Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Communication Between Nurses And First Call Providers Using A Secure Chat Algorithm, Karen Hilt

DNP Projects

BACKGROUND: Healthcare requires quality multidisciplinary communication for patient care. Secure Chat is a feature within the Epic electronic health record to facilitate communication without violating Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). An algorithm to streamline communication utilizing this feature is needed to improve patient care.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine, develop, implement, and evaluate a communication protocol between nurses and first call providers. The overall goal was to improve the knowledge, attitudes, efficacy, and address barriers with communication of nursing staff and providers through efficient messaging embedded within Epic, electronic health record

CONCEPTUAL MODEL: …

Medicaid Managed Care Restrictions On Medications For The Treatment Of Opioid Use Disorder, Maureen T. Stewart, Christina M. Andrews Ph.D., Sage R. Feltus, Dominic Hodgkin, Constance M. Horgan, Cindy Parks Thomas, Thuong Nong

Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine whether Medicaid managed care plan (MCP) utilization management policies for buprenorphine–naloxone and injectable naltrexone are related to key state Medicaid program policy decisions. Data Sources and Study Setting: We abstracted data on state Medicaid regulatory and policy information from publicly available sources and publicly available insurance benefit documentation from all 241 Medicaid MCPs operating in 2021. Study Design: In this cross-sectional study, we used bivariate and multivariate analyses to examine whether Medicaid MCP prior authorization and quantity limits on receipt of buprenorphine and injectable naltrexone were associated with key state Medicaid choices to leverage federal funds to …

Human Mobility And The Infectious Disease Transmission: A Systematic Review, M. Naser Lessani, Zhenlong Li, Fengrui Jing, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Recent decades have witnessed several infectious disease outbreaks, including the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which had catastrophic impacts on societies around the globe. At the same time, the twenty-first century has experienced an unprecedented era of technological development and demographic changes: exploding population growth, increased airline flights, and increased rural-to-urban migration, with an estimated 281 million international migrants worldwide in 2020, despite COVID-19 movement restrictions. In this review, we synthesized 195 research articles that examined the association between human movement and infectious disease outbreaks to understand the extent to which human mobility has increased the risk of infectious disease outbreaks. …

แนวทางการจัดการฝุ่นละอองขนาดเล็กไม่เกิน 2.5 ไมครอน:กรณีศึกษาพื้นที่เขตดินแดงและเขตปทุมวัน, ณัชภรณ์ ภัทรพงศ์ดิลก

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

มลพิษทางอากาศโดยเฉพาะจาก PM2.5 เป็นปัญหาสำคัญที่ส่งผลกระทบต่อสุขภาพและคุณภาพชีวิตของมนุษย์ในปัจจุบัน ประเทศไทยเป็นอีกหนึ่งประเทศที่ประสบปัญหาจาก PM2.5 โดยเฉพาะในพื้นที่กรุงเทพมหานครที่มีค่าเกินมาตรฐานที่กำหนดไว้ ซึ่งส่งผลกระทบต่อความมั่นคงของประเทศทั้งในด้านเศรษฐกิจและสังคมอีกทั้งรวมไปถึงส่งผลกระทบต่อสุขภาพของประชาชน ก่อให้เกิดการตายก่อนวัยอันควรในประเทศไทย ประมาณ 50,000 คนต่อปี และกระทบต่อภาพลักษณ์ของกรุงเทพมหานครในฐานะศูนย์กลางการท่องเที่ยว โดยงานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาแหล่งกำเนิดของมลพิษฝุ่น PM2.5 กรณีศึกษาเขตปทุมวันและเขตดินแดง วิเคราะห์แนวโน้มความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างความเข้มข้นของมลพิษทางอากาศ PM2.5 กับจำนวนของยานยนต์ โดยศึกษาข้อมูลตั้งแต่ปี พ.ศ. 2562-2566 และศึกษามาตรการในการแก้ปัญหา PM2.5 และนอกจากนี้ในงานวิจัยนี้ได้ทำการระบุแหล่งกำเนิดในพื้นที่เขตปทุมวันด้วยวิธี Factor Analysis ผลการศึกษาของการทบทวนเอกสารและผลของการวิเคราะห์ด้วย Factor Analysis พบว่าแหล่งกำเนิดสำคัญที่ส่งผลไปยังมลพิษฝุ่น PM2.5 คือ ฝุ่นถนนและฝุ่นที่ออกมาจากปลายท่อไอเสียยานยนต์ อีกทั้งจำนวนรถที่วิ่งบนถนนในเขตพื้นที่ที่ศึกษาเป็นอีกปัจจัยที่มีผลต่อค่าเฉลี่ย PM2.5 มีรถวิ่งมากยิ่งทำให้จำนวนวันที่ค่าเฉลี่ยมลพิษฝุ่น PM2.5 เกินมาตรฐานมากขึ้น และนอกจากนี้ มาตรการ Work From Home ที่ได้บังคับใช้ในสถานการณ์โควิด-19 สามารถทำให้มลพิษฝุ่น PM2.5 จากแหล่งกำเนิดประเภทยานพาหนะลดลง

Do Generations Matter? The Moderating Role Of Media In Adherence To Covid-19 Quarantine Protocol, Luz Suplico Jeong, Reynaldo Bautista Jr., Nelson B. Guillen Jr., Solomon Oluyinka

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study examined the perceptions of Filipinos from Generations X, Y, and Z towards adherence to COVID-19 quarantine protocol. Of the 400 Filipino respondents, 55 were Generation Xers, 86 were from Generation Y, whereas 259 were from Generation Z. Using the theory of planned behavior, the results suggest that there were no significant differences in how Generations X, Y, and Z responded to the quarantine protocol even if media moderated the relationship between self-efficacy and adherence to quarantine protocol. Thus, marketers can use a standardized campaign to encourage Generations X, Y, and Z to adhere to the quarantine protocol.

Unveiling Chagas Disease: An In-Depth Analysis Of Epidemiological Patterns In High Burden Latin American Nations, Nicole Del Castillo

Public Health Theses

Background: Chagas Disease, endemic to 21 countries in Latin America, is transmitted by triatominae insects infected with parasites known as Trypanosoma cruzi.1–3 It is the most prevalent tropical disease in Latin America, affecting about 6 million individuals across the Americas.1 This literature review aims to summarize unique epidemiological patterns over a 9-year time period from 2010 to 2019 across three nations in South America that experienced the highest Chagas Disease burden in 2019: Bolivia, Venezuela, and Argentina.4

Methods: For this rapid literature review, one independent reviewer extracted all data for publications reviewed within a 9-year time period: 2010 to 2019. …

The Roads Less Traveled: A Metaresearch Analysis Of Local Histories In Racial Health Equity Research, Devin Trévion Brown

Public Health Theses

While it is important that racial health equity research receive growing attention in theUnited States, doing so must involve a thorough recognition and interrogation of the role that structural racism plays in creating different outcomes for Black communities. History aids in making clear the process through which race can become biology as structural racism is embodied by members of Black communities. Guided by Táíwò’s conceptualization of “resource distribution and accumulation” as well as Carter’s discussion of “racialized local biologies”, this cross-sectional meta-research analysis sought to investigate when and how racial health equity research after 2020 utilized local history to understand …

Examining Factors Associated With Covid-19 Disruptions To Tuberculosis Services, Tejaswini Dharmapuri Vachaspathi

Public Health Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to global health systems, significantly impacting the delivery of essential health services, including tuberculosis (TB) care. It is important to analyze the factors associated with the reductions in TB notifications during the pandemic, with a focus on high TB burden countries, to inform strategies for making TB programs more resilient to health system shocks.

Methods: Amongst 98 selected high-burden countries, a GLM analysis was employed to examine the association between ‘missed’ TB case notifications from 2020 to 2021, and various country-level factors including: COVID-19 mortality estimates, lockdown stringency index, GDP per capita, health …

Evaluation Of One Health Education Materials: A Scoping Review And Quality Assessment, Sydney Jones

Public Health Theses

The increasing risk of zoonotic spillover, driven by climate change and evolving human behaviors, requires a systematic shift in pandemic prevention strategies towards a One Health approach. Central to this approach is effective health communication intended to translate knowledge into actionable recommendations for the most vulnerable populations. This thesis aims to systematically evaluate the quantity and quality of existing One Health communication materials through a scoping review and two distinct methods of quality evaluation: the CDC Clear Communication Index and content analysis. Among 82 communication materials identified in the scoping review, the median overall CDC Clear Communication Index score was …

Real-World Rollout Of Injectable Antiretrovirals For Hiv Prevention And Treatment: Understanding Predictors Of Early Adoption, Liza Koshy

Public Health Theses

Background: Data is limited on implementation of long-acting injectable (LAI) HIV treatment (ART) and prevention (PrEP). We sought to characterize “early adopters” of LAI ART and PrEP in terms of social determinants of health, using a health equity lens. Methods: A retrospective cohort included patients prescribed ART or PrEP through a large Northeast urban health system (January 2021-September 2023). Separate analyses used electronic health record data for: 1) prevention (LAI vs. oral PrEP) and 2) treatment (LAI vs. oral ART). Group differences were examined using ANOVA, chi-square tests or Fisher’s exact tests. Bivariate logistic regression modeled associations between LAI ART …

Exploring Health Equity In Global Community Health Worker Compensation With Cfir Analysis, Mansoorah Kermani

Public Health Theses

IntroductionEquitable compensation of community health workers (CHWs) is fundamental to sustaining and maximizing the impact of CHW interventions worldwide. Despite their pivotal role in promoting health equity especially among underserved populations, CHWs often encounter inadequate and inconsistent compensation, undermining the sustainability and effectiveness of their efforts. This review delves into various CHW compensation models and implications that may improve CHW compensation and performance across diverse patient populations.

MethodsEmploying the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), this review systematically examines empirical literature to examine six different compensation models: alternative payment methods (value-based, capitation, and shared savings), grant-based, public sector or governmental, …

Evaluating Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Dengue Fever And Its Vaccination Among Medical Staff In China: A Questionnaire-Based Study, Ip Man Lam

Public Health Theses

Dengue, a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus, has seen a significant increase in global incidence in recent decades. China has experienced a rapid rise in dengue cases since 2013, posing a serious threat to population health and increased economic burden. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes towards dengue fever and dengue vaccination among medical staff in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire survey targeting medical professionals in Zhejiang, Yunnan, and Hainan provinces, which are known endemic areas for dengue virus infection in China. The questionnaire assessed participants' understanding of dengue …

Exploring The Connections Between The Arts And Mental Health In The Face Of Climate Change, Marla Joy Minkoff

Public Health Theses

Objective: This study aims to explore how engagement with art may shape emotions related to the climate crisis and expand the conception of art as a mechanism of public health practice.Background: Climate change impacts human health not only physically but also psychologically, manifesting in symptoms of climate emotions (e.g., ecological grief, eco-anxiety, eco-paralysis) that arise as a result of changes to the earth and our relationship to the natural world. These symptoms are among the pressing mental health effects of climate change. Methods: A qualitative approach utilizing the Rapid Assessment Process (RAP) was employed to conduct semi-structured interviews (N=10) with …

“Their Body, Their Choice. Your Body, Your Choice. Your Baby, Your Choice.”: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis Of Vaccine Access And Acceptance Among U.S. Pregnant People On Reddit, Sydney Marie Perlotto

Public Health Theses

Compared to the general population, pregnant people and newborns are at a higher risk of contracting infectious diseases and experiencing worse adverse outcomes. Vaccines delivered during pregnancy, known as prenatal vaccines, represent a critical yet underused form of preventive care for these populations in the United States. Increasing successful prenatal vaccination uptake requires a focus on both access and acceptance, which pregnant people may experience differently than non-pregnant people due to their unique physiological and social state. Given the evolution of vaccine hesitancy following the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the recent expansion of the U.S. prenatal immunization schedule, this study …

Determining Optimal Media For Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Recovery From Hospital Sink Drains: A Prospective Environmental Microbial Study, Eryn Larissa Pawluk

Public Health Theses

Abstract Background: Environmental healthcare-associated pathogens are of particular public health concern, not only as potential contributors to the escalating rates of hospital-acquired infections1 noted during the SARS CoV-2 pandemic, but also as valuable indicators for multidrug resistance2. Their significance extends to infection prevention and control, emphasizing the pivotal role of shaping specific interventions within healthcare settings.

Rationale: The study investigates R2A agar’s efficacy in recovering environmental pathogens, specifically carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), crucial for enhancing infection prevention and control in healthcare settings.

Objectives: In this prospective study conducted within hospital environments, our objective is to identify superior culture methods for recovering …

A Climate Change Calamity: Assessing The Impact Of Flooding On Waterborne Disease Burden In Pakistan, Haleigh Schultz

Public Health Theses

Background: Pakistan ranks among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. In 2022, extreme flooding ravaged the country as a result of unprecedented monsoon rains, resulting in widespread environmental and health devastation. As flooding events damage water, sanitation and health (WASH) infrastructure, contribute to disaster conditions, and strain healthcare systems, heavy rains can impact waterborne disease transmission and outbreak events. Extreme flooding events are expected to increase in prevalence, severity, and scope as the climate continues to change in the future. This study aims to assess the impact of monsoon seasons and flooding events on waterborne disease burden in Pakistan …

Examining The Relationship Between Pcv13, Respiratory Viruses, And Invasive Pneumococcal Disease In Massachusetts Children, Kaitlin Soden

Public Health Theses

The landscape of the burden of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in Massachusetts children has been shaped by both the introduction of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in 2010 as well as the relationship with respiratory viruses, like influenza and COVID-19. The implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and dramatic decline in non-COVID circulating respiratory viruses during the initial waves of the COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the relationship between respiratory viruses and IPD in Massachusetts children. Using weekly surveillance data for IPD, influenza, and COVID-19 in Massachusetts children 5 years of age and younger from the Massachusetts …

Assessment Of Suicide Risk In Emergency Department Settings For Adults In Nepal: Validation Of The Nepali Ask Suicide-Screening Questions, Pei Wang

Public Health Theses

Objectives: Suicide is a severe public health crisis around the globe. Low-middle-income countries (LMICs) bear 77% of the global suicide burden. Screening is a significant component of suicide prevention, but there is a dearth of suicide screening tools, especially in LMICs. This study focused on validating the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) within an adult Emergency Department (ED) population in Nepal. Although the validation occurred in an ED setting, the Nepali ASQ is designed with the flexibility to be useful in a variety of healthcare contexts, extending its applicability beyond just emergency care.Methods: We systematically translated and adapted the 4-item ASQ, …

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of Alternative Infant And Neonatal Rotavirus Vaccination Schedules In Malawi, Catherine Wenger

Public Health Theses

Rotavirus is the leading cause of cases and deaths related to diarrhea-related hospitalizations among children under five worldwide, especially in low- and middle- income countries. Although vaccination is proven to be the best strategy for preventing rotavirus, its impact has been suboptimal in LMICs.

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of and cost- effectiveness of the current Rotarix rotavirus vaccine, two alternative vaccine delivery schedules, and the next-generation vaccine (RV3-BB) in Malawi.

The cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccine strategies in Malawi was evaluated using moderate-to-severe and non-severe rotavirus cases derived from a mathematical model ofrotavirus transmission …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Cancer Prevention Behaviors In Selected Gen Z Population (Ages 18-25), Lan Zhang

Public Health Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in negative changes in health behaviors related to cancer. Recent studies in adults have identified factors leading to harmful/unhealthy lifestyle changes during the pandemic. However, little is known about the factors that predict worse cancer-related health behaviors among young adults.

Methods: The data used for this analysis were from a cross-sectional online survey conducted in Connecticut in 2021 regarding participant’s lifestyle behaviors during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Participants were recruited through social media networks of community partners and organizations within the Yale Cancer Center (YCC) catchment area. Participants included local minority and low socioeconomic …

Do Rental Assistance Programs Relieve Overcrowding In U.S. Children?, Frank Zhu

Public Health Theses

Introduction: Crowded living conditions are associated with many negative health outcomes, with significant implications for children, as they are particularly shaped by their home environment and more likely to live in crowded conditions, given their larger household size. How rental assistance programs may shape and improve household crowding has not been previously explored. Methods: This study leveraged data from NHANES linked with HUD administrative rental assistance records. We examined changes in crowding measures in U.S. children using linear and logistic regression models stratified by different rental assistance program types. Results: There was a statistically significant 40 percentage point reduction in …

Exploring The Role Of Bacteroidales In Human Health: A Comprehensive Literature Review On Their Associations With Selected Diseases, Tingyue Wang

Public Health Theses

Bacteroidales are a vital group of gut bacteria that significantly contribute to human health by maintaining gut balance. However, their abundance is often altered in various diseases, indicating a strong association with disease progression and immune responses. This review categorizes Bacteroidales into clusters based on metabolic phenotypes, suggesting similarities in their metabolic pathways.

To explore the relationship between Bacteroidales species and human health, we conducted a comprehensive literature review. We compiled a list of 16 Bacteroidales species and performed targeted searches in PubMed using keywords related to inflammation and immunity. This process helped us identify relevant diseases, focusing on those …

Atm-/-Ung-/- Mice Present Reduced Levels Of Switched Immunoglobulin Isotypes Igg1 And Igg3, Lyric M. Haughton

Dissertations and Theses

B cells excise and recombine the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene locus during class switch recombination (CSR). CSR is mediated by activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and results in a new immunoglobulin isotype that B cells will secrete and present. AID produces mutations that convert cytosines to uracils within the intronic switch regions that precede and follow the target immunoglobulin isotype coding sequence. To resolve the mutations, B cells conduct either base excision repair (BER) or mismatch repair (MMR). Inactivating genetic mutations in BER or MMR reduce CSR. For example, a knock-out of uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG) causes a 50% reduction …

Advancing Kidney Xenotransplantation With Anesthesia And Surgery – Bridging Preclinical And Clinical Frontiers Challenges And Prospects, Xiaojian Zhang, Hailian Wang, Qin Xie, Yang Zhang, Yixin Yang, Man Yuan, Yuqi Cui, Si-Yuan Song, Jianzhen Lv, Yi Wang

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Xenotransplantation is emerging as a vital solution to the critical shortage of organs available for transplantation, significantly propelled by advancements in genetic engineering and the development of sophisticated immunosuppressive treatments. Specifically, the transplantation of kidneys from genetically engineered pigs into human patients has made significant progress, offering a potential clinical solution to the shortage of human kidney supply. Recent trials involving the transplantation of these modified porcine kidneys into deceased human bodies have underscored the practicality of this approach, advancing the field towards potential clinical applications. However, numerous challenges remain, especially in the domains of identifying suitable donor-recipient matches and …

Keynote Address And Meeting Program, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

An Effective Method For Long-Term Control Of American Bullfrogs Syntopic With Special-Status Native Amphibians In California, Usa, Jeff A. Alvarez, Jeffery T. Wilcox

Human–Wildlife Interactions

American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are invasive in western North America and are well established in California, USA, where they are widespread. This invasive species has been implicated in the decrease of native amphibian populations and is believed to have contributed to the decline of threatened and endangered amphibians regionally. We utilized air rifles, tin alloy pellets, and 2 shooters to systematically control L. catesbeianus in both lentic and lotic habitat types within 2 counties in California. We visited sites monthly (April through November) for approximately 8 and 14 years to lethally target and remove L. catesbeianus …

Multi-Year Effectiveness Of Pzp-22 In Free-Roaming Suburban White-Tailed Deer, Allen T. Rutberg, Kali M. Pereira, Kayla A. Grams, John W. Turner Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

To address the challenge that is posed to the use of fertility control to mitigate human–deer (Cervidae) conflicts by the need to regularly re-inoculate free-roaming animals, we captured, ear-tagged, and hand-injected 68 individual adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with the PZP-22 immunocontraceptive vaccine from February through April, 2014 to 2017, in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA. Approximately 2.5 years after initial treatments, we booster-darted 29 of the previously treated females with either PZP-22 or native PZP (ZonaStat-D). We observed fawn production between 2014 and 2021. The combination of initial PZP-22 hand-treatments followed by single dart-delivered PZP …

The Challenge Of Hpai And The Role Of Human–Wildlife Interactions Research, S. Nicole Frey

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the letter from the editor-in-chief of Volume 18, Issue 3.

Monograph Available: Toolkit To Address Free-Ranging Domestic Cats On Agency Lands Managed For Native Wildlife And Ecosystem Health

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is an announcement about the published monograph titled "Toolkit to Address Free-ranging Domestic Cats on Agency Lands Managed for Native Wildlife and Ecosystem Health." This publication, part of the HWI Monograph Series, is online and open access.

Asylum, Title 42, & Female Foreign Nationals, Cecilia I. Morin

Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy

No abstract provided.