The Peds NP: Pearls of Pediatric Evidence-Based Practice

Health Equity in Pediatrics: Weight Bias and the AAP Guideline on Children with Obesity

The seminal publication of the AAP’s Guideline on the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity serves as the source of our fifth episode in the series on Health Equity in Children.  The best practices for managing obesity go beyond discussions of beauty and body image to include systemic racism, obesity as a chronic disease, and the reckoning that children and adolescents with obesity are people first.

Want to make a bigger difference in health equity? Complete an anonymous survey here after you listen to the episode or visit www.thepedsnp.com and click the “Complete a Survey” button at the top of the page. The responses will provide greater insight into how podcasts impact education and behavior through microlearning of health equity concepts. After you complete a survey, you’ll receive a separate link to enter your email to a raffle for a $15 Amazon gift card.  Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email one week after the original publication date. This raffle was made possible by grant funding from the sources below. 

Disclaimer: This series was supported by the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Dr. Rasheeda Monroe Health Equity grant whose mission is to support research and quality improvement aimed at improving health equity among infants, children, and adolescents. The content of this episode reflects my views and does not necessarily represent, nor is an endorsement of, NC NAPNAP or the Dr. Rasheeda Monroe Health Equity grant.  For more information, please community.napnap.org/northcarolinachapter.

References

Bell, C. N., Kerr, J., & Young, J. L. (2019). Associations between Obesity, Obesogenic Environments, and Structural Racism Vary by County-Level Racial Composition. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(5), 861. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050861

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Inclusive communication principles. Gateway to Health Communication. https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/Key_Principles.html

Gmeiner, M. S., & Warschburger, P. (2020). Intrapersonal predictors of weight bias internalization among elementary school children: a prospective analysis. BMC pediatrics, 20(1), 408. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-020-02264-w

Hadjiyannakis, S., Ibrahim, Q., Li, J., Ball, G. D. C., Buchholz, A., Hamilton, J. K., Zenlea, I., Ho, J., Legault, L., Laberge, A. M., Thabane, L., Tremblay, M., & Morrison, K. M. (2019). Obesity class versus the Edmonton Obesity Staging System for Pediatrics to define health risk in childhood obesity: results from the CANPWR cross-sectional study. The Lancet. Child & adolescent health, 3(6), 398–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(19)30056-2

Hampl, S. E., Hassink, S. G., Skinner, A. C., Armstrong, S. C., Barlow, S. E., Bolling, C. F., Avila Edwards, K. C., Eneli, I., Hamre, R., Joseph, M. M., Lunsford, D., Mendonca, E., Michalsky, M. P., Mirza, N., Ochoa, E. R., Sharifi, M., Staiano, A. E., Weedn, A. E., Flinn, S. K., Lindros, J., … Okechukwu, K. (2023). Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity. Pediatrics, 151(2), e2022060640. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-060640

Haqq, A. M., Kebbe, M., Tan, Q., Manco, M., & Salas, X. R. (2021). Complexity and Stigma of Pediatric Obesity. Childhood obesity (Print), 17(4), 229–240. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2021.0003

Puhl, R. M., & Himmelstein, M. S. (2018). Adolescent preferences for weight terminology used by health care providers. Pediatric obesity, 13(9), 533–540. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12275

Puhl, R. M., Peterson, J. L., & Luedicke, J. (2011). Parental perceptions of weight terminology that providers use with youth. Pediatrics, 128(4), e786–e793. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-3841

Yan J, Liu L, Zhu Y, Huang G, Wang PP. The association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity: a meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. 2014 Dec 13;14:1267. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-1267. PMID: 25495402; PMCID: PMC4301835.

Health Equity in Pediatrics: Say My Name Correctly

The fourth episode in our Health Equity in Pediatrics series highlights one of the simplest individual actions a provider can take to be an ally in health equity: Say your patients’ names correctly.  Saying a person’s name correctly validates their identity, family, culture, and heritage.  Whether the name is difficult to pronounce or varies from the name given at birth, providers can use simple tools to correctly pronounce names and address their patients in a way that honors both the patient and their caregivers.  Together we can answer William Shakespeare’s question, “What’s in a name?” with a lens of health equity.

Want to make a bigger difference in health equity? Complete an anonymous survey here after you listen to the episode or visit www.thepedsnp.com and click the “Complete a Survey” button at the top of the page. The responses will provide greater insight into how podcasts impact education and behavior through microlearning of health equity concepts. After you complete a survey, you’ll receive a separate link to enter your email to a raffle for a $15 Amazon gift card.  Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email one week after the original publication date. This raffle was made possible by grant funding from the sources below. 

Disclaimer: This series was supported by the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Dr. Rasheeda Monroe Health Equity grant whose mission is to support research and quality improvement aimed at improving health equity among infants, children, and adolescents. The content of this episode reflects my views and does not necessarily represent, nor is an endorsement of, NC NAPNAP or the Dr. Rasheeda Monroe Health Equity grant.  For more information, please community.napnap.org/northcarolinachapter.

References

Dali, S., Atasuntseva, A., Shankar, M., Ayeroff, E., Holmes, M., Johnson, C., Terkawi, A. S., Beadle, B., Chang, J., Boyd, K., & Dunn, T. (2022). Say My Name: Understanding the Power of Names, Correct Pronunciation, and Personal Narratives. MedEdPORTAL : the journal of teaching and learning resources, 18, 11284. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11284

Keister, A. (2022). Can I still use sir and ma’am? When should I use Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Mx? What to do when you don’t know someone’s gender. The Diversity Movement. Retreived from https://thediversitymovement.com/sir-maam-mr-mrs-ms-mx-what-to-do-when-you-dont-know-someones-gender/

Lebensohn-Chialvo F. (2021). That's not my name. Families, systems & health : the journal of collaborative family healthcare, 39(1), 163–164. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000588

Health Equity in Pediatrics: Interrupting Microaggressions

The third episode in the Health Equity in Pediatrics series focuses on microaggressions, which are subtle slights, snubs, and digs that are seemingly innocent, innocuous, and naïve at first glance.  But their roots in harmful stereotypes and assumptions are psychologically disparaging and invalidating to the people from marginalized groups they offend. They reflect implicit bias that is unconsciously embedded into language and behavior.  As an ally, interrupting microaggressions can be a challenge that requires curiosity to confront.  The decision to interrupt is individual and complex, but this episode will provide allies with the skills to intervene through role play in several scenarios.  

Want to make a bigger difference in health equity? Complete an anonymous survey here after you listen to the episode or visit www.thepedsnp.com and click the “Complete a Survey” button at the top of the page. The responses will provide greater insight into how podcasts impact education and behavior through microlearning of health equity concepts. After you complete a survey, you’ll receive a separate link to enter your email to a raffle for a $15 Amazon gift card.  Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email one week after the original publication date. This raffle was made possible by grant funding from the sources below. 

Disclaimer: This series was supported by the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Dr. Rasheeda Monroe Health Equity grant whose mission is to support research and quality improvement aimed at improving health equity among infants, children, and adolescents. The content of this episode reflects my views and does not necessarily represent, nor is an endorsement of, NC NAPNAP or the Dr. Rasheeda Monroe Health Equity grant.  For more information, please community.napnap.org/northcarolinachapter.

References:

Acholonu, R. G., Cook, T. E., Roswell, R. O., & Greene, R. E. (2020). Interrupting Microaggressions in Health Care Settings: A Guide for Teaching Medical Students. MedEdPORTAL : The journal of teaching and learning resources, 16, 10969. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.10969

FitzGerald, C., & Hurst, S. (2017). Implicit bias in healthcare professionals: a systematic review. BMC medical ethics, 18(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-017-0179-8

Kanter, J. (2020). Microaggressions aren’t just innocent blunders– research links them with racial bias. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/microaggressions-arent-just-innocent-blunders-research-links-them-with-racial-bias-145894

Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: implications for clinical practice. The American psychologist, 62(4), 271–286. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.4.271

Sue, D. W., Alsaidi, S., Awad, M. N., Glaeser, E., Calle, C. Z., & Mendez, N. (2019). Disarming racial microaggressions: Microintervention strategies for targets, White allies, and bystanders. The American psychologist, 74(1), 128–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000296

Turner, J., Higgins, R., & Childs, E. (2021). Microaggression and Implicit Bias. The American Surgeon, 87(11), 1727–1731. https://doi.org/10.1177/00031348211023418

Health Equity in Pediatrics: Identifying Your Implicit Bias

In the second episode of the Health Equity in Pediatrics series, we explore implicit bias as unconscious attitudes and stereotypes held against a group that may even be contrary to one’s stated beliefs. Identifying your implicit bias is a best practice that can enable you to limit its impact on your behavior and prevent harm from altered clinical decision making that is based on preconceived notions.  In this episode, we discuss examples of how implicit bias can impact health care in children and the skills that provider’s can hone to combat its influence.

Want to make a bigger difference in health equity? Complete an anonymous survey here after you listen to the episode or visit www.thepedsnp.com and click the “Complete a Survey” button at the top of the page. The responses will provide greater insight into how podcasts impact education and behavior through microlearning of health equity concepts. After you complete a survey, you’ll receive a separate link to enter your email to a raffle for a $15 Amazon gift card.  Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email one week after the original publication date. This raffle was made possible by grant funding from the sources below. 

Disclaimer: This series was supported by the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Dr. Rasheeda Monroe Health Equity grant whose mission is to support research and quality improvement aimed at improving health equity among infants, children, and adolescents. The content of this episode reflects my views and does not necessarily represent, nor is an endorsement of, NC NAPNAP or the Dr. Rasheeda Monroe Health Equity grant.  For more information, please community.napnap.org/northcarolinachapter.

References:

FitzGerald, C., & Hurst, S. (2017). Implicit bias in healthcare professionals: a systematic review. BMC medical ethics, 18(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-017-0179-8

Gonzalez, C. M., Lypson, M. L., & Sukhera, J. (2021). Twelve tips for teaching implicit bias recognition and management. Medical teacher, 43(12), 1368–1373. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2021.1879378

Goyal, M. K., Johnson, T. J., Chamberlain, J. M., Cook, L., Webb, M., Drendel, A. L., Alessandrini, E., Bajaj, L., Lorch, S., Grundmeier, R. W., Alpern, E. R., & PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY CARE APPLIED RESEARCH NETWORK (PECARN) (2020). Racial and Ethnic Differences in Emergency Department Pain Management of Children With Fractures. Pediatrics, 145(5), e20193370. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3370

Greenwald, A. G., Dasgupta, N., Dovidio, J. F., Kang, J., Moss-Racusin, C. A., & Teachman, B. A. (2022). Implicit-Bias Remedies: Treating Discriminatory Bias as a Public-Health Problem. Psychological science in the public interest : a journal of the American Psychological Society, 23(1), 7–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/15291006211070781

Jindal, M., Trent, M., & Mistry, K. B. (2022). The Intersection of Race, Racism, and Child and Adolescent Health. Pediatrics in review, 43(8), 415–425. https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2020-004366

Mossey J. M. (2011). Defining racial and ethnic disparities in pain management. Clinical orthopaedics and related research, 469(7), 1859–1870. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-011-1770-9

Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. (2022). Pediatric Nursing Workforce Report 2022: A Demographic Profile of 53,000 PNCB-Certified Nursing Professionals. https://pncb.org/ sites/default/files/resources/PNCB_2022_Pediatric_Nursing_Workforce_Demographic_ Report.pdf

Project Implicit. (2011). Take a test. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Raphael, J. L., & Oyeku, S. O. (2020). Implicit Bias in Pediatrics: An Emerging Focus in Health Equity Research. Pediatrics, 145(5), e20200512. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-0512

Sabin J. A. (2022). Tackling Implicit Bias in Health Care. The New England journal of medicine, 387(2), 105–107. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2201180

Smiley, R. A., Ruttinger, C., Oliveira, C. M., Hudson, L. R., Allgeyer, R., Reneau, K. A., Silvestre, J. H., & Alexander, M. (2021). The 2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/s2155-8256(21)00027-2.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2023). Religious garb and grooming in the workplace: Rights and responsibilities. https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/religious-garb-and-grooming-workplace-rights-and-responsibilities#_ftn17

Health Equity in Pediatrics: Health Equity in Kids

Welcome to the Health Equity in Pediatrics series!  In the first installment of our series, we define health equity and review some communities often affected by health disparities that limit a person’s opportunity to be as healthy as possible.  While health equity can seem like a seismic public health crisis that is too big for one person to tackle, each episode in this series will give listeners tangible best practices that can be implemented immediately to provide more equitable care in your workplace.  As you learn to view every patient encounter through a lens of health equity, you’ll be able to apply these concepts to the evaluation and management of the diverse children for whom you care and improve their journey toward health. When you become a partner in the health equity care plan, rather than just an authority in health care, you bring practicality to your recommendations and interventions that augment the expert knowledge you share.  In this episode we will apply these concepts to a challenging example with a historical precedent that will shape how you understand the approach to overcoming obstacles on the journey to health equity.

Want to make a bigger difference in health equity? Complete an anonymous survey here after you listen to the episode or visit www.thepedsnp.com and click the “Complete a Survey” button at the top of the page. The responses will provide greater insight into how podcasts impact education and behavior through microlearning of health equity concepts. After you complete a survey, you’ll receive a separate link to enter your email to a raffle for a $15 Amazon gift card.  Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email one week after the original publication date. This raffle was made possible by grant funding from the sources below. 

Disclaimer: This series was supported by the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Dr. Rasheeda Monroe Health Equity grant whose mission is to support research and quality improvement aimed at improving health equity among infants, children, and adolescents. The content of this episode reflects my views and does not necessarily represent, nor is an endorsement of, NC NAPNAP or the Dr. Rasheeda Monroe Health Equity grant.  For more information, please community.napnap.org/northcarolinachapter.

References:

American Psychological Association. (2022). Racial and ethnic identity. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language/racial-ethnic-minorities

Braveman, P., Arkin, E., Orleans, T., Proctor, D., & Plough, A. (2017). What is health equity? Achieving health equity. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2017/05/what-is-health-equity-.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, August 2). Health equity guiding principles for inclusive communication. https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/Health_Equity.html

Duke Health. (2020). Weight management for children and teens. Duke Health. https://www.dukehealth.org/pediatric-treatments/childhood-obesity

Jindal, M., Trent, M., & Mistry, K. B. (2022). The Intersection of Race, Racism, and Child and Adolescent Health. Pediatrics in review, 43(8), 415–425. https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2020-004366

Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. (2022). Pediatric Nursing Workforce Report 2022: A Demographic Profile of 53,000 PNCB-Certified Nursing Professionals. https://pncb.org/ sites/default/files/resources/PNCB_2022_Pediatric_Nursing_Workforce_Demographic_ Report.pdf

Zippia. (2022, September 9). Family nurse practitioner demographics and statistics in the US. https://www.zippia.com/family-nurse-practitioner-jobs/demographics/

Plant-based Milks

Got milk? The answer is complicated.  While plant-based beverages are accused of posing as animal by-product imposters, the FDA claims that consumers know the difference.  But most parents don't recognize that plant-based milks lack the same micro and macronutrient profile as cow's milk or soy milk.  This leaves pediatric providers with the very important job of assessing nutrition and guiding parents on what beverages their infants and toddlers should be drinking.  

Respiratory Virus Testing

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.  In the depths of respiratory virus season, providers often order unnecessary tests that won't alter the course of treatment for the child presenting with upper respiratory symptoms.  This episode covers 5 common pathogens, the indications to test a child presenting with symptoms, and how to talk to families requesting tests.  

AOM Microbiology Update

Not all bacterial infections need an antibiotic.  It may sound hard to believe, but if we all followed the AAP guidelines on the management of otitis media in children and actually used a watch-and-wait approach in appropriate patients, upwards of 75% of the antibiotics prescribed for otitis media could be avoided.  Why? Because the microbiology of AOM has changed, but our prescribing practices haven't.  This episode is a great guideline refresher and microbiology update while learning how to talk parents into partnership on watchful waiting.   

Stop prescribing Benadryl™

If you've been looking for a New Year's Resolution to make a real difference in your practice, stop prescribing diphenhydramine.  Despite being a common over-the-counter medication, its potent anticholinergic side effects and sedation make it a poor choice for children.  Review the common misuses for the drug and practical, evidence-based alternatives to help get diphenhydramine out of your prescribing practice in 2023.  

Case study: Adolescent female with foot burning

In the last case study in our series on Cognitive Bias in Healthcare, attribution error (among others) of an adolescent female with foot burning reveals how two more best practices for avoiding cognitive bias can help providers think metacognitively.  Review all 8 best practices and start to implement them to reduce diagnostic error.