Public Health Commons^™

Reaction To Safety Equipment Technology In The Workplace And Implications: A Study Of The Firefighter’S Hood, Brian W. Ward

The Qualitative Report

In the 1990s the firefighter’s hood became a standard article of safety equipment worn by municipal firefighters, eliciting a negative reaction among many of these firefighters. I used data from interviews with 42 firefighters to explain why this reaction occurred. Data analysis revealed that negative reactions ultimately stemmed from the hood’s disruption of autonomy, repudiation of the complex mental and physical skill needed to perform tasks required of firefighters, and hindrance in negotiating the life-threatening environment created by a fire. These findings indicate that when introducing new safety equipment technology to emergency response workers, their reaction to this equipment, and …

Mental Hell, Jesenia De Moya, Hanaa' Tameez, Maritza Villela

Capstones

Mental Hell explores how difficult it is for low-income Latinos in New York City to access mental health care. Through explanations from experts and the personal stories of three Latinas New Yorkers who have gone through the process of trying to get the care they need, the story guides the reader through the many roadblocks this demographic encounters specifically under the insurance of Medicaid.

This is an extremely important topic that affects many New Yorkers, and we believe something needs to be done to make this type of healthcare more accessible for Latinos. New York City has a very high …

Health Starts In The Home: An Assessment Of Efforts To Improve Occupant Health Through Healthy Building Materials In San Francisco’S Affordable Housing, Staci Hoell

Master's Projects and Capstones

Americans spend 90% of their lives indoors, and much of this time is spent at home, surrounded by building materials that typically have added chemicals like flame retardants, highly fluorinated compounds, and antimicrobials. Recent research has linked these chemicals to adverse health outcomes such as asthma, endocrine disruption, cancer, neurodevelopmental issues, and reproductive problems (Bayer et al., n.d.; Green Science Policy Institute). Furthermore, these chronic health conditions disproportionately affect low-income populations. Fortunately, substantial efforts in research, practice, and policy are working to reduce the use of these potentially harmful chemicals in building materials, particularly in San Francisco’s affordable housing sector. …

Canines For Disabled Kids, Erin Jerrett, Margarita Mnatsakanyan, Colleen Reynolds, Yin Wang

School of Professional Studies

Canines for Disabled Kids have been working on behalf of children and their families to educate communities and promote service dog partnerships for almost twenty years. Their advocacy with local legislatures, business owners, and community leaders highlighted the difficulties encountered when differentiating service dogs from emotional support/comfort dogs. Service dogs are entitled to access by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), while emotional support/comfort dogs are not protected under the federal statute or to the same rights. Canines for Disabled Kids proposed a study to obtain a current count of licensed service dogs in the Commonwealth and investigate the feasibility …

Access To Healthy Foods: A Descriptive Analysis Of Farmers’ Markets, Food Deserts & Usda Food Assistance Programs In Tennessee Census Tracts, Twanda D. Wadlington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Food deserts are a growing problem in the United States, and occur in areas of low-income where people have limited access to healthy foods. In response, the presence of farmers’ markets has grown exponentially, and improved healthy food access. Additionally, the USDA has strived to connect families to healthy foods through food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). This study investigated the relationship between farmers’ markets, their acceptance of food assistance benefits, and their locations within Tennessee …

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?

Santa Clara County Senior Nutrition Program Evaluation Report, Tae Hwan Ihm

Master's Projects

Santa Clara County conducts a Senior Nutrition Program (SNP) in conjunction with the City of San Jose, the Outreach Paratransit Program and local community-based organizations (CBOs) like Sourcewise (Lam, 2015). These programs combined represent a significant investment of public funds, with more than 45% of the SNP program’s funding coming from the county General Fund (Lam, 2015). Such a large financial commitment needs to demonstrate some benefit to the participants, and some positive outcomes from the current program design. This study evaluated the SNP’s effectiveness in achieving its primary goals. Primary goals of the SNP are to promote senior citizens’ …

Consult Management At The Va Palo Alto Health Care System: Has The Implementation Of Business Rules Improved Consult Management, And Did It Help Measure Performance For Select Services?, Christine Poblete

Master's Projects

This research project was developed to determine whether the new business rules implemented at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System have resulted in an improvement in the delivery of critical health care services through consults; and whether this process can be used as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for measuring performance of clinical services by health care administrators.

Evaluation Instruction In Council On Education For Public Health Accredited Master Of Public Health Schools And Programs, Kristin Ann Hobson

Dissertations

Despite the increasing role of evaluation in public health practice and research (Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health [ASPH], 2006; Institute of Medicine [IOM], 1998; Public Health Functions Steering Committee, 2008; United States Government Accountability Office [GAO], 2012), as well as Henry and Mark’s (2003) assertion of a need for systematic evidence on evaluation training and education, the literature continues to lack studies on evaluation instruction in Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited Master of Public Health (MPH) schools and programs. As such, this study explored evaluation instruction in CEPH-accredited MPH schools and programs in the following …

Increasing Use Of Research Findings In Improving Evidence-Based Health Policy At The National Level, Meiwita Budiharsana

Kesmas

In February 2016, the Minister of Health decided to increase the use of research findings in improving the quality of the national health policy and planning. The Ministry of Health has instructed the National Institute of Health Research and Development or NIHRD to play a stronger role of monitoring and evaluating all health programs, because “their opinion and research findings should be the basis for changes in national health policies and planning”. Compared to the past, the Ministry of Health has increased the research budget for evidence-based research tremendously. However, there is a gap between the information needs of program …

Equity Level Of Health Insurance Ownership In Indonesia, Risky Kusuma Hartono

Kesmas

Social health insurance from government program are expected to be able to reduce inequalities access to health services in the middle of rising of health care cost, while private health insurance is still limited for up and middle class population. This study aimed to analyze the equity level of health insurance ownership including social and private health insurance in Indonesia. This study examined the condition of Indonesia in the middle of entering National Health Insurance (NHI) era. This study used data of Indonesian Socio-Economic Survey 2012. Data were analyzed by using econometric approach through multinomial logit analysis. The results showed …

The Change In Mental Health Status Of Indonesian Health Care Migrant Worker In Japan, Susiana Nugraha, Yuko Hirano, Honda Sumihisha

Kesmas

Under the Japan – Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement, more than 1,000 of Indonesian health care workers have migrated to Japan. Social adjustment during the process of migration is linked to mental health changes. This study aimed to figure out the strongest predictor that influences the change in mental health status as a result of migration. Baseline data were collected in Jakarta in 2013 during pre-departure orientation. Follow-up study was conducted one year after the study participants migrated to Japan in 2014. Using longitudinal design, this study employed 92 participants consisting of nurse and certified care worker candidates. The multiple linear …

Husband’S Education Level And Alcohol Drinking Habit As Risk Factors Of Hiv Infection Among Housewives In Pati District, Nurul Aeni, Annemarie Westendorp

Kesmas

Cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection in Pati District increase, particularly among housewives. The aim of this study was to analyse the risk factors of HIV infection among housewives in Pati District using case-control study design. The respondents were 90 housewives divided into case and control group. The case group consisted of 30 housewives living with HIV, while the control group comprised 60 housewives living in the similar area of the counterparts. The data collection was focused on demographic, sexual behaviour, and sociocultural variables possessed by housewives and their husbands. The study resulted that the risk factors of HIV …

Spatial Analysis Of Determinants Of Filariasis-Endemic Areas In West Sumatra, Masrizal Masrizal, Fivi Melva Diana, Rosfita Rasyid

Kesmas

West Pasaman District and Agam District are filariasis-endemic areas in West Sumatra with prevalence of 12.40 per 100,000 cases and 11.27 per 100,000 cases respectively. This study aimed to determine risk factors associated with the prevalence of filariasis and mapping the vulnerability of the area in West Sumatra. A case control study design was conducted in the West Pasaman District and Agam District. The study used a sample of 74 cases and 74 controls taken by simple random sampling for the case and purposive random sampling for control. Data analysis used univariate, bivariate, multivariate and spatial. The results in Agam …

Implementation Of Cigarette Excise Policy Against Cigarette Consumption Reduction Among Adolescent In Kuningan, Indonesia, Jani Ramjani, Fitri Kurnia Rahim, Icca Stella Amalia, Wahyu Manggala Putra

Kesmas

Indonesia has the highest prevalence of smoking (50.68%) compared to other ASEAN countries. On January 1st, 2017, the Indonesian government raised cigarette excise taxes. The purpose of this study was to analysis the impact of cigarette excise increase on cigarette consumption among adolescents aged 17 to 25 years. The study design used cross-sectional survey. A total of 153 adolescents were recruited in this study through simple random sampling technique. Questionnaires and observation papers were used in this study. A face-to-face interview was conducted to fulfill the data collection through home visit for each respondent. The data were obtained during May …

Maternal Energy Intake At The Sixth Month As Dominant Factor Of Exclusive Breastfeeding Success, Devi Suryanti Sihite, Sandra Fikawati, Ahmad Syafiq

Kesmas

Breastfeeding mothers needed adequate energy intake to provide 6-month exclusive breastfeeding that is necessary for infant growth and development. This study aimed to investigate real intake at the first and sixth month of breastfeeding and determine the dominant factor affecting 6-month exclusive breastfeeding provision. The design of this study was cross-sectional conducted in March-April 2015 among 109 mothers with 6-12- month-old infant living and registered at integrated health care in Kalangan Primary Health Care area. Data were collected through interview using questionnaires. Breastfeeding mothers’ intake was asked using Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. The study found that 6-month exclusive breastfeeding proportion …

Effect Of Health Education On Community Participation To Eradicate Aedes Aegypti-Breeding Sites In Buahbatu And Cinambo Districts, Bandung, Zahratul Elsa, Uun Sumardi, Lia Faridah

Kesmas

Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is still a major public health problem in many regions in Indonesia including Bandung City. Community participation in implementing Eradication of Mosquito-Breeding Sites is still needed as it is considered the most effective method in controlling the dengue fever. This study aimed to determine the influence of health education towards community participation to eradicate mosquito-breeding sites, which was measured by knowledge level and larva index conducted in Bandung, specifically in two different locations with the highest and the lowest incidence rates of DHF. This study used quasi-experimental method. Samples were 100 people living in Cijawura and …

Patient Experience In The Behavioral Health Setting: Key Best Practices Throughout An Organizational Journey, Mark L. D'Agostino, Tena Vizner, Daniel Wald, Linda Espinosa, Rick Evans

Patient Experience Journal

NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester Division, a clinical affiliate of Weill Cornell Medicine, is a 260-bed hospital providing inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care for children, adolescents, adults and older adults. From 2004-2010 the hospital’s patient experience scores on the Press Ganey® Inpatient Psychiatry Survey improved from the 14th to 53rd percentile nationally. We primarily attribute this to joining the Planetree® Affilliate Network. Planetree is a mission based not-for-profit organization that partners with healthcare organizations around the world and across the care continuum to represent the patient voice and advance how professional caregivers engage with patients and families. In 2011, hourly rounding was redesigned …

“We Were Learning Together And It Felt Good That Way.” A Case Study Of A Participatory Group Music Program For Cancer Patients, Laurie Sadowski

Patient Experience Journal

Though there are similarities to music therapy, the field of community music in healthcare, while in its infancy, is steadily growing. This case study explored how semi-formal, active music-making can play a role in illness and recovery and provide patients with a sense of voice, connection, and community, and the efficacy of community music programming in a hospital. Six participants began and three participants completed a 6-week music class learning the ukulele. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used as a method for data analysis from semi-structured pre-questionnaires, transcribed classes, transcribed post-interviews, and weekly questionnaires from both the participants and the …

Using Appreciative Inquiry As A Framework To Enhance The Patient Experience, Kerry Moorer Mba, Schawan Kunupakaphun, Elilzabeth Delgado, Matthew Moody, Christina Wolf Msn, Rn, Cnl, Karen Moore Rn, Ms, Fache, Pracha Eamranond Md, Mph

Patient Experience Journal

The following case depicts the journey of a non-profit hospital in an under-served community and its attempts to turn around suffering patient experience. The Hospital turned to the theories of Appreciative Inquiry and the power of a strengths-based approach to create a framework to support the patient experience initiatives. Hospital leadership led the formation of a Patient Experience Team to implement ten initiatives in order increase the top box score in the domain of willingness to recommend the hospital, as that was selected as a global measure of success for the overall improvement project.

Patient Experiences In Intensive Care Units: A Systematic Review, Serpil Topçu, Şule Ecevit Alpar, Bilgi Gülseven, Ayda Kebapçı

Patient Experience Journal

The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the data gathered from studies conducted to determine patient experiences in intensive care and levels of the recollection of the intensive care period that were published between December, 1998 – April, 2013. The systematic review was carried out screening of the related publications. The findings of the systematic review were studied under the following two titles: “remembering the intensive care period” and “recalled experiences” of patients. Studying 15 papers which were found suitable to the inclusion criteria of the review indicated that majority of the patients had recollection of the intensive …

Operationalizing Person-Centered Care Practices In Long-Term Care: Recommendations From A “Resident For A Day” Experience, Jennifer L. Johs-Artisensi

Patient Experience Journal

As the senior population continues to age, long-term care is positioned for growth and care recipients are demanding more person-centered care. While long-term care leaders may understand and believe in the value of person-centered care, sometimes operationalizing practices to ensure its delivery can be challenging. Using an ethnographic approach, over three years, 159 long-term care administrator-in-training practicum students each lived as a resident for 24 hours in a nursing home. Following the experience, using the Picker Institute’s framework, each participant identified and justified an Always Experience® – an optimal experience they believed should routinely occur for every long-term care resident. …

The Impact Of Provider Service Networks In Florida Medicaid Managed Care On Enrollees’ Satisfaction, Sinyoung Park, Jeffrey S. Harman, Allyson G. Hall

Patient Experience Journal

Two counties in Florida were selected as pilots in 2006 for the Medicaid Demonstration Program. In reform counties, Medicaid enrollees were required to pick a managed care plan; either a Health Maintenance Organization or a Provider Service Network (PSN). PSNs are a form of managed care that provides health care services directly through a provider or network of organizations to a defined population without an intermediary. There are two types of PSNs: Physician-based PSNs and Healthcare system-based PSNs. The objective of this study is to find the differences in enrollees’ satisfaction between two different types of PSNs. To assess the …

Maintaining Public Health Insurance Benefits: How Primary Care Clinics Help Keep Low-Income Patients Insured, Rose L. Harding, Jennifer D. Hall, Jennifer Devoe, Heather Angier, Rachel Gold, Christine Nelson, Sonja Likumahuwa-Ackman, John Heintzman, Aleksandra Sumic, Deborah J. Cohen

Patient Experience Journal

Low-income families struggle to obtain and maintain public health insurance. We identified strategies used by Community Health Centers (CHCs) to assist patients with insurance applications, and assessed patients’ receptivity to these efforts. Observational cross-case comparative study with four CHCs in Oregon. We observed insurance assistance processes, and interviewed 26 clinic staff and 18 patients/family members. Qualitative data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Patients’ understanding of eligibility status, reapplication schedules, and how to apply, were major barriers to insurance enrollment. Clinic staff addressed these barriers by reminding patients when applications were due, assisting with applications as needed, and tracking …

Patient Safety: Just Ask. Patients As Reporters Of Real-Time Safety Data; A Pilot Project To Improve Patient Safety In Secondary Care, Thomas A. Cairns Dr, Iain Mccallum Mr

Patient Experience Journal

The Berwick review into patient safety recommended ‘involving patients in the healthcare organisation and seeking out the patient voice as an essential asset to monitor safety.’ (1) However routine data collection from patients in our institution is retrospective and doesn't focus on safety. Our objective was to create a patient-centred mechanism to monitor patient-perceived safety concerns and provide immediate resolution of highlighted issues. A pragmatic 6-question questionnaire was developed containing 4 scored and 2 free text questions. This questionnaire was piloted and adjusted before being administered to all inpatients meeting the inclusion criteria in our institution on one day. Safety …

Patient And Provider Experiences With Relationship, Information, And Management Continuity, Jeanette Jackson, Gail Mackean, Tim Cooke, Markus Lahtinen

Patient Experience Journal

From 2003 to 2014, the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) monitored patient experiences with healthcare services through a biennial Satisfaction and Experience with Healthcare Services (SEHCS) survey. The findings consistently showed a direct link between coordination of care, an aspect of continuity of care, and healthcare outcomes. Specifically, it showed that better coordination is linked to positive outcomes; the reverse is also true. Given the critical role continuity of care plays in the healthcare system, the HQCA conducted in-depth interviews, interactive feedback sessions and focus groups with patients and providers to explore factors that influence both seamless and fragmented …

Healthcare Providers Versus Patients' Understanding Of Health Beliefs And Values, Betty M. Kennedy, Matloob Rehman, William D. Johnson, Michelle B. Magee, Robert Leonard, Peter T. Katzmarzyk

Patient Experience Journal

This study examined how well healthcare providers perceive and understand their patients’ health beliefs and values compared to patients’ actual beliefs, and to determine if communication relationships maybe improved as a result of healthcare providers’ understanding of their patients’ illness from their perspective. A total of 61 participants (7 healthcare providers and 54 patients) were enrolled in the study. Healthcare providers and patients individually completed survey instruments and each participated in a structured focus group. Healthcare provider and patient differences revealed that patients perceived greater meaning of their illness (p = 0.038), and a greater preference for partnership (p = …

Turning A Blind Eye: How Lack Of Communication With Er Nurses Nearly Cost A Patient Permanent Vision Loss, Kenneth Royal, April Kedrowicz

Patient Experience Journal

This narrative presents a case in which a patient was treated for conjunctivitis, but a breakdown in several layers of communication (between the hospital and the patient, and between hospital personnel) resulted in multiple medical errors that nearly costs the patient permanent vision loss. This real-life case underscores how simple communication errors may lead to life-altering consequences. Recommendations for improving communication to ensure similar errors do not happen to others are provided.

Rebalancing The Patient Experience: 20 Years Of A Pendulum Swing, Tiffany Christensen

Patient Experience Journal

This essay looks back at two decades of the patient experience movement. The evolution of patient experience includes moving from a belief system in which patients and families are solely the recipients of care to a model in which patients and families are co-designing treatment plans, systems and policies. This evolution has taken time and continues to evolve to this day. As the pendulum swings, we see that we have made great progress and, simultaneously, found ourselves with all new challenges to overcome.

Accelerating Patient Experience Performance: Collaboration And Engagement As Drivers For Success, Sidney Klajner

Patient Experience Journal

The efforts at Albert Einstein Jewish Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil have been focused on principles of excellence for many years as realized in engagement in and commitment to some of the leading global healthcare practices over the last decade. In reinforcing a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, the patient experience efforts at Einstein have evolved from an operating structure for patient experience efforts to a truly integrated program for action in address all elements in the organization impacting and ultimately driving patient experience outcomes. By grounded efforts in core evidence-based practice, while engaging the hearts and minds of …