Reaching Out to Tribal Communities: Lessons Learned and Approaches to Consider

When transportation safety decision-making is desired, the involvement and engagement with a community is essential. A streamlined delivery of a project or program is more likely to occur when active dialogue and an exchange of ideas occurs in advance and occurs frequently. This is particularly important in tribal communities, who value sustained relationships and represent the focus population of this study. The research team, on six separate occasions, met with local and regional tribal leaders to explore and discuss transportation safety needs within and outside tribal communities, as well as discern the recommended approaches to foster ongoing dialogue about these needs. In all cases these discussions closely correlated with existing research studies or activities; transportation safety and equity is not seen as separate from other tribal foci and community needs. Specific recommendations to consider, in no particular order, included the following: invest respectfully enough time for people to talk; tribes think long-term and consider the impact of any decision from a long-term viewpoint so an iterative process and re-sharing of ideas is critical; the power of decision is in the hands of the tribe and its members; do not lump tribes together as each tribe is sovereign and unique and every community should be expected to think differently; all tribes are unique as is the environmental and social context; to disseminate information widely and iteratively, do so when there is a large group or event; be sure to understand the Tribal governance, decision making, and organizational structure; know who is the tribal Chairman or Chairwoman; and develop an emic and etic understanding of the community

Consumer Health Services and Collections for Hispanics: An Introduction

Hispanics are the fastest growing minority population in the United States today. Providing health information services to Hispanic patients and their family members can be challenging because of diversity. Library staff should be familiar with the specific health care needs and sociocultural characteristics of Hispanics. This article discusses the movement toward providing culturally competent health care and identifies socioeconomic challenges and barriers to health care faced by Hispanics. Suggestions are offered for communicating with this group in the reference setting, and a selective bibliography of Internet consumer health resources available in both Spanish and English is provided

Results of the Kentucky Worksite Assessment: Utilization of the CDC’s Health ScoreCard

Study Objectives and Research Approach A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) conducted in 2011-2012 of a proposed Kentucky Worksite Wellness Tax Credit highlighted gaps in the data available on worksite wellness programs in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Conducting a state-wide assessment of worksite wellness programs was a recommendation that resulted from this HIA. The purpose of the assessment is to: 1) Identify the number of comprehensive worksite health promotion programs in Kentucky. 2) Determine the health needs of worksites in Kentucky. By Identifying current wellness practices in Kentucky, better tools and support can be provided at a state level to assist organizations to implement results-oriented wellness programs. As worksite wellness science continues to advance and the expectations of successful outcomes continue to increase, more will be required of those in charge of these programs. Upon receiving approval from WKU’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), 1,200 randomly drawn businesses received a questionnaire via email. Two-week increments were allowed for workplaces that needed reminders or more time to complete the survey. The survey began in May 2013 and closed in October 2013. Data was analyzed for outstanding themes, which will form the bases for decisions made on the needs of worksite-wellness programs in Kentucky. Data was analyzed further — descriptively and inferentially — to determine worksite factors that contribute to the increasing trends of chronic diseases in the workplace

Responsiveness of selected community colleges to work-force preparedness education and training

Postsecondary institutions, businesses, and industries are being required to give more attention to the education of the work force. The community college can assist in addressing the education and training needs of the changing American economy. The purpose of this study was to examine the planning, program development, marketing, and evaluation functions of three selected North Carolina community colleges as these functions address work-force preparedness basic skills education and specialized skills training. A multisite, case-study qualitative research methodology utilizing ethnographic techniques was used to address the questions of the study. Three of the fifty-eight North Carolina community colleges were chosen for the study based on the size of the college, demographics of the communities, and individual populations served by the respective community colleges. Data collection was limited to the non-degree programs addressing basic skills education and specialized skills training for work-force preparedness. Computer-assisted and manual content analysis of interviews and documentation were the primary analytic approaches used in the study. Ethnograph, a qualitative research software program commercially available, was utilized in the computer-assisted content analysis

Transportation Needs of Older Adults in Suburban and Rural Areas

The fact that the average age of the world\u27s population is increasing, which is more pronounced in developed countries, necessitates the understanding of the challenges faced by older adults in accessing transportation services. With advancing age, individuals may experience age-related changes that can notably affect their driving capabilities, emphasizing the importance of alternative transportation alternatives. This challenge is more evident in suburban and rural settings, where transportation choices are limited, and older adults often find themselves without access to suitable transportation alternatives. Given that mobility plays an essential role in maintaining social connections, accessing healthcare services, and fulfilling daily needs, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges faced by older adults in accessing transportation services in these areas is pivotal. This study employed a multifaceted approach, incorporating questionnaire surveys and focus group meetings with participation from both older adults and transportation service providers in suburban and rural Wisconsin. The dataset included 1,650 valid questionnaire responses from older adults, addressing their socio-demographics, technology usage, travel patterns, satisfaction with local transportation, challenges faced, and suggestions for improvements. The majority of responses were from females, individuals from low-income households, and those living alone. Furthermore, 103 valid responses were received from service providers, echoing and expanding upon these topics from a different perspective. Regression models were applied to analyze older adults\u27 travel mode and purpose preferences. Qualitative insights into their experiences and recommendations were obtained through focus meetings conducted with both older adults and service providers. The analyses unveiled that older adults often depend on self-driving and support from their social networks, while their utilization of local transportation services remains limited. The model results further confirmed the influence of demographic factors, demonstrating fewer trips among females, adults over 85 years, wheelchair users, low-income individuals, and those living alone. The COVID-19 pandemic curtailed older adults’ mobility additionally. A pronounced digital divide underscored the need to address internet access issues. Ride requests were primarily made via phone calls. While overall satisfaction with local services was positive, concerns regarding scheduling, routes, accessibility, healthcare coordination, reservations, communication, and driver performance were prevalent, highlighting areas for improvement in elderly transportation services. To address the found transportation barriers, this study puts forward eight key recommendations: collaboration and funding, coordination, expanding services, enhancing accessibility, providing training, focusing on rural areas, targeted marketing, and technology improvement. These measures have the potential to significantly enhance transportation services for older adults, benefiting not only Wisconsin but also comparable suburban and rural regions. Policymakers, transportation providers, and community organizations can utilize these insights to establish a more inclusive, accessible, and age-friendly transportation network that promotes the well-being of older adults

Physicians' role in patient ergonomics: a pilot study

With the ever-increasing rate of the integration of technology, and office workers making up the largest single sector of occupations, many workers are spending an increasingly large portion of their work time in the prolonged sitting or standing position and while on computer-based systems. Evidence-based research suggests that increased sedentary time is associated with diabetes, hypertension and other mortality causing diseases such as cardiovascular disease. There is a lack of occupational medicine considerations, specifically ergonomics, incorporated into the patient plan of care in the primary care setting. This is likely due to the decreased number of physicians specializing in occupational medicine (OM), and the lack of OM education in medical school curriculum. The current time constraints of the medical system may make the integration of additional screening seem unreasonable. With the introduction of occupational therapy as a contributing member of the primary care team, the burden of ergonomic training and education for at-risk patients can be reduced. Through participation in the Physicians’ Role in Patient Ergonomics workshop, a 20-minute online video aimed at explaining the connection between occupational risks and common health issues seen in the primary care setting, physicians can learn about the implications of occupational risks on patient health, and how to utilize brief screening questions and decision trees to efficiently determine which patients may benefit from ergonomic education and training

Brief of Amicus Curiae, The National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices, the New Hampshire Medical Society, and Prescription Policy Choices in Support of Defendant\u27s Objection to Plaintiff\u27s Motion for Preliminary Injunction

Plaintiffs in this case seek a preliminary injunction to prevent the enforcement of the New Hampshire Prescription Confidentiality Act, which protects consumers and the privacy interests of doctors in the state of New Hampshire from the increasingly common practice of using doctor-identifying information in prescription records to facilitate targeting of pharmaceutical marketing and gifts toward doctors who prescribe the most expensive drugs for their patients. This practice raises drug costs for all New Hampshire residents and compromises the professional autonomy of doctors. This brief addresses the failure of the plaintiffs to show that they are likely to succeed on the merits of either their First Amendment or Commerce Clause claim

Brief of Amicus Curiae, The National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices, the New Hampshire Medical Society, and Prescription Policy Choices in Support of Defendant\u27s Objection to Plaintiff\u27s Motion for Preliminary Injunction

Plaintiffs in this case seek a preliminary injunction to prevent the enforcement of the New Hampshire Prescription Confidentiality Act, which protects consumers and the privacy interests of doctors in the state of New Hampshire from the increasingly common practice of using doctor-identifying information in prescription records to facilitate targeting of pharmaceutical marketing and gifts toward doctors who prescribe the most expensive drugs for their patients. This practice raises drug costs for all New Hampshire residents and compromises the professional autonomy of doctors. This brief addresses the failure of the plaintiffs to show that they are likely to succeed on the merits of either their First Amendment or Commerce Clause claim

Evaluation of Mammography Screening and Awareness Health Promotion Interventions Targeting Women with Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review

Research evaluating the effectiveness of health promotion interventions that aim to increase mammography utilization and or awareness among women with disabilities is extremely limited. The purpose of this thesis was to systematically review the literature that does exist, and examine the effectiveness and methodological rigor of various health promotion interventions, that aim to increase mammography utilization among women with disabilities. This thesis followed a five-step systematic review process: framing of the research question, identification of relevant work, extraction of relevant data on outcomes and quality, summarization of evidence, and interpretation of evidence. The sample consisted of eight articles that were evaluated and examined with the use of three tools: comparative matrix tool, quality assessment tool, and level of evidence pyramid. The results of the review revealed various health promotion intervention formats, among women with either a mobility impairment, intellectual disability, or learning disability