Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Aging And Exercising Gracefully, Karena P. Nguyen

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Exercise and physical therapy are concerns among patients experiencing menopause and patients who near the age of menopause. Newtown Primary Care serves a population, whose census indicates an aging population. An interdisciplinary pamphlet on weight-bearing exercises and community resources for the peri- and postmenopausal population was developed with input from physical therapists and doctors.

Doxypep, Angela E. Russo

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

No abstract provided.

Building Point Of Care Ultrasound Experience In A Rural Primary Care Network, Jamie A. Cyr

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) is a safe, noninvasive and accessible diagnostic technique. In the outpatient setting POCUS enables improve access to timely care, raises patient satisfaction, and reduces the need for costly tests. While application of POCUS is well established in the emergency department and intensive care unit, its use in ambulatory medicine is still emerging. Prior literature has shown that while many rural care offices have access to POCUS equipment, however, the technology is not being used to its full potential. Prior family medicine projects have identified barriers to the use of ultrasound in rural Vermont outpatient clinics. A lack …

Provider Education On Annual B12 Levels In Patients On Metformin, Callan Gravel-Pucillo Mms

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Education of primary care providers about the current recommendations, guidelines, and caveats surrounding obtaining annual B12 levels in patients on metformin to screen for deficiency. Education was based off of informal survey results assessing providers' current practices and the preferred medium through which they wanted to recieve educational content. Educational content was presented in a flowchart format for ease of use and distributed at both practice sites for providers to hang at their workstations.

Screening For Areca (Betel) Nut & Quid Use, Gabriela Sarriera Valentin Ms

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Standardized screening tools for patients who use betel quit and areca nut products do not currently exist. Given the increased risk of oral and oropharynx cancer development in this patient population, increasing awareness of this practice could result in decreased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this project is to (1) increase provider awareness of this cultural practice and its associated health consequences, (2) to develop a screening tool, and (3) to propose suggested follow-up when concerning lesions are identified.

Ipv: Why Don’T We Screen For Those Committing Acts Of Violence?, Hannah K. Cook

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

State of the evidence for screening for IPV in men or those who are committing acts of violence.

Approach To Providing Culturally Sensitive Gynecologic And Obstetric Care For Somali Women, Izabella Ostrowski

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Many refugees have fled Somalia over the past 30 years due to political instability and civil war. Since 1980, over 8,000 refugees have settled in Vermont, with about 9% of refugees being from Somalia. Community Health Centers of Burlington (CHCB) provides prenatal and primary care to many Somali women in the community. There are known gynecologic and obstetric health disparities for Somali women, such as significantly lower completion rates of mammography and pap smears than non-Somali patients. Research has shown that an understanding of cultural health beliefs and values are crucial for creating tailored prevention programs for refugee women. This …

Fostering Competent Healthcare For Transgender And Non-Binary Patients, Alden York Sacco

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Many transgender and non-binary individuals are hesitant to seek medical due to past traumatic encounters with physicians and medical staff, having to educate providers about their bodies, perceived bias, and fear of mistreatment. This reluctance to seek medical care, and even to disclose their transgender status, can result in poorer health outcomes due to delays in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. An in-office training was designed to introduce clinicians and office staff to health care disparities facing transgender and non-binary people, appropriate pronoun-use and key terminology, strategies for creating a welcoming and gender-affirming environment for trans and non-binary patients, and useful …

The Association Of Hormonal Contraception With Depression, Pamela Derickson

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Hormonal contraceptives are widely used by women during their reproductive years. Currently, over 100 million women worldwide use the pill, and 82% of sexually active women in the USA will use oral contraceptive pills at some time during their reproductive years (Carrol, 2017). Oral contraceptive use, especially among adolescents, is associated with subsequent use of antidepressants and a first diagnosis of depression, suggesting depression may be a potential adverse effect of hormonal contraceptive use (Skovlund, 2016). This project focused on educating health care providers at the Community Health Center of Burlington, VT (CHCB) about the association of depression and oral …

Optimizing Inhaler Technique, Ruby L. Russell

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Studies show that correct patient technique using inhalers is correlated to the number of times they are taught and reminded by a health care professional. As a step toward addressing this problem, I propose increasing inhaler use teaching, utilizing EMR tools as well as online modules, and increasing the comfort of providers with teaching inhaler use. This may be achieved through the use of PRISM dot phrases titled .INHALERNAME, accessing teaching videos during a patient visit, and having patients demonstrate technique at each visit.

Education On Tick Bites, Tick Borne Disease, And Prevention In Middlebury, Vt, Florence Dibiase

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Tick borne disease and tick encounters are continuing to increase significantly in Vermont, and represent a significant portion of primary and urgent care visits. In order to spread awareness and educate both providers and patients as to the incidence, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of tick borne diseases, an informational guide was made. This guide includes information for providers including up to date statistics, a tick identification and life cycle guide, and a chart explaining symptoms, lab findings, diagnosis, and treatment of the diseases found in Vermont. It also includes a patient education handout with a cut out identification card. This …

Provider Education: Managing Depression In Cancer Patients, Nicole Leonard

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Depression is more prevalent and less often treated in cancer patients compared to the general population. Cancer can increase the risk of depression in multiple different ways, but depression can also increase the risk of cancer. Untreated depression in cancer patients can increase the risk of metastasis and worsen prognosis. The purpose of this project is to educate providers on the connection between mental health and cancer as well as provide them resources on how to approach and manage patients with cancer and depression.