Addiction, Author Interviews, JAMA, Pediatrics, USPSTF / 20.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54620" align="alignleft" width="133"]Dr. Karina Davidson, PhD Senior Vice President of Research Dean of Academic Affairs Professor of Behavioral Medicine Zucker School of Medicine Hofstra University/Northwell Health Vice Chairmam US Preventive Services Task Force Dr. Davidson[/caption] Dr. Karina Davidson, PhD Senior Vice President of Research Dean of Academic Affairs Professor of Behavioral Medicine Zucker School of Medicine Hofstra University/Northwell Health Vice Chairmam US Preventive Services Task Force  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Drug use is among the most common causes of preventable death, injury, and disability in the United States, with nearly 10 percent of adults reporting unhealthy drug use. This includes the use of illegal drugs, as well as using prescription drugs in ways that are not recommended by a doctor.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, JAMA / 17.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54602" align="alignleft" width="200"]Richard E. Pratley, MD AdventHealth Samuel E. Crockett Chair in Diabetes Research Medical Director | AdventHealth Diabetes Institute Senior Investigator and Diabetes Program Lead AdventHealth Translational Research Institute Dr. Pratley[/caption] Richard E. Pratley, MD AdventHealth Samuel E. Crockett Chair in Diabetes Research Medical Director | AdventHealth Diabetes Institute Senior Investigator and Diabetes Program Lead AdventHealth Translational Research Institute  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Historically, older individuals with T1D have been underrepresented or excluded from clinical trials. Older individuals with T1D are at particularly high risk for hypoglycemia. Because of their long duration of diabetes, they often have impaired counterregulatory responses and hypoglycemia unawareness. Hypoglycemia in older individuals is particularly dangerous because it can lead to falls and fractures, cognitive impairment and cardiovascular events, including death. There has been the misperception that older individuals are less able to use technology to manage their diabetes.  This study dispelled that notion.  
Author Interviews, JAMA, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurology / 15.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54537" align="alignleft" width="200"]Cris S Constantinescu,  MD, PhD, FRCP Professor, Division of Clinical Neuroscience Research Group in Clinical Neurology University of Nottingham Queen's Medical Centre Nottingham UK Prof. Constantinescu[/caption] Cris S Constantinescu,  MD, PhD, FRCP Professor, Division of Clinical Neuroscience Research Group in Clinical Neurology University of Nottingham Queen's Medical Centre Nottingham UK MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The study is in some way a test of the hygiene or old friends hypothesis, whereby eradication, through improved hygiene, of some parasites that have existed in the human gut for thousands of years and have suppressed inflammatory reactions, leads to an increase in inflammatory conditions. This has been used to explain the increased autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in the developed world. Healthy volunteer studies at the University of Nottingham showed therapeutic hookworm infection to be safe and well tolerated up to about 50 larvae, and then safety studies in people with airway hyperreactivity and inflammatory bowel disease raised no concern. Following a study in Argentina showing that people with MS have milder disease when they have a natural co-existing asymptomatic infection with intestinal parasites, we (Professor Pritchard, immunoparasitologist and myself) decided to test hookworm in MS, and for the first time used 25 larvae in a patient study.
Author Interviews, Flu - Influenza, Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Vaccine Studies / 15.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54587" align="alignleft" width="175"]Allison Kempe, MD, MPH Ergen Family Endowed Chair in Pediatric Outcomes Research Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine Director of ACCORDS (Adult and Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science) University of Colorado School of Medicine | Children’s Hospital Colorado Dr. Kempe[/caption] Allison Kempe, MD, MPH Ergen Family Endowed Chair in Pediatric Outcomes Research Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine Director of ACCORDS (Adult and Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science) University of Colorado School of Medicine | Children’s Hospital Colorado  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In 2019 the WHO designated vaccine hesitancy as one of the ten leading threats to global health. Although studies have assessed parental vaccine hesitancy in different localities and estimated vaccine refusals nationally, there is little recent US national data on the prevalence of hesitancy about routine childhood vaccines and national hesitancy rates for influenza vaccine have never been assessed. We used a hesitancy scale developed by the WHO to estimate levels of parental hesitancy for both routine childhood and childhood influenza vaccination 
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Environmental Risks, JAMA / 11.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54484" align="alignleft" width="160"]Mohammad Sajadi, MD Associate Professor Institute of Human Virology Global Virus Network Center of Excellence University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD 21201 Dr. Sajadi[/caption] Mohammad Sajadi, MD Associate Professor Institute of Human Virology Global Virus Network Center of Excellence University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD 21201  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Because of geographical proximity and significant travel connections, epidemiological modeling of the epicenter predicted that regions in Southeast Asia, and specifically Bangkok would follow Wuhan, and China in the COVID-19 epidemic. When we saw this did not happen, we suspected that SARS-CoV-2 might be acting like a seasonal respiratory virus. 
Author Interviews, JAMA, Pain Research / 11.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD (Pronouns: he/him) Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology Director, Institute of Public Health Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Migraine (with aura) has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease but its absolute contribution in relation to other major vascular risk factors was not unclear.
Author Interviews, JAMA, OBGYNE, Pediatrics / 11.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54494" align="alignleft" width="199"]Colm Travers, M.D., MSPH Assistant Professor Department of Pediatrics University of Alabama at Birmingham Dr. Travers[/caption] Colm Travers, M.D., MSPH Assistant Professor Department of Pediatrics University of Alabama at Birmingham MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: It is known that black mothers are much more likely to deliver preterm and low birth weight infants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether racial/ethnic disparities in care practices and outcomes were decreasing or increasing among extremely preterm infants. These are infants born from 22 to 27 weeks of gestation who have a high risk of death and major illnesses. 
Author Interviews, Clots - Coagulation, JAMA, Kidney Disease / 09.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54478" align="alignleft" width="133"]Manish M Sood MD FRCPC MSc Jindal Research Chair for the Prevention of Kidney Disease Associate Professor of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine and the School of Epidemiology and Public Health University of Ottawa Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute  Nephrologist, The Ottawa Hospital Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Dr. Sood[/caption] Manish M Sood MD FRCPC MSc Jindal Research Chair for the Prevention of Kidney Disease Associate Professor of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine and the School of Epidemiology and Public Health University of Ottawa Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Nephrologist, The Ottawa Hospital Ottawa, Ontario, Canada  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Early work has suggested a very commonly used antibiotic, clarithromycin, may interfere with the metabolism of the most widely used type of blood thinning medication (called direct oral anticoagulants or DOACs) such that the blood level of the DOAC increases and may place the patient at a higher risk for bleeding.  In our study we looked at patients of advanced age (>66 years old) who were given clarithromycin while on a DOAC in Ontario, Canada. We compared patients on clairthromycin-DOAC to patients given a very similar antibiotic, azithromycin, that does not interfere with the metabolism of DOAC.
Allergies, Author Interviews, JAMA, OBGYNE / 05.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Niklas Andersson MS Department of Epidemiology Research Statens Serum Institut Copenhagen S, Denmark MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Second-generation antihistamines are among the most commonly prescribed drug classes during pregnancy. Fexofenadine is a widely used antihistamine but given the limited fetal safety on the use of antihistamines during pregnancy in general, current clinical guidelines only recommend the use cetirizine and loratadine during pregnancy when needed due to a larger body of fetal safety data for these antihistamines.
Author Interviews, Endocrinology, Environmental Risks, JCEM, Menopause / 05.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54464" align="alignleft" width="118"]Ning Ding MPH Ning Ding[/caption] Ning Ding MPH, PhD candidate [caption id="attachment_54465" align="alignleft" width="141"]Sung Kyun Park Sc.D, MPH Dr. Sung Kyun Park[/caption] Sung Kyun Park Sc.D, MPH Associate Professor Department of Epidemiology University of Michigan School of Public Health Ann Arbor, MI 48109  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals’, are a family of synthetic chemicals used in a wide variety of nonstick and waterproof products and firefighting foams. The main issue is that PFAS are everywhere. It has been estimated that 110 million Americans, 1 out of three, may consume drinking water contaminated with PFAS. PFAS are very persistent and once PFAS enter the body, they don't break down and build up in the body over time.
Author Interviews, JAMA, OBGYNE / 05.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Anjali Kaimal, MD, MAS, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist Associate Professor in the Departments of Obstetrics Massachusetts General Hospital Miriam Kuppermann, PhD, MPH Professor Vice Chair Clinical and Translational Research Director Program for Clinical Perinatal UCSF MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Reducing the rate of cesarean delivery is an important public health goal.  Nearly one third (31.9%) of deliveries in the US are via cesarean, and dramatic increases in the cesarean rate since the 1990s have been associated with substantial increases in maternal morbidity.  One of the reasons for the increased rate of cesarean delivery is the decreasing rate at which women attempt to have a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).  Although having a “trial of labor” (in the hopes of giving birth vaginally) after cesarean is safe, and many women say they would prefer a vaginal delivery, most women who have had a previous cesarean plan a scheduled repeat cesarean delivery.  While some hospitals do not offer trial of labor after cesarean, even at institutions where this is an option. VBAC rates remain low. We created a patient-facing “decision tool” that provides detailed information on both trial of labor and scheduled repeat cesarean, a personalized risk assessment of the likelihood that the a trial of labor would end in a VBAC, and a series of values clarification exercises, to help women think through their options and engaged in informed, shared decision making with their providers.  We then conducted a randomized study in three geographic areas (San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago) to determine whether use of the decision tool affected rates of trial of labor and vaginal birth after cesarean, as well as several aspects of decision quality (knowledge, shared decision making, decisional conflict, and decision satisfaction).  
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Lancet / 02.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54427" align="alignleft" width="150"]Holger Schünemann, MD, PhD, FRCPC Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and of Medicine Co-Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases, Research Methods and Recommendations Director, Cochrane Canada and McMaster GRADE Centre Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact Canada Dr. Schünemann[/caption] Holger Schünemann, MD, PhD, FRCPC Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and of Medicine Co-Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases, Research Methods and Recommendations Director, Cochrane Canada and McMaster GRADE Centre Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact Canada  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Many countries and regions have issued conflicting advice about physical distancing to reduce transmission of COVID-19, based on limited information. In addition, the questions of whether masks and eye coverings might reduce transmission of COVID-19 in the general population, and what the optimum use of masks in healthcare settings is, have been debated during the pandemic.
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Endocrinology, OBGYNE / 02.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54421" align="alignleft" width="200"]Lois Donovan MD FRCPC Clinical Professor Cumming School of Medicine Division on Endocrinology and Metabolism and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Calgary Dr. Donovan[/caption] Lois Donovan MD FRCPC Clinical Professor Cumming School of Medicine Division on Endocrinology and Metabolism and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Calgary MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? 1) We observed in our clinical practices that minor TSH elevations in early pregnancy frequently normalized without intervention. 2) Recent randomized control trials have failed to show benefit of treating women with levothyroxine with minor TSH elevations in pregnancy 
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, Diabetes, JAMA, Pediatrics / 01.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54411" align="alignleft" width="148"]Kao-Ping Chua, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Medical School Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center University of Michigan Dr. Kao-Ping Chua[/caption] Kao-Ping Chua, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Medical School Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center University of Michigan MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Due to high and rising prices, insulin has become increasingly unaffordable for patients with type 1 diabetes who must pay out-of-pocket for this life-saving medication. Over the past 5 months, many states and insurers have taken steps to cap insulin out-of-pocket spending. For example, Cigna imposed a $25 monthly cap earlier this year. This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services announced a $35 monthly cap for many Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
Author Interviews, JAMA, OBGYNE, Pediatrics / 01.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Katri RäikkönenKatri Räikkönen Professor, Department of Psychology and Logopedics University of Helsinski MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Maternal antenatal corticosteroid treatment is standard care when there is a risk for preterm delivery. The treatment improves the prognosis of babies born preterm. In high-income countries, antenatal corticosteroid treatment has been in routine use for over 30 years. Recommendations and clinical care guidelines for maternal antenatal corticosteroid treatment differ between continents and countries. In Finland the treatment is currently recommended when the risk for preterm delivery is at 34 gestational weeks or less. In select cases, the treatment is recommended even later in gestation. Corticosteroids accelerate fetal maturation, especially in the lungs, and increase the child’s resilience to the stress that results from being born preterm. However, antenatal corticosteroids not only cross the placenta, but also cross the the blood-brain barrier and may harm fetal brain development. We are not aware of previous population-based studies that would have tested if maternal antenatal corticosteroid treatment would be associated with mental and behavioral disorders in children and we are not either aware of studies that would have tested if any associations would be explained by shared genetic or familial factors.
Author Interviews, Blood Clots, Clots - Coagulation, COVID -19 Coronavirus, JAMA / 29.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54374" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr Tristan Morichau-Beauchant, MD. Intensive Care Unit Centre Cardiologique du Nord Saint-Denis, France Dr. Morichau-Beauchant[/caption] Dr Tristan Morichau-Beauchant, MD. Intensive Care Unit Centre Cardiologique du Nord Saint-Denis, France MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: During the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in France, early reports on severe patients stated a highly increased inflammatory response associated with procoagulant changes in coagulation pathways and high D-Dimer levels. Preliminary reports from the intensive care community signaled frequent events of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) among this population. We decided to perform prospectively a venous ultrasonogram of the inferior limbs for all patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia at admission in our ICU.  All patients had acute respiratory distress syndrome according to the Berlin definition an required mechanical ventilation. Considering the high prevalence of venous thrombosis at admission we repeated a venous ultrasonography after 48 hours if the first exam was normal. All patients received standard anticoagulant prophylaxis since hospital admission.
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, JAMA / 28.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54349" align="alignleft" width="142"]Soumya Sen PhD McKnight Presidential Fellow Mary & Jim Lawrence Fellow of Carlson School Director of Research, MIS Research Center Associate Professor, Information & Decision Sciences Carlson School of Management  University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN Dr. Soumya Sen[/caption] Soumya Sen PhD McKnight Presidential Fellow Mary & Jim Lawrence Fellow of Carlson School Director of Research, MIS Research Center Associate Professor, Information & Decision Sciences Carlson School of Management University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: As the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded across the United States, one of the greatest barriers to understanding the extent of the problem was the lack of reliable and consistent data. Some of the metrics being reported, such as case count and death, are insufficient for hospital capacity planning. Case count is a conservative estimate of the actual number of infected individuals in the absence of community-wide serologic testing, while death count is a lagging metric and insufficient for proactive hospital capacity planning. A more valuable metric for assessing the effects of public health interventions on the health care infrastructure is hospitalizations. Therefore, the Medical Industry Leadership Institute (MILI) and the Management Information Systems Research Center (MISRC) at the Carlson School of Management launched the COVID-19 hospitalization tracking project in March to consistently track and report daily hospitalizations from all reporting states. Tracking daily hospitalization data is a major step forward in quantifying the current impact on local hospital systems, modeling and  forecasting future utilization needs, and tracking the rate of change in the disease severity. It is also useful for understanding the role of health policy interventions in slowing or reducing the impact of the pandemic.
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, JAMA, Yale / 28.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_50208" align="alignleft" width="160"]Daniel Boffa, MD Professor of Surgery Yale School of Medicine Dr. Boffa[/caption] Daniel J. Boffa, MD Associate Professor of Thoracic Surgery Yale School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The study examined networks that formed around hospitals that had been previously ranked in the top-50 by US News and World Report.  These top-ranked hospitals have shared their brand with hospitals in their network, which leads some people to believe that the care is the same at top-ranked hospitals and their affiliate hospitals.  We wanted to determine if outcomes after complex surgical procedures were truly the same at affiliate hospitals and top-ranked hospitals. 
Author Interviews, Nutrition, Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Weight Research / 26.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54336" align="alignleft" width="150"]Megan H. Pesch, MD, MS, FAAP Assistant Professor C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital University of Michigan Dr. Pesch[/caption] Megan H. Pesch, MD, MS, FAAP Assistant Professor C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital University of Michigan MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Picky eating is common among children and is often both concerning to parents. Healthcare providers may reassure parents that their child will “outgrow” picky eating, however there have been few longitudinal studies examining the trajectories of picky eating in children, as well as associated trends in their growth. In our study we examined the trajectories of picky eating in US children over a 5 year period. We also examined how these picky eating trends were associated with child characteristics, weight status and mother’s feeding behaviors.
Annals Internal Medicine, Author Interviews, Colon Cancer / 26.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Nastazja Dagny Pilonis, MD Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Currently recommended 10-year interval between screening colonoscopies is based on the limited evidence. We decided to assess what is the risk of colorectal cancer and colorectal cancer death after singe negative screening colonoscopy.
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cognitive Issues, Heart Disease, JACC, Lipids / 23.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54285" align="alignleft" width="133"]Robert P. Giugliano, MD, SM Senior Investigator, TIMI Study Group Cardiovascular Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School Boston, MA Dr. Giugliano[/caption] Robert P. Giugliano, MD, SM Senior Investigator, TIMI Study Group Cardiovascular Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School Boston, MA  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Some prior studies had suggested that lipid lowering therapies were associated with impaired cognition.  We sought to explore this question in a prospectively designed substudy of the large FOURIER randomized, double-blind clinical trial utilizing patient self-surveys administered the end of the study to determine whether patients themselves noticed any changes in cognition over the duration of the trial. The survey tool was a shortened version of the Everyday Cognition Questionnaire (see attached) that asks patients 23 questions that assess memory and executive function (including subdomains of planning, organization, and divided attention). The questions are in the format of "Compared to the beginning of the study, has there been any change in .....", and are graded as 1=better/no change, 2=questionable/occasionally worse, 3=consistently a little worse, 4=consistently much worse.
AHA Journals, Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, NYU/NYMC / 21.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54302" align="alignleft" width="200"]Shadi Yaghi, MD Assistant Professor Department of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine  Director, Clinical Vascular Neurology Research, NYU Langone Health Director, Vascular Neurology, NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn Dr. Yaghi[/caption] Shadi Yaghi, MD Assistant Professor Department of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine Director, Clinical Vascular Neurology Research, NYU Langone Health Director, Vascular Neurology, NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Our aim was to determine the characteristics of imaging proven ischemic stroke in the setting of COVID-19 infection and compare them to those of ischemic stroke but without COVID-19 infection.
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Melanoma, Nature / 21.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54260" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr. Kelly Brooks PhD Research Officer QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Dr. Brooks[/caption] Dr. Kelly Brooks PhD Research Officer QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute     MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? [caption id="attachment_54258" align="alignleft" width="200"]uveal-melanoma__DERMNet image An example of uveal melanoma
DermNet NZ image[/caption] Response: There are approximately 175 new cases a year for melanomas inside the eye called uveal melanomas. These cancers spread to other sites of the body in about half of patients. Uveal melanomas are very different to skin melanomas and so far no effective treatment have been approved to treat uveal melanoma once it has spread. We sequenced uveal melanoma tumours from over 100 different patients to look at what mutations are responsible for tumour growth and development. 
Author Interviews, Gender Differences, JAMA, Surgical Research, University of Pittsburgh / 21.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54289" align="alignleft" width="200"]Sara P. Myers, M.D., Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Dr. Myers[/caption] Sara P. Myers, M.D., Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Compared to other fields, medicine, and especially academic surgery and its subspecialties, trail with respect to gender diversity. Considering that these fields were traditionally male-dominated, two issues that may present ongoing challenges to the retention and promotion of women are pro-male bias and negative stereotypes about women. Training specific to pursuing a surgical career begins in residency, so it is important to understand how these issues affect motivation and achievement during this formative period. In our study we first evaluated the association between pro-male bias and research-related career engagement using a survey methodology, and then looked at whether evoking negative stereotypes about women was associated with reduced performance on a simulated technical skill assessment called the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) assessment. 
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Lancet, Nature / 19.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_53818" align="alignleft" width="130"]Matthew Galsky, MD Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY Dr. Galsky[/caption] Matthew Galsky, MD Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Standard first-line treatment for metastatic urothelial (bladder) cancer has been platinum-based chemotherapy for decades. In 2016, atezolizumab, an immunotherapy that inhibits PD-L1, received accelerated approval by the FDA for the treatment of metastatic urothelial cancer for patients progressing despite prior platinum-based chemotherapy and this was followed by approvals for 4 additional PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors in this setting over the next couple years. With this first new drug class approved, representing the first new drugs approved for metastatic urothelial cancer for decades, logical question arose (a) should we combine these drugs with platinum-based chemotherapy in the first-line metastatic treatment setting and (b) is there a role to replace first-line chemotherapy with atezolizumab monotherapy. The IMvigor 130 trial was designed to address these questions. The trial enrolled 1213 patients who were randomized to treatment with (a) atezolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy, (b) placebo + platinum-based chemotherapy, or (c) atezolizumab monotherapy. The trial employed a hierarchical analysis plan such that comparisons between arms for certain endpoints could only be formally tested if other the preceding comparisons demonstrated a significant improvement. 
Author Interviews, JAMA, Orthopedics, Race/Ethnic Diversity, Surgical Research / 19.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54220" align="alignleft" width="200"]Alyson Cavanaugh, PT, PhD Joint Doctoral Program in Epidemiology University of California, San Diego/ San Diego State University  Dr. Cavanaugh[/caption] Alyson Cavanaugh, PT, PhD Joint Doctoral Program in Epidemiology University of California, San Diego/ San Diego State University MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: More than 700,000 total knee replacements are performed annually in the United States, but there is a racial disparity in outcomes after the surgery. If the knee replacement procedure is considered a highly effective treatment, why don't black women present with the same outcomes as whites? Physical function when going into surgery has a large impact on the potential functional outcomes after surgery. Our hypothesis was that black women were presenting to surgery with poorer physical function, which was contributing to poorer functional outcomes after surgery.
Author Interviews, JAMA, STD / 19.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54214" align="alignleft" width="154"]Barbara Van Der Pol, PhD, MPH President, American STD Association President-Elect, International Society fo STD Research Professor of Medicine & Public Health Director, STD Diagnostics Lab Director, UAB STD Clinical Research Organization University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL  35294 Dr. Van der Pol[/caption] Barbara Van Der Pol, PhD, MPH President, American STD Association President-Elect, International Society fo STD Research Professor of Medicine & Public Health Director, STD Diagnostics Lab Director, UAB STD Clinical Research Organization University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL  35294 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: For many decades, public health programs focused on control and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STI) have relied on lab based tests that required a 1-day to 1-week wait for test results.  Efforts to shorten the duration of infection lead to treating at the time of the clinic visit based on the association between certain clinical signs or symptoms and the likelihood of infection. Unfortunately, more than ½ of infected persons do not have signs or symptoms so they receive no treatment until test results are available. Thus, a test that could be performed at the clinical site with a limited wait time would improve the accuracy of treatment and shorten the duration of infection. Such a strategy will hopefully reduce the number of return clinic visits, the possibility of transmission, and the potential for consequences of untreated infection such as infertility. 
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, JAMA / 19.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54268" align="alignleft" width="142"]James D. Chambers, PhD, MPharm, MSc Associate Professor of Medicine Tufts Medical Center Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies Dr. Chambers[/caption] James D. Chambers, PhD, MPharm, MSc Associate Professor of Medicine Tufts Medical Center Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: We know that biosimilars have not had the same uptake in the US as they have had elsewhere. We know that this is in part due to reference product manufacturer tactics to delay biosimilar market entry and patent disputes. In this study we examined whether lack of preferred coverage by commercial health insurers may also play a role.
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, JAMA, Primary Care / 19.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54263" align="alignleft" width="168"]Sara Martin, MD, MSc Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program Santa Rosa, California Dr. Martin[/caption] Sara Martin, MD, MSc Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program Santa Rosa, California MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: To improve access to comprehensive primary care, we need to understand how much is being spent on primary care. Until recently, the United States lacked any data-based estimate of primary care expenditure.  This study utilizes Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)data from 2002 – 2016 to estimate the percentage of healthcare expenditures that was spent on primary care. Most discussions around health care expenditure in the U.S. focus on the fact that we spend more than any other country and do not have the corresponding outcomes to match that investment.  This paper focuses the conversation around the distribution of the expenditure.
Author Interviews, JAMA, Pediatrics, Social Issues, Technology / 18.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54246" align="alignleft" width="200"]Pooja S. Tandon, MD, MPH Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development Seattle Children's Research Institute Dr. Tandon[/caption] Pooja S. Tandon, MD, MPH Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development Seattle Children's Research Institute MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Cell phone use is common among middle and high school students, yet we do not have an understanding of school cell phone policies and practices in the U.S. We conducted a survey of public schools serving grades 6-12. The survey sent to over 1,100 school principals, representing a national sample of schools across the U.S., asked questions about the presence of a cell phone policy for students and staff and restrictions on phone use. Additional questions addressed consequences of policy violation, the use of cell phones for curricular activities and principals’ attitudes toward cell phone policies.