Public Health Commons^™

Celebrating A Quarter-Century Of Public Domain Research: 25th Annual Conference Of The Health Care Systems Research Network, Sarah M. Greene, Carolyn A. Taylor, Suma Vupputuri

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The 25th annual conference of the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN) was held April 10–12 in Portland, Oregon, attracting 420 attendees. The HCSRN, a consortium of 18 community-based research organizations embedded in or affiliated with large health care delivery systems, has hosted annual research conferences since 1994. The primary objective of the conference is to convene researchers, project staff, funders, and other stakeholders to share latest scientific findings and cultivate new partnerships among research teams, patients, and clinicians. Collaboration is the cornerstone of the HCSRN’s success; the conference serves as a catalyst for a variety of collaborative ventures as …

Across Continents And Demographics, Unpredictable Maternal Signals Are Associated With Children's Cognitive Function, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Riikka Korja, Linnea Karlsson, Laura Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, Brian Vegetabile, Eeva-Leena Kataja, Saara Nolvi, Eija Sinervä, Juho Pelto, Hasse Karlsson, Hal S. Stern, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Early life experiences have persisting influence on brain function throughout life. Maternal signals constitute a primary source of early life experiences, and their quantity and quality during sensitive developmental periods exert enduring effects on cognitive function and emotional and social behaviors. Here we examined if, in addition to established qualitative dimensions of maternal behavior during her interactions with her infant and child, patterns of maternal signals may contribute to the maturation of children's executive functions. We focused primarily on effortful control, a potent predictor of mental health outcomes later in life.

Methods

In two independent prospective cohorts in Turku, …

College Of Public Health News, Georgia Southern University

Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health News (2011-2023)

• Georgia Southern: Impact of Employee Relationships in Financially Distressed and Highly Financially Distressed Hospitals

Do Employees From Less-Healthy Communities Use More Care And Cost More? Seeking To Establish A Business Case For Investment In Community Health., Russell K. Mcintire, Martha C. Romney, Greg Alonzo, Jill Hutt, Lauren Bartolome, Greg Wood, Gary Klein, Neil I. Goldfarb

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have examined the impact of community health on employers. We explored whether employed adults and their adult dependents living in less-healthy communities in the greater Philadelphia region used more care and incurred higher costs to employers than employees from healthier communities.

METHODS: We used a multi-employer database to identify adult employees and dependents with continuous employment and mapped them to 31 zip code regions. We calculated community health scores at the regional level, by using metrics similar to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) County Health Rankings but with local data. We used descriptive analyses and multilevel …

Call For Submissions Special Issue - July 2020: Patient & Family Experience In Behavioral Health, Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience Journal (PXJ) is excited to announce the call for submissions for its July 2020 special issue on the topic of patient & family experience in behavioral health. With a continued focus on the critical role of behavioral health in society today and a growing recognition of the importance of experience for those in behavioral health settings, a conversation on the practices in place and the identification of evidence of efforts leading to positive outcomes will be essential expanding the experience conversation in this setting. This special issue is open to all authors conducting cutting-edge research, implementing innovative practices …

“Anyone Can Co-Design?”: A Case Study Synthesis Of Six Experience-Based Co-Design (Ebcd) Projects For Healthcare Systems Improvement In New South Wales, Australia, Tara L. Dimopoulos-Bick, Claire O'Connor, Jane Montgomery, Tracey Szanto, Marion Fisher, Violeta Sutherland, Helen Baines, Phillip Orcher, John Stubbs, Lynne Maher, Raj Verma, Victoria J. Palmer

Patient Experience Journal

Experience-based co-design (EBCD) is a quality improvement approach that is being used internationally to bring service users and health professionals together to improve healthcare experiences, systems and processes. Early evaluations and case studies of EBCD have shown promise in terms of improvements to experience and organisational processes, however challenges remain in participation around shared power and decision making, mobilisation for implementation, sustainment of improvements and measurement of outcomes. The objective of this case study was to explore the emergent issues in EBCD participation and implementation in six quality improvement projects conducted in mental health, rehabilitation, blood and bone marrow transplant, …

Engagement Of Patients With Scleroderma To Revise An Internet Self-Management Program, Janet L. Poole, Sharon L. Newbill, Jennifer Serrano, Dana Rosson, Josephine Battyany, Laura Dyas, Luke Evnin, Dennis W. Raisch, Cynthia Maxwell, Mary Alore, Saville Kellner, Pedro Cuencas, Richard M. Silver, Dinesh Khanna

Patient Experience Journal

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) or scleroderma is a rare connective tissue disease. Many people do not have access to education programs. A self-management program was developed several years ago based on the literature and input from people with SSc. However, new therapies and treatment options have been developed since the program was developed. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and remedy gaps in an internet SSc self-management program to improve the quality of critical information relevant to effective management of the disease. Six focus groups with 30 participants with SSc were conducted: 2 telephone groups and 4 face-to-face …

Involving Patients And Families In A Social Robot Study, Lillian Hung, Annette Berndt, Christine Wallsworth, Neil Horne, Mario Gregorio, Jim Mann, Cindy Liu, Evan Woldum, Andy Au-Yeung, Habib Chaudhury

Patient Experience Journal

Innovative research in care practice for older people can benefit from the active involvement of patient and family partners. Involvement may begin with identifying priorities, then move to formulate research questions and to plan the research methods, to data collection, and finally to analysis and knowledge dissemination. However, in the field of dementia care, actively engaging patients and families in co-research is a novel practice that needs exploration. This paper describes the experiences and perspectives of two patient researchers and three family researchers, along with four clinicians (two physicians, a nurse, and an occupational therapist) within a social robot project …

A Next-Day, Brief E-Survey Overcomes The Excessive Variability Seen In Cahps-Style Emergency Department Surveys So That Individual Physician Performance Can Be Assessed On A Regular Basis, Tom Scaletta, Eva Hare, Christopher Sung Lee

Patient Experience Journal

Traditional CAHPS-style emergency department (ED) surveys result in excessive variability when assessing individual physician performance. The objective of this study is to measure the variability of a brief, electronic survey (e-survey). The study team also measured the association of individual physicians to demographic data, physician and patient factors, and a physician burnout assessment tool. Data from SmartContact (SmartER, La Grange, IL) is a next-day, e-survey that takes about 30-seconds to complete. This tool was used by a hospital-employed emergency department (ED) group during calendar year 2017 across 2 EDs and 37 physicians.^1,2 Variability was estimated regarding raw patient experience …

Beneath The Surface Of Talking About Physicians: A Statistical Model Of Language For Patient Experience Comments, Taylor Turpen, Lea Matthews Md, Senem Guney Phd, Cpxp

Patient Experience Journal

This study applies natural language processing (NLP) techniques to patient experience comments. Our goal was to examine the language describing care experiences with two groups of physicians: those with scores in the top 100 and those with scores in the bottom 100 among all physicians (n=498) who received scores from patient satisfaction surveys. Our analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the language used to describe care experiences with these two distinct groups of physicians. This analysis illustrates how to apply NLP techniques in categorizing and building a statistical model for language use in order to identify meaningful language and …

How Do Healthcare Staff Respond To Patient Experience Feedback Online? A Typology Of Responses Published On Care Opinion, Lauren Paige Ramsey, Laura Sheard Dr, Rebecca Lawton Professor, Jane O'Hara Dr

Patient Experience Journal

Patients are increasingly describing their healthcare experiences publicly online. This has been facilitated by digital technology, a growing focus on transparency in healthcare and the emergence of a feedback culture in many sectors. Due to this area being previously unexplored, the objective of this study was to identify a typology of responses that healthcare staff provide on Care Opinion (www.careopinion.org.uk), a not-for-profit online platform on which patients are able to provide narrative feedback about health and social care in the UK. Framework analysis was used to qualitatively analyse a purposive sample of 486 stories regarding hospital care, and their 475 …

Assessing Capacity To Engage In Healthcare To Improve The Patient Experience Through Health Information Technology, Cynthia J. Sieck, Daniel M. Walker, Megan Gregory, Naleef Fareed, Jennifer L. Hefner

Patient Experience Journal

Patient engagement is viewed as a means to improve patient care, increase population health, and decrease health care costs. Efforts to improve engagement are prevalent across healthcare, particularly through health information technology (HIT) tools such as patient portals. However, we know that not all patients have the same ability to engage, leading to potential disparities. We present the Engagement Capacity Framework and suggest that examining capacity for engagement would improve our ability to address currently unmeasured factors that facilitate engagement. The objective was to examine factors that influence an individual’s capacity for engagement through HIT. We administered a paper survey …

A Patient Portal Push Toward Acceptance And Utilization Of The Technology, Deborah Kornacker Dnp, Rn, Kathy Fitzgerald Ph.D., Rn, Stacie Elder Ph.D.,Rn, Cne

Patient Experience Journal

Certified electronic health record technology (c-EHRT) has the capacity to enhance person-centered care through online engagement between providers and patients. A driver to portal use is the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Meaningful Use (MU) benchmarks. Currently, many health care centers and providers fall short in attracting patients to register and utilize online patient portals thus influencing optimal utilization of the EHR. Barriers cited in the literature include lack of stakeholder interest, multiple government policy and mandates, and lack of resources to implement standards for health information technology (HIT) standards in daily professional workflow. This program evaluation focused on …

The Digital Revolution Will See You Now: Transforming Patient Experience In The Digital Era, Emily Kagan Trenchard, Laura Semlies, Sven Gierlinger

Patient Experience Journal

Industry after industry has reinvented itself in response to upstart challengers and shifting consumer expectations that are the hallmarks of this new era. The same is true in healthcare, where we have weathered the introduction of the electronic medical records, patient portals and now interoperability. But to date our industry’s digital transformation has been guided largely by government regulation – leaving the design of the future of healthcare to be driven by policy makers and executed largely by IT departments. Meanwhile, most other industries have turned to a different guru for inspiration and guidance: the consumer. Northwell Health has undertaken …

Technology, Innovation And Transforming Healthcare Faster, Smarter And Together: A Conversation With Dr. Rasu Shrestha, Jason A. Wolf Phd, Cpxp

Patient Experience Journal

As part of our special issue on Innovation and Technology we had the pleasure of speaking with a visionary leader, Physician and healthcare executive, Dr. Rasu Shrestha, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Atrium Health. In the conversation with Dr. Shrestha we were able to cover the foundational ideas of innovation and technology. We also explored its opportunities and potential pitfalls. Ultimately, we looked at the topic through the lenses of the human experience we provide in healthcare and how through a clear focus on experience and the effective integration of innovation and technology in those efforts, we …

Transformations In Health Information Technology And The Impact On Patient Experience, Cynthia J. Sieck Phd, Mph, Tim R. Huerta Phd, Ms

Patient Experience Journal

Changes in the way we collect and use health information, and the technology that enables these processes, have transformed the patient experience in health care. Compared to an earlier focus on using health information technology (HIT) for clinical purposes, patients are now also significant users of HIT, spurring the development of Patient-Facing Health Information Technology (PFHIT). These tools allow patients to use and interact with their health information and healthcare providers is new and transformative ways. We suggest that while these transformations have significant positive impacts, there are three important considerations which must be included as HIT continues to evolve: …

Reframing Innovation And Technology For Healthcare: A Commitment To The Human Experience, Jason A. Wolf Phd, Cpxp

Patient Experience Journal

This latest special issue of Patient Experience Journal focuses on the role of technology and innovation in patient experience. The articles included in this issue help us think about the ideas of innovation and health information technology (HIT) in some new and interesting ways. They also have us push the boundaries of what has framed what innovation and technology application look like in healthcare today. With this perspective, we explore the idea that HIT is not simply a process improvement tool; it is a means to elevate the human interactions at the heart of healthcare. Simultaneously in healthcare, innovation has …

Uptake Of Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests By Ontario Physicians., Owen Litwin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This population-based study used administrative healthcare data to examine the uptake of tests recommended for colorectal cancer screening by eligible Ontario physicians and non-physicians, and to examine if testing of primary care physicians is associated with greater testing in their patients. Physicians (n=11,434) were matched 1:4 to non-physicians (n=45,736) on age, sex, and geographic location as of April 21, 2016. Uptake of colorectal tests was similar in physicians (67.9%, 95% CI, 67.0–68.7%) and non-physicians (66.6%, 95% CI, 66.2–67.1%). Physicians were more likely than non-physicians to undergo colonoscopy and less likely to undergo fecal occult blood testing. Uptake of colorectal tests …

Cleavage And Sub-Cellular Redistribution Of Nuclear Pore Protein 98 By Coxsackievirus B3 Protease 2a Impairs Cardioprotection., Paul J. Hanson, Al Rohet Hossain, Ye Qiu, Huifang M. Zhang, Guangze Zhao, Cheng Li, Veena Lin, Saheedat Sulaimon, Marli Vlok, Gabriel Fung, Victoria H. Chen, Eric Jan, Bruce M. Mcmanus, David J. Granville, Decheng Yang

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, affects all demographics and is a major cause of sudden and unexpected death in young people. It is most commonly caused by viral infections of the heart, with coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) being among the most prevalent pathogens. To understand the molecular pathogenesis of CVB3 infection and provide strategies for developing treatments, we examined the role of a key nuclear pore protein 98 (NUP98) in the setting of viral myocarditis. NUP98 was cleaved as early as 2 h post-CVB3 infection. This cleavage was further verified through both the ectopic expression of viral proteases and in …

Academic Center Tiered Operating Room Strategy (Action): Comparing A High Efficiency Or To The Conventional Or, Moaz Bin Yunus Chohan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Canadian healthcare system is under immense economic pressure. In an attempt to resolve the problem, outpatient surgical services were offered to patients presenting with orthopaedic surgical complaints. An observational cohort study was carried out, comparing the conventional surgical setup to the newly designed high-efficiency setup that provided similar care, with a significantly lower operating cost. A total of 200 patients were enrolled in the study. Standardized and unstandardized questionnaires were used to evaluate pre-operative and post-operative patient data that reflected quality of life outcomes. Data was collected at enrolment and during post-operative follow-ups of up to 6 months. Results indicate …