Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Implementation Of An Opioid Risk Assessment Tool, Stacey Cuomo

Seton Hall University DNP Final Projects

The increased prevalence of opioid use in society has led to an increase in surgical patients with a history of such use. Patients who use or are addicted to opioids have different tolerances and responses to anesthesia than non-opioid users, and will require different care than non-users both pre- and post-operatively. The means to identify this population prior to a surgical procedure is needed as a way to organize, plan and manage patient care during the perioperative period. An Opioid Risk Assessment Tool (ORAT) was used as a way to streamline the process of identifying these patients. This paper addresses …

Using Social Narratives To Improve The Healthcare Experiences Of Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Margaret Spindel

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience significant emotional stress when they visit a healthcare provider. The focus of this research project was to explore the use of social narratives to help reduce stress associated with this environment. Social narratives are short stories designed to walk a child through a potential situation that they will encounter, that they may not be familiar with, or that they are not currently handling properly. As part of an initial literature review, evidence for the need for additional intervention in the healthcare setting for children with ASD was established. Continuing literature review then …

Next Generation Sequencing Technologies For Real-Time Genotyping And Targeted Sequencing For Precision Medicine, Priyanka Rawat

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Astounding success of Human genome project and accelerating success of sequencing technologies have enabled $ 1000 genome goals possible. But, this is still far-fetched from the reach of many resource refrained populations with high genetic variations causing lethal genetic diseases. Based on present technology principles, I have developed prototypes for affordable, scalable and customizable point-of-care genotyping and targeted sequencing. Ion-sensitive field effect transistors with novel read-out and signal amplification techniques are used for laying foundation of possible ISFET based allele-arrays. Sequencing-by-synthesis based full-fledge sequencer is made with novel immobilization, flow-cell and data acquisition methods for massive sequenciing.

A Novel Model Of “Remedy And Elimination Of Tuberculosis”, Akanksha Mishra

Master's Theses

Tuberculosis (TB), is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. TB is commonly linked to poverty and creates poverty as it is the single largest cause of death in the 15-49-year-old age group in South-East Asia (WHO, 2017). It is also linked to the HIV population, and its leading cause of death. TB is effected by socio-economic factors, cultural factors, and health policy. My goal of this dissertation is to identify systematic approaches that shall support the mission set by World Health Organization (WHO): to eliminate TB globally by the year 2050. Measures might include addressing social barriers …

The Correlation Of Size Of Core Network And Frequency Of Contacts With Agitation And Positive Affect In Elderly With Dementia, Amal Ali Al Ghassani

Theses and Dissertations

In the country of Oman, care needs of older adults are primarily provided by family members in the home. The study was guided by socioemotional selectivity theory, the environmental vulnerability hypothesis, and the need-driven dementia-compromised behavior theories. The central premise was that the size of the person’s activities of daily living (ADL) core network and frequency of contact with the ADL core network would predict agitation and affect. A smaller core network with a higher frequency of contact may be better at identifying and treating the person’s unmet needs. A secondary premise was that the emotional closeness of the core …

A Quality Improvement Initiative To Increase Statin Therapy Adherence Among Patients With Diabetes Aged 65 Years And Older, Kelly Nunemaker

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this project was to improve statin therapy adherence among diabetic patients aged 65 and older treated at a small family practice clinic in western San Antonio. Additionally, the project aimed to decrease LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in this patient population as recommended to 70 mg/dl or less. Diabetic patients are more likely to die from a cardiac event than patients without diabetes. Statin therapy is an important factor in lowering cholesterol, which reduces the patient’s risk for atherosclerosis. Educating patients aged 65 and older about the role of statin therapy in preventing cardiovascular events, stroke, and vascular …

Subanesthetic Ketamine For Postoperative Analgesia: An Evidenced-Based Project, Jeremy Vance

Doctoral Projects

Roughly 100 million surgical procedures are performed in the United States (U.S.) each year and more than 80% of these patients experience acute postoperative pain. Pain costs the U.S. an estimated $560 to $635 billion annually and is a significant contributor to national rates of mortality, morbidity, and disability. Despite these findings, patients continue to receive suboptimal postoperative pain relief.

The adjunct administration of subanesthetic ketamine is opioid-sparing and can improve the effectiveness of a multimodal pain management approach. This project used an exploratory descriptive design to examine how an evidence-based presentation impacted the clinical practice of certified registered nurse …

Improving Service Delivery Through Provider Training: A Process Evaluation Of The Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System “Commitment To Serve” Workshop, Ismael Barrera

Master's Projects

As the customer-focused management strategies gradually advances into all of the VISNs [Veterans Integrated Service Networks], the Veterans Health Administration in Palo Alto, California implemented a customer service training program for employees to meet the diverse and complex needs of its customers. This research will analyze whether participants in this training, known as Commitment to SERVE, believe that it is achieving its goal. In other words, does the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) staff perceive the Commitment to SERVE workshop as a beneficial customer service training program?

Mathematical Modeling For Predicting Chemotherapy And Nanoparticle Treatment Efficacy In Breast Cancer, Terisse Arielle Brocato

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Breast cancer treatment response varies by subtype, treatment regiment, and additionally by vasculature characteristics. For this reason, breast cancer is a model disease for the development of both targeted therapy and prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Mathematical modeling allows for personalized patient specific prediction of treatment outcome based on parameters found to be important to the cancer type. Mathematical modeling is beneficial in providing insight into why cancer treatment fails and in what cases, additionally determining what characteristics result in a successful treatment. Presented in Chapter 1 is a scientific introduction and discussion focusing on representative modeling works specified towards breast …

The Roles Of Ecdysoneless In Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress And Oncogenesis, Appolinaire A. Olou

Theses & Dissertations

Tumor cells are well known to exhibit ER stress as a result of their altered environment characterized by redox and calcium imbalance, deregulation of protein synthesis to meet their oncogenic demands, and decreased vascularization associated with nutrient limitation and hypoxia, all of which are conducive of ER stress. Accordingly, markers of ER stress signaling response are up-regulated in various cancers. The outcome of ER stress signaling response varies from survival and adaption to apoptosis. Although pro-apoptotic ER stress signaling molecules are up-regulated in cancer, the mechanisms by which cancer cells seem refractory to, or evade, their apoptotic signaling are not …

Investigating The Needs Of Parents Of Premature Infants’ Interaction In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Maureen A. Rinehimer

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Parents and/or caregivers of premature infants provide the interaction needed to promote better outcomes for these challenged infants at risk for developmental delays. This descriptive, exploratory study utilized convenience sampling. Inclusion criteria consisted of parents/caregivers who were at least 18 years of age and older with infants born 35 weeks gestation or less and currently in the NICU. This study focused on the research question: What do parents perceive they need in the NICU to enjoy interacting with their infant in the home? To collect the data needed to capture the perceptions of parent’s needs of infants in the NICU, …

Assessing The Utility Of Phenylene Ethynylenes Against Candida Species Pathogens, Rina Sylejmani

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Candida species are the cause of many bloodstream infections through contamination of indwelling medical devices. These infections account for a 40% mortality rate, posing a significant risk to immunocompromised patients. Traditional treatments against Candida infections include amphotericin B and various azole treatments. Unfortunately, these treatments are associated with high toxicity, and resistant strains have become more prevalent. As a new frontier, light-activated phenylene ethynylenes have shown promising biocidal activity against Gram-positive and -negative bacterial pathogens, as well as the environmental yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this thesis, we monitored the viability of Candida species after treatment with a cationic conjugated …

Assessment Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior Using Wearable Sensors: Measurement Considerations And Clinical Applications, Amanda Hickey

Doctoral Dissertations

The aims of study one of this dissertation were two-fold: 1) To understand the variability of sedentary behavior (SB) throughout a seven-day measurement period and 2) To determine the number of days of SB measurement required to reliably estimate seven-days of measurement. To address these aims, we utilized activPAL (AP) data from two existing data sets from the Physical Activity (PA) and Health Laboratory. Data were from 62 adults and 34 adolescents who had seven consecutive days of valid monitor wear. We found that adults were more sedentary on weekdays compared to weekend days, but there were no differences by …

Exploring Disparities In Underrepresented Minority Groups Of Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorders Using The Biopsychosocial Theoretical Model, Varleisha Gibbs

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background and Purpose of the Study

The rate of Autism continues to rise nationally. However, disparities in the age of diagnosis amongst underrepresented minority groups, still remains a major concern. Research supports that racial and ethnic disparities are key factors influencing noted age of diagnosis discrepancies. Traditionally, the medical community has used the biomedical or disability model, as revealed in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, to explore diagnostic differences. However, these models limit the healthcare professional’s ability to examine elements outside of pathology. In attempt to address the issue with a broader perspective, this study explored the various …

Housing Adjustment Behaviors Of Korean Elderly Immigrants Residing In Affordable Housing: The Cultural Aspects Of Residential Experiences, Myounghee Jorn

Theses and Dissertations

The present study is an explorative study that employs mixed methods for examining the daily life patterns and housing adjustment behaviors of low-income elderly Korean immigrants residing in public housing in the Chicago metropolitan area. It particularly focuses on identifying the cultural practices of research participants and the influence of those cultural practices on using residential features, evaluating them, and developing coping responses to satisfy dwelling needs.

The study develops upon Canter’s theories of place (1977; 1991; 1997) and Weisman’s model of place (2001), and integrates Rapoport’s concepts of culture (1980; 2008) for exploring the residential experiences of elderly Korean …

Exploring The Costs And Values Of The Household Model In Long Term Care, Mark Alan Proffitt

Theses and Dissertations

As part of the culture change movement in long term care, nursing homes are transforming into person centered living settings that reject the previous medical emphasis that dominated the industry. The household model is one approach to achieve this goal by systemically altering the traditional nursing home’s organization, routines and physical setting with an emphasis on recreating familiar, domestic places for its residents. The household model is hallmarked by three key characteristics: 1) the creation of a smaller functional group of residents within the nursing home that is delineated by the environment (24 residents or less) with the 2) intent …

Effectiveness Of Pictorial Health Warning Labels For Indonesia's Cigarette Packages, Dien Anshari

Theses and Dissertations

Pictorial health warning labels (PHWL) on cigarette packaging is a key way to communicate with consumers about the harms from tobacco, particularly in the low- and middle-income countries that do not have the resources for effective mass media campaigns. Research is needed to determine the most effective PHWL content for Indonesia, a country with one of the largest populations of smokers in the world and amongst the weakest tobacco policy environments. This research aimed to determine the most effective PHWL content for Indonesia’s cigarette packages, including the social and psychological factors that may influence PHWL effects.

Data for this study …

Teach-Back Method: Improving Health Outcomes, Katherine Smith

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

To answer the Clinical PICO question: For patients managing chronic disease, how does the implementation of the teach-back method compared to usual standard of care affect health outcomes? By implementing the teach-back method, we will improve the management of chronic disease in the primary care setting.

Continuity Of Care And Shared Decision-Making In Interprofessional Collaborative Maternity Practices In Canada, Dorothy Anne M. Malott

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Problem: The number of maternity care providers varies across Canada. Women from rural communities or those marginalized due to physical, psychological or social issues including newcomers, often experience challenges accessing health care (Fraser Health, 2014; Rogers, 2003). Interprofessional collaborative maternity care [IPCMC] has been credited as a means of increasing access and promoting sustainability of services (Miller et al., 2012; Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, 2008). Midwifery could play a greater role in delivery of services through IPCMC. However, little is known about collaboration in these practices. The purposes of this study are to explore factors influencing enactment …

Lived Experience Of The Advanced Practice Provider On The Burn Surgery Service, Susan Lee Smith

Health Sciences Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this qualitative dissertation study was to examine the lived experience and meaning making of challenges, benefits, satisfaction, and professional sustainability for the advanced practice provider in the burn surgery specialty service. The problem addressed was the knowledge gap resulting from a lack of literature describing aspects of the advanced practice provider role in the burn specialty. An interpretive phenomenological analysis, informed by the philosophy of Dr. Martin Heidegger, was undertaken. Participants were solicited from the American Burn Association Advanced Practice Provider (APP) special interest group site. The results provided a thick description of the lived experience of …

Faculty And Staff Perceptions Of Interprofessional Education: A Comparative Survey Of Dental And Health Science/Nursing Faculty And Staff, Tabitha Nicole Fair

Health Sciences Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research has shown a strong correlation between oral and systemic disease; therefore, there is an increased need for collaboration between dental and medical professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine the current opportunities that exist for interprofessional education (IPE) at Nova Southeastern University (NSU), the perceived need for IPE for dental and health science/nursing students, the perceived advantages of an IPE program, the features that should be included in an IPE program, and the perceived administrative and financial barriers to increased interprofessional activities. This study surveyed graduate faculty and staff from NSU’s College of Health Care Sciences, College …

Pneumonia Readmissions In Older Adults With Dementia, Sara Knox

Health Sciences Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate pneumonia readmissions of older adults with dementia. Readmission rates and predictive factors of older adults with and without dementia were compared in this study. Subjects: A nationally representative sample of 389,198 discharge records, representing 370,003 patients, was extracted from the 2013 Nationwide Readmission Database. Methods: Descriptive statistics were utilized to describe the demographics of the sample population. Differences between groups were analyzed using chi-square or t test statistics as appropriate. A generalized linear model was used to examine predictive factors for pneumonia readmissions. Results: Older adults with dementia had a readmission …

Understanding Pubmed Search Results Using Topic Models And Interactive Information Visualization, Zhiguo Yu

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

With data increasing exponentially, extracting and understanding information, themes and relationships from larger collections of documents is becoming more and more important to researchers in many areas. PubMed, which comprises more than 25 million citations, uses Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to index articles to better facilitate their management, searching and indexing. However, researchers are still challenged to find and then get a meaningful overview of a set of documents in a specific area of interest. This is due in part to several limitations of MeSH terms, including: the need to monitor and expand the vocabulary; the lack of concept coverage …

The Efficacy Of Biofeedback And Its Use Towards Adhd, Darius Witold Bieganski

CMC Senior Theses

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychopathology commonly characterized by general inattentiveness and/or a lack of impulse control resulting in hyperactive tendencies. ADHD is estimated to cost the United States roughly $266 billion every year. ADHD is currently treated via medications, cognitive behavioral therapy, or more recently, neurofeedback. Neurofeedback – and biofeedback in general – is the process of providing a patient with information about autonomic bodily functions so that they may control said autonomic function. In the case of ADHD, neurofeedback focuses on reinforcing the behaviors and sensations associated with attentiveness. Currently however, neurofeedback systems are large and …

Hemodynamic Regulation Of Cardiac Valve Development, Vinal Menon

Theses and Dissertations

It is well established that valvulogenesis is a result of a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Hemodynamics is one such environmental stimulus that is well documented to influence the development of heart valves. Using advanced imaging modalities, such as optical coherence tomography, investigators have better understood the effects of altering hemodynamic loads in the embryonic (avian) heart. However, the field of valvulogenesis is currently stagnant with a paucity of studies aiming to understand the molecular mechanisms influenced/affected by hemodynamic stimuli. Deciphering these pathways is critical from a valve development perspective, but also becomes vital as potential therapeutic targets, …

A Targeted Approach To Increasing The African American Blood Donor Pool, Arnethea L. Sutton

Theses and Dissertations

A continuous need for blood products, specifically for those who require frequent transfusions, such as individuals with sickle cell disease, warrants the need for targeted interventions to increase blood donations from underrepresented populations. One population in particular, African Americans, only account for 1% of blood donors in the United States. Literature indicates numerous reasons why this population is underrepresented amongst donors, including fear, lack of knowledge about the blood donation, and specific to this population, lack of trust in the medical community. This study involves the development, implementation, and assessment of a targeted educational approach, incorporating the Theory of Planned …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) And Adolescent Body Mass Index (Bmi): A National Population-Based Study, Laura Y. Defrain Lpn

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) AND ADOLESCENT BODY MASS INDEX (BMI): A NATIONAL POPULATION-BASED STUDY

Abstract

Background

Childhood obesity rates in the United States have remained around 17% since the 1990s - this figure translates to an estimated 12.7 million obese children. Maintaining a healthy weight through adolescence may limit subsequent health risks in adulthood. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encompasses a variety of non-pharmacological treatments and lifestyle choices that have been utilized in addition to or in place of typical Western medicine. The relationship between adolescent Body mass index (BMI) and the use of complementary and alternative medicine has …

The Experiences And Perceptions Of Behavioral Factors That Contribute To Successful Weight Loss In Male Bariatric Patients, Stephen P. Sowulewski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of behavioral factors that contribute to successful weight loss in male bariatric patients. By analyzing participant experiences and perceptions, this study contributes to a better understanding of which factors are most important in the postoperative phase of gastric bypass in males owing to successful weight loss. Although there is a tremendous amount of quantitative research within the bariatric population, there is a significant gap within the qualitative literature as it relates to male outcomes. As such, by conducting interviews with 10 postoperative male gastric bypass patients, this study …

The Effects Of Beetroot Juice On Vo2max And Blood Pressure During Submaximal Exercise, Jose M. Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Supplementation with beetroot juice (BR) has been shown to reduce blood pressure (BP) at rest and improve several performance parameters during submaximal and maximal exercise. BR effects on BP during submaximal exercise have not been investigated. Furthermore, the effects of BR on VO₂max are inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of BR on VO₂max and BP during submaximal exercise. 20 healthy, recreationally trained volunteers (age 21.8±2.35 years, weight 75.10±10.62 kg, height 177.4±6.39 cm) participated in this study, which had a double-blind placebo controlled randomized crossover design. Participants began supplementation with either …

Retrospective Analysis Of Contact Sport Participation On Cognitive Function In Healthy Athletes, Lisa C. Martinez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study explored the effects of contact and limited contact sport participation on neurocognitive function in non-concussed collegiate and adolescent athletes over time. Athletes participating in contact and limited contact sports have an increased risk of sustaining neurocognitive injuries, known as subconcussive blows, compared to non-contact sport athletes. We hypothesized that athletes participating in contact and limited contact sports, would exhibit a deficit in neurocognitive function following multiple seasons of play when compared to athletes participating in non-contact sports. Using a mixed repeated measures MANOVA statistical design, we analyzed computerized neurocognitive baseline ImPACT composite scores (verbal memory, visual memory, visual …