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Segregation Or Integration: Exploring The Interprofessional Collaboration Of The Sexual Assault Response Team-A Pilot Study, Phyllis E. Adams

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Clinical Projects, 2016-2019

The Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) has been functioning since the early 1970’s with little research on the dynamics of the members’ interprofessional collaboration practice. A current gap in the literature is research specific to the assimilation of the disciplines within the SART and the collaborative practice of the SART. The purpose of this project study is to clarify the 12 subscales of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (motivation, role expectations, personality style, professional power, group leadership, communication, coping, social support, organizational culture, organizational aims, organizational domain, and organizational environment) and explore how each profession perceives these subscales. The sample participants were …

Cancer Perceptions And Health Behaviors In Tazewell County, Virginia, Sarah E. Waddle

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Tazewell County is a community the citizens feel is plagued by cancer. This concern was so great the county officials requested a study be done by a local university, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), to explore potential external factors causing these perceived high rates of cancer within the community. The results of the Virginia Tech study found the rates of cancer were no higher in Tazewell County than elsewhere in the state of Virginia. The purpose of the current study was to explore the idea of perceptions and the effect they may have on the health behaviors …

Applying The Social Cognitive Theory To The Hookup Culture Embodied In The Undergraduate Students Of James Madison University, Jacqueline M. Crawford

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The hookup culture on college campuses is creating a social shift away from traditional dating. The social influence of this culture could potentially be explained through the use of the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). The SCT examines the effects of peer influence, environmental influence, and personal beliefs on individual behavior. The current study applied the SCT to the hookup culture embodied in the undergraduate student body at James Madison University. Research found that many students may be influenced by their peers and environment to participate in this culture and students misperceive the hookup behavior of their peers. These results can …

Parents Of Children With Arthritis-Related Diseases: An Examination Of Knowledge Of And Participation In Select Support Programs And Services Offered By The Arthritis Foundation, Margo B. Deihl

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this pilot study was to identify the knowledge of and participation in select Arthritis Foundation support programs and services among parents of children with arthritis-related diseases. Parents attending the 2014 Juvenile Arthritis National Conference in Keystone, Colorado completed an online survey that asked about their knowledge of and participation in these programs. The data collected for the study was quantitative and qualitative. Respondents were given the opportunity to add comments to some survey items, and these items were analyzed by grouping them according to common themes. Results indicated that the parents were more knowledgeable about the Juvenile …

Effective Communication Of School Health Screening Information: A Pilot Study Evaluating The Effect Of Electronic Communication Of Bmi Screening Information In Elementary Schools, Kara Elizabeth Carter

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Obesity is a growing concern surrounding today’s youth. School-based health screenings are promoted as a public health strategy to identify obese children and those at high risk for becoming obese. Despite numerous programs, data is lacking in effective school to parent communication of health related information. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of electronic communication of health screening outcomes, including parents’ understanding of screening information, utilization of informational resources, and decision to seek physician follow-up. Screenings for body mass index, acanthosis nigricans and blood pressure were conducted during school hours among children in kindergarten and third …

Assessing Understanding Of Sexual Assault Resources And Response Among Health Sciences Students, Michelle M. Pappalardo

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Background: The widely published statistic of 1 in 5 represents the number of women on college campuses who have been sexually assaulted (White House Office of the Press Secretary, 2014). Many colleges and universities have been attempting to address the sensitive topic of sexual assault for quite some time; however, sexual violence still remains prevalent on campuses throughout the United States (Allen, Ridgeway, & Swan, 2015). Many of the roadblocks an institution faces in its efforts may stem from a lack of understanding of the true nature of student attitudes surrounding the topic of sexual assault. The specific needs of …

Are Electronic Cigarettes The Solution To Smoking Cessation?, Heather L. Walsh, Audrey L. Mcmurray

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objectives: Little is known regarding the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as therapy to aid in smoking cessation. Many hypothesize that e-cigarettes are equally as effective or more effective than alternate smoking cessation therapies. The purpose of this review was to examine the evidence on effectiveness of e-cigarettes on smoking cessation and quitting behavior as compared to other smoking cessation therapies, or no therapy at all.

Methods: Searches were done in PubMed utilizing the terms “electronic cigarettes” and “smoking cessation” [MeSH terms]. In PubMed, the following filters limits were used: published in the last 5 years, human species, …

Want To Lose Weight? Commercial Weight Loss Programs Vs. Primary Care, Jessica Jacobson, Katherine Chui

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Context Overweight and obesity rates are on a continuous incline in the United States leading to increased rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death. Much of the healthcare costs are going into treating this disease; therefore, it is vital to find effective weight loss treatments in both the primary care and community settings to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity and subsequent healthcare costs.

Objective To assess whether primary care-based therapy or commercial weight loss programs help overweight and obese patients lose 5% of their weight from baseline.

Design, Setting and Participants A systematic review of four randomized control …

Patient Satisfaction As A Reflection Of Quality Health Care And Outcomes, Ian C. Brown, Taylor M. Piatkowski

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Background: In 2006 the Centers of Medicaid and Medicare Services mandated that acute care centers begin submitting HCAHPS survey data for financial reimbursement for Medicare patients. The national shift to a patient centered focus and the financial incentive to improve patient satisfaction scores has stimulated debate regarding the relationship between patient satisfaction and quality healthcare.

Clinical Question: Does improvement in patient satisfaction with their healthcare and its providers, as measured by the HCAHPS survey, improve healthcare quality and outcomes?

Design: Systematic literature review.

Methods: Searches were performed using PubMed and Scopus databases.The terms used for the PubMed search were “patient …

Routine Screening For Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Is It For Everyone?, Catherine E. Nowak

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: Determine whether routine abdominal ultrasound screening in all men ages 65 and over, not just those who are symptomatic or at risk, would be beneficial in reducing the mortality rate from abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: The clinical question investigated is whether routine ultrasound screening of AAA for men over age 65 reduces AAA-related mortality as compared to not routinely screening. Searches were done through PubMed using the keywords: screening, abdominal aortic aneurysm, reduce, and mortality. Citations used by the USPSTF AAA screening guidelines were also added to the literature search. In PubMed, further limitations …