All Publications


  • Understanding ART Adherence among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Western Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study of Barriers and Facilitators. International journal of environmental research and public health Altamirano, J., Odero, I. A., Omollo, M., Awuonda, E., Ondeng'e, K., Kang, J. L., Behl, R., Ndivo, R., Baiocchi, M., Barsosio, H. C., Sarnquist, C. C. 2023; 20 (20)

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: HIV remains a leading cause of death for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa. This population has a high incidence of HIV and other comorbidities, such as experiencing violence, and low antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. To reach global HIV goals, data are needed on the specific adherence barriers for AGYW living with HIV, so interventions can be targeted effectively.METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected at urban and rural health facilities in and around Kisumu County, western Kenya, from January to June 2022, from AGYW 15-24 years of age who were living with HIV. Surveys included questions on intimate partner violence, mental health issues, food security, and orphanhood. Adherence was categorized using viral load testing where available and the Center for Adherence Support Evaluation (CASE) adherence index otherwise. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between potential explanatory variables and adherence.FINDINGS: In total, 309 AGYW participated. AGYW with experiences of emotional violence (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.94, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.03-3.66), moderate or severe depression (OR = 3.19, 95% CI = 1.47-6.94), and/or substance use (OR = 2.71, 95% CI = 1.24-5.92) had significantly higher odds of poor adherence when compared to AGYW without these respective experiences. Physical and sexual violence, food insecurity, and orphanhood were not associated with poor adherence in this cohort.INTERPRETATION: Elucidating the risk factors associated with poor adherence among AGYW living with HIV allows us to identify potential targets for future interventions to improve ART adherence and HIV care outcomes. Mental health and violence prevention interventions, including combination interventions, may prove to be promising approaches.

    View details for DOI 10.3390/ijerph20206922

    View details for PubMedID 37887660

  • Rapid emergence and transmission of virulence-associated mutations in the oral poliovirus vaccine following vaccination campaigns. NPJ vaccines Walter, K. S., Altamirano, J., Huang, C., Carrington, Y. J., Zhou, F., Andrews, J. R., Maldonado, Y. 2023; 8 (1): 137

    Abstract

    There is an increasing burden of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) due to the continued use of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). However, the informativeness of routine OPV VP1 sequencing for the early identification of viruses carrying virulence-associated reversion mutations has not been directly evaluated in a controlled setting. We prospectively collected 15,331 stool samples to track OPV shedding from children receiving OPV and their contacts for ten weeks following an immunization campaign in Veracruz State, Mexico and sequenced VP1 genes from 358 samples. We found that OPV was genetically unstable and evolves at an approximately clocklike rate that varies across serotypes and by vaccination status. Overall, 61% (11/18) of OPV-1, 71% (34/48) OPV-2, and 96% (54/56) OPV-3 samples with available data had evidence of a reversion at the key 5' UTR attenuating position and 28% (13/47) of OPV-1, 12% (14/117) OPV-2, and 91% (157/173) OPV-3 of Sabin-like viruses had ≥1 known reversion mutations in the VP1 gene. Our results are consistent with previous work documenting rapid reversion to virulence of OPV and underscores the need for intensive surveillance following OPV use.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41541-023-00740-9

    View details for PubMedID 37749086

    View details for PubMedCentralID 9712124

  • Women Physicians Receive Lower Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Scores in a Multi-Center Study of Outpatient Gynecology Care. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology Rogo-Gupta, L. J., Altamirano, J., Homewood, L. N., Donnellan, N. M., Miles, S., Stuparich, M., Salinaro, J., Lum, D., Fassiotto, M. 2023

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: Emerging data suggests patient satisfaction data is subject to inherent biases that negatively impact women physicians.OBJECTIVE: To describe the association between the Press Ganey patient satisfaction survey and physician gender in a multi-institutional study of outpatient gynecologic care.STUDY DESIGN: This was a multi-site, observational, population-based survey study using the results of Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys from five unrelated community-based and academic medical institutions with outpatient gynecology visits between January 2020 - April 2022. The primary outcome variable was likelihood to recommend a physician and individual survey responses served as the unit of analysis. Patient demographic data was collected through the survey, including self-reported age, gender, and race/ethnicity (categorized as White, Asian, or Underrepresented in Medicine, which groups together Black, Hispanic/LatinX, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and Hawaiian or Pacific Islander). Bivariate comparisons between demographics (physician gender, patient and physician age quartile, patient and physician race) and likelihood to recommend were assessed using generalized estimating equation models clustered by physician. Odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and p-values for these analyses are reported and results were considered statistically significant at p<0.05. Analysis was performed using SAS (version 9.4, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC).RESULTS: Data were obtained from 15,184 surveys for 130 physicians, the majority were women (n=95, 73%) and White (n=98, 75%), and patients were also predominantly White (n=10,495, 69%). A little over half of all visits were race concordant, meaning both patient and physician reported the same race (57%). Women physicians were less likely to receive a topbox survey score (74% vs 77%) and in the multivariate model had 19% lower odds of receiving a topbox score (95% CI: 0.69 - 0.95). Patient age had a statistically significant relationship with score, with patients 63 and older having over a three-fold increase in odds of providing a topbox score (OR=3.10, 95% CI = 2.12 - 4.52) compared to the youngest patients. After adjustment, patient and physician race/ethnicity showed similar effects on the odds of a topbox likelihood to recommend score, with Asian physicians and Asian patients having lower odds of a topbox likelihood to recommend score when compared to White physicians and patients (OR=0.89, 95% CI = 0.81 - 0.98 and OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.48 - 0.79 respectively). Underrepresented in medicine physicians and patients showed significantly increased odds of a topbox likelihood to recommend score (OR=1.27, 95% CI = 1.21 - 1.33 and OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01 - 1.06 respectively). Physician age quartile was not significantly associated with odds of a topbox likelihood to recommend score.CONCLUSIONS: Women gynecologists are 18% less likely to receive top patient satisfaction scores compared to men in this multi-site, population-based survey study using the results of Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys. The results of these questionnaires should be adjusted for bias given they provide data currently being used to understand patient-centered care.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.06.023

    View details for PubMedID 37330126

  • Rapid emergence and transmission of virulence-associated mutations in the oral poliovirus vaccine following vaccination campaigns. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences Walter, K. S., Altamirano, J., Huang, C., Carrington, Y. J., Zhou, F., Andrews, J. R., Maldonado, Y. 2023

    Abstract

    There is an increasing burden of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) due to the continued use of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). However, the informativeness of routine OPV VP1 sequencing for the early identification of viruses carrying virulence-associated reversion mutations has not been directly evaluated in a controlled setting. We prospectively collected 15,331 stool samples to track OPV shedding from vaccinated children and their contacts for ten weeks following an immunization campaign in Veracruz State, Mexico and sequenced VP1 genes from 358 samples. We found that OPV was genetically unstable and evolves at an approximately clocklike rate that varies across serotypes and by vaccination status. Alarmingly, 28% (13/47) of OPV-1, 12% (14/117) OPV-2, and 91% (157/173) OPV-3 of Sabin-like viruses had ≥1 known reversion mutation. Our results suggest that current definitions of cVDPVs may exclude circulating virulent viruses that pose a public health risk and underscore the need for intensive surveillance following OPV use.

    View details for DOI 10.1101/2023.03.16.23287381

    View details for PubMedID 36993386

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10055580

  • Challenges in Harnessing Shared Within-Host Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variation for Transmission Inference. Open forum infectious diseases Walter, K. S., Kim, E., Verma, R., Altamirano, J., Leary, S., Carrington, Y. J., Jagannathan, P., Singh, U., Holubar, M., Subramanian, A., Khosla, C., Maldonado, Y., Andrews, J. R. 2023; 10 (2): ofad001

    Abstract

    The limited variation observed among severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) consensus sequences makes it difficult to reconstruct transmission linkages in outbreak settings. Previous studies have recovered variation within individual SARS-CoV-2 infections but have not yet measured the informativeness of within-host variation for transmission inference.We performed tiled amplicon sequencing on 307 SARS-CoV-2 samples, including 130 samples from 32 individuals in 14 households and 47 longitudinally sampled individuals, from 4 prospective studies with household membership data, a proxy for transmission linkage.Consensus sequences from households had limited diversity (mean pairwise distance, 3.06 single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]; range, 0-40). Most (83.1%, 255 of 307) samples harbored at least 1 intrahost single-nucleotide variant ([iSNV] median, 117; interquartile range [IQR], 17-208), above a minor allele frequency threshold of 0.2%. Pairs in the same household shared significantly more iSNVs (mean, 1.20 iSNVs; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.39) than did pairs in different households infected with the same viral clade (mean, 0.31 iSNVs; 95% CI, .28-.34), a signal that decreases with increasingly stringent minor allele frequency thresholds. The number of shared iSNVs was significantly associated with an increased odds of household membership (adjusted odds ratio, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.23-1.49). However, the poor concordance of iSNVs detected across sequencing replicates (24.8% and 35.0% above a 0.2% and 1% threshold) confirms technical concerns that current sequencing and bioinformatic workflows do not consistently recover low-frequency within-host variants.Shared within-host variation may augment the information in consensus sequences for predicting transmission linkages. Improving sensitivity and specificity of within-host variant identification will improve the informativeness of within-host variation.

    View details for DOI 10.1093/ofid/ofad001

    View details for PubMedID 36751652

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC9898879

  • Qualitative perspectives on COVID-19, interpersonal violence, and interventions to improve well-being from adolescent girls and young women in Kisumu, Kenya. Frontiers in reproductive health Reed, R. E., Omollo, M., Odero, I., Awuonda, E., Ochere, P., Ondeng'e, K., Kang, J. L., Altamirano, J., Barsosio, H. C., Sarnquist, C. 2023; 5: 1236588

    Abstract

    Introduction: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) face a high burden of gender-based violence (GBV) worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated policies led to global increases in GBV, decreased access to resources, and disruptions of pathways to care. We aimed to understand the effects of COVID-19 on AGYW affected by GBV in Kisumu, Kenya, as well as to identify possible interventions to mitigate those effects.Methods: Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with AGYW aged 15-25 with a history of exposure to GBV. AGYW were split into age-matched groups; aged 15-19 for younger groups and 19-25 for older groups. Discussions focused on how COVID-19 affected experiences of GBV, access to care services, economic and social outcomes, and opportunities for interventions to mitigate negative impacts of COVID-19 and violence.Results: Five FGDs with 46 AGYW were completed in June-September 2021. AGYW described increases in all types of GBV, particularly sexual abuse and intimate partner violence. Early marriage and subsistence transactional sex also increased. AGYW described violence as both a cause and effect of poor economic, social and health consequences related to the pandemic. Notably, AGYW emphasized stress, lack of mental health support and increased substance use as risk factors for violence, and discussed the deleterious mental health effects of violence-particularly in the wake of disruption of mental health services. COVID-19 disrupted referrals to violence-related services, and reduced access to both medical services and psychosocial services. AGYW believed that interventions focused on improving mental health as well as economic empowerment would be the most feasible and acceptable in mitigating the negative effects of COVID-19 and related exacerbations in violence.Discussion: AGYW reported increases in almost all forms of GBV during the pandemic, with related exacerbation in mental health. Concurrently, AGYW endorsed decreased access to care services. As there is no evidence that violence and mental health challenges will quickly resolve, there is an urgent need to identify and implement interventions to mitigate these negative effects.

    View details for DOI 10.3389/frph.2023.1236588

    View details for PubMedID 38107484

  • Qualitatively exploring the impact of a relationship-centered communication skills training program in improving patient perceptions of care. PEC innovation Haverfield, M. C., Victor, R., Flores, B., Altamirano, J., Fassiotto, M., Kline, M., Weimer-Elder, B. 2022; 1: 100069

    Abstract

    Objective: To explore qualitative patient experience comments before and after a relationship-centered communication skills training to understand patient experience, program impact, and opportunities for improvement.Methods: Qualitative patient experience evaluation data was captured from January 2016 to December 2018 for 483 health care clinicians who participated in the skills training. A random sampling of available open-ended patient comments (N = 33,223) were selected pre-training (n = 668) and post-training (n = 566). Comments were coded for valence (negative/neutral/positive), generality versus specificity, and based on 12 communication behaviors reflective of training objectives.Results: No significant difference was found in the valence of comments, or generality versus specificity of comments before and after the training. A significant decrease was present in perceived clinician concern. "Confidence in care provider" was the communication skill most frequently identified in comments both pre- and post-training.Conclusion: Perceptions of interactions largely remained the same following training. Key relationship-centered communication skills require further attention in future training efforts. Measurements of patient satisfaction and engagement may not adequately represent patient experience.Innovation: This study identified areas for improvement in the training program and offers a model for utilizing patient experience qualitative data in understanding communication training impact.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.pecinn.2022.100069

    View details for PubMedID 37213728

  • Disability Identity Among Diverse Learners and Employees at an Academic Medical Center. JAMA network open Jerome, B., Fassiotto, M., Altamirano, J., Sutha, K., Maldonado, Y., Poullos, P. 2022; 5 (11): e2241948

    Abstract

    This survey study evaluates representation of persons with disabilities across demographic characteristics at an academic medical center.

    View details for DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.41948

    View details for PubMedID 36355375

  • A Retrospective Study of the Seroprevalence of Dengue Virus and Chikungunya Virus Exposures in Nigeria, 2010-2018. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Ekong, P. S., Aworh, M. K., Grossi-Soyster, E. N., Wungak, Y. S., Maurice, N. A., Altamirano, J., Ekong, M. J., Olugasa, B. O., Nwosuh, C. I., Shamaki, D., Faburay, B., LaBeaud, D. A. 2022; 11 (7)

    Abstract

    Arboviruses are important public health threats in many regions of the world. Nigeria has experienced outbreaks of arboviruses over the past decades, leading to concerns of widespread endemicity, which are frequently misdiagnosed. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of dengue virus (DENV) (a flavivirus) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) (an alphavirus) infections in three major population centers of Nigeria. A convenience sample of 701 sera was collected from both healthy and febrile participants between August 2010 and March 2018. Sera were tested for prior exposure to CHIKV virus and DENV using indirect IgG ELISA. Results showed that 54.1% (379/701) of participants were seropositive for anti-DENV antibodies, 41.3% (290/701) were seropositive for anti-CHIKV antibodies, and 20.1% (141/701) had previous exposure to both. The seropositivity for prior CHIKV exposure and prior exposure to DENV and CHIKV was significantly associated with age (CHIKV: OR = 2.7 (95% CI: 1.7-4.3); DENV and CHIKV: OR = 2.2 (95% CI: 1.2-4.0) for adults compared to participants under 18 years old). Overall, the high seropositivity across all age groups suggests that arboviral infections are prevalent in Nigeria and indicates that surveillance and further epidemiological studies are required to determine the true burden of these infections and the spectrum of diseases associated with these exposures.

    View details for DOI 10.3390/pathogens11070762

    View details for PubMedID 35890007

  • Journal update monthly top five. Emergency medicine journal : EMJ Saxena, M., Altamirano, J., Rose, C., Bennett, C., Govindarajan, P., Lumba-Brown, A., Hirst, R. 2022; 39 (7): 561-562

    View details for DOI 10.1136/emermed-2022-212603

    View details for PubMedID 35732304

  • Rebuilding child health in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): evaluating the Asili social enterprise program. Conflict and health Behl, R., Ali, S., Altamirano, J., Leno, A., Maldonado, Y., Sarnquist, C. 2022; 16 (1): 21

    Abstract

    The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has a long history of conflict and ongoing local instability; the eastern provinces, including South Kivu, have been especially affected. Health systems and livelihoods have been undermined, contributing to massive inequities in access to health services and high rates of internal displacement. Asili, an innovative social enterprise program, aimed to provide essential community services and improve the health of under-five children in two South Kivu communities, Mudaka and Panzi, via provision of small-format, franchisable health clinics and clean water services.We evaluated utilization and acceptance of Asili services in two study sites, Mudaka and Panzi. Data collected included questions on housing conditions, food security, and at follow up, Asili membership and use, satisfaction with services, and recommendations for improvement. Structured pre- and post-interviews with primary caregivers of families with under-five children were the primary source of data with additional community input collected through focus group discussions.At baseline, we enrolled 843 households in Mudaka and 890 in Panzi. Market segmentation analysis illuminated service usage patterns, showing Asili services were well received overall in both Mudaka and Panzi. Families reporting higher levels of proxy measures of socioeconomic status (SES), such as electricity, land ownership, and education, were more likely to use Asili services, findings that were further supported by focus group discussions among community members.Rebuilding health infrastructure in post-conflict settings, especially those that continue to be conflict-affected and very low SES, is a challenging prospect. Focus group results for this study highlighted the positive community response to Asili, while also underscoring challenges related to cost of services. Programs may need, in particular, to have different levels of costs for different SES groups. Additionally, longer follow-up periods and increased stability may be needed to assess the potential of social enterprise interventions such as Asili to improve health outcomes, especially in children.Institutional Review Board approval for this study was obtained at Stanford University (IRB 35216) and the University of Kinshasa, DRC. Further, this study has been registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (record NCT03536286), retrospectively registered as of 4/23/2018.

    View details for DOI 10.1186/s13031-022-00454-0

    View details for PubMedID 35526031

  • Prospective Pilot Study Evaluating SARS-CoV-2 Transmission-Limiting Measures in an On-Site School ACADEMIC PEDIATRICS Jani, S. G., Ma, J., Pulendran, U., Hsing, J. C., Altamirano, J., Shah, S., Toomarian, E. Y., Maldonado, Y., Wang, C. 2022; 22 (4): 671-679
  • Infectious Diseases-Related Hospitalizations During Oral Polio Vaccine(OPV) and non-OPV immunization periods: An Empirical Evaluation of all Hospital Discharges in California(1985-2010). Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America Contopoulos-Ioannidis, D. G., Altamirano, J., Maldonado, Y. 2022

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: Live attenuated vaccines such as oral polio vaccine (OPV) can stimulate innate immunity and may have off-target protective effects on other pathogens. We aimed to address this hypothesis by examining changes in infectious diseases (ID)-related hospitalizations in all hospital discharges in California during OPV-(1985-1996) and non-OPV-immunization periods (2000-2010).METHODS: We searched the OSHPD (Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development) database for all hospital discharges with any ID-related discharge diagnosis code during 1985-2010. We compared the proportion of ID-related hospitalizations (with at least one ID-related discharge diagnosis) among total hospitalizations during OPV immunization (1985-1996) vs non-OPV immunization (2000-2010) periods.RESULTS: There were 19,281,039 ID-related hospitalizations (8,464,037 with an ID-related discharge-diagnosis as the principal discharge diagnosis for the hospitalization) among 98,117,475 hospitalizations in 1985-2010; 9,520,810 ID-hospitalizations/43,456,484 total hospitalizations in 2000-2010 vs 7,526,957/43,472,796 in 1985-1996. The RR for ID-related hospitalizations in 2000-2010 vs 1985-1996 was 1.27(95% CI: 1.26-1.27) for all diagnoses and 1.15(95% CI: 1.15-1.16) for principal diagnoses. Increases also existed in the proportion of lower respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.DISCUSSION: The proportion of ID-related hospitalizations was lower in the OPV-immunization period compared to the period after OPV was discontinued. When focused only on hospitalizations with ID as the principal discharge diagnosis the signal remained significant but was smaller. These findings require replication in additional studies.

    View details for DOI 10.1093/cid/ciac114

    View details for PubMedID 35139187

  • Feasibility of Specimen Self-collection in Young Children Undergoing SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance for In-Person Learning. JAMA network open Altamirano, J., Lopez, M., Robinson, I. G., Chun, L. X., Tam, G. K., Shaikh, N. J., Hoyte, E. G., Carrington, Y. J., Jani, S. G., Toomarian, E. Y., Hsing, J. C., Ma, J., Pulendran, U., Govindarajan, P., Blomkalns, A. L., Pinsky, B. A., Wang, C. J., Maldonado, Y. 2022; 5 (2): e2148988

    Abstract

    There is an urgent need to assess the feasibility of COVID-19 surveillance measures in educational settings.To assess whether young children can feasibly self-collect SARS-CoV-2 samples for surveillance testing over the course of an academic year.This prospective pilot cohort study was conducted from September 10, 2020, to June 10, 2021, at a K-8 school in San Mateo County, California. The research consisted of quantitative data collection efforts: (1) demographic data collected, (2) student sample self-collection error rates, and (3) student sample self-collection time durations. Students were enrolled in a hybrid learning model, a teaching model in which students were taught in person and online, with students having the option to attend virtually as needed. Data were collected under waiver of consent from students participating in weekly SARS-CoV-2 testing.Errors over time for self-collection of nasal swabs such as contaminated swabs and inadequate or shallow swabbing; time taken for sample collection.Of 296 participants, 148 (50.0%) were boys and 148 (50.0%) were girls. A total of 87 participants (29.2%) identified as Asian; 2 (0.6%), Black or African American; 13 (4.4%), Hispanic/Latinx; 103 (34.6%), non-Hispanic White; 87 (29.2%), multiracial; and 6 (2.0%), other. The median school grade was fourth grade. From September 2020 to March 2021, a total of 4203 samples were obtained from 221 students on a weekly basis, while data on error rates were collected. Errors occurred in 2.7% (n = 107; 95% CI, 2.2%-3.2%) of student encounters, with the highest rate occurring on the first day of testing (20 [10.2%]). There was an overall decrease in error rates over time. From April to June 2021, a total of 2021 samples were obtained from 296 students on a weekly basis while data on encounter lengths were collected. Between April and June 2021, 193 encounters were timed. The mean duration of each encounter was 70 seconds (95% CI, 66.4-73.7 seconds).Mastery of self-collected lower nasal swabs is possible for children 5 years and older. Testing duration can be condensed once students gain proficiency in testing procedures. Scalability for larger schools is possible if consideration is given to the resource-intensive nature of the testing and the setting's weather patterns.

    View details for DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.48988

    View details for PubMedID 35175340

  • Long Term Accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 Interferon-γ Release Assay and its Application in Household Investigation. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America Murugesan, K., Jagannathan, P., Altamirano, J., Maldonado, Y. A., Bonilla, H. F., Jacobson, K. B., Parsonnet, J., Andrews, J. R., Shi, R. Z., Boyd, S., Pinsky, B. A., Singh, U., Banaei, N. 2022

    Abstract

    An immunodiagnostic assay that sensitively detects a cell-mediated immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is needed for epidemiological investigation and for clinical assessment of T cell-mediated immune response to vaccines, particularly in the context of emerging variants that might escape antibody responses.The performance of a whole blood interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release assay (IGRA) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen-specific T cells was evaluated in COVID-19 convalescents tested serially up to 10 months post-infection and in healthy blood donors. SARS-CoV-2 IGRA was applied in contacts of households with index cases. Freshly collected blood in the lithium heparin tube was left unstimulated, stimulated with a SARS-CoV-2 peptide pool, and stimulated with mitogen.The overall sensitivity and specificity of IGRA were 84.5% (153/181; 95% confidence interval [CI] 79.0-89.0) and 86.6% (123/142; 95% CI;80.0-91.2), respectively. The sensitivity declined from 100% (16/16; 95% CI 80.6-100) at 0.5-month post-infection to 79.5% (31/39; 95% CI 64.4-89.2) at 10 months post-infection (P<0.01). The IFN-γ response remained relatively robust at 10 months post-infection (3.8 vs. 1.3 IU/mL, respectively). In 14 households, IGRA showed a positivity rate of 100% (12/12) and 65.2% (15/23), and IgG of 50.0% (6/12) and 43.5% (10/23) in index cases and contacts, respectively, exhibiting a difference of +50% (95% CI +25.4-+74.6) and +21.7% (95% CI, +9.23-+42.3), respectively. Either IGRA or IgG was positive in 100% (12/12) of index cases and 73.9% (17/23) of contacts.The SARS-CoV-2 IGRA is a useful clinical diagnostic tool for assessing cell-mediated immune response to SARS-CoV-2.

    View details for DOI 10.1093/cid/ciac045

    View details for PubMedID 35079772

  • The effect of a relationship-centered communication program on patient experience and provider wellness. Patient education and counseling Altamirano, J., Kline, M., Schwartz, R., Fassiotto, M., Maldonado, Y., Weimer-Elder, B. 2021

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVES: Despite evidence of the central importance of communication to patient experience, health outcomes, and provider wellness, communication training for clinicians is not a standard part of clinical education. The study explores the impact of an 8-hour relationship-centered communication (RCC) training program on patient experience and provider wellness.METHODS: 636 healthcare providers participated in 48 workshops conducted January-August 2018. 481 (76%) agreed to participate in research. Participants completed a pre/post assessment that included a wellness survey, the Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI). We conducted chi-squared analyses comparing wellness data immediately prior to the course to 3 months following course participation. Patient experience, assessed using Press Ganey likelihood to recommend care provider (PG-LTR CP) scores, were examined prior to an individual's course participation and following participation up to September 2019.RESULTS: 104 participants completed the three-month PFI (22% response rate). Participants demonstrated marked improvements in professional wellness after 3 months. In bivariate analyses, PG-LTRCP significantly increased and persisted more than 7 months following program completion.CONCLUSIONS: The RCC training program, a low-cost communication intervention, led to significant, beneficial changes in provider wellness and patient experience.PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Implementing a RCC course for providers may improve patient experience and provider wellness.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.pec.2021.10.025

    View details for PubMedID 34772532

  • Impact of recent climate extremes on mosquito-borne disease transmission in Kenya. PLoS neglected tropical diseases Nosrat, C., Altamirano, J., Anyamba, A., Caldwell, J. M., Damoah, R., Mutuku, F., Ndenga, B., LaBeaud, A. D. 2021; 15 (3): e0009182

    Abstract

    Climate change and variability influence temperature and rainfall, which impact vector abundance and the dynamics of vector-borne disease transmission. Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme climate events. Mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever, are primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Freshwater availability and temperature affect dengue vector populations via a variety of biological processes and thus influence the ability of mosquitoes to effectively transmit disease. However, the effect of droughts, floods, heat waves, and cold waves is not well understood. Using vector, climate, and dengue disease data collected between 2013 and 2019 in Kenya, this retrospective cohort study aims to elucidate the impact of extreme rainfall and temperature on mosquito abundance and the risk of arboviral infections. To define extreme periods of rainfall and land surface temperature (LST), we calculated monthly anomalies as deviations from long-term means (1983-2019 for rainfall, 2000-2019 for LST) across four study locations in Kenya. We classified extreme climate events as the upper and lower 10% of these calculated LST or rainfall deviations. Monthly Ae. aegypti abundance was recorded in Kenya using four trapping methods. Blood samples were also collected from children with febrile illness presenting to four field sites and tested for dengue virus using an IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We found that mosquito eggs and adults were significantly more abundant one month following an abnormally wet month. The relationship between mosquito abundance and dengue risk follows a non-linear association. Our findings suggest that early warnings and targeted interventions during periods of abnormal rainfall and temperature, especially flooding, can potentially contribute to reductions in risk of viral transmission.

    View details for DOI 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009182

    View details for PubMedID 33735293

  • Effects of surgeon sociodemographics on patient-reported satisfaction. Surgery Nuyen, B., Altamirano, J., Fassiotto, M., Alyono, J. 2021

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: Patient-reported satisfaction scores, including the Press Ganey surveys, are increasingly used as measures for quality healthcare among surgical subspecialties. However, the influence of surgeon sociodemographics is not clear.METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed Press Ganey surveys linked to outpatient surgical visits at a single academic institution from January 2015 to December 2018 as they related to surgeon age, gender, and race. The primary outcome variable was achievement of a top-box score (5/5) on likelihood to recommend surgeon queries. Secondary analysis examined the relationship of likelihood to recommend surgeon to other survey questions, such as those regarding surgeon courtesy, concern, understandability, patient inclusion in medical decision making, and patient confidence in surgeon. chi2 tests and generalized estimating equation regression models were run to assess correlation.RESULTS: In bivariate analysis of 36,840 surveys, non-Hispanic white surgeons were more likely to receive likelihood to recommend surgeon top-box ratings than Asian (P < .001) or underrepresented minority surgeons (P < .001). Additionally, male gender (P < .01) and older surgeon age (P < .001) were associated with higher top-box scores. However, in multivariate generalized estimating equation analysis, the effect of age was no longer significant, but female gender continued to be associated with lower odds of top-box likelihood to recommend surgeon ratings (odds ratio 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.70%-0.99%), as did Asian compared with white race (odds ratio 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.65%-0.95%). Likelihood to recommend surgeon scores correlated most closely with patients' "confidence" in the surgeon rather than measures of courtesy, concern, understandability, or inclusion in medical decision making.CONCLUSION: Top-box scores varied by surgeon race and gender in correlation with patients' perceived confidence in the provider. Interpretation of Press Ganey scores should account for potential bias in patient satisfaction surveys based on surgeon demographics.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.surg.2020.12.006

    View details for PubMedID 33531133

  • Prospective Pilot Study Evaluating SARS-CoV-2 Transmission-Limiting Measures in an On-Site School. Academic pediatrics Jani, S. G., Ma, J., Pulendran, U., Hsing, J. C., Altamirano, J., Shah, S., Toomarian, E. Y., Maldonado, Y., Wang, C. J. 2021

    Abstract

    The purpose of our study is to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of a comprehensive set of preventive measures in limiting secondary transmission of COVID-19 in schools.A prospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 transmission in an independent K-8 school in San Mateo County, California. The research was conducted between September 14, 2020 through March 22, 2021 and consisted of: (1) demographic and epidemiological questionnaires; (2) daily symptom reporting; (3) weekly RT-PCR testing; and (4) periodic on-site qualitative observations.180 (79%) students and 63 (74%) on-site staff/contractors were enrolled. Participants reported symptoms in 144 (<1%) daily surveys of the 19,409 collected. Among those who reported symptoms and exposures, none tested positive during the 22-week study period. Of all participants, a total of 6 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at least once by RT-PCR; all were asymptomatic at time of testing. No in-school transmission occurred. Mask adherence was high among all grades, and incidents of improper mask use mostly occurred during non-instruction time. Physical distancing was well-enforced during class time and snack breaks, although adherence during non-instruction time waned as the school year progressed.Our comprehensive, prospective study following COVID-19 transmission over 22 weeks in a K-8 school demonstrates that: (1) surveillance testing is important for detecting asymptomatic infections in schools; (2) monitoring symptoms may not be necessary and/or sufficient for COVID-19; and (3) younger children can adhere to key mitigation measures (e.g., masking) which have the potential to limit transmission.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.acap.2021.11.019

    View details for PubMedID 34896273

  • Effect of Surgeon Sociodemographics on Patient-Reported Satisfaction Nuyen, B. A., Altamirano, J., Fassiotto, M., Alyono, J. ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. 2020: S138
  • Rank Equity Index: Measuring Parity in the Advancement of Underrepresented Populations in Academic Medicine. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges Fassiotto, M., Flores, B., Victor, R., Altamirano, J., Garcia, L. C., Kotadia, S., Maldonado, Y. 2020

    Abstract

    As educators, researchers, clinicians, and administrators, faculty serve pivotal roles in academic medical centers (AMCs). Thus, the quality of faculty members' experiences is inseparable from an AMC's success. In seeking new methods to assess equity in advancement in academic medicine, the authors developed the Rank Equity Index (REI)-adapted from the Executive Parity Index, a scale previously implemented within the business sector-to examine national data on gender and racial/ethnic equity across faculty ranks. The REI was employed on self-reported demographic data, collected by the Association of American Medical Colleges, from U.S. medical school faculty in 2017, to make pairwise rank comparisons of the professoriate by demographic characteristics and department. Overall results indicated that women did not attain parity at any pairwise rank comparison, while men were above parity at all ranks. Similar results were observed across all departments surveyed: women in the basic sciences had REIs closest to parity, women in pediatrics had the highest representation but had REIs that were further from parity than the REIs in the basic sciences, and women in surgery demonstrated the lowest REIs. Nationally, REIs were below 1.00 for all racial/ethnic group rank comparisons except for White and, in one case, multiple race non-Hispanic/Latinx. Across all analyzed departments, Black/African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, and multiple race Hispanic/Latinx faculty had REIs below parity at all ranks except in two cases. In a comparison of 2017 and 2007 data, REIs across both race/ethnicity and gender were lower in 2007 for nearly all groups. REI analyses can highlight inequities in faculty rank that may be masked when using aggregate faculty proportions, which do not account for rank. The REI provides AMCs with a new tool to better analyze institutional data to inform efforts to increase parity across all faculty ranks.

    View details for DOI 10.1097/ACM.0000000000003720

    View details for PubMedID 32889948

  • The association between Asian patient race/ethnicity and lower satisfaction scores. BMC health services research Liao, L., Chung, S., Altamirano, J., Garcia, L., Fassiotto, M., Maldonado, B., Heidenreich, P., Palaniappan, L. 2020; 20 (1): 678

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction is increasingly being used to assess, and financially reward, provider performance. Previous studies suggest that race/ethnicity (R/E) may impact satisfaction, yet few practices adjust for patient R/E. The objective of this study is to examine R/E differences in patient satisfaction ratings and how these differences impact provider rankings.METHODS: Patient satisfaction survey data linked to electronic health records from two large outpatient centers in northern California - a non-profit organization of community-based clinics (Site A) and an academic medical center (Site B) - was collected and analyzed. Participants consisted of adult patients who received outpatient care at Site A from December 2010 to November 2014 and Site B from March 2013 to August 2014, and completed Press-Ganey Medical Practice Survey questionnaires (N=216,392 (Site A) and 30,690 (Site B)). Self-reported non-Hispanic white (NHW), Black, Latino, and Asian patients were studied. For six questions each representing a survey subdomain, favorable ratings were defined as top-box ("very good") compared to all other categories ("very poor," "poor," "fair," and "good"). Using multivariable logistic regression with provider random effects, we assessed whether the likelihood of giving favorable ratings differed by patient R/E, adjusting for patient age and sex.RESULTS: Asian, younger and female patients provided less favorable ratings than other R/E, older and male patients. After adjustment, Asian patients were less likely than NHW patients to provide top-box ratings to the overall assessment question "likelihood of recommending this practice to others" (Site A: Asian predicted probability (PP) 0.680, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.675-0.685 compared to NHW PP 0.820, 95% CI: 0.818-0.822; Site B: Asian PP 0.734, 95% CI: 0.733-0.736 compared to NHW PP 0.859, 95% CI: 0.859-0.859). The effect sizes for Asian R/E were greater than the effect sizes for older age and female sex. An absolute 3% decrease in mean composite score between providers serving different percentages of Asian patients translated to an absolute 40% drop in national ranking.CONCLUSIONS: Patient satisfaction scores may need to be adjusted for patient R/E, particularly for providers caring for high panel percentages of Asian patients.

    View details for DOI 10.1186/s12913-020-05534-6

    View details for PubMedID 32698825

  • Patient Age, Race and Emergency Department Treatment Area Associated with "Topbox" Press Ganey Scores. The western journal of emergency medicine Lee, M. O., Altamirano, J. n., Garcia, L. C., Gisondi, M. A., Wang, N. E., Lippert, S. n., Maldonado, Y. n., Gharahbaghian, L. n., Ribeira, R. n., Fassiotto, M. n. 2020; 21 (6): 117–24

    Abstract

    Hospitals commonly use Press Ganey (PG) patient satisfaction surveys for benchmarking physician performance. PG scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, which is known as the "topbox" score. Our objective was to identify patient and physician factors associated with topbox PG scores in the emergency department (ED).We looked at PG surveys from January 2015-December 2017 at an academic, urban hospital with 78,000 ED visits each year. Outcomes were topbox scores for the questions: "Likelihood of your recommending our ED to others"; and "Courtesy of the doctor." We analyzed topbox scores using generalized estimating equation models clustered by physician and adjusted for patient and physician factors. Patient factors included age, gender, race, ethnicity, and ED area where patient was seen. The ED has four areas based on patient acuity: emergent; urgent; vertical (urgent but able to sit in a recliner rather than a gurney); and fast track (non-urgent). Physician factors included age, gender, race, ethnicity, and number of years at current institution.We analyzed a total of 3,038 surveys. For "Likelihood of your recommending our ED to others," topbox scores were more likely with increasing patient age (odds ratio [OR] 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.12); less likely among female compared to male patients (OR 0.81; 95% CI, 0.70-0.93); less likely among Asian compared to White patients (OR 0.71; 95% CI, 0.60-0.83); and less likely in the urgent (OR 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54-0.93) and vertical areas (OR 0.71; 95% CI 0.53-0.95) compared to fast track. For "Courtesy of the doctor," topbox scores were more likely with increasing patient age (OR 1.1; CI, 1.06-1.14); less likely among Asian (OR 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58-0.84), Black (OR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45-0.96), and Hispanic patients (OR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.55-0.83) compared to White patients; and less likely in urgent area (OR 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50-0.95) compared to fast track.Increasing patient age was associated with increased likelihood of topbox scores, while Asian patients, and urgent and vertical areas had decreased likelihood of topbox scores. We encourage hospitals that use PG topbox scores as financial incentives to understand the contribution of non-service factors to these scores.

    View details for DOI 10.5811/westjem.2020.8.47277

    View details for PubMedID 33207156

  • Gender Differences in Patient Perceptions of Physicians' Communal Traits and the Impact on Physician Evaluations. Journal of women's health (2002) Chen, H. n., Pierson, E. n., Schmer-Galunder, S. n., Altamirano, J. n., Jurafsky, D. n., Leskovec, J. n., Fassiotto, M. n., Kothary, N. n. 2020

    Abstract

    Background: Communal traits, such as empathy, warmth, and consensus-building, are not highly valued in the medical hierarchy. Devaluing communal traits is potentially harmful for two reasons. First, data suggest that patients may prefer when physicians show communal traits. Second, if female physicians are more likely to be perceived as communal, devaluing communal traits may increase the gender inequity already prevalent in medicine. We test for both these effects. Materials and Methods: This study analyzed 22,431 Press Ganey outpatient surveys assessing 480 physicians collected from 2016 to 2017 at a large tertiary hospital. The surveys asked patients to provide qualitative comments and quantitative Likert-scale ratings assessing physician effectiveness. We coded whether patients described physicians with "communal" language using a validated word scale derived from previous work. We used multivariate logistic regressions to assess whether (1) patients were more likely to describe female physicians using communal language and (2) patients gave higher quantitative ratings to physicians they described with communal language, when controlling for physician, patient, and comment characteristics. Results: Female physicians had higher odds of being described with communal language than male physicians (odds ratio 1.29, 95% confidence interval 1.18-1.40, p < 0.001). In addition, patients gave higher quantitative ratings to physicians they described with communal language. These results were robust to inclusion of controls. Conclusions: Female physicians are more likely to be perceived as communal. Being perceived as communal is associated with higher quantitative ratings, including likelihood to recommend. Our study indicates a need to reevaluate what types of behaviors academic hospitals reward in their physicians.

    View details for DOI 10.1089/jwh.2019.8233

    View details for PubMedID 32857642

  • Assessment of Sensitivity and Specificity of Patient-Collected Lower Nasal Specimens for Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Testing. JAMA network open Altamirano, J. n., Govindarajan, P. n., Blomkalns, A. L., Kushner, L. E., Stevens, B. A., Pinsky, B. A., Maldonado, Y. n. 2020; 3 (6): e2012005

    View details for DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.12005

    View details for PubMedID 32530469

  • Achieving Speaker Gender Equity at the SIR Annual Scientific Meeting: The Effect of Female Session Coordinators. Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR Ghatan, C. E., Altamirano, J., Fassiotto, M., Perez, M. G., Maldonado, Y., Josephs, S., Sze, D. Y., Kothary, N. 2019

    Abstract

    PURPOSE: To examine the impact of targeted efforts to increase the number of female speakers at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) by reporting gender trends for invited faculty in 2017/2018 vs2016.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Faculty rosters for the 2016, 2017, and 2018 SIR ASMs were stratified by gender to quantify female representation at plenary sessions, categorical courses, symposia, self-assessment modules, and "meet-the-expert" sessions. Keynote events, scientific abstract presentations, and award ceremonies were excluded. In 2017, the SIR Annual Meeting Committee issued requirements for coordinators to invite selected women as speakers. Session coordinators are responsible for issuing speaker invitations, and invited speakers have the option to decline.RESULTS: Years 2017 and 2018 showed increases in female speaker representation, with women delivering 13% (89 of 687) and 14% (85 of 605) of all assigned presentations, compared with 9% in 2016 (46 of 514; P= .03 and P= .01, respectively). Gender diversity correlated with the gender of the session coordinator(s). When averaged over a 3-year period, female speakers constituted 7% of the speaker roster (112 of 1,504 presentations) for sessions led by an all-male coordinator team, compared with 36% (108 of 302) for sessions led by at least 1 female coordinator (P < .0001). Results of the linear regression model confirmed the effect of coordinator team gender composition (P < .0001).CONCLUSIONS: Having a woman as a session coordinator increased female speaker participation, which suggests that the inclusion of more women as coordinators is one mechanism for achieving gender balance at scientific meetings.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jvir.2019.07.006

    View details for PubMedID 31587951

  • Drs. Kothary et al respond. Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR Kothary, N., Fassiotto, M., Altamirano, J. 2019

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jvir.2019.04.008

    View details for PubMedID 31126787

  • Untapped Resources: Attaining Equitable Representation for Women in IR JOURNAL OF VASCULAR AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY Perez, M. G., Fassiotto, M., Altamirano, J., Hwang, G. L., Maldonado, Y., Josephs, S., Sze, D. Y., Kothary, N. 2019; 30 (4): 579–83
  • Comparison of Outpatient Satisfaction Survey Scores for Asian Physicians and Non-Hispanic White Physicians JAMA NETWORK OPEN Garcia, L. C., Chung, S., Liao, L., Altamirano, J., Fassiotto, M., Maldonado, B., Heidenreich, P., Palaniappan, L. 2019; 2 (2)
  • CHIKUNGUNYA AND DENGUE VIRUS SEROPREVALENCE AMONG CHILDREN IN COASTAL AND WESTERN KENYA AND RISK FACTORS FOR EXPOSURE Cash-Goldwasser, S., Altamirano, J., Ndenga, B., Ng'ang'a, C., Malumbo, S., Amugongo, J., Lwamba, L., Denga, F., Musaki, S., Mutuku, F., LaBeaud, A. AMER SOC TROP MED & HYGIENE. 2019: 243–44
  • Protocol Paper: Oral Poliovirus Vaccine Transmissibility in Communities After Cessation of Routine Oral Poliovirus Vaccine Immunization CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES Sarnquist, C., Holubar, M., Garcia-Garcia, L., Ferreyra-Reyes, L., Delgado-Sanchez, G., Pablo Cruz-Hervert, L., Montero-Campos, R., Altamirano, J., Purington, N., Boyle, S., Modlin, J., Ferreira-Guerrero, E., Canizales-Quintero, S., Diaz Ortega, J., Desai, M., Maldonado, Y. A. 2018; 67: S115–S120

    View details for DOI 10.1093/cid/ciy606

    View details for Web of Science ID 000450051800016

  • Pediatric HIV Infection and Decreased Prevalence of OPV Point Mutations Linked to Vaccine-associated Paralytic Poliomyelitis CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES Halpern, M. S., Altamirano, J., Maldonado, Y. 2018; 67: S78–S84

    View details for DOI 10.1093/cid/ciy635

    View details for Web of Science ID 000450051800010

  • Spatial Analyses of Oral Polio Vaccine Transmission in an Community Vaccinated With Inactivated Polio Vaccine CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES Jarvis, C., Altamirano, J., Sarnquist, C., Edmunds, W., Maldonado, Y. 2018; 67: S18–S25

    View details for DOI 10.1093/cid/ciy622

    View details for Web of Science ID 000450051800003

  • Assessing the Risk of Vaccine-derived Outbreaks After Reintroduction of Oral Poliovirus Vaccine in Postcessation Settings CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES Fu, R., Altamirano, J., Sarnquist, C. C., Maldonado, Y. A., Andrews, J. R. 2018; 67: S26–S34

    View details for DOI 10.1093/cid/ciy605

    View details for Web of Science ID 000450051800004

  • Validation of a High-throughput, Multiplex, Real-time Qualitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for the Detection of Sabin Oral Polio Vaccine in Environmental Samples CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES Altamirano, J., Leary, S., van Hoorebeke, C., Sarnquist, C., Behl, R., Garcia-Garcia, L., Ferreyra-Reyes, L., Huang, C., Sommer, M., Maldonado, Y. 2018; 67: S98–S102

    View details for DOI 10.1093/cid/ciy639

    View details for Web of Science ID 000450051800013

  • OPV Vaccination and Shedding Patterns in Mexican and US Children CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES Altamirano, J., Sarnquist, C., Behl, R., Garcia-Garcia, L., Ferreyra-Reyes, L., Leary, S., Maldonado, Y. 2018; 67: S85–S89

    View details for DOI 10.1093/cid/ciy636

    View details for Web of Science ID 000450051800011

  • Lab Protocol Paper: Use of a High-throughput, Multiplex Reverse-transcription Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for Detection of Sabin Oral Polio Vaccine in Fecal Samples CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES van Hoorebeke, C., Huang, C., Leary, S., Holubar, M., Altamirano, J., Halpern, M. S., Sommer, M., Maldonado, Y. 2018; 67: S121–S126

    View details for DOI 10.1093/cid/ciy648

    View details for Web of Science ID 000450051800017

  • Characterization of Household and Community Shedding and Transmission of Oral Polio Vaccine in Mexican Communities With Varying Vaccination Coverage CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES Altamirano, J., Purington, N., Behl, R., Sarnquist, C., Holubar, M., Garcia-Garcia, L., Ferreyra-Reyes, L., Montero-Campos, R., Pablo Cruz-Hervert, L., Boyle, S., Modlin, J., van Hoorebeke, C., Leary, S., Huang, C., Sommer, M., Ferreira-Guerrero, E., Delgado-Sanchez, G., Canizales-Quintero, S., Diaz Ortega, J., Desai, M., Maldonado, Y. A. 2018; 67: S4–S17

    View details for DOI 10.1093/cid/ciy650

    View details for Web of Science ID 000450051800002

  • Associations between women's perceptions of gender relations and self-esteem and self-efficacy in a former conflict zone: baseline findings in South Kivu, DR Congo Sarnquist, C., Behl, R., Talib, A., Altamirano, J., Jerome, B., Inungu, J., Maldonado, Y. ELSEVIER SCI LTD. 2018: S5
  • Physician Gender Is Associated with Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Scores in Outpatient Gynecology. Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health Rogo-Gupta, L. J., Haunschild, C., Altamirano, J., Maldonado, Y. A., Fassiotto, M. 2018; 28 (3): 281-285

    Abstract

    Patient satisfaction is gaining increasing attention as a quality measure in health care, but the methods used to assess it may negatively impact women physicians.Our objective was to examine the relationship between physician gender and patient satisfaction with outpatient gynecology care as measured by the Press Ganey patient satisfaction survey.This cross-sectional study analyzed 909 Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys linked to outpatient gynecology visits at a single academic institution (March 2013-August 2014), including self-reported demographics and satisfaction. Surveys are delivered in a standardized fashion electronically and by mail. Surveys were completed by 821 unique patients and 13,780 gynecology visits occurred during the study period. The primary outcome variable was likelihood to recommend (LTR) a physician. We used χ2 tests of independence to assess the effect of demographic concordance on LTR and two generalized estimating equations models were run clustered by physician, with topbox physician LTR as the outcome variable. Analysis was performed in SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1 (SAS, Inc., Cary, NC).Nine hundred nine surveys with complete demographic data were completed by women during the study period (mean age, 49.3 years). Age- and race-concordant patient-physician pairs received significantly higher proportions of top LTR score than discordant pairs (p = .014 and p < .0001, respectively). In contrast, gender-concordant pairs received a significantly lower proportion of top scores than discordant pairs (p = .027). In the generalized estimating equations model adjusting for health care environment, only gender remained statistically significant. Women physicians had significantly lower odds (47%) of receiving a top score (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.37-0.78; p = .001).Women gynecologists are 47% less likely to receive top patient satisfaction scores compared with their male counterparts owing to their gender alone, suggesting that gender bias may impact the results of patient satisfaction questionnaires. Therefore, the results of this and similar questionnaires should be interpreted with great caution until the impact on women physicians is better understood.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.whi.2018.01.001

    View details for PubMedID 29429946