Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Three Dimensional Spatio-Temporal Cluster Analysis Of Sars-Cov-2 Infections, Keith W. Allison

Masters Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the need for fine-scale analysis of the clustering of cases of infectious disease in order to better understand and prevent the localized spread of infection. The students living on the University of Massachusetts, Amherst campus provided a unique opportunity to do so, due to frequent mandatory testing during the 2020-2021 academic year, and dense living conditions. The South-West dormitory area is of particular interest due to its extremely high population density, housing around half of students living on campus during normal conditions. Using data gathered by the Public Health Promotion Center (PHPC), we analyzed the …

Decision-Analytic Models Using Reinforcement Learning To Inform Dynamic Sequential Decisions In Public Policy, Seyedeh Nazanin Khatami

Doctoral Dissertations

We developed decision-analytic models specifically suited for long-term sequential decision-making in the context of large-scale dynamic stochastic systems, focusing on public policy investment decisions. We found that while machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms provide the most suitable frameworks for such analyses, multiple challenges arise in its successful adaptation. We address three specific challenges in two public sectors, public health and climate policy, through the following three essays. In Essay I, we developed a reinforcement learning (RL) model to identify optimal sequence of testing and retention-in-care interventions to inform the national strategic plan “Ending the HIV Epidemic in the US”. …

Perceptions Of The Flu Vaccine In The Setting Of Covid-19, Lauren A. Vogel-Hanley

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Vaccination is a key component to public and personal preventative health. The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the need for further research into how best to encourage vaccination, especially in harder to reach or vulnerable populations.

Purpose: This project sought to evaluate beliefs and perceptions of the flu vaccine in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore the views of the project site’s population in order to develop more targeted educational programs for increasing flu vaccination. The project focused on the ambulatory population of the emergency department.

Methods: The survey tool administered was based on the National Flu …

Evaluating The Implementation Of A Wellness Initiative In An Independent Living Community, Pamela L. Hannon

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: An independent living community in New England is transforming their philosophical approach to wellness by implementing a new wellness initiative based on the Eight Dimensions of Wellness framework. Purpose: Using implementation science, we evaluated the process of implementing the Eight Dimensions of Wellness. Methods: A Pre-Implementation Survey was given to residents prior to the implementation and Post-Intervention Interviews of residents and staff was planned post-implementation. The post-intervention phase was not completed due to the delay in implementation at the site related to COVID-19. The data analysis of the of the Pre-Implementation Surveys included Kendall’s tau and Kruskal-Wallis tests. …

Changing Minds, Changing Lives: Increasing Resilience In Undergraduate Nursing Students Through The Implementation Of A Resilience Educational Intervention Program, Jennifer Rivera-Perez

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Nursing students suffer from high levels of stress and psychological distress, especially those with histories of childhood adversity. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an additional source of stress on students. Students who suffer from psychological distress are at greater risk of engaging in maladaptive behaviors that may lead to physical and psychological conditions. Despite this data, college campuses lack resilience intervention programs, which have been shown to reduce psychological distress, perceived stress, and increase resilience. Purpose: The purpose of this Quality Improvement project was to implement a well-established evidence-based resilience program for nursing students, and to evaluate the feasibility …