Browsing by Author "Alyea, Jennifer M."

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    Indiana Registered Nurse 2007 Re-Licensure Survey Report
    (2010-01) Zollinger, Terrell W.; Kochhar, Komal; Reger, Michael K.; Alyea, Jennifer M.
    The registered nurse re-licensure survey is implemented through a collaboration of the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) and the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA). This report summarizes the responses to the 2007 Indian a registered nurse re-licensure survey and compares them to the results of the prior registered nurse re-licensure surveys reported in the Indiana Registered Nurse Survey Databook, 1997 and 2001 and the 2005 Indiana Registered Nurse Re-Licensure Survey Report.
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    Pandemic flu preparedness: ethical issues and recommendations to the Indiana State Department of Health
    (2009-06-29T16:36:53Z) Meslin, Eric M.; Alyea, Jennifer M.; Helft, Paul R.
    Four Recommendations are proposed: 1. the State must identify all healthcare workers who are deemed to be critically necessary during the pandemic; 2. the State and healthcare organizations should adopt a “high expectations, no punishment” approach to absenteeism; 3. the State should set and communicate expectations that healthcare institutions have adequate medical supplies and that these institutions ensure these supplies be made available to all personnel expected to interact with patients; and 4. the State should encourage healthcare institutions to establish clear policies for determining sanctions for noncompliance with expected responsibilities that are both fair and responsive to exceptional circumstances.
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    Pandemic influenza preparedness: ethical issues and recommendations to the Indiana State Department of Health
    (Indiana University Center for Bioethics, 2008-08) Meslin, Eric M.; Alyea, Jennifer M.; Helft, Paul R.
    In August of 2007, the Indiana University Center for Bioethics (IUCB) presented to the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) a set of technical advisory documents (TADs) addressing ethical issues that may arise in the event of an influenza pandemic. The topics of altered standards of care, triage, vaccine allocation, and healthcare workforce management all were addressed in these documents, each with its own annotated bibliography. Additionally, IUCB provided to ISDH an ethical framework entitled Points to Consider, which consisted of a set of seven ethical points that the Center believed the State should take into consideration when developing policies and procedures related to pandemic influenza response. Since that time, ethicists, researchers, and policymakers have continued to contribute to the literature and develop policies addressing ethical pandemic influenza planning. As a result, ISDH again contracted with IUCB to update the previous documents with the most current thinking on the respective topics.
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    Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Compared to Psychoeducational Support for Persistently Fatigued Breast and Colorectal Cancer Survivors
    (Springer, 2016-10) Johns, Shelley A.; Brown, Linda F.; Beck-Coon, Kathleen; Talib, Tasneem L.; Monahan, Patrick O.; Giesler, R. Brian; Tong, Yan; Wilhelm, Laura; Carpenter, Janet S.; Von Ah, Diane; Wagner, Christina D.; de Groot, Mary; Schmidt, Karen; Monceski, Diane; Danh, Marie; Alyea, Jennifer M.; Miller, Kathy D.; Kroenke, Kurt; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Purpose Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a disruptive symptom for many survivors. Despite promising evidence for efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in reducing CRF, no trials comparing it to an active comparator for fatigued survivors have been published. The purpose of this trial was to compare MBSR to psychoeducation for CRF and associated symptoms. Methods Breast (n=60) and colorectal (n=11) cancer survivors (stage 0–III) with clinically significant CRF after completing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy an average of 28 months prior to enrollment were randomized to MBSR or psychoeducation/support groups (PES). MBSR focused on mindfulness training; PES focused on CRF self-management. Outcomes included CRF interference (primary), CRF severity and global improvement, vitality, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and pain. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 6-month follow-up (T3) using intent-to-treat analysis. Results Between-group differences in CRF interference were not significant at any time point; however, there was a trend favoring MBSR (d=−0.46, p=0.073) at T2. MBSR participants reported significantly greater improvement in vitality (d=0.53, p=0.003) and were more likely to report CRF as moderately-to-completely improved compared to the PES group (χ2 (1)=4.1765, p=0.041) at T2. MBSR participants also reported significantly greater reductions in pain at T2 (d=0.53, p=0.014). In addition, both MBSR and PES produced moderate-to-large and significant within-group improvements in all fatigue outcomes, depression, anxiety, and sleep at T2 and T3 compared to T1. Conclusion MBSR and PES appear efficacious for CRF and related symptoms. Larger trials including a usual care arm are warranted.
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    Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Breast and Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Effects on Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment
    (Springer, 2016-06) Johns, Shelley A.; Von Ah, Diane; Brown, Linda F.; Beck-Coon, Kathleen; Talib, Tasneem L.; Alyea, Jennifer M.; Monahan, Patrick O.; Tong, Yan; Wilhelm, Laura; Giesler, R. Brian; Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine
    Purpose Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a common, fatigue-related symptom that disrupts cancer survivors’ quality of life. Few interventions for CRCI exist. As part of a randomized pilot study targeting cancer-related fatigue, the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on survivors’ cognitive outcomes were investigated. Methods Breast and colorectal cancer survivors (n = 71) with moderate-to-severe fatigue were randomized to MBSR (n = 35) or a fatigue education and support (ES; n = 36) condition. The Attentional Function Index (AFI) and the Stroop test were used to assess survivors’ cognitive function at baseline (T1), after the 8-week intervention period (T2), and 6 months later (T3) using intent-to-treat analysis. Mediation analyses were performed to explore mechanisms of intervention effects on cognitive functioning. Results MBSR participants reported significantly greater improvement on the AFI total score compared to ES participants at T2 (d = 0.83, p = 0.001) and T3 (d = 0.55, p = 0.021). MBSR also significantly outperformed ES on most AFI subscales, although both groups improved over time. MBSR produced greater Stroop accuracy rates relative to ES at T2 (r = 0.340, p = 0.005) and T3 (r = 0.280, p = 0.030), with improved accuracy over time only for the MBSR group. There were no significant differences in Stroop reaction time between groups. Improvements in mindfulness mediated the effect of group (e.g., MBSR vs. ES) on AFI total score at T2 and T3. Conclusions Additional randomized trials with more comprehensive cognitive measures are warranted to definitively assess the efficacy of MBSR for CRCI. Implications for Cancer Survivors This pilot study has important implications for all cancer survivors as it is the first published trial to show that MBSR offers robust and durable improvements in CRCI.
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    Report of Responses to the 2004, 2006, and 2008 Physician Assistant Re-Licensure Surveys
    (2010-02) Zollinger, Terrell W.; Kochhar, Komal; Alyea, Jennifer M.
    The Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency developed a collaborative partnership to collect data through the licensing process to better understand the health professions workforce within the state. Beginning in 2004, physician assistants were asked to participate in voluntary surveys when renewing their licenses ever y two years. The purpose of this report is to summarize the participants’ responses to the survey items. The responses provide a detailed description of the physician assistant workforce in the state of Indiana to aid in the development of policies and programs to recruit and retain these health professionals where they are needed in Indiana.