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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

A Content Analysis Of Media Coverage Of Telehealth In Mississippi, Hailey Layne Apr 2023

A Content Analysis Of Media Coverage Of Telehealth In Mississippi, Hailey Layne

Honors Theses

Telehealth’s utilization within healthcare has expanded and changed areas of healthcare delivery. In rural states like Mississippi barriers to accessing healthcare services exist due to demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, or geographic distance. This study was meant to look at the literature related to telehealth that was being disseminated to Mississippians through online news sources. It was noted whether these articles viewed telehealth utilization in a positive or negative way. Utilizing a cross-sectional media analysis, the news articles were screened using a coding form that acknowledged different themes in the literature. Frequency analyses were conducted to aid in interpreting the common …


A Call Away: Investigating A Solution To Healthcare Access Barriers In Remote Communities, Tamsin Rogers Jan 2023

A Call Away: Investigating A Solution To Healthcare Access Barriers In Remote Communities, Tamsin Rogers

Honors Theses

This project focuses on the fact that there exist communities in the United States that are underserved in terms of healthcare. Whether this is due to the community’s geographical (remote) location, lack of education, or other factors, the members of these communities experience disproportionate levels of care. My focus with this project will be the idea that everyone deserves adequate healthcare, regardless of where they live. I focus specifically on one community: Jackman, Maine, which has recently implemented a telemedicine program called ‘FirstNet’ to aid its previously struggling clinic. The Jackman Community Health Center is the only health clinic in …


Evaluation Of Selected Computer Software For Concussion Recovery And Diagnosis, J.P. Jensen May 2022

Evaluation Of Selected Computer Software For Concussion Recovery And Diagnosis, J.P. Jensen

Honors Theses

Acquired traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions, impact many athletes participating in sports, particularly at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. The risks posed by concussions – particularly when an athlete suffers repeated injuries – demands that protocols and tools be developed to maximize athlete health and safety. Computer technology can perform critical roles in the analysis and management of concussions. While specialized devices in the areas of imaging and impact sensing, are most associated with concussion management, researchers within the last two decades have increasingly explored the incorporation of various consumer technologies into the identification and treatment of …


Diabetes Self-Management Training In Rural Mississippi, Nathan Foxworth Apr 2021

Diabetes Self-Management Training In Rural Mississippi, Nathan Foxworth

Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to evaluate participants’ attitudes towards and readiness to participate in an online Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program in rural Mississippi, in light of the rapid shift to telemedicine necessitated by the CoVid19 pandemic. Semi- structured in-depth interviews were conducted with patients over 18 that live in areas considered rural in Mississippi. The findings of the study conclude that patients in rural settings are willing and ready to participate in DSMES online. Of the 12 participants in the study, 11 had access to the internet and had adequate infrastructure in order to participate …


In-Person Vs Telephonic Interpretation: A Case Study From The Perspective Of Providers And Interpreters At A Virginia Free Clinic, Lucy Cummins Apr 2021

In-Person Vs Telephonic Interpretation: A Case Study From The Perspective Of Providers And Interpreters At A Virginia Free Clinic, Lucy Cummins

Honors Theses

High-quality medical interpretation is critical to ensuring that patients with limited English proficiency, a rapidly growing group in the US, receive equitable care. Today, as federally-funded hospitals and clinics are legally required to offer language services, a myriad of interpretation options are available and used by providers across the country, including both telephone and in-person interpreters. Though these two options both allow for translation of dialogue between patients and providers, they differ in the communicative and interpersonal experiences they offer.


Strategic Audit Of Optum, Connor Crow Dec 2020

Strategic Audit Of Optum, Connor Crow

Honors Theses

Optum is a large American-based pharmacy benefit manager, healthcare consultant, healthcare delivery service, and business analytics corporation that has dominated the industry with sister-company UnitedHealthcare underneath the umbrella UnitedHealthGroup. This report seeks to understand through internal and external analyses how Optum’s business model and strategies have allowed them to gain and sustain competitive advantages in the everchanging, volatile environment of healthcare. Specific tools used to highlight this include Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL, and SWOT analyses. Additionally, strategic recommendations are given for Optum’s next steps.


Examining The Possibilities Of Telehealth In Tallahatchie County, Taran Carrasco May 2020

Examining The Possibilities Of Telehealth In Tallahatchie County, Taran Carrasco

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to analyze Tallahatchie County and determine the feasibility of establishing a telehealth program in the county. Telehealth is an evolving aspect in the medical field that incorporates technology with healthcare. This thesis used sociotechnical theory to explain how the feasibility of telehealth could be made more likely as the technology is used over time.Through interviewing UMMC telehealth directors, Tallahatchie Wellness center workers, and citizens of Charleston, this study aims to gauge professional and personal opinions on how feasible it would be to implement telehealth into the Charleston community, as well as how positively telehealth would be accepted …


Healthcare Workers' Perceptions Of Different Types Of Interpreters In The Gulf South, Meg Hayslip May 2020

Healthcare Workers' Perceptions Of Different Types Of Interpreters In The Gulf South, Meg Hayslip

Honors Theses

Medical interpreters are important in the healthcare community. Many studies have focused on the consequences of not having an interpreter. A variety of problems can be caused by "language brokering" when no interpreter is available. These studies will be discussed in the literature review. Many states have requirements to become certified as an interpreter, and the selection criteria is what makes a person a “good” interpreter. Previous research, such as that by Chan et al., has shown how different styles of interpreting can affect the quality of health care. This study focuses on how healthcare personnel and their patients view …


Electronic Health Records And Health Information Exchange And Their Impact On International Healthcare System Efficiency, David Pfaehler May 2020

Electronic Health Records And Health Information Exchange And Their Impact On International Healthcare System Efficiency, David Pfaehler

Honors Theses

The 19th century epidemiological transition in healthcare caused a major shift in physician focus from curing one-time, deadly illness to managing chronic disease. Now, even the most advanced international healthcare systems must find a way to increase their efficiency in order to compensate for heightened strains on medical systems and swelling costs of healthcare delivery. Fortunately, recent technological innovation and, chiefly, the growth of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) provide a potential solution to this looming threat. EHRs are digital charts with the potential to store and share patient health data among providers to offer the most informed, streamlined care available. …


Nrc Health: Loyalty Insights, Grace Dickas, Allie Rauner, Keenan Allen, Utkarsh Hardia, Teckhong Lee May 2020

Nrc Health: Loyalty Insights, Grace Dickas, Allie Rauner, Keenan Allen, Utkarsh Hardia, Teckhong Lee

Honors Theses

One of the biggest concerns of health systems is to know how they can better serve their patients. Health systems seek to exceed patient expectations and inspire patients to return to their system for all their health needs. A patient who returns can be considered loyal to that health system. NRC Health collects patient data from over 9,000 health systems across the country. This allows it to provide data insights that inform health systems’ decisions. The ultimate goal is to increase patient loyalty for health systems by helping them understand how to serve their patients better. The team was tasked …


A Look Into The Impacts Of Tele-Optometry Expansion, Anna Hulsey May 2020

A Look Into The Impacts Of Tele-Optometry Expansion, Anna Hulsey

Honors Theses

Objective This study aims to assess the health and economic costs and benefits to society and patients resulting from the expansion of telemedicine into online refractive exams and to determine the likelihood of potential consumers to utilize such services. Methods A paper survey was distributed at the Inaugural Cempa Health Fair in October of 2019 to both vendors and participants. 105 responses were used to evaluate personal perceptions, practices, and likelihood across a diverse range of demographics. Responses were then entered and analyzed using descriptive statistics and percentages/frequencies. Results Results showed respondents were most attracted to online refractive exams due …


The Application Of Telemedicine To College Health At A Four-Year University And Community College, Matthew S. Wu Jun 2017

The Application Of Telemedicine To College Health At A Four-Year University And Community College, Matthew S. Wu

Honors Theses

Telemedicine has been proposed as a mechanism to provide health care over a distance through telecommunication technologies. Through this platform, providers can deliver preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic services, in addition to patient education and assistance with self-treatment. The most prevalent model in the industry is using telemedicine as a first-contact emergency medical service for acute illness. This study investigates the potential application of telemedicine in providing emergency medicine for college student populations in higher-level education settings. Based on prior review of the body of literature, college students are found to be generally healthy but face disparities in accessing health care …


Physician Satisfaction: The Role Of E-Mail Communication In The Practice Of Medicine, Joaquin Alvarado Jun 2013

Physician Satisfaction: The Role Of E-Mail Communication In The Practice Of Medicine, Joaquin Alvarado

Honors Theses

Communication between a physician and a patient is an integral part to the healthcare delivery system. E-mail has the power to fully utilize a physician’s medical expertise for the good of the patient. However, many physicians do not offer this service to their patients in the United States. This study analyzes factors that impact e‐mail utilization among physicians and whether e-mail use contributes to career satisfaction of physicians using the 2008 Health Tracking and Physician Survey. Controlling for the effect of physician and practice characteristics, such as financial incentive for providing services, gender, specialty, practice type, and reliance on Medicaid …


The Effect Of Electronic Medical Record Sophistication On U.S. Hospital Emergency Department Efficiency, Imran Chaudhri Jun 2013

The Effect Of Electronic Medical Record Sophistication On U.S. Hospital Emergency Department Efficiency, Imran Chaudhri

Honors Theses

A key concern in emergency departments (EDs) is their overall efficiency, One proposed solution to making EDs more efficient is the use of electronic medical records (EMRs). This paper seeks to determine if varying levels of EMR sophistication have an effect on measures of emergency department efficiency. Furukawa (2011) found that EMR sophistication had varying effects on ED efficiency. Fully functional EMRs significantly improved ED efficiency in multiple measures, while basic EMR varied on its effects on efficiency. Since Furukawa’s results are somewhat inconclusive, this study aims to see if these effects are longstanding. I hypothesize that as EMR became …


Provider And Patient Satisfaction With The Use Of Telemedicine In The Delivery Of Healthcare, Rohit Dhingra Jun 2012

Provider And Patient Satisfaction With The Use Of Telemedicine In The Delivery Of Healthcare, Rohit Dhingra

Honors Theses

The objective of this thesis was to look at provider and patient satisfaction with the use of telemedicine in the delivery of healthcare. From the literature, it is clear that the providers and patients find different aspects of telemedicine to be appealing but have noted certain limitations with its use. Each study that was reviewed in the literature explored a different type of telemedicine, but in no way covered all of its current applications. In my study, I interviewed three patients and three providers. The patients all use a homecare telemedicine unit in which they can self-measure basic vital signs, …