Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Telehealth Integration In Primary Care, Ashley Simons

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Telehealth has been proven to be a useful and integral tool in primary care settings. Carlinville Family Health Care Clinic, a rural health clinic, has the current ability to conduct Telehealth visits but is not currently doing so. They have several programs available that are equipped with Telehealth capabilities. The physicians cite lack of education on these programs and lack of a standard streamlined practice for which program to use or how to use it.

According to the physicians in this practice, along with their patients, the use of Telehealth has multiple advantages. Because visits in this clinical are usually …

Advanced Care Planning In Primary Care, Kaylee Beals, Amanda Merriman

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

In Illinois, the do-not-resuscitate (DNR) form that is legally binding in all healthcare facilities is known as the Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form. The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) of 1991 mandates only certain facilities to discuss advanced care planning (ACP). Primary care offices are not included in this mandate. Therefore, no structured process exists for primary care providers to identify patients who may benefit from ACP discussions. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to initiate conversations about ACP with patients 55 years and older in a primary care office and complete POLST forms …

Will Implementing Human Trafficking Education And Screening Tools Increase The Number Of Identified Trafficked Victims And Survivors In The Healthcare Setting?, Yadira Landeros De Santiago

Theses and Graduate Projects

Introduction: Eighty-eight percent of human trafficking survivors report seeking healthcare while trafficked, yet less than 10% of physicians have been trained to identify human trafficking victims. The United States Department of Health and Human Services acknowledge the serious problem of health professionals lacking the education to identify and treat human trafficking patients. Healthcare providers are missing opportunities to intervene partially because of the barrier to identify human trafficking patients.

Background: Currently, there is no required standard for curriculum on human trafficking. Analysis of pre- and post-survey responses demonstrated a significant increase of confidence in identifying and caring for trafficked patients. …

Get America Talking: Implementing Advanced Care Planning In Primary Care, Sasha Recht

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Advanced Care Planning (ACP) is an essential part of providing adequate care in the primary care setting. Discussing end of life with patients can be a tedious and uncomfortable conversation for many providers, however, its continued avoidance contributes to the stigma of end of life care and may also result in significant healthcare cost expenditure with the use of unwanted invasive treatments. All providers should engage in consistent advanced care planning in order to improve patient and provider communication, improve patient satisfaction, increase advanced directives on file, reduce the stigma of the topic, and improve quality of life.

Implementing Standardized Chlamydia Screening In A College Health Center, Lacey Ehrenfeuchter

Nursing (graduate) Student Scholarship

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most common reportable sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States. Despite regulatory agencies’ recommendations, routine CT screening is not being performed in many high-risk settings. Problem: The burden of undetected CT infections is substantial to patients and the healthcare system. There is a lack of consensus regarding an effective standardized CT screening strategy and screening rates remain suboptimal. Methods: A standardized CT screening, testing, and treatment process was implemented in Spring of 2020 and compared to screening rates pre-intervention in Spring 2019. Intervention: A 3-question sexual health screening questionnaire (SHSQ) was administered to …

Serious Mental Illness And Rural Primary Care: Provider Training, Attitudes, And Opinions, Lydia Eisenbrandt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare resources are especially limited in rural regions of the US. The lack of Primary Care Providers (PCPs) and mental/behavioral health services is problematic, as there are high rates of behavioral and medical concerns within rural populations. Special populations, such as rural persons with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), are medically complex and represent a vulnerable and underserved population. Healthcare outcomes for persons with SMI are poor compared to the general population and commonly lead to premature death. Various barriers prevent this population from accessing optimal healthcare, especially in rural areas, due to negative perceptions/stigma, a lack of understanding from PCPs, …

Factors That Influence Job Choice At The Time Of Graduation For Physician Assistants, Lauren Anne Twombly

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Current trends and data analysis show that there is a shortage of primary care providers throughout the United States. Physician assistants (PAs) who are mid-level practitioners, nationally certified, and state licensed to practice medicine, play an important role in healthcare delivery; however, the percentage of PAs practicing in primary care has dramatically decreased in the past 15 years. An important question to consider is what drives the decision-making process of job choice for PAs? The purpose of this dissertation was to identify potential modifiable factors that influence PA first job choice following graduation from a PA program in a national …

Implementation Of The National Asthma Guidelines In A Residential Pediatric Clinic, Patricia A. Foster-Staples

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: Foster care children admitted to residential facilities are a unique and vulnerable group, many presenting with undiagnosed or poorly managed asthma. The alarming rate of residents admitted to a particular residential primary care clinic with a diagnosis of asthma led to the project question: “Based on record reviews, does staff education about the importance of utilizing the national guidelines for asthma education influence the implementation of such guidelines in a residential pediatric clinic?” The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a systematic process to influence practice change. The project was conducted over a period …

Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Educational Workshop And Toolkit: Menopausal Women's Healthcare Needs For The Primary Care Provider, Pamela Doerr-Kashani Dnp, Rn

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

This evidence-based change of practice project involved the development of an educational workshop for primary care providers (PCPs). The intent of the project was to improve PCP’s knowledge of menopausal health, and to create their comfort level when discussing menopausal healthcare with clients. The workshop Menopausal Women’s Healthcare Needs for the Primary Care Provider (Doerr-Kashani, 2014) was created in response to an identified gap in knowledge among PCPs nationally on menopause-related health issues. The workshop was designed as a resource to support PCPs to competently address women’s menopause-related health issues, and enable them to provide comprehensive, evidence-based care within the …

Assessment Of Pediatric Primary Care Providers Behaviors And Procedures Regarding Pediatric Overweight And Obesity, Jessie N. Meiser

DNP Projects

CAPSTONE INTRODUCTION

Childhood overweight/obesity is a critical public health problem with devastating consequences. Many factors have combined to create the epidemic, and primary care providers can play an important role in addressing the problem by identifying overweight/obese children and encouraging them to engage in healthy behaviors. However, providers face a number of competing priorities making it difficult for them to provide these services effectively without outside support.

Obesity has reached an epidemic proportion in the nation’s youth. The Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (2011) found that 35.7% of children age 10 – 17 in Kentucky are overweight …

Practice Characteristics Of Graduates Of East Tennessee State University Quillen College Of Medicine: Factors Related To Career Choices In Primary Care, Ivy A. Click

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nation is facing a physician shortage, specifically in relation to primary care and in rural underserved areas. The most basic function of a medical school is to educate physicians to care for the national population. The purpose of this study was to examine the physician practicing characteristics of the graduates of East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine including factors that influence graduates’ specialty choices and practice locations, especially those related to primary care. Secondary data for this study were collected from the college’s student database system and the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. The study population included …