Health Services Administration Commons^™

Evaluating Electronic Health Record Intervention Efficacy In Enhancing Inpatient Initiation Of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy, Sheraz Qamar, Trisha Sindhu, Charlotte Pirquet, Benjamin Richter, Charlotte Sacksteder, Tatianna Branch, Jeffrey Riggio, Cara Martino, Patricia C. Henwood, Alan Kubey

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality. Despite evidence supporting guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), prescribing remains suboptimal, particularly at hospital discharge.

PROJECT RATIONALE: Hospitalization provides an opportunity to initiate or optimize GDMT, but workflow barriers and practice variation limit implementation. To address this gap, our system implemented a system-wide HF quality improvement initiative featuring evidence-based order sets and an electronic health record smart phrase ("HFNOTE") to centralize and standardize documentation and encourage GDMT use.

PROJECT SUMMARY: We analyzed 2,859 HF hospitalizations across 10 hospitals between December 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Use of …

Ehr-Based Quality Interventions Associated With Differential Gdmt Prescribing In Community Versus Academic Hospitals, Trisha Sindhu, Charlotte Pirquet, Sheraz Qamar, Tanay-Veer Gandhi, Patricia C. Henwood, Cara Martino, Jeffrey Riggio, Jared Vanderzell, Charlotte Sacksteder, Alan Kubey

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Institutional barriers are associated with suboptimal guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) prescribing at heart failure discharge.

PROJECT RATIONALE: Practice variations between academic medical centers (defined as "teaching" hospitals with residents) and community hospitals are poorly understood. Evaluating how diverse settings respond to quality improvement strategies is vital.

PROJECT SUMMARY: A multicenter study across 10 electronic health record-unified hospitals evaluated 3,535 heart failure encounters. Phase 1 implemented educational work groups and financial incentives; phase 2 introduced clinical decision support systems. Community hospitals responded significantly to phase 1 education/incentives, with mean discharge of GDMT agents rising from 2.19 to 2.44 (P = …

Exploring Which Ehr Interventions Improve Heart Failure Hospitalization Outcomes Across 10 Hospitals, Sheraz Qamar, Andres Alvarado, Thomas Buckwalter, Patricia C. Henwood, Dana Jordan, Cara Martino, Jeffrey Riggio, Charlotte Sacksteder, Jared Vanderzell, Alan Kubey

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) remains a major cause of mortality and hospitalization despite advances in guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). Electronic health record (EHR)-based clinical decision support tools may improve care delivery, but their impact on outcomes remains ill-defined.

PROJECT RATIONALE: As part of a system-wide HF quality improvement initiative, we evaluated 2 EHR interventions: an evidence-based HF admission order set promoting early diuresis and GDMT optimization, and a templated HF documentation tool (HFNOTE) designed to capture clinical complexity.

PROJECT SUMMARY: We analyzed 4,865 HF hospitalizations across 10 hospitals between December 2024 and June 2025. Overall risk-adjusted mortality index was 0.83 …

Implementation Readiness For National Cancer Survivorship Care Standards, Christiane J. El Khoury, Meera Gupta, Maryem Shirzadi, Heidi Dowst, Martha Mims, Maysa Abu-Khalaf, Hoda Badr

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Cancer survivorship care is a growing public health priority, yet delivery remains variable across health systems. The National Standards for Cancer Survivorship Care provide a framework for high-quality care, but little empirical evidence exists regarding health system readiness to implement these standards in routine practice.

OBJECTIVE: To assess implementation readiness for the National Standards for Cancer Survivorship Care and identify perceived barriers to implementation.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This real-time Delphi survey study was conducted from January to March 2025 at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Participants were multidisciplinary experts involved in cancer survivorship care delivery, care …

Software Tools And Simulation Exercises For Radiation Oncology Cyber-Attack Resiliency, Yevgeniy Vinogradskiy, James Lamb

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

This review summarizes the rationale for radiation oncology cyberattack simulation exercises, recent results from multi-institutional resiliency drills, and the landscape of software tools developed to help clinics resume radiotherapy treatments rapidly and safely during a cyberattack or other major clinical software outage. Simulation exercises using record-and-verify (R&V) downtime and File Mode treatment delivery have identified failure modes not apparent in theoretical planning alone, including risks related to treatment documentation, repeated fractions, patient setup, and missed safety checks. Available software tools emphasize insulated backup of DICOM-format planning data and clinical notes, treatment-state dashboards, File Mode treatments, redundant R&V installations, and human-readable …

Rural/Urban Disparities In Utilization Of Diabetes Self-Management Training (Dsmt) To The Fee-For-Service Medicare Population, 2017–2024, Wanying Zhu, Aleksandr Taraskin, Jeffrerey Talbert

Rural & Underserved Health Research Center Publications

Key Report Highlights

• A significant rural DSMT access gap exists. Rural beneficiaries accounted for 20.1% of Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes but only 7.8% of DSMT participants.

• Geographic availability remains limited. Only 16.8% of counties with DSMT utilization were rural.

• Access, not demand, appears to be the primary challenge. Rural counties offering DSMT achieved utilization rates more than twice those observed in urban counties (6.0% vs. 2.5%).

• Expanding rural DSMT capacity may represent a high-impact opportunity to improve diabetes self-management support among underserved Medicare beneficiaries.

Non-Metropolitan Vs. Metropolitan Variations In Alcohol, Illicit Drug, And Prescription Therapeutic Drug Misuse, Tyrone F. Borders

Rural & Underserved Health Research Center Publications

Key Findings

Alcohol Use. The prevalence of past year and past 30-day drinking was lower among non-metropolitan (non-metro) than metropolitan (metro) residents. However, non-metro drinkers engaged in more frequent binge drinking than metro drinkers. Drinking 3-5, 6-19, and 20-30 days over the past 30 days were higher among non-metro than metro residents.

Illicit Drug Use. Hallucinogens were the mostly commonly used illicit drugs among non-metro as well as metro residents. Methamphetamine use was significantly higher among non-metro than metro residents.

Prescription Pain Reliever Use. The misuse of prescription pain killers, primarily prescription opioids, was higher among non-metro than …

High-Deductible Health Plans In Rural And Urban Populations: Outpatient Utilization And Out-Of-Pocket Costs, Aaron P. Smith, Jefferey Talbert

Rural & Underserved Health Research Center Publications

Overview of Key Findings This policy brief explores rural-urban differences in High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) enrollment, subsequent healthcare utilization, and out-of-pocket (OOP) costs. ▪ HDHP enrollment was uncommon. Rural residents were slightly less likely to enroll than urban residents across all demographic groups. ▪ Switching plans influenced utilization. Compared to those who did not change healthcare plans, switching from a Traditional plan to a HDHP was associated with a larger reduction in 2022 outpatient visits for both rural and urban residents. Moving from a HDHP to a Traditional plan was associated with a smaller reduction in 2022 outpatient visits for …

Rural And Urban Availability Of Substance Use Treatment Facilities, Aaron P. Smith, Tyrone F. Borders

Rural & Underserved Health Research Center Publications

Overview of Key Findings

• Rural counties have higher per capita numbers of substance use disorder treatment facilities than urban counties on average, but also greater variability and large pockets of unmet need.

• The highest proportions of residents living in counties without any treatment facilities are concentrated in rural areas within the Midwestern and Southern United States.

• Rural and urban treatment facilities offer medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) at similar rates, with inpatient facilities most likely to provide MOUD, followed by residential and outpatient settings.

Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (Tips) Outcomes For Variceal Hemorrhage During And After Covid-19: Racial, Payer, And Income Disparities - A National Retrospective Cohort Study With Stratified Sensitivity Analyses, Nakul Ganju, Shubham Gupta, Sahak Hovsepian, Samay Shah, Shaunak Ganju, Farshad Aduli

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) reduces mortality in esophageal variceal hemorrhage. Whether the COVID-19 pandemic worsened existing disparities in outcomes among patients undergoing TIPS remains unclear. We aimed to characterize racial, payer-based, and income-based disparities in post-TIPS outcomes before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: Using the 2016-2022 National Inpatient Sample, we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 31,860 weighted hospitalizations of adults with cirrhosis and esophageal variceal hemorrhage who underwent TIPS. Admissions were stratified as pre-COVID (2016-2019) and post-COVID (2020-2022). Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and total hospital charges. Multivariable regression models with …

Quality Improvement Project: Implementation Of The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Modified For Teens, Hedy Gerber, Leah Buchko, Jennifer Van Winkle

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background: Adolescent depression is a prevalent and significant public health concern, strongly linked to increased suicidality, poor health outcomes, impaired psychosocial functioning, and substantial societal costs. Although measurement‑based care using validated screening instruments is recommended by clinical practice guidelines, routine use of standardized depression screening tools remains limited in mental health settings.

Objective: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to assess the impact of implementing the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 modified for teens (PHQ-9M) in depression screening rates among adolescents aged 11-17 years at an outpatient mental health clinic in Southern Colorado.

Methods: A quantitative, quasi‑experimental pre- and post-intervention …

Using United States Medicare Program Claims To Identify Reliable Measures Of Low Value Services Influenced By Primary Care Physician Decisions, Chris Fleming, Dmitriy Poznyak, Rhea E. Powell, Claire Erba, Eunhae Shin, Rui Wang, Claire Burkhart, Arkadipta Ghosh, Eugene C. Rich

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

BACKGROUND: Low-value services (LVS) are those that “… provide little to no benefit to patients….”¹ Among an existing set of 31 LVS are invasive procedures not typically performed by primary care physicians (PCPs), and other LVS that may be commonly provided by specialists. To facilitate research on the role of primary care physicians in low-value care, we sought to identify the reliability of two subsets of LVS measures that are more directly subject to PCPs’ decisions. We refer to these as primary care adjacent (“PCA”) LVS measures.

METHODS: Retrospective observational cohort study to identify which of a 31-item LVS …

Expert Recommendations To Strengthen Chikungunya Outbreak Surveillance And Reporting For Traveler Health Protection, Daniel C. Payne, Karoun H. Bagamian, Jeffery Goad, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Michael A. Johansson, Moritz U. G. Kraemer, Eyal Leshem, Francesca F. Norman, Alfonso J. Rodríguez-Morales, Henrik Salje, Stephen Thomas, Scott C. Weaver, Lindsey A. Laytner, Rebecca Sturgis, Suzanne K. Scheele, Davidson H. Hamer

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Chikungunya, a debilitating mosquito-borne disease caused by chikungunya virus, has surged dramatically in the past two decades. Chikungunya outbreaks can intensify rapidly, with infections posing a significant endemic health burden in tropical/subtropical areas and for travelers. Health professionals require timely and accurate outbreak information to adequately protect travelers and assess chikungunya risk. However, detection is often insufficient in the areas most susceptible to outbreaks, leading to diagnostic and reporting delays. Consequently, travelers are often unaware of increased chikungunya infection risk at their destination. We assessed chikungunya surveillance and reporting resources, and we developed expert recommendations for traveler health protection. Because …

Five Corridors: A Community Health Needs Assessment Of Horry County, Stephen Borders, Hayley Bilko, Molly Craig, Olivia Guthrie, Ashley Mcconnell, Emily Mcgowan, Anna Quick, Abigail Rike, Makayla Wilson

Public Health

This report presents a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) of Horry County, South Carolina. Its central analytical contribution is a five-corridor framework derived from k-means cluster analysis of the county's 76 residential census tracts, drawing on social and economic indicators from the American Community Survey and health estimates from the CDC PLACES program. The analysis organizes the county into five distinct community types — Affluent Coastal Retirement, Moderate Coastal Retirement, Inland Rural/Suburban Transitional, Concentrated Disadvantage, and Hispanic Hospitality Worker — each with a characteristic profile of social and health conditions.

Within this framework, the assessment examines a range of social …

Isass Brave New Continuing Medical Education World: The Stifling Of Innovation In Spine Surgery Through Overrestriction Of Collaboration, Morgan P. Lorio, Kai-Uwe Lewandrowski, Óscar L. Alves, Avelino Parajón, Matthew Scott-Young, Hansen A. Yuan, Alex R. Vaccaro

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: in 2020, the accreditation Council for Continuing Medical education (aCCMe) released the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education, effective january 1, 2022, to ensure that accredited activities are accurate, balanced, evidence-based, and clearly separated from marketing and sales. although these aims are broadly supported, implementation may have unintended consequences in procedure-intensive specialties such as spine surgery, where surgeon–industry collaboration often drives device innovation, clinical trials, and dissemination of new techniques.

OBJECTIVE: To examine how current interpretations of ACCME eligibility and financial-relationship standards may affect continuing medical education in spine surgery and to propose practical adaptations …

Coverage, Traits, And Geographic Distribution Of Online Surgeon Reviews: Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Analysis, Michael Geng, Carlos Riveros, Yash B. Shah, Sanjana Ranganathan, Kai Fok, Renil Sinu Titus, Vatsala Mundra, Eusebio Luna Velasquez, Dharam Kaushik, Allan S. Detsky, Angela Jerath, Benjamin N. Breyer, Yusuke Tsugawa, Christopher J. D. Wallis, Raj Satkunasivam

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND: The use of online physician rating platforms has significantly increased and has been shown to influence physician selection. There are limited data on the use of these platforms for rating surgeons.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we sought to assess the geographic distribution of and patterns in rating scores of surgeons in the United States. Additionally, we examined rating volumes across different surgical specialties and the association between peer-nominated and patient-initiated ratings on online rating platforms in the United States.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study by identifying 201,154 surgeons in the United States via the National Plan and Provider …

Digital Touchpoints: Investigating Contact Page Accessibility And Visual Authenticity Within Medical Tourism Health Websites, Alicia Mason, Elizabeth Spencer, Kristen Livingston, Treyton Meyers, Sakshi Bhati, Himika Akram

Faculty Submissions

This study examines two critical digital touchpoints on medical tourism provider (MTP) websites: (1) the accessibility of contact pages which often function as entry points for inquiries, scheduling, and pre-travel coordination, and (2) the authenticity of visual imagery used to shape expectations about care environments, personnel, and technological capacity. A sample of 105 MTPs across all six World Health Organization regions were analyzed using quantitative web accessibility testing and qualitative visual analysis. Results indicate pervasive accessibility errors on contact-page touchpoints and extensive reliance on inauthentic imagery to depict patients, providers, and medical technologies. Together, these practices may distort user expectations …

Single State Agency Licensure Requirements For Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs In The United States: Results Of A National Survey, Brooks Yelton Ma, Lmsw, Melissa A. Westlake, Amanda J. Abraham, Colleen M. Grogan, Olivia Hinds, Christina M. Andrews

Faculty Publications

Background

Substance use disorder (SUD) remains a critical public health crisis in the United States, with high prevalence and overdose mortality rates. Despite the availability of effective treatments, including medications that significantly reduce overdose risk, fewer than 20% of Americans with active SUD receive treatment annually. Single State Agencies (SSAs), which oversee federal funding and regulate SUD treatment programs, hold significant authority to impose licensure and reporting requirements intended to promote treatment quality.

Methods

This study presents findings from a national survey of SSAs across 50 states and the District of Columbia (94% response rate) conducted between 2020 and 2021, …

The History Of Women In Neuroradiology In North America From 1990 To The Present, Vijay M. Rao

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

From 1990 to 2024, women neuroradiologists in North America have made tremendous progress in the areas of leadership, clinical innovation, research, education, diversity, equity and inclusion, and global outreach. This chapter begins with summaries of their key accomplishments in four broad domains, followed by short biographical sketches of numerous luminaries organized by leadership roles and areas of expertise, and ending with conclusions and future directions.

Factors Associated With Lapses In Care Among People Living With Hiv In South Carolina, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Fanghui Shi, Shujie Chen, Gavi Samuel, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Utilizing statewide electronic health records (EHR) data, this study aims to assess the factors determining the occurrence of lapses in HIV care among people with HIV (PWH) in South Carolina (SC). All adult (≥ 18 years old) PWH who were diagnosed with HIV between 2006 and 2018 with at least two HIV care encounters and at least 1-year follow-up record were included in the analysis. The outcome, a lapse in care, was defined as a repeated measure of HIV care encounter that occurs over a year following the previous visit. Generalized Estimation Equation models were employed. The study cohort had …

The Blurred Boundaries Of Care: A Qualitative Analysis Of Nurse-Doula Role Conflict, Curisa Mae Tucker Phd, Rn, Maria Mcclam, Kelly Russin Dnp, Rnc-Ob, Chse, Nansi Boghossian, Rachel Gulczinski, Lauren Workman

Faculty Publications

Introduction:

Methods:

What Factors Influence Health Professions Trainees’ Preferences For Employment In Rural Appalachia? A Qualitative Study To Inform The Design Of A Discrete Choice Experiment, Chris Gillette, Jan Ostermann Ph.D., Aylin A. Aguillar, Sarah O'Neal, Chris Everett, Dawn Caviness, Esita Patel, Laiton Steele, Dawn Goel, Quazi Minhaz Tabassum

Faculty Publications

Optimizing the geographic allocation of health care providers has the potential to improve health care access and health outcomes for rural populations. To inform the design of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey to elicit health professions trainees' preferences for rural practice, this formative research aimed to: (1) elicit factors that influence job selection among health profession trainees, including medical residents physician assistant (PA) and nurse practitioner (NP) students, (2) identify how these trainees evaluate trade-offs for rural job placement and (3) inform attribute selection for inclusion into a future DCE to identify health professions trainees’ preferences for rural practice. …

Translating Community Voices To Build Meaningful Engagement: A Community Health Worker Led Study, Lauren Workman, Julie Smithwick Msw, Chw, Kimberly C. Rawlinson, Mark M. Macauda, Lashandra Morgan, Whitney Davis

Faculty Publications

Background: Understanding community perspectives on barriers and facilitators of meaningful engagement, equitable decision making, and sustainable community improvement is critical for advancing health equity. Community Health Workers can make significant contributions to research teams, as they are bridges into communities and bring unique perspectives. This study describes community voices on barriers to authentic engagement and insights on strategies to build trust, as well as the way in which these data were translated into a tangible assessment tool and a community-facilitated learning academy.

Methods: A team of Community Health Workers led a series of 24 ‘open mic’ discussions in four South …

Challenges, Stressors, And Resilience Resources Experienced By Older Black Women In Rural South Carolina Throughout The Covid-19 Pandemic, Arielle N'Diaye, Camryn Garrett, Sarah Wilcox Phd, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background

Resilience has been established as a protective factor against mental health challenges (e.g., anxiety, depression). From an intersectional perspective, the stressors experienced by Black women living in rural communities are likely to have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to identify the challenges and stressors experienced and the resilience resources available to and relied upon by rural, Black women, during the pandemic.

Methods

Individual, in-depth, structured interviews (n = 24) were conducted among Black women living in rural South Carolina, recruited by local community health workers, from January to April of 2024. All interviews were recorded, …

Evaluating The American Society Of Hematology Quality Measure On Timeliness Of Analgesics For Sickle Cell Disease Pain Crisis, Ibrahim Gwarzo, Harish Chandra Dega, Paula Tanabe, Robin Miller, David C. Brousseau

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) proposed the median time to first emergency department (ED) administration of pain medication for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) vaso-occlusive pain episodes (VOE) as a site-level quality measure. Generalizable studies assessing current guideline adherence recommending pain medications within 60 minutes are lacking. We leveraged multisite electronic health record data from Epic's Cosmos research platform to analyze ED encounters for SCD VOE from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2024, with administration of at least 1 pain medication. We calculated the quality measure (median time to first pain medication) and ranked sites based on …

Group Antenatal Care Model As An Innovative And Sustainable Maternal And Child Health Service Delivery In A Northern Nigerian State, Pius I. Christopher-Izere, Abiola Ajibola, Abimbola Phillips, Dorcas Magbadelo, Ibidun Jolaoso, Obioma Azurunwa, Francis Ogirima, Collins Imarhiagbe, Anthony Onwuegbusi, David Udanwojo, Emmanuel Udeh, Victor Obagunlu, Adebola Adekogbe, Sunday Joseph, Hamza Abubakar, Neyu Iiyasu, Adetosoye Adebanjo, Barlarbe Gaya, Olayiwola Jaiyeola, Damilola Olaniyan, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Deborah Lynn Billings Ph.D., Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

The maternal and child health situation in developing countries remains critical and deeply concerning, These regions account for 99% of global maternal and under-five deaths. In Nigeria, uptake of critical life-saving maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) services, delivered through antenatal care (ANC), are sub-optimal, leading to poor outcomes. Group antenatal care (G-ANC) is an evolving antenatal care delivery model in low and medium-income countries. G-ANC models can improve quality and uptake of maternal health services.G-ANC model was implemented across 255 primary health facilities (PHFs) to ensure pregnant women receive components of a well-defined package of MNCH services at regular …

Leveraging Informatics To Manage Lifelong Monitoring In Childhood Cancer Survivors, Kimberly Davidow, Renee Gresh, E. Anders Kolb, Ellen Guarnieri, Mary R. Cooper

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Background: Electronic health records (EHR) have long held promise for sharing information efficiently, but this remains challenging. This quality improvement initiative sought to improve the accurate documentation of anthracycline and radiation therapy exposures in pediatric oncology patients who were treated at different institutions through a quality improvement methodology and EHR tools. Methods: A custom-built EHR smartform was previously created. Modifications were made to the smartform, and quality improvement methods were utilized to improve receipt of radiation summaries from other institutions and documentation of chemotherapeutic doses. Results: Three months after interventions, including clinician education and smartform updates, accurate anthracycline documentation improved …

Management Of Patients Requiring High-Flow Nasal Cannula In A Pediatric Observation Unit: A Single-Center Experience, Evelyn Zhang, Yvette Calderon, Czer Anthoney Lim, Diana Hou Yan

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Due to widespread shortages of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) beds during the 2022–2023 respiratory virus surge, a protocol was implemented to identify and manage patients on high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in a pediatric observation unit (POU). This study aims to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients who received HFNC in the observation unit.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients admitted to a community pediatric observation unit who received HFNC between October 2022 and January 2023. Patients were grouped by disposition from the observation unit, either discharged home or transferred to PICU. Descriptive analysis …

Plans4care, A Web Application Providing Caregivers Personalized Solutions To Manage Dementia-Related Care Challenges: Proof Of Concept And Efficacy Trial, Laura N. Gitlin, Eric Jutkowitz, Catherine V. Piersol, Sokha Koeuth, Taylor Sivori, Melinda J. Webster, Rachel N. Barnett, David L. Roth

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Few dementia caregivers have access to evidence-based support programs. Web applications (app) may address this gap. Plans4Care, a web app, provides caregivers with on-demand personalized solutions to address care challenges. We present results of a proof-of-concept study and describe a trial protocol to test efficacy.

METHODS: To use Plans4Care, caregivers respond to brief onboarding questions, assess dementia patients' cognitive function, identify care challenges, and generate "action plans" (personalized strategies). Telehealth sessions with dementia-trained care advisors are available. A proof-of-concept study evaluated a clickable prototype using standardized technology scales to determine if >75 % scored positively on four criteria (acceptability, …

Development Of The Self-Administered Health Complexity Screening Instrument, Sheila Specker, Rachel Andrew, Emily Drexler, Emily Koithan, Steven Thurber, Steven Frankel

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to develop a self-administered screening tool to assist case managers, primary care physicians, and other clinicians in quickly and accurately identifying patients with complex health needs who require a definitive and detailed case management evaluation. In addition to medical and psychiatric items, this tool incorporates multiple social determinants of health (SDOH), known to add to clinical complexity. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING: This instrument is most appropriate for identifying patients with high complexity in the primary care sector. Due to the abundance of such patients with high biopsychosocial complexity and costs of treating these patients, …