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There is a lack of residency education in cost-conscious care. We implemented a costing and quality improvement (QI) curriculum to Obstetrics and Gynaecology trainees using "Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC)," and assessed its educational impact. The curriculum included didactic and practical portions. Pre-and post-knowledge surveys were obtained from 24 residents on self-perceived knowledge of key QI principles. Self-perceived knowledge, before and after the curriculum, was scored on a Likert scale from 0 to 5 points (0 is the least knowledge and 5 is the most knowledge). The mean scores reported an increase in knowledge of clinical guideline development (pre = 1.19 vs. post = 3.07, p = 0.0052); confidence in participating in QI work (pre = 1.75 vs. post = 3.42 points, p < 0.0001); and knowledge in communicating QI principles (pre = 1.89, post = 3.17, p < 0.0003). Our educational programme uses the TDABC method and the residents' clinical experience effectively to teach residents cost-conscious care.

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Numerous instruments have been developed to measure pain within various populations; however, there remains limited understanding of how these tools are applicable to childhood cancer survivors. This study compared a single-item screening measure, the Pain Thermometer (PT), with a more in-depth measure, the Brief Pain Survey (BPS), in a cohort of childhood brain tumor survivors. Ninety-nine survivors (aged 13-32 years) with a median time from diagnosis of 9.9 years (range = 2-18 years) completed the 2 instruments. Thirty-seven survivors (37.4%) were identified on the BPS as having clinically significant pain, but the PT was not found to be an accurate tool for identifying these pain cases. Application of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of PT ratings against BPS criterion indicated overall concordance between measures. No cutoff score on the PT were identified that resulted in acceptable sensitivity, meaning pain cases identified on the BPS would be missed on the PT. Findings suggest that a multi-item screening measure may better identify clinically significant pain in childhood brain tumor survivors compared with a 1-item screening measure alone.

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OBJECTIVES: We assessed the relationship between symptoms of voiding dysfunction and elevated postvoid urinary residual (PVR). METHODS: Cross-sectional study of women presenting for initial evaluation from February through July 2011. Charts were reviewed for demographics, voiding dysfunction symptoms, and examination findings. Urinary retention was defined as PVR of 100 ml or more. Data are presented as median (interquartile range) or proportion; test characteristics are reported with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Of 641 eligible women, 57 women (8.9%) had urinary retention. Of these, 32 women (56.1%) had at least one symptom of voiding dysfunction, most commonly, sensation of incomplete emptying (30.1%). Sensitivity and positive predictive values of voiding dysfunction symptoms were low. Of 254 women reporting voiding symptoms, most (87.5%) had PVR of less than 100 ml and were significantly more likely to have other pelvic floor symptoms and findings. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' symptoms do not predict urinary retention. Postvoid urinary residual should be measured, and other causes of voiding dysfunction symptoms should be considered.

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OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the informed consent process is to reinforce a patient's understanding of her condition and treatment alternatives and to thoroughly review the chosen procedure with its risks and benefits. We aimed to evaluate how well women who consented to undergo sacrocolpopexy understood their planned procedure. STUDY DESIGN: We prospectively studied women who had undergone detailed informed consent in preparation for laparoscopic or robotic sacrocolpopexy. A 15-item questionnaire was developed and administered before surgery to assess the patients' comprehension of preoperative counseling. RESULTS: Fifty women were enrolled. The mean knowledge score was 69.7%. Sixty-four percent of the patients did not recall that they could have a prolapse repair without mesh, 44% did not understand the location of mesh attachment, and 34% believed there was no risk of recurrent prolapse. Women who completed the questionnaire within 3 weeks of signing the surgical consent had a higher mean score (78.5%) than women for whom 3 or more weeks elapsed (66.3%; P=0.02). CONCLUSION: Despite detailed preoperative discussion, women had deficiencies in their understanding of sacrocolpopexy. New methods to improve patient education and comprehension should be considered.

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