Eye Examination:Satisfying A Quality Care Measure In Diabetes, Meera Shekar

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a microvascular complication occurs in patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (DM). A known risk of increased visual impairment associated with DM occurs in patients when the glycosylated hemoglobin level (HbA1c) increases over 7.0%. Therefore, an annual retinal assessment as a quality care measure in diabetes management is necessary. The conducted study aimed to evaluate the documentation of an annual eye exam in all patients with DM in a private family practice clinic and to investigate any possible association between HbA1c level.

Method: This quality improvement study included a retrospective medical record review in …

Traumatic Brain Injuries: A Telehealth Alternative For Veterans, Jessica Dickman

Dissertations

Problem: Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are known as the signature wound of veterans serving in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and the Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). After the initial TBI diagnosis, outpatient TBI follow-up rates are reported to be approximately 9% less in the Veteran Healthcare Administration (VA) system when compared to the private sector. The purpose of this quality initiative was to decrease the rate of missed appointments among OEF/OIF veterans using a telehealth alternative.

Methods: The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method was used to implement a consistent process for the telehealth visit option. A retrospective medical record review over the same …

Aligning With Patient-Centered Medical Home Standards: Depression Screening In Primary Care, Elizabeth Segura

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: The Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a model of care that improves the quality and experience of care and decreases cost. Use of a validated depression screening tool for adult patients is a PCMH certification requirement. The purpose of this quality initiative was to obtain baseline data when a depression screening tool was utilized among adult patients in an internal medicine clinic within a Midwestern public health department.

Methods: This was a quality improvement project utilizing a descriptive and observational design. A retrospective medical record review was used to assess the rate of depression screening utilizing the …

Orthopedic Nurse Practitioner As A Subspecialty: A Case Study, Debra M. Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The overall purpose of this study was to describe the ONP role by exploring how and why NPs are utilized in orthopedic health care settings. Two problems associated with the evolving ONP role were addressed: the concomitant decrease in the supply of and increased demand for orthopedic patient care services and the nursing profession’s unmet challenge to keep pace with that increased demand and protection of the public and nursing profession through credentialing of ONPs and programs providing certification and training for ONPs.

Approach: This study employed a single-embedded case study research approach to answer the research questions and …