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  Tracking the burden, distribution, and impact of Post-COVID conditions in diverse populations for children, adolescents, and adults (Track PCC): passive and active surveillance protocols

  Jones, Resa M.; Andrews, Jennifer G.; Dalton, Alexandra F.; Dixon, Brian E.; Dzomba, Bari J.; Fernando, Shane I.; Pogreba-Brown, Kristen M.; Ortiz, Miguel Reina; Sharma, Vinita; Simmons, Nicole; et al. (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2024-08-29)

  Background: Track PCC includes five geographic surveillance sites to conduct standardized population-based surveillance to estimate and track Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) by age, sex, race/ethnicity, geographic area, severity of initial infection, and risk factors among persons with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (based on the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologist [CSTE] case definitions for confirmed cases or laboratory-confirmed evidence of infection). Methods: The study will estimate the incidence, prevalence, including temporal trends, and duration and severity of PCC symptoms, among children, adolescents, and adults. PCCs include a broad range of symptoms and conditions that continue or develop after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 illness. Surveillance includes both passive and active components for diverse populations in Arizona, Indiana, and Utah as well as the Bronx Borough, NY, and part of Philadelphia County, PA. Passive surveillance will utilize electronic health records and health information exchanges within each site catchment area to longitudinally follow persons with COVID-19 to estimate PCC occurring at least 30 days after acute COVID-19 illness. Active surveillance will utilize self-report of PCCs from detailed surveys of persons ages 7 years and older with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past 3 months. Respondents will complete follow-up surveys at 6-, 12- and 18-months post-infection. Discussion: These data can help identify which groups are most affected by PCC, and what health differences among demographic groups exist, as well as indicate potential barriers to care. These additional levels of granularity can inform public health action and help direct needed clinical care for patients.
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  BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES IN HEALTHCARE FOR DEAF PATIENTS

  Goldsmith, Melissa; Wesson, Stella (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  This thesis explores research on deaf patients and how they view their experiences in a hospital setting and proposes evidence based recommendations for interventions such as providing interpretation accommodations and education to healthcare professionals. Over 50 million people in the United States have a hearing disability where people are either hard of hearing or completely deaf (James et al., 2022). Evidence based recommendations enable healthcare professionals to provide patients with the highest quality of care. The recommendations for caring for deaf patients include providing proper interpretation accommodations upon admission to the hospital and throughout all aspects of care to ensure effective communication and understanding. Additional recommendations call for the implementation of an electronic order set to create a structured outline to follow during care and incentivizing the continuing education of providers and nurses to become familiar with American sign language. These interventions aim to increase patient satisfaction and understanding and decrease the communication gap deaf populations struggle with within the healthcare field. The final chapter includes the implementation proposal using the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle to evaluate and refine the intervention. Nurses should remain committed to continuing educational efforts by staying current on research to provide the greatest care for all patients.
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  A Review and Policy Analysis of the Causes and Impact of the Lack of Medical Research for Minority Groups

  Langley, D. Carrie; Weaver, Symone Olivia (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Medical practices are backed by research to guarantee that patients receive the best care possible to get better. This research is found through clinical trials and require human participants in many cases to see how to best treat patients. The majority of participants in clinical trials do not represent all skin tones and economic classes. This leads to inaccurate results and poor treatment of diverse patients. It is known that people who participate in clinical trials have better health outcomes because more is known about how to treat them. It is unfair to minority groups who do not feel comfortable participating in research and who are unable to due to external circumstances. There have been policies put in place to combat this problem by requiring clinical trials to include women and minority groups, but it does not rectify the issues that are prohibiting these groups from volunteering. A lack of trust in healthcare workers that has built up over time from past experiences needs to be addressed. There are also cultural and language barriers that may not be understood. A literature review and policy analysis has been conducted in order to better understand the barriers surrounding the lack of diversity in clinical trials as well as ways to improve diversity.
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  INFORMACIÓN SOBRE LA MENOPAUSIA

  Doran, Kristin; Vij, Vanshikha (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Menopause is a significant transitional period in a woman’s life, yet access to accurate and culturally relevant information remains limited, particularly for populations with limited English proficiency (LEP) in the United States. In Tucson, Arizona, a city with a substantial Spanish-speaking population, many individuals face barriers to understanding menopause, including the lack of health education resources in their primary language (CDC, 2024). This project examines the creation of patient education materials—guides, audio recordings, and videos—designed to provide accessible, evidence-based menopause information to Spanish-speaking populations. Existing research highlights that LEP patients often experience disparities in health literacy and outcomes due to insufficient linguistically and culturally tailored health information (CDC, 2024). Despite this, few resources like this exist, illustrating a gap in both public health and patient education literature. The project’s central aim is to increase health literacy and empower Spanish-speaking individuals to understand and manage menopause symptoms effectively. Through a creative process centered around English to Spanish translation and involving content development, scriptwriting, and multimedia production, the project transforms technical health information into formats that are easy to access, comprehend, and use. This work highlights the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate health education, demonstrating how creative media can bridge gaps in health knowledge for underserved populations. By providing Spanish-speaking communities with practical, understandable resources on menopause, the project contributes to broader efforts in health equity, patient empowerment, and community education.
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  Sex Based Differences in Young Athletes Contributing to Musculoskeletal Injuries and Recovery

  Kanady, John; Vasquez, Alexa (The University of Arizona., 2025)

  Most athletes begin their sport(s) from a young age which is great for their emotional, mental, and physical development. The problem arises between male and female athletes when they reach the age of puberty because the mechanisms of their bodies change. Parents, coaches, and athletes alike need to be educated. Adolescent athletes need to be educated about how changes to their bodies affect their training. Males and females should be taught to train differently. For this literature, articles were found from search engines and databases such as Google Scholar, Google, and the University of Arizona online libraries.The key words searched for were: adolescent, athlete, sex, male, female, concussion, joints, puberty, hormones, recovery, biological/physiological differences. Adolescents in particular are more at risk for injury compared to older, more experienced adults. One factor is differences in neurotransmitters. Higher levels of dopamine lead to risk-taking. Risk-taking behavior can increase the chances of injury. This is common in both adolescent male and female athletes. The majority of biological differences between males and females can be attributed to hormone differences and their wide ranging physiological effects. Male bodies are dominated by testosterone. Female bodies experience hormone fluctuations of estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone. Estrogen and progesterone are the main female hormones. The physiological differences become noticeable once puberty begins. These musculoskeletal differences manifest as increased flexibility in females and greater speed and strength in males. Females experience more personal variation in musculoskeletal performance due to the menstrual cycle.

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