Finding the Underserved

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Futterman, Marc

2008-01-01

The heart of the public library mission is to provide service to the entire community and serve the underserved. But how does a library identify the people it is not reaching, where they live, and what they need? And what does it mean for a library's services if in its community the underserved are not also underprivileged? Contrary to popular…

Struggling to be seen and heard: the underserved and unserved populations.

PubMed

Cheng, Li-Rong Lilly

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide some current information on the topic of the underserved and unserved populations including modern-day slaves, stateless/displaced persons, refugees/migrants and indigenous populations. Speech-language pathology education and services for the underserved as well as unserved populations are discussed. Three case studies which demonstrate knowledge transfer and exchange as potential models for future development are presented. These case studies lead to more inquiries, studies, innovations and involvement from individuals and groups who are concerned about the underserved and unserved populations. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

76 FR 54996 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-06

... Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas; Notice of Meeting... of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas on September 20, 21, and 22, 2011. The dates of the meeting and contact information were incorrect. Correction In the Federal...

Mobile and portable dental services catering to the basic oral health needs of the underserved population in developing countries: a proposed model.

PubMed

Ganavadiya, R; Chandrashekar, Br; Goel, P; Hongal, Sg; Jain, M

2014-05-01

India is the second most populous country in the world with an extensive rural population (68.8%). Children less than 18 years constitute about 40% of the population. Approximately, 23.5% of the urban population resides in urban slums. The extensive rural population, school children and the urban slum dwellers are denied of even the basic dental services though there is continuous advancement in the field of dentistry. The dentist to population ratio has dramatically improved in the last one to two decades with no significant improvement in the oral health status of the general population. The various studies have revealed an increasing trend in oral diseases in the recent times especially among this underserved population. Alternate strategies have to be thought about rather than the traditional oral health-care delivery through private dentists on fee for service basis. Mobile and portable dental services are a viable option to take the sophisticated oral health services to the doorsteps of the underserved population. The databases were searched for publications from 1900 to the present (2013) using terms such as Mobile dental services, Portable dental services and Mobile and portable dental services with key articles obtained primarily from MEDLINE. This paper reviews the published and unpublished literature from different sources on the various mobile dental service programs successfully implemented in some developed and developing countries. Though the mobile and portable systems have some practical difficulties like financial considerations, they still seem to be the only way to reach every section of the community in the absence of national oral health policy and organized school dental health programs in India. The material for the present review was obtained mainly by searching the biomedical databases for primary research material using the search engine with key words such as mobile and/or portable dental services in developed and developing countries (adding each of these terms in a sequential order). Based on the review of the programs successfully implemented in developed countries, we propose a model to cater to the basic oral health needs of an extensive underserved population in India that may be pilot tested. The increasing dental manpower can best be utilized for the promotion of oral health through mobile and portable dental services. The professional dental organizations should have a strong motive to translate this into reality.

Enrolling Underserved Women in mHealth Programs: Results From Text4baby Outreach Campaigns.

PubMed

Bushar, Jessica A; Fishman, Jodie; Garfinkel, Danielle; Pirretti, Amy

2018-03-01

Public health practitioners have increasingly leveraged technology-based communication to get health information into the hands of hard-to-reach populations; however, best practices for outreach and enrollment into mobile health (mHealth) programs are lacking. This article describes enrollment results from campaigns focused on enrolling underserved pregnant women and mothers in Text4baby-a free, mHealth service-to inform outreach strategies for mHealth programs. Text4baby participants receive health and safety information, interactive surveys, alerts, and appointment reminders through at least three weekly texts and a free app-timed to users' due date or babies' birth date. Text4baby worked with partners to implement national, state, and community-based enrollment campaigns. Descriptive statistics were used to compare baseline enrollment prior to a campaign with enrollment during a campaign to generate enrollment estimates. Enrollment rates were calculated for campaigns for which the number targeted/reached was available. National television campaigns resulted in more than 10,000 estimated enrollments. Campaigns that were integrated with an existing program and text-based recruitment had the highest enrollment rates, ranging from 7% to 24%. Facebook advertisements and traditional media targeting providers and consumers were least effective. mHealth programs should consider text-based recruitment and outreach via existing programs; additional research is needed on return on investment for different outreach strategies and on the effectiveness of different outreach strategies at reaching and enrolling specific target populations.

Underserved Gifted Populations: Responding to Their Needs and Abilities. Perspectives on Creativity Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smutny, Joan Franklin, Ed.

Twenty-five papers address issues of the underserved gifted, including environmental influences, multicultural and global factors, special learning problems, and the highly gifted and creatively gifted. The papers are: "Twenty-five Teaching Strategies that Promote Learning Success for Underserved Gifted Populations" (Jerry Flack); "The Invisible…

Knowledgeable Neighbors: a mobile clinic model for disease prevention and screening in underserved communities.

PubMed

Hill, Caterina; Zurakowski, David; Bennet, Jennifer; Walker-White, Rainelle; Osman, Jamie L; Quarles, Aaron; Oriol, Nancy

2012-03-01

The Family Van mobile health clinic uses a "Knowledgeable Neighbor" model to deliver cost-effective screening and prevention activities in underserved neighborhoods in Boston, MA. We have described the Knowledgeable Neighbor model and used operational data collected from 2006 to 2009 to evaluate the service. The Family Van successfully reached mainly minority low-income men and women. Of the clients screened, 60% had previously undetected elevated blood pressure, 14% had previously undetected elevated blood glucose, and 38% had previously undetected elevated total cholesterol. This represents an important model for reaching underserved communities to deliver proven cost-effective prevention activities, both to help control health care costs and to reduce health disparities.

Medical students' attitudes toward underserved populations: changing associations with choice of primary care versus non-primary care residency.

PubMed

Wayne, Sharon; Timm, Craig; Serna, Lisa; Solan, Brian; Kalishman, Summers

2010-05-01

The number of medical students entering primary care residencies continues to decrease. The association between student attitudes toward underserved populations and residency choice has received little attention even though primary care physicians see a larger proportion of underserved patients than most other specialists. We evaluated attitudes toward underserved populations in 826 medical students using a standardized survey, and used logistic regression to assess the effect of attitudes, along with other variables, on selection of a primary care residency. We compared results between two groups defined by year of entry to medical school (1993-99 and 2000-05) to determine whether associations differed by time period. Students' attitudes regarding professional responsibility toward underserved populations remained high over the study period; however, there was a statistically. significant association between positive attitudes and primary care residency in the early cohort only. This association was not found in the more recent group.

User Experience Evaluation of a Smoking Cessation App in People With Serious Mental Illness

PubMed Central

Rizo, Javier; Kientz, Julie A.; McDonell, Michael G.; Ries, Richard K.; Sobel, Kiley

2016-01-01

Introduction: Smoking rates among people with serious mental illness are 3 to 4 times higher than the general population, yet currently there are no smoking cessation apps specifically designed to address this need. We report the results of a User Experience (UX) evaluation of a National Cancer Institute smoking cessation app, QuitPal, and provide user centered design data that can be used to tailor smoking cessation apps for this population. Methods: Two hundred forty hours of field experience with QuitPal, 10 hours of recorded interviews and task performances, usage logs and a self-reported usability scale, informed the results of our study. Participants were five individuals recruited from a community mental health clinic with a reported serious mental illness history. Performance, self-reports, usage logs and interview data were triangulated to identify critical usability errors and UX themes emerging from this population. Results: Data suggests QuitPal has below average levels of usability, elevated time on task performances and required considerable amounts of guidance. UX themes provided critical information to tailor smoking cessation apps for this population, such as the importance of breaking down “cessation” into smaller steps and use of a reward system. Conclusions: This is the first study to examine the UX of a smoking cessation app among people with serious mental illness. Data from this study will inform future research efforts to expand the effectiveness and reach of smoking cessation apps for this highly nicotine dependent yet under-served population. Implications: Data from this study will inform future research efforts to expand the effectiveness and reach of smoking cessation apps for people with serious mental illness, a highly nicotine dependent yet under-served population. PMID:26581430

Health and Wellness Technology Use by Historically Underserved Health Consumers: Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Perchonok, Jennifer

2012-01-01

Background The implementation of health technology is a national priority in the United States and widely discussed in the literature. However, literature about the use of this technology by historically underserved populations is limited. Information on culturally informed health and wellness technology and the use of these technologies to reduce health disparities facing historically underserved populations in the United States is sparse in the literature. Objective To examine ways in which technology is being used by historically underserved populations to decrease health disparities through facilitating or improving health care access and health and wellness outcomes. Methods We conducted a systematic review in four library databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Engineering Village) to investigate the use of technology by historically underserved populations. Search strings consisted of three topics (eg, technology, historically underserved populations, and health). Results A total of 424 search phrases applied in the four databases returned 16,108 papers. After review, 125 papers met the selection criteria. Within the selected papers, 30 types of technology, 19 historically underserved groups, and 23 health issues were discussed. Further, almost half of the papers (62 papers) examined the use of technology to create effective and culturally informed interventions or educational tools. Finally, 12 evaluation techniques were used to assess the technology. Conclusions While the reviewed studies show how technology can be used to positively affect the health of historically underserved populations, the technology must be tailored toward the intended population, as personally relevant and contextually situated health technology is more likely than broader technology to create behavior changes. Social media, cell phones, and videotapes are types of technology that should be used more often in the future. Further, culturally informed health information technology should be used more for chronic diseases and disease management, as it is an innovative way to provide holistic care and reminders to otherwise underserved populations. Additionally, design processes should be stated regularly so that best practices can be created. Finally, the evaluation process should be standardized to create a benchmark for culturally informed health information technology. PMID:22652979

Ethnic newspapers and low-income Spanish-speaking adults: influence of news consumption and health motivation on cancer prevention behaviors.

PubMed

King, Andy J; Jensen, Jakob D; Guntzviller, Lisa M; Perez Torres, Debora; Krakow, Melinda

2018-05-01

Ethnic newspapers have the potential to reach and influence various cultural and ethnic subpopulations traditionally underserved in the United States. The current study sought to explore how ethnic news consumption interacts with health motivation to predict cancer prevention behaviors in a sample of Spanish-speaking adults. Participants (N = 100) completed a survey in Spanish, with items measuring demographics, acculturation, health literacy, health motivation, ethnic newspaper consumption (for two papers: La Viva and La Raza), and cancer prevention behaviors. Results indicated consumption of ethnic newspapers correlated positively to acculturation, and cancer screening utilization. In hierarchical regression analyses, the interaction of consumption of an ethnic newspaper (La Raza) and health motivation predicted two of the six prevention behaviors assessed: avoidance of fatty foods and screening behavior. The study provides evidence that consumption of Spanish-language newspapers enhances the likelihood that individuals with high levels of health motivation will engage in healthy behaviors. This finding highlights the utility of utilizing Spanish-language newspapers to reach underserved populations.

Knowledgeable Neighbors:A Mobile Clinic Model for Disease Prevention and Screening in Underserved Communities

PubMed Central

Zurakowski, David; Bennet, Jennifer; Walker-White, Rainelle; Osman, Jamie L.; Quarles, Aaron; Oriol, Nancy

2012-01-01

The Family Van mobile health clinic uses a “Knowledgeable Neighbor” model to deliver cost-effective screening and prevention activities in underserved neighborhoods in Boston, MA. We have described the Knowledgeable Neighbor model and used operational data collected from 2006 to 2009 to evaluate the service. The Family Van successfully reached mainly minority low-income men and women. Of the clients screened, 60% had previously undetected elevated blood pressure, 14% had previously undetected elevated blood glucose, and 38% had previously undetected elevated total cholesterol. This represents an important model for reaching underserved communities to deliver proven cost-effective prevention activities, both to help control health care costs and to reduce health disparities. PMID:22390503

Hidden leprosy cases in tribal population groups and how to reach them through a collaborative effort.

PubMed

Kumar, M Santhosh; Padmavathi, S; Shivakumar, M; Charles, U; Appalanaidu, M; Perumal, R; Thiagarajan, P N; Somasekhar, Y

2015-12-01

Tribal populations are an underserved population group and access to health services is a major challenge for them. Since leprosy treatment is integrated with the general health services, identifying leprosy cases is not be easy in these settings and they remain as endemic reservoirs, unless greater efforts are made to reach them. An active search operation was conducted in the tribal colonies in four pre-identified Health & Nutrition Clusters, Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, India, in 2013. After a brief training, village health nurses and selected volunteers covered all the households, showing flash cards with photos of leprosy cases and enquiring if there was any resident with a similar condition. Suspects were listed and examined by the district leprosy supervisor and field coordinators from Damien Foundation. Follow up interviews were done after one year to assess the treatment completion rate. Village health workers covered 47,574 people living in the tribal colonies and identified 325 leprosy suspects. Among them, 70 were confirmed as new leprosy cases. The prevalence of previously undetected leprosy cases was found to be 14.7/10,000. Out of 70 cases, 19 (27%) were children, 35 (50%) were female, 32 (45.7%) were classified as MB leprosy, 6 (8.6%) had a leprosy reaction and 11 (15.7%) persons had Grade 2 disability at the time of diagnosis. The treatment completion rate was found to be 74% at the end of one year. The study reveals a very high burden of leprosy among the tribal population and demonstrates how resources can be mobilized from government, NGO and local community sources to promote early case detection among underserved population groups.

Guidelines for research recruitment of underserved populations (EERC).

PubMed

Matsuda, Yui; Brooks, Jada L; Beeber, Linda S

2016-11-01

Despite concerted efforts to establish health equity, significant disparities persist. One roadblock to eliminating health disparities is the inadequate recruitment of underserved populations, which prevents researchers from creating culturally-tailored interventions. To further develop the science of recruitment, we argue that a systematic approach should be applied to research participant recruitment. Given the lack of practical and comprehensive recruitment conceptual frameworks or guidelines in the literature, the authors propose newly synthesized guidelines for research recruitment of underserved populations: EERC (evaluate, engage, reflect, and carefully match). The EERC guidelines are delineated, and the application of these guidelines is illustrated through a study recently conducted by the authors. The guidelines consist of the following four components: 1. Evaluate the composition of the research team; 2. Engage fully with the community by working with key informants and cultural insiders; 3. Reflect the unique cultural characteristics of the community in the research conduct; and 4. Carefully use a matching technique. The application component of the article demonstrates concrete examples of how the guidelines can enhance research recruitment for an underserved population. The authors intend these guidelines to be broadly applicable for research teams regardless of research design or characteristics of the underserved population. Application of these guidelines in nursing and health science will contribute to increasing research recruitment of underserved populations, with the goal of reducing health disparities and achieving health equity for all persons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tennessee long-range transportation plan : traditionally underserved populations outreach and analysis approach

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

This report describes efforts undertaken during the preparation of the Tennessee Long-Range Transportation Plan to engage traditionally underserved populations of the state and to provide opportunities for members of those populations to provide inpu...

Disparity in rates of HPV infection and cervical cancer in underserved US populations

PubMed Central

Karuri, Asok Ranjan; Kashyap, Vivek Kumar; Yallapu, Murali Mohan; Zafar, Nadeem; Kedia, Satish K.; Jaggi, Meena; Chauhan, Subhash C.

2018-01-01

There is a higher rate of HPV infection and cervical cancer incidence and mortality in underserved US population who reside in Appalachian mountain region compared to Northern Plains. Social and behavioral factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption are for such a high incidence. However, by and large, the reasons for these discrepancies lie in the reluctance of the underserved population to adopt preventive measures such as prophylactic Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines and Pap smear screening that have significantly reduced the incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer in Caucasian women. Thus, it is clear that drastic change in social behavior and implementation of preventive measures is required to effectively reduce the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer in this underserved population. PMID:28410118

Mobile and Portable Dental Services Catering to the Basic Oral Health Needs of the Underserved Population in Developing Countries: A Proposed Model

PubMed Central

Ganavadiya, R; Chandrashekar, BR; Goel, P; Hongal, SG; Jain, M

2014-01-01

India is the second most populous country in the world with an extensive rural population (68.8%). Children less than 18 years constitute about 40% of the population. Approximately, 23.5% of the urban population resides in urban slums. The extensive rural population, school children and the urban slum dwellers are denied of even the basic dental services though there is continuous advancement in the field of dentistry. The dentist to population ratio has dramatically improved in the last one to two decades with no significant improvement in the oral health status of the general population. The various studies have revealed an increasing trend in oral diseases in the recent times especially among this underserved population. Alternate strategies have to be thought about rather than the traditional oral health-care delivery through private dentists on fee for service basis. Mobile and portable dental services are a viable option to take the sophisticated oral health services to the doorsteps of the underserved population. The databases were searched for publications from 1900 to the present (2013) using terms such as Mobile dental services, Portable dental services and Mobile and portable dental services with key articles obtained primarily from MEDLINE. This paper reviews the published and unpublished literature from different sources on the various mobile dental service programs successfully implemented in some developed and developing countries. Though the mobile and portable systems have some practical difficulties like financial considerations, they still seem to be the only way to reach every section of the community in the absence of national oral health policy and organized school dental health programs in India. The material for the present review was obtained mainly by searching the biomedical databases for primary research material using the search engine with key words such as mobile and/or portable dental services in developed and developing countries (adding each of these terms in a sequential order). Based on the review of the programs successfully implemented in developed countries, we propose a model to cater to the basic oral health needs of an extensive underserved population in India that may be pilot tested. The increasing dental manpower can best be utilized for the promotion of oral health through mobile and portable dental services. The professional dental organizations should have a strong motive to translate this into reality. PMID:24971198

Building a workforce of physicians to care for underserved patients.

PubMed

Anthony, David; El Rayess, Fadya; Esquibel, Angela Y; George, Paul; Taylor, Julie

2014-09-02

There is a shortage of physicians to care for underserved populations. Medical educators at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University have used five years of Health Resources and Services Administration funding to train medical students to provide outstanding primary care for underserved populations. The grant has two major goals: 1) to increase the number of graduating medical students who practice primary care in underserved communities ("Professional Development"); and 2) to prepare all medical school graduates to care for underserved patients, regardless of specialty choice ("Curriculum Development"). Professional Development, including a new scholarly concentration and an eight-year primary care pipeline, has been achieved in partnership with the Program in Liberal Medical Education, the medical school's Admissions Committee, and an Area Health Education Center. Curriculum Development has involved systematic recruitment of clinical training sites and disease-specific curricula including tools for providing care to vulnerable populations. A comprehensive, longitudinal evaluation is ongoing.

An Analysis of Oppression and Health Education for Underserved Populations in the United States: The Issues of Acculturation, Patient-Provider Communication, and Health Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, Shannon; Gull, Bethany; Ashby, Jeanie; Kamimura, Akiko

2017-01-01

The oppression of underserved populations is pervasive throughout the history of the United States (U.S.), especially in health care. Brazilian educator Paulo Freire's controversial ideas about systems of power can be aptly applied to health care. This paper focuses specifically on arguably the most medically underserved group in the U.S.…

Navigating the digital divide: A systematic review of eHealth literacy in underserved populations in the United States.

PubMed

Chesser, Amy; Burke, Anne; Reyes, Jared; Rohrberg, Tessa

2016-01-01

eHealth provides an important mechanism to connect medically underserved populations with health information, but little is known about gaps in eHealth literacy research in underserved adult populations within the U.S. Between June and July 2013, three systematic literature reviews of five databases were conducted and a subsequent hand search was completed. Identified literature was screened and studies meeting exclusion and inclusion criteria were synthesized and analyzed for common themes. Of the 221 articles critically appraised, 15 met these criteria. Thirty-five of these studies were excluded due to international origin. Of the articles meeting the inclusion criteria, underserved populations assessed included immigrant women, the elderly, low-income, the un- and underemployed, and African-American and Hispanic populations. eHealth literacy assessments utilized included one or two item screeners, the eHEALS scale, health information competence and cognitive task analysis. Factors examined in relation to eHealth literacy included age, experience, overall health literacy, education, income and culture. The majority did not assess the impact of locality and those that did were predominately urban. These data suggest that there is a gap in the literature regarding eHealth literacy knowledge for underserved populations, and specifically those in rural locations, within the U.S.

Casting a Wider Net: Engaging Community Health Worker Clients and Their Families in Cancer Prevention

PubMed Central

Roman, Lee Anne; Zambrana, Ruth Enid; Ford, Sabrina; Meghea, Cristian

2016-01-01

Engaging family members in an intervention to prevent breast and cervical cancer can be a way to reach underserved women; however, little is known about whether family member recruitment reaches at-risk women. This study reports the kin relationship and risk characteristics of family members who chose to participate in the Kin KeeperSM cancer prevention intervention, delivered by community health workers (CHWs) via existing community programs. African American, Latina, and Arab family members reported risk factors for inadequate screening, including comorbid health conditions and inadequate breast or cervical cancer literacy. CHW programs can be leveraged to reach underserved families with cancer preventive interventions. PMID:27634780

With Educational Benefits for All: Campus Inclusion through Learning Communities Designed for Underserved Student Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fink, John E.; Hummel, Mary L.

2015-01-01

This chapter explores the practices of learning communities designed for specific, underserved student populations, highlighting on-campus examples and culminating with a synthesized list of core practices from these "inclusive" learning communities.

User Experience Evaluation of a Smoking Cessation App in People With Serious Mental Illness.

PubMed

Vilardaga, Roger; Rizo, Javier; Kientz, Julie A; McDonell, Michael G; Ries, Richard K; Sobel, Kiley

2016-05-01

Smoking rates among people with serious mental illness are 3 to 4 times higher than the general population, yet currently there are no smoking cessation apps specifically designed to address this need. We report the results of a User Experience (UX) evaluation of a National Cancer Institute smoking cessation app, QuitPal, and provide user centered design data that can be used to tailor smoking cessation apps for this population. Two hundred forty hours of field experience with QuitPal, 10 hours of recorded interviews and task performances, usage logs and a self-reported usability scale, informed the results of our study. Participants were five individuals recruited from a community mental health clinic with a reported serious mental illness history. Performance, self-reports, usage logs and interview data were triangulated to identify critical usability errors and UX themes emerging from this population. Data suggests QuitPal has below average levels of usability, elevated time on task performances and required considerable amounts of guidance. UX themes provided critical information to tailor smoking cessation apps for this population, such as the importance of breaking down "cessation" into smaller steps and use of a reward system. This is the first study to examine the UX of a smoking cessation app among people with serious mental illness. Data from this study will inform future research efforts to expand the effectiveness and reach of smoking cessation apps for this highly nicotine dependent yet under-served population. Data from this study will inform future research efforts to expand the effectiveness and reach of smoking cessation apps for people with serious mental illness, a highly nicotine dependent yet under-served population. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Fulfilling the Promise: Do MOOCS Reach the Educationally Underserved?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmid, Lorrie; Manturuk, Kim; Simpkins, Ian; Goldwasser, Molly; Whitfield, Keith E.

2015-01-01

When massive open online courses (MOOCs) began, they held the promise of bringing high-quality, college-level courses from leading academic institutions to people who otherwise would not have access to that type of content. In the ensuing years, it has become clear that the majority of MOOC students are not underserved in terms of educational…

Individual Breast Cancer risk assessment in Underserved Populations: Integrating empirical Bioethics and Health Disparities Research

PubMed Central

Anderson, Emily E.; Hoskins, Kent

2013-01-01

Research suggests that individual breast cancer risk assessment may improve adherence to recommended screening and prevention guidelines, thereby decreasing morbidity and mortality. Further research on the use of risk assessment models in underserved minority populations is critical to informing national public health efforts to eliminate breast cancer disparities. However, implementing individual breast cancer risk assessment in underserved patient populations raises particular ethical issues that require further examination. After reviewing these issues, we will discuss how empirical bioethics research can be integrated with health disparities research to inform the translation of research findings. Our in-progress National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded study, How Do Underserved Minority Women Think About Breast Cancer?, conducted in the context of a larger study on individual breast cancer risk assessment, is presented as a model. PMID:23124498

76 FR 53377 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-26

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 42 CFR Part 5 Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Negotiated Rulemaking Committee...

76 FR 10825 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-28

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 42 CFR Part 5 Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Negotiated Rulemaking Committee...

76 FR 61294 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 42 CFR Part 5 Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Negotiated Rulemaking Committee...

76 FR 43964 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs) and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-22

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 42 CFR Part 5 Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs) and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Notice of...

Show me the money! An analysis of underserved stakeholders' funding priorities in Patient Centered Outcomes Research domains.

PubMed

Cargill, Stephanie Solomon; Baker, Lauren Lyn; Goold, Susan Dorr

2017-07-01

Develop an accessible exercise to engage underserved populations about research funding priorities; analyze the criteria they use to prioritize research; contrast these criteria to those currently used by Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Academic and community partners collaborated to develop an Ipad exercise to facilitate group deliberation about PCOR funding priorities. 16 groups (n = 183) of underserved individuals in both urban and rural areas participated. Recordings were qualitatively analyzed for prioritization criteria. Analysis yielded ten codes, many of which were similar to PCORI criteria, but all of which challenged or illuminated these criteria. Directly involving underserved populations in determining funding criteria is both feasible and important, and can better fulfill PCORI's goal of incorporating patient priorities.

Diabetes Self-management Quality Improvement Initiative for Medically Underserved Patients.

PubMed

Seol, Haesun; Thompson, Mark; Kreider, Kathryn Evans; Vorderstrasse, Allison

The burden of diabetes is greater for minorities and medically underserved populations in the United States. An evidence-based provider-delivered diabetes self-management education intervention was implemented in a federally qualified health center for medically underserved adult patients with type 2 diabetes. The findings provide support for the efficacy of the intervention on improvement in self-management behaviors and glycemic control among underserved patients with diabetes, while not substantially changing provider visit time or workload.

76 FR 22070 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-20

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 42 CFR Part 5 Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas; Notice of Meeting Correction Proposed Rule document 2011-9081 was inadvertently published in the Rules section of the issue of...

Stories From the Field: The Use of Information and Communication Technologies to Address the Health Needs of Underserved Populations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

PubMed

Farach, Nasim; Faba, Gladys; Julian, Soroya; Mejía, Felipe; Cabieses, Báltica; D'Agostino, Marcelo; Cortinois, Andrea A

2015-01-01

As their availability grew exponentially in the last 20 years, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in health has been widely espoused, with many emphasizing their potential to decrease health inequities. Nonetheless, there is scarce availability of information regarding ICT as tools to further equity in health, specifically in Latin American and Caribbean settings. Our aim was to identify initiatives that used ICT to address the health needs of underserved populations in Latin America and Caribbean. Among these projects, explore the rationale behind the selection of ICT as a key component, probe perceptions regarding contributions to health equity, and describe the challenges faced during implementation. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study. Interviews were completed via Skype or face-to-face meetings using a semistructured interview guide. Following participant consent, interviews were audio recorded and verbatim transcriptions were developed. All transcriptions were coded using ATLASti7 software. The text was analyzed for patterns, shared themes, and diverging opinions. Emerging findings were reviewed by all interviewers and shared with participants for feedback. We interviewed representatives from eight organizations in six Latin American and Caribbean countries that prominently employed ICT in health communication, advocacy, or surveillance projects. ICT expanded project's geographic coverage, increased their reach into marginalized or hard-to-reach groups, and allowed real-time data collection. Perceptions of contributions to health equity resided mainly in the provision of health information and linkage to health services to members of groups experiencing greater morbidity because of poverty, remote place of residence, lack of relevant public programs, and/or stigma and discrimination, and in more timely responses by authorities to the health needs of these groups as a result of the increased availability of strategic information on morbidity and its social determinants. Most projects faced initial resistance to implementation because of lack of precedents. Their financial and technical sustainability was threatened by reliance on external funding and weak transitional structures amidst key staff changes. Projects often experienced challenges in establishing meaningful communication with target audience members, mainly because of divergent motivations behind ICT use between projects and its target audience and the lack of access or familiarity with ICT among the most underserved members of such audiences. ICT can benefit projects focusing on the health needs of underserved populations by expanding the breadth and depth of target audience coverage and improving data management. Most projects tended to be small, short-term pilot interventions with limited engagement with the formal health sector and did not include health equity as an explicit component. Collaborative projects with government institutions, particularly those with health surveillance objectives, seemed to be the most optimistic about long-term sustainability.

Underserved Areas and Pediatric Resident Characteristics: Is There Reason for Optimism?

PubMed

Laraque-Arena, Danielle; Frintner, Mary Pat; Cull, William L

2016-01-01

To examine whether resident characteristics and experiences are related to practice in underserved areas. Cross-sectional survey of a national random sample of pediatric residents (n = 1000) and additional sample of minority residents (n = 223) who were graduating in 2009 was conducted. Using weighted logistic regression, we examined relationships between resident characteristics (background, values, residency experiences, and practice goals) and reported 1) expectation to practice in underserved area and 2) postresidency position in underserved area. Response rate was 57%. Forty-one percent of the residents reported that they had an expectation of practicing in an underserved area. Of those who had already accepted postresidency positions, 38% reported positions in underserved areas. Service obligation in exchange for loans/scholarships and primary care/academic pediatrics practice goals were the strongest predictors of expectation of practicing in underserved areas (respectively, adjusted odds ratio 4.74, 95% confidence interval 1.87-12.01; adjusted odds ratio 3.48, 95% confidence interval 1.99-6.10). Other significant predictors include hospitalist practice goals, primary care practice goals, importance of racial/ethnic diversity of patient population in residency selection, early plan (before medical school) to care for underserved families, mother with a graduate or medical degree, and higher score on the Universalism value scale. Service obligation and primary care/academic pediatrics practice goal were also the strongest predictors for taking a postresidency job in underserved area. Trainee characteristics such as service obligations, values of humanism, and desire to serve underserved populations offer the hope that policies and public funding can be directed to support physicians with these characteristics to redress the maldistribution of physicians caring for children. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lessons Learned from Implementing a Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment Program for Underserved High-Risk Men in the Community: the Prostate REACH Project.

PubMed

Fleisher, Linda; Davis, Stacy N; Gross, Laura; Bagden, Loretta; Zakrzewski, Debra; González, Evelyn; Kandadai, Venk; Rusten, Cheryl; Baskett, Jerilyn; Obeid, Elias; Giri, Veda N

2016-03-01

Prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men, who may also encounter barriers to participation in prostate cancer risk assessment. The Prostate Risk, Education and Assessment in the Community with Help (REACH) project was a community-based extension of a comprehensive prostate cancer risk assessment program at a comprehensive cancer center. The goals of the REACH project were the following: (1) establish a community prostate cancer risk assessment clinic, (2) conduct targeted recruitment, and (3) provide navigation services including follow-up for uninsured men. Key implementation steps included the following: (1) choosing a clinic site, (2) establishing patient access procedures, (3) establishing navigator services, (4) developing subsidy fund use guidelines, and (5) designing recruitment and promotion. Through community-based promotion, 64 men inquired about the program and 26 (41 %) participated. Of those screened, 46 % had abnormal results, and 2 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Here, we describe a unique demonstration project to implement a comprehensive prostate cancer risk assessment program in an underserved Black community and describe successes and challenges to inform future efforts to promote access to underserved men.

Pediatric and Adolescent Issues in Underserved Populations.

PubMed

Desai, Neerav; Romano, Mary Elizabeth

2017-03-01

Children and adolescents in underserved populations have health care risks that are different from those of the adult population. Providers need to be aware of these needs and the available resources. Providers should work with school and community organizations to provide timely and appropriate preventive health care and screen for medical and mental health problems that occur more commonly in these high-risk patient populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Big Gay Church: Sermons to and for an Underserved Population in Art Education Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhoades, Mindi; Cosier, Kim; Davenport, Melanie G.; Sanders, James H., III; Wolfgang, Courtnie N.

2013-01-01

While the past decade shows dramatic progress in tolerance, acceptance, and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) people/rights in the United States, this population remains underserved. Statistics on LGBTQ youth suicide remain troublingly high; yet, when LGBTQ youth attend schools with Gay-Straight…

Diabetes and Your Eyes: A Pilot Study on Multimedia Education for Underserved Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawless, Kimberly; Smolin, Louanne; Gerber, Ben; Brodsky, Irwin; Girotti, Mariela; Pelaez, Lourdes; Eiser, Arnold

2005-01-01

There is a growing interest in the use of multimedia educational materials for individuals with chronic diseases. However, there is little data available regarding the use by underserved populations, particularly urban African-Americans and Latinos. The purpose of this pilot study was to create a multimedia lesson providing instruction on…

Designing financial-incentive programmes for return of medical service in underserved areas: seven management functions.

PubMed

Bärnighausen, Till; Bloom, David E

2009-06-26

In many countries worldwide, health worker shortages are one of the main constraints in achieving population health goals. Financial-incentive programmes for return of service, whereby participants receive payments in return for a commitment to practise for a period of time in a medically underserved area, can alleviate local and regional health worker shortages through a number of mechanisms. First, they can redirect the flow of those health workers who would have been educated without financial incentives from well-served to underserved areas. Second, they can add health workers to the pool of workers who would have been educated without financial incentives and place them in underserved areas. Third, financial-incentive programmes may improve the retention in underserved areas of those health workers who participate in a programme, but who would have worked in an underserved area without any financial incentives. Fourth, the programmes may increase the retention of all health workers in underserved areas by reducing the strength of some of the reasons why health workers leave such areas, including social isolation, lack of contact with colleagues, lack of support from medical specialists and heavy workload. We draw on studies of financial-incentive programmes and other initiatives with similar objectives to discuss seven management functions that are essential for the long-term success of financial-incentive programmes: financing (programmes may benefit from innovative donor financing schemes, such as endowment funds, international financing facilities or compensation payments); promotion (programmes should use tested communication channels in order to reach secondary school graduates and health workers); selection (programmes may use selection criteria to ensure programme success and to achieve supplementary policy goals); placement (programmes should match participants to areas in order to maximize participant satisfaction and retention); support (programmes should prepare participants for the time in an underserved area, stay in close contact with participants throughout the different phases of enrolment and help participants by assigning them mentors, establishing peer support systems or financing education courses relevant to work in underserved areas); enforcement (programmes may use community-based monitoring or outsource enforcement to existing institutions); and evaluation (in order to broaden the evidence on the effectiveness of financial incentives in increasing the health workforce in underserved areas, programmes in developing countries should evaluate their performance; in order to improve the strength of the evidence on the effectiveness of financial incentives, controlled experiments should be conducted where feasible). In comparison to other interventions to increase the supply of health workers to medically underserved areas, financial-incentive programmes have advantages--unlike initiatives using non-financial incentives, they establish legally enforceable commitments to work in underserved areas and, unlike compulsory service policies, they will not be opposed by health workers--as well as disadvantages--unlike initiatives using non-financial incentives, they may not improve the working and living conditions in underserved areas (which are important determinants of health workers' long-term retention) and, unlike compulsory service policies, they cannot guarantee that they will supply health workers to underserved areas who would not have worked in such areas without financial incentives. Financial incentives, non-financial incentives, and compulsory service are not mutually exclusive and may positively affect each other's performance.

Designing financial-incentive programmes for return of medical service in underserved areas: seven management functions

PubMed Central

Bärnighausen, Till; Bloom, David E

2009-01-01

In many countries worldwide, health worker shortages are one of the main constraints in achieving population health goals. Financial-incentive programmes for return of service, whereby participants receive payments in return for a commitment to practise for a period of time in a medically underserved area, can alleviate local and regional health worker shortages through a number of mechanisms. First, they can redirect the flow of those health workers who would have been educated without financial incentives from well-served to underserved areas. Second, they can add health workers to the pool of workers who would have been educated without financial incentives and place them in underserved areas. Third, financial-incentive programmes may improve the retention in underserved areas of those health workers who participate in a programme, but who would have worked in an underserved area without any financial incentives. Fourth, the programmes may increase the retention of all health workers in underserved areas by reducing the strength of some of the reasons why health workers leave such areas, including social isolation, lack of contact with colleagues, lack of support from medical specialists and heavy workload. We draw on studies of financial-incentive programmes and other initiatives with similar objectives to discuss seven management functions that are essential for the long-term success of financial-incentive programmes: financing (programmes may benefit from innovative donor financing schemes, such as endowment funds, international financing facilities or compensation payments); promotion (programmes should use tested communication channels in order to reach secondary school graduates and health workers); selection (programmes may use selection criteria to ensure programme success and to achieve supplementary policy goals); placement (programmes should match participants to areas in order to maximize participant satisfaction and retention); support (programmes should prepare participants for the time in an underserved area, stay in close contact with participants throughout the different phases of enrolment and help participants by assigning them mentors, establishing peer support systems or financing education courses relevant to work in underserved areas); enforcement (programmes may use community-based monitoring or outsource enforcement to existing institutions); and evaluation (in order to broaden the evidence on the effectiveness of financial incentives in increasing the health workforce in underserved areas, programmes in developing countries should evaluate their performance; in order to improve the strength of the evidence on the effectiveness of financial incentives, controlled experiments should be conducted where feasible). In comparison to other interventions to increase the supply of health workers to medically underserved areas, financial-incentive programmes have advantages – unlike initiatives using non-financial incentives, they establish legally enforceable commitments to work in underserved areas and, unlike compulsory service policies, they will not be opposed by health workers – as well as disadvantages – unlike initiatives using non-financial incentives, they may not improve the working and living conditions in underserved areas (which are important determinants of health workers' long-term retention) and, unlike compulsory service policies, they cannot guarantee that they will supply health workers to underserved areas who would not have worked in such areas without financial incentives. Financial incentives, non-financial incentives, and compulsory service are not mutually exclusive and may positively affect each other's performance. PMID:19558682

Using Concept Mapping to Develop a Strategy for Self-Management Support for Underserved Populations Living With Chronic Conditions, British Columbia, August 2013-June 2014.

PubMed

Mills, Susan L; Bergeron, Kim; Pérez, Guillermina

2015-10-08

Self-management support (SMS) is an essential component of public health approaches to chronic conditions. Given increasing concerns about health equity, the needs of diverse populations must be considered. This study examined potential solutions for addressing the gaps in self-management support initiatives for underserved populations. Stakeholders representing government, nongovernment organizations, Aboriginal communities, health authorities, medical practices, and research institutions generated, sorted, and rated ideas on what could be done to improve self-management support for underserved populations. Concept mapping was used to facilitate the collection and organization of the data and to generate conceptual maps. Participants generated 92 ideas that were sorted into 11 clusters (foster partnerships, promote integrated community care, enhance health care provider training, shift government policy, support community development, increase community education, enable client engagement, incorporate client support systems, recognize client capacity, tailor self-management support programs, and develop client skills, training, and tools) and grouped into system, community, and individual levels within a partnership framework. The strategy can stimulate public health dialogue and be a roadmap for developing SMS initiatives. It has the potential to address SMS and chronic condition inequities in underserved populations in several ways: 1) by targeting populations that have greater inequities, 2) by advocating for shifts in government policies that create and perpetuate inequities, 3) by promoting partnerships that may increase the number of SMS initiatives for underserved groups, and 4) by promoting training and engagement that increase the relevance, uptake, and overall effectiveness of SMS.

Increasing Educational Attainment and Aspiration in an Underserved Community: The Perspective of Urban-Community Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Person, Dawn; Garcia, Yvonne; Fujimoto, Eugene; Nguyen, Kayla; Saunders, Katherine; Hoffman, John

2014-01-01

Latino students are significantly underrepresented in higher education. As the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic population in the US, this is cause for national concern. Additionally, this rapid population growth is a call for community and school leaders from underserved communities to assess their service areas and focus on…

Evaluation of the Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved (PRIME-US) at the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program (JMP): The First 4 Years.

PubMed

Sokal-Gutierrez, Karen; Ivey, Susan L; Garcia, Roxanna M; Azzam, Amin

2015-01-01

Medical educators, clinicians, and health policy experts widely acknowledge the need to increase the diversity of our healthcare workforce and build our capacity to care for medically underserved populations and reduce health disparities. The Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved (PRIME-US) is part of a family of programs across the University of California (UC) medical schools aiming to recruit and train physicians to care for underserved populations, expand the healthcare workforce to serve diverse populations, and promote health equity. PRIME-US selects medical students from diverse backgrounds who are committed to caring for underserved populations and provides a 5-year curriculum including a summer orientation, a longitudinal seminar series with community engagement and leadership-development activities, preclerkship clinical immersion in an underserved setting, a master's degree, and a capstone rotation in the final year of medical school. This is a mixed-methods evaluation of the first 4 years of the PRIME-US at the UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Joint Medical Program (JMP). From 2006 to 2010, focus groups were conducted each year with classes of JMP PRIME-US students, for a total of 11 focus groups; major themes were identified using content analysis. In addition, 4 yearly anonymous, online surveys of all JMP students, faculty and staff were conducted and analyzed. Most PRIME-US students came from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in medicine, and all were committed to caring for underserved populations. The PRIME-US students experienced many program benefits including peer support, professional role models and mentorship, and curricular enrichment activities that developed their knowledge, skills, and sustained commitment to care for underserved populations. Non-PRIME students, faculty, and staff also benefited from participating in PRIME-sponsored seminars and community-based activities. Challenges noted by PRIME-US students and non-PRIME students, faculty, and staff included the stress of additional workload, perceived inequities in student educational opportunities, and some negative comments from physicians in other specialties regarding primary care careers. Over the first 4 years of the program, PRIME-US students and non-PRIME students, faculty, and staff experienced educational benefits consistent with the intended program goals. Long-term evaluation is needed to examine the participants' medical careers and impacts on California's healthcare workforce and patient outcomes. Attention should also be paid to the challenges of implementing new medical education enrichment programs.

Communication choices of the uninsured: implications for health marketing.

PubMed

Dutta, Mohan Jyoti; King, Andy J

2008-01-01

According to published scholarship on health services usage, an increasing number of Americans do not have health insurance coverage. The strong relationship between insurance coverage and health services utilization highlights the importance of reaching out to the uninsured via prevention campaigns and communication messages. This article examines the communication choices of the uninsured, documenting that the uninsured are more likely to consume entertainment-based television and are less likely to read, watch, and listen to information-based media. It further documents the positive relationship between interpersonal communication, community participation, and health insurance coverage. The entertainment-heavy media consumption patterns of the uninsured suggests the relevance of developing health marketing strategies that consider entertainment programming as an avenue for reaching out to this underserved segment of the population.

Reaching the Unreachable: Novel Approaches to Telemedicine Screening of Underserved Populations for Vitreoretinal Disease.

PubMed

Murchison, Ann P; Haller, Julia A; Mayro, Eileen; Hark, Lisa; Gower, Emily; Huisingh, Carrie; Rhodes, Lindsay; Friedman, David S; Lee, David J; Lam, Byron L

2017-07-01

Telemedicine involves electronic communication between a physician in one location and a patient in another location to provide remote medical care. Ophthalmologists are increasingly employing telemedicine, particularly in retinal disease screening and monitoring. Telemedicine has been utilized to decrease barriers to care and yield greater patient satisfaction and lower costs, while maintaining high sensitivity and specificity. This review discusses common patient barriers to eye care, innovative approaches to retinal disease screening and monitoring using telemedicine, and eye care policy initiatives needed to enact large-scale telemedicine eye disease screening programs.

Defining an integrative approach for health promotion and disease prevention: A population health equity framework

PubMed Central

Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Nadkarni, Smiti; Park, Rebecca; Islam, Nadia; Kwon, Simona C.

2015-01-01

Background Eliminating health disparities in racial ethnic minority and underserved populations requires a paradigm shift from disease-focused biomedical approaches to a health equity framework that aims to achieve optimal health for all by targeting social and structural determinants of health. Methods We describe the concepts and parallel approaches that underpin an integrative population health equity framework. Using a case study approach we present the experience of the NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH) in applying the framework to guide its work. Results This framework is central to CSAAH’s efforts moving towards a population health equity vision for Asian Americans. Discussion Advancing the health of underserved populations requires community engagement and an understanding of the multilevel contextual factors that influence health. Applying an integrative framework has allowed us to advance health equity for Asian American communities and may serve as a useful framework for other underserved populations. PMID:25981095

Integrating Health and Prevention Services in Syringe Access Programs: A Strategy to Address Unmet Needs in a High-Risk Population

PubMed Central

Storm, Deborah S.; Hoyt, Mary Jo; Dutton, Loretta; Berezny, Linda; Allread, Virginia; Paul, Sindy

2014-01-01

Injection drug users are at a high risk for a number of preventable diseases and complications of drug use. This article describes the implementation of a nurse-led health promotion and disease prevention program in New Jersey's syringe access programs. Initially designed to target women as part of a strategy to decrease missed opportunities for perinatal HIV prevention, the program expanded by integrating existing programs and funding streams available through the state health department. The program now offers health and prevention services to both men and women, with 3,488 client visits in 2011. These services extend the reach of state health department programs, such as adult vaccination and hepatitis and tuberculosis screening, which clients would have had to seek out at multiple venues. The integration of prevention, treatment, and health promotion services in syringe access programs reaches a vulnerable and underserved population who otherwise may receive only urgent and episodic care. PMID:24385646

Physician assistants as servant leaders: meeting the needs of the underserved.

PubMed

Huckabee, Michael J; Wheeler, Daniel W

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if the level of servant leader characteristics in clinically practicing physician assistants (PAs) in underserved populations differed from PAs serving in other locales. Five subscales of servant leadership: altruistic calling, emotional healing, wisdom, persuasive mapping, and organizational stewardship, were measured in a quantitative study of clinically practicing PAs using a self-rating survey and a similar survey by others rating the PA. Of 777 PAs invited, 321 completed the survey. On a scale of 1 to 5, mean PA self-ratings ranged from 3.52 (persuasive mapping) to 4.05 (wisdom). Other raters' scores paired with the self-rated PA scores were comparable in all subscales except wisdom, which was rated higher by the other raters (4.32 by other raters, 4.01 by PAs, P= .002). There was no significant difference in the measures of servant leadership reported by PAs serving the underserved compared to PAs serving in other populations. Servant leader subscales were higher for PAs compared to previous studies of other health care or community leader populations. The results found that the PA population studied had a prominent level of servant leadership characteristics that did not differ between those working with underserved and nonunderserved populations.

The Impact of Disasters on Populations With Health and Health Care Disparities

PubMed Central

Davis, Jennifer R.; Wilson, Sacoby; Brock-Martin, Amy; Glover, Saundra; Svendsen, Erik R.

2010-01-01

Context A disaster is indiscriminate in whom it affects. Limited research has shown that the poor and medically underserved, especially in rural areas, bear an inequitable amount of the burden. Objective To review the literature on the combined effects of a disaster and living in an area with existing health or health care disparities on a community’s health, access to health resources, and quality of life. Methods We performed a systematic literature review using the following search terms: disaster, health disparities, health care disparities, medically underserved, and rural. Our inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed, US studies that discussed the delayed or persistent health effects of disasters in medically underserved areas. Results There has been extensive research published on disasters, health disparities, health care disparities, and medically underserved populations individually, but not collectively. Conclusions The current literature does not capture the strain of health and health care disparities before and after a disaster in medically underserved communities. Future disaster studies and policies should account for differences in health profiles and access to care before and after a disaster. PMID:20389193

Considering the Role of Stress in Populations of High-Risk, Underserved Community Networks Program Centers.

PubMed

Hébert, James R; Braun, Kathryn L; Kaholokula, Joseph Keawe'aimoku; Armstead, Cheryl A; Burch, James B; Thompson, Beti

2015-01-01

Cancer disparities are associated with a broad range of sociocultural determinants of health that operate in community contexts. High-risk populations may be more vulnerable to social and environmental factors that lead to chronic stress. Theoretical and empirical research indicates that exposure to contextual and sociocultural stress alters biological systems, thereby influencing cancer risk, progression, and, ultimately, mortality. We sought to describe contextual pathways through which stress likely increases cancer risk in high-risk, underserved populations. This review presents a description of the link between contextual stressors and disease risk disparities within underserved communities, with a focus on 1) stress as a proximal link between biological processes, such as cytokine responses, inflammation, and cancer and 2) stress as a distal link to cancer through biobehavioral risk factors such as poor diet, physical inactivity, circadian rhythm or sleep disruption, and substance abuse. These concepts are illustrated through application to populations served by three National Cancer Institute-funded Community Networks Program Centers (CNPCs): African Americans in the Deep South (the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Community Network [SCCDCN]), Native Hawaiians ('Imi Hale-Native Hawaiian Cancer Network), and Latinos in the Lower Yakima Valley of Washington State (The Center for Hispanic Health Promotion: Reducing Cancer Disparities). Stress experienced by the underserved communities represented in the CNPCs is marked by social, biological, and behavioral pathways that increase cancer risk. A case is presented to increase research on sociocultural determinants of health, stress, and cancer risk among racial/ethnic minorities in underserved communities.

Disparities in genetic testing: thinking outside the BRCA box.

PubMed

Hall, Michael J; Olopade, Olufunmilayo I

2006-05-10

The impact of predictive genetic testing on cancer care can be measured by the increased demand for and utilization of genetic services as well as in the progress made in reducing cancer risks in known mutation carriers. Nonetheless, differential access to and utilization of genetic counseling and cancer predisposition testing among underserved racial and ethnic minorities compared with the white population has led to growing health care disparities in clinical cancer genetics that are only beginning to be addressed. Furthermore, deficiencies in the utility of genetic testing in underserved populations as a result of limited testing experience and in the effectiveness of risk-reducing interventions compound access and knowledge-base disparities. The recent literature on racial/ethnic health care disparities is briefly reviewed, and is followed by a discussion of the current limitations of risk assessment and genetic testing outside of white populations. The importance of expanded testing in underserved populations is emphasized.

Stories From the Field: The Use of Information and Communication Technologies to Address the Health Needs of Underserved Populations in Latin America and the Caribbean

PubMed Central

Faba, Gladys; Julian, Soroya; Mejía, Felipe; Cabieses, Báltica; D'Agostino, Marcelo; Cortinois, Andrea A

2015-01-01

Background As their availability grew exponentially in the last 20 years, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in health has been widely espoused, with many emphasizing their potential to decrease health inequities. Nonetheless, there is scarce availability of information regarding ICT as tools to further equity in health, specifically in Latin American and Caribbean settings. Objective Our aim was to identify initiatives that used ICT to address the health needs of underserved populations in Latin America and Caribbean. Among these projects, explore the rationale behind the selection of ICT as a key component, probe perceptions regarding contributions to health equity, and describe the challenges faced during implementation. Methods We conducted an exploratory qualitative study. Interviews were completed via Skype or face-to-face meetings using a semistructured interview guide. Following participant consent, interviews were audio recorded and verbatim transcriptions were developed. All transcriptions were coded using ATLASti7 software. The text was analyzed for patterns, shared themes, and diverging opinions. Emerging findings were reviewed by all interviewers and shared with participants for feedback. Results We interviewed representatives from eight organizations in six Latin American and Caribbean countries that prominently employed ICT in health communication, advocacy, or surveillance projects. ICT expanded project's geographic coverage, increased their reach into marginalized or hard-to-reach groups, and allowed real-time data collection. Perceptions of contributions to health equity resided mainly in the provision of health information and linkage to health services to members of groups experiencing greater morbidity because of poverty, remote place of residence, lack of relevant public programs, and/or stigma and discrimination, and in more timely responses by authorities to the health needs of these groups as a result of the increased availability of strategic information on morbidity and its social determinants. Most projects faced initial resistance to implementation because of lack of precedents. Their financial and technical sustainability was threatened by reliance on external funding and weak transitional structures amidst key staff changes. Projects often experienced challenges in establishing meaningful communication with target audience members, mainly because of divergent motivations behind ICT use between projects and its target audience and the lack of access or familiarity with ICT among the most underserved members of such audiences. Conclusions ICT can benefit projects focusing on the health needs of underserved populations by expanding the breadth and depth of target audience coverage and improving data management. Most projects tended to be small, short-term pilot interventions with limited engagement with the formal health sector and did not include health equity as an explicit component. Collaborative projects with government institutions, particularly those with health surveillance objectives, seemed to be the most optimistic about long-term sustainability. PMID:27227124

Providing oral health care to underserved population of pregnant women: retrospective review of 320 patients treated in private practice setting.

PubMed

Kerpen, Steven J; Burakoff, Ronald

2013-01-01

This article aims to quantify the impact of a novel partnership between a fee-for-service private practice and a teaching hospital dental service intended to provide oral care to an underserved population of pregnant women. Further, it seeks to ascertain the oral needs of this high-risk and diverse population. Data is presented that suggests the dire need for oral care among this pregnant population and the efficacy of treating these women in a private practice setting.

75 FR 32190 - Disease, Disability, and Injury Prevention and Control Special Interest Projects (SIPs): SIP 10...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-07

... Approaches To Preventing Teen Pregnancy Among Underserved Populations and SIP 10-035, Impact of High School... received in response to ``SIP 10-033, Innovative Approaches to Preventing Teen Pregnancy among Underserved...

Clinical medical education in rural and underserved areas and eventual practice outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Raymond Guilbault, Ryan William; Vinson, Joseph Alexander

2017-01-01

Undergraduate medical students are enrolled in clinical education programs in rural and underserved urban areas to increase the likelihood that they will eventually practice in those areas and train in a primary care specialty to best serve those patient populations. MEDLINE and Cochrane Library online databases were searched to identify articles that provide a detailed description of the exposure and outcome of interest. A qualitative review of articles reporting outcome data without comparison or control groups was completed using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI). A meta-analysis of articles reporting outcome data with comparison or control groups was completed with statistical and graphical summary estimates. Seven hundred and nine articles were retrieved from the initial search and reviewed based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of those, ten articles were identified for qualitative analysis and five articles included control groups and thus were included in the quantitative analysis. Results indicated that medical students with clinical training in underserved areas are almost three times as likely to practice in underserved areas than students who do not train in those areas (relative risk [RR] = 2.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.17, 4.00). Furthermore, medical students training in underserved areas are about four times as likely to practice primary care in underserved areas than students who do not train in those locations (RR = 4.35; 95% CI: 1.56, 12.10). These estimates may help guide medical school administrators and policymakers to expand underserved clinical training programs to help relieve some of the problems associated with access to medical care among underserved populations.

Recruiting hard-to-reach United States population sub-groups via adaptations of snowball sampling strategy

PubMed Central

Sadler, Georgia Robins; Lee, Hau-Chen; Seung-Hwan Lim, Rod; Fullerton, Judith

2011-01-01

Nurse researchers and educators often engage in outreach to narrowly defined populations. This article offers examples of how variations on the snowball sampling recruitment strategy can be applied in the creation of culturally appropriate, community-based information dissemination efforts related to recruitment to health education programs and research studies. Examples from the primary author’s program of research are provided to demonstrate how adaptations of snowball sampling can be effectively used in the recruitment of members of traditionally underserved or vulnerable populations. The adaptation of snowball sampling techniques, as described in this article, helped the authors to gain access to each of the more vulnerable population groups of interest. The use of culturally sensitive recruitment strategies is both appropriate and effective in enlisting the involvement of members of vulnerable populations. Adaptations of snowball sampling strategies should be considered when recruiting participants for education programs or subjects for research studies when recruitment of a population based sample is not essential. PMID:20727089

Recruitment of hard-to-reach population subgroups via adaptations of the snowball sampling strategy.

PubMed

Sadler, Georgia Robins; Lee, Hau-Chen; Lim, Rod Seung-Hwan; Fullerton, Judith

2010-09-01

Nurse researchers and educators often engage in outreach to narrowly defined populations. This article offers examples of how variations on the snowball sampling recruitment strategy can be applied in the creation of culturally appropriate, community-based information dissemination efforts related to recruitment to health education programs and research studies. Examples from the primary author's program of research are provided to demonstrate how adaptations of snowball sampling can be used effectively in the recruitment of members of traditionally underserved or vulnerable populations. The adaptation of snowball sampling techniques, as described in this article, helped the authors to gain access to each of the more-vulnerable population groups of interest. The use of culturally sensitive recruitment strategies is both appropriate and effective in enlisting the involvement of members of vulnerable populations. Adaptations of snowball sampling strategies should be considered when recruiting participants for education programs or for research studies when the recruitment of a population-based sample is not essential.

Pre-experience perceptions about telemedicine among African Americans and Latinos in South Central Los Angeles.

PubMed

George, Sheba M; Hamilton, Alison; Baker, Richard

2009-01-01

This study explores perceptions about telemedicine among urban underserved African American and Latino populations. Telemedicine has been advanced as a vehicle to increase access to specialty care among the urban underserved, yet little is known about its acceptability among these populations. We conducted 10 focus groups with African American and Latino participants (n = 87) in urban Los Angeles in order to explore perceptions about this novel type of care. We found that concerns about telemedicine varied between the two racial/ethnic groups. These findings have implications for important issues such as adoption of telemedicine, patient satisfaction, and doctor-patient interaction. It will be critical to consider perceptions of this healthcare innovation in the development of strategies to market and implement telemedicine among urban, underserved African American and Latino populations.

Mission of Mercy.

PubMed

Humenik, Mark

2014-01-01

Some dentists prefer solo charity work, but there is much to be said for collaboration within the profession in reaching out to those who are dentally underserved. Mission of Mercy (MOM) programs are regularly organized across the country for this purpose. This article describes the structure, reach, and personal satisfaction to be gained from such missions.

Austin Community College District's P-16 Initiative Graduates America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hensley, Mary; Madsen, Gary

2010-01-01

Austin Community College (ACC) District's P-16 Initiative supports partnerships with 30 school districts--reaching traditionally underserved students and bridging the gap between high school and college--so more Texas students can reach their educational goals. The P-16 Initiative is a constellation of efforts designed to provide broad-based…

Impact of selection strategies on representation of underserved populations and intention to practise: international findings.

PubMed

Larkins, Sarah; Michielsen, Kristien; Iputo, Jehu; Elsanousi, Salwa; Mammen, Marykutty; Graves, Lisa; Willems, Sara; Cristobal, Fortunato L; Samson, Rex; Ellaway, Rachel; Ross, Simone; Johnston, Karen; Derese, Anselme; Neusy, André-Jacques

2015-01-01

Socially accountable medical schools aim to reduce health inequalities by training workforces responsive to the priority health needs of underserved communities. One key strategy involves recruiting students from underserved and unequally represented communities on the basis that they may be more likely to return and address local health priorities. This study describes the impacts of different selection strategies of medical schools that aspire to social accountability on the presence of students from underserved communities in their medical education programmes and on student practice intentions. A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to students starting medical education in five institutions with a social accountability mandate in five different countries. The questionnaire assessed students' background characteristics, rurality of background, and practice intentions (location, discipline of practice and population to be served). The results were compared with the characteristics of students entering medical education in schools with standard selection procedures, and with publicly available socio-economic data. The selection processes of all five schools included strategies that extended beyond the assessment of academic achievement. Four distinct strategies were identified: the quota system; selection based on personal attributes; community involvement, and school marketing strategies. Questionnaire data from 944 students showed that students at the five schools were more likely to be of non-urban origin, of lower socio-economic status and to come from underserved groups. A total of 407 of 810 (50.2%) students indicated an intention to practise in a non-urban area after graduation and the likelihood of this increased with increasing rurality of primary schooling (p = 0.000). Those of rural origin were statistically less likely to express an intention to work abroad (p = 0.003). Selection strategies to ensure that members of underserved communities can pursue medical careers can be effective in achieving a fair and equitable representation of underserved communities within the student body. Such strategies may contribute to a diverse medical student body with strong intentions to work with underserved populations. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Considering the Role of Stress in Populations of High-Risk, Underserved Community Networks Program Centers

PubMed Central

Hébert, James R.; Braun, Kathryn L.; Kaholokula, Joseph Keawe‘aimoku; Armstead, Cheryl A.; Burch, James B.; Thompson, Beti

2015-01-01

Background Cancer disparities are associated with a broad range of sociocultural determinants of health that operate in community contexts. High-risk populations may be more vulnerable to social and environmental factors that lead to chronic stress. Theoretical and empirical research indicates that exposure to contextual and sociocultural stress alters biological systems, thereby influencing cancer risk, progression, and, ultimately, mortality. Objective We sought to describe contextual pathways through which stress likely increases cancer risk in high-risk, underserved populations. Methods This review presents a description of the link between contextual stressors and disease risk disparities within underserved communities, with a focus on 1) stress as a proximal link between biological processes, such as cytokine responses, inflammation, and cancer and 2) stress as a distal link to cancer through biobehavioral risk factors such as poor diet, physical inactivity, circadian rhythm or sleep disruption, and substance abuse. These concepts are illustrated through application to populations served by three National Cancer Institute-funded Community Networks Program Centers (CNPCs): African Americans in the Deep South (the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Community Network [SCCDCN]), Native Hawaiians (‘Imi Hale—Native Hawaiian Cancer Network), and Latinos in the Lower Yakima Valley of Washington State (The Center for Hispanic Health Promotion: Reducing Cancer Disparities). Conclusions Stress experienced by the underserved communities represented in the CNPCs is marked by social, biological, and behavioral pathways that increase cancer risk. A case is presented to increase research on sociocultural determinants of health, stress, and cancer risk among racial/ethnic minorities in underserved communities. PMID:26213406

Disparities in Underserved White Populations: The Case of Cancer-Related Disparities in Appalachia

PubMed Central

Paskett, Electra D.; Lengerich, Eugene J.; Schoenberg, Nancy E.; Kennedy, Stephenie K.; Conn, Mary Ellen; Roberto, Karen A.; Dwyer, Sharon K.; Fickle, Darla; Dignan, Mark

2011-01-01

There are meaningful cancer-related disparities in the Appalachian region of the U.S. To address these disparities, the Appalachia Community Cancer Network (ACCN), a collaboration of investigators and community partners in five states (Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia), is involved in increasing cancer education and awareness, conducting community-based participatory research (CBPR), and creating mentorship and training opportunities. The primary objective of this paper is to describe cancer-related disparities in the Appalachian region of the U.S. as an example of the disparities experienced by underserved, predominantly white, rural populations, and to describe ACCN activities designed to intervene regarding these disparities. An ACCN overview/history and the diverse activities of ACCN-participating states are presented in an effort to suggest potential useful strategies for working to reduce health-related disparities in underserved white populations. Strengths that have emerged from the ACCN approach (e.g., innovative collaborations, long-standing established networks) and remaining challenges (e.g., difficulties with continually changing communities, scarce resources) are described. Important recommendations that have emerged from the ACCN are also presented, including the value of allowing communities to lead CBPR efforts. Characteristics of the community-based work of the ACCN provide a framework for reducing health-related disparities in Appalachia and in other underserved white and rural populations. PMID:21873582

Adherence in the Cancer Care Setting: a Systematic Review of Patient Navigation to Traverse Barriers.

PubMed

Bush, Matthew L; Kaufman, Michael R; Shackleford, Taylor

2017-06-01

Patient navigation is an evidence-based intervention involving trained healthcare workers who assist patients in assessing and mitigating personal and environmental factors to promote healthy behaviors. The purpose of this research is to systematically assess the efficacy of patient navigation and similar programs to improve diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting medically underserved populations. A systematic review was performed by searching PubMed, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and CINAHL to identify potential studies. Eligible studies were those containing original peer-reviewed research reports in English on patient navigation, community health workers, vulnerable and underserved populations, and healthcare disparity. Specific outcomes regarding patient navigator including the effect of the intervention on definitive diagnosis and effect on initiation of treatment were extracted from each study. The search produced 1428 articles, and 16 were included for review. All studies involved patient navigation in the field of oncology in underserved populations. Timing of initial contact with a patient navigator after diagnostic or screening testing is correlated to the effectiveness of the navigator intervention. The majority of the studies reported significantly shorter time intervals to diagnosis and to treatment with patient navigation. Patient navigation expedites oncologic diagnosis and treatment of patients in underserved populations. This intervention is more efficacious when utilized shortly after screening or diagnostic testing.

Sustaining Family Physicians in Urban Underserved Settings.

PubMed

Getzin, Anne; Bobot, Bonnie L; Simpson, Deborah

2016-11-01

Our objective was to identify factors that sustain family physicians practicing in Milwaukee's underserved urban areas. Family physicians with clinical careers in Milwaukee's urban, underserved communities were identified and invited to participate in a 45-60 minute interview using a literature-based semi-structured protocol. Each interview was transcribed and de-identified prior to independent analysis using a grounded theory qualitative approach by two authors to yield sustaining themes. The project was determined not human subjects research per Aurora Health Care IRB. Sixteen family physicians were identified; six of 11 who met inclusion criteria agreed to interview. Four general domains central to sustaining family physicians working with underserved populations were identified: (1) cognitive traits and qualities (trouble shooting, resilience, flexibility), (2) core values (medicine as mechanism to address social justice), (3) skills (self-care, communication, clinical management), and (4) support systems (supportive family/employer, job flexibility, leadership opportunities, staff function as team). The formation of these personal attributes and skills was partly shaped by experiences (from childhood to medical training to work experience) and by personal drivers that varied by individual. Common was that the challenges of providing care in urban underserved settings was seen as rewarding in and of itself and aligned with these physicians' values and skills. Family physicians working with underserved populations described possessing a combination of values, cognitive qualities, skill sets, and support systems. While family physicians face complex challenges in quality care goals in urban underserved settings, training in the personal and professional skill sets identified by participants may improve physician retention in such communities.

Utility of Respondent Driven Sampling to Reach Disadvantaged Emerging Adults for Assessment of Substance Use, Weight, and Sexual Behaviors.

PubMed

Tucker, Jalie A; Simpson, Cathy A; Chandler, Susan D; Borch, Casey A; Davies, Susan L; Kerbawy, Shatomi J; Lewis, Terri H; Crawford, M Scott; Cheong, JeeWon; Michael, Max

2016-01-01

Emerging adulthood often entails heightened risk-taking with potential life-long consequences, and research on risk behaviors is needed to guide prevention programming, particularly in under-served and difficult to reach populations. This study evaluated the utility of Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS), a peer-driven methodology that corrects limitations of snowball sampling, to reach at-risk African American emerging adults from disadvantaged urban communities. Initial "seed" participants from the target group recruited peers, who then recruited their peers in an iterative process (110 males, 234 females; M age = 18.86 years). Structured field interviews assessed common health risk factors, including substance use, overweight/obesity, and sexual behaviors. Established gender-and age-related associations with risk factors were replicated, and sample risk profiles and prevalence estimates compared favorably with matched samples from representative U.S. national surveys. Findings supported the use of RDS as a sampling method and grassroots platform for research and prevention with community-dwelling risk groups.

Achieving polio eradication: a review of health communication evidence and lessons learned in India and Pakistan

PubMed Central

Chitnis, Ketan; Morry, Chris; Feek, Warren; Bates, Jeffrey; Galway, Michael; Ogden, Ellyn

2009-01-01

Abstract Since 1988, the world has come very close to eradicating polio through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, in which communication interventions have played a consistently central role. Mass media and information dissemination approaches used in immunization efforts worldwide have contributed to this success. However, reaching the hardest-to-reach, the poorest, the most marginalized and those without access to health services has been challenging. In the last push to eradicate polio, Polio Eradication Initiative communication strategies have become increasingly research-driven and innovative, particularly through the introduction of sustained interpersonal communication and social mobilization approaches to reach unreached populations. This review examines polio communication efforts in India and Pakistan between the years 2000 and 2007. It shows how epidemiological, social and behavioural data guide communication strategies that have contributed to increased levels of polio immunity, particularly among underserved and hard-to-reach populations. It illustrates how evidence-based and planned communication strategies – such as sustained media campaigns, intensive community and social mobilization, interpersonal communication and political and national advocacy combined – have contributed to reducing polio incidence in these countries. Findings show that communication strategies have contributed on several levels by: mobilizing social networks and leaders; creating political will; increasing knowledge; ensuring individual and community-level demand; overcoming gender barriers and resistance to vaccination; and reaching out to the poorest and marginalized populations. The review concludes with observations about the added value of communication strategies in polio eradication efforts and implications for global and local public health communication interventions. PMID:19705014

Achieving polio eradication: a review of health communication evidence and lessons learned in India and Pakistan.

PubMed

Obregón, Rafael; Chitnis, Ketan; Morry, Chris; Feek, Warren; Bates, Jeffrey; Galway, Michael; Ogden, Ellyn

2009-08-01

Since 1988, the world has come very close to eradicating polio through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, in which communication interventions have played a consistently central role. Mass media and information dissemination approaches used in immunization efforts worldwide have contributed to this success. However, reaching the hardest-to-reach, the poorest, the most marginalized and those without access to health services has been challenging. In the last push to eradicate polio, Polio Eradication Initiative communication strategies have become increasingly research-driven and innovative, particularly through the introduction of sustained interpersonal communication and social mobilization approaches to reach unreached populations. This review examines polio communication efforts in India and Pakistan between the years 2000 and 2007. It shows how epidemiological, social and behavioural data guide communication strategies that have contributed to increased levels of polio immunity, particularly among underserved and hard-to-reach populations. It illustrates how evidence-based and planned communication strategies - such as sustained media campaigns, intensive community and social mobilization, interpersonal communication and political and national advocacy combined - have contributed to reducing polio incidence in these countries. Findings show that communication strategies have contributed on several levels by: mobilizing social networks and leaders; creating political will; increasing knowledge; ensuring individual and community-level demand; overcoming gender barriers and resistance to vaccination; and reaching out to the poorest and marginalized populations. The review concludes with observations about the added value of communication strategies in polio eradication efforts and implications for global and local public health communication interventions.

75 FR 51976 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-24

... Underserved Elderly and Working Poor in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) FY 2009 Pilots... key underserved populations--eligible households with elderly members and eligible households with... (2007) U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates, less than one-third of elderly (age 60 and older...

Breaking Barriers to Bike Share: Insights from Residents of Traditionally Underserved Neighborhoods

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-01

Evidence has shown that higher income and white populations are overrepresented in both access to and use of bike share. Efforts to overcome underserved communities barriers to access and use of bike share have been initiated in a number of cities...

Curriculum Recommendations of the AACP-PSSC Task Force on Caring for the Underserved

PubMed Central

Roche, Victoria F.; Assemi, Mitra; Conry, John M.; Shane-McWhorter, Laura; Sorensen, Todd D.

2008-01-01

A task force was convened by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and the Pharmaceutical Services Support Center (PSSC) and charged with the development of a curriculum framework to guide pharmacy programs in educating students on caring for the underserved. Utilizing a literature-based model, the task force constructed a framework that delineated evidence-based practice, clinical prevention and health promotion, health systems and policy, and community aspects of practice. Specific learning outcomes tailored to underserved populations were crafted and linked to resources readily available to the academy. The AACP-PSSC curriculum framework was shared with the academy in 2007. Schools and Colleges are urged to share experiences with implementation so that the impact of the tool can be evaluated. The task force recommends that the AACP Institutional Research Advisory Committee be involved in gathering assessment data. Implementation of the curriculum framework can help the academy fulfill the professional mandate to proactively provide the highest quality care to all, including underserved populations. PMID:18698398

Disseminating relevant health information to underserved audiences: implications of the Digital Divide Pilot Projects*

PubMed Central

Kreps, Gary L.

2005-01-01

Objective: This paper examines the influence of the digital divide on disparities in health outcomes for vulnerable populations, identifying implications for medical and public libraries. Method: The paper describes the results of the Digital Divide Pilot Projects demonstration research programs funded by the National Cancer Institute to test new strategies for disseminating relevant health information to underserved and at-risk audiences. Results: The Digital Divide Pilot Projects field-tested innovative systemic strategies for helping underserved populations access and utilize relevant health information to make informed health-related decisions about seeking appropriate health care and support, resisting avoidable and significant health risks, and promoting their own health. Implications: The paper builds on the Digital Divide Pilot Projects by identifying implications for developing health communication strategies that libraries can adopt to provide digital health information to vulnerable populations. PMID:16239960

Reaching the Underserved: Complementary Models of Effective Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeStefano, Joseph; Moore, Audrey-Marie Schuh; Balwanz, David; Hartwell, Ash

2007-01-01

Many countries that have undergone expansion of access to public education still face significant disparities in school enrollment and attendance rates at sub-national levels, and fail to reach a high proportion of children who are outside of the government system. Completion and student learning have also continued to be system-wide challenges…

The Online-Counseling Debate: A View toward the Underserved

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez-Page, Delida

2005-01-01

This article responds to some important issues that Mallen, Vogel, Rochlen, and Day raise in "Online Counseling: Reviewing the Literature from a Counseling Psychology Framework." This reaction reviews the appropriateness of online counseling for underserved populations. The author provides suggestions for better serving historically undeserved…

Hispanic migrant farm workers' attitudes toward mobile phone-based telehealth for management of chronic health conditions.

PubMed

Price, Matthew; Williamson, Deborah; McCandless, Romina; Mueller, Martina; Gregoski, Mathew; Brunner-Jackson, Brenda; Treiber, Eveline; Davidson, Lydia; Treiber, Frank

2013-03-30

Mobile phone-based interventions present a means of providing high quality health care to hard-to-reach underserved populations. Migrant farm workers (MFWs) are among the most underserved populations in the United States due to a high prevalence of chronic diseases yet limited access to health care. However, it is unknown if MFWs have access to mobile phone devices used in mobile health (mHealth) interventions, or if they are willing to use such technologies. Determine rates of ownership of mobile devices and willingness to use mHealth strategies in MFWs. A demonstration of mHealth devices and a survey were individually administered to 80 Hispanic MFWs to evaluate use of mobile phones and mHealth devices and willingness to use such technologies. Of the 80 participants, 81% (65/80) owned cell phones capable of sending and receiving health-related messages. Most participants (65/80, 81%) were receptive to using mHealth technology and felt it would be helpful in enhancing medication adherence, self-monitoring health conditions, and receiving quicker medication changes from their doctors (median scores ≥4 on 5-point Likert scales). Relations between age and attitudes toward using mHealth were not statistically significant. Hispanic MFWs have access to mobile phones and are willing to use mHealth devices. Future work is needed to comprehensively evaluate the degree to which these devices could be used.

Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Locations Predominantly Located in Federally Designated Underserved Areas.

PubMed

Barclift, Songhai C; Brown, Elizabeth J; Finnegan, Sean C; Cohen, Elena R; Klink, Kathleen

2016-05-01

Background The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program is an Affordable Care Act funding initiative designed to expand primary care residency training in community-based ambulatory settings. Statute suggests, but does not require, training in underserved settings. Residents who train in underserved settings are more likely to go on to practice in similar settings, and graduates more often than not practice near where they have trained. Objective The objective of this study was to describe and quantify federally designated clinical continuity training sites of the THCGME program. Methods Geographic locations of the training sites were collected and characterized as Health Professional Shortage Area, Medically Underserved Area, Population, or rural areas, and were compared with the distribution of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-funded training positions. Results More than half of the teaching health centers (57%) are located in states that are in the 4 quintiles with the lowest CMS-funded resident-to-population ratio. Of the 109 training sites identified, more than 70% are located in federally designated high-need areas. Conclusions The THCGME program is a model that funds residency training in community-based ambulatory settings. Statute suggests, but does not explicitly require, that training take place in underserved settings. Because the majority of the 109 clinical training sites of the 60 funded programs in 2014-2015 are located in federally designated underserved locations, the THCGME program deserves further study as a model to improve primary care distribution into high-need communities.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Problem-Solving Intervention Addressing Barriers to Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Behaviors in 3 Underserved Populations: Colorado, North Carolina, West Virginia, 2009

PubMed Central

Bryant, Lucinda L.; Leary, Janie M.; Vu, Maihan B.; Hill-Briggs, Felicia; Samuel-Hodge, Carmen D.; McMilin, Colleen R.; Keyserling, Thomas C.

2014-01-01

Introduction In low-income and underserved populations, financial hardship and multiple competing roles and responsibilities lead to difficulties in lifestyle change for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. To improve CVD prevention behaviors, we adapted, pilot-tested, and evaluated a problem-solving intervention designed to address barriers to lifestyle change. Methods The sample consisted of 81 participants from 3 underserved populations, including 28 Hispanic or non-Hispanic white women in a western community (site 1), 31 African-American women in a semirural southern community (site 2), and 22 adults in an Appalachian community (site 3). Incorporating focus group findings, we assessed a standardized intervention involving 6-to-8 week group sessions devoted to problem-solving in the fall of 2009. Results Most sessions were attended by 76.5% of participants, demonstrating participant adoption and engagement. The intervention resulted in significant improvement in problem-solving skills (P < .001) and perceived stress (P < .05). Diet, physical activity, and weight remained stable, although 72% of individuals reported maintenance or increase in daily fruit and vegetable intake, and 67% reported maintenance or increase in daily physical activity. Conclusion Study results suggest the intervention was acceptable to rural, underserved populations and effective in training them in problem-solving skills and stress management for CVD risk reduction. PMID:24602586

Conceptualizing the Issue of Underserved Populations of Gifted Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitmore, Joanne

1987-01-01

Among the underserved are gifted students who lack achievement motivation or environmental nurturance or have developmental delays or learning disabilities. Unified efforts by those involved in the education of the handicapped and the gifted can improve the identification of individual needs and individualization of instruction. (Author/CB)

The Quick Peek Program: A Model for Developmental Screening within Underserved Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Jill; Norton, Amy

2016-01-01

Developmental screening of young children is important in all populations, especially underserved communities with known health care disparities. The American Academy of Pediatrics created guidelines and a toolkit for pediatricians to conduct developmental surveillance and screening, yet these guidelines are not uniformly implemented within…

Designing an Intervention for Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus from Medically Underserved Areas to Improve Care: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Feldman, Candace H; Bermas, Bonnie L; Zibit, Melanie; Fraser, Patricia; Todd, Derrick J; Fortin, Paul R; Massarotti, Elena; Costenbader, Karen H

2013-01-01

Objective Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) disproportionately affects women, racial/ethnic minorities and low-income populations. We held focus groups for women from medically underserved communities to discuss interventions to improve care. Methods From our Lupus Registry, we invited 282 women, > 18 years, residing in urban, medically underserved areas. Hospital-based clinics and support groups also recruited participants. Women were randomly assigned to 3 focus groups. 75-minute sessions were recorded, transcribed and coded thematically using interpretative phenomenologic analysis and single counting methods. We categorized interventions by benefits, limitations, target populations and implementation questions. Results 29 women with lupus participated in 3 focus groups, (n=9, 9, 11). 80% were African American and 83% were from medically underserved zip codes. Themes included the desire for lupus education, isolation at the time of diagnosis, emotional and physical barriers to care, and the need for assistance navigating the healthcare system. 20 of 29 participants (69%) favored a peer support intervention; 17 (59%) also supported a lupus health passport. Newly diagnosed women were optimal intervention targets. Improvements in quality of life and mental health were proposed outcome measures. Conclusion Women with lupus from medically underserved areas have unique needs best addressed with an intervention designed through collaboration between community members and researchers. PMID:23087258

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS

PubMed Central

O’CONNOR, TOM; FLYNN, MICHAEL; WEINSTOCK, DEBORAH; ZANONI, JOSEPH

2015-01-01

This article presents an analysis of the essential elements of effective occupational safety and health education and training programs targeting under-served communities. While not an exhaustive review of the literature on occupational safety and health training, the paper provides a guide for practitioners and researchers to the key factors they should consider in the design and implementation of training programs for underserved communities. It also addresses issues of evaluation of such programs, with specific emphasis on considerations for programs involving low-literacy and limited-English-speaking workers. PMID:25053607

Occupational safety and health education and training for underserved populations.

PubMed

O'Connor, Tom; Flynn, Michael; Weinstock, Deborah; Zanoni, Joseph

2014-01-01

This article presents an analysis of the essential elements of effective occupational safety and health education and training programs targeting underserved communities. While not an exhaustive review of the literature on occupational safety and health training, the paper provides a guide for practitioners and researchers to the key factors they should consider in the design and implementation of training programs for underserved communities. It also addresses issues of evaluation of such programs, with specific emphasis on considerations for programs involving low-literacy and limited-English-speaking workers.

Diet and Obesity Issues in the Underserved.

PubMed

Mejia de Grubb, Maria C; Levine, Robert S; Zoorob, Roger J

2017-03-01

The goal of this article is to inform new directions for addressing inequalities associated with obesity by reviewing current issues about diet and obesity among socioeconomically vulnerable and underserved populations. It highlights recent interventions in selected high-risk populations, as well as gaps in the knowledge base. It identifies future directions in policy and programmatic interventions to expand the role of primary care providers, with an emphasis on those aimed at preventing obesity and promoting healthy weight. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Web usability testing with a Hispanic medically underserved population.

PubMed

Moore, Mary; Bias, Randolph G; Prentice, Katherine; Fletcher, Robin; Vaughn, Terry

2009-04-01

Skilled website developers value usability testing to assure user needs are met. When the target audience differs substantially from the developers, it becomes essential to tailor both design and evaluation methods. In this study, researchers carried out a multifaceted usability evaluation of a website (Healthy Texas) designed for Hispanic audiences with lower computer literacy and lower health literacy. METHODS INCLUDED: (1) heuristic evaluation by a usability engineer, (2) remote end-user testing using WebEx software; and (3) face-to-face testing in a community center where use of the website was likely. Researchers found standard usability testing methods needed to be modified to provide interpreters, increased flexibility for time on task, presence of a trusted intermediary such as a librarian, and accommodation for family members who accompanied participants. Participants offered recommendations for website redesign, including simplified language, engaging and relevant graphics, culturally relevant examples, and clear navigation. User-centered design is especially important when website developers are not representative of the target audience. Failure to conduct appropriate usability testing with a representative audience can substantially reduce use and value of the website. This thorough course of usability testing identified improvements that benefit all users but become crucial when trying to reach an underserved audience.

Should Master's Level Training To Provide Rural Services Survive?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keller, Peter A.

Despite recent efforts to encourage federal funding of psychological services for underserved populations such as the elderly and residents of rural areas, ample evidence suggests that rural areas are underserved by psychologists. Drawing on data from rural and urban areas in Pennsylvania, this paper argues that master's level training can provide…

Serving the Underserved

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Michael

2006-01-01

Efforts to expand diversity in the health professions has received a boost from a prominent member of Congress. U.S. Senator Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, recently introduced a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act as part of a comprehensive initiative to improve the health of minority and other underserved populations. This bill, which is being…

Psychology in patient-centered medical homes: Reducing health disparities and promoting health equity.

PubMed

Farber, Eugene W; Ali, Mana K; Van Sickle, Kristi S; Kaslow, Nadine J

2017-01-01

With persisting health disparities contributing to a disproportionate impact on the health and well-being of socially disenfranchised and medically underserved populations, the emerging patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model offers promise in bridging the health disparities divide. Because behavioral health care is an important component of the PCMH, psychologists have significant opportunity to contribute to the development and implementation of PCMH services in settings that primarily serve medically underserved communities. In this article, after briefly defining the PCMH model and its role in clinical settings for medically underserved populations for whom health disparities are present, roles of psychologists as interprofessional collaborators on PCMH medical care teams are explored. Next, the constellation of competencies that position psychologists as behavioral health specialists to contribute to PCMH care teams for medically underserved groups are characterized. The article concludes with reflections on the prospects for psychologists to make tangible contributions as health care team members toward reducing health disparities and promoting health equity in patients served in the PCMH. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

IMAGINE-ing interprofessional education: program evaluation of a novel inner city health educational experience

PubMed Central

Hu, Tina; Cox, Kelly Anne; Nyhof-Young, Joyce

2017-01-01

Background Poverty is a key determinant of health that leads to poor health outcomes. Although most healthcare providers will work with patients experiencing poverty, surveys among healthcare students have reported a curriculum gap in this area. This study aims to introduce and evaluate a novel, student-run interprofessional inner city health educational program that combines both practical and didactic educational components. Methods Students participating in the program answered pre- and post-program surveys. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and descriptive thematic analysis were used for quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Results A total of 28 out of 35 participants responded (response rate: 80%). Student knowledge about issues facing underserved populations and resources for underserved populations significantly increased after program participation. Student comfort working with underserved populations also significantly increased after program participation. Valued program elements included workshops, shadowing, and a focus on marginalized populations. Conclusion Interprofessional inner city health educational programs are beneficial for students to learn about poverty intervention and resources, and may represent a strategy to address a gap in the healthcare professional curriculum. PMID:28344718

Dissemination of physical activity promotion interventions in underserved populations.

PubMed

Yancey, Antronette K; Ory, Marcia G; Davis, Sally M

2006-10-01

Achieving minimum physical activity levels of 30 or more minutes per day will require a variety of intervention strategies to engage each segment of an aging and increasingly ethnically diverse U.S. population. This article presents a focused review of the sparse literature on the diffusion of evidence-based physical activity interventions that are culturally appropriate for underserved populations. Related literature and experiential insights inform this discussion, because so few published studies report outcome data beyond the first diffusion phase of intervention development and evaluation. Three brief case studies are presented to further illustrate and exemplify key concepts and processes at several different stages in diffusing physical activity interventions. Successful engagement of underserved populations reflects a delicate balance between embracing group customs and values and recognizing the nonmonolithic nature of any sociodemographically defined group. The costs of failing to promulgate effective physical activity interventions in these groups continue to mount, in dollars, health, and lives. Researchers, practitioners, decision makers, and policymakers must partner to bridge the evidentiary gap so that the physically active lifestyle choices become the easier choices.

Bridging miles to achieve milestones: Corporate social responsibility for primary health care.

PubMed

Gulati, Ruchie

2017-01-01

Sustainable Developmental Goals aim to provide "Good health for all". The task though immense ,requires equitable and efficient distribution of health resources to the community, reached predominantly by the Primary Health Centres. Strengthening these centres is essential to attain the goal. Adequate health financing is one of the important determinants for utilizing the optimal potential of these centres . Pooling funds from alternate financing strategies as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds may give impetus and facilitate healthcare affordability to the underserved population. This convergence of vision of corporate funding for "basic health services" may bridge the gap arising out of inadequate funding and facilitate "Good Health for all" in India.

Assessing Underserved Students' Engagement in High-Impact Practices. With an Assessing Equity in High-Impact Practices Toolkit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finley, Ashley; McNair, Tia

2013-01-01

This publication presents findings from a national study conducted by AAC&U researchers to investigate the impact of engagement in high-impact practices on traditionally underserved populations (defined here as first-generation, minority, transfer, and low-income students).The mixed-method analysis includes student-level data on engaged…

Community Colleges in Higher Education: The Role of Community Colleges in Serving the Underserved Student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Jerrid P.

2007-01-01

The changing economy is increasing the significance of community colleges. While community colleges have served an important role in higher education, their importance and value to individuals and society is at an all time high. While community college characteristics have made these institutions attractive, the underserved population and the…

Arts Infusion and Literacy Achievement within Underserved Communities: A Matter of Equity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carney, Charles L.; Weltsek, Gustave J.; Hall, M. Lynne; Brinn, Ginger

2016-01-01

There is ample evidence that arts added to the K-12 curriculum can have many positive learning impacts. Nevertheless, many states do not promote such instruction as an integral part of classroom plans. For particular schools with underserved populations, arts-enhanced curricula can be a powerful learning tool. Beyond arts integration, arts…

Chronic disease management in rural and underserved populations: innovation and system improvement help lead to success.

PubMed

Bolin, Jane; Gamm, Larry; Kash, Bita; Peck, Mitchell

2005-03-01

Successful implementation of disease management (DM) is based on the ability of an organization to overcome a variety of barriers to deliver timely, appropriate care of chronic illnesses. Such programs initiate DM services to patient populations while initiating self-management education among medication-resistant patients who are chronically ill. Despite formidable challenges, rural health care providers have been successful in initiating DM programs and have discovered several ways in which these programs benefit their organizations. This research reports on six DM programs that serve large rural and underserved populations and have demonstrated that DM can be successfully implemented in such areas.

Climate Change and Underserved Communities.

PubMed

Ziegler, Carol; Morelli, Vincent; Fawibe, Omotayo

2017-03-01

Climate change is the greatest global health threat of the twenty-first century, yet it is not widely understood as a health hazard by primary care providers in the United States. Aside from increasing displacement of populations and acute trauma resulting from increasing frequency of natural disasters, the impact of climate change on temperature stress, vector-borne illnesses, cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, and mental health is significant, with disproportionate impact on underserved and marginalized populations. Primary care providers must be aware of the impact of climate change on the health of their patients and advocate for adaptation and mitigation policies for the populations they serve. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationships Between Health Literacy and Genomics-Related Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, Perceived Importance, and Communication in a Medically Underserved Population

PubMed Central

Kaphingst, Kimberly A.; Blanchard, Melvin; Milam, Laurel; Pokharel, Manusheela; Elrick, Ashley; Goodman, Melody S.

2017-01-01

The increasing importance of genomic information in clinical care heightens our need to examine how individuals understand, value, and communicate about this information. Based on a conceptual framework of genomics-related health literacy, we examined whether health literacy was related to knowledge, self-efficacy, and perceived importance of genetics and FHH and communication about FHH in a medically underserved population. The analytic sample was comprised of 624 patients at a primary care clinic at a large urban hospital. About half of participants (47%) had limited health literacy; 55% had no education beyond high school and 58% were Black. In multivariable models, limited health literacy was associated with lower genetic knowledge (β=−0.55; SE=0.10, p<.0001), lower awareness of FHH (OR=0.50; 95% CI=0.28,0.90, p=.020), greater perceived importance of genetic information (OR=1.95; 95% CI=1.27,3.00, p=.0022) but lower perceived importance of FHH information (OR=0.47; 95% CI=0.26,0.86, p=.013), and more frequent communication with a doctor about FHH (OR=2.02; 95% CI=1.27,3.23, p=.0032). The findings highlight the importance of considering domains of genomics-related health literacy (e.g., knowledge, oral literacy) in developing educational strategies for genomic information. Health literacy research is essential to avoid increasing disparities in information and health outcomes as genomic information reaches more patients. PMID:27043759

Disruptive innovation for social change.

PubMed

Christensen, Clayton M; Baumann, Heiner; Ruggles, Rudy; Sadtler, Thomas M

2006-12-01

Countries, organizations, and individuals around the globe spend aggressively to solve social problems, but these efforts often fail to deliver. Misdirected investment is the primary reason for that failure. Most of the money earmarked for social initiatives goes to organizations that are structured to support specific groups of recipients, often with sophisticated solutions. Such organizations rarely reach the broader populations that could be served by simpler alternatives. There is, however, an effective way to get to those underserved populations. The authors call it "catalytic innovation." Based on Clayton Christensen's disruptive-innovation model, catalytic innovations challenge organizational incumbents by offering simpler, good-enough solutions aimed at underserved groups. Unlike disruptive innovations, though, catalytic innovations are focused on creating social change. Catalytic innovators are defined by five distinct qualities. First, they create social change through scaling and replication. Second, they meet a need that is either overserved (that is, the existing solution is more complex than necessary for many people) or not served at all. Third, the products and services they offer are simpler and cheaper than alternatives, but recipients view them as good enough. Fourth, they bring in resources in ways that initially seem unattractive to incumbents. And fifth, they are often ignored, put down, or even encouraged by existing organizations, which don't see the catalytic innovators' solutions as viable. As the authors show through examples in health care, education, and economic development, both nonprofit and for-profit groups are finding ways to create catalytic innovation that drives social change.

The dental safety net in Connecticut.

PubMed

Beazoglou, Tryfon; Heffley, Dennis; Lepowsky, Steven; Douglass, Joanna; Lopez, Monica; Bailit, Howard

2005-10-01

Many poor, medically disabled and geographically isolated populations have difficulty accessing private-sector dental care and are considered underserved. To address this problem, public- and voluntary-sector organizations have established clinics and provide care to the underserved. Collectively, these clinics are known as "the dental safety net." The authors describe the dental safety net in Connecticut and examine the capacity and efficiency of this system to provide care to the noninstitutionalized underserved population of the state. The authors describe Connecticut's dental safety net in terms of dentists, allied health staff members, operatories, patient visits and patients treated per dentist per year. The authors compare the productivity of safety-net dentists with that of private practitioners. They also estimate the capacity of the safety net to treat people enrolled in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The safety net is made up of dental clinics in community health centers, hospitals, the dental school and public schools. One hundred eleven dentists, 38 hygienists and 95 dental assistants staff the clinics. Safety-net dentists have fewer patient visits and patients than do private practitioners. The Connecticut safety-net system has the capacity to treat about 28.2 percent of publicly insured patients. The dental safety net is an important community resource, and greater use of allied dental personnel could substantially improve the capacity of the system to care for the poor and other underserved populations.

Promoting change through political consciousness: a South African speech-language pathology response to the World Report on Disability.

PubMed

Kathard, Harsha; Pillay, Mershen

2013-02-01

In the context of the World Report on Disability, Wylie, McAllister, Davidson, and Marshall (2013) question how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) change practices to benefit under-served people with communication disability. This commentary provides a South African response premised on Political Consciousness. In South Africa, a grossly unequal society, the under-served population is not only those with communication disability but also include those who are at a communication disadvantage due to disabling conditions. As a consequence of the combined effects of a severe shortage of SLPs as well as maldistribution in service provision, the under-served are mainly poor Black South Africans who are the majority population. Political Consciousness allows one to examine how selected forces at the macro-level, meso-level, and micro-level may enable or limit services to the under-served majority. At a macro-level, this study appraises policies and actions advancing and impeding service delivery. At the meso-level it is argued that hegemonic professional knowledge is limiting and an equity-driven population-based approach is advocated. At a micro-level, the Relationship of Labouring Affinities is offered as a conceptual tool for critical engagement. In conclusion, it is suggested that the speech-language pathology profession must collectively become political actors at all levels to effect change.

Recruiting and Retaining Primary Care Physicians in Urban Underserved Communities: The Importance of Having a Mission to Serve

PubMed Central

Ryan, Gery; Ramey, Robin; Nunez, Felix L.; Beltran, Robert; Splawn, Robert G.; Brown, Arleen F.

2010-01-01

Objectives. We examined factors influencing physician practice decisions that may increase primary care supply in underserved areas. Methods. We conducted in-depth interviews with 42 primary care physicians from Los Angeles County, California, stratified by race/ethnicity (African American, Latino, and non-Latino White) and practice location (underserved vs nonunderserved area). We reviewed transcriptions and coded them into themes by using standard qualitative methods. Results. Three major themes emerged in relation to selecting geographic- and population-based practice decisions: (1) personal motivators, (2) career motivators, and (3) clinic support. We found that subthemes describing personal motivators (e.g., personal mission and self-identity) for choosing a practice were more common in responses among physicians who worked in underserved areas than among those who did not. By contrast, physicians in nonunderserved areas were more likely to cite work hours and lifestyle as reasons for selecting their current practice location or for leaving an underserved area. Conclusions. Medical schools and shortage-area clinical practices may enhance strategies for recruiting primary care physicians to underserved areas by identifying key personal motivators and may promote long-term retention through work–life balance. PMID:20935263

Facilitators of Survivorship Care Among Underserved Breast Cancer Survivors: a Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Ustjanauskas, Amy E; Quinn, Gwendolyn P; Pan, Tonya M; Rivera, Maria; Vázquez-Otero, Coralia; Ung, Danielle; Roetzheim, Richard G; Laronga, Christine; Johnson, Kenneth; Norton, Marilyn; Carrizosa, Claudia; Muñoz, Dariana; Goldenstein, Marissa; Nuhaily, Sumayah; Wells, Kristen J

2017-12-01

Research investigating facilitators of survivorship care among underserved breast cancer survivors (BCS) is sparse. This study aimed to explore facilitators of survivorship care among underserved BCS within the first 5 years following chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery for breast cancer. In-depth interviews were conducted, using a semi-structured interview guide, with underserved BCS exploring survivorship care experiences. Content analysis of the verbatim transcripts was applied, and results were summarized according to themes related to facilitators of breast cancer survivorship care. Interviews were conducted with 25 BCS. Eight main themes were identified: coordination of care; positive perceptions of health care providers; communication between patient and health care providers; financial and insurance facilitators; information, classes, and programs provided; assistance provided by organizations and health care professionals; transportation facilitators; and job flexibility. This study provides a comprehensive look at facilitators of survivorship care among underserved BCS. BCS endorsed several facilitators of their survivorship care, mainly at the interpersonal, organizational, and societal level. This study adds to the research literature on catalysts of care among underserved BCS. Results from this study are currently being used to inform a patient navigation intervention to facilitate care among this population.

Recruiting and retaining primary care physicians in urban underserved communities: the importance of having a mission to serve.

PubMed

Odom Walker, Kara; Ryan, Gery; Ramey, Robin; Nunez, Felix L; Beltran, Robert; Splawn, Robert G; Brown, Arleen F

2010-11-01

We examined factors influencing physician practice decisions that may increase primary care supply in underserved areas. We conducted in-depth interviews with 42 primary care physicians from Los Angeles County, California, stratified by race/ethnicity (African American, Latino, and non-Latino White) and practice location (underserved vs nonunderserved area). We reviewed transcriptions and coded them into themes by using standard qualitative methods. Three major themes emerged in relation to selecting geographic- and population-based practice decisions: (1) personal motivators, (2) career motivators, and (3) clinic support. We found that subthemes describing personal motivators (e.g., personal mission and self-identity) for choosing a practice were more common in responses among physicians who worked in underserved areas than among those who did not. By contrast, physicians in nonunderserved areas were more likely to cite work hours and lifestyle as reasons for selecting their current practice location or for leaving an underserved area. Medical schools and shortage-area clinical practices may enhance strategies for recruiting primary care physicians to underserved areas by identifying key personal motivators and may promote long-term retention through work-life balance.

Urban environment interventions linked to the promotion of physical activity. A mixed methods study applied to the urban context of Latin America

PubMed Central

Gomez, Luis F; Sarmiento, Rodrigo; Ordoñez, Maria Fernanda; Pardo, Carlos Felipe; de Sá, Thiago Hérick; Mallarino, Christina H; Miranda, J Jaime; Mosquera, Janeth; Parra, Diana Celmira; Reis, Rodrigo; Quistberg, Alex

2015-01-01

This study summarizes the evidence from quantitative systematic reviews that assessed the association between urban environment attributes and physical activity. It also documents sociopolitical barriers and facilitators involved in urban interventions linked with active living in the ten most populated urban settings of Latin America. The synthesis of evidence indicates that several attributes of urban environments are associated with physical activity, including land-use mix and cycling infrastructure. The documentary analysis indicated that despite the benefits and opportunities provided by the programs and existing infrastructure in the examined cities, an overall concern is the rising inequality in the coverage and distribution of the initiatives in the region. If these programs and initiatives are to achieve a real population level effect that helps to reduce health disparities, they need to examine their social and spatial distribution within the cities so they can reach underserved populations and develop to their full potential. PMID:25748111

Urban environment interventions linked to the promotion of physical activity: a mixed methods study applied to the urban context of Latin America.

PubMed

Gomez, Luis F; Sarmiento, Rodrigo; Ordoñez, Maria Fernanda; Pardo, Carlos Felipe; de Sá, Thiago Hérick; Mallarino, Christina H; Miranda, J Jaime; Mosquera, Janeth; Parra, Diana C; Reis, Rodrigo; Quistberg, D Alex

2015-04-01

This study summarizes the evidence from quantitative systematic reviews that assessed the association between urban environment attributes and physical activity. It also documents sociopolitical barriers and facilitators involved in urban interventions linked with active living in the ten most populated urban settings of Latin America. The synthesis of evidence indicates that several attributes of urban environments are associated with physical activity, including land-use mix and cycling infrastructure. The documentary analysis indicated that despite the benefits and opportunities provided by the programs and existing infrastructure in the examined cities, an overall concern is the rising inequality in the coverage and distribution of the initiatives in the region. If these programs and initiatives are to achieve a real population level effect that helps to reduce health disparities, they need to examine their social and spatial distribution within the cities so they can reach underserved populations and develop to their full potential. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Importance of Location for Tobacco Cessation: Rural-Urban Disparities in Quit Success in Underserved West Virginia Counties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northridge, Mary E.; Vallone, Donna; Xiao, Haijun; Green, Molly; Blackwood, Julia Weikle; Kemper, Suzanne E.; Duke, Jennifer; Watson, Kimberly A.; Burrus, Barri; Treadwell, Henrie M.

2008-01-01

Context: Adults who live in rural areas of the United States have among the highest smoking rates in the country. Rural populations, including Appalachian adults, have been historically underserved by tobacco control programs and policies and little is known about their effectiveness. Purpose: To examine the end-of-class quit success of…

Exercise and Sports Medicine Issues in Underserved Populations.

PubMed

Morelli, Vincent; Bedney, Daniel L; Eric Dadush, Arie

2017-03-01

Primary care providers can make a strong argument for exercise promotion in underserved communities. The benefits are vitally important in adolescent physical, cognitive, and psychological development as well as in adult disease prevention and treatment. In counseling such patients, we should take into account a patient's readiness for change and the barriers to exercise. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human transportation needs in rural Oklahoma.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-09-01

Mobility is extremely important, especially in rural areas, which have dispersed populations and locations. : This study was conducted among rural minority populations to evaluate human transportation needs of the : underserved rural population in Ok...

An analysis of health system resources in relation to pandemic response capacity in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

PubMed

Hanvoravongchai, Piya; Chavez, Irwin; Rudge, James W; Touch, Sok; Putthasri, Weerasak; Chau, Pham Ngoc; Phommasack, Bounlay; Singhasivanon, Pratap; Coker, Richard

2012-12-14

There is increasing perception that countries cannot work in isolation to militate against the threat of pandemic influenza. In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) of Asia, high socio-economic diversity and fertile conditions for the emergence and spread of infectious diseases underscore the importance of transnational cooperation. Investigation of healthcare resource distribution and inequalities can help determine the need for, and inform decisions regarding, resource sharing and mobilisation. We collected data on healthcare resources deemed important for responding to pandemic influenza through surveys of hospitals and district health offices across four countries of the GMS (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam). Focusing on four key resource types (oseltamivir, hospital beds, ventilators, and health workers), we mapped and analysed resource distributions at province level to identify relative shortages, mismatches, and clustering of resources. We analysed inequalities in resource distribution using the Gini coefficient and Theil index. Three quarters of the Cambodian population and two thirds of the Laotian population live in relatively underserved provinces (those with resource densities in the lowest quintile across the region) in relation to health workers, ventilators, and hospital beds. More than a quarter of the Thai population is relatively underserved for health workers and oseltamivir. Approximately one fifth of the Vietnamese population is underserved for beds and ventilators. All Cambodian provinces are underserved for at least one resource. In Lao PDR, 11 percent of the population is underserved by all four resource items. Of the four resources, ventilators and oseltamivir were most unequally distributed. Cambodia generally showed higher levels of inequalities in resource distribution compared to other countries. Decomposition of the Theil index suggests that inequalities result principally from differences within, rather than between, countries. There is considerable heterogeneity in healthcare resource distribution within and across countries of the GMS. Most inequalities result from within countries. Given the inequalities, mismatches, and clustering of resources observed here, resource sharing and mobilization in a pandemic scenario could be crucial for more effective and equitable use of the resources that are available in the GMS.

Cancer screening promotion among medically underserved Asian American women: integration of research and practice.

PubMed

Yu, Mei-yu; Seetoo, Amy D; Hong, Oi Saeng; Song, Lixin; Raizade, Rekha; Weller, Adelwisa L Agas

2002-01-01

Mammography and Pap smear tests are known to be effective early detection measures for breast and cervical cancers, respectively, but Asian Americans are reluctant to make visits for routine preventive care. Quantitative and qualitative research conducted by the Healthy Asian Americans Project (HAAP) between 1996 and 1999 indicated that Asian residents in southeastern Michigan, like the general Asian population in the US, underutilized early cancer screening programs due to cultural, psychosocial, linguistic, and economic barriers. This article reports how the HAAP's research findings guided the Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP) promotion (conducted from 2000 to 2001 among medically underserved Asian women residing in southeastern Michigan), and how evaluation of the HAAP's BCCCP promotion will direct future research and health promotion programs. The article presents strategies used to improve access to cancer screening programs for diverse Asian sub-groups as well as outcomes of the 2-year HAAP's BCCCP promotion among the target population. Discussion regarding lessons and experiences gained from integration of research and practice has implications on design and implementation of the cancer screening promotion for the rapidly increasing Asian American population as well as other medically underserved minority populations in the US.

Specific needs for telestroke networks for thrombolytic therapy in Japan.

PubMed

Imai, Takeshi; Sakurai, Kenzo; Hagiwara, Yuta; Mizukami, Heisuke; Hasegawa, Yasuhiro

2014-01-01

The concept of telestroke networks has been proposed to overcome regional disparities in stroke treatment. Such networks do not yet operate in Japan. We aimed to determine the specific needs for telestroke networks and to estimate the effects on the number of thrombolytic therapies. Five of the 47 Japanese prefectures with various population densities to estimate the nationwide effect of telestroke networks were selected. The questionnaire survey was administered at hospitals in these prefectures that are authorized to admit patients with acute stroke. Low-volume hospitals that annually treated fewer than 12 patients with acute stroke had never used tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). The number of days when telestroke support might have been needed varied depending on the size of the population aged 65 years or older within a 30-minute-driving-time area of a hospital and the annual number of patients treated within 3 hours of onset. The geographic information system analysis showed that .6%-8.3% of the population lived in areas where they could not reach a hospital for acute stroke treatment within 60 minutes. If 24/7 full telestroke support was introduced to the existing hospitals, 6.8-69.3 more patients could be treated by intravenous (IV) tPA annually. These numbers exceeded the estimated annual increases of .8-13.7 more patients if a drip-and-ship telestroke network was introduced into an underserved area outside the 60-minute-driving-time area. This study uncovered that many Japanese stroke hospitals, especially low-volume facilities located in rural areas, do not perform IV tPA therapy in 24/7 fashion and telestroke support to these hospitals may be highly effective compared with the drip-and-ship network in an underserved area. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prioritizing multiple health behavior change research topics: expert opinions in behavior change science.

PubMed

Amato, Katie; Park, Eunhee; Nigg, Claudio R

2016-06-01

Multiple health behavior change (MHBC) approaches are understudied. The purpose of this study is to provide strategic MHBC research direction. This cross-sectional study contacted participants through the Society of Behavioral Medicine email listservs and rated the importance of 24 MHBC research topics (1 = not at all important, 5 = extremely important) separately for general and underserved populations. Participants (n = 76) were 79 % female; 76 % White, 10 % Asian, 8 % African American, 5 % Hispanic, and 1 % Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Top MHBC research priorities were predictors of behavior change and the sustainability, long-term effects, and dissemination/translation of interventions for both populations. Recruitment and retention of participants (t(68) = 2.17, p = 0.000), multi-behavioral indices (t(68) = 3.54, p = 0.001), and measurement burden (t(67) = 5.04, p = 0.001) were important for the underserved. Results identified the same top research priorities across populations. For the underserved, research should emphasize recruitment, retention, and measurement burden.

Effectiveness of a Psychoeducational Parenting Group on Child, Parent and Family Behavior: A Pilot Study in a Family Practice Clinic with an Underserved Population

PubMed Central

Berge, Jerica M.; Law, David D.; Johnson, Jennifer; Wells, M. Gawain

2013-01-01

Background Although integrated care for adults in primary care has steadily increased over the last several decades, there remains a paucity of research regarding integrated care for children in primary care. Purpose To report results of a pilot study testing initial feasibility of a parenting psychoeducational group targeting child behavioral problems within a primary care clinic. Method The participants (n = 35) were parents representing an underserved population from an inner-city primary care clinic. Participants attended a 12-week psychoeducational parenting group and reported pre- and post-measures of family functioning, child misbehavior and dyadic functioning. Paired t-tests and effects sizes are reported. Results Participants reported statistically significant improvement in family functioning, child misbehavior and couple functioning after participating in the parenting psychoeducational group. Conclusions Results suggest initial feasibility of a parenting psychoeducational group within a primary care clinic with an underserved population. This intervention may be useful for other primary care clinics seeking to offer more integrative care options for children and their families. PMID:20939627

Pilot Testing of a Parent-Directed Intervention (Project ASPIRE) for Underserved Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sacks, Chana; Shay, Sophie; Repplinger, Lyra; Leffel, Kristin R.; Sapolich, Shannon G.; Suskind, Elizabeth; Tannenbaum, Sally; Suskind, Dana

2014-01-01

This pilot study explored the potential for Project ASPIRE to effect behavior change in a sample of 11 parents of children with hearing loss who were from typically underserved populations, such as families from backgrounds of low socioeconomic status or families who speak English as a second language. The study consisted of one education session,…

45 CFR 155.210 - Navigator program standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... underserved and vulnerable populations; (ii) Eligibility and enrollment rules and procedures; (iii) The range... population being served by the Exchange, including individuals with limited English proficiency, and ensure...

Online social networks for patient involvement and recruitment in clinical research.

PubMed

Ryan, Gemma Sinead

2013-01-01

To review current literature and discuss the potential of online social networking to engage patients and the public and recruit and retain participants in clinical research. Online social networking is becoming a large influence on people's daily lives. Clinical research faces several challenges, with an increasing need to engage with patients and the public and for studies to recruit and retain increasing numbers of participants, particularly in under-served, under-represented and hard to reach groups and communities. Searches were conducted using EMBASE, BNI, ERIC, CINAHL, PSYCHinfo online databases and Google Scholar to identify any grey or unpublished literature that may be available. Review methods This is a methodology paper. Online social networking is a successful, cost-effective and efficient method by which to target and recruit a wide range of communities, adolescents, young people and underserved populations into quantitative and qualitative research. Retention of participants in longitudinal studies could be improved using social networks such as Facebook. Evidence indicates that a mixed approach to recruitment using social networking and traditional methods is most effective. Further research is required to strengthen the evidence available, especially in dissemination of research through online social networks. Researchers should consider using online social networking as a method of engaging the public, and also for the recruitment and follow up of participants.

A Systematic Review of the Literature Addressing Veterinary Care for Underserved Communities.

PubMed

LaVallee, Elizabeth; Mueller, Megan Kiely; McCobb, Emily

2017-01-01

Currently, there is a care gap in veterinary medicine affecting low-income and underserved communities, resulting in decreased nonhuman-animal health and welfare. The use of low-price and community veterinary clinics in underserved populations is a strategy to improve companion-animal health through preventative care, spay/neuter, and other low-price care programs and services. Little research has documented the structure and effectiveness of such initiatives. This systematic review aimed to assess current published research pertaining to accessible health care, community-based veterinary medicine, and the use of community medicine in teaching programs. The review was an in-depth literature search identifying 51 publications relevant to the importance, benefits, drawbacks, and use of low-price and community clinics in underserved communities. These articles identified commonly discussed barriers to care that may prevent underserved clientele from seeking veterinary care. Five barriers were identified including the cost of veterinary care, accessibility of care, problems with or lack of veterinarian-client communication, culture/language, and lack of client education. The review also identified a need for additional research regarding evidence of effectiveness and efficiency in community medicine initiatives.

Physical activity promotion among underserved adolescents: "make it fun, easy, and popular".

PubMed

Louise Bush, Paula; Laberge, Suzanne; Laforest, Sophie

2010-05-01

There is a paucity of studies regarding noncurricular physical activity promotion interventions among adolescents, and even less such research pertaining to underserved youth. This article describes the development and implementation of a noncurricular, school-based physical activity promotion program designed for a multiethnic, underserved population of adolescents. The program's impact on leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and on physical activity enjoyment (PAE) is also presented. The 16-week program, named FunAction, utilizes social marketing principles. Control (n = 90) and intervention (n = 131) students are assessed pre- and postintervention for levels of LTPA and PAE. Results indicate that although the program did not contribute to an increase in LTPA or PAE among intervention group students, participation in the program was elevated. This study offers preliminary evidence that noncurricular physical activity promotion programs that apply social marketing principles can be effective in engaging multiethnic, underserved adolescents in physical activity.

45 CFR 155.210 - Navigator program standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... underserved and vulnerable populations; (ii) Eligibility and enrollment rules and procedures; (iii) The range... manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate to the needs of the population being served by...

A community engagement process identifies environmental priorities to prevent early childhood obesity: the Children's Healthy Living (CHL) program for remote underserved populations in the US Affiliated Pacific Islands, Hawaii and Alaska.

PubMed

Fialkowski, Marie Kainoa; DeBaryshe, Barbara; Bersamin, Andrea; Nigg, Claudio; Leon Guerrero, Rachael; Rojas, Gena; Areta, Aufa'i Apulu Ropeti; Vargo, Agnes; Belyeu-Camacho, Tayna; Castro, Rose; Luick, Bret; Novotny, Rachel

2014-12-01

Underserved minority populations in the US Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI), Hawaii, and Alaska display disproportionate rates of childhood obesity. The region's unique circumstance should be taken into account when designing obesity prevention interventions. The purpose of this paper is to (a), describe the community engagement process (CEP) used by the Children's Healthy Living (CHL) Program for remote underserved minority populations in the USAPI, Hawaii, and Alaska (b) report community-identified priorities for an environmental intervention addressing early childhood (ages 2-8 years) obesity, and (c) share lessons learned in the CEP. Four communities in each of five CHL jurisdictions (Alaska, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawai'i) were selected to participate in the community-randomized matched-pair trial. Over 900 community members including parents, teachers, and community leaders participated in the CEP over a 14 month period. The CEP was used to identify environmental intervention priorities to address six behavioral outcomes: increasing fruit/vegetable consumption, water intake, physical activity and sleep; and decreasing screen time and intake of sugar sweetened beverages. Community members were engaged through Local Advisory Committees, key informant interviews and participatory community meetings. Community-identified priorities centered on policy development; role modeling; enhancing access to healthy food, clean water, and physical activity venues; and healthy living education. Through the CEP, CHL identified culturally appropriate priorities for intervention that were also consistent with the literature on effective obesity prevention practices. Results of the CEP will guide the CHL intervention design and implementation. The CHL CEP may serve as a model for other underserved minority island populations.

Living the Dream: The Lived Experience of an English Language Arts Professional Learning Community at a College Preparatory Boarding School for Underserved Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worth, Kim A.

2014-01-01

Teachers working in schools where the majority of the population is underserved students often feel a sense of helplessness. The purpose of the study is to uncover the lived experience of a small group of English Language Arts teachers working in such an environment. Specifically, the purpose is to determine if working within an effective…

Intrinsic rewards experienced by a group of dentists working with underserved populations.

PubMed

Gardner, S P; Roberts-Thomson, K F; Winning, T A; Peterson, R

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to explore, using qualitative methods, the intrinsic reasons why dentists work with underserved groups. Minority and marginalized groups of Australians suffer a greater burden of dental disease than the general population due to disparities in accessing care. Recruitment and retention of dentists to care for underserved groups is problematic due to personal, professional and structural reasons. What drives dentists to work with underserved groups is not widely known. Sixteen dentists were recruited using 'snowball' purposeful sampling. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis was conducted on the transcriptions to identify themes. Five key themes emerged: (1) 'tapped on the shoulder', being personally approached or invited; (2) 'dental school experience', the challenges faced as a student; (3) 'empathic concern', the non-judgemental expressions of care toward others; (4) 'resilience', the ability to bounce back after setbacks; (5) 'intrinsic reward', the personal gain and satisfaction received. This study focuses on the intrinsic rewards which were found to be simple, unexpected, and associated with relieving pain, community engagement and making a difference. Emphasizing personal fulfilment and intrinsic reward could be useful when promoting dentistry as a career and when encouraging graduates to consider working with disadvantaged groups. © 2014 Australian Dental Association.

Swinging bridges of opportunity and challenges: memoirs of an African American nurse practitioner pioneer on providing primary care for the underserved.

PubMed

Brown, Viola D; Marfell, Julie

2005-01-01

This article presents the memoirs of Mrs. Viola D. Brown, RN, FNP, a pioneer African American nurse practitioner, on opportunities and challenges involved in providing primary and public health care for underserved populations in urban and rural areas of Kentucky. Mrs. Brown began her career with a visit to Mary Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service, and she was elected into the University of Kentucky's Department of Public Health Hall of Fame in 2005. This article is an adapted version of the closing keynote address presented at the 13th Primary Care for the Underserved Conference held March 2005.

Measuring the costs of outreach motivational interviewing for smoking cessation and relapse prevention among low-income pregnant women

PubMed Central

Ruger, Jennifer Prah; Emmons, Karen M; Kearney, Margaret H; Weinstein, Milton C

2009-01-01

Background Economic theory provides the philosophical foundation for valuing costs in judging medical and public health interventions. When evaluating smoking cessation interventions, accurate data on costs are essential for understanding resource consumption. Smoking cessation interventions, for which prior data on resource costs are typically not available, present special challenges. We develop a micro-costing methodology for estimating the real resource costs of outreach motivational interviewing (MI) for smoking cessation and relapse prevention among low-income pregnant women and report results from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) employing the methodology. Methodological standards in cost analysis are necessary for comparison and uniformity in analysis across interventions. Estimating the costs of outreach programs is critical for understanding the economics of reaching underserved and hard-to-reach populations. Methods Randomized controlled trial (1997-2000) collecting primary cost data for intervention. A sample of 302 low-income pregnant women was recruited from multiple obstetrical sites in the Boston metropolitan area. MI delivered by outreach health nurses vs. usual care (UC), with economic costs as the main outcome measures. Results The total cost of the MI intervention for 156 participants was $48,672 or $312 per participant. The total cost of $311.8 per participant for the MI intervention compared with a cost of $4.82 per participant for usual care, a difference of $307 ([CI], $289.2 to $322.8). The total fixed costs of the MI were $3,930 and the total variable costs of the MI were $44,710. The total expected program costs for delivering MI to 500 participants would be 147,430, assuming no economies of scale in program delivery. The main cost components of outreach MI were intervention delivery, travel time, scheduling, and training. Conclusion Grounded in economic theory, this methodology systematically identifies and measures resource utilization, using a process tracking system and calculates both component-specific and total costs of outreach MI. The methodology could help improve collection of accurate data on costs and estimates of the real resource costs of interventions alongside clinical trials and improve the validity and reliability of estimates of resource costs for interventions targeted at underserved and hard-to-reach populations. PMID:19775455

Delivering new malaria drugs through grassroots private sector.

PubMed

Chiguzo, A N; Mugo, R W; Wacira, D G; Mwenda, J M; Njuguna, E W

2008-09-01

To demonstrate that micro-franchising system is an effective way of improving access to effective health care such as the introduction of first line antimalarias in populations living in underserved rural areas in Kenya. A descriptive study. Child and family wellness (CFW) micro-franchised nurse run clinics in Kenya. In 2007, 39.3% of RDTs carried out were positive for malaria. All malaria positive (RDTs and microscopy) patients received artemether lumefantrine (AL) according to their weight in accordance with the Government approved treatment guidelines. During the same period a total of 3,248 community members were reached with malaria information, however, community expectations took longer to change as patients demanded AL even when the malaria diagnosis was negative. Initially, this led to the dispensing of other antimalarials to patients with malaria like symptoms even with a negative test. This demand decreased with more community education on the importance of the tests. Engaging the private sector though with challenges proved feasible and appropriate in accessing malaria treatment based on clinical diagnosis supported by RDTs to confirm the diagnosis instead of presumptive treatment based on fever. This led to a reduction of antimalarial prescriptions by more than 50%, implying better patient care, rational drug use as well as cost savings on malaria treatment. A micro-franchising system is an effective and sustainable way of improving access to effective health care by populations living in underserved rural areas of Africa. With appropriate supportive training and supervision, the system can adapt to changes in treatment guidelines and to new regimens.

Multicultural Milky Way: Ethnoastronomy and Planetarium Shows for Under-served Arizonans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knierman, Karen

2018-01-01

The astronomy outreach initiative, Multicultural Milky Way, partners the School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) at Arizona State University (ASU) with under-served populations in Arizona in learning about our Milky Way and other galaxies. Arizona is home to many diverse populations with rich cultural histories such as Mayan, Navajo, and Apache. Linking astronomy practiced by one’s indigenous culture to that of Western astronomy may increase the interest in science. Through multicultural planetarium shows and associated hands-on activities, under-served students and families will learn how the Milky Way is represented in different cultures and about the science of galaxies. New planetarium shows using the Mesa Community College (MCC) Digital Planetarium and STARLAB portable planetarium explore how the Milky Way is interpreted in different cultures. STARLAB shows and associated new hands-on activities have been featured during school visits, teacher trainings, and Community Astronomy Nights around Arizona. For authentic assessment, evaluation techniques and procedures were developed.

A National Long-term Outcomes Evaluation of U.S. Premedical Postbaccalaureate Programs Designed to Promote Health care Access and Workforce Diversity.

PubMed

McDougle, Leon; Way, David P; Lee, Winona K; Morfin, Jose A; Mavis, Brian E; Matthews, De'Andrea; Latham-Sadler, Brenda A; Clinchot, Daniel M

2015-08-01

The National Postbaccalaureate Collaborative (NPBC) is a partnership of Postbaccalaureate Programs (PBPs) dedicated to helping promising college graduates from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds get into and succeed in medical school. This study aims to determine long-term program outcomes by looking at PBP graduates, who are now practicing physicians, in terms of health care service to the poor and underserved and contribution to health care workforce diversity. We surveyed the PBP graduates and a randomly drawn sample of non-PBP graduates from the affiliated 10 medical schools stratified by the year of medical school graduation (1996-2002). The PBP graduates were more likely to be providing care in federally designated underserved areas and practicing in institutional settings that enable access to care for vulnerable populations. The NPBC graduates serve a critical role in providing access to care for underserved populations and serve as a source for health care workforce diversity.

A National Long-term Outcomes Evaluation of U. S. Premedical Postbaccalaureate Programs Designed to Promote Healthcare Access and Workforce Diversity

PubMed Central

McDougle, Leon; Way, David P.; Lee, Winona K.; Morfin, Jose A.; Mavis, Brian E.; Wiggins, De’Andrea; Latham-Sadler, Brenda A.; Clinchot, Daniel M.

2016-01-01

The National Postbaccalaureate Collaborative (NPBC) is a partnership of Postbaccalaureate Programs (PBPs) dedicated to helping promising college graduates from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds get into and succeed in medical school. This study aims to determine long-term program outcomes by looking at PBP graduates, who are now practicing physicians, in terms of healthcare service to the poor and underserved and contribution to healthcare workforce diversity. Methods We surveyed the PBP graduates and a randomly drawn sample of non-PBP graduates from the affiliated 10 medical schools stratified by the year of medical school graduation (1996-2002). Results The PBP graduates were more likely to be providing care in federally designated underserved areas and practicing in institutional settings that enable access to care for vulnerable populations. Conclusion The NPBC graduates serve a critical role in providing access to care for underserved populations and serve as a source for healthcare workforce diversity. PMID:26320900

Evaluation Studies on Education in Occupational Safety and Health: Inspiration for Developing Economies.

PubMed

van Dijk, Frank J; Bubas, Marija; Smits, Paul B

2015-01-01

Education and training of students, workers, and professionals are essential for occupational safety and health (OSH). We noticed a lack of debate on how to advance coverage and quality of OSH education given high shortages in developing economies. International discussion on future options might be stimulated by an overview of recent studies. We employed a search of the Cochrane Library and PubMed/MEDLINE databases for articles from the last decade on evaluation of OSH education. We selected 121 relevant studies and 6 Cochrane reviews. Most studies came from the United States, Western Europe, and Asia. Studies from low-income countries were scarce. From a global perspective, the number of evaluation studies found was disappointingly low and the quality needs improvement. Most commonly workers' education was evaluated, less often education of students, supervisors, and OSH professionals. Interactive e-cases and e-learning modules, video conferences, and distance discussion boards are inspiring educational methods, but also participatory workshops and educational plays. Ways to find access to underserved populations were presented and evaluated, such as educational campaigns, farm safety days, and OSH expert-supported initiatives of industrial branch organizations, schools, and primary, community, or hospital-based health care. Newly educated groups were immigrant workers training colleagues, workers with a disease, managers, and family physicians. Developing economies can take advantage of a variety of online facilities improving coverage and quality of education. Blended education including face-to-face contacts and a participatory approach might be preferred. For workers, minor isolated educational efforts are less effective than enhanced education or education as part of multifaceted preventive programs. Collaboration of OSH experts with other organizations offers opportunities to reach underserved worker populations. Increasing international collaboration is a promise for the future. National legislation and government support is necessary, placing OSH education high on the national agenda, with special attention for most needed professionals and for underserved workers in high-risk jobs such as in the informal sector. International support can be boosted by a high-level international task force on education and training, funded programming, and a global online platform. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinician-Patient Communication about Physical Activity in an Underserved Population

PubMed Central

Carroll, Jennifer K.; Fiscella, Kevin; Meldrum, Sean C.; Williams, Geoffrey C.; Sciamanna, Christopher N.; Jean-Pierre, Pascal; Morrow, Gary R.; Epstein, Ronald M.

2010-01-01

Introduction The 5A (Ask, Advise, Agree, Assist, Arrange) model, used to promote patient behavior changes in primary care, can also be applied to physical activity. Our goal was to assess primary care physicians’ use of the 5As in discussions about physical activity with underserved populations. Methods We analyzed 51 audiorecorded, transcribed office visits on randomly selected patient care days and post-visit patient surveys with adults in two community health centers in Rochester, New York. Results The patient sample was 51% African American, predominantly female (70%), with the majority having a high school level education or less (66%) and an annual household income less than $39,000 (57%). Physical activity was discussed during 19 of the 51 visits, which included 16 (84%) visits with "Ask", ten (53%) with “Advise”, four (21%) with "Agree", five (26%) with "Assist", and 0 with "Arrange" statements. Most discussions of physical activity contained several Ask or Advise statements, but few Agree, Assist, or Arrange statements. Conclusion Communication about physical activity that included Agree, Arrange, and Assist statements of the 5As was infrequent. Health promotion interventions in underserved populations should target these steps and prompt patients to initiate communication to improve physical activity. PMID:18343859

The excess burden of breast carcinoma in minority and medically underserved communities: application, research, and redressing institutional racism.

PubMed

Shinagawa, S M

2000-03-01

In 1998, the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an overall downward trend in cancer incidence and mortality between 1990 and 1995 for all cancers combined. Many minority and medically underserved populations, however, did not share equally in these improvements. A review of surveillance and other reports and recent literature on disparities in cancer incidence and mortality in minority and medically underserved communities was conducted 1) to ascertain the extent to which these communities bear an excess cancer burden, and 2) to explore the macrosocietal and microinstitutional barriers to equitable benefits in cancer health care delivery. Tragic disparities in cancer incidence and mortality in minority and medically underserved communities continue to be inadequately addressed. Overall improvements in U.S. cancer incidence and mortality rates are not shared equally by all segments of our society. While numerous individual and cultural barriers to optimal cancer control and care exist in minority and medically underserved communities, a major factor precluding these populations from sharing equally in advances in cancer research is prevailing societal and institutional racism. Immediate and equitable application of existing cancer control interventions and quality treatment options will significantly decrease cancer incidence and mortality. Enhanced surveillance efforts and a greater investment in targeted cancer research in those communities with the greatest disparities must be employed immediately if we are to achieve the goal of the president of the United States of eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in cancer and other diseases by 2010. Unless we acknowledge and redress institutionalized racism, the miscarriage of health justice will be perpetuated while celebrated advances in cancer research leading to declining incidence and mortality rates continue to evade our nation's minority and medically underserved communities. Copyright 2000 American Cancer Society.

A psychosocial approach to dentistry for the underserved: incorporating theory into practice.

PubMed

Flaer, Paul J; Younis, Mustafa Z; Benjamin, Paul L; Al Hajeri, Maha

2010-01-01

Dentistry for the underserved is more than an egalitarian social issue--it is a key factor in the health and social progress of our nation. The first signs or manifestations of several diseases such as varicella (i.e., chicken pox and shingles), STDs, and influenza become apparent in the oral cavity. The value of access to quality dentistry is an immeasurable factor in maintaining general medical health of people and fulfilling their psychosocial needs of pain reduction and enhanced cosmetics. In the United States, for the most part, only the middle and upper classes receive non-extraction, restorative, and prosthetic dentistry that is economically within their ability to pay. In addition, uninsured and poverty-level individuals often must face overwhelming long waiting lists, unnecessary referrals, lack of choice, and bureaucratic hurdles when seeking primary dental care. Therefore, it seems pertinent to put forth the question: What are the critical values and beliefs of psychosocial theory that can underscore the practice of dentistry for underserved populations in the United States? The widely employed public health theory, the health belief model (HBM), is applied to evaluate psychosocial factors in dental care for the underserved. The HBM is used to predict and explain behavioral changes in dental health and associated belief patterns. The HBM as applied to dentistry for the underserved predicts self-perceptions of susceptibility and seriousness of dental disease, health status, cues to action, and self-efficacy. Furthermore, patients can make judgments about benefits, costs, and risks of dental treatment. A theoretical approach to dentistry employing the HBM, mediated by values and culture, can provide significant insights into patient thinking, beliefs, and perceptions. These insights can mediate access to and use of primary care dental services by underserved populations. Evidence-based practice (i.e., based on research using the scientific method) has been put forth as the future of modern dentistry. However, the practice of dentistry need not just be evidence-based, but have its roots clearly grounded in theory.

34 CFR 461.12 - What must the State plan contain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... education services will be significantly expanded (including efforts to reach typically underserved groups..., the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, the... experimental demonstration projects and teacher training projects that meet the requirements of § 461.33; (19...

34 CFR 461.12 - What must the State plan contain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... education services will be significantly expanded (including efforts to reach typically underserved groups..., the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, the... experimental demonstration projects and teacher training projects that meet the requirements of § 461.33; (19...

34 CFR 461.12 - What must the State plan contain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... education services will be significantly expanded (including efforts to reach typically underserved groups..., the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, the... experimental demonstration projects and teacher training projects that meet the requirements of § 461.33; (19...

Not-for-profits' role in a reformed system.

PubMed

Clinton, H R

1994-06-01

As head of the White House task force that helped to craft President Bill Clinton's healthcare reform proposal (the Health Security Act), First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton demonstrated her determination that reform result in a system that has caring and service at its center. In an address a year ago at the Catholic Health Association assembly, she stressed the administration's goal of providing the security of healthcare coverage to everyone in the United States. Saying the current complex, disjointed system "fragments the care people receive," the First Lady applauded programs that reach out to underserved populations and strengthen the country's healthcare infrastructure. In this interview with Health Progress, Mrs. Clinton discusses tough issues in achieving the system she envisions and the role of Catholic healthcare organizations in a reformed system. Here are her remarks.

42 CFR 491.5 - Location of clinic.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... underserved population. (3) Both the RHC and the FQHC may be permanent or mobile units. (i) Permanent unit... Secretary (on the basis of the ratio of primary care physicians to the general population) to have an... stipulated population density, have combined populations of 50,000 and constitute, for general economic and...

Factors Associated With Medical School Graduates' Intention to Work With Underserved Populations: Policy Implications for Advancing Workforce Diversity.

PubMed

Garcia, Andrea N; Kuo, Tony; Arangua, Lisa; Pérez-Stable, Eliseo J

2018-01-01

Given projected U.S. physician shortages across all specialties that will likely impact underserved areas disproportionately, the authors sought to explore factors most correlated with medical school graduates' intention to work with underserved populations (IWUP). Data from the 2010-2012 Association of American Medical Colleges Medical School Graduation Questionnaire (n = 40,846) were analyzed. Variables (demographics, career preference, debt burden, intention to enter loan forgiveness programs) were examined using chi-square tests and logistic regression models. Respondents included 49.5% (20,228/40,846) women, 16.6% (6,771/40,837) underrepresented minorities (URMs), and 32.4% (13,034/37,342) with primary care intent. The median educational debt was $160,000. Respondents who were women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.49, 1.70), URMs (aOR 2.50, 95% CI 2.30, 2.72), intended to enter loan forgiveness programs (aOR 2.44, 95% CI 2.26, 2.63), intended to practice primary care (aOR 1.65, 95% CI 1.54, 1.76), and intended to emphasize nonclinical careers (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.11, 1.37) had greater odds of reporting IWUP. Among those who chose specialties and careers with a nonclinical emphasis, and among those with greater burdens of educational and consumer debt, URMs were nearly twice as likely as other minorities and whites to report IWUP. Findings suggest physician characteristics that may be associated with filling workforce gaps in underserved areas. Restructuring financial incentive programs to support physician leaders and specialists with characteristics associated with IWUP may complement similar policies in primary care and could have key impacts on health equity in underserved areas.

Unequal cancer survivorship care: addressing cultural and sociodemographic disparities in the clinic.

PubMed

Surbone, Antonella; Halpern, Michael T

2016-12-01

The number of individuals diagnosed with cancer is growing worldwide. Cancer patients from underserved populations have widely documented disparities through the continuum of cancer care. As the number of cancer survivors (i.e., individuals who have completed cancer treatment) from underserved populations also continue to grow, these individuals may continue to experience barriers to survivorship care, resulting in persistent long-term negative impacts on health and quality of life. In addition, there is limited participation of survivors from underserved populations in clinical trials and other research studies. To address disparities and change practices in survivorship care, a better understanding of the roles of both socioeconomic status (SES) and of culture in cancer care disparities and the relevance of these to providing high-quality care is needed. SES and culture often overlap but are not identical; understanding the impact of each is especially relevant to survivorship care. To enhance health equity among cancer survivors, clinicians need to practice culturally competent care, address cultural beliefs and practices that may influence survivors' beliefs and activities, gain awareness of historical patterns of medical care in the survivor's community, and consider how barriers to cross-cultural communications may hinder communication in clinical settings. While the design and implementation of survivorship care programs emphasizing effectiveness and equity is complex and potentially time consuming, it is critical for providing optimal care for all survivors, including those from the most vulnerable populations.

Factors influencing participation in worksite wellness programs among minority and underserved populations.

PubMed

Thompson, Sharon E; Smith, Brenda A; Bybee, Ronald F

2005-01-01

In the United States, employers and employees are increasingly paying a larger portion of the nation's healthcare bill. Preventive measures are being employed by businesses in an effort to contain the escalating costs of employee healthcare. The work site is an ideal setting for health promotion because 130 million Americans are employed and spend one third of their time at work. However, unhealthy workers tend to be the least likely to participate in health promotion activities. Worksite Wellness Programs must be designed to engage segments of the work force with the greatest health needs. Culturally sensitive and appropriate programs must be developed to engage economically challenged minority and other underserved populations.

Climate change in the classroom: Reaching out to middle school students through science and math suitcase lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobo, A. C.; Collay, R.; Harris, R. N.; de Silva, L.

2011-12-01

We have formed a link between the Increasing Diversity in Earth Sciences (IDES) program with the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) program, both at Oregon State University. The IDES mission is to strengthen the understanding of Earth Sciences and their relevance to society among broad and diverse segments of the population and the SMILE mission is to provide science and math enrichment for underrepresented and other educationally underserved students in grades 4-12. Traditionally, underserved schools do not have enough time or resources to spend on science and mathematics. Furthermore, numerous budget cuts in many Oregon school districts have negatively impacted math and science cirriculum. To combat this trend we have designed suitcase lessons in climate change that can be carried to a number of classrooms. These lesson plans are scientifically rich and economically attractive. These lessons are designed to engage students in math and science through climate change presentations, group discussions, and hands-on activities. Over the past year we have familiarized ourselves with the academic ability of sixth and seventh graders through in-class observation in Salem Oregon. One of the suit case lessons we developed focuses on climate change by exploring the plight of polar bears in the face of diminishing sea ice. Our presentation will report the results of this activity.

Reducing Disparities in Cancer Screening and Prevention through Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships with Local Libraries: A Comprehensive Dynamic Trial.

PubMed

Rapkin, Bruce D; Weiss, Elisa; Lounsbury, David; Michel, Tamara; Gordon, Alexis; Erb-Downward, Jennifer; Sabino-Laughlin, Eilleen; Carpenter, Alison; Schwartz, Carolyn E; Bulone, Linda; Kemeny, Margaret

2017-09-01

Reduction of cancer-related disparities requires strategies that link medically underserved communities to preventive care. In this community-based participatory research project, a public library system brought together stakeholders to plan and undertake programs to address cancer screening and risk behavior. This study was implemented over 48 months in 20 large urban neighborhoods, selected to reach diverse communities disconnected from care. In each neighborhood, Cancer Action Councils were organized to conduct a comprehensive dynamic trial, an iterative process of program planning, implementation and evaluation. This process was phased into neighborhoods in random, stepped-wedge sequence. Population-level outcomes included self-reported screening adherence and smoking cessation, based on street intercept interviews. Event-history regressions (n = 9374) demonstrated that adherence outcomes were associated with program implementation, as were mediators such as awareness of screening programs and cancer information seeking. Findings varied by ethnicity, and were strongest among respondents born outside the U.S. or least engaged in care. This intervention impacted health behavior in diverse, underserved and vulnerable neighborhoods. It has been sustained as a routine library system program for several years after conclusion of grant support. In sum, participatory research with the public library system offers a flexible, scalable approach to reduce cancer health disparities. © Society for Community Research and Action 2017.

34 CFR 364.32 - What are the requirements for outreach?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... outreach to populations in the State that are unserved or underserved by programs under title VII, including minority groups and urban and rural populations. (b) The State plan must identify the populations... control number 1820-0527) (Authority: 29 U.S.C. 796c(l)) ...

34 CFR 364.32 - What are the requirements for outreach?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... outreach to populations in the State that are unserved or underserved by programs under title VII, including minority groups and urban and rural populations. (b) The State plan must identify the populations... control number 1820-0527) (Authority: 29 U.S.C. 796c(l)) ...

34 CFR 364.32 - What are the requirements for outreach?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... outreach to populations in the State that are unserved or underserved by programs under title VII, including minority groups and urban and rural populations. (b) The State plan must identify the populations... control number 1820-0527) (Authority: 29 U.S.C. 796c(l)) ...

Application of handheld devices to field research among underserved construction worker populations: a workplace health assessment pilot study.

PubMed

Caban-Martinez, Alberto J; Clarke, Tainya C; Davila, Evelyn P; Fleming, Lora E; Lee, David J

2011-04-01

Novel low-cost approaches for conducting rapid health assessments and health promotion interventions among underserved worker groups are needed. Recruitment and participation of construction workers is particularly challenging due to their often transient periods of work at any one construction site, and their limited time during work to participate in such studies. In the present methodology report, we discuss the experience, advantages and disadvantages of using touch screen handheld devices for the collection of field data from a largely underserved worker population. In March 2010, a workplace-centered pilot study to examine the feasibility of using a handheld personal device for the rapid health assessment of construction workers in two South Florida Construction sites was undertaken. A 45-item survey instrument, including health-related questions on tobacco exposure, workplace safety practices, musculoskeletal disorders and health symptoms, was programmed onto Apple iPod Touch® devices. Language sensitive (English and Spanish) recruitment scripts, verbal consent forms, and survey questions were all preloaded onto the handheld devices. The experience (time to survey administration and capital cost) of the handheld administration method was recorded and compared to approaches available in the extant literature. Construction workers were very receptive to the recruitment, interview and assessment processes conducted through the handheld devices. Some workers even welcomed the opportunity to complete the questionnaire themselves using the touch screen handheld device. A list of advantages and disadvantages emerged from this experience that may be useful in the rapid health assessment of underserved populations working in a variety of environmental and occupational health settings. Handheld devices, which are relatively inexpensive, minimize survey response error, and allow for easy storage of data. These technological research modalities are useful in the collection and assessment of environmental and occupational research data.

Improving cardiovascular health of underserved populations in the community with Life's Simple 7.

PubMed

Murphy, Marcia Pencak; Coke, Lola; Staffileno, Beth A; Robinson, Janis D; Tillotson, Robin

2015-11-01

The purpose of this nurse practitioner (NP) led initiative was to improve the cardiovascular health of two underserved populations in the community using the American Heart Association (AHA) Life's Simple 7 and My Life Check (MLC) tools. Two inner city community sites were targeted: (a) a senior center servicing African American (AA) older adults, and (b) a residential facility servicing homeless women. Preprogram health data (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose levels, body mass index, and health behaviors) were collected to calculate MLC scores. Postprogram health data were obtained on participants with the lowest MLC scores who completed the program. Eight older adults completed the program with a 37.1% increase in average MLC score (6.2 vs. 8.5). Ten women completed the program with a 9.3% decrease in average MLC score (4.3 vs. 3.9). Favorable benefits were observed in the AA older adults. In contrast, similar benefits were not observed in the women, which may be because of a constellation of social, environmental, biological, and mental health factors. NPs are prepared to target community-based settings to address the health of underserved populations. Engaging key stakeholders in the planning and implementation is essential for success. ©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Randomized Trial of a Family-based, Automated, Conversational Obesity Treatment Program for Underserved Populations

PubMed Central

Wright, J. A.; Phillips, B.D.; Watson, B.L.; Newby, P.K.; Norman, G. J.; Adams, W.G.

2013-01-01

Objective To evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a scalable obesity treatment program integrated with pediatric primary care and delivered using interactive voice technology (IVR) to families from underserved populations. Design and Methods Fifty parent-child dyads (child 9–12 yrs, BMI >95th percentile) were recruited from a pediatric primary care clinic and randomized to either an IVR or a wait-list control (WLC) group. The majority were lower-income, African-American (72%) families. Dyads received IVR calls for 12 weeks. Call content was informed by two evidenced-based interventions. Anthropometric and behavioral variables were assessed at baseline and 3 mo follow-up. Results Forty-three dyads completed the study. IVR parents ate 1 cup more fruit than WLC (p < .05). No other groups differences were found. Children classified as high users of the IVR decreased weight, BMI and BMI z-score compared to low users (p<.05). Mean number of calls for parents and children were 9.1 (5.2 SD) and 9.0 (5.7 SD), respectively. Of those who made calls, >75% agreed that the calls were useful, made for people like them, credible, and helped them eat healthy foods. Conclusion An obesity treatment program delivered via IVR may be an acceptable and feasible resource for families from underserved populations. PMID:23512915

An Action Research Project on Preparing Teachers to Meet the Needs of Underserved Student Populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buck, Gayle A.; Cordes, Jeanene G.

2005-02-01

The focus of this action research study was on the initial stage in reforming our teacher preparation programs. We designed, conducted, evaluated, and revised the components of our teacher preparation programs that were aimed at providing preservice teachers with the confidence and knowledge needed to meet the needs of youth populations underserved in science education. The conceptual framework of this study predicted that providing preservice teachers with experiences in teaching science to at-risk youth in a nonformal educational setting and that exploring these experiences in a seminar setting will increase the teachers confidence and knowledge in regard to teaching science to children from underserved populations. The community-based experience allowed for an experience in which 20 preservice teachers taught in a situation in which at-risk youth were the majority, thus spotlighting their needs in a manner traditionally not experienced by these prospective teachers. A two-phase methodological design (J. Creswell, 1994) was utilized to answer the questions: (a) Did the plan lead to the desired outcomes? and (b) What strategies fostered or hindered progress toward the desired outcomes? The findings of this study were utilized to develop our next action step in preparing teachers to foster science literacy for All Americans.

Changing practice: implications of the World Report on Disability for responding to communication disability in under-served populations.

PubMed

Wylie, Karen; McAllister, Lindy; Davidson, Bronwyn; Marshall, Julie

2013-02-01

The World Report on Disability provides a major challenge to the conceptualization and delivery of services for people with communication disabilities around the world. Many people, in both Majority and Minority World countries, receive limited or no support in relation to their communication disability. In this paper the prevalence of communication disability across the world (and the challenges to obtaining these data) are discussed, particularly in relation to disability more broadly. Populations that are under-served by speech-language pathology services in both Majority and Minority World countries are described. The paper describes organizational change theory and the potential it has, together with a biopsychosocial model of disability, to assist in understanding and influencing development of relevant services for people with communication disabilities (PWCD), particularly those who are under-served. Aspects of, and influences on, service delivery for PWCD are described. The need for novel ways of conceptualizing development of services, including population-based approaches, is highlighted. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for PWCD and for speech-language pathologists which arise from the nine recommendations of the World Report on Disability are considered and readers are encouraged to consider new and novel ways of developing equitable services for people with communication disabilities, in both majority and minority world settings.

Future implications of eHealth interventions for chronic pain management in underserved populations.

PubMed

DeMonte, Colette M; DeMonte, William D; Thorn, Beverly E

2015-01-01

Many underserved communities, especially those in rural settings, face unique challenges that make high quality healthcare less accessible. The implementation of eHealth technologies has become a potentially valuable option to disseminate interventions. The authors' work in rural Alabama Federally Qualified Health Centers provide insights into the access to technology as well as the likelihood of utilizing eHealth technology in underserved communities. This paper will review current challenges related to digital dissemination of behavioral health interventions for chronic pain. Two major concerns are the lack of technological resources and the lack of appropriate materials for patients who may have low levels of reading, health and/or digital literacy. We will propose some recommendations to address common barriers faced by those providing care.

42 CFR 62.54 - What must applications for the State Loan Repayment Program contain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... area population without health insurance, and the health status of the population as measured by the... will accord special consideration to medically underserved areas with large minority populations; and... additional conditions of the grant. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number...

42 CFR 62.54 - What must applications for the State Loan Repayment Program contain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... area population without health insurance, and the health status of the population as measured by the... will accord special consideration to medically underserved areas with large minority populations; and... additional conditions of the grant. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number...

42 CFR 62.54 - What must applications for the State Loan Repayment Program contain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... area population without health insurance, and the health status of the population as measured by the... will accord special consideration to medically underserved areas with large minority populations; and... additional conditions of the grant. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number...

Patterns of health care utilization among vulnerable populations in Central Texas using data from a regional health information exchange.

PubMed

Schiefelbein, Emily L; Olson, Jerome A; Moxham, Jamie D

2014-02-01

Describe patterns of health care utilization among vulnerable subgroups of an underserved population and identify populations that could benefit from interventions to reduce health care costs and improve quality of care. Health Information Exchange data focused on underserved patients was used to estimate the risk of an emergency department (ED) or inpatient (IP) visit among vulnerable patients. Approximately 20.9% of the population was vulnerable, with behavioral health being the most predominant. Homeless, disabled, and severe behavioral health patients had an increased risk of ED utilization. Behavioral health, disabled, and near elderly patients had an increased risk of IP utilization. Inpatient risk was even greater for patients with multiple vulnerabilities. Improved primary care services are needed to address both the mental and physical needs of vulnerable populations, particularly people with severe behavioral health conditions. Improved access to services may help reduce the costly burden of providing hospital-based care.

Patient navigation and financial incentives to promote smoking cessation in an underserved primary care population: A randomized controlled trial protocol.

PubMed

Quintiliani, Lisa M; Russinova, Zlatka L; Bloch, Philippe P; Truong, Ve; Xuan, Ziming; Pbert, Lori; Lasser, Karen E

2015-11-01

Despite the high risk of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality among low-income persons, few studies have connected low-income smokers to evidence-based treatments. We will examine a smoking cessation intervention integrated into primary care. To begin, we completed qualitative formative research to refine an intervention utilizing the services of a patient navigator trained to promote smoking cessation. Next, we will conduct a randomized controlled trial combining two interventions: patient navigation and financial incentives. The goal of the intervention is to promote smoking cessation among patients who receive primary care in a large urban safety-net hospital. Our intervention will encourage patients to utilize existing smoking cessation resources (e.g., quit lines, smoking cessation groups, discussing smoking cessation with their primary care providers). To test our intervention, we will conduct a randomized controlled trial, randomizing 352 patients to the intervention condition (patient navigation and financial incentives) or an enhanced traditional care control condition. We will perform follow-up at 6, 12, and 18 months following the start of the intervention. Evaluation of the intervention will target several implementation variables: reach (participation rate and representativeness), effectiveness (smoking cessation at 12 months [primary outcome]), unintended consequences (e.g., purchase of illicit substances with incentive money), adoption (use of intervention across primary care suites), implementation (delivery of intervention), and maintenance (smoking cessation after conclusion of intervention). Improving the implementation of smoking cessation interventions in primary care settings serving large underserved populations could have substantial public health impact, reducing cancer-related morbidity/mortality and associated health disparities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-Term Outcomes of a Dental Postbaccalaureate Program: Increasing Dental Student Diversity and Oral Health Care Access

PubMed Central

Wides, Cynthia D.; Brody, Harvey A.; Alexander, Charles J.; Gansky, Stuart A.; Mertz, Elizabeth A.

2013-01-01

The University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry established the Dental Postbaccalaureate Program in 1998 to provide reapplication assistance to students from economically and/or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds who were previously denied admission to dental school. The goals were to increase diversity in the dental school student population and improve access to dental services for underserved populations. This article assesses the program’s short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes and is the first to examine long-term practice patterns after a dental postbaccalaureate program. Data collected on all participant (n=94) demographics, pre/post-program DAT scores, and post-program dental school admission results were used to assess short- and mid-term outcomes. Long-term outcomes and practice patterns were assessed using results of a census survey administered between 2009 and 2011 to the participants who had completed dental school and been in practice for at least two years (n=57). The survey had a response rate of 93 percent (n=53). Descriptive statistical techniques were used to examine the responses and to compare them to U.S. Census Bureau data and nationally available practice data for new dental graduates. Program participants’ DAT scores improved by an average of two points, and 98 percent were accepted to dental school. All survey respondents were practicing dentistry, and 81 percent reported serving underserved populations. These participants treat more Medicaid recipients than do most dentists, and their patient population is more diverse than the general population. The outcomes demonstrate that the program’s graduates are increasing diversity in the dental student population and that their practices are providing access to care for underserved populations. PMID:23658398

Reaching out to the Underserved: More than Thirty Years of Outreach Job Ads

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boff, Colleen; Singer, Carol; Stearns, Beverly

2006-01-01

Contents of outreach position announcements posted in "College and Research Libraries News" from 1970 through 2004 were examined. Ads fell within three broad groups: distance education, multicultural services, and specialized. Overall, outreach positions have been on the rise with the exception of multicultural services librarian positions that…

Distance Education within the 21st Century and Its Application to Rehabilitation Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dziekan, Kathryn; Main, Doug

2012-01-01

Historically, distance education applications served a select group of students through self-paced technical short courses that required scant to little interaction with their instructors. Today's 21st century distance education focuses on a) reaching underserved prospective students within a social justice framework, b) global recruitment, and c)…

Meeting EFA: Afghanistan Home-Based Schools. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirk, Jackie; Winthrop, Rebecca

2006-01-01

Years of conflict and instability have taken a heavy toll on education in Afghanistan. While the government rebuilds its public education system, formal schools fail to reach many of the country's children. Girls remain particularly underserved as a result of the looming effects of the Taliban's sanctions against educating women. Among the reasons…

Exploring the Use of Electronic Mobile Technologies among Distance Learners in Rural Communities for Safe and Disruptive Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntloedibe-Kuswani, Gomang Seratwa

2013-01-01

Several studies indicated the potential of electronic mobile technologies in reaching (safe learning) under-served communities and engaging (disruptive learning) disadvantaged peoples affording them learning experiences. However, the potential benefits of (electronic mobile learning) e-mobile learning have not been well understood from the…

Working with Social Service Agencies: Providing Access for the Underserved

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dotolo, Lawrence G.

2007-01-01

The Virginia Tidewater Consortium's effort to reach out to the community began twenty-seven years ago when it received an Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The EOC was specifically designed to work with adults from low socioeconomic backgrounds, most of them minorities. In southeastern Virginia,…

Beyond Disciplines: Providing Outreach to Underserved Groups by Demographic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutledge, Lorelei; LeMire, Sarah

2016-01-01

As more students, faculty, and staff from traditionally underrepresented groups enter universities and colleges, academic libraries must find ways to reach out to these groups in order to better meet their unique educational needs. In this article, librarians from two large public universities describe how they used data about their communities to…

Online School Psychology: Blueprint to Higher Education Conversations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon, Robert J.

2018-01-01

The author is convinced that the school psychology profession needs to develop innovative programs to address the shortages of school psychologists across the nation, specifically, online programs that can reach the rural and underserved districts of each state. Current educators seeking to expand their skill set can be the untapped answer to…

Digging Deeper: Professional Learning Can Go beyond the Basics to Reach Underserved Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gleason, Sonia Caus

2010-01-01

Consistent, excellent teaching is the single greatest factor in improving student achievement over time. School leadership is the second. Excellent teaching and strong leadership require deliberate, ongoing professional learning. In working with high-poverty school systems over time, the following basics emerge: (1) time; (2) content; (3)…

Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) position statement: SBM supports the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable's (NCCRT) call to action to reach 80 % colorectal cancer screening rates by 2018.

PubMed

Becker, Elizabeth A; Buscemi, Joanna; Fitzgibbon, Marian L; Watson, Karriem; Matthews, Kameron L; Winn, Robert A

2016-06-01

The Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) urges stakeholders to support the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable's (NCCRT) initiative 80 % by 2018. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is largely preventable with early detection of pre-cancerous polyps but CRC screening is underutilized, especially among the underserved. In response to low screening rates, this initiative sets an important goal of a population screening rate of 80 % in adults ages 50 and older by the year 2018. It is estimated that this screening rate could prevent more than 20,000 CRC deaths per year within 15 years. The initiative takes a multilevel approach to improving screening rates and includes recommendations for clinicians, health care organizations, insurers, policymakers, and researchers.

Vida PURA: A Cultural Adaptation of Screening and Brief Intervention to Reduce Unhealthy Drinking among Latino Day Laborers

PubMed Central

Ornelas, India J.; Allen, Claire; Vaughan, Catalina; Williams, Emily C.; Negi, Nalini

2014-01-01

Background Brief intervention is known to reduce drinking in primary care, however because health care access is limited for Latino immigrants, traditional brief interventions are unlikely to reach this population. Methods Using Barrera and Castro’s framework, our study aims to culturally adapt a screening and brief intervention program to reduce unhealthy alcohol use among Latino day laborers, a particularly vulnerable group of Latino immigrant men. We conducted 18 interviews with Latino day laborers and 13 interviews with mental health and substance use providers that serve Latino immigrant men. Interviews were conducted until saturation of themes was reached. Themes from interviews were used to identify sources of mismatch between traditional screening and brief intervention and our target population. Results Unhealthy alcohol use was common, culturally accepted, and helped relieve immigration-related stressors. Men had limited knowledge about how to change their behavior. Men preferred to receive information from trusted providers in Spanish. Men faced significant barriers to accessing health and social services, but were open to receiving brief interventions in community settings. Findings were used to design Vida PURA, a preliminary adaptation design of brief intervention for Latino day laborers. Key adaptations include providing brief intervention at a day labor worker center, by promotores trained to incorporate the social and cultural context of drinking for Latino immigrant men. Conclusions Culturally adapted brief intervention may help reduce unhealthy drinking in this underserved population. PMID:25153904

Pharmacogenetic research in partnership with American Indian and Alaska Native communities

PubMed Central

Woodahl, Erica L; Lesko, Lawrence J; Hopkins, Scarlett; Robinson, Renee F; Thummel, Kenneth E; Burke, Wylie

2014-01-01

Pharmacogenetics is a subset of personalized medicine that applies knowledge about genetic variation in gene–drug pairs to help guide optimal dosing. There is a lack of data, however, about pharmacogenetic variation in underserved populations. One strategy for increasing participation of underserved populations in pharmacogenetic research is to include communities in the research process. We have established academic–community partnerships with American Indian and Alaska Native people living in Alaska and Montana to study pharmacogenetics. Key features of the partnership include community oversight of the project, research objectives that address community health priorities, and bidirectional learning that builds capacity in both the community and the research team. Engaging the community as coresearchers can help build trust to advance pharmacogenetic research objectives. PMID:25141898

Fulfilling the Mission of Academic Medicine: Training Residents in the Health Needs of Prisoners

PubMed Central

Wakeman, Sarah E.

2010-01-01

The single mission of academic medicine is the pursuit of health for all. This mandate serves as a reminder to focus care on vulnerable and underserved populations. The 12 million Americans who cycle through correctional facilities each year are arguably among the most vulnerable populations in this country; predominantly black, with a high burden of disease and many barriers to care after release. Medical training programs should provide exposure to the health needs of prisoners. Residents could establish care with inmates prior to release and arrange follow-up in the community. This addition to training would not only provide care to this underserved group, but also would train residents in the myriad problems prisoners face, and foster social responsibility. PMID:20352517

Immunizing nomadic children and livestock--Experience in North East Zone of Somalia.

PubMed

Kamadjeu, Raoul; Mulugeta, Abraham; Gupta, Dhananjoy; Abshir Hirsi, Abdirisak; Belayneh, Asalif; Clark-Hattingh, Marianne; Adams, Clement; Abed, Payenda; Kyeyune, Brenda; Ahmed, Tajudin; Salih, Mohamed; Biaou, Cyprien; Toure, Brigitte

2015-01-01

Nomads and pastoralists represent around 30% of the population of North East zone of Somalia (Puntland) and have very limited access to basic health including immunization. During the 2013-2014 polio outbreak in Somalia, an increase number of polio cases notified health services among these underserved communities highlighted the urgent need to devise innovative strategies to reach them. Harnessing the high demand for veterinary services among pastoralist communities, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Livestock, with support from UNICEF, WHO and FAO launched an integrated human and animal vaccination campaign on 19 October 2014. Over 30 days, 20 social mobilizers conducted shelter to shelter social mobilization and interpersonal communication for nomadic/pastoralist hamlets, 20 human vaccination teams, accompanied by local community elders, traveled with animal vaccination teams to administer polio and measles vaccination to pastoralist communities in the 5 regions of Puntland. 26,393 children (0 to 10 years) received Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) out of which 34% for the first time ever; 23,099 were vaccinated against measles. and 12,556 Vitamin A. Despite various operational challenges and a significantly higher operational cost of $6.2 per child reached with OPV, the integrated human and animal vaccination campaign was effective in reaching the unvaccinated children from nomadic and pastoralist communities of Somalia.

Urban Health Project: A Sustainable and Successful Community Internship Program for Medical Students.

PubMed

Roberts, Kasey; Park, Thomas; Elder, Nancy C; Regan, Saundra; Theodore, Sarah N; Mitchell, Monica J; Johnson, Yolanda N

2015-11-01

Urban Health Project (UHP) is a mission and vision-driven summer internship at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine that places first-year medical students at local community agencies that work with underserved populations. At the completion of their internship, students write Final Intern Reflections (FIRs). Final Intern Reflections written from 1987 to 2012 were read and coded to both predetermined categories derived from the UHP mission and vision statements and new categories created from the data themselves. Comments relating to UHP's mission and vision were found in 47% and 36% of FIRs, respectively. Positive experiences outweighed negative by a factor of eight. Interns reported the following benefits: educational (53%), valuable (25%), rewarding (25%), new (10%), unique (6%), and life-changing (5%). Urban Health Project is successful in providing medical students with enriching experiences with underserved populations that have the potential to change their understanding of vulnerable populations.

Building a Digital Workforce. Part 2: Reaching Out to Underserved Communities. NPA Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2002

The Digital Economic Opportunity Committee (DEOC) was established to examine the information technology (IT) skills gap and make recommendations to eliminate this gap. DEOC believed the appropriate response to this skills gap is two-fold. The first was upgrading existing workers skills through training. The second was expanding the number of…

Design and methods for a community-based intervention to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among youth: H2GO! study.

PubMed

Wang, Monica L; Lemon, Stephenie C; Clausen, Kristian; Whyte, Julie; Rosal, Milagros C

2016-11-09

Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake is an important dietary target among underserved children at high risk for obesity and associated morbidities. Community-based approaches to reduce SSB intake are needed. The use of narrative-based approaches (presenting messages within the context of a story) can facilitate connection with target health messages and empower children as behavior change agents within their families. The H 2 GO! program is a community-based behavioral intervention that integrates narrative-based strategies to reduce SSB consumption and promote water intake among school-age youth and parents. Guided by the Social Cognitive Theory and the Social Ecological Model, the H 2 GO! intervention consists of 6 weekly sessions that target beverage knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors through youth-produced messages and narratives to reduce SSB intake and encourage water intake and parent-child activities. To reach underserved youth and families, we identified Boys & Girls Clubs (B&GC) (youth-based community centers that serve an ethnically diverse and predominantly low socioeconomic status population) as a community partner and study setting. Participants (children ages 9-12 years and their parents) will be recruited from B&GC sites in Massachusetts, USA. Intervention efficacy will be assessed through a site-randomized trial (N = 2 youth-based community sites, pair-matched for size and racial/ethnic composition) with 54 parent-child pairs (N = 108) enrolled per site (N = 216 total). The comparison site will carry on with usual practice. Child and parental SSB and water consumption (primary outcomes) and parent and child beverage knowledge and attitudes (secondary outcomes) will be measured via self-report surveys. Additional outcomes include children's anthropometric data, additional dietary behaviors, and physical activity. Measures will be collected at baseline, 2 and 6 months follow-up. With an estimated 20 % dropout rate, the study will have 80 % power to detect a group difference of 3.9 servings of SSBs per week. Community-based approaches hold potential for decreasing SSB consumption among youth and families, particularly among underserved populations who are at greater obesity risk. This article describes the design and methods of a community-based behavioral intervention designed to reduce SSB consumption among youth and parents/caregivers. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02890056 . Date of Registration: August 31, 2016.

12 CFR 345.12 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... geographies; (ii) Designated disaster areas; or (iii) Distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income... Comptroller of the Currency, based on— (A) Rates of poverty, unemployment, and population loss; or (B...

Report on a seminar on financing and service delivery issues in caring for the medically underserved.

PubMed Central

Tavani, C

1991-01-01

Current national activities directed toward improving access to health care and assessing the potential effectiveness of various financing and service delivery strategies were reviewed by an invited group of 39 public and private sector health policy experts. Health care access problems of the medically underserved population were defined and a range of strategies for addressing them were presented. The seminar was held at Columbia, MD, July 6-7, 1988, sponsored jointly by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Health Resources and Services Administration, PHS. PMID:1899935

Promoting Healthy Eating Attitudes Among Uninsured Primary Care Patients.

PubMed

Kamimura, Akiko; Tabler, Jennifer; Nourian, Maziar M; Jess, Allison; Stephens, Tamara; Aguilera, Guadalupe; Wright, Lindsey; Ashby, Jeanie

2016-08-01

Obesity is associated with a number of chronic health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. While common prevention and treatment strategies to control unhealthy weight gain tend to target behaviors and lifestyles, the psychological factors which affect eating behaviors among underserved populations also need to be further addressed and included in practice implementations. The purpose of this study is to examine positive and negative emotional valence about food among underserved populations in a primary care setting. Uninsured primary care patients (N = 621) participated in a self-administered survey from September to December in 2015. Higher levels of perceived benefits of healthy food choice were associated with lower levels of a negative emotional valence about food while higher levels of perceived barriers to healthy food choice are related to higher levels of a negative emotional valence about food. Greater acceptance of motivation to eat was associated with higher levels of positive and negative emotional valence about food. Spanish speakers reported greater acceptance of motivation to eat and are more likely to have a negative emotional valence about food than US born or non-US born English speakers. The results of this study have important implications to promote healthy eating among underserved populations at a primary care setting. Healthy food choice or healthy eating may not always be achieved by increasing knowledge. Psychological interventions should be included to advance healthy food choice.

Oral Health on Wheels: A Service Learning Project for Dental Hygiene Students.

PubMed

Flick, Heather; Barrett, Sheri; Carter-Hanson, Carrie

2016-08-01

To provide dental hygiene students with a service learning opportunity to work with special needs and culturally diverse underserved populations through the Oral Health on Wheels (OHOW) community based mobile dental hygiene clinic. A student feedback survey was administered between the years of 2009 and 2013 to 90 students in order to gather and identify significant satisfaction, skills acquisition and personal growth information after the student's clinical experience on the OHOW. ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient statistical analysis were utilized to investigate relationships between student responses to key questions in the survey. An analysis of 85 student responses (94.44%) demonstrated statistically significant correlations between student learning and their understanding of underserved populations, building confidence in skills, participation as a dental team member and understanding their role in total patient care. The strong correlations between these key questions related to the clinical experience and students confidence, skills integration into the dental team, and understanding of both total patient care, and the increased understanding of the oral health care needs of special populations. All questions directly link to the core mission of the OHOW program. The OHOW clinical experience allows dental hygiene students a unique opportunity to engage in their community while acquiring necessary clinical competencies required by national accreditation and providing access to oral health care services to underserved patients who would otherwise go without treatment. Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Cultural Connections: the Key to Retention of Black, Latina, and Arab Women in the Kin Keeper(SM) Cancer Prevention Intervention Studies.

PubMed

Williams, Karen Patricia; Ford, Sabrina; Meghea, Cristian

2016-09-01

Diverse racial and ethnic populations must be included in research studies in order to address health disparities. Retaining hard-to-reach populations including poor, underserved, and racial/ethnic groups in longitudinal studies can be quite difficult. Using innovative retention strategies that address culture and community are imperative. The objective of this report is to identify and describe strategies for successful retention rates among a unique group of hard-to-reach racial/ethnic participants. We analyzed the follow-up rates in two different cohorts using the Kin Keeper(SM) study design. The aim of Study A was to examine the capability of the Kin Keeper(SM) education to increase health literacy in breast and cervical cancer. The primary aim of Study B was to measure changes in breast and cervical cancer screening after receiving the Kin Keeper(SM) education. Retention rates were analyzed and compared over 12 months for both cohorts. We found good retention rates for both cohorts with each having a unique set of differences. The overall follow-up rate was 82 % for Study A and 88 % for Study B with demographic differences between the studies reported herein. Despite changing cultural, community, and geopolitical factors, we were able to maintain consistent participation for each study. We attribute high retention rates to trusted cultural connections and the flexibility to adjust retention strategies.

Practices Caring For The Underserved Are Less Likely To Adopt Medicare's Annual Wellness Visit.

PubMed

Ganguli, Ishani; Souza, Jeffrey; McWilliams, J Michael; Mehrotra, Ateev

2018-02-01

In 2011 Medicare introduced the annual wellness visit to help address the health risks of aging adults. The visit also offers primary care practices an opportunity to generate revenue, and may allow practices in accountable care organizations to attract healthier patients while stabilizing patient-practitioner assignments. However, uptake of the visit has been uneven. Using national Medicare data for the period 2008-15, we assessed practices' ability and motivation to adopt the visit. In 2015, 51.2 percent of practices provided no annual wellness visits (nonadopters), while 23.1 percent provided visits to at least a quarter of their eligible beneficiaries (adopters). Adopters replaced problem-based visits with annual wellness visits and saw increases in primary care revenue. Compared to nonadopters, adopters had more stable patient assignment and a slightly healthier patient mix. At the same time, visit rates were lower among practices caring for underserved populations (for example, racial minorities and those dually enrolled in Medicaid), potentially worsening disparities. Policy makers should consider ways to encourage uptake of the visit or other mechanisms to promote preventive care in underserved populations and the practices that serve them.

Sharing Gravity's Microscope: Star Formation and Galaxy Evolution for Underserved Arizonans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knierman, Karen A.; Monkiewicz, Jacqueline A.; Bowman, Catherine DD; Taylor, Wendy

2016-01-01

Learning science in a community is important for children of all levels and especially for many underserved populations. This project combines HST research of galaxy evolution using gravitationally lensed galaxies with hands-on activities and the Starlab portable planetarium to link astronomy with families, teachers, and students. To explore galaxy evolution, new activities were developed and evaluated using novel evaluation techniques. A new set of galaxy classification cards enable inquiry-based learning about galaxy ages, evolution, and gravitational lensing. Activities using new cylinder overlays for the Starlab transparent cylinder will enable the detailed examination of star formation and galaxy evolution as seen from the viewpoint inside of different types of galaxies. These activities were presented in several Arizona venues that enable family and student participation including ASU Earth and Space Open House, Arizona Museum of Natural History Homeschooling Events, on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and inner city Phoenix schools serving mainly Hispanic populations. Additional events targeted underserved families at the Phoenix Zoo, in Navajo County, and for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. After evaluation, the activities and materials will also be shared with local teachers and nationally.

Adapting and Pilot Testing a Parenting Intervention for Homeless Families in Transitional Housing.

PubMed

Holtrop, Kendal; Holcomb, Jamila E

2018-01-24

Intervention adaptation is a promising approach for extending the reach of evidence-based interventions to underserved families. One highly relevant population in need of services are homeless families. In particular, homeless families with children constitute more than one third of the total homeless population in the United States and face several unique challenges to parenting. The purpose of this study was to adapt and pilot test a parenting intervention for homeless families in transitional housing. An established adaptation model was used to guide this process. The systematic adaptation efforts included: (a) examining the theory of change in the original intervention, (b) identifying population differences relevant to homeless families in transitional housing, (c) adapting the content of the intervention, and (d) adapting the evaluation strategy. Next, a pilot test of the adapted intervention was conducted to examine implementation feasibility and acceptability. Feasibility data indicate an intervention spanning several weeks may be difficult to implement in the context of transitional housing. Yet, acceptability of the adapted intervention among participants was consistently high. The findings of this pilot work suggest several implications for informing continued parenting intervention research and practice with homeless families in transitional housing. © 2018 Family Process Institute.

Advancing Methods for U.S. Transgender Health Research

PubMed Central

Reisner, Sari L.; Deutsch, Madeline B.; Bhasin, Shalender; Bockting, Walter; Brown, George R.; Feldman, Jamie; Garofalo, Rob; Kreukels, Baudewijntje; Radix, Asa; Safer, Joshua D.; Tangpricha, Vin; T’Sjoen, Guy; Goodman, Michael

2016-01-01

Purpose of Review To describe methodological challenges, gaps, and opportunities in U.S. transgender health research. Recent Findings Lack of large prospective observational studies and intervention trials, limited data on risks and benefits of gender affirmation (e.g., hormones and surgical interventions), and inconsistent use of definitions across studies hinder evidence-based care for transgender people. Systematic high-quality observational and intervention-testing studies may be carried out using several approaches, including general population-based, health systems-based, clinic-based, venue-based, and hybrid designs. Each of these approaches has its strength and limitations; however, harmonization of research efforts is needed. Ongoing development of evidence-based clinical recommendations will benefit from a series of observational and intervention studies aimed at identification, recruitment, and follow-up of transgender people of different ages, from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds and with diverse gender identities. Summary Transgender health research faces challenges that include standardization of lexicon, agreed-upon population definitions, study design, sampling, measurement, outcome ascertainment, and sample size. Application of existing and new methods is needed to fill existing gaps, increase the scientific rigor and reach of transgender health research, and inform evidence-based prevention and care for this underserved population. PMID:26845331

76 FR 3633 - Consumer Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-20

..., and outreach to underserved populations such as Native Americans and persons living in rural areas... technologies (e.g., availability of broadband, digital television, cable, satellite, low power FM, and the...

Impact of Potential Accreditation and Certification in Family Medicine Maternity Care.

PubMed

Eden, Aimee R; Peterson, Lars E

2017-01-01

Advanced maternity care training in family medicine is highly variable at both the residency and fellowship levels. Declining numbers of family physicians providing maternity care services may exacerbate disparities in access to maternal and child care, especially in rural and other underserved communities. Accreditation of maternity care fellowships and board certification may be one potential avenue to address this trend. This study sought to understand the perceptions and beliefs of key family medicine stakeholders in advanced maternity care regarding the formalization of maternity care training through fellowship accreditation and the creation of a certificate of added qualification (CAQ). In 2014 and 2015, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 51 key stakeholders in family medicine maternity care. Transcribed interviews were coded using an iterative process to identify themes and patterns until saturation was reached. Participants generally supported both maternity care fellowship accreditation and a CAQ and recognized multiple advantages such as legitimization of training. Many had concerns about potential negative unintended consequences such as a loss of curricular flexibility; however, most felt that these could be mediated. Only a few did not support one or both aspects of formalization. Most participants interviewed support formalizing maternity care fellowship training in family medicine through accreditation and a subsequent CAQ, if implemented with attention to minimizing the potential negative consequences. Such formalization would recognize the advanced skill and training of family physicians practicing advanced maternity care and could address some access issues to essential maternity care services for rural and other underserved populations.

UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. Quarterly report, September 1994--December 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-02-01

In September, 1994, the U.S. Department of Energy (Nevada Operations Office) made a $199,708 grant (through the Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Program), to the UNFINISHED JOURNEY Project. The Project began in April, 1994, to develop and implement an innovative model of student outreach by San Jose State University (SJSU) to underserved, underrepresented student populations of the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD). The Project was formed by a consortium involving SJSU, ESUHSD, some 20 private sector organizations (foundations/corporations), numerous local community/professional organizations, and approximately 100 private funders. This proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy was to havemore » the Department join this unique partnership to focus University outreach to underserved student populations to pursue careers in mathematics, science, and technology.« less

Using findings in multimedia learning to inform technology-based behavioral health interventions.

PubMed

Aronson, Ian David; Marsch, Lisa A; Acosta, Michelle C

2013-09-01

Clinicians and researchers are increasingly using technology-based behavioral health interventions to improve intervention effectiveness and to reach underserved populations. However, these interventions are rarely informed by evidence-based findings of how technology can be optimized to promote acquisition of key skills and information. At the same time, experts in multimedia learning generally do not apply their findings to health education or conduct research in clinical contexts. This paper presents an overview of some key aspects of multimedia learning research that may allow those developing health interventions to apply informational technology with the same rigor as behavioral science content. We synthesized empirical multimedia learning literature from 1992 to 2011. We identified key findings and suggested a framework for integrating technology with educational and behavioral science theory. A scientific, evidence-driven approach to developing technology-based interventions can yield greater effectiveness, improved fidelity, increased outcomes, and better client service.

The Role of Structural Barriers in Risky Sexual Behavior, Victimization and Readiness to Change HIV/STI-Related Risk Behavior Among Transgender Women.

PubMed

Raiford, Jerris L; Hall, Grace J; Taylor, Raekiela D; Bimbi, David S; Parsons, Jeffrey T

2016-10-01

This study examines the role of structural barriers experienced by a community-based sample of 63 HIV-positive and negative transgender women that may elevate HIV infection and transmission risks. Separate hierarchical linear multiple regression analyses tested the association between structural barriers (e.g., unemployment, lack of food, shelter) and condomless anal sex acts, abuse, and readiness to change risk behavior, while controlling for other related factors. Among this primarily Hispanic and African-American sample, HIV-positive and negative transgender women experienced a similar number of structural barriers and experiencing structural barriers was significantly associated with an increased number of condomless anal sex acts (p = .002), victimization (p = .000) and a decreased readiness to change HIV-related risk behavior (p = .014). Structural-level interventions are needed to address this elevated risk among this underserved and hard-to-reach population.

Determining medical staffing requirements for humanitarian assistance missions.

PubMed

Negus, Tracy L; Brown, Carrie J; Konoske, Paula

2010-01-01

The primary mission of hospital ships is to provide acute medical and surgical services to U.S. forces during military operations. Hospital ships also provide a hospital asset in support of disaster relief and humanitarian assistance (HA) operations. HA missions afford medical care to populations with vastly different sets of medical conditions from combat casualty care, which affects staffing requirements. Information from a variety of sources was reviewed to better understand hospital ship HA missions. Factors such as time on-site and location shape the mission and underlying goals. Patient encounter data from previous HA missions were used to determine expected patient conditions encountered in various HA operations. These data points were used to project the medical staffing required for future missions. Further data collection, along with goal setting, must be performed to accomplish successful future HA missions. Refining staffing requirements allows deployments to accomplish needed HA and effectively reach underserved areas.

The General Education Astronomy Source (GEAS) Project: Extending the Reach of Astronomy Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, N. P.; Muise, A. S.

2014-07-01

We present a set of NASA and NSF sponsored resources to aid in teaching astronomy remotely and in the classroom at the college level, with usage results for pilot groups of students. Our goal is to increase the accessibility of general education science coursework to underserved populations nationwide. Our materials are available for use without charge, and we are actively looking for pilot instructors. Primary components of our program include an interactive online tutorial program with over 12,000 questions, an instructor review interface, a set of hands-on and imaging- and spectra-driven laboratory exercises, including video tutorials, and interviews with diverse individuals working in STEM fields to help combat stereotypes. We discuss learning strategies often employed by students without substantial scientific training and suggest ways to incorporate them into a framework based on the scientific method and techniques for data analysis, and we compare cohorts of in-class and distance-education students.

Medical School Outcomes, Primary Care Specialty Choice, and Practice in Medically Underserved Areas by Physician Alumni of MEDPREP, a Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program for Underrepresented and Disadvantaged Students.

PubMed

Metz, Anneke M

2017-01-01

Minorities continue to be underrepresented as physicians in medicine, and the United States currently has a number of medically underserved communities. MEDPREP, a postbaccalaureate medical school preparatory program for socioeconomically disadvantaged or underrepresented in medicine students, has a stated mission to increase the numbers of physicians from minority or disadvantaged backgrounds and physicians working with underserved populations. This study aims to determine how MEDPREP enhances U.S. physician diversity and practice within underserved communities. MEDPREP recruits disadvantaged and underrepresented in medicine students to complete a 2-year academic enhancement program that includes science coursework, standardized test preparation, study/time management training, and emphasis on professional development. Five hundred twenty-five disadvantaged or underrepresented students over 15 years completed MEDPREP and were tracked through entry into medical practice. MEDPREP accepts up to 36 students per year, with two thirds coming from the Midwest region and another 20% from nearby states in the South. Students complete science, test preparation, academic enhancement, and professionalism coursework taught predominantly by MEDPREP faculty on the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus. Students apply broadly to medical schools in the region and nation but are also offered direct entry into our School of Medicine upon meeting articulation program requirements. Seventy-nine percent of students completing MEDPREP became practicing physicians. Fifty-eight percent attended public medical schools, and 62% attended medical schools in the Midwest. Fifty-three percent of program alumni chose primary care specialties compared to 34% of U.S. physicians, and MEDPREP alumni were 2.7 times more likely to work in medically underserved areas than physicians nationally. MEDPREP increases the number of disadvantaged and underrepresented students entering and graduating from medical school, choosing primary care specialties, and working in medically underserved areas. MEDPREP may therefore serve as a model for increasing physician diversity and addressing the needs of medically underserved communities.

A community intervention: AMBER: Arab American breast cancer education and referral program.

PubMed

Ayash, Claudia; Axelrod, Deborah; Nejmeh-Khoury, Sana; Aziz, Arwa; Yusr, Afrah; Gany, Francesca M

2011-12-01

Although the number of Arab Americans is growing in the United States, there is very little data available on this population's cancer incidence and screening practices. Moreover, there are few interventions addressing their unique needs. This study aims to determine effective strategies for increasing breast cancer screening in at-risk underserved Arab American women. AMBER utilizes a community based participatory approach to conduct formative research and program interventions, including culturally appropriate Arabic language breast cancer education, screening coordination, and cultural competency training for healthcare professionals in New York City. In 2 years, 597 women were educated, 189 underserved women were identified as being in need of assistance, 68 were screened, one new case of breast cancer was detected, and four active cases in need of follow-up reconnected with care. The AMBER model is an important intervention for breast cancer screening and care in the underserved Arab American community.

Multiple Comorbidities and Interest in Research Participation Among Clients of a Nonprofit Food Distribution Site.

PubMed

Higashi, Robin T; Craddock Lee, Simon J; Leonard, Tammy; Cuate, Erica L; Cole, Jay; Pruitt, Sandi L

2015-10-01

Persons accessing food from nonprofit distribution sites face numerous challenges and typically have significant unmet health needs. However, given limited and intermittent healthcare system engagement, this vulnerable population is underrepresented in clinical research. We sought to better understand the health needs of a nonclinical population to inform future research and interventions. Focus groups were conducted in English (n = 4) and Spanish (n = 4) with clients of Crossroads Community Services (CCS), the largest distributor of North Texas Food Bank. Discussions probed participants' health status, healthcare utilization, understanding and utilization of mammography, and attitudes toward participation in research. Participants included 42 CCS clients, primarily Hispanic or African American women. Participants reported multiple comorbid conditions among household members, yet utilization of health services was often limited by cost. The majority expressed interest in participating in research to communicate their health concerns and obtain emotional support. CCS clients represent a high-need, under-reached population willing to engage in health-related research that affords them opportunity to connect with peers in group settings and obtain information to improve management of daily life challenges. The Community Assistance Research (CARe) Initiative, a community-academic collaboration, establishes a much-needed opportunity for ongoing clinical research and intervention among this underserved population. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Multiple Comorbidities and Interest in Research Participation Among Clients of a Nonprofit Food Distribution Site

PubMed Central

Higashi, Robin T.; Craddock Lee, Simon J.; Leonard, Tammy; Cuate, Erica L.; Cole, Jay

2015-01-01

Abstract Background Persons accessing food from nonprofit distribution sites face numerous challenges and typically have significant unmet health needs. However, given limited and intermittent healthcare system engagement, this vulnerable population is underrepresented in clinical research. We sought to better understand the health needs of a nonclinical population to inform future research and interventions. Methods : Focus groups were conducted in English (n = 4) and Spanish (n = 4) with clients of Crossroads Community Services (CCS), the largest distributor of North Texas Food Bank. Discussions probed participants’ health status, healthcare utilization, understanding and utilization of mammography, and attitudes toward participation in research. Results Participants included 42 CCS clients, primarily Hispanic or African American women. Participants reported multiple comorbid conditions among household members, yet utilization of health services was often limited by cost. The majority expressed interest in participating in research to communicate their health concerns and obtain emotional support. Conclusion CCS clients represent a high‐need, under‐reached population willing to engage in health‐related research that affords them opportunity to connect with peers in group settings and obtain information to improve management of daily life challenges. The Community Assistance Research (CARe) Initiative, a community–academic collaboration, establishes a much‐needed opportunity for ongoing clinical research and intervention among this underserved population. PMID:26277918

Early College Designs: An Increasingly Popular College-Readiness Strategy for School Districts to Reach More Traditionally Underserved Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vargas, Joel H.; Miller, Marc S.

2011-01-01

Once a radical concept, early college high schools are flying soundly today. The challenge today--and the excitement of those involved--centers on learning from this successful innovation and bringing the early college design to many more young people. Expansion is taking place through the creation of early college districts covering all students…

Primary Grade Teachers' Conceptions of Giftedness and Talent: A Case-based Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brighton, Catherine M.; Moon, Tonya R.; Jarvis, Jane M.; Hockett, Jessica A.

2007-01-01

Despite the ongoing, extensive focus on the more equitable representation of gifted students from diverse populations, poor and minority students remain underserved by gifted education proportional to their representation in the broader student population (Donovan & Cross, 2002; U.S. Department of Education, 1993). One possible factor contributing…

HealthATM: personal health cyberinfrastructure for underserved populations.

PubMed

Botts, Nathan E; Horan, Thomas A; Thoms, Brian P

2011-05-01

There is an opportunity for personal health record (PHR) systems to play a vital role in fostering health self-management within underserved populations. If properly designed and promoted, it is possible that patients will use PHRs to become more empowered in taking an active role toward managing their health needs. This research examines the potential of a cyberinfrastructure-based PHR to encourage patient activation in health care, while also having population health implications. A multi-phased, iterative research approach was used to design and evaluate a PHR system called HealthATM, which utilizes services from a cloud computing environment. These services were integrated into an ATM-style interface aimed at providing a broad range of health consumers with the ability to manage health conditions and encourage accomplishment of health goals. Evaluation of the PHR included 115 patients who were clients of several free clinics in Los Angeles County. The majority of patients perceived ease of use (74%) and confidence (73%) in using the HealthATM system, and thought they would like to use it frequently (73%). Patients also indicated a belief in being responsible for their own health. However, fewer felt as though they were able to maintain necessary life changes to improve their health. Findings from the field tests suggest that PHRs can be a beneficial health management tool for underserved populations. In order for these types of tools to be effective within safety-net communities, they must be technically accessible and provide meaningful opportunities to increase patient engagement in their health care. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Patient navigation improves cancer diagnostic resolution: an individually randomized clinical trial in an underserved population.

PubMed

Raich, Peter C; Whitley, Elizabeth M; Thorland, William; Valverde, Patricia; Fairclough, Diane

2012-10-01

Barriers to timely resolution of abnormal cancer screening tests add to cancer health disparities among low-income, uninsured, and minority populations. We conducted a randomized trial to evaluate the impact of lay patient navigators on time to resolution and completion of follow-up testing among patients with abnormal screening tests in a medically underserved patient population. Denver Health, the safety-net health care system serving Denver, is one of 10 performance sites participating in the Patient Navigation Research Program. Of 993 eligible subjects with abnormal screening tests randomized to navigation and no-navigation (control) arms and analyzed, 628 had abnormal breast screens (66 abnormal clinical breast examinations, 304 BIRADS 0, 200 BIRADS 3, 58 BIRADS 4 or 5) whereas 235 had abnormal colorectal and 130 had abnormal prostate screens. Time to resolution was significantly shorter in the navigated group (stratified log rank test, P < 0.001). Patient navigation improved diagnostic resolution for patients presenting with mammographic BIRADS 3 (P = 0.0003) and BIRADS 0 (P = 0.09), but not BIRADS 4/5 or abnormal breast examinations. Navigation shortened the time for both colorectal (P = 0.0017) and prostate screening resolution (P = 0.06). Participant demographics included 72% minority, 49% with annual household income less than $10,000, and 36% uninsured. Patient navigation positively impacts time to resolution of abnormal screening tests for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers in a medically underserved population. By shortening the time to and increasing the proportion of patients with diagnostic resolution patient navigation could reduce disparities in stage at diagnosis and improve cancer outcomes. 2012 AACR

28 CFR 90.16 - Availability and allocation of funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... aside a portion for evaluation, training and technical assistance, a base amount shall be allocated for... not limited to, populations underserved because of geographic location (such as rural isolation...

28 CFR 90.16 - Availability and allocation of funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... aside a portion for evaluation, training and technical assistance, a base amount shall be allocated for... not limited to, populations underserved because of geographic location (such as rural isolation...

Temporal Trends and Predictors for Cancer Clinical Trial Availability for Medically Underserved Populations

PubMed Central

Lakoduk, Ashley M.; Priddy, Laurin L.; Yan, Jingsheng; Xie, Xian-Jin

2015-01-01

Background. Lack of access to available cancer clinical trials has been cited as a key factor limiting trial accrual, particularly among medically underserved populations. We examined the trends and factors in clinical trial availability within a major U.S. safety-net hospital system. Materials and Methods. We identified cancer clinical trials activated at the Harold C. Simmons Cancer from 1991 to 2014 and recorded the characteristics of the trials that were and were not activated at the Parkland Health and Hospital System satellite site. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression to determine the association between trial characteristics and nonactivation status, and chi-square analysis to determine the association between the trial characteristics and the reasons for nonactivation. Results. A total of 773 trials were identified, of which 152 (20%) were not activated at Parkland. In multivariable analysis, nonactivation at Parkland was associated with trial year, sponsor, and phase. Compared with the 1991–2006 period, clinical trials in the 2007–2014 period were almost eightfold more likely not to be activated at Parkland. The most common reasons for nonactivation at Parkland were an inability to perform the study procedures (27%) and the startup costs (15%). Conclusion. Over time, in this single-center setting, a decreasing proportion of cancer clinical trials were available to underserved populations. Trial complexity and costs appeared to account for much of this trend. Efforts to overcome these barriers will be key to equitable access to clinical trials, efficient accrual, and the generalizability of the results. Implications for Practice: Despite numerous calls to increase and diversify cancer clinical trial accrual, the present study found that cancer clinical trial activation rates in a safety-net setting for medically underserved populations have decreased substantially in recent years. The principal reasons for study nonactivation were expenses and an inability to perform the study-related procedures, reflecting the increasing costs and complexity of cancer clinical trials. Future efforts need to focus on strategies to mitigate the increasing disparity in access to clinical research and cutting-edge therapies, which also threatens to hinder study accrual, completion rates, and generalizability. PMID:26018661

Cancer Recurrence Worry, Risk Perception, and Informational-Coping Styles among Appalachian Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Shedlosky-Shoemaker, Randi; Porter, Kyle; DeSimone, Philip; Andrykowski, Michael

2012-01-01

Despite a growing literature on the psychosocial impact of the threat of cancer recurrence, underserved populations, such as those from the Appalachian region, have been understudied. To examine worry and perceived risk in cancer survivors, cancer patients at an ambulatory oncology clinic in a university hospital were surveyed. Appalachians had significantly higher worry than non-Appalachians. Cancer type and lower need for cognition were associated with greater worry. Those with missing perceived risk data were generally older, less educated, and lower in monitoring, blunting, and health literacy. Additional resources are needed to assist Appalachians and those with cancers with poor prognoses to cope with worry associated with cancer recurrence. More attention to prevention of cancer is critical to improve quality of life in underserved populations where risk of cancer is greater. PMID:21240722

Enrolling Minority and Underserved Populations in Cancer Clinical Research

PubMed Central

Wallington, Sherrie Flynt; Dash, Chiranjeev; Sheppard, Vanessa B.; Goode, Tawara D.; Oppong, Bridget A.; Dodson, Everett E.; Hamilton, Rhonda N.; Adams-Campbell, Lucile L.

2015-01-01

Research suggests that community involvement is integral to solving public health problems, including involvement in clinical trials—a “gold standard.” Significant racial/ethnic disparities exist in the accrual of participants for clinical trials. Location and cultural aspects of clinical trials influence recruitment and accrual to clinical trials. It is increasingly necessary to be aware of defining characteristics such as location and culture of the populations from which research participants are enrolled. Little research has examined the effect of location and cultural competency in adapting clinical trial research for minority and underserved communities on accrual for clinical trials. Utilizing embedded community academic sites, the authors applied cultural competency frameworks to adapt clinical trial research in order to increase minority participation in nontherapeutic cancer clinical trials. This strategy resulted in successful accrual of participants to new clinical research trials, specifically targeting participation from minority and underserved communities in metropolitan Washington, DC. From 2012 to 2014, a total of 559 participants enrolled across six non-therapeutic clinical trials, representing a 62% increase in the enrollment of blacks in clinical research. Embedding cancer prevention programs and research in the community was shown to be yet another important strategy in the arsenal of approaches that can potentially enhance clinical research enrollment and capacity. The analyses showed that the capacity to acquire cultural knowledge about patients—their physical locales, cultural values, and environments in which they live—is essential to recruiting culturally and ethnically diverse population samples. PMID:26470805

Immunizing nomadic children and livestock – Experience in North East Zone of Somalia

PubMed Central

Kamadjeu, Raoul; Mulugeta, Abraham; Gupta, Dhananjoy; Abshir Hirsi, Abdirisak; Belayneh, Asalif; Clark-Hattingh, Marianne; Adams, Clement; Abed, Payenda; Kyeyune, Brenda; Ahmed, Tajudin; Salih, Mohamed; Biaou, Cyprien; Toure, Brigitte

2015-01-01

Nomads and pastoralists represent around 30% of the population of North East zone of Somalia (Puntland) and have very limited access to basic health including immunization. During the 2013–2014 polio outbreak in Somalia, an increase number of polio cases notified health services among these underserved communities highlighted the urgent need to devise innovative strategies to reach them. Harnessing the high demand for veterinary services among pastoralist communities, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Livestock, with support from UNICEF, WHO and FAO launched an integrated human and animal vaccination campaign on 19 October 2014. Over 30 days, 20 social mobilizers conducted shelter to shelter social mobilization and interpersonal communication for nomadic/pastoralist hamlets, 20 human vaccination teams, accompanied by local community elders, traveled with animal vaccination teams to administer polio and measles vaccination to pastoralist communities in the 5 regions of Puntland. 26,393 children (0 to 10 years) received Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) out of which 34% for the first time ever; 23,099 were vaccinated against measles. and 12,556 Vitamin A. Despite various operational challenges and a significantly higher operational cost of $6.2 per child reached with OPV, the integrated human and animal vaccination campaign was effective in reaching the unvaccinated children from nomadic and pastoralist communities of Somalia. PMID:26365693

Conducting Program Evaluation with Hispanics in Rural Settings: Ethical Issues and Evaluation Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loi, Claudia X. Aguado; McDermott, Robert J.

2010-01-01

Conducting evaluations that are both valid and ethical is imperative for the support and sustainability of programs that address underserved and vulnerable populations. A key component is to have evaluators who are knowledgeable about relevant cultural issues and sensitive to population needs. Hispanics in rural settings are vulnerable for many…

"I Am Here for a Reason": Minority Teachers Bridging Many Divides in Urban Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magaldi, Danielle; Conway, Timothy; Trub, Leora

2018-01-01

Minority teachers are overwhelmingly employed in urban schools in underserved, low-income communities with large minority student populations. They receive little in the way of multicultural preparation, mentorship, and professional induction to meet the demands of teaching diverse student populations. This grounded theory study explores the…

A "Medical Mission" at Home: The Needs of Rural America in Terms of Otolaryngology Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winters, Ryan; Pou, Anna; Friedlander, Paul

2011-01-01

Objectives: Describe the population, Medicaid, uninsured, and otolaryngology practice demographics for 7 representative rural Southeastern states, and propose academic-affiliated outreach clinics as a service to help meet the specialty care needs of an underserved rural population, based on the "medical mission" model employed in…

Advocating for Twice-Exceptional Students: An Ethical Obligation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leggett, D. G.; Shea, I.; Wilson, J. A.

2010-01-01

In this article, the authors present a call to advocacy for an underserved population. Twice-exceptional students are an important sub-population that has historically been neglected. We examine the historical context of twice-exceptionality and evaluate the relevance of current ethical codes with regard to these students. We also review some of…

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Older Adults: Rationale and Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petkus, Andrew J.; Wetherell, Julie Loebach

2013-01-01

Older adults are the fastest growing segment of the population. With these changing demographics, mental health professionals will be seeing more older clients. Additionally, older adults are an underserved population in that most older adults in need of mental health services do not receive treatment. Thus, it is essential that treatments for…

The Affordable Care Act and genetic testing for inheritable cancer syndromes: impact on high-risk underserved minorities.

PubMed

Walcott, Farzana L; Dunn, Barbara K; DeShields, Mary; Baquet, Claudia

2014-02-01

Genetic testing for inheritable cancer syndromes is becoming a critical part of preventive health services. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Essential Health Benefits package addresses breast cancer susceptibility-gene testing for women who are unaffected by cancer. The absence of provisions for 1) men, 2) cancer patients, 3) other inheritable cancer syndromes, and 4) risk-reducing interventions are limitations of PPACA. We discuss provisions and limitations of PPACA pertaining to genetic testing and effects on high-risk populations, in particular minorities. The PPACA is the beginning of an ongoing process of incorporating genetic testing in the armamentarium of cancer prevention. Future efforts should focus on ensuring equitable access to genetic testing as a preventive service under PPACA to high-risk populations other than women. Consideration should also be given to provisions for risk-reducing interventions, especially in underserved minority populations, who are known to underutilize genetic testing and may have limited financial resources for medical intervention.

Determining accessibility to dermatologists and teledermatology locations in Kentucky: demonstration of an innovative geographic information systems approach.

PubMed

Shannon, Gary William; Buker, Carol Marie

2010-01-01

Teledermatology provides a partial solution to the problem of accessibility to dermatology services in underserved areas, yet methodologies to determine the locations and geographic dimensions of these areas and the locational efficiency of remote teledermatology sites have been found wanting. This article illustrates an innovative Geographic Information Systems approach using dermatologists' addresses, U.S. Census population data, and the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing System. Travel-time-based service areas were calculated and mapped for each dermatologist in the state of Kentucky and for possible locations of several remote teledermatology sites. Populations within the current and possible remote service areas were determined. These populations and associated maps permit assessment of the locational efficiency of the current distribution of dermatologists, location of underserved areas, and the potential contribution of proposed hypothetical teledermatology sites. This approach is a valuable and practical tool for evaluating access to current distributions of dermatologists as well as planning for and implementing teledermatology.

International efforts in plastic surgery: the Hartford Hospital, Connecticut Children's Medical Center and University of Connecticut experience in Ecuador.

PubMed

Hughes, Christopher; Wong, Anselm; McCormack, Susan; Castiglione, Charles; Pap, Stephen A; Silverman, Richard; Babigian, Alan

2012-01-01

Plastic and reconstructive surgery provide a necessary and essential service to public health efforts in resource-poor regions around the world. Disease processes amenable to plastic surgical treatment significantly contribute to worldwide disability, and it is the poor and underserved who are disproportionately affected. We conducted a week-long plastic and reconstructive surgical trip to Latacunga, Ecuador to provide reconstructive surgical services for the underserved in this region. Over the course of a week, 97 patients received surgery. Most patients were young (mean age = 21.8 years) and 50.5% were female. Burns and burn scar contractures were the most common diagnoses requiring surgery(21.6%), but cleft lip and palate deformities, scars, nevi, and congenital ear deformities comprised a significant proportion of the case load as well (17.5%, 11.3%, 12.4%, and 10.3%, respectively). There was one postoperative complication requiring reoperation. This short-term surgical trip successfully delivered essential reconstructive surgical care to an underserved population in rural Ecuador. Although this is most certainly only a fraction of the true surgical disease burden within this population, our experience provides a testament to the need for essential reconstructive surgical services in developing nations around the world.

76 FR 20867 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-14

..., please contact Nicole Patterson, Office of Shortage Designation, Bureau of Health Professions, Health... to provide written comments to the Committee should be sent to Nicole Patterson at the contact...

The Hispanic and Latino dentist workforce in the United States.

PubMed

Mertz, Elizabeth; Wides, Cynthia; Calvo, Jean; Gates, Paul

2017-03-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Hispanic/Latino (H/L) dentist workforce, their general practice patterns, and their contributions to oral health care for H/L and underserved patients. A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 35.4 percent response rate for self-reported H/L dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. A workforce profile of H/L dentists was created using descriptive and multivariable statistics and published data. Among all H/L dentists (weighted n = 5,748), 31.9 percent self-identify their origin as Mexican, 13.4 percent as Puerto Rican, 13.0 percent as Cuban, and 41.7 percent as another H/L group. The largest share of H/L dentists are male, married, and have children under age 18. Fifty percent of H/L dentists are foreign-born and 25 percent are foreign-trained. H/L dentists report higher than average educational debt, with those completing International Dentist Programs reporting the highest debt load. Sixty-nine percent of clinically active H/L dentists own their own practices, and 85 percent speak Spanish in their practice. Among clinical H/L dentists, 7 percent work in safety-net settings, 40 percent primarily treat underserved populations, and, on average, 42 percent of their patient population is H/L. H/L dental providers are underrepresented in the dentist population, and those that are in practice shoulder a disproportionate share of dental care for minority and underserved communities. Improving the workforce diversity of dental providers is a critical part of strategy to address the high burden of dental disease in the H/L population. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

The Hispanic and Latino Dentist Workforce in the United State

PubMed Central

Mertz, Elizabeth; Wides, Cynthia; Calvo, Jean; Gates, Paul

2017-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this paper is to describe the Hispanic/Latino (H/L) dentist workforce, their general practice patterns, and their contributions to oral health care for H/L and underserved patients. Methods A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 35.4% response rate for self-reported H/L dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. A workforce profile of H/L dentists was created using descriptive and multivariable statistics and published data. Results Among all H/L dentists (weighted n=5,748), 31.9% self-identify their origin as Mexican, 13.4% as Puerto Rican, 13.0% as Cuban, and 41.7% as another H/L group. The largest share of H/L dentists are male, married, and have children under age 18. Fifty percent of H/L dentists are foreign-born and 25% are foreign-trained. H/L dentists report higher than average educational debt, with those completing International Dentist Programs reporting the highest debt load. Sixty-nine percent of clinically active H/L dentists own their own practices, and 85% speak Spanish in their practice. Among clinical H/L dentists, 7% work in safety-net settings, 40% primarily treat underserved populations, and, on average, 42% of their patient population is H/L. Conclusions H/L dental providers are drastically underrepresented in the dentist population, and those that are in practice shoulder a disproportionate share of dental care for minority and underserved communities. Improving the workforce diversity of dental providers is a critical part of strategy to address the unacceptably high burden of dental disease in the H/L population. PMID:28025830

Community as client: reaching an underserved urban community and meeting unmet primary health care needs.

PubMed

Aponte, Judith; Nickitas, Donna M

2007-01-01

In a collaborative effort to address the health disparities within 1 urban underserved community, the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, Hunter College, and the Mount Sinai Medical Center organized a health fair. Nursing faculty worked side by side with undergraduate nursing students to offer several health promotion activities, screening, and educational sessions for residents of East Harlem, New York. In addition, nursing students provided individual patient education on nutrition, hand washing hygiene, medication review, and glucometer usage. Educational materials on lifestyle issues (sample meals, maintaining normal blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and smoking cessation) were provided. To help bridge the gap between health education and health promotion activities, nursing students, many of whom were bilingual, served as translators for non-English speaking Spanish and Chinese residents. In addition to the new professional partnerships developed, new clinical placements for nursing students were established.

Dark Skies, Bright Kids Year 8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bittle, Lauren E.; Wenger, Trey; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Angell, Dylan; Burkhardt, Andrew; Davis, Blair; Firebaugh, Ariel; Hancock, Danielle; Richardson, Whitney; Rochford Hayes, Christian; Linden, Sean; Liss, Sandra; Matthews, Allison; McNair, Shunlante; Prager, Brian; Pryal, Matthew; Troup, Nicholas William

2017-01-01

We present activities from the eighth year of Dark Skies Bright Kids (DSBK), an entirely volunteer-run outreach organization based out of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia. Our core mission is to enhance elementary science education and literacy in Central Virginia through fun, hands-on activities that introduce basic Astronomy concepts. Over the past seven years, our primary focus has been hosting an 8-10 week after-school astronomy club at underserved elementary and middle schools, and over the past several years, we have partnered with local businesses to host our Annual Central Virginia Star Party, a free event open to the community featuring star-gazing and planetarium shows. This past summer we expanded our reach through a new initiative to bring week-long summer day camps to south and southwest Virginia, home to some of the most underserved communities in the commonwealth.

Diet self-management and readiness to change in underserved adults with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Knight, Holly; Stetson, Barbara; Krishnasamy, Sathya; Mokshagundam, Sri Prakash

2015-06-01

Dietary assessment in diabetes may be enhanced by considering patient-centered perspectives and barriers to change within IDF guidelines. Consideration of readiness to change (RTC) diet in underserved samples may guide future interventions in high risk populations. This study assesses the utility of a rapid assessment of RTC diet in a medically underserved sample. Participants were 253 Black (43.7%) and White (55.1%) American adults with type 2 diabetes [M age=57.93 (11.52); 60.5% female; 19% below the US poverty threshold]. Participants were recruited at medical clinics and completed validated self-report measures assessing diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy and dietary behaviors and barriers by RTC. Stage-based comparisons identified significant differences in diabetes and dietary domains: participants in the Action stage endorsed fewer behavioral dietary barriers (p<.001), more frequent dietary problem-solving (p<.001), and greater diabetes self-efficacy (p<.001) than participants in the Contemplation and Preparation stages. Women were more likely to be in the Preparation stage and beyond (p<.05). Findings highlight the clinical utility of a brief measure of RTC in understanding patient perspectives toward dietary behaviors in a medically underserved sample. The impact of gender on RTC diet warrants further exploration. Copyright © 2014 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The need to modify physical activity messages to better speak to older African American women: a pilot study.

PubMed

Sebastião, Emerson; Chodzko-Zajko, Wojtek; Schwingel, Andiara

2015-09-25

Combating the physical inactivity crisis and improving health and quality of life is a challenge and a public health priority, especially in underserved populations. A key role of public health consists of informing, educating, and empowering individuals and communities about health issues. Researchers have found that mass communication messages often have limited effectiveness in reaching and impacting the health of underserved populations. The present pilot study was designed to explore perceptions of older African American women (AAW) in response to widely disseminated public information pertaining to physical activity (PA) and aging. A total of 10 older AAW aged 60 years and over participated in this study. Participants were evenly assigned in one of the 2 focus groups (i.e. active, n = 5; and inactive, n = 5) based on their PA level. The focus group approach was employed to gather information about widely available public information materials related to PA that target the adult and older adult population. The three guides used were: (1) Exercise and Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide; (2) The Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults; and (3) Be Active Your Way: A Guide for Adults. NVIVO 10 software was used to help in the qualitative data analysis. Descriptive thematic analysis was employed in identifying, analyzing and reporting patterns/themes within the data. Older AAW in the present study identified some shortcomings in current public health materials. Participants from both focus groups raised concerns regarding language and the types of activities used as examples in the materials. After analysis, two themes emerged: "We may have trouble in reading it" and "It does not reflect us". Participants' evaluation was found to be similar between the active and inactive focus groups. Older AAW's perceptions of the materials suggest that materials intended to educate and motivate the general public towards PA need to be modified to better speak to older African American women, especially to those who are sedentary and have difficulty in building PA into their daily lives.

Access to Digital Communication Technology and Perceptions of Telemedicine for Patient Education among American Indian Patients with Diabetes.

PubMed

Mathieson, Kathleen; Leafman, Joan S; Horton, Mark B

2017-01-01

Health care access for medically underserved patients managing chronic conditions is challenging. While telemedicine can support patient education and engagement, the "digital divide" may be particularly problematic among the medically underserved. This study evaluated physical access to digital devices, use of e-mail and social media tools, and perceptions of telemedicine among American Indian (AI) patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Survey data were collected from AI patients with DM during teleophthalmology exams. Eighty-eight percent of patients had access to digital device(s), 70% used e-mail, and 56% used social media. Younger age and greater education were positively associated with e-mail and social media use (p < .05). Most (60%) considered telemedicine an excellent medium for health-related patient education. American Indian patients with DM had access enabling patient education via telemedicine. Future work should examine patient technology preferences and effectiveness of technology-based education in improving outcomes among medically underserved populations.

Examining the Influence of Cost Concern and Awareness of Low-cost Health Care on Cancer Screening among the Medically Underserved.

PubMed

Best, Alicia L; Strane, Alcha; Christie, Omari; Bynum, Shalanda; Wiltshire, Jaqueline

2017-01-01

African Americans suffer a greater burden of mortality from breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers than other groups in the United States. Early detection through timely screening can improve survival outcomes; however, cost is frequently reported as a barrier to screening. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) provide preventive and primary care to underserved populations regardless of ability to pay, positioning them to improve cancer screening rates. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of concern about health care cost (cost concern) and awareness of low-cost health care (awareness) on cancer screening among 236 African Americans within an FQHC service area using self-report surveys. Multiple logistic regression indicated that awareness was positively associated with cervical and colorectal cancer screening, while cost concern was negatively associated with mammography screening. Results indicate that improving awareness and understanding of low-cost health care could increase cancer screening among underserved African Americans.

42 CFR 67.13 - Eligible projects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... technologies, facilities, and equipment, including assessments of health care technologies and innovative approaches to such assessments, and technology diffusion; (e) Health care costs and financing, productivity..., elderly, and other underserved populations, including women and children; and (l) Information...

42 CFR 67.13 - Eligible projects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... technologies, facilities, and equipment, including assessments of health care technologies and innovative approaches to such assessments, and technology diffusion; (e) Health care costs and financing, productivity..., elderly, and other underserved populations, including women and children; and (l) Information...

42 CFR 67.13 - Eligible projects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... technologies, facilities, and equipment, including assessments of health care technologies and innovative approaches to such assessments, and technology diffusion; (e) Health care costs and financing, productivity..., elderly, and other underserved populations, including women and children; and (l) Information...

42 CFR 67.13 - Eligible projects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... technologies, facilities, and equipment, including assessments of health care technologies and innovative approaches to such assessments, and technology diffusion; (e) Health care costs and financing, productivity..., elderly, and other underserved populations, including women and children; and (l) Information...

42 CFR 67.13 - Eligible projects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... technologies, facilities, and equipment, including assessments of health care technologies and innovative approaches to such assessments, and technology diffusion; (e) Health care costs and financing, productivity..., elderly, and other underserved populations, including women and children; and (l) Information...

42 CFR 5a.3 - Definition of Underserved Rural Community.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 3 that are larger than 400 square miles and have population density of less than 30 people per square mile; and (b) Located in a current: (1) Federally-designated Primary Health Care Geographic Health...

75 FR 79330 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-20

... more information, please contact Nicole Patterson, Office of Shortage Designation, Bureau of Health... written comments to the Committee should be sent to Nicole Patterson at the contact address above at least...

76 FR 31546 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-01

... information, please contact Nicole Patterson, Office of Shortage Designation, Bureau of Health Professions... comments or to provide written comments to the Committee should be sent to Nicole Patterson at the contact...

76 FR 12307 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-07

... information, please contact Nicole Patterson, Office of Shortage Designation, Bureau of Health Professions... comments or to provide written comments to the Committee should be sent to Nicole Patterson at the contact...

Rebeccah A. Bernard: APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology.

PubMed

2014-11-01

The APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology is awarded on an annual basis by the APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) to a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding practice and application of psychology. A qualified candidate must demonstrate exemplary performance in working with an underserved population in an applied setting or have developed an innovative method for delivering health services to an underserved population. This year there are joint recipients of the award, Allie Abrahamson and Rebeccah A. Bernard. Their vision, creativity, courage, and dedication led them to create the Human Rights Forum at Chestnut Hill College to promote human rights education, awareness, and community service opportunities for doctoral students. Rebeccah A. Bernard's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Allie Abrahamson: APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology.

PubMed

2014-11-01

The APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology is awarded on an annual basis by the APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) to a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding practice and application of psychology. A qualified candidate must demonstrate exemplary performance in working with an underserved population in an applied setting or have developed an innovative method for delivering health services to an underserved population. This year there are joint recipients of the award, Allie Abrahamson and Rebeccah A. Bernard. Their vision, creativity, courage, and dedication led them to create the Human Rights Forum at Chestnut Hill College to promote human rights education, awareness, and community service opportunities for doctoral students. Allie Abrahamson's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Competency-Based Objectives in Global Underserved Women's Health for Medical Trainees.

PubMed

Chen, Chi Chiung Grace; Dougherty, Anne; Whetstone, Sara; Mama, Saifuddin T; Larkins-Pettigrew, Margaret; Raine, Susan P; Autry, Amy M

2017-10-01

The Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Committee on Global Health developed an inclusive definition of global women's health and competency-based objectives that reflected work internationally, as well as with U.S. vulnerable and underserved populations, such as refugee and immigrant populations or those who would otherwise have compromised access to health care. The knowledge, skill, and attitude-based competencies required to fulfill each learning objective were mapped to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Outcomes Project's educational domains and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health competency domains. The proposed global women's health definition and competency-based learning objective framework is a first step in ensuring quality standards for educating trainees to address global women's health needs. By proposing these objectives, we hope to guide future program development and spark a broader conversation that will improve health for vulnerable women and shape educational, ethical, and equitable global health experiences for medical trainees.

New Mexico community voices: policy reform to reduce oral health disparities.

PubMed

Powell, Wayne; Hollis, Christine; de la Rosa, Mario; Helitzer, Deborah L; Derksen, Daniel

2006-02-01

Using a socio-ecological framework to guide the initiative, New Mexico Community Voices developed, with state and local stakeholders, responsive oral health policies to address oral health disparities. Several policy objectives were achieved: increasing awareness of the public health importance of oral health; improving access to dental services for uninsured or underserved populations; enhancing dental services specialty care; and increasing sustainable oral health infrastructure through pipeline development of oral health providers to relieve service shortages and diversify the oral health workforce. Improving access to oral health and augmenting numbers of dental providers in rural areas were also successful. The governor has appointed the New Mexico Oral Health Advisory Council to address state oral health issues. The New Mexico partnerships have demonstrated how effective policy change can generate important incremental shifts in oral health care delivery and provide best practice models that diminish the oral health crisis faced by underserved populations.

Provision of Patient-Centered Transgender Care.

PubMed

Selix, Nancy W; Rowniak, Stefan

2016-11-01

Transgender individuals have unique health care needs and experience health disparities. There is an increased need for transgender health care services and primary care for this underserved population. However, provision of appropriate health care services for transgender persons requires cultural competency and skill on the part of the health care provider, and providers need specific skills to address the needs of this population. A review of the literature was performed by accessing CINAHL, PsycINFO, and PubMed databases. Pertinent research was extracted and reviewed for relevance. References in these publications were reviewed to identify additional publications that address primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary care of transgender individuals. Articles that include prevention, screening, and treatment of health problems of transgender persons were identified. Research on the health needs of the transgender population is limited. Whenever available, research findings that address this unique population should be incorporated into clinical practice. When research evidence is not available to address the unique needs of transgender individuals, research and clinical care guidelines from the general population may be applied for health screening and maintenance. This article provides information about primary care services for transgender individuals and seeks to improve awareness of the health disparities this underserved population experiences. Simple solutions to modify clinical settings to enhance care are provided. © 2016 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Dermatologic care in the homeless and underserved populations: observations from the Venice Family Clinic.

PubMed

Grossberg, Anna L; Carranza, Dafnis; Lamp, Karen; Chiu, Melvin W; Lee, Catherine; Craft, Noah

2012-01-01

Dermatologic care in the homeless and impoverished urban underserved populations is rarely described despite the wide prevalence of skin concerns in this population. Because the homeless population may be subject to increased sun exposure compared to the nonhomeless population, they also may be at increased risk for skin cancer. We sought to describe the spectrum of dermatologic diseases seen in a free clinic in Venice, California--the Venice Family Clinic (VFC)--as well as the differences in diagnoses between the homeless and nonhomeless patients seen at this clinic. A retrospective chart review was performed of dermatology patients (N = 82) seen at VFC throughout the 2006 calendar year. The homeless population (n = 22) was found to have more diagnoses of malignant/premalignant growths (25% [16/64] of all homeless diagnoses) compared to their nonhomeless (n = 60) counterparts (6.1% [8/132] of all nonhomeless diagnoses; P < .0001). This difference was sustained when ethnicity was controlled, with 29.6% [16/54] of diagnoses in the homeless white group consisting of malignant/ premalignant growths compared to 8.9% [4/45] of diagnoses in the nonhomeless white cohort (P < .005). Homeless patients may have a higher incidence of skin cancers and precancerous skin lesions due to increased sun exposure and/or limited access to dermatologic care.

Exploring implications of Medicaid participation and wait times for colorectal screening on early detection efforts in Connecticut--a secret-shopper survey.

PubMed

Patel, Vatsal B; Nahar, Richa; Murray, Betty; Salner, Andrew L

2013-04-01

Routine colorectal screening, decreases in incidence, and advances in treatment have lowered colorectal cancer mortality rates over the past three decades. Nevertheless, it remains the second most common cause of cancer death amongst men and women combined in U.S. Most cases of colon cancer are diagnosed at a late stage leading to poor survival outcomes for patients. After extensive research of publically available data, it would appear that the state of Connecticut does not have available state-wide data on patient wait times for routine colonoscopy screening. Furthermore, there are no publicly available, or Connecticut-specific, reports on Medicaid participation rates for colorectal screening amongst gastroenterologists (GI) in Connecticut. In 2012, the American Cancer Society report on Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates confirmed barriers to health-care access and disparities in health outcomes and survival rates for colon cancer patients based on race, ethnicity, and low socioeconomic status. Given this information, one could conjecture that low Medicaid participation rates among GIs could potentially have a more severe impact on health-care access and outcomes for underserved populations. At present, funding and human resources are being employed across the state of Connecticut to address bottlenecks in colorectal cancer screening. More specifically, patient navigation and outreach programs are emerging and expanding to address the gaps in services for hard-to-reach populations and the medically underserved. Low Medicaid participation rates and increased wait times for colonoscopy screening may impair the efficacy of colorectal cancer patient navigation and outreach efforts and potentially funding for future interventions. In this study, we report the results of our secret-shopper telephone survey comprising of 93 group and independent gastroenterologist (GI) practices in different counties of Connecticut. Reviewing online resources and yellow pages, researchers compiled a county-specific list of GI practices throughout Connecticut and conducted a secret-shopper survey by telephone. A standard script and set of questions was formulated and used for each telephone call to GI practices. Data was analyzed in context of statistics available to the public at large from the U.S. Census Bureau. Overall, 46% of all 93 practices and 62% of individual GIs from all 93 practices state-wide reported Medicaid participation. About 35% of surveyed practices were independent practices; 41% of these reported Medicaid participation. About 65% of surveyed practices were group practices; 49% of these reported Medicaid participation. Approximately, 85% of all practices are in Fairfield, Hartford, orNew Haven counties. Of all three counties, New Haven reported the highest Medicaid participation rate by practices; 62% of all practices in New Haven reported participation. Fairfield reported the lowest Medicaid participation rate by practices; 29% of all practices in Fairfield reported participation. When Medicaid participation rates were calculated for total number of gastroenterologists from all practices in a given county (as opposed to participation rates by number of practices), Medicaid participation rates were 80% and 44% for New Haven and Fairfield, respectively. Of all practices in Hartford, only 50% reported Medicaid participation, whereas 67% of the total number of gastroenterologists (as opposed to practices) reported Medicaid participation. According to a recent national survey, 47% of gastroenterologists reported stopping accepting new Medicaid patients. Overall minimum and maximum wait times were reported to be the highest for Hartford, but wait times were long even for smaller counties, reflecting a possible imbalance in supply and demand or inefficiency in allocating the available resources. Only a limited number of gastroenterology practices in Connecticut accept Medicaid patients, notably in selected counties, but in all counties, and this may add to access barriers. It is yet unclear whether these disparities are significant enough to create a supply-demand imbalance and thus, have a significantly negative impact on health outcomes for the underserved. Nevertheless, with the high unemployment rates and impending implementation of mandated state-wide health-care reform as outlined in the Affordable Care Act, the Medicaid population in the state of Connecticut will increase, increasing future demand for services. In addition, based on the survey findings, longer wait times for colonoscopy screening are reported for the many of GI practices in Connecticut for Medicaid-insured as well as non-Medicaid patients. Longer wait times may have an impact on patient compliance, especially for the underserved populations that are hard to reach and ensure follow-up, contributing to potential delayed diagnosis. A Medicaid-associated disparity in this area will serve to exacerbate the problem for the underserved compared to those relatively well served. Those currently not seeking screening are at even higher risk of contributing to the higher mortality rate, and we need to find out how best to ensure that we can more uniformly apply screening and have the capacity to do so.

Perspectives of Mobile Versus Fixed Mammography in Santa Clara County, California: A Focus Group Study.

PubMed

Chen, Yi-Ren; Chang-Halpenny, Christine; Kumarasamy, Narmadan A; Venegas, Angela; Braddock Iii, Clarence H

2016-02-12

Our aim was to examine underserved women's perceptions on mobile versus fixed mammography in Santa Clara, California through a focus group study.  Research has shown that medically underserved women have higher breast cancer mortality rates correlated with under-screening and a disproportional rate of late-stage diagnosis. The Community Health Partnership in Santa Clara County, California runs the Community Mammography Access Project (CMAP) that targets nearly 20,000 medically underserved women over the age of 40 in the county through the collaborative effort of an existing safety net of healthcare providers. However, little data exists on the advantages or disadvantages of mobile mammography units from the patient perspective.   We assessed underserved women's perspectives on mammography services in Santa Clara County through two focus groups from women screened at mobile or fixed site programs. Patients were recruited from both CMAP clinics and a county hospital, and focus group data were analyzed using content analysis.  We found that women from both the mobile and fixed sites shared similar motivating factors for getting a mammogram. Both groups recognized that screening was uncomfortable but necessary for good health and had positive feedback about their personal physicians. However, mobile participants, in particular, appreciated the atmosphere of mobile screening, reported shorter wait times, and remarked on the good communication from the clinic staff and empathetic treatment they received. However, mobile participants also expressed concern about the quality of films at mobile sites due to delayed initial reading of the films.   Mobile mammography offers a unique opportunity for women of underserved populations to access high satisfaction screenings, and it encourages a model similar to CMAP in other underserved areas. However, emphasis should be placed on providing a warm and welcoming environment for patients and ensuring the quality of mammography images.

Development and pilot evaluation of novel genetic educational materials designed for an underserved patient population.

PubMed

Lubitz, Rebecca Jean; Komaromy, Miriam; Crawford, Beth; Beattie, Mary; Lee, Robin; Luce, Judith; Ziegler, John

2007-01-01

Genetic counseling for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations involves teaching about hereditary cancer, genetics and risk, subjects that are difficult to grasp and are routinely misunderstood. Supported by a grant from the Avon Foundation, the UCSF Cancer Risk Program started the first genetic testing and counseling service for a population of traditionally underserved women of varied ethnic and social backgrounds at the San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH). Informed by educational theory and clinical experience, we devised and piloted two simplified explanations of heredity and genetic risk, with the aim of uncovering how to best communicate genetics and risk to this underserved population. A "conventional" version comprised pictures of genes, pedigrees, and quantitative representations of risk. A "colloquial" pictorial version used an analogy of the "information book" of genes, family stories and vignettes, and visual representations of risk, without using scientific words such as genes or chromosomes. A verbal narrative accompanied each picture. We presented these modules to four focus groups of five to eight women recruited from the SFGH Family Practice Clinic. Overall, women preferred a picture-based approach and commented that additional text would have been distracting. The majority of women preferred the colloquial version because it was easier to understand and better conveyed a sense of comfort and hope. We conclude that simplicity, analogies, and familiarity support comprehension while vignettes, family stories, and photos of real people provide comfort and hope. These elements may promote understanding of complex scientific topics in healthcare, particularly when communicating with patients who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Enrolling Minority and Underserved Populations in Cancer Clinical Research.

PubMed

Wallington, Sherrie F; Dash, Chiranjeev; Sheppard, Vanessa B; Goode, Tawara D; Oppong, Bridget A; Dodson, Everett E; Hamilton, Rhonda N; Adams-Campbell, Lucile L

2016-01-01

Research suggests that community involvement is integral to solving public health problems, including involvement in clinical trials-a gold standard. Significant racial/ethnic disparities exist in the accrual of participants for clinical trials. Location and cultural aspects of clinical trials influence recruitment and accrual to clinical trials. It is increasingly necessary to be aware of defining characteristics, such as location and culture of the populations from which research participants are enrolled. Little research has examined the effect of location and cultural competency in adapting clinical trial research for minority and underserved communities on accrual for clinical trials. Utilizing embedded community academic sites, the authors applied cultural competency frameworks to adapt clinical trial research in order to increase minority participation in nontherapeutic cancer clinical trials. This strategy resulted in successful accrual of participants to new clinical research trials, specifically targeting participation from minority and underserved communities in metropolitan Washington, DC. From 2012 to 2014, a total of 559 participants enrolled across six nontherapeutic clinical trials, representing a 62% increase in the enrollment of blacks in clinical research. Embedding cancer prevention programs and research in the community was shown to be yet another important strategy in the arsenal of approaches that can potentially enhance clinical research enrollment and capacity. The analyses showed that the capacity to acquire cultural knowledge about patients-their physical locales, cultural values, and environments in which they live-is essential to recruiting culturally and ethnically diverse population samples. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lessons Learned Recruiting Minority Participants for Research in Urban Community Health Centers.

PubMed

Fam, Elizabeth; Ferrante, Jeanne M

2018-02-01

To help understand and mitigate health disparities, it is important to conduct research with underserved and underrepresented minority populations under real world settings. There is a gap in the literature detailing real-time research staff experience, particularly in their own words, while conducting in-person patient recruitment in urban community health centers. This paper describes challenges faced at the clinic, staff, and patient levels, our lessons learned, and strategies implemented by research staff while recruiting predominantly low-income African-American women for an interviewer-administered survey study in four urban Federally Qualified Health Centers in New Jersey. Using a series of immersion-crystallization cycles, fieldnotes and research reflections written by recruiters, along with notes from team meetings during the study, were qualitatively analyzed. Clinic level barriers included: physical layout of clinic, very low or high patient census, limited private space, and long wait times for patients. Staff level barriers included: unengaged staff, overburdened staff, and provider and staff turnover. Patient level barriers included: disinterested patients, patient mistrust and concerns over confidentiality, no-shows or lack of patient time, and language barrier. We describe strategies used to overcome these barriers and provide recommendations for in-person recruitment of underserved populations into research studies. To help mitigate health disparities, disseminating recruiters' experiences, challenges, and effective strategies used will allow other researchers to build upon these experience in order to increase recruitment success of underserved and underrepresented minority populations into research studies. Copyright © 2018 National Medical Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What Goes Around: the process of building a community-based harm reduction research project.

PubMed

Jalloh, Chelsea; Illsley, Shohan; Wylie, John; Migliardi, Paula; West, Ethan; Stewart, Debbie; Mignone, Javier

2017-11-16

Often, research takes place on underserved populations rather than with underserved populations. This approach can further isolate and stigmatize groups that are already made marginalized. What Goes Around is a community-based research project that was led by community members themselves (Peers). This research aimed to implement a community-based research methodology grounded in the leadership and growing research capacity of community researchers and to investigate a topic which community members identified as important and meaningful. Chosen by community members, this project explored how safer sex and safer drug use information is shared informally among Peers. Seventeen community members actively engaged as both community researchers and research participants throughout all facets of the project: inception, implementation, analysis, and dissemination of results. Effective collaboration between community researchers, a community organization, and academics facilitated a research process in which community members actively guided the project from beginning to end. The methods used in What Goes Around demonstrated that it is not only possible, but advantageous, to draw from community members' involvement and direction in all stages of a community-based research project. This is particularly important when working with a historically underserved population. Purposeful and regular communication among collaborators, ongoing capacity building, and a commitment to respect the experience and expertise of community members were essential to the project's success. This project demonstrated that community members are highly invested in both informally sharing information about safer sex and safer drug use and taking leadership roles in directing research that prioritizes harm reduction in their communities.

75 FR 26167 - Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professions Shortage Areas; Intent To...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-11

... groups and/or organizations as negotiation participants. (1) Up to 3 State Primary Care Offices (PCOs... requested to consult with their fellow PCOs between meetings. (2) National Organization of State Offices of...

75 FR 67303 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-02

..., please contact Nicole Patterson, Office of Shortage Designation, Bureau of Health Professions, Health... should be sent to Nicole Patterson at the contact address above at least 10 days prior to the meeting...

75 FR 59674 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-28

... CONTACT: For more information, please contact Nicole Patterson, Office of Shortage Designation, Bureau of... written comments to the Committee should be sent to Nicole Patterson at the contact address above at least...

A day of immersive physiology experiments increases knowledge and excitement towards physiology and scientific careers in Native American students.

PubMed

Becker, Bryan K; Schiller, Alicia M; Zucker, Irving H; Eager, Eric A; Bronner, Liliana P; Godfrey, Maurice

2017-03-01

Underserved minority groups are disproportionately absent from the pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. One such underserved population, Native Americans, are particularly underrepresented in STEM fields. Although recent advocacy and outreach designed toward increasing minority involvement in health care-related occupations have been mostly successful, little is known about the efficacy of outreach programs in increasing minority enthusiasm toward careers in traditional scientific professions. Furthermore, very little is known about outreach among Native American schools toward increasing involvement in STEM. We collaborated with tribal middle and high schools in South Dakota and Nebraska through a National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award to hold a day-long physiology, activity-based event to increase both understanding of physiology and enthusiasm to scientific careers. We recruited volunteer biomedical scientists and trainees from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and University of South Dakota. To evaluate the effectiveness of the day of activities, 224 of the ~275-300 participating students completed both a pre- and postevent evaluation assessment. We observed increases in both students self-perceived knowledge of physiology and enthusiasm toward scientific career opportunities after the day of outreach activities. We conclude that activity-based learning opportunities in underserved populations are effective in increasing both knowledge of science and interest in scientific careers. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Dental students' attitudes toward underserved populations across four years of dental school.

PubMed

Habibian, Mina; Seirawan, Hazem; Mulligan, Roseann

2011-08-01

The objective of this study was to assess dental students' attitudes toward underserved populations across their four years of dental school. Students at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California were invited to take part in the study. Participating students completed a questionnaire on their attitudes toward the underserved at three time points: 1) during orientation week; 2) at the end of their second year after taking part in some community dental programs; and 3) at the end of their fourth year after they had completed all their mandatory and volunteer rotations in community dental programs. Students' attitudes were measured in four categories: societal expectations, dentist/student responsibility, personal efficacy, and access to care. First-year students scored 85 out of a maximum of 115 on the questionnaire. Female students scored higher than male students (P=0.006). Age, debt, and past history of volunteer work were not related to first-year students' total attitude scores; however, students with a history of volunteer experience scored higher on the dentist/student responsibility category (P=0.04). Students' attitude scores declined across the four years of dental school (P=0.001). The same patterns were evident for all categories except societal expectations. The decline was not related to age, gender, debt, or volunteer work experience. Follow-up studies are needed to help explain the factors that may be related to this decline.

Patient navigation for underserved patients diagnosed with breast cancer.

PubMed

Raj, Aparna; Ko, Naomi; Battaglia, Tracy A; Chabner, Bruce A; Moy, Beverly

2012-01-01

The elimination of cancer disparities is critically important for lessening the burden of breast cancer (BC). Patient navigator programs (PNPs) have been shown to improve rates of BC screening in underserved communities, but there is a dearth of evidence regarding their benefits after the actual diagnosis of BC. We retrospectively examined sociodemographic characteristics, disease characteristics, and concordance to quality measures (QMs) of BC care among women participating in a PNP that services disadvantaged minority communities in the greater Boston area. Of the 186 PNP patients diagnosed with BC in 2001-2011 in three neighborhood community health centers, treatment data was available for 158 (85%) and race and disease stage information was available for 149 (80%). Regarding stage, 25% were diagnosed with in situ cancer, 32% had stage 1, 25% had stage 2, 13% had stage 3, and 5% had stage 4 BC. Guideline-indicated care was received by 70 of 74 patients (95%) for the hormonal therapy QM, 15 of 17 (88%) patients for the chemotherapy QM, and 65 of 71 (92%) patients for the radiation QM, all similar to published concordance rates at elite National Comprehensive Cancer Network institutions. These findings suggest that PNPs may facilitate evidence-based quality care for vulnerable populations. Future research should prospectively analyze quality metrics to assess measures to improve the process and outcomes of patient navigation in diverse underserved settings, compared with control non-navigated populations.

Interdisciplinary Community-Based Oral Health Program for Women and Children at WIC.

PubMed

Gold, Jaana; Tomar, Scott L

2018-06-23

Objectives To evaluate the women, infants, and children (WIC) Oral Health Program in a county in Florida. Methods The non-traditional interdisciplinary program of the current study was designed to reach at-risk populations with untreated dental diseases and limited access to care; it provides oral health education, dental screenings, preventive dental services, and referrals for women, children, and families at WIC offices. We evaluated the health status of patients enrolled in the program and the services provided. Results From 2013 to 2016, the program provided dental screenings for 576 children and 180 women. Caries prevalence for 3-5 year olds was 46.0%. Only 6.6% (12/114) of pregnant women were eligible for comprehensive dental care under Medicaid (< 21 years). Further, 71.2% (47/66) of all pregnant women had unmet dental care needs. Conclusions for Practice Our results suggested that many children and women had untreated dental diseases and need preventive services and dental care. Also, many pregnant women were not covered by Medicaid. This program demonstrates that collaboration with the WIC program can improve access to oral health services for underserved populations.

Assisted Living and Special Populations: What Do We Know about Differences in Use and Potential Access Barriers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez, Mauro; Newcomer, Robert

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to review existing knowledge about assisted living (AL) use by traditionally underserved populations, including people of color, low-income people, and those living in rural communities. Design and Methods: We reviewed methodologies and findings of research on AL and residential care up to June 2004.…

Development, Implementation, and Assessment of a Lecture Course on Cancer for Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shuster, Michele; Peterson, Karen

2009-01-01

The war on cancer has been waged for nearly 40 years, yet the cancer burden remains high, especially among minority and underserved populations. One strategy to make strides in the war on cancer and its disparate impacts is to increase the diversity of the cancer research workforce. We describe an approach to recruit a diverse population of future…

Mobile clinics in Haiti, part 1: Preparing for service-learning.

PubMed

Cone, Pamela H; Haley, Janice M

2016-11-01

Mobile clinics have been used successfully to provide healthcare services to people in hard to reach areas around the world, but their use is sometimes controversial. There are advantages to using mobile clinics among rural underserved populations, and providing access to those who are vulnerable will improve health and decrease morbidity and mortality. However, some teams use inappropriate approaches to international service. For over 15 years, Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing has sponsored mobile clinics to rural northern Haiti with the aim to provide culturally sensitive healthcare in collaboration with Haitian leaders. Experience and exploring the literature have informed the APU-SoN approach on best practices for planning and preparing study abroad, service-learning trips that provide healthcare services. The authors hope that this description of the preparation and planning needed for appropriate and culturally sensitive service-learning experiences abroad will benefit others who seek to provide healthcare study abroad opportunities around the world. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Best practice eye care models

PubMed Central

Qureshi, Babar M; Mansur, Rabiu; Al-Rajhi, Abdulaziz; Lansingh, Van; Eckert, Kristen; Hassan, Kunle; Ravilla, Thulasiraj; Muhit, Mohammad; Khanna, Rohit C; Ismat, Chaudhry

2012-01-01

Since the launching of Global Initiative, VISION 2020 “the Right to Sight” many innovative, practical and unique comprehensive eye care services provision models have evolved targeting the underserved populations in different parts of the World. At places the rapid assessment of the burden of eye diseases in confined areas or utilizing the key informants for identification of eye diseases in the communities are promoted for better planning and evidence based advocacy for getting / allocation of resources for eye care. Similarly for detection and management of diabetes related blindness, retinopathy of prematurity and avoidable blindness at primary level, the major obstacles are confronted in reaching to them in a cost effective manner and then management of the identified patients accordingly. In this regard, the concept of tele-ophthalmology model sounds to be the best solution. Whereas other models on comprehensive eye care services provision have been emphasizing on surgical output through innovative scales of economy that generate income for the program and ensure its sustainability, while guaranteeing treatment of the poorest of the poor. PMID:22944741

Development of a Marketing Campaign to Recruit Non-adjudicated and Untreated Abusive Men for a Brief Telephone Intervention.

PubMed

Mbilinyi, Lyungai F; Zegree, Joan; Roffman, Roger A; Walker, Denise; Neighbors, Clayton; Edleson, Jeffrey

2008-07-01

Although voluntary enrollment by abusive men in domestic violence perpetrator treatment programs occurs, most men enter treatment only after they have injured a partner or family member and have been arrested, convicted and sentenced. This leaves a serious gap for those who engage in abusive behavior but who have not been served by the legal or social service systems. To address this gap, the researchers applied social marketing principles to recruit abusive men to a telephone-delivered pre-treatment intervention (the Men's Domestic Abuse Check-Up-MDACU), designed to motivate non-adjudicated and untreated abusive men who are concurrently using alcohol and drugs to enter treatment voluntarily. This article discusses recruitment efforts in reaching perpetrators of intimate partner violence, an underserved population. Informed by McGuire's communication and persuasion matrix, the researchers describe three phases of the MDACU's marketing campaign: (1) planning, (2) early implementation, and (3) revision of marketing strategies based on initial results. The researchers' "lessons learned" conclude the paper.

Explaining and improving breast cancer information acquisition among African American women in the Deep South.

PubMed

Anderson-Lewis, Charkarra; Ross, Levi; Johnson, Jarrett; Hastrup, Janice L; Green, B Lee; Kohler, Connie L

2012-06-01

A major challenge facing contemporary cancer educators is how to optimize the dissemination of breast cancer prevention and control information to African American women in the Deep South who are believed to be cancer free. The purpose of this research was to provide insight into the breast cancer information-acquisition experiences of African American women in Alabama and Mississippi and to make recommendations on ways to better reach members of this high-risk, underserved population. Focus group methodology was used in a repeated, cross-sectional research design with 64 African American women, 35 years old or older who lived in one of four urban or rural counties in Alabama and Mississippi. Axial-coded themes emerged around sources of cancer information, patterns of information acquisition, characteristics of preferred sources, and characteristics of least-preferred sources. It is important to invest in lay health educators to optimize the dissemination of breast cancer information to African American women who are believed to be cancer free in the Deep South.

Technology Use in Higher Education Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elzarka, Sammy

2012-01-01

The significance of integrating technology use in higher education instruction is undeniable. The benefits include those related to access to instruction by underserved populations, adequately preparing students for future careers, capitalizing on best instructional practices, developing higher order thinking activities, and engaging students…

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Covering and Reimbursing Telehealth Services.

PubMed

Blackman, Kate

2016-01-01

Policymakers who are striving to achieve better health care, improved health outcomes and lower costs are considering new strategies and technologies. Telehealth is a tool that uses technology to provide health services remotely, and state leaders are looking to it now more than ever as a way to address workforce gaps and reach underserved patients. Among the challenges facing state lawmakers who are working to introduce or expand telehealth is how to handle covering patients and reimbursing providers.

Hearing the Silenced Voices of Underserved Women -The Role of Qualitative Research in Gynecologic and Reproductive Care

PubMed Central

Lawson, Angela K.; Marsh, Erica E.

2017-01-01

Summary for Indexing In order to provide effective evidence-based health care to women, rigorous research that examines women’s lived experiences in their own voices in needed. However, clinical health research has often excluded the experiences of women and minority patient populations. Further, clinical research has often relied on quantitative research strategies; this provides an interesting but limited understanding of women’s health experiences and hinders the provision of effective patient-centered care. In this review, we define qualitative research and its unique contributions to research, and provide examples of how qualitative research has given insights into the reproductive health perspectives and behaviors of underserved women. PMID:28160888

International Comparisons in Underserved Health: Issues, Policies, Needs and Projections.

PubMed

Hutchinson, Paul; Morelli, Vincent

2017-03-01

Health care globally has made great strides; for example, there are lower rates of infant and maternal mortality. Increased incomes have led to lower rates of diseases accompanying poverty and hunger. There has been a shift away from the infectious diseases so deadly in developing nations toward first-world conditions. This article presents health care statistics across age groups and geographic areas to help the primary care physician understand these changes. There is a special focus on underserved populations. New technologies in health and health care spending internationally are addressed, emphasizing universal health care. The article concludes with recommendations for the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Volunteering at a Student-Run Free Healthcare Clinic on Medical Students' Self-Efficacy, Comfortableness, Attitude, and Interest in Working with the Underserved Population and Interest in Primary Care.

PubMed

Tran, Kelvin; Kovalskiy, Aleksandr; Desai, Anand; Imran, Amna; Ismail, Rahim; Hernandez, Caridad

2017-02-23

The number of primary care physicians in the United States continues to lag behind the number of uninsured people. There has been a growing demand for medical students to improve their self-efficacy, comfortableness, attitude, and interest in working with the underserved and in primary care. This study aims to discern whether volunteering at a student-run, free healthcare clinic has a positive impact on these five variables of interest or not. A 95-item survey was distributed through Qualtrics Survey Software (Qualtrics, Provo, UT, USA) to medical students from the Class of 2018 and Class of 2019 at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. They were recruited via emails, Facebook, and in-classroom announcements. Mean responses on a Likert-like scale to different survey items were collected and compared between two study cohorts: Keeping Neighbors In Good Health Through Service (KNIGHTS) Clinic volunteers and non-volunteers. Results from 128 students showed no significant differences in the means between the two cohorts (p-values were not significant). When volunteers were asked the survey item, "KNIGHTS Clinic positively influenced my attitude towards working with underserved patients," 62% strongly agreed, 26% agreed, 10% were neutral, and 2% disagreed. Based on the results, volunteering at KNIGHTS Clinic may not have a positive impact on the five variables of interest. However, the lack of significance may also be due to certain limitations of this study addressed elsewhere in this paper. With the majority of KNIGHTS Clinic volunteers agreeing that "KNIGHTS Clinic positively influenced […their] attitude towards working with underserved patients," there may be a positive impact of volunteering on volunteers' attitude towards working with the underserved.

Personal values of family physicians, practice satisfaction, and service to the underserved.

PubMed

Eliason, B C; Guse, C; Gottlieb, M S

2000-03-01

Personal values are defined as "desirable goals varying in importance that serve as guiding principles in people's lives," and have been shown to influence specialty choice and relate to practice satisfaction. We wished to examine further the relationship of personal values to practice satisfaction and also to a physician's willingness to care for the underserved. We also wished to study associations that might exist among personal values, practice satisfaction, and a variety of practice characteristics. We randomly surveyed a stratified probability sample of 1224 practicing family physicians about their personal values (using the Schwartz values questionnaire), practice satisfaction, practice location, breadth of practice, demographics, board certification status, teaching involvement, and the payor mix of the practice. Family physicians rated the benevolence (motivation to help those close to you) value type highest, and the ratings of the benevolence value type were positively associated with practice satisfaction (correlation coefficient = 0.14, P = .002). Those involved in teaching medical trainees were more satisfied than those who were not involved (P = .009). Some value-type ratings were found to be positively associated with caring for the underserved. Those whose practices consisted of more than 40% underserved (underserved defined as Medicare, Medicaid, and indigent populations) rated the tradition (motivation to maintain customs of traditional culture and religion) value type significantly higher (P = .02). Those whose practices consisted of more than 30% indigent care rated the universalism (motivation to enhance and protect the well-being of all people) value type significantly higher (P = .03). Family physicians who viewed benevolence as a guiding principle in their lives reported a higher level of professional satisfaction. Likewise, physicians involved in the teaching of medical trainees were more satisfied with their profession. Family physicians who rate the universalism values highly are more likely to provide care to the indigent.

Reasons for HCV non-treatment in underserved African Americans: implications for treatment with new therapeutics.

PubMed

Schaeffer, Sarah; Khalili, Mandana

2015-01-01

African Americans are disproportionately affected by hepatitis C (HCV) and are less likely to undergo HCV treatment. Underserved populations are especially at risk for experiencing health disparity. Aim. To identify reasons for HCV non-treatment among underserved African Americans in a large safetynet system. Medical records of HCV-infected African Americans evaluated at San Francisco General Hospital liver specialty clinic from 2006-2011 who did not receive HCV treatment were reviewed. Treatment eligibility and reasons for non-treatment were assessed. Factors associated with treatment ineligibility were assessed using logistic regression modeling. Among 118 patients, 42% were treatment ineligible, 18% treatment eligible, and 40% were undergoing work-up to determine eligibility. Reasons for treatment ineligibility were medical (54%), non-medical (14%), psychiatric (4%), or combined (28%). When controlling for age and sex, active/recent substance abuse (OR 6.65, p = 0.001) and having two or more medical comorbidities (OR 3.39, p = 0.005) predicted treatment ineligibility. Excluding those ineligible for treatment, 72% of all other patients were lost to follow-up; they were older (55 vs. 48 years, p = 0.01) and more likely to be undergoing work up to determine treatment eligibility (86 vs. 21%, p < 0.0001) than those not lost to follow-up. Medical comorbidities and substance abuse predicted HCV treatment ineligibility in underserved African Americans. Importantly, the majority of those undergoing work-up to determine HCV treatment eligibility were lost to follow-up. While newer anti-HCV agents may increase treatment eligibility, culturally appropriate interventions to increase compliance with evaluation and care remain critical to HCV management in underserved African Americans.

78 FR 7419 - Applications for New Awards; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research...

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Culturally Diverse and Underserved Populations of Gifted Students in the United States and in Taiwan: Equitable Access to Gifted Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Ya-Ting

2014-01-01

There is a continuing increase in the African American and Hispanic student populations in public schools. The students who are invited to gifted programs are overwhelmingly White. This is the situation in schools in the United States and also in Taiwan. Misunderstanding or unawareness of culture difference among educators might contribute to…

Psychosocial Determinants of Mammography Follow-up after Receipt of Abnormal Mammography Results in Medically Underserved Women

PubMed Central

Fair, Alecia Malin; Wujcik, Debra; Lin, Jin-Mann Sally; Zheng, Wei; Egan, Kathleen M.; Grau, Ana M.; Champion, Victoria L.; Wallston, Kenneth A.

2010-01-01

This article targets the relationship between psychosocial determinants and abnormal screening mammography follow-up in a medically underserved population. Health belief scales were modified to refer to diagnostic follow-up versus annual screening. A retrospective cohort study design was used. Statistical analyses were performed examining relationships among sociodemographic factors, psychosocial determinants, and abnormal mammography follow-up. Women with lower mean internal health locus of control scores (3.14) were two times more likely than women with higher mean internal health locus of control scores (3.98) to have inadequate follow-up (OR = 2.53, 95% CI = 1.12–5.36). Women with less than a high school education had lower cancer fatalism scores than women who had completed high school (47.5 vs. 55.2, p-value = .02) and lower mean external health locus of control scores (3.0 vs. 5.3) (p-value<.01). These constructs have implications for understanding mammography follow-up among minority and medically underserved women. Further comprehensive study of these concepts is warranted. PMID:20173286

Psychosocial determinants of mammography follow-up after receipt of abnormal mammography results in medically underserved women.

PubMed

Fair, Alecia Malin; Wujcik, Debra; Lin, Jin-Mann Sally; Zheng, Wei; Egan, Kathleen M; Grau, Ana M; Champion, Victoria L; Wallston, Kenneth A

2010-02-01

This article targets the relationship between psychosocial determinants and abnormal screening mammography follow-up in a medically underserved population. Health belief scales were modified to refer to diagnostic follow-up versus annual screening. A retrospective cohort study design was used. Statistical analyses were performed examining relationships among sociodemographic factors, psychosocial determinants, and abnormal mammography follow-up. Women with lower mean internal health locus of control scores (3.14) were two times more likely than women with higher mean internal health locus of control scores (3.98) to have inadequate follow-up (OR=2.53, 95% CI=1.12-5.36). Women with less than a high school education had lower cancer fatalism scores than women who had completed high school (47.5 vs. 55.2, p-value=.02) and lower mean external health locus of control scores (3.0 vs. 5.3) (p-value<.01). These constructs have implications for understanding mammography follow-up among minority and medically underserved women. Further comprehensive study of these concepts is warranted.

Healthcare provider perceptions of the role of interprofessional care in access to and outcomes of primary care in an underserved area.

PubMed

Wan, Shaowei; Teichman, Peter G; Latif, David; Boyd, Jennifer; Gupta, Rahul

2018-03-01

To meet the needs of an aging population who often have multiple chronic conditions, interprofessional care is increasingly adopted by patient-centred medical homes and Accountable Care Organisations to improve patient care coordination and decrease costs in the United States, especially in underserved areas with primary care workforce shortages. In this cross-sectional survey across multiple clinical settings in an underserved area, healthcare providers perceived overall outcomes associated with interprofessional care teams as positive. This included healthcare providers' beliefs that interprofessional care teams improved patient outcomes, increased clinic efficiency, and enhanced care coordination and patient follow-up. Teams with primary care physician available each day were perceived as better able to coordinate care and follow up with patients (p = .031), while teams that included clinical pharmacists were perceived as preventing medication-associated problems (p < .0001). Healthcare providers perceived the interprofessional care model as a useful strategy to improve various outcomes across different clinical settings in the context of a shortage of primary care physicians.

Breast care screening for underserved African American women: Community-based participatory approach.

PubMed

Davis, Cindy; Darby, Kathleen; Moore, Matthew; Cadet, Tamara; Brown, Gwendolynn

2017-01-01

Traditional health promotion models often do not take into account the importance of shared cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences unique to underserved African American women when designing community-based cancer screening and prevention programs. Thus, the purpose of this study was the development, implementation, and evaluation of a community-based participatory research (CBPR) program designed to increase breast cancer screening awareness in an underserved African American population by providing culturally appropriate social support and information. The study includes 357 African American women who participated in the program and completed the 6-month follow-up questionnaire. The program consisted of a 45-minute play, using community members and storytelling to honor and incorporate five different cultural experiences (skits) with breast care and cancer. Overall, findings indicate that the educational intervention was effective. In addition, these findings are consistent with the literature that suggests that educational interventions that include knowledge to alleviate concerns, dispel myths, and create awareness can increase breast cancer screening participation rates. Furthermore, these findings confirm the importance of CBPR in health promotion activities in reducing health and cancer disparities.

Screening for autism spectrum disorder in underserved communities: Early childcare providers as reporters.

PubMed

Janvier, Yvette M; Harris, Jill F; Coffield, Caroline N; Louis, Barbara; Xie, Ming; Cidav, Zuleyha; Mandell, David S

2016-04-01

Early diagnosis of autism typically is associated with earlier access to intervention and improved outcomes. Daycares and preschools largely have been ignored as possible venues for early identification. This may be especially important for minority children in the United States who are typically diagnosed with autism later than White children, limiting their access to early specialized interventions and possibly resulting in poorer outcomes. Early childcare providers within underserved communities completed autism screening tools for a sample of low-risk young children (n = 967) in their programs. Early childcare providers returned screening tools for 90% of the children for whom parental consent had been received. A total of 14% of children screened positive for autism spectrum disorder and 3% of the sample met criteria for autism spectrum disorder. Among those who screened positive, 34% were lost to follow-up. Findings suggest that early childcare providers can effectively screen young children for autism spectrum disorder in preschool/daycare settings, thus improving access to early diagnosis and reducing potential healthcare disparities among underserved populations. © The Author(s) 2015.

US geographic distribution of rt-PA utilization by hospital for acute ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Kleindorfer, Dawn; Xu, Yingying; Moomaw, Charles J; Khatri, Pooja; Adeoye, Opeolu; Hornung, Richard

2009-11-01

Previously, we have estimated US national rates of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) use to be 1.8% to 3.0% of all ischemic stroke patients. However, we hypothesized that the rate of rt-PA use may vary widely depending on regional variation, and that a large percentage of the US population likely does not have access to hospitals using rt-PA regularly. We describe the US geographic distribution of hospitals using rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke. This analysis used the MEDPAR database, which is a claims-based dataset that contains every fee-for-service Medicare-eligible hospital discharge in the US. Cases potentially eligible for rt-PA treatment based on diagnosis were defined as those with a hospital DRG code of 14, 15, or 559, and that also had an ICD-9 code of 433, 434, or 436. Thrombolysis use was defined as an ICD-9 code of 99.1. Study interval was July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2007. Hospital locations were mapped using ArcView software; population densities and regions of the US are based on US Census 2000. There were 4750 hospitals in the MEDPAR database, which included 495 186 ischemic stroke admissions during the study period. Of these hospitals, 64% had no reported treatments with rt-PA for ischemic stroke, and 0.9% reported >10% treatment rates within the MEDPAR dataset. Bed size, rural or underserved designation, and population density were significantly associated with reported rt-PA treatment rates, and remained significant in the multivariable regression. Approximately 162 million US citizens reside in counties containing a hospital reporting a >or=2.4% treatment rate within the MEDPAR dataset. We report the first description of US hospital rt-PA treatment rates by hospital. Unfortunately, we found that 64% of US hospitals did not report giving rt-PA at all within the MEDPAR database within a 2-year period. These tended to be hospitals that were smaller (average bed size of 95), located in less densely populated areas, or located in the South or Midwest. In addition, 40% of the US population resides in counties without a hospital that administered rt-PA to at least 2.4% of ischemic stroke patients, although distinguishing transferred patients is problematic within administrative datasets. Such national-based resource-utilization data is important for planning at the local and national level, especially for such initiatives as telemedicine, to reach underserved areas.

Community health navigators for breast- and cervical-cancer screening among Cambodian and Laotian women: intervention strategies and relationship-building processes.

PubMed

Ngoc Nguyen, Tu-Uyen; Tanjasiri, Sora Park; Kagawa-Singer, Marjorie; Tran, Jacqueline H; Foo, Mary Anne

2008-10-01

In recent years, there has been a growing number of programs employing health navigators to assist underserved individuals in overcoming barriers to obtaining regular and quality health care. This article describes the perspectives and experiences of community-based health navigators in the Cambodian and Laotian communities involved in a REACH 2010 project to reduce health disparities in breast and cervical cancer among Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian communities in California. These community health navigators, who have extensive training and knowledge about the cultural, historical, and structural needs and resources of their communities, are well equipped to build trusting relationships with community members traditionally ignored by the mainstream medical system. By comparing the different social support roles and intervention strategies employed by community health navigators in diverse communities, we can better understand how these valuable change agents of the health workforce are effective in improving health access and healthy behaviors for underserved communities.

Telecommunications and Education. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Communications of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. United States Senate, One Hundred Second Congress, Second Session (July 29, 1992).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Testimony on the use of telecommunications technologies in education was given at this hearing. The focus was to examine how new and old technologies can be used to help schools and universities serve children more effectively and to extend the reach of educational institutions to rural and underserved communities. Although there is a great deal…

Mammographic Breast Density in a Cohort of Medically Underserved Women

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

chronic diseases, adult weight history, diet , and health literacy. A trained radiologic technician completed full- field digital screening mammograms on... Mediterranean population. Int J Cancer 118:1782-1789 12. El-Bastawissi AY, White E, Mandelson MT, Taplin S (2001) Variation in mammographic breast

Astrobiology in an Urban New York City High School: John Dewey High School's Space Science Academy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fried, B.; Dash, H. B.

2010-04-01

John Dewey High School's participation in NASA's MESDT and DLN projects and other partnerships provide opportunities for our diverse population, focusing particular attention to under-represented and under-served groups in the field of Space Science.

Cancer control needs of 2-1-1 callers in Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington.

PubMed

Purnell, Jason Q; Kreuter, Matthew W; Eddens, Katherine S; Ribisl, Kurt M; Hannon, Peggy; Williams, Rebecca S; Fernandez, Maria E; Jobe, David; Gemmel, Susan; Morris, Marti; Fagin, Debbie

2012-05-01

Innovative interventions are needed to connect underserved populations to cancer control services. With data from Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington this study a) estimated the cancer control needs of callers to 2-1-1, an information and referral system used by underserved populations, b) compared rates of need with state and national data, and c) examined receptiveness to needed referrals. From October 2009 to March 2010 callers' (N=1,408) cancer control needs were assessed in six areas: breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening, HPV vaccination, smoking, and smoke-free homes using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey items. Standardized estimates were compared with state and national rates. Nearly 70% of the sample had at least one cancer control need. Needs were greater for 2-1-1 callers than for state and national rates, and callers were receptive to referrals. 2-1-1 could be a key partner in efforts to reduce cancer disparities.

A Practical Risk Stratification Approach for Implementing a Primary Care Chronic Disease Management Program in an Underserved Community.

PubMed

Xu, Junjun; Williams-Livingston, Arletha; Gaglioti, Anne; McAllister, Calvin; Rust, George

2018-01-01

The use of value metrics is often dependent on payer-initiated health care management incentives. There is a need for practices to define and manage their own patient panels regardless of payer to participate effectively in population health management. A key step is to define a panel of primary care patients with high comorbidity profiles. Our sample included all patients seen in an urban academic family medicine clinic over a two-year period. The simplified risk stratification was built using internal electronic health record and billing system data based on ICD-9 codes. There were 347 patients classified as high-risk out of the 5,364 patient panel. Average age was 59 years (SD 15). Hypertension (90%), hyperlipidemia (62%), and depression (55%) were the most common conditions among high-risk patients. Simplified risk stratification provides a feasible option for our team to understand and respond to the nuances of population health in our underserved community.

Implementation and Effectiveness of a Mailed FIT Outreach Program in Safety Net Clinics

Cancer.gov

Gloria Coronado, PhD, is an epidemiologist and the Mitch Greenlick Endowed Senior Investigator in Health Disparities Research at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, OR. Her research focuses on understanding and addressing disparities in the occurrence and burden of disease in underserved populations, with a special emphasis on testing cancer prevention intervention in underserved and Medicaid-enrolled populations. She has developed several innovative and cost-effective interventions to improve rates of participation in cancer screening among patients served by community health centers. Her work has led to partnerships with large health plans, state institutions, and clinics who serve migrants and the uninsured. Dr. Coronado received her PhD in epidemiology from the University of Washington and became a research associate professor in the university’s Department of Epidemiology, in addition to receiving training at Stanford. She currently directs or co-directs three programs that use systems-based approaches to raise the rates of colorectal cancer screening in health plans and clinics in Washington, Oregon and California.

Did Intraprofessional Training with Dental Therapists Affect Dental Students' Attitudes Toward Caring for the Underserved?

PubMed

Flynn, Priscilla M; Luthra, Makshita; Blue, Christine M

2017-02-01

Dental therapy was recently introduced as a new oral health care workforce model to increase care for vulnerable populations in Minnesota. Nine dental therapy and 98 dental students began intraprofessional training at the University of Minnesota in 2009. The aim of this longitudinal study was to determine whether intraprofessional education with the dental therapy students would affect the dental students' attitudes toward caring for underserved populations. One class of dental students was surveyed annually between 2009 and 2013 using the Attitudes Toward Health Care survey to measure attitudinal changes about treating vulnerable patients across their four years of dental school. Participation ranged from 68% to 99% in each year. The results showed that the dental students had positive attitudes toward treating vulnerable patients on entering dental school, but their attitudes became less positive over the four years. While the composite survey results were similar to other studies using the same instrument, variations were seen by domain. These students' attitudes about societal expectations and personal efficacy remained stable, while their dentist/student responsibility and access to care attitudes showed statistically significant declines. Their positive attitudes toward treating the underserved declined over four years regardless of intraprofessional training with dental therapy students. As attitudes toward caring for vulnerable patients are shaped by both personal attitudes and societal norms, additional research is needed to determine whether the addition of an intentional curricular thread may alter results over time compared to intraprofessional training alone.

Addressing Children's Oral Health in the New Millennium: Trends in the Dental Workforce

PubMed Central

Mertz, Elizabeth; Mouradian, Wendy

2009-01-01

The Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health (SGROH) and the Call to Action to Promote Oral Health outlined the need to increase the diversity, capacity and flexibility of the dental workforce to reduce oral health disparities. This paper provides an update on dental workforce trends since the SGROH in the context of children's oral health needs. Major challenges remain to ensure a workforce that is adequate to address the needs of all children. The dentist to population ratio is declining, while mal-distribution of dentists continues for rural and underserved communities. The diversity of the dental workforce has only improved slightly, while the diversity of the pediatric population has increased substantially. More pediatric dentists have been trained, and dental educational programs are preparing students for practice in underserved areas, but the impact of these efforts on underserved children is uncertain. Other workforce developments with the potential to improve children's oral health include: enhanced training in children's oral health for general dentists; expanded scope of practice for allied dental health professionals; new dental practitioners including the dental health aid therapist; and increased engagement of pediatricians and other medical practitioners in children's oral health. The evidence for increasing caries experience in young children points to the need for continued efforts to bolster the oral health workforce. However, workforce strategies alone will not be sufficient to change this situation. Requisite policy changes, educational efforts and strong partnerships with communities will be needed to effect substantive changes in children's oral health. PMID:19854121

Addressing children's oral health in the new millennium: trends in the dental workforce.

PubMed

Mertz, Elizabeth; Mouradian, Wendy E

2009-01-01

Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General (SGROH) and National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health outlined the need to increase the diversity, capacity, and flexibility of the dental workforce to reduce oral health disparities. This paper provides an update on dental workforce trends since the SGROH in the context of children's oral health needs. Major challenges remain to ensure a workforce that is adequate to address the needs of all children. The dentist-to-population ratio is declining while shortages of dentists continue in rural and underserved communities. The diversity of the dental workforce has only improved slightly, and the the diversity of the pediatric population has increased substantially. More pediatric dentists have been trained, and dental educational programs are preparing students for practice in underserved areas, but the impact of these efforts on underserved children is uncertain. Other workforce developments with the potential to improve children's oral health include enhanced training in children's oral health for general dentists, expanded scope of practice for allied dental health professionals, new dental practitioners including the dental health aid therapist, and increased engagement of pediatricians and other medical practitioners in children's oral health. The evidence for increasing caries experience in young children points to the need for continued efforts to bolster the oral health workforce. However, workforce strategies alone will not be sufficient to change this situation. Requisite policy changes, educational efforts, and strong partnerships with communities will be needed to effect substantive changes in children's oral health.

Development of a community-based participatory colorectal cancer screening intervention to address disparities, Arkansas, 2008-2009.

PubMed

Yeary, Karen; Flowers, Eric; Ford, Gemessia; Burroughs, Desiree; Burton, Jackie; Woods, Delores; Stewart, Chara; Mehta, Paulette; Greene, Paul; Henry-Tillman, Ronda

2011-03-01

The death rate from colorectal cancer is high and affects poor and medically underserved populations disproportionately. In the United States, health disparities are particularly acute in the Lower Mississippi River Delta region. Because many in the region have limited access to basic health care resources, they are not screened for cancer, even though screening is one of the most effective strategies to prevent colorectal cancer. Community-based participatory research is a promising approach to prevent colorectal cancer in this population. The Empowering Communities for Life program was implemented in 2 underserved counties in the Arkansas Lower Mississippi River Delta. The program arose from a 9-year partnership between the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and 9 cancer councils across Arkansas. Empowering Communities for Life is a community-based participatory intervention designed to increase colorectal cancer screening in rural, underserved communities through fecal occult blood testing. Community and academic partners collaborated to develop research infrastructure, intervention materials and methods, and the assessment instrument. Project outcomes were strengthened community-academic partnerships, certification of community partners in conducting human subjects research, development of a randomized controlled design to test the intervention's efficacy, an interactive PowerPoint presentation, an informational pamphlet, the certification of 6 lay health advisors and 22 role models to provide the intervention, and an assessment tool using an audience response system. Lessons learned in working collaboratively with diverse groups include the importance of meeting face to face and listening.

Federal Evacuation Policy: Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-29

requirements of special-needs populations and those with household pets or service animals .”8 The NRF includes “Incident Annexes,” which are documents...lack of transportation. Special-needs populations were underserved because some were too frail for transport.22 Others depended on service animals (animals...that evacuation plans address individuals with household pets and service animals . Table A-1 in the Appendix to this report includes some of this

Transition and Students with Twice Exceptionality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prior, Susan

2013-01-01

"Twice exceptional" is one of the terms used to describe students who have giftedness and a disability. This is a small heterogeneous population of individual learners who are underserved in special, gifted, and mainstream education settings. Despite the availability of research on transition for students with disabilities, there is…

VIVA LA SALUD INFANTILE: Pediatric obesity treatment in an underserved Hispanic community

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pediatric obesity in the US disproportionately impacts minority populations who face socioeconomic and cultural barriers to weight management programs. The specific aim of this pilot study was to test the effectiveness of diet behavior modification or diet behavior modification plus structured aerob...

Cultural Competence in Afterschool Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpkins, Sandra D.; Riggs, Nathaniel R.

2014-01-01

Increasing ethnic diversity among American youth, in combination with funding priorities often targeting underserved populations, has increased the number of diverse youth attending afterschool programs (ASPs). At present, there is little guidance on how to best design ASPs and prepare staff to support the development of these diverse youth. The…

Themes and Dimensions of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mustian, April L.; Cuenca-Sanchez, Yojanna

2012-01-01

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are one of the most underserved populations in today's schools (Kauffman, Mock, & Simpson, 2011). Many of these students also have additional disabilities in conjunction with an EBD identification, such as Learning Disabilities (LD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit…

John W. Thoburn: International Humanitarian Award

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Psychologist, 2012

2012-01-01

Presents a short biography of the winner of the American Psychological Association's International Humanitarian Award. The 2012 winner, John W. Thoburn, is an extraordinary psychologist who devotes himself consistently to service to underserved populations, especially in the aftermath of natural or human-induced disasters. He exemplifies a genuine…

Mathematics Teacher Educators Focusing on Equity: Potential Challenges and Resolutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, Eugenia; McLeman, Laura

2015-01-01

Teacher education is critical in preparing teachers to implement equitable instructional practices and thus contributes to improving educational and social conditions for underserved children and youths (Jacobsen, Mistele, & Srirman, 2012; Zeichner, 2009). Although the preparation of teachers to work with diverse student populations has been…

Early College High Schools: Model Policy Components. Policy Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinth, Jennifer

2016-01-01

An alarming convergence of factors--diminishing percentages of high school graduates enrolling immediately in postsecondary education, traditionally underserved students comprising a growing proportion of the overall U.S. school population, and projections that more occupations in the future will need education beyond high school--suggest that…

Effect of Extramural Experiences on Dental Students' Attitudes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grantham, Emily V.; Block, Marvin J.

1983-01-01

A study designed to determine the effect of a set of community dentistry extramural experience on student attitudes is discussed. The experiences involved one or more of four underserved or special populations: the mentally retarded, the mentally ill, correctional center inmates, and indigent children. (Author/MLW)

Linking Schools of Thought to Schools of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Lucy; Yoshida-Ehrmann, Erin

2016-01-01

Project Linking Learning ("Link") was created to target the needs of gifted students in urban school districts with historically underserved populations. Project Linking Learning implemented a linking curriculum between in-class instruction and an afterschool enrichment program for selected students in second through fifth grade.…

75 FR 42755 - The Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on the Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-22

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration The... Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Administrator, Health Resources and Services... Professions Shortage Areas AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS. ACTION: Notice of...

How underserviced rural communities approach physician recruitment: changes following the opening of a socially accountable medical school in northern Ontario.

PubMed

Mian, Oxana; Hogenbirk, John C; Warry, Wayne; Strasser, Roger P

2017-01-01

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) opened in 2005 with a social accountability mandate to address a long history of physician shortages in northern Ontario. The objective of this qualitative study was to understand the school's effect on recruitment of family physicians into medically underserviced rural communities of northern Ontario. We conducted a multiple case study of 8 small rural communities in northern Ontario that were considered medically underserviced by the provincial ministry of health and had successfully recruited NOSM-trained physicians. We interviewed 10 people responsible for physician recruitment in these communities. Interview transcripts were analyzed by means of an inductive and iterative thematic method. All 8 communities were NOSM medical education sites with populations of 1600-16 000. Positive changes, linked to collaboration with NOSM, included achieving a full complement of physicians in 5 communities with previous chronic shortages of 30%-50% of the physician supply, substantial reduction in recruitment expenditures, decreased reliance on locums and a shift from crisis management to long-term planning in recruitment activities. The magnitude of positive changes varied across communities, with individual leadership and communities' active engagement being key factors in successful physician recruitment. Locating medical education sites in underserviced rural communities in northern Ontario and engaging these communities in training rural physicians showed great potential to improve the ability of small rural communities to recruit family physicians and alleviate physician shortages in the region.

ColoNav: patient navigation for colorectal cancer screening in deprived areas - Study protocol.

PubMed

Allary, C; Bourmaud, A; Tinquaut, F; Oriol, M; Kalecinski, J; Dutertre, V; Lechopier, N; Pommier, M; Benoist, Y; Rousseau, S; Regnier, V; Buthion, V; Chauvin, F

2016-07-07

The mass colorectal cancer screening program was implemented in 2008 in France, targeting 16 million French people aged between 50 and 74. The current adhesion is insufficient and the participation rate is even lower among the underserved population, increasing health inequalities within our health care system. Patient Navigation programs have proved their efficiency to promote the access to cancer screening and diagnosis. The purpose of the study is to assess the implementation of a patient navigation intervention that has been described in another cultural environment and another health care system. The main objective of the program is to increase the colorectal cancer screening participation rate among the deprived population through the intervention of a navigator to promote the Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) and complementary exams. We performed a multisite cluster randomized controlled trial, with three groups (one experimental group and two control groups) for 18 months. The study attempts to give a better understanding of the adhesion barriers to colorectal cancer screening among underserved populations. If this project is cost-effective, it could create a dynamic based on peer approaches that could be developed for other cancer screening programs and other chronic diseases. NCT02369757.

Consensus Recommendations for Advancing Breast Cancer: Risk Identification and Screening in Ethnically Diverse Younger Women

PubMed Central

Stojadinovic, Alexander; Summers, Thomas A; Eberhardt, John; Cerussi, Albert; Grundfest, Warren; Peterson, Charles M.; Brazaitis, Michael; Krupinski, Elizabeth; Freeman, Harold

2011-01-01

A need exists for a breast cancer risk identification paradigm that utilizes relevant demographic, clinical, and other readily obtainable patient-specific data in order to provide individualized cancer risk assessment, direct screening efforts, and detect breast cancer at an early disease stage in historically underserved populations, such as younger women (under age 40) and minority populations, who represent a disproportionate number of military beneficiaries. Recognizing this unique need for military beneficiaries, a consensus panel was convened by the USA TATRC to review available evidence for individualized breast cancer risk assessment and screening in young (< 40), ethnically diverse women with an overall goal of improving care for military beneficiaries. In the process of review and discussion, it was determined to publish our findings as the panel believes that our recommendations have the potential to reduce health disparities in risk assessment, health promotion, disease prevention, and early cancer detection within and in other underserved populations outside of the military. This paper aims to provide clinicians with an overview of the clinical factors, evidence and recommendations that are being used to advance risk assessment and screening for breast cancer in the military. PMID:21509152

34 CFR 303.128 - Traditionally underserved groups.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2011-07-01 2010-07-01 true Traditionally underserved groups. 303.128 Section 303... underserved groups. The statement must include an assurance satisfactory to the Secretary that policies and practices have been adopted to ensure— (a) That traditionally underserved groups, including minority, low...

34 CFR 303.128 - Traditionally underserved groups.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Traditionally underserved groups. 303.128 Section 303... underserved groups. The statement must include an assurance satisfactory to the Secretary that policies and practices have been adopted to ensure— (a) That traditionally underserved groups, including minority, low...

76 FR 63846 - Substantially Underserved Trust Areas (SUTA)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-14

... CFR Part 1700 RIN 0572-AC23 Substantially Underserved Trust Areas (SUTA) AGENCY: Rural Utilities... of infrastructure projects in Substantially Underserved Trust Areas (SUTA). The intent is to..., Washington, DC 20250-1522. Title: Substantially Underserved Trust Areas. Type of Request: Approval of a new...

Reaching users at local scales: insights into the value of forest inventory information for education and outreach and the potential for an effective partnership between FIA, cooperative extension, and state and national conservation education partners

Treesearch

Rachel Riemann

2015-01-01

Forest information is desired for broader applications than we typically serve. Among those underserved users are the education and outreach communities. These groups are actively trying to engage and teach both youth and adults in areas such as GIS/spatial analysis, natural resource education, general math/science, invasive species, climate change, water quality, and...

77 FR 43127 - Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Medically Underserved Areas for 2013

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-23

... OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Medically Underserved Areas for 2013 AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Notice of Medically Underserved... determination of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health...

HPV Vaccination Practices Among Juvenile Justice Facilities in the United States

PubMed Central

Henderson, Courtney E.; Rich, Josiah D.; Lally, Michelle A.

2010-01-01

The juvenile justice setting provides a unique opportunity to administer the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to a high-risk, medically underserved population. We examined current HPV vaccination practices in the United States. Most states (39) offer the HPV vaccine to females committed to juvenile justice facilities. PMID:20413087

Project CIVIS: Curriculum Development and Assessment of Underserved and Underachieving Middle School Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoddard, Jeremy D.; Tieso, Carol L.; Robbins, Janice I.

2015-01-01

This article presents findings from a large-scale curriculum development, quasi-experimental study. Participating teachers implemented four U.S. history units in their diverse middle-grade classes; these units were developed to engage underachieving students in challenging history and democratic citizenship curriculum and instruction featuring…

Assessing nutrition and physical health disparisties for a college population

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rural regions are often underserved, and although the Delta region of the United States has a rich history, health disparities abound. A university located in the region has an obligation to address issues of importance to its constituents. Healthy lifestyle obstacles faced by students who hail from...

Libraries Online!: Microsoft Partnering with American Library Association (ALA).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machovec, George S., Ed.

1995-01-01

Describes Libraries Online, a pilot project created by Microsoft and the American Library Association to develop ways to provide access to information technologies to underserved populations. Presents the nine public libraries that will receive cash grants, staff training, computer hardware and software, and technical support to help support local…

Deconstructing "Bistro 24" for a Traditionally Underserved Student Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Charles E.

2016-01-01

The "Journal of Legal Studies Education" article, "Step Away from the Syllabus: Engaging Students on the First Day of Legal Environment," encouraged instructors to rethink their approaches to the initial class session. The exercise offers an opportunity to introduce the relevance of the legal environment course within the…

Honoring the Ways of American Indian Women: A Group Therapy Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWhirter, Paula T.; Robbins, Rockey; Vaughn, Karen; Youngbull, Natalie; Burks, Derek; Willmon-Haque, Sadie; Schuetz, Suzan; Brandes, Joyce A.; Nael, Andrea Zainab Omidy

2010-01-01

A culturally grounded group intervention for a typically underserved population of urban American Indian women is described. The intervention is designed to increase interpersonal connection, improve inter-tribal acceptance and trust, and enhance psychological well being of marginalized urban American Indian women. Topics used to structure the…

78 FR 5469 - Announcement of Requirements and Registration for the 2013 NIBIB DEsign by Biomedical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-25

... tools, tissue engineering, drug and gene delivery (c) Technology to Aid Underserved Populations and... and engineering and associated technologies and modalities with biomedical applications; and (3) to...: September 2013, Biomedical Engineering Society Conference (exact date to be announced at http://debut2013...

Instruments Used in the Identification of Gifted and Talented Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callahan, Carolyn M.; Hunsaker, Scott L.; Adams, Cheryll M.; Moore, Sara D.; Bland, Lori C.

This report presents findings of a study of instruments used in the identification of gifted and talented students. The study first examined the published literature, both standardized and locally developed identification instruments and procedures, and strategies used to identify underserved populations. These data were catalogued in the National…

Rural versus Suburban Primary Care Needs, Utilization, and Satisfaction with Telepsychiatric Consultation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilty, Donald M.; Nesbitt, Thomas S.; Kuenneth, Christina A.; Cruz, Grace M.; Hales, Robert E.

2007-01-01

Context and Purpose: Rural and suburban populations remain underserved in terms of psychiatric services but have not been compared directly in terms of using telepsychiatry. Methods: Patient demographics, reasons for consultation, diagnosis, and alternatives to telepsychiatric consultation were collected for 200 consecutive, first-time…

Mind the Gaps: Exploring the Use of Technology to Facilitate Parental Involvement, Particularly for Historically Underserved Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Jonathan D.

2007-01-01

Decades of research establishes positive associations between parental involvement and a number of important student outcomes, including student achievement. Furthermore, a number of technological innovations make facilitating parental involvement more possible than ever. Those possibilities, however, require varying levels of technological…

College Radio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sauls, Samuel J.

As with commercial stations, the underlying premise of the college radio station is to serve the community, whether it be the campus community or the community at large, but in unique ways often geared to underserved niches of the population. Much of college radio's charm lies in its unpredictable nature and constant mutations. The stations give…

Forging University-Community Collaboration: The Agency Perspective on National Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tice, Carol H.

1994-01-01

With passage of the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, national service volunteers will be joining forces with community-based organizations to work with underserved populations, creating many challenges. The community agency perspective on some anticipated challenges, possible responses, and application of principles of good…

Community Health Workers and Their Value to Social Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Michael S.; Gunter, Kathryn E.; Palmisano, Gloria

2010-01-01

Community health workers (CHWs) play a vital and unique role in linking diverse and underserved populations to health and social service systems. Despite their effectiveness, as documented by empirical studies across various disciplines including public health, nursing, and biomedicine, the value and potential role of CHWs in the social work…

Post-Disaster Social Justice Group Work and Group Supervision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bemak, Fred; Chung, Rita Chi-Ying

2011-01-01

This article discusses post-disaster group counseling and group supervision using a social justice orientation for working with post-disaster survivors from underserved populations. The Disaster Cross-Cultural Counseling model is a culturally responsive group counseling model that infuses social justice into post-disaster group counseling and…

Mountain Plains Telecommunications: 1987 Survey of Colleges Serving Nonmetropolitan Distance Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slotten, Marjorie Hacker

Information is provided about the use of telecommunications in the delivery of postsecondary coursework to off-campus nonmetropolitan sites in the Mountain Plains states. The five chapters cover the following: introduction; review of the literature (shift to information society, underserved rural adult population, historical sketch, selected…

How Does Tele-Mental Health Affect Group Therapy Process? Secondary Analysis of a Noninferiority Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Carolyn J.; Morland, Leslie A.; Macdonald, Alexandra; Frueh, B. Christopher; Grubbs, Kathleen M.; Rosen, Craig S.

2010-01-01

Objective: Video teleconferencing (VTC) is used for mental health treatment delivery to geographically remote, underserved populations. However, few studies have examined how VTC affects individual or group psychotherapy processes. This study compares process variables such as therapeutic alliance and attrition among participants receiving anger…

Ethnic Differences in Decisional Balance and Stages of Mammography Adoption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otero-Sabogal, Regina; Stewart, Susan; Shema, Sarah J.; Pasick, Rena J.

2007-01-01

Behavioral theories developed through research with mainstream, English-speaking populations have been applied to ethnically diverse and underserved communities in the effort to eliminate disparities in early breast cancer detection. This study tests the validity of the transtheoretical model (TTM) decisional balance measure and the application of…

Factors that Influence Physicians to Practice in Rural Locations: A Review and Commentary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballance, Darra; Kornegay, Denise; Evans, Paul

2009-01-01

Rural populations remain underserved by physicians, despite various efforts by medical schools and other institutions/organizations to correct this disparity. We examined the literature on factors that influence rural practice location decisions by physicians to determine what opportunities exist along the entire educational pipeline to entice…

Community Schools in Practice: Research on Implementation and Impact. A PACER Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Della; Duffy, Mark

2016-01-01

Community schools are receiving increased attention in Pennsylvania and across the country as policymakers and practitioners strive to address the effects of poverty on academic performance, and provide more comprehensive supports for traditionally-underserved populations. While many advocates and education leaders tout the promise of community…

Bolivia programme evaluation of a package to reach an underserved population: Community-based maternal and newborn care economic analysis.

PubMed

Barger, Diana; Pooley, Bertha; Dupuy, Julien Roger; Cardenas, Norma Amparo; Wall, Steve; Owen, Helen; Daviaud, Emmanuelle

2017-10-01

To address inequitable access to health services of indigenous communities in the Bolivian highlands, the Bolivian Ministry of Health, with the support of Save the Children-Saving Newborn Lives, conducted operational research to identify, implement and test a package of maternal and newborn interventions using locally recruited, volunteer Community Health Workers (vCHW) between 2008 and 2010. The additional annual economic and financial costs of the intervention were estimated from the perspective of the Bolivian Ministry of Health in two municipalities. The cost of intervention-stimulated increases in facility attendance was estimated with national surveillance data using a pre-post comparison, adjusted for secular trends in facility attendance. Three scale-up scenarios were modelled by varying the levels of coverage and the number (per mother and child pair) and frequency of home visits. Average cost per mother and average cost per home visit are presented in constant 2015 US$. Eighteen per cent of expectant mothers in the catchment area were visited at least once. The annualized additional financial cost of the community-based intervention across both municipalities was $43 449 of which 3% ($1324) was intervention design, 20% ($8474) set-up and 77% ($33 651) implementation. Drivers of additional costs were additional paid staff (68%), 81% of which was for management and support by local implementing partner and 19% of which was for vCHW supervision. The annual financial cost per vCHW was $595. Modelled scale-up scenarios highlight potential efficiency gains. Recognizing local imperatives to reduce inequalities by targeting underserved populations, the observed low coverage by vCHWs resulted in a high cost per mother and child pair ($296). This evaluation raises important questions about this model's ability to achieve its ultimate goals of reducing neonatal mortality and inequalities through behaviour change and increased care seeking and has served to inform innovative alternative models, better equipped to tackle stagnant inequitable access to care. The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of Health Literacy on Decision-Making Preferences among Medically Underserved Patients.

PubMed

Seo, Joann; Goodman, Melody S; Politi, Mary; Blanchard, Melvin; Kaphingst, Kimberly A

2016-05-01

Participation in the decision-making process and health literacy may both affect health outcomes; data on how these factors are related among diverse groups are limited. This study examined the relationship between health literacy and decision-making preferences in a medically underserved population. We analyzed a sample of 576 primary care patients. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the independent association of health literacy (measured by the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine-Revised) and patients' decision-making preferences (physician directed or patient involved), controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and gender. We tested whether having a regular doctor modified this association. Adequate health literacy (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7;P= 0.009) was significantly associated with preferring patient-involved decision making, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and gender. Having a regular doctor did not modify this relationship. Males were significantly less likely to prefer patient-involved decision making (OR = 0.65;P= 0.024). Findings suggest health literacy affects decision-making preferences in medically underserved patients. More research is needed on how factors, such as patient knowledge or confidence, may influence decision-making preferences, particularly for those with limited health literacy. © The Author(s) 2016.

5 CFR 894.801 - Will benefits be available in underserved areas?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE PROGRAM Benefits in Underserved Areas § 894.801 Will benefits be available in underserved areas? (a) Dental and vision plans under... underserved areas. (b) In any area where a FEDVIP dental or vision plan does not meet OPM access standards...

5 CFR 894.801 - Will benefits be available in underserved areas?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE PROGRAM Benefits in Underserved Areas § 894.801 Will benefits be available in underserved areas? (a) Dental and vision plans under... underserved areas. (b) In any area where a FEDVIP dental or vision plan does not meet OPM access standards...

Patient-centered medical homes: will health care reform provide new options for rural communities and providers?

PubMed

Bolin, Jane N; Gamm, Larry; Vest, Joshua R; Edwardson, Nick; Miller, Thomas R

2011-01-01

Many are calling for the expansion of the patient-centered medical home model into rural and underserved populations as a transformative strategy to address issues of access, efficiency, quality, and sustainability in the delivery of health care. Patient-centered medical homes have been touted as a promising cost-saving model for comprehensive management of persons with chronic diseases and disabilities, but it is unclear how rural practitioners in medically underserved areas will implement the patient-centered medical home. This article examines how the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act of 2010 will enhance rural providers' ability to provide patient-centered care and services contemplated under the Act in a comprehensive, coordinated, cost-effective way despite leaner budgets and health workforce shortages.

Exploring the workforce implications of a decade of medical school expansion: variations in medical school growth and changes in student characteristics and career plans.

PubMed

Shipman, Scott A; Jones, Karen C; Erikson, Clese E; Sandberg, Shana F

2013-12-01

To explore whether medical school enrollment growth may help address workforce priorities, including diversity, primary care, care for underserved populations, and academic faculty. The authors compared U.S. MD-granting medical schools, applicants, and matriculants immediately before expansion (1999-2001) and 10 years later (2009-2011). Using data from the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile and the Association of American Medical Colleges, they examined medical schools' past production of physicians and changes in matriculant characteristics and practice intentions. Among the 124 schools existing in 1999-2001, growth varied substantially. Additionally, 11 new schools enrolled students by 2009-2011. Aggregate enrollment increased by 16.6%. Increases in applicants led to a lower likelihood of matriculation for all but those with rural backgrounds, racial/ethnic minorities, applicants >24 years old, and those with Medical College Admission Test scores > 33. The existing schools that expanded most had a history of producing the highest percentages of physicians practicing in primary care and in underserved and rural areas; those that expanded least had produced the greatest percentage of faculty. Compared with existing schools, new schools enrolled higher percentages of racial/ethnic minorities and of students with limited parental education or lower income. Matriculants' interest in primary care careers showed no decline; interest in practicing with underserved populations increased, while interest in rural practice declined. Despite expansion, the characteristics of matriculating medical students changed little, except at new schools. Further expansion may benefit from targeted consideration of workforce needs.

Do spiritual patients want spiritual interventions?: A qualitative exploration of underserved cancer patients' perspectives on religion and spirituality.

PubMed

Stein, Emma M; Kolidas, Evelyn; Moadel, Alyson

2015-02-01

This study examines religion and spirituality among advanced cancer patients from an underserved, ethnically-diverse population by exploring patient conceptualizations of religion and spirituality, the role of religion and spirituality in coping with cancer, and patient interest in spiritual support. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients who had participated in a study of a "mind-body" support group for patients with all cancer types. Analysis based on grounded theory was utilized to identify themes and theoretical constructs. With regard to patient conceptualizations of religion and spirituality, three categories emerged: (1) Spirituality is intertwined with organized religion; (2) Religion is one manifestation of the broader construct of spirituality; (3) Religion and spirituality are completely independent, with spirituality being desirable and religion not. Religion and spirituality played a central role in patients' coping with cancer, providing comfort, hope, and meaning. Patients diverged when it came to spiritual support, with some enthusiastic about interventions incorporating their spiritual values and others stating that they already get this support through religious communities. Spirituality plays a central role in the cancer experience of this underserved ethnically-diverse population. While spirituality seems to be a universal concern in advanced cancer patients, the meaning of spirituality differs across individuals, with some equating it with organized religion and others taking a more individualized approach. It is important that psychosocial interventions are developed to address this concern. Future research is needed to further explore the different ways that patients conceptualize spirituality and to develop spiritually-based treatments that are not "one size fits all."

Identifying barriers to receiving preventive dental services: expanding access to preventive dental hygiene services through affiliated practice.

PubMed

Gross-Panico, Michelle L; Freeman, Wilbur K

2012-01-01

Minority children and children from lower income families are more likely to experience the burden of oral disease. Since oral disease reduces quality of life, it is a priority to utilize preventive dental services. The research questions ask if affiliated practice increases utilization of preventive dental services by underserved children from birth to 18 years of age, and what the barriers to receiving preventive dental services are and their level of importance. A survey was administered to parents/guardians of patients from birth to 18 years of age who received preventive dental services from Catholic Healthcare West East Valley Children's Dental Clinic, an affiliated practice dental clinic in Chandler, Arizona. Thirty-four surveys were completed: 21 completed in English and 13 completed in Spanish. The data was analyzed to provide descriptive statistics and non-parametrically analyzed using the Friedman's, Kendall's W and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Tests. The cost of preventive dental services is more important to this population than both convenience of appointment time and distance traveled. As the cost increases for preventive dental services, this population will utilize preventive dental services less frequently. The study indicated that the increase of self-reported utilization of preventive dental services by underserved children, ranging in age from birth to 18 years old, in Arizona affiliated practice dental clinics, was primarily impacted by perceived reduced costs of receiving care. Funding efforts, reimbursement mechanisms and legislative policies should support this dental care delivery model to provide care to underserved children, adults and seniors throughout the U.S.

Mobile health care operations and return on investment in predominantly underserved children with asthma: the breathmobile program.

PubMed

Morphew, Tricia; Scott, Lyne; Li, Marilyn; Galant, Stanley P; Wong, Webster; Garcia Lloret, Maria I; Jones, Felita; Bollinger, Mary Elizabeth; Jones, Craig A

2013-08-01

Underserved populations have limited access to care. Improved access to effective asthma care potentially improves quality of life and reduces costs associated with emergency department (ED) visits. The purpose of this study is to examine return on investment (ROI) for the Breathmobile Program in terms of improved patient quality-adjusted life years saved and reduced costs attributed to preventable ED visits for 2010, with extrapolation to previous years of operation. It also examines cost-benefit related to reduced morbidity (ED visits, hospitalizations, and school absenteeism) for new patients to the Breathmobile Program during 2008-2009 who engaged in care (≥3 visits). This is a retrospective analysis of data for 15,986 pediatric patients, covering 88,865 visits, participating in 4 Southern California Breathmobile Programs (November 16, 1995-December 31, 2010). The ROI calculation expressed the cost-benefit ratio as the net benefits (ED costs avoided+relative value of quality-adjusted life years saved) over the per annum program costs (∼$500,000 per mobile). The ROI across the 4 California programs in 2010 was $6.73 per dollar invested. Annual estimated emergency costs avoided in the 4 regions were $2,541,639. The relative value of quality-adjusted life years saved was $24,381,000. For patients new to the Breathmobile Program during 2008-2009 who engaged in care (≥3 visits), total annual morbidity costs avoided per patient were $1395. This study suggests that mobile health care is a cost-effective strategy to deliver medical care to underserved populations, consistent with the Triple Aims of Therapy.

Comparative Effectiveness of Fecal Immunochemical Test Outreach, Colonoscopy Outreach, and Usual Care for Boosting Colorectal Cancer Screening Among the Underserved

PubMed Central

Gupta, Samir; Halm, Ethan A.; Rockey, Don C.; Hammons, Marcia; Koch, Mark; Carter, Elizabeth; Valdez, Luisa; Tong, Liyue; Ahn, Chul; Kashner, Michael; Argenbright, Keith; Tiro, Jasmin; Geng, Zhuo; Pruitt, Sandi; Skinner, Celette Sugg

2017-01-01

IMPORTANCE Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening saves lives, but participation rates are low among underserved populations. Knowledge on effective approaches for screening the underserved, including best test type to offer, is limited. OBJECTIVE To determine (1) if organized mailed outreach boosts CRC screening compared with usual care and (2) if FIT is superior to colonoscopy outreach for CRC screening participation in an underserved population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We identified uninsured patients, not up to date with CRC screening, age 54 to 64 years, served by the John Peter Smith Health Network, Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Texas, a safety net health system. INTERVENTIONS Patients were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 groups. One group was assigned to fecal immunochemical test (FIT) outreach, consisting of mailed invitation to use and return an enclosed no-cost FIT (n = 1593). A second was assigned to colonoscopy outreach, consisting of mailed invitation to schedule a no-cost colonoscopy (n = 479). The third group was assigned to usual care, consisting of opportunistic primary care visit-based screening (n = 3898). In addition, FIT and colonoscopy outreach groups received telephone follow-up to promote test completion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Screening participation in any CRC test within 1 year after randomization. RESULTS Mean patient age was 59 years; 64% of patients were women. The sample was 41% white, 24% black, 29% Hispanic, and 7% other race/ethnicity. Screening participation was significantly higher for both FIT (40.7%) and colonoscopy outreach (24.6%) than for usual care (12.1%) (P < .001 for both comparisons with usual care). Screening was significantly higher for FIT than for colonoscopy outreach (P < .001). In stratified analyses, screening was higher for FIT and colonoscopy outreach than for usual care, and higher for FIT than for colonoscopy outreach among whites, blacks, and Hispanics (P < .005 for all comparisons). Rates of CRC identification and advanced adenoma detection were 0.4% and 0.8% for FIT outreach, 0.4% and 1.3% for colonoscopy outreach, and 0.2% and 0.4% for usual care, respectively (P < .05 for colonoscopy vs usual care advanced adenoma comparison; P > .05 for all other comparisons). Eleven of 60 patients with abnormal FIT results did not complete colonoscopy. CONCLUSIONS AND REVELANCE Among underserved patients whose CRC screening was not up to date, mailed outreach invitations resulted in markedly higher CRC screening compared with usual care. Outreach was more effective with FIT than with colonoscopy invitation. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01191411 PMID:23921906

Feasibility and effectiveness of two community-based HIV testing models in rural Swaziland.

PubMed

Parker, Lucy Anne; Jobanputra, Kiran; Rusike, Lorraine; Mazibuko, Sikhathele; Okello, Velephi; Kerschberger, Bernhard; Jouquet, Guillaume; Cyr, Joanne; Teck, Roger

2015-07-01

To evaluate the feasibility (population reached, costs) and effectiveness (positivity rates, linkage to care) of two strategies of community-based HIV testing and counselling (HTC) in rural Swaziland. Strategies used were mobile HTC (MHTC) and home-based HTC (HBHTC). Information on age, sex, previous testing and HIV results was obtained from routine HTC records. A consecutive series of individuals testing HIV-positive were followed up for 6 months from the test date to assess linkage to care. A total of 9 060 people were tested: 2 034 through MHTC and 7 026 through HBHTC. A higher proportion of children and adolescents (<20 years) were tested through HBHTC than MHTC (57% vs. 17%; P < 0.001). MHTC reached a higher proportion of adult men than HBHTC (42% vs. 39%; P = 0.015). Of 398 HIV-positive individuals, only 135 (34%) were enrolled in HIV care within 6 months. Of 42 individuals eligible for antiretroviral therapy, 22 (52%) started treatment within 6 months. Linkage to care was lowest among people who had tested previously and those aged 20-40 years. HBHTC was 50% cheaper (US$11 per person tested; $797 per individual enrolled in HIV care) than MHTC ($24 and $1698, respectively). In this high HIV prevalence setting, a community-based testing programme achieved high uptake of testing and appears to be an effective and affordable way to encourage large numbers of people to learn their HIV status (particularly underserved populations such as men and young people). However, for community HTC to impact mortality and incidence, strategies need to be implemented to ensure people testing HIV-positive in the community are linked to HIV care. © 2015 The Authors. Tropical Medicine & International Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Financial incentives for return of service in underserved areas: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Bärnighausen, Till; Bloom, David E

2009-01-01

Background In many geographic regions, both in developing and in developed countries, the number of health workers is insufficient to achieve population health goals. Financial incentives for return of service are intended to alleviate health worker shortages: A (future) health worker enters into a contract to work for a number of years in an underserved area in exchange for a financial pay-off. Methods We carried out systematic literature searches of PubMed, the Excerpta Medica database, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the National Health Services Economic Evaluation Database for studies evaluating outcomes of financial-incentive programs published up to February 2009. To identify articles for review, we combined three search themes (health workers or students, underserved areas, and financial incentives). In the initial search, we identified 10,495 unique articles, 10,302 of which were excluded based on their titles or abstracts. We conducted full-text reviews of the remaining 193 articles and of 26 additional articles identified in reference lists or by colleagues. Forty-three articles were included in the final review. We extracted from these articles information on the financial-incentive programs (name, location, period of operation, objectives, target groups, definition of underserved area, financial incentives and obligation) and information on the individual studies (authors, publication dates, types of study outcomes, study design, sample criteria and sample size, data sources, outcome measures and study findings, conclusions, and methodological limitations). We reviewed program results (descriptions of recruitment, retention, and participant satisfaction), program effects (effectiveness in influencing health workers to provide care, to remain, and to be satisfied with work and personal life in underserved areas), and program impacts (effectiveness in influencing health systems and health outcomes). Results Of the 43 reviewed studies 34 investigated financial-incentive programs in the US. The remaining studies evaluated programs in Japan (five studies), Canada (two), New Zealand (one) and South Africa (one). The programs started between 1930 and 1998. We identified five different types of programs (service-requiring scholarships, educational loans with service requirements, service-option educational loans, loan repayment programs, and direct financial incentives). Financial incentives to serve for one year in an underserved area ranged from year-2000 United States dollars 1,358 to 28,470. All reviewed studies were observational. The random-effects estimate of the pooled proportion of all eligible program participants who had either fulfilled their obligation or were fulfilling it at the time of the study was 71% (95% confidence interval 60–80%). Seven studies compared retention in the same (underserved) area between program participants and non-participants. Six studies found that participants were less likely than non-participants to remain in the same area (five studies reported the difference to be statistically significant, while one study did not report a significance level); one study did not find a significant difference in retention in the same area. Thirteen studies compared provision of care or retention in any underserved area between participants and non-participants. Eleven studies found that participants were more likely to (continue to) practice in any underserved area (nine studies reported the difference to be statistically significant, while two studies did not provide the results of a significance test); two studies found that program participants were significantly less likely than non-participants to remain in any underserved area. Seven studies investigated the satisfaction of participants with their work and personal lives in underserved areas. Conclusion Financial-incentive programs for return of service are one of the few health policy interventions intended to improve the distribution of human resources for health on which substantial evidence exists. However, the majority of studies are from the US, and only one study reports findings from a developing country, limiting generalizability. The existing studies show that financial-incentive programs have placed substantial numbers of health workers in underserved areas and that program participants are more likely than non-participants to work in underserved areas in the long run, even though they are less likely to remain at the site of original placement. As none of the existing studies can fully rule out that the observed differences between participants and non-participants are due to selection effects, the evidence to date does not allow the inference that the programs have caused increases in the supply of health workers to underserved areas. PMID:19480656

Development of a Marketing Campaign to Recruit Non-adjudicated and Untreated Abusive Men for a Brief Telephone Intervention

PubMed Central

Zegree, Joan; Roffman, Roger A.; Walker, Denise; Neighbors, Clayton; Edleson, Jeffrey

2012-01-01

Although voluntary enrollment by abusive men in domestic violence perpetrator treatment programs occurs, most men enter treatment only after they have injured a partner or family member and have been arrested, convicted and sentenced. This leaves a serious gap for those who engage in abusive behavior but who have not been served by the legal or social service systems. To address this gap, the researchers applied social marketing principles to recruit abusive men to a telephone-delivered pre-treatment intervention (the Men’s Domestic Abuse Check-Up—MDACU), designed to motivate non-adjudicated and untreated abusive men who are concurrently using alcohol and drugs to enter treatment voluntarily. This article discusses recruitment efforts in reaching perpetrators of intimate partner violence, an underserved population. Informed by McGuire’s communication and persuasion matrix, the researchers describe three phases of the MDACU’s marketing campaign: (1) planning, (2) early implementation, and (3) revision of marketing strategies based on initial results. The researchers’ “lessons learned” conclude the paper. PMID:22707851

A review of the literature: the economic impact of preventive dental hygiene services.

PubMed

Sharon, Stull C; Connolly, Irene M; Murphree, Kellie R

2005-01-01

The contributions of dental hygiene as a discipline of prevention, the inception of systemic fluoride in community water systems, the continual research conducted by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), and the success of dental sealants have all contributed to the decrease in incidences of dental diseases. The prevalence of employer-based dental insurance must also be recognized as contributing to a substantial paradigm shift on the utilization of oral health preventive services. This review of the economic impact of oral health preventive services on the consumer and the private dental practice suggests that these services have had a significant impact. Dentistry's challenge remains to extend these considerable gains in oral health status to the 150 million U.S. citizens who do not have access to oral health care services identified in the 2000 Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General. Utilizing preventive, therapeutic, and educational aspects of dental hygiene services, reaching communities without fluoridation of the public water supply, and incorporating mass pediatric dental sealant programs analogous to immunization programs would improve the oral health status of underserved populations.

Using TV white space spectrum to practise telemedicine: A promising technology to enhance broadband internet connectivity within healthcare facilities in rural regions of developing countries.

PubMed

Chavez, Afton; Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Ndlovu, Kagiso; Kovarik, Carrie L

2016-06-01

The following correspondence provides an overview of TV White Space (TVWS) technology, regulations, and potential applications to the health care sector. This report also introduces "Project Kgolagano," a Botswana-based initiative representing the first endeavour to utilize TVWS internet connection for practising telemedicine. TV "white space" refers to the previously unused, wasted spectrum within TV radiofrequency channels that can now be leveraged to obtain broadband internet access. TVWS represents a less costly, faster, and farther-reaching internet connection that is a promising option for connecting the previously unconnected populations of remote and underserved areas. The Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership, Microsoft, Botswana Innovation Hub, Vista Life Sciences, and Global Broadband Solutions have partnered together to bring TVWS wireless broadband access to healthcare facilities in poorly connected regions of Botswana (Lobatse, Francistown, Maun, Gaborone) in order to improve healthcare delivery and facilitate telemedicine in dermatology, cervical cancer screening, and family medicine (HIV/AIDS, TB, general adult and pediatric medicine). © The Author(s) 2015.

Explaining and Improving Breast Cancer Information Acquisition among African American Women in the Deep South

PubMed Central

Anderson-Lewis, Charkarra; Ross, Levi; Johnson, Jarrett; Hastrup, Janice L.; Green, B. Lee; Kohler, Connie L.

2012-01-01

Objectives A major challenge facing contemporary cancer educators is how to optimize the dissemination of breast cancer prevention and control information to African American women in the Deep South who are believed to be cancer free. The purpose of this research was to provide insight into the breast cancer information-acquisition experiences of African American women in Alabama and Mississippi and to make recommendations on ways to better reach members of this high-risk, underserved population. Methods Focus group methodology was used in a repeated, cross-sectional research design with 64 African American women, 35 years old or older who lived in one of four urban or rural counties in Alabama and Mississippi. Results Axial-coded themes emerged around sources of cancer information, patterns of information acquisition, characteristics of preferred sources, and characteristics of least-preferred sources. Conclusions It is important to invest in lay health educators to optimize the dissemination of breast cancer information to African American women who are believed to be cancer free in the Deep South. PMID:22665151

Stakeholder Perspectives on Optimizing Communication in a School-Centered Asthma Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snieder, Hylke M.; Nickels, Sarah; Gleason, Melanie; McFarlane, Arthur; Szefler, Stanley J.; Allison, Mandy A.

2017-01-01

Background: School-centered asthma programs (SAPs) can be an effective intervention to improve asthma control for underserved populations but little is known about how key stakeholders communicate within these programs. Therefore, our aim was to identify key components of effective communication in a SAP. Methods: Primary care providers (PCPs),…

75 FR 27322 - Capacity Building Program for Traditionally Underserved Populations-Technical Assistance for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-14

... improve the provision of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to, and the employment outcomes of... foundation of the VR process and service provision; (2) the application of Federal rules, regulations, and... AIVRS grantees are among the many State VR agency partners eligible to receive services from the TACE...

Time, tact, talent, and trust: essential ingredients of effective academic-community partnerships.

PubMed

Plowfield, Lisa Ann; Wheeler, Erlinda C; Raymond, Jean E

2005-01-01

Building strong partnerships between academic institutions and community health agencies requires a commitment to time, tactful communications, talented leaders, and trust. The essential elements of partnership building are discussed based on experiences of a mid-Atlantic nursing center, an academic health center established to provide care to underserved and vulnerable populations.

Leadership for Social Justice: An Agenda for 21st Century Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jean-Marie, Gaetane

2008-01-01

The shift in the demographic data highlights the growth in minority, second language learner, and economically disadvantaged student populations that traditionally have been underserved in public schools (Marshall and Oliva 2006). The purpose of this discussion is to explore the leadership praxis of four female secondary school leaders faced with…

A Descriptive Case Study of the Implementation of the Departmentalized Looping Team Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Cody R.

2011-01-01

The conceptual framework guiding this study focuses on local, state, and federal standards as well as demands on schools to improve performance of underserved student populations as impetuses for school structure changes. As related to the aforementioned framework, many schools have developed innovative school restructuring methods such as the…

Workforce strategies to improve children's oral health.

PubMed

Goodwin, Kristine

2014-12-01

(1) Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease for children. (2) As millions receive dental coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the demand for dental services is expected to strain the current workforce's ability to meet their needs. (3) States have adopted various workforce approaches to improve access to dental care for underserved populations.

Using a Conference Workshop Setting to Engage Mathematics Teachers in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timmons-Brown, Stephanie; Warner, Catharine

2016-01-01

In this article, the authors explore using a conference workshop setting to engage mathematics teachers, who serve largely underserved student populations, in culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP). The conference workshop encouraged the exchange of information among teachers of similar grade levels and classroom contexts. The authors' analysis of the…

Holistic Admissions in the Health Professions: Strategies for Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artinian, Nancy T.; Drees, Betty M.; Glazer, Greer; Harris, Kevin; Kaufman, Lon S.; Lopez, Naty; Danek, Jennifer C.; Michaels, Julia

2017-01-01

In the wake of national health care reform, development of the future health care workforce has become more important than ever. Millions of newly insured patients, many from underserved urban communities, are seeking health care services. In order to provide high-quality care to rapidly diversifying patient populations, health care professionals…

Functional Impairment in Latino Children with ADHD: Implications for Culturally Appropriate Conceptualization and Measurement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haack, Lauren Marie; Gerdes, Alyson C.

2011-01-01

Conceptualizing and measuring functional impairment related to childhood ADHD, particularly within the rapidly growing, yet underserved, Latino population, is an important area of research that is in its infancy in the field of psychology. The functional impairments related to academic achievement, social competence, and familial relations…

Equal Opportunity for Deeper Learning. Deeper Learning Research Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noguera, Pedro; Darling-Hammond, Linda; Friedlaender, Diane

2015-01-01

Out of concern that the nation's schools--particularly those working with traditionally underserved populations--are not adequately preparing all students to succeed in college and careers, education policymakers have launched a series of major reform efforts in recent years. To help students meet the new standards, schools will need to provide…

Equal Opportunity for Deeper Learning. Executive Summary. Deeper Learning Research Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noguera, Pedro; Darling-Hammond, Linda; Friedlaender, Diane

2015-01-01

Out of concern that the nation's schools--particularly those working with traditionally underserved populations--are not adequately preparing all students to succeed in college and careers, education policymakers have launched a series of major reform efforts in recent years. To help students meet the new standards, schools will need to provide…

Young Scholars: A Talent Development Model for Finding and Nurturing Potential in Underserved Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horn, Carol V.

2015-01-01

The Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Young Scholars model offers new language and ideas for thinking about giftedness that embrace expanded beliefs about the nature of intelligence and highlight the importance of nurturing intelligent behavior in children from diverse cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds as early as possible. These…

Empowering Factors Among Breast Cancer Screening Compliant Underserved Populations

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-10-01

sex 17 Promiscuous sex (Multiple sexual, partnersý) 18 Chewing Tobacco 19 Being Female 20 Being Male 21 H. Barriers to Cancer Screening For each...Behavior among Preteen Black and White Children. JNMA, 96: (2) 200-208; 2004. 7. Elzey JD and Ahmed NU. A Whole New Life: an illness and a healing by

Web-Based Intervention for Alcohol Use in Women of Childbearing Potential

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howlett, Katia Delrahim

2010-01-01

There is a need for more effective assessment and primary prevention programs aimed at accurately measuring and reducing alcohol consumption among women before conception in underserved, high-risk populations. Health Information Technology (HIT) may serve this purpose; however, the effectiveness of such tools is not known. We conducted a…

Citizen Schools: An After-Hours Adventure--Professionals Mentoring Middle-Grades Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Sean

2007-01-01

Citizen Schools is an apprenticeship program offered outside school hours that seeks to build students' academic and leadership skills by connecting them with professionals from various fields. Launched in Boston in 1994, the program targets what some say is an underserved population in after-school education--middle school students--through a…

Treatment Fidelity among Family Health Promoters Delivering a Physical Activity and Nutrition Intervention to Immigrant and Refugee Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bronars, Carrie A.; Hanza, Marcelo M.; Meiers, Sonja J.; Patten, Christi A.; Clark, Matthew M.; Nigon, Julie A.; Weis, Jennifer A.; Wieland, Mark L.; Sia, Irene G.

2017-01-01

Lack of treatment fidelity can be an important source of variation affecting the credibility and utility of outcomes from behavioral intervention research. Development and implementation of a well-designed treatment fidelity plan, especially with research involving underserved populations, requires careful conceptualization of study needs in…

Leadership, Partnerships, and Organizational Development: Exploring Components of Effectiveness in Three Full-Service Community Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Mavis

2016-01-01

Full-service community schools are viewed as an approach to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for underserved student populations. The realization of these goals, however, is not guaranteed. According to Richardson's (2009) research-based model of highly effective community schools (HECS), the effectiveness of full-service community…

Do Community Colleges Promote Postsecondary and Labor Market Success for First-Generation Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ampaw, Frimpomaa; Partlo, Margaret; Hullender, Tammy; Wagner, Nick

2015-01-01

Community colleges are becoming the primary access point for a growing number of underrepresented and underserved students in the higher education system. First-generation college students make up a large proportion of this population, comprising about 45% of community college attendees (Nomi, 2005). Research has explored the transfer success of…

Success of Underrepresented Nursing Students at Selected Southwest Institutions: Impact of a Nursing Retention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khattab, Ibrahim

2011-01-01

This study examined retention initiatives and strategies provided to underserved students in the nursing programs at three community colleges in the Southwest region. This research addressed nursing student retention, as well as ways to increase retention among underrepresented populations in the three community colleges, representing a unique…

The Information Needs and Behavior of Mature Community College Students: A Review of Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeit, Krystina

2014-01-01

This paper is a review of literature devoted to the unique information needs and information-seeking behavior of the growing nontraditional or mature community college student population. This underserved user group faces distinctive challenges that librarians, researchers, and administrators must recognize and address. Much of the existing…

Online Health Information Seeking Behaviors of Hispanics in New York City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Young Ji

2013-01-01

Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States, but they are the most underserved population in terms of access to online health information. The specific aims of this descriptive, correlational study were to examine factors associated with online health information seeking behaviors of Hispanics and to examine the…

High-Functional Autism: An Overview of Characteristics and Related Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Ann X.; Wheeler, John J.

2006-01-01

Individuals with high-functioning autism are characterized by almost normal language ability and intelligence as well as social, pragmatic impairments. Before the 1980s, limited research was focused on this disorder. This paper reviews previous research on this underserved population with a hope that we are able to gain some insights from existing…

Dental Services for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in US Community/Migrant Health Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lukes, Sherri M.; Simon, Bret

2006-01-01

Context: Migrant and seasonal farmworkers are recognized as a medically underserved population, yet little information on need, access, and services is available--particularly with regard to oral health care. Purpose: This study describes the facilities, services, staffing, and patient characteristics of US dental clinics serving migrant and…

Emotion Regulation Difficulties, Youth-Adult Relationships, and Suicide Attempts among High School Students in Underserved Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pisani, Anthony R.; Wyman, Peter A.; Petrova, Mariya; Schmeelk-Cone, Karen; Goldston, David B.; Xia, Yinglin; Gould, Madelyn S.

2013-01-01

To develop and refine interventions to prevent youth suicide, knowledge is needed about specific processes that reduce risk at a population level. Using a cross-sectional design, the present study tested hypotheses regarding associations between self-reported suicide attempts, emotion regulation difficulties, and positive youth-adult relationships…

Ex-Offenders Prepare for Work, and Life, at Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The national push to graduate more students excludes no demographic group, and those with lagging completion rates become particular targets of attention. Now some community colleges are zeroing in on another underserved population: ex-offenders. Roughly 1.6 million people are in state and federal prisons across the country, and each year, about…

Screening Students with Visual Impairments for Intellectual Giftedness: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Besnoy, Kevin D; Manning, Sandra; Karnes, Frances A.

2005-01-01

Children with visual impairments who are gifted may be one of the most underserved student populations in our educational system (Johnsen & Corn, 1989). A paucity of current research exists concerning appropriate practices for recognizing these students in publicly funded school settings. In 2004, the American Foundation for the Blind reported…

Transforming a Teacher Community of Practice for Underserved Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollins, Etta R.

2009-01-01

Migration has shifted the world's population such that hardly a monocultural society still exists. These demographic changes have brought about changes in the strategies used to maintain national unity and in the distribution of benefits, goods, and services within the society. Providing equitable access to high-quality education has been among…

Comprehending Childhood Bereavement by Parental Suicide: A Critical Review of Research on Outcomes, Grief Processes, and Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, Natalie C.; Rabin, Laura A.

2009-01-01

The experience of bereavement by parental suicide is not well understood, as evidenced by the lack of empirically supported interventions for this underserved population. This article reviews quantitative and qualitative research on the psychopathological outcomes and thematic characteristics of childhood and adolescent suicide survivorship and…

Effectively Serving AB 540 and Undocumented Students at a Hispanic Serving Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Person, Dawn; Gutierrez Keeton, Rebecca; Medina, Noemy; Gonzalez, Jacquelyn; Minero, Laura P.

2017-01-01

This mixed-methods study examined the experiences of undocumented students at a 4-year Hispanic Serving Institution. Barriers identified by these students included a lack of resources and minimal career opportunities after graduation. Faculty and staff perceived this historically underserved population as exhibiting high levels of optimism and…

Burnout Syndrome: Global Medicine Volunteering as a Possible Treatment Strategy.

PubMed

Iserson, Kenneth V

2018-04-01

In the last few decades, "burnout syndrome" has become more common among clinicians, or at least more frequently recognized. Methods to prevent and treat burnout have had inconsistent results. Simultaneously, clinicians' interest in global medicine has increased dramatically, offering a possible intervention strategy for burnout while providing help to underserved areas. Caused by a variety of stressors, burnout syndrome ultimately results in physicians feeling that their work no longer embodies why they entered the medical field. This attitude harms clinicians, their patients and colleagues, and society. Few consistently successful interventions exist. At the same time, clinicians' interest in global medicine has risen exponentially. This paper reviews the basics of both phenomena and posits that global medicine experiences, although greatly assisting target populations, also may offer a strategy for combating burnout by reconnecting physicians with their love of the profession. Because studies have shown that regular volunteering improves mental health, short-term global medicine experiences may reinvigorate and reengage clinicians on the verge of, or suffering from, persistent burnout syndrome. Fortuitously, this intervention often will greatly benefit medically underserved populations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The virtual dental home: a critique.

PubMed

Friedman, Jay W; Nash, David A; Mathu-Muju, Kavita R

2017-09-01

The Virtual Dental Home is a concept of the Pacific Center for Special Care of the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco. It is designed to improve access to dental care for underserved populations, specifically children and institutionalized adults. This article describes the development and implementation of the Virtual Dental Home, subsequently critiquing the concept. The criteria for a dental home are not met by the program. It is the equivalent of a traditional public oral health prevention and screening program, with the additional dimension of allowing dental hygienists and assistants to place interim glass ionomer restorations in dental cavities. The critique questions the need to insert a "cloud" dentist into the process. The routine utilization of radiographs is also challenged. The VDH not only lacks the attributes of a dental home, it has not been shown to be as efficient and effective as traditional programs staffed by dental hygienists and dental therapists. The article concludes by describing how programs utilizing dental therapists could address the deficiencies of the Virtual Dental Home, effectively improving access to oral health care for underserved populations. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

"You Need to Be a Good Listener": Recruiters' Use of Relational Communication Behaviors to Enhance Clinical Trial and Research Study Accrual.

PubMed

Morgan, Susan E; Occa, Aurora; Potter, JoNell; Mouton, Ashton; Peter, Megan E

2017-02-01

Medical and research professionals who discuss clinical trials and research studies with potential participants face an often daunting challenge, particularly when recruiting from minority and underserved populations. This study reports on findings from a focus group study of 63 research coordinators, study nurses, professional recruiters, and other professionals in Indianapolis, IN and Miami, FL who work to recruit from minority and underserved populations. These professionals discussed the importance of creating a sense of connection with potential participants as part of the recruitment and retention process. Building a relationship, however fleeting, involved a number of concrete behaviors, including listening to personal information, expressing empathy, and then providing reciprocal self-disclosures; having repeated contact, usually by working in the same environment over an extended period of time; demonstrating respect through politeness and the use of honorifics; going the extra mile for participants; offering flexibility in scheduling follow-up appointments; and creating a sense of personal and community trust by being truthful. The implications of these findings for clinical trial and research study accrual are discussed.

Geocoding and social marketing in Alabama's cancer prevention programs.

PubMed

Miner, Julianna W; White, Arica; Lubenow, Anne E; Palmer, Sally

2005-11-01

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is collaborating with the National Cancer Institute to develop detailed profiles of underserved Alabama communities most at risk for cancer. These profiles will be combined with geocoded data to create a pilot project, Cancer Prevention for Alabama's Underserved Populations: A Focused Approach. The project's objectives are to provide the ADPH's cancer prevention programs with a more accurate and cost-effective means of planning, implementing, and evaluating its prevention activities in an outcomes-oriented and population-appropriate manner. The project links geocoded data from the Alabama Statewide Cancer Registry with profiles generated by the National Cancer Institute's cancer profiling system, Consumer Health Profiles. These profiles have been successfully applied to market-focused cancer prevention messages across the United States. The ADPH and the National Cancer Institute will evaluate the efficacy of using geocoded data and lifestyle segmentation information in strategy development and program implementation. Alabama is the first state in the nation not only to link geocoded cancer registry data with lifestyle segmentation data but also to use the National Cancer Institute's profiles and methodology in combination with actual state data.

Academic Health Centers and Medicaid: Advance or Retreat?

PubMed

Henderson, Mark C; Kizer, Kenneth W; Kravitz, Richard L

2018-05-22

The expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act has strained the capacity of many academic health centers (AHCs) to deliver primary and specialty care to this traditionally underserved population. The authors, longtime faculty members in the University of California Davis Health (UCDH) system, discuss the challenges of UCDH's participation in Medi-Cal, the nation's largest Medicaid program, and their institution's controversial decision in 2015 to withdraw from all Medi-Cal primary care contracts, which has had untoward effects on UCDH's social and educational missions. The authors conclude by suggesting an alternate approach for engaging with Medi-Cal. They call on AHCs to leverage their considerable intellectual and human capital as well as their focus on education and research to aggressively pursue innovative models of high-value primary care for underserved populations in their local communities, highlighting several recent successful examples of such programs. The UCDH experience has implications for other AHCs grappling with the financial realities of an increasingly competitive, value-based health care marketplace and the inherent difficulty in balancing educational, research, patient care, and social or community service missions.

Internet-Based Delivery of Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs Among American Indian and Alaska Native Youth: A Case Study

PubMed Central

Craig Rushing, Stephanie; Jessen, Cornelia; Gorman, Gwenda; Torres, Jennifer; Lambert, William E; Prokhorov, Alexander V; Miller, Leslie; Allums-Featherston, Kelly; Addy, Robert C; Peskin, Melissa F; Shegog, Ross

2016-01-01

Background American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth face multiple health challenges compared to other racial/ethnic groups, which could potentially be ameliorated by the dissemination of evidence-based adolescent health promotion programs. Previous studies have indicated that limited trained personnel, cultural barriers, and geographic isolation may hinder the reach and implementation of evidence-based health promotion programs among AI/AN youth. Although Internet access is variable in AI/AN communities across the United States, it is swiftly and steadily improving, and it may provide a viable strategy to disseminate evidence-based health promotion programs to this underserved population. Objective We explored the potential of using the Internet to disseminate evidence-based health promotion programs on multiple health topics to AI/AN youth living in diverse communities across 3 geographically dispersed regions of the United States. Specifically, we assessed the Internet’s potential to increase the reach and implementation of evidence-based health promotion programs for AI/AN youth, and to engage AI/AN youth. Methods This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 25 participating sites in Alaska, Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest. Predominantly AI/AN youth, aged 12-14 years, accessed 6 evidence-based health promotion programs delivered via the Internet, which focused on sexual health, hearing loss, alcohol use, tobacco use, drug use, and nutrition and physical activity. Adult site coordinators completed computer-based education inventory surveys, connectivity and bandwidth testing to assess parameters related to program reach (computer access, connectivity, and bandwidth), and implementation logs to assess barriers to implementation (program errors and delivery issues). We assessed youths’ perceptions of program engagement via ratings on ease of use, understandability, credibility, likeability, perceived impact, and motivational appeal, using previously established measures. Results Sites had sufficient computer access and Internet connectivity to implement the 6 programs with adequate fidelity; however, variable bandwidth (ranging from 0.24 to 93.5 megabits per second; mean 25.6) and technical issues led some sites to access programs via back-up modalities (eg, uploading the programs from a Universal Serial Bus drive). The number of youth providing engagement ratings varied by program (n=40-191; 48-60% female, 85-90% self-identified AI/AN). Across programs, youth rated the programs as easy to use (68-91%), trustworthy (61-89%), likeable (59-87%), and impactful (63-91%). Most youth understood the words in the programs (60-83%), although some needed hints to complete the programs (16-49%). Overall, 37-66% of the participants would recommend the programs to a classmate, and 62-87% found the programs enjoyable when compared to other school lessons. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the potential of the Internet to enhance the reach and implementation of evidence-based health promotion programs, and to engage AI/AN youth. Provision of back-up modalities is recommended to address possible connectivity or technical issues. The dissemination of Internet-based health promotion programs may be a promising strategy to address health disparities for this underserved population. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01303575; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01303575 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6m7DO4g7c) PMID:27872037

Internet-Based Delivery of Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs Among American Indian and Alaska Native Youth: A Case Study.

PubMed

Markham, Christine M; Craig Rushing, Stephanie; Jessen, Cornelia; Gorman, Gwenda; Torres, Jennifer; Lambert, William E; Prokhorov, Alexander V; Miller, Leslie; Allums-Featherston, Kelly; Addy, Robert C; Peskin, Melissa F; Shegog, Ross

2016-11-21

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth face multiple health challenges compared to other racial/ethnic groups, which could potentially be ameliorated by the dissemination of evidence-based adolescent health promotion programs. Previous studies have indicated that limited trained personnel, cultural barriers, and geographic isolation may hinder the reach and implementation of evidence-based health promotion programs among AI/AN youth. Although Internet access is variable in AI/AN communities across the United States, it is swiftly and steadily improving, and it may provide a viable strategy to disseminate evidence-based health promotion programs to this underserved population. We explored the potential of using the Internet to disseminate evidence-based health promotion programs on multiple health topics to AI/AN youth living in diverse communities across 3 geographically dispersed regions of the United States. Specifically, we assessed the Internet's potential to increase the reach and implementation of evidence-based health promotion programs for AI/AN youth, and to engage AI/AN youth. This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 25 participating sites in Alaska, Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest. Predominantly AI/AN youth, aged 12-14 years, accessed 6 evidence-based health promotion programs delivered via the Internet, which focused on sexual health, hearing loss, alcohol use, tobacco use, drug use, and nutrition and physical activity. Adult site coordinators completed computer-based education inventory surveys, connectivity and bandwidth testing to assess parameters related to program reach (computer access, connectivity, and bandwidth), and implementation logs to assess barriers to implementation (program errors and delivery issues). We assessed youths' perceptions of program engagement via ratings on ease of use, understandability, credibility, likeability, perceived impact, and motivational appeal, using previously established measures. Sites had sufficient computer access and Internet connectivity to implement the 6 programs with adequate fidelity; however, variable bandwidth (ranging from 0.24 to 93.5 megabits per second; mean 25.6) and technical issues led some sites to access programs via back-up modalities (eg, uploading the programs from a Universal Serial Bus drive). The number of youth providing engagement ratings varied by program (n=40-191; 48-60% female, 85-90% self-identified AI/AN). Across programs, youth rated the programs as easy to use (68-91%), trustworthy (61-89%), likeable (59-87%), and impactful (63-91%). Most youth understood the words in the programs (60-83%), although some needed hints to complete the programs (16-49%). Overall, 37-66% of the participants would recommend the programs to a classmate, and 62-87% found the programs enjoyable when compared to other school lessons. Findings demonstrate the potential of the Internet to enhance the reach and implementation of evidence-based health promotion programs, and to engage AI/AN youth. Provision of back-up modalities is recommended to address possible connectivity or technical issues. The dissemination of Internet-based health promotion programs may be a promising strategy to address health disparities for this underserved population. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01303575; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01303575 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6m7DO4g7c). ©Christine M Markham, Stephanie Craig Rushing, Cornelia Jessen, Gwenda Gorman, Jennifer Torres, William E Lambert, Alexander V Prokhorov, Leslie Miller, Kelly Allums-Featherston, Robert C Addy, Melissa F Peskin, Ross Shegog. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 21.11.2016.

The association between dental, general, and mental health status among underserved and vulnerable populations served at health centers in the US.

PubMed

Nguyen, Vy H; Lin, Sue C; Cappelli, David P; Nair, Suma

2018-12-01

Vulnerable populations in underserved communities are disproportionately at high risk for multiple medical, dental, and behavioral health conditions. This study aims to: a) examine the occurrence of acute dental needs and b) investigate the association of acute dental needs and self-rated general and mental health status among the adult dentate health center population. This cross-sectional study analyzed data on adult patients (n = 5,035) from the 2014 Health Center Patient Survey, a nationally representative survey of health center patients. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association of acute dental needs and a) self-rated general health status and b) mental health status. Approximately, two thirds of adult dentate heath center patients reported having an acute dental need. After adjusting for confounding factors, not having or having had health insurance that pays for dental care, general health status of fair or poor, and ever having a mental illness were associated with higher odds of having an acute dental need. The results highlight the role of health centers in addressing oral health disparities among vulnerable populations and the importance of a team-based multidisciplinary approach to ensuring the integration and coordination of oral health services within a comprehensive primary care delivery system. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Rapid review of evaluation of interventions to improve participation in cancer screening services

PubMed Central

Myles, Jonathan P; Maroni, Roberta; Mohammad, Abeera

2016-01-01

Objective Screening participation is spread differently across populations, according to factors such as ethnicity or socioeconomic status. We here review the current evidence on effects of interventions to improve cancer screening participation, focussing in particular on effects in underserved populations. Methods We selected studies to review based on their characteristics: focussing on population screening programmes, showing a quantitative estimate of the effect of the intervention, and published since 1990. To determine eligibility for our purposes, we first reviewed titles, then abstracts, and finally the full paper. We started with a narrow search and expanded this until the search yielded eligible papers on title review which were less than 1% of the total. We classified the eligible studies by intervention type and by the cancer for which they screened, while looking to identify effects in any inequality dimension. Results The 68 papers included in our review reported on 71 intervention studies. Of the interventions, 58 had significant positive effects on increasing participation, with increase rates of the order of 2%–20% (in absolute terms). Conclusions Across different countries and health systems, a number of interventions were found more consistently to improve participation in cancer screening, including in underserved populations: pre-screening reminders, general practitioner endorsement, more personalized reminders for non-participants, and more acceptable screening tests in bowel and cervical screening. PMID:27754937

Clinical outcomes of a diabetes education program for patients with diabetes mellitus in the Micronesian community in Hawaii.

PubMed

Chong, Mok Thoong

2016-01-01

Hawaii has diverse population made up of a cultural mix of different races. Due to different cultural and social influences and language barrier, many of the under-served population who migrated to Hawaii and having diabetes mellitus may be susceptible to long-term complications due to uncontrolled hyperglycemia and medication nonadherence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a diabetes education program on the clinical outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus in the Micronesian community of Hawaii. This study included patients over age 18 years, with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The diabetes education program was customized for its weekly classes to fit to the under-served population. Data were collected on participants on the 1(st) day and then 6 months after attending the education program. Data on primary and secondary endpoints were collected and analyzed. The mean glycosylated hemoglobin A1c, fasting blood glucose, and triglyceride levels of participants fell significantly from baseline after attending the diabetes education program for 6 months. No significant changes were observed in other secondary outcomes during the study time period. Based on our findings, the diabetes education program that was tailored to the Micronesian population was successful in achieving glycemic goals, enhancing medication adherence, improving clinical outcomes, and also preventing long-term complications among its participants.

A Statewide Approach to Health Care Personnel Maldistribution—The California Area Health Education Center System

PubMed Central

Crowder, John E.; Schnepper, James E.; Gessert, Charles

1984-01-01

An Area Health Education Center (AHEC) system has been established in California to address the maldistribution of physicians and other health care professionals. The AHEC program uses educational incentives to recruit and retain health care personnel in underserved areas by linking the academic resources of university health science centers with local educational and clinical facilities. The medical schools, working in partnership with urban or rural AHECs throughout the state, are implementing educational programs to attract trainees and licensed professionals to work in underserved communities. The California AHEC project entered its fifth year in October of 1983 with the participation of all eight medical schools and the Charles Drew Postgraduate School of Medicine, 35 other health professions schools, 17 independent AHECs and more than 400 clinical training sites. Educational programs are reaching more than 22,000 students and practicing health professionals throughout California. We review the current status of the California AHEC system and use the AHEC programs at Loma Linda University to illustrate the effect this intervention is having. PMID:6730500

A National Longitudinal Survey of Medical Students' Intentions to Practice Among the Underserved.

PubMed

O'Connell, Thomas F; Ham, Sandra A; Hart, Theodore G; Curlin, Farr A; Yoon, John D

2018-01-01

To explore students' intentions to practice in medically underserved areas. In January 2011, 960 third-year medical students from 24 MD-granting U.S. medical schools were invited to participate in a survey on their intention to practice in a medically underserved area. A follow-up survey was sent to participants in September 2011. Covariates included student demographics, medical school characteristics, environmental exposures, work experiences, sense of calling, and religious characteristics. Adjusted response rates were 564/919 (61.4%, first survey) and 474/564 (84.0%, follow-up survey). Among fourth-year medical students, an estimated 34.3% had an intention to practice among the underserved. In multivariate logistic regression modeling, predictors for intentions to practice among the underserved included growing up in an underserved setting (odds ratio [OR] range: 2.96-4.81), very strong sense of calling (OR range: 1.86-3.89), and high medical school social mission score (in fourth year: OR = 2.34 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.31-4.21]). International experience was associated with favorable change of mind in the fourth year (OR = 2.86 [95% CI, 1.13-7.24]). High intrinsic religiosity was associated with intentions to practice primary care in underserved settings (in fourth year: OR = 2.29 [95% CI = 1.13-4.64]). Growing up in medically underserved settings, work experience in religiously affiliated organizations, very strong sense of calling, and high medical school social mission score were associated with intentions to practice in underserved areas. Lack of formative educational experiences may dissuade students from considering underserved practice.

Primary care physicians in underserved areas. Family physicians dominate.

PubMed Central

Burnett, W H; Mark, D H; Midtling, J E; Zellner, B B

1995-01-01

Using the definitions of "medically underserved areas" developed by the California Health Manpower Policy Commission and data on physician location derived from a survey of California physicians applying for licensure or relicensure between 1984 and 1986, we examined the extent to which different kinds of primary care physicians located in underserved areas. Among physicians completing postgraduate medical education after 1974, board-certified family physicians were 3 times more likely to locate in medically underserved rural communities than were other primary care physicians. Non-board-certified family and general physicians were 1.6 times more likely than other non-board-certified primary care physicians to locate in rural underserved areas. Family and general practice physicians also showed a slightly greater likelihood than other primary care physicians of being located in urban underserved areas. PMID:8553635

Involving American Indians and medically underserved rural populations in cancer clinical trials.

PubMed

Guadagnolo, B Ashleigh; Petereit, Daniel G; Helbig, Petra; Koop, David; Kussman, Patricia; Fox Dunn, Emily; Patnaik, Asha

2009-12-01

To assess cancer clinical trial recruitment and reasons for nonaccrual among a rural, medically underserved population served by a community-based cancer care center. We prospectively tracked clinical trial enrollment incidence among all new patients presenting at the Rapid City Regional Cancer Care Institute. Evaluating physicians completed questionnaires for each patient regarding clinical trial enrollment status and primary reasons for nonenrollment. Patients who identified as American Indian were referred to a program where patients were assisted in navigating the medical system by trained, culturally competent staff. Between September 2006 and January 2008, 891 new cancer patients were evaluated. Seventy-eight patients (9%; 95% confidence intervals, 7-11%) were enrolled on a clinical treatment trial. For 73% (95% confidence intervals, 69-75%) of patients (646 of 891) lack of relevant protocol availability or protocol inclusion criteria restrictiveness was the reason for nonenrollment. Only 45 (5%; 95% confidence intervals, 4-7%) patients refused enrollment on a trial. Of the 78 enrolled on a trial, 6 (8%; 95% confidence intervals, 3-16%) were American Indian. Three additional American Indian patients were enrolled under a nontreatment cancer control trial, bringing the total percentage enrolled of the 94 American Indians who presented to the clinic to 10% (95% confidence intervals, 5-17%). Eligibility rates were unable to be calculated and cross validation of the number in the cohort via registries or ICD-9 codes was not performed. Clinical trial participation in this medically underserved population was low overall, but approximately 3-fold higher than reported national accrual rates. Lack of availability of protocols for common cancer sites as well as stringent protocol inclusion criteria were the primary obstacles to clinical trial enrollment. Targeted interventions using a Patient Navigation program were used to engage AI patients and may have resulted in higher clinical trial enrollment among this racial/ethnic group.

Involving American Indians and medically underserved rural populations in cancer clinical trials

PubMed Central

Guadagnolo, B Ashleigh; Petereit, Daniel G; Helbig, Petra; Koop, David; Kussman, Patricia; Dunn, Emily Fox; Patnaik, Asha

2010-01-01

Purpose To assess cancer clinical trial recruitment and reasons for nonaccrual among a rural, medically underserved population served by a community-based cancer care center. Methods We prospectively tracked clinical trial enrollment incidence among all new patients presenting at the Rapid City Regional Cancer Care Institute. Evaluating physicians completed questionnaires for each patient regarding clinical trial enrollment status and primary reasons for nonenrollment. Patients who identified as American Indian were referred to a program where patients were assisted in navigating the medical system by trained, culturally competent staff. Results Between September 2006 and January 2008, 891 new cancer patients were evaluated. Seventy-eight patients (9%; 95% confidence intervals, 7–11%) were enrolled on a clinical treatment trial. For 73% (95% confidence intervals, 69–75%) of patients (646 of 891) lack of relevant protocol availability or protocol inclusion criteria restrictiveness was the reason for nonenrollment. Only 45 (5%; 95% confidence intervals, 4–7%) patients refused enrollment on a trial. Of the 78 enrolled on a trial, 6 (8%; 95% confidence intervals, 3–16%) were American Indian. Three additional American Indian patients were enrolled under a nontreatment cancer control trial, bringing the total percentage enrolled of the 94 American Indians who presented to the clinic to 10% (95% confidence intervals, 5–17%). Limitations Eligibility rates were unable to be calculated and cross validation of the number in the cohort via registries or ICD-9 codes was not performed. Conclusion Clinical trial participation in this medically underserved population was low overall, but approximately 3-fold higher than reported national accrual rates. Lack of availability of protocols for common cancer sites as well as stringent protocol inclusion criteria were the primary obstacles to clinical trial enrollment. Targeted interventions using a Patient Navigation program were used to engage AI patients and may have resulted in higher clinical trial enrollment among this racial/ethnic group. PMID:19933720

Telehealth for diabetes self-management education and support in an underserved, free clinic population: A pilot study.

PubMed

Threatt, Tiffaney B; Ward, Eileen D

Primary study objectives were to (1) describe mean change in A1c from baseline of a free clinic population enrolled in telehealth diabetes self-management education and support (DSME/S) services and (2) to compare change in A1C and other clinical outcomes measures with free clinic patients enrolled in a traditional face-to-face DSME/S program. An exploratory study design and comparative evaluation of telehealth DSME/S services in a free clinic population was used. Baseline clinical measures were collected upon referral. Diabetes educators met with patients individually over 2-3 months. Clinical outcomes measures were collected within 6 months of program completion. Data from the telehealth group was assessed individually and compared to a free clinic traditional DSME/S program population. Twelve patients completed a telehealth free clinic DSME/S pilot program with a mean ± SD change in A1C from baseline of -1.03 ± 1.53% (P = 0.050). Mean ± SD change in A1C from baseline in the free clinic population participating in traditional face-to-face DSME/S services was -1.42 ± 1.80% (P = 0.001). No significant differences in secondary outcomes measures, including body mass index and blood pressure, were revealed among the study populations. Expanding access to care in populations faced with challenges of socioeconomics, limited education, and lower health literacy is a step toward reducing health disparities and positively affecting care. Mean A1C can be improved with telehealth DSME/S services in an underserved, free clinic population. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transforming the Cross Cultural Collaborative of Pierce County Through Assessment Capacity Building

PubMed Central

Garza, Mary A.; Abatemarco, Diane J.; Gizzi, Cindan; Abegglen, Lynn M.; Johnson-Conley, Christina

2010-01-01

Background Underserved populations are underrepresented in public health initiatives such as tobacco control and in cancer clinical trials. Community involvement is crucial to interventions aimed at reducing health disparities, and local health departments increasingly are called upon to provide both leadership and funding. The Tacoma Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD), in conjunction with 13 key community-based organizations and healthcare systems, formed the Cross Cultural Collaborative of Pierce County (CCC) that successfully employs needs-assessment and evaluation techniques to identify community health initiatives. Methods Community leaders from six underserved populations of the CCC were trained in needs-assessments techniques. Assessments measured effectiveness of the collaborative process and community health initiatives by using key informant (n = 18) and group interviews (n = 3). Results The CCC, facilitated by its partnership with the TPCHD, built capacity and competence across community groups to successfully obtain two funded public health initiatives for six priority populations. Members expressed overall satisfaction with the training, organizational structure, and leadership. The CCC’s diversity, cultural competency, and sharing of resources were viewed both as a strength and a decision-making challenge. Conclusion Public health department leadership, collaboration, and evidence-based assessment and evaluation were key to demonstrating effectiveness of the interventions, ensuring the CCC’s sustainability. PMID:19077598

The Ohio Cross-Cultural Tobacco Control Alliance: Understanding and Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disparities Through the Integration of Science, Practice, and Policy

PubMed Central

Adhikari, Surendra B.; Clopton, Tracy M.; Oches, Barry; Jensen, Conrado

2010-01-01

Objectives. We examined the development of a process designed to eliminate tobacco-related disparities in the state of Ohio and described how a cross-cultural work group used a multicomponent community planning process to develop capacity to address such disparities. Methods. The community development model was used as a guide in the planning process. We employed a case study, focus groups, and telephone interviews to assess the process and collect data on tobacco use and awareness. We also employed the appreciative inquiry framework to create the organizational design for the Ohio Cross-Cultural Tobacco Control Alliance (CCTCA), which was formed from the cross-cultural work group and charged with addressing tobacco-related disparities in the state. Results. Data on tobacco use and awareness were collected from 13 underserved populations. At the end of the planning process, the CCTCA was initiated along with structural capacity to serve as a new program incubator highlighting tobacco use and awareness levels in these populations. Conclusions. The CCTCA appeared to be an effective way to begin mobilizing agencies serving underserved populations by providing an operational structure to address tobacco-related disparities. The alliance also successfully implemented culturally competent community-based programs and policies to help eliminate disparities. PMID:20147668

Assessing internet access and use in a medically underserved population: implications for providing enhanced health information services.

PubMed

Zach, Lisl; Dalrymple, Prudence W; Rogers, Michelle L; Williver-Farr, Heather

2012-03-01

The relationship between health information seeking, patient engagement and health literacy is not well understood. This is especially true in medically underserved populations, which are often viewed as having limited access to health information. To improve communication between an urban health centre and the community it serves, a team of library and information science researchers undertook an assessment of patients' level and methods of access to and use of the Internet. Data were collected in 53 face-to-face anonymous interviews with patients at the centre. Interviews were tape-recorded for referential accuracy, and data were analysed to identify patterns of access and use. Seventy-two percentage of study participants reported having access to the Internet through either computers or cell phones. Barriers to Internet access were predominantly lack of equipment or training rather than lack of interest. Only 21% of those with Internet access reported using the Internet to look for health information. The findings suggest that lack of access to the Internet in itself is not the primary barrier to seeking health information in this population and that the digital divide exists not at the level of information access but rather at the level of information use. © 2011 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2011 Health Libraries Group.

A systematic review of social networking sites: innovative platforms for health research targeting adolescents and young adults.

PubMed

Park, Bu Kyung; Calamaro, Christina

2013-09-01

To review the evidence to determine if social networking sites (SNS) are effective tools for health research in the adolescent and young adult populations. Systematic review of published research articles focused on use of SNS for youth health research. Seventeen articles were selected that met the following criteria: used SNS at any stage of study, participants between 13 and 25 years of age, English language, and both international and national studies. Reviewers categorized selected studies based on the way SNS were used. Utilization of SNS for effectively implementing research with adolescents and young adults include (a) recruitment, (b) intervention, and (c) measurement. Four findings about advantages of using SNS apparent in this review are (a) ease of access to youth, (b) cost effectiveness in recruitment, (c) ease of intervention, and (d) reliable screening venue of mental status and high-risk behaviors. Although this literature review showed relatively minimal research to date on the use of SNS for research targeting adolescents and young adults, the impact of using SNS for health research is of considerable importance for researchers as well as participants. With careful focus, SNS can become a valuable platform to access, recruit, and deliver health interventions in a cost-effective manner to youth populations as well as hard-to-reach minority or underserved populations. The evidence demonstrates the usefulness of SNS as innovative platforms for health promotion among adolescents and young adults. © 2013 Sigma Theta Tau International.

HRSA's collaborative efforts with national organizations to expand primary care for the medically underserved.

PubMed Central

Crane, A B

1991-01-01

As the Federal agency that provides leadership in expanding access to primary health care, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) manages some 50 programs directed toward the delivery of services and strengthening the base of national health resources. An enabling element of the agency's strategy is the expansion of partnerships with national associations, private foundations, and other entities that share a concern for the health care of the medically underserved. Cooperative efforts with national organizations are intended to promote the integration of public and private resources and encourage adoption of efficient approaches to organizing and financing health care. Medical education in the primary care specialties, State programs for women and children, involvement of managed care organizations with low-income populations, and programs concerning the uninsured are the foci of some of these collaborative relationships. PMID:1899932

Associations between Positive Parenting Practices and Child Externalizing Behavior in Underserved Latino Immigrant Families

PubMed Central

Holtrop, Kendal; Smith, Sharde' Mcneil; Scott, Jenna C.

2015-01-01

This study examined whether five specific parenting practices (i.e., monitoring, discipline, skill encouragement, problem solving, and positive involvement) were associated with reduced child externalizing behaviors among a sample of Latino immigrant families. It utilized baseline data from 83 Latino couples with children participating in a larger randomized controlled trial of a culturally adapted parenting intervention. Results reveal that monitoring, discipline, skill encouragement, and problem solving each made independent contributions to the prediction of child externalizing behavior, although not all in the expected direction. Further analyses examining mothers and fathers separately suggest that mother-reported monitoring and father-reported discipline practices uniquely contributed to these findings. These results may have important implications for prevention and clinical intervention efforts with Latino immigrant families, including the cultural adaptation and implementation of parenting interventions with this underserved population. PMID:25287585

The Health Sciences and Technology Academy: an educational pipeline to address health care disparities in West Virginia.

PubMed

McKendall, Sherron Benson; Kasten, Kasandra; Hanks, Sara; Chester, Ann

2014-01-01

Health and educational disparities are national issues in the United States. Research has shown that health care professionals from underserved backgrounds are more likely than others to work in underserved areas. The Association of American Medical Colleges' Project 3000 by 2000, to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in medical schools, spurred the West Virginia School of Medicine to start the Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) in 1994 with the goal of supporting interested underrepresented high school students in pursuing college and health professions careers. The program was based on three beliefs: (1) if underrepresented high school students have potential and the desire to pursue a health professions career and are given the support, they can reach their goals, including obtaining a health professions degree; (2) underserved high school students are able to predict their own success if given the right resources; and (3) community engagement would be key to the program's success.In this Perspective, the authors describe the HSTA and its framework and philosophy, including the underlying theories and pedagogy from research in the fields of education and the behavioral/social sciences. They then offer evidence of the program's success, specifically for African American students, including graduates' high college-going rate and overwhelming intention to choose a health professions major. Finally, the authors describe the benefits of the HSTA's community partnerships, including providing mentors to students, adding legislative language providing tuition waivers and a budgetary line item devoted to the program, and securing program funding from outside sources.

A Framework for Education in the 21st Century. The Whole Child. Info Brief. Number 40

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laitsch, Dan; Lewallen, Theresa; McCloskey, Molly

2005-01-01

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) believes that education policy and practice must be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the learning needs of the whole child. This approach ensures education excellence and equity for each student--especially those from underserved populations. Meeting the needs of the…

Applying the Department of Health and Human Services Underserved Area Criteria to Army Dental Facilities

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

The Act also applied to students in schools of medicine, osteopathy , or optometry, and was based on county practitioner-population ratios. By 1971...primatry cam physician (Ui) Othier tourists (non-residtnt) may osteopathy (D.O.) providing direct ratio of less than 2.50:1I but greater be included

Spiritually Based Intervention to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening among African Americans: Screening and Theory-Based Outcomes from a Randomized Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holt, Cheryl L.; Litaker, Mark S.; Scarinci, Isabel C.; Debnam, Katrina J.; McDavid, Chastity; McNeal, Sandre F.; Eloubeidi, Mohamad A.; Crowther, Martha; Bolland, John; Martin, Michelle Y.

2013-01-01

Colorectal cancer screening has clear benefits in terms of mortality reduction; however, it is still underutilized and especially among medically underserved populations, including African Americans, who also suffer a disproportionate colorectal cancer burden. This study consisted of a theory-driven (health belief model) spiritually based…

Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Group Therapy for Underserved Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waltman, Scott H.; Hetrick, Holly; Tasker, Tamara E.

2012-01-01

This article presents the case of a mindfulness-based group therapy that was implemented in a residential treatment facility. The case presented comprised a group of adolescent males with disruptive behavior disorders. The group was designed to be appropriate for the unique demographics of the clients, with the intent to help the clients enhance…

Meeting EFA: How Do Complementary Models Meet the Education Needs of Underserved Populations in Developing Countries? Issues Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeStefano, Joseph; Moore, Audrey-Marie Schuh; Balwanz, David; Hartwell, Ash

2006-01-01

This issues brief describes how complementary education approaches that rely on community, nongovernmental, and ministry collaboration present a promising response to the challenge to the limitations of conventional primary schooling. The brief is based on nine case studies of successful complementary education programs in Afghanistan, Bangladesh,…

Reflections on Multiculturalism, Social Justice, and Empowerment Groups for Academic Success: A Critical Discourse for Contemporary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bemak, Fred

2005-01-01

Writing the article entitled "Empowerment Groups for Academic Success: An Innovative Approach to Prevent High School Failure for At-Risk, Urban African American Girls," Fred Bemak anticipated that there would be mixed reactions, given the unique and non traditional approach to working with a difficult and typically underserved population. The…

From Social Media to the Outdoors: Exploring Messages That Connect with Underserved Urban Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackenzie, Susan Houge; Schwab, Keri; Higgins, Lindsey; Greenwood, P. Brian; Goldenberg, Marni; Greenwood, Jerusha; Hendricks, William W.

2017-01-01

Despite the mental and physical benefits of visiting natural areas, and increases in outdoor activity participation among U.S. youth overall in the past decade, outdoor access is skewed toward nonurban, nonminority populations. This environmental justice issue is particularly pronounced for minority youth in urban areas, such as the Los Angeles…

Community-Based Health Programmes: Role Perceptions and Experiences of Female Peer Facilitators in Mumbai's Urban Slums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alcock, Glyn A.; More, Neena Shah; Patil, Sarita; Porel, Maya; Vaidya, Leena; Osrin, David

2009-01-01

Community-based initiatives have become a popular approach to addressing the health needs of underserved populations, in both low- and higher-income countries. This article presents findings from a study of female peer facilitators involved in a community-based maternal and newborn health intervention in urban slum areas of Mumbai. Using…

Urban Renewal: The Urban School Leader Takes on a New Role

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knapp, Michael S.; Copland, Michael A.; Honig, Meredith I.; Plecki, Margaret L.; Portin, Bradley S.

2010-01-01

A diverse and historically underserved urban student population struggles with academic learning and social adjustment in a context of limited resources. Support for staff efforts or special student needs is also limited, making it harder to attract and retain qualified staff. Given the conditions that educators must contend with in such settings,…

Community-Based Financial Literacy Education in a Cultural Context: A Study of Teacher Beliefs and Pedagogical Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tisdell, Elizabeth J.; Taylor, Edward W.; Forte, Karin Sprow

2013-01-01

This article presents the findings related to teaching beliefs and pedagogical practices of a study that examined how financial literacy educators educate adults from underserved population groups in community-based settings. The study is theoretically framed in the teaching beliefs and culturally responsive education literature. Findings reveal a…

Understanding Impediments and Enablers to Physical Activity among African American Adults: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siddiqi, Zoveen; Tiro, Jasmin A.; Shuval, Kerem

2011-01-01

Physical inactivity is a leading cause of premature death, disability and numerous chronic diseases. Minority and underserved populations in the United States and worldwide have a higher prevalence of physical inactivity affecting their morbidity and mortality rates. In the United States, African Americans are less physically active and have a…

Implementing Visual Culture Curriculum for Underserved Populations in an Afterschool Ceramics Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanderson, Christen Noel

2017-01-01

Economically disadvantaged students face an array of adversities during their childhood. With the media having an outstanding influence on the self-esteem of children, it is important that they have the tools necessary to question images they encounter. A Visual Culture curriculum in combination with a ceramics course can provide students with the…

Access, Quality, and Opportunity: A Case Study of Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mwalimu, Michelle

2011-01-01

Community schools and other approaches to Alternative Primary Education or APE have increased access to primary education for underserved populations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America as a major goal of the Education for All (EFA) movement. In Zambia, a country where an estimated 20 percent of the basic education enrollment now attends community…

Early Childhood Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care: Serving Refugee Families in the Healthy Steps Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchholz, Melissa; Fischer, Collette; Margolis, Kate L.; Talmi, Ayelet

2016-01-01

Primary care settings are optimal environments for providing comprehensive, family-centered care to young children and their families. Primary care clinics with integrated behavioral health clinicians (BHCs) are well-positioned to build trust and create access to care for marginalized and underserved populations. Refugees from around the world are…

Complying with the National Institutes of Health Public Access Policy to Facilitate Science Availability for All

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eack, Shaun M.

2015-01-01

Social work researchers are making significant advances in science funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve the health of underserved and marginalized populations throughout the world. Unfortunately, research results are often only available to other scientists at academic institutions, limiting their impact. To facilitate the…

Impact of Patient Empathy Modeling on Pharmacy Students Caring for the Underserved

PubMed Central

Chen, Judy T.; LaLopa, Joseph

2008-01-01

Objective To determine the impact of the Patient Empathy Modeling pedagogy on students' empathy towards caring for the underserved during an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE). Design Pharmacy students completing an APPE at 2 primary care clinics participated in a Patient Empathy Modeling assignment for 10 days. Each student “became the patient,” simulating the life of an actual patient with multiple chronic diseases who was coping with an economic, cultural, or communication barrier to optimal healthcare. Students completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) before and after completing the assignment, and wrote daily journal entries and a reflection paper. Assessment Twenty-six students completed the PEM exercises from 2005-2006. Scores on the JSPE improved. Students' comments in journals and reflection papers revealed 3 major themes: greater appreciation of the difficulty patients have with adherence to medication and treatment regimens, increased empathy for patients from different backgrounds and patients with medical and psychosocial challenges, and improved ability to apply the lessons learned in the course to their patient care roles. Conclusion A Patient Empathy Modeling assignment improved pharmacy students' empathy toward underserved populations. Integrating the assignment within an APPE allowed students to immediately begin applying the knowledge and insight gained from the exercise. PMID:18483606

Training future health providers to care for the underserved: a pilot interprofessional experience.

PubMed

Hasnain, Memoona; Koronkowski, Michael J; Kondratowicz, Diane M; Goliak, Kristen L

2012-01-01

Interprofessional teamwork is essential for effective delivery of health care to all patients, particularly the vulnerable and underserved. This brief communication describes a pilot interprofessional learning experience designed to introduce medicine and pharmacy students to critical health issues affecting at-risk, vulnerable patients and helping students learn the value of functioning effectively in interprofessional teams. With reflective practice as an overarching principle, readings, writing assignments, a community-based immersion experience, discussion seminars, and presentations were organized to cultivate students' insights into key issues impacting the health and well-being of vulnerable patients. A written program evaluation form was used to gather students' feedback about this learning experience. Participating students evaluated this learning experience positively. Both quantitative and qualitative input indicated the usefulness of this learning experience in stimulating learners' thinking and helping them learn to work collaboratively with peers from another discipline to understand and address health issues for at-risk, vulnerable patients within their community. This pilot educational activity helped medicine and pharmacy students learn the value of functioning effectively in interprofessional teams. Given the importance of interprofessional teamwork and the increasing need to respond to the health needs of underserved populations, integrating interprofessional learning experiences in health professions training is highly relevant, feasible, and critically needed.

Giving Voice to the Medically Under-Served: A Qualitative Co-Production Approach to Explore Patient Medicine Experiences and Improve Services to Marginalized Communities.

PubMed

Latif, Asam; Tariq, Sana; Abbasi, Nasa; Mandane, Baguiasri

2018-01-27

With an aging population, the appropriate, effective and safe use of medicines is a global health priority. However, "'medically under-served" patients continue to experience significant inequalities around access to healthcare services. This study forms part of a wider project to co-develop and evaluate a digital educational intervention for community pharmacy. The aim of this paper is to explore the medicine needs of patients from marginalized communities and suggest practical way on how services could be better tailored to their requirements. Following ethical approval, qualitative data was gathered from: (1) workshops with patients and professionals ( n = 57 attendees); and (2) qualitative semi-structured interviews (10 patients and 10 pharmacists). Our findings revealed that patients from marginalized communities reported poor management of their medical conditions and significant problems with adherence to prescribed medicines. Their experience of pharmacy services was found to be variable with many experiencing discrimination or disadvantage as a result of their status. This study highlights the plight of medically under-served communities and the need for policy makers to tailor services to an individual's needs and circumstances. Furthermore, patients and professionals can work in collaboration using a co-production approach to develop educational interventions for pharmacy service improvements.

What Is eHealth (6): Perspectives on the Evolution of eHealth Research

PubMed Central

Kreslake, Jennifer M; Phalen, Judith M

2006-01-01

Background The field of eHealth holds promise for supporting and enabling health behavior change and the prevention and management of chronic disease. Objective In order to establish areas of congruence and controversy among contributors to the early development, evaluation, and dissemination of eHealth applications, as well as the desire to inform an evaluation research funding agenda, 38 semistructured, qualitative interviews were conducted among stakeholders in eHealth between May 2002 and September 2003. Methods Participants were asked about their perspectives on the credibility, value, and future potential of information technology for health behavior change and chronic disease management. Interviews were coded and analyzed for emergent themes using qualitative methods. Results Consistent themes were identified across stakeholder groups, with slight differences in emphasis. These topics included the following: (1) consensus and standardization—most stakeholders expressed a strong desire for a more coordinated, rigorous effort to define and integrate the field; (2) evaluation methods and challenges—demonstrating outcomes is required to establish eHealth quality and efficacy, but stakeholders were not satisfied with the sensitivity, validity, and reliability of existing outcome measures; (3) quality, value, and future potential—the intersection between eHealth’s potential cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and improved clinical status among users generated a high degree of interest; and (4) health disparities—many stakeholders contended that traditionally underserved populations will particularly benefit from eHealth applications, although others argued that the underserved are also disadvantaged in terms of access to technology. Conclusions Recommendations included the need for improvement and formalization of development and evaluation standards across private and public sectors, additional research on the technology needs and preferences of traditionally underserved populations, and long-term epidemiologic studies of the impact of eHealth on outcomes and cost-effectiveness. PMID:16585029

Interactive web-based portals to improve patient navigation and connect patients with primary care and specialty services in underserved communities.

PubMed

Highfield, Linda; Ottenweller, Cecelia; Pfanz, Andre; Hanks, Jeanne

2014-01-01

This article presents a case study in the redesign, development, and implementation of a web-based healthcare clinic search tool for virtual patient navigation in underserved populations in Texas. It describes the workflow, assessment of system requirements, and design and implementation of two online portals: Project Safety Net and the Breast Health Portal. The primary focus of the study was to demonstrate the use of health information technology for the purpose of bridging the gap between underserved populations and access to healthcare. A combination of interviews and focus groups was used to guide the development process. Interviewees were asked a series of questions about usage, usability, and desired features of the new system. The redeveloped system offers a multitier architecture consisting of data, business, and presentation layers. The technology used in the new portals include Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Google Maps JavaScript API v3, jQuery, Telerik RadControls (ASP.NET AJAX), and HTML. The redesigned portals have 548 registered clinics, and they have averaged 355 visits per month since their launch in late 2011, with the average user visiting five pages per visit. Usage has remained relatively constant over time, with an average of 142 new users (40 percent) each month. This study demonstrates the successful application of health information technology to improve access to healthcare and the successful adoption of the technology by targeted end users. The portals described in this study could be replicated by health information specialists in other areas of the United States to address disparities in healthcare access.

Interactive Web-based Portals to Improve Patient Navigation and Connect Patients with Primary Care and Specialty Services in Underserved Communities

PubMed Central

Highfield, Linda; Ottenweller, Cecelia; Pfanz, Andre; Hanks, Jeanne

2014-01-01

This article presents a case study in the redesign, development, and implementation of a web-based healthcare clinic search tool for virtual patient navigation in underserved populations in Texas. It describes the workflow, assessment of system requirements, and design and implementation of two online portals: Project Safety Net and the Breast Health Portal. The primary focus of the study was to demonstrate the use of health information technology for the purpose of bridging the gap between underserved populations and access to healthcare. A combination of interviews and focus groups was used to guide the development process. Interviewees were asked a series of questions about usage, usability, and desired features of the new system. The redeveloped system offers a multitier architecture consisting of data, business, and presentation layers. The technology used in the new portals include Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Google Maps JavaScript API v3, jQuery, Telerik RadControls (ASP.NET AJAX), and HTML. The redesigned portals have 548 registered clinics, and they have averaged 355 visits per month since their launch in late 2011, with the average user visiting five pages per visit. Usage has remained relatively constant over time, with an average of 142 new users (40 percent) each month. This study demonstrates the successful application of health information technology to improve access to healthcare and the successful adoption of the technology by targeted end users. The portals described in this study could be replicated by health information specialists in other areas of the United States to address disparities in healthcare access. PMID:24808806

Reducing Underserved Children’s Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

PubMed Central

Collins, Bradley N.; Nair, Uma S.; Hovell, Melbourne F.; DiSantis, Katie I.; Jaffe, Karen; Tolley, Natalie; Wileyto, E. Paul; Audrain-McGovern, Janet

2015-01-01

Introduction Addressing maternal smoking and child secondhand smoke exposure is a public health priority. Standard care advice and self-help materials to help parents reduce child secondhand smoke exposure is not sufficient to promote change in underserved populations. We tested the efficacy of a behavioral counseling approach with underserved maternal smokers to reduce infant’s and preschooler’s secondhand smoke exposure. Design A two-arm randomized trial: experimental behavior counseling versus enhanced standard care (control). Assessment staff members were blinded. Setting/participants Three hundred randomized maternal smokers were recruited from low-income urban communities. Participants had a child aged <4 years exposed to two or more maternal cigarettes/day at baseline. Intervention Philadelphia Family Rules for Establishing Smokefree Homes (FRESH) included 16 weeks of counseling. Using a behavioral shaping approach within an individualized cognitive–behavioral therapy framework, counseling reinforced efforts to adopt increasingly challenging secondhand smoke exposure–protective behaviors with the eventual goal of establishing a smokefree home. Main outcome measures Primary outcomes were end-of-treatment child cotinine and reported secondhand smoke exposure (maternal cigarettes/day exposed). Secondary outcomes were end-of-treatment 7-day point-prevalence self-reported cigarettes smoked/day and bioverified quit status. Results Participation in FRESH behavioral counseling was associated with lower child cotinine (β= −0.18, p=0.03) and secondhand smoke exposure (β= −0.57, p=0.03) at end of treatment. Mothers in behavioral counseling smoked fewer cigarettes/day (β= –1.84, p=0.03) and had higher bioverified quit rates compared with controls (13.8% vs 1.9%, χ2=10.56, p<0.01). There was no moderating effect of other smokers living at home. Conclusions FRESH behavioral counseling reduces child secondhand smoke exposure and promotes smoking quit rates in a highly distressed and vulnerable population. PMID:26028355

Expanding Access to HCV Treatment - Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Project: Disruptive Innovation in Specialty Care

PubMed Central

Arora, Sanjeev; Kalishman, Summers; Thornton, Karla; Dion, Denise; Murata, Glen; Deming, Paulina; Parish, Brooke; Brown, John; Komaromy, Miriam; Colleran, Kathleen; Bankhurst, Arthur; Katzman, Joanna; Harkins, Michelle; Curet, Luis; Cosgrove, Ellen; Pak, Wesley

2013-01-01

The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Model was developed by the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNMHSC) as a platform to deliver complex specialty medical care to underserved populations through an innovative educational model of team-based inter-disciplinary development. Using state-of-the-art telehealth technology, best practice protocols, and case based learning, ECHO trains and supports primary care providers to develop knowledge and self-efficacy on a variety of diseases. As a result, they can deliver best practice care for complex health conditions in communities where specialty care is unavailable. ECHO was first developed for the management of hepatitis C virus (HCV), optimal management of which requires consultation with multi-disciplinary experts in medical specialties, mental health and substance abuse. Few practitioners, particularly in rural and underserved areas, have the knowledge to manage its emerging treatment options, side effects, drug toxicities and treatment-induced depression. In addition data was obtained from observation of ECHO weekly clinics and database of ECHO clinic participation and patient presentations by clinical provider, evaluation of the ECHO program incorporates annual survey integrated into the ECHO annual meeting and routine surveys of community providers about workplace learning, personal and professional experiences, systems and environmental factors associated with professional practice, self-efficacy, facilitators and barriers to ECHO. The initial survey data show a significant improvement in provider knowledge, self-efficacy and professional satisfaction through participation in ECHO HCV clinics. Clinicians reported a moderate to major benefit from participation. We conclude that ECHO expands access to best practice care for underserved populations, builds communities of practice to enhance professional development and satisfaction of primary care clinicians, and expands sustainable capacity for care by building local centers of excellence. PMID:20607688

Bringing cutting-edge Earth and ocean sciences to under-served and rural audiences through informal science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, S. K.; Petronotis, K. E.; Ferraro, C.; Johnson, K. T. M.; Yarincik, K.

2017-12-01

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is an international marine research collaboration that explores Earth's history and dynamics using ocean-going research platforms to recover data recorded in seafloor sediments and rocks and to monitor subseafloor environments. The JOIDES Resolution is the flagship vessel of IODP and is operated by the National Science Foundation. It is an inspirational hook for STEM Earth and ocean topics for children and the general public of all ages, but is not easily accessible due to its international travels and infrequent U.S. port calls. In response, a consortium of partners has created the Pop-Up/Drill Down Science project. The multi-year project, funded by NSF's Advancing Informal Science Learning program, aims to bring the JR and its science to under-served and rural populations throughout the country. Consisting of an inflatable walk-through ship, a multi-media experience, a giant interactive seafloor map and a series of interactive exhibit kiosks, the exhibit, entitled, In Search of Earth's Secrets: A Pop-Up Science Encounter, will travel to 12 communities throughout the next four years. In each community, the project will partner with local institutions like public libraries and small museums as hosts and to train local Girl Scouts to serve as exhibit facilitators. By working with local communities to select events and venues for pop-up events, the project hopes to bring cutting edge Earth and ocean science in creative new ways to underserved populations and inspire diverse audiences to explore further. This presentation will provide details of the project's goals, objectives and development and provide avenues to become involved.

Expanding oral care opportunities: direct access care provided by dental hygienists in the United States.

PubMed

Naughton, Doreen K

2014-06-01

Dental hygienists expand access to oral care in the United States. Many Americans have access to oral health care in traditional dental offices however millions of Americans have unmet dental needs. For decades dental hygienists have provided opportunities for un-served and under-served Americans to receive preventive services in a variety of alternate delivery sites, and referral to licensed dentists for dental care needs. Publications, state practice acts, state public health departments, the American Dental Hygienists' Association, and personal interviews of dental hygiene practitioners were accessed for information and statistical data. Dental hygienists in 36 states can legally provide direct access care. Dental hygienists are providing preventive services in a variety of settings to previously un-served and under-served Americans, with referral to dentists for dental needs. Dental hygienists have provided direct access to care in the United States for decades. The exact number of direct access providers in the United States is unknown. Limited research and anecdotal information demonstrate that direct access care has facilitated alternate entry points into the oral health systems for thousands of previously un-served and underserved Americans. Older adults, persons with special needs, children in schools, pregnant women, minority populations, rural populations, and others have benefited from the availability of many services provided by direct access dental hygienists. Legislatures and private groups are becoming increasingly aware of the impact that direct access has made on the delivery of oral health care. Many factors continue to drive the growth of direct access care. Additional research is needed to accumulate qualitative and quantitative outcome data related to direct access care provided by dental hygienists and other mid level providers of oral health services. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychiatric street outreach to homeless people: fostering relationship, reconnection, and recovery.

PubMed

Christensen, Richard C

2009-11-01

Individuals who suffer from serious and persistent mental illnesses constitute nearly one-third of the homeless population in this country. Perhaps the most vulnerable people in the homeless population are those who are disabled from a mental illness and are also chronically unsheltered. Psychiatric street outreach to this particular segment of the homeless population is commonly justified based upon the need to engage the most severely impaired and most medically underserved individuals in our communities assertively. This brief paper describes the core objectives of fostering relationship, reconnection, and recovery through a transdisciplinary, psychiatric street outreach initiative in Jacksonville, Florida.

Caring for the Underserved: Exemplars in Teaching

PubMed Central

Shane-McWhorter, Laura; Scott, Doneka R.; Chen, Judy T.; Seaba, Hazel H.

2009-01-01

The objective was to identify exemplars in teaching pharmacy students awareness, knowledge, and the skills needed to provide care and services to the underserved. A call for exemplars was sent out in spring 2007. A subcommittee of the AACP Task Force on Caring for the Underserved reviewed all applications received. The 3 best exemplars for teaching pharmacy students the awareness, attitudes, knowledge, and skills needed to care for the underserved were selected and are described in this manuscript. Included are 1 didactic, 1 experiential, and 1 international experience. These exemplars in educating students on working with the underserved provide schools with models which could be adapted to fit individual programmatic curricular needs. PMID:19513156

Impact of the University of California, Los Angeles/Charles R. Drew University Medical Education Program on medical students' intentions to practice in underserved areas.

PubMed

Ko, Michelle; Edelstein, Ronald A; Heslin, Kevin C; Rajagopalan, Shobita; Wilkerson, Luann; Colburn, Lois; Grumbach, Kevin

2005-09-01

To estimate the impact of a U.S. inner-city medical education program on medical school graduates' intentions to practice in underserved communities. The authors conducted an analysis of secondary data on 1,088 medical students who graduated from either the joint University of California, Los Angeles/Charles R. Drew University Medical Education Program (UCLA/Drew) or the UCLA School of Medicine between 1996 and 2002. Intention to practice in underserved communities was measured using students' responses to questionnaires administered at matriculation and graduation for program improvement by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to compare the odds of intending to practice in underserved communities among UCLA/Drew students with those of their counterparts in the UCLA School of Medicine. Compared with students in the UCLA School of Medicine, UCLA/Drew students had greater adjusted odds of reporting intention to work in underserved communities at graduation, greater odds of maintaining or increasing such intentions between matriculation and graduation, and lower odds of decreased intention to work in underserved communities between matriculation and graduation. Training in the UCLA/Drew program was independently associated with intention to practice medicine in underserved communities, suggesting that a medical education program can have a positive effect on students' goals to practice in underserved areas.

Need, access, and the reach of integrated care: A typology of patients.

PubMed

Bridges, Ana J; Villalobos, Bianca T; Anastasia, Elizabeth A; Dueweke, Aubrey R; Gregus, Samantha J; Cavell, Timothy A

2017-06-01

This paper is a report on a study exploring a potential typology of primary care patients referred for integrated behavioral health care (IBHC) services. We considered whether primary care patients could be grouped into meaningful clusters based on perceived need for behavioral health services, barriers to accessing care, and past-year service utilization. We also described the development of a working partnership between our university-based research team and a federally qualified health center (FQHC). A total of 105 adult primary care patients referred for same-day behavioral health appointments completed a brief self-report questionnaire assessing past-year behavioral health concerns, service utilization, and perceived barriers to utilization. Hierarchical and k-means cluster analyses revealed 3 groups: (a) Well-Served patients, characterized by high perceived need for services, high service use, and low barriers to service use (40%); (b) Underserved patients, characterized by high perceived need, low service utilization, and high barriers to service use (20%); and (c) Subclinical patients, characterized by low perceived need, low service use, and low barriers to service use (20%). Clusters were reliably differentiated by age, primary language, insurance status, and global functioning. We found primary care patients could be grouped into 3 categories and that 60% (Underserved and Subclinical) represented groups less commonly seen in traditional mental health (MH) settings. IBHC may be a promising approach for extending the reach of MH care, and partnerships between FQHCs and university-based research teams may be a promising approach for conducting research on the IBHC service-delivery model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Emotion regulation difficulties, youth-adult relationships, and suicide attempts among high school students in underserved communities.

PubMed

Pisani, Anthony R; Wyman, Peter A; Petrova, Mariya; Schmeelk-Cone, Karen; Goldston, David B; Xia, Yinglin; Gould, Madelyn S

2013-06-01

To develop and refine interventions to prevent youth suicide, knowledge is needed about specific processes that reduce risk at a population level. Using a cross-sectional design, the present study tested hypotheses regarding associations between self-reported suicide attempts, emotion regulation difficulties, and positive youth-adult relationships among 7,978 high-school students (48.6% male, 49.9% female) in 30 high schools from predominantly rural, low-income communities. 683 students (8.6%) reported a past-year suicide attempt. Emotion regulation difficulties and a lack of trusted adults at home and school were associated with increased risk for making a past-year suicide attempt, above and beyond the effects of depressive symptoms and demographic factors. The association between emotion regulation difficulties and suicide attempts was modestly lower among students who perceived themselves as having higher levels of trusted adults in the family, consistent with a protective effect. Having a trusted adult in the community (outside of school and family) was associated with fewer suicide attempts in models that controlled only for demographic covariates, but not when taking symptoms of depression into account. These findings point to adolescent emotion regulation and relationships with trusted adults as complementary targets for suicide prevention that merit further intervention studies. Reaching these targets in a broad population of adolescents will require new delivery systems and "option rich" (OR) intervention designs.

Emotion Regulation Difficulties, Youth-Adult Relationships, and Suicide Attempts Among High School Students in Underserved Communities

PubMed Central

Pisani, Anthony R.; Wyman, Peter A.; Petrova, Mariya; Schmeelk-Cone, Karen; Goldston, David B.; Xia, Yinglin; Gould, Madelyn S.

2013-01-01

To develop and refine interventions to prevent youth suicide, knowledge is needed about specific processes that reduce risk at a population level. Using a cross-sectional design, the present study tested hypotheses regarding associations between self-reported suicide attempts, emotion regulation difficulties, and positive youth-adult relationships among 7,978 high-school students (48.6% male, 49.9% female) in 30 high schools from predominantly rural, low-income communities. 683 students (8.6%) reported a past-year suicide attempt. Emotion regulation difficulties and a lack of trusted adults at home and school were associated with increased risk for making a past-year suicide attempt, above and beyond the effects of depressive symptoms and demographic factors. The association between emotion regulation difficulties and suicide attempts was modestly lower among students who perceived themselves as having higher levels of trusted adults in the family, consistent with a protective effect. Having a trusted adult in the community (outside of school and family) was associated with fewer suicide attempts in models that controlled only for demographic covariates, but not when taking symptoms of depression into account. These findings point to adolescent emotion regulation and relationships with trusted adults as complementary targets for suicide prevention that merit further intervention studies. Reaching these targets in a broad population of adolescents will require new delivery systems and “option rich” intervention designs. PMID:23666604

Text4baby program: an opportunity to reach underserved pregnant and postpartum women?

PubMed

Gazmararian, Julie A; Elon, Lisa; Yang, Baiyu; Graham, Megan; Parker, Ruth

2014-01-01

Text4baby was launched in 2010 to promote healthy pregnancies and babies by the use of text messaging. The primary objective of this study was to assess factors related to the enrollment process and reception of text4baby. A prospective cohort study was conducted in two Women, Infant and Children clinics in Atlanta (April 2010-July 2011). Randomly selected pregnant and postpartum women (n = 468) were queried on cell phone use and instructed on text4baby enrollment. Self-enrollment issues were assessed at one-week follow-up (n = 351, 75.0 %), and message reception and reading patterns at two-month follow-up (n = 209, 44.7 %). Forty-two percent of the women had some college education and 82 % had household income <=$20,000. About half attempted text4baby self-enrollment (162/351), with enrollment success more likely among women with more education (80 % with some college vs. 62 % with less education), with household income above $10,000 (61 % < $10,000 vs. 83 % $10,001-$20,000 and 76 % > $20,000), and among women living in smaller households (77 % 1-3 members vs. 58 % > 3 members) (all p < 0.001). Among the 209 participants in the final follow-up contact, >90 % reported uninterrupted reception and regular reading of messages, and 88 % planned to continue using text4baby. Results also suggested that respondents who were younger (<26 year), less educated and had lower health literacy skills were more likely to have interrupted messages. Despite substantial interest in the text4baby program in an underserved population, innovative ways to help women with significant disadvantages enroll and receive uninterrupted messages are needed.

Evaluation of “The Space Place,” a NASA Integrated, Multi-mission Education and Public Outreach Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, Diane K.; Leon, N. J.

2006-12-01

The Space Place is an integrated NASA education and public outreach program, so far representing over 40 different NASA missions. It combines Web-based, printed, and externally published media to reach underserved audiences across the nation. Its primary mission is to develop and provide a highly desirable suite of attractive and educational products designed to appeal to and immerse the general public in space exploration. Its primary target audience is elementary school age kids. The program has developed an extensive network of partnerships with museums and libraries in rural areas, English and Spanish language newspapers, astronomy societies, rocketry clubs, and national youth organizations. Materials are distributed monthly through all these channels. Originally a New Millennium Program (NMP) outreach effort only, it is open to all NASA missions. NMP (a NASA-level program managed out of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory) continues to provide the base of support to build and maintain the outreach program’s infrastructure. Obtaining independent evaluation and reporting of the effectiveness of the program is one of NASA’s requirements for education and public outreach efforts. The Program Evaluation and Research Group (PERG) at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, was retained to perform this service for The Space Place. PERG is also evaluating education and public outreach programs for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. PERG recently delivered a report evaluating The Space Place program. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, PERG surveyed representative samples of Space Place partner museums, astronomy clubs, and newspapers. The survey included questions about all the products the program provides. The report concludes that The Space Place fills a niche by serving small institutions, giving them a personal alliance with NASA that they would otherwise not have. By providing free, quality materials, The Space Place program provides these under-served populations access to space and science as only NASA can.

A Multidimensional View of Personal Health Systems for Underserved Populations

PubMed Central

Botts, Nathan E; Burkhard, Richard J

2010-01-01

The advent of electronic personal health records (PHR) provides a major opportunity to encourage positive health management practices, such as chronic disease management. Yet, to date there has been little attention toward the use of PHRs where advanced health information services are perhaps most needed, namely, in underserved communities. Drawing upon research conducted with safety net providers and patients, the authors propose a multi-level analytical framework for guiding actions aimed at fostering PHR adoption and utilization. The authors first outline distinctive user and technical requirements that need to be considered. Next, they assess organizational requirements necessary to implement PHRs within health systems bound by limited resources. Finally, the authors analyze the overriding health care policy context that can facilitate or thwart such efforts. The conclusion notes that heightened national attention toward health information technology and reform provides a significant opportunity for initiatives whose goal is to increase widepread access to PHRs. PMID:20685644

Associations between positive parenting practices and child externalizing behavior in underserved Latino immigrant families.

PubMed

Holtrop, Kendal; McNeil Smith, Sharde'; Scott, Jenna C

2015-06-01

This study examined whether five specific parenting practices (i.e., monitoring, discipline, skill encouragement, problem solving, and positive involvement) were associated with reduced child externalizing behaviors among a sample of Latino immigrant families. It utilized baseline data from 83 Latino couples with children participating in a larger randomized controlled trial of a culturally adapted parenting intervention. Results reveal that monitoring, discipline, skill encouragement, and problem solving each made independent contributions to the prediction of child externalizing behavior, although not all in the expected direction. Further analyses examining mothers and fathers separately suggest that mother-reported monitoring and father-reported discipline practices uniquely contributed to these findings. These results may have important implications for prevention and clinical intervention efforts with Latino immigrant families, including the cultural adaptation and implementation of parenting interventions with this underserved population. © 2014 Family Process Institute.

Engaging underserved audiences in informal science education through community-based partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouzo, Suzanne

This thesis explores the impact of the Science Education and Engagement of Denver (SEED) Partnership on three of its participant families. The partnership, consisting of large informal science organizations, as well as small community-based organizations, created its programming based on prior research identifying barriers to minority participation in informal science education programs. SEED aims to engage youth and families of emerging populations in science and nature. Three families were examined as a case study to have an in depth investigation about their involvement in the programs sponsored by the partnership. Findings suggest a positive impact on participant feelings and engagement in science and nature. Future recommendations are made for furthering programming as well as conducting a larger scale, more comprehensive program evaluation. This research addresses prior studies that have identified several barriers toward participation of underserved audiences in informal science education programs and how the SEED partnership has addressed specific identified barriers.

"Are you eating healthy?" Nutrition discourse in Midwestern clinics for the underserved.

PubMed

Curtis, Stephanie M; Willis, Mary S

2016-10-01

To investigate nutrition information provided and exchanged between patients and health providers in Midwestern clinics for underserved populations. Forty-six clinic visits were observed to determine content and direction of nutrition information. In-depth data were collected with clinicians and clinic administrators regarding nutrition education provided to patients. All patients were diagnosed with multiple obesity-related morbidities. Although women more often posed nutrition questions, few patients asked about dietary intake. Two-thirds of healthcare professionals initiated discussion about dietary intake; however, nutrition education was not provided regardless of clinician's profession. Patients did not appear to link morbidity with diet. Providers did not share comprehensive nutrition knowledge during clinic visits. Dietitians, who specialize in nutrition education, rarely had access to patients. Nutrition education during clinic visits is essential for reducing obesity rates. Nutrition students need clinic experience and could provide important patient education at low cost. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Culturally adapting a physical activity intervention for Somali women: the need for theory and innovation to promote equity.

PubMed

Murray, Kate E; Ermias, Azieb; Lung, Amber; Mohamed, Amina Sheik; Ellis, B Heidi; Linke, Sarah; Kerr, Jacqueline; Bowen, Deborah J; Marcus, Bess H

2017-03-01

There is pressing need for innovation in clinical research to more effectively recruit, engage, retain, and promote health among diverse populations overburdened by health disparities. The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed illustration of the cultural adaptation of an evidence-based intervention to bolster translational research with currently underserved communities. The cultural adaptation heuristic framework described by Barrera and colleagues is applied to the adaptation of a physical activity evidence-based intervention with adult Somali women. Widespread changes were required to ensure program feasibility and acceptability, including the reduction of assessment protocols and changes discordant with current trends in physical activity research. The cultural adaptation of evidence-based interventions offers an important mechanism for reducing health disparities. Improved reporting standards, assessment of features relevant to underserved communities, and greater funding requirements to ensure better representation are needed to promote more widespread access for all people.

The challenges of working in underserved areas: a qualitative exploratory study of views of policy makers and professionals.

PubMed

AbuAlRub, Raeda F; El-Jardali, Fadi; Jamal, Diana; Iblasi, Abdulkareem S; Murray, Susan F

2013-01-01

The inadequate number of health care providers, particularly nurses, in underserved areas is one of the biggest challenges for health policymakers. There is a scarcity of research in Jordan about factors that affect nurse staffing and retention in underserved areas. To elucidate the views of staff nurses working in underserved areas, directors of health facilities in underserved areas and key informants from the policy and education arena on issues of staffing and retention of nurses in underserved areas. An exploratory study using a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews was utilized to elucidate the views of 22 key informants from the policy and education arena, 11 directors of health centers, and 19 staff nurses on issues that contribute to low staffing and retention of nurses in underserved areas. The five stage 'framework approach' proposed by Bryman et al. (1993) was utilized for data analysis. Nursing shortage in underserved areas in Jordan are exacerbated by a lack of financial incentives, poor transportation and remoteness of these areas, bad working conditions, and lack of health education institutions in these areas, as well as by opportunities for internal and external migration. Young Jordanian male nurses usually grab any opportunity to migrate and work outside the country to improve their financial conditions; whereas, female nurses are more restricted and not encouraged to travel abroad to work. Several strategies are suggested to enhance retention in these areas, such as promoting financial incentives for staff to work there, enhancing the transportation system, and promoting continuous and academic education. Nurses' administrators and health care policy makers could utilize the findings of the present study to design and implement comprehensive interventions to enhance retention of staff in underserved areas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Negotiating the "Middle" Ground: How English Learner (EL) Focused Teacher Leaders and Teachers Work towards EL Instructional Change in Mainstream Elementary School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Von Esch, Kerry Soo

2013-01-01

This dissertation investigates the relationship between district supported teacher leadership and improving the teaching and learning of English learner (EL) students, a rapidly growing, yet continually underserved population of students. Utilizing a comparative case study design, this dissertation focuses on the work of two district-supported…

Welcoming Blue-Collar Scholars into the Ivory Tower: Developing Class-Conscious Strategies for Student Success. Series on Special Student Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soria, Krista M.

2015-01-01

"Welcoming Blue-Collar Scholars Into the Ivory Tower" is the first volume in a new book series designed to explore how institutional policies, practices, and cultures shape learning, development, and success for students who have been historically underserved or given limited consideration in the design of higher education contexts.…

Speed and Accuracy of Rapid Speech Output by Adolescents with Residual Speech Sound Errors Including Rhotics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preston, Jonathan L.; Edwards, Mary Louise

2009-01-01

Children with residual speech sound errors are often underserved clinically, yet there has been a lack of recent research elucidating the specific deficits in this population. Adolescents aged 10-14 with residual speech sound errors (RE) that included rhotics were compared to normally speaking peers on tasks assessing speed and accuracy of speech…

A Randomized Trial of a CAM Therapy for Stress Reduction in American Indian and Alaskan Native Family Caregivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korn, Leslie; Logsdon, Rebecca G.; Polissar, Nayak L.; Gomez-Beloz, Alfredo; Waters, Tiffany; Ryser, Rudolph

2009-01-01

Purpose: Although it is widely recognized that caregivers of individuals with dementia experience elevated stress that places them at increased risk for health problems, little is known about how caregiving stress may be alleviated among underserved ethnic minority populations. The purpose of this study was to compare a complementary and…

Where Extrinsic Meets Intrinsic Motivation: An Investigation of Black Student Persistence in Pre-Health Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Constance R.; Winsor, Denise L.

2013-01-01

In order to increase the number of health care providers in underserved communities, numerous efforts are being made to increase the number of Black students in the health professions. Research supports the idea that individuals from minority populations seek doctors of the same race or culture. In an effort to provide increased health care to…

An Innovative Multiphased Strategy to Recruit Underserved Adults into a Randomized Trial of a Community-Based Diabetes Risk Reduction Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santoyo-Olsson, Jasmine; Cabrera, Julissa; Freyre, Rachel; Grossman, Melanie; Alvarez, Natalie; Mathur, Deepika; Guerrero, Maria; Delgadillo, Adriana T.; Kanaya, Alka M.; Stewart, Anita L.

2011-01-01

Purpose: To conduct and evaluate a two-phased community-based approach to recruit lower socioeconomic status, minority, or Spanish-speaking adults at risk of developing diabetes to a randomized trial of a lifestyle intervention program delivered by a public health department. Design: Within geographic areas comprising our target population, 4…

Are the Contradictions and Tensions that Have Characterised Educational Provision for Young People with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties a Persistent Feature of Current Policy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, D. M.; Bartlett, S. J.; de Cuevas, R. Anderson

2009-01-01

English educational policy for pupils displaying disturbed emotions and behaviour has been characterised by inconsistencies, oscillating between discourses of inclusion and exclusion. While the social inclusion agenda presents an opportunity to improve the educational experience of this traditionally underserved population, it appears that…

Being Smart Is Not Enough--Easing the Way on the Long Hard Journey from Urban Poverty to College Graduation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hare, Mark

2013-01-01

The RocCity Scholars Program was developed to establish the efficacy of replicating the Rosen Scholars Program (ERIC #ED451789). Both programs were offered in inner-city environments, (New York City and Rochester) and both targeted the same under-served populations: college-bound academic achievers who were culturally, socially and financially…

Creating Access and Opportunity: Preparing African-American Male Students for STEM Trajectories PreK-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Brian L.; Counsell, Shelly L.; Goings, Ramon B.; Freeman, Hollee; Peat, Felicia

2016-01-01

Purpose: Research often neglects the full continuum of the STEM pipeline in terms of underserved and underrepresented populations. African American males, in particular, experience limited access, opportunity, and preparation along STEM trajectories preK-12. The purpose of this paper is to challenge this gap by presenting examples of preK-12…

Pocket School: Exploring Mobile Technology as a Sustainable Literacy Education Option for Underserved Indigenous Children in Latin America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Paul; Miranda, Talia; Olaciregui, Claudia

2008-01-01

Literacy is a human right unequally distributed among the world's population. Despite global efforts to fight illiteracy, high illiteracy rates continue to jeopardize access for many to basic schooling, life-long learning, health, and environment safety. Illiteracy also hinders the economic prosperity of the poorest societies in this digital age.…

Advancing Understanding of the Characteristics and Capacity of African American Women Who Serve as Lay Health Advisors in Community-Based Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shelton, Rachel C.; Dunston, Sheba King; Leoce, Nicole; Jandorf, Lina; Thompson, Hayley S.; Erwin, Deborah O.

2017-01-01

Lay Health Advisor (LHA) programs hold tremendous promise for reducing health disparities and addressing social determinants of health in medically underserved communities, including African American populations. Very little is understood about the capacity of LHAs in these roles and the broader contributions they make to their communities. This…

Taking Their Show on the Road: Becky Hebert & Siobhan Champ-Blackwell--National Network of Libraries of Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Library Journal, 2005

2005-01-01

They're two very different women with the same mission: outreach to medically underserved populations. Both work for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. Becky Hebert (left) covers the Southeast/Atlantic region, and Siobhan Champ-Blackwell, the mid-continental region. They spend much of their lives on the road, exhibiting at minority…

Making Something of It: The Untold Stories of Promising Black Males at a Predominately White Institution of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funk, Michael Sean

2012-01-01

Promising Black males are an understudied and underserved population in the field of higher education. The purpose of this study was to understand how promising Black males define academic success and to identify the factors that affect academic success at a large predominately White public institutions of higher education located in the…

APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology.

PubMed

2016-11-01

The APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology is awarded on an annual basis by the APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) to a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding practice and application of psychology. A qualified candidate must demonstrate exemplary performance in working with an underserved population in an applied setting or have developed an innovative method for delivering health services to an underserved population. The 2016 recipient of the APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology was selected by the 2015 Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the 2015 APAGS Scholarship and Awards Selection Committee. Members of the 2015 BPA were Patricia Arredondo, EdD; Helen L. Coons, PhD, ABPP; Vickie Mays, PhD, MSPH; Linda A. Reddy, PhD; Lois O. Condi, PhD; Antonette M. Zeiss, PhD; Timothy A. Cavell, PhD; Robert T. Kinscherff, PhD, JD; and Jared L. Skillings, PhD, ABPP. Members of the 2015 APAGS Scholarship and Awards Selection Committee were Emily Voelkel, PhD; Blaire Schembari; and Yolanda Perkins-Volk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology.

PubMed

2017-12-01

The APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology is awarded on an annual basis by the APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) to a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding practice and application of psychology. A qualified candidate must demonstrate exemplary performance in working with an underserved population in an applied setting or have developed an innovative method for delivering health services to an underserved population. The 2017 recipient of the APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology was selected by the 2016 Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the 2016 APAGS Scholarship and Awards Selection Committee. Members of the 2016 BPA were Antonette M. Zeiss, PhD (Chair); Linda A. Reddy, PhD; Lois O. Condie, PhD; Timothy A. Cavell, PhD; Robert T. Kinscherff, PhD, JD; Jared L. Skillings, PhD, ABPP; Cynthia A. Gómez, PhD; Lisa K. Kearney, PhD, ABPP; and Dinelia Rosa, PhD. Members of the 2016 APAGS Scholarship and Awards Selection Committee were Jerrold Yeo, MA; Jacklynn Fitzgerald, MA; and Roseann Fish Getchell, MA, Med. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

34 CFR 303.227 - Traditionally underserved groups.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Traditionally underserved groups. 303.227 Section 303... groups. The State must ensure that policies and practices have been adopted to ensure— (a) That traditionally underserved groups, including minority, low-income, homeless, and rural families and children with...

34 CFR 303.227 - Traditionally underserved groups.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Traditionally underserved groups. 303.227 Section 303... groups. The State must ensure that policies and practices have been adopted to ensure— (a) That traditionally underserved groups, including minority, low-income, homeless, and rural families and children with...

34 CFR 303.227 - Traditionally underserved groups.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Traditionally underserved groups. 303.227 Section 303... groups. The State must ensure that policies and practices have been adopted to ensure— (a) That traditionally underserved groups, including minority, low-income, homeless, and rural families and children with...

Sleep duration of underserved minority children in a cross-sectional study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Short sleep duration has been shown to associate with increased risk of obesity. Childhood obesity is more prevalent among underserved minority children. The study measured the sleep duration of underserved minority children living in a large US urban environment using accelerometry and its relation...

76 FR 9626 - Community Advantage Pilot Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-18

... businesses in underserved markets, including Veterans and members of the military community. The Community... that are focused on economic development in underserved markets, access to 7(a) loan guaranties for... underserved markets and to veterans and other members of the military community. This new pilot program will...

Using Health Information Technology to Reach Patients in Underserved Communities: A Pilot Study to Help Close the Gap with Health Disparities

PubMed Central

Ryan, Mark H.; Yoder, Jonathan; Flores, Sharon K.; Soh, Jason; Vanderbilt, Allison A.

2016-01-01

Introduction: In the current era of medical education and curriculum reform, medical schools across the United States are launching innovative approaches to teaching students in order to improve patient outcomes and increase patient safety. One such innovation is the use information technology (IT) that can be used to disseminate health information, especially for patients with limited access to care. Strategies for using health IT to enhance communication between providers and patients in low-income communities can be incorporated into undergraduate medical education (UME) curriculum. Methods: A pilot study was conducted to determine if IT could serve as an effective means of communication with patients at a free clinic where 100% of the patients are uninsured; the clinic is located in an urban setting and primarily serves Latinos, the working poor, and the homeless. An anonymous survey was administered to patients to assess rates of IT ownership, general IT use, and IT use for health and medical information. Results: The majority of study participants owned a cell phone (92%); one-third used their cell phone to access health or medical information (38%). Most study participants reported using the Internet (72%), and two-thirds had used the Internet to obtain health and medical information (64%). Conclusion: Given the difficulties faced by low income and medically underserved communities in accessing healthcare services, the use of IT tools may improve their’ access to health information in ways that could enhance patient knowledge and self-management, and perhaps positively impact health outcomes. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate use of IT tools in training for medical students and residents to enhance communication with patients in underserved communities. PMID:26755484

Using Health Information Technology to Reach Patients in Underserved Communities: A Pilot Study to Help Close the Gap With Health Disparities.

PubMed

Ryan, Mark H; Yoder, Jonathan; Flores, Sharon K; Soh, Jason; Vanderbilt, Allison A

2015-10-20

In the current era of medical education and curriculum reform, medical schools across the United States are launching innovative approaches to teaching students in order to improve patient outcomes and increase patient safety. One such innovation is the use information technology (IT) that can be used to disseminate health information, especially for patients with limited access to care. Strategies for using health IT to enhance communication between providers and patients in low-income communities can be incorporated into undergraduate medical education (UME) curriculum. A pilot study was conducted to determine if IT could serve as an effective means of communication with patients at a free clinic where 100% of the patients are uninsured; the clinic is located in an urban setting and primarily serves Latinos, the working poor, and the homeless. An anonymous survey was administered to patients to assess rates of IT ownership, general IT use, and IT use for health and medical information. The majority of study participants owned a cell phone (92%); one-third used their cell phone to access health or medical information (38%). Most study participants reported using the Internet (72%), and two-thirds had used the Internet to obtain health and medical information (64%). Given the difficulties faced by low income and medically underserved communities in accessing healthcare services, the use of IT tools may improve their' access to health information in ways that could enhance patient knowledge and self-management, and perhaps positively impact health outcomes. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate use of IT tools in training for medical students and residents to enhance communication with patients in underserved communities.

Learning from experience: three community health population-based outreach projects for graduate and undergraduate students.

PubMed

D'Lugoff, Marion Isaacs; McCarter, Jeanne

2005-01-01

Three outreach activities by a school of nursing, in partnership with community agencies, provided learning experiences in primary and secondary preventive health care for graduate and undergraduate nursing students while addressing health needs in the community. The activities included administration of immunizations to a newly arrived Somali Bantu refugee population, targeted screening of an African-American population at risk for diabetic retinopathy, and general health screening for an underserved Hispanic immigrant population. These activities lend insight and depth to a community health curriculum by allowing students to provide needed services while engaging with culturally diverse clients of varying socioeconomic status. Learner objectives, resources, processes and outcomes are provided for each example.

Area-level risk factors for adverse birth outcomes: trends in urban and rural settings.

PubMed

Kent, Shia T; McClure, Leslie A; Zaitchik, Ben F; Gohlke, Julia M

2013-06-10

Significant and persistent racial and income disparities in birth outcomes exist in the US. The analyses in this manuscript examine whether adverse birth outcome time trends and associations between area-level variables and adverse birth outcomes differ by urban-rural status. Alabama births records were merged with ZIP code-level census measures of race, poverty, and rurality. B-splines were used to determine long-term preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) trends by rurality. Logistic regression models were used to examine differences in the relationships between ZIP code-level percent poverty or percent African-American with either PTB or LBW. Interactions with rurality were examined. Population dense areas had higher adverse birth outcome rates compared to other regions. For LBW, the disparity between population dense and other regions increased during the 1991-2005 time period, and the magnitude of the disparity was maintained through 2010. Overall PTB and LBW rates have decreased since 2006, except within isolated rural regions. The addition of individual-level socioeconomic or race risk factors greatly attenuated these geographical disparities, but isolated rural regions maintained increased odds of adverse birth outcomes. ZIP code-level percent poverty and percent African American both had significant relationships with adverse birth outcomes. Poverty associations remained significant in the most population-dense regions when models were adjusted for individual-level risk factors. Population dense urban areas have heightened rates of adverse birth outcomes. High-poverty African American areas have higher odds of adverse birth outcomes in urban versus rural regions. These results suggest there are urban-specific social or environmental factors increasing risk for adverse birth outcomes in underserved communities. On the other hand, trends in PTBs and LBWs suggest interventions that have decreased adverse birth outcomes elsewhere may not be reaching isolated rural areas.

Teachers' Preferences to Teach Underserved Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ronfeldt, Matthew; Kwok, Andrew; Reininger, Michelle

2016-01-01

To increase the supply of teachers into underserved schools, teacher educators and policymakers commonly use two approaches: (a) recruit individuals who already report strong preferences to work in underserved schools or (b) design pre-service preparation to increase preferences. Using survey and administrative data on more than 1,000 teachers in…

75 FR 32972 - Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; Medically Underserved Areas for 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-10

... OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; Medically Underserved Areas for 2011 AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of... Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for calendar year 2011. This is...

76 FR 31998 - Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Medically Underserved Areas for 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-02

... OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Medically Underserved Areas for 2012 AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of... Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for calendar year 2012. This is...

Bridging the Divide: Challenges and Opportunities for Public Sector Agricultural Professionals Working with Amish and Mennonite Producers on Conservation.

PubMed

Brock, Caroline; Ulrich-Schad, Jessica D; Prokopy, Linda

2018-05-01

As Amish and Old Order and Conservative Mennonite (i.e., Plain) farmers increase their presence in the agricultural sector, it is crucial for public sector agricultural professionals to effectively work with them to mediate nonpoint source pollution and address issues like the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. However, there is a dearth of research on how public sector agricultural professionals can better work with Plain producers on environmental management. There are also few training resources for those working with this key, yet hard to reach, population. Additionally, due to their religious doctrines, Plain communities strive to live apart from the "world" and may be discouraged from working with government entities and attending non-Plain people events. This study analyzes interview data from 23 Amish farmers in one region of Indiana and 18 public sector agricultural professionals from a variety of backgrounds and geographies in areas of the U.S. with heavy Plain populations. Public sector agricultural professionals identified some key agronomic challenges on Plain farms related to issues like poor pasture and manure management as well as socio-cultural challenges such as restrictions on electronic and phone communication. Educators should design outreach strategies that take into consideration that faith convictions and conservation concerns may vary greatly based on the specificities of the particular Plain church group. By better understanding this population and how to work with them, public sector agricultural professionals can more effectively work towards addressing environmental problems with this under-served group.

A review of acute and chronic peritoneal dialysis in developing countries

PubMed Central

Abraham, Georgi; Varughese, Santosh; Mathew, Milly; Vijayan, Madhusudan

2015-01-01

Various modalities of renal replacement therapy (RRT) are available for the management of acute kidney injury (AKI) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). While developed countries mainly use hemodialysis as a form of RRT, peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been increasingly utilized in developing countries. Chronic PD offers various benefits including lower cost, home-based therapy, single access, less requirement of highly trained personnel and major infrastructure, higher number of patients under a single nephrologist with probably improved quality of life and freedom of activities. PD has been found to be lifesaving in the management of AKI in patients in developing countries where facilities for other forms of RRT are not readily available. The International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis has published guidelines regarding the use of PD in AKI, which has helped in ensuring uniformity. PD has also been successfully used in certain special situations of AKI due to snake bite, malaria, febrile illness, following cardiac surgery and in poisoning. Hemodialysis is the most common form of RRT used in ESRD worldwide, but some countries have begun to adopt a ‘PD first’ policy to reduce healthcare costs of RRT and ensure that it reaches the underserved population. PMID:26034593

Implementation of a tobacco-free workplace program at a local mental health authority.

PubMed

Correa-Fernández, Virmarie; Wilson, William T; Shedrick, Deborah A; Kyburz, Bryce; L Samaha, Hannah; Stacey, Timothy; Williams, Teresa; Lam, Cho Y; Reitzel, Lorraine R

2017-06-01

Tobacco-free workplace policies that incorporate evidence-based practices can increase the reach and effectiveness of tobacco dependence treatment among underserved populations but may be underutilized due to limited knowledge about implementation processes. This paper describes the implementation of a comprehensive tobacco-free workplace program at a behavioral healthcare community center in Texas. The center participated in a tobacco-free workplace program implementation project that provided guidance and resources and allowed center autonomy in implementation. Six employee-based subcommittees guided implementation of program components including consumer and staff surveys, policy development, signage, tobacco use assessments, communication, and nicotine replacement distribution. Timeline development, successes, challenges, lessons learned, and sustainability initiatives are delineated. Concerns about the tobacco-free workplace policy from the center's staff and consumers were gradually replaced by strong support for the initiative. Program success was enabled by consistent support from the center's leadership, publicity of program efforts, and educational campaigns. The center surpassed the program expectations when it adopted a tobacco-free hiring policy, which was not an initial program goal. This center's path to a tobacco-free workplace provides an implementation and sustainability model for other behavioral health community centers and other organizations to become tobacco free.

Mobile colposcopy in urban and underserved suburban areas in Baja California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madiedo, Marta; Contreras, Sonia; Villalobos, Octavio; Kahn, Bruce S.; Safir, Amit; Levitz, David

2016-03-01

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women in low resource settings, often affecting the most economically disenfranchised segment of the population. The key challenge with cervical cancer is the lack of an effective screening program for many of the at-risk, difficult-to-reach women. Outreach programs that utilize mobile clinics to increase access to screening and care in Baja California have been developed. However, many barriers such as quality assurance, efficient referral remained a challenge in this region. Visualization-based co-tests together with cytology (Pap smears) as a primary screen have been proposed. Here, the mobile colposcope of the enhanced visual assessment (EVA) is used to capture an image immediately following a Pap smear. EVA images were reviewed by expert colposcopists. Initial or preliminary data from pilot services showed that Pap false positives and Pap false negatives maybe reduced by expert review of EVA images. This suggests that reviewing of EVA images may be instrumental in catching inaccurate Pap results, thereby improving care. Thus, there is a need to further explore the benefits of using EVA as additional information when conducting Pap smear screenings.

A Community-Based Randomized Trial of Hepatitis B Screening Among High-Risk Vietnamese Americans.

PubMed

Ma, Grace X; Fang, Carolyn Y; Seals, Brenda; Feng, Ziding; Tan, Yin; Siu, Philip; Yeh, Ming Chin; Golub, Sarit A; Nguyen, Minhhuyen T; Tran, Tam; Wang, Minqi

2017-03-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based liver cancer prevention program on hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening among low-income, underserved Vietnamese Americans at high risk. We conducted a cluster randomized trial involving 36 Vietnamese community-based organizations and 2337 participants in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City between 2009 and 2014. We randomly assigned 18 community-based organizations to a community-based multilevel HBV screening intervention (n = 1131). We randomly assigned the remaining 18 community-based organizations to a general cancer education program (n = 1206), which included information about HBV-related liver cancer prevention. We assessed HBV screening rates at 6-month follow-up. Intervention participants were significantly more likely to have undergone HBV screening (88.1%) than were control group participants (4.6%). In a Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel analysis, the intervention effect on screening outcomes remained statistically significant after adjustment for demographic and health care access variables, including income, having health insurance, having a regular health provider, and English proficiency. A community-based, culturally appropriate, multilevel HBV screening intervention effectively increases screening rates in a high-risk, hard-to-reach Vietnamese American population.

Evaluation of a Fotonovela to Increase Depression Knowledge and Reduce Stigma Among Hispanic Adults

PubMed Central

Cabassa, Leopoldo J.; Molina, Gregory B.; Contreras, Sandra; Baron, Melvin

2013-01-01

Fotonovelas—small booklets that portray a dramatic story using photographs and captions—represent a powerful health education tool for low-literacy and ethnic minority audiences. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a depression fotonovela in increasing depression knowledge, decreasing stigma, increasing self-efficacy to recognize depression, and increasing intentions to seek treatment, relative to a text pamphlet. Hispanic adults attending a community adult school (N = 157, 47.5 % female, mean age = 35.8 years, 84 % immigrants, 63 % with less than high school education) were randomly assigned to read the fotonovela or a low-literacy text pamphlet about depression. They completed surveys before reading the material, immediately after reading the material, and 1 month later. The fotonovela and text pamphlet both produced significant improvements in depression knowledge and self-efficacy to identify depression, but the fotonovela produced significantly larger reductions in antidepressant stigma and mental health care stigma. The fotonovela also was more likely to be passed on to family or friends after the study, potentially increasing its reach throughout the community. Results indicate that fotonovelas can be useful for improving health literacy among underserved populations, which could reduce health disparities. PMID:22485012

Using a social marketing framework to evaluate recruitment of a prospective study of genetic counseling and testing for the deaf community.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Yoko; Boudreault, Patrick; Hill, Karin; Sinsheimer, Janet S; Palmer, Christina G S

2013-11-25

Recruiting deaf and hard-of-hearing participants, particularly sign language-users, for genetics health service research is challenging due to communication barriers, mistrust toward genetics, and researchers' unfamiliarity with deaf people. Feelings of social exclusion and lack of social cohesion between researchers and the Deaf community are factors to consider. Social marketing is effective for recruiting hard-to-reach populations because it fosters social inclusion and cohesion by focusing on the targeted audience's needs. For the deaf population this includes recognizing their cultural and linguistic diversity, their geography, and their systems for information exchange. Here we use concepts and language from social marketing to evaluate our effectiveness to engage a U.S. deaf population in a prospective, longitudinal genetic counseling and testing study. The study design was interpreted in terms of a social marketing mix of Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Price addressed linguistic diversity by including a variety of communication technologies and certified interpreters to facilitate communication; Place addressed geography by including community-based participation locations; Promotion addressed information exchange by using multiple recruitment strategies. Regression analyses examined the study design's effectiveness in recruiting a culturally and linguistically diverse sample. 271 individuals were enrolled, with 66.1% American Sign Language (ASL)-users, 19.9% ASL + English-users, 12.6% English-users. Language was significantly associated with communication technology, participation location, and recruitment. Videophone and interpreters were more likely to be used for communication between ASL-users and researchers while voice telephone and no interpreters were preferred by English-users (Price). ASL-users were more likely to participate in community-based locations while English-users preferred medically-based locations (Place). English-users were more likely to be recruited through mass media (Promotion) while ASL-users were more likely to be recruited through community events and to respond to messaging that emphasized inclusion of a Deaf perspective. This study design effectively engaged the deaf population, particularly sign language-users. Results suggest that the deaf population's cultural and linguistic diversity, geography, and forms of information exchange must be taken into account in study designs for successful recruitment. A social marketing approach that incorporates critical social determinants of health provides a novel and important framework for genetics health service research targeting specific, and hard-to-reach, underserved groups.

Perceptions of cardiovascular health in underserved communities.

PubMed

Bryant, Lucinda L; Chin, Nancy P; Cottrell, Lesley A; Duckles, Joyce M; Fernandez, I Diana; Garces, D Marcela; Keyserling, Thomas C; McMilin, Colleen R; Peters, Karen E; Samuel-Hodge, Carmen D; Tu, Shin-Ping; Vu, Maihan B; Fitzpatrick, Annette L

2010-03-01

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths and illnesses in US adults, and the prevalence is disproportionately high in underserved populations. In this study, we assessed respondents' understanding of context-specific differences in knowledge and perceptions of disease, risk, and prevention in 6 underserved communities, with the longer-term goal of developing appropriate interventions. Thirty-nine small-group sessions and 14 interviews yielded data from 318 adults. Each site's researchers coded, analyzed, and extracted key themes from local data. Investigators from all sites synthesized results and identified common themes and differences. Themes clustered in 3 areas (barriers to cardiovascular health, constraints related to multiple roles, and suggestions for effective communications and programs). Barriers spanned individual, social and cultural, and environmental levels; women in particular cited multiple roles (eg, competing demands, lack of self-care). Programmatic suggestions included the following: personal, interactive, social context; information in language that people use; activities built around cultural values and interests; and community orientation. In addition, respondents preferred health-related information from trusted groups (eg, AARP), health care providers (but with noticeable differences of opinion), family and friends, and printed materials. Interventions to decrease barriers to cardiovascular health are needed; these strategies should include family and community context, small groups, interactive methods, culturally sensitive materials, and trusted information sources. New-immigrant communities need culturally and linguistically tailored education before receiving more substantive interventions.

Vulnerable Population Challenges in the Transformation of Cancer Care.

PubMed

Meneses, Karen; Landier, Wendy; Dionne-Odom, J Nicholas

2016-05-01

To consider current trends and future strategies that will bring about change in cancer care delivery for vulnerable populations. Institute of Medicine reports, literature review, clinical practice observations and experiences. Vulnerable populations are older adults, both minorities and the underserved, children, and individuals at end of life. These groups pose unique challenges that require health system changes and innovative nursing models to assure access to patient-centered care in the future. In the future, attention to the needs of vulnerable populations, the growing aging cancer population and the improved outcomes in the pediatric and adolescent cancer population will all require new nursing services and models of care. System changes where nursing roles are critical to support the transition to earlier palliative care are projected. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gastrointestinal Cancers: Screening and Early Detection.

PubMed

Griffin-Sobel, Joyce P

2017-05-01

To present an overview of current practices in the screening and early detection of gastrointestinal cancers. Literature reviews. Screening for gastrointestinal cancers is less than desirable, particularly in underserved populations. There are inadequate methods of screening for early detection of esophageal and gastric cancers. Education of patients is needed to reinforce the importance of screening for gastrointestinal cancers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New FOAs for using IT to support systematic screening and treatment of depression in cancer. | Informatics Technology for Cancer Research (ITCR)

Cancer.gov

The purpose of these Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) is to identify new, information technology (IT)-enabled delivery models that support systematic screening and treatment of depression in cancer patients and test the feasibility of implementing these new delivery models in a variety of oncology practice settings, especially those serving under-served populations.

Preparing Minority Populations for Emergencies: Connecting to Build a More Resilient Community

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

the 172 Philip Berke et al., “Building Capacity for Disaster Resiliency in Six Disadvantaged...the Poor and Underserved 18 (2007): 277–282. Berke, Philip , John Cooper, David Salvesen, Danielle Spurlock, and Christina Rausch. “Building...Takeuchi, and Jennifer Kotler . Always Connected: The New Digital Media Habits of Young Children. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame

Where Do We Start? Using Family Navigation to Help Underserved Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blenner, Stephanie; Fernández, Ivys; Giron, Adriana; Grossman, Xena; Augustyn, Marilyn

2014-01-01

The period of time after a child is identified with a developmental or mental health condition can be highly challenging. This is particularly true for diverse, underserved families who may face competing concerns related to poverty, culture, language, immigration, and family issues. Likewise, clinicians working with underserved families may…

Redefining Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Opportunities for Underserved and Underrepresented Students at NASA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackler, Amanda Smith

2011-01-01

Underserved and underrepresented students consistently leave science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree fields to pursue less demanding majors. This perpetual problem slowed the growth in STEM degree fields (United States Department of Labor, 2007). Declining enrollment in STEM degree fields among underserved and…

The safety net medical home initiative: transforming care for vulnerable populations.

PubMed

Sugarman, Jonathan R; Phillips, Kathryn E; Wagner, Edward H; Coleman, Katie; Abrams, Melinda K

2014-11-01

Despite findings that medical homes may reduce or eliminate health care disparities among underserved and minority populations, most previous medical home pilot and demonstration projects have focused on health care delivery systems serving commercially insured patients and Medicare beneficiaries. To develop a replicable approach to support medical home transformation among diverse practices serving vulnerable and underserved populations. Facilitated by a national program team, convening organizations in 5 states provided coaching and learning community support to safety net practices over a 4-year period. To guide transformation, we developed a framework of change concepts aligned with supporting tools including implementation guides, activity checklists, and measurement instruments. Sixty-five health centers, homeless clinics, private practices, residency training centers, and other safety net practices in Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. We evaluated implementation of the change concepts using the Patient-Centered Medical Home-Assessment, and conducted a survey of participating practices to assess perceptions of the impact of the technical assistance. All practices implemented key features of the medical home model, and nearly half (47.6%) implemented the 33 identified key changes to a substantial degree as evidenced by level A Patient-Centered Medical Home-Assessment scores. Two thirds of practices that achieved substantial implementation did so only after participating in the initiative for >2 years. By the end of the initiative, 83.1% of sites achieved external recognition as medical homes. Despite resource constraints and high-need populations, safety net clinics made considerable progress toward medical home implementation when provided robust, multimodal support over a 4-year period.

Assessing the contribution of the dental care delivery system to oral health care disparities.

PubMed

Pourat, Nadereh; Andersen, Ronald M; Marcus, Marvin

2015-01-01

Existing studies of disparities in access to oral health care for underserved populations often focus on supply measures such as number of dentists. This approach overlooks the importance of other aspects of the dental care delivery system, such as personal and practice characteristics of dentists, that determine the capacity to provide care. This study aims to assess the role of such characteristics in access to care of underserved populations. We merged data from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey and a 2003 survey of California dentists in their Medical Study Service Areas (MSSAs). We examined the role of overall supply and other characteristics of dentists in income and racial/ethnic disparities in access, which was measured by annual dental visits and unmet need for dental care due to costs. We found that some characteristics of MSSAs, including higher proportions of dentists who were older, white, busy or overworked, and did not accept public insurance or discounted fees, inhibited access for low-income and minority populations. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring characteristics of dentists in addition to traditional measures of supply such as licensed-dentist-to-population ratios. The findings identify specific aspects of the delivery system such as dentists' participation in Medicaid, provision of discounted care, busyness, age, race/ethnicity, and gender that should be regularly monitored. These data will provide a better understanding of how the dental care delivery system is organized and how this knowledge can be used to develop more narrowly targeted policies to alleviate disparities. © 2014 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Understanding Reasons for Delay in Seeking Acute Stroke Care in an Underserved Urban Population

PubMed Central

Hsia, Amie W.; Castle, Amanda; Wing, Jeffrey J.; Edwards, Dorothy F.; Brown, Nina C.; Higgins, Tara M.; Wallace, Jasmine L.; Koslosky, Sara S.; Gibbons, M. Chris; Sánchez, Brisa N.; Fokar, Ali; Shara, Nawar; Morgenstern, Lewis B.; Kidwell, Chelsea S.

2011-01-01

Background and Purpose Few patients arrive early enough at hospitals to be eligible for emergent stroke treatment. There may be barriers specific to underserved, urban populations that need to be identified before effective educational interventions to reduce delay times can be developed. Methods A survey of respondents’ likely action in a hypothetical stroke situation was given to 253 community volunteers in the catchment areas of a large urban community hospital. Concurrently, 100 structured interviews were conducted in the same hospital with acute stroke patients or proxy. Results In this predominantly urban, black population, if faced with a hypothetical stroke, 89% of community volunteers surveyed said they would call 911 first, and few felt any of the suggested potential barriers applied to them. However, only 12% of stroke patients interviewed actually called 911 first (OR 63.9; 95% CI 29.5 to 138.2). Instead, 75% called a relative/friend. Eighty-nine percent of stroke patients reported significant delay in seeking medical attention, and almost half said the reason for delay was thinking the symptoms were not serious and/or they would self-resolve. For those arriving by ambulance, only 25% did so because they thought it would be faster, while 35% cited having no other transportation options. Conclusions In this predominantly black urban population, while 89% of community volunteers report the intent of calling 911 during a stroke only 12% of actual stroke patients did so. Further research is needed to determine and conquer the barriers between behavioral intent and actual behavior to call 911 for witnessed stroke. PMID:21546471

Underage and underserved: reaching young women who sell sex in Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Busza, Joanna; Mtetwa, Sibongile; Mapfumo, Rumbidzo; Hanisch, Dagmar; Wong-Gruenwald, Ramona; Cowan, Frances

2016-03-01

Young women who sell sex (YWSS) in Southern Africa are highly vulnerable to HIV, as the risks of being young and female in a high prevalence setting coalesce with those of commercial sex. YWSS are less able to negotiate safe sex, more likely to have higher risk partners, and less likely to use available health services compared to older sex workers. In Zimbabwe's national HIV programme for sex workers, fewer than 1% of clients were 15-29. We developed monthly interactive workshops for YWSS based on an Activity Pack consisting of 21 sessions organised into six modules. The aim was to encourage YWSS' interaction with each other, build their trust, confidence and skills, and encourage uptake of clinical services. We conducted a process evaluation to assess programme strengths, identify challenges, and recommend changes. This paper presents findings synthesising programme records with qualitative data and discusses feasibility, acceptability, and outputs during the pilot phase. In total, 143 YWSS attended meetings and most were from the target 15-19-year-old age group. Participants enjoyed the sessions and reported improved cooperation, willingness to negotiate with clients, and self-reflection about their futures. Staff found facilitating sessions easy and activities clear and appropriate. Challenges included identifying appropriate referrals, initial recruitment of women in some sites, and managing participants' requests for financial compensation. The number of clients aged 15-19 increased at sex worker clinics in all sites. This programme is the first to target YWSS in Zimbabwe to address their disproportionately low service use. It proved feasible to staff and acceptable to participants over a one-year period. Given enhanced vulnerability of YWSS, this programme provides one workable model for reaching this underserved group.

Follow-up and timeliness after an abnormal cancer screening among underserved, urban women in a patient navigation program

PubMed Central

Markossian, Talar W.; Darnell, Julie S.; Calhoun, Elizabeth A.

2012-01-01

Background We evaluated the efficacy of a Chicago-based cancer patient navigation program developed to increase the proportion of patients reaching diagnostic resolution and reduce the time from abnormal screening test to definitive diagnostic resolution. Methods Women with an abnormal breast (n=352) or cervical (n=545) cancer screening test were recruited for the quasi-experimental study. Navigation subjects originated from five federally qualified health center sites and one safety net hospital. Records-based concurrent control subjects were selected from 20 sites. Control sites had similar characteristics to the navigated sites in terms of patient volume, racial/ethnic composition, and payor mix. Mixed-effects logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were conducted to compare navigation and control patients reaching diagnostic resolution by 60 days and time to resolution, adjusting for demographic covariates and site. Results Compared to controls, the breast navigation group had shorter time to diagnostic resolution (aHR=1.65, CI=1.20–2.28) and the cervical navigation group had shorter time to diagnostic resolution for those who resolved after 30 days (aHR= 2.31, CI=1.75–3.06), with no difference before 30 days (aHR= 1.42, CI=0.83–2.43). Variables significantly associated with longer time to resolution for breast cancer screening abnormalities were being older, never partnered, abnormal mammogram and BI-RADS 3, and being younger and Black for cervical abnormalities. Conclusions Patient navigation reduces time from abnormal cancer finding to definitive diagnosis in underserved women. Impact Results support efforts to use patient navigation as a strategy to reduce cancer disparities among socioeconomically disadvantaged women. PMID:23045544

Follow-up and timeliness after an abnormal cancer screening among underserved, urban women in a patient navigation program.

PubMed

Markossian, Talar W; Darnell, Julie S; Calhoun, Elizabeth A

2012-10-01

We evaluated the efficacy of a Chicago-based cancer patient navigation program developed to increase the proportion of patients reaching diagnostic resolution and reduce the time from abnormal screening test to definitive diagnostic resolution. Women with an abnormal breast (n = 352) or cervical (n = 545) cancer screening test were recruited for the quasi-experimental study. Navigation subjects originated from five federally qualified health center sites and one safety net hospital. Records-based concurrent control subjects were selected from 20 sites. Control sites had similar characteristics to the navigated sites in terms of patient volume, racial/ethnic composition, and payor mix. Mixed-effects logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were conducted to compare navigation and control patients reaching diagnostic resolution by 60 days and time to resolution, adjusting for demographic covariates and site. Compared with controls, the breast navigation group had shorter time to diagnostic resolution (aHR = 1.65, CI = 1.20-2.28) and the cervical navigation group had shorter time to diagnostic resolution for those who resolved after 30 days (aHR = 2.31, CI = 1.75-3.06), with no difference before 30 days (aHR = 1.42, CI = 0.83-2.43). Variables significantly associated with longer time to resolution for breast cancer screening abnormalities were being older, never partnered, abnormal mammogram and BI-RADS 3, and being younger and Black for cervical abnormalities. Patient navigation reduces time from abnormal cancer finding to definitive diagnosis in underserved women. Results support efforts to use patient navigation as a strategy to reduce cancer disparities among socioeconomically disadvantaged women. 2012 AACR

Impacts of Chandra X-ray Observatory Public Communications and Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcand, Kimberly K.; Watzke, Megan; Lestition, Kathleen; Edmonds, Peter

2015-01-01

The Chandra X-ray Observatory Center runs a multifaceted Public Communications & Engagement program encompassing press relations, public engagement, and education. Our goals include reaching a large and diverse audience of national and international scope, establishing direct connections and working relationships with the scientists whose research forms the basis for all products, creating peer-reviewed materials and activities that evolve from an integrated pipeline design and encourage users toward deeper engagement, and developing materials that target underserved audiences such as women, Spanish speakers, and the sight and hearing impaired. This talk will highlight some of the key features of our program, from the high quality curated digital presence to the cycle of research and evaluation that informs our practice at all points of the program creation. We will also discuss the main impacts of the program, from the tens of millions of participants reached through the establishment and sustainability of a network of science 'volunpeers.'

Re-Presenting Slavery: Underserved Questions in Museum Collections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levenson, Cyra

2014-01-01

This article looks at the notion of what, not who, is underserved in museum education. The importance of looking through, in, and from objects in order to uncover underserved questions and themes is vital. A willingness to consider new ways to approach collections and display is necessary to have a dialogue with our audiences about how museums can…

Factors Limiting Youth Participation in 4-H and Other Youth Development Programs in Underserved Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avent, Martellis D.; Jayaratne, K. S. U.

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study described here was to identify factors limiting children's participation in youth development programs in underserved communities and ways to overcome those limitations. Findings are based on focus group interviews conducted with members of two underserved communities in North Carolina. Lack of awareness about the 4-H…

24 CFR 81.13 - Central Cities, Rural Areas, and Other Underserved Areas Housing Goal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Central Cities, Rural Areas, and...) Housing Goals § 81.13 Central Cities, Rural Areas, and Other Underserved Areas Housing Goal. (a) Purpose... cities, rural areas, and other underserved areas is intended to achieve increased purchases by the GSEs...

24 CFR 81.13 - Central Cities, Rural Areas, and Other Underserved Areas Housing Goal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Central Cities, Rural Areas, and...) Housing Goals § 81.13 Central Cities, Rural Areas, and Other Underserved Areas Housing Goal. (a) Purpose... cities, rural areas, and other underserved areas is intended to achieve increased purchases by the GSEs...