Transition from pediatric to adult health care systems presents unique challenges for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder who often have complex medical and mental health needs. Without a coordinated transition plan, pediatric providers often continue to provide care to young adults with autism spectrum disorder beyond the scope of their…

This chapter presents the process and operational considerations when developing and implementing mindfulness-based programs for both patients and staff in hospital and health-care settings.

The client's ability to communicate is key to providing quality palliative end-of-life care. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can facilitate the patient's ability to communicate concerns or preferences in order to (1) improve the health care team's ability to manage symptoms and engage in end-of-life discussions, and (2) support the patient and…

Introduction: There is growing interest in the role and use of patient navigators within the health care system. Currently, qualifications and training expectations documented in the literature vary tremendously depending on context and patient population. This paper details the theoretical and pedagogical principles used to develop, implement and…

Evidence-based practice is often encouraged in most service delivery settings, yet a substantial body of research indicates that service providers often show resistance or limited adherence to such practices. Resistance to the uptake of evidence-based treatments and programs is well-documented in several fields, including nursing, dentistry,…

Diabetes and heart disease are among the leading causes of death and disability in the United States, and these conditions are especially prevalent in the South. South Carolina's persistent racial and socioeconomic disparities in chronic disease outcomes are well-documented, yet little is known about how health care practices in medically…

Background: With recent recommendations from professional organizations, long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods are considered appropriate first-line contraception for adolescents. Many school-based health centers (SBHCs) in New York City (NYC) have recently added onsite LARC insertion and management to their contraceptive options. We…

Multiple evidence-based approaches (EBAs) exist to improve colorectal cancer screening in health clinics. The success of these approaches is tied to effective implementation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the implementation of EBAs for colorectal cancer screening and clinic-level correlates of implementation in federally…

Moving knowledge into practice and the implementation of innovations in health care remain significant challenges. Few researchers adequately address the influence of organizations on the implementation of innovations in health care. The aims of this article are to (1) present 2 conceptual frameworks for understanding the organizational factors…

Driven by the compulsion to improve the evident paucity in quality of care, especially in critical access hospitals in the United States, policy makers, healthcare providers, and administrators have taken the advise of researchers suggesting the integration of technology in healthcare. The Electronic Health Record (EHR) System composed of multiple…

Research objectives: This dissertation examines the state of development of each of the eight core electronic health record (EHR) functionalities as described by the IOM and describes how the current state of these functionalities limit quality improvement efforts in ambulatory care settings. There is a great deal of literature describing both the…

This study aimed to examine the implementation, adequacy, and outcomes of discharge planning. The authors carried out a prospective study of 1,426 adult patients discharged from 11 acute care hospitals in Israel. Social workers provided detailed discharge plans on each patient. Telephone interviews were conducted two weeks post-discharge. Findings…

Health information exchange (HIE) is the process of electronically sharing patient-level information among different organizations with the objectives of quality and cost improvements. The adoption of HIE in the United States is not widespread, but numerous efforts at facilitating HIE exist and the incentives for electronic health record system…

Health care is one of the most highly regulated industries in the United States. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) mandates the implementation of information systems security to protect the personal information of patients. Properly planned implementations ease the process of introducing new technologies like…

Schools are moving toward a human service approach that encompasses the physical and mental needs of its students on top of the traditional role of educating. School-based collaboratives are one delivery model that satisfies this expanding role. Lacking in the research on this emerging setting, particularly in the realm of mental health, is…