Evaluation of a Safe Patient Handling Program

Purpose : The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing a comprehensive Safe Patient Handling (SPH) Program system wide in a large healthcare organization relative to injury severity and organizational cost. Background : Extensive review of the literature reveals clear evidence that healthcare workers who participate in patient handling activities continue to be at a very high risk for occupational musculoskeletal injuries. Workers employed up to one year, and those employed greater than ten years within the institution studied were noted to have higher rates of injures that were more severe and more costly to the organization. Methods : Implementation of a comprehensive SPH program was implemented in 2010 and all direct patient caregivers were trained. The sample consisted of new hires (n=89) and long term hires (n=144) identified via aggregate data from data bases owned by the institution. Data were analyzed on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program. Mean differences in the severity of injury and cost of injury between pre and post-training periods were analyzed via independent samples t-tests. Chi-square was used to identify whether there was a significant difference in the frequency of injuries between the pre and post-training periods. Results : Results indicated that the average injury severity during the pre-test period was significantly higher compared to post-test. No significant differences were found related to cost or frequency of injury between pre and post-test. Discussion : Issues related to the practical significance of the results and challenges due to the small sample size are discussed

New wine, old wineskins: is a shortage of priests re-shaping catholic identity in Australia?

The Catholic Church globally is facing a declining number of priests, whose remaining numbers are ageing and for whom there are insufficient seminarians to provide replacements. This thesis seeks to examine the consequence of this situation for Catholic identity in the context of the Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba in regional Australia. Such circumstances necessitate new forms of day-to-day leadership in parish faith-communities, especially an increasing reliance upon laypeople to fulfil roles once the domain of clergy. In examining this phenomenon, this thesis draws together anthropological discourse on identity and theological insights into the particular importance of Catholicism’s ordained ministers in an anthropology of theology. In doing so, the liminality of the diocese’s parishioners and their experiences of communitas are identified and examined. Applying the analytical framework of the emerging anthropology of theology to the findings of fifteen months of ethnographic fieldwork, this work addresses the question ‘Is a shortage of priests re-shaping Catholic identity in Australia?’ concluding that this phenomenon is re-shaping the identity of Toowoomba’s Catholic

THE WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR THE DETECTION AND TREATMENT OF VULNERABLE PLAQUE RELATED TO HEART ATTACKS

Recent medical studies have led cardiologists to revise theories regarding the cause of heart attacks. Rather than a gradual clogging of the arteries, eruption of a vulnerable plaque is thought to be the cause of approximately 75% of all heart attacks. As a result, traditional risk factors are no longer sufficient indicators of who is at risk for a heart attack. Therefore, this research investigates the willingness to pay (WTP) for a new, hypothetical detection (screening) and treatment method for vulnerable plaque. For this study, two survey instruments were developed that take advantage of the visual and interactive aspects of the Internet. Individuals report their perception of heart attack risk both prior to and after receiving new information on who cardiologists currently believe to be at risk for a heart attack. In addition, respondents are provided with information about the effectiveness and risks associated with screening and treatment. Using webbased surveys, which follow a contingent valuation format, an iterative bidding process is used to elicit the respondents WTP for either the screening or treatment method. Internet, on-line surveys are often prone to coverage bias; however, the survey valuing screening (a simple blood test) used a Knowledge Networks panel and resulted in a sample of 268 adults that is essentially representative of the general population. The survey valuing treatment (a more invasive heart catheterization procedure) was administered only to individuals with doctor-diagnosed heart problems, who are presumably more familiar with these types of medical decisions, and resulted in a sample of 295 adults. The mean for screening is $69 and the mean WTP for treatment that is 85$5,816. A two-part model is used to identify the factors that influence WTP, as well as the decision to receive the screening/treatment. The data suggests that these factors vary across genders. The data obtained for this study demonstrate construct validity; therefore, the results may provide useful information for policy analysis regarding the screening and treatment of heart attack

An analysis of visits made to the infirmary by two groups of emotionally disturbed campers

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit