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- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
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Description
Many developing countries do not have health care systems that can afford technological biomedical devices or supplies to make such devices operational. To fill this void, nonprofit organizations, like Project C.U.R.E., recondition retired biomedical instrumentation so they can send medical supplies to help these developing countries. One of the issues with this is that sometimes the devices are unusable because components or expendable supplies are not available (Bhadelia). This issue has also been shown in the Impact Evaluations that Project C.U.R.E. receives from the clinics that explain the reasons why certain devices are no longer in use. That need underlies the idea on which this honors thesis has come into being. The purpose of this honors project was to create packing lists for biomedical instruments that Project C.U.R.E. recycles. This packing list would decrease the likelihood of important items being forgotten when sending devices. If an extra fuse, battery, light bulb, cuff or transducer is the difference between a functional or a nonfunctional medical device, such a list would be of benefit to Project C.U.R.E and these developing countries. In order to make this packing list, manuals for each device were used to determine what supplies were required, what was necessary for cleaning, and what supplies were desirable but functionally optional. This list was then added into a database that could be easily navigated and could help when packing up boxes for a shipment. The database also makes adding and editing the packing list simple and easy so that as Project C.U.R.E. gets more donated devices the packing list can grow.
ContributorsGraft, Kelsey Anne (Author) / Coursen, Jerry (Thesis director) / Walters, Danielle (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
In the medical industry, there have been promising advances in the increase of new types of healthcare to the public. As of 2015, there was a 98% Premarket Approval rate, a 38% increase since 2010. In addition, there were 41 new novel drugs approved for clinical usage in 2014 where the average in the previous years from 2005-2013 was 25. However, the research process towards creating and delivering new healthcare to the public remains remarkably inefficient. It takes on average 15 years, over $900 million by one estimate, for a less than 12% success rate of discovering a novel drug for clinical usage. Medical devices do not fare much better. Between 2005-2009, there were over 700 recalls per year. In addition, it takes at minimum 3.25 years for a 510(k) exempt premarket approval. Plus, a time lag exists where it takes 17 years for only 14% of medical discoveries to be implemented clinically. Coupled with these inefficiencies, government funding for medical research has been decreasing since 2002 (2.5% of Gross Domestic Product) and is predicted to be 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product by 2019. Translational research, the conversion of bench-side discoveries to clinical usage for a simplistic definition, has been on the rise since the 1990s. This may be driving the increased premarket approvals and new novel drug approvals. At the very least, it is worth considering as translational research is directly related towards healthcare practices. In this paper, I propose to improve the outcomes of translational research in order to better deliver advancing healthcare to the public. I suggest Best Value Performance Information Procurement System (BV PIPS) should be adapted in the selection process of translational research projects to fund. BV PIPS has been shown to increase the efficiency and success rate of delivering projects and services. There has been over 17 years of research with $6.3 billion of projects and services delivered showing that BV PIPS has a 98% customer satisfaction, 90% minimized management effort, and utilizes 50% less manpower and effort. Using University of Michigan \u2014 Coulter Foundation Program's funding process as a baseline and standard in the current selection of translational research projects to fund, I offer changes to this process based on BV PIPS that may ameliorate it. As concepts implemented in this process are congruent with literature on successful translational research, it may suggest that this new model for selecting translational research projects to fund will reduce costs, increase efficiency, and increase success. This may then lead to more Premarket Approvals, more new novel drug approvals, quicker delivery time to the market, and lower recalls.
ContributorsDel Rosario, Joseph Paul (Author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis director) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This research investigates the whether dietary and nutritional treatments will improve some of the symptoms of autism. This treatment includes a combination of 6 nutritional and dietary treatments, which are vitamins/minerals, essential fatty acids, Epsom salts, carnitine, digestive enzymes, and healthy gluten-free, casein-free diet. 55 participants were involved in this study; 28 participants are in the Treatment Group and 27 participants in the Delayed Group. Data from the PDD-BI form, the ADOS form, the CARS form and the professional SAS form will be used in this thesis project for analyses. Factors analyzed are age, gender and severity [initial professional SAS data] and then correlating these factors with data from PDD-BI (autism composite score and each subscale), ADOS and CARS. The data analyses show that changing the dietary and nutritional needs of children/adults with autism improves the symptoms of autism (as rated by the PDD-BI) by approximately 22% in the treatment group vs. 3% in the non-treatment group, p<0.001. Overall, these results also suggest that the treatment is equally beneficial for males and females of varying age (young children to adult) and of all severity levels.
ContributorsLee, Chiao May (Author) / Adams, James B. (Thesis director) / Pollard, Elena (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
As the complexity of healthcare continues to rise, the need for change in healthcare delivery is more prominent than ever. One strategy identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) for responding to these increasing complexities is the use of interprofessional practice and education to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance the patient experience of care (Triple Aim). Interprofessional collaboration among diverse disciplines is evident on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, integrating a wide variety of institutions and multiple health profession programs; and at the Student Health Outreach for Wellness (SHOW) free clinic, -- a successful tri-university, student-led, faculty mentored, and community-based model of interprofessional learning and care -- based in downtown Phoenix. This project conducted a comparative analysis of interprofessional components of 6 different clinical models in order to provide recommendations for best practice implementation. These models were chosen based on availability of research on interprofessionalism with their clinics. As a result, three recommendations were offered to the SHOW clinic for consideration in their efforts to improve both patient and educational outcomes. Each recommendation was intentionally formulated for its capacity to increase: interprofessionalism and collaboration between multiple disciplines pertaining to healthcare, among healthcare professionals to promote positive patient and educational outcomes. These recommendations include implementing an interprofessional education (IPE) course as a core component in an academic program's curriculum, offering faculty and professional development opportunities for faculty and mentors immersed in the interprofessional clinics, and utilization of simulation centers. Further studies will be needed to evaluate the impact these specific interventions, if adopted, on patient and educational outcomes.
ContributorsMousa, Mohammad (Co-author) / Mousa, Bakir (Co-author) / Johnson, Ross (Co-author) / Harrell, Liz (Thesis director) / Saewert, Karen (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
This paper begins by exploring the prior research that has shown how eating a plant-based diet can affect the human body. Some of these effects include: improved mood, energy levels, gut health, alkalized urine pH, as well as, lowering the risk of hormonal imbalance, kidney stones, diabetes, cancer, and coronary artery disease. The worries that generally accompany eating a fully vegan diet, which include, malnutrition and protein deficiency, are also addressed in the background research. In attempt to build upon previous research, a weeklong experiment was conducted testing 3 different factors, which include: gut health, improved mood, and urine pH. Mood states were measured quantifiably using a POMS (profile of mood states) test. Gut health was measured using several factors, including consistency and frequency of bowel movements, as well as, GI discomfort. Two 24-hour urine samples were collected from each of the subjects to compare the pH of their urine before and after the study. The sample size of this study included 15 healthy, non-smoking, subjects, between 18-30 years of age. The subjects were split up into 3 stratified random samples, including, an omnivore control group, vegan control group, and experimental vegan group. The experimental vegans had eaten meat/eggs/dairy regularly for their whole lives before the start of the study, and had consented to eating a vegan diet for the entirety of one week. While the data from the control groups remained mostly constant as predicted, the results from the experimental group were shown to have a significantly better mood (P<0.05) after one week, as well as, a significantly higher urine pH (P < 0.025) than they did before the study. However, the experimental group did not show a significant change in stool frequency, consistency, or GI discomfort within one week. The vegan control group, which included subjects who had eaten a plant-based diet for 1-3 years, had much better gut health scores. This leads us to believe that the vegan gut microbiome takes much longer to transform into than just one week unlike urine pH and mood, which can take as little as one week. These findings warrant further investigation.
ContributorsMacias, Lindsey Kaori (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Katsanos, Christos (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
One of the great difficulties in leading America to become a healthier nation involves overcoming the socioeconomic disparity that exists between income and health literacy. Impoverished communities consistently lack the proper health education to make quality food purchases and healthy lifestyle choices, leading to higher rates of obesity. Through FitPHX Energy Zones, an after-school program designed to encourage Phoenix youths to lead healthier lifestyles through an innovative use of library spaces, I provided health education and opportunities for physical activity for 8 to 14-year-olds in underserved Phoenix communities. However, although this intervention made significant progress with the kids' health literacy development over the course of the program, it is difficult for community-based intervention programs to continue in the long run due to budget or other extraneous circumstances. Once the program ends, there needed to be a way to continue to reach the kids beyond the scope of the program such that they can continue to experience the lessons taught during the program. Following the conclusion of FitPHX, I created an interactive book for the kids I worked with to help them retain the health and nutrition knowledge taught during the program.
ContributorsBejarano, Michael Carlos (Author) / McCoy, Maureen (Thesis director) / Williams, Deborah (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Nutritional support offered before and during chemotherapy treatment is proven to improve the outcomes of treatment (Bernhardson, 2016). This project seeks to examine current forms of nutritional support offered to patients, as well as the models of care and support teams in cancer treatment centers. The basis for this project incorporated personal experiences at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert, Arizona as well as research into the work of clinical oncology dietitians. An intense interest in food videos and blogs also informed this project, and was incorporated in the hope of providing chemotherapy patients a platform to discover recipes specific to their unique situation. The combination of this research was utilized to create several videos which demonstrated specific recipes beneficial for patients as well as creating a platform for this particular population. While nutritional support can take multiple forms, the focus of nutritional support surrounds symptom management. The common side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea, mucositis (mouth sores), and extreme weight loss were taken into account. Recipes were formulated to directly address these conditions and each recipe was broken down into the benefits of both macronutrients and micronutrients. In addition to formulating specific recipes and videos, barriers to proper nutritional support were examined and explained. These barriers include understaffing of clinical dietitians at cancer treatment centers, a patient's lack of transportation to and from treatments, as well as an overwhelming viewpoint that nutritional support is only required for extreme cases of malnutrition. Combatting these barriers and offering more forms of nutritional support will help to increase a patient's positive response to treatment, manage their symptoms, and improve their overall quality of life.
ContributorsMonteilh, Christina Eleanor (Author) / Levinson, Simin (Thesis director) / Martinelli, Sarah (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
This thesis project discusses the transitions of the physician profession and their struggle to maintain autonomy throughout American History until approximately the 1980's. Included in the historical account of the physician profession, is the development of the American Hospital System and its origins working under the physician profession. As history progresses from 1760 on, what comes to light is a cyclical struggle for physicians to remain independent from the corporations, while using them to gain social and economic prestige. This work focuses on how the establishment of private practice in the United States has lead to the current system in place today, illustrating a long fight for control of the medical field that still rages on today. As physicians gained power and autonomy in the medical field during the 20th century, constant attempts of government intervention can be seen within the convoluted history of this professional field. The rise of corporate healthcare, that works in tandem with private physicians, was a critical period in forgotten American History that subsequently allowed physicians to increase their stranglehold on the medical service industry. The goal of this research was to establish a better understanding of American Medicine's history to better tackle the new problems we face today. As America transitions to a period of public health outcry, it is important to establish a somewhat linear rendition of a mostly untold history that directly impacts the lives of every citizen in this country. This work attempts to mend the broken pieces of that history to give light to how healthcare evolved into what it is today.
ContributorsParkhurst, Erik Lewis (Author) / Tyler, William (Thesis director) / Coursen, Jerry (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Injury Prevention of Young Adult Competitive Athletes Abstract: This literature review covers many aspects of health and injury prevention that affects the young adult population. This review will begin to formulate a general guideline for sustaining performance while minimizing the incidence for injury. This population is specifically narrowed down to competitive athletes between the ages of 16-22. Some of the topics covered in this paper are the effects of macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin C, on the body. Along with relating nutrition to lowering the risk of injury, there are also other topics covered such as sleep, stress relief in the form of binaural sounds, training and over-training. Nutrition topics include carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which are then split into their respective roles inside the body. These macro-nutrients are also associated with recovery and the timing and quantity consumed can be at optimal levels for competitive athletes based on gender, age and size. The vitamins and minerals discussed are also important factors in injury prevention related to bone, ligament and muscle strength. These micro-nutrients are also related to hormone regulation and immune system response which are necessary in mitigating the risk of injury in the population being analyzed. Finally, there is a training section of this literary review which covers monitoring external and internal loads experienced by the athletes, movement patterns as well as flexibility, and how to respond to over-training syndrome and overreaching in young adult athletes. Creating a balance between all aspects covered will result in a high likelihood of reducing the risk for injury in the young adult population.
ContributorsMark, Colby Jordan (Author) / Levinson, Simin (Thesis director) / Feser, Erin (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The goal of this research study was to empirically study a poster-based messaging campaign in comparison to that of a project-based learning approach in assessing the effectiveness of these methods in conveying the scope of biomedical engineering to upper elementary school students. For the purpose of this honors thesis, this research paper specifically reflects and analyzes the first stage of this study, the poster-based messaging campaign. 6th grade students received socially relevant messaging of juniors and seniors at ASU achieving their biomedical aspirations, and received information regarding four crucial themes of biomedical engineering via daily presentations and a website. Their learning was tracked over the course of the weeklong immersion program through a pre/post assessment. This data was then analyzed through the Wilcoxon matched pairs test to determine whether the change in biomedical engineering awareness was statistically significant. It was determined that a poster-based messaging campaign indeed increased awareness of socially relevant themes within biomedical engineering, and provided researchers with tangible ways to revise the study before a second round of implementation. The next stage of the study aims to explain biomedical engineering through engaging activities that stimulate making while emphasizing design-aesthetic appeal and engineering habits of mind such as creativity, teamwork, and communication.
ContributorsSwaminathan, Swetha Anu (Author) / Ganesh, Tirupalavanam (Thesis director) / Shrake, Scott (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05