Public Health Commons^™

Optimization Of Surgical Prophylaxis In Penicillin-Allergic Labeled Patients, Katie A. Vandervelde

Research Days

No abstract provided.

Health Literacy Screening To Increase Antihypertensive Medication Adherence, Boyann Bonjean

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Hypertension contributes to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, heart attack, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (Abegaz et al., 2016; Weir, 2014; Whelton et al., 2017). Evidence indicates that 30 to 50% of people who are prescribed antihypertensive medication therapy are nonadherent (Hedna et al., 2015). Non-adherence to antihypertensive medications is a major contributor to hypertension treatment failure (Al Ghurair et al., 2012; Hu, 2016; Whelton et al., 2017). Evidence has shown that low health literacy may impact antihypertensive therapy (Slade, 2017). The purpose of this EBP project was to provide an organizational change by implementing a health …

Perceptions Of Parents And Religious Leaders Regarding Minimal Invasive Tissue Sampling To Identify The Cause Of Death In Stillbirths And Neonates: Results From A Qualitative Study, Anam Shahil Feroz, Mohsina Noor Ibrahim, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Anum Shiraz Ali, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Sayyeda Reza, Zahid Abbasi, Jamal Raza, Haleema Yasmin, Khadija Bano, Afia Zafar, Sameen Siddiqi, Robert L. Goldenberg, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Recently, the minimal invasive tissue sampling (MITS) procedure has been developed to support determination of the cause of death as an alternate to conventional autopsy, especially in countries where complete diagnostic autopsy is not routine. To assess the feasibility of implementation of the MITS procedure for a study to determine cause of death in premature births and stillbirths in south Asia, we explored the views and perceptions of parents and religious leaders on the acceptability of MITS.
Methods: A qualitative study was conducted at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) hospital of Karachi, Pakistan. Focus group discussions (FGDs) …

Rising Rural Body-Mass Index Is The Main Driver Of The Global Obesity Epidemic In Adults, Con Burns, Tara Coppinger, Janette Walton, Et Al

Publications

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities1,2. This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity3,4,5,6. Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to …

Framework For Algorithmically Optimizing Longitudinal Health Outcomes: Examples In Cancer Radiotherapy And Occupational Radiation Protection, Lydia Joyce Wilson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Advancements in the treatment of non-infectious disease have enabled survival rates to steadily increase in recent decades (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, and cancer). Epidemiological studies have revealed that the treatments for these diseases can have life-threatening and/or life–altering effects. Thus, realizing the full beneficial potential of advanced treatments necessitates new tools to algorithmically consider all major components of the health outcome, including benefit and detriment. The goal of this dissertation was to develop a framework for improving projected health outcomes following planned radiation exposures in consideration of all beneficial and detrimental, early and late, and fatal and non-fatal …

A Lifestyle Modification Program For Adult Patients With Coronary Artery Disease, Amanda M. Yarbrough

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

As a leading cause of death worldwide, coronary artery disease affects people of all races and ethnicities. The foundation for the prevention of secondary fatal cardiac events, such as stroke or myocardial infarction, is lifestyle modification to effectively lower cholesterol levels. Lifestyle change impacts diet, physical activity, smoking habits, vital sign measures, and stress management. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to reduce implement a lifestyle intervention to lower LDL-C levels and promote healthier lifestyles. This practice change was developed utilizing Stetler’s Research Utilization model to promote evidence-based practice changes in the clinical setting. Nola Pender’s Health Promotion …

Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On The Cooper Women’S Care Center, Amanda Malik, Natali Franzblau

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Background: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) increased access to women’s health care by expanding Medicaid eligibility and requiring that insurance plans cover many gynecologic preventive services at no cost to patients. Before implementation of the ACA, pregnant women with low incomes qualified for Medicaid but childless adults of the same income did not, and though prenatal obstetrical visits were covered by plans at no or low cost to patients, most gynecologic services required out of pocket payments.

Objective: This study aimed to identify changes in the types of visits (gynecologic or obstetric) and patient demographics (including age, race, …

Referral Patterns, Procedures, And Outcomes Of A Large Community- Based Urology Group: A Retrospective Chart Review, Hassan A. Al Saleh, Gregory C. Mcmahon, Michael Douglas, Michael Console, Mihir Thaker, Gordon A. Brown

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

In 2012 The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against prostate cancer (Pca) screening. The purpose of our study is to assess the effects of the USPSTF grade D recommendation for PSA based screening on new PCa diagnoses within a large-community based private practice setting. We completed a retrospective chart review of men with an elevated PSA seen in our clinic between May 2009–May 2015 who had undergone a prostate biopsy and were diagnosed with PCa. We observed that following the 2012 USPSTF recommendations, there was a significant increase in patients with clinically significant prostate cancer GG ≥ …

The Relationship Of Creatinine, Sodium, Hematocrit And Hemoglobin A1c To 30-Day Hospital Readmission Among Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Shmilah Choudhary, Meet Shah, Sanath Shetty, Terri Ginsberg, Matthew H. Mclaughlin

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction:Reducing thirty-day hospital readmissions is a top healthcare priority. However, there is little research describing the risk factors of readmission among patients with diabetes, especially for older adults. Understanding what the risk factors are for 30-day hospital readmission for older adults with type 2 diabetes would help identify patients at risk of rehospitalization.

Objective:The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with 30-day unplanned hospital readmissions among older adults with T2DM. Factors to be investigated are: patient demographics and three admission laboratory values.

Methods:Participants were older adult s>65 years old with T2DM, admitted to a community hospital …

Correlation Of Chronic Conditions And Pain Scale With Varying Levels Of Obesity In The Geriatric Population, Shabbir Hossain, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The overall objective of this study was to establish whether obesity’s contribution to pain is stronger than vice versa – the medical debilities in elderly patients that contribute to obesity. In the process, this study will allow us to achieve whether different age samples with similar BMIs demonstrate the same level of medical complexities in geriatric patients. In summary, the purpose of this research study was to correlate a relationship between obesity and aging. We hypothesized that obesity will contribute to greater pain in the aging population, and that patients – regardless of their age groups in the aging population …

The Relationship Of Cardiovascular Disease To 30-Day Hospital Readmission Among Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Meet Shah, Shmilah Choudhary, Sanath Shetty, Terrie Ginsberg, Matthew H. Mclaughlin

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Reducing thirty-day hospital readmissions is a top healthcare priority. However, there is little research describing the risk factors of readmission among patients with diabetes, especially for older adults. Understanding what the risk factors are for 30-day hospital readmission for older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) would help identify patients at risk of rehospitalization. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with 30-day unplanned hospital readmissions among older adults with T2DM.Factors to be investigated are: patient demographics and whether the patient was hospitalized for cardiovascular disease. Participants were older adults>65 years old with T2DM, admitted to …

Postoperative Cholecystitis From Nathanson Liver Retractor During Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy, Lauren D. Gleich, Mihir G. Thaker, Gordon A. Brown

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Proper visualization of the surgical field during any procedure is one of the most imperative elements of surgery. The tools used to obtain this goal come with their own set of risks. This report describes a patient who developed postoperative acalculous cholecystitis (PAC) after use of a Nathan liver retractor. PAC is a rare complication of urologic surgery and is often more severe than acalculous cholecystitis (AC), leading to significant morbidity.

The Relationship Of Risk Of Falls And Activities Of Daily Living To 30-Day Hospital Readmission Among Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Sanath Shetty, Shmilah Choudhary, Meet Shah, Terrie Ginsberg, Matthew H. Mclaughlin

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction: Reducing thirty-day hospital readmissions is a top healthcare priority. However, there is little research describing the risk factors of readmission among patients with diabetes, especially for older adults. Understanding what the risk factors are for 30-day hospital readmission for older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) would help identify patients at risk of rehospitalization.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with 30-day unplanned hospital readmissions among older adults with T2DM. Factors to be investigated are: patient demographics, whether patients were at risk for falling, and patients’ activities of daily living (ADL) at discharge.

Methods: …

Ethnic And Demographic Differences In Colectomy Rates And Timing For Ulcerative Colitis: 2007-2014, Daniel Bodek, Alana Persaud, Brian Blair, Ahlawat Sushil

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the bowel, with one third of patients requiring a colectomy for fulminant disease and tissue dysplasia. In 2007, infliximab was approved for induction and maintenance of remission in UC, with some evidence to suggest a potential reduction in colectomies. The aim of this study is to examine relative colectomy rates for UC among different ethnicities from 2007 to 2014 in order to evaluate for development of new trends or disparities.

Discrepancies in colectomy rates and timing are seen in our models which mirror closely findings in a prior study from 1999-2003 …

The Effects Of Antenatal Betamethasone On Late Preterm Infants, Jennifer Hummel, Abigail Prest, Xinhua Chen

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Administration of steroids to mothers expected to deliver in the late preterm period has previously been found to decrease neonatal respiratory morbidity. In this retrospective chart review, there were no significant differences between groups in the primary outcome of required respiratory support for the neonate, incidence of periventricular hemorrhage or neonatal death. However, this study found that their rate of hyperbilirubinemia, need for phototherapy, and NICU stays were longer than their counterparts whose mothers did not receive steroids or who only received one dose.These findings may provide support for future protocols directed to improve neonatal morbidity secondary to jaundice.

Pre-Operative Risk Of Medical Complications Varies By Health Insurance Carrier In Moderately Obese Women: Medicaid V Medicare V Private V Self-Pay, Paul Osterdahl, Melissa Gott, Amanda Sundling, Gus J. Slotman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction: Clinical variation by health insurance status in mixed sex bariatric surgery populations is reported, but such variation among moderately obese women is unknown.

Objective: to identify pre-operative variation by health insurance in female surgical patients.

Conclusions: Pre-operative characteristics of moderately obese women vary by insurance. Medicare’s highest risk for cardiopulmonary problems and diabetes, and Medicaid’s highest asthma, abdominal-hepatobiliary, and psychological/behavioral complications should be considered in managing moderately obese women subscribing to these carriers.

Panniculectomy Performed In Conjunction With Gynecologic Surgery In The Morbidly Obese Patient - A Nsqip Analysis And Meta-Analysis Of The Literature, Shayoni Nag, Tirth Patel, Steven C. Bonawitz

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Purpose: Panniculectomy is a common procedure in plastic surgery, often performed following massive weight loss and in morbidly obese patients. It can be performed in combination with various gynecologic procedures based on the rational that it will reduce complication rates.^{1, 2, 3} These studies fail to provide proof of these claims for reasons including study design and the lack of inclusion of both morbidly obese and non-morbidly obese patients. Recent medical practice has focused increasingly on minimizing patient morbidity and trends in reimbursement are moving towards penalizing practices which increase complications.

Methods/Results:We reviewed the NSQIP database to assess …

Maternal Morbidity Outcomes In Idiopathic Moyamoya Syndrome In New York State, Hajere J. Gatollari, Amelia K. Boehme, E. Sander Connolly, Alexander M. Friedman, Mitchell S.V. Elkind, Joshua Z. Willey, Eliza C. Miller

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of stroke in young women. Idiopathic moyamoya syndrome (IMMS) is a rare condition characterized by progressive narrowing of large cerebral arteries resulting in flimsy collaterals prone to rupture or thrombosis. Data are limited on pregnancy outcomes in women with IMMS. We hypothesized that IMMS would be associated with increased pregnancy morbidity, including stroke.

Conclusion: Pregnancies within 1 year prior or any time after IMMS diagnosis did not have increased maternal morbidity compared to unexposed pregnancies after adjusting for age and clustering of women with multiple pregnancies. Prospective studies are needed to better …

Potential Reduction Of Lung Dose Via Vmat With Jaw Tracking In The Treatment Of Single-Isocenter/Two-Lesion Lung Sbrt, Damodar Pokhrel, Lana Sanford, Matthew Halfman, Janelle A. Molloy

Radiation Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose/objectives: Due to higher radiosensitivity, non‐target normal tissue dose is a major concern in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatment. The aim of this report was to estimate the dosimetric impact, specifically the reduction of normal lung dose in the treatment of single‐isocenter/two‐lesion lung SBRT via volumetric modulated arc therapy with jaw tracking (JT‐VMAT).

Materials/methods: Twelve patients with two peripherally located early‐stage non‐small‐cell‐lung cancer (NSCLC) lung lesions underwent single‐isocenter highly conformal non‐coplanar JT‐VMAT SBRT treatment in our institution. The mean isocenter to tumors distance was 5.6 ± 1.9 (range 4.3–9.5) cm. The mean combined planning target volume (PTV) was 38.7 …

Seeing Eye To Eye: A Machine Learning Approach To Automated Saccade Analysis, Maigh Attre

Honors Scholar Theses

Abnormal ocular motility is a common manifestation of many underlying pathologies particularly those that are neurological. Dynamics of saccades, when the eye rapidly changes its point of fixation, have been characterized for many neurological disorders including concussions, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and Parkinson’s disease. However, widespread saccade analysis for diagnostic and research purposes requires the recognition of certain eye movement parameters. Key information such as velocity and duration must be determined from data based on a wide set of patients’ characteristics that may range in eye shapes and iris, hair and skin pigmentation [36]. Previous work on saccade analysis has …

An Evaluation Of The Supply And Demand Of Radiation Oncology Medical Physicists In The United States., Christine Marie Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: This dissertation is a mixed methods evaluation of the radiation oncology medical physics workforce in the United States. Radiation oncology medical physicists serve a vital role in the safe treatment of patients with radiation therapy. While cancer incidence continues to rise, the pathways to board certification in radiation oncology medical physics continue to narrow causing a potential shortage of radiation oncology physicists in the United States. While there is no lack of data about the medical physics community it has scarcely been used to evaluate the current state of the workforce. In order to ensure patient safety, appropriate physics …

Factors Associated With Food Insecurity Among Individuals, Aged Sixty And Older, In Clark County, Nv, Lisa M. Segler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Food insecurity is defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. In Nevada, an estimated 80,000 individuals, aged 60 years or older, were food insecure in 2016. The primary aim of this study was to identify factors that are associated with food insecurity in older adults, aged sixty and older, in Clark County, NV. The secondary aim of this study was to identify which factors interact with each other to explain food insecurity among individuals aged sixty and older, in Clark County, NV. A secondary data analysis was conducted using data collected by …

Left Atrial Model, Borna Sobati, Sarah Porello, Tess Pate

Biomedical Engineering

The objective is to produce an electrophysiological model of an adult human left atrium. This model will be used to test mapping probe catheters used for locating cardiac arrhythmias against current technology used in practice. Dr. Chris Porterfield requested this model and other physicians or probe catheter manufacturers may also use this product in the future. Dr. Porterfield also discussed the possibility of future senior project groups using the model as a bench test for designing new catheter tips. The model will precisely simulate electrical behaviors of the heart in normal as well as arrhythmic conditions. Ideally, the model will …

Decreasing Unplanned Extubations By Taping Technique & Creating A Culture Of Safety, Karishma Rao, Beckie Palmer, Christopher R. Nitkin, Christian Anthony Schneider, Brandy Huitt, Molly Terhune, Ashley Orwick, Dianne Wilderson, Sarah Carboneau, Jenny Mckee, Kerrie A. Meinert, Eugenia K. Pallotto

Presentations

Describes strategies used to decrease the unplanned extubation rate in the Level IV neonatal intensive care unit to less than 1.0 event per 100 ventilator days by December 2018.

A New Health Care Model For Pakistan, Mohammad Wasay, Ashar Malik

Section of Neurology

No abstract provided.

Regional Variation In Comorbid Prediabetes And Diabetes And Associated Factors Among Hypertensive Individuals In Rural Bangladesh, Pakistan, And Sri Lanka, Liang Feng, Aliya Naheed, H. Asita De Silva, Imtiaz Jehan, Rubhana Raqib, Md Tauhidul Islam, Nathasha Luke, Anuradhani Kasturiratne, Hamida Farazdaq, Sahar Senan, Tazeen Jafar, Cobra-Bps Study Group

Community Health Sciences

We aimed to explore the cross-country variation in the prevalence of comorbid prediabetes or diabetes and determine the sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors, especially body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, associated with comorbid diabetes in individuals with hypertension in rural South Asia. We analyzed cross-sectional data of 2426 hypertensive individuals of ≥40 years from 30 randomly selected rural communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Prediabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) between 100 and 125 mg/dL without use of antidiabetic treatment and diabetes as FPG ≥126 mg/dL or use of antidiabetic medication. The prevalence (95% CI) of …

Suffering In Silence: Is Gastroparesis Underdiagnosed?, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

In this introduction to Volume 6, Issue 2, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews offers additional comment to the clinical review of diabetic gastroparesis authored by Farmer and colleagues (p. 148), regarding the problem of undiagnosed disease. Increased awareness of this entity and appropriate questioning regarding symptoms of diabetic gastroparesis in the primary care setting may prevent the “suffering in silence” experienced by many patients with this complication.

Variation And Change Over Time In Promis-29 Survey Results Among Primary Care Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Juell Homco, Kristin Rodriguez, David R. Bardach, Elizabeth A. Hahn, Suzanne Morton, Daren Anderson, David Kendrick, Sarah Hudson Scholle

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: We sought to describe results of patient-reported outcome measures implemented among primary care patients with diabetes and explore factors associated with changes in scores over time.

Methods: Two organizations serving diverse patient populations collected the PROMIS-29 survey at baseline and 3-month follow-up for patients with type 2 diabetes. Bayesian regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between patient characteristics and changes in PROMIS-29 scores. Exploratory analyses assessed relationships between goal-setting and changes in scores.

Results: The study population reported substantially more problems with physical functioning (mean: 42.5 at Site 1 and 38.9 at Site 2) and pain interference …

Team-Based Care And Patient Satisfaction In The Hospital Setting: A Systematic Review, Kristen K. Will, Melissa L. Johnson, Gerri Lamb

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Limited research examining the relationship between team-based models of care and patient satisfaction in the hospital setting is available. The purpose of this literature review was to explore this relationship as well as the relationships between team composition, team-based interventions, patient satisfaction, and other outcomes of care when measured as part of the study.

Methods: A systematic appraisal of research studies published through February 2017 was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, Ovid, gray literature and Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria were 1) experimental (randomized control trials), quasi-experimental, or non-experimental (cross-sectional) study design; 2) team-based care interventions; 3) hospital …

Utilization Of Acupuncture Services In The Emergency Department Setting: A Quality Improvement Study, John R. Burns, Jessica J. F. Kram, Vashir Xiong, Jeanne M. Stark Casadont, Tiffany A. Mullen, Nancy Conway, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Patients often present to the emergency department (ED) for pain. As opioid fatalities rise, alternative treatments are warranted for pain management. Acupuncture, a nonpharmacological treatment involving the insertion of needles into skin or tissue at specific points within the body, may help to decrease acute pain. Our study aimed to assess the utilization and impact of acupuncture in the ED for acute pain management.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of purposefully collected quality improvement data. Patients who were ≥18 years old and who presented to the ED at an urban medical center in Wisconsin during 2017 were offered …