Medical Humanities Commons^™

Organizational Configurations And Strategies Related To Financial Performance In Medical Group Practices: A Test Of Porter's Generic Strategies, Todd Brenton Smith

All ETDs from UAB

Research in the field of organizational configurations (OC) involves the formation of groups of firms that are similar to each other on certain characteristics, and dissimilar from other groups, and explores organizational performance differences between the groups (Ketchen & Shook, 1996; Short, Payne, and Ketchen, 2008). However, OC is replete with literature lacking in common key terms, measurement methods, and specification of variables, and too few empirical articles with a strong theoretical basis have been published (Short, Payne, & Ketchen, 2008). Porter's (1980, 1985) generic strategies are a specific typology within the field of OC that have been used extensively …

Knowledge Of Management Of Musculoskeletal Problems: Assessment Of Students Enrolled In Four Professional Programs At The University Of Alabama At Birmingham, Patricia Lee Perez

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Previous studies point to inadequate knowledge of musculoskeletal medicine for both student and practicing physicians and physical therapists. Professions with practice regulations that allow direct access by the consumer to healthcare should be assessed to determine competence in managing musculoskeletal conditions. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if there is a difference in knowledge of the management of musculoskeletal conditions in students enrolled in four professional programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Methods: Students enrolled in the last semester of medical school (MD), adult nurse practitioner (NP), physical therapy (PT) and physician assistant …

The Association Between The Body Mass Index (Bmi) Of African American College Women And Their Exposure To Magazine Advertisements, Candice P. Prince

All ETDs from UAB

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and exposure to magazine advertisements among African-American college women aged 19 to 29. This study also sought to determine how personal, behavioral, and environmental factors affect the BMI of African-American college women. A sample of 252 African-American college women enrolled in undergraduate degree programs in the Southeast United States completed a web-based survey on their weight-related health behaviors and magazine usage. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multivariable regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Bivariate correlations showed significant associations between BMI and several …

Rafinesque And Transylvania’S First Botanical Garden, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Five Early American Botanists: Works And Opinions Of Rafinesque, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Carolus Linnaeus (Carl Von Linné), 1707-1778: The Swede Who Named Almost Everything, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Narrative Exercise: Introduction To Therapeutic Communication In The Psychiatry Clerkship, David A. Garrison, Julia Frank

E-Learning Modules

Introduction: In medical school, much time is devoted to teaching students to elicit disease-centered histories from their patients. The narrative exercise supplements this traditional focus by requiring students to develop a person-centered narrative for one patient under their care. While the ultimate test of a diagnosis is the verification of the diagnosis by tests or treatment outcome, the ultimate test of a patient-centered narrative is whether the patient accepts it as a legitimate characterization of his or her experience.

Methods: The psychiatry clerkship directors at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and George Washington University School of Medicine have …

Traveling Exhibit: The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From A State Hospital Attic, Laura J. Hall

Posters and Presentations

The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic was a traveling exhibit that explored the stories of patients from the Willard Psychiatric Center in New York, whose personal belongings were discovered after the institution closed in 1995. The exhibit highlighted the intersection of mental health, poverty, and systemic failures in care. Through a series of public events including panel discussions on homelessness, health equity, and mental health policy, the exhibit aimed to raise awareness and promote dialogue on mental health issues. Curated locally by Laura J. Hall and funded by the New Mexico Humanities Council, it was …

Los Caminos Del Enfermo En Una Comunidad K’Iche’ De Guatemala: Una Contribución Del Análisis De Redes Al Estudio De Los Comportamientos De Búsqueda De Atención En Salud, Alejandro Cerón

Anthropology: Faculty Scholarship

Introducción: El objetivo de este estudio fue ampliar la comprensión sobre los comportamientos de búsqueda de atención a través del análisis de las transiciones que las personas hacen entre distintas alternativas terapéuticas. Metodología: Una encuesta de prevalencia de enfermedad en 229 unidades domésticas de la comunidad, detectó 92 personas con algún padecimiento agudo, a quienes se entrevistó para establecer las acciones que tomaron respecto a la enfermedad. Las acciones correspondieron a una de las siguientes categorías: esperar, remedios caseros, compra de medicinas, o uso de profesionales (tradicionales, biomedicina o sanación divina). Estas categorías terapéuticas se tabularon en una matriz idéntica …

Identification Of Issues Faced By Cancer Survivors, Kathy Sevedge Rn, Ma, Aocn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Development And Validation Of A Palliative Care Needs Assessment Instrument-English/Arabic Versions (Pcna-Eav), For Use With Patients With Advanced Cancer, Susan Edith Volker

All ETDs from UAB

The aim of this study was to develop and translate a psychometrically valid and reliable, population-based, needs assessment instrument, the PCNA-EAV, to measure the health care and support needs of patients with advanced cancer. The cross-sectional study design combined qualitative and quantitative methods, to test instrument reliability and validity, and to examine the association between sample characteristics and health care and support needs. The 116-item, PCNA-EAV, comprised 10 domains of need: physical/functional; social; psychological/emotional; information; communication; helpful resources; financial; religious/spiritual; priority of need; and preference for care The target population was all cancer patients in the department of oncology at …

Contributions Of The Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Gene System To The Relationship Between Pediatric Body Fat, Free Fatty Acids, And Blood Pressure, Amanda Willig

All ETDs from UAB

Elevated blood pressure and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) in children can lead to increased chronic disease risk during adulthood. The atrial natriuretic peptide precursor A (NPPA) and natiuretic peptide receptor A (NPR1) genes encode for atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and its cell receptor, respectively, and may influence levels of blood pressure and NEFA. Additionally, it is unclear how body composition, physical activity, physical fitness, and racial genetic ancestry influence pediatric NEFA and blood pressure. In order to understand the associations among these factors, five investigations were performed. For experimental aim 1, the association between blood pressure and body composition measures …

Characteristics Of Fundraising For Nonprofit Hospital Organizations, Cathleen Owens Erwin

All ETDs from UAB

This study addresses a gap that has been noted in the charitable fundraising literature, which is a scarcity of theoretically-based studies of fundraising by nonprofit organizations and the need to study fundraising within sub-sectors of organizations rather than the full nonprofit sector. The study uses institutional theory and strategic management constructs to examine the characteristics of the fundraising operations of nonprofit organizations. A categorization scheme is created based on nonprofit organizational effectiveness and performance characteristics to analyze fundraising by nonprofit hospital organizations as an organizational field. The categorization scheme identifies distinct clusters of organizations that are then investigated to determine …

Age Bias In Physicians' Recommendation For Physical Activity, Adherence, And Health Related Quality Of Life Among Individuals With Arthritis, Shamly Austin

All ETDs from UAB

The association between individuals' ages, physicians' recommendations for physical activity, adherence, and health related quality of life among individuals with arthritis was examined using the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The sample included 33,071 individuals with self-reported, physician-diagnosed arthritis who were 45 years or older. To answer the research questions, three sets of data were created: a whole sample (n=33,071), those 45-64 years old (n=17,607), and those 65 years or older (n=15,464). The conceptual framework for the study was based on the Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization. The variables of interests were physicians' recommendations for physical activity, adherence …

The Impact Of Ehr Systems On Physician Productivity And Performance, Anantachai Panjamapirom

All ETDs from UAB

This study examines the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) adoption and physicians' operational productivity and financial performance. The resource-based view of the firm (RBV) was utilized as a theoretical framework to develop and address four hypotheses. Specifically, the first two hypotheses address the impact of EHR adoption status (i.e., electronic- vs. paper-based medical records), and the other two hypotheses focus on the length of EHR adoption (i.e., years of EHR adoption). This cross- sectional study used secondary data from the 2008 physician compensation and production survey conducted by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Multiple linear regression analysis was …

An Assessment Of The Factors That Affect The Self-Care Behaviors Of Diabetics, Gregory Ellis

All ETDs from UAB

various heteroskedastic analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models with orthogonal

Maternal Gestational Glucose Concentration And Offspring Body Composition, Insulin Sensitivity, And Ss-Cell Function, Nikki C. Bush

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Evidence suggests that intrauterine exposure to elevated glucose concentrations may be a mediating factor in prenatal programming of offspring disease risk. However, studies examining the effects of maternal glucose concentration on measures of body composition, insulin sensitivity, and ß-cell response in prepubertal children are limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the associations of maternal glucose concentration with children's fat mass, insulin sensitivity, and ß-cell response using robust and physiologic measures. Methods: Participants were 40 children aged 5-10 years. Children's insulin sensitivity index (SI) and measures of basal, static, dynamic, and total ß-cell response were determined …

The Effects Of Weight Reduction On Obesity-Related Cancer Biomarkers And In Vitro Cancer Cell Growth, Maria Azrad

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity increases the risk for breast and endometrial cancers while weight loss reduces the risk for these cancers. One aim of this dissertation was to determine the effects of weight loss from an overweight state [body mass index (BMI) 27-30] to a normal weight state on several obesity-related cancer biomarkers in African-American (AA) and European-American (EA) premenopausal women. We also sought to determine whether the method of weight loss, caloric restriction alone (CR) or combined with exercise resulted in similar changes in cancer biomarkers. The biomarkers of interest were urinary estrogen metabolites, and serum adiponectin, leptin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, …

Information Technology And Quality Of Care In Pediatric Hospitals, Gouri Gupte

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the relationship between the adoption of information technology by pediatric hospitals and performance on several quality of care measures. This research is aimed at addressing a gap in literature by utilizing a relatively large sample size that examines health information technology adoption across institutions and utilizes validated quality indicators from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The Donabedian evaluation model that encompasses "structure, process, and outcomes" provides the conceptual framework for the organization of this research, selection of variables, and analysis. Three secondary datasets were used, 2005 Information Technology Survey of 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 Departmental Research

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 …

Transylvania’S Skull With A Hole In It, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Curated Exhibit: Histological Colorations: Explorations Into The Human Form, Laura J. Hall

Posters and Presentations

This exhibit showcased mixed-media prints by artist Kathamann, inspired by her experience as a histology technician. The 26 prints, featured in the exhibit, offer colorful and whimsical interpretations of human histological slides, exploring the intricate beauty of the human body at a microscopic level. Curated by Laura J. Hall, MFA, the exhibit was displayed at the Domenici Center for Health Sciences Education. Kathamann’s work reflects both her scientific background and artistic vision, bringing a new perspective to the study of the human form. September 25, 2009 - August 31, 2010

Intellectual Property And Access To Medicines: An Analysis Of Legislation In Central America, Alejandro Cerón, Angelina Snodgrass Godoy

Anthropology: Faculty Scholarship

Globalization of intellectual property (IP) protection for medicines has been advancing during the past decade. Countries are obliged to adapt their legislation as a requirement of their membership to the World Trade Organization or as a condition of being part of international trade agreements. There is a growing recognition that, in low-income countries, stronger IP protection is a barrier to access to medicines. At the same time, the number of low-income countries writing national legislation to protect IP for pharmaceutical products is growing worldwide, but little research has been done on the ways in which this process is happening at …

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 Departmental Research

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. …

Carolus Linnaeus (Carl Von Linné), 1707-78: The Swede Who Named Almost Everything, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Compte De Buffon (1701-1788): The French Rival Of Linnaeus, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cross-System Profile Of Maine's Long Term Support System: A New View Of Maine's Long Term Services And Supports And The People Served, Eileen Griffin Jd, Julie T. Fralich Mba, Catherine Mcguire Bs, Louise Olsen, Stuart Bratesman Mpp, Kathy Bubar, Romaine Turyn

Disability & Aging

This document provides a new way of looking at Maine's long term services and supports, with an emphasis on developing a common approach for describing and analyzing long term services and supports across programs. A conscious effort was made to organize this profile around the populations served rather than the programs serving them. For that reason, the profile captures information on all of the services accessed by each population group, not only those services administered by a particular program. This broader view provides important information about the full range of service utilization for each population group.

Rafinesque, Transylvania’S Famous Naturalist, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A System Genetics Analysis Of Energy Metabolism Traits In Drosophila Melanogaster, Patricia Paola Jumbo-Lucioni

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity is emerging as a global public health problem and it has shown to precede and predict the development of type 2 diabetes, a complex disease that has also reached epidemic proportions in the US and worldwide. Despite that obesity-related traits are highly heritable, the genetic basis underlying their natural variation and the loci playing pleiotropic roles among organismal traits have not been fully elucidated. The overall goals of these present studies were: to shed light on the architecture of the genetic co-expression networks regulating variations in obesity-related traits, elucidate the extent to which they are regulated by pleiotropic loci, …

The Antecedents And Consequences Of The Niche Approach To Healthcare Delivery, Lejon Poole

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: Niche hospitals represent a growing segment in the health care industry. A niche strategy is an approach that focuses on a narrow market segment that its resources and capabilities can exploit (Porter, 1980; Powers and Khan, 2004). The purpose of the proposed study was to provide an understanding of the antecedents and consequences of the niche approach to healthcare delivery. The interaction of the niche strategy and the physician-owner as a unique bundle of resources was also examined. The subsequent model tested the relationships among generic strategies, market effects, firm effects, and financial performance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: …