Evaluating the Role of Health Literacy in Communities: A Review of Community Health Needs Assessments of Georgia Hospitals

INTRODUCTION: Per the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), local public health departments, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) hospitals, and federally qualified health centers are all required to conduct community health needs assessments (CHNAs) every three years. Recently, hospitals under pressure from accrediting bodies have been strongly advised to attend to health literacy due to its major implications for poorer health status. Health literacy has been linked with many facets of population-level health, including behavioral health, sociodemographic factors and health disparities. OBJECTIVE: The broad purpose of the study was to evaluate the perceived importance of health literacy through review of prioritized health-related issues facing Georgia communities, as identified by community health needs assessments. METHODS: A secondary analysis of findings from the first 3-year assessment and strategic planning cycles (2011-2013) of non-profit Georgia hospitals and medical centers (N=11) was conducted for the study. Community health needs assessments and implementation plans were obtained via Google search. RESULTS: Of the assessments included in the review, 5 out of the 11 CHNAs mentioned health literacy, and only 1 acknowledged inadequate health literacy as a prioritized concern in the primary service area. DISCUSSION: After comprehensive review of the community health needs assessments and implementation plans, it is clear that the impact of health literacy on community health was not strongly considered. Thus, in correspondence with much of existing research, the benefits of adequate health literacy in communities is severely undervalued

Influence of Staffing Shortages on Safety and Communication in Behavioral Health

At the selected behavioral health organization (BHO), leaders desire to improve patient safety and staff communication to provide quality mental health services. They need strategies to achieve these goals. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was used to identify the workforce challenges and practices that facility leaders can potentially use to improve performance to help achieve success, sustainability, and the mission of the BHO. The data sources consisted of (a) semistructured interviews with the CEO, the leader of the intake department, an intake therapist, an intake coordinator, and an RN and (b) reviews of the BHO’s website, and pertinent academic literature. Data analysis yielded four themes: communication, safety factors, staffing shortages, and barriers to staffing shortages. Findings indicated that improving the staffing shortage would enhance mental health services and address the BHO practice problem. Recommendations based on findings include less focus on the staffing shortage and more on the development of better services by reducing the number of daily admissions, decreasing staff workload, and streamlining staff communication processes. This study may contribute to positive social change by identifying actions that leaders can take to improve the quality of mental health services in short-staffed BHOs which may lead to a reduction in unmet mental health needs in the community

Influence of Staffing Shortages on Safety and Communication in Behavioral Health

At the selected behavioral health organization (BHO), leaders desire to improve patient safety and staff communication to provide quality mental health services. They need strategies to achieve these goals. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was used to identify the workforce challenges and practices that facility leaders can potentially use to improve performance to help achieve success, sustainability, and the mission of the BHO. The data sources consisted of (a) semistructured interviews with the CEO, the leader of the intake department, an intake therapist, an intake coordinator, and an RN and (b) reviews of the BHO’s website, and pertinent academic literature. Data analysis yielded four themes: communication, safety factors, staffing shortages, and barriers to staffing shortages. Findings indicated that improving the staffing shortage would enhance mental health services and address the BHO practice problem. Recommendations based on findings include less focus on the staffing shortage and more on the development of better services by reducing the number of daily admissions, decreasing staff workload, and streamlining staff communication processes. This study may contribute to positive social change by identifying actions that leaders can take to improve the quality of mental health services in short-staffed BHOs which may lead to a reduction in unmet mental health needs in the community

An Examination of Coursera as an Information Environment: Does Coursera Fulfill its Mission to Provide Open Education to All?

In terms of international education, this concept of online education seems to be a growing trend. Edxonline.org, Minervaproject.com and Udacity.com are all new massive online open courses (MOOCs) —education websites similar to Coursera offering students the ability to receive the best education from elite universities entirely online. In this digital age, students are seeking ways to receive an education that is convenient and fits well with their lifestyles, but is also credible. The most tantalizing promise of a company like Coursera is the role it might play in improving education for the world’s have-nots: high school dropouts, the global poor, and those less able to self-teach (Kamenetz, 2012)

Outcomes of stab wounds presenting to Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi

IntroductionInjuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, necessitating that we understand the local burden of injury to improve injury-related trauma care and patient outcomes. The characteristics, outcomes, and risk factors for mortality following stab wounds in Malawi are poorly delineated.MethodsThis is a retrospective, descriptive analysis of patients presenting to Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, with stab wounds from February 2008 to May 2018. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed to compare patient and injury characteristics based on mortality. We performed Poisson multivariate regression to predict the factors that increase the relative risk of mortality. Results During the study, 32,297 patients presented with assault. Of those patients, 2,352 (7.3%) presented with stab wounds resulting in a 3.2% (n=74) overall mortality. The majority of wounds were to the head or cervical spine (n=1,043, 44.6%), while injuries to the chest (n=319, 13.7%) were less frequent. We found an increased relative risk of mortality in patients who presented with an injury to the chest (RR 3.95, 95% CI 1.79-8.72, p=0.001) and who were brought in by the police (RR 33.24, 95% CI 11.23–98.35, p<0.001). ConclusionIn this study, stab wounds accounted for 7.3% of all assault cases, with a 3.2% mortality. Though the commonest site of stab was the head, wounds to the chest conferred the highest relative risk of mortality. A multifaceted approach to reducing mortality is needed. Incorporating training of first responders in basic life support, including the police, may reduce stab-related mortality