Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Systematic Framework For Radio Frequency Identification (Rfid) Hazard Mitigation In The Blood Transfusion Supply Chain From Donation To Distribution, Natalie Simone Rahming

Theses and Dissertations

The RFID Consortium is developing what will be the first FDA-approved use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to identify, track, manage, and monitor blood throughout the entire blood transfusion supply chain. The iTraceTM is an innovative technological system designed to optimize the procedures currently employed when tracing blood from the donor to the recipient. With all novel technologies it is essential to consider not only the advantages, but also the potential harms that may come about from using the system. The deployment of the iTraceTM consists of two phases: 1) Phase One - application of the iTraceTM from the …

Factors Associated With Bed-Sharing Within Racial Groups In A Sample Of Mothers And Young Infants In Wisconsin, Trina C. Salm Ward

Theses and Dissertations

Since 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended a separate but proximate sleep surface for infants (AAP, 2005). However, racial differences in the prevalence of bed-sharing and infant mortality (especially as a result of SIDS or unsafe sleep) continue. Limited research has examined predictors of bed-sharing by racial group, especially the AAP's 2005 policy statement against it. The purpose of this study was to explore maternal-infant bed-sharing and infant sleep position for African-Americans and Whites in a sample of 2,530 respondents (822 African-American and 1,708 Whites) to the Wisconsin Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS), a stratified sample …

Complexity And Uncertainty In Human And Ecological Risk Assessment, Matthew Jordan Dellinger

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple interacting stressors in the environment present increasingly complex risks to human health. Too often, however, the data required for traditional risk assessment are either lacking or unavailable at the necessary spatial or temporal scale. In addition, assessment practices and management policies need to move away from single factor approaches in order to accommodate the reality of complex chemical mixtures and environmental stressors. Recent literature suggests that a paradigm shift is under way. This points to a need for the development of new techniques both for rapid data collection and flexible risk assessment strategies that can adapt to make use …

Predictors Of Healthcare Cost In A Wisconsin Acute Leukemia Population: Utilization Of A State-Level All Payer Claims Database, Patricia Ann Steinert

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding cost predictors of low incidence high cost cancers is increasingly important as the U.S. attempts to control health care costs. Acute myeloid and acute lymphoblastic leukemia are hematologic cancers requiring high cost care.

Using Anderson's model of health care utilization this study explores the influence of patient and community factors on health care costs. Insurance claims cost data obtained from the Wisconsin Health Information Organization provided a sample of 837 acute leukemia patients from April, 2009 and June, 2011. Total, ancillary, inpatient, outpatient, pharmacy and professional services costs were analyzed using a GLM gamma log link regression model to …

An Efficient Methodology For Learning Bayesian Networks, Emmanuel Owusu Asante-Asamani

Theses and Dissertations

Statistics from the National Cancer Institute indicate that 1 in 8 women will develop Breast cancer in their lifetime. Researchers have developed numerous statistical models to predict breast cancer risk however physicians are hesitant to use these models because of disparities in the predictions they produce. In an effort to reduce these disparities, we use Bayesian networks to capture the joint distribution of risk factors, and simulate artificial patient populations (clinical avatars) for interrogating the existing risk prediction models. The challenge in this effort has been to produce a Bayesian network whose dependencies agree with literature and are good estimates …