Campus Health Centers' Lack of Information Regarding Providers: A Content Analysis of Division-I Campus Health Centers' Provider Websites

Staff and students' perceptions about using telehealth technology in a medical university: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

The use of telehealth technology is a way to promote the health status of the community. The purpose of this study was to investigate staff and students' perceptions about using telehealth technology in a medical university.

METHODS

This was a qualitative study completed in 2020. The research participants were 26 university staff and students who took part in semi-structured interviews. To analyze the data, the thematic analysis method was used.

RESULTS

The findings of the present study included five themes, 20 subthemes and 58 categories. The main themes were the current status of providing healthcare services at the university, and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of using telehealth technology for the university staff and students.

CONCLUSION

According to the results, there are many opportunities for using telehealth technology in the medical university. The experiences of other institutes can be used to implement the technology successfully.

Sexual diversity on college campuses: using a BDSM framework to discuss consent

Sexual assault in higher education is a continuing concern. At the same time, college students are engaging in a range of consensual sexual behaviors that could appear to be sexual violence. Sexuality education on college campuses should address the spectrum of sexual behaviors and college health professionals and administrators need to be able to distinguish consensual rough sex from sexual violence. Common consent negotiations in BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism) contexts may serve as an appropriate model for acquiring consent. This viewpoint article aims to (1) review the increased participation of college students in diverse sexual behaviors, and (2) introduce the consent process of BDSM as a framework for college health professionals to discuss consent for other sexual behaviors.

Predictors of patient satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare: College healthcare providers and students' communication

Background: Prior research indicates that healthcare provider-patient communication influences health outcomes such as patient satisfaction, compliance with diagnosis or treatment, and general health quality. However, little is known about this type of inquiry in the context of healthcare centers on college and university campuses. Aim: The objective of this study was to examine the influence of students' perception of college healthcare providers' affective and instrumental behaviors on student patient satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare at a university health center. Methods: 349 participants who were college students took an online survey. Regression analyses were conducted. Results: Affective and instrumental behaviors were important communicative behaviors predicting student patient satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare. However, directions of these predictions differed between student patient satisfaction and perceived quality of healthcare. Conclusion: Healthcare providers at the university health center are recognizing student patients as partners in the healthcare decision-making processes.

Bringing student health and Well-Being onto a health system EHR: the benefits of integration in the COVID-19 era

ObjectiveTo detail the implementation, benefits and challenges of onboarding campus-based health services onto a health system's electronic health record.ParticipantsUC San Diego Student Health and Well-Being offers medical services to over 39,000 students. UC San Diego Health is an academic medical center.Methods20 workstreams and 9 electronic modules, systems, or interfaces were converted to new electronic systems.Results36,023 student-patient medical records were created. EHR-integration increased security while creating visibility to 19,700 shared patient visits and records from 236 health systems across the country over 6 months. Benefits for the COVID-19 response included access to screening tools, decision support, telehealth, patient alerting system, reporting and analytics, COVID-19 dashboard, and increased testing capabilities.ConclusionIntegration of an interoperable EHR between neighboring campus-based health services and an affiliated academic medical center can streamline case management, improve quality and safety, and increase access to valuable health resources in times of need. Pertinent examples during the COVID-19 pandemic included uninterrupted and safe provision of clinical services through access to existing telehealth platforms and increased testing capacity.

Communication effectiveness: examining interactions between college health professionals and students on university campuses

ObjectiveTo examine how students would describe their communication exchanges with college health professionals on a university campus and also how students perceived those exchanges to be effective health communication. Participants: 48 participants completed the online survey. Methods: An open-ended questionnaire was utilized to collect data. Thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the data. Results: The analysis yielded six themes that emerged from participants' responses: clear communication, instruction, listening, friendliness, immediate feedback, and professionalism. Conclusions: The findings show that students' understanding of efffective health communication differs. Therefore, college health professionals should be cognizant of these differences when communicating with students who access health services on university campuses.

The Missed Opportunity of Primary Care Providers' Online Biographies: a Content Analysis of US Health Systems in 2020

BACKGROUND

Prospective patients are increasingly going to health systems' online directories to find their next primary care providers (PCP), making this channel of communication important to assess to determine if it is meeting patients' needs. When seeking a new PCP, patients want to know not only educational credentials but also providers' communication traits, and personal information to showcase providers as real people. Offering this information, to help patients find providers best suited to meet their needs, is a key attribute of patient-centered care.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze whether health systems' online PCP biographies are including the information prospective patients deem important when selecting a PCP.

DESIGN

Using the AHRQ's Compendium of US Health Systems, 523 health systems' PCP biographies were content analyzed (n = 5004 biographies) from December 2019 to March 2020.

MAIN MEASURES

Forty-eight unique pieces of information were coded for either their presence or absence (e.g., education, photo, languages spoken, insurance accepted, patient reviews, philosophy of care, video provided, personal hobbies/interests). Providers' alphabetic credentials (e.g., MD, DO, APRN) were also documented.

KEY RESULTS

The majority of biographies stated the provider's medical education (83.6%) and included a photo (81.4%). However, information patients also desire (e.g., communication traits and personal information) were less prevalent. Only 33.7% listed languages spoken, 18.2% offered patient reviews, 14.4% had personal hobbies/interests, and 10.6% included a video. There were also 192 unique alphabetic credential combinations listed next to providers' names. Two health systems clearly included information within biographies to help prospective patients understand what these credentials meant.

CONCLUSIONS

Health systems could make simple changes to their providers' online biographies in order to help patients make more informed decisions of PCPs. Doing so may decrease doctor shopping, and also lead to a greater likelihood of developing longer-term relationships with PCPs.

How College Students Communicatively Manage Uncertainty about University Health Services

Despite university health services' critical role in addressing students' health, students frequently underutilize on-campus healthcare, in part due to uncertainty. This study used Uncertainty Management Theory and 41 interviews with college students and health center staff and providers to uncover the types of health services uncertainty students experienced and how students used communication to manage uncertainty. Students experienced institutional uncertainty pertaining to services, logistics, and quality-of-care. Participants who viewed this uncertainty negatively sought to reduce it via passive- and experiential-information seeking. Students who appraised uncertainty neutrally or positively maintained it by ignoring or avoiding information. Other students increased uncertainty by seeking second opinions. Findings suggest that promoting health services year-round and incentivizing patient referrals may help students manage both uncertainty and their health.

The Utility of Healthcare Providers' Online Biographies for First-Time Patients: A Year-Long Study within a Clinical Setting

Despite recommendations to provide patient-centered care (i.e., empowering patients to take a greater role in their care), healthcare systems still lag behind in helping patients make arguably one of their most important decisions - their initial selection of a primary care provider. While prior highly-controlled, theoretically-guided, experimental research has tested how various presentations of provider information may impact patients' decision-making processes, no studies to date have taken the next step to actually roll out improvements to providers' online information in a real-world healthcare organization and assess their effects. Over the course of a year, the current study made improvements to the website of a health clinic (i.e., adding biographies of primary care providers, & including short video introductions). Post-consultation questionnaires completed by first-time patients revealed patients who naturally viewed online biographies prior to setting appointments indicated less uncertainty - which was mediated through increases in perceived similarity - and were more likely to purposely select their providers. Patients who purposely selected their providers also reported greater patient satisfaction, and were more likely to choose providers with whom they perceived greater similarity. Similarity and patient satisfaction were also positively related. Overall, findings indicate online provider biographies can help patients become more purposive participants in their care, which can lead to greater patient satisfaction.

Improving student knowledge and perceptions of primary care providers at campus health centers

OBJECTIVE

To examine current knowledge and perceptions toward primary care providers commonly staffed at student health centers (PAs and NPs), and also assess the effectiveness of information-rich provider biographies to improve knowledge and perceptions.

PARTICIPANTS

One thousand six hundred forty six students from 2 universities in 2 states participated in this study from February to November, 2016.

METHODS

An online survey. Students were exposed to an improved biography of an NP discussing how she can perform many of the same duties as primary care physicians. Changes in knowledge and perceptions were assessed pre- and post-biography exposure.

RESULTS

More than half of students are unaware NPs and PAs can prescribe medications and diagnose illnesses. Students exposed to the biography increased their knowledge of NPs, and perceptions of their expertise.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest improved provider biographies on student health centers' websites can help reduce the knowledge deficit that exists among students regarding common primary care providers.