Matching Items (30)
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- All Subjects: healthcare
- Creators: College of Health Solutions
- Creators: Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
- Status: Published
Description
Populations in the United States and globally struggle to receive equal and affordable access to healthcare, this is no secret. However there are several minority and underprivileged groups within the population that experience disproportionate quality of healthcare when compared to their cis-gendered heterosexual counterparts.
Individuals that align and identify themselves as part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) Community, often face discrimination and bias from within the healthcare system that prevent them from receiving adequate patient knowledge, tailored and beneficial healthcare, as well as social support when seeking treatment for conditions that may at times, be more persistent within the community. Examples of these holes within the healthcare system include a lack of culturally competent and appropriate care for those in the community, access to affordable treatments, and other unique health needs.
Consequently, as a minority group these members face social and environmental factors that contribute to their overall wellbeing and health, and therefore training and education need to be implemented for future and current healthcare providers to assess, recognize and acknowledge these varying factors and how they contribute to a patient’s overall wellbeing.
Individuals that align and identify themselves as part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) Community, often face discrimination and bias from within the healthcare system that prevent them from receiving adequate patient knowledge, tailored and beneficial healthcare, as well as social support when seeking treatment for conditions that may at times, be more persistent within the community. Examples of these holes within the healthcare system include a lack of culturally competent and appropriate care for those in the community, access to affordable treatments, and other unique health needs.
Consequently, as a minority group these members face social and environmental factors that contribute to their overall wellbeing and health, and therefore training and education need to be implemented for future and current healthcare providers to assess, recognize and acknowledge these varying factors and how they contribute to a patient’s overall wellbeing.
ContributorsRandell, Arianna Nicole (Author) / Kizer, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Don, Rachael (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The purpose of this analysis is to determine the economic impact that the distribution of the SolarSPELL digital library system to Peace Corps volunteers in Vanuatu will have on the citizens of Vanuatu by quantifying the potential for SolarSPELL and its health education content to reduce rates of certain illnesses and thereby reduce the demands on the Vanuatu healthcare system. The research was carried out by researching the most prominent non-communicable diseases in Vanuatu that could be affected by lifestyle changes as a result of exposure to the health education content on the SolarSPELL and determining the expected changes in rates of each non-communicable disease as well as the expected changes in the individual and hospital costs, the loss of income due to missed work, transport costs within Vanuatu, and international medical evacuation costs. Ultimately, these costs were collectively reduced by approximately 2.046% due to SolarSPELL intervention, a reduction of approximately $7,000. However, given the limited scope of available information within the healthcare system of Vanuatu, it can be inferred that the impact of the distribution of the SolarSPELL is likely significantly larger. Consequently, it is recommended that the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, the SolarSPELL team, and the Peace Corps implement policies to increase the volume of healthcare data collected in Vanuatu in order to assist in future analyses of the healthcare system.
ContributorsErspamer, Brett Thomas (Author) / Ross, Heather (Thesis director) / Silverman, Daniel (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The purpose of this study was to evaluate how incarceration impacts the health of female inmates. Healthcare professionals and employees at the Riverside Correctional Facility, a women’s prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were interviewed in order to ascertain their perspective on the health of the female inmates they serve. A total of six employees, identified as “respondents” were interviewed and, in addition to these interviews, a tour of the facility was provided. This study used a phenomenological design and the results were analyzed through grounded theory, in which responses were broken down into several codes and themes were then identified from those codes. The analysis of the interviews found that healthcare, empowerment, and drug use were the main themes identified in relation to the health impacts of incarcerated women. The healthcare provided at the facility has a significant impact on the health of the inmates, because most of the inmates struggle with some form of health issue, such as a mental illness, untreated malady, or drug dependency. Empowerment was found to be the most important factor in motivating women to obtain an education, employment skills, and employment once they reenter society. All respondents identified drug use as the most profound health issue at the facility, in addition to acting as the largest barrier for women to successfully reenter society and attain stable employment.
ContributorsBraunstein, Zoe (Author) / Savaglio, Lauren (Thesis director) / Davis-Strong, Devi (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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
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
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the history of artificial intelligence (AI) and its future implications in the healthcare industry. Utilizing information from research and medical journals, this paper will examine the foundations of AI and the people and events that influenced its development. Further, the various subsets of AI and its use in contemporary life will be discussed. While the technological evolution of AI will be discussed, this paper is not a technical treatise on the inner workings of AI software and technology, rather, it is a basic history of the development of AI and its respective subsets, and a look at current and potential future applications of AI. This information will be applied to the healthcare industry to discuss the history of AI in this field, detailing how AI was developed to find innovative solutions to complex medical problems. Finally, future prospects of AI in the medical industry will be discussed, explaining potential applications of this technology as well as various challenges and implications.
ContributorsBrackney, Rachel Elizabeth (Author) / Van Orden, Joseph (Thesis director) / Darcy, David (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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