The Life of Mathilda Beasley

Mathilda Beasley made many contributions, monetary and physical, to ease the burden of poor blacks in Savannah, especially black children. History attributes her with many titles. She was a spiritual and educational pioneer of her race. After these weeks of research her life remains largely a mystery to me. I know through reading and talking to others that the same has been true for my predecessors. Following is an account of her life as I know it thus far. In this paper her first name is spelled as she signed it.https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sav-bios-lane/1015/thumbnail.jp

Teaching General Biology for Nonmajors Through Community Service Projects

For many students, especially for the biology nonmajors, science is often one of the last courses they take before completing their degree. Often, these students enter my course with a previous bad experience from courses in high school or have developed anxieties regarding what science is all about. They are reluctant learners who frequently shy from questions and classroom discussions. Their own insecurities and presumed lack of knowledge frequently !eaves them floundering and confused. The message is, I am here because I need \u27x\u27 number of science units before completing my degree

Electronic swallowing intervention package to support swallowing function in patients with head and neck cancer: development and feasibility study

Background: Many patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) experience significant swallowing difficulties, and there is some evidence that swallowing exercises may improve outcomes, including quality of life. This feasibility study developed an evidence-based, practical Swallowing Intervention Package (SiP) for patients undergoing chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) for HNC. As part of the study, an electronic version of SiP (e-SiP) was concurrently developed to support patients to self-manage during treatment. This paper reports on the e-SiP component of this work. Objective: To develop and conduct preliminary evaluation of an electronic support system (e-SiP) for patients undergoing CRT for head and neck cancer. Methods: The study involved health professionals and patients who were undergoing CRT for head and neck cancer. The scoping stage of e-SiP development involved investigated the potential usefulness of e-SiP, exploring how e-SiP would look and feel and what content would be appropriate to provide. Patient and carer focus groups and a health professionals’ consensus day were used as a means of data gathering around potential e-SiP content. A repeat focus group looked at an outline version of e-SIP and informed the next stage of its development around requirements for tool. This was followed by further development and a testing stage of e-SiP involved the coding of a prototype which was then evaluated using a series of steering group meetings, semi-structured interviews with both patients and health care professionals, and analysis of e-SiP log data. Results: Feedback from focus groups and health professional interviews was very positive and it was felt e-SiP use would support and encourage patients in conducting their swallowing exercises. However, of the ten patients offered e-SIP, only two opted to use it. For these patients, aspects of the e-SIP application were considered useful, in particular the ease of keeping a diary of exercises performed. Interviews with users and non-users suggested significant barriers to its use. Most significantly the lack of flexibility of platform on which e-SiP could be accessed appeared a dominant factor in deterring e-SiP use. Conclusions: Results suggest a need for further research to be conducted around the implementation of e-SiP. This involves evaluating how e-SiP can be better integrated into usual care, and through patient training and staff engagement, can be seen as a beneficial tool to help support patients in conducting swallowing exercises

Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2015/16: Analysis of Free-text Comments

Analysis of free-text comments provided by patients as part of Scotland’s first Cancer Patient Experience Survey. The survey included seven free-text comment boxes relating to different aspects of cancer treatment, from the lead up to diagnosis, to the overall experience of cancer care. In total, 6,961 comments were made by participants

Modifying CBT for Cognitively Impaired Older Adults with Depression

Although clinical depression is not common in older adults, it creates problems in daily living for those individuals who experience it in later life. Symptoms of depression can differ between younger and older adults; treatment approaches may also need to be modified to account for some of the challenges of aging such as cognitive impairments. Previous research has supported the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for treating late-life depression. The use of jargon and abstract concepts, however, are disadvantageous to those with mild cognitive impairment or neurocognitive disorders. To combat these difficulties, there is a need for therapy materials that provide modifications for use with impaired older adults. This presentation summarizes the authors\u27 contributions to the process of revising a treatment manual: Treating Later-Life Depression: A Cognitive Behavioral Approach (2nd edition) by Oxford University Press. Examples will be provided to demonstrate how therapy materials can be modified to accommodate the needs of depressed older adults with cognitive impairments

Cost of care for hospitalized patients with pulmonary mycobacterial diseases in the United States.

Background: Pulmonary mycobacterial diseases describe both tuberculosis (TB) and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Few data are available measuring the cost burden of mycobacterial diseases on the national level. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost burden and measure emerging trends in hospitalization of pulmonary TB and NTM in the US from 2001 through 2012. Methods: This study was a retrospective community based cost analysis of hospitalized patients with a principal diagnosis of pulmonary mycobacterial diseases from 2001 through 2012. Data for pulmonary TB and NTM were retrieved from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), US Department of Health and Human Services. The statistical significance of observed trends of NTM and TB national hospital costs was calculated using Poisson log-linear regression. Results: A total of 20,049 hospital admissions were reported for pulmonary NTM and 69,257 for pulmonary TB in the US from 2001 through 2012. The total associated cost of these admissions was $903,767,292 for pulmonary NTM and$2,078,113,317 for pulmonary TB. During the study period, the national hospital costs of pulmonary NTM increased at a statistically significant rate in the US over each year (P=0.001). However, no such increase was found for national hospital costs of pulmonary TB. Conclusion: The national hospital cost of NTM management is increasing. These results emphasize the importance of continued research in pulmonary NTM in order to improve current guidelines in prevention and treatment strategies

Qualitative analysis of 6961 free-text comments from the first National Cancer Patient Experience Survey in Scotland

Objectives To analyse free-text responses from the first Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey (SCPES) to understand patients’ experiences of care, identify valued aspects and areas for improvement.  Design Inductive thematic analysis of seven free-text comment boxes covering all stages of the cancer experience, from a national cohort survey.  Setting and participants Adult cancer patients diagnosed across all Health Boards in Scotland between July 2013 and March 2014, and who had an inpatient stay or hospital visit between January and September 2014. 2663 respondents (of n=4835 survey respondents) provided 6961 free-text comments.  Main outcome measures Positive and negative themes of patients’ experiences. Differences in the proportion of positive to negative comments by demographics.  Methods Data were analysed as follows: (1) comments were initially categorised at a high level (eg, positive, negative, miscellaneous, etc); (2) inductive codes were derived and applied to all relevant comments; (3) codes sharing similar meaning were amalgamated into subthemes, and code frequencies were measured; (4) subthemes were mapped into overarching themes; (5) difference in the proportion of positive to negative comments by demographics were analysed using χ2 tests.  Results Participants made more positive than negative comments (1:0.78). Analysis highlighted the importance to patients of Feeling that Individual Needs Are Met and Feeling Confident Within the System. Comments also provided insight into how Processes and Structures within the system of care can negatively impact on patients’ experience. Particular issues were identified with care experiences in the lead-up to diagnosis.  Conclusions This analysis provides a detailed understanding of patients’ cancer care experiences, therefore indicating what aspects matter in those experiences. Although the majority of comments were positive, there were a significant number of negative comments, especially about the lead-up to diagnosis. Comments suggest patients would value greater integration of care from services involved in their treatment for cancer

Billions are spent on clinical research that gets ignored – here’s the answer

First paragraph: Heart failure is a major killer, affecting well over a million people in the UK alone. We now have over 20 years' worth of evidence from clinical trials that show strong benefits for a package of treatment involving not only drugs and devices but also where patients stay, how they are cared for and how the different healthcare professionals work with one another. Yet in many cases, doctors are not acting on the findings.  Access this article on The Conversation website: https://theconversation.com/billions-are-spent-on-clinical-research-that-gets-ignored-heres-the-answer-6059