Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Strategies To Prevent And Reduce Medical Identity Theft Resulting In Medical Fraud, Junior V. Clement

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical identity fraud is a byproduct of identity theft; it enables imposters to procure medical treatment, thus defrauding patients, insurers, and government programs through forged prescriptions, falsified medical records, and misuse of victim's health insurance. In 2014, for example, the United States Government lost $14.1 billion in improper payments. The purpose of this multiple case study, grounded by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act as the conceptual framework, was to explore the strategies 5 healthcare leaders used to prevent identity theft and medical identity fraud and thus improve business performance in the state of New York. Data were collected …

Management Of Inappropriate Behaviors By Healthcare Risk Managers, Sahar Ebrahim Zadeh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S.. The problem is timely recognition and management of inappropriate healthcare worker behaviors that lead to intimidation and loss of staff focus, eventually leading to errors. The purpose of this qualitative modified Delphi study was to seek consensus among a panel of experts in hospital risk management practices on the practical methods for early detection of inappropriate behaviors among hospital staff, which may be used by hospital managers to considerably mitigate the risk of medical mishaps. High reliability theory guided the research process, utilizing the conceptual framework of fair …

Waste Management Minimization Strategies In Hospitals, Andrea L. Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the delivery of healthcare services, hospital employees use enormous amounts of water, energy, and nonbiodegradable carcinogenic plastics. In the U.S., hospital staff generate an average of over 7,000 tons of waste per day at an average cost of $0.28 per pound for the disposal of regulated medical trash, which if efficiently managed or reduced, could result in substantial cost savings. Using the organizational learning and the transaction cost economics theories as the conceptual frameworks, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies healthcare leaders used to minimize their waste management operational costs. Data were collected using …

Strategies For Sustaining Small Businesses In The U.S. Health Care Sector, James Utobunwa Nwachukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, many small businesses fail within the first 5 years due to poor implementation of sustainability strategies. Researchers and business practitioners have indicated that small business owners face challenges on how to maintain their businesses beyond 5 years due to lack of sustainability strategies. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that health care small business owners and managers in New York State use to maintain their businesses beyond 5 years. Sustainability development theory was used for the study's conceptual framework. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 6 purposively-selected participants who …

A Diabetic Child's Impact On An African American Family, Silvanus Okeke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes, a chronic disease with devastating but preventable consequences, is common in the United States, especially within African American communities. Earlier research has indicated that 21.7% of African American parents have children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the Mississippi Delta Region. Researchers have examined coping, stress, and behaviors of African American parents of children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes; however, there is a gap in literature regarding how African American parents can cope with stress and how changes in health behavior due to Type 1 diabetes impact African American families. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to …

Strategies For Developing And Implementing Information Technology Systems For Ehrs, Priscilla Riddley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some hospital leaders lack the technical expertise to implement electronic health records (EHRs) even though the healthcare industry has a government mandate. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies healthcare executives use to develop and implement information technology systems for processing EHRs. The target population consisted of healthcare leaders and managers successful in implementing EHR systems in a healthcare organization. Lewin's 3-step change theory was used as the conceptual framework for this study with data collected from observations (5), semistructured interviews (5), and organizational documents. Descriptive coding was used to identify 3 themes that emerged from …

Low-Income Uninsured Perceptions, Beliefs, And Level Of Knowledge Concerning Primary Care Services, Pamela Ann Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, there is an issue with low-income uninsured patients using emergency services for nonurgent conditions instead of using primary care services. Primary care services are more beneficial than emergency services for such patients, in that they can receive continual or follow-up care through primary care and thus achieve better health outcomes over the long term. Though information is available concerning factors in (or the rationale for) low-income uninsured patients choosing the emergency department (ED) instead of primary services for nonurgent conditions, research focusing on low-income uninsured patients' perspectives, beliefs, and level of knowledge about this matter is …

Relationship Between The U.S. Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment And Healthcare Utilization, Elena Arushanyan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Escalating health care costs in the military health system are not sustainable long term. Regular physical activity has been shown to improve health and reduce health care costs. Military members serving in the United States Air Force (USAF) are encouraged to maintain physical fitness year-round and undergo mandatory physical fitness assessments (PFAs) annually. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the nature of the relationship between the timing of the PFA and health care utilization (HU) by active duty service members assigned to the United Kingdom's USAF military treatment facility. Donabedian's framework and the logic process model …

From Research-To-Practice: An Adaptation And Dissemination Of The Compass Program For Home Care Workers, Ryan Olson, Jennifer Hess, Kelsey N. Parker, Sharon V. Thompson, Anjali Rameshbabu, Kristy Luther Rhoten, Miguel Marino

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

The COMmunity of Practice And Safety Support (COMPASS) program was developed to prevent injuries and advance the health and well-being of home care workers. The program integrates elements of peer-led social support groups with scripted team-based programs to help workers learn together, solve problems, set goals, make changes, and enrich their supportive professional network. After a successful pilot study and randomized controlled trial, COMPASS was adapted for the Oregon Home Care Commission’s training system for statewide dissemination. The adapted program included fewer total meetings (7 versus 13), an accelerated meeting schedule (every two weeks versus monthly), and a range of …

Toward Excellence: Exploring Leader Strategies In Chronic Wound Care Centers, Geraldine Rosol

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of chronic wounds is rising in the United States, and health leaders face the economic and health burdens these wounds pose to the U.S. health care system. Many investigators have documented the importance of leadership in promoting excellence and reducing health care costs in chronic disease. Yet, the literature lacks information regarding leader strategies used to promote wound treatment cultures of excellence directed toward improved quality and reduced health costs. This study examined leader strategies used to promote excellence in chronic wound treatment to address the problem of the economic and health burdens associated with chronic wounds. The …

Hypertension Awareness And Health Care Access/Use In Black Women With Hypertension, Marlène Trusiak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black women in the United States have a high prevalence of hypertension and suffer the most complications of cardiovascular disease. Black women, though aware of the dangers associated with hypertension, have limited opportunity to access health care and or change their lifestyles. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to test if there was a significant difference in hypertension awareness, health care access/use, and lifestyle modifications in Black women prior to and post implementation of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as compared to women of other races. The behavior modification theory guided this study. Secondary data from …

Predictive Relationships Between Electronic Health Records Attributes And Meaningful Use Objectives, Solomon Nii Koppoe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of electronic health records (EHR) has the potential to improve relationships between physicians and patients and significantly improve care delivery. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between hospital attributes and EHR implementation. The research design for this study was the cross-sectional approach. Secondary data from the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Analytics Database was utilized (n = 169) in a correlational crosssectional research design. Normalization Process Theory (NPT) and implementation theory were the theoretical underpinnings used in this study. Multiple linear regressions results showed statistically significant relationships between the 4 independent variables …

Educational Training Of Staff Nurses For Evidence-Based Practice, Tina June Theriaque

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Translating research into practice takes 10 to 20 years or more. Evidence-based practice (EBP) integration remains at 10% to 20%, despite recommendations requiring EBP-guided decisions. Up to 30% decreases in health care system spending, improved quality outcomes, and increased staff satisfaction result from EBP integration. Nurse leaders, who rate quality and safety as the highest priority but EBP as the lowest, are accountable for EBP enculturation; a desire to support bedside registered nurses in EBP exists, yet this EBP use knowledge gap supersedes this goal. The purpose of this project was to provide an EBP education program introducing the use …

Coping With Sickle Cell Disease Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Helen Alexander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project focused on identifying the best evidence available on the use of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for pediatric patients and families with sickle cell disease (SCD) to improve their coping skills with pain management. This resulted from an identified gap in nursing practice regarding psychosocial support for this subset of hospitalized pediatric patients. The practice-focused question was whether there was evidence in the literature on the use of CBT techniques to improve parental coping skills with children who have chronic and life-threatening illness that could be utilized with sickle cell disease. The theory of stress and coping guided the …

Development Of An Integrated Service Model To Achieve Personal Health Libraries For Consumers, Nathan Gauss

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This concept paper establishes the framework for additional research regarding how medical records are stored and shared. Health Information Technology is rapidly developing, and one large barrier to true interoperability is data silos. This integrated service model proposes using Health Record Banks (HRB) to store and share data, while using open source applications to limit costs and create opportunities for the consumer to be at the center of their own medical records. This includes the authorization phase, in which patients will be able to seamlessly allow access to their records for clinicians they choose. This conceptual framework includes using eXist …

Collaboration Or Collusion? The New Era Of Commercial Online Resources For Students In The Digital Age: An Opinion Piece, Cristian Lieneck, Salvador Esparza

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The purpose of this paper is to share online resources available to students at a global level, to include healthcare administration programs and any other course of study. While somewhat daunting in nature, this editorial offers faculty of healthcare administration (and other related programs of study) the opportunity to explore what course materials (of any format) may be posted to commercial external websites by current and/or previous students for ongoing collaboration among academic cohorts. Findings include an opportunity for students in any program, at any level, to post individual and/or copyrighted course materials on public, external websites, often with an …

Utilizing A Situation Awareness Huddle Tool To Decrease Code Blue Events, Matthew B. Johnson, Lisa Carney, Cheryl Powers, Bradley Bishop, Natalie Masters, Becky Paulsen, Andrea Raymond, Paul N. Bauer

Posters

No abstract provided.

Advanced Cancer Patients' Medical Decision-Making While Experiencing Financial Toxicity, Heather L. Morel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial toxicity (FT) is the impact that out of pocket (OOP) costs of cancer care have on patients' well-being, leading to lower quality of life, less compliance with prescribed therapy, and poorer outcomes, including increased mortality. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of FT on advanced cancer patients' lives and their health care decision-making. Fuzzy trace theory provided the framework for examining how patients use gist and verbatim when making health care decisions while experiencing FT. Gist refers to main ideas that are often infused with emotional overlays that people use to make risky decisions, while …

Strategies To Sustain A Physician-Led Primary Care Practice, Ashley Polidori

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2008, physician-led primary care practices have decreased as physician's encounter sustainability challenges because of government regulations and the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. The problem is that some physician-led primary care practice leaders lack strategies to sustain a medical practice longer than 5 years. The purpose of this study was to explore strategies primary-care practice leaders use to sustain a practice longer than 5 years. This study followed a case study design, including a purposeful sampling of 3 physician-led primary care practice leaders in southern Indiana. Open-ended semistructured interviews were conducted and triangulated with company policies and procedures …

Associations Between Substance Abuse And Mental Illness Among Sexual Minority Adults, Blanche O. Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual minorities (lesbians, gays, and bisexuals) have a greater risk for substance abuse and mental illness than sexual majorities (heterosexuals). Associations between substance abuse and mental illness among sexual minority adults have not been widely studied. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to use the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to study the association of substance abuse (alcohol; hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine; and hallucinogens), prescribed drugs (pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives, stimulants, psychotherapeutic, and inhalants, as well as marijuana) and mental illness (no past …

Health Care Services For Child Survival And Performance-Based Management In Three Kosovo Municipalities, James Mugaju

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the Republic of Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008, new municipal structures were created with the charge of monitoring the delivery of health care services; yet, no mechanism for monitoring performance was ever implemented. With the public value theory as the foundation, the purpose of this multiple case study of 3 Kosovo municipalities was to understand issues surrounding the capacity of local government health department to monitor their performance related to the delivery of services. Relevant data were collected through focus-group discussions with 10 nurses, 9 directors of family medicine centers, and 12 municipal program managers. Purposeful semistructured interviews …

Seat Belt Fit A Mechanism Of Injury During A Motor Vehicle Crash, Jacoba Hendrika Viljoen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Seat belts save lives; however, unintentional injuries are still the leading cause of death for those between 1 and 44 years in the United States. Seat belts also cause injuries during motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) and obesity changes how seat belts fit. The purpose of this retrospective causal inference quantitative study was to reduce the knowledge gap in scholarly research on seat belt fit in relation to blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) during MVCs and seat belt compliance. The theoretical framework used was based on H.W. Heinrich's domino theory. The research questions focused on the following dependent variables: BCVI, compliance, and …

Leadership Communications Strategies For Enhancing Virtual Team Performance, Rachel Oludolapo Agbi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The fast-growing trend of using virtual teams comes with challenges including the lack of knowledge by some virtual team leaders for managing virtual teams. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the communication strategies that leaders use to manage virtual teams in real time to enhance team performance. The sample was composed of 4 successful virtual team leaders of a multinational accounting firm whose headquarters is in the northeastern region of the United States of America. The conceptual framework that guided this study was Tuckman's small group developmental model. Data consisted of semistructured interviews and the review …

Methods To Improve Interprofessional Collaboration In Administrative Dyads, Julie Lee Hudson

DNP Projects

Abstract

PURPOSE: The primary objective of this project was to determine if specific interventions, to include education, rounding, and regular meetings, improved collaboration and communication for nurse/physician dyads working in acute care hospital administrative roles.

METHODS: The study employed a prospective pre-test and post-test comparison of participants’ scores on a validated survey tool. This tool (JeffSATIC) measured perception of collaboration between nurses and physicians. The objective was to evaluate the differences in these scores in participants before and after an intervention.

RESULTS: This study sought to discover if specific interventions impacted scores on a tool measuring collaboration among dyad pairs. …

An Integrated Lean Supply Chain Framework For U.S. Hospitals, Subhajit Chakraborty, Jorge A. Gonzalez

Management Faculty Publications

We apply a lean supply chain framework to the healthcare industry in the U.S., drawing support from lean systems philosophy. We conceptualize a view of the U.S. healthcare ecosystem that places a hospital and its admitted patients at the center and describes how all entities inside and outside the hospital work can implement lean principles to improve patients' quality care. This application depicts how a holistic consideration of hospital resources available in both the internal and external supply chain would increase the optimal use of such resources and ultimately serve patients. We offer propositions suggesting that an integrated supply chain …

Strategies For Improving Healthcare Efficiency While Reducing Costs, Jean Calvin Tchatchoua

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In comparison to the European healthcare system, the U.S. healthcare system has lower quality care, higher costs, and covers a smaller percentage of the population. Despite the high costs, the U.S. healthcare system remains dysfunctional. The purpose of this exploratory single case study was to identify the strategies that some healthcare managers in a hospital setting in the midwestern region of the United States use to improve efficiency while decreasing healthcare costs. Complex adaptive systems theory was used to frame this study that included face-to-face interviews with 6 highly experienced healthcare managers. Data were collected from audio recorded interviews and …

Determining Perceived Barriers Affecting Physicians' Readiness To Disclose Major Medical Errors, Jean-Pierre K. Folligah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical errors have been detrimental in the field of medicine. They have impacted both patients and doctors. While physicians recognized that error disclosure was an ethical and professional obligation, most remained silent when mistakes happened for different reasons. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and Kant's deontological theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the perceived barriers affecting physicians' willingness to report major medical errors. An association was tested between the independent variables physician fear of disclosure of errors, organizational culture toward patient safety, physician apology, professional ethics and transparency, physician education, and the dependent variable …

Pain Management, Gender, And Quality Of Life In Cancer Patients, John Robert Buhmeyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The type of cancer pain management used may have an effect on the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients. Researchers have determined that cancer patients are inadequately treated for pain and pain management is an essential determinant of patient survivability and QOL. Numerous clinical studies have been accomplished concerning opioid administration and noncancer and cancer pain management exist. Previous studies have examined the relationship between cannabinoid products, noncancer pain, cancer pain, and related QOL for patients but have not focused on the QOL of cancer patients while also moderating for gender. These relationships were investigated using the health belief …

January 2018, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

No abstract provided.

Healthy Lifestyles And Job Performance Of Academics: A Theoretical Perspectives, Idayat Odunola Agboola Mrs, Chinyere Nkechi Ikonne Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The health related lifestyle behavior has been neglected in Nigerian Universities and as such causing deaths among the lecturers. Living a healthy lifestyle could reduce heart diseases, blood pressure and diabetes. The study adopted survey method. The population of the study was 5,310 lecturers across the six Federal Universities in South West, Nigeria. From the population, 372 were sampled. Structured questionnaire were used to collect data. From the 372 copies of questionnaire distributed; 278 were returned which gave 75% response rate. Data were analyzed using percentages, mean, standard deviation as well as relationship. Findings revealed that all information gathered on …