Southern Medical Journal最新文献

{"title":"Don't Wait to Talk about Weight: A 2-Hour Interactive Curriculum Improves Medical Student Skills with Weight Management.","authors":"Anita Ganti, Elizabeth Oczypok, Scott D Rothenberger, Amar Kohli","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001988","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001988","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The goal of this curriculum was to increase medical students' knowledge of obesity medicine as well as their comfort with and confidence in communication skills related to weight management by using a standardized patient (SP) encounter.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed and evaluated a two-part weight management curriculum that used a synchronous interactive virtual didactic along with a formative SP session to teach communication skills related to obesity medicine. The didactic reviewed weight stigma and bias, diagnosis, and management of obesity along with foundational skills including how to take a complete weight history and counsel on SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goal setting. The following week, each student participated in a 10-minute SP encounter to practice these skills, with 5 minutes of formative feedback. The curriculum was incorporated into the adult outpatient medicine clerkship at a large academic medical center. The historical control group included 32 clerkship students, and the intervention group included 61 clerkship students. We evaluated medical student comfort, confidence, and knowledge with weight management using pre/postsurveys. We evaluated medical student communication skills using an objective structured clinical examination.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Comfort with, confidence in, and knowledge of weight management concepts increased after participation in this curriculum. Students who participated in the curriculum performed better on a weight management objective-structured clinical examination, particularly in the areas of obtaining a complete weight history and using shared decision making.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This curriculum was effective at increasing medical student comfort with, confidence in, and knowledge of foundational weight management concepts in addition to their skills.</p>","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":"119 7","pages":"354-361"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social Pressure: How Early Social Context Shapes Career Interest in Medicine.","authors":"Lillian R Sims, Raven R Piercey, Hannah L Cleary","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001984","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001984","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Despite increased attention toward improved diversity in medicine, access to the profession continues to be limited. In fact, strides made in racial and socioeconomic diversity in the medical profession remain slow, with certain groups even losing ground. Although the literature on career choice in general is significant, the unique contributions of social variables that influence early career interest in medicine have yet to be fully explored. As such, this study aimed to explore how students' initial and follow-up interest in medicine is affected by family, peers, and school settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This qualitative study draws on 94 interviews with students at a public, allopathic medical school in the southeastern United States. Participants provided rich insight into how precollege exposure to medicine via familial or social connections shaped their medical aspirations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Qualitative analysis of these data illustrate the difficulty of exposing a diversity of students to medicine when social and cultural influences serve as barriers to the field for underprivileged communities. This study also highlights how even minimal or serendipitous social exposure to the medical profession can have a profound impact on students' aspirations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In addition to implications for stakeholders seeking to broaden access to the medical profession, findings from this study document how less socially privileged students can be empowered to aspire to elite fields.</p>","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":"119 7","pages":"367-372"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Balancing Relief and Risk: Managing Chronic Low Back Pain in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder.","authors":"Vania Modesto-Lowe, Deanna Sgambato, Jasleen Kaur","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001982","DOIUrl":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001982","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic low back pain and opioid use disorder often occur together, creating clinical situations that are complex and emotionally charged. Low back pain remains a common cause of disability and a major contributor to opioid prescribing. Although guidelines recommend exercise and other non-opioid treatments as first-line care, patients with co-occurring opioid use disorder frequently have limited access to these services and are more likely to receive escalating opioid doses instead. Stigma, fragmented systems, and regulatory pressures further complicate care and strain clinical encounters. Integrated approaches that combine medication treatment for opioid use disorder with behavioral and rehabilitative pain strategies offer a more practical way to address both conditions at once. Emphasizing function, safety, and clear communication can help move care forward, even when broader structural barriers remain.</p>","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":"119 7","pages":"352-353"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the Efficacy of Artificial Intelligence-Based Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy in a Predominantly Non-White Population.","authors":"Sydney Marie Galindez, Michael Wang, Queenie Wang, Matt Holleman, David Miguel Hinkle","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001990","DOIUrl":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001990","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Luminetics Core, a Food and Drug Administration-cleared artificial intelligence-based screening system, in the detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a predominately non-White population and identify potential shortcomings in clinical implementation that should be addressed to mitigate disparities in health care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were acquired via retrospective chart review and included 225 patients with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus who were screened for DR using the LumineticsCore system (formerly IDx-DR) at the University Medical Center New Orleans (Louisiana). Metrics to assess DR detection efficacy included sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, likelihood ratios, and indeterminate screening result rates. Stratified analyses regarding associated medical comorbidities also were performed. Clinic follow-up rates and time frames also were noted per screen result group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study population had a diverse demographic profile, with 69.0% of subjects identifying as African American, 13.1% Hispanic, 10.7% White, 3.6% Asian, and 3.6% of subjects who either did not identify with the above racial/ethnic groups or declined to self-identify. The system yielded favorable performance measures in the study population regarding detection accuracy. It was found, however, that although most patients with a positive screen had ophthalmology referrals placed, 29.8% of patients with positive screen results did not attend their scheduled ophthalmology visit.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The LumineticsCore system was found to be a reliable screening test for the detection of DR in the study population. The relatively high no-show rate for scheduled ophthalmology referrals in patients with positive screen results, however, sheds light on an implementation system issue in need of further evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":"119 7","pages":"347-351"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13290037/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disability Related to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome May Be Greater Than Related Chronic Hand Conditions.","authors":"Gregory Vance, James H Sikes, Daniel Trussell, Bradley Hathaway, Clay Thames, Evan Bowen, Colton Fernstrum, Mark Dodson, Marc Walker","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001987","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001987","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study used a novel patient disability assessment, the Mississippi Qualitative Hand Pain Questionnaire (MQHPQ), to compare carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) with other hand pain diagnoses (non-CTS) and then to the levels of impairment in the American Medical Association (AMA) <i>Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment</i> (ie, <i>AMA Guides</i>).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>One hundred prospective patients with a chief complaint of hand pain were administered the MQHPQ. Patients were grouped into CTS and non-CTS groups based on diagnosis at the time of their initial visit. Patient-reported disability was then compared with the percentage of total body impairment assigned by the <i>AMA Guides</i>.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients with CTS (n=47) versus non-CTS (n=53) experienced increased severity (0.64 vs. 0.52, <i>P</i>=0.024) and greater levels of disability in all questioned activities of daily living. According to the <i>AMA Guides</i>, CTS can cause a range of 0% to 9% total body impairment (median 4.5%). Other participant hand pain diagnoses demonstrated total body disability ranging from 0% to 22% (average of medians 4.57%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although the <i>AMA Guides</i> demonstrates similar percentages of impairment for the CTS group and the non-CTS group, patients with CTS who completed the MQHPQ experienced significantly increased disability in all tested activities of daily living and pain severity.</p>","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":"119 7","pages":"342-346"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148382832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between Main Pancreatic Duct Size, Comorbidities, and Fistula Formation after Whipple Procedure for Pancreatic Cancer.","authors":"Alexandra E Adams, Satyam K Ghodasara, Jana K Elsawwah, Zubin M Bamboat, Zoltan H Nemeth","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001976","DOIUrl":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001976","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Studies have associated abnormally dilated or constricted main pancreatic duct (MPD) diameter sizes in postproximal pancreatectomies (Whipple procedures) with postoperative complications. As such, we studied the clinical factors associated with both abnormally dilated or constricted MPD diameters and perioperative factors that may influence postoperative pancreatic fistula formation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed Whipple procedure cases for pancreatic cancer in the 2019-2021 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program databases. We compared these three groups based on MPD diameter sizes: control group (3- to 6-mm MPD size, n=3529), small MPD (<3 mm, n=1399) cohort, and large MPD (>6 mm, n=1098) group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients with a <3-mm proximal MPD diameter had higher rates of organ space surgical site infection (17.73% vs 12.18%, <i>P</i><0.001) and postoperative pancreatic fistula formation (14.72% vs 7.03%, <i>P</i><0.001) when compared with the control cohort with 3 to 6 mm of MPD diameter. Moreover, soft pancreatic gland texture was observed significantly more often in the <3-mm proximal MPD diameter group. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that small duct size (<3 mm) and soft pancreatic gland texture were independently associated with pancreatic fistula formation following a Whipple procedure for pancreatic cancer.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A <3-mm main pancreatic duct at the head of the pancreas was found to be associated with multiple postoperative complications following the Whipple procedure with pancreatojejunostomy, affecting both patient quality of life and hospital resource utilization. Healthcare providers can measure MPD size before surgery using computed tomography, which enables better anticipation, preparation, and potential mitigation of complications.</p>","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"323-327"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148151359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trends in Reported End-of-Life Concerns after the Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide.","authors":"David Albert Jones, David Paton, Phoebe Rutaquio","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001978","DOIUrl":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001978","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Understanding the concerns that motivate requests for assisted dying (euthanasia or assisted suicide) is essential for understanding these practices. Our objective was to determine whether there are significant trends in end-of-life concerns cited in requests for physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in Oregon and Washington.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We estimated regressions using data on reported end-of-life concerns (autonomy, enjoyment, dignity, control, burden, pain, and finance) taken from annual state reports and which covered 6853 deaths. We pooled the data for our two states and estimated the trend for each end-of-life concern. We added controls for demographic variables, separated time trends for each state, and added other tests for robustness.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our estimates suggested no significant trend for autonomy or enjoyment. The common trend was negative and statistically significant for dignity and control, but control was not significant for Washington. Trends were significantly positive for burden, pain, and finance, but finance was not significant for Washington.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>There have been significant trends in reported end-of-life concerns that motivate requests for PAS in Oregon and Washington. The increase in perceived burdensomeness as a motivation for PAS adds weight to the argument that changing the law can have an adverse effect on the self-perception of those who receive care. Qualitative research has identified adverse impacts of assisted dying on pain management. Our findings suggest a significant increase in concerns about inadequate pain control since the legalization of PAS. We found no evidence that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has reduced the proportion of people seeking death because of concerns about the cost of their care.</p>","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"281-287"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13193167/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148151358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Joint Effect of Paternal and Maternal Age on the Prevalence of Low Birth Weight in the United States.","authors":"Promise Bood, Madison Bencomo, Kate Olivas-Cardiel, Zuber D Mulla","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001975","DOIUrl":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001975","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Prior studies of the effect of father's age on the risk of low birth weight (LBW, infant weight <2500 g) have been inconclusive. In addition, previous investigators have not conducted a detailed analysis to determine whether paternal age (PA) interacts with maternal age (MA) on the outcome of LBW. We aimed to quantify the joint effect of PA and MA on the prevalence of LBW.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cross-sectional prevalence data from the National Survey of Family Growth 2017-2019 (female pregnancy file) were analyzed using SAS 9.4 software. The exposure of interest was the PA group. Six PA groups were created based on the mother's and father's age at the time of conception. Weighted frequencies and weighted percent estimates of selected characteristics were calculated. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the binary outcome of LBW were calculated from logistic regression models. A causal diagram (ie, directed acyclic graph) identified maternal race-ethnicity as a variable that needed to be controlled for to reduce confounding bias when estimating the association under study. Preterm birth, according to our directed acyclic graph, was a collider on some pathways between parental age and LBW (and an intermediate on other pathways) and hence was not controlled for. All of the analyses accounted for the complex survey sample design.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1977 subjects were included in our sample. The largest PA group was MA 20 to 34 years (PA <35 y). Within this group, 26.5% (95% CI 20.1%-32.9%) of the mothers were of Hispanic ethnicity. The weighted prevalence of preterm birth was 10.6% (95% CI 8.5%-12.7%), and the weighted percentage of LBW was 8.0% (95% CI 5.8%-10.2%) within the largest PA group. The unadjusted OR for LBW comparing MA <20, PA <35 with MA 20 to 34, PA <35 was 2.12 (95% CI 0.94-4.80, <i>P</i>=0.07). After adjusting for maternal race-ethnicity, the MA <20, PA <35 versus MA 20 to 34, PA <35 OR was 2.13 (95% CI 0.92-4.93, <i>P</i>=0.08).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We did not detect a joint effect of maternal and PA on the prevalence of LBW in a national US sample.</p>","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"294-298"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148151311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perspectives on Contraceptive Research for Individuals with Increased Thrombosis Risk: A Qualitative Exploration of Patients and Clinicians.","authors":"Mingma L Sherpa, Ella J Siegrist, Larissa Myaskovsky, Andrew L Sussman, Karen C Chong, Victoria Y Trujillo, Jamie W Krashin","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001974","DOIUrl":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001974","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Although most progestin-only contraceptives are generally considered safe for most patients at increased risk of arterial and venous thrombosis, patients and clinicians may be wary of their use based on limited studies. Large prospective contraceptive studies with primary data collection would improve the evidence base for people at increased thrombosis risk. We therefore aimed to find solutions for recruitment and long-term retention of representative participants in large prospective studies of contraceptives for patients at increased risk of thrombosis, identify patient- and clinician-prioritized outcomes, and determine patients' and clinicians' preferred dissemination methods for study results.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this formative qualitative study, we conducted semistructured interviews with reproductive-age patients at increased thrombosis risk and clinicians in related fields in New Mexico via telephone and Zoom. Interviews were transcribed and coded deductively using Dedoose qualitative coding software. We categorized emerging themes based on our study aims.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We interviewed 16 patients and 11 clinicians from June 2020 to June 2022. Most of the patients (60%) had more than one of the following conditions: hypertension, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, history of cerebral vascular accident, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or myocardial infarction, systemic lupus erythematosus, or a thrombophilia. Clinician specialties included hematology, rheumatology, pulmonology, pharmacy, and women's health. The majority of respondents participated to help others. Although participants highlighted discomfort with reproductive health as a potential barrier to participation, others indicated that they wanted to share their difficult experiences to bring awareness to the topic. Virtual participation in interviews overcame several participation barriers such as scheduling concerns, transportation, and finding childcare. Patients and clinicians both cited effectiveness, safety, side effects, and developing more contraceptive method options as priority research outcomes. All of the participants were interested in receiving the results of the study in which they participated. Clinicians recommended constructing research teams reflecting participant demographics.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Altruism may be a strong motivator for contraceptive research participation among medically complex patients. Both patients and clinicians desire new efficacious, safe, low side effect contraceptives for patients at increased thrombosis risk. Virtual participation options address common participant recruitment and, likely, retention barriers. Clinicians anticipate that research teams that reflect participant demographics may lead to better representation of at-risk populations in contraceptive research.</p>","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"288-293"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148151320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prostate Cancer Screening Shared Decision Making and Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing in Black and Non-Black Men in Primary Care in South Carolina.","authors":"Nicholas Shungu, Jaylynne Le, Nekia E Robinson, Vanessa Diaz","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001980","DOIUrl":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001980","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Black men experience disproportionate prostate cancer mortality compared with men of other races. As of 2018, major guidelines concur that all men make informed decisions about whether to be screened for prostate cancer after a discussion with their clinician. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency at which clinicians document prostate cancer screening shared decision-making (SDM) conversations, to examine whether SDM documentation rates differ by race and other sociodemographic factors, and to evaluate whether SDM affects rates of prostate cancer screening.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted retrospective chart reviews of a random sample of men (N=600) aged 45 to 69 years seen within an academic family medicine practice in South Carolina in 2019-2020. We used χ² analyses to compare documentation of a prostate cancer SDM conversation and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing by race, age, family history of cancer, family history of prostate cancer, colon cancer screening adherence, and insurance. Logistic regressions assessed the effect of SDM, race, age, and insurance status on the completion of screening PSAs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>SDM conversations were documented for 7.3% of Black men and 5.3% of non-Black men (<i>P</i>=0.37). Screening PSAs were ordered in 39.7% of Black men and 36.0% of non-Black men (<i>P</i>=0.41). SDM conversations were positively associated with prostate cancer screening in all men (71.8% vs 35.6%, <i>P</i><0.01) and Black men specifically (85.0% vs 35.7%, <i>P</i><0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results indicate very low rates of prostate cancer SDM in Black and non-Black men. Men with documented SDM conversations were significantly more likely to receive prostate cancer screening. Study results suggest the need for increased SDM in all patients and the need for improved clinician documentation of SDM conversations to evaluate whether men receive the standard of care regarding prostate cancer screening.</p>","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"303-307"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148151364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}