Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Medical Marijuana In Mississippi: A Journalistic View Of Physician Opinions And Patient Education, Michael Pitts

Honors Theses

Medical Marijuana in Mississippi: A Journalistic View of Physician Opinions and Patient Education is an in-depth investigative journalism project examining aspects of the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program. Specific areas of interest were Mississippi physician opinions on the use medical marijuana and their views on the application of the state’s program as well as an examination into how patients are receiving education on medical marijuana. This project involved interviews of healthcare providers, dispensary staff, and patients, in addition to background research that was used to formulate interview questions, determine areas of interest and add necessary context. This project occurred during the …

Predictors Of Future Physician Practice Location, Allegra Latimer

Honors Theses

Healthcare disparities exist throughout the United States. While Mississippi does not stand alone in the maldistribution of physicians and medical practices across the state, it does exist as a state that has been historically medically underserved. According to data collected by The County Health Rankings Model developed by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, in 2019, the ratio of population to primary care physicians in Mississippi was 1860:1. This is nearly 30% higher in disparity than the national average. It is also important to note that of Mississippi’s 82 counties, 79.3% are considered rural with the majority of physicians …

Medical Cannabis In Mississippi: Practitioner Education And Continuing Research, Andrea Cleveland

Honors Theses

Use of medical cannabis in Mississippi was legalized in February 2022 following many years of cannabis research at the University of Mississippi. Issues immediately became apparent, beginning with the lack of education about medical cannabis among providers. A 2017 study showed that the majority of physicians are not exposed to information about medical cannabis despite its legalization in 37 states. Another issue with Mississippi’s medical cannabis program is the cost of the product itself. The most effective way to decrease spending on medication is for patients to have access to medication that is guaranteed to work. Further research on cannabis …

How Medical Cannabis Took Root In Mississippi, Loral Winn

Honors Theses

How Medical Cannabis Took Root in Mississippi

(Under the direction of Dr. Iveta Imre)

How Medical Cannabis Took Root in Mississippi is a multimedia journalism piece that follows the timeline of medical cannabis’ legalization in Mississippi through the lives and lenses of characters from each sector of the medical marijuana industry. Written in a journalistic style with hints of narrative methods, the article tells the story of medical cannabis advocates, current patients, state registered practitioners, dispensary owners and employees, and a family-owned cultivation facility while also providing concrete evidence and facts about the legislation and regulations included in the state’s …

Pharmacists’ Perceptions And Knowledge Of The Legalization Of Medical Marijuana In Mississippi, Faith Houston

Honors Theses

The legalization of medical cannabis in Mississippi was a debated topic among all citizens. This thesis specifically explored pharmacists’ perceptions and knowledge as medical professionals who will be involved with patients certified to use medical cannabis. Information was gathered using a voluntary online survey on the Qualtrics platform to produce a cross-sectional, descriptive study.

From the information gathered, it was apparent that pharmacists in Mississippi have varying opinions regarding medical marijuana. Some are in favor of using these products, and some are not. However, as cannabis has been officially accepted and put into patient's medical plans both current and future …

A Content Analysis Of Media Coverage Of Telehealth In Mississippi, Hailey Layne

Honors Theses

Telehealth’s utilization within healthcare has expanded and changed areas of healthcare delivery. In rural states like Mississippi barriers to accessing healthcare services exist due to demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, or geographic distance. This study was meant to look at the literature related to telehealth that was being disseminated to Mississippians through online news sources. It was noted whether these articles viewed telehealth utilization in a positive or negative way. Utilizing a cross-sectional media analysis, the news articles were screened using a coding form that acknowledged different themes in the literature. Frequency analyses were conducted to aid in interpreting the common …

An Exploratory Look Into The Effects Of Mississippi's Population Decline On Rural Dental Care, Allen Bailey Saffold

Honors Theses

Literature reviews and interviews with dentists working in rural Mississippi counties examined the effects of population decline on rural dental care in Mississippi. With the state’s continual population decline, loss of industry follows a loss of people. Through a cascade of effects, this can further reduce underserved areas’ access to dental care. In order to address the issue of rural Mississippi continuing to be underserved, policies need to be implemented that will make rural practice at least enticing if not desirable.

Rates And Perceptions Of Covid-19 Vaccination From University Of Mississippi Students, Josie Parham

Honors Theses

The trials, tribulations and triumphs of the global COVID-19 pandemic are impacted by and are a product of behaviors that occur at the level of nations, states, cities and, ultimately, communities. In the wake of the development of safe and effective vaccines against SARS-CoV2, the virus responsible for the pandemic, the significance of the vaccine is closely linked to the number of individuals that receive the vaccine. To date, surveys have measured sizable variations in vaccination rates between nations, states, cities, and communities. Focusing on events that have transpired in one such local community, the present study (i) measured the …

Mississippi Pharmacists’ Perceptions Of Dietary Supplements, Emory Booth

Honors Theses

Dietary supplements are often a controversial topic among healthcare professionals. Many view supplements positively and appreciate the health benefits they can provide. Others are wary of the decreased regulation dietary supplements are subject to and believe that the benefits of supplements do not outweigh the risks. Dietary supplements are of particular interest to pharmacists, as they are often sold at their place of work, and pharmacists have to consolidate their patients’ supplement use with their medication use. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the viewpoints of Mississippi pharmacists in relation to dietary supplements. A survey was sent to …

Diabetes Self-Management Training In Rural Mississippi, Nathan Foxworth

Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to evaluate participants’ attitudes towards and readiness to participate in an online Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program in rural Mississippi, in light of the rapid shift to telemedicine necessitated by the CoVid19 pandemic. Semi- structured in-depth interviews were conducted with patients over 18 that live in areas considered rural in Mississippi. The findings of the study conclude that patients in rural settings are willing and ready to participate in DSMES online. Of the 12 participants in the study, 11 had access to the internet and had adequate infrastructure in order to participate …

Increasing Mississippi’S Hpv Vaccination Rate: A Proposal Based On Providers’ Insights, Madison N. Thornton

Honors Theses

Despite high childhood vaccination rates for required vaccinations for kindergarten, including the MMR vaccine, Mississippi has the lowest HPV vaccination rate in the nation. This is so even though the HPV vaccine can prevent multiple cancers, including cervical cancer, of which Mississippi has the nation’s highest mortality rate. This study seeks to understand the factors surrounding Mississippi’s low HPV vaccination rate as well as potential policy solutions to increase this rate. To accomplish this, the author conducted interviews with 13 Mississippi physicians in various specialties to gather qualitative data. As a result of these interviews, the author found that the …

Synthesis Of Novel Long Chain Unsaturated Fatty Acid Analogs Of Capsaicin, Eli Bettiga

Honors Theses

A number of key studies have shown that the natural product capsaicin displays in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects against a variety of cancers, however, both the analgesic and cancer-related therapeutic potential of capsaicin have been limited by its unpleasant pungent side effects and modest potency. N-acyl vanillylamides (N-AVAMs) are a unique class of compounds that are simple side chain modified capsaicin derivatives. Limited structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of N-AVAMs demonstrated that substitution of the capsaicin side-chain with longer unsaturated fatty acid groups results in non-pungent analogs with improved anti-invasive activity relative to capsaicin. In an effort to ultimately …

Examining The Institution Of Public Health: The Case Of The James C. Kennedy Wellness Center, Hannah Hoang

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to function as an analysis of the James C. Kennedy Center and the impact capacity the Center has on community health and wellness in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. Poor health is a global problem that is especially prominent in Tallahatchie County which ranked 81st out of 82 Mississippi counties in 2012. This thesis used institutional theory to explain the relationship between the Center and public health. Through interviews and data analysis, a broad evaluation was performed on the Center’s programs and community impact. Results showed that the Kennedy Center has made a large impact in improving the health …

Baseline Health Assessment Of A Rural Delta Community, Sydney Mitchell

Honors Theses

The Lower Mississippi Delta is characterized by poverty, chronic health issues, health disparities, and food insecurity. The rural Delta communities are primarily African American, experiencing disproportionately higher rates of poverty, job loss, and chronic health problems. Historically, chronic health issues have persisted in these areas over time, including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, which have only seemed to increase in this region. The food environment in this rural region tends to assist in the creation of the largely obesogenic population which, in turn, contributes to the increased prevalence of diabetes and hypertension and a lower quality of life. Many residents in …

Examining The Possibilities Of Telehealth In Tallahatchie County, Taran Carrasco

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to analyze Tallahatchie County and determine the feasibility of establishing a telehealth program in the county. Telehealth is an evolving aspect in the medical field that incorporates technology with healthcare. This thesis used sociotechnical theory to explain how the feasibility of telehealth could be made more likely as the technology is used over time.Through interviewing UMMC telehealth directors, Tallahatchie Wellness center workers, and citizens of Charleston, this study aims to gauge professional and personal opinions on how feasible it would be to implement telehealth into the Charleston community, as well as how positively telehealth would be accepted …

An Evaluation Of The Treatment Of Asthma In The State Of Mississippi Using Hedis Quality Control Measures, Kyle Kantor

Honors Theses

Introduction: Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the lungs that can have significant impacts on a patient’s quality of life. Asthma attacks can be very uncomfortable and even deadly in some cases. The objective of this study is to evaluate the treatment of asthma in the state of Mississippi and to describe the disparities between demographics to help healthcare providers identify patients who might be at risk for poor treatment and help those patients receive quality healthcare. Methods: The data was retrospectively collected from January to December 2014 Mississippi Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services claims data. This study is …