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- All Subjects: Screening
- Creators: Link, Denise
- Creators: Berry, Robin
Routine cervical cancer screening has significantly decreased the mortality rate of cervical cancer. Today, cervical cancer predominantly affects those who are rarely or never screened. Government programs are in place to provide cervical cancer screening at little to no cost, yet screening rates remain suboptimal.
This project evaluated an evidence-based intervention to increase cervical cancer screening among underserved women in a federally qualified health center (FQHC). Female patients ages 21 to 65 years without history of hysterectomy (n=1,710) were sent reminders to their phones through the electronic health record (EHR). The message included educational material about the screening process and an announcement regarding government aid for free or reduced cost screening.
The number of patients who made an appointment after receiving the message was assessed two months later. In total, 156 responses were collected, and 28 patients made an appointment for screening. The most frequently observed category of Ethnicity was Hispanic/Latina (n = 24, 86%). The most frequently observed category of Insurance was Title X (n = 13, 46%). The observations for Age had an average of 41.04 (SD = 9.93). Using an EHR communication function to send motivational reminders has shown some promise for increasing cervical cancer screening, thereby reducing cervical cancer mortality among the underserved.
Maintaining good oral health during pregnancy is a significant contributor to healthy pregnancy outcomes. The physiological changes that happen during pregnancy can adversely affect women’s oral health and place her at risk for pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage and preeclampsia. The unborn child’s health can also be affected by premature birth and low birth weight. Although professional organizations have evidence-based practice guidelines for both prenatal and dental providers, the evidence shows a gap between recommendations and practice. An oral health promotion project for pregnant women was implemented in a federally qualified community health center where there was a lack of adherence to the guidelines.
The purpose of this project was to implement established oral health screening guidelines for pregnant women and to increase dental visits among pregnant women. For this project, a two-item maternal oral health-screening tool (MOS) for the prenatal providers was added into the electronic health record to standardize and document oral health screening for pregnant women at their first prenatal visit. After three months of implementation, there was a significant increase in maternal oral health screening and referral. This project may be replicated at any prenatal setting to improve oral health during pregnancy.
The utilization of suicide risk assessment tools is a critical component of a comprehensive approach to suicide risk assessment. However, some professionals hesitate to utilize screening tools routinely in practice. A project was undertaken to determine if the utilization of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Scale (C-SSRS) improved staff confidence in assessing suicide risk. Professionals within a psychiatric urgent care in Scottsdale, Arizona were provided with
training on the C-SSRS. Participants then utilized the C-SSRS at triage with patients presenting with depression and/or suicidality over a two-month period.
Self confidence in assessing suicide risk was evaluated utilizing The Efficacy in Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk Scale (SETSP-S). The acceptability and usability of the C-SSRS was evaluated utilizing The System Usability Scale (SUS). Findings of the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test indicated changes in pre and posttest assessment scores as significant in seven of the eight assessment parameters. In addition, Cohen's effect size value suggested medium or large clinical significance in these same assessment parameters.
Evidence suggests that efficient and effective assessment can improve staff confidence in assessing for suicidality and may improve morbidity and mortality rates for patients. The utilization of tools such as the C*SSRS could reduce health care costs associated with unnecessary hospital admissions as well as rehospitalizations. The routine utilization of assessment tools such as the C-SSRS many also be beneficial to healthcare specialties outside of behavioral health such as emergency departments and urgent care settings.