Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Disability-Related Educational Content In Nutrition And Dietetic Programs: An Exploratory Study, Wendy Medunick, Allison Gomes, Joachim Sackey, Laura Byham-Gray, Jane Ziegler

Journal of Dietetic Education

Background: Health disparities experienced by people with disabilities (PWD) are partly attributed to inadequate knowledge, training, confidence and competence regarding disabilities among health professionals. While registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) are key members of the healthcare team, it is unclear how pre-professional nutrition and dietetics (ND) programs prepare future RDNs to care for PWD. This study examined the status of disability-related education within ND programs in the United States. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional electronic survey was distributed to 570 directors of accredited ND programs. The survey, which adapted questions from a previously validated instrument and published studies, included questions assessing disability-related …

Assessing And Addressing Cultural Competence And Cultural Humility In Dietetic Education, Zoe Duran, Nicholas Slagel, Lisa Caldwell, Katie Kage

Journal of Dietetic Education

Limited theory-informed, dietetic-specific resources are available to guide the development, evaluation, and refinement of culturally competent (CC) curricula. This pilot study used a mixed-methods, theory-informed approach to evaluate CC integration within an undergraduate dietetics curriculum and examine the applicability of existing CC self-assessment tools for dietetic students. A senior-level undergraduate community nutrition curriculum was evaluated using the Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training (TACCT), guided by the Campinha-Bacote Model of Cultural Competence in Healthcare Delivery. James Banks’ Model of Multicultural Curriculum Reform was then applied to refine curricular content and learning activities. In addition, 74 students enrolled in a didactic …

Virtual Reality: The Future Of Didactic And Experiential Education For Nutrition And Dietetics, Michael Holik, Dexter Richardson

Journal of Dietetic Education

The integration of virtual reality (VR) into nutrition and dietetics education provides an innovative answer to challenges in accessing experiential learning. This study examined student perceptions of immersive VR experiences designed to simulate hospital foodservice operations and nutrition counseling sessions, guided by the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI). A quasi-experimental design involved 55 participants who engaged with 360° VR modules featuring interactive elements, avatars representing key healthcare roles, and embedded critical-thinking questions. Results demonstrated strong support for VR’s educational value across DOI’s five key attributes: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. Participants reported enhanced understanding of registered dietitian roles, …

Editors' Message, Volume 4, Issue 2, Diana Cuy Castellanos, M Elizabeth (Beth) Miller

Journal of Dietetic Education

In this edition, you will find research on the use of virtual reality in experiential food service learning, instruments to assess cultural competency and humility in dietetic students, and tools for measuring empathy—an area of growing importance in dietetic pedagogy. Additionally, this issue explores the inclusion of disability-related curricula in education programs and features a commentary on RDNs implementing swallow screenings within clinical practice, highlighting how this procedure falls within an RDN’s scope of practice when supported by proper training and demonstrated competency.

Cover, Table Of Contents, About The Journal

Journal of Dietetic Education

No abstract provided.

Assessing And Addressing Financial Risk In Capitated Primary Care Contracts, Michael R. Wieck Dba, Laurence Smith, Steven R. Stout Dba

Engaged Management ReView

We employ multivariate statistical modeling and Monte Carlo simulation to study systematic and unsystematic financial risk faced by physician groups under capitated contracts with Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs). We use mixed methods and a standard reimbursement formula for risk-sharing contracts with primary care physicians (PCPs). We find that diversifying risk simply by increasing the size of a practice is insufficient to mitigate risks of large negative cash flows from capitation contracts and can result in financial failure. However, if use of costly medical services by patients is reduced from levels typically experienced under traditional Medicare to the levels of patients …

Fraction-Seq: An Integrated Experimental And Computational Workflow For Determining The Localization And Abundance Of Small Non-Coding Rnas In Subcellular Compartments, Siddhartha Shah, Tess Cherlin, Yi Jing, Stepan Nersisyan, Benjamin E. Leiby, Isidore Rigoutsos

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) have garnered considerable attention in recent years, following accumulating evidence of their critical roles in many cellular processes. Among sncRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) and their isoforms (isomiRs), tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), rRNA-derived fragments (rRFs), and Y RNA-derived fragments (yRFs) account for more than 95% of all sncRNAs found in cells. Despite their critical regulatory roles, most sncRNAs remain uncharacterized because their functionalization is a lengthy and challenging undertaking. Knowing an sncRNA's abundance helps prioritize among the various choices, while knowing where it localizes in the cell greatly limits the number and identity of its potential targets and helps …

Integrating Matrescence Into Birth Worker Practice: A Practice Improvement Project, Kelsey B. Green

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) affect 20–25% of mothers worldwide and are a leading cause of maternal complications. Stigma, fragmented care, and limited provider training leave families vulnerable, while birth workers offer trusted, continuous support.

Problem: Birth workers' maternal mental health (MMH) training is minimal and often excludes matrescence, the developmental transition to motherhood, limiting their ability to distinguish normal adjustment from clinical PMADs and delaying intervention.

Methods: A single-group, pre-/post-test design evaluated a matrescence-informed workshop at Roots Community Health's 2nd Annual Symposium. Anonymous surveys measured knowledge, attitudes, and confidence, analyzed with Mann–Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and …

From Overwhelmed To Empowered: An Emotional Regulation Program To Enhance Social Participation In Young Women With Autism And Adhd, Daisy Lee, Angela Labrie Blackwell Phd, Otr, Jessica Hale

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

From Overwhelmed to Empowered is a program developed an occupation-based emotional regulation program for young adult women with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the transition to adulthood. The purpose of the project was to address the need for interventions that support emotional regulation as a foundation for meaningful social participation, independence, and successful role engagement.

The project involved the development and pilot implementation of an eight-week program consisting of weekly 60-minute group sessions and individualized coaching sessions. Program content focused on emotional awareness, mood and motivation, cognitive strategies, anxiety management, sensory regulation, communication, healthy boundaries, and …

Endoscopic Versus Catheter-Based Minimally Invasive Evacuation Of Spontaneous Supratentorial Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Shaan Patel, Shiva A Nischal, Kush M Kale, Angelette Mendonca, Keenan Piper, Pious D. Patel, Michael R. Gooch, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Pascal M. Jabbour

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) includes endoscopic evacuation and catheter-based evacuation (aspiration or drainage ± thrombolysis), but comparative performance remains uncertain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing MIS approaches. PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched (December 2025) for studies in adults undergoing endoscopic or catheter-based MIS for supratentorial sICH. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. Prespecified subgroup analyses stratified catheter-based techniques by thrombolysis use. Risk of bias and certainty of evidence was assessed. Twenty-nine studies (8221 patients; 5041 endoscopic; 3180 catheter-based) were included. Endoscopic evacuation was associated with lower mortality (RR 0.64; 95% CI: 0.47–0.87; …

The 2025 Measles Outbreak In Texas, Tamer Oraby, Martial L. Ndeffo-Mbah

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

In 2025, Texas experienced its largest measles outbreak in decades, reporting 762 cases by mid-August. Measles is a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable infection transmitted mainly among unvaccinated individuals and capable of causing severe outcomes.

Methods

We investigate counterfactual measles control scenarios based on daycare and school closures and reactive vaccination of infants and children, including mixed interventions. We analyze the 2025 Texas outbreak using an age-structured multi-stage SEIR model formulated as a system of ordinary differential equations. The model is fit to case data using Bayesian inference to estimate the effective reproduction number and generate posterior predictive trajectories under …

Staphylococcus Aureus Urease Is Controlled By A Complex Regulatory Network To Promote Dissemination During Cauti, Jana Gomez, Jesus Duran-Ramirez, Maristhela Alvarez, Shane Cristy, Jennifer N Walker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are one of the most common hospital-associated infections in the United States, accounting for >1 million cases annually. One CAUTI pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, is commonly found persisting asymptomatically in the bladder of catheterized individuals, increasing these individuals' risk of developing infection. Importantly, S. aureus is not only associated with severe symptoms during CAUTI, including bacteremia and septic shock, but it also produces a common uropathogen-associated virulence factor, urease. Despite its importance, urease has only been well-studied in another uropathogen, Proteus mirabilis. While previous studies identified three S. aureus urease regulators, including CodY, …

An Online Epilepsy Self-Management Tool For Patients With Epilepsy: A Formative Usability Study, Katarzyna Czerniak, Ross Shegog, Refugio Sepulveda, Robert Addy, Youngran Kim, Sahiti Myneni, Alejandra Garcia-Quintana, Kimberly Martin, David M Labiner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Epilepsy is a serious chronic neurological condition with no permanent cure. Continual self-management is important to mitigate seizure frequency and optimize quality of life in people with epilepsy who have greater disparities in accessing epilepsy care. The Management Information & Decision Support Epilepsy Tool (MINDSET [UTHealth, University of Arizona, and Radiant Digital]) was developed to enhance accessibility to epilepsy self-management (ESM) assessment and treatment. The purpose of this formative usability pilot study was to assess the user experience and functionality of MINDSET 2.0, an enhanced cross-platform online version of MINDSET, among a sample of patients with epilepsy prior to …

Differences In Response Rates To A Previsit Electronic Portal Questionnaire In Outpatient Clinics: A Retrospective Observational Study Of The Standard Dermatology Outcome Measures, Rene F. Chen, Udeyvir S. Cheema, Beiyu Liu, Cynthia L. Green, Matilda W. Nicholas, Suephy C. Chen

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Larotrectinib In Trk Fusion Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: Updated Trial Data, Steven Waguespack, Marcia Brose, Jessica J Lin, Ray Mcdermott, Mohammed Almubarak, Jessica Bauman, Michela Casanova, Shivaani Kummar, Se-Hoon Lee, Damian Rieke, Do-Youn Oh, Changsong Qi, Natascha Neu, Domnita-Ileana Burcoveanu, Chiara Mussi, Alexander Drilon, David Hong, Maria Cabanillas

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Larotrectinib is a first-in-class, highly selective, central nervous system-active tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitor approved for tumour-agnostic use in TRK fusion cancer. It has previously demonstrated rapid and durable disease control and favourable safety in patients with advanced TRK fusion thyroid carcinoma (TC). After an additional 4 years of follow-up with the inclusion of two additional patients, and utilising an independent review committee (IRC) to assess overall response rate (ORR), we report updated pooled analyses from three phase 1-2 larotrectinib clinical trials, focusing only on patients with TRK fusion differentiated TC (DTC). The primary endpoint was the IRC-determined ORR per …

Prescription Opioid Misuse Among High School Athletes During The Opioid Prescribing Limit Law Era: Yrbss 2017-2023, Francine R Vega, Andrea J Yatsco, Audrey Sarah Cohen, James R Langabeer, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, Rakshitha Vijendra, Christine Bakos-Block

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/Objectives: School-age athletes occupy a paradoxical position in the adolescent opioid crisis, combining health-oriented activity with elevated risk of sports-related injury and prescription opioid exposure. In response to the opioid epidemic, states enacted opioid prescribing limit laws (OPLLs) beginning in 2016-2017, yet whether these supply-side policies reached high-risk youth subgroups remains unclear. This study evaluated national temporal trends in prescription opioid misuse among U.S. high school students during the period of OPLL implementation and examined differences across athletic participation, concussion history, sex, grade, race/ethnicity, and substance-use profiles.

Methods: Using four biennial waves of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System with …

Assessing The Impact Dynamics Of Less Lethal Ammunition, Steven Bermejo

Student Theses

Less-lethal ammunition is widely used by law enforcement as an alternative to lethal force during crowd control, on-street confrontations, and other situations requiring force. Although these projectiles are intended to reduce risk of fatal injury, serious injuries and fatalities have been reported, highlighting the need to better understand the factors that influence their impact behavior. This study evaluated the impact dynamics of four types of 12-gauge less-lethal ammunition, including rubber buckshot, single rubber ball, double rubber ball, and Byrna kinetic projectile, using kinetic energy calculations derived from projectile mass and velocity measurements. In addition, Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared …

Same-Day Cancellation Reduction In An Ambulatory Surgery Unit, Anthone Dalit Vengersammy

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Same-day surgical cancellations in the outpatient surgery setting remain a significant operational and patient care challenge. Preventable cancellations negatively affect patient experience, operating room efficiency, staff productivity, and healthcare costs. 

Context: A microsystem and organizational culture assessment identified several factors contributing to same-day cancellations, including unclear preoperative instructions, incomplete medical clearance, inconsistent patient education, lack of standardized workflows, unclear staff responsibilities, and communication gaps among interdisciplinary teams. SWOT and gap analyses were used to identify opportunities for improvement and guide intervention planning.

Interventions: Quality improvement interventions were implemented through iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Strategies included revising preoperative patient instructions, …

Sense Of Purpose As The Guiding Light In Nursing Practice: A Grounded Theory Study, Kathleen Casler

Theses & Dissertations

Problem: As a prosocial profession, individuals may enter the practice of nursing because of an interest in helping and caring for others. However, over time, nurses may be challenged with experiences of burnout that can impact both their relationship with the profession and patient outcomes.

Background/Significance: A sense of purpose has been associated with positive physical, behavioral, and psychological outcomes. In a professional context, a sense of purpose may provide support for navigating complex work environments. It is currently not known what nurses’ experience of sense of purpose may be in relation to nursing practice and how their sense of …

Staff Education To Improve Mindfulness Knowledge Among Rns, Nps, And Mas In A Behavioral Health Setting, Barbara Buxton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout is a recurrent problem for healthcare workers and is associated with staff turnover, a decline in the quality of care, emotional fatigue, and risks to patient safety. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education initiative created a mindfulness-based training program to expand the knowledge of registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants on mindfulness practices in a behavioral health setting. Baseline assessment data identified a need for support to address emotional fatigue, absenteeism, and staff disengagement, with a mean pre‑education knowledge score of 66%. A structured, in‑person educational program addressing burnout awareness, stress reactivity, and helpful mindfulness methods …

A Proposal For A Program To Deliver Equitable Nursing Assignments, Laporsha Glover

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was conducted at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital that provides comprehensive interdisciplinary rehabilitation services for adults. Due to the diverse clinical needs of the rehabilitation patient population, nursing workload varies considerably based on patient acuity, functional status, cognitive impairment, medical complexity, and the intensity of nursing interventions required. This creates a practice gap that contributes to inequitable nursing assignments. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Nine studies were critically appraised using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) Evidence Appraisal Tools (Bissett et al., 2025). The …

A Multifaceted Surgical Suite Quality Improvement Initiative, George Tazvitya Mhosira

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project focuses on modernizing an acute care hospital’s surgical suite, enhancing environmental safety, and supporting the growing complexity of surgical care. As surgical procedures become more advanced, the physical environment must evolve to maintain sterile technique and reduce microbial presence. Current operating room configuration, characterized by overcrowding and outdated ventilation systems, introduces environmental risks that compromise patient safety and limit perioperative efficiency. Modernization is essential to align the surgical environment with contemporary safety expectations and organizational performance goals. The proposed initiative includes a comprehensive renovation and expansion of surgical spaces, integrating advanced air decontamination technologies, …

Improving Adolescent Antidepressant Medication Adherence In An Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic Through Teach-Back And Motivational Interviewing, Sandra Ajao

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antidepressant medication adherence among adolescents is a significant concern in outpatient psychiatric care. Adolescents may miss doses because of stigma, forgetfulness, side effects, limited understanding of medication instructions, or inconsistent caregiver support. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to improve antidepressant medication adherence and adherence-focused communication among adolescents in an outpatient psychiatric clinic through staff education on teach-back and motivational interviewing. The practice-focused question examined how teach-back combined with motivational interviewing, compared with usual care, affected medication adherence and depressive symptoms during the implementation period. Staff education included use of a previsit questionnaire, structured visit script, …

Standardized Metabolic Monitoring Protocol For Adult Outpatients Who Are Prescribed Antipsychotic Medications, Abel Bueno Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctoral project was an organization change process evaluation of a quality improvement initiative in a masked outpatient mental health clinic. The practice challenge was poor metabolic monitoring and documentation among adult outpatients taking antipsychotics that were not in line with guidelines. This problem is relevant to nursing practice because use of antipsychotic medications raises risk for weight gain, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and glucose abnormalities, and not monitoring risks may delay referral or management. The practice-focused question was: According to evidence, among adult patients who are prescribed antipsychotic medications in an outpatient mental health clinic, what is the impact of implementing …

Staff Education To Improve Whiteboard Utilization To Focus On Nurse Communication And Patient Experience On A Medical-Surgical Unit, Charline J. Bethea

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inconsistent use of standardized whiteboards in patient rooms may contribute to ineffective nurse communication and lower patient experience scores. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project evaluated whether an evidence-based staff education program improved nursing knowledge, intent to use standardized whiteboards, and whiteboard utilization on a medical-surgical unit. Guided by the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) instructional design model, the intervention included a standardized educational presentation, pre- and post-education knowledge assessments, a workflow integration guide, competency validation, and weekly compliance audits. Thirty-five staff members, including registered nurses and patient care technicians, participated in the project. Following …

Implementation Of Standardized Suicide Risk Screening With Staff Education In An Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic, Gwendoline Nfotiog

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project was a quality improvement staff education initiative focused on improving suicide risk screening and documentation in an outpatient psychiatric clinic. Inconsistent use of validated screening tools and documentation practices created risks for missed identification of patients at risk for suicide. Addressing this gap was essential to improve patient safety and support evidence-based behavioral healthcare. In the project, I examined whether implementing standardized suicide risk screening with staff education would improve screening and documentation consistency over 12 weeks. The purpose was to increase staff knowledge, screening compliance, and documentation accuracy. Pre- and postimplementation chart audits, …

Addressing Obesity In Rural Health Clinics, Morgan P. Trusley

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 2 in 5 adults in the United States are obese (CDC, 2024a). In a rural primary care clinic in South Carolina, approximately 70% of patients are obese and there is no current intervention in place to help educate and guide these patients in weight loss strategies.

PICOT: In obese adults over the age of 18 at a rural health clinic with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30, does implementing weekly virtual and in person multicomponent behavioral intervention educational sessions compared to …

Improving Fluoride Varnish Application Rates In A Pediatric Primary Care Microsystem, Roman G. Roxas

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem

Childhood caries is a preventable public health issue disproportionately affecting the underserved. National guidelines recommend fluoride varnish (FV) application during well‑child visits. In California, fewer than 15% of children under age six received FV. In a pediatric primary care clinic, baseline performance was 11% in 2025.

Context

A six‑month quality improvement project was implemented. Key barriers included reduced team cohesion, workflow variability, unclear roles, and underutilized electronic health record (EHR) prompts.

Interventions

The change package standardized medical assistant–led workflows, activated EHR prompts, and provided targeted education. Leadership reinforcement through regular huddles supported adoption, consistency, and team engagement.

Measures

Outcome …

Optimizing Life Care Planning For Palliative Home Health Care Patients, Lilian Muraya

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: In this home health palliative microsystem, many seriously ill patients begin care without timely goals‑of‑care conversations or documented advance directives, leading to fragmented communication and potentially avoidable emergency visits and rehospitalizations.

Context: This quality improvement project took place in a hospital-based home health palliative care program in Northern California, where an interdisciplinary team identified inconsistent Life Care Planning (LCP) practices and variable staff comfort with conducting goals‑of‑care discussions.

Intervention: A structured LCP workflow was developed so that newly admitted palliative home health patients receive a goals‑of‑care discussion and advance directive review within 7 days of start …

Emergency Nurses' Perceptions Of Interpersonal Empathy When Caring For Department Superusers, Makeba K. Cavette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a significant challenge for healthcare professionals, particularly nurses in the emergency department (ED), due to the demanding, high-pressure nature of their work environment and their increased exposure to human suffering. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological descriptive study, guided by Nursing Theory of Personal Empathy, was to describe the meaning of ED nurses' interactions with superuser patients and how these interactions affect ED nurses' empathy and susceptibility to developing CFS. A purposive sample of 8 ED nurses with at least 3 years of experience as ED staff nurses working with superuser patients participated in semistructured …