Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Food Insecurity On Wmu’S Campus: Student Satisfaction Of The Invisible Need Project, Ava Daly

Honors Theses

Previous research suggests that food insecurity is higher among college students and individuals from minority populations than the general population. Many college campuses have recognized this issue and developed on-campus food pantries to mitigate food insecurity among students. Nevertheless, barriers exist that prevent students from utilizing on-campus pantries. The purpose of this study was to investigate college students’ relationship to food and food access at Western Michigan University (WMU). Student satisfaction of WMU’s on-campus food pantry, The Invisible Need Project, was also explored. Data were gathered through a 28-question online survey and one in-person focus group. Participants were undergraduate and …

Exploring Wheelchair Service Delivery In A Dedicated Seating Department, Cara E. Masselink

Dissertations

This study is a series of three studies aimed at exploring wheelchair service delivery in a department of physical and occupational therapists dedicated to wheelchair seating. The three studies utilized a retrospective analysis to investigate the clinical documentation written by the practicing clinicians between 2007 and 2017. The first study aimed to describe the wheelchair and accessory recommendations made in the 11-year period, in relationship to age and gender. The majority of recommendations in the dedicated seating department were for complex wheelchairs. The results indicated the ratio between standard and complex power mobility devices and four complexities of cushions changed, …

A Pilot Study: Baseline Educational Achievements Of Children Raised By Grandparents In A Kinship Care Program, Mary Lou Lacomb-Davis, Phd, Aprn, Cpnp-Pc, Michael Patton, Msw, Jean Pawl, Phd, Rn, Ocn, Cne

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

This pilot study reports the baseline data of a prospective longitudinal study examining the educational achievements of grandchildren being raised by grandparents in parent absent homes. The baseline data includes 117 grandchildren in grades K-12 in two school districts in a southeastern state. School records reporting 2,230 grades were examined for grade point average (GPA) and attendance for K-12 and conduct in grades K-5. The majority of the grandchildren achieved A/B averages. There were no significant differences between gender, pre-care experiences, placement by welfare agencies or paternal involvement across years of schooling. GPAs were lower in the grandchildren who had …

Radical Technological Innovation And Perception: A Non-Physician Practitioners’ Perspective, Mercedes Maarup, Michael Dohan, Wenyao Zhao, Shikui Wu

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Radical technological innovations, such as chatbots, fundamentally alter many aspects of healthcare organizations. For example, they transform how clinicians care for their patients. Despite the potential benefits, they cannot be integrated into practice without the support of the clinicians whose jobs are affected. While previous research shed important light on physicians’ perceptions, little is known on nonphysician practitioners view said innovations. This paper reports on a qualitative study, involving 10 nonphysician clinicians from Ontario, Canada, conducted to determine the perceptions and cognitions of clinicians regarding radical innovation and their previous experiences with technological change. Results indicate that clinicians as semi-autonomous …

Implications Of Vital Sign Monitor And Electronic Medical Record Integration On Identification Of Patients In Deteriorating Condition, Brandon Buxton, Jefton Knight, Utkarsh Shrivastava

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The manual transcription of patients’ vital signs often delays entry of critical information to Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems. This documentation delay within inpatient settings results in a lack of recent information on patient condition, decreased ability for providers to make clinical decisions, and an increased risk of data error. To alleviate these concerns, hospitals are adopting device interface systems which digitally integrate medical devices and EMRs. Prior studies have found that this type of system integration can potentially reduce the time spent on manual entry of information in the EMR and support other value-added activities in the hospital. However, …

Business Process Redesign In The Perioperative Process: A Case Perspective For Digital Transformation, Jim Ryan, Barbara Doster, Sandra Daily, Carmen Lewis

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

This case study investigates business process redesign within the perioperative process as a method to achieve digital transformation. Specific perioperative sub-processes are targeted for re-design and digitalization, which yield improvement. Based on a 184-month longitudinal study of a large 1,157 registered-bed academic medical center, the observed effects are viewed through a lens of information technology (IT) impact on core capabilities and core strategy to yield a digital transformation framework that supports patient-centric improvement across perioperative sub-processes. This research identifies existing limitations, potential capabilities, and subsequent contextual understanding to minimize perioperative process complexity, target opportunity for improvement, and ultimately yield improved …

Patient Trust And Resistance Towards Patient Portals, Ashley Spivak, Michael Dohan, Shikui Wu, Wenyao Zhao

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Health information technologies (HITs) as facilitators of chronic disease self-management remains an ongoing topic for information system researchers. This research addresses a gap in knowledge surrounding patient trust and resistance towards using these technologies, specifically patient portals. The method used to accomplish this study is through the dispersion of a quantitative survey to participants in Ontario, Canada. This survey focused on questions related to the four variables that have been identified through the literature to be important in determining patient resistance of HITs. The results indicate the importance of patient trust in mitigating their resistance to using these technologies.

Modeling Big Medical Survival Data Using Decision Tree Analysis With Apache Spark, Abdalrahman Alsaedi, Alvis Fong, Ikhlas Abdelqader, Mohammed Niaz Delano, Khulud Altaie

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

In many medical studies, an outcome of interest is not only whether an event occurred, but when an event occurred; and an example of this is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Identifying patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) who are likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is highly important for AD treatment. Previous studies suggest that not all MCI patients will convert to AD. Massive amounts of data from longitudinal and extensive studies on thousands of Alzheimer’s patients have been generated. Building a computational model that can predict conversion form MCI to AD can be highly beneficial for early intervention and treatment …

The Effects Of Outdoor Air Pollutants On The Costs Of Stroke Hospitalizations In China, Siyu Zeng, Luo Li, Fang Chen

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Stroke, the most frequent cause of severe disability and the second cause of death among adults in the world, brings tremendous mental and economic burden to patients and their families. Emerging evidence indicates that the air pollution mixture contributes to strokes. Knowing the relationship between the air pollution and the hospital costs of stroke can help us predict the costs due to air pollution, provide grounds for the allocation of medical insurance funds, and provide better working arrangements for CDC. However, few studies have examined this connection. We used time series analysis with a generalized additive model to estimate the …

Hsp: A Tool For Heat Stress Prevention For Farm Workers, Juan C. Lavariega-Jarquín, Marc Schenker, Alfonso Ávila, Lorena G. Gomez

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

We present the initial development of an integrated application for heat stress and heat related illness prevention in farm workers. In developing the application we have follow the OSHA guidelines and an extended project includes the social, cultural and economic factors of farm workers. Even though, our development focus is on workers in the California fields, we believe our project will be useful in multiple situations where individuals are exposed to extreme heat working conditions. This paper describes the motivation for our development, the overall approach we are following, and the first version of our application.

Pressure Injury And Restraint Prevalence Surveys: Saving Time And Dollars For Patient Care By Automating Manual Chart Abstraction, Jefton Knight, Melinda Gevaart, Stephanie Wagner, Shellie Bush, Jeanann Miller

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Bronson Healthcare Group performs quarterly pressure injury and restraint audits as part of the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI). The chart abstraction portion of the audit previously required nurses to manually abstract 31 data points. To save time and cost, we used Lean and PDSA process improvement tools to automate the chart abstraction portion of the audit, reducing the number of data points requiring manual abstraction to 2. We validated the automated abstraction by comparing it to abstractions done manually by the audit nurses. We found that an automated process has the potential to reduce the impact of …

“Real World” Research Using Practice Based Research Networks (Pbrn): A Systematic Review, Elmon Oliver Iii, Robert Brown

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Objective: While the randomized control clinical trial (RCT) has long been viewed as the “gold standard” for evidence based medicine, researchers and clinicians have also recognized limitations of RCTs when applied to clinical practice. These limitations arise from the fact that the results of interventions and procedures of RCTs conducted in controlled institutional settings often differ significantly from results obtained when the same interventions are applied in clinical practice. Consequently, there are increasing calls for more research to be carried out in the “real world” setting of clinical practices treating heterogeneous groups of patients. Studies conducted in clinical practices are …

Impact Of Ehr Usability On Provider Efficiency And Patient Safety In Non-Hospital Settings, Guenter Tusch, Raymond J. Higbea, Marie Vanderkooi, Larry Warkoczeski, Wanda Sankey, Jamie Cole

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Healthcare organizations may reap benefits transitioning to electronic health records (EHRs), such as decreased healthcare costs and better care. However, severe unintended consequences from implementation and design of these systems have emerged. Poorly implemented EHR systems may endanger the integrity of clinical or administrative data. That, in turn, can lead to errors jeopardizing patient safety or quality of care. A literature review of 40 sources identified how EHR implementation and design can impact provider centric, patient centric, and outcomes. These categories provided the basis for a comprehensive EHR impact model that was evaluated in non-hospital settings through focus groups interviews.

The Dynamics Of Real-Time Online Information And Disease Progression: Understanding Spatial Heterogeneity In The Relationship, Blake Tindol, Utkarsh Shrivastava, Kuanchin Chen

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The re-emergence of infectious diseases such as measles and polio is creating logistics challenges for the state authorities to curb their spread and contain them. (CL, 2015) Real-time surveillance of infectious diseases is important to detect possible epidemics in advance to prevent shortages of medications (FDA, 2018). The outbreak of an infectious disease creates panic in the community and is accompanied by a sudden increase in the online interest in knowing more about the disease and its symptoms. Prior studies have found a strong relationship between web-based information and disease outbreak but the influence of dynamics of web-based information in …

It-Based Patient Interventions For Opioid Abuse: Evaluation Using Analytical Model, Neetu Singh, Upkar Varshney

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The number of people in the US with opioid abuse exceeds 2 million and the total cost is approximately $100B per year. In this study, we focus on patient-level interventions and present three IT-based interventions: (a) mobile reminders, (b) electronic monitoring, and (c) composite intervention. We have developed an analytical model for evaluating interventions using Return-on-Investment (ROI). The interventions are cost-effective for higher values of intervention effectiveness, hospital, and emergency room cost. However, with QoL improvement, cost-effectiveness improves significantly. We also explored the use of financial incentives for increasing the adoption of interventions. These results will help patients, healthcare professionals, …

Does It Spending Matter On Hospital Financial Performance And Quality?, C. Christopher Lee, Christopher Chagnon, Robert Marfia

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

This research explored impacts of IT spending on hospital financial performance and hospital quality. We developed two research hypotheses accordingly. The first hypothesis was that IT spending would be positively related to the hospital financial performance, and the second hypothesis was that hospitals with higher IT spending would have better quality metrics. We used the 2017 American Hospital Association Survey data and the HCAHPS dataset from Medicare website. We tested three hospital financials and three quality measures. We employed T-Tests and ANOVA models to test the hypotheses. Results were inconclusive for both hypotheses. Evidence showed statistical significance on two out …

Communication Style In Medical Crowdfunding: Effect Of Emotional Framing And Updates Frequency On Funding And Emotional Support, Onochie Fan-Osuala

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Despite the rise of medical crowdfunding and its benefits to patients including reducing financial hardships and providing emotional social support, limited attention has been paid to how a campaign organizer can drive performance. In this study, we investigate how the communication style used in a medical crowdfunding campaign can affect both the funding performance and emotional support received. We find that emotional framing and frequent updates have a positive effect on funding and emotional support and discuss the implications.

Transactions Of 2019 International Conference On Health Information Technology Advancement Vol. 4 No. 1, Center For Health Information Technology Advancement

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The Fourth International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement Kalamazoo, Michigan, October 31 - Nov. 1, 2019.

Conference Co-Chairs Bernard T. Han and Muhammad Razi, Department of Business Information Systems, Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI 49008

Transaction Editor Dr. Huei Lee, Professor, Department of Computer Information Systems, Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Volume 4, No. 1

Hosted by The Center for Health Information Technology Advancement, WMU

Facilitating The Creative Process Through Collaboration, Jennifer K. Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Miles Parker Scharfenberg, an artist based in Richland, Michigan, provided the cover art for the Fall 2019 edition of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). “Late Night Fireworks” is a 30” x 40” painting made from acrylic on canvas. Born 15 weeks premature, Miles’ multiple health impairments have made it difficult to engage in meaningful occupations, such as painting. With support from his mother, Carol; occupational therapy students; and members of the community; Miles creates colorful abstract expressionist paintings. Collaboration is part of his creative process. In this fifth anniversary issue of OJOT, Occupation and the Artist is following …

Perceptions And Outcomes Of Occupational Therapy Students Participating In Community Engaged Learning: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Amy Mattila

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Today’s health care system requires therapists to acquire a level of confidence, flexibility, and personal growth that enables them to treat a diverse and complex clientele. Occupational therapy programs need to ensure that clinical placements can best prepare students for these demands. Community engaged learning (CEL) offers a distinctive opportunity both to meet the curricular requirements of fieldwork and to afford students the chance to develop unique sets of skills. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the experiences of graduate occupational therapy students participating in CEL fieldwork placements. The study explored the students’ self-efficacy before and after …

Occupational Therapy’S Work And Industry Area Of Practice: Content In Entry-Level Professional Occupational Therapy Curricula: A Survey, Thomas F. Fisher

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process identifies work as an area of occupation that has long been recognized by the profession as an area of practice. This study identified how entry-level professional occupational therapy programs meet educational standards required by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education for educational programs. Standards identified were those that relate to the area of work and industry practice. One hundred and sixty-seven program directors were invited to participate in a survey directed at work and industry occupational therapy practice. Items on the survey related to content taught in their entry-level occupational therapy …

Evaluation And Treatment Of Musicians From A Holistic Perspective, Annie Ting, Janice Rocker

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Throughout the past 3 decades, treatment of injured musicians in a health care setting has been reported; however, the quality of care from a musician’s standpoint is poor. As musicians are speaking up more about their pain, the profession of occupational therapy has the capacity to make an impact on the way musicians are treated from a rehabilitative perspective. Musicians often do not trust medical practitioners who follow the traditional medical model because their symptoms and concerns are not addressed. Occupational therapists, especially those working in the realm of hand rehabilitation, are well equipped to treat injured musicians using our …

Effect Of Verbal Directions On Grip Strength Evaluated Using The Handheld Dynamometer, Laura Walsh, Marie-Christine Potvin

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Grip strength measurement using the handheld dynamometer is a key aspect of the evaluation of an upper extremity injury. The handheld dynamometer manufacturer has established research-based guidelines outlining body positioning during grip strength measurement. However, verbal direction guidelines, while provided, have not yet been shown to be most effective through research. This study seeks to determine whether the use of one of two types of verbal directions, with and without encouragements, resulted in greater grip strength as measured by the handheld dynamometer.

Method: The grip strength of healthy females (n = 60) was compared using two sets of prerecorded …

Use Of Standardized Assessments And Online Resources In Stroke Rehabilitation, Susan H. Lin, Pamela R. Bosch, Veronica T. Rowe, Susan E. Fasoli, Jeanne Langan

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The extent to which movement-related standardized assessments and online resources are used in stroke rehabilitation is unclear in the United States.

Method: The researchers used a cross-sectional descriptive survey that examined (a) therapists use of movement-related standardized assessments, (b) factors influencing learning of new assessments, and (c) use of frequency of online resources by occupational therapists and physical therapists in the United States.

Results: Of 151 respondents (46.4% occupational therapists, 53.6% physical therapists), the most frequently used movement-related assessments by occupational and physical therapists were the Berg and Fugl-Meyer Assessment, respectively. More physical therapists use motor-related …

Health Management: Occupational Therapy’S Key Role In Educating Clients About Reliable Online Health Information, Amy Armstrong-Heimsoth, Melissa L. Johnson, Meredith Carpenter, Tincey Thomas, Ashley Sinnappan

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Only 12% of Americans possess proficient health literacy skills. Among those with the lowest health literacy are individuals with chronic health conditions. Occupational therapists are well prepared to assist these clients with health literacy, given our roles in teaching new health management skills and health promotion.

Methods: An educational course was designed and taught to over 100 individuals and caregivers with chronic health conditions to assist in finding and determining trustworthy health information online. An author designed pre postsurvey was used to evaluate effectiveness.

Results: There was a significant pre-post change in four categories: finding quality …

Productivity Standards And The Impact On Quality Of Care: A National Survey Of Inpatient Rehabilitation Professionals, Leslie E. Bennett, Vanessa D. Jewell, Linda Scheirton, Molly Mccarthy, Brittney C. Muir

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Skyrocketing health care costs have resulted in significant changes to reimbursement rates in health care. The result has increased pressure to be as efficient as possible while maintaining high-quality care. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine health care professionals’ perceptions on whether and how productivity pressures have impacted the quality of care in therapy practice.

Method: A survey was disseminated nationally to inpatient rehabilitation facilities.

Results: Two hundred and fifty-seven surveys were opened. Of these completed surveys, 154 participants completed the closed-ended questions and 109 participants completed the open-ended questions. Outcomes indicated that …

Yoga And Autism: Students’ Perspectives On The Get Ready To Learn Yoga Program, Lauren E. Milton, Selena Bantel, Kayelee Calmer, Marlee Friedman, Elizabeth Haley, Lauren Rubarts

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Yoga, a complementary health approach known for various therapeutic effects, is used with diverse populations, including students ASD. Limited evidence exists inclusive of the first-hand perspective of students with ASD who participate in yoga. The purpose of this study is to understand the perspective of students 10 and 14 years of age with ASD who participated in a portion of the GRTL yoga program as part of a physical education class.

Method: Using a qualitative design, this study examined the student perspective on the GRTL yoga program. A convenience sample of seven male participants between 10 and …

Use Of The Star Process For Children With Sensory Processing Challenges, Sarah A. Schoen, Lucy Jane Miller, Stephen Camarata, Andrea Valdez

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: This study examined the effectiveness of the STAR PROCESS, an intensive, short-term intervention that combines principles of sensory integration, relationship-based therapy, and parental-therapist collaboration for children with sensory processing challenges.

Method: A nonconcurrent multiple baseline, repeated measures design was used. Four boys, aged 5 years 0 months to 7 years 9 months, participated in this study. The mean length of intervention was 22 sessions delivered 3 to 5 times per week. A behavioral coding system was used to measure change in four areas: play level, positive affect, joint attention, and novel use of equipment. The theory of …

Effects Of Maternal Views And Support On Childhood Development Through Joint Play, Amiya Waldman-Levi, Sherraine Grinion, Laurette Olson

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Playful interactions draw a mother and child toward each other in positive ways; therefore, time spent in playful interactions with a responsive mother may be a developmental asset for a child. It is critical to examine how mothers support their children in joint play as well as their views of joint play.

Methods: This mixed-methods study consisted of 32 mothers and their typically developing children. The Parent’s/Caregiver Support of Young Children’s Playfulness, the Test of Playfulness, the Environmental Supportiveness Assessment, and seven open-ended interviews were used to assess joint play and maternal perceptions of this experience.

Results …

Effectiveness Of Two Keyboarding Instructional Approaches On The Keyboarding Speed, Accuracy, And Technique Of Elementary Students, Denise K. Donica, Peter Giroux, Young Joo Kim

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Keyboarding skill development is important for elementary students. Limited research exists to inform practice on effective keyboarding instruction methods.

Method: Using a quasi-experimental design, we examined the effectiveness of Keyboarding Without Tears® (n = 786) in the experimental schools compared to the control schools who used the district standard instructional approach of free web-based activities (n = 953) on improving keyboarding skills (speed, accuracy, and technique) in elementary students.

Results: The results showed significant improvements in keyboarding speed and accuracy in all schools for all grades favoring the experimental schools compared to the control schools. Significant differences in improvements …