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- All Subjects: healthcare
- All Subjects: COVID-19
- Creators: Brian, Jennifer
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
This study looked at student’s perceptions of COVID-19 and differences in how universities handled COVID-19. It aimed to assess what measures made students feel safe and were the most effective in lessening spread. A risk-perception survey scored feelings of safety/risk, and semi-structured interviews provided context. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis showed mixed opinions on university measures, and interviews identified wearing masks, social distancing, isolating, and limiting social contacts as measures that were effective in curbing spread.
Developing a vaccine during the midst of a pandemic requires a careful balance between <br/>speed, safety, and efficacy. For the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. implemented Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the timeline for vaccine development. The FDA also imposed specific guidelines for granting Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). As of April 1st, 2021, Operation Warp Speed resulted in three different vaccines receiving EUA, all of which are currently being administered to the public. However, the rapid production and changes in the approval process intensified public scrutiny on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. This thesis analyzes the differences in fast-tracking a vaccine, which consolidated the authorization process into months rather than years, and delineates the main concerns of the public regarding the COVID-19 vaccine through a media analysis. Although the EUA raised questions about the safety of the vaccine, polls indicate that most Americans would still be willing to receive the vaccine.
Health service quality is understood to be a crucial determinant in successful patient-physician encounters and patient health. One common feeling that patients have reported experiencing during appointments is shame. We hypothesized that patients who experience appearance-based shame during an appointment are not likely to return to the same physician and that patients who do not experience appearance-based shame are likely to return to the same physician. This was assessed by conducting an anonymous online survey of 13 questions that served to establish a general foundation for understanding the participants' physical characteristics such as race, age, weight, and gender identity as well as their overall patient-physician relationship and experiences of shame, if applicable. 119 participants were recruited from Arizona State University and a case study was performed individually for five participants of interest. The data analyzed from this study suggests that while appearance-based shame does exist in healthcare spaces, it is not a significant determining factor in patients returning to their physicians. In addition, there was no significant evidence to suggest that patients who do not experience appearance-based shame are either likely or more likely to return to their physician. We hypothesize this could be due to confounding variables such as convenience, accessibility, or insurance limitations which patients may prioritize over feeling ashamed during an appointment. However, more research needs to be conducted to confirm these hypotheses.