Joan Leafman

Comparison of Student and Instructor Perceptions of Social Presence.

As enrollment in online courses continues to grow and online education is increasingly recognized as an established instructional mode, the unique challenges posed by this learning environment should be addressed. A primary challenge for virtual educators is developing social presence such that participants feel a sense of human connection with each other. Accomplishing this within learning management systems (LMS) that are often restrictive can be difficult. Prior research has established a relationship between student perceptions of social presence and satisfaction, but little research has included perceptions of instructors. This study compares student and instructor perceptions of social presence and the importance placed on social connections. While students and instructors reported high levels of social presence, students reported significantly lower levels than instructors. In particular, students found the LMS more impersonal than instructors and were less comfortable participating in LMS activities than instructors. Students had less desire for social connections with other students and instructors, and reported having less time available for such connections. Strategies to facilitate social presence, including offering social networking opportunities outside the LMS, are discussed in light of these differences in perceptions between students and instructors.

The Effect of Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring Among Inmates With Diabetes.

The increasing prevalence and risk of complications from diabetes necessitate patient participation and attentiveness to select appropriate foods, perform regular physical activity, and be active in diabetes management and self-maintenance. Diabetes is often largely asymptomatic; consequently, early diagnosis and treatment are necessary. Inmates are a unique population challenged by the increased prevalence of chronic conditions including diabetes. Diabetes standards for inmates contain diagnostic and treatment management guidelines that incorporate personal glucose monitoring for insulin users. In December 2009, the Federal Bureau of Prisons initiated a program to distribute glucose meters to insulin-dependent inmates to facilitate self-monitoring blood glucose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of these glucose meters on hemoglobin A1c levels.

Job Satisfaction Levels of Physician Assistant Faculty in the United States

Purpose: Understanding job satisfaction in academia is important in order to recruit and retain faculty.1 Faculty members with greater job dissatisfaction are more likely to leave than faculty members who are satisfied.2 Physician assistant (PA) faculty job satisfaction needs to be assessed to determine which job facets are satisfying or dissatisfying. Methods: A quantitative descriptive study was done using a Web‐based survey sent to PA faculty. The Job Descriptive Index (JDI), a validated survey, was used to measure levels of job satisfaction. The means for each facet were calculated to indicate levels of satisfaction with the job overall, work, supervision, co‐workers, pay, promotion, levels of stress, and trustworthiness in management. Correlations were run among demographic factors, salary, and overall job satisfaction. Results: Of the 1,241 PA faculty that received the survey, 239 responses (19.3% response rate) met the criteria for study inclusion. The highest level of satisfaction was with ones co‐workers (mean 46.83, range 0 to 54). The promotion facet received the lowest mean level of satisfaction with a 22.2 (range 0 to 54). A small correlation was found between job satisfaction and academic rank (r = −.153, P = .020). Conclusion: Job satisfaction is linked to increased productivity and performance. It is important to understand job satisfaction to make improvements in the appropriate areas. Overall, the results indicate that PA faculty are satisfied with their jobs. Further research is needed to understand the factors that contribute to satisfaction among PA faculty. J Physician Assist Educ 2014;25(2):15‐20

Differences in quality of life between pediatric sickle cell patients who used hydroxyurea and those who did not

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to examine the differences in quality of life (QoL) between two groups of pediatric sickle cell patients: those who used hydroxyurea and those who chose not to use the medication to treat sickle cell disease. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The study was a quantitative, non-randomized, cross-sectional, comparative study. In total, 100 children ages seven to 17 participated in the study. Parents of the patients completed a demographic questionnaire while the participants completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (Peds QoL) and Sickle Cell Disease Quality of Life Inventory (SCD QoL). FINDINGS The Ped QoL regression analysis revealed that hydroxyurea use and parental marital status accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in Ped QoL. The SCD QoL regression analysis also revealed that hydroxyurea and age accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in SCD QoL. Finally, the regression analysis revealed that SCD, parental marital status, parental income, sex, age, race and number of siblings did not account for a significant proportion of the variance in SCD crises per year. ORIGINALITY/VALUE This paper proved a need to study the differences in QoL between those pediatric patients who used hydroxyurea and those who did not use the medication.

Factors That Influence Physician Assistant Program Graduates to Choose Rural Medicine Practice

Purpose: A shortage of primary care, rural practitioners exists in the United States. The increasing number of physician assistants (PA) in the workforce could be an important resource in improving access to primary care services for rural patients, yet little is known about the specific factors influencing a PA to choose to practice rural medicine. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence PA program graduates to choose rural medicine. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted by electronic survey. Participants were recruited from the membership of the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA). Main outcome measures were the correlations between rural clerkships, rural background, and rural practice. Participants were also queried regarding 16 additional factors that might influence practice choice. Results: A relationship exists between rural background and rural practice choice (&khgr;2(4) = 16.08, P = .003). Correlation also was identified between completion of rural clerkships and rural practice choice (&khgr;2(1) = 10.67, P = .001). Factors found to have the most influence on PAs to choose rural practice were (1) desire to serve the needs of the community; (2) type of practice; and (3) supervising physician characteristics. Conclusions: PAs with a rural background and those that completed rural clerkships have a greater propensity toward rural practice after graduation. It is possible, for programs with an interest or a mission of increasing the number of their graduates who choose rural practice, that knowledge of factors that influence their graduates’ practice choices may prove beneficial.

Cancer Information-Seeking Practices Among the Hispanic Population: Data From the Health Information National Trends Survey 2007.

Hispanic people are less likely to seek cancer information and experience more health care barriers than non-Hispanic people. The purpose of this work was to identify cancer information-seeking practices among U. S. Hispanic adults and identify demographic characteristics associated with information selected. Data from 622 Hispanic participants in the Health Information National Trends Survey 2007 were analyzed. Results of this study indicated that the leading sources of cancer information came from the Internet (47%, n = 105), followed by health care providers (26%, n = 60). As educational level increased, Internet use for cancer information-seeking increased from 20.7% (n = 6) to 60.6% (n = 40). These data indicate a necessity to improve information delivery strategies tailored to this group.

Using Pictograms for Communication

The U.S. Navy sponsors annual Pacific Partnership deployments to provide humanitarian and disaster relief training for the U.S. military, partner nations, nongovernmental organizations, and host nations. Communication between these groups and the local populations receiving medical care is problematic in that sufficient numbers of capable translators are often unavailable or vastly undertrained with respect to medical terminology and practice. In addition, should Pacific Partnership respond to a real disaster, adequate numbers of translators will likely be unavailable as a result of the disaster itself. Consequently, medical providers will require alternate methods of communication previously tested for efficacy and validity. One such method is the use of pictograms designed to represent common medical maladies. To determine whether pictograms meet the 85% congruence level required by the American National Standards Institute, 36 images were provided to English-speaking physician assistants and nurse practitioners for interpretation with three images repeated within the array to assess internal validity of the questionnaire. Of the 33 distinct images, 26 (79%) reached 85% congruence showing that validated images may be a method of communication in circumstances where medical providers and patients speak discordant languages.

A descriptive analysis of factors influencing physician assistant specialty selection.

This study assessed factors impacting practice selection among primary care and specialty physician assistants (PAs). Certified PAs randomized by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) (30,000) were surveyed, with 2,020 responses (RR = 6.7%). Results showed that factors influencing primary care and specialty selection differ. Increasing reimbursements may not increase selection of primary care by PAs.