Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Decreasing The Smoking Rate At Emmc Family Medicinecenter And Residency In Bangor, Me, Alex Coffman

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Maine's rate of adult current smoking is 20%, which is significantly higher than all other New England states (Connecticut 16%, New Hampshire 17%, Massachusetts 16%, Vermont 17%, and Rhode Island 17%). The national adult smoking rate in the US is 17.8%. An estimated 2,200 Maine adults die each year from their own smoking.

Development And Implementation Of A Suboxone Therapy Group, David Hermel

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Implementing effective opiate detoxification is critical to the health and well-being of the Lewiston-Auburn area, which has the highest rate of admissions for substance abuse (especially non-heroin opiates) and mental health conditions in Maine. The number of Maine residents seeking treatment for prescription drug abuse topped the nation at 368 admissions per 100,000 residents in 2008.

Implementing A Mentorship Group To Encourage Long-Term Treatment Of Opioid Addiction, Shannon Li

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

In 2012, Maine topped the nation’s list for prescription opioid abuse. For every 100 residents in the state, 22 prescriptions for opioid pain relievers were prescribed by the healthcare providers. There’s approximately 3,876 primary treatment admissions for prescription opioid abuse between 2009-2013. Since 2010, the number of people seeking treatment has increased 15%, but in order for patients to benefit the most from the suboxone/methadone treatment, it's imperative to provide them with the social support they need, so they could stay in the treatment program long enough to have a significant health benefit.

Pediatric Tooth Care And Fluoride Exposure In Maine, Lucas Grover

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Maine is a large and rural state with limited access to fluoridated drinking water and consistent health and dental care. There is little information and guidance for parents regarding the importance of home pediatric dental care, early dentist visits, and home testing for fluoridated drinking water. Parents and primary care providers must engage in a dialog regarding proper tooth care to identify child specific risk factors that can lead to childhood caries and chronic tooth decay if not addressed early and aggressively.

A Call To Action: Maine’S Colleges And Universities Respond To An Aging Population, Jeffrey E. Hecker, Marilyn R. Gugliucci

Maine Policy Review

Jeffrey E. Hecker and Marilyn R. Gugliucci report on the findings of the Higher Education Workgroup, which is part of the Maine Aging Initiative. They present summary information on aging-related research, gerontology/geriatrics educational curricula, and educational opportunities for older adults including retooling for employment.

Assessing Barriers To Meeting Weight Gain Goals In Obese Pregnant Women, Margo Seybolt

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Obesity is a known risk factor for complications during pregnancy and birth, as well as worse outcomes. This study looked at the health risks and outcomes of pregnancy in obese women (BMI>35) at the family medicine clinic in Bangor, ME as well as what interventions are being done know to encourage women to meet their weight gain goals. Interviews and literature searches were conducted to determine possible strategies to better get obese pregnant women to meet their weight gain goals.

Implications Of Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Use: Promoting Step-Down Therapy For Management Of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease In The Outpatient Setting, Sonam Kapadia

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Per the International Montreal Consensus, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is defined as a "condition which develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms or complications". GERD is the most common disease of the gastrointestinal tract with an estimated prevalence affecting 20% of the Western population. According to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 38.53 million annual outpatient visits are related to GERD. The ABIM Foundation's "Choosing Wisely" initiative in collaboration with the American Gastroenterological Association draws attention to the evidence based recommendation: "For pharmacological treatment of patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), long-term acid suppression therapy (proton pump …

Barriers To Recovery For Bangor's Buprenorphine Patients, John R. Mclaren, Erin Keller

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

There are several buprenorphine providers at EMMc's Center for Family Medicine serving the greater Bangor, ME region - an area of substantial opiate use. Among the patient population of outpatient buprenorphine users, both locally and nationally, there are high rates of relapse (~32%). In order to decrease relapse rates, it's first imperative to conduct a baseline review of the current buprenorphine population to identify specific types of patients who are at higher risk of relapse. By understanding the barriers to recovery, the office hopes to apply an intervention to the current program, targeting this local demographic more effectively.

Barriers To Recovery For Buprenorphine Patients In Bangor, Maine, Erin L. Keller, John Mclaren

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Opiate addiction is a major public health problem in Maine. Addiction is a chronic disease with high relapse rates. A better understanding of the demographics and barriers to recovery in opiate addicted populations can help to improve the success of buprenorphine treatment programs.

Lyme Disease Awareness In Downeast Maine, Justin L. Genziano

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted by the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis). Lyme disease is endemic in the state of Maine with 1,399 probable and confirmed cases reported in 2014. The rate in coastal Hancock County has doubled since 2012, and has the third highest rate of infection in the state.

Medical providers in Hancock County have observed an increase in anxiety and concern about Lyme disease in the community, and have found that much of this is driven by hearsay or unreliable information from the internet. The goal of this project …

Managing Medications: Promoting Awareness Of The Importance Of Accurate Medication Lists, Christopher Meserve

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Extensive medication lists are a problem everywhere throughout the United States. As a rural state that has a rapidly aging population, these lists will continue to grow and the added aspect of lack of access to services (whether via the internet or transportation) makes managing these medication lists harder for Maine’s population. The perspectives of patients at the CMMC Family Medicine Clinic were obtained through an anonymous survey, and two interviews with community members were conducted to identify specific issues. The feedback and responses from both of these methods were incorporated into an informational pamphlet that was distributed within the …

Better Teeth, Better Health: Identifying Challenges With Dental Care In Lewiston, Me, Mary B. Ledoux

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

My project aimed to elucidate barriers to dental health care in the Lewiston-Auburn community. Obstacles highlighted included cost of care, lack of education and guidance in preventative oral health, and paucity of resources available to aid patients in identifying affordable programs. The data generated can be used in the future to better direct oral health interventions at CMMC Family Practice Clinic. Additionally, the survey responses were used to assemble educational material to distribute to patients.