Digital Commons Network^™

The Relative Contribution Of Health-Care Points Of Service To Overall Patient Satisfaction At A University Health Center, Jay M. Parikh

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Throughout the process of receiving healthcare, a patient is affected by several factors and processes. To just name a few, how long a patient must wait at the clinic, how friendly the front desk is, how the nurse treats the patient, how effective the physician is with his or her communication, what the cost of a patient's healthcare is, and how clean the clinic is all affect the patient's experience. When clinics excel in these factors, it promotes a favorable relationship between the patient and the clinic. Patients trust the healthcare provider and desire to continue attending that clinic when …

Patient Perceptions Of Shared Decision-Making In The Acute Care Hospital And Their Association With Patient Experience And Readmission, Jill Haladay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Avoidable hospital readmissions continue to be a concerning and costly healthcare issue. While the emphasis on reducing avoidable hospital readmissions persists, incentivization strategies are evolving. Initial strategies prioritized medical care delivery, but recent regulation highlights the value of effective transitional (discharge) care planning, and particularly, patient involvement in that process. This latter aspect of care has a clear indication for the application of shared decision-making. Shared decision-making (SDM) practice in the acute care setting largely represents a gap in the literature; yet understanding patient perceptions of SDM during hospitalization is an important and timely first step in exploring the effectiveness …

Nurse Managers' Patient Safety Communication, Christine Deatrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Medical errors are a continuing issue for healthcare organizations and can lead to patient harm or death. To bring about organizational learning and therefore reduce medical errors, information must successfully flow through an organization. Nurse managers play an essential role as the conduit of information between frontline staff and the organization. The primary purpose of this study is to describe the decision-making process of how nurse managers actively select and transmit information on patient safety concerns. A qualitative constructivist grounded theory approach was used. Nineteen unit-level nurse managers, working full-time in an acute care hospital with a minimum of one-year …

Macro-Level Factors Impacting Colorectal Cancer Screening Behavior Among Church-Going Chinese Immigrants In The U.S.: A Convergent Mixed-Method Study, Xian Cao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Chinese immigrants (CIs) had low colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates. Macro-level health determinants may affect CIs' CRC screening; however, this is not well established. Thus, this research looked at the macro-level social factors of CRC screening among CIs. The POET theoretical framework guided this study, which includes four components: population (P), organization (O), environment (E), and technology (T). A convergent mixed method was used to investigate whether sociodemographic, acculturation, religious social capital, and mobile media-based cancer information seeking may predict CIs' endoscopic screening, and how these variables impact it. A validated survey and an interview covering the same factors were …

Examining The Use Of Digital Tools To Facilitate Multilingual Patient-Physician Communication: A Scoping Review, Esha V. Ghosalkar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The United States healthcare system cares for and supports a diverse patient population. Patients come from various ethnic backgrounds, speak different languages, hold distinct religious affiliations, and more. These differences can create a chasm in the patient-provider relationship, impacting the quality of care or health outcomes. Specifically, language-discordance can affect patient-provider communication; however, technological interventions, such as access to electronic medical record tools and digital translators, can facilitate this dyadic communication. This scoping review examines the literature present on the use of digital tools to facilitate multilingual patient-provider communication. The initial search in PubMed with MeSH terms resulted in 531 …

An Examination Of The Research Related To American Physicians' Prescription Of Opioid Analgesics Before And After The Joint Commission Pain Standards For 2001, Valory Anne S. Vailoces

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the literature regarding physicians’ prescriptions of opioid analgesics before and after The Joint Commission Pain Standards for 2001. Opioids are a last resort treatment for chronic pain due to their high potential for tolerance, dependency, and misuse. The establishment of The Joint Commission Pain Standards for 2001 was the culmination of several movements to address the underassessment and undertreatment of pain. The Joint Commission Pain Standards for 2001 focused on improving pain assessment, management, and treatment through a systematic approach. The Joint Commission (TJC), formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of …

Disparities In The 2009 Swine Flu Pandemic And Covid-19: A Literature Review, Yusuf Amawi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to identify causes of disparities in affliction (infection) and mortality for minority populations (Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indian/Alaskan Natives) during the Swine Flu (H1N1) and COVID-19 (Sars-Cov-2) Pandemics. A literature review was conducted gathering peer-reviewed journal articles related to racial and socioeconomic disparities in affliction and mortality during both pandemics. The model of Blumenshine et al. (2008) was used as a guide for the analysis of this thesis, and measures of exposure, susceptibility, and treatment were hypothesized as causes for the disparities experienced by the minority populations during the two pandemics. Ultimately, it …

The Effectiveness Of Interventions And Bundles For Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Mohamad Alhamwi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs) are a major cause of increased mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) patients. Despite CDC's efforts to reduce infection rates, patients often suffer consequences. The objective of this study is to perform a systematic review of strategies utilized in the neonatal population and evaluate them with the current CDC's guidelines to assess the effectiveness of bundles in preventing CLABSI in NICUs.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using CINAHL Plus with Text, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and MEDLINE from January 2008 up to 2018. There were multiple …

Health Insurance Status And Diabetes Management Practices Among Black Adults In The U.S., Luderve Rosier

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between health insurance status and diabetes management (in terms of medication adherence and physical activity levels) in Black adults based on socioeconomic factors. Data were harvested from the Sample Adult Questionnaires of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) between the years of 2010 and 2016. The survey questions that were collected included information about the participants' income, education level, insurance status, diabetes diagnosis, medication therapy and physical activity levels. This study employed the most recent version of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The association between diabetes management …

Profit-Bearing Administrators: Exploring The Application Of Economics And Financial Concepts In Healthcare Management, Brandon K. Riddick

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Healthcare managers face an incredible challenge today; understanding and implementing financially and economically sound decisions in the complex healthcare environment of the United States. The pressure to be profitable managers is greater than ever. Considering current research, past studies, and articles focused on the demands of healthcare managers will illuminate the state of health care administration, and the importance of real world application of accounting and economics in healthcare.

This thesis will explore and examine research about industry standards, and the need for preparedness in healthcare finance management. It will also examine the important and complex role of accounting and …

Attitudes Of Mothers And Daughters Towards Menstrual Suppression, Jacqueline M. Devaney

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Recent biomedical advancements, cultural practices, and individual preferences have altered the ways in which biological process such as menstruation are perceived and managed. Increasingly, women are interested in suppressing menstruation to alleviate its negative symptoms, including bloating, menstrual cramps, fatigue, and irritability. This topic is especially relevant for adolescent girls, as mothers and daughters might have to negotiate attitudes towards daughters’ menstrual suppression. Therefore this study aims to examine how this topic is discussed and understood within the mother-daughter dyad. It is also important to consider how these attitudes are shaped by cultural background, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, and religion. Through …