Class of 2010 Abstract / OBJECTIVES: The purpose of Project SHAPE was to provide an interdisciplinary workshop for future practitioners from the Colleges of Pharmacy, Medicine and Public Health on health literacy to improve the communication between the patients and their providers. METHODS: Study participants were recruited via email from the Colleges of Pharmacy, Medicine, and Public Health at The University of Arizona. Participants attended a workshop that included a one-hour presentation by Dr. Barry Weiss followed by the development of educational materials on various health topics. A retrospective analysis of the health professional students’ knowledge of health literacy was performed. Materials were provided to El Rio Community Health Center, Colleges of Pharmacy, Medicine and Public Health to distribute to their patients in the Tucson community. RESULTS: Students’ overall knowledge on health literacy and communication with patients improved by 88% after the presentation. A total of nine different low literacy educational materials were developed by the students who attended the workshop. Copies of the educational materials were given to participating students from the other colleges to use in their patient outreach programs. The materials were also distributed to patients at a variety of brown bags, community health fairs, screenings, and El Rio Community Health Center. CONCLUSIONS: Project SHAPE has already affected many future healthcare practitioners through the interdisciplinary workshop. The educational materials will continue to be provided to patients in the Tucson community.

Thesis (MScConsEcol (Conservation Ecology and Entomology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Medicinal plants represent an important asset to the livelihoods of many people in developing countries. This is the case for South Africa where most of the rural and also urban communities rely on medicinal plants for their primary healthcare needs and income generation. Harvesting for domestic usage is not generally detrimental to the wild populations of medicinal plants. However, the shift from subsistence to commercial harvesting is posing unprecedented extinction threat to the wild populations of medicinal plants. The purpose of this investigation was to: (1) document the most traded/used species of medicinal plants in the Cape Peninsula, including parts used, sourcing regions, harvesting frequencies and seasons as well as the conservation status of these species; (2) to profile and investigate the rationales for the involvement of stakeholders in medicinal plants related-activities; and to (3) assess constraints and opportunities for sustainable management of medicinal plants in the Cape Peninsula. Triangulation techniques such as semi-structured questionnaires, formal and informal interactions with key informants from the Cape Peninsula and surroundings, personal observations and field visits were used to gather relevant data for this investigation. Accordingly, about 170 medicinal plant species were found to be actively traded or used in the study area. These species were mostly traded/used for their underground parts; shoot, barks and in many cases the whole plant is uprooted. The bulk of traded/used species were from the wild populations, harvested on monthly basis and the Western and Eastern Cape provinces acted as the main source regions. Some of the traded/used species are rare, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered and are declining from the wild. Nonetheless, there are subtitutes for some of these medicinal plant species. Traders and collectors were mainly men in the Cape Peninsula. Cultural considerations, economic conditions and the burden imposed by the number of dependents were the factors influencing local communities to engage in medicinal plants related-activities. Despite the fact that the majority of the informants acknowledged the decline of medicinal plants from wild stocks, an overwhelming number of them expected an upsurge in the future demand for natural remedy due to its popularity among South Africans. Similarly, the majority of the respondents were aware of the conservation status of the plants that they were using, but this did not prevent them from trading/using some protected species. Encouragingly, an overwhelming number of the informants were willing to use cultivated species and cultivate some of the most used medicinal plant species if seeds and land were freely provided. It is noteworthy that these results were influenced by the gender, age, category and time of involvement in medicinal plants, ethnicity and residence status of the respondents as well as the source of supply of medicinal plants. It is recommended that species that have been identified of concern should be prevented from further commercial harvesting. Competent conservation organizations like CapeNature should focus on practical skills development of people who have expressed willingness to cultivate medicinal plants or are already doing so, especially in plant propagation and basic gardening techniques.

Background: Postnatal depression (PND) is one of the most common maternal mental health problems for women worldwide. Yet the wide range of reported rates of PND in different countries raises questions about how PND is experienced by women in different cultures and whether interventions developed in western cultures are appropriate in very different settings. It is important to establish how PND is defined, experienced and managed in different cultures in order to create culturally relevant interventions. No previous studies of experience of PND and its management have been conducted in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to explore women’s experiences and healthcare practitioners’ (HCPs) perspectives of PND in a multicultural country, Malaysia. Methods: This was a qualitative study informed by a critical realist approach. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 33 women (from three different cultural backgrounds) attending for child or postnatal care and 18 HCPs in six purposively selected maternal and child health (MCH) clinics and a female psychiatric ward in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data were analysed using framework analysis. Findings: There were some differences in the women’s perceptions of PND experience across three different cultural backgrounds in Malaysia. Malay women were more likely to describe the symptoms of PND based on a combination of emotional and behavioural changes, whereas Chinese and Indian women talked more about emotional changes. Traditional postnatal practices were described as contributing to PND by some Malay women but were accepted as promoting maternal and infant well-being by the majority of Indian women. Religious activities were reported as an effective strategy for the Malay women but were not seen as helpful by the majority of Chinese women. Considering HCPs, it appeared that the absence of a clear and specific policy and guideline in the management of PND within the Malaysian healthcare system has resulted in a lack of professional ownership in the management of PND, especially among HCPs in MCH clinics. Conclusion: The women and the HCPs had distinct ways of conceptualising PND experiences, although they agreed on several symptoms and causal explanations. This study calls for a system-based enhanced PND care with an initiation of culturally appropriate care for PND within the healthcare system.

The significant rise of both chronic diseases and disasters in the last 20 years and the healthcare outcomes of individuals with chronic diseases during and in the aftermath of disasters have raised concerns among public health practitioners, healthcare providers, the U.S government, and the general public. Researchers have indicated that during disasters, the health outcomes of individuals with chronic diseases are significantly unfavorable compared to the general public. However, there is inadequate information on the management of chronic diseases, quality of care, and resource identification and allocation by disaster responders. This qualitative, grounded theory study, explored how the study participants addressed chronic disease needs during and after disasters. A total of 15 adult disaster relief responders who had been involved in disaster planning, response, or care management of individuals with chronic diseases, were recruited through snowballing, public/bulleting postings, and social media. Using the ecological model of disaster management allowed the identification of individual and societal influences that hinder disaster preparedness and chronic disease management. Data collection consisted of semistructured in-depth open-ended interview questions, allowing participants to share their lived experiences. Data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding and managed using the Atlas ti8 software. The findings supported the ecological model of disaster management and strategies such as the use of special needs shelters during impending disasters. Such strategies could enhance disaster preparedness and planning efforts and potentially improve health outcomes during and after disasters.

Maternal and child health (MCH) mortality is a formidable challenge for health systems around the world according to the World Health Organization. Health professionals and practitioners within the United Arab Emirates were studied to determine the extent they were involved in the policy-making process, and the potential impact that analysis may have on new or revised MCH policies. Research on MCH policy-making and development processes are limited. The Andersen model of healthcare services utilization provides an appropriate framework for this research, enabling the analysis that influences the policy-making process in the area of MCH. Independent variables included nationality, education, work experience, and organizational support, and the dependent variable included policy-making process. The quantitative methodology included the data collection from a sample of 380 health professionals and practitioners. The results of the study revealed statistical correlations where the most significant predictor of policy-making was organizational support, which explained the 42% variation in policy-making. This predictor was followed by nationality and education. The research adds value for decision-makers when considering and evaluating the extent of MCH policy, laws and regulations, current challenges, and strategies. The research findings could positively influence decision makers' action plan in formulating new guidelines, public policies, and strategies for the development of maternal and child health across the UAE region. Future research should aim to include other factors that may have an influence on the policy-making process.

Introduction: The introduction presents concepts around hands-free interactions. Furthermore, topics of digitalization, value co-creation, and how technology suppliers and end-users co-create value through the application of eye-tracking is described. Problem discussion: Healthcare is a complex system and is becoming more accustomed to the value co-creation concept with all types of stakeholders. New technologies are needed in healthcare to ensure positive patient outcomes and sterility. These technologies appear in hands-free devices such as eye-tracking technology. Limited research is found on interactions between healthcare practitioners and/or researchers with technology providers with key actors as suppliers and practitioners. Looking further at value co-creation, to achieve hands-free healthcare, it is necessary to fully utilize nascent digital technologies while incorporating them into digitalized processes. Hence, additional study is needed to investigate how key actors co-create value and promote the full use of advanced technologies. Purpose and Research Question: The purpose of this study is to understand how value is co-created by the application of hands-free devices in healthcare settings. To do that, we explore the activities performed by technology suppliers and technology end-users (healthcare practitioners and researchers) that enable value co-creation through the application of eye-tracking devices in hands-free healthcare. This study seeks to answer the research question: How do technology suppliers and end-users co-create value through the application of eye-tracking in hands-free healthcare? Theoretical Framework: Theoretical Framework was established based on scientific literature. Furthermore, it is split between concepts of value-in-use, value co-production, and two stages of digitalization, where the first stage is digitalization of products and services, the second stage is digitalization of activities and decisions. Methodology: In this thesis, qualitative descriptive research with a deductive approach is followed. Empirical data was collected through three exploratory and ten semi-structured interviews, where six semi-structured interviews were conducted with suppliers (primary data) who are employed in an eye-tracking supplying company, and four end-users (supportive data), which are healthcare practitioners and/or researchers. Findings & Analysis: Here, findings gathered from primary (technology suppliers), supportive (end-users), and secondary sources (documents) were analyzed and compared to the literature and theoretical framework. Conclusion: Concluding, 20 activities were found for the value co-production part of the research and 23 activities for the value-in-use part. Some of the found activities could not be supported by scientific literature or framework and are explained as additional findings.