Matching Items (126)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: healthcare
- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
- Creators: School of Human Evolution and Social Change
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
- Resource Type: Text
Description
My thesis explores the development of a new treatment option for children with Amblyopia. I did a lot of research into existing treatment options as well as interviewing patients and their parents do figure out why these treatments were not working. I interviewed a pediatric ophthalmologist to better understand this condition from their point of view. I also did a competitive analysis to see who else was in this marketplace. From the insights I gathered I was able to create a user journey map to see where the most problems arose during the experience from Diagnoses to end of treatment. With this research I was able to design a new treatment plan that was focused on empathizing with the user. I developed several concepts ranging from lo-fi to blue sky. I tested these concepts by making models and getting feedback from the user. I developed the actual design of the glasses through sketching and model making. I tested the ergonomics and design with the help of my classmates. The solution is a combination of smart glasses and an app. The smart glasses function as a replacement of traditional and popular patching by dimming one lens to block vision to the strong eye. This forces the weak eye to be used. The app is used to encourage kids to use the glasses more often through games and challenges. The challenges give rewards for wearing the glasses for an extended period of time. The games are used to increase of effectiveness of the treatment. Research showed that video games like Tetris forces the eye to focus and be used more than in daily life. This solution makes the treatment experience positive instead of negative as it was with other treatments.
ContributorsMeling, Erlend Henry Olav (Author) / Shin, Dosun (Thesis director) / Feil, Magnus (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Medicine is evolving at an accelerating rate. The needs of the future in medicine are different than the needs of today. With many possible outcomes for the future of medicine, researchers and physicians have tried to predict the future for particular fields. As new healthcare workers enter the medical field, their training must be tailored to provide the best education to prepare healthcare workers for their careers. Therefore, it is imperative to take a closer look into the future in order to better decide how to train doctors, nurses, PA’s, etc. effectively to provide the best care possible.
ContributorsHewlett, Jessica Lynn (Author) / Sklar, David (Thesis director) / Lindor, Keith (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in the United States, being diagnosed in over 20 million Americans. The condition is even more common among young children, and their academic performance and ability to attend school can be negatively impacted by poorly-managed asthma. Digital therapeutics are therapeutic interventions driven by high quality software programs to prevent, manage, or treat a medical disorder or disease. Technology in the healthcare space is rapidly improving, and smart devices are becoming more common everyday. How can digital therapeutics and evolving technology be implemented to make life easier for those that suffer from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? My research seeks to answer the overarching question: How might we improve the day-to-day experience of children with asthma? Airie is a system of devices and products that educate both asthmatic children and their parents about the condition, facilitate self-monitoring and asthma management skills, and improve overall quality of life.
ContributorsChen, Jane Jialin (Author) / Shin, Dosun (Thesis director) / Feil, Magnus (Committee member) / The Design School (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
As the use of e-cigarettes (vaping) has exponentially grown in the college population over the last few years, young people are experiencing related health complications. To better understand the rationale and appeal for using these products, I conducted a qualitative study of the perceptions and use of e-cigarettes by college students who were previous or current e-cigarette users. Ten participants responded to a standardized set of questions about their perceptions on vaping. Interviews were recorded and transcribed by the researcher and were coded independently by two members of the research team. The coded data was further analyzed to develop seven themes. Key themes included: “Social,” “health,” “self-image,” “negative health effects,” “knowledge,” and “dependence.” The data led to two major conclusions: 1) college students have a negative perception of their own usage of e-cigarettes, as well as their personal images related to vaping and the adverse health effects they experience from this habit 2) college students have varying levels of knowledge about e-cigarette products and desire to learn more about and the short- and long-term effects. Healthcare professionals can use these findings to improve understanding of how college students perceive the use of e-cigarettes and plan effective health promotion programs to minimize health risks in that population.
ContributorsTucker, Kathleen (Author) / Hagler, Debra (Thesis director) / Walker, Beth (Committee member) / Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This thesis uses the Foucauldian model of the biopolitical state to explain the regulation of refugee women’s bodies who have undergone female genital cutting/mutilation (FGC/M). The main theoretical framework for this thesis is inspired by Dr. Khiara Bridges’ work: Reproducing Race: An Ethnography of Pregnancy as a Site of Racialization (2011). Her book explains how “material and societal conditions appear to affirm the veracity of race” (Bridges, 2011, 10). She describes pregnancy as a “racially salient event” that inevitably engages racial politics. In her book, she illustrates how the material body is the primary sign of racial difference (Bridges, 2011, 47). I argue that race and culture are inscribed in the body, and FGC/M is a physical representation of that inscription. As a result, a physical representation of racialization opens women with FGC/M to far more scrutiny and regulation. I define the United States and France as biopolitical states whose values and agendas regulate and police bodies to behave according to their norms. The value set that underlies the United States is predicated on principles of sovereignty, federalism, and an emphasis on a Puritanical work ethic where an individual must earn their benefits from the state. In France, however, there is less stigma surrounding social welfare but there is forced cultural assimilation that results in a singular, secular French identity. These value systems then inform the tools to police behavior. The tools, or systems, I have identified for this thesis are the adoption of human rights instruments into domestic law, refugee policy, healthcare systems, and regulation of women’s reproductive health. All of these macro-level systems then inform individual patient-provider relationships since those interactions are not independent of these systems. I argue that refugee women who have undergone FGC/M deviate from these prescribed norms and thus are subjugated to overwhelming biopolitical regulation.
ContributorsRamakumar, Asha Anjali (Author) / Reddy, Swapna (Thesis director) / Switzer, Heather (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This study aims to examine how the use of consensus-based transactions, smart contracts,and interoperability, provided by blockchain, may benefit the blood plasma industry. Plasmafractionation is the process of separating blood into multiple components to garner benefitsof increased lifespan, specialized allocation, and decreased waste, thereby creating a morecomplex and flexible supply chain. Traditional applications of blockchain are developed onthe basis of decentralization—an infeasible policy for this sector due to stringent governmentregulations, such as HIPAA. However, the trusted nature of the relations in the plasmaindustry’s taxonomy proves private and centralized blockchains as the viable alternative.Implementations of blockchain are widely seen across pharmaceutical supply chains to combatthe falsification of possibly afflictive drugs. This system is more difficult to manage withblood, due to the quick perishable time, tracking/tracing of recycled components, and thenecessity of real-time metrics. Key attributes of private blockchains, such as digital identity,smart contracts, and authorized ledgers, may have the possibility of providing a significantpositive impact on the allocation and management functions of blood banks. Herein, we willidentify the economy and risks of the plasma ecosystem to extrapolate specific applications forthe use of blockchain technology. To understand tangible effects of blockchain, we developeda proof of concept application, aiming to emulate the business logic of modern plasma supplychain ecosystems adopting a blockchain data structure. The application testing simulates thesupply chain via agent-based modeling to analyze the scalability, benefits, and limitations ofblockchain for the plasma fractionation industry.
ContributorsVallabhaneni, Saipavan K (Author) / Boscovic, Dragan (Thesis director) / Kellso, James (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Healthcare encounters may often be experienced by patients as cultural experiences as much as they are medicinal, creating different expectations and perceptions for each individual seeking care. This project sought to understand the experiences that Alaska Natives have with healthcare and how those experiences influenced their care. It provided a small window into the cultural relevance to healthcare for Alaska Natives by conducting interviews with participants from Sitka, Alaska. Interviews addressed three topics (or themes): linguistic and communication barriers, culturally specific care associated with individual tribes and patient-provider relationships. Although these topics, within the context of healthcare, have been well studied under the Native American - Alaska Native demographic umbrella, few projects target Alaska Natives specifically. This project was developed to specifically spotlight Alaska Natives to gain an understanding of their healthcare experiences.
ContributorsLarson, Skylar (Author) / McMullen, Mary (Thesis director) / Rowans, Leslie (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The rate of vaccinations has been consistently decreasing in the past years in children of ages 0-18. Multiple factors and barriers contribute to these low rates. This comparative case study investigated the accessibility of information regarding childhood vaccinations to parents in areas with differing poverty levels in the greater Phoenix region, specifically in the West Valley, Downtown Phoenix, and the East Valley. Pediatric clinics, public elementary schools, and public libraries were visited in each area to assess how much information was available where. The analysis produced unexpected results: the West Valley, which had the highest poverty level, contained the most amount of accessible information for parents in many languages, while the East Valley, with a low poverty level, had almost no information accessible to parents of these children. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed. Based on these unexpected results, one recommendation is to develop a pamphlet that could be distributed to these public places to raise awareness of the importance of vaccinations in children to parents.
ContributorsShah, Veedhi (Author) / Bates, Denise (Thesis director) / Castillo, Elizabeth (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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
Previous studies have found that the detection of near-threshold stimuli is decreased immediately before movement and throughout movement production. This has been suggested to occur through the use of the internal forward model processing an efferent copy of the motor command and creating a prediction that is used to cancel out the resulting sensory feedback. Currently, there are no published accounts of the perception of tactile signals for motor tasks and contexts related to the lips during both speech planning and production. In this study, we measured the responsiveness of the somatosensory system during speech planning using light electrical stimulation below the lower lip by comparing perception during mixed speaking and silent reading conditions. Participants were asked to judge whether a constant near-threshold electrical stimulation (subject-specific intensity, 85% detected at rest) was present during different time points relative to an initial visual cue. In the speaking condition, participants overtly produced target words shown on a computer monitor. In the reading condition, participants read the same target words silently to themselves without any movement or sound. We found that detection of the stimulus was attenuated during speaking conditions while remaining at a constant level close to the perceptual threshold throughout the silent reading condition. Perceptual modulation was most intense during speech production and showed some attenuation just prior to speech production during the planning period of speech. This demonstrates that there is a significant decrease in the responsiveness of the somatosensory system during speech production as well as milliseconds before speech is even produced which has implications for speech disorders such as stuttering and schizophrenia with pronounced deficits in the somatosensory system.
ContributorsMcguffin, Brianna Jean (Author) / Daliri, Ayoub (Thesis director) / Liss, Julie (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05