Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Spontaneous Recovery In Children With Expressive Language Delay, Jaimie Sierakowski

Honors Theses

By age 2, most children have an expressive vocabulary of approximately 200 words and begin to combine these words into meaningful phrases. However, some children acquire expressive language skills more slowly than others while displaying no signs of cognitive, receptive, or sensory delays. These children who experience an expressive language delay are often characterized in the literature as late talkers. Research shows that many of these children have delays early in childhood, but eventually catch up to their typically-developing peers, with no need for language intervention. Others, however, continue to experience expressive delays and. have an increased risk of developing …

An Investigation Of The Role Of Experiential Avoidance In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Meaghan M. Lewis

Honors Theses

Experiential avoidance is a construct that researchers have proposed as a possible mediating factor between psychopathology and a prior history of traumatic events. Among the traumatic events investigated in the research literature, experiential avoidance has demonstrated correlations with prior experiences of sexual victimization. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD symptoms have also been linked with incidence of sexual victimization and engaging in experiential avoidance. Another variable commonly associated with this construct is problematic alcohol consumption. The present study presumed that women with a history of sexual victimization would report high PTSD symptoms, a stronger likelihood of partaking in problem drinking, …

Activity Choice And Extinction Intervention For Escape Maintained Behavior, Ali M. Markowitz

Honors Theses

Tantrums and non-compliant problem behaviors challenge children diagnosed with autism’s progress in early childhood special education classrooms by interfering with the child’s learning opportunities. Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder causing abnormal or impaired development in social interactions and communication (DSM-IV, 1994). This paper looks at a single case on a preschool aged child diagnosed with autism exhibiting tantrums and problem behaviors. These tantrums and non-compliant problem behaviors included kicking, scratching, screaming, hitting, flopping on to the floor or eloping (leaving the table, chair or work area). One study conducted showed that activity choice intervention decreases the occurrence of problem …

Using Tag To Increase Play Skills, Melissa A. Boggs

Honors Theses

TAG (Teaching with Acoustical Guidance) involves using auditory stimuli as a reinforcer for correct behavior or correct components of a behavior chain. Theoretically, TAG is an effective reinforcer because a click (the auditory stimuli) is paired with back up reinforcers (tangible reinforcers and social praise) and consequently becomes a conditioned reinforcer. The current study assesses the effectiveness of TAG in structured playtime activities in a child diagnosed with autism. The behaviors measured include a receptive identification procedure, an imitative drawing procedure and a paperclip drop procedure. Each of these responses required multiple behaviors to be completed with the paperclip drop …

Rpe And Mode Of Exercise, Victoria Helmus

Honors Theses

The American College of Sports Medicine currently recommends that all individuals age 18-65 perform vigorous aerobic activity for at least 20 minutes 3 days a week, or moderate intensity aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week. Activities that fall under this category include, but are not limited to walking, running, cycling, swimming and elliptical machines. When an individual exercises, they have a sense of what their intensity level is based on how they 'feel'. Ratings of Perceived Exertion charts serve as a guide for this subjective thought process. There are wide ranges of intensities associated with …

A Flexible Home Design For A Comfortable Lifestyle: A Case Study Of The Effect Of Universal Design, Meghann Balmer Dehaan

Honors Theses

This thesis examines a case study of a married couple who are transitioning into a new stage of their life after retirement. They are no longer comfortable in their current home and are considering other living options. A floor plan was universally designed to meet the needs of the couple and also the needs of all others who enter the home. This includes no-step entry, barrier free design, and adaptability in each room of the home. The project puts an emphasis on the importance of efficiency, adaptability, flexibility, and comfort in the home environment. An occupational therapist’s scope of practice …

Current Music Therapy Practice With Adolescents With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders In The United States: A Survey Of The Profession, Melinda K. Murray

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to survey Board Certified Music Therapists in the US to examine (a) the demographics of the music therapists working with this population in a non-school setting, (b) assessments used by the music therapists, (c) goals for clients, and (d) treatment methods used in the treatment of adolescents with emotional and/or behavioral disorders. The participants in this study were board certified music therapists working with emotional and/or behavioral impairments outside of the school setting. Of the total of 111 surveys sent to music therapists who possibly met the inclusion criteria, 27 were returned (N=27). The …

In Their Own Words: The Lived Experiences Of Unemployed African American Men, Kenlana R. Ferguson

Dissertations

Due to staggering unemployment rates, African American men's experience with work in the U.S. has historically received widespread attention in the media and social science literature. Terms such as black male unemployment crisis, puzzle, epidemic and catastrophe have been used to describe the unemployment woes of black. Attempts at explaining why African American men are experiencing such difficulty in the world of work has been undertaken across the disciplines, however much of this work has amounted to nothing more than acknowledgement that isolating independent factors as causes does not suffice and that a more interdisciplinary framework is needed if we …

Teaching Language To Children With Developmental Disabilities Using Combined Direct Reinforcement And Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing, Brighid Helene Fronapfel-Sonderegger

Dissertations

Several researchers have used stimulus-stimulus pairing (the pairing of speech sounds with established reinforcers) to increase the frequency of specific vocalizations in children with disabilities. However, only a few addressed the utility of stimulus-stimulus pairing to increase functional language, and none combined stimulus-stimulus pairing and direct reinforcement. The present study combined stimulus-stimulus pairing and direct reinforcement to successfully teach 2 to 10 functional mands in 21–49 7-minute sessions with four children with developmental disabilities with low verbal repertoires. Following mand training, two children were taught 10 tacts for pictures using the combined direct reinforcement and stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure in a …

Knowledge, Wisdom, And Service: The Meaning And Teaching Of Professionalism In Medicine, Matthew K. Wynia

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Papers

Papers presented for the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Western Michigan University. Presented September 29, 2011.

Novel Electronic Refreshers For Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Stephen Magura, Michael G. Miller, Timothy J. Michael, Robert J. Bensley, J. Burkhardt, A. C. Puente, C. Sullins

Human Performance and Health Education Faculty Research

Background: Currently the American Red Cross requires that individuals renew their cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification annually; this often requires a 4- to 8-hour refresher course. Those trained in CPR often show a decrease in essential knowledge and skills within just a few months after training. New electronic means of communication have expanded the possibilities for delivering CPR refreshers to members of the general public who receive CPR training. The study’s purpose was to determine the efficacy of three novel CPR refreshers - online website, e-mail and text messaging – for improving three outcomes of CPR training - skill retention, confidence …

Caring For Self And Others: Increasing Health Care Students’ Healthy Behaviors, Mary Ann Stark, Tena Hoekstra, Debra Lindstrom Hazel, Barbara Barton

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objective: Living a healthy lifestyle in order to manage stress encountered in the health care system is important for health care professionals. The purpose of this study was to increase healthy behaviors of undergraduate students in professional health care majors by introducing a health promotion intervention in a required course. Participants: The sample consisted of 201 undergraduate health professional students from nursing (NUR) (n = 82, 40.8%), occupational therapy (OT) (n = 72, 35.8%), and speech- language pathology (SLP) (n = 47, 23.4%). Methods: A pretest-posttest comparison group design was used. The NUR and OT students received a health promotion …

Leading By Staying Active, Fawn Callen

Academic Leadership Academy

No abstract provided.

A Strategic Plan For Engaging Undergraduate Speech Pathology And Audiology Students In The Research Enterprise, Stephen M. Tasko

Academic Leadership Academy

The goal of this project is to develop a strategic plan for the Speech Pathology and Audiology Research Experience, which is a program designed to increase undergraduate student engagement in research activities. The emphasis on undergraduate students is based on the view that the sooner research opportunities are introduced and ‘demystified’, the sooner students envision this as a viable professional option.

2012 News, College Of Education And Human Development

Family and Consumer Sciences News

• Dietetics Program Reaccredited
• Faculty Member Appointed to Certified Family Life Educator Advisory Board
• Faculty Member in Dietetics Published
• Family Studies Faculty Present at Symposium
• Graduate Student Ambassador Announced
• Interior Design Students Collaborate to Redesign Kanley Chapel
• Manley Conducting Research
• Frazier Receives Grant from the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
• FCS 5340 Consumer Behavior in the Fashion Environment
• Manley Awarded Grant
• Webber Article Published
• Zinser Visits Siberia
• National Council on Family Relations Chooses Book
• Colleagues International Working with the U.S. Department of State
• Commercial Interiors Design Challenge
• Dannison Completes Program Review
• Blaisure Co-Authors, Serving Military Families in the 21st …

Value Of A Graduate Gerontology Certificate Versus A Masters Degree, Janet S. Hahn

Academic Leadership Academy

The WMU Center for Gerontology was established in 2010 and builds on a strong tradition of gerontology education offered at WMU from the late 1970s to 2004. The undergraduate minor has been revised and is again offered. The previous graduate certificate in gerontology has not yet been reestablished.

This project sought to determine the relative value of a graduate certificate in gerontology vs. a masters degree in gerontology.

Emergency Room Use By Undocumented Mexican Immigrants, Ayse Akincigil, Raymond Sanchez Mayers, Fontaine H. Fulghum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examined emergency room use by undocumented Mexican immigrants and their sources of health care information. Thirty-eight percent of the respondents reported that they would use a hospital emergency room (ER) for primary medical care. ER use rates declined with time spent in the United States. Emergency room use rates varied significantly by region. Respondents receiving information from a church reported less ER use, compared to all others; respondents receiving information from U.S. newspapers reported higher ER use rates. Lack of health care access for undocumented immigrants remains a public health issue as well as a social justice concern.

Health Service Access For Rural People Living With Hiv/Aids In China: A Critical Evaluation, Xiying Wang, Xiulan Zhang, Yuebin Xu, Yurong Zhang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The increasingly serious HIV/AIDS epidemic creates a significant burden for the public health system; however, little attention has been paid to the issue of health service access in rural China. Based on a qualitative study of 34 Chinese rural People Living with HIVIAIDS (PLWHA) and 13 health providers, this study fills a gap by examining health service access from both the demand and supply-side. Utilizing access theory, this study explores the availability, affordability and acceptability of health services in rural China. Moreover, this study focuses on access barriers and institutional obstacles that PLWHA meet during their illness and considers the …

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

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Full proceedings of The First International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement held at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan on October 28, 2011.

Conference Co-Chairs:

Dr. Bernard Han, Director of the Center for HIT Advancement (CHITA) at Western Michigan University

Dr. Sharie Falan, Associate Director of the Center for HIT Advancement (CHITA) at Western Michigan University

Transactions Editor:

Dr. Huei Lee, Professor in the Department of Computer Information Systems at Eastern Michigan University

The Social Networking Adoption Matrix (Sam) Prototype: Helping Healthcare Organizations Effectively Choose Social Networking Technologies, Alan Rea, Robert Landeros, Tristan Stempien

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Healthcare organizations looking to increase communication and educational offerings to their community, providers, and healthcare consumers need to implement social networking technologies. However, without a thorough needs analysis a healthcare organization may waste valuable limited resources with very little return on investment. In this paper, the authors discuss preliminary research targeted to help organizations adopt relevant technologies using a Social Networking Adoption Matrix (SAM). SAM helps organizations decide which social networking technology categories are necessary to meet their strategic goals via the Social Network Adoption Matrix Expert System (SAMES). As a result, organizations can successfully increase communication opportunities and balance …

Communication And The Pragmatic Condition, Gregory J. Shepherd

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Papers

Presented March 9, 2011

Electronic Payments In Healthcare, C.R. Krishnaswamy

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

In this paper the author has developed a theoretical framework for addressing the healthcare costs and based on it he has analyzed the payment system that is an integral part of healthcare payments. The author concurs with the recommendations made in earlier studies that switching from a paper-based system to an electronic system would not only reduce costs but also improve the efficiency of the system. By using an electronic payment system for payment of healthcare claims, huge savings can be achieved on an annual basis, as the numbers of claims processed each year are in the billions.

It's My Ipad! Protecting Critical Data On Personal Mobile Devices In The Medical Setting, Michael R. Lehrfeld, Rita M. Barrios, Chris Phillippe

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The pervasiveness of mobile devices has forced many organizations to support connectivity of corporate and private devices. Corporate devices are highly configurable regarding authentication, encryption, and remote wiping. BlackBerry devices can be fully deployed and managed using a centralized Blackberry Enterprise Server, however when a user owned device connects to enterprise servers, data security becomes a concern. Introduce a litany of complex legislative rulings and laws concerning protected data across various business domains and now personal mobile devices become security risks. This paper will discuss current issues in securing personal mobile devices in the healthcare environment and present possible solutions.

Rcq: Inter-Clinician Relationships, Practice Audit And Communities Of Practice For Healthcare Quality Improvement, Michael S. Dohan, Joseph Tan

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Inter-clinician relationships and communities of practice have the ability to support continuous quality improvement efforts within healthcare organizations, by offering a means of sharing necessary knowledge that is generally not possessed by clinicians. Sustained adherence to the processes critical to quality improvement is necessary for durable improvements in quality, and knowledge sharing is necessary for supporting these skills, such as practice audit, change management and use of the associated technology. This paper unveils the RCQ (Relationships, Communities, Quality) model, which provides a framework for the purpose of sustaining practice audit for quality improvement in healthcare.

Effect Of Practitioner Self Care And Anxiety On Relationships Within The Context Of Organizational Change, Juanita Manning-Walsh

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The purpose of this research paper is to review the literature and suggest the relationships between organizational change through implementation of new health information technology (HIT) and/or reconfiguration of existing HIT, practitioner anxiety, and effective caring practitioner/patient and practitioner/practitioner relationships using a conceptual framework of Relationship Centered Care (RCC). Engaging in frequent and regular self-care interventions has been shown to be related to practitioner/patient caring ability and caring efficacy. According to a published model of RCC, it may be anticipated that selfcare may decrease practitioner anxiety in the context of organizational change and increase ability of the practitioner to engage …

Curriculum Development On Healthcare Information Systems, Healthcare Supply Chain Management And Healthcare Operations Management, David Dobrzykowski, Nesa L’Abbé Wu, Huei Lee

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

This paper presents the foundation for curriculum amendment in the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University to prepare our students for the tremendous job opportunities that are presently available in the healthcare arena. Specifically, this curriculum change incorporates three major areas in healthcare management: Healthcare Information Systems, Healthcare Supply Chain and Healthcare Operations Management. In order to properly chart the changes in the curriculum, research is presented that defines and discusses these components for suitable curriculum building that will enable graduates to effectively perform in the healthcare industry. Additionally, presented in this paper are the detailed objectives and teaching …

Say Good-Bye To The Silos And Hello To Collaboration: A New Curriculum Approach, Sharie Falan, Bernard Han

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

In sharp contrast with the customary traditions of educational silos in the delivery of knowledge and understanding, this paper presents a true interdisciplinary curriculum that is designed to supply the community with graduates who are prepared to take on diverse roles in health care and information management. The complexity of our modern communities and their anticipated futuristic needs suggest that graduates in health care must be able to apply more than a traditional singular knowledge domain to articulate problems and provide solutions to those problems in meaningful ways. The curriculum approach presented will facilitate interdisciplinary knowledge learning from existing classes, …

Guiding Health Care Policy Through Applied Public Health Modeling And Simulation, Jonathan P. Leidig, Chris L. Barrett, Madhav Marathe

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The risk of a widespread epidemic is a primary public health concern with implications for healthcare providers and organizations. Modeling and simulation techniques have been successfully applied at the national level to set governmental polices and mitigation strategies through simulation-based predictions. Existing research in this field has been non-uniform in its coverage of local systems and region-specific findings. New collaborations between on the ground providers and modeling groups are required for successful simulation-based experimentation of region-specific health systems. These proposed collaborations are expected to contribute high-quality sub-population datasets to be used in experiments at the national level and allow for …

Health And Information Technology, Aaron D. Tremblay

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

The healthcare industry continues to grow to meet demands of a changing environment and a growing number of people. Moreover, the Information Technology space continues to expand to meet customer’s needs and the continuing desire of people and companies to be the most technologically advanced. In order to allow the healthcare industry [or any industry] to continue to grow, it has to allow itself to expand with technology to help serve its customers more effectively. Through this partnership, it is possible for healthcare to become something more to its customers through more efficient and effective healthcare management.

The Active Bundle Scheme For Protecting Electronic Medical Records, Raed M. Salih, Leszek T. Lilien

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

Adoption of the electronic medical records (EMRs) or electronic health records (EHRs) by healthcare providers will improve the quality of the American healthcare and reduce the annual bill. However, it will also increase privacy threats due to easier dissemination of EMRs/EHRs than “paper” medical records. Current privacy protection solutions for patient EMRs/EHRs have two main limitations: (1) they require an extensive exchange of messages between computer systems of healthcare providers; and (2) they depend only on data encryption.

In this position paper, we propose a solution that provides protection for the patients' EMRs/EHRs disseminated among different authorized healthcare provider systems. …