Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Language Barriers In The Healthcare System, Gulten Altunbulak, Rebecca King, Lee Ann Hoffman

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Language barriers in healthcare negatively impact quality of care, patient satisfaction, and health equity, particularly among individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). This capstone program aimed to develop and implement an occupational therapy communication protocol to address language barriers in a skilled nursing facility. A mixed-methods approach was used, including a pre-survey of staff, post-implementation interviews, and observational feedback to evaluate communication practices, interpreter use, and staff confidence. A total of 25 staff members completed the pre-survey, with additional insights gathered through interviews and observations following implementation. Interventions included staff education on interpreter services and culturally responsive care, along with …

Development Of A Mental Health Program For Work Rehabilitation, Vannida M. Nguyen, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Work-related injuries often result in decreased work performance and extended recovery time. This can lead to mental health challenges and a risk of re-injury. Typical work rehabilitation focuses on physical recovery while overlooking psychosocial factors. This capstone project developed a wellness program to support emotional wellness and improve return-to-work (RTW) outcomes. The program incorporated educational content, coping strategies, and interventions targeting emotional wellness for injured workers receiving physical therapy. Occupational therapy has the ability to address both physical and psychosocial factors and increase interdisciplinary efforts during work rehabilitation. Improved confidence reflected in the self-reported RTW-SE scores suggests that occupational therapy …

Life Skills For Individuals In A Juvenile Detention Center, Carrington Brown, Rebecca King, Jaimee Fielder

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project involved developing, implementing, and evaluating a life skills program for justice-involved youth in a juvenile detention setting. Guided by a needs assessment, the program targeted financial literacy, job readiness, professionalism, and soft skills through structured sessions incorporating education, interactive activities, and group discussions. Findings from pre- and post-surveys and qualitative feedback indicated improved knowledge, confidence, and readiness for community reintegration, supporting the value of rehabilitative, occupation-based programming.

Maintaining Leisure Participation For Adults With Vision Loss, Kennedy Brumbelow, Rebecca Jo King

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Vision loss can significantly limit participation in meaningful leisure activities, impacting overall quality of life. This capstone project explores strategies to support and maintain leisure participation in adults with vision loss by identifying common barriers and developing practical and accessible activities. A needs assessment revealed challenges including decreased accessibility, reduced confidence, and limited awareness of adaptive resources. In response, intervention strategies were developed focusing on activity modification, assistive technology, environmental adaptations, and client education. Findings emphasize the important role of occupational therapy in promoting continued engagement in leisure occupations and enhancing well-being for individuals with vision impairment.

Supporting Meaningful Participation For Elementary School Students With Physical And Developmental Disabilities Across School Environments, Alyssa Marshall, Rebecca King, Justine Faghihifar

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Elementary school students with physical and developmental disabilities often experience barriers to meaningful participation across school environments. This capstone project aimed to address these barriers by equipping teachers and paraprofessionals with practical occupational therapy-informed strategies to best support student engagement, inclusion, and independence in school activities. The program included delivering a professional development presentation and an educational guidebook highlighting key concepts such as task analysis, activity modification, multisensory learning, and environmental adaptations. Findings from the post-program survey and informal interviews indicated increased participant knowledge, confidence, and perceived ability to support meaningful participation, highlighting the value of occupational therapy-informed training and …

Non-Pharmacological Pain Management Educational Capstone, Alexander J. Birdsall, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Upper extremity (UE) pain affects approximately 30.7% of adults in the United States and is associated with decreased function and participation. Despite evidence supporting non-pharmacological approaches, pharmacological interventions remain commonly used. This capstone project implemented and evaluated an occupation-based educational program to promote non-pharmacological pain management among adults receiving outpatient occupational therapy for UE conditions. This 14-week project included 10 participants and utilized a mixed-methods design with pre-, mid-, and post-surveys. The program consisted of an introduction and three modules addressing therapeutic movement, physical agent modalities, and sensory regulation. Outcome measures included pain, activity engagement, medication use, confidence, and program …

Ai And Algorithmic Literacy Among Health Workers: A Scoping Review Through A Digital Health Literacy Lens, Ihoghosa Iyamu, Carly Wheelans, Devon Haag, Ian Roe, Hsiu Ju Chang, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Faan, Ursula Ellis, Geoffrey Mckee, Sofia Bartlett, Mark Gilbert

Publications

Introduction – Artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic systems influence health workers’ access, interpretation, and action on clinical and public health information, positioning them as intermediaries between algorithmically mediated outputs and patients, communities, and decision makers. This study examines how AI and algorithmic literacy are conceptualized and measured among health workers through a digital health literacy (DHL) lens. Methods – Using Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework, we searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, Europe PMC, and arXiv for English language sources published between January 2020 and May 2025. Two reviewers screened records and extracted data …

The Impact Of Normothermic Regional Perfusion Compared With Cold Storage On Warm Ischemia Time In Donation After Circulatory Death Organ Transplantation: A Scoping Review, Chris Turner

Student Works

ABSTRACT

2.Structured summary:

Background: Donation after circulatory death (DCD) has expanded the donor pool but introduces an inevitable period of warm ischemia that threatens graft viability. Preservation techniques such as normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) and static cold storage (SCS) aim to minimize this injury and improve transplant outcomes.

Objective: This scoping review identifies and synthesizes published evidence comparing NRP with SCS in DCD organ transplantation, focusing on their respective effects on warm ischemia time, graft function, and early post‑transplant outcomes.

Methods: Following the PRISMA‑ScR framework [23], searches were conducted in MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus for English‑language studies involving DCD …

Staff Education To Nurses To Increase Nursing Staff Knowledge On Qsofa, Pamela Robert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project evaluated the effectiveness of a structured staff education program aimed at improving nurses’ knowledge and confidence in early sepsis recognition and management using the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) tool. Despite the availability of evidence-based screening methods, inconsistent application and limited nurse confidence were identified as key practice gaps. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice model and the ADDIE instructional design framework, an educational intervention was developed and delivered to hospital-based nurses, focusing on qSOFA criteria, early identification of sepsis, and nurse-driven escalation pathways aligned with current clinical guidelines. A pre- …

Lessons Learned From A Sustained Mobile Prenatal Care Delivery Program: Results From A Mixed-Methods Evaluation To Understand Appointment Attendance And Patient Satisfaction., Stacey Cunnington, Candice Mims, Rebecca Barbeau, Sonia Booker, Mary Ann Abiado, Gain Robinson, Salina Tesfay, Cintia Ulloa-Hays, Donna Beach, Nimo Farah, Eleanor Porter, Rebecca Rudel, Jacey A Greece

Women’s Health Articles

No abstract provided.

Hepatoprotective Effect Of Solanum Lycopersicum Extract Against High-Fat Diet-Induced Liver Injury In Rats, Rista Dwi Hermilasari, Harry Allan Papendang

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: A high-fat diet (HFD) can trigger liver disease, one of which is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to examine the effect of Solanum lycopersicum extract on liver protection, namely macroscopic and microscopic aspects and liver weight in high-fat diet model rats. Methods: This true experimental study used male Wistar rats divided into a normal (control) group, HFD group and HFD group with S. lycopersicum extract (HFD-SL). This study was conducted from May to November 2024 at the Faculty of Dentistry Laboratory Universitas Jember, Jember, East Java, Indonesia. After the intervention, the weight of the rats' livers …

The New Era Of Pulmonary Hypertension: The Dawn Of Disease Modification & Therapeutic Modalities, Noyan Ramazani, Lacey Barnes, Alex Wong, Divyansh Sharma, Aditi Singh, Kachon Lei

Department of Internal Medicine Faculty Research

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can be defined as a mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) greater than 20 mm Hg at rest during right heart catheterization (RHC). The reported prevalence of PH throughout the globe has been estimated to impact approximately 1% of the total population, with a majority of those afflicted being women more than men. Numerous etiologies give rise to the pathophysiology of PH, including heart disease (i.e., left-sided heart failure), lung diseases, and other unclear causes related to chronic stages and complications surrounding long-standing pulmonary thromboembolisms, side effects of certain medications, and genetic and environmental factors. Untreated PH can …

Delivering Safe Sleep And Breastfeeding Education To Pregnant And New Mothers Through Private Facebook Groups: Study Protocol For A 4-Armed Randomized Controlled Trial, Rebecca F Carlin, Margaret G Parker, Ann L Kellams, Fern R Hauck, Stephen Kerr, Benjamin T Cornwell, Marc T Kiviniemi, Nicole Geller, Katherine E Boguszewski, Michael J Corwin, Eve R Colson, Rachel Y Moon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Annually, more than 3500 US infants die suddenly and unexpectedly. Many sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) are preventable with greater adherence to safe infant sleep guidelines. There are racial and economic disparities in guideline adherence and SUID rates. Education alone has proven ineffective at altering behavior for many parents, and social networks and social norms regarding infant care have been found to influence rates of unsafe sleep. Using the power of social networks to shape social norms by delivering education through moderated online social media groups provides a unique opportunity to influence these practices in large groups of parents. …

Muc13-Associated Molecular Interactome In Pancreatic Cancer, Anupam Dhasmana, Swati Dhasmana, Rajasekhar Baru, Abigail Gomez, Shafiul Haque, Sheema Khan, Murali Yallapu, Subhash Chauhan

School of Medicine Publications

Mucin-13 (MUC13) has emerged as a critical molecular player involved in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, metastasis, and evasion of immune surveillance, including in pancreatic cancer. In this report, we identified MUC13 molecular interactome using an integrated immunoprecipitation and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (accession no. of protein data JPST004189) approach combined with systems network biology to determine its plausible functional protein–protein interaction network and associated oncogenic mechanisms. This study reveals a total of 54 key MUC13 interactor proteins (including cyclin-dependent kinase 1, catenin delta 1, Caludin-1, ErbB3-binding protein 1, basic transcription factor 3, tight junction protein 1, etc.). Interestingly, the majority of these …

Burden Of Cardiovascular Disease In Pakistan – Insight From Global Burden Of Disease Study 2019, Ali Bin Abdul Jabbar, Taha Mansoor, Sana Sheikh, Tazeen H Jafar, Sawera Hanif, Christian Razo, Mahboob Alam, Jamal S Rana, Khurram Nasir, Bashir Hanif, Salim S Virani, Abdul Mannan Khan Minhas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Pakistan, currently the fifth-largest country by population globally, has experienced a population increase of over 100% since 1990. It is facing an escalating challenge from cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 study provides an in-depth evaluation of Pakistan's health situation since 1990, offering essential insights into the nation's overall health conditions.

Methods: The data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, which provides records for global, regional, and national burden of diseases. Specifically, data regarding CVD and its subtypes, morbidity, and mortality in Pakistan and globally from 1990 to 2019 were used …

Icsb Poster Session, Ikhlas Khan

Oxford ICSB

Poster abstracts from the ICSB 2026 poster session.

Psychological Safety In Health Care: A Prerequisite For High Reliability, Sonali Thosani

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

This paper presents a viewpoint on how psychological safety contributes to patient safety, teamwork, and high reliability.

The Use Of Nams To Screen For Developmental And Reproductive Toxicity (Dart) Of Botanicals, Cynthia Rider

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Kobayashi Maru, Daniel Mahoney

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

This poem invites the reader to consider the uncertainty of facing an unwinnable situation. Kobayashi Maru is a reference to a fictional leadership test from Star Trek, designed to confront participants with a no-win scenario. While the test is famously “beaten” by the show’s hero, this piece aspires to depict the often unwinnable circumstance of caring for a child with incurable illness. The reader is provided space to consider how the balance of emotions and values may shift when read through the eyes of a parent, clinician, or observer.

The Weight Of The White Coat, Jonathan Cunningham

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

This is a poem reflecting on the mission of the medical provider through the image of the white coat.

Beyond Boundaries: A Model For Boosting Staff Retention And Morale Through Career Mobility, Tiffany Hughes, Abigail Caudle, Robert Ghafar, Brandon Freudensprung, Paloma Vasquez

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Retention and morale in health care are strategic imperatives that directly influence patient care, quality outcomes and operational stability. At The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, we found a significant gap in the career advancement opportunities for our clinical and administrative staff. Employees lacked visibility into career growth pathways, leaving them disengaged and increasing the overall turnover rate. In response, our division launched a structured, transparent Career Mobility Model to provide employees with the clarity and tools needed for advancement. This model integrates career mapping, shadowing programs, and leader-led career conversations, all of which led to measurable gains …

Advancing The Anesthesia Workforce: The Md Anderson Anesthesia Technology Fast Track Program, Miranda M. Phillips, Mary Sizemore, Sally Raty, Tanveer Khan, Homero Lozano

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

The Anesthesia Technology Fast Track Program (ATFTP) at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was initiated in 2024 to mitigate a significant national deficit of trained anesthesia technologists. This 40-hour continuing education program, developed in accordance with the American Society of Anesthesia Technologists & Technicians’ (ASATT) Practical Experience Pathway, assists experienced yet non-certified anesthesia technicians in obtaining the Certified Anesthesia Technologist (Cer.A.T.T.) credential. The fully online, asynchronous 10-week CEU program is tailored for working professionals. The course focuses on patient safety, evidence-based practice, and certification preparedness and concludes with two extensive practice examinations and an ASATT CEU requirement–aligned …

Clinical Medical Emergency Team Training Simulation (Cmetts): An Interprofessional Simulation For Medical Students And Nursing Residents, Allan John R. Barcena, Marvin R. Bernardino, Dominic Karl M. Bolinas, Kitz Paul D. Marco, Toni Edwards, Shelita Kimble, James Cavalier, Marites P. Melancon, Jillian R. Gunther

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Effective teamwork and communication are critical during medical emergencies, particularly in oncology, yet health care professionals are often trained separately, creating challenges for interprofessional collaboration. Evidence-based frameworks like Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) offer structured tools to optimize team performance. This study describes a simulation-based program, the Clinical Medical Emergency Team Training Simulation (CMETTS), designed to instill foundational teamwork skills in early-stage learners. First-year medical students and newly graduated nursing residents participated in an interprofessional simulation involving medical emergency scenarios followed by structured debriefing sessions guided by TeamSTEPPS principles. We evaluated the program’s effectiveness …

Lessons Learned For Improving Trainee Engagement And Utilization Of Education And Training Materials For Cancer Research, Katerina M. Santiago, Tania Galindo, Michaela A. Dinan

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: A core component of the National Cancer Institute Cancer (NCI) Cancer Center Support Grant requires cancer centers to coordinate research career enhancement and related activities. The Yale Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, established the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) component in 2016. In response to the needs of trainees, CRTEC has developed several initiatives that we have identified and described here as best practices to engage and support trainees.

Methods: We had 2 aims to improve engagement: 1) increasing our visibility and trainee awareness of CRTEC and nurturing bidirectional communication and 2) offering …

Botanical Safety Consortium: Overview And Progress, Connie Mitchell

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

How To Best Utilize Outcomesmtm In Patient Care Settings, Anna Spalvieri

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Pharmacies are essential for the reception and filling of prescriptions, but they can also be vital for the monitoring and managing of different patient conditions and medication regimens. Patients, especially those who are older or live with chronic conditions, can be prescribed many different medications and therapies. Inversely, they might not have the medications and therapies needed to address their conditions. ONU Healthwise Pharmacy and the pharmacy call center utilize a platform called OutcomesMTM as a way of providing Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services to help patients control their chronic conditions and manage their health. These services, delivered through phone …

Metabolomic Characterizations Of Hericium Erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. And Laricifomes Officinalis (Vill.) Kotl. & Pouzar Fungal Cultures, Kyle Meyer

Oxford ICSB

We present metabolomic characterizations of Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. (lion’s mane, yamabushitake, etc.), and Laricifomes officinalis (Vill.) Kotl. & Pouzar (syn. Fomitopsis officinalis; agarikon, eburiko, etc.) fungal cultures by high resolution orbitrap mass spectrometry and HPLC-DAD. Primary focus has been applied to the cultivation of these species on brown rice, Oryza sativa L., as a solid substrate.   In the case of H. erinaceus, we have observed key differences in lipid metabolite profiles over a 28-day fermentation time series suggesting possible grain lipid feedstocks for fungal-derived lipid production, providing clear evidence of substrate biotransformation.   For L. officinalis cultures, we observe distinct …

Centralizing Communication Intake To Improve Workflow Visibility And Engagement: A Quality Improvement Project In A Cancer Center's Education Division, Menatalla El-Sharkawi, Mohamed Ait Aiss

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: In large or complex organizations, multiple teams may be charged with managing different components of a project, initiative, or administrative assignment. When these teams have overlapping needs for information, the absence of a structured intake and tracking process can limit transparency, reduce efficiency, and hinder coordination across communication channels.

Methods: Drawing on principles of strategic communications and project management, we created a structured and centralized information sharing process for teams within the education division of a comprehensive cancer center. The intervention included workflow redesign, development of a standardized intake system, and use of real-time dashboard analytics to support operation …

Bioactive Metabolite Markers For Functional Mushrooms: Comprehensive Metabolomic Mapping Of Full-Spectrum Cultivated Mushrooms, Standard Production And Method Development., Julie Daoust, Ivana Blaženović

Oxford ICSB

Functional mushrooms are increasingly used in dietary supplements and functional foods, yet current scientific characterization of their chemistry remains limited by narrow extraction paradigms, limited standards availability and incomplete databases. In 2025, M2 Ingredients, in collaboration with Adikai Insights, completed a metabolomics atlas, a comprehensive untargeted metabolomics investigation of ten cultivated mushroom species grown under controlled indoor conditions in and effort to identify known bioactive molecules in whole mushroom samples to guide standard and quantitative method development targeting bioactive compounds present in the materials.   Using high-resolution mass spectrometry and advanced cheminformatics, a total of 5,139 unique functional mushroom metabolites were …

Authenticated Hericium Erinaceus Mushroom And Selected Mycelia Reference Materials For General Industry Use, Steven Dentali

Oxford ICSB

The establishment of authenticated reference materials is critical for method validation, standards development, and adulteration detection in the medicinal mushroom market. Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) is widely commercialized, yet historically has lacked species-specific analytical standards. This presentation describes the species identification protocol used by Nammex to develop and maintain authenticated H. erinaceus mushroom reference materials that support ongoing standards work, including advisory contributions to AOAC INTERNATIONAL initiatives. Production partner voucher specimens are authenticated using macroscopic, organoleptic, and morphological examination by qualified personnel, and retained as internal reference materials. Genetic verification using DNA sequencing confirms H. erinaceus identity in voucher specimens …