Open Access Journals at IU Indianapolis
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Fostering Critical Relational Teaching in Social Work Education: Reflections on Shifting Pedagogy to Address the Current College Mental Health Crisis
Get PDFThe U.S. is experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis among college students as they return to classrooms from the COVID-19 pandemic. Social work students may be at an elevated mental health risk given their interest in the profession, often shaped by experiences of trauma and belonging to marginalized and excluded communities. This critical reflexive paper aims to draw on critical relational pedagogies, underscoring relationship-building and the co-creation of socially just spaces. We explore the fusion of relational and critical social justice approaches informed by bell hooks and Paulo Freire, examining their potential to shape social work education by centering power-sharing and love. We find utilizing a critical relational pedagogy enhanced our classroom experiences and learning, fostered stronger and more authentic relationships between students and instructors, and held space for the difficult but important generative conversations that often take place in social work classrooms. This paper includes pragmatic strategies to enhance teaching informed by this critical pedagogical framework. Adapting a critical relational pedagogy can help mitigate the negative effects of the U.S college mental health crisis and COVID-19. Doing so may help students experience a sense of belonging in the classroom and know that their voices are valued
Can semi-quantitative parenchymal MR imaging parameters be useful for monitoring the disease severity in chronic pancreatitis in a longitudinal study
Get PDFHypothesisParenchymal MR imaging biomarkers T1 score, and arterio-venous enhancement ratio (AVR) wouldchange with severity of chronic pancreatitis (CP).Materials and MethodsThis retrospective longitudinal study included 37 CP subjects (23 male 14 female) who either progressed(n= 22, mean age: 54 [range 21 - 75yrs]) or remained stable (n= 15, mean age: 56 [range 37 – 76yrs]) atthe Indiana University Health System. Progression of disease severity was determined by changing theCambridge classification grade from 0, 1, or 2 to 3 or 4. The average time difference between the MRIswas 6.7 years (range: 0.6 -15.3yrs). MR imaging was performed using the Institution’s clinical MRIprotocol. All studies included T1-weighted gradient echo sequence performed before contrast and afterintravenous contrast injection of Gadobutrol (Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals) during the arterial andpancreatic venous phases. T1 score is calculated by taking the ratio of the mean unenhanced T1-weighted signal intensity (SI) of the pancreatic parenchyma to the spleen. AVR is calculated using theformula AVR = SI arterial – SI unenhanced / SI venous – SI unenhanced.ResultsThere was a significant decrease in T1 score between the initial (mean: 1.23, 95% CI:1.1 to 1.4) andfollow-up MRI (mean: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.87 to 1.06) for the chronic pancreatitis (CP) subjects who hadprogressed disease severity determined by Cambridge classification (p= 0.0012). There was nosignificant difference in the T1 score of subjects who did not progress on follow-up imaging (p=0.052).There was a significant decrease in AVR of the subjects who progressed between the initial (mean: .93,95% CI: 0.77 to 1.08) and the follow-up MRI (mean: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.83) for patients withprogressed disease (p=0.02). However, those who remained in the same disease severity group did notshow significant difference (p=0.066).ConclusionThis longitudinal study suggests that semi-quantitative parameters T1 score, and arterio-venousenhancement ratio of the pancreatic parenchyma can be used to monitor progression of CP. Largepopulation multi-center studies are warranted to verify these results
A Comparative Analysis of Re-thrombosis Rates in Acute Lower Limb Ischemia Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Mechanical Thrombectomy vs. Open Thrombectomy
Get PDFBackground: Patients presenting with acute or acute-on-chronic lower limb ischemia often have limited time before viable tissue becomes ischemic. There are several treatment options for acute and subacute ischemia of the lower extremity including local thrombolysis, surgical thrombectomy and percutaneous thrombectomy. While local thrombolysis and surgical thrombectomy approaches have remained relatively unchanged for decades, percutaneous thrombectomy is a constantly evolving modality attributable to the improvements in endovascular technology, yet safety and efficacy of this approach are not well-established. Additionally, patients with Rutherford Classifications of IIb and III are at an increased risk of permanent deficits and/or amputation. Other comorbidities, including obesity, smoking, previous vascular interventions, hypercoagulable state, HLD, and HTN can often lead to a poorer prognosis. The aim of this work is to compare long-term outcomes such as amputation free survival following open versus endovascular thrombectomy within the limb threatening ischemia cohort.
Project Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed patients who underwent either percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy or open thrombectomy for acute lower limb ischemia. We identified comorbidities that may impact the complexities of their treatment and utilized the Charlson Comorbidity Index as well as the Rutherford Classification of Ischemia to help further categorize patients both by their risk of 10-year mortality and severity of their limb ischemia. Pertinent long-term factors that were assessed include whether the patients underwent arterial reintervention, amputation, and ambulatory status
Results: Peri-operative mortality and ipsilateral tissue loss were significantly lower in patients who underwent endovascular intervention. The patency of repair was significantly higher for those who underwent endovascular repair. Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy leads to shorter recovery times, patients being able to become ambulatory sooner, shorter hospital visits, and lower rates of complications.
Potential Impact: This data can help establish the safety and efficacy of a newer surgical approach in percutaneous thrombectomy which has the ability to ease long term recovery following intense procedures of peripheral vascular disease and has the ability to reduce rates of complication in this patient population
FoodRx: Exploring Disparities in Food Insecurity and Eye Health Conditions
Get PDFBackground: Good nutrition and chronic disease management are important for eye health; however, little is known about the relationship between food insecurity and eye health outcomes. Marion County is designated as a medically underserved area, and 25% of families rely on food assistance. Additionally, Indianapolis is considered one of the least accessible American cities in terms of healthy food options.
Objective: My central research objective was to understand how food insecurity impacts eye health in medically underserved populations. This project had three specific aims: 1) understand the process of identifying food insecurity in an eye clinic setting; 2) implement food insecurity screening in a student run eye clinic; and 3) determine associations of food security status with eye health outcomes among Eskenazi Health patients.
Methods: In Aims 1 and 2, I consulted the literature and clinicians from the Eskenazi Health Department of Ophthalmology. I developed a protocol implementing food insecurity screening into the electronic health record of a student-run eye clinic using the clinic-based Hunger Vital Sign (HVS) 2-question screener. For Aim 3, I worked with a Regenstrief Data Core analyst to extract patient and community demographic information, eye health conditions, and food insecurity status from the Eskenazi Health Data Warehouse.
Results: I implemented the food insecurity protocol as a quality improvement project into the student-run eye clinic and to date n=12 patients were screened. Additionally, I developed an analytical plan which included consolidating 1,073 eye-related ICD-10 codes into two groups: “nutrition-related eye disease” or “other eye disease.”
Conclusion: These exploratory study findings will generate future research questions and quality improvement initiatives to further investigate tailored clinic-community prevention initiatives, such as extending the food insecurity screener to other healthcare settings and integrating community resources with health care
From Co-Planning to Co-Reflection: The Power of Elementary and ELL Co-Teaching Teams Using the Collaborative Instructional Cycle
No full textAs K-6 Indiana classrooms continue to diversify, effective collaboration between elementary and English Language Learner (ELL) co-teaching teams becomes even more crucial. This qualitative research study navigates how Honigsfeld and Dove’s (2015) Collaborative Instructional Cycle—co-planning, co-instruction, co-assessment, and co-reflection—is integrated in elementary settings. Findings from two focus groups reveal that common planning tools, clear instructional roles and responsibilities, integration of background knowledge, and flexible reflective practices measurably impact instructional practice and increase student outcomes. This article suggests practical implications to foster inclusive and successful co-teaching learning environments
During and Post-COVID-19 Community Engagement Expectations and Attitudes Among College Students
No full textNumerous studies emphasize the impact of community service on college students by pointing out its positive correlations to establishing a sense of belonging among 1st-year students. However, despite many colleges’ best efforts, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted the normal college experience. In this study, we utilized a post-positivist worldview and employed a cross-sectional survey research study to explore how undergraduate students’ attitudes, behaviors, and intended skill development through community service changed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We found a statistically significant decrease in all community service attitudes and behaviors and no change in intended skill development during and post-COVID. Our findings have implications for service-learning faculty and higher education professionals working in community engagement functional areas
The Intersection of Knowledge and Engagement: Patterns in Community Partners’ Experiences with a Place-Based Community Engagement Program
No full textThe challenge & consequences: Higher education organizations (HEOs) invest in service-learning, internships, and community-based research, which generally require partnerships with community organizations. However, the impact of these programs on the community partners remains poorly understood. This results in a poor understanding of the potential benefits and/or costs to community organizations of these partnerships. Description: To address this, we conducted a mixed-methods embedded case study, examining community partners’ experiences within a place-based engagement program at an urban university. Findings & reflection: Focus groups revealed that student volunteers were valuable to community partners, but challenges in coordination were prevalent. Additionally, the alignment between the program\u27s goals and mission varied among partners. Focus groups also revealed a two-dimensional understanding of community partners\u27 experiences, categorized by engagement and knowledge. Survey results added nuance and breadth to these findings while providing a more detailed assessment of costs and benefits for community partners. Findings suggest that HEOs can leverage this two-dimensional understanding, prioritize mission alignment, and emphasize assessment and mitigation of costs to better support community partner organizations
