Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Strategies To Encourage Recall And Prevent Relapse After Full Mouth Rehabilitation Under General Anesthesia In Children, Claire Koukol

Capstone Experience

Background: Dental caries are preventable. Dentists utilize many prevention strategies in the office and provide at-home education to families. However, once a child develops Early Childhood Caries (ECC), especially in more severe cases, they may need general anesthesia (GA) to complete treatment. While this is an effective way to achieve full mouth dental rehabilitation (FMDR), this burdens the healthcare systems and families and does not come without risk to the patient. Patients with high caries experience remain at high risk of caries relapse after FMDR under GA, sometimes necessitating additional FMDR under GA. While there has been a significant amount …

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 …

Spotlight On Mental Health On A Healthcare Campus: An Assessment Of Psychological Trauma Awareness, Training, And Treatment In The University Of Nebraska Medical Center College Of Public Health Community, Jenny E. Mueller

Capstone Experience

Background: Psychological trauma has been recognized as a public health concern of epidemic proportions globally. Public health community awareness of and education in trauma is likely to be integral to preparing future public health professionals to work effectively and safely in the field. Currently, the extent of trauma awareness, training, and treatment on the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health (UNMC COPH) campus is not known.

Aims: The aims of this project are to investigate and assess the level of psychological trauma awareness, training, and treatment on the UNMC COPH campus; and to provide recommendations for actions …

Planners Vs. Non-Planners: Do Preterm Births Impact Future Contraceptive Use?, Jessie Moore

NYMC Student Theses and Dissertations

Background: In the United States, 45% of all pregnancies are unintended and occur when contraception is not used or is used inconsistently. Among those pregnancies, 1 in 10 women will experience a preterm birth, which is defined as a birth occurring before 37 weeks gestation. Women who have delivered preterm are at an increased risk for preterm birth in future pregnancies and are encouraged to wait at least 18 months between giving birth and getting pregnant again. Among women who have experienced a preterm birth, the desire to delay future pregnancy or avoiding it all together often becomes a necessity …

A Case Study Of The Political Determinant Of Health On The Public Health Crisis Of Malaria In Nigeria, Bisola M. Olumegbon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Globally, there were about 229 million cases of malaria in 2022. The sub-Saharan African region accounted for 92% of the reported cases and 94% of deaths. Nigeria had the highest number of malaria cases and deaths, representing 27% of global cases. This scholarly project was a case study guided by the political determinants of health. Triangulation of data using thematic analysis was used to identify the political determinants of malaria in Nigeria and to understand how the concept of interaction contributes to the persistence of the disease. The analysis involved a deductive and inductive approach based on the literature …

Impact Of A Provider Flagging System On Increasing Ezetimibe Utilization In High-Cardiac Risk Adults, Janessa Creado

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of mortality globally. Often, healthcare providers fail to follow evidence-based guidelines in their practice.

PICOT: In high cardiac-risk, adult patients with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels greater than 70 milligram/deciliter (mg/dl) despite being on a maximum tolerated dose of statin (P), what was the effect of a provider flagging system to initiate ezetimibe (I) compared to standard care (C) on increasing the utilization of ezetimibe according to the 2018 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines (O) within 8 weeks (T)?

Evidence: An extensive evidence literature review …

Point Of Care Testing: Best Practice Toolkit For Improving Access To Point Of Care Testing In Mobile Medicine, Michaela Gist

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Healthcare for persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) is a complex issue. Chronic and communicable diseases are disproportionately represented within this population. Healthcare spending is 2.5 times more costly in comparison to those who have not experienced homelessness. Although mobile health clinics aim to reduce the concerns with access to care, they do not eliminate barriers if the appropriate tests are not immediately available.

PICO: In the homeless population treated in mobile medicine (P), what is the effect of point of care testing (I) on turnaround time (O) compared with outside laboratory testing (C)?

Evidence: Critical analysis of the literature …

Patient Navigational Tool Increase Resource Use In A Latino Population, Kimberly Burrus

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: The practice problem is a patient navigation tool in a mobile health clinic for the Latino population to help improve utilization of resources within Daviess County, Indiana, and improve overall health literacy and health of those populations?

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In a mobile health clinic serving Latino populations (P), does a navigation tool (I) compared to current practices (C) improve utilization of services (O) within a 12-week timeframe (T)?

Evidence: The evidence that guided this project showed patients with limited English proficiency, immigrant families have a disparity of health literacy, and an …

Review Of The Literature: Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Mobile Integrated Health - Community Paramedicine Programs In Reducing Pre-Hospital Ems Calls And Transportations, Annika N. Schultz

Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc)

Pre-hospital Emergency Medical Service (EMS) systems, including fire departments and ambulance transport services, are increasingly overburdened with high call volumes and unnecessary utilization of services leading to provider burnout, depletion of resources and rising healthcare costs. Many local EMS systems have recognized a need for a more sustainable solution to help reduce the number of unnecessary 9-1-1 calls and transportation to the Emergency Department (ED). Local agencies are beginning to expand the role and scope of practice for paramedics through programs referred to as Mobile Integrated Health – Community Paramedicine (MIH-CP). This new branch of medicine aims to provide patient-centered …

The Use Of Alcohol Impregnated Port Catheters For Decreasing Central Line Infections In Acute Care, Shana M. Coons

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Lack of proper sterile protocol for central lines was noted as a problem in the acute care units, causing CLASBI rates to be higher than the national average at the hospital in question.

PICOT: In hospitalized acute care adult patients 18 years of age and older with central lines, how does the use of alcohol impregnated port protectors (AIPPs) compared to current central line sanitation practices affect central-line associated infections (CLASBI) within 10 weeks?

Evidence: The literature evidence suggests that Alcohol Impregnated Port Protectors (AIPPs) decrease CLASBI rates and provide better outcomes for acute care patients with central …

The Relationship Between Parental Trauma History And Perceptions Regarding Their Child’S Healthcare And Utilization Of Healthcare Services, Krishna Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

TITLE: The Relationship Between Parental Trauma History and Perceptions Regarding Their Child’s Healthcare and Utilization of Healthcare Services

Adverse child events (ACEs) have been associated with a number of physical and mental health problems and have also been linked to increased health care utilization. While parents who have an ACE history may tend to seek healthcare services for themselves, limited studies have examined the impact of their trauma history on seeking healthcare services for their child. Healthcare utilization may also depend on the parents’ level of health anxiety, as well as their anxiety about their child’s health status. This …

Community Health Worker Program: Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases In Children, Julia L. Newell

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Abstract

Background: Childhood obesity, asthma, and untreated mental health conditions, are three examples of chronic non-communicable diseases (CNDs) that pose a host of negative consequences later in life. Community health workers (CHWs) are in a unique position to address these negative health externalities by leveraging linguistic, cultural, and socioemotional connectedness within their communities.

Local Problem: Minority children in the Central Valley of California, face additional risk factors for the development of CNDs. CHWs working in this area require enhanced training on CNDs to improve their practice.

Methods: In partnership with Save the Children (STC), the University of San Francisco (USF) …

Exploring Opportunities To Expand And Improve Prep Uptake In Vulnerable Us Communities., Pedro B. Carneiro

Dissertations and Theses

The implementation of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in the United States has fallen short of meeting both 2020 and projected 2030 milestones, with less than one-third of those who would benefit most from PrEP choosing to initiate it. High discontinuation rates and persistently elevated HIV incidence underscore the need for improvement. However, opportunities exist to enhance PrEP uptake, supported by a growing pipeline of PrEP innovations. To achieve this, effective implementation of available tools to combat HIV and the inclusion of all communities as stakeholders are essential. One such tool is event-driven (ED) PrEP, also known as PrEP 2-1-1, which is …

Association Of Fall-Related Injuries And Different Diagnoses In Older Adults Of Ontario: A Machine Learning Approach, Sorour Rostampour

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations among older adults in Canada. This study aimed to identify the most informative diagnostic categories associated with fall-related injuries (FRIs) using three machine learning algorithms: decision tree, random forest, and extreme gradient boosting tree (XGBoost). Secondary data from two Ontario health administrative databases (NACRS, DAD) covering the period 2006-2015 were analyzed. Older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) who sought treatment for FRIs in emergency departments (ED) or hospitals, as indicated by Canadian version of the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10-CA) codes for falls …

The Effect Of Long Covid Syndrome On Physical Activity, Patrisha Hanna Villarmea

Master of Science in Kinesiology

Long covid syndrome is a condition where individuals experience persistent symptoms and functional limitations that can last about three months to two years after the initial Covid-19 infection. While long-term health consequences of Covid-19 have garnered significant attention,the impact of long covid syndrome symptoms is poorly understood. The purpose of the study is to explore the effect of long covid syndrome symptoms to an individual’s physical activity. Furthermore, this research aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on the effect of long covid syndrome symptoms on physical activity. The research would invite participants to answer two surveys that …

About Dying And Death: Thanatology's Place In Medical Curriculum, Jill Dombroski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study explored how healthcare providers engage in advance care planning and end-of-life care conversations. The research explored what shapes their understanding and the extent to which concepts from thanatology they intuitively bring in, explicitly bring in, and maybe fail to recognize. To achieve this, constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology guided the design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of the findings, which allowed for iteration across interviews and analysis with existing theories and data in the literature. The CGT design encouraged further engagement with the literature in an ongoing iterative fashion as well as with the analysis of the data. …

The Grindr Complex: The Behavioral Health Impact Of Sexual Racism On Latinx Men Who Have Sex With Men, Luisalfredo Plascencia

Doctoral Dissertations

Given the social history surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS in the LGBTQ+ community and the unique and intersectional experiences that Latinx Men who have Sex Men (MSM) have in their community, this dissertation’s research will contribute to the growing work on sexual racism and how it correlates with various elements of behavioral health. The study investigated the moderation impact of Latinx cultural values of caballerismo and familismo on the relationship between experiences sexual racism to mental health symptoms. The study also examined the moderation of caballerismo and familismo and psychological flexibility on the relationship between experiences of sexual racism to …

Chronic Lower Back Pain Among Women In India: Evidence-Based Approach To Risk Factors And Interventions, Aelita Matosova

Master's Projects and Capstones

Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is a prevalent issue worldwide, affecting about 1.71 billion people, with a significant proportion being women. CLBP is a major health concern in India, particularly among women, which were 80% reported experiencing this condition. Several factors, such as personal beliefs, sociocultural norms, restricted healthcare access, repetitive movements, and psychological aspects, contribute to this high prevalence leading to severe health and economic implications, including reduced work productivity and income. Although there have been several reports on prevalence and risk factors of CLBP, to our knowledge, there has not been enough work focusing on evidence-based interventions to …

The Impact Of Access And Quality Of Antenatal Care On Maternal Mortality Rates Among Women In Pakistan, Fauzia Waqar

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper focuses on the factors contributing to high maternal mortality rates in Pakistan, emphasizing the crucial role of inadequate antenatal care (ANC) and limited access to quality health services. Prominent risk factors include poverty and financial constraints, healthcare workforce shortages, lack of women empowerment, and low socioeconomic conditions. The cultural and traditional context in Pakistan also plays an influential role in shaping these factors. For a substantial reduction in maternal mortality rates among Pakistani women and girls, a shift within the cultural perception of women's health, specifically regarding ANC, is crucial. To effectively reduce maternal mortality rates in the …

Machine Learning Approaches To Understanding And Predicting Cancer Screening Follow Through With Population And Health System Data, Matthew Davis

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and cancer screening is a primary tool to reduce mortality. However, not all who are recommended to be screened actually follow through. This study investigates whether electronic medical record and geographic data is suitable to predict which patients are at risk of missing recommended screenings. The goal of this investigation is to design a data informed system that can automate the prediction of those at risk for missing screenings and provide insights into underlying reasons. This will enable resources to be focused to increase cancer screening adherence, …

Early Childhood Nutrition Education Implementation Evaluation And Planning: Learn, Grow, Eat & Go!, Alyssa L. Wessling

Capstone Experience

The obesity rate among American children aged two to five years old is 12.7% (Centers for Disease Control, 2022), indicating a need for health interventions at this critical life stage. Nebraska Extension’s Nutrition Education Program has identified a need for direct education materials to reach Nebraskans in early childhood. Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! Early Childhood was identified as an appropriate curriculum to be tested in an early childhood intervention pilot. Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! Early Childhood is a newly developed program built upon the foundation of teaching children about healthful foods and physical activity through gardening. An early …

Incidence And Determinants Of Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy In The Us: Hospitalization Discharge Rate For Preeclampsia, Eclampsia, And Gestational Hypertensions, 2016-2018., Kahir S. Jawad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Hypertension remains one of the most prevalent medical issues in pregnancy. It contributes considerably to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, making it one of the most significant public health problems. Although various epidemiological studies have been conducted over the past decades to assess the disease incidence and key risk factors associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, current incidence rates and trends are lacking. This is a novel and significant study because there are no current population-based incidence estimates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and their subtypes and very few studies with the power to explore a wide range …

Hypertension: Care Management Program And Medication Adherence, Courtney Montgomery

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Medication adherence is a major concern in healthcare as it is a contributing factor to uncontrolled hypertension and resistant hypertension. Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, and even death.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was in Medicare Advantage members with hypertension located in Kansas, who were admitted to the hospital or emergency room identified by stratification (P), does care management utilization using hypertension clinical guidelines (I), compared to the stand-alone hypertension clinical practice guideline (C), improve medication adherence (O) over 10 weeks (T)?

Evidence: Hypertension is one of the leading preventable …

Hypertension Education To Enhance Health Literacy, Kylee Westrip

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: The health of patients suffers greatly when their health literacy is not addressed through evidence-based education material.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was, in adult patients with hypertension (P), how does evidence-based education material (I) compared to the current state of verbal instructions provided (C) affect health literacy rates based on the high blood pressure health literacy scale (O) within 12-weeks (T)?

Evidence: The literature evidence revealed three strong themes, which included information on who is most at risk for low health literacy levels, education delivery methods, and specific education to be used.

Intervention: …

Intimate Partner Violence Screening In The Emergency Department, Rebecca Stuerman

Dissertations

Problem: Intimate partner violence [IPV] is a public health concern that affects one in three women worldwide. IPV can be addressed through identification and early intervention with minimal risk to the patient. The emergency department is an important setting for screening given the frequency with which people who experience abuse may present with IPV-related injuries and other related concerns (depression, suicidality, etc.). Successfully implementing a validated tool for screening and providing early access to resources and referrals may help to mitigate the longterm negative impacts of IPV. The need for increased staff education was a major barrier to screening for …

Meet Me In The Middle: A Scoping Review On Understanding Adolescent Needs In Climate Communication, Gwendolyn Monica Hoff Anderson

Master's Projects and Capstones

The greatest effects of climate change are likely to be felt by youth. Young people are disproportionately affected by climate change due to their critical developmental stage and lack of power, and they experience both higher severity and prevalence of mental health issues related to climate change. Strong emotions have long been recognized as potential catalysts for action, or they may lead to paralyzing feelings of being overwhelmed. Climate communication is a critical tool to spark climate concern and encourage action. Activism, in turn, may help youth manage their anxiety about climate change. This scoping review examines emerging evidence on …

Assessing The Correlation Between The Socioeconomic Level And Cognitive Function Among Older Adults In Egypt, Macy Abougabal

Theses and Dissertations

The number of older adults is increasing worldwide at an unprecedented rate. Some countries began to understand the challenges of aging, while others are still at the stage of comprehending the true dimensions of the situation. There is a global focus on aging research to appropriately mitigate the negative impact of aging and cognitive decline. Not only that dementia add economic pressure on governments, it also increase the psychological and physical burden of the caregivers. Scholars have previously studied socioeconomic level in three variables, namely work, education, and income, and their relationship with cognitive function. It was concluded that the …

Exploring The Experience Of Disclosing In The Workplace, Jillian Auger

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An alarming rate of workplace violence/harassment is observed each year, with negative outcomes that affect the organization (i.e., financial loss) and those directly involved (i.e., job loss, financial strain, fear of being blamed, being labeled a ‘troublemaker’). The literature indicates that, for many victim-survivors, there is little hope for positive outcomes following a disclosure of workplace violence/harassment. In fact, some studies show that negative reactions to disclosure can compound and intensify the impact of violence/harassment on psychological functioning. However, minimal research has been devoted to the experiences of victim-survivors regarding the outcomes of a disclosure. Utilizing virtual semi-structured interviews, the …

Building Up Cal Poly Global Brigades Student Group: Reflections On Designing And Implementing One Undergraduate-Led Community Info Session, Caroline Nicole Smith, Jafra D. Thomas

Kinesiology and Public Health

Intro: Global Brigades, an international non-profit organization, trains college students and other pre-professionals in community-based health promotion by mobilizing community service trips around the world, which are taught and led by local community groups. Cal Poly’s Global Brigades student group was founded in 2018, and thus far, they have carried out three annual, medically-focused brigades to Honduras (two in-person, one virtual).

Purpose: The aim of this report is to present the findings of one experiential senior project to promote Cal Poly’s Global Brigades student group^[1] (conducted January to March 2023).

Methods: The student designed material for …

Social Identities And Campus Belonging As Predictors Of Flourishing Among College Students, Christine Gilchrist

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Annual data since 2012 shows college students’ flourishing (a measure of psychological well-being) in continuous decline, with 2022 showing the largest decrease. Since the knowledge base of the predictors of flourishing is limited, how college executives can best address this issue is unclear. Variations in flourishing have been observed in studies that examined the relationship between food insecurity (DeBate et al., 2021), race/ethnicity (Lipson et al., 2018, 2022; Nyunt et al., 2022; Parr, 2022), immigration status (Cadenas & Nienhusser, 2021), as well as gender identity and sexual orientation (Parr, 2022). The intersectional impact of demographic and social identities has not …