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To examine the effect of a clinic workflow intervention on follow-up for routine ercutaneous nephrostomy tube (PCN) exchanges.An intervention consisting of automated electronic tracking for all PCN placements and exchanges followed by phone call reminders to schedule a follow-up exchange 60 days post-procedure was introduced on March 19, 2019. All PCN exchanges performed from March 19, 2018 to September 18, 2019 were identified through a local electronic database search to assess the impact of intervention as a quality improvement project. Basic demographic information and procedure details were collected. Routine follow-up at our institution is recommended every 90 days. The exchange rates within 90 days were compared between groups using a Chi-squared test.A total of 160 PCN placements or exchanges were performed pre-intervention and 69 PCN exchanges were performed post-intervention. Pre-intervention, 75/160 (46.3%) were exchanged within 90 days compared to 47/69 (68.1%) exchanged within 90 days post-intervention. The remainder had delayed follow-up due to loss to follow-up or scheduling delays. Post-intervention, there was a significantly improved rate of compliance for PCN exchanges within the recommended 90 days at our institution (p-value = 0.002).Automated tracking and phone call follow-up at 60 days post-procedure is a simple and effective intervention that can improve compliance for routine PCN exchanges and reduce the number of patients that are lost to follow-up.

A study has been performed to understand the effects of magnetic field induced current in Josephson voltage standard (JVS) circuits. Inductive filtering is an essential component in JVS devices for isolation of the microwave and dc bias signals within the circuit. However, currents induced by bias currents flowing in the inductor coil cause undesirable effects in the neighboring junctions. These undesirable effects are amplified as circuits grow in density, with limited die space causing inductors to be placed in close proximity to devices. This paper characterizes critical-current suppression of a junction array, as induced currents are introduced into the circuit under various conditions. Results show that critical current suppression is both a function of inductor magnetic field but also of the coupling to the nearby circuit structure. Design variations explore solutions for rerouting or reducing induced currents. A shield around the inductors proved to be best and most practical for protecting the junction circuit from induced currents. Results from actual JVS devices with shielded low-pass filters confirm the technique.