Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comparative Medicaid Policy Analysis Related To Maternal And Infant Birth Outcomes In South Carolina, Cassidy L. Lena

Senior Theses

The United States despite being one of the most industrialized and wealthiest nations in the world, has the worst maternal and child health outcomes of any industrialized nation. The rates of maternal morbidity, mortality, and infant mortality have been increasing within the past decade, when many causes of death for this population are preventable. This study conducted a literature review on Medicaid policies and associated programs between three states (South Carolina, North Carolina, and California) in order to gain background information. Secondly, a comparative Medicaid policy analysis was completed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] framework, which …

The Role Of American Domestic Medicine In The Nineteenth Century: Implications For Modern Populations With Low Access To Health Care, Savannah Allen

Senior Theses

Domestic medicine can be defined as medical treatment provided within the home or community that is administered by a member of that home or community who is not a physician, surgeon, or nurse. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, domestic medicine flourished as housewives began to take on the role of medical practitioner. This was an attempt to alleviate the stress of low healthcare access that plagued lower-income and rural communities. Among lower- and middle-class communities in present day, we continue to see disparities in access to quality health care. I will argue that telemedicine has transformed during …

Healthcare Safety-Net In The United States: Patient Satisfaction Across Rural And Urban Hospitals, Vivian Ho

Senior Theses

Objective. To examine rurality and other hospital characteristics associated with patient satisfaction across hospitals in the United States.

Data. Nationwide hospital data from the 2019 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey and the 2020 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Provider of Services (POS) file.

Study Design. Hospital ZIP-codes were categorized into urban, rural micropolitan, or small/isolated rural based on Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes. Patient satisfaction measures from the HCAHPS survey were linked to the CMS POS data for hospital characteristics, yielding 2,357 urban, 749 rural micropolitan, and 1,343 small/isolated rural hospitals. ANOVA and …

Disparities In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In The United States: An Examination Of Treatment, Survival, And Access To Care, Cassie Lewis Odahowski

Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States with a 5-year survival rate of only 18%. Differences in access to care and treatment utilization may play a role in observed survival disparities among rural patient populations. This dissertation aimed to examine rural disparities in all-cause and lung-cancer specific survival, time to treatment initiation, and utilization of surgical treatment among non-small cell lung cancer cases.

We utilized comprehensive cancer registry data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program linked with Medicare billing claims (SEER-Medicare) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients diagnosed between 2003-2011. We …

The Association Of Hospital Practices To Breastfeeding Behaviors In South Carolina: Analysis Of 2013-2015 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (Prams) Data, Larisa Donnette Bruner

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether hospital practices are associated with breastfeeding initiation and breastfeeding duration for ≥10 weeks.

Methods: We analyzed the 2013-2015 South Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data. The population of interest was mothers who delivered a single live birth in the hospital. The infant was alive and living with the mother at the time of the survey. Chi-square and logistic regression were used to examine breastfeeding initiation and duration among all women who delivered in a hospital and those who stated that they initiated breastfeeding while in the …

Hiv In The United States: A Spatial Examination Of Testing And Outcomes, Sazid Shameem Khan

Theses and Dissertations

The main objectives of this dissertation were to provide a complete depiction of the prevalence of HIV across the United States and to assess HIV testing trends among various subpopulations. Additionally, we focused on measuring spatial access to HIV testing resources across the U.S. South, where HIV is rapidly becoming more burdensome and resources have historically been allocated disproportionately. We sought to identify disparate populations and locations that require further focus moving forward to stem the HIV epidemic. We utilized a variety of data sources such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) which was used to assess national …

An Analysis Of Interpreter-Mediated Healthcare Interactions, Robin Dawson Estrada

Theses and Dissertations

The content and quality of communication between nurse practitioners and patients in primary care encounters contributes to diagnostic decision making, the provision of culturally appropriate interventions, and ultimately may impact health outcomes. In caring for patients with limited English proficiency, the addition of language discordance increases the complexity of the interaction and communication processes and the potential for disparate health outcomes. Most prior research on interpreter-mediated healthcare interactions has focused on accuracy, cost, satisfaction, and role enactment, but there is a lack of systematic research examining the actual interaction processes within the context of primary care clinic visits.

The aim …

A Preliminary Study Exploring Racial Differences In Triage, Hospitalization Status, And Discharge Medication In An Emergency Department In Graniteville, Sc, Clare Pollock

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose

This study seeks to identify any racial differences present in assigned triage scores, hospitalization status and discharge medications in a rural hospital likely experiencing a surge after a mass casualty incident involving chlorine gas as a result of a train derailment. Differences were examined between Non-Hispanic White and African American adults who were moderately ill and who presented to the emergency department of the closest hospital to the accident site within 24 hours of the incident.

Methods

Non-Hispanic White and African American adults who presented to the emergency department of the closest hospital to the accident site and who …