Primary Care Commons^™

Lyme Disease Prevention In Western Connecticut, Tyler Oe

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is endemic to the Northeastern region of the United States, specifically Connecticut. Spread by the deer tick, Lyme can produce a constellation of symptoms that can adversely impact an individual. Living in Connecticut transfers a significant amount of risk to individuals and understanding the appropriate prevention techniques should afford protection from deer tick bites. Having a robust resource on preventative measures and signs and symptoms of Lyme will provide a foundation for minimizing the risk of getting Lyme disease.

Caregiver Stress And Resources For Support, Alex Disciullo

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Caregiver stress is a major problem which can increase morbidity and mortality rates. Caregiver stress is often overlooked and underadvertised. Making individuals aware of resources that can help them provide care can mitigate their stress and improve quality of life for themselves and their loved one.

Educating High School Students On The Negative Health Effects Of Vaping, Nicholas Bompastore

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

E-cigarettes surpassed conventional cigarettes in 2014 to become the most commonly used tobacco product among youth. Vaping exposes users to multiple toxins that have been shown to cause asthma and other lung diseases, heart disease, neurologic problems, and cancer. The goal of this project was to provide educators at Londonderry and Bishop Guertin High School, and physicians at Primary Care of Hudson, with evidence based information on the harmful effects vaping has on adolescents. The information was given in the form of a pamphlet that was designed to appeal to teens and written at a level they would understand.

Fluoride And Dental Health: Franklin County, Massachusetts, Ava Bakhtyari

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

This project was designed to identify the unique dental needs specific to Franklin County, MA and to identify potential preventative measures. It focused on dental hygiene and the importance of fluoride in supporting strong and healthy teeth, as the majority of Franklin County, MA does not have fluoride in public drinking waters. The specific intervention consisted of distributing educational flyers to patients and providers on the importance of fluoride-products. The project was designed to increase the awareness and use of in-office fluoride varnish treatments.

Window Of Opportunity For Opiate Dependence, Scott C. Mitchell Ii

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Opiate dependence is a prevalent problem and there is a need for current regional information for those seeking to break opiate dependence. There is a small window of opportunity for these patients to seek and find help before they give up and return to using. This project provides a pamphlet with current resources for opiate dependent individuals to get help in a rapid period of time for the Bangor, Maine area.

Understanding Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (Dexa) Bone Scan Results And Treatments, Jennifer C. Morris

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Patients come into the St. Albans NOTCH primary care office for a follow-up to their DEXA scan to learn about what their results mean and discuss any questions/concerns. This brochure will help to standardize the information presented by providers about the results.

Diabetic Eating At The Dollar Store, Lee Hiromoto

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Ideas on following a diabetic diet using ingredients from a dollar store.

A Physician's Guide To Motivational Interviewing, Anthony J. Gallegos

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Recommending lifestyle changes to patients is a crucial part of a primary care physician's role. Guiding patients to make behavioral change is a challenge physicians must face on a daily basis, and based on current literature, it can be delivered more effectively in the form of motivational interviewing as opposed to traditional advice-giving. This project aims to provide physician's with a quick reference guide to Motivational Interviewing to display at their desk, as well as a template to be filled out with the patient detailing their plans for change. Together, these tools can improve the delivery of advice, and strengthen …

Attitudes Towards Complementary Medicine In Patients With Musculoskeletal Pain, Caroline Vines

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The epidemic of opiate use-related deaths has become a public health crisis and has highlighted the potentially lethal effects of opiates. Vermont has adopted new laws to address the prescription of opiates, which has reduced the number of prescriptions by 41% between 2013 and 2017. However, there has been sparse research how the decrease in prescriptions has influenced the use of non-pharmacologic and/or complementary methods of pain management, such as acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, yoga, massage, meditation, and psychotherapy. In October and November 2018, patients with musculoskeletal pain were surveyed about current methods of pain management, experience with complementary medicine, likelihood …

Developing Sexual Health Informational Materials For College Students, Eleanor Stedman

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Lewiston, Maine is home to Bates College, an undergraduate institution of about 1800 students. Bates Health Services provides primary healthcare for most of these students. Among the most common issues that bring students to health services are concerns related to sexual health. The college health services lacked appropriate informational materials for students related to STI testing and HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, so these materials were created to assist with sexual health education on campus.

Prostate Cancer: Patient Education For Changing Guidelines, Richard Mendez

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

In May 2012 United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against prostate cancer screening, Grade D, with no other recommendation for providers. Since prostate cancer continues to be among the most common cancer in the United States among men, patients were exposed to previous guidelines during routine visits and require updated educational materials for primary care visits.

Motivating Patients To Complete Advance Directives, Eva Petrow

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Advance directives are important clinical tools for assuring that patient’s end-of-life goals are met. Earlier referrals to palliative and hospice care through health care planning could better assist Vermonters in attaining their care goals. This project sought to improve advance directive completion in Vermont, increase awareness of health care planning among patients, and aid discussion between patients and providers in the clinic.

Exercise Education For The Winter Season, Benjamin H. Lin

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

This project aimed to identify barriers and provide a list of resources within the Addison County community to enhance access to exercise during the winter months.

Exercise Education for the Winter Season

Ambulance Response Times In A Rural Vt Town: Is There A Role For Fema’S “Ready” Training In Hinesburg, Vt?, Kyna Silvana Donohue

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The purpose of this project was to examine the ambulance response times in a rural town in Vermont. The goal was to determine if there is a role for FEMA's "Until Help Arrives" campaign to increase bystander ability to provide immediate and life-saving medical care.

Using Online Behavioral Health Modules To Expand Care In Rural New York State, Matthew Sommers

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

There are substantial barriers to receiving behavioral health in rural areas such as Upstate New York. Online modules are an evidence-supported option that could exist within a primary care focused stepped-care model, expand access, and increase efficiency of existing resources.

Incontinence And Pelvic Floor Pt In The Primary Care Setting, Nikolas A. Moring

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Stress incontinence and overactive bladder are two causes of decreased quality of life in the general population. Many patients report a long latency between the onset of symptoms of incontinence and identification and treatment. This project aimed to provide educational materials to both providers and patients about incontinence to help better identify patients who may benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy. Pelvic floor physical therapy has been demonstrated as a safe, non-pharmacological intervention for stress incontinence which may be overlooked in the primary care setting.

Preparing Patients And Providers For Serious Illness Conversations, Laura Thompson-Martin

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

There is an unmet need for early, high quality, and well-documented conversations about goals of care between patients with serious illnesses and their primary care providers. Colchester Family Medicine, as part of the University of Vermont Medical Group, is implementing a program to train its providers in structured goals of care conversations for patients with serious illnesses. However, there remains a need to prepare patients for these difficult conversations and provide appropriate resources. This project created a SmartPhrase to provide to patients, containing language and resources to help them prepare for serious illness conversations.

Incorporating Naloxone Education Into Routine Primary Care, Eli Goldberg

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Opioid overdoses are a growing public health concern in Vermont and nationwide. Naloxone can save the life of someone who overdoses, if those around them know how to use it. This project investigates the feasibility of offering naloxone education as an element of routine primary care encounters with patients who do not use opioids themselves.

Radon: An Opportunity For Preventative Health, Kathryn Grenoble

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas produced by the natural decay of uranium in rock and soil. Long term exposure to radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, and the second leading cause over all after smoking. Children exposed to unsafe levels of radon are particularly vulnerable because smaller lungs and faster respiratory rates are thought to result in higher radiation doses compared with adults. One in eight homes in Vermont contain unsafe levels of radon gas compared with one in fifteen homes nationally. Radon gas exposure is not currently addressed as a preventative …

Patient Education About Influenza Vaccination, Michael Rodriguez

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Only 37% of adults in the US received the influenza vaccine in 2017-18. Clearly there is a gap between the known benefits of the influenza vaccine, the risks of influenza, and the number of patients obtaining influenza vaccine. An educational flyer was created to address common concerns or myths about the influenza vaccine in order to encourage vaccination at Brookfield Family Practice.