Digital Commons Network^™

A Life History: Sarah Nielsen, Phd, Otr/L, Sarah Schwartz, Ashley Ystaas

Oral History Posters

This life history is one of 29 life history interviews which are a part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of OT practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated that the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information.

This study is intended to provide current and future …

Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Lance Norman, Mot, Otr/L, Cht, Jade Clement, Miranda Hosking

Oral History Posters

Objective. The purpose of this life history study was to gather information regarding the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming. The life history of Lance Norman and his influence in developing OT in North Dakota was one of 29 stories explored.

Method. The qualitative study used a life history approach. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the participant that was assigned to the researchers via a purposive sampling method. The interview was recorded, transcribed, and an open coding process was used for data analysis. To guide the research process the Kawa model …

Prophylactic Use Of Metformin To Decrease The Incidence Of Breast Cancer In High Risk, Predisposed Women, Aly Dahl

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in American women and is the second leading cause of mortality.

• In 2015, 234,190 new diagnoses were made and 40,730 deaths from breast cancer.

• Along with a thorough history from the patient, there are also several risk assessment models that should be utilized, such as the common Gail-2 model.

• Any women with a significant family history should also be educated on genetic counseling and/or testing to detect a BRCA1 or 2 mutation.

• Numerous individuals who are positive for this gene elect to undergo prophylactic …

Evaluating Internet Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy In Adults With Depression, Togan Cottrell

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Depression is one of the most prevalent and costly mental health issues worldwide.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been a long-standing treatment for patients with depression. CBT has been proven to reduce or eliminate depression symptoms while increasing quality of life.

• Due to lack of access to care and a deficiency of mental health providers throughout the United States, the frequent and lengthy visits that are required for traditional CBT may not be an option.

• The use of internet based CBT has been studied as an alternative to traditional therapy and may serve to fill a …

Type 2 Diabetes In Native Americans: The Influence Of Historical And Cultural Factors On Incidence, Prevalence, And Strategies For Patient Education, Disease Prevention, And Management, Tim Olsen

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Type 2 diabetes (DM2) was virtually nonexistent among Native American, Alaska Native, and Canadian First Nations people prior to the 1950s. Due to historical, cultural, environmental, and psychosocial factors, Native people suffer disproportionately higher rates of DM2 than other populations. This literature review aims to examine the influence of these factors and investigate whether insight and knowledge into them, as well as culturally sensitive approaches to disease education, prevention, and self-management can be beneficial to providers working among Native communities. The results suggested that culturally sensitive approaches are indeed of value in promoting more effective care, and that lack of …

Total Knee Arthroplasty Rehabilitation: Case Report, Allen Kennedy

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a common problem in the world population and total knee replacement has become the gold standard for repair when the OA becomes severe enough. Total knee replacement, however, is not the complete answer to knee OA. Without rehabilitation these patients may struggle to be fully functional. The purpose of this case study was to describe the rehabilitation of a geriatric patient who underwent TKA and benefited from the use of hydrotherapy in his recovery.

Case Description: This report will look at the rehabilitation of one 73-year-old male patient and interventions …

Life History: Judy Godfread, Otr, Norris Chin, Cody Mach

Oral History Posters

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the evolution of occupational therapy practice in the lens of the practitioner, Judy Godfread, in her years of practice in North Dakota from 1976-2012. The study collected 29 life histories of influential occupational therapy practitioners in ND and WY. The goal was to detail the contributions of these individuals and how they shaped the context of practice in two rural states. Key information was gathered regarding influences that influenced occupational therapy during the years the participants practiced. The study is intended to provide current and future generations of occupational therapists a …

Proton Pump Inhibitors (Ppis): A Review Of The Efficacy, Usage, And Current Literature Recommendations, Travis M. Booke

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• As Klepser, Collier, and Cochran (2013) noted, PPIs are a class of agents that reduce acid secretion by parietal cells in the stomach by irreversibly blocking H+/K+ adenosine triphosphate. They are commonly prescribed for many gastrointestinal (GI) conditions including gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and Helicobacter pylori infections. They are frequently utilized in the primary care setting. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy, usage, and current literature on PPIs.

• There were several complications noted with PPI usage. Gomm et al. (2016) found that that use of PPI is …

Analysis Of Metabolic Syndrome As A Modifiable Risk Factor For Prostate Cancer, Michael Butler

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Prostate cancer and metabolic syndrome are both prevalent among men in developed countries with peak incidence after age 50.

• Prostate cancer has no known modifiable risk factors.

• Most risk factors for metabolic syndrome are modifiable.

• If metabolic syndrome is identified as contributing to the risk of prostate cancer it would give an element of self determination to men at risk for prostate cancer.

• Past studies provide conflicting results in the correlation between these two conditions.

• A literature review was performed to evaluate consistencies in current literature.

• Metabolic syndrome or its components do not …

Prolotherapy: Applications, Mechanism Of Action, Controversy And Evidence, Boris M. Davydov

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Merriam-Webster defines prolotherapy (PROLO) as “an alternative therapy for treating musculoskeletal pain that involves injection of irritant substance (as dextrose) into a ligament or tendon to promote the growth of new tissue”. Experimental research and multiple clinical trials have generated evidence suggesting that PROLO is effective at treating a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, including tendinopathies, joint instability and ligament laxity. PROLO may also hold a potential to delay or avoid joint replacement and rotator cuff surgeries. Further research is needed to demonstrate the therapeutic effect of PROLO unequivocally.

Metformin And Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Consequences And Patient Monitoring, Kathryn Dietz

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• The incidence of type 2 diabetes has been increasing at a rapid rate in the United States.

• Metformin is recommended as the first line treatment to be started at the time of diagnosis in all patients without contraindications and has been associated with vitamin B12 deficiency.

• There are currently no clinical guidelines for the routine monitoring of B12 levels in this population.

• The purpose of this scholarly project is to determine if there are consequences of this deficiency and to make recommendations for screening patients.

• It includes current research that focuses on the pathophysiology of …

Prescription Opioids: A Band-Aid For Chronic Low Back Pain, Rebekah Dunn

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek medical care in the outpatient clinic and emergency department setting.

 • In the last decade, per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), prescription drug abuse and overdose, specifically opioids, has become the leading cause of injury and deaths in the United States.

• “Opioids—primarily prescription pain relievers and heroin—are the main driver of overdose deaths and were involved in 28,647 deaths in 2014…opioid overdoses have quadrupled (an increase of 200%) since 2000” (Rudd et al. 2016).

• In 2016 the CDC established guidelines of clinical practice regarding management of …

The Effect Of Statins In Primary Prevention On All-Cause Mortality, Brian Adams

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

During routine yearly physicals, primary care providers often evaluate serum laboratory lipid levels. Many of these patients have no past medical history of cardiovascular events related to atherosclerotic disease. Some patients do not have secondary risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus or smoking history.

Previous cardiovascular events provide stronger indications for the use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). In the absence of these, the provider may turn to current guidelines, in this case the 2013 the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association published the 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular …

Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency, An Under Considered Diagnosis, Lindsay Venn

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Persistent gastrointestinal (GI) complaints are a common problem in patients presenting to family practice for care.

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a diagnosis that adult patients are labeled with when clinicians have exhausted their differential list and no other cause of their GI symptoms can be confirmed.

• Sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (SID) has been historically shown to present early in life as a congenital disorder, but researchers are now recognizing occurrence later in life as a mild or secondary disorder.

• The literature emphasizes the disconcerting prevalence of sucrase-isomaltasedeficiency (SID), the persistent symptoms associated with it, and the need …

Folate As An Adjunctive Therapy For Treatment Resistant Depression, Katherine Mcfarland

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Numerous medications are available to treat depression, yet many patients do not achieve remission or recovery of their symptoms with traditional therapies alone. Folate supplementation has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of depression when used in addition to traditional prescription therapy. A literature review was conducted to determine the effect of low folate levels on depression and if supplementation with either folic acid or L-methylfolate benefits this patient population. Key search terms including folate, folate deficiency, methylfolate, nutrition, and depression were used to perform searches of multiple databases and journals including PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and the American …

The Postnatal Management Of Gestational Diabetes, Savannah Prodzinski

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Diabetes mellitus is growing substantially in our nation. Between its natural progression and effects on other body systems, this epidemic is costing us billions of dollars a year.

• Although gestational diabetes typically resolves after pregnancy, women who have had gestational diabetes in the past have a largely increased risk for the development of diabetes mellitus in the future.

• Several things contribute to the development of GDM and DM: decline in β-cell function, lower adiponectin levels and HgbA1C levels in the third trimester.

• Intervening during the critical time after delivery in women with gestational diabetes, will theoretically …

The Association Between Antipsychotic Medication And Weight Gain, Brian Steen

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Antipsychotic medications are utilized for patients with many mental health problems including schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, bipolar mania, and psychotic depression. The antipsychotic medications treat the symptoms associated with these mental health disorders.

• Antipsychotic medications, while being efficacious to these symptoms, can have unwanted side effects, including weight gain. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a strong relationship with antipsychotic medication use and weight gain.

• The review of literature was conducted with an online search of Cochrane, PubMed, and PsycInfo for journal articles, research studies, and other scholarly reviews. Articles …

Language Concordance: Overcoming Language Barriers, Pamela Flavin-Lee

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Language discordance is a growing problem facing health care today. Communication barriers can be cultural or language based and are commonly cited as a major contributor to poor patient compliance and health outcomes.

• This research project seeks to identify promising developments aimed at overcoming language discordance through analysis of different translation implementation methods and correlating these with health outcomes.

Opioid Maintenance Treatment: Methadone, Buprenorphine, And Naltrexone, Nicole Lemieux

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Opioid dependence plagues the United States with millions of people suffering from the effects. Throughout recent years, there has been a surge in research in treatment options for patients suffering from opioid dependence. Three medications have stood out: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. The purpose of this study was to investigate the three and decipher which provides the best outcomes for patients. Research was conducted by reviewing literature via PubMed, PsychInfo and Cochrane. A review of the literature found that methadone has been used the longest and has been shown to be efficacious, but can be severely limiting for patients due …

Treatment Options For Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Comorbid Depression, Elizabeth Morton

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Irritable bowel syndrome & depression are common comorbidities, however there is a wide variability regarding the appropriate treatment regimens for these patients.

• IBS is classified as a functional bowel disease in which patients suffer from recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort associated with alterations in bowel habits.

• While the cause of IBS is multifactorial, studies have revealed that the dysfunction of the brain-gut pathways are a culprit to disease appearance and progression, as seen in the biopsychosocial model of IBS. This model proposes that abdominal symptoms secondarily impact anxiety & depression symptoms and that psychological factors influence physiologic …

Alpha-1 Deficiency: Better Detection May Improve Outcomes For Copd Patients, Angela Schuster

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a genetic disorder that results in debilitating illnesses like: emphysema, COPD, liver disease, and panniculitis. AATD is highly under-diagnosed based on epidemiologic and population studies that suggest that fewer than 10% of the 60,000-100,000 individuals in the U.S. suspected to have severely deficient alleles have been identified ( Rahaghi et al., 2012). This study examines strategies aimed at improving detection of AATD. The findings indicate that utilizing flags to alert providers of the need for AATD testing initiated by RTs or automated within EMR systems are effective strategies for increasing testing rates and potentially improving …

Pharmacogenetic Testing In The Treatment Of Major Depressive Disorder, Brianna Strube

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the United States and is a large cause of disability. Antidepressants take weeks/months to become effective which can lead to noncompliance. Treatment has a high failure rate which increases medical costs and leads to decreased patient outcomes.

• Pharmacogenetic testing is the practice of analyzing genetic differences to predict a patient’s response to medications to improve efficacy and decrease adverse side effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate if pharmacogenetic-guided treatment, specifically in the use of antidepressants in MDD, has resulted in improved patient …

Autism: Benefits And Outcomes Of Early Diagnosis And Intervention, Mitchel Leers

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

•The purpose of this review was to determine the importance of early diagnosis and intervention during infancy, leading to significant outcomes which include improvements in communication skills, receptive language and social interaction in children with ASD.

•Nass et al.,(2016) described ASD as a “heterogeneous group of biologically based, neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in two areas: deficits in social communication and social interactions and restricted plus repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities”

•The findings showed that early diagnosis and referral to intervention makes a significant impact on children with ASD showing improvements in many areas of delay including receptive …

Life History Of Dr. Charles Christiansen Edd, Otr/(C), Faota, Jordan Mooney, Ryan Walter

Oral History Posters

The purpose of the project was to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. For this particular life history, a semi-structured phone interview was conducted between the student researchers and Dr. Christiansen.The interview was audio recorded and later transcribed verbatim and coded. In addition to the phone interview, a curriculum vitae (CV) and Biosketch were obtained from Dr. Christiansen to appropriately depict the professional life and contributions he has made to the field of …

Life History Of Joyce Wicklund, Kara Moore, Kasey Nieland

Oral History Posters

The purpose of this qualitative life history study was to explore the evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice through the life history of Joyce Wicklund, a retired occupational therapist who practiced in multiple settings in North Dakota and other states from 1970-2010. The researchers conducted one 1-hour semi-structured interview with Joyce Wicklund. Themes regarding her involvement in continuing education and her perspectives on the profession were synthesized from the interview data and compared with literature about continuing education and specialization in the field of OT. The predominant categories representing the major elements of her career were Maintaining Competence, Changing Demands …

Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Cassady Hoff, Amanda Callahan, Danielle Chartier

Oral History Student Papers

This life history 1 of 29 life history interviews which is part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individual Who Have Been Influential In Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have influenced the development of OT in these two states. It is anticipated that the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information. This study is intended to provide current and future …

The Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Charles H. Christiansen, Jordan Mooney, Ryan Walter

Oral History Student Papers

The purpose of the project was to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. For this particular life history, a semi-structured phone interview was conducted between the student researchers and Dr. Christiansen.The interview was audio recorded and later transcribed verbatim and coded. In addition to the phone interview, a curriculum vitae (CV) and Biosketch were obtained from Dr. Christiansen to appropriately depict the professional life and contributions he has made to the field of …

The Life History Of Ron Meier, Otr/L, Kylie Browen, Olivia Mayasich

Oral History Posters

Objective: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the life history of Ron Meier and his experiences as an occupational therapist. More specifically, researchers explored his roles as a supervisor, manager, and director in the mental health setting in the states of North Dakota and Minnesota.

Method: A semi-structured interview via phone was conducted. Ron was assigned to the researchers from a list developed by the Project Directors through purposive sampling.

Results: the major themes that were prevalent throughout Ron's career included: the many close relationships he formed, the programs he established and administered, the positions he held …

Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Kathy Bangsund, Jenna Nelson, Rachel Trieff

Oral History Posters

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate the life history of Kathy Bangsund, OTR/L. This life history is one of 29 life history interviews which are a part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of occupational therapy (OT) practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated that the life history …

Evolution Of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History Of Teresa Dahlstrom, Bobbie Bertsch, Kennedy Bresnahan

Oral History Student Papers

Objective: The purpose of the life history of Teresa Dahlstrom is to gain an insight about her life experiences and leadership throughout her years of work in the profession of occupational therapy.

Method. An in depth, semi structured, 60 minute interview was conducted at the University of North Dakota of School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The interview was transcribed and coded for the emergent of themes.

Results: The predominant themes representing the major elements of her success as a leader were maintaining the integrity of occupational therapy (OT), progressing through major changes in OT, and developing personal relationships with …