Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Virtual Versus In-Person Experiential Learning And Medical High-Fidelity Simulation In Medical Student Pediatric Clerkship Training, Andrew Mitchell Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Simulation and experiential training have been incorporated into medical school training for decades. The utilization of medical simulations has become an invaluable tool in healthcare education and training. However, circumstances such as limited resources, geographical constraints, or global health crises may hinder the feasibility of conducting in-person medical simulations. In these scenarios, virtual medical simulations emerge as a compelling alternative. While there are many ways to accomplish experiential-based learning, many faculty and students feel Socratic learning styles provide the best learning experience.

As medical students had just finished a predominantly virtual preclinical year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the research …

Early Detection Of Atypical Motor And Neurobehavior Of Infants At Risk Secondary To Opioid Exposure: A Prospective Study, Kara Boynewicz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prenatal opioid exposure has been studied in relation to infants' medical outcomes. However, large gaps exist in the literature supporting early identification of atypical neurobehavior and motor development of infants with prenatal opioid exposure. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether prenatal opioid exposure has a negative influence on a newborn infant’s neurobehavior and motor development to aid in the early identification of potential delays. Using a prospective quasi experimental design, infants motor development using the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) and neurobehavior using the NICU Neonatal Network Scale (NNNS) was assessed on 58 infants in a …

A Protocol Driven Stroke Code's Impact On Door-To-Needle Times, Jesse Osborne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is most effective the faster it is able to be administered to a patient that has been affected by stroke. A Stroke Code is a strategy that acute care facilities implement to reduce the time from diagnosing a stroke to administering tPA. The purpose of this study was to determine if the initiation of a Stroke Code in an acute care hospital reduces the door-to-needle time for patients affected by a stroke. In particular, does a Stroke Code reduce door-to-needle times. The research was conducted using data from April 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 (pre-Stroke …

3d-Printed Fluidic Devices And Incorporated Graphite Electrodes For Electrochemical Immunoassay Of Biomarker Proteins, Abdulhameed Alabdulwaheed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomarkers are measurable indicators of health status or disease state that can be used for diagnosis and may help guide patient treatment strategies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and other many clinical techniques currently used for measuring biomarker proteins lack sensitivity, demand high analysis cost, are often not well-suited for measuring multiple biomarkers in a single sample, and require long analysis times. Here, we demonstrate simple, low-cost 3D-printed flow-through devices with integrated electrodes modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for electrochemical immunoassays of S100B, a biomarker protein related to conditions like skin cancer and brain injuries. Flow-through devices are fabricated from photocurable-resin …

Strategies Used By Hospitals In A Southeastern State To Reduce Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections: Comparing The Outcomes By Hospital Structure And Processes, Furnell Rife

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections are considered a clinical indicator of quality of care. A descriptive research study was conducted to identify the strategies used by hospitals to reduce or eliminate CAUTIs. Infection Control Preventionists were surveyed. In a predominately rural southeastern state, this study demonstrated that about 40% of hospitals surveyed are implementing CAUTI prevention processes.

Rapid Detection Of Streptococcus Mutans In Saliva, Catherine E. Holtman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Documentation exists that mothers can pass the cariogenic bacteria Streptococcus mutans to their infants. The newest technology to identify Streptococcus mutans is a rapid detection saliva test. Two hundred patients above the age of 18 were targeted using random selection in a Louisville, Kentucky dental office. Patients signed an informed consent form and were given a qualifying questionnaire. Patients received 2 bitewing x-rays and a charted DMFT index and were administered the saliva test. While the null hypothesis was rejected using the chi square test, the results were inconclusive due to expected values. However, other chi square results revealed that …

A Consensus Model For Electroencephalogram Data Via The S-Transform, Andrew Coady Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A consensus model combines statistical methods with signal processing to create a better picture of the family of related signals. In this thesis, we will consider 32 signals produced by a single electroencephalogram (EEG) recording session. The consensus model will be produced by using the S-Transform of the individual signals and then normalized to unit energy. A bootstrapping process is used to produce a consensus spectrum. This leads to the consensus model via the inverse S-Transform of the consensus spectrum. The method will be applied to both a control and experimental EEG to show how the results can be used …

The Effect Of Sternocleidomastoid Muscle Activation Pattern And Feedback Condition On The Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential., Mary Jo Davenport

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) has been shown to be clinically useful in providing diagnostic information regarding the function of the otolith receptors, inferior vestibular nerve, and vestibulospinal pathways. The VEMP is a biphasic response elicited by loud clicks or tone bursts and recorded from the tonically contracted sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. Because the VEMP is an inhibitory response, it is important to investigate stimulus and parameter characteristics in order to determine the optimal test protocol and maximize clinical usefulness. The aims of this study were 1) to evaluate the effects of 4 different methods of SCM muscle activation and …

Reliability Generalization Of The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test., Chandni Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) is a brief screening instrument for assessing alcohol use problems among adults. This instrument is widely used and continued evaluation of its psychometric performance is needed. Reliability and validity are the primary psychometric characteristics of interest when evaluating psychological instruments. The focus of the present study is on reliability, which reflects the consistency or repeatability of the scores produced by a given instrument. Using meta-analytic methods, results showed that approximately 65% of previously published studies using the AUDIT did not appropriately report reliability estimates. Among the remaining studies, weighted reliability estimate centered on …

Light Image Therapy In The Health Care Environment., Anna Rae Dutro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Use of positive distraction in the built healthcare environment to assist in alleviating stress in a patient was investigated. A backlit light image was mounted in the ceiling of an examination room to create a positive distraction for patients in the ETSU Pediatric Clinic in Johnson City, TN. Survey instruments were used to collect sample data from patients and physicians in a randomized, balanced controlled study designed to determine if patients experienced less stress in the room with the backlit image as compared to other rooms (treatments). Although a statistical difference was not determined between the room with the backlit …

The Development Of The Self-Injury Self-Report Measure., Sonia Lorraine Coney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the amount of research that has been conducted on self-injury there is a lack of empirically validated instruments with which to measure self-injurious behavior. The present study developed a measure to examine self-injury and the associated features. Undergraduate students (n = 184) were administered a set of surveys to assess demographics, self-injurious behavior, suicidal ideation, Axis I and Axis II disorders, and impulsivity. Results indicated that a reliable measure, able to assess the extent of self-injury as well as associated features, was developed. Such a measure will enable clinicians to better assess self-injury and enable researchers to more fully …