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Find out which is the most productive generation in the paediatrics picture in 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the progression of technologies to improve patient care. Patients use COVID-19 testing at home to detect SARS-CoV-2 infections, virtual visits to receive care from their number one care providers, and no public protective device to prevent the spread of the disease. Similarly, pediatricians use in-office testing to diagnose patients with flu, respiratory syncytial virus, COVID-19, strep, and Lyme disease, as well as online portals to help identify patients I want to remedy for depression and anxiety.
One result of “pandemic pediatrics” is that we are more receptive than ever to the adoption of new technologies for care.
Below is the variety of devices and technologies this year that you could incorporate into your practice.
An application to plagiocephaly and brachycephaly
Most pediatricians are aware that plagiocephaly (asymmetric shape of the head) and brachycephaly (wide shape of the head) occur in young infants, with some estimates reaching as high as 19. 7%. 1 Plagiocephaly and brachycephaly occur due to prolonged strain on the skull before or after birth. They are most gently corrected before the onset of ossification at the age of 5 to 6 months. Congenital muscle torticollis, resulting from unilateral shortening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, may also contribute to the progression of those conditions. Plagiocephaly and brachycephaly, if left undiagnosed and untreated, puts the baby at risk of facial asymmetry, mandibular asymmetry, asymmetric motor skills, and an increased threat of progressive delay.
The treatment of brachycephaly and plagiocephaly with or without congenital muscular torticollis refers first of all to the diversity of movements and positional treatment. Often, affected youth who are diagnosed late or who do not have such measures are referred for physical treatment. after the age of five months or when other treatments do not produce a good enough state, helmet treatment is indicated.
It is estimated that only 100,000 of the 720,000 young children born each year with plagiocephaly and/or brachycephaly are treated, leaving the rest undiagnosed and untreated. 1
Two parent scientists whose son was diagnosed with plagiocephaly figured there might be a better way to detect such situations and monitor improvement with therapy. They teamed up with other scientists to examine the option of creating a cell app to facilitate diagnosis. PediaMetrix was founded in 2018, and after years of study and development, it markets a prescription-based mobile app called SoftSpot.
Neurosurgery and craniofacial centers use calibrators to measure the cranial index and the asymmetry index of the cranial vault, to know if the shape of the skull is abnormal. The indirect diagonal difference is a measure of the asymmetry of the skull. These measures quantify the severity of the challenge and are used to whether the baby would gain advantages from positional and diversity of movement therapy, physical therapy, or helmet therapy.
The SoftSpot app is available on Android and iOS platforms. To use it, a hat is placed on the baby’s head to avoid artifacts due to the baby’s hairline, a sticker is placed on the most sensitive part of the head, and a short video is taken through the SoftSpot app. The video is then uploaded to the PediaMetrix website, where algorithms based on synthetic intelligence calculate cranial measurements. A report is sent to the pediatrician, who can talk to parents and make recommendations. Measurements are taken per month for babies observed or receiving therapy, and a progress report is sent to the pediatrician.
The app is easy to use and costs $65. It lends itself to telehealth visits and can identify the 600,000 young children with plagiocephaly or brachycephaly who are not diagnosed or treated.
A green screen for video visits
I have been doing telehealth visits for many years, basically to care for patients I treat for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and/or anxiety or depression. The quality of the visit depends on several factors, adding the bandwidth and the quality of the microphone and webcam at both ends of the virtual tour. Especially for my young patients, I find that I can engage the patient and parents by using virtual backgrounds with my Zoom calls, such as a video showing me on a hot beach with the waves crashing or photographs with patient-friendly patterns and colors. Although Zoom virtual excursions can be used without a “green screen,” background photos or videos can be distorted unless you use one.
An affordable and flexible 56-inch circular green screen is the Webaround, which can be purchased on Amazon for $50 or less. It’s a confusing procedure to fold Webaround back so it can be put back in its use bag, so I simply leave it strapped to a chair in a room at my workplace where I do telehealth tours.
Resources to speed up the diagnosis of otitis media
Although pediatric physical care providers read about many tympanic membranes throughout their careers, it is not easy to identify acute otitis media (AOM) and distinguish it from otitis media with effusion. AOM is regularly treated with antibiotics; otitis media with effusion is not. (The acoustic otoscope, described elsewhere in this issue, is now available and can temporarily identify young people without spillage in the middle ear. )
I’ve placed Pedi QuikCalc, created by pediatrician W. Kent Bonney, MD, in the most sensible place on my list of favorite medical apps. A new edition (5) will be available as you read this. The app has been completely rewritten to be faster and more customizable. My favorite features include an undeniable weight loss percentage calculator, an intravenous fluid calculator, a bilirubin threat category tool, a drug dosage calculator, and much more.
We are regularly confronted with baffling rashes, with or without formulated symptoms, that make us wish we had a backup dermatologist to help with diagnosis. The VisualDx help formula facilitates accurate diagnosis of many skin conditions. One describes the injuries and all formulated symptoms, and a list of conceivable shooting situations is automatically displayed. There are detailed descriptions of the dermatological situations shown, as well as remedy recommendations and patient brochures. You can even earn ongoing medical education credits for using VisualDx. It is quite reasonably priced at $400 per year. Furthermore, one can pay $500 for a premium edition of VisualDx which includes DermExconsistent witht. With this added feature, a photo of an injury is taken and the app uses synthetic intelligence algorithms to help identify the injury, presenting a selection of the five most productive possibilities. The effects of a recent study showed that DermExconsistent witht can identify the correct type of diagnosis 68% of the time, which was twice as accurate as doctors without a diagnostic aid. this year. To help parents identify their child’s progressive milestones in accordance with the new rules, the CDC has launched the Milestone Tracker app for parents. The app features easy-to-use illustrated checklists and a host of tips to inspire progress. Parents can use the app to identify progressive problems that can be discussed with their pediatrician during fitness visits.
Michael Poole, MD, an otolaryngologist, has developed a glorious resource for number one care providers in the form of a video e-book called Otitis: The Expert’s Diagnostic Guide. photographs and videos for your sense of diagnosis. It is the most productive way to visualize and describe an ear exam and presents many attractive cases.
In addition, for OMA diagnostics, WiscMed now sells its Wispr videootoscope right through a subscription model, making the acquisition straightforward. With the monthly subscription, you only pay $54 monthly for 30 months. The plan includes WisprCare, a 2-year accidental damage plan that costs $119 if purchased separately. The WiscMed online page also features Wispr University, which is filled with informative photographs and case discussions on ear canal and tympanic membrane pathology.
Are you exhausted?
Too many doctors are hit by the obligations of practice. Burnout is a well-known clinical syndrome related to a loss of enthusiasm for work, negative emotions, and a low sense of non-public accomplishment. Other symptoms come with fatigue, lack of judgment, guilt, and emotions of inefficiency. 2
In other words, if you’re not looking before you go to work, can’t wait until the end of your day, and you think you’re wasting your edge, you’re probably suffering from burnout. The condition has been described in detail through psychologist Christina Maslach, PhD, professor of psychology (emerita) at the University of California, Berkeley. In the 1970s, he developed a burnout assessment tool called the Maslach Burnout Inventory, which is the popular gold for measuring symptoms of burnout. 3
The Physicians Foundation’s 2021 EE. UU. de Physician Survey is the most recent survey of physicians’ views on medical practice and burnout. Medical women reported more common rates of burnout compared to men (69% compared to 57%) and were the top among number one care providers (66%) compared to specialty care providers (59%). 4
It would be prudent if you suffer from exhaustion or risk exhaustion. You can get an edition of the Maslach Burnout Inventory online at www. mindgarden. com/117-maslach-burnout-inventory for just $15 In addition, the American Medical Association has plenty of resources to treat and prevent burnout in https://edhub. ama-assn. org/steps-forward.
Computers, tablets and cheap
Doctors are now employing many tablets in their workplaces to speed up patient questionnaires. In most cases, these are automatically annotated. a tendency to be expensive and, unfortunately, too “gone”. One of the most productive resources for obtaining high-quality electronic devices for use in the workplace is BackMarket. com. Refurbished computers and tablets come with a one-year warranty and are quite affordable. For example, a used and refurbished iPad sells for between $100 and $300. Refurbished laptops typically sell for between $500 and $1,000, depending on specifications.
References:
1. Rogers girlfriend. Deformal plagiocephaly, brachycephaly and scaphocephaly. Part 1: Terminology and etiopathogenesis. J Craneofac Surg. 2011;22(1):9-16. doi:10. 1097/SCS. 0b013e3181f6c313
2. Shanafelt TD, Boone S, Tan L, et al. Exhaustion and satisfaction with work-life balance U. S. physicians relative to the general U. S. populationUSA Arch Stagiaire Med. 2012;172(18):1377-1385. doi:10. 1001/archinternmed. 2012. 3199
3. Maslach C, Jackson SE, Leiter MP. Maslach Burnout Inventory: 3rd edition. In: Zalaquett CP, Wood RJ, ed. Stress Assessment: A Resource Book. scarecrow press; 1997 :191-218.
4. Physicians Foundation 2021 Physicians Survey: Covid-19 Impact Edition: One Year Later. The Doctors’ Foundation. 5 June 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022. the-doctors- foundation-2021-medical-survey/
5. Dulmage B, Tegtmeyer K, Zhang MZ, Colavincenzo M, Xu S. A real-time synthetic intelligence formula at the point of care for the clinical diagnosis of a wide variety of skin diseases. J Invest Dermatol. 2021;141(5): 1230-1235. doi:10. 1016/j. jid. 2020. 08. 027