Maricela P Moffitt

Interests

Teaching

Clinical skillsCommunication skills

Research

Medical EducationTuberculosis

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Journals/Publications

• Tully, J., Dameff, C., Kaib, S., & Moffitt, M. P. (2015). Recording medical students' encounters with standardized patients using Google Glass: providing end-of-life clinical education.. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 90(3), 314-6. doi:10.1097/acm.0000000000000620
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  Medical education today frequently includes standardized patient (SP) encounters to teach history-taking, physical exam, and communication skills. However, traditional wall-mounted cameras, used to record video for faculty and student feedback and evaluation, provide a limited view of key nonverbal communication behaviors during clinical encounters..In 2013, 30 second-year medical students participated in an end-of-life module that included SP encounters in which the SPs used Google Glass to record their first-person perspective. Students reviewed the Google Glass video and traditional videos and then completed a postencounter, self-evaluation survey and a follow-up survey about the experience..Google Glass was used successfully to record 30 student/SP encounters. One temporary Google Glass hardware failure was observed. Of the 30 students, 7 (23%) reported a "positive, nondistracting experience"; 11 (37%) a "positive, initially distracting experience"; 5 (17%) a "neutral experience"; and 3 (10%) a "negative experience." Four students (13%) opted to withhold judgment until they reviewed the videos but reported Google Glass as "distracting." According to follow-up survey responses, 16 students (of 23; 70%) found Google Glass "worth including in the [clinical skills program]," whereas 7 (30%) did not..Google Glass can be used to video record students during SP encounters and provides a novel perspective for the analysis and evaluation of their interpersonal communication skills and nonverbal behaviors. Next steps include a larger, more rigorous comparison of Google Glass versus traditional videos and expanded use of this technology in other aspects of the clinical skills training program.
• Geyer, B. C., Godwin, P., Powell, T. J., Moffitt, M. P., & Lovecchio, F. (2013). Patient factors associated with failure to diagnose tuberculosis in the emergency department.. The Journal of emergency medicine, 45(5), 658-65. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2013.05.002
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  Emergency department (ED) presentation of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) can be highly atypical and an ED visit might be the only health care interaction for high-risk patients..Our objective was to identify patient factors associated with discharge without a diagnosis of TB during an infectious ED visit..The study population consisted of 150 patients from 2000 to 2009 with 190 infectious ED visits. Patients were initially identified from the state registry of confirmed TB cases and epidemiological characteristics were identified prospectively during case investigation. A retrospective review was performed for clinical characteristics of visits dichotomized according to whether the diagnosis of TB was made during the ED visit..Analysis revealed that 77% of all infectious-patient visits ended with a diagnosis of TB. A TB diagnosis was more likely when patients presented with pulmonary or infectious chief complaints, endorsed cough, subjective fever, chills, dyspnea, previous TB infection, or had an abnormal lung examination or chest x-ray study. Patients were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with TB when they were unresponsive during clinical evaluation or when they reported a history of both homelessness and any substance abuse during the last year. In addition, these characteristics were independent predictors of nondiagnosis when traditional TB risk factors or abnormal vital signs were considered..Patients with atypical presentations, as well as those who were unresponsive or reported a history of homelessness and substance abuse, were at greater risk for nondiagnosis of TB during an infectious ED visit.
• Moffitt, M. P., LoVecchio, F., Powell, T. J., Godwin, P., & Geyer, B. (2013). PATIENT FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITHFAILURETO DIAGNOSE TUBERCULOSISIN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. Journal Emergency Medicine. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2013.05.002.
• Bay, R. C., Brady, M. J., Coonrod, D. V., Miller, A., & Moffitt, M. P. (2004).

  Medical Student Training in Domestic Violence: A Comparison of Students Entering Residency Training in 1995 and 2001

  . Teaching and Learning in Medicine. doi:10.1207/s15328015tlm1601_2
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  As domestic violence (DV) is frequently unrecognized by physicians, efforts to improve education on the topic have been undertaken.To assess changes in medical education about DV.Incoming residents from 1995 (N = 52) and 2001 (N = 43) were surveyed regarding education and attitudes about DV.The resident-reported emphasis on DV education increased significantly from 1995 to 2001. Hours devoted to the subject experienced no significant change. The likelihood they would ask female patients about DV and their competence in dealing with DV-specific situations experienced no significant improvement-both were rated below average.Although emphasis on medical education about DV has improved from 1995 to 2001, likelihood of screening and competence at dealing with DV has not improved. The content of undergraduate medical education about DV should be strengthened, and the educational process should continue during residency training.
• Vaz, A., Singh, V. R., Wisinger, D. B., & Moffitt, M. P. (1999). Diarrhoea, fever, shock and bullous skin lesions after ingestion of raw oysters.. Postgraduate medical journal, 75(887), 565-7. doi:10.1136/pgmj.75.887.565
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  A 38-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 2-day history of cramping abdominal pain, severe vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever with chills. He reported eating a large quantity of raw oysters at a local restaurant, one day prior to the onset of symptoms. The patient had a significant history of daily alcohol consumption (12 cans of beer and one bottle of wine) for many years. On examination, the patient appeared toxic, with a systolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg, pulse of 116 beats/min, respiration rate of 22 breaths/min and an oral temperature of 39°C. Right basal crackles were present on auscultation of the chest. Cardiovascular examination showed tachycardia with normal heart sounds. Abdominal examination revealed a tense abdomen without evidence of ascites, with diffuse tenderness and hyperactive bowel sounds. The patient's skeletal muscles were tender to palpation and movement. Joint examination revealed no evidence of synovitis. A few hours after admission, multiple 1–2 cm skin lesions were noted predominantly on the truncal area (figure). Over the next 24 hours, these evolved into haemorrhagic bullae with purpuric centres. Laboratory findings were significant for severe leucopenia (1000 cells/mm3), hypo-albuminaemia (1.7 g/dl), abnormal liver function tests (total bilirubin 5.3 g/dl; lactate dehydrogenase 1544 IU/l; aspartate transaminase …
• Moffitt, M. P., & Wisinger, D. B. (1996). Tuberculosis. Recommendations for screening, prevention, and treatment.. Postgraduate medicine, 100(4), 201-4, 209, 212 passim. doi:10.3810/pgm.1996.10.102
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  The incidence of tuberculosis has been increasing in recent years. Therefore, routine screening with the Mantoux test is important in persons at high risk of infection or progression to active disease. Test results are interpreted on the basis of each patient's risk factors. Persons at high risk may benefit from preventive therapy. Active tuberculosis is treated with multidrug regimens to avoid the development of bacterial resistance. Healthcare workers at risk for occupational exposure should undergo routine screening. Required notification of the public health department ensures that patients receive appropriate treatment and that proper investigation is done to prevent further spread of the disease.

Poster Presentations

• Bellis, C., Moffitt, M. P., Coulston, J. B., Heath, A., Shah, S., Hu, C., Castro, M. D., Bellis, C., Moffitt, M. P., Coulston, J. B., Heath, A., Shah, S., Hu, C., & Castro, M. D. (2022, October). Integrating Antiracist Medicine into Clinical Skills Teaching. UA COMP Research Office for Medical Education Forum. Phoenix, AZ: UA COMP.
• Bellis, C., Moffitt, M. P., Coulston, J. B., Heath, A., Shah, S., Hu, C., & Castro, M. D. (2021, November). Integrating Antiracist Medicine into Clinical Skills Teaching. Directors of Clinical Skills Courses (DOCS) Annual Meeting. Virtual/Washington D.C.: Directors of Clinical Skills Courses.
• Coulston, J. B., Heath, A., Moffitt, M. P., Thijm, C., Corry, M., Kurtz, M., Farber, L., Castro, M. D., Hu, C., & Shah, S. (2021). Mission Possible: A Novel Introduction to the Components of the Medical History. 2021 AAMC: Learn, serve, Lead, DOCS 2021. Virtual.
• Moffitt, M. P., Castro, M. D., Coulston, J. B., Shah, S., Hu, C., & Heath, A. (2021). Transitioning to a virtual clinical skills curriculum increased average oral presentation scores in 2nd year medical students.. 2021 AAMC: Learn, serve, Lead, DOCS 2021. Virtual.
• Moffitt, M. P., Castro, M. D., Shah, S., Heath, A., Hu, C., & Coulston, J. B. (2021). Interpreting Entrustable Professional Activity(EPA) Assessments Before and After Remote Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic. 2021 AAMC: Learn, serve, Lead, DOCS 2021. Virtual.
• Moffitt, M. P., Moffitt, M. P., Castro, M. D., Castro, M. D., Shah, S., Shah, S., Heath, A., Heath, A., Hu, C., Hu, C., Coulston, J. B., & Coulston, J. B. (2021). Interpreting Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA) Assessments Before and After Remote Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic. 2021 AAMC: Learn, serve, Lead, DOCS 2021. Virtual.
• Shah, S., Moffitt, M. P., Heath, A., Coulston, J. B., & Castro, M. D. (2021). Faculty Development : Introduction of Health Equity & Anti- Racism in Medicine at UA COMP Doctoring Course. 2021 AAMC: Learn, serve, Lead, DOCS 2021. Virtual.
• Heath, A., Castro, M. D., & Moffitt, M. P. (2019, Fall). Are Trained Primary Care Graders Scores Equivalent to Specialist Graders on SOAP Notes Completed on OSCE 4?. DOCS.
• Heath, A., Moffitt, M. P., & Castro, M. D. (2019, Fall). Faculty Challenges and Barriers in the Implementation of Entrustable Professional Activities Assessment in the UA COMP Doctoring Course.. DOCS.
• Moffitt, M. P., Castro, M. D., & Heath, A. (2019, Fall). Correlation of EPA 6 and qualitative oral presentation scores of 3rd year medical students following a series of standardized patient encounters.. DOCS.
• Moffitt, M. P., McDonald, F., Castro, M. D., Heath, A., & Barcellona, D. (2018, Spring). Simulation and Standardized Patient (SP) Hybrid Experience: A Novel Approach to Prepare Medical Students for Clerkships.. 2018 WGEA Regional Conference.