Inpatient department hospital utilization among pregnant women with spinal cord injury or paralysis in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) results from damage to the spinal cord, leading to a temporary or permanent alteration in its normal function, usually causing a lifelong disability. SCI is one of the major causes of paralysis. Due to a sparsity of available research and to address the existing gaps, it is essential to evaluate the inpatient hospital use of pregnant women with SCI/paralysis. METHODS: This study operationalizes inpatient hospital use in three ways. We used the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2006 through 2019. The first analysis used a hurdle model for length of hospital stay and a linear regression for total hospitalization charges to assess non-delivery-related healthcare utilization for pregnant women with SCI/paralysis. The second analysis employed negative binomial regression for length of stay and ordinary least squares regression for total hospitalization charges to examine delivery-related healthcare utilization for pregnant women with SCI/paralysis. The third analysis used propensity-score kernel matching to determine the impact of SCI/paralysis on the healthcare utilization for inpatient encounters of pregnant women divided into groups - with and without SCI/paralysis. RESULTS: The average length of hospital stay for pregnant women with SCI/paralysis admitted for non-delivery and delivery-related reasons were 7.85 days (median: 4 days, IQR: 2 - 7 days) and 8.11 days (median: 4 days, IQR: 2 - 8 days), respectively. The average total hospitalization charges for pregnant women with SCI/paralysis admitted for non-delivery and delivery-related reasons were $85,676.47 (median:$29,181.31, IQR: $15,757.56 -$70,767.22, in 2019 dollars) and $79,027.84 (median:$30,043.4, IQR: $16,164.16 -$78,386.09, in 2019 dollars). The pregnant women with SCI/paralysis had, on average, a length of stay of about three days (SE: 0.22) longer and a total hospitalization charge of approximately $30,393.23 (SE:$24,84.01, in 2019 dollars) more than the pregnant women without SCI/paralysis. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with SCI/paralysis have greater hospital inpatient service utilization when compared to those without SCI/paralysis. It is essential for a healthcare delivery system to understand the extent of healthcare utilization of pregnant women with SCI/paralysis to be able to develop effective programs and policies to address the needs of this population

Disparities in Mortality Between Appalachian and non-Appalachian Regions of Kentucky

Introduction: In the opioid epidemic, the U.S. faces a significant public health crisis, with some areas of the country, such as rural and Appalachian regions, suffering more than others. The differential regional impact of the crisis in Kentucky—a state with both non-metropolitan/metropolitan and Appalachian/Non-Appalachian statuses—has not yet been documented despite such knowledge being essential to the success of overdose prevention efforts. Purpose: This study compares all-cause, drug- and opioid-related mortality between counties in different regions of Kentucky: Appalachian non-metropolitan, Appalachian metropolitan, non-Appalachian non-metropolitan, and non-Appalachian metropolitan. Methods: Age-adjusted mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER, 2000–2019) were used. County-level demographic and socioeconomic data were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. Statistical analyses were performed with negative binomial regression models with a log link. Results: The Appalachian non-metropolitan region of Kentucky had a significantly higher (p \u3c .05) all-cause mortality (1,076/100,000) compared to the state’s non-Appalachian metropolitan (904/100,000), non-Appalachian non-metropolitan (959/100,000), and Appalachian metropolitan (938/100,000) regions. Within non-Appalachian regions, non-metropolitan rates were higher than metropolitan (p = .0006). For drug- and opioid-related mortality, non-metropolitan and metropolitan regions had comparable rates within non-Appalachia, as well as within Appalachia. Appalachian regions had twice the mortality rates of non-Appalachian regions of the state (p \u3c .05). Among the Appalachian counties, non-metropolitan counties had higher all-cause mortality than metropolitan counties. Implications: The findings from this study can help healthcare practitioners and public health officials develop interventions addressing drug-related and opioid-related mortality in Kentucky targeted to the regions where rates are significantly higher. Also, the information on geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic factors related to these types of mortality can be used to design interventions specific to the target population’s socio-demographics

Cultural Wellbeing Index: A Dynamic Cultural Analytics Process for Measuring and Managing Organizational Inclusion as an Antecedent Condition of Employee Wellbeing and Innovation Capacity

The purpose of this study was to validate an inclusive, holistic, evidence-based index to measure the impact of organizational culture on employee wellbeing. This study utilized a new Cultural Wellbeing Index (CWI), a composite of other validated cultural metrics including inputs of hope, trust, and belonging. Internal validity of the index was measured using Cronbach’s alpha and Pearson correlation. Four logistic regression models were completed to test the correlative power of the CWI to employee health, retention, engagement, and job satisfaction. CWI shows strong internal validity and strong correlative and predictive power with employee wellbeing metrics among the population surveyed

Facial Mask Use and COVID-19 Protection Measures in Jefferson County, Kentucky: Results from an Observational Survey, November 5−11, 2020

Introduction: The transmission of respiratory infectious diseases such as COVID-19 can significantly decrease by mask-wearing. However, accurate information about the extent and proper use of the facial mask is scarce. This study’s main objective was to observe and analyze mask-wearing behavior and the level of COVID-19 protection measures in indoor public areas (PAs) of Jefferson County, Kentucky. Methods: For conducting the observational survey study, targets were indoor PAs, and zip codes were defined as surveying clusters. The number of selected PAs in each zip code was proportional to the population and the total number of PAs in that zip code. The PA pool in a zip code was divided into four groups, followed by random selection without replacement from each group. Results: A total of 191 PAs were surveyed: 50 of them were grocery stores, 56 were convenience stores or pharmacies, 39 were wine and liquor stores, and 46 were other stores. At least one unmasked and one incorrectly masked staff were observed in 26% and 40% of the sampled PAs, respectively. Also, in 29% and 35% of the PAs, at least one unmasked and one incorrectly masked visitor were observed, respectively. The rates varied by PA size and county district. Eighty percent of unmasked staff and 75% of the unmasked visitors were male. The rate of unmasked males varied from 50% to 100% across districts. About 66% of unmasked staff among all Jefferson County districts were young adults. More than one-fourth of all the PAs provided hand sanitizer for visitors’ use, and only 2% of the PAs provided masks to their visitors. Conclusion: Messaging about mask use and correct usage may need to particularly target the 19-44-year-old male population, as these individuals were the most prevalent among those unmasked and masked incorrectly. Additionally, businesses’ protective measures may depend on their resources to operate in such a manner. Hand sanitizer is easier to offer visitors, while staffing to regularly sanitize carts or funds to provide a sufficient number of wipes, gloves, or masks may present further opportunities for government assistance

Quantitative and Qualitative Measures to Assess Organizational Inclusion: A Systematic Review

An increase in workforce diversity emphasizes the value of testing approaches that assess workplace inclusivity. On conducting a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative measures used to evaluate organizational inclusion, a total of fifteen articles comprising eight measures, two models, and one framework were identified. Five common themes included: equal treatment from peers and supervisors; inclusion promoted at an organizational level; empowerment; uniqueness recognized and valued; and belongingness. This review supports the rationale for creating a new scientific process to support organizational efforts to reconfigure existing talent assets to navigate culturally-fluid business landscapes comprised of an increasingly diverse American workforce

Proceedings of National Conference on Relevance of Engineering and Science for Environment and Society

This conference proceedings contains articles on the various research ideas of the academic community and practitioners presented at the National Conference on Relevance of Engineering and Science for Environment and Society (R{ES}2 2021). R{ES}2 2021 was organized by Shri Pandurang Pratishthan’s, Karmayogi Engineering College, Shelve, Pandharpur, India on July 25th, 2021. Conference Title: National Conference on Relevance of Engineering and Science for Environment and SocietyConference Acronym: R{ES}2 2021Conference Date: 25 July 2021Conference Location: Online (Virtual Mode)Conference Organizers: Shri Pandurang Pratishthan’s, Karmayogi Engineering College, Shelve, Pandharpur, India