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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Influencer Model Management: Grounded Theory Approach To Communication Influencer, Young Joon Lim Sep 2023

Influencer Model Management: Grounded Theory Approach To Communication Influencer, Young Joon Lim

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

The term “influencer” has become widely recognized in the realm of influencer marketing, which refers to a form of social media advertising that capitalizes on the credibility of popular social media influencers to effectively reach a large target audience while maintaining an aura of authenticity. However, despite the significance of this concept, there is a noticeable lack of articles that have delved into the conceptual and theoretical development of an influencer model. Therefore, this study aims to address this research gap by adopting a classic grounded theory approach to identify and explore the common factors that contribute to the emergence …


You've Been Fact-Checked! Examining The Effectiveness Of Social Media Fact-Checking Against The Spread Of Misinformation, Ben Wasike Sep 2023

You've Been Fact-Checked! Examining The Effectiveness Of Social Media Fact-Checking Against The Spread Of Misinformation, Ben Wasike

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using a random sample of active social media users (N = 1,156), this study examined the effectiveness of social media fact-checking against online misinformation sharing. Data indicates that these fact-checks are minimally effective in stopping the spread of misinformation on social media. Being aware of the fact-checks, being fact-checked, or even having content deleted from one's account were not deterrents to sharing misinformation. The fear of isolation was the strongest deterrent, suggesting that account freezes, suspensions, or bans were the most effective ways to curtail the spread of misinformation. The study contributes to research on fact-checking, to research on …


The Influencer Sent Me! Examining How Social Media Influencers Affect Social Media Engagement, Social Self-Efficacy, Knowledge Acquisition, And Social Interaction, Ben Wasike Jun 2023

The Influencer Sent Me! Examining How Social Media Influencers Affect Social Media Engagement, Social Self-Efficacy, Knowledge Acquisition, And Social Interaction, Ben Wasike

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examined how exposure to social media influencer (SMI) content affects social media engagement (SME), knowledge acquisition, social self-efficacy (SSE), and social interaction. Structural equation analysis indicated that exposure to SMI content improves SME, perceptions of knowledge acquisition, and SSE. In turn, perceptions of knowledge acquisition improved SSE and improved both online and offline social interaction. Perceptions of knowledge acquisition positively mediated between exposure to SMI content and online social interaction, between SME and online social interaction, and between SME and SSE. The study concludes that following an SMI empowers users regarding perceptions of knowledge and SSE, and that …


Perceptions Of Collegial And Uncollegial Behaviors After A University Consolidation: A Quantitative And Qualitative Analysis Of How Faculty Viewed Members Of Their New Academic Units, Dora E. Saavedra, Jennifer Lemanski, Kristine M. Wirts, Shawn P. Saladin, Joanne Rampersad Jan 2023

Perceptions Of Collegial And Uncollegial Behaviors After A University Consolidation: A Quantitative And Qualitative Analysis Of How Faculty Viewed Members Of Their New Academic Units, Dora E. Saavedra, Jennifer Lemanski, Kristine M. Wirts, Shawn P. Saladin, Joanne Rampersad

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Much has been written about collegiality in academe, most notably by Cipriano (2011), Buller (2006, 2012), and Cipriano and Buller (2012, 2017), Flaherty (2013). Concomitantly, awareness has increased about instances of abusive supervision (Gere, 2020), incivility (Andersson & Pearson, 1999), microaggressions (Sue & Rivera, 2011) bullying and mobbing (i.e., group bullying) in the workplace and in higher education (Cowan, 2009), Duffy (2009), Lutgen-Sandvik (2006), Lutgen-Sandvik and Tracy (2012), Heeman (2007), Lutgen-Sandvik & McDermott (2011), and Taylor (2012). Instances of incivilities have continued to be a concern as evident in the journal article in Nature titled: “Astronomers victimized colleagues—and put historic …


I Am An Influencer And I Approve This Message! Examining How Political Social Media Influencers Affect Political Interest, Political Trust, Political Efficacy, And Political Participation, Ben Wasike Jan 2023

I Am An Influencer And I Approve This Message! Examining How Political Social Media Influencers Affect Political Interest, Political Trust, Political Efficacy, And Political Participation, Ben Wasike

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study surveyed a random sample of social media users (N = 813) to examine how following political social media influencers (PSMIs) affects political interest and political trust. The study also examined whether political interest and political trust affect internal and external online political efficacy (OPE) and political participation. Structural equation analysis indicated that following a PSMI increased political interest and political trust, with a pronounced effect on political interest. Additionally, political interest boosted both internal and external OPE, while political trust boosted external OPE only. Mediated effects analysis indicated that political interest improved the relationship between following a PSMI …


Roles Played By Nigerian Youtube Micro-Celebrities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aje-Ori Agbese Dec 2022

Roles Played By Nigerian Youtube Micro-Celebrities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aje-Ori Agbese

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigerian social media micro-celebrities were prominent players in the dissemination of information. This study examines the roles that one group of Nigerian micro-celebrities, YouTube video bloggers (vloggers)—also known as “YouTubers”—played during the pandemic. The research analysed the contents of COVID-19-themed videos that 15 popular Nigerian YouTubers posted on their channels between 29 February and 5 August 2020. The study was guided by the two-step flow of communication theory, in terms of which information first flows from mass media to opinion leaders, who then, in the second step, share the information with their audiences. The …


When The Influencer Says Jump! How Influencer Signaling Affects Engagement With Covid-19 Misinformation, Ben Wasike Dec 2022

When The Influencer Says Jump! How Influencer Signaling Affects Engagement With Covid-19 Misinformation, Ben Wasike

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

With signaling theory, credibility, and social media engagement (SME) as guiding frameworks, this study used an experiment to examine how social media influencers (SMIs) affect how people engage with COVID-19 misinformation. SMI-promoted information elicited more SME, credibility, and purchase likelihood than non-SMI promoted information. The most effective message was a post promoted by an SMI that contained detailed information about an authentic product. However, data indicated nuance regarding the effect of SMIs. The authenticity of the information as well as the amount of detail in the post played a role. Additionally, mediated effects analysis showed that the impact of SME …


Small Groups: Effectiveness In A University Classroom And The Role Gender Plays In Group Interactions, Nikkie Saldivar Hodgson, Savannah Margaret Hanson May 2022

Small Groups: Effectiveness In A University Classroom And The Role Gender Plays In Group Interactions, Nikkie Saldivar Hodgson, Savannah Margaret Hanson

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Previous studies demonstrate that working in small teams enhances motivation, enthusiasm, and cooperative learning when compared to traditional learning methodology (Davies, 2009; Gaudet, Ramer, Nakonechny, Cragg, & Ramer, 2010). The purpose of this study is to understand the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of working in small groups in classrooms, and the effects that gender roles have. The present survey (N=138) reports on the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of working in small groups on assignments and projects in college level courses. Using a self-recording paper-and-pencil instrument, the researcher asked if the respondents have had the opportunity to work in small groups and how …


Creating Flexibility With A New Faculty Classification, Louis K. Falk, Kelly B. Smith, Jennifer Lemanski May 2022

Creating Flexibility With A New Faculty Classification, Louis K. Falk, Kelly B. Smith, Jennifer Lemanski

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years Institutions of Higher Education have refocused their instructional methods toward online or remote options. This rearrangement has brought challenges to many universities and colleges, the likes of which have not been seen before. Preparing, encouraging, and converting faculty to online instructors has been one of the core issues. Within Higher Education at major colleges and universities a professor whose primary responsibility is teaching strictly online has not been widely accepted. This paper explores the relatively recent changes in Higher Education, types of instruction, the traditional faculty structure, and calls for the addition of an online faculty rank, …


Memes, Memes, Everywhere, Nor Any Meme To Trust: Examining The Credibility And Persuasiveness Of Covid-19-Related Memes, Ben Wasike Mar 2022

Memes, Memes, Everywhere, Nor Any Meme To Trust: Examining The Credibility And Persuasiveness Of Covid-19-Related Memes, Ben Wasike

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examined the credibility and persuasiveness of COVID-19-related Internet memes. This approach is important given the widespread use of social media during the pandemic and the rise of meme-based communication on social media. The study found that memes from an expert source are more credible and persuasive than those from a nonexpert source. The same applied to memes with an objective message over those with a subjective message. The credibility of a meme also improved its persuasiveness, meaning that users were more likely to like it, comment on it, and share it with others. As expected, younger people were …


Dilip Kumar: An Auteur Actor, Sharaf Rehman Aug 2021

Dilip Kumar: An Auteur Actor, Sharaf Rehman

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dilip Kumar był chwalony za wysublimowane prowadzenie dialogów, opanowaną gestykulację oraz za wyważone i kontrolowane wyrażanie emocji zarówno w opowieściach tragicznych, jak też w beztroskich komediach. Jego debiut w 1944 w Jwar Bhata (Odpływy i przypływy) spotkał się z niezbyt pochlebnymi recenzjami. Podobnie było z kolejnymi trzema filmami, aż do filmu Jugnu (Świetlik) z 1948 roku, który przyniósł mu uznanie i sukces. W przeciwieństwie do swoich rówieśników, jak Raj Kapoor iDev Anand, którzy napędzali kariery, uruchamiając własne firmy produkcyjne, Dilip Kumar polegał na swoim talencie, unikalnym podejściu do charakteryzacji i zaangażowaniu w projekty, których się podjął. …


A Qualitative Study Of Intercultural Friendship Through New Social Media, Yanrong (Yvonne) Chang Mar 2021

A Qualitative Study Of Intercultural Friendship Through New Social Media, Yanrong (Yvonne) Chang

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Applying Casmir’s Third Culture Model (TCM) of intercultural communication (Casmir 1993, 1999), the current study examines the ongoing interaction between two international participants mediated by one social medium: WeChat. It describes the dialogic communication patterns between the participants that enabled them collaboratively to construct a shared and mutually beneficial third culture that brought about a productive intercultural friendship. It demonstrates ways WeChat helped transform their interactions and facilitated their friendship development.


Individual Journalistic Bias Leads To Public Propaganda: The Integration Of Social Intuitionist Model (Sim) And Hierarchy Of Influences Model (Him), Young Joon Lim, Jennifer Lemanski Jan 2021

Individual Journalistic Bias Leads To Public Propaganda: The Integration Of Social Intuitionist Model (Sim) And Hierarchy Of Influences Model (Him), Young Joon Lim, Jennifer Lemanski

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

The social intuitionist model (SIM) highlights the superiority of intuitive emotions over reasoning process in the link of moral judgment and reasoning, addressing the issues of private or individual intuitions of moral judgments on an interpersonal communication level. While the SIM can be applied to explain why journalists are biased and prone to producing intuitive news stories, the hierarchy of influences model (HIM) offers a theoretical framework that affects media content, which journalists and media organizations create in a social and cultural approach to propaganda. This chapter explores how the integration of SIM and HIM demonstrates the path to propagandistic …


Nationalism Not Racism: President Trump’S Strategic Communication War Against China’S Coronavirus Propaganda, Young Joon Lim Jan 2021

Nationalism Not Racism: President Trump’S Strategic Communication War Against China’S Coronavirus Propaganda, Young Joon Lim

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article conceptualizes strategic communication nationalism amid the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, this research explores traditional strategic use of communication such as nationalism, propaganda, PSYOP, and dissent public relations in an epistemic status, as well as new strategic use of communication such as rhetorical reappropriation, use of social media, and control of narratives toward global audiences. The focus is on the U.S. challenges emerging from the Chinese coronavirus propaganda campaign, which spreads disinformation to deflect blame for the outbreak via a spinning-a-tale narrative. This article relies on President Trump’s dissent strategic communication technique against the Chinese coronavirus propaganda campaign via Twitter, …


Will My Disclosure Harm The Relationship? Factors That Impact Mother-Daughter Cancer Communication In Taiwan, Wan-Lin Chang Jan 2021

Will My Disclosure Harm The Relationship? Factors That Impact Mother-Daughter Cancer Communication In Taiwan, Wan-Lin Chang

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since 1982, cancer has been the leading cause of death in Taiwan. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (2020), in 2019 more than a quarter (28.6%) of deaths were caused by cancer, an increase of about 5% from 1999. Family communication can help encourage social and physical support, especially for those who face traumatic, life-changing events, such as receiving a cancer diagnosis. However, people may avoid self-disclosing information about their diseases, treatments, and emotions with their families for different reasons. Between May and July 2014, fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted to explore what factors influence breast cancer mothers’ …


Similarities Of Expressing Disagreement By Chinese And American College Students, Yanling Yu, Yanrong (Yvonne) Chang, Zhan Long Jan 2021

Similarities Of Expressing Disagreement By Chinese And American College Students, Yanling Yu, Yanrong (Yvonne) Chang, Zhan Long

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

To explore the ways in which modern Chinese and Americans express their disagreement in intercultural communication and to reveal the reasons for their usage from the perspectives of sociolinguistics and persuasive communication and with the rapport management as the theoretical framework, this paper focuses on the discourse analysis of implicit disagreement expressions between 11 pairs of Chinese and American college students. The analysis of the four-month communication corpus reveals that Chinese and American students tend to use implicit disagreement when they disagree with each other and there are more similarities than differences in the usage of implicit disagreement. The reasons …


Dealing With Adversity: An Examination Of The Covid-19 Impact On High School Athletes And Their Coaches, Greg Selber, Kimberly A. Selber Jan 2021

Dealing With Adversity: An Examination Of The Covid-19 Impact On High School Athletes And Their Coaches, Greg Selber, Kimberly A. Selber

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, has been that rare world-shaking event, from its effects on health, economics, and politics to its influence on attitudes, behavior, and wellness. In a particular context, high school sports have also been greatly altered by the coronavirus, as many spring seasons were abbreviated, truncated, or aborted altogether in the wake of the pandemic spread. This chapter seeks to examine the effects of the pandemic on high school coaches and athletes in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, a southernmost region comprising four counties on the Texas-Mexico border and about 1.5 million people. …


Deleting Relationships In The Digital World, Sharaf Rehman, Nikkie Saldivar Hodgson Oct 2020

Deleting Relationships In The Digital World, Sharaf Rehman, Nikkie Saldivar Hodgson

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

As women become financially independent and capable of supporting themselves and their children, they are finding it easier to correct their poor choices in mate-selection, i.e., poor interpersonal relationships and marriages. Nearly half of the marriages in the U.S. terminate either in permanent separation or divorce. The divorce rates among the Baby Boomers and members of Generations X and Y are equally high. For the older generations, the socially accepted way to end a relationship was through a face-to-face conversation but not necessarily so for the younger generation. The use of online dating, connecting through the internet, and cultivating relationships …


Cultivating And Reporting Of Campus Threats, Louis K. Falk, Douglas Stoves, Audrey W. Falk, Hilda Silva Aug 2020

Cultivating And Reporting Of Campus Threats, Louis K. Falk, Douglas Stoves, Audrey W. Falk, Hilda Silva

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

The consumption of media has been established as one of the elements responsible for changing the general population’s perceptions. Specifically, cultivation theory (depending on the amount of media use) points to an enhanced representation of a characterization conveyed through the media. This depiction has the potential to create an inaccurate portrayal (stereotype) leading to an increased level of anxiety. The proliferation of reported incidents (real or perceived) associated with mass shootings in the U.S. over the last 20 years is an example. This paper traces the relatively recent coverage of mass shootings in the U.S. by the media and the …


A Generational War Is Launched With The Birth Of Ok Boomer In The Digital Age, Young Joon Lim, Jennifer Lemanski Apr 2020

A Generational War Is Launched With The Birth Of Ok Boomer In The Digital Age, Young Joon Lim, Jennifer Lemanski

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examined recent virality of “Ok Boomer” in the United States. The term of Ok Boomer gained overnight momentum in the public sphere as the symbol of a generational war. While previous research has primarily examined racial and gender tensions, this study introduced a new phenomenon of the generational conflict between “Ok Boomers” and “Baby Boomers,” in which social media originated the term of Ok Boomer and traditional media diffused it with framed meaning. Diffusion of Innovation theory was used to better understand the path of how “Ok Boomer” as a catchphrase, hashtag, noun cluster or trend resulted in …


Foi In Transition: A Comparative Analysis Of The Freedom Of Information Act Performance Between The Obama And Trump Administrations, Ben Wasike Apr 2020

Foi In Transition: A Comparative Analysis Of The Freedom Of Information Act Performance Between The Obama And Trump Administrations, Ben Wasike

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

FoIA is an important marker of transparency and the flow of government information in a democracy. Stakeholders such as the news media have been critical of how government policies affect access to that information. In this context, this study systematically analyzed the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) performances between the Obama and the Trump administrations regarding the efficiency and disposition of requests, appeals processing and success, staff workload, processing fees, and the use of exemptions. Data indicate that the Trump administration underperformed in the processing of requests, the release of records, and it has accelerated the use of exemptions to …


Trumps Social Media – The First 100 Days Of His Presidency: A Content Analysis, Priscilla L. Flores, Louis K. Falk, Douglas Stoves Feb 2019

Trumps Social Media – The First 100 Days Of His Presidency: A Content Analysis, Priscilla L. Flores, Louis K. Falk, Douglas Stoves

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

More than any time in history technology allows politicians to directly reach large audiences to increase interaction. Modern social media permits information to be more accessible, direct, and permanent. Politicians can address audiences more frequently and directly through mobile devices - a tactic which creates a perception of immediacy unseen in past political climates. Specifically, Twitter grants unfiltered communication with users, while bypassing established mainstream media. The use of Twitter politically was first revolutionized by Barak Obama. Donald Trump’s use of Twitter has elevated this social media platform to an unheard-of level. A content analysis was conducted on President Donald …


Concerns Of Female Adolescents About Menarche And First Sexual Intercourse: Mixed Methods Analysis Of Social Media Questions, Nikkie Saldivar Hodgson, Elad Yom-Tov, William F. Strong, Priscilla L. Flores, Giselle N. Ricoy Jan 2019

Concerns Of Female Adolescents About Menarche And First Sexual Intercourse: Mixed Methods Analysis Of Social Media Questions, Nikkie Saldivar Hodgson, Elad Yom-Tov, William F. Strong, Priscilla L. Flores, Giselle N. Ricoy

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Adolescents use social media for information on medical and social aspects of maturation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the concerns and information needs of adolescents regarding menarche and first sexual intercourse.

Methods: Questions about menarche or first sexual intercourse were obtained from Yahoo Answers, a community-based social media question-and-answer website. A total of 1226 questions were analyzed. We focused on 123 question pairs made by users who asked questions on both topics and reported their ages at each. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed on these question pairs.

Results: Qualitative analysis identified uncertainty as a …


Morals In The United States Of America: Are They In Their Death Throes?, John A. Cook Jan 2018

Morals In The United States Of America: Are They In Their Death Throes?, John A. Cook

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article explores the ethics of large complex systems in the United States of America in three major case studies: the food industry, the pharmaceutical industry and the political/governmental institutions. Using the simple Aristotelian heuristic of good sense, good character and good will, the conclusion is that ethics is not a high priority due in large part to the relentless pursuit of large sums of money at any cost.


Gender, Parasocial Interaction, And Nonverbal Communication: Testing The Visual Effect Of Sports Magazine Cover Models, Ben Wasike Jan 2018

Gender, Parasocial Interaction, And Nonverbal Communication: Testing The Visual Effect Of Sports Magazine Cover Models, Ben Wasike

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

An experiment examined gender, parasocial interaction, and nonverbal communication regarding sports magazine cover models. Results indicate that a correlation exists among parasocial interaction, nonverbal communication, and gender, with female cover models eliciting larger effects on test subjects. However, gender did not correlate with parasocial interaction or nonverbal communication among the test subjects, contradicting extant literature. Also, the parasocial interaction and nonverbal communication measurement scales positively correlated. In conclusion, static images are reliable experimental stimuli for parasocial interaction studies and nonverbal measurement scales, and sports magazines are better served by featuring more women.


Traditional And Emerging Ethical Concerns In Advertising, Jennifer Lemanski Jan 2018

Traditional And Emerging Ethical Concerns In Advertising, Jennifer Lemanski

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ethical issues surrounding advertising have been well-discussed. However, over time and alongside societal and media changes, different questions have moved to the forefront in the discussion on advertising ethics. This paper presents an overview of traditional ethical issues of importance in the United States, and analyzes the changes that have come about as a result of newer, more interactive media for ad placements. Although many of the traditional ethical dilemmas remain, the more personalized and interactive nature of new media and an expanded landscape for advertisers to stake their claims have introduced new issues that were previously not of concern, …


Hispanic Use Of Alternative Medicine As Demonstrated In Internet Searches, Elad Yom-Tov, William F. Strong, Lupita Rodriguez Strong Jan 2017

Hispanic Use Of Alternative Medicine As Demonstrated In Internet Searches, Elad Yom-Tov, William F. Strong, Lupita Rodriguez Strong

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: We investigated how cultural shifts occur with respect to the use of traditional medicine for influenza-like illness (ILI) within the Latino population near the US-Mexico border.

Methods: We extracted searches of ILI treatments (modern, traditional western, and traditional Hispanic) to the Bing search engine from 5 US states near the US-Mexico border. The incidence of these searches was correlated with county-level demographic data and ILI incidence.

Results: The fraction of queries related to Hispanic medicines is correlated with the distance from the US-Mexico border (Spearman rho = -0.24), which is a slower decay than that observed in the use …


Persuasion In 140 Characters: Testing Issue Framing, Persuasion And Credibility Via Twitter And Online News Articles In The Gun Control Debate, Ben Wasike Jan 2017

Persuasion In 140 Characters: Testing Issue Framing, Persuasion And Credibility Via Twitter And Online News Articles In The Gun Control Debate, Ben Wasike

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using a 2 × 2 × 4 experimental design, this study examined the framing of the pro and anti-gun control arguments posited after the Sandy Hook shooting and the resultant effect on persuasion and credibility. Overall, pro-gun control frames were more persuasive and more credible than anti-gun control frames. Arguments transmitted via online news articles elicited more persuasion than those transmitted via Twitter. News article sources were deemed more credible too. I discuss the ramifications within.


Decisions, Decisions: Factors That Influence A Patient's Medical Tourism Choices, Louis K. Falk, Thomas J. Prinsen Nov 2016

Decisions, Decisions: Factors That Influence A Patient's Medical Tourism Choices, Louis K. Falk, Thomas J. Prinsen

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the digital age, the amount of information and sources concerning Medical Tourism is overwhelming. Knowledge is power in an era of healthcare uncertainty. As health care options have grown in global proportions, it has become more difficult for potential patients to locate the material necessary to make informed decisions or to even know which factors to consider during their information search. Individual financial circumstances vary greatly. This paper suggests how medical tourism makes financial sense for many patients and payers. Proximity and culture play roles in that medical tourists may prefer locations that are not too far from home. …


Medical Tourism: How Far Are You Willing To Go To Save Money?, Thomas J. Prinsen, Louis K. Falk, Javier Martinez Nov 2015

Medical Tourism: How Far Are You Willing To Go To Save Money?, Thomas J. Prinsen, Louis K. Falk, Javier Martinez

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Medical needs of Americans are increasing as the population is aging and struggling with obesity. The addition of new medical technology and techniques, their widespread availability, and procedural improvements have created a more open market for medical providers. Costly procedures in cardiology and orthopedics serve as examples of increasingly needed medical treatments. Individuals, businesses and insurance companies have struggled to find ways to pay for these necessary procedures. Traditionally, in the U.S. the majority of medical procedures have been performed locally. Because of the rising costs associated with these procedures individuals and some healthcare providers are now looking to foreign …