Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Accurate At-Home Blood Pressure Readings, Shivani Mathur, Shivani Mathur

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Blood pressure follow-ups are some of the most common reasons for clinic visits. Patients are told to monitor their blood pressures at home and medication dosages are adjusted in clinic to reflect their blood pressure readings at home. However, many patients are not aware of proper blood pressure measurement techniques, which could lead to inaccurate readings and therefore, inaccurate treatment. This project will provide a simple infographic to increase compliance with accurate blood pressure measurements.

Mapping Pediatric Vaccination Schedule, Mialovena C. Exume

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Taking care of a child can be daunting and parents/guardians/families often report not being sure of what vaccinations their child might need and when. This project aims to provide a map of the pediatric vaccination schedule from birth to 18 months. This project also provides a booklet to help families track vaccination in the hopes of increasing vaccination adherence and providing education on routine recommended childhood vaccines.

Stratifying Back Pain In Primary Care With The Start Screening Tool, Patrick Mcclurg

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

No abstract provided.

Improving Mental Health Access In A Rural Setting Via Telehealth, Timothy W. Greenfield

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

There are several barriers patients face when accessing mental healthcare in rural areas including: lack of internet, lack of resources, and stigma.

Local options are limited, and patients face barriers such as access to transportation.

These factors position telehealth as a unique, tangible solution for patients in the community.

Increasing Advance Directive Participation In Primary Care, Rhys Niedecker

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Advance directives are a critical part of patient management and care, yet the majority of adults have not completed the documentation. Using fliers in exam rooms and encouraging provider engagement can help increase the proportion of patients who complete advance care documents in Family Medicine settings.

Improving Patient Education Surrounding Imaging Modalities, Tayler Drake

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Musculoskeletal complaints are among the most common problems seen in family medicine clinics. Patients may expect that every musculoskeletal complaint requires imaging, however, they may leave the clinic without a referral to radiology. This discrepancy between reality and expectation may strain the patient-provider relationship. The goal of this project is to educate patients regarding imaging modalities and when it is appropriate for imaging to be ordered in the workup of a musculoskeletal complaint.

Benign Vs. Malignant: Improving Prevention And Detection Of Cancerous Vs. Non-Cancerous Skin Lesions Through Inclusive Patient Education, Simran Kalsi, Sam Afshari

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Vermont consistently has one of the highest annual rates of melanoma in the United States. This is likely due to a range of factors including population demographics (predominantly white, aging population), active outdoor lifestyles, intense seasonal bursts of sun exposure, and inadequate Winter sun protection. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated shutdowns have caused significant delays in healthcare delivery, further exacerbating the incidence and severity of melanoma. Primary care providers are therefore an increasingly essential first line of defense in detecting suspicious skin lesions and expediting treatment of skin cancer, but patients should be aware of when to seek evaluation. …

Supporting Patient Education During Infant Formula Shortage: Washington County, Vt, Rachel A. Wayne

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The infant formula shortage is a current national public health concern. Many guardians of formula-fed infants are struggling to find appropriate nutrition for their babies. Families of low socioeconomic status are being disproportionately affected because many of them rely on the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC) to obtain formula, and their formula options through this program are limited. This project aims to provide Vermont families who have formula-fed infants with education and resources to navigate the formula shortage and keep their children healthy and fed.

Keep An Eye On Your Ocular Health: The Importance Of Routine Eye Exams, Kiana Heredia

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

When it comes to scheduling preventive health screening exams, eye exams are often overlooked. Individuals may not understand the importance of their ocular health, and many assume a basic vision screening is comprehensive. However, that is not the case and eye diseases are common and can go undetected for a long period of time before symptoms appear. Seeing a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist for comprehensive eye exams is important for detecting eye disease in the early stages when treatment is available to prevent vision loss is most effective.

A Mobile App To Improve Patient Education In The Management Of Chronic Lbp, Cole Lutz

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The purpose of this project is to educate patients about the treatment of CLBP through an interactive mobile app, with the goal of improving transparency regarding the risks and benefits of various interventions. Most patients with CLBP lack the time and knowledge to perform a thorough literature review to determine the rates of efficacy and complications associated with their treatment. A mobile app that summarizes this data and translates it in a way that patients can understand would facilitate clearer communication and expectations between patients and providers. With improved patient education, patients would presumably be more likely to participate in …

Signs, Symptoms, And Clinical Approach To Monkeypox, Sean Wang

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

No abstract provided.

Increasing Awareness Of Pharmacologic Interventions For Smoking Cessation, Jeremy Frank

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Smoking is a large cause of morbidity and mortality in the healthcare system. Many patients are interested in quitting smoking but have not found an effective strategy that works for them. There have been times when patients have been receptive to a discussion regarding medication assisted cessation but ultimately were not prescribed any medications from their provider. Despite the fact that it has been proven that pharmacotherapy increases the chances of smoking cessation. The goal of this community health project is to create a change within the healthcare system by providing evidenced based recommendations regarding pharmacologic treatment in smoking cessation …

Return To Play Following Covid-19, Tyler Landman

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Covid-19 infections among adolescents have led to significant decreases in physical activity and fitness. Many adolescents have been subject to return to play clearance before being able to get back to their sport. Protocols are not only a moving target but are also different from school to school, and county to county. Many patients are not involved in the decision making process of when they get to play again, and furthermore end up being out of sport longer than they need to due to the ordering of unnecessary tests, and long wait times for them. The aim of this study …

Primary Care Management Of Alcohol Withdrawal, Julie Connor

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is prevalent yet undertreated in rural Vermont. Approximately half of those with AUD who stop drinking experience alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol withdrawal can range from uncomfortable to life threatening symptoms. Untreated alcohol withdrawal can also lead to recurrence of alcohol use. The mainstay for management of alcohol withdrawal has been inpatient or intensive outpatient programs. However, there are barriers to accessing these programs including availability of beds, patient reluctance, lack of transportation, not knowing about these programs, and cost. Primary care management of alcohol withdrawal is safe, accessible and has the potential to reduce symptoms of alcohol …

Pelvic Floor Exercises & Pelvic Physical Therapy Directory For Pregnant & Postpartum Individuals, Matthew Breseman

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

No abstract provided.

Differentiating Annual Wellness Visits And Health Maintenance Visits, Benjamin N. Price

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Due to recent changes in workflow at the office, many visits that should be Medicare Annual Wellness Visits are incorrectly scheduled as health maintenance visits (yearly physical). These mistakes are not always identified leading to confusion for both patients and providers and unnecessary bills for the patient

Improving Housing-Insecurity Screening In A Rural Primary Care Setting, Heather G. Giguere

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Housing-insecurity and homelessness have a direct impact on individual health, and are well established causes of premature morbidity and mortality (6). Screening for housing-insecurity leads to earlier identification, and more extensive engagement of services, which can help to mitigate the individual and public health ramifications of these social determinants of health (8). The aim of this project was to improve the screening process for housing-insecurity within an rural primary care setting.

Cervical Cancer Screening In The Lgbtq+ Community: Dispelling Common Misconceptions And Improving Patient Comfort, Rebecca B. Rawlings

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

LGBTQ+ patients are more likely to forgo cervical cancer screening due to common misconceptions/misguidance about who needs screening and increased likelihood to experience emotional and/or physical discomfort during screening visits. This project aims to educate LGBTQ+ patients on cervical cancer screening recommendations and provide them with tools to improve their experiences during screening visits.

911 Or Primary Care - Who Should I Call?, Jack F. Mangn

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

US emergency departments (EDs) are overcrowded & overwhelmed - especially in Vermont. An estimated 37% of all ED visits are for non-urgent complaints. Factors associated with frequent ED use for non-urgent complaints include overestimation of disease severity and lack of understanding of services provided.

Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep): Increasing Awareness In Primary Care, Carl W. Brasch

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Primary care is a setting that has great potential for screening and reducing the rate of HIV transmission.

Pediatric Anxiety - A Guide For Parents, Paul Mccleary

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

As of April 2022, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that all children age 8-18 be screened for anxiety. Whether this recommendation is due to the many changes and stress stemming from Covid-19, the community was left with a need for insight into properly addressing this issue. Whether it be for parents at home or physicians in the clinic, clear educational pamphlets identifying alarm signs and home recommendations will benefit the community.

Polypharmacy And Fall Risk Education In Elderly Adults, Mohamad K. Hamze

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The primary care office is often the setting for medication management and risk-reduction and PCPs frequently reconcile and manage the prescriptions of numerous specialists who see a patient separately. For patients >65, one must consider the necessity of prescribed medications that may contribute to increased fall risk in this age group. Patients themselves may be uncertain of the types of medications they may be taking that potentially put them at increased risk for falls or adverse outcomes of falls. Thus, they may benefit from easily accessible educational materials on commonly-prescribed medications in these categories so that they may work with …

Patient Education: Otc Medications For Upper Respiratory Infection, Lauren A. Okamoto

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Upper respiratory infection (URI) is among the top three diagnoses in the outpatient setting. Symptomatic relief is the reason for the most visits related to this diagnosis in the first couple of weeks after the onset of illness. Patient education on OTC medications for this use is often a component of these visits. The goal of this project is to create a standardized tool for patient education and reference to improve efficiency of education as well as patient understanding and future use of resources.

Improving Dental Health Screening In The Primary Care Setting, Kali Amoah

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Oral health is an important part of systemic health that is often overlooked by patients due to various barriers to dental care. Dental caries is a public health crisis and one of the most common chronic diseases globally. Poor oral health and the resulting inflammation caused by oral bacteria is associated with cardiovascular disease, pregnancy complications, poor glycemic control in diabetes mellitus, and many more conditions. The goal of this project is to increase dental health screening in the primary care setting and to provide a list of affordable dental clinics in Vermont that take Medicaid/ Medicare and offer sliding …

Community Services For Patient Referral Document, Jett Choquette

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Patients have a need for referral to a variety of services that directly relate to their health and wellbeing that are not generally included in the traditional referral system of healthcare networks. These services include (but are not limited to) social work support, pandemic support, elderly services, LQBTQ+ services, intimate partner violence services, functional medicine, and substance use disorder and mental health support and treatment. Because these services are not part of the traditional healthcare referral system, healthcare providers may not have an up-to-date list of organizations and programs in the community that could provide these needed services. This is …

Circumcision For The Male Infant: Patient Education And Cultural Humility, Grace E. Eisenbiegler

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Male circumcision is a religious and cultural decision that has become increasingly medicalized. Many families make decisions about circumcision based on culture and family without true informed consent. There is a need for unbiased information, prior to delivery, about circumcision, so that families may make an informed decision that is right for them. A one page document was created as an addition to the clinic's pregnancy guide with information on risks and benefits of circumcision, complications associated with the uncircumcised penis, cultural significance, and care of the uncircumcised penis.

Accessibility And Normalization Of Wearable Pronoun Identification In Healthcare Professionals, Dinukie-Chantal Perera

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Healthcare can be an incredibly intimidating machine to all demographics of patients. One uniquely challenged group are patients who are gender diverse, trans, and/or gender nonconforming. This group of patients experiences systemic discrimination through institutional practices embedded in healthcare.

Gender affirming care can be improved on many levels, but one straightforward and actionable way to support gender diversity and demonstrate enthusiasm and awareness for the community is to encourage the use of pronoun pins/ labels in individuals willing to use them.

Creating A Screening Tool To Prevent Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv), Ankrish B. Milne

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Teleophthalmology, Kisha Kalra

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

One of the greatest burdens facing patients with eye-related pathologies is access to ophthalmologists in the area. Teleophthalmology is a way for eye examinations to be conducted in the easily-accessible primary care setting, with images sent to ophthalmologists for interpretation. This project addresses the perceptions of this model amongst patients and primary care physicians.

The File Of Life: A Lifeline For First Responders In Fairfield County, Ct, Brittany Gilmore

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

During a medical emergency, it can be difficult for first responders to obtain crucial medical information about their patients for a variety of reasons. The patient may be unconscious, have an altered mental status, or simply not know their medical history. This project aimed to increase awareness of the File of Life program, which many local Fire and EMS departments are implementing to improve their ability to deliver life-saving care.