Public Health Commons^™

Patient Satisfaction Among Users Of The After Hours Program, Helen L. Larocco

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The problem of increasing health care costs and decreasing access to health care services is a major crisis in the U.S. today. One factor contributing to the rising cost of health care is the inappropriate use of emergency rooms, (ERs). In response to escalating costs a local health care corporation implemented a telephone triage program called the After Hours Program, (AHP). The goal of the program was to reduce inappropriate utilization of emergency rooms, and to educate patients to recognize and treat specific health problems independently, i.e., home treatment.

A program evaluation was completed in which different dimensions of patient …

A Cipp Evaluation Of The Administrative Associate Training Program Through Sentara, Patricia A. Criswell

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

Hospitals are facing change in today's environment. In order to meet these growing challenges, they are responding by providing value added services. Value added services have been defined as reducing inefficiencies and improving quality and service. Operational restructuring in the form of a new concept called patient-focused care has become the paradigm shift and structural revamping at several hospitals across the nation. Sentara Hospitals have adopted this program to improve the clinical and service quality delivered to the patient. An integral component of this new approach is the multiskilling of staff to reduce duplication, inefficiencies, and improve the quality provided …

An Analysis Of Quality Assessment Efforts In Health Care, Margaret M. Curran

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine whether consensus could be reached by experts in the field of quality assurance on the most important indicators of health care quality and to determine whether cause and effect relationship could be attributed to the process and outcome indicators suggested in our survey. We invited participation by a representative sample of experts in a Delphi Panel to address these issues. There were 49 respondants to our Round One Questionnaire and they evaluated the relative importance of 50 process and 50 outcome indicators. Panelists were asked to establish cause and effect relationships between …

Identification And Ranking Of Stressors In Nuclear Medicine Technology, Scott R. Sechrist

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the most significant stressors in the field of nuclear medicine technology. A sample of convenience of 25 nuclear medicine technologists was used to generate a list of 35 stressors specific to the occupation. Sixty-three randomly selected nuclear medicine technologists responded to a mailed questionnaire which asked the technologist to assess the relative stressfulness of each of the 35 items on a scale of "0 to 1000". Data from the 59 valid responses indicated that equipment malfunctions, add on exams, uncooperative physicians, lack of staff, and uncooperative patients were the most significant stressors …

Preferred Provider Organizations: Developmental Indicators, Marcia Anne Guida

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine what factors, if any, led to the development of a preferred provider organization and if these factors were related to sponsorship. A survey instrument was developed and mailed to a random sampling of 90 existing preferred provider organizations' executive directors for their completion. A Two-Factor Contingency Table Analysis was compiled. Chi-square, and the Contingency factor, C, were computed and tested at the .05 level of significance. First and second preference analyses were done on the responses to developmental indicators. Mean percentages were tallied for: sponsorship, tax status, alternative delivery systems in the …

Correlates Of Knowledge And Locus Of Control On Burden In Professional Caregivers Of Alzheimer's Disease Victims In Three Institution Types, Ruth A. Manning-Gay

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

In assessing professional caregivers of Alzheimer's Disease victims, this study tested whether, 1) knowledge would influence perceptions of burden in providing care to such patients, and if 2) individual locus of control would influence perceptions of burden in caring for; Alzheimer's I patients. Professional nurses (BSN's, RN's, and LPN's) from nursing banes, hospitals and psychiatric facilities were asked to complete a three part survey. Three instruments were utilized in this study: the Burden Self-Interview by Zarit, Reeves and Bach-Peterson and adapted for professional caregivers, a 15 item knowledge quiz and the North Carolina Internal External scale (short form) by Schopler, …