Medical Humanities Commons^™

No Sneezing In Public, Anonymous Author

Akesis

Poetry relating to compassion during COVID-19 pandemic

Broken With Nature, Meghan Bowler

Akesis

This is a short reflection on two separate periods of intense mental and physical self-healing. Nature removed me from the imprisonment of my own mind around 8 years ago, only to fall back into its grips after a recent hip surgery. Hiking/physical activity was the only form of therapy that I was vulnerable enough to let heal me. It would break me down mentally and physically while rebuilding me at the same time. Some information was derived from personal journal entries but all are very relevant to each and every hike I take today.

Tides, Paul S. Eo

Akesis

This photo is an overhead shot of the waves breaking at Pine Point beach. This represents so much for me. In these times of uncertainty it gives me hope that the tides will eventually turn. And just like the tides, this too will take a turn for the better. It also represents the healing and cleansing qualities of the sea.

Motus Habitus: An Anatomical Ethnography, Michael Cyr, Jordan G. Lamb

Akesis

Although this project began long before the release of Akesis' Spring theme, it perfectly encapsulates adaptation in many ways. The response to the recent pandemic and the disruption to people's daily routines has caused us to reflect on the ways we experience our bodies and minds in the absence of work, recreation, sociality, and movement. Movement, a key to human health and happiness, has been greatly restrained as most of us are confined to our living quarters. Now more than ever it is important to acknowledge the effects of lifestyle on body and health and find creative ways to move …

Decision 2020, Rolene Yousefyan

Akesis

The materials used to create this piece were chalk pastels. The inspiration behind this drawing was the difficult decisions we all have had to make at some point throughout our lives. No matter the reason why we made these decisions, there is no changing them and they may forever change the pathways of our lives.

British Eugenics Failure And Success, Angela Gallagher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The historical narrative of eugenics often focuses on those eugenic societies and movements that ‘succeeded’ in part or in full in achieving a eugenic society. Less studied are those societies that failed, whether due to social backlash or internal incoherence. The British Eugenic Educational Society as the foundational point of eugenics, has therefore been overlooked as a result of it’s perceived lack of contribution to eugenic thought and its failure to pass eugenic legislation. Founded by Francis Galton, the originator of the philosophy of eugenics, the British Eugenic Educational Society should have been successful given it’s reputation and the numerous …

Twenty-Seven Questions For Writers & Journalists To Consider When Writing About Covid-19 & Hiv/Aids, Alexandra Juhasz, Pato Hebert, Theodore Kerr, Diana Cage

Publications and Research

The desire to compare COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS is understandable. The response to HIV provides an inspiring road map for how to save lives. For over four decades, starting in the early 1980s, activists, scientists, politicians and cultural producers have been working alongside one another resulting in life saving developments—and goals not yet achieved. Since the late 1990s, HIV has become a manageable chronic illness for those with access to life saving medicine, housing, food, and social support. Meanwhile, stigma, discrimination, and criminalization directed at people living with HIV continue, based on social difference, access to resources and community, and an …

The Healing Properties Of Interactive Art: Creating A Proposal For Art Within A Hospital Environment, Alexandra Chase

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The consumption of art and interaction with it can be beneficial to individuals in many different ways. Play and exploration engage the mind and can have positive effects, no matter how small. Within a medical setting, this type of interactive art can promote healing within patients by engaging their bodies and minds. With these ideas in mind, the Children’s Hospital and Medical Center (CHMC) put out a call for an interactive sculpture piece to be created for their upcoming building expansion. My piece, Garden Lanterns, was then conceptualized in order to fulfill their requirements and embrace the idea of providing …

The Impact Of Healing Arts On Students At The University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Wala Albahrani

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

A recently emerging way to decrease stress of individuals is by practicing therapeutic art. The aim of this form of therapy is to provide a sense of expression and relief to individuals who suffer from constant anxiety and stress. Therapeutic art can be performed by a therapy session where an individual express themselves using art to communicate their thoughts and emotions. Since this form of therapy does not require artistic sense or skills, many individuals can benefit from it. Moreover, another form of this therapy is surrounding stressed individuals with calming art, such as photography, music, sculpture, and painting, etc. …

The Effectiveness Of Implementing A Collaborative Mental Health Approach On Quality Of Life For Individuals Of Low Socioeconomic Status, Tyler Z. Tooley

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The ultimate purpose of this study is to provide insight and education to mental health clinicians, politicians and the general public of the numerous effects poverty has on mental health, in addition to the most beneficial ways to combat those insidious effects. The specific barriers met by individuals of low socioeconomic status severely affect psychological and physical health, as well as social and environmental relationships, which therefore diminish overall quality of life. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of implementing a collaborative mental health approach for low income individuals on length of engagement in services and …

Nicaraguan Homeowner Showing Gratitude For Concrete Flooring As Part Of A Public Health Mission Trip, Breonna Kinnison

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

I’m Bree Kinnison, a fourth-year medical student and aspiring psychiatrist. When I’m not studying, I enjoy painting using acrylics. This painting depicts a very fond memory of mine. After completing the medical portion of our mission trip in Nicaragua, we began our public health portion. Along with fellow students, I laid concrete flooring in this woman’s house. For all 76 years of her life, she had never experienced anything other than a dirt floor in her home. Traditional dirt flooring in Nicaraguan homes is responsible for many preventable illnesses. When shown the final product, she reached out and hugged the …

Finding Common Threads: How Patients, Physicians And Nurses Perceive The Patient Gown, Christy M. Lucas, Cheryl Dellasega

Patient Experience Journal

Evidence-based care is standard practice in medicine, but the patient gown has fallen outside the scope of scholarly research. The current gown renders a patient vulnerable, diminishing patients’ sense of identity, agency, and dignity with its one-size-fits-none design. The impact on providers is similarly neglected. Our objective was to explore how patients and providers derive meaning from patient gowns. A convenience sample at an academic medical center was interviewed utilizing a standardized framework developed by a medical student and two PhD-prepared researchers with experience in qualitative methods. The study was inductive in nature, seeking to understand perceptions of the patient …

When Rationing Becomes Part Of Clinical Decision-Making, Christopher A. Hopper, Mitra Bahaee

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical practice-based reflection on Noack DP, Newton G. Compared to maximal current management standards, oscillating positive expiratory pressure devices have not been shown to improve clinically relevant outcomes in COPD patients with acute exacerbation. Clin. Res. Prac. 2017;3(2):eP1516. doi: 10.22237/crp/149886732.

Shrines And Pilgrimages: Documenting Mary's Role In The Pandemic, Kayla Harris

Marian Library Faculty Presentations

A 1997 special report in Scientific American claimed that the average lifespan of a website was only 44 days. A study in 2001 put that at 75 days, while a 2003 article indicated 100 days. Everything on the Internet doesn’t last forever. The Marian Library has collected material related to the Blessed Virgin Mary since its founding in 1943. Increasingly, some of the material that would have once been printed, and possibly made their way to the Marian Library archives, is now being shared only electronically. Things like shrine Mass schedules, news articles, or blog posts are available on websites, …

Teaching And Researching With A Mental Health Diagnosis: Practices And Perspectives On Academic Ableism, Ann Green, Alyssa _, Lucia Dura, Patrick Harris, Leah Heilig, Bailey Kirby, Jay Mcclintick, Emily Pfender, Rebecca Carrasco

Rhetoric of Health & Medicine

Abstract: Nine people with mental health diagnoses wrote a dialogue to discuss how we navigate our conditions and ask for accommodations within an academic setting. We cogitate on the challenges of obtaining a diagnosis, how and when we disclose, the affordances and challenges of our symptoms, seeking accommodations, and advocating for ourselves. We consider how current scholarship and other perspectives are changing the conversation about mental health in the academy. We conclude that while the 2008 revisions to the Americans with Disabilities Act have addressed necessary accommodations, that those with mental health conditions are still seeking access.

Feminist Pedagogy In A Time Of Coronavirus Pandemic, Alexandra Juhasz, Laura Wexler, Liz Losh, Sharon Irish

Publications and Research

FemTechNet, a network of scholars, artists, and students working on, with, and at the borders of technology, science, and feminism, has a great deal of experience thinking about pedagogy and technology. We have produced real intimacy, vibrant classes, and insurgent pedagogy since 2012. The principles of our signature Distributed Open Collaborative Courses (DOCCs) are crucial (see below). In this time of crisis, we believe we need to think again, drawing the most power possible from the radical knowledges, tactics, and commitments of feminist pedagogies of past experience. We write while schools, colleges, and universities have closed in a cascade of …

Don't Worry Alone, Aldis H. Petriceks

Journal of Wellness

No abstract provided.

Outcomes Of Utilizing Uber Health To Improve Access To Healthcare At An Urban Student Run Free Clinic, Ciara Ivanics Ms, Emily Lau, Julie Fynke Mph, Ralph Williams Md, Juliann Binienda Phd

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction: The patient population of the Robert R. Frank Student Run Free Clinic (SRFC) often cite transportation as their most significant barrier to receiving care. Utilization of ridesharing services may reduce this barrier and improve patient adherence to clinic appointments.

Methods: All patients at the SRFC from February 2019 through November 2019 were offered participation in this IRB-approved randomized control trial (n=37). The intervention group was offered a roundtrip, free, pre-scheduled Uber Health ride, while the control group was offered free public transportation or utilized their own transportation. Participants received an appointment reminder by phone within two days of their …

Disease Mongering: How Sickness Sells, Vanessa C. Iroegbulem

Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics Essay Contest

“Disease mongering” is the practice of widening diagnostic boundaries of an illness and promoting their public awareness to expand the markets for treatment and to increase profits. This tactic typically used by pharmaceutical companies, medical equipment manufacturers, insurance companies, and even some doctors and patient groups, has become a great concern. Disease mongering has since increased in parallel with “medicalization,” which attempts to label normal human conditions as medical problems, thus becoming the subject of medical study, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment. This paper first seeks to examine how an increasing amount of life’s natural conditions and ailments are being seen …

Not Queer Enough: How Current Medical School Curriculum Is Failing The Lgbt+ Community, Vanessa C. Iroegbulem

Women's and Gender Studies: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) individuals have specific healthcare needs, and often experience barriers in accessing quality and reliable health services. Research has revealed that medical practitioners are inadequately prepared to attend to the needs of the LGBT+ community.This paper will draw on the concept of intersectionality to discuss current medical school curriculum and its lack of LGBT+ education. This paper's focus is specifically on older LGBT+ adults, specifically the ways in which the intersection of gender, sexuality, race, and even class play a role in the different experiences of older LGBT+ adults in regard to the medical care, …