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Full-Text Articles in Family Medicine

Expanding Awareness Of Tbi Resources In The North Country, Nicholas W. Krant Jan 2024

Expanding Awareness Of Tbi Resources In The North Country, Nicholas W. Krant

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Disability, emotional dysregulation and financial stress are only some of the issues that many patients who suffer TBI encounter. While resources are available to alleviate some of these burdens on patients who suffer TBI in New York's North Country, patients often struggle to find these resources. This project endeavors to create a resource for patients, family members and practitioners to find available resources.


Promoting Spine Health For Adolescent Athletes, Taylor R. Walker Jan 2024

Promoting Spine Health For Adolescent Athletes, Taylor R. Walker

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Based on interviews with local stakeholders in public health and literature review, developed an informational brochure for high school athletes containing prevention and management strategies and resources for low back pain. The aim of this project is to help young athletes stay healthy and live well as they age by promoting spine health.


Increasing Patient Awareness And Education Surrounding Prescription Weight Loss Medications, Anirudh A. Hirve Jan 2024

Increasing Patient Awareness And Education Surrounding Prescription Weight Loss Medications, Anirudh A. Hirve

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States. While it remains important for clinicians to emphasize health supportive behaviors including dietary modification and exercise when counseling patients, the advent of new weight loss medications has created a need for patient education materials regarding these interventions for a growing number of patients who request them at primary care visits. This project created a smart phrase in the electronic medical record summarizing weight loss medications currently available on the market to transform patient counseling and enable better shared decision making between patients and providers.


Empowering Patients Undergoing Speculum Exam, Sarah Caffry Jan 2024

Empowering Patients Undergoing Speculum Exam, Sarah Caffry

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

No abstract provided.


Continuity Of Care In Rural Surgical Patients, Sydney M. Cardozo Jan 2023

Continuity Of Care In Rural Surgical Patients, Sydney M. Cardozo

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Continuity of care is an integral part of patient care and is important for reducing morbidity and mortality following hospitalizations. Medical errors are common during transitions of care, and are most frequently caused by lack of suitable discharge planning and poor communication between surgical teams, patients, and primary care physicians. This project aims to create a new standardized note template for surgery teams to use when discharging patients, with the goal of augmenting communication and efficiency during transitions of care within and outside the UVM Health Network.


Provider Education On Annual B12 Levels In Patients On Metformin, Callan Gravel-Pucillo Mms Jan 2023

Provider Education On Annual B12 Levels In Patients On Metformin, Callan Gravel-Pucillo Mms

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Education of primary care providers about the current recommendations, guidelines, and caveats surrounding obtaining annual B12 levels in patients on metformin to screen for deficiency. Education was based off of informal survey results assessing providers' current practices and the preferred medium through which they wanted to recieve educational content. Educational content was presented in a flowchart format for ease of use and distributed at both practice sites for providers to hang at their workstations.


Aging And Exercising Gracefully, Karena P. Nguyen Jan 2023

Aging And Exercising Gracefully, Karena P. Nguyen

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Exercise and physical therapy are concerns among patients experiencing menopause and patients who near the age of menopause. Newtown Primary Care serves a population, whose census indicates an aging population. An interdisciplinary pamphlet on weight-bearing exercises and community resources for the peri- and postmenopausal population was developed with input from physical therapists and doctors.


Surgical And Non-Surgical Gender Euphoria Options For Bottom Dysphoria, Hunter Myers, Neeki Parsa Jan 2023

Surgical And Non-Surgical Gender Euphoria Options For Bottom Dysphoria, Hunter Myers, Neeki Parsa

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

No abstract provided.


Peri-Operative Optimization: Social Determinants Of Health, Adam F. Kohutnicki Jan 2022

Peri-Operative Optimization: Social Determinants Of Health, Adam F. Kohutnicki

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

This project investigated how clinicians at a rural Vermont family medicine practice observed various social determinants of health (SDOH) of their patient population affected patients' preparedness for surgery. Two clinicians involved in the community, a practicing family medicine physician and a practicing social worker, were interviewed to collect qualitative data on how various SDOH they have observed through their clinical practice have influenced patients' preparedness for surgery. This information was then utilized to create a "dot-phrase" that clinicians can use as part of a patient's pre-operative visit in the outpatient setting to assess SDOH and plan subsequent targeted interventions to …


Trust Your Gut: Promoting Gut Health Through Updated Nutrition Education, Christina Cobb Jan 2022

Trust Your Gut: Promoting Gut Health Through Updated Nutrition Education, Christina Cobb

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Physician time and nutrition education are limited, yet lifestyle changes, including healthy eating, are often the primary intervention for both preventing & managing chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. There is growing evidence of the importance of gut health & the microbiome’s link to several aspects of health, including the immune system, mental health, and metabolic syndrome. Through collaboration with two dietitians, a "promoting gut health" patient handout was created and existing nutrition handouts were updated to reflect current dietary recommendations.


Demystifying The Advance Directive Conversation For Healthcare Providers, Trevor Daniel Coles Jan 2022

Demystifying The Advance Directive Conversation For Healthcare Providers, Trevor Daniel Coles

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

No abstract provided.


Dry Eye: Patient Education, Mark Oet Jan 2021

Dry Eye: Patient Education, Mark Oet

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Recent literature has shown increased incidence of dry eye and eye strain symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic, coinciding with an increase in screen time for almost all populations. This project aims to address this observation at a community level by creating a patient-friendly education pamphlet for Newtown Primary Care about dry eye and digital ocular strain based on American Academy of Ophthalmology guidelines.


Helping People Overcome Barriers To Exercise Through In-Office Pt Exercise Evaluation Referrals, Matthew Charles Hill Brandt Jan 2021

Helping People Overcome Barriers To Exercise Through In-Office Pt Exercise Evaluation Referrals, Matthew Charles Hill Brandt

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Utilization of a poster in a primary care exam room advertising Physical Therapy Exercise Evaluations in an effort to help patients overcome barriers to exercising. The goal of the project is to capture people in the contemplative/preparatory stage of behavior change and help them reach the action and maintenance phases to improve health.


The Preventative Healthcare Shortage: A Look At The Vt And Ct Community Perspectives And Medical Student Interest, Michael J. Lawler Jan 2021

The Preventative Healthcare Shortage: A Look At The Vt And Ct Community Perspectives And Medical Student Interest, Michael J. Lawler

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

We adapted and modified a previously generated survey to better understand the motivations and barriers of medical students to enter primary care. The survey was dispersed to all medical students at LCOM as well as third and fourth year medical students at Ross University and American University of the Caribbean (AUC). We analyzed preliminary data from 100 respondents. Notable barriers identified included cost of medical school, stigma associated with primary care, and inadequate time spent with patients. Recommendations for possible intervention were discussed.


The State Of Sleep: What Keeps Vermont Up At Night?, Magalie Carey Jan 2021

The State Of Sleep: What Keeps Vermont Up At Night?, Magalie Carey

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

No abstract provided.


Harm Reduction In The Emergency Department, Alexa J. Golden Jan 2020

Harm Reduction In The Emergency Department, Alexa J. Golden

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The number of overdose deaths in Vermont has been trending up over the past several years. A majority of these fatalities involved synthetic opioid fentanyl. The Emergency Department (ED) at Central Vermont Medical Center delivers medication assisted treatment (MAT) through the Rapid Access to MAT (RAM) program. This program has connected many people in the region to treatment for opiate use disorder. However it was identified that we lacked connection to harm reduction services for those not interested in MAT. Harm reduction education was provided for recovery coaches and ED nursing staff. Harm reduction kits containing life-saving supplies such as …


Raising Awareness About The Vermont Donor Milk Center, Rosie Friedman, Emi Eakin Jan 2020

Raising Awareness About The Vermont Donor Milk Center, Rosie Friedman, Emi Eakin

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The Vermont Donor Milk Center (VDMC) is an emerging community resource that provides donated, pasteurized breast milk to new parents for their infants. Upon questioning, we identified that many providers did not know about the VDMC or how to prescribe milk. In addition, VDMC expressed that they have not been able to complete the community outreach they had initially hoped for. We chose to dedicate our project to disseminating information about VDMC to perinatal care providers in Vermont.


Finding The Silver Linings Of The Cyberattack, Kathleen R. O'Hara, Leah Miller Jan 2020

Finding The Silver Linings Of The Cyberattack, Kathleen R. O'Hara, Leah Miller

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Our project aimed to identify the effects of the UVM Health Network cyberattack and subsequent month-long network downtime on the South Burlington Family Medicine providers and clinic staff. We interviewed staff members about positive adaptations made by the team during the downtime, and inquired whether they planned to keep maintaining any of these changes once the electronic systems returned.


Hhhn Clinicians' Beliefs, Barriers, And Motivations Surrounding Mat, Casandra Nowicki Jan 2020

Hhhn Clinicians' Beliefs, Barriers, And Motivations Surrounding Mat, Casandra Nowicki

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) consists of using medications that act on the same receptors as opioids to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). MAT providers require formal training and a DEA waiver in order to prescribe certain medications. Providers were asked to complete a survey about the beliefs, barriers, and motivations surrounding MAT to provide valuable insight into what the future of MAT might look like at a specific nonprofit network of community health centers in upstate New York.


Addressing Exercise Accessibility In Winter Conditions In Milton, Vermont, Liam Du Preez Jan 2020

Addressing Exercise Accessibility In Winter Conditions In Milton, Vermont, Liam Du Preez

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Exercise is a critical aspect of health maintenance, especially in the context of chronic medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Weather and climate conditions in Vermont directly impact Vermonters' ability to exercise, and this results in negative impacts in their health maintenance and healthcare costs nationally and locally. This project explores the direct and indirect impact of decreased exercise and explore a modality for informing patients on how to stay active safely in the winter.


An Exploration Of The Benefits And Challenges Associated With Introducing Point-Of-Care Ultrasound To A Rural Primary Care Setting, Daniel Bak Jan 2019

An Exploration Of The Benefits And Challenges Associated With Introducing Point-Of-Care Ultrasound To A Rural Primary Care Setting, Daniel Bak

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Castleton Family Health Center serves the western portion of Rutland County, which is designated as both rural and medically underserved. The regional Community Health Needs Assessment set goals to increase primary care visits, decrease inappropriate utilization of the emergency department, and work towards seamless care transitions without loss of information or gaps in care. Additionally, the Vermont Department of Health (Rutland region) identified both transportation limitations and a shortage of medical specialists as significant barriers to accessing care in the region. Point-of-care ultrasound may serve to address these community needs by improving the quality and continuity of care provided by …


Family Medicine Resident Education On Perioperative Management Of Patients On Anticoagulation, Hanna Mathers Jan 2019

Family Medicine Resident Education On Perioperative Management Of Patients On Anticoagulation, Hanna Mathers

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Family Medicine residents at CMMC in Lewiston, Maine manage patients in an outpatient clinic as well as on an inpatient family medicine teaching service. Many patients in the community are anticoagulated for native valve atrial fibrillation and undergo surgical procedures both in the inpatient and outpatient setting. Residents are often asked on to determine the necessity and timing of anticoagulation discontinuation for patients that they see. With patients on newer oral anticoagulants and various degrees of risk, it can be a challenge to make an informed choice. Residents have found that they would feel more confident in perioperative management of …


Fostering Competent Healthcare For Transgender And Non-Binary Patients, Alden York Sacco Jan 2019

Fostering Competent Healthcare For Transgender And Non-Binary Patients, Alden York Sacco

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Many transgender and non-binary individuals are hesitant to seek medical due to past traumatic encounters with physicians and medical staff, having to educate providers about their bodies, perceived bias, and fear of mistreatment. This reluctance to seek medical care, and even to disclose their transgender status, can result in poorer health outcomes due to delays in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. An in-office training was designed to introduce clinicians and office staff to health care disparities facing transgender and non-binary people, appropriate pronoun-use and key terminology, strategies for creating a welcoming and gender-affirming environment for trans and non-binary patients, and useful …


Development Of A Desktop Reference For Medication Assisted Treatment (Mat), Andrew L. Darling Jan 2019

Development Of A Desktop Reference For Medication Assisted Treatment (Mat), Andrew L. Darling

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

This project was to develop a physician desktop reference to assist with medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. It was developed in conjunction with MAT team members and family medicine physicians to serve as a reference of both commonly needed medical information and local contact information for community resources.


Preventing Falls In The Elderly, Rebecca Robbins Jan 2017

Preventing Falls In The Elderly, Rebecca Robbins

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans, leading to 27,000 deaths every year and almost 3 million emergency room visits. Many view falls as just part of getting older; however fall risk can be significantly diminished through appropriate screening, education and community programs. Through literature review and talking to members of the local community, I learned about how fall risk is assessed along with what education and programs are provided for those at increased risk of falling. This project sought to educate patients about simple steps that can be made to decrease their fall …


Primary Care Treatment Of Hcv In Medicaid Patients, Stephanie S. Kulaga Jan 2017

Primary Care Treatment Of Hcv In Medicaid Patients, Stephanie S. Kulaga

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

New, safer HCV treatment regimens make it more feasible than ever for primary care providers to manage Hepatitis C patients in their own practices, rather than leaving management solely to specialists. With the current prevalence of HCV and increasing number of new cases linked to the opiate epidemic, it makes sense to expand the number of providers who manage this illness. However, the landscape of new treatments and changing Medicaid requirements present administrative barriers to primary care treatment of HCV. This project aimed to clarify what those barriers were and create a treatment algorithm to simplify decision-making around which patients …


Increasing Advance Directive Knowledge Among Healthcare Professionals, Laura K. Donnelly Jan 2017

Increasing Advance Directive Knowledge Among Healthcare Professionals, Laura K. Donnelly

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Advance Directives (ADs) have been shown to be associated with increased patient satisfaction with end-of-life care, decreased in-hospital deaths, and decreased end-of-life costs in high-cost regions. Nationally, prevalence of ADs has increased over the last 20 years, but the majority of patients still have not completed an AD. A significant obstacle to completion is lack of awareness. A presentation to increase knowledge regarding ADs among primary care staff was created to address this.


Combating Diabetes In Chittenden County: A Healthcare Provider Referral Campaign To Increase Patient Participation In The Vermont Diabetes Prevention Program, Samantha Magier Jan 2017

Combating Diabetes In Chittenden County: A Healthcare Provider Referral Campaign To Increase Patient Participation In The Vermont Diabetes Prevention Program, Samantha Magier

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

As of 2016, diabetes affects more than 29 million people in the United States and is the 7th leading cause of death nationwide. In Vermont, 1/10 people are diagnosed with either diabetes or prediabetes, with 6% of Vermonters affected by prediabetes and 5% of Chittenden Country affected by prediabetes. The public health burden of this chronic disease is immense: diabetes costs Vermont an estimated $543 million each year and is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations, and adult-onset blindness. Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar is higher than normal but not at the diagnostic threshold of diabetes. Prediabetes …


Improving Breastfeeding Support At A Multi-Service Federally Qualified Health Center, Elisabeth P. Lucas Jan 2016

Improving Breastfeeding Support At A Multi-Service Federally Qualified Health Center, Elisabeth P. Lucas

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

A student project exploring how breastfeeding is addressed among different patient care teams in a federally funded clinic and using Electronic Health Record data to determine patient needs. Future recommendations included.


Linking Food Insecure Patients With Community Supported Agriculture (Csa), Daniel Orlins Trigg Jan 2016

Linking Food Insecure Patients With Community Supported Agriculture (Csa), Daniel Orlins Trigg

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Food insecurity screening is needed to link food insecure patients to interventions that will help improve their nutrition and overall health such as annual community supported agriculture (CSA) shares. In Vermont, food insecurity is widespread, as 76% of Vermonters experience some level of food insecurity. This has serious health consequences. Food insecure patients are more likely to suffer from hypertension and diabetes than non-food insecure patients. Clinicians need to screen for and detect food insecurity. Several methods are available, yet clinician awareness varies. Providers can rely upon predictive metrics that utilize patient characteristics or simple question-based screening tools. This study …