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Does Ceo Education Matter? The Relationship Between Doctoral-Educated Hospital Ceos And Organizational Performance, Kofi Ali Cash Jan 2024

Does Ceo Education Matter? The Relationship Between Doctoral-Educated Hospital Ceos And Organizational Performance, Kofi Ali Cash

All ETDs from UAB

One of the most pressing issues in healthcare strategic leadership research is identifying which hospital chief executive officer (CEO) characteristics possess a significant and favorable relationship to organizational performance. However, little is known about the relationship between hospitals led by doctoral-educated CEOs and organizational performance. This study adds to our knowledge by examining the relationship between doctoral-educated hospital CEOs and selected financial and patient safety outcomes. UET served as the theoretical framework and guided the examination of the relationship between the selected dependent and independent variables. This study’s population included 509 acute-care hospitals across nine states, requiring a minimum four-year …


An Examination Of The Relationship Between Mobile Apps And Healthcare Outcomes: A Patient Engagement And Patient Satisfaction Perspective, Khaled Hamad Alkhalifa Jan 2023

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Mobile Apps And Healthcare Outcomes: A Patient Engagement And Patient Satisfaction Perspective, Khaled Hamad Alkhalifa

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Mobile apps are rapidly becoming an essential tool for hospitals to be competitive in a rapidly evolving healthcare market driven by patient expectations. The effectiveness of mobile apps is not fully understood, and more research needs to be done to evaluate their impact on patient satisfaction. More specifically, the role of patient engagement in this relationship needs to be investigated, given the rapid improvement in health behavior-changing mobile apps.Objective: This study aimed to examine (1) whether hospitals providing mobile apps are associated with higher patient satisfaction and patient engagement scores, (2) whether mobile app usability impacts this relationship, and …


I Would Be Shocked If Someone’S Not Depressed With That Diagnosis”: An In-Depth Exploration Of The Manifestation And Management Of Depression And Anxiety In Patients With Cancer, Carmen Rainey Brown Jan 2023

I Would Be Shocked If Someone’S Not Depressed With That Diagnosis”: An In-Depth Exploration Of The Manifestation And Management Of Depression And Anxiety In Patients With Cancer, Carmen Rainey Brown

All ETDs from UAB

Patients diagnosed with cancer experience depression and anxiety at higher rates compared to the general population. Most individuals diagnosed with cancer will experience symptoms of depression and anxiety at some point during their cancer trajectory and not seek care leaving their mental health conditions undiagnosed and untreated, which impact quality of life and cancer outcomes. Patient and providers perspectives are vital to understand the manifestation, care-seeking behaviors, and provider management of depression and anxiety in patients with cancer. This study sought to explore the manifestation of depression and anxiety among patients with cancer and their care seeking behaviors for mental …


A Study To Examine The Relationship Between Ceo Characteristics And Organizational Performance In The Us Pharmaceutical And Biopharmaceutical Industries, Wafick K. Mohamed Jan 2023

A Study To Examine The Relationship Between Ceo Characteristics And Organizational Performance In The Us Pharmaceutical And Biopharmaceutical Industries, Wafick K. Mohamed

All ETDs from UAB

This study examined the relationship between CEO tenure, sex, level of education, and organizational performance across 229 U.S. publicly traded pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. The Upper Echelons Theory was used to guide this research on how CEO characteristics could impact organizational performance. Fifteen hypotheses were developed and tested to evaluate the statistically significant relationship between CEO tenure, sex, level of education, and the organizational performance demonstrated in the abnormal stock return valuation and the number of FDA-approved drug products in clinical trial phases (phases 1, 2, and 3) for each company. This quantitative, non-experimental, and cross-sectional study was completed by …


Senior Executive Experience And The Performance Of Healthcare Organizations, John Patrick Walsh Jan 2023

Senior Executive Experience And The Performance Of Healthcare Organizations, John Patrick Walsh

All ETDs from UAB

SENIOR EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE AND THE PERFORMANCE OF HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS JOHN P. WALSH HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ABSTRACT The healthcare industry has become increasingly complex over the past two decades causing concern for stakeholders of hospitals and health systems regarding the future viability. Given the tumultuous times, understanding who is best suited to lead these organizations is essential. While some work has been done studying certain characteristics of the Senior Leaders of these organizations, none have looked at the relationship between the Senior Leader’s work experience comparing those with for-profit experience and those without and performance. Using Upper Echelon’s Theory as a …


Understanding The Impact Of Hospital Price Transparency Initiatives On Consumer Decision-Making To Purchase Healthcare Services, Neel Pathak Jan 2023

Understanding The Impact Of Hospital Price Transparency Initiatives On Consumer Decision-Making To Purchase Healthcare Services, Neel Pathak

All ETDs from UAB

This study examined the influence of hospital list price information on individuals' decision-making to purchase healthcare services. The study collected quantitative data from 550 individuals by administering a hospital price transparency survey. Findings indicate that awareness of hospital list prices and quality outcomes metrics was high, but utilization rates were relatively low among survey participants. Demographic variations were explored with respect to the awareness and utilization of hospital list prices. Quality outcomes and recommendations from friends, family, and physicians emerged as the most important attributes influencing decision-making to purchase healthcare services whereas hospital list prices and social media had a …


Physical Activity And Related Social Cognitive Theory Constructs By Major Depression Status In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Catherine Danielle Jones Jan 2023

Physical Activity And Related Social Cognitive Theory Constructs By Major Depression Status In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Catherine Danielle Jones

All ETDs from UAB

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent among the 1 million per-sons living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States. The prevalence of MDD is nearly 1.7 times higher in persons with MS than in the general population. MDD is associated with negative outcomes in MS, including worse neuropsychological functioning, lower quality of life (QOL), and worse disability. Higher levels of physical activity (PA) are associated with lower depressive symptoms in MS and participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has been recommended for managing depression se-verity in the general population. However, the rates, patterns, and behavioral correlates …


Advanced Applications Of Existing Technology And Their Influence On Quality Outcomes In Federally Qualified Health Centers, Ali Riza Demirbas Jan 2023

Advanced Applications Of Existing Technology And Their Influence On Quality Outcomes In Federally Qualified Health Centers, Ali Riza Demirbas

All ETDs from UAB

Increasing competition in the healthcare industry is compelling organizations to adopt new strategies to obtain and/or maintain a competitive advantage. To obtain a competitive advantage, healthcare organizations may need either more efficient processes or offer new or improved products and services through the utilization of these strategies. In competitive market environments, technological innovations can be a key competitive advantage to reduce expenses, improve quality, attract more customers, or a combination of all. All healthcare organizations can benefit from technological innovations, especially those with limited resources. One type of healthcare organization that highlights the disparity in resources is the Federally Qualified …


Exploring The Influence Of Family History Before And After Type 2 Diabetes Development Through Statistical Analysis Of Biomarkers And An Educational Intervention, Jessica Johnson Denton Jan 2022

Exploring The Influence Of Family History Before And After Type 2 Diabetes Development Through Statistical Analysis Of Biomarkers And An Educational Intervention, Jessica Johnson Denton

All ETDs from UAB

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate in both children and adults worldwide. Timely identification of those at risk for type 2 diabetes is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality and to mitigate the toll on families and the healthcare system. Family history is an effective, universal tool that can be used to identify individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes before they acquire additional risk factors. Understanding how family history contributes to biomarkers associated with diabetes in healthy individuals could facilitate the creation of early screening and prevention strategies designed for this specific at-risk …


The Effect Of Integrative Medicine Interventions On Patient Activation Measure, Rochelle F. Richards Jan 2022

The Effect Of Integrative Medicine Interventions On Patient Activation Measure, Rochelle F. Richards

All ETDs from UAB

Activated patients believe they have essential roles in achieving and maintaining their health. Patient activation is strongly related to improved clinical outcomes (Hibbard, 2017; Greene, 2013). The study’s primary purpose is to evaluate the use of Integrative Medicine Interventions (IMIs) and their relationship to patient activation levels; and to investigate the association between IMI protocols and patient activation levels on patient reported outcomes (PROs) for those with chronic diseases, specifically chronic fatigue and mental health-related conditions of anxiety and depression, using the principles of Integrative Medicine’s (IM) whole-person approach as the model of care in independent IM practices across the …


An Examination Of The Relationship Between The Role Of The Chief Diversity Officer And Hospital Financial Performance And Patient Experience Measures, Kemberly L. Blackledge Jan 2022

An Examination Of The Relationship Between The Role Of The Chief Diversity Officer And Hospital Financial Performance And Patient Experience Measures, Kemberly L. Blackledge

All ETDs from UAB

Healthcare organizations drive to achieve hospital measures has much to do with strategies put in place by the executive leadership team and resources of the firm. Forces such as regulatory changes reducing hospital payments and external forces such as social injustices leave executives turning to innovative ways to improve the bottomline. This study examined the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) and the relationship with hospitals measures of financial performance and patient experience for hospitals with a CDO and without a CDO. Hospitals with a CDO can deploy organizational strategies such as diversity management and cultural competencies. These strategies are important because …


Mevisit: Value-Based Approach To Primary Care Delivery By Mtelemedicine Utilization Applied Through Lean Principles, Neil Coyer Thornbury Jan 2022

Mevisit: Value-Based Approach To Primary Care Delivery By Mtelemedicine Utilization Applied Through Lean Principles, Neil Coyer Thornbury

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Significant issues of inconsistent patient services in the U.S. health system impact health outcomes and create high cost. Limitations of immobility, inefficiency, and accessibility sacrifice patient treatment, delay recovery, and escalate health risks from the lack of primary care physicians. The primary purpose of this study was to examine meVisit, a connective mobile technology, as a feasible primary care solution to address escalating health costs by reducing emergency room (ER) visits and inpatient admissions (IA). Methods: The feasibility study applied descriptive and inferential statistics to secondary data (n=4,024) and compared the two independent patient groups from the same large …


Exploring The Influence Of Psychosocial Stress And Inflammatory Properties Of The Diet On Cardiometabolic Risk And Gut Microbiome Health Among Young Adult Women Of Birmingham, Alabama, Rachel Olivia Knight Jan 2022

Exploring The Influence Of Psychosocial Stress And Inflammatory Properties Of The Diet On Cardiometabolic Risk And Gut Microbiome Health Among Young Adult Women Of Birmingham, Alabama, Rachel Olivia Knight

All ETDs from UAB

Concerning trends for obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, and obesity-related cancers, or cardiometabolic disease (CMD), are developing within the emerging and young adult/adulthood (EYA) population. Evidence supports the concept that chronic stress leads to physiologic dysregulation, reduced mental health, chronic diseases, and reduced longevity; however, these are not inevitable outcomes, and resilience or vulnerability is determined by interacting environmental and biobehavioral factors. Although CMD manifests clinically in older adulthood, disease pathophysiology begins earlier, and thus, EYA is a critical time for observation and intervention. Growing evidence indicates inflammation is a major risk factor in CMD development and may be exacerbated by …


Effects Of Different Types Of Augmented Feedback On Spatiotemporal Gait Performance And Intrinsic Motivation With Individuals Post Stroke, Saleh M. Alhirsan Jan 2022

Effects Of Different Types Of Augmented Feedback On Spatiotemporal Gait Performance And Intrinsic Motivation With Individuals Post Stroke, Saleh M. Alhirsan

All ETDs from UAB

After a stroke, an individual can be left with physical and psychological deficits, including decreased walking speed, reduced step length, and reduced intrinsic motivation. These deficits affect their performance during rehabilitation sessions, limit daily activities such as walking and stepping, and restrict participation in social roles that involve mobility. Current clinical practice guidelines recommend providing augmented feedback using virtual reality (VR) to enhance walking outcomes after six months of stroke onset. This dissertation shows two novel VR applications designed, especially for individuals’ post-stroke, to induce their fast-walking speed and maximum step length performance, and intrinsic motivation. Three performance conditions were …


Behavioral, Environmental, Social, Psychosocial, And Physiological Factors That Impact The Relationship Between Chronic Lung Disease Status And Susceptibility To Electronic Cigarette Use Or Actual Electronic Cigarette Use, Mohammed M. Alqahtani Jan 2022

Behavioral, Environmental, Social, Psychosocial, And Physiological Factors That Impact The Relationship Between Chronic Lung Disease Status And Susceptibility To Electronic Cigarette Use Or Actual Electronic Cigarette Use, Mohammed M. Alqahtani

All ETDs from UAB

There is surge increase in e-cigarettes among adult vulnerable population such as individuals with chronic lung disease (CLD). Currently, there is a lack of understanding of the factors that may lead to the increase use of e-cigarettes or susceptibility of ecigarette use among individuals who have a history of CLD. Thus, it is crucial to recognize the characteristics of the individuals with CLD and adults without CLD who are susceptible to using e-cigarettes because this may pave the way for the prevention and reduction of tobacco use by identifying the different factors and eventually targeting the related risk factors. In …


Contributions Of Off-Season Training And Food Security Status On Body Composition And Performance In Collegiate Football Players, Kathryn Lee Stowers Jan 2022

Contributions Of Off-Season Training And Food Security Status On Body Composition And Performance In Collegiate Football Players, Kathryn Lee Stowers

All ETDs from UAB

Body composition measurements are collected periodically in the collegiate athletic setting to evaluate health and predict athletic performance of individual athletes. However, the effects of remote training and food insecurity on body composition have yet to be fully investigated in this population. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the influence of remote training and food security status on body composition and performance changes during off-season training. Aims 1 and 2 focus specifically on how factors affect body composition changes in collegiate football players during off-season training. Data were collected from routine body composition testing and food security screening …


Unexpected And Usual Breaks' Impact On Body Composition In College Athletes, Aston Dommel Jan 2022

Unexpected And Usual Breaks' Impact On Body Composition In College Athletes, Aston Dommel

All ETDs from UAB

Body composition is an important factor that determines athletic performance. At the elite level, margins of victory are narrow, with small changes in performance making the difference between victory and defeat. Changes in body composition affect performance, in both improvements and decrements. Athletes regularly experience breaks from structured activity and resources caused by expected circumstances (school breaks, off-season) and unexpected circumstances (injury, COVID-19). Due to differences in diet, physical activity, and other factors, breaks may cause changes in body composition that can hinder or help the athlete upon return to structured resources. Currently, there is a plethora of cross-sectional research …


The Effect Of Federally Qualified Health Centers (Fqhcs) Prevalence On Uncompensated Care In Us Hospitals, Kena R. Norris Jan 2022

The Effect Of Federally Qualified Health Centers (Fqhcs) Prevalence On Uncompensated Care In Us Hospitals, Kena R. Norris

All ETDs from UAB

Over the past two decades, uncompensated care in U.S. hospitals has grown at a staggering rate and reached $46.4 billion in 2013. It began to decline in 2014, due to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), but is now on the rise again. Uncompensated care is typically affected by policy and market factors such as legislative changes and an increase in the number of uninsured. While hospitals continue to serve as critical safety net providers, they are often not the only or most appropriate facility to serve the indigent in U.S. communities. Instead, federally qualified …


Assessing The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Metastatic Lung Cancer Time To Treatment Initiation, Health Care Resource Utilization, And Costs In The United States, Teresa M. Zyczynski Jan 2022

Assessing The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Metastatic Lung Cancer Time To Treatment Initiation, Health Care Resource Utilization, And Costs In The United States, Teresa M. Zyczynski

All ETDs from UAB

The COVID-19 pandemic has derailed normal operations in the health care delivery systems in the United States (US) and globally, providing prioritized care to patients seeking acute management of the novel coronavirus and its complications. Simultaneously, cancer screening tests have decreased, resulting in decreased rates of cancer diagnoses and referrals to oncologists. The purpose of this study was to assess time to treatment initiation (TTI) with systemic cancer therapy in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic lung cancer, metastatic lung cancer-related and total healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs during the pandemic/post-pandemic period compared with the pre-pandemic period. The retrospective claims …


The Role Of Obesity, Gdm, And Lifestyle Factors On Metabolic Syndrome Scores In Mothers And Their Children 4-10 Years After Pregnancy, Makenzie Callahan Jan 2021

The Role Of Obesity, Gdm, And Lifestyle Factors On Metabolic Syndrome Scores In Mothers And Their Children 4-10 Years After Pregnancy, Makenzie Callahan

All ETDs from UAB

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of symptoms that increase risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, early detection of MetS is vital for disease prevention. Gestational diabetes (GDM) and/or obesity during pregnancy are associated with a greater risk for MetS in mothers and their children compared to mothers with no GDM. However, little is known about how much a GDM history or in utero exposure to maternal GDM contributes to MetS risk years after that pregnancy in addition to risk attributable to obesity itself. Therefore, the overall objective of this dissertation was explore how a history of …


Does Interdisciplinary Care Team Care Management Improve Health Quality And Demonstrate Cost Effectiveness?, F Cardwell Feagin Jr Jan 2021

Does Interdisciplinary Care Team Care Management Improve Health Quality And Demonstrate Cost Effectiveness?, F Cardwell Feagin Jr

All ETDs from UAB

The U. S. healthcare system faces unsustainable rising healthcare costs. Health care cost as a percentage of gross domestic product is expected to rise to 19.4 percent by 2027 (Wilson, 2019). This unstainable rise in healthcare costs is creating a problem for consumers of healthcare. By 2030, the average annual healthcare spending per working household, including premium and out-of-pocket expenditures, is estimated to be 33.9 percent of median compensation (Girod et al., 2016). Also, lawmakers and policymakers face funding issues of healthcare. A key finding of this study is that field-based interdisciplinary care team care management, with an algorithm selecting …


Rural And Urban Differences In Vegetable And Fruit Consumption Among Older Cancer Survivors In The Deep South: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study, Harleen Kaur Jan 2021

Rural And Urban Differences In Vegetable And Fruit Consumption Among Older Cancer Survivors In The Deep South: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study, Harleen Kaur

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Rural Americans have poorer overall health and physical functioning than their urban counterparts. A varied diet, rich in vegetable and fruit (V&F) consumption may improve health; however, little is known about rural-urban differences in V&F consumption, especially in older cancer survivors. Objective: To assess differences in V&F consumption among older cancer survivors residing in urban- and rural-designated areas, and explore whether differences exist by sex, race, and cancer type. Design: This was a cross-sectional secondary analysis. Participants/setting: Screening data from the Harvest for Health trial was obtained on 731 Medicare-eligible cancer survivors across Alabama. Main outcome measures: V&F consumption …


Evidence For A Bioelectrical Marker Of Insulin Resistance In Premenopausal Women: Membrane Capacitance, Valene E. Garr Barry Jan 2021

Evidence For A Bioelectrical Marker Of Insulin Resistance In Premenopausal Women: Membrane Capacitance, Valene E. Garr Barry

All ETDs from UAB

Insulin resistance (IR) is associated with poor metabolic and reproductive outcomes among premenopausal women. Early identification of women with IR might mitigate these outcomes. However, clinically suitable methods to identify women with IR are unavailable due to high cost, high patient burden, or limited reliability. The objective was to examine a bioimpedance-based approach to identifying women with IR using membrane capacitance (CM). CM is a measure of cell membrane health and function, which is independently associated with IR and may be a suitable predictor. We validated the association of CM with IR and established the clinical utility of CM as …


Race, Feeding Practices And Infant Weight Gain During The First 6 Weeks Of Life, Alysha Breanne Everett Jan 2021

Race, Feeding Practices And Infant Weight Gain During The First 6 Weeks Of Life, Alysha Breanne Everett

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Non-Hispanic black (NHB) infants are disproportionately affected by rapid weight gain compared to non-Hispanic white (NHW) infants, which in turn, is associated with future disparities including obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Feeding practices, such as the use of formula or bottles, differ by race and are associated with rate of weight gain. Data from the Pregnancy and Early Life in the South (PEARLS) birth-cohort study was used to test the hypotheses that change in body weight and weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ) from birth to 6 weeks would be greater for (1) NHB versus NHW infants; and (2) infants fed formula (exclusively …


Is There A Relationship Between Leadership Characteristics And Services Provided Among Ihs Urban Indian Health Programs?, George Grant Tribble Jan 2021

Is There A Relationship Between Leadership Characteristics And Services Provided Among Ihs Urban Indian Health Programs?, George Grant Tribble

All ETDs from UAB

IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS AND SERVICES PROVIDED AMONG IHS URBAN INDIAN HEALTH PROGRAMS?GEORGE G. TRIBBLE HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP ABSTRACT The Native American population has faced and been impacted by a wide range of actions throughout the last few hundred years. The loss of cultural norms and way of life continues to manifest itself through various socioeconomic concerns. At the center of the Native American leadership model is a disciplined and culturally specific guidance structure. The Urban Indian Health Program (UIHP) was created by the Indian Health Service to establish a culturally appropriate health care delivery model for Native …


Pain-Related Injustice Appraisal And Chronic Low Back Pain Among Arabs In The United States, Albatool Homoud Alnojeidi Jan 2021

Pain-Related Injustice Appraisal And Chronic Low Back Pain Among Arabs In The United States, Albatool Homoud Alnojeidi

All ETDs from UAB

Pain-related injustice appraisal has emerged as a psychosocial predictor of deleterious chronic low back pain (CLBP) outcomes. The appraisal is defined as the individual’s perception regarding the magnitude and irreparability of pain-related loss and suffering, externalized blame, and unfairness. Research in diverse samples revealed racial differences in pain-related injustice appraisal, suggesting that it may reflect broader racial/ethnic, sociocultural, and socioeconomic factors. This agrees with theories recognizing the role of ethnic and cultural characteristics in ethnic minorities’ health. Despite global data showing that Arabs represent the population with the second-highest prevalence of CLBP worldwide, a reliable characterization of CLBP among Arabs …


Health Systems And Societal Level Community Benefit, Meghan Blueberry Mccarthy Jan 2020

Health Systems And Societal Level Community Benefit, Meghan Blueberry Mccarthy

All ETDs from UAB

In America, the amount spent on community benefit as tax exemption justification for not-for-profit health care is approaching 100 billion dollars annually. There are multiple categories for community benefit as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The overwhelming majority of these funds are spent on individual financial assistance rather than societal level community health investments to address social determinates of health. Societal level community benefit is defined as the total spending on community health improvement, cash & in-kind donations to community groups and community building as reported on IRS form 990 Schedule H. These three combined itemized areas of …


The Relationship Between Asthma And Electronic Cigarette Use Among Youth And Young Adults: Mediation And Moderation Approaches, Abdullah M M Alanazi Jan 2020

The Relationship Between Asthma And Electronic Cigarette Use Among Youth And Young Adults: Mediation And Moderation Approaches, Abdullah M M Alanazi

All ETDs from UAB

Asthma is associated with a higher likelihood of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, which may increase the risk of pulmonary complications. Therefore, we sought to identify factors that influence e-cigarette use that may inform future behavior interventions targeting e-cigarette use prevention. In this dissertation, we used mediation and moderation to model the relationship of health beliefs, psychosocial and behavioral factors that may affect the relationship between e-cigarette use and asthma. We used national samples from public datasets, and a clinical sample recruited from healthcare facilities in Alabama. The results of this study are reported in three different papers. In the first …


Mechanisms Of Virtual Reality To Improve Walking And Reaching Behavior In Individuals With Chronic Low Back Pain, Rebecca Hennessy Jan 2020

Mechanisms Of Virtual Reality To Improve Walking And Reaching Behavior In Individuals With Chronic Low Back Pain, Rebecca Hennessy

All ETDs from UAB

Chronic low back pain (cLBP), low back pain persisting longer than three to six months, is a prevalent condition that can greatly interfere with movement quality. Specifically, cLBP can result in slower walking speeds and negatively affect reaching movements. Virtual reality (VR) encompasses a variety of technologies which may potentially improve therapeutic interventions for individuals with cLBP by presenting users with fun, distracting, and engaging challenges that align with their rehabilitative goals. While VR systems have become more accessible to everyday users, there is limited research which specifically examines VR mechanisms to improve walking and reaching quality. This dissertation presents …


The Effect Of Gi Patients' Health Literacy Levels On Gi Patients' Health Outcomes, Dae Hyun Kim Jan 2020

The Effect Of Gi Patients' Health Literacy Levels On Gi Patients' Health Outcomes, Dae Hyun Kim

All ETDs from UAB

The paper in this dissertation provide empirical evidence on the effect of GI patients’ health literacy levels on GI patients’ health outcomes. The findings of this study contribute to existing body of literature on health literacy and health outcomes. Furthermore, the findings also offer both theoretical and practical implications to physicians, healthcare administrators, and policymakers. Overall, the results of this study show that GI patients’ health literacy levels are negatively associated with GI patients’ health outcomes (hospital length of stay, readmission, and complication). However, partial support was shown for different types of GI surgeries accentuating the negative association between GI …