Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Screening For Social Determinants Of Health Screening In The Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Arifa Khan

DNP Projects

Significance and Background: Social determinants play a major role in the overall health of our nation. While screening for social determinants of health (SDOH) in the primary care setting is encouraged, there is no streamlined process in place. Studies have determined that improved SDOH screenings can result in better patient outcomes and a decrease in healthcare costs. A protocol to improve SDOH screenings was needed to guide patient outcomes at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Connecticut.

Purpose: Deliver education to providers and healthcare staff across the health system on significance of social determinants of health and PRAPARE screening …

Introducing An Evidence-Based Copd Care Bundle To Reduce Readmission Rates: A Quality Improvement Project, Michael Distasio

DNP Projects

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive and debilitating lung condition, and a leading cause of readmission following an acute exacerbation. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) determines reimbursement penalties to hospitals when patients admitted with acute exacerbation of COPD are readmitted for any reason within 30 days of discharge. A regional medical facility (MF) identified 30-day readmission rates for COPD patients as a key improvement metric. Several gaps in the standardized care of patients with COPD on a pulmonary-focused medical-surgical unit (MSU) identified by key unit stakeholders provided impetus for …

Implementing The Phq-9 Tool To As A Standard Of Practice In A Mental Health Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Gabriella Laferriere

DNP Projects

The objective of this project was to implement the Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9) tool as a standardized protocol for depression screening on patients being treated at an outpatient mental health facility in Central Connecticut, where there was no depression screening protocol in place. The clinical question being asked was, is there any correlation between use of the PHQ-9 tool and changes being made to a patient’s depression treatment plan?

Methods: A data collection form was completed by the psychiatric nurse practitioner on each patient who met the following criteria: Depression and/or anxiety was the patient’s primary diagnosis and patient was …

Enhancing Primary Care With Progressive Muscle Relaxation For Anxiety, Depression, And Acute Stress: A Quality Improvement Project, Andrew Dudley

DNP Projects

Introduction

Depression affects 1 in 5 individuals during their lifetime (Hidalgo et al., 2021), with 23 million Americans seeking mental health treatment annually (Parish et al., 2023). While guidelines from the AAFP and APA advocate comprehensive care approaches, medication prescriptions for anxiety and depression remain prevalent, particularly among children aged 6-18 (Lester et al., 2022). Direct observation identified a need to bridge gaps in adjunctive therapies between the primary care setting and counseling services for patients who presented with mild or mild to moderate anxiety or depression. Feedback analysis by staff in the setting identified a gap in knowledge and …

Dnp Project Proposal: Toolkit For Transition Of Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Ya-Asd) To Primary Care, Dawn Boal

DNP Projects

Significance and Background: Young adults (YA) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) transitioning from pediatric to adult care may have more difficulty finding a primary care clinician trained to address their unique medical and mental health needs. Transition resources need to be developed to help these patients and their caregivers while they are still being cared for by their pediatrician.

Purpose: To develop an ASD resource toolkit with resources designed to help YA-ASD and their caregivers with the transition from pediatric care to adult primary care.

Methods: The Model for Healthcare Improvement guided this evidence-based quality improvement project. An evidence …

Implementing A Skin Care Bundle On Hypoperfusion Skin: A Quality Improvement Project, Emily O'Connor

DNP Projects

Significance and Background: Pressure injury rates have increased within the critical care population. Pressure injuries are known to increase pain, infection risk, length of stay leading to decreased quality of life. Thermal imaging cameras highlight areas of hypoperfusion, allowing staff to target these areas as high likelihood to progress to a pressure injury. Foam dressings have been shown to help decrease pressure injury acquisition. Prevention methods should utilize evidence-based skin care bundles and focus on known information and target areas. Combining knowledge from thermal cameras, foam dressings, turning every two hours and accurate use of documentation scale (Braden Scale), a …

Implementing Continuous Glucose Monitoring: A Quality Improvement Project, Molly Suydam

DNP Projects

Significance and Background: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are beneficial for assessing blood glucose measurements throughout the day by simply waving a smartphone over the sensor that’s attached to the back of a patient’s arm. Patients with T2DM who check blood glucose measurements via finger-sticks, have to undergo numerous daily finger-sticks. Over time, this action can grow very cumbersome while CGM offers real-time blood glucose measurements without having to pierce the skin repeatedly. CGM use in patients with T2DM may help to improve overall blood glucose measurements.

Purpose: To trial CGM in patients with T2DM and monitor blood glucose measurements …

Implementation Of A Risk Stratification Foot Screening Tool At A Free Outpatient Clinic: A Quality Improvement Project, Joni-Kay Johnson

DNP Projects

Background: Foot conditions and disorders are prevalent concerns for the medically underserved population, that can manifest through chronic illnesses like diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and hypertension, especially if these conditions go undetected or unmanaged for periods of time. This population is faced with complex challenges and are at risk of illness due to inequities and disparities in access to health care services. They are known to suffer from poor health and can be reluctant to seek healthcare except in crisis. Walking is a common mode of transportation among underserved individuals and increased risks of physical injury, poor hygiene, and inadequate …

Implementing Teach Back Heart Failure Education To Improve Self-Care And Reduce Re-Hospitalization: A Quality Improvement Project, Sweata Patel

DNP Projects

Heart failure (HF) is a major health concern. External evidence supports the use of the teach-back method for patient education to promote self-care behaviors in patients with HF which may also reduce rehospitalizations. Patients with HF at one home health agency in New England participated in the quality improvement project which consisted of delivering 20 minute weekly standardized teach-back educational sessions covering topics of HF self-care over six weeks. The existing patient education materials and two new resources, Medication Tracker and Self-Check Plan for HF management, were reviewed. Three questions from the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index were asked during …

Improving Provider Ordered Annual Breast Cancer Screening In Primary Care, Alexis Manzella

DNP Projects

Significance and Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women throughout the United States. Specifically, the state of Connecticut has one of the highest rates of breast cancer in the country. Multiple evidence-based organizations have developed specific guidelines for screening in clinical practice. These guidelines specify when a woman should be screened and how frequently. A project was put in place at a FQHC in Connecticut to increase the number of breast cancer screenings ordered, based on clinical guidelines. Evidence supported the use of provider education to increase the number of mammograms ordered (Marks,2022).

Purpose: Increase the number …

My Covid Experience, Anonymous

Community Reflections

In 2020, our world was shaken by the Covid-19 Pandemic. Everyday life ceased to be what it once was. When Covid-19 began spreading throughout my area I was halfway through my freshman year of high school. I was in school every day from 7:30-2:45 and followed school with going dance. I was still getting comfortable with the change in my life that was being a high school student. Each day was an adjustment, but I was finally beginning to feel the ease of my routine when I received the email from my school that we would have two weeks off …

My Teenage Covid Experience, Anonymous

Community Reflections

It was March 2020 and COVID 19 headlines took over the news. This new disease had the world so frightened. It was quickly becoming a pandemic, which is something I had never seen in my lifetime. In fact, it was sometime that neither had my parents nor grandparents experienced. The funeral home in my town had a huge amount of body bags in anticipation of a massive death toll.

My Life Was Altered, Anonymous

Community Reflections

My life was altered in March of 2020. This pandemic created an unimaginable world. The cause of the COVID-19 pandemic still remains a mystery. My experience began on March 12, 2020, when my school gave us two weeks off to allow time for this illness to pass.

Pennsylvannia Football Player Tackles Covid-19, Anonymous

Community Reflections

My content reflects my high school experience with the pandemic and trying to juggle continuing football training with keeping in touch with friends while abiding current spatial rules.

Covid Reflection, Anonymous

Community Reflections

The first couple of weeks of quarantine from the Covid-19 virus were not that bad. It was nice to spend more time with my parents and be able to just stay at home and do nothing. School was online for the first time and zoom was new to everyone. Teachers were very relaxed with the schoolwork and the zoom meetings. This lead to a lot of free time. I would mostly just play video games or spend time with my family since I couldn’t leave the house, and everyone was on edge about this virus. We would take precautions such …

My Covid-19 Experience, Anonymous

Community Reflections

In this writing I talked about my personal feelings during covid-19 and experiences I went through being a highschool student during a global pandemic.

Remembering Covid-19, Anonymous

Community Reflections

The COVID-19 pandemic changed many aspects of my life, and personally it felt like it was for the better. During this extended period of time when I was at home doing school online, and not able to attend my extracurricular activities, I found out who I really was as a person. The whole quarantine time was like one long therapy session where you could sit and reflect about your past and future, and what you wanted to make of it. One main thing that everyone seemed to go through was finding new hobbies.

Covid-19 Impact, Anonymous

Community Reflections

In March 2020, I was a freshman in high school living one of the most exciting years of my life. Making new friends and quickly adapting to an exciting environment was amazing until it ended. At first I was confused but mostly ecstatic to have two workless weeks at home. Covid-19 was a blessing at first until I realized the fatal threat this pandemic proposed.

We Lost Ourselves, Anonymous

Community Reflections

My content reflects how I struggled during the covid pandemic in 2020 on Long Island.

Quarantine Ups And Downs, Anonymous

Community Reflections

The traumatic outbreak of Covid-19 had started March 13, 2020 as I was sitting in health class as a freshman in highschool. There were rumors spreading that school was getting shut down because of this Covid-19. No one knew what this disease really was. However, everyone around me was jumping with joy because we had the rest of our school week off. When I arrived home that day, the news channel was already on and it was all about this outbreak. After that first week of staying home from school, the number of people with this disease kept increasing.

My Old Self Vanished, Olivia Anonymous

Community Reflections

Being an adolescent during the COVID 19 pandemic was something that I would never wish upon my greatest enemy. Growing up during a time of isolation was incredibly lonely and confusing. Instead of making connections and living a normal life, we were forced to hide behind masks and remain away from each other. In a time where I was supposed to be developing and gathering life experience, life was taken away from me.

Covid Memory, Anonymous

Community Reflections

This document describes my experiences and reactions to the initial and outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nobody Knew, Anonymous

Community Reflections

Nobody ever knew what was coming in March of 2020, as a sophomore in highschool I never knew that life was going to change drastically. A few weeks prior to the announcement of school closing I remember some people talking about this new sickness that was running rampant through China. By the beginning of March everyone was talking about Covid. There were some cases throughout the United States. Finally on Friday March 13th my school took to facebook to announce they would be closing the school for two weeks.

Coronavirus Update Spring 2024, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

We are looking forward to welcoming our students back for the spring semester. As we prepare for a rewarding and fun few months, we want to remind you of our COVID protocols.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), levels of the virus are currently higher than they have been since the first Omicron wave. That said, severe outcomes are lower than in previous winters.

A Holistic Approach To Performance Prediction In Collegiate Athletics: Player, Team, And Conference Perspectives, Christopher Taber, S. Sharma, Mehul S. Raval, Samah Senbel, Allison Keefe, Jui Shah, Emma Patterson, Julie K. Nolan, N.S. Artan, Tolga Kaya

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Predictive sports data analytics can be revolutionary for sports performance. Existing literature discusses players' or teams' performance, independently or in tandem. Using Machine Learning (ML), this paper aims to holistically evaluate player-, team-, and conference (season)-level performances in Division-1 Women's basketball. The players were monitored and tested through a full competitive year. The performance was quantified at the player level using the reactive strength index modified (RSImod), at the team level by the game score (GS) metric, and finally at the conference level through Player Efficiency Rating (PER). The data includes parameters from training, subjective stress, sleep, and recovery (WHOOP …

Childhood Dairy Consumption Is Associated With Lower Age Of Menarche In A National Representative Sample Of Us Women, Jacqueline Vernarelli, Sara Szollosy

Public Health Faculty Publications

Background and aims: Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and leader in cancer-related deaths among women with a variety of established risk factors.

Methods Data from a nationally representative sample of 5,574 women who participated in the 2015–2018 NHANES was used to evaluate the correlation of childhood and adolescent dairy milk consumption and age of menarche. Reproductive history was asked of women > 12y. Data regarding dairy consumption between the ages of 5–12 was available for women > 20y. Survey regression models were used to calculate adjusted age of menarche for categories of dairy consumption after adjusting for relevant confounders.

Results …

Effect Of Covid-19 On Performance And Recovery Of Division I Women’S Basketball Players: A Case Study, Julie K. Nolan, Christopher Taber, Samah Senbel, Mehul S. Raval, N.S. Artan, Tolga Kaya

Athletic Training Faculty Publications

This report aimed to examine the effects of COVID-19 on athletic performance and recovery in women’s basketball players. Twelve participants were included in this case report, with four serving as the test group and eight serving as the control group. All participants wore a Polar GPS unit and a Whoop Strap. The Polar unit was worn during games and practices and used to collect metrics of physical workload. The Whoop strap was worn during daily activities, including periods of sleep, to collect metrics of sleep and recovery. Data were analyzed via descriptive statistics (mean difference ± standard deviations), and T-tests …

Vacuum-Induced Tamponade For Managing Postpartum Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review, Laura M. Card, Alexandra V. Klinkowski, Elijah Salzar, Eric C. Nemec, Suzanne J. Rose

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty Publications

Objective: Postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity around the globe. The novel low-suction vacuum hemorrhage device (VHD) provides an alternative treatment option for cases of postpartum hemorrhage when first-line uterotonic agents fail. This systematic review aims to review current data evaluating the overall efficacy and safety of VHDs in treating postpartum hemorrhage.

Methods: We searched CINAHL Ultimate, Academic Search Premier, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE with Full Text, and PubMed and reference lists of retrieved studies for eligible studies that included outcomes of effectiveness, efficacy, or safety. Two …

Knowledge Translation Task Force For Core Measures Clinical Practice Guideline: A Short Report On The Process And Utilization, Marghuretta D. Bland, Jennifer Moore, Elizabeth Anderl, Megan Eikenberry, Arlene Mccarthy, Geneviève N. Olivier, Tracy Rice, Amelia Siles, Hallie Zeleznik, Wendy Romney

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background

As part of the 2018 Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG): A Core Set of Outcome Measures for Adults with Neurologic Conditions Undergoing Rehabilitation, a Knowledge Translation (KT) Task Force was convened. The purpose of this short report was to (1) demonstrate the potential impact of a CPG KT Task Force through a practical example of efforts to implement a CPG into neurologic physical therapy practice and (2) describe the process to convene a KT Task Force and develop products (KT Toolkit) to facilitate implementation of the CPG.

Methods

To describe the process used by the KT Task Force to develop …

Feasibility And Safety Of Early Post-Covid-19 High-Intensity Gait Training: A Pilot Study, Joakim Halvorsen, Christopher Henderson, Wendy Romney, Magnus Hågå, Tonje Barkenæs Eggen, Jan Egil Nordvik, Ingvild Rosseland, Jennifer Moore

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: The feasibility and safety of rehabilitation interventions for individuals recovering from COVID-19 after the acute stage is not well understood. This pilot study aims to provide a preliminary investigation of the feasibility and safety of providing high-intensity gait training (HIT) with a targeted cardiovascular intensity of 70–85% of the age-predicted maximum heart rate (HRmax) for individuals undergoing rehabilitation post-COVID-19. Methods: Consecutive patients who were medically cleared for HIT were invited to participate in the study. Participants practiced walking in varied contexts (treadmill, overground, and stairs), aiming to spend as much time as possible within their target cardiovascular intensity zone …