Improving Health Literacy of Colonoscopy Patients Through Reinforced Teaching of Bowel Preparation Using Pre-Procedure Phone Calls

Abstract Medicare/MediCal patients undergoing colonoscopy procedures at East Bay Endoscopy Center (EBEC), were found to have inadequate cleansing of the bowel due to poor compliance and adherence to prep instructions. Poor health literacy affects the vulnerable population seen in Medicare/MediCal patients which in turn contributes to poor compliance to prep instructions. Poor health literacy results in wasted time, effort, money, prep supplies, and low patient morale. This improvement project addresses poor health literacy by enhancing pre-calls to include prep instructions. Prior to implementation of the project, data was collected over a 3-month period to find the number of cancelled procedures due to non-compliance of prep instructions. This information will be used to compare with number of cancelled procedures post-implementation of enhanced pre-calls. With the implementation of enhanced pre-calls, the aim of this project is to suggest that enhanced pre-calls that includes prep instructions are effective means of optimizing patient’s health literacy when it comes to colonoscopy preparation. The clinical nurse leadership theme that best aligns with this project is outcomes management as the goal centers on improving health literacy and thereby patient outcomes (AACN, 2013). References: American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2013). Competencies and curricular expectations for Clinical Nurse Leader education and practice. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/cnl/CNL-Competencies-October-2013.pdf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site

Changing Interchanges: Educating Hoosiers on Alternative Designs

Alternative intersections improve traffic flow and safety, but the public can be unsure of new solutions. Learn best practices for educating the public on displaced lefts, median U-turns and roundabouts, and building support for these important improvements. You’ll hear examples from TheLloyd4U in Evansville and other projects across the stat. Strategic, specialized outreach to the public means thinking outside the box

Giving Voice to Silent Stakeholders

Only the most motivated stakeholders attend public meetings or submit written comments. To ensure that more people and quieter voices are heard, transportation agencies are supplement-ing public-involvement efforts with interactive, mobile-friendly surveys and in-person inter-views. Learn how tech tools are being used on projects such as the Sherman Minton Renewal to involve the public and provide more data to decision makers

I-69 ORX: A Bistate Megaproject = Project Management2

Managing a large project is full of challenges. Needs grow exponentially when you’re managing a bistate megaproject with two clients and twice the number of agencies, elected leaders, community groups, media outlets, and other stakeholders. The I-69 Ohio River Crossing team will share strategies to improve internal and external communications, streamline processes, build consensus, increase collaboration, and maximize stakeholder engagement—all while maintaining an accelerated schedul

Sexual assault, sexual abuse, and harassment: Understanding the mental health impact and providing care for survivors: An International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Briefing Paper

Recent events including revelations of the systematic cover-up of widespread childhood sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, sexual assault and harassment accusations involving many prominent individuals in the entertainment and other industries in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan, global coverage of cases of violent rape and rape-murder of girls and young women in India, and the #metoo movement, have served to increase public consciousness internationally regarding the pervasiveness of various forms of sexual victimization worldwide. In response, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) commissioned this briefing paper to inform its membership, policymakers, and global stakeholders about the prevalence, impact, and barriers faced by survivors of various forms of sexual victimization including attempted and completed rape, sexual abuse in childhood, and sexual harassment in workplace and educational settings. This paper outlines the research evidence regarding (1) the prevalence of different forms of sexual victimization worldwide including childhood sexual abuse, various forms of sexual assault in adulthood, and sexual harassment in workplace and educational settings, (2) the prevalence of various forms of sexual victimization among several marginalized groups, (3) the psychological, behavioral, and physical health impacts of sexual victimization in childhood and adulthood, (4) evidence-based interventions for survivors of sexual victimization, and (5) barriers to treatment seeking commonly faced by survivors of different forms of sexual victimization. Recommendations are also made in the areas of policy, practice, research, and for professional organizations. Research conducted throughout the world continues to document the alarmingly high prevalence of various forms of sexual victimization throughout the lifespan, including the sexual abuse of children, sexual assault of adults, and sexual harassment within individuals’ place of employment and in educational settings. Although all individuals are vulnerable to experiences of sexual victimization, sexual assault, abuse, and harassment are gendered crimes, such that women and girls are more likely to be victims of these forms of sexual violence. In addition, members of a number of marginalized groups face substantially increased vulnerability to sexual victimization. These include individuals with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, homeless individuals, individuals engaging in various kinds of sex work, and members of indigenous populations. Further, the impact of sexual victimization is both broad and targeted, with various forms of sexual victimization, including experiences of childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault in adulthood, associated with a host of negative outcomes including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, eating disordered pathology, suicidality, dissociation, and high risk sexual behaviors. Further, sexual victimization is associated with risk for a number of negative physical health outcomes including obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, chronic pelvic pain, and reproductive health issues. There exists a robust evidence base supporting the efficacy of psychological treatment for PTSD symptomology among adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault. Of extant treatments, cognitive-behavioral based treatments have the strongest evidence for their efficacy. Similarly, cognitive-behavioral treatments, such as trauma-focused CBT, have demonstrated efficacy in treating PTSD and depressive symptomology among children and adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse. There is also some evidence supporting the efficacy of psychopharmacological treatment in reducing PTSD symptomology among adult survivors of sexual abuse or assault. Conversely, there is far more limited research examining the efficacy of psychological treatments for PTSD in other cultural contexts, with the vast majority of research involving United States samples. There is also much less evidence regarding the impact of trauma-focused treatments on other outcomes besides PTSD symptomology and depression, or examining how to treat additional behavioral and mental health issues among survivors of sexual victimization. Finally, almost no research has evaluated the efficacy of psychological treatments for individuals who have experienced sexual harassment in their workplace. Further, research documents that survivors of various forms of sexual victimization often face substantial barriers to disclosing their experience or seeking formal help. These barriers include issues related to defining the experience as a victimization, concerns about not being believed or taken seriously, and feelings of stigma, shame, or embarrassment. Other barriers include concerns about whether the experience will be reported to authorities, mistrust of formal support systems, and prior negative experiences following disclosure of a sexual victimization experience. Many survivors also may be unaware of services that are available to them, may believe that available services are not appropriate for them, and may also face substantial barriers to accessing the care that is available, and available care may be inadequate for addressing their needs in many parts of the world. Finally, it is important to note that many individuals who experience sexual victimization face ongoing issues related to poverty, socioeconomic disadvantage, ongoing personal and community violence, and belong to marginalized groups. Given the prevalence, impact, and substantial barriers to care faced by individuals who experience sexual victimization, including childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, it is clear that concerted, international, and collaborative efforts involving policymakers, researchers, clinicians, professional organizations, and other global stakeholders is imperative

Emerging New Crop Pests: Ecological Modelling and Analysis of the South American Potato Psyllid Russelliana solanicola (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) and Its Wild Relatives

© 2017 Syfert et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Proceedings of the 3rd Biennial Conference of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) 2015: advancing efficient methodologies through community partnerships and team science

It is well documented that the majority of adults, children and families in need of evidence-based behavioral health interventionsi do not receive them [1, 2] and that few robust empirically supported methods for implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) exist. The Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) represents a burgeoning effort to advance the innovation and rigor of implementation research and is uniquely focused on bringing together researchers and stakeholders committed to evaluating the implementation of complex evidence-based behavioral health interventions. Through its diverse activities and membership, SIRC aims to foster the promise of implementation research to better serve the behavioral health needs of the population by identifying rigorous, relevant, and efficient strategies that successfully transfer scientific evidence to clinical knowledge for use in real world settings [3]. SIRC began as a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded conference series in 2010 (previously titled the “Seattle Implementation Research Conference”; $150,000 USD for 3 conferences in 2011, 2013, and 2015) with the recognition that there were multiple researchers and stakeholdersi working in parallel on innovative implementation science projects in behavioral health, but that formal channels for communicating and collaborating with one another were relatively unavailable. There was a significant need for a forum within which implementation researchers and stakeholders could learn from one another, refine approaches to science and practice, and develop an implementation research agenda using common measures, methods, and research principles to improve both the frequency and quality with which behavioral health treatment implementation is evaluated. SIRC’s membership growth is a testament to this identified need with more than 1000 members from 2011 to the present.ii SIRC’s primary objectives are to: (1) foster communication and collaboration across diverse groups, including implementation researchers, intermediariesi, as well as community stakeholders (SIRC uses the term “EBP champions” for these groups) – and to do so across multiple career levels (e.g., students, early career faculty, established investigators); and (2) enhance and disseminate rigorous measures and methodologies for implementing EBPs and evaluating EBP implementation efforts. These objectives are well aligned with Glasgow and colleagues’ [4] five core tenets deemed critical for advancing implementation science: collaboration, efficiency and speed, rigor and relevance, improved capacity, and cumulative knowledge. SIRC advances these objectives and tenets through in-person conferences, which bring together multidisciplinary implementation researchers and those implementing evidence-based behavioral health interventions in the community to share their work and create professional connections and collaborations

Engineering and Communications: Where They Intersect

Improving our transportation systems and building roads and bridges is a complex process full of technical information, detailed analysis, careful coordination, and lots of acronyms! That’s where engineering and communications intersect. Strategic messaging, targeted outreach, and engaging materials set the stage for project success. This session will focus on communication challenges and successes on major INDOT projects and practical tips to help engineers become communicators or at least feel more comfortable in this important role

Sergio Aguillón-Mata

Como parte de nuestro curso de la gramática avanzada, leímos la obra “Dafeng” escrito por un ensayista de México que se llama Sergio Aguillón-Mata. La meta era poder familiarizarnos con un género literario en español—y en particular con los ensayos—prestando la atención a la gramática que se utiliza. Por medio de la lectura, pudimos aprender un nuevo estilo lingüística y la gramática asociada con este género. El propósito de nuestra investigación del ensayo era hacer conexiones importantes y un análisis de la gramática contenida en el texto. A parte de esto, tuvimos la oportunidad de interactuar con el ensayista Sergio Aguillón-Mata acerca de su obra “Dafeng” en una entrevista virtual. Aquí presentamos nuestros descubrimientos y nuestro análisis de la gramática en los ensayos