What factors are associated with the use of teletrauma in northern British Columbia?

Despite the existence of universal health care for Canadians, health inequalities persist. Those residing in rural regions of Canada may be at a disadvantage for accessing appropriate services. To enhance access, a teletrauma program was implemented in the Robson Valley, connecting rural clinicians during emergency cases. This study was undertaken to better understand the experiences of teletrauma users and why teletrauma is utilized. Data were gathered from 14 interviews with clinicians, health administrators, a researcher, and a health executive. Guided by interpretive description methodology, four major themes emerged, including: teletrauma affects the entire system of care; teletrauma enables a network of care built on interprofessional relationships; reasons clinicians use teletrauma are multifaceted and interrelated; and, interconnectedness of the healthcare system. Information from this study provides insight into the role and function of teletrauma in northern British Columbia and how it may better serve the needs of rural clinicians

The development of telemedicine programs in Sub-Saharan Africa: Progress and associated challenges

Monitoring the progress of telemedicine use in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries has received a considerable attention from many health organizations and governmental agencies. This study reviewed the current progress and challenges in relation to the development of telemedicine programs in SSA. The results from reviewing 66 empirical studies revealed an unbalanced progress across SSA countries. Further, technological, organisational, legal and regulatory, individual, financial, and cultural aspects were identified as the major barriers to the success of telemedicine development in SSA. This study reported the current trends in telemedicine application, as well as highlighting critical barriers for consideration by healthcare decision makers. The outcomes from this study offer a number of recommendations to support wider implementation and sustainable usage of telemedicine in SSA

Telemedicine

Telemedicine is a rapidly evolving field as new technologies are implemented for example for the development of wireless sensors, quality data transmission. Using the Internet applications such as counseling, clinical consultation support and home care monitoring and management are more and more realized, which improves access to high level medical care in underserved areas. The 23 chapters of this book present manifold examples of telemedicine treating both theoretical and practical foundations and application scenarios

Cancer screening prevalence and associated factors among US adults

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, only exceeded by heart disease; 1,708,921 new cancer cases were reported and 599,265 people died of cancer in 2018. Although age-adjusted cancer incidence decreased 9.5% over the last 20 years, the number of people diagnosed with cancer increased. The estimated national expenditures for cancer care in the United States were $208.9 billion in 2020, a 10% increase from 2015, mainly because of the aging and growth of the US population. In future years, costs will likely increase as the population ages and as new and often more expensive treatments are adopted as standards of care.About 30% to 50% of cancers diagnosed today could be prevented by reducing exposure to tobacco smoke and other environmental carcinogens, maintaining healthy body weight, and receiving recommended cancer screenings and vaccinations. Screening can detect cancer before symptoms occur and at earlier stages when the disease is more treatable. It also can detect precancerous conditions, which can be treated to prevent cancer from occurring. Understanding cancer screening patterns and factors associated with getting screened helps public health policy makers and practitioners improve cancer prevention programs by implementing evidence-based policies and practices. The 11 articles in this special collection from Preventing Chronic Disease present research on cancer screening trends, determinants of cancer screening, and public health practices that increase cancer screening uptake in specific populations. Guest editors for this collection are Zhen-Qiang (Marshall) Ma, MD, MPH, MS, division director of community epidemiology at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH, director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Publication date from document propertis.Cancer_Collection_FINAL_508.pdfCancer Screening Prevalence and Associated Factors Among US Adults /Ma Z, Richardson LC. Cancer Screening Prevalence and Associated Factors Among US Adults. Prev Chronic Dis 2022;19:220063. -- Adults Who Have Never Been Screened for Colorectal Cancer, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2012 and 2020 / Richardson LC, King JB, Thomas CC, Richards TB, Dowling NF, Coleman King S. Adults Who Have Never Been Screened for Colorectal Cancer, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2012 and 2020. Prev Chronic Dis 2022;19:220001. -- Cancer Incidence Projections in the United States Between 2015 and 2050 / Weir HK, Thompson TD, Stewart SL, White MC. Cancer Incidence Projections in the United States Between 2015 and 2050. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:210006. -- Preventing Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Deaths: Assessing the Impact of Increased Screening /Sharma KP, Grosse SD, Maciosek MV, Joseph D, Roy K, Richardson LC, et al. Preventing Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Deaths: Assessing the Impact of Increased Screening. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200039. -- Disparities in Meeting USPSTF Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines Among Women in the United States Benavidez GA, Zgodic A, Zahnd WE, Eberth JM. Disparities in Meeting USPSTF Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines Among Women in the United States. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:200315. -- Racial Residential Segregation and Colorectal Cancer Mortality in the Mississippi Delta Region / Kruse-Diehr AJ, McDaniel JT, Lewis-Thames MW, James AS, Yahaya M. Racial Residential Segregation and Colorectal Cancer Mortality in the Mississippi Delta Region. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:200483. -- Effects of Neighborhood Ethnic Density and Psychosocial Factors on Colorectal Cancer Screening Behavior Among Asian American Adults, Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey, United States, 2014\u20132019 /Bhimla A, Mann-Barnes T, Park H, Yeh M, Do P, Aczon F, et al. Effects of Neighborhood Ethnic Density and Psychosocial Factors on Colorectal Cancer Screening Behavior Among Asian American Adults, Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey, United States, 2014\u20132019. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:210062. -- Spatial Insights for Understanding Colorectal Cancer Screening in Disproportionately Affected Populations, Central Texas, 2019 / Zhan FB, Morshed N, Kluz N, Candelaria B, Baykal-Caglar E, Khurshid A, et al. Spatial Insights for Understanding Colorectal Cancer Screening in Disproportionately Affected Populations, Central Texas, 2019. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:200362. -- Urban\u2013Rural Disparities in Access to Low-Dose Computed Tomography Lung Cancer Screening in Missouri and Illinois /Rohatgi KW, Marx CM, Lewis-Thames MW, Liu J, Colditz GA, James AS. Urban\u2013Rural Disparities in Access to Low-Dose Computed Tomography Lung Cancer Screening in Missouri and Illinois. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200202. -- Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Among American Indians and Alaska Natives /Haverkamp D, English K, Jacobs-Wingo J, Tjemsland A, Espey D. Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200049. -- Inclusion of Evidence-Based Breast Cancer Control Recommendations and Guidelines in State Comprehensive Cancer Control Plans /Soori M, Platz EA, Kanarek N. Inclusion of Evidence-Based Breast Cancer Control Recommendations and Guidelines in State Comprehensive Cancer Control Plans. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200046.20221178

Toward a Discourse Community for Telemedicine: A Domain Analytic View of Published Scholarship

In the past 20 years, the use of telemedicine has increased, with telemedicine programs increasingly being conducted through the Internet and ISDN technologies. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the discourse community of telemedicine. This study examined the published literature on telemedicine as it pertains to quality of care, defined as correct diagnosis and treatment (Bynum and Irwin 2011). Content analysis and bibliometrics were conducted on the scholarly discourse, and the most prominent authors and journals were documented to paint and depict the epistemological map of the discourse community of telemedicine. A taxonomy based on grounded research of scholarly literature was developed and validated against other existing taxonomies. Telemedicine has been found to increase the quality and access of health care and decrease health care costs (Heinzelmann, Williams, Lugn and Kvedar 2005 and Wootton and Craig 1999). Patients in rural areas where there is no specialist or patients who find it difficult to get to a doctor’s office benefit from telemedicine. Little research thus far has examined scholarly journals in order to aggregate and analyze the prevalent issues in the discourse community of telemedicine. The purpose of this dissertation is to empiricallydocument the prominent topics and issues in telemedicine by examining the related published scholarly discourse of telemedicine during a snapshot in time. This study contributes to the field of telemedicine by offering a comprehensive taxonomy of the leading authors and journals in telemedicine, and informs clinicians, librarians and other stakeholders, including those who may want to implement telemedicine in their institution, about issues telemedicine

Northern and Indigenous Health and Health Care

The provision of northern health care entails many unique challenges and circumstances that are rarely represented in mainstream health sciences education. This OpenEd Resource provides accessible content on health and health care from a northern perspective for the growing number of health professionals being educated in northern communities

A population-based examination of cancer in New South Wales farm residents compared to rural non-farm and urban residents

The cancer indicators and outcomes of rural Australians are generally less favourable than those of their urban counterparts, but the situation for farm residents is less well known. With a focus on farm residents, this study aimed to identify differences between farm, rural non-farm and urban residents in a large NSW cohort, in: (1) incidence and mortality from major cancers; (2) screening rates, stage at diagnosis and selected cancer therapies; and (3) common risk factors associated with these cancers. Cancers of interest were breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate cancers; melanoma and Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. The Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study was used to define resident groups and to compare baseline cancer-related risk factors. Cancer mortality, incidence, stage at diagnoses, cancer screening practices and selected cancer treatments were compared through data linkage with routine state and national health datasets. Direct age-standardisation, proportional hazards regression and logistic regression were used to compare cancer indicators, controlling for common risk factors. Overall, farm residents had lower all cancer incidence and mortality risk than rural non-farm or urban counterparts, but differences were only significant for all cancer incidence in farm women compared to rural non-farm women. For specific cancers, breast cancer mortality risk was also significantly lower in farm women than rural non-farm women, but incidence and mortality risk for other cancers were not significantly different. However, whilst confidence intervals did not exclude unity, adjusted point estimates for incidence or mortality risk suggest that compared to other groups, farm residents had a similar or reduced risk of breast, colorectal and lung cancer; similar risk of NHL; and farm men similar or slightly raised risk of melanoma and prostate cancer. There were no significant differences in stage at diagnosis for prostate, breast and colorectal cancers. Small case numbers in the farm group were likely to have contributed to lack of significance of findings for some analyses. Screening practices of farm and rural non-farm residents were generally similar; but both rural groups had significantly less frequent PSA tests, Pap tests, mammograms and colonoscopies than urban residents. Cancer-related surgical services for breast and colorectal cancer were comparable between all groups. Some findings for non-surgical therapies should be considered with caution, but both farm and rural non-farm residents were significantly less likely to access chemotherapy for breast cancer and brachytherapy for prostate cancer than urban counterparts. Strengths and limitations of the research are discussed. Pending confirmation of findings in other studies, results have implications for cancer screening and treatment services in rural Australia. The reasons why farm residents may have lower incidence and / or mortality risk for some cancers should also be considered for further research

Advancing health equity, eliminating health disparities, and improving population health

Publication date from document properties.Health-Disparities-Collection_508.pdf01. Advancing Health Equity, Eliminating Health Disparities, and Improving Population Health Jack L Jr. Advancing Health Equity, Eliminating Health Disparities, and Improving Population Health. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:210264. / 02. PCD\u2019s Commitment to Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Its Scientific Leadership, Peer-Review Process, Research Focus, Training, and Continuing Education / Jack L Jr. PCD\u2019s Commitment to Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Its Scientific Leadership, Peer-Review Process, Research Focus, Training, and Continuing Education. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:210269. -- 03. Engaging With Communities \u2014 Lessons (Re)Learned From COVID-19 / Michener L, Aguilar-Gaxiola S, Alberti PM, Castaneda MJ, Castrucci BC, Harrison LM, et al. Engaging With Communities \u2014 Lessons (Re)Learned From COVID-19. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200250. -- 04. Culture Matters in Communicating the Global Response to COVID-19 / Airhihenbuwa C, Iwelunmor J, Munodawafa D, Ford C, Oni T, Agyemang C, et al. Culture Matters in Communicating the Global Response to COVID-19. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200245. -- 05. Reaching the Hispanic Community About COVID-19 Through Existing Chronic Disease Prevention Programs / Calo WA, Murray A, Francis E, Bermudez M, Kraschnewski J. Reaching the Hispanic Community About COVID-19 Through Existing Chronic Disease Prevention Programs. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200165. -- 06. Community Engagement of African Americans in the Era of COVID-19: Considerations, Challenges, Implications, and Recommendations for Public Health / Henry Akintobi T, Jacobs T, Sabbs D, Holden K, Braithwaite R, Johnson LN, et al. Community Engagement of African Americans in the Era of COVID-19: Considerations, Challenges, Implications, and Recommendations for Public Health. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200255. -- 07. Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Among School-Aged Children: Are We Doing Enough? -- White A, Liburd LC, Coronado F. Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Among School-Aged Children: Are We Doing Enough? Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:210084. -- 08. A Framework for Mobilizing Health Care to Respond to the Community Within the COVID-19 Pandemic / Epps F, Wiley Z, Teunis LJ, Johnson TM II, Patzer RE, Ofotokun I, et al. A Framework for Mobilizing Health Care to Respond to the Community Within the COVID-19 Pandemic. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:200572. -- 09. Addressing Emotional Wellness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Role of Promotores in Delivering Integrated Mental Health Care and Social Services / Moon KJ, Montiel GI, Cantero PJ, Nawaz S. Addressing Emotional Wellness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Role of Promotores in Delivering Integrated Mental Health Care and Social Services. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:200656. -- 10. COVID-19 and Chronic Disease: The Impact Now and in the Future / Hacker KA, Briss PA, Richardson L, Wright J, Petersen R. COVID-19 and Chronic Disease: The Impact Now and in the Future. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:210086. -- 11. Screening and Referral Care Delivery Services and Unmet Health-Related Social Needs: A Systematic Review / Ruiz Escobar E, Pathak S, Blanchard CM. Screening and Referral Care Delivery Services and Unmet Health-Related Social Needs: A Systematic Review. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:200569. -- 12. Community and Research Perspectives on Cancer Disparities in Wisconsin -- Olson J, Cawthra T, Beyer K, Frazer D, Ignace L, Maurana C, et al. Community and Research Perspectives on Cancer Disparities in Wisconsin. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200183. -- 13. Urban\u2013Rural Disparities in Access to Low-Dose Computed Tomography Lung Cancer Screening in Missouri and Illinois / Rohatgi KW, Marx CM, Lewis-Thames MW, Liu J, Colditz GA, James AS. Urban\u2013Rural Disparities in Access to Low-Dose Computed Tomography Lung Cancer Screening in Missouri and Illinois. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200202. -- 14. Quantification of Potential Inequities in Breast Cancer Incidence in New Mexico Through Bayesian Disease Mapping / Zahrieh D, Golafshar MA, Patel SH, DeWees TA. Quantification of Potential Inequities in Breast Cancer Incidence in New Mexico Through Bayesian Disease Mapping. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:200468. -- 15. HbA1c Performance in African Descent Populations in the United States With Normal Glucose Tolerance, Prediabetes, or Diabetes: A Scoping Review / Khosla L, Bhat S, Fullington LA, Horlyck-Romanovsky MF. HbA1c Performance in African Descent Populations in the United States With Normal Glucose Tolerance, Prediabetes, or Diabetes: A Scoping Review. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:200365. -- 16. Reducing Tobacco Use in Oregon Through Multisector Collaboration: Aligning Medicaid and Public Health Programs / Livingston CJ, Bartelmann SE, Goff NM, Aird KG. Reducing Tobacco Use in Oregon Through Multisector Collaboration: Aligning Medicaid and Public Health Programs. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200220. -- 17. \u201cWe\u2019re, Like, the Most Unhealthy People in the Country\u201c: Using an Equity Lens to Reduce Barriers to Healthy Food Access in Rural Appalachia / Cardarelli K, DeWitt E, Gillespie R, Norman-Burgdolf H, Jones N, Mullins JT. \u201cWe\u2019re, Like, the Most Unhealthy People in the Country\u201d: Using an Equity Lens to Reduce Barriers to Healthy Food Access in Rural Appalachia. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200340. -- 18. Oral Health Behaviors in Very Young Children in Low-Income Urban Areas in Chicago, Illinois, 2018\u20132019 / Martin M, Pugach O, Avenetti D, Lee H, Salazar S, Rosales G, et al. Oral Health Behaviors in -- Very Young Children in Low-Income Urban Areas in Chicago, Illinois, 2018\u20132019. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200213. -- 19. A Randomized Trial to Improve Adherence to Follow-up Eye Examinations Among People With Glaucoma / Leiby BE, Hegarty SE, Zhan T, Myers JS, Katz LJ, Haller JA, et al. A Randomized Trial to Improve Adherence to Follow-up Eye Examinations Among People With Glaucoma. Prev Chronic Dis 2021;18:200567.20211055

Study to investigate factors influencing adoption of mobile devices in the healthcare environment

In this research project, modified graphene was employed as filler to enhance the electrical conductivity and to reinforce mechanical properties of natural rubber (NR). The defect sites in the graphene sheets were investigated for further modification. The latex mixing and mechanical mixing methods to load functional graphene sheets into the NR matrix, improved the mechanical and electrical properties of the composite material. Graphene was prepared by a chemical oxidation-reduction approach to fill the NR matrix. The oxidation approaches were employed in progress, which will induce various defects in the final product. It is known that these defects decrease the properties of the graphene and graphene/natural rubber composites, which are prepared by traditional method as well. However, these defects could cause improvements in performance of the graphene composites with re-designed methods, the main focus of this thesis. Before loading into NR matrix, the defect information of graphene oxide (GO) prepared using Hummers method was examined through positron testing, which is known to be highly effective in the study of the defects in graphite and its derivatives. The different types of defects were detectable, which revealed that the vacancy clusters and vacancy-oxygen group complexes were present on the GO sheets. No large open-volume hole was detected in GO. The reduction of GO by potassium carbonate (K2CO3) as a green noble preparation approach was developed, and the oxygen groups dispersion status in the GO sheet was further investigated. K2CO3 was used as a reusable reduction agent to convert GO to reduced graphene oxide (RGO) in two steps, based on the conversion of the different types of oxygen groups detected. Carbon dioxide was the only by-product of this process, which was absorbed by K2CO3. In addition, the study further elucidates the structure of GO sheets. The oxygen groups on the GO sheets not only aligned but also randomly dispersed in different areas. Antistatic NR nanocomposites with partly interconnected graphene architectures offer significant enhancement in various properties. RGO/NR composites were prepared using latex mixing and in-situ reduction process. The oxygen groups on the GO played a key role in attaching GO sheets to the surface of NR particles. Segregated current transfer routes were partly constructed in an NR matrix with an electrical conductivity of 0.1 S/m and reinforcing the tensile strength and elongation-at-break as well. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were used to decorate GO, which further increased the electrical conductivity of NR nanocomposites. Electrically conductive AgNPs/RGO filled NR with well-organized three-dimensional (3D) microstructures were prepared through electrostatic self-assembly integrated latex mixing. The oxygen groups in GO acted as an anchor for AgNPs growth, resulting in the electrical conductivity of 31000 S/m for the AgNPs/RGO. A honeycomb-like AgNPs/RGO 3D network was constructed in the NR matrix after freeze-drying and hot compression moulding. The AgNPs/RGO/NR nanocomposites show a percolation threshold of 0.63 vol.% and electrical conductivity of 196 S/m at AgNPs/RGO content of 4.03 vol.%. The oxygen groups can not only be used to improve the electrical conductivity of NR but also used to reinforce mechanical properties. The effect of functionalized GO on the mechanical properties of NR was investigated through two strategies. In the first strategy, one layer of silica particles were attached to the GO surface through hydrogen bonds. The strength were reinforced because of well-dispersed SiO2/GO in the NR matrix. GO acted as a surfactant dispersed by silica into the NR matrix to reinforce the mechanical properties using latex mixing. Oxygen groups on the graphene sheets banded with silica to achieve the target. In the second strategy, the strength reinforcement of NR nanocomposites was achieved by construction of an interpenetrating network between the NR molecules and porous graphene. In this project, porous graphene loaded NR nanocomposites were prepared through an ultrasonically assisted latex mixing and in-situ reduction process. The oxygen groups showed chemo-selectivity etched by potassium permanganate (KMnO4), forming pores possessing suitable dimensions in graphene sheets. Porous graphene/NR nanocomposites show strong interactions between the NR molecules and porous graphene than RGO/NR, which contributed to an increase in tensile strength compared to the RGO/NR nanocomposites. Furthermore, the scorch time compared to RGO/NR was decreased, and density of cross-linking was increased, which demonstrate the pores on the graphene sheets formed a mass transfer route, indicating an interpenetrating network was constructed