Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Patient’S Journey: Navigating Life With Type 1 Diabetes, Maram Dalab

Patient Experience Journal

We are all patients. This article represents my views from my personal experience with type 1 diabetes for 25 years, in combination with my professional experience over the past 10 years as I have worked in patient support, health promotion and improving the patients’ experience. I aim to provide an outlook on the patient perspective, how the physician encounter translates to them and finally, what are some gaps that need to be filled in order to have a better experience and better health outcomes as a result. As I wrote the article, I shared my perspective building on my personal …

Methotrexate-Induced Pancytopenia: A Call For Mindful Medication Practices, Eunbee Cho, Jessica Marcela Daza, Jiye A. Park, Shreel Patel, Seokwon Choi, Daniel Farray

Research Symposium

Introduction: Methotrexate(MTX) is a widely used disease-modifying antirheumatic drug for various conditions including autoimmune diseases or malignancies. Pancytopenia as an adverse effect of methotrexate is rarely reported but sometimes fatal, and requires more attention. This case report shows a 76-year-old woman with a history of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) on MTX therapy, presenting with severe pancytopenia and oral lesions, and highlights the importance of safe medication practices especially in elderly patients with poor health literacy and compliance.

Case Presentation: A 76-year-old female with rheumatoid arthritis presented to the emergency department with a worsening oral lesion. She had been on an unspecified maintenance …

The Koolungar Moorditj Healthy Skin Project: Elder And Community Led Resources Strengthen Aboriginal Voice For Skin Health, Bernadette M. Ricciardo, Jacinta Walton, Noel Nannup, Dale Tilbrook, Heather-Lynn Kessaris, Carol Michie, Brad Farrant, Roni Forrest, Annette Garlett, Joanne Hill, Larissa Jones, Natasha Kickett, Sally Smith, Delys Walton, Taleah Ugle, Nadia Rind, Richelle Douglas, Jodie Ingrey, Brenda Carter, Ainslie Poore, Ingrid Amgarth-Duff, Hannah Thomas, Prasad S. Kumarasinghe, Jonathan R. Carapetis, Asha C. Bowen

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

In partnership with local Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, the Elder-led co-designed Koolungar Moorditj Healthy Skin project is guided by principles of reciprocity, capacity building, respect, and community involvement. Through this work, the team of Elders, community members, clinicians and research staff have gained insight into the skin health needs of urban-living Aboriginal koolungar (children); and having identified a lack of targeted and culturally appropriate health literacy and health promotion resources on moorditj (strong) skin, prioritised development of community-created healthy skin resources. Community members self-appointed to Aboriginal Community Advisory Groups (CAG) on Whadjuk (Perth) …

Emergency Total Proctocolectomy In An Uninsured Hispanic Man With Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Secondary To Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Barbara Malaga-Espinoza, Diana Othon, Yilen K. Ng-Wong, Vamsikalyan Borra, Aramide Tijani, Fatimah Bello

Research Symposium

Background: FAP is a rare genetic disorder classically inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which affects about 1 in 8 300 individuals (1). The Hispanic population has limited data regarding the spectrum of FAP mutation and clinical manifestation, although there is significant anecdotal evidence that the prevalence might be higher, with one only known Hispanic familial cancer registry in Puerto Rico (2).

Case Presentation: We are reporting the case of a 25-year-old Hispanic gentleman with a strong family history of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) and Colorectal Cancer (CRC) who presented for evaluation of abdominal pain, recurrent bloody stools, and profound …

Evaluating College Students’ Health Literacyand Its Effects On Their Perceptions Of Informationconcerning Mask-Wearing In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hannah S. Ketchum

ELAIA

Background Mask-wearing was a controversial and polarizing phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beliefs concerning mask-wearing differed depending on sources of information concerning the pandemic, levels of health literacy, political leaning, demographics, or other factors. This project attempted to connect college students’ level of health literacy to their understanding of and adherence to mask-wearing in the COVID- 19 pandemic. There is a gap in research connecting health literacy to understanding information concerning pandemics and an even bigger lack of studies conducted that relate college students’ health literacy to their perception of illnesses or pandemics. It is important to understand the impact …

Australian Elective Surgery Patients’ Pre-Operative Preparation, Health Literacy, Learning Preferences And Knowledge Resource Needs: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Cory J. Williams, Jed Duff, Chloe Tannagan

Journal of Perioperative Nursing

Aim: To investigate self-reported health literacy levels, learning preferences and knowledge resource needs of Australian elective surgery patients.

Background: Surgery contributes significantly to global health care, but surgical waitlists, cancellations and delay remain major challenges for health care systems. Pre-operative preparation and patient education about the surgical journey are essential to reducing these disruptions. Unfortunately, preparation and education are limited by short timeframes and one-size-fitsall approaches. Limited information exists about Australian surgical patients’ health literacy levels, learning preferences and knowledge resource needs.

Design and methods: This cross-sectional waiting room survey investigated patient health literacy, preferred education mode and learning styles …

Empowering Low-Income Women With Breast Cancer: Promoting Acupuncture At Community Health Fairs, Katrina Ramos

Nursing | Senior Theses

While research has explored the positive effects of acupuncture on cancer and cancer treatment symptoms, a notable gap exists in understanding its impact on lower-income populations. These individuals encounter barriers to accessing acupuncture, such as limited availability, cost, and provider knowledge. This longitudinal study aims to assess the impact of community health fairs, featuring acupuncture information for breast cancer and chemotherapy-induced symptoms, on the acceptance and utilization rates of acupuncture among low-income women with breast cancer. Collaborating with the Women’s Cancer Resource Center and a local non-profit integrative cancer care clinic in Oakland, we will conduct a three-day health fair …

Examining The Relationship Between Health Literacy And Preventive Care Use, Xuewei Chen, Guofan Luo, Ming Li, Gary Kreps

Health Behavior Research

We examined the role of health literacy on preventive care among college students and assessed individual health literacy skills from a theory-based multidimensional perspective using both subjective and objective measures. Methods: Participants (n=561) completed our online survey with valid responses. Data collection was conducted from April to June 2020. We assessed participants’ health literacy using different measures, including Health Insurance Literacy Measure (HILM), eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), All Aspect of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS), and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). The first three were subjective measures. The last one was an objective test. Preventive care included annual flu vaccinations, annual …

Determining The Health Literacy Skills Of Extension Audiences In Maryland, Beverly Jackey, Heejung Song, Lisa Mccoy, Virginia Brown

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Strong health literacy skills empower people to make informed health decisions, especially those with chronic health conditions striving for positive health outcomes. Half of all people living in Maryland report having at least one chronic disease. Research examining the health literacy of Marylanders is limited. This paper reports how establishing a baseline for health literacy levels of Marylanders can identify major factors affecting the health literacy skills of Extension audiences and lays the important groundwork to develop Extension programs and explore the best delivery methods tailored to the needs of subpopulations. Using the Newest Vital Sign, a …

Teaching Current And Future Professionals Techniques For Lay Communication: Validation Study Of Published Training Material, Jafra Thomas, Jasmine C. Wong, Solana R. Martin, Yi Sheng Wu

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Thomas et al. (2023), developed two mock physical activity promotion (PAP) material, which university students (and others) could practice critiquing and revising using the suitability assessment of materials (SAM) protocol. Their objective, however, was to produce mock material at two reading grade levels (11th & 8th RGL), meaning they did not compute suitability scores for other sub/main areas (eg, font size, literacy demand, respectively). PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to (1) establish trustworthy baseline data in other SAM sub/main areas for students to compare their own scores to (2) compare mock material SAM scores to one …

Advancing Accessibility Research In Kinesiology: A Mixed-Methods Case Study Of One Survey Website, Yi Sheng Wu, Jafra D. Thomas, Jasmine C. Wong

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

While some studies in kinesiology have investigated the accessibility of educational material and electronic applications used to promote physical activity (eg, ease to perceive/navigate content resources), few studies report on the accessibility of survey tools before their use in research. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure the accessibility of one survey website to a study directly investigating comprehension of mock physical activity promotion material created by Thomas et al. (2023). METHODS: The website was for study participants to complete an online version of a cloze form (for a visual, see Nielsen, 2011; eg, see Cardinal …

Perceptions Of Diabetes Distress And Counseling During The Pandemic - Rural Provider Perspectives, Ranjita Misra, Brenna O. Kirk, William D. Lewis

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Introduction

West Virginia is an Appalachian rural state that ranks highest in the nation in the prevalence of diabetes (16.2%). The COVID-19 pandemic impacted routine diabetes care. As a result, individuals experienced diabetes distress over the physical and psychological burdens of diabetes management. In rural and medically underserved counties (71%), diabetes care is often provided by primary care physicians. However, healthcare providers’ perspectives on diabetes distress and related counseling to address them are unclear. This cross-sectional study’s objective was to explore healthcare providers’ (HCP) perspectives regarding their patient’s diabetes distress and how it guided their counseling for diabetes self-care during …

The Impact Of Virtual Learning On Health Literacy: Lessons From A Virtual Townhall Held By The Lamar University Recovery And Resilience Academy, Margot Gage Witvliet, Chiung-Fang Chang

Research Symposium

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the entire world. This caused universities and addiction recovery programs to get creative on how to reach community needs. Many professors found themselves teaching online for the first time. Apps for mental health and addiction recovery programs grew exponentially. Information on how adequate virtual programs perform are mixed. We investigate the extent to which a virtual program can increase health literacy. To accomplish this, the professors of the sociology program launched the Recovery and Resilience Academy (RnR Academy). The aim of RnR Academy is to serve as an outreach and educational center for the …

Supporting Vulnerable Older Adults With Telehealth Through Wellness Calls And Tablet Distribution During Covid-19: Quality Improvement Project, Sweta Tewary, Nicole J. Cook, Marie Dezine, Oksana Shnayder, Naushira Pandya

HPD Articles

BACKGROUND: Loneliness, social isolation, and lack of technical literacy are associated with poorer health outcomes. To help improve social connection during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nova Southeastern University's South Florida Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program partnered with a community-based organization to provide educational resources to promote telehealth services.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide educational resources to older adults with limited resources and promote the use of telehealth services in this population.

METHODS: Through this pilot project, we contacted 66 vulnerable older adults who expressed interest in telehealth support through wellness calls, with 44 participants moving on to participate in tablet usage. …

Related Factors With Self-Management Behaviors Among Patients With Predialysis Chronic Kidney Disease: A Multicenter Study In Myanmar, Yoon Zarchi Wint, Jiraporn Lininger, Sirirat Leelacharas

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Self-management behavior is key to managing patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is effective in slowing disease progression in impoverished Burmese patients with CKD. This study aimed to outline the association of personal and environmental factors with the self-management behaviors of people with predialysis CKD.

Methods: Using convenience sampling, this cross-sectional study included 84 individuals with predialysis CKD from two private hospitals in Myanmar. The interviewer-administered questionnaire included demographic information, the Health Literacy Short Form-12, the CKD knowledge questionnaire, the self-efficacy questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the self-management behavior questionnaire. This …

Preparing For Pandemics: Lesson Plan Design For Children In Elementary School, Daniella Rivera, Enkhtsogt (Steve) Sainbayar, Saleem Choudry, Brittany Vaughn Pierce, Roxana Nouri-Nikbakht, Joy H. Lewis D.O., Phd

Intellectus

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated distance learning to attenuate the spread of the virus, and school-aged children were particularly affected by this change. Because of their age and education level, children generally lacked understanding about the pandemic and the preventive measures necessary to prevent the spread of this and other infectious diseases. It is unknown how many schools nationwide incorporated disease-prevention education in their curriculums during the pandemic. Therefore, developing distance learning interventions that convey these topics at their level of understanding is important to improve health literacy and raise their awareness of factors that positively influence health.

Objective: To …

Hypertension Education To Enhance Health Literacy, Kylee Westrip

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: The health of patients suffers greatly when their health literacy is not addressed through evidence-based education material.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was, in adult patients with hypertension (P), how does evidence-based education material (I) compared to the current state of verbal instructions provided (C) affect health literacy rates based on the high blood pressure health literacy scale (O) within 12-weeks (T)?

Evidence: The literature evidence revealed three strong themes, which included information on who is most at risk for low health literacy levels, education delivery methods, and specific education to be used.

Intervention: …

Patient's Perspective Of Shared Decision-Making In Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment: A Grounded Theory Exploration, Isabela Viana Oliveira, Mariana Martins Gonzaga Nascimento, Cristiane P. Rezende Mrs, Carina M. Neves, Hagabo Mathyell Silva, Ana Luiza Mourawad Cesar, Djenane Ramalho De Oliveira

The Qualitative Report

Current guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment state that all decisions should be shared with the patient. Therefore, it becomes necessary to understand in-depth how patients with RA with different levels of health literacy and activation feel about sharing the decision with the health professional and how they experience this process. Grounded theory was used. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with 14 patients with RA. From the analysis of the patients’ narratives, four categories were built: “Accepting the changes: non-shared decisions”; “The patient's rationale: why not share?”; “Reaching the requirements for sharing the decision: expanding the patient’s autonomy"; and "Experiencing …

Utilizing The Cdc T-Dap Educational Material To Increase Parental Consent Of T-Dap Vaccination Rates Among Children 11-14 Years, Anita Pates

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background:The T-dap vaccine is vital to combating vaccine-preventable diseases. "T-dap vaccine can prevent tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). Therefore, providers must identify and educate parents whose child is unvaccinated with the T-dap vaccine. "If an increase in unvaccinated children continues to rise, there is risk for a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases and potential increase in deaths related to these infectious diseases" (Bowling, 2018, p. 128).

Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project was to implement an educational session targeting parents of children aged 11-14 in a pediatric clinic in an urban area …

Association Of Health Literacy With Demographic Features, Health-Related Behaviors, And Health Risk Indicators Among Egyptian Adults: Online Cross-Sectional Study, Rana Gamal Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

Health literacy is recognized as a significant determinant of health. Limited health literacy is a growing issue worldwide. It has a significant role facing the rising trends of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through improving its modifiable risk factors. Therefore, studying the association between health literacy and different health-related behaviors is very important to guide both healthcare professionals and policy makers to set up the proper interventions. Our study aims to a) examine the health literacy levels among Egyptian adults, b) investigate the association of health literacy relative to socio-demographic features, health related behaviors, and self-reported health status. This is a cross-sectional …

Analysis Of Trustworthiness And Readability Of English And Spanish Hypo- And Hyperthyroid-Related Online Patient Education Information, Chitra Parikh, Adam M. Ostrovsky

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

This study aims to determine the readability and trustworthiness of English and Spanish hypo- and hyperthyroid-related online information. Google searches were conducted for four search terms: hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's Disease, hyperthyroidism, and Graves’ Disease. For each search term, the first 10 websites were analyzed with a total of 40 websites analyzed. Readability formulas were used to determine English and Spanish readability. Trustworthiness was determined using HONcode status, JAMA Benchmark Criteria, and NLM Trustworthy Score. Overall readability largely exceeded recommended grade levels. Only 1 website (2.5%) presented information below the eighth-grade reading level based on overall Readability Consensus score, while 31 websites …

Recognizing Barriers In The Elderly Population And Increasing Access To Case Management Services, Loveleena Alex

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Abstract

Implementing case management can lead to fewer hospitalizations in the elderly population. Barriers influencing the number of hospitalizations include low socioeconomic status, transportation needs, health literacy, financial strain, multiple comorbidities, underserved populations, medication availability, availability of community resources, and access to primary care. A review of the available literature revealed that by addressing these barriers in a primary care setting and implementing case management, the number of hospitalizations can be decreased and the quality of life in the elderly population can be improved. This quality improvement project implemented a screening and referral process for chronic care management in the …

Health Literacy And The Feasibility Of Using Video-Based Education In The Emergency Department, Jenifer Carvell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines health literacy as the degree to which an individual has the capacity to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others. In the emergency department (ED), it is estimated that the prevalence of inadequate health literacy can reach as high as 88 percent. There is a need to implement literacy-sensitive interventions in the ED. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to engineer an intervention that explored the feasibility of the use of personal technology to deliver video-based education to adult …

Addressing Health Illiteracy In The Hispanic Community – A Call To Action: An Integrative Review, Sarah Akers Dersch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States Hispanic population is rapidly growing; however, existing healthcare endeavors are insufficiently accommodating this expansion. This demographic is linked to multiple serious health problems, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, cancer, and liver disease. In order to improve health outcomes within this community, interventions, such as health literacy screening, need to be further explored to identify current insufficiencies and help this population overcome these health challenges. This integrative review seeks to determine the effectiveness of current health literacy screening tools among native Spanish speakers in the U.S. This review seeks to amalgamate data from various studies to demonstrate …

Evaluating College Students’ Health Literacy And Its Effects On Their Perceptions Of Information Concerning Mask-Wearing In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hannah Ketchum

Scholar Week 2016 - present

BACKGROUND: Mask-wearing was a controversial and polarizing phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beliefs concerning mask-wearing differed, depending on sources of information concerning the pandemic, levels of health literacy, political leaning, demographics, or other factors. This project attempted to connect college students’ level of health literacy to their understanding of and adherence to mask-wearing in the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a gap in research connecting health literacy to understanding information concerning pandemics, and an even bigger lack of studies conducted that relate college students’ health literacy to their perception of illnesses or pandemics. It is important to understand the impact of …

Social Media’S Influence On College Students’ Recognition Of Inaccurate Nutrition Information, Meghan Olthoff

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Background

Basch et al. (2018) found that 74% (n=190) of students indicated that they would often or always use the internet for health information. Nutrition literacy is an important aspect of health literacy. Health literacy is defined as the skills or ability needed to comprehend and apply nutrition or health information (Svendsen et al., 2021). Nutrition misinformation can be harmful to an individual’s wellbeing because of the fallible, misleading, and erroneous content (Wansink, 2006). The purpose of this study was to explore students’ knowledge as it pertains to the inaccurate nutritional information found within social media.

Methods

A …

Pediatric Occupational Therapy Kits For Cuyahoga County Families, Shiri Akrish

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

Pediatric occupational therapy kits were provided to families of children ages 3-5 served by Family Connections of Northeast Ohio. Kits were used to accessibly educate families on occupational therapy services. Each kit included a developmental milestone checklist, follow-up resources, and items to encourage cognition, social-emotional, and fine & gross motor skill development.

Association Between Low Health Literacy And Adverse Health Behaviors In North Carolina, 2016, Manan Roy, Adam Hege, Erin D. Bouldin

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Health literacy (HL) is an urgent public health challenge facing the U.S. HL is a critical factor in health inequities and exacerbates underlying social determinants of health.

Purpose: This study assesses the association between low HL (LHL) and adverse health behaviors, which contribute to poor health.

Methods: Researchers used North Carolina’s 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, namely, the Health Literacy optional module which asks respondents to rate how difficult it is for them to get health-related advice or to understand medical information (verbal or written). Health behaviors analyzed were excessive alcohol consumption, lack of adequate exercise and …

‘Can You See What I See?’: An Art Project Promoting Living Well With Dementia, Jennifer K. Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Caroline Hyland, an illustrator and former occupational therapist based in Dublin, Ireland, provided the cover art for the Winter 2023 edition of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). “Can You See What I See?” is an acrylic painting on black textured paper. The piece was inspired by Caroline’s grandmother Kathleen Duhig, her love of flowers, and the song “The Dutchman.” Kathleen and three of her sisters lived with dementia. This painting, and several others, are featured in a book Caroline wrote to support living well with dementia. By combining her artistic talents and training as an occupational therapist, Caroline …

A Descriptive Study Of Health Literacy And Social Determinants Of Health As Curricula Topics In Medical School Education, Nicholas J. Felter, Valerie A. Ubbes

Health Behavior Research

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the extent to which health literacy and social determinants of health exist together in medical school curricula, and the attitudes and beliefs of medical school educators toward the relevance of these topics taught in the curriculum. The research used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design of institutions that comprised the Accelerating Change in Medical Education (ACE) Consortium of the American Medical Association. The study population was 36 ACE institutions, but only 11 ACE institutions made up the study sample. Results also showed that five health literacy items were taught as curricula topics in …