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Siloed and episodic care delivery is often not equitable, high quality, or sustainable. Transitioning from separate care settings, with potentially divergent care models, to an integrated care model is not always straightforward. Some experiences in expanding collaborative care between physiatrists and other healthcare providers for a variety of patient populations and care settings within a university physical medicine and rehabilitation division are shared as a means to inspire the uptake of care integration initiatives more broadly within the specialty. After an initial survey of care integration across multiple clinical sites, the university division highlighted successful integrated care models, discussed integrated care models at every divisional retreat, reached out to clinicians in other specialties to collaboratively explore expansion, developed a "one-pager" on what physiatrists do, and invited collaborative specialists from integrated clinics to physical medicine and rehabilitation national and/or international meetings. Since 2019, divisional activity in integrated care has grown and evolved substantially. Future work will focus on further expansion of integrated clinical care, scholarly evaluation of integrated care models, expansion of academic activity resulting from integration, and advocacy to healthcare providers, hospital administrators, and health system funders about the potential value of care integration in improving rehabilitation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the challenges faced by physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) residents in accurately palpating lumbopelvic structures. The study aimed to determine deficiencies in palpation skills among residents and whether senior residents had higher accuracy compared to junior residents. Results showed wide variation in palpation accuracy, with some structures being more accurately identified than others. The study suggests that ultrasound can be a valuable tool in improving palpation skills and identifying areas for improvement in clinical practice. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction/Aims: Using a set of process‐of‐care quality measures for electrodiagnostic testing in suspected carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), the research team previously documented large variations in electrodiagnostic testing practices and adherence to quality measures. This study sought to enhance the applicability and validity of the quality measures by integrating acceptable variations in testing practices. Methods: We recruited 13 expert electrodiagnostic medicine specialists from five specialty societies. The experts iteratively refined five quality measures, and then rated the validity of the refined quality measures (1–9 scale). During this process, the experts reviewed data on adherence to existing quality measures and variations in electrodiagnostic testing practices, and considered recently published quality measures from the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. Results: Three quality measures (electrodiagnostic testing before surgery for CTS, temperature assessment during electrodiagnostic testing, and electrodiagnostic criteria for severe median neuropathy) underwent few refinements and were rated valid (medians 8–9). Two measures (essential components of electrodiagnosis, criteria for interpreting electrodiagnostic tests as median neuropathy) were judged valid (medians 8) after revisions. For these measures, experts' ratings on the recommended components of sensory or mixed nerve conduction studies varied: agreement among the experts about the use of sensory peak latency was greater than for onset latency or sensory velocity. Discussion: This study produced quality measures that provide minimum standards for electrodiagnostic testing for suspected CTS that are more comprehensive and nuanced than prior versions. Future work can assess the feasibility, reliability, and validity of these refined measures in diverse physician practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Aims: Self‐assessment examinations (SAEs) help trainees assess their progress in education. SAEs also provide feedback to training programs as to how factors in training influence examination performance. This study's goal was to examine the relationship between the number of months of training in electrodiagnostic (EDx) medicine, the number of EDx studies during training, and scores on the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine SAE. Methods: This was a retrospective study of the 2023 AANEM‐SAE results. In addition to the examination score, participants were asked approximately how many EDx studies they performed in training and how many months of training they had completed. Analysis included correlation of the examination scores with months of training as well as number of EDx studies. In addition, a multivariate linear regression model was developed. Results: A total of 756 participants completed the proctored examination in May 2023. Examination score was moderately and positively correlated with the number of months of training (Pearson r =.5; p <.001) as well as the number of EDx studies during training (Pearson r =.55; p <.001). Scores steadily improved with additional months of training, but leveled off after 300–400 EDx studies. Regression analysis indicated that higher numbers of EDx studies were correlated with a higher examination score even after accounting for the number of months of study. Discussion: We believe that a greater number of months of training is associated with better performance on the AANEM‐SAE and that greatest improvement in examination performance occurs during the first 300–400 EDx studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]