Digital Commons Network^™

Patient And Family Engagement: Bridging Together Interprofessional Practice And Patient- And Family-Centred Care, Yuchen Gao, Sylvia Abonyi, Pamela Downe, Krista Baerg, Heather A. Ward

Patient Experience Journal

Patient and family engagement as part of the health care team is increasingly recommended to meet the objective of providing safer and more coordinated care, as well as enhancing patient satisfaction. This project explores both health care professionals’ and patients and families’ experiences with patient- and family-centred care (PFCC) and interprofessional practice (IPP). Data were collected through individual interviews with 29 health care professionals and 17 patients and families on medicine and pediatrics at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Inductive coding and thematic analysis outcomes are presented using qualitative description. We used communicative action theory to interpret the gap that …

The Impact Of Patient-Centered Care On Health Outcomes In Adolescents Living With Diabetes, Rashida Farhad Vasanwala Dr, Amos Lim, Lim Soo Ting, Lim Pei Kwee, Hui Yuen Ching, Tan Xiang Feng

Patient Experience Journal

There is increasing evidence from research studies that suggest patient-centered care has a relationship with good clinical outcomes. In Singapore, there are no studies done to assess and address the issue of patient-centered care and its association with the adolescent’s ability to manage their chronic medical condition, such as Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. The relationship between the patient and clinicians has changed from a paternalistic form to a position which aims to foster patient-centered care. More importantly, this study aims to show the adolescent’s readiness and ability to assume a more mature role in management of their own medical condition. …

Understanding Both Sides Of The Blood Draw: The Experience Of The Pediatric Patient And The Phlebotomist, Julie R. Piazza, Sandra Merkel, Brooke Rothberg, Joan Gargaro, Kristin Kullgren

Patient Experience Journal

A phlebotomist’s words and actions play a crucial role in success of a blood draw and in providing a supportive patient experience. This study examined use of comfort measures during a pediatric blood draw. The phlebotomist’s use of soft words, positioning, distraction, coaching/support were observed with sixty children between 3-14 years of age during a blood draw. The level of fear /anxiety before and during the blood draw was recorded by an RA. The child’s level of fear/anxiety was observed and reported by the parent/caregiver after the procedure. Comfort measures provided by phlebotomists, the parent/caregiver’s report of their child’s usual …

Assessment Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Its Impact On A Children's Hospital: The Point Of View Of Patients And Families, Maria D. Navarro-Rubio, Ana Bosque, Arian Tarbal, Paula Cañal, David Nadal, Mercedes Jabalera

Patient Experience Journal

The coronavirus pandemic has affected our health, social behavior, and quality of life. In addition to the deaths and morbidity, the crisis also affects all spheres in society. The objective of this study was to assess the perception of hospital patients and families regarding the pandemic. This is a descriptive study conducted May-July 2020 in the Sant Joan de Déu children’s hospital, Barcelona, Spain. We developed a mix-method approach. It included online semi-structured interviews and photo voice. Seventeen patients’ representatives were interviewed. In their opinion, the pandemic has affected the health of patients and families at the physical and psychological …

Family’S Sufferings From Asymptomatic Covid: Clinicians’ Perspective, Neha Joshi Dr, Jitender Nagpal Dr, Anand Sinha Dr

Patient Experience Journal

Anticipating dire consequences, in 2020 the world braced itself for the unparalleled pandemic by resorting to unprecedented measures including stringent lockdowns, unforeseen social isolations, spotlight focus, resource diversions besides reorganized healthcare systems to name the quintessential few. Such unifocal convergence enhanced the vulnerabilities of patients dependent on non-COVID healthcare assistance. For a nation with a meagre allocation of 0.7 hospital beds per 1000 people and a lopsided doctor-population ratio of 1:1800, COVID-centric measures created unintended complications. Ironically, many succumbed in myriad ways, not due to the pandemic but due to the attributes of the survival measures. While such consequences cannot …

Before It Is Over: A Family’S Experience With End-Of-Life Care During Covid-Related Restrictive Visitation Policies, Andjela H. Kaur

Patient Experience Journal

It is not uncommon in the American medical community that a personal narrative sparks a conversation about a controversial topic. In 1988 the Journal of American Medical Association published a narrative by a medical doctor which provoked a debate on euthanasia within the readership of the journal and the greater public. The testimony that I am presenting aims to invite a public dialogue on the harmful effects of restrictive visitation policies brought on by the COVID -19 pandemic. The story of my family’s experience during the end-of-life care for my mother, a COVID patient, illustrates how urgent is the need …

Current Prom And Prem Use In Health System Performance Measurement: Still A Way To Go, Claudia Bull, Emily J. Callander

Patient Experience Journal

There is a growing impetus to “measure what matters” to enable health systems to optimise value-based, person-centred healthcare. This paper describes the critical importance of patient-reported outcome and experience measures (PROMs and PREMs) in this pursuit and provides an in-depth overview of how PROM and PREM programs differ between England, the United States, and Australia. A comprehensive timeline of PROM, PREM, legislation/policy, and value-based purchasing (pay-for-performance) program implementation accompanies this discussion. Importantly, this paper highlights disparities between these nations’ PROMs and PREMs programs, evidencing that we still have a way to go towards equal health system performance measurement globally.

Experience …

Measuring What Matters: A Proposal For Reframing How We Evaluate And Improve Experience In Healthcare, Alpa Vyas, Lisa Allen, Anne Brown, Jennifer Carron, Cassandra Crowe-Jackson, Rick Evans, Kevin Gwin, Jason A. Wolf

Patient Experience Journal

The conversation on measuring experience has been a long and thoughtful one. It has reflected a dynamic tension between measures used as a lever for action in some health systems and as a mechanism to determine reimbursable dollars in others. Yet underlying all the conversation, the question of what we measure, to what end we measure and what truly matters to those who experience care remains. Through a series of conversations over the last two years senior experience leaders across healthcare organizations determined it is time to assess the current landscape of patient experience measurement, to acknowledge what the existing …

Community: The True Driver Of Excellence In Human Experience, Jason A. Wolf

Patient Experience Journal

The idea that we are a community first, a community of people from a breadth of backgrounds and experiences, from all corners of our world, has been the foundation on which our work has been built, our efforts motivated, our research driven and our hope inspired. It is a tapestry of possibility, grounded in evidence and brought to life in practice that has made the journey to our 9^th volume so enriching. A community is fostered in realizations of people who want to be part of something together – an idea, a hope, a purpose or possibility – and …

A Social Networks Approach To Interaction Patterns Of Bts Compared To Justin Bieber On Twitter, Soohyun Park, Taisik Hwang

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

A Korean-pop boy band, BTS, has broken the cultural barrier to make changes in the nature of the global pop industry. This study examined the unique approach BTS has taken through social media to building its fan base and interacting with its fans. Twitter datasets were analyzed to explore the nature of BTS’s interaction with its fans on social media, as compared to another pop star, Justin Bieber. Findings and implications are discussed.

Mourning The Marathon: Black Men Rappers, Homicide Survivorship Bereavement, And The Rap Tribute Of Nipsey Hussle, Melvin L. Williams, Justin K. Winley, Justin Causey

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

Eritrean-American rapper Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom’s murder represented a cultural cataclysmic event that startled the hip-hop community and triggered previous memories of Black men’s homicidal deaths in rap and Black American urban communities. Nipsey Hussle’s death inspired touching rap tribute songs by Black men rappers, who sought to commemorate his cultural legacy and express their bereavement pains as homicide survivors. Rap tribute songs occupy a significant history, as rappers historically employed them to honor hip-hop’s fallen soldiers, communicate their homicide survivorship bereavement processes, and speak about social perils in the Black community. Framed by critical race (CRT) and gender role …

Into The Woods: Freedom And The Forest In The Hunger Games, Robert B. Hackey

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

Forests are contested terrains in literature. The woods are a bucolic setting far removed from the hectic, bustling world of the city or the grueling challenges of industrial life. At the same time, however, the forest challenges us – in the woods, we must take stock of ourselves, overcome unfamiliar obstacles, and face our fears. The forested settings of the Hunger Games – both natural and manmade – force tributes to wrestle with the nature of human freedom. Drawing upon political theorists from Thomas Hobbes to Isaiah Berlin, my paper also explores how tributes face a choice between positive and …

“A Meaningless Institution”: Allen Ginsberg And The Struggle To Resist Dehumanization, James Altman

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

This presentation details how in poems such as “A Meaningless Institution,” “Howl,” and “American Change” Allen Ginsberg depicts individuals striving as best they can to maintain their freedom, especially freedom of thought in the face of lockstep conformity. In doing so, they seek to hang onto and reassert their humanity. In virtually every line, Ginsberg’s ideas about free speech, democracy, patriotism, inclusiveness, the environment, and community collided with the dehumanizing ideals of mainstream Cold War America. Ginsberg’s reverence for the United States as celebrated by his artistic “father” Walt Whitman functions as the catalyst for him to protest what the …

Too Much Time At Home?: Redecorating During The Pandemic, Sierra Inzana

Seminar in Textiles and Clothing

Consumers spent more time at home during the pandemic, causing them to want to make changes to their interiors. Increasing the number of remote work spaces in the home, reducing clutter to improve mental health, and creating attractive locations for on-line meetings are some of the topics discussed.

Humco-Operative Volume 1, Lex Valtenbergs

Creative Publications and Manuals

Throughout Humboldt County, there are numerous non-profit organizations made for and by the people that serve the local community. Interdependent sufficiency and mutual aid is key in a rural and isolated region like Humboldt. Grassroots organizations empower and connect community members across intersectional lines. Read on to learn more!

Book Review: The Ophthalmic Laser Handbook, William L. Miller Od, Ms, Phd

Optometric Clinical Practice

Book Review: Freisberg L, Lighthizer N, Skorin, Jr. L, Stonecipher K, and Zimmerman A. The Ophthalmic Laser Handbook. First Edition. Wolters Kluwer Health; 2021. $102.00, 350 pages, Paperback ISBN: 978-1975170172, e-book ISBN: 978-1975170219

Case Report: Bartonella Quintana-Associated Neuroretinitis, Kelly Seidler Od, Kelly A. Malloy Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Neuroretinitis is a self-limiting condition which typically causes monocular vision loss with good potential for visual recovery. It may be idiopathic or associated with infectious or inflammatory conditions which can carry systemic implications. Neuroretinitis classically presents with disc edema followed by development of a macular star pattern of exudates. It is most commonly attributed to Cat Scratch Disease, or Bartonella henselae infection. However, there have been few published reports of Bartonella quintana associated neuroretinitis.

Case Report: A 60-year-old patient presented with unilateral vision loss preceded by flu-like illness. The patient had exposure to a recently adopted cat. …

Bilateral, Full-Thickness Macular Holes While Undergoing Chemotherapy, Sarah Dieter Od, Brett Garee Od Ms, Susan Zacatelco Od, Julie Henry Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Bilateral, full-thickness macular holes are a rare condition that can substantially affect quality of life. Macular hole diagnosis and treatment is key for these patients.

Case Report: A 71 year old Caucasian male presented with a chief complaint of distance blur in both eyes, worsening over the past 1-2 weeks. He had no diagnosis of diabetes. He added that his prostate cancer had spread and that his last treatment ended 9 days ago. He was ultimately diagnosed with bilateral, full-thickness macular holes. Referral to a retinal specialist for surgical management yielded good results.

Conclusion: This is …

Cefuroxime-Induced Toxic Maculopathy: A Cataract Co-Management Conundrum, Leonid Skorin Jr., Do, Od, Ms

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Cefuroxime-induced toxic maculopathy can occur when an incorrect dilution is injected intracamerally after cataract surgery. This results in a guarded visual prognosis. Cefuroxime-induced toxic maculopathy can also occur sporadically even when the medication dilution is the standard correct dosage. These patients usually recover their vision by the first postoperative week.

Case Report: A 72-year-old Caucasian female developed cefuroxime-induced toxic maculopathy after uneventful cataract surgery. Investigation of the case confirmed that she had a sporadic response to the cefuroxime. It was verified that she received the standard correct dilution of cefuroxime intracamerally. The patient showed a significant improvement in her …

Isolated Optic Neuropathy As The Presenting Sign Of Neurosyphilis, Kasey Zann Od, Molly Johnson Od, James Fabian Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Detection and treatment of syphilitic ocular disease without a known history of syphilis is often difficult due to its varied presentations. Early diagnosis and treatment are the key to reducing risk of permanent vision loss, particularly with optic nerve and retinal manifestations.

Case Report: This case report describes a 44 year-old male who was diagnosed with neurosyphilis through his work-up for unilateral optic neuropathy.

Conclusion: This report illustrates the importance of including syphilis lab testing in the setting of optic nerve edema. Syphilis should be considered in any inflammatory ocular disease, especially in patients with atypical presentations and high-risk …

Medication-Induced Oculomotor Dysfunction: A Report Of Two Cases, Eric Lee Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Consideration of current medications and their interactions as a source of new onset oculomotor dysfunction is imperative for providing good eye care. Medication etiology should be particularly suspected when the symptoms begin with the initiation of a new medication and resolved with discontinuation of the same medication.

Case Reports: Presented are two cases demonstrating that it is prudent to be aware of medications capable of inducing oculomotor dysfunction. Each case reveals instances of acute oculomotor dysfunction after the initiation of a central nervous system affecting medication. Case 1 details a partial pupil sparing third nerve palsy after initiating the …

Longstanding Crystalline Retinopathy Secondary To Intravitreal Triamcinolone Injection, Katherine Thomas Od, Jeffery Curry Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Crystalline retinopathy has many disparate etiologies with varying potentials in visual outcome. Due to the potential severity of these outcomes, differentiation of etiology is critical to guide both follow up and treatment regimen. Diagnosis can be facilitated with a thorough medical history, clinical presentation, and imaging such as optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Case Report: This case demonstrates a rare incidence of crystalline retinopathy in a 65-year-old male attributed to a single intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection with 8 year follow up data, followed by a review of other types of crystalline retinopathy secondary to pharmaceutical agents.

Conclusion: A complete …

It’S As Easy As Learning To Fly A Plane, Paul B. Freeman Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

The Premonition: A Pandemic Story, Kathleen A. Walsh, Michael Lewis

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Light Dependent Feeding And Photogrammetric Determination Of Movement Speed Of Pterois Volitans And Pterois Miles In The Florida Keys, Neal Kolonay

LSU Master's Theses

Invasive species are known to cause economic and ecological damage worldwide, with many aquatic and terrestrial species extending outside their range. Invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans and Pterois miles, are currently some of the most destructive marine species, being released into non-native Atlantic waters, gaining a foothold, and expanding at explosive rates. While attempts have been made to cull their populations through various methods, primarily spearfishing, their populations continue to grow and their ranges expand showing a need for a deeper understanding of their ecology to more effectively model and target them. In this work, two avenues of lionfish ecology which …

Organizational Commitment Profiles And Employee Well-Being: A Latent Profile Analysis, Hannah E. Perkins

LSU Master's Theses

The present study examined the influence that employees’ organizational commitment profile has on both work and non-work outcomes. While the nomological network of the three-component model of organizational commitment has been studied widely, the application of the latent profile analysis (LPA) has changed the way researchers explore organizational commitment. Specifically, while variable centered approaches (e.g., correlations, multiple regression) measure each type of commitment independently and ultimately assume the linear relationships detected are applicable to every employee, a person-centered approach (e.g., latent profile analysis) groups individuals according to patterns of the reported target variables, allowing researchers to explore the combined or …

Music Making And Learning At A School For The Visually Impaired: A Case Study, Jacob A. Peterson

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this case study was to investigate the learning environment and the teaching methodologies of teachers at a state school for the visually impaired. Data collection included interviews and observations with field notes with two teachers at LSVI (one music and one non-music teacher) and an interview with a member of the administration. The semi-structured interviews and observations took place in three phases: 1) preliminary interviews in which the participants answered questions about goals for their classrooms, background information, common strategies/methods/tools that they have at their disposal, 2) observations of a class/classes with each of the teachers, 3) …

Machine Learning-Based Bridge Load Posting Prediction, Sai Naga Sasi Aditya Bandaru

LSU Master's Theses

1600 (12%) of Louisiana's 13,000 bridges that allow the passage of people, goods, and services are load posted, meaning they are deemed incapable of securely carrying all legal loads. A machine learning framework for estimating the number of load-posted bridges within a regional bridge portfolio would be extremely valuable in the future for allocating essential resources during long-term planning. A framework of this type is necessary since a significant proportion of the bridges are load posted. Furthermore, deterioration due to aging and future increases in legal loads can compound this situation. In this setting, there is a lack of data-driven …

Machine Learning-Based Bridge Load Posting Prediction, Sai Naga Sasi Aditya Bandaru

LSU Master's Theses

1600 (12%) of Louisiana's 13,000 bridges that allow the passage of people, goods, and services are load posted, meaning they are deemed incapable of securely carrying all legal loads. A machine learning framework for estimating the number of load-posted bridges within a regional bridge portfolio would be extremely valuable in the future for allocating essential resources during long-term planning. A framework of this type is necessary since a significant proportion of the bridges are load posted. Furthermore, deterioration due to aging and future increases in legal loads can compound this situation. In this setting, there is a lack of data-driven …

Public Safety Response For Persons With Serious Mental Illness: A Systematic Review Of Literature, Ashley Bailey

LSU Master's Theses

There are 13.1 million adults living with serious mental illness (SMI) in the United States. It is estimated that 356,000 people with SMI are incarcerated in the United States. Many advocates believe that police reform/alternatives to traditional policing could assist in lowering incarceration rates among persons with SMI, and improve outcomes for both the officer and the person with SMI during police contact.