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Family Science Student Organization Members Named Winners In The 2015 Family Life Education Month Contest, College Of Education And Human Development

Family and Consumer Sciences News

The National Council on Family Relations named Family Science Student Organization (FSSO) members Latrice Hendricks and Blair Kelly winners of the 2015 Family Life Education Month Contest in the “Fact Sheet” category.

The Neurochemistry Of Group Singing: Bonding And Oxytocin, Jason Keeler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the neurochemical correlates of group vocal improvisation and to determine the feasibility of the research methods. One group of four participants sang together in two conditions: pre-composed and improvised. Concentrations of plasma oxytocin and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured before and after each singing condition to assess levels of hormones associated with social affiliation, engagement and arousal. Successful implementation of the methodology, including recruitment, data collection, and sample analysis, served as the primary outcome of this study. ACTH concentrations decreased in both conditions, and significantly so in the pre-composed singing condition. Mean …

Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment: Co-Occurring Evidence-Based Practice Implementation, Alteration, And Fidelity Over Time, Jennifer Harrison

Dissertations

Individuals with co-occurring illnesses are at risk for poor outcomes related to criminal justice, hospitalization, housing, and employment. High fidelity evidence-based practice models, including Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT), are associated with significant improvements in outcomes. Although IDDT has been well-researched in small scale clinical trials, the implementation, alteration, and sustainability in real world applications over time has not been well-researched or understood. Initially, a descriptive analysis of a secondary dataset including the full population of 68 IDDT fidelity teams from 2006–2012 evaluated by the Michigan Fidelity and Assessment Team (MiFAST) in one state was completed. IDDT fidelity significantly improved …

Outcomes Of Prediabetes And Diabetes Education Programs Tailored For Vulnerable Popuations, Diana Al Sayed Hassan

Dissertations

Diabetes is a debilitating disease and if not managed properly it can lead to multiple complications and even premature death. Diabetes continues to disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. The purpose of this three-paper method dissertation was to examine the implementation of a prediabetes and diabetes programs in a community setting to serve vulnerable populations in addition to understanding future diabetes-related educational needs.

The first paper is an evaluation of a shortened five-week diabetes prevention program for older adults with prediabetes or at a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Chang in nutrition knowledge, eating and physical activity behaviors, …

Flow Experiences Among Individuals With Aphasia, Thomas W. Sather

Dissertations

Flow has been described as positive experiences of intense concentration, distorted time passage, and loss of self-consciousness. While flow has been reported for multiple populations in various settings, it has not been studied among individuals with aphasia. The purpose of this three paper dissertation is to examine flow experiences among individuals with mild aphasia, including environmental and personal factors associated with flow. Advocates of life participation approaches to aphasia stress the importance of interventions that support full engagement in life. Research on flow experiences and related environmental and personal factors may foster improved service delivery and outcomes for this population. …

Quality Of Life In Adolescents With Cancer, Alexis Guastella

Honors Theses

There is no current universally accepted definition for quality of life (QOL). One source defined the concept of QOL as how an individual measures the goodness of different aspects of their life. These assessments include one’s emotional reactions to life events, disposition, sense of fulfillment, and satisfaction with personal relationships and work (Theofilou, 2013). Another definition encompasses the person’s level of functioning and overall satisfaction and well-being of their life (Lavdaniti & Tsitsis, 2015). QOL can be influenced by many factors, including physical health and certain disease processes. One disease in particular that can significantly affect one’s QOL is cancer. …

Quality Of Life In Adolescents With Cancer, Molly Ryan

Honors Theses

There is no current universally accepted definition for quality of life (QOL). One source defined the concept of QOL as how an individual measures the goodness of different aspects of their life. These assessments include one’s emotional reactions to life events, disposition, sense of fulfillment, and satisfaction with personal relationships and work (Theofilou, 2013). Another definition encompasses the person’s level of functioning and overall satisfaction and well-being of their life (Lavdaniti & Tsitsis, 2015). QOL can be influenced by many factors, including physical health and certain disease processes. One disease in particular that can significantly affect one’s QOL is cancer. …

Professor Publishes Second Edition Of Serving Military Families, College Of Education And Human Development

Family and Consumer Sciences News

Dr. Karen Blaisure, professor of family science in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department, and colleagues recently published the 2nd edition of Serving Military Families: Theories, Research, and Application.

Alumna Interviewed After Dietetic Internship, College Of Education And Human Development

Family and Consumer Sciences News

Emily Joseph, a registered dietitian, and alumna who completed the FCS dietetic internship in 2015 recently did an interview about the Teal Pumpkin Project (food allergy-free celebrations) for WZZM in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Style Evolution Of Glasses: Acknowledging Well-Being For Wearable Medical Device, Lydia Royeen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The focus of Peta Bush’s work is to create wearable medical devices that address all qualities of the individual, including physical, mental, emotional, and psychosocial aspects. Peta is completing a practice-based research PhD titled “Therapeutic jewelry: The craft of people-centric devices for wellbeing.” Her passion for creating wearable medical devices that are multi-dimensional stems from her personal experiences, as she has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. In addition, she uses her knowledge of well-being and the biopsychosocial model when creating her wearable medical devices. Peta currently uses technology, such as 3D printing, as one method to fabricate her collection. Her aspirations are for …

More Tips For Making An Editor Happy, Jan Andersen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Concise Arm And Hand Rehabilitation Approach In Stroke (Caras): A Practical And Evidence-Based Framework For Clinical Rehabilitation Management, Johan A. Franck, Jos Halfens, Rob Smeets, Henk Seelen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The volume of information on new treatment techniques supporting the restoration of arm-hand function (AHF) and arm-hand skill performance (ASHP) in stroke survivors overwhelms therapists in everyday clinical practice when choosing the appropriate therapy. The Concise Arm and Hand Rehabilitation Approach in Stroke (CARAS) is designed for paramedical staff to structure and implement training of AHF and AHSP in stroke survivors. The CARAS is based on four constructs: (a) stratification according to the severity of arm–hand impairment (using the Utrecht Arm/Hand -Test [UAT]), (b) the individual’s rehabilitation goals and concomitant potential rehabilitation outcomes, (c) principles of self-efficacy, and (d) possibilities …

Occupational Therapy Students’ Perspectives Of Professionalism: An Exploratory Study, Theresa M. Sullivan, Andrea K. Thiessen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Professionalism is a dynamic, socially constructed idea, rendering it difficult to comprehend. Though characterized by the demonstration of values and behaviors, its meaning has not been fully explored and remains tacit. To explore how first- and second-year master’s of occupational therapy students conceptualize professionalism.

Method: This qualitative pilot study evolved from an interpretivist theoretical perspective. Convenience sampling yielded four first-year and seven second-year students from one entry-level master’s program to participate in two separate focus groups. Line-by-line constant comparison methods were used to analyze the data and identify categories. An audit trail, peer debriefing, and member checking were employed. …

High-Fidelity Simulation: A Tool For Occupational Therapy Education, Chi-Kwan Shea

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

High-fidelity simulation (HFS) is an educational tool commonly used by professional education programs of medicine and nursing for student training and assessment. Although its use in occupational therapy (OT) education is emerging, implementation of simulation in OT education varies broadly across programs, and, in general, the tool remains underused. This paper describes how the OT education program at Samuel Merritt University (SMU) has systematically expanded the use of HFS in various formats throughout the curriculum. The specific processes and procedures of using HFS in facilitating student critical thinking and clinical skills are explained to emphasize the potential educational value of …

Fieldwork Educators' Perspectives: Professional Behavior Attributes Of Level Ii Fieldwork Students, Marcie K. Campbell, Katelyn Corpus, Tracy M. Wussow, Teresa Plummer, Debra Gibbs, Shelley Hix

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

A review of the literature revealed a lack of consistent expectations for professional behaviors required of level II fieldwork students. This study sought to obtain a consensus of perspectives of level II fieldwork educators by asking, “What are the essential professional behavior attributes for level II fieldwork students?” Delphi methodology was used to collect data in two rounds of surveys. In the first, 49 fieldwork educators listed professional behavior attributes they believed to be important for fieldwork students. The data was synthesized into themes for distribution in the second survey, which were identified as essential, non-essential, or site-specific by 53 …

The Future In Their Hands: The Perceptions Of Practice Educators On The Strengths And Challenges Of “Generation Y” Occupational Therapy Students, Caroline Hills, Kobie Boshoff, Susan Gilbert-Hunt, Susan Ryan, Derek R. Smith

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Those born between 1982 and 2002 are termed “Generation Y”. This younger generation is thought to have unique characteristics, due to the societal and technological influences that they experienced in their formative years. In occupational therapy, this group has been found to have unique attributes that have impacted on practice education. This study replicated an earlier study to affirm or refute the existence of the Generation Y student in occupational therapy from practice educator perspectives. An Australian university previously developed and administered the survey tool. In this current study, the electronic survey was sent to all practice educators listed …

Evaluation Of A Sleep Knowledge Translation Strategy For Occupational Therapists Working With Persons Who Have Dementia, Laura Laberge, Blaire Sangster, Cary A. Brown

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Introduction: Sleep deficiency is a significant, largely overlooked issue for persons with dementia (PWD), and is associated with physical and mental health problems, increased caregiver burden, and increased likelihood of institutionalization. Despite the high prevalence of sleep deficiency in PWD, most health care professionals lack knowledge of the relationship between sleep problems and dementia. This project aimed to determine the feasibility of an archived online presentation, a knowledge translation (KT) strategy to increase therapists’ understanding of the impact of blue-spectrum light on sleep in PWD.

Method: Therapists who participated in a previous sleep and dementia survey were recruited via email. …

The Effect Of High And Low Antiepileptic Drug Dosage On Simulated Driving Performance In Person’S With Seizures: A Pilot Study, Alexander Crizzle, Sherrilene Classen, Christina Lafranca, William Silver, Stephan Eisenschenk

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Prior studies examining driving performance have not examined the effects of antiepileptic drugs (AED’s) or their dosages in persons with epilepsy. AED’s are the primary form of treatment to control seizures, but they are shown to affect cognition, attention, and vision, all which may impair driving. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of high and low AED dosages on simulated driving performance in persons with seizures.

Method: Patients (N = 11; mean age 42.1 ± 6.3; 55% female; 100% Caucasian) were recruited from the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and had their driving assessed on a simulator. …

Executive Functioning: Relationship With High School Student Role Performance, Donna P. Mann, Roberta Snover, James R. Boyd, Andrea J. List, Aaron J. Kuhn, Bridget N. Devereaux, Susan M. Chenoweth, Gina L. Middaugh

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

BACKGROUND. Student role performance for academic success in secondary education is under represented in the occupational therapy literature, despite the persistently high dropout rate in the United States (Stillwell & Sable, 2013). Executive dysfunction is one of many possible contributors to difficulties in the classroom (Dirette & Kolak, 2004) and is a better indicator of school performance than IQ (Diamond, 2012). This research examined executive functioning of both alternative and traditional high school students to determine if there is a relationship between executive function and academic success as measured by cumulative grade point average.

METHOD. 132 high school students from …

Personalized Medicine: Definitions, History, And Implications For The Ot Profession, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Understanding User Resistance To Information Technology In Healthcare: The Nature And Role Of Perceived Threats, Madison Ngafeeson

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Information technology (IT) in healthcare is here to stay. The United States government has made efforts in the past ten years to harness the power of information technologies in healthcare to improve legibility, lessen medical errors, keep costs low, and boost the overall quality of health care. However, IT user resistance in healthcare is continually cited as a major barrier to achieving desired outcomes. Understanding the nature and manifestation of resistance is clearly a key to successfully managing this industry-wide change, fostering adoption, and realizing positive outcomes. Earlier research had established perceived threats as a significant antecedent of user resistance; …

Transactions Of 2015 International Conference On Health Information Technology Advancement Vol.3, No. 1, Center For Health Information Technology Advancement

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The Third International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement Kalamazoo, Michigan, October 30-31, 2015

Conference Chair Bernard Han, Ph.D., HIT Pro Department of Business Information Systems Haworth College of Business Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI 49008

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

Volume 3, No. 1

Hosted by The Center for Health Information Technology Advancement, WMU

Revisiting An Integrated Health Informatics And Technology Curriculum Model, Bernard T. Han, Tracy L. Johnson, Kenneth D. Bobo

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The shortage of health information technology workforce is quite significant in the health industry. The traditional education approach may not be effective enough to train college students to be an HIT workforce that requires both academic knowledge and extensive hands-on experiences in both healthcare and information technology. This paper presents an Integrated Health Informatics and Technology Curriculum Model to collapse the campus boundaries between regional Intermediate School Districts, Community Colleges, and a Four-Year health informatics and information management program to support expedited education with sufficient hands-on experiences in health informatics and technology. This model has been pilot tested by the …

The Expert Survey-Based Global Ranking Of Management- And Clinical-Centered Health Informatics And It Journals, Michael S. Dohan, Alexander Serenko, Joseph Tan Phd

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The goal of this study is to develop an expert survey-based journal ranking for the Health Informatics & Information Technology (HIIT) field. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association and Journal of Medical Internet Research were ranked as top HIIT management-focused journals, and BMC Medical Informatics & Decision Making and IEEE Journal of Biomedical & Health Informatics were ranked as top HIIT clinical-focused journals. This ranking benefits academics who conduct research in this field because it allows them to direct their research to appropriate journals, convey their accomplishments to tenure and promotion committees, and experience other benefits.

First Generation College Students And Mobile Device Acceptance In Nursing Education, Deanna Gapp, Tsu-Yin Wu

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The National League for Nursing (2009) states that nurse educators must commit to diversity in education by reviewing practices that favor and exclude students. First generation college students (FGCS) have a background that may hinder success and require support to overcome barriers in a nursing program- including mobile device acceptance. A cross-sectional survey of 37 students showed significant differences; FGCS have higher results than non-FGCS in six of the eight key constructs of mobile device acceptance. Mobile devices may help bridge the digital divide. By increasing emphasis on mobile device functioning in the nursing curriculum, nurse educators can continue to …

Socio-Economic Dimension Of Indoor Radon Gas In West Michigan - A Public Health Discourse And Merit To Use Hit In Shaping Health Behavior, Azizur Molla

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

This study focuses on indoor radon levels and socioeconomic data from West Michigan, MI. It was designed to: i) analyze the relationship between indoor radon levels and socioeconomic status of the participating households, and ii) assess the degree of public awareness about the danger of indoor radon gas. The study participants expressed that they knew that radon was negative, and a health risk, but were not equipped with the knowledge to test for or mitigate radon. With nearly half of the participants affected in some way by cancer, radon is a concern and a source for worry among many citizens. …

Exploring Cloud Computing Implementation Issues In Healthcare Industry, Sadaf Ashtari, Ali Eydgahi, Huei Lee

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Nowadays, cloud computing—as a flexible, collaborative, cost effective and scalable computational approach—is being applied within different public and private organizations. Furthermore, the use of cloud-based applications is becoming more widespread on both the organizational and individual level than it has been in the past. Healthcare is one discipline that could benefit from cloud-based applications; however, because of various privacy and security issues, it has been adopted more slowly than in many other disciplines. The purpose of this preliminary study is to investigate the related literature in order to explore the cloud computing implementation issues in the healthcare industry. Technological, Organizational, …

Can Psychology Research Inform Health Information Data Collection?, A. Michelle Wright

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Conclusions drawn from electronic medical records (EMRs) are only as accurate as the data provided. Recent findings by psychologists and health researchers may help streamline health information data collection and subsequent data analysis. Specifically, four areas will be discussed: (1) Standardization of terms between the patient and the health professionals, (2) Impact of patient inattention and fatigue when responding to health measures, (3) Importance of source labeling within the medical record (e.g., self-administered questionnaire, responded via phone, etc.), (4) Cognitive load on patients when using mobile health technology (e.g., apps, tablets, online patient portal, etc.). Research suggests consideration of these …

Forecasting The Potential For Emergency Department Overcrowding, Jeff Skinner, Raymond J. Higbea

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

This research study used the Dixon Forecasting Model (DFM), a Bed Ratio (BR), and the National Emergency Department Overcrowding Scale (NEDOCS) to establish a reliable two-hour overcrowding forecasting tool within the Emergency Department. The DFM and BR were used together to predict severe overcrowding based on current census data. This two hour prediction was then be validated by the real-time NEDOCS and real-time Bed Ratio scores. Data analysis indicates that the two-hour predicted BR is moderately correlated with a real-time NEDOCS (correlation coefficient 0.508) and real-time BR (correlation coefficient 0.492) at the forecasted time. Further data analysis revealed a strong …

A Case Study Perspective Toward Data-Driven Process Improvement For Balanced Perioperative Workflow, Jim Ryan, Barbara Doster, Sandra Daily, Carmen Lewis

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Based on a 143-month longitudinal study of an academic medical center, this paper examines operations management practices of continuous improvement, workflow balancing, benchmarking, and process reengineering within a hospital’s perioperative operations. Specifically, this paper highlights data-driven efforts within perioperative sub-processes to balance overall patient workflow by eliminating bottlenecks, delays, and inefficiencies. This paper illustrates how dynamic technological activities of analysis, evaluation, and synthesis applied to internal and external organizational data can highlight complex relationships within integrated processes to identify process limitations and potential process capabilities, ultimately yielding balanced workflow and improvement. Study implications and/or limitations are also included.