Advance Articles

Cardiac surgery with median sternotomy causes iatrogenic damage to the function of the diaphragm muscle that is both temporary and permanent. Myocardial infarction itself causes diaphragmatic genetic alterations, which lead the muscle to nonphysiological adaptation. This article reviews the neurophysiological relationships of the diaphragm muscle and the symptoms of diaphragmatic contractile dysfunction, and the authors discuss a scientific basis for the use of a new noninstrumental diaphragmatic test in the hope of stimulating research.

Person first language (PFL) – a way of referring to individuals with medical conditions or disability that emphasizes the person over their condition or disability – is important in reducing the stigma surrounding individuals who exhibit drug-seeking behavior. Drug-seeking behavior is generally associated with a negative connotation by healthcare professionals, which may create poor provider perceptions of these individuals and potentially impact patient care. Therefore, to reduce stigmatization surrounding drug-seeking behavior and to improve patient care in these individuals, the use of PFL should be promoted. The primary objective of this study is to investigate how frequently research articles focused on drug-seeking behavior adhere to PFL.

Healthcare delivery was dramatically affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many outpatient visits were cancelled or forgone for fear of exposure to the virus, allowing telemedicine to take on a much larger role in healthcare. The delivery of manual therapies, such as osteopathic manipulative treatment, via telehealth posed a unique challenge as these are typically provided in-person by a trained osteopathic physician. This study provides a description of one osteopathic pediatrician’s experience in delivering osteopathic interventions to pediatric patients via telehealth.

The authors investigate the cost incurred by medical students to attend the premier annual scientific meeting of each major medical specialty in 2020, during the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and evaluate whether “research intensive” specialties carried greater conference registration costs.