scholarly journals Sight for All United: Five Year Impact of a Vision Foundation on its Community

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-66
Author(s):  
Ankur Parikh ◽  
Meredith Spitz ◽  
Cooper T. Johnson ◽  
S.A. Erzurum
Keyword(s):  
Cataract Surgery ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Medical Assistance ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Eye Care ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
School Vision ◽  
Eye Exams ◽  
The Impact

Background: In 2016, Sight for All United (SFAU) was founded in the Mahoning Valley of Ohio with the mission of improving access to care and maximizing the visual potential of the underserved. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients served by SFAU from January 2016 through August 2020. Socioeconomic information, type of service, cost, and dollar amount paid were collected for patients. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and mapped with Esri ArcGIS. Results: A total of 1327 patients received assistance through the medical assistance and school vision programs. In the medical assistance program, 222 patients (mean age 50 years, 57% female) completed applications and 37% (83 patients) were in a household of 3 or more people. Median yearly income was $18 504, 134% above the federal poverty level by household size. The most common surgical services were cataract surgery (101) and vitreoretinal care (17). The most common medical services were eye exams (79) and spectacles (76). Estimated value of medical services provided was $367 249; actual cost was $93 746. The school vision program provided 1105 eye exams, 1514 pairs of spectacles, and 1 cataract surgery with an estimated value of $133 692. Conclusion: Sight for All United provided $500 941 of vision services to its patients since 2016 while dispersing less than $100 000 of donated dollars through collaboration with eye care providers, community resources, and national foun-dations. This study demonstrates the impact vision foundations managed by local eye care providers can have on the needs in their community in a cost-effective and efficient way.

scholarly journals Drug Recovery and Copay Assistance Program in a Community Cancer Center: Charity and Challenges

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. e628-e635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Siegel ◽  
Richard G. Slough ◽  
Howland E. Crosswell ◽  
Theresa M. Standifer ◽  
Michael E. Borron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

PURPOSE: The cost of cancer care is escalating dramatically, in part because of the rising expense of systemic cancer therapy. This creates financial dilemmas for patients and insurers and potential economic disruption for institutions attempting to provide cancer care to the underserved. Our institution initiated a drug recovery and copay assistance program (DRCAP) to mitigate the impact of the rising cost of parenteral medications. METHODS: We performed a 3-year review of our strategies to mitigate financial burden of parenteral therapeutics and supportive care medicines. Financial metrics were established and analyzed before and after implementing DRCAP. Medication encounters and associated costs were stratified by adolescents and young adults (15 to 39 years of age), and adults 40 years of age and older and were annualized from 2016 to 2018. RESULTS: The DRCAP resulted in a total of nearly $3.5 million worth of drugs replaced or copay assistance yearly in 2017 and 2018. This accounted for approximately 10% of our pharmacy budget for parenteral medications in each of these years. The vast majority was received in the form of drug replacement. The DRCAP resulted in assistance to 173 and 256 patients in 2017 and 2018, respectively. CONCLUSION: A DRCAP increased availability of otherwise unaffordable parenteral oncolytics and resulted in cost savings for our institution. Adolescents and young adults were disproportionately represented because of inadequate or no insurance. Despite the salutary benefits, such programs likely inflate the overall cost of cancer care. Cancer care providers participating in a DRCAP will remain in this conundrum until market forces can affect the cost of oncology therapeutics.

The impact of training future optometrists in community health centers

The Advisor ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Moy ◽  
Jennifer Reilly ◽  
Jonathon Jimmerson
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Centers ◽  
Underserved Populations ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Eye Care ◽  
Healthcare Equity ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Community health centers are a rewarding and rich career choice for future optometrists. As primary eye care providers, optometrists in these multi-disciplinary settings have the potential to make significant and lasting impacts on patients of underserved populations, to increase awareness surrounding cultural diversity and impact on healthcare, and to advocate for healthcare equity. This article discusses why community health centers can be a career destination for current and prospective optometry students, and provides examples of making an impact as a health center optometrist.

scholarly journals Understanding the Function Constitution and Influence Factors on Communication for the WeChat Official Account of Top Tertiary Hospitals in China: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lining Shen ◽  
Shimin Wang ◽  
Wenqiang Chen ◽  
Qiang Fu ◽  
Richard Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Activity Index ◽  
Influence Factors ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tertiary Hospitals ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Widespread adoption and continued developments in mobile health care technologies have led to the improved accessibility and quality of medical services. In China, WeChat, an instant messaging and social networking app released by the company Tencent, has developed a specific type of user account called WeChat official account (WOA), which is now widely adopted by hospitals in China. It enables health care providers to connect with local citizens, allowing them to, among other actions, send regular updates through mass circulation. However, with the diversity in function provided by WOA, little is known about its major constitution as well as the influence factors on the WeChat communication index (WCI). The WCI has been widely used in social media impact ranking with various types of WeChat content to fully reflect the dissemination and coverage of tweets as well as the maturity and impact of WOA. OBJECTIVE There are two typical WOAs available to users, namely, WeChat subscription account (WSSA) and WeChat service account (WSVA). The biggest difference between them is the frequency of messages transmitted. This study aimed to explore the function constitution of WSVA adopted by top tertiary hospitals in China and the major contributors of the WCI score. METHODS A total of 681 top tertiary hospitals were selected from the Hospital Quality Monitoring System; the WOA of every top tertiary hospital was retrieved in the WeChat app. We divided core functional items of WSVAs using categorical principal component analysis. To elicit the factors that influenced the use of WSVA, quantile regression was employed to analyze the WCI score. RESULTS From the 668 WOAs identified, adoption of WSVAs (543/668, 81.3%) was more than that of WSSAs (125/668, 18.7%). Functional items of WSVAs were categorized into four clusters: (1) hospital introduction, (2) medical services, (3) visiting assistants, and (4) others. With regard to the influence factors on the WCI, the impact of the activity index of WSVA and the total visiting number of outpatients and emergencies on WCI were statistically significant and positive in all quantiles. However, the year of certification, the type of hospital, the year of public hospital reform, and the number of beds merely affected the WCI at some quantiles. CONCLUSIONS Our findings are considered helpful to tertiary hospitals in developing in-depth functional items that improve patient experience. The tertiary hospitals should take full advantage of times of posting and provide high-quality tweets to meet the various needs of patients.

Impact of Medical Assistance in Dying on palliative care: A qualitative study

2020 ◽  
pp. 026921632096851
Author(s):  
Jean Jacob Mathews ◽  
David Hausner ◽  
Jonathan Avery ◽  
Breffni Hannon ◽  
Camilla Zimmermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Medical Assistance ◽  
Assisted Death ◽  
Medical Assistance In Dying ◽  
The Impact

Background: Medical Assistance in Dying comprises interventions that can be provided by medical practitioners to cause death of a person at their request if they meet predefined criteria. In June 2016, Medical Assistance in Dying became legal in Canada, sparking intense debate in the palliative care community. Aim: This study aims to explore the experience of frontline palliative care providers about the impact of Medical Assistance in Dying on palliative care practice. Design: Qualitative descriptive design using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis Settings/participants: We interviewed palliative care physicians and nurses who practiced in settings where patients could access Medical Assistance in Dying for at least 6 months before and after its legalization. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants with diverse personal views and experiences with assisted death. Conceptual saturation was achieved after interviewing 23 palliative care providers (13 physicians and 10 nurses) in Southern Ontario. Results: Themes identified included a new dying experience with assisted death; challenges with symptom control; challenges with communication; impact on palliative care providers personally and on their relationships with patients; and consumption of palliative care resources to support assisted death. Conclusion: Medical Assistance in Dying has had a profound impact on palliative care providers and their practice. Communication training with access to resources for ethical decision-making and a review of legislation may help address new challenges. Further research is needed to understand palliative care provider distress around Medical Assistance in Dying, and additional resources are necessary to support palliative care delivery.

scholarly journals Understanding the Function Constitution and Influence Factors on Communication for the WeChat Official Account of Top Tertiary Hospitals in China: Cross-Sectional Study

10.2196/13025 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. e13025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lining Shen ◽  
Shimin Wang ◽  
Wenqiang Chen ◽  
Qiang Fu ◽  
Richard Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Activity Index ◽  
Influence Factors ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tertiary Hospitals ◽  
The Impact

Background Widespread adoption and continued developments in mobile health care technologies have led to the improved accessibility and quality of medical services. In China, WeChat, an instant messaging and social networking app released by the company Tencent, has developed a specific type of user account called WeChat official account (WOA), which is now widely adopted by hospitals in China. It enables health care providers to connect with local citizens, allowing them to, among other actions, send regular updates through mass circulation. However, with the diversity in function provided by WOA, little is known about its major constitution as well as the influence factors on the WeChat communication index (WCI). The WCI has been widely used in social media impact ranking with various types of WeChat content to fully reflect the dissemination and coverage of tweets as well as the maturity and impact of WOA. Objective There are two typical WOAs available to users, namely, WeChat subscription account (WSSA) and WeChat service account (WSVA). The biggest difference between them is the frequency of messages transmitted. This study aimed to explore the function constitution of WSVA adopted by top tertiary hospitals in China and the major contributors of the WCI score. Methods A total of 681 top tertiary hospitals were selected from the Hospital Quality Monitoring System; the WOA of every top tertiary hospital was retrieved in the WeChat app. We divided core functional items of WSVAs using categorical principal component analysis. To elicit the factors that influenced the use of WSVA, quantile regression was employed to analyze the WCI score. Results From the 668 WOAs identified, adoption of WSVAs (543/668, 81.3%) was more than that of WSSAs (125/668, 18.7%). Functional items of WSVAs were categorized into four clusters: (1) hospital introduction, (2) medical services, (3) visiting assistants, and (4) others. With regard to the influence factors on the WCI, the impact of the activity index of WSVA and the total visiting number of outpatients and emergencies on WCI were statistically significant and positive in all quantiles. However, the year of certification, the type of hospital, the year of public hospital reform, and the number of beds merely affected the WCI at some quantiles. Conclusions Our findings are considered helpful to tertiary hospitals in developing in-depth functional items that improve patient experience. The tertiary hospitals should take full advantage of times of posting and provide high-quality tweets to meet the various needs of patients.

The Perspective of Older Men With Depression on Suicide and Its Prevention in Primary Care

Crisis ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 397-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Vannoy ◽  
Mijung Park ◽  
Meredith R. Maroney ◽  
Jürgen Unützer ◽  
Ester Carolina Apesoa-Varano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
Depression Treatment ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Self Image ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Background: Suicide rates in older men are higher than in the general population, yet their utilization of mental health services is lower. Aims: This study aimed to describe: (a) what primary care providers (PCPs) can do to prevent late-life suicide, and (b) older men's attitudes toward discussing suicide with a PCP. Method: Thematic analysis of interviews focused on depression and suicide with 77 depressed, low-socioeconomic status, older men of Mexican origin, or US-born non-Hispanic whites recruited from primary care. Results: Several themes inhibiting suicide emerged: it is a problematic solution, due to religious prohibition, conflicts with self-image, the impact on others; and, lack of means/capacity. Three approaches to preventing suicide emerged: talking with them about depression, talking about the impact of their suicide on others, and encouraging them to be active. The vast majority, 98%, were open to such conversations. An unexpected theme spontaneously arose: "What prevents men from acting on suicidal thoughts?" Conclusion: Suicide is rarely discussed in primary care encounters in the context of depression treatment. Our study suggests that older men are likely to be open to discussing suicide with their PCP. We have identified several pragmatic approaches to assist clinicians in reducing older men's distress and preventing suicide.

45. Education at distance: Broadcasting ECG rounds to Southeastern Ontario (BESO Project). An innovative approach for teaching electrocardiography

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Baranchuk ◽  
G. Dagnone ◽  
P. Fowler ◽  
M. N. Harrison ◽  
L. Lisnevskaia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Digital Signal ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Medicine Clerkship ◽  
Time Problem ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ecg Interpretation

Electrocardiography (ECG) interpretation is an essential skill for physicians as well as for many other health care professionals. Continuing education is necessary to maintain these skills. The process of teaching and learning ECG interpretation is complex and involves both deductive mechanisms and recognition of patterns for different clinical situations (“pattern recognition”). The successful methodologies of interactive sessions and real time problem based learning have never been evaluated with a long distance education model. To evaluate the efficacy of broadcasting ECG rounds to different hospitals in the Southeastern Ontario region; to perform qualitative research to determine the impact of this methodology in developing and maintaining skills in ECG interpretation. ECG rounds are held weekly at Kingston General Hospital and will be transmitted live to Napanee, Belleville, Oshawa, Peterborough and Brockville. The teaching methodology is based on real ECG cases. The audience is invited to analyze the ECG case and the coordinator will introduce comments to guide the case through the proper algorithm. Final interpretation will be achieved emphasizing the deductive process and the relevance of each case. An evaluation will be filled out by each participant at the end of each session. Videoconferencing works through a vast array of internet LANs, WANs, ISDN phone lines, routers, switches, firewalls and Codecs (Coder/Decoder) and bridges. A videoconference Codec takes the analog audio and video signal codes and compresses it into a digital signal and transmits that digital signal to another Codec where the signal is decompressed and retranslated back into analog video and audio. This compression and decompression allows large amounts of data to be transferred across a network at close to real time (384 kbps with 30 frames of video per second). Videoconferencing communication works on voice activation so whichever site is speaking has the floor and is seen by all the participating sites. A continuous presence mode allows each site to have the same visual and audio involvement as the host site. A bridged multipoint can connect between 8 and 12 sites simultaneously. This innovative methodology for teaching ECG will facilitate access to developing and maintaining skills in ECG interpretation for a large number of health care providers. Bertsch TF, Callas PW, Rubin A. Effectiveness of lectures attended via interactive video conferencing versus in-person in preparing third-year internal medicine clerkship students for clinical practice examinations. Teach Learn Med 2007; 19(1):4-8. Yellowlees PM, Hogarth M, Hilty DM. The importance of distributed broadband networks to academic biomedical research and education programs. Acad Psychaitry 2006;30:451-455

Current Practices and Challenges of Medical Services on Health Care System of Mandalay General Hospital

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 131
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
General Hospital ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Tertiary Level ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Level Hospital ◽  
Care System

In Myanmar, the main challenge to provide quality healthcare by Universal Health Care approach is documented as low health services coverage with substantial wealth-based inequality. To achieve the effective health care system, strong medical care system is essential. Understanding on challenges and needs in provision of medical services among patients and health care providers is critical to provide quality care with desirable outcomes. The aim of the study was to explore the patients’ and health care providers’ perceptions on the challenges in provision of medical services at the Mandalay General Hospital. This was a qualitative study conducted at the tertiary level hospital (Mandalay General Hospital). The data was collected by using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with hospitalized patients or attendants, healthcare providers such as medical doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists and hospital administrators in March 2017. The qualitative data was analyzed using themes by themes matrix analysis. Most patients were satisfied with the care provided by the doctors because they believed that they received quality care. However, some patients complained about long waiting time for elective operation, congested conditions in the ward, burden for investigations outside the hospital for urgent needs and impolite manners of general workers. Healthcare providers reported that they had heavy workload due to limited human and financial resources in the hospital, poor compliances with hospital rules and regulation among patients and attendants, and inefficient referral practices from other health facilities. Other challenges experienced by healthcare providers were lack of ongoing training to improve knowledge and skills, limited health infrastructure and inadequate medicinal supplies. The findings highlighted the areas needed to be improved to provide quality health care at the tertiary level hospital. The challenges and problems encountered in this hospital can be improved by allocating adequate financial and human resources. The systematic referral system and hospital management guidelines are needed to reduce workload of health staff.

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