Browsing by Author "Biviji-Sharma, Rizwana"

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    Fighting Prescription Drug Abuse Through State Policy: The Role of Nursing in Successful Implementation
    (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2015-10) Norwood, Connor W.; Biviji-Sharma, Rizwana; Knotts, Adam; Omenka, Isaac; Stone, Cynthia; Purviance, Donna; Department of Family Medicine, IU School of Medicine
    Prescription drug abuse has become a top public health concern in the United States in recent years. Changes in prescribing practices and the way in which health providers manage pain resulted from national quality improvement efforts in the 1990s. Most efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the prescription drug abuse epidemic occur through policy initiatives at the state level. In 2011, Indiana ranked 17th in the United States and had only implemented a few intervention and prevention strategies. However, through a coordinated effort within the state, Indiana has expanded Good Samaritan laws and adopted rescue drug policies. Furthermore, the nursing workforce in Indiana has played a critical role in the successful implementation of these new policies. Nurses across the state have provided education and training to first responders and lay persons. They have also consulted with law enforcement agencies and other organizations looking to fully leverage the potential of these new state policies. Because of their versatility and clinical expertise, the nursing workforce has and will continue to play a critical role in the successful implementation of state policy initiatives aimed at fighting the prescription drug abuse epidemic.
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    The Health of the Serbian Roma/Gypsies: A Research Report
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2015-04-17) Biviji-Sharma, Rizwana; Cvorovic, Jelena; Coe, Kathryn
    The Balkan region is densely populated by Roma, a socially disadvantaged, stigmatized and relatively reproductively isolated ethnic group. Health data from across Europe show that being a Roma is associated with much poorer health status than is seen in the majority populations or among other ethnic minority groups. These data may not be accurate as the number of Roma was grossly underestimated. Almost nothing is known about the health of Serbian Roma. In this presentation we describe the results of a 2014 study of Serbian Roma women living in two settlements in the northern province of Serbia, with a focus placed on investigating health history of the females and their close kin. We focused on health concerns and on behaviors that are protective or that increase risk for chronic diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases). A special focus placed on reproductive histories.