Implementing Low-Dose Ct Scans To Screen For Lung Cancer In The Primary Care Setting, Monifa Ri'ana Beal

Doctoral Projects

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in the United States. By the end of 2023, lung cancer will have been diagnosed in approximately 238,000 Americans and claimed the lives of about 127,000 of those that are diagnosed.(American Cancer Society, 2023) Currently lung cancer accounts for more deaths among Americans than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019). Despite being one of the most preventable cancers in the world, lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related death among Americans and more so in …

A Descriptive Study Of Health-Related Risks And Outcome Differences By Loneliness Status In A Sample Of Older Veterans, Rachael Beard

Dissertations

There is a need to understand the influences and outcomes related to loneliness in veterans living with complex illness. Patients require self-care to manage complications and exacerbations associated with complex illness. Deficits in self-care result in negative health outcomes and drive resource utilization upward. The identification of potential factors related to self-care is important. Loneliness may be one factor that influences patients’ ability and desire to care for themselves. Descriptive correlational design was used to evaluate loneliness both as a predictor and outcome in veterans admitted to the hospital for three complex respiratory illnesses (heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, …

Homeless Tailored Primary Care And Access To Ongoing Primary Care Services, Jessica J. Stoefen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Homelessness is an increasing problem worldwide. The system for providing medical care to individuals experiencing homelessness is currently a patchwork of multiple different agencies. Many individuals do not utilize routine primary care (PC) services, instead present to emergency departments for nonemergent care. A systematic literature review was conducted using Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Consumer Health Complete – EBSCOhost, and PsycINFO from 2014-2019 with the exception of Cochrane which was searched from 2009-2019, to evaluate if tailored PC clinics focused on providing PC services with additional supports to homeless individuals were more effective at engaging …

Recent Veterans’ Self-Management Of Health During Military To Civilian Life Transition: A Grounded Theory Study, Narda A. Ligotti

Theses & Dissertations

United States Veterans of combat within Iraq and/or Afghanistan return home to face an array of somatic and psychological health concerns. Little was known about how they manage their health after military discharge. The research question for this study was “how do OIF/OEF/OND combat Veterans and their primary support persons manage Veterans’ health at home?” There is little information about these Veterans’ perspective of self-management of health in the home. This study was designed to provide a theoretical understanding of self-management and family support in this population. The Family Management Style Framework (Knafl, Deatrick & Havill, 2012) was used as …

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 …

Canine-Assisted Therapies Among U.S. Veterans With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Olivia A. Kondos

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A sizeable number of U.S. veterans of all ages experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which can impact their quality of life; physically, mentally and socially. Consequences of PTSD are associated with physical and emotional disabilities, including ideation of self-harm and even suicide. Increasingly, animal-assisted therapies (AAT) are used to treat PTSD and other physical and behavioral conditions in veterans. Over the decades, AATs have used dogs, cats, horses, and dolphins among other animals. The purpose of this integrative review is to examine the use of AAT focusing on canine assisted therapy (CAT) among veterans diagnosed with PTSD. The methodology involved …