Medical Humanities Commons^™

Empathy And The Medical Student House Call: The Effect Of Clinical Settings On Empathy In Third Year Medical Students, Philip B. Collins, Thomas Dinzeo, Jennifer C. Sepede, John F. Bertagnolli, Christian White

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Faculty Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: This study measured the effect the experience of house calls might have on third-year medical students.

METHODS: Students were surveyed via an anonymous online survey at the start of their geriatrics clerkship, again at the end of their clerkship, and once more three months later. Empathy was measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Student version (JSE) and student attitudes towards the geriatrics population was measured using the UCLA Geriatrics Attitudes Scale (GAS). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27.0.

RESULTS: No changes in empathy were found when comparing students who completed house calls versus those who did …

The Correlation Between Traumatic Brain Injury And Incarceration Among Adult Males In The United States, Shadi Shams

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The United States has one of the largest growing prison populations in the world. A large amount of social and economic resources go towards the cost and maintenance of correctional facilities each year. Additionally, the current correctional programs are insufficient in assisting inmates with getting back to society; especially those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who often remain undiagnosed and are usually treated unfairly in the prison system instead of receiving the appropriate help. Prior scholarly work has shown that patients in the post-TBI stage are more likely to enter the judicial system. In the recent population-based cohort study, the …

Cultural Food Accomodations In South New Jersey, Anahit Stepanyan, Resty Mercado, David Jiang

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

NJ is a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, each bringing their own unique customs and traditions. Of these traditions, diet and food are one of the most renowned distinctions and some of the most celebrated.

In response, several Public School districts have made halal and kosher food reforms to accommodate the rise in the Muslim and Jewish student body.

These menu accommodations were made in response to concerns about a lack of halal food options, which negatively impacted Muslim and Jewish students' health and mental well-being and can be recognized as a health disparity disadvantaging Muslim American student …

Language Barrier Contributions To Food Insecurity In Spanish-Speaking Populations, Amin Khan, Leeza Kumar, Edanur Kilic, Stephen Acheampong

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Food insecurity refers to a household or individual’s inability to access adequate food to obtain a healthy lifestyle. This contributes to health concerns such as birth defects, low nutritional intake, anemia, cognitive problems, mental health disorders, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Low-income rural community members lack access to full grocery stores and often turn to convenience stores with unhealthy, expensive, and fewer food options. The aim of this study was to determine how language barriers affect Spanish-speaking populations with limited English proficiency. The research for this project was obtained from Google, Google Scholar, and PubMed. Keywords included “health disparities,” “Spanish-speaking,” …

Food Insecurity And Dietary Restrictions, Courtney Williams, Savana Rodriguez, Tiffany Guerrero, Stephen Acheampong, Vanesa Pizutelli

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

According to the USDA Food Insecurity affects around 10.2 percent of the US population as of 2021. For families that have members with certain dietary restriction such as, but not limited to diabetes, hypertension, gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, and food allergies, the challenge of securing food becomes an even greater burden with having to navigate food banks or discount stores that may not offer food items that meet their dietary requirements. Families with dietary restrictions often face greater food insecurity and less access to food. More research is needed to understand the challenges families with dietary restrictions face regarding food …

Evaluation Of Available Medical Interpretation Resources Available To Spanish-Speaking Patients In Nj Ahec Counties, Magdalene Lederer, Cindy Nativi, Madhav Patel, Joseph Mendoza, Nhi Tran, Yesha Patel, Melissa Vincent, Rebecca Moore

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

According to the US Census Bureau Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in the US. Despite the growing population of Spanish-speaking individuals, most healthcare providers can only communicate in English. Linguistic differences between patients and providers have been identified to impact the quality of care received, therefore, it is not surprising that Spanish-speaking patients have been found to be less satisfied with healthcare. Language barriers in healthcare lead to poor compliance and underuse of services which eventually negatively impact health outcomes. Several studies found that the most effective communication tools are often underutilized, with healthcare providers relying on …

Perinatal Experiences Of People With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Preliminary Scoping Review, Tanvi Shah, Andrea Iannuzzelli, Venkateswar Venkataman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that is diagnosed in early childhood, typically in people who are assigned male at birth. However, this diagnosis and the sensory and behavioral divergence that comes with ASD stay with people throughout their lives. Based on the DSM-V diagnostic criteria and the history of how Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders were first identified, many people who do not identify as male and/or present atypically do not receive a formal diagnosis until later in life or self-diagnose. This in turn has led to a lack of research in both populations that do not …

Rowan Community Health Center’S Ask First Model: Building Authentic & Impactful Community Relationships By Asking A Simple Question, Patrick J. Tempera, Christian Diliberto, Ruchi Shah, Daniel Hurst

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Spring of 2017, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine’s student-run free clinic, the Rowan Community Health Center, launched an outreach initiative named the Unity Project. This is an ongoing initiative aimed at fostering relationships with Camden, New Jersey organizations to both educate community members about our clinic services and collaborate on improving Camden’s health. The objective of the Unity Project is to work towards affecting long-term change by forming authentic and impactful relationships with organizations that are already participating in meaningful community work. In order to achieve such a goal, we needed to overcome the traditional model of medical school …

A Systematic Review Of The Barriers Of Opioid Addiction Treatment For Young Adult Males (Ages 18-26) Living In Low Income Areas In The United States Of America, Atish Gandhi, Asim Shafique, Jillian Baker

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

NOTE: This is a broad literature review, not a systematic review.

This systematic review aims to analyze the reasons behind reduced access to opioid addiction treatment for individuals of low socioeconomic standing. Understanding these barriers may allow communities to build a more comprehensive plan to lower addiction rates. In addition, this review will be examining further developments of theopioid crisis due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The literature search used publications from the following databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, and NCBI. The keywords searched were “opioid addiction”, “substance abuse”, “low-income area”, “barriers to treatment”, “young male addiction”, “opioid treatment”, “Narcan”. There …

Challenging The Stigma Of Sex Work: Creating The Framework To Train Student Doctors In Providing Affirming Care, Noelle De Marco, Trishauna Bennett, Oghenerukevwe Inweh, Ali Harb

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The intention of this proposed intervention is to provide a foundation for medical students to include affirming care for sex workers in their future practice by understanding the complex institutional violence & discrimination experienced by this community. Additionally, dispelling misconceptions surrounding sex work is another of the foci of the service project. Future physicians can combat the stigma by providing patient care that centers sex worker agency, harm reduction, & judgement free strategies. Making the workshop guide open access allows other medical schools and special interests groups to incorporate a social justice framework into their medical practice.

Factors Influencing The Need For And Access To Ivf Treatment, Catherine Alapatt, Yoona Choe, Anthony Knepp, Shika Veera, Shawna M Rotoli

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Infertility is defined as the inability for a couple to become pregnant after 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertility can stem from an issue with the female reproductive tract, the male reproductive tract, or both. Individuals struggling with infertility seek medical assistance for a successful reproductive course. However, there are many aspects outside of pathology that may encourage or deter an individual to elect for medical assistance such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). In vitro fertilization is defined as a medical procedure in which an egg is fertilized outside the body. The increased usage of IVF demonstrates the …

Effects Of Caregiver Burden And Satisfaction On Affect Of Older End-Stage Renal Disease Patients And Their Spouses, Maureen Wilson-Genderson, Rachel A Pruchno, Francine P Cartwright

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Faculty Scholarship

We examined the extent to which a 2-factor model of affect explains how the burdens and satisfactions experienced by caregivers influence their own well-being and that of the spouses for whom they provide care. Using data from 315 older patients with end-stage renal disease and their spouses, we extended tests of Lawton et al.'s (1991) 2-factor model both longitudinally and dyadically. Multilevel modeling analyses partially support the 2-factor model. Consistent with the model, mean caregiver burden has a stronger effect on both caregiver and patient negative affect than does mean caregiver satisfaction. Contrary to the model, mean caregiver satisfaction has …

Depressive Symptoms And Marital Satisfaction In The Context Of Chronic Disease: A Longitudinal Dyadic Analysis, Rachel Pruchno, Maureen Wilson-Genderson, Francine P Cartwright

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Faculty Scholarship

These analyses examined the longitudinal relationships between depressive symptoms and marital satisfaction over a 2-year period as experienced by 315 patients with end-stage renal disease and their spouses. Using multilevel modeling, the authors examined both individual and cross-partner effects of depressive symptoms and marital satisfaction on patients and spouses, testing bidirectional causality. Results indicate that mean and time-varying depressive symptoms of both patients and spouses were associated with their own marital satisfaction. Although mean marital satisfaction was associated with own depressive symptoms for both patients and spouses, time-varying marital satisfaction did not affect depressive symptoms for either patients or spouses. …