Health and Medical Administration Commons^™

The Opioid Epidemic: Effects On Recidivism In West Virginia, Emilee Frye, Elizabeth Williams

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The opioid epidemic began in the 1990s with an increased prescribing of opioids across the nation. Between the years 2013 and 2014, opioid overdose death rates began to increase in West Virginia. By the year 2015, West Virginia held the highest number of opioid overdose death rates in the country. In 2021, fatal overdoses claimed more than 1,417 lives in West Virginia and of those 1,417, an estimated 1,201 of them were due to opioid use.

West Virginia had the highest opioid drug overdose rate in the nation and one of the highest incarceration rates for opioid-dependent individuals. West Virginia …

Benefits Of Medical Thc For Neurological Disorders In The U.S., Andrew Lester, Alexandria Gartin

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: The introduction of THC into the medical field has allowed medical professionals to offer a new treatment option to aid in their patients treatment plan by decreasing their symptoms of side effects of other medications used for their conditions.

Methodology: This study utilized a literature review. Five databases were used to collect 116 total sources. These sources were reviewed and reduced to 33 sources that were used in the written research. Of these, 16 sources were used in the results section.

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this research was to analyze the prescription use of …

Long Term Substance Abuse Programs And Covid, Randall Craft

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Access to behavioral health care has arisen as both a challenge and an opportunity as America deals with a health care landscape that has been significantly and probably permanently transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic increased the need for behavioral health services while creating new hurdles to care for those who already had disorders. The pandemic, however, also spurred innovation, leading to expanded tele-behavioral health treatments and other technological advancements. Also bringing Overdose death rates sky rocketing.

Methodology: This study utilized a literature review and a semi-structured interview. Four databases were used to collect 41 total …

Implications Of Twitter During Its Use In Public Health Practice Involving The Distribution Of The Covid-19 Vaccine, Mia Casingal

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction – There were 4.89 projected billion social media users in 2023. Social media platforms such as Twitter have allowed public health organizations to spread information regarding COVID-19 vaccines to the public. Twitter permits government organizations and public health agencies to release accurate information as a primary level of rapid communication.

Purpose – The purpose of this research was to explore the impact of the social media platform, Twitter, on public health information throughout the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the spread of information involving COVID-19 vaccine distribution to the public.

Methodology – This study utilized a literature review with a semi-structured …

Impact Of State-Led Surveillance Programs On Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Patricia Lewis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) has been costly for the healthcare system, for every 24 minutes a baby was diagnosed in 2020. Uniform programs to diagnosis, track and prevent NAS have not been implemented previously. The NCBDDD worked with 6 states to implement a uniform surveillance program. By tracking the NAS incidence rate, the Apgar scores of infants with NAS, the length of stay for those infants, the cost of care for those infants and the percentage of mothers of infants with NAS were participating in Medication Assisted Treatment the effectiveness of the surveillance programs may be assessed.

Methodology: This …

The Epidemic Of Opioid Usage In West Virginia, Kendra Lester, Carrington Hatfield

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The opioid epidemic in West Virginia is a complex interplay of factors, including poverty, low education, and high unemployment rates, which contribute to higher rates of substance use and opioid-related deaths. The number of people injecting drugs has risen from 36% in 2005 to 54% in 2015. WV recorded 871 overdose deaths from all drugs in 2019 with 76.8% involving at least one opioid. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate and analyze the circumstances that contributed to West Virginia's opioid epidemic to determine if sociocultural factors, such as lifestyle, education, and demographics, influenced the epidemic as …

Understanding Hospital Chargemasters : Impact On Healthcare Finance, Alesia Moorman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: This research delves into the critical examination of hospital chargemasters, exploring their intricate role in the complex landscape of healthcare finance. As the healthcare industry grapples with the challenges of balancing medical care and fiscal responsibility, the hospital chargemaster emerges as a dynamic entity, reflecting the interplay between healthcare providers, insurers, and patients. Beyond being a mere ledger of prices, the chargemaster influences the entire Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), impacting financial stability, patient satisfaction, and the effectiveness of healthcare delivery. Originating from the necessity to navigate reimbursement complexities, the chargemaster has become central to hospitals' financial strategies, shaping and …

Impact Of Medicaid Expansion On Substance Abuse Treatment, Kyle Chapman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: The Medicaid expansion has insured millions of Americans since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Among this newly insured population, many of the enrollees have been diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder. Patients who have a substance use disorder diagnosis typically have multiple conditions that are treated simultaneously. When these patients have to seek healthcare services they are often uninsured. Unfortunately, since the patients are uninsured, the most frequent healthcare access points have been through admissions to more expensive areas of healthcare delivery such as the emergency department and subsequent inpatient services. The goals of the …

The Impact Of Big Data Utilization On Quality Improvement In Inpatient Facilities, Lakyn Hare

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Poor quality in healthcare has resulted in avoidable patient complications, including readmission rates. Big data in healthcare can be analyzed and built into a tools, with machine learning, to aid in reduced readmission rates and overall positive patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study: The intention of this study was to evaluate the ways that big data can be analyzed to improve healthcare, specifically readmissions, patient outcomes, and show cost savings. This study examined different ways that big data could be used in concordance with machine learning, including predictive analysis, to make these improvements.

Methodology: The hypothesis was the …

Pharmacy Manager System Implementation Strategies To Mitigate The Cost Of Prescription Errors, Tunde Abiodun Cardozo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOne of the most frequent medical errors in contemporary medicine is incorrect prescriptions, and the profits from retail pharmacy operations are adversely impacted by the costs associated with prescription errors. Independent pharmacy managers are interested in finding workable strategies to mitigate the cost of prescription errors and increase profit. Using the resource-based theory of competitive advantage (RBTCA), the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies some independent pharmacy managers in Texas use to mitigate the cost of pharmacy employee prescription errors and increase profitability. The participants were five independent pharmacy managers who implemented strategies to mitigate the …

Entrepreneurial Leadership Strategies For Catalyzing Innovation Performance, Jason D'Souza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate innovation performance has the potential for adverse business outcomes. Business leaders are concerned with inadequate innovation performance, as innovation is a significant driver of business growth. Grounded in entrepreneurial leadership, the purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to explore entrepreneurial leadership strategies that some healthcare business leaders used to catalyze innovation performance. The participants were six business leaders within three healthcare sectors who contributed to strategic healthcare innovation decisions using entrepreneurial leadership strategies within the last 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organizational strategy documents and websites. Through thematic analysis, six themes …

Strategies For Clinical Managers To Reduce Nosocomial Infections, Samisha Lynn Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasing nosocomial infection rates threaten patient safety when approximately 100 million patients annually acquire at least one nosocomial infection during their hospital stay. Some clinical managers lack strategies to reduce the incidence and costs of nosocomial infections. Clinical managers need training in proactive infection control guidelines that may reduce infection rates and increase profitability. Grounded in adaptive leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore successful strategies that clinical managers used to reduce incidence and costs associated with nosocomial infections. The participants were four clinical managers employed by health care organizations in the Southeast Texas …

Entrepreneurial Leadership Strategies For Catalyzing Innovation Performance, Jason D'Souza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate innovation performance has the potential for adverse business outcomes. Business leaders are concerned with inadequate innovation performance, as innovation is a significant driver of business growth. Grounded in entrepreneurial leadership, the purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to explore entrepreneurial leadership strategies that some healthcare business leaders used to catalyze innovation performance. The participants were six business leaders within three healthcare sectors who contributed to strategic healthcare innovation decisions using entrepreneurial leadership strategies within the last 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organizational strategy documents and websites. Through thematic analysis, six themes …

Recruitment And Retention Of Health Care Workers In Rural Areas, Robbie Marie Julian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care worker shortage is a global problem and is challenging for human resources managers. Human resource managers need more strategies to recruit and retain healthcare workers in rural areas to decrease healthcare worker shortages, unemployment rates, patient morbidity, and mortality rates. Grounded by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies human resource managers use to recruit and retain healthcare workers in rural areas. The participants were three managers from Southern Louisiana rural area medical facilities with at least 5 years of experience developing and implementing successful recruitment and retention …

Strategies To Improve Hospital Patient Satisfaction To Increase Performance-Based Reimbursements, Celso G. Silla Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Officials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created the hospital valued-based purchasing (VBP) program focused on controlling cost, inefficiencies, and quality-of-care. Hospital leaders are incentivized or penalized based on meeting quality outcomes and risk millions of dollars in reimbursement if they do not meet the quality-of-care standards specified in the CMS hospital VBP program. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies hospital leaders used to improve patient satisfaction to increase VBP performance-based reimbursements. Participants included eight hospital leaders from seven hospitals in California who successfully implemented …

Disparities In Mental Health Technology Among African Americans: Breaking Cultural Inclusion Barriers, Nyoki Cosey-Brown

DSW Capstone Projects

Mental health technology is a healthcare delivery model of the future. The engagement in virtual healthcare was intensified when traditional healthcare methods were inaccessible during the federal restrictions implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing digital apparatuses for healthcare improved the convenience, efficiency, and accessibility of various mental health services that were inoperable in past healthcare models. However, the historical constructs of stigma, discrimination, inequity, exclusion, and structural racism in mental healthcare were prevalent problems that remained present in virtual mental health platforms concerning the experiences of African-American patients and professionals who utilized the spaces.

This research explored mental health …

Increasing Inpatient Volume And Efficiency Through Decreasing Readmission Rates At Fox Chase Cancer Center, Courtney Pokallus, Islande Victorin

Capstone Showcase

This paper outlines the semester long strategic plan created by Islande Victorin and Courtney Pokallus for Fox Chase Cancer Center. This strategic plan includes a background of the organization, SWOT analysis on the organization, identification of potential problems and a gap analysis, a strategic summary, and all outlines and plans for the strategic plan.

Exploring The Benefits Of A Collaboration Between Behavioral Health Coaches And Clinicians, Devan White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study addressed how to best use health coaches in the field of behavioral health to improve the accessibility and outreach of a new program launched by the target organization that emphasizes coaching as an intervention for improving well-being and mental fitness. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the potential influence of coaching within the behavioral health field and explore how health coaches could partner with clinicians or behavioral health leaders to allow for more collaboration and accessibility to services. The RQs centered on how health coaches might support the treatment of those who have …

Recruitment And Retention Of Health Care Workers In Rural Areas, Robbie Marie Julian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care worker shortage is a global problem and is challenging for human resources managers. Human resource managers need more strategies to recruit and retain healthcare workers in rural areas to decrease healthcare worker shortages, unemployment rates, patient morbidity, and mortality rates. Grounded by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies human resource managers use to recruit and retain healthcare workers in rural areas. The participants were three managers from Southern Louisiana rural area medical facilities with at least 5 years of experience developing and implementing successful recruitment and retention …

Distinctiveness In Hospital Safety And Security, Jimmy Reid Rollins Jr.

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to understand leadership and how these ideas feed into a professional dynamic of employee behavior, organizational leadership, motivation, and workplace culture, and how there is a real human interest as employees excel, grow, mature, and become better individuals.

Participants in this study were employees of a regional health organization and employed with the job title of public safety officer, public safety supervisor, or public safety administrator. This research used a mixed methodology approach in an explanatory design. A survey was completed followed by one on one interviews.

Conducting research into the safety and security …

Effects Of Burnout Amongst Primary Care Providers, Summer Payne

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

INTRODUCTION: Physician burnout within the United States has been deemed an epidemic within the healthcare system with nearly 63% of physicians reporting burnout. The rate of burnout amongst Primary Care Providers (PCPs) is higher than other provider types at 70%. The presence of burnout affects the likelihood of medical errors, provider retention, and patient-provider communication. Fifty-six percent of PCPs that reported burnout also associated this burnout with their reason for leaving the practice. Physicians that are burnt out are less likely to find nonadherence in their patients, more likely to refer to specialists, and more likely to prescribe medications unnecessary. …

Strategies To Improve Hospital Patient Satisfaction To Increase Performance-Based Reimbursements, Celso G. Silla Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Officials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created the hospital valued-based purchasing (VBP) program focused on controlling cost, inefficiencies, and quality-of-care. Hospital leaders are incentivized or penalized based on meeting quality outcomes and risk millions of dollars in reimbursement if they do not meet the quality-of-care standards specified in the CMS hospital VBP program. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies hospital leaders used to improve patient satisfaction to increase VBP performance-based reimbursements. Participants included eight hospital leaders from seven hospitals in California who successfully implemented …

Negotiation Practices Of Athletic Trainers Employed In The Clinical Setting, Julie M. Cavallario, Brianna L. Campbell, Bailey C. Jones, Cailee E. Welch Bacon

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context

Athletic trainers (ATs) are comparatively underpaid relative to peer health care professionals. Whereas many factors contribute to the salary and benefits of a given employment position, negotiation is a factor of the final salary and benefits package that is achieved. It is unclear to what extent ATs negotiate salary or other terms of employment during the hiring process.

Objective

To explore the negotiation practices of ATs during the hiring process.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Web-based survey.

Patients or other participants

A total of 587 ATs employed in the clinical setting who previously held at least 1 full-time employment position. …

Pharmacy Manager System Implementation Strategies To Mitigate The Cost Of Prescription Errors, Tunde Abiodun Cardozo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOne of the most frequent medical errors in contemporary medicine is incorrect prescriptions, and the profits from retail pharmacy operations are adversely impacted by the costs associated with prescription errors. Independent pharmacy managers are interested in finding workable strategies to mitigate the cost of prescription errors and increase profit. Using the resource-based theory of competitive advantage (RBTCA), the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies some independent pharmacy managers in Texas use to mitigate the cost of pharmacy employee prescription errors and increase profitability. The participants were five independent pharmacy managers who implemented strategies to mitigate the …

Determining Strategies For Cost Effectiveness In Sustainable Healthcare Delivery – An Emerging Market Study, Francis Ikechukwu Igbo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSome South African healthcare managers and physicians find sustaining quality, cost-effective healthcare services challenging. Healthcare leaders are concerned about the high cost of healthcare as it can negatively impact sustainability and patient outcomes. Grounded in the cost-effectiveness theory and complex adaptive system theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies some South African healthcare leaders use to sustain healthcare delivery in lower- and middle-income countries. The participants were five healthcare practitioners in rural areas of South Africa. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and secondary data sources. Thematic analysis of the data yielded four themes: patients’ …

Strategies That Reduce Nurse Turnover, Trueman Chukwuemeka Atughonu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse turnover is a significant problem that hospital managers and administrators face in delivering high-quality patient care while ensuring organizational profitability. In the United States, the average cost of replacing a nurse ranges from $40,000 to $100,000. Hospital managers are significantly challenged to reduce nurse turnover and keep costs down. Grounded in the Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the strategies hospital managers use to reduce nurse turnover. The participants included five hospital managers at five medical centers in Arizona with successful experience in reducing nurse turnover. Data were collected from semistructured interviews …

The Investigation Of Resilience As A Moderating Factor On Burnout And Intention To Stay In Nursing Professionals., Florina Karasik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The intention to stay in nursing staff working with adult patients in a hospital setting is a major concern for healthcare organizations because of its effect on patient health outcomes. Grounded in the social cognitive career theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate resilience as a moderating factor in the relationship between burnout and intention to stay for licensed registered nurses with BSN degrees working with adults in a hospital setting. The participants were 80 licensed registered nurses with BSN degrees working with adults in a hospital setting in the United States of America. The results …

Exploring The Benefits Of A Collaboration Between Behavioral Health Coaches And Clinicians, Devan White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study addressed how to best use health coaches in the field of behavioral health to improve the accessibility and outreach of a new program launched by the target organization that emphasizes coaching as an intervention for improving well-being and mental fitness. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the potential influence of coaching within the behavioral health field and explore how health coaches could partner with clinicians or behavioral health leaders to allow for more collaboration and accessibility to services. The RQs centered on how health coaches might support the treatment of those who have …

What Does It Look Like For Mental Healthcare Organizations To Be Healthy Places To Work? An Action Research Study, Stephanie L. Fox

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Mental healthcare organizations have a reputation for being unhealthy places to work. The irony of this reputation is keenly felt by its workforce who report unsustainable workloads, high levels of stress, and lack of support or engagement from higher-level leadership. As a mental healthcare provider now in a position of leadership, who has worked across all levels of care within the sector, it was of interest to me to explore how a mental health organization can become a healthier and more sustainable place to work. I approached this study with the assumption that if an organization was healthy and intentional …

Landscaping Wellness At Work: A Participatory Model For Worker-Centered Health, Anya Helena Piotrowski

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study contributes to a body of scholarship that demonstrates the benefits and need of employee-driven and defined wellness at work processes. This participatory action research study brought together a team of employees within a remote-work, start-up organization to define and design a process for implementing wellness at work for their organization. Through a participatory process that allowed outcomes to emerge from the group, employees identified opportunities to foster embodied wellness in their organization in three core areas: organizational, personal, and cross-boundary initiatives. Through a reflective collaboration, employees generated ideas and developed a plan to address employee-identified priorities that will …