses safety concerns during and after a hospital stay. 

Methods
Caregivers of pediatric hospitalized patients were surveyed at a large, urban academic institution in July 2024. Respondents were queried on their sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., income, race/ ethnicity), and caregiver household and inpatient FI. The Hunger Vital sign, a 2-question validated screener tool, was used to assess household FI and a modified tool based on the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Security Survey Module was used to assess inpatient FI. Caregivers who noted an interest in sharing additional information were called to share qualitative feedback. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Fischer, and chi-squared tests analyzed via R Statistical Software (v4.1.2; R Core Team, 2021).

Results
Over one in every four caregivers (27%, N=51) reported experiencing FI during their child’s hospitalization. Among those experiencing inpatient FI, the majority (86%) of families reported annual incomes below the poverty threshold (measured as less than $30k) and most (86%) self-identified as non-white in race/ethnicity. Moreover, over a quarter (29%) of caregivers queried noted that they had not been told how to get food in the hospital. Patients who experienced household food insecurity were 2.54 times more likely to experience inpatient food insecurity compared to those without household food insecurity CI (1.08, 5.99). No statistically significant associations were found between inpatient FI and families being informed about food options available in the hospital (p = 0.7), annual household income (p = 0.4), or race/ethnicity (p = 0.7).

Conclusion
Inpatient FI is a present and significant challenge affecting pediatric hospitalization. Comprehensive, evidence-based policy interventions such as providing clear information about available food resources, integrating food assistance programs into hospital services, and collaborating with community organizations to support caregivers must be considered. Addressing inpatient FI among caregivers may build their capacity to provide care for their child during their hospitalization, have therapeutic effects on health care delivery, and is essential for promoting positive health outcomes for family units.

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