Health Services Research Commons^™

Navigating End-Of-Life Decisions: Cultural Considerations For Latine Patients, Michelle Carbajal Hernandez

Honors Capstones

Healthcare professionals face many challenges when communicating terminal illness prognoses for individuals. This responsibility to address a terminal prognosis is further complicated when communicating with Latine patients who may face multiple barriers within the healthcare system and whose cultural preferences influence end-of-life care planning (Carrion, 2010). For example, Latines are less likely to enroll in end-of-life (EOL) care services (e.g., hospice) (Barragan-Carrillo et al., 2022). As well as engage in end-of-life care planning than White Non-Latines (Shen et al., 2016). To understand this hesitancy towards EOL care options, this literature review aims to explore how terminally ill Latine and …

Band-Aids And Backroads: Surviving Rural Healthcare In South-Central Mississippi, Cambry L. Craft

Honors Theses

Health is more than the absence of disease—it is the product of opportunity, trust, and access. Yet for millions living in rural areas of the United States, equitable healthcare remains out of reach. This thesis seeks to amplify the voices of rural residents in Mississippi and uncover how their experiences, beliefs, and cultural values shape their perception of their local hospital and the care that is provided there. This qualitative research study examines the experiences and opinions of a rural community in south-central Mississippi regarding their local hospital, as well as their perceptions of the most effective approach to prevent …

Dermatological Primary Health Care Services For Older Adults In Thailand, Chinmanat Lekhavat, Jiruth Sriratanaban

Journal of Health Research

Background: The increasing population aging worldwide poses challenges to accessibility to dermatological care, especially in rural areas with limited dermatologist availability. Establishing dermatological primary health care (PHC) services for older adults is crucial for improving access, efficiency, and equity. However, no study has systematically explored such a system.

Method: This mixed-methods study employed a participatory action research (PAR) model to identify structural and procedural requirements, patient journeys, health needs, and expectations. Data were collected through focus groups, in-depth interviews, and surveys. Design thinking workshops, guided by PAR principles, were used to develop dermatological PHC services. A survey was conducted across …

Prosthesis, Alexander A. Grosek

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the hospital as a prosthetic—a structural and spatial support for the human body in moments of vulnerability. Like a crutch or cast, the hospital temporarily supports patients in their transition from horizontal (infirm) to vertical (mobile), yet its architecture often fails to contribute meaningfully to that healing process. While clinical treatment is prioritized, the spatial, emotional, and sensory dimensions of care are neglected. What supports what becomes a central question: the building holds the body, but the body also gives meaning to the building. Their relationship is reciprocal.

Rather than proving that good design improves health—an idea …

Improving Healthcare Access Among Hunter College Students – Suggestions For A Hunter College Student Health Center, Jacob Villorente

Publications and Research

This study investigates disparities in healthcare access among students at CUNY Hunter College, an urban public university in Manhattan serving over 22,000 students. 89% of Hunter students receive financial aid, with 67% of students receiving Pell grants. Hunter College only offers limited health services, primarily short-term mental health counseling and wellness workshops. A cross-sectional survey (n = 33) assessed insurance status, coverage (dental, vision, psychiatric), access barriers (e.g., transportation), mental health symptoms, and impacts to academia. While 69.7% of respondents reported comprehensive insurance, students with public insurance (Medicaid, Medicare) experienced substantially higher access barriers than those with employer-sponsored plans and …

Healthcare Experiences And Pain Dismissal By Healthcare Professionals, Amanda Warren

Honors Theses

Background. Pain dismissal by healthcare professionals has gained recent attention in popular culture as people have come forward to discuss their own experiences with this issue. Pain dismissal is prevalent within the healthcare system, and college-aged young adults may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing pain dismissal because of their age. College students may also be influenced by societal factors that may affect their attitudes towards seeking help and advocating for themselves during healthcare visits. There is limited research on college students' attitudes and behaviors on seeking help after experiencing pain dismissal by a healthcare provider. This study aims to 1) …

Understanding The Care Experiences And Support Needs Of Uk Adults Treated In Hospital For Meningitis, Harriet Hay, Amy Tallett Dr, Bec Aeddi, Beverley Corbett, Claire Donovan, Jane Blewitt, Juan Abad Madroñero

Patient Experience Journal

Background: Meningitis often results in ongoing and multifaceted after-effects, which can impact many aspects of people's lives, yet relatively little support and follow-up is offered. This study explored post-treatment care experiences of UK adults aged 16 and over following a recent stay in hospital for meningitis. Methods: A survey was designed to ask about hospital discharge, recovery, information provision and aftercare support. The research involved 5 semi-structured, in-depth interviews and a 15-participant online asynchronous focus group. The themes arising from this qualitative stage informed the development of a quantitative 32-item questionnaire which was hosted and promoted online between September 2022 …

The Present And Future Of Ai: Ethical Issues And Research Opportunities, Ankita Srivastava, Marco Marabelli, Danielle Blanch-Hartigan, Jeffrey Moriarty, Evan Carey

Computer Information Systems Faculty Publications

Healthcare is currently a fast-changing industry with AI and generative AI (GenAI) playing a prominent role in the transformation of clinical as well as managerial practices. Clinical practices involve AI to diagnose diseases and develop new drugs and compounds, while managerial practices concern AI-supporting processes such as billing patients and insurance companies, handling electronic medical records, and supporting remote connections with patients, increasingly using virtual and augmented reality. Yet, all these opportunities offered by AI come with challenges involving potential ethical issues, such as discrimination, bias, lack of accessibility, and privacy issues. In March 2024, we organized a panel with …

The Present And Future Of Ai: Ethical Issues And Research Opportunities, Ankita Srivastava, Marco Marabelli, Danielle Blanch-Hartigan, Jeffrey Moriarty, Evan Carey

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Healthcare is currently a fast-changing industry with AI and generative AI (GenAI) playing a prominent role in the transformation of clinical as well as managerial practices. Clinical practices involve AI to diagnose diseases and develop new drugs and compounds, while managerial practices concern AI-supporting processes such as billing patients and insurance companies, handling electronic medical records, and supporting remote connections with patients, increasingly using virtual and augmented reality. Yet, all these opportunities offered by AI come with challenges involving potential ethical issues, such as discrimination, bias, lack of accessibility, and privacy issues. In March 2024, we organized a panel with …

Exploring Lgbtq+ Competency In Healthcare, Jordan Whiteman

Honors College Theses

Marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ+ community are known to face healthcare disparities that negatively affect their process of navigating healthcare systems. This project explores the perceived lack of representation and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community within healthcare settings, exposing the deficits in knowledge for unique challenges and inequalities these patients may face. By viewing the literature, a myriad of complications faced by LGBTQ+ people in clinical settings can be identified. They possess a generalized feeling of mistrust towards the healthcare system. Healthcare staff overall describe low confidence with caring for this demographic. Heteronormativity’s presence in the field of healthcare …

Understanding Provider Competency In Gender Affirming Care, Vanessa Castle, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual plus (LGBTQ+) individuals, especially transgender patients, face many healthcare disparities. It is extremely important for them to have access to high-quality healthcare, particularly Gender Affirming Care (GAC), to support their well-being and mental health. However, many healthcare providers, including clinical social workers, NPs, PAs, and MDs lack proper training to offer GAC. The current training opportunities available are often basic and lack comprehensive, detailed information. To reduce healthcare barriers for the transgender and gender-diverse community, we must have comprehensive training on GAC available for providers so they can treat their patients with …

Comprehensive Community Medicine, Alexander Walther

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Comprehensive Community Medicine (CCM) is a theoretical framework designed to address the complex needs of individuals with dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance use disorders (SUDs). Dual diagnosis is highly prevalent, particularly among populations experiencing homelessness, and is associated with poorer health outcomes and increased healthcare service utilization. Structural inequities, including a fractured healthcare system, exacerbate the challenges faced by this vulnerable group. Research indicates that effective care for dually diagnosed individuals requires a layered approach addressing clinical, systemic, legal, and housing barriers.

The development of CCM has been informed by interviews with local stakeholders, including County EMS board …

Gender And Sexuality Awareness In Medical Education And Practice: Mixed Methods Study, Rola Khamisy-Farah, Eden Biras, Rabie Shehadeh, Ruba Tuma, Hisham Atwan, Anna Siri, Manlio Converti, Francesco Chirico, Łukasz Szarpak, Carlo Biz, Raymond Farah, Nicola Bragazzi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The integration of gender and sexuality awareness in health care is increasingly recognized as vital for patient outcomes. Despite this, there is a notable lack of comprehensive data on the current state of physicians' training and perceptions in these areas, leading to a gap in targeted educational interventions and optimal health care delivery.

OBJECTIVE: The study's aim was to explore the experiences and perceptions of attending and resident physicians regarding the inclusion of gender and sexuality content in medical school curricula and professional practice in Israel.

METHODS: This cross-sectional survey targeted a diverse group of physicians across various specializations …

Health And Healthcare: Designing For The Social Determinants Of Health And Blue Zones In North Nashville, Rebecca Tonguis, Honor Thomas, Olivia Hobbs

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Owned by North Nashville’s First Community Church, a now empty site in the Osage-North Fisk neighborhood of North Nashville has been identified as a potential site for a new location of The Store, in addition to a community-centric architectural development based on the social determinants of health and informed by the principles behind Blue Zones, the locations with the highest lifespans in the world. Opened by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, The Store is a free grocery store that “allow[s] people to shop for their basic needs in a way that protects dignity and fosters hope”, for which North Nashville …

Analyzing Health Care Delivery Costs From 2011 To 2020 In The Emergency Departments And Overall Hospital Costs, Jacob A. Corey

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Discoverpath: A Knowledge Refinement And Retrieval System For Interdisciplinarity On Biomedical Research, Yu-Neng Chuang, Guanchu Wang, Chia-Yuan Chang, Kwei-Herng Lai, Daochen Zha, Ruixiang Tang, Fan Yang, Alfredo Costilla Reyes, Kaixiong Zhou, Xiaoqian Jiang, Xia Hu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The exponential growth in scholarly publications necessitates advanced tools for efficient article retrieval, especially in interdisciplinary fields where diverse terminologies are used to describe similar research. Traditional keyword-based search engines often fall short in assisting users who may not be familiar with specific terminologies. To address this, we present a knowledge graph based paper search engine for biomedical research to enhance the user experience in discovering relevant queries and articles. The system, dubbed DiscoverPath, employs Named Entity Recognition (NER) and part-of-speech (POS) tagging to extract terminologies and relationships from article abstracts to create a KG. To reduce information overload, DiscoverPath …

Revitalizing The Healthcare Market: An Analysis Of Hospital Pricing Transparency Compliance, Ellie Bruggeman

Business and Economics Summer Fellows

The healthcare industry is one of the most praised industries in the US due to its lifesaving capabilities and immersive care. Consumers regularly report that are satisfied with the care they receive from their physicians. Conversely, they also report frustrations and confusions associated with the costs of such care. In extreme cases, this frustration can turn to financial ruin as medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the US. The healthcare industry does not operate in congruence with other markets, largely due to the presence of insurance and other third-party payers. The undisclosed interactions between third party payers …

An Analysis Of Burnout And Wellness Of Healthcare Workers Based On Patient Population And Healthcare Worker Location, Spencer Brandenburg

Undergraduate Theses

Healthcare workers, even with all of the positive work that they do, often suffer from increased burnout and decreased wellness/quality of life. This problem is not new and has been steadily worsening for many years, however, there are factors which impact burnout and wellness that have not been analyzed or have produced mixed results in prior burnout and wellness literature. There has been little to no research done on the impact of patient population demographics on burnout and wellness in healthcare workers, and the research analyzing the impacts of demographic healthcare worker location has consistently produced mixed results often based …

Exploration Of Data Science Toolbox And Predictive Models To Detect And Prevent Medicare Fraud, Waste, And Abuse, Benjamin P. Goodwin, Adam Canton, Babatunde Olanipekun

SMU Data Science Review

The Federal Department of Health and Human Services spends approximately $830 Billion annually on Medicare of which an estimated $30 to $110 billion is some form of fraud, waste, or abuse (FWA). Despite the Federal Government’s ongoing auditing efforts, fraud, waste, and abuse is rampant and requires modern machine learning approaches to generalize and detect such patterns. New and novel machine learning algorithms offer hope to help detect fraud, waste, and abuse. The existence of publicly accessible datasets complied by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contain vast quantities of structured data. This data, coupled with industry standardized …

Health Care Provider’S Perceptions Of The Transition Between Pediatric To Adolescent And Adulthood: A Qualitative Inquiry, Antoinette W. Coward, Andrea E. Mcdonald

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

This study examines the current practices provided from pediatric to adult health care for children with special health care needs at FQHCs using the Six Core Elements of Health Care. Methods: A phenomenological approach was used to recruit and interview ten (10) health leaders from FQHCs. The participants were recruited through this letter sent to the Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Center. The researchers-initiated contact with the key informant to introduce them to the study. After consent was obtained, demographic information collected, and interviews were scheduled. During the semi-structured interview session, the key informant was asked questions related to their …

Telehealth In Medicine: Predictions 2023–2024, Jiang Li, Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, Kathleen Mcgrow, Brendan F. Smith, Paul Barach, Sweta Sneha, Francis X. Campion

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Each year, Telehealth and Medicine Today asks experts in the field to share their insights into the future and predict how telehealth will influence uptake and healthcare in the new year.

Ageism, Eldercare, And Healthcare: An Examination Of Growing Old In Costa Rica, Akshaya Vijayasankar

Honors Theses

The world’s aging population and the Covid-19 pandemic have revealed the high level of ageism against older adults around the globe, which has resulted in an overall decreased quality of life for elders. Societies are now faced with the challenge of creating a suitable and equitable model of care to support their aging population. Despite the recent publication of the World Health Organization's Global Report on Ageism, there is still a large gap in the literature regarding ageism. This paper addresses the issues of institutional ageism in the eldercare and healthcare sector. I argue that Costa Rica serves as a …

Prevention Of Diabetes-Related Hospital Readmission Following Initial Diagnosis Of Diabetes In Patients Over The Age Of Fifty: A Scoping Review, Nathan Miller Dnp, Agacnp, Fnp, Jasmine Harris Dnp, Fnp, Michael Clardy Dnp, Agacnp, Diana Dedmon Dnp, Acnp, Fnp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background: By reviewing multiple studies related to the treatment of patients with new diagnoses of diabetes, this scoping review will endeavor to determine which interventions, when implemented for patients over 50 years old which are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, can decrease the likelihood of hospital readmission related to diabetes within 90 days when compared with those patients who did not receive or participate in follow-up.

Methods: For resources to be eligible to review they had to be from 2015 or after. Studies selected included patients over the age of 50 newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes subject to …

Emerging Viral Diseases: Generation Z'S Outlook, Ian Mcwhorter

Honors Projects

Generation Z differs notably from previous generations like Baby Boomers or Generation X. In recent years, young adults have been persisting through the COVID-19 pandemic, though not unscathed. This paper seeks to answer the following question: How does Generation Z differ in its outlook on Viral diseases compared to previous generations? Using a series of three surveys conducted on three seperate Viral diseases (HIV, Zika, and COVID 19), it was found that while Generation Z has improved in its ability to combat Viral outbreaks due to factors like high digital literacy, other factors such as poorer mental health show that …

Perceptions Of Hypertension And Treatment Adherence In Impoverished Hypertensive Adults: A Qualitative Analysis, Sarah E. Hogg

Honors College Theses

Hypertension is a global public health crisis. It is the largest risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death globally (CDC, 2021). While it can be managed, there are additional barriers that hypertensive impoverished populations face in regards to hypertension management. The purpose of this study was to explore knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of hypertension, and treatment adherence in impoverished hypertensive adults. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, and were explained within the context of the health belief model. The results show that there was a lack of understanding of hypertension and its long term effects. …

Healthcare Safety-Net In The United States: Patient Satisfaction Across Rural And Urban Hospitals, Vivian Ho

Senior Theses

Objective. To examine rurality and other hospital characteristics associated with patient satisfaction across hospitals in the United States.

Data. Nationwide hospital data from the 2019 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey and the 2020 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Provider of Services (POS) file.

Study Design. Hospital ZIP-codes were categorized into urban, rural micropolitan, or small/isolated rural based on Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes. Patient satisfaction measures from the HCAHPS survey were linked to the CMS POS data for hospital characteristics, yielding 2,357 urban, 749 rural micropolitan, and 1,343 small/isolated rural hospitals. ANOVA and …

The Effect Of Provider-Patient Racial Concordance On Student Health Services, Sophia B. Gilliam

Senior Theses

Objective: This research aimed to evaluate the effect of provider-patient racial concordance on perceived care received by University of South Carolina students at Student Health Services.

Methods: A total of 173 students at the University of South Carolina Columbia campus who have received care from Student Health Services within the past 2 years participated in the study. Participants were questioned about their experience with Student Health Services using an adaptation of the CAHPS® Clinician & Group Survey Version 3.0. Independent samples t-tests and descriptive analyses were used for comparisons between the 25 non-white respondents and a randomly selected proportionate group …

Violence Against Healthcare Workers: An Epidemic Within A Pandemic, Michaela Ramandanes

College of Health Sciences Posters

Violence and harassment towards healthcare workers has been an underlying problem throughout history. However, with the rapid and evolving onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the risks that healthcare workers face has been a focal topic of discussion among administration, staff and the public. What was once considered an occupational hazard is now being raised as a public health issue- an epidemic within a pandemic. This literature review seeks to identify the prevalence and causes of violence and harassment towards healthcare workers. Was healthcare violence as prevalent before COVID-19? Has violence increased because patient volume increased? Additionally, this review will determine …

We Won't Go There: Barriers To Accessing Maternal And Newborn Care In District Thatta, Pakistan, Muhammad Asim, Sarah Saleem, Zarak Hussain Ahmed, Imran Naeem Abbasi, Farina Abrejo, Zafar Fatmi, Sameen Siddiqi

Community Health Sciences

Accessibility and utilization of healthcare plays a significant role in preventing complications during pregnancy, labor, and the early postnatal period. However, multiple barriers can prevent women from accessing services. The aim of this study was to explore the multifaceted barriers that inhibit women from seeking maternal and newborn health care in Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan. This study employed an interpretive research design using a purposive sampling approach. Pre-tested, semi-structured interview guides were used for data collection. The data were collected through eight focus group discussions with men and women, and six in-depth interviews with lady health workers and analyzed through thematic …

Literatur Review: How To Maintenance Vip, Sarah Fatimah, Wahyu Sulistiadi

Jurnal ARSI : Administrasi Rumah Sakit Indonesia

In Marketing analysis, patient is an important stakeholder of the hospital. And VIP patients can be valuable to increased demand. Caring for very important persons (VIPs), including celebrities and royalty, presents medical, organizational, and administrative challenges, often referred to collectively as the “VIP syndrome. The situation often pressures the health care team to bend the rules by which they usually practice medicine. Caring for VIP patients requires innovative solutions so that their VIP status does not adversely affect the care they receive. Caring for very important persons (VIPs), including celebrities and royalty, presents medical, organizational, and administrative challenges, often referred …