Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Enhancing Long-Term Outcomes: Implementing Community Engaged Research To Augment Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Kevin M. Quinn

Masters Theses

The Universal Evaluation Tool is an intuitive self-assessment instrument to enhance long-term treatment outcomes for Guiding Light’s residential addiction rehabilitation program. Designed as a versatile method for collecting primary data, the Universal Evaluation Tool can be administered to clients at any point during the recovery program (i.e., intake to discharge). The data collected from the survey can be used as a framework to guide treatment decisions, develop personalized care plans, offer insight into a client’s progress, and collect baseline data (e.g., sociodemographic characteristics) on a treatment population for use in grant applications.

A pilot study to generate preliminary data was …

Reducing Medical Errors For Patients With Substance Use Disorders With A Medical Information Card, Michael V. Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations

Background

Approximately 98,000 Americans perish annually due to medical errors and adverse events associated with the limited access to or incomplete pertinent patient health information (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022; Obrien et al., 2021). Pertinent patient health information includes patients’ allergies, current medications, current medical diagnosis, blood type, insurance, and emergency contact. The purpose of this project was to examine the efficacy in using File of Life cards in reducing medical errors among patients with substance use disorders (SUDs), and the perception of patients and healthcare providers ease of use, satisfaction of using the File of Life …

The Use Of Occupational Therapy Services In Outpatient Mental Health, Kelsey A. Wasik, Matt T. Valois, Kaylee M. Essenberg, Kelcie P. Beck

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is aimed to explore the structure and utilization details of occupational therapy in outpatient behavioral health settings. Two occupational therapists participated in qualitative phenomenological interviews which were transcribed and analyzed using the thematic approach. A total of two themes emerged: billing and coverage, and education and advocacy. Participants identified there are necessary factors for reimbursement of services, in addition to the need for education and advocacy for occupational therapists to practice in outpatient behavioral health settings. Future research should be aimed at recruiting more participants, occupational therapists, and from other roles in these clinics such …

Thru-Hiker Mentality During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Implications For Mental Health, Brooke Fox

Culminating Experience Projects

Thru-hiking is where an individual hikes a long distance, end-to-end trail for an extended period of time. While the mental health benefits of hiking and being in nature is well known in current literature, there has been little focus on how the thru-hiker experiences contributes to overall wellness after a person completes their hike. This study investigates how thru-hiker experiences can have a lasting impact on how hikers handle future adversities. This case specifically looks at how thru-hikers have handled the COVID-19 pandemic through in-depth interviews with thru-hikers that have completed the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and through blogs written …

Institutions Implementation Of Trauma-Informed Care Practices For Sexual Assault Survivors, Calli Ackels

Culminating Experience Projects

The purpose of this research is to understand the importance of trauma-informed care practices on college campuses for sexual assault survivors. The empirical research surrounding institutions implementation of trauma-informed care practices for sexual assault survivors discusses the prevalence of individuals who have experienced trauma, the importance of trauma-informed care education, and the need to utilize community resources. These findings determine the need for trauma-informed care practices as well as important tools for implementation. In order to improve institutions implementation of trauma-informed care practices for sexual assault survivors, much of the research suggests increased professional development dedicated to becoming informed on …

The Perceived Effects Of Occupational Therapy Interventions For Those Who Recently Transitioned From Homelessness To Permanent Housing, Sydney Krol, Madison Muir, Katie Johnson, Kristin Hazlett, Kaelyn Hughs

Community Based

OBJECTIVE. The study's objective was to examine the perceived effects of occupational therapy services for families who have recently transitioned to permanent housing from a period of homelessness.

METHOD. The study used a qualitative research design. One family received occupational therapy interventions administered by occupational therapy student researchers. Exit interview was audio recorded and transcribed.Themes and codes were derived from the transcription.

RESULTS. Three themes and seven codes were identified, which encompassed the participants perception of the intervention. The themes were lifestyle transformation, mindset development, and client centered care. The codes were organization and planning, roles and routines, goal progression, …

Barriers And Facilitators To Voting For People With Disabilities In Michigan Rural Communities, Christian Aguilar-Quiroz, Kaylyn Brzys, Chris Paclibar, Kyle Witte

Community Based

Objective: In this study, we sought to investigate and obtain data on the perceived barriers and facilitators that rural Michigan residents with disabilities face throughout the voting process.

Method: We conducted two separate focus groups in two different rural areas of Michigan asking a series of semi-structured questions about the participants’ voting experiences. We obtained recorded interviews, qualitative data, of their answers to these prepared questions.

Results: Physical accessibility was limited by poor lighting for people with low vision problems and a lack of accommodations for those who are not able to stand for a prolonged time while waiting in …

Exploratory Study Of Children With Sensory Processing Disorder (Spd) Without An Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) Diagnosis, Breanna Williams, Lauren Brown, Kendall Grzywa, Emma Green

Pediatrics

The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) without an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Examples of these diagnoses include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cerebral palsy (CP), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). This was an exploratory descriptive study that gathered quantitative data through the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) Home Form. The SPM Home Form was provided by occupational therapy (OT) students and completed by the child’s caregiver. The scores fell into three interpretive ranges: Typical, Some Problems, and Definite Dysfunction. Researchers hypothesized …

Developing A Sustainable Group Tobacco Control Program In A Community Mental Health Clinic, Jennifer Burns

Doctoral Projects

While substantial practical, empirical, and theoretical contributions have been made toward the implementation of healthcare innovations, significantly less attention has been directed towards the sustainability of these interventions. For this reason, many healthcare innovations become unsustainable over time—yielding few long-term improvements, causing stakeholder disenchantment, and wasting valuable resources. The use of tobacco products is a leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States that is disproportionately prevalent among individuals with severe mental illness, making the development and sustainment of evidencebased tobacco control programs imperative to alleviating this public health burden. As a final project in Grand Valley’s …

Women & Adhd Functional Impairments: Beyond The Obvious, Noelle Marita Lynn

Masters Theses

Women with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are an understudied and underserved population. Research on women with ADHD has shown that they are significantly impaired by ADHD and its functional impairments. It also shows that women often internalize their symptoms and impairments. However, no research was found that explores what this internalization does to the women. The researcher chose to begin to address this gap in the literature through this qualitative phenomenological study. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of functional impairments caused by ADHD on the internal lived experiences of women.

The researcher conducted fourteen interviews …

Implementation Of An Evidence Based Screening Protocol To Improve The Diagnosis Of Dementia In A Home-Based Primary Care Setting, Lauren Liesbeth Sutton

Doctoral Projects

Dementia is a major public health concern that is both debilitating and deleterious to those afflicted with its various forms. The number of those living with dementia is increasing exponentially as the population continues to rise, with 46.8 million people worldwide currently afflicted with dementia (Chow et al., 2018). Dementia causes cognitive impairment that is severe enough to affect everyday function (Chow et al., 2018). The impairment and disability resulting from dementia indicates a significant health problem in primary care. Findings from research studies indicate that prophylactic and periodic screening for dementia can heighten provider suspicion and translate into earlier …

Improving A Discharge Process To Decrease Readmission Rates, Erni Ensing

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Female Veterans: Satisfying Patterns Of Daily Activities As Defined By The Life Balance Model, Chloe Hillpot, Kerry A. Macdonald, Laura A. Rohr

Mental Health

This phenomenological case study explored the occupational needs and life satisfaction of one female veteran upon reintegration into civilian life. One female veteran, with 23 years of military service, participated in a semi-structured telephone interview. Results demonstrated that military service negatively impacted the participant’s social interactions, physical and mental wellbeing, and ability to cope with stressors, indicating military service posed difficulties for the participant to engage in meaningful occupations upon reintegration. Recommendations included development of occupation-based interventions using the Person Environment and Occupation framework, and further research to identify appropriate services to facilitate successful reintegration into society for female veterans.

Nurses' Verbal Responses In Four Types Of Client Situations, Ann V. Dilbeck

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to determine to what degree nurses vary in their utilization of empathy when responding to patients experiencing different types of physical and emotional discomfort. Nurse participants ({dollar}N = 32{dollar}) worked primarily in a hospital setting. They were administered the Behavioral Test of Interpersonal Skills and responded to videotaped vignettes. Actors portrayed patients exhibiting pain, anxiety, depression, or anger. "Feeling", "Content", or "Don't Feel" were the three categories scored. "Don't Feel" responses negate or suppress patient's feelings.; A chi-square was done to compare "don't feel" responses to all other responses. "Don't Feel" responses were generally …

Contributing Factors In Medication Nonadherence In Schizophrenic Clients: A Descriptive Study, Sharron E. Howarth

Masters Theses

Medication nonadherence in schizophrenic clients is a major issue for psychiatric nurses. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore factors identified by the schizophrenic client and the client's primary nurse that contribute to medication nonadherence. The Health Belief Model and Peplau's Model were the theoretical frameworks used. The sample included 20 schizophrenic clients with a history of medication nonadherence and 20 primary psychiatric registered nurses.; Face-to-face interviews using the Compliance Interview Questionnaire were conducted with the psychiatric client and the primary nurse. Results indicated a difference between nurses' and clients' perceptions of the reasons for medication nonadherence. Most …

The Impact Of Delirium On Mental Status And Physical Functioning Of The Hip Fracture Patient One To One And One Half Years Post-Injury, Delores L. Arendsen

Masters Theses

Delirium occurs frequently among hospitalized hip fractured elders. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a delirious episode on physical and mental status of those patients 12-18 months post-injury. This ex post facto correlational study utilized Levine's Conservation Principles as the conceptual framework. The sample consisted of 67 subjects age 60 or older. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) were administered on admission and by telephone at the post-injury interview. The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) Diagnostic Instrument was used to assess for the syndrome of delirium. Eleven (16%) …

The Effect Of Support Groups On Aids Patients, Karen Bouwman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to answer the following question: Will individuals with HIV/AIDS have the same or decreased levels of anxiety and hopelessness after participating in a support group? A one-group pretest-posttest design was used. A convenience sample consisted of 40 persons with HIV/AIDS attending a large support group which met on a weekly basis. Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) and Beck's Hopelessness Scale (HS) were administered to the participants. Six weeks later, the HS and SAI were repeated. A Social Support Inventory was also given to assess the subject's perceived satisfaction with the support group. Based on …

Prediction Of In-Hospital Delirium In Elderly Hip Fracture Patients Using Family Assessment Of Pre-Morbid Cognitive Behaviors, Ronell R. Ruhlandt

Masters Theses

The elderly are the fastest growing segment of the population in the United States. Elderly persons are at high risk for developing delirium when hospitalized. The purpose of this study was to determine if pre-morbid cognitive behaviors were predictive of in-hospital delirium in elderly hip-fracture patients. The ability to predict or diagnose delirium early could prevent complications during hospitalization and decrease the length of hospital stays. The study was descriptive correlational. Subjects were admitted to a metropolitan teaching hospital during February through August 1993, were 60 years or older, and were diagnosed with hip fracture. Admission assessments included the Cognitive …

Relationship Between Coping Strategies And Perceived Quality Of Life In Icd Recipients, Jacquelyn M. Oliai

Masters Theses

A descriptive, correlational design was used to examine the relationship between use of the 8 coping strategies as identified by Jalowiec (1987) and quality of life (QOL). In addition, relationships and differences among demographic variables and stressors, as well as answers to open ended questions were examined. Thirty-nine Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) recipients who were {dollar}\ge{dollar}1 year post implant completed the Jalowiec Coping Scale, a revised Quality of Life Index Scale, and an informational questionnaire. Betty Neuman's conceptual framework for nursing provided the theoretical framework for this study.; There were no statistically significant results found from the data of this …