Explain the extent of the behavioral, cognitive, or psychological problem that you have identified.

Week 2: Assignment
This week you will conduct a literature search to evaluate and establish the importance of the problem you have chosen to review: Factors that influence decision making. To prove that the topic: Factors that influence decision making you must plan to review is one that affects the welfare of the human being, you must establish the extent of the problem you are addressing: social influence, cultural, psychological, emotional, medical age, gender, environmental and biological. You must plan to investigate Factors that influence decision making, you would need to establish the extent of influence on a nationwide basis people experience. You might want to determine which areas, genders, or ethno-cultural groups are most involved in this problem. You will need to establish the cost of the influence as a problem or possible problem, such as the number of people harmed by influence physically or psychologically, the psychological distress involved, the disruption plans and how it affects their family, their personal life, and the amount of money, time or treatment spent yearly to deal with the problem of Factors that influence decision making and consequences: family problems, criminal, ect.
The United States government, as well as some state and local governments, keeps careful statistics of the incidence of behavior and psychological problems. Different departments within the United States government keep statistics on problems, and on programs and research on the problem. For example, the Department of Justice keeps statistics on crime, including types of crime, gender and race of perpetrator, location of crime, and various programs to prevent crime or deal with criminal behavior. Laws for workplace compensation for distress suffered in the workplace can also be found in government databases. Be sure to consult the library for further information on how to search government sites efficiently. Some government websites are listed in the supplemental resources.

Explain the extent of the behavioral, cognitive, or psychological problem that you have identified. Do so by preparing a report that discusses the problem in depth and offers statistics that show the extent of the problem on national and regional levels. Your report should include 1-3 figures or graphs that visually illustrate the extent of the problem. (Use the APA Tables and Figures Guide to prepare the figures and graphs for this section.)

Prevalence & Demand-side in SA

Prevalence & Demand-side in SA
1. How many such facilities exist in the country and where are they situated
a. Their size and number of operating units
b. Who is their market
c. Is there a gap
d. What range of procedures are conducted in each
e. What is the standard cost of procedures named above in SA vs. Europe and USA
f. What is the standard cost of the following procedures in SA vs. Europe and USA
i. skin lesions,
ii. lipoma (superficial skin and soft tissue lumps and bumps)
iii. breast lumpectomy
iv. inguinal hernia
v. radiation
vi. chemotherapy

Regulatory Burdens
2. What are the regulations regarding set up of such facilities and time frame of compliance for each
3. What are the requirements for getting surgeons from outside of SA licensed to operate in SA
a. Documentary requirements
b. Exams, if any
c. Turnaround time
d. Cost
4. What are the safety regulations for operating the following machines
a. Ct scan (and costs thereof of different types)
b. MRI scan (and costs thereof of different types)
c. imaging machine (and costs thereof of different types)
d. radiation machine (and costs thereof of different types)

Staffing
5. How many ‘international’ locums agencies that do placements in South Africa
6. What rates do they charge for the different categories of medical personnel (esp. surgeons at different levels)
7. What is the prevalence of these medical professionals bringing their families with vs. those that come alone
8. What is the average placement period in South Africa
9. What are the pay-rates in South Africa for the following local personnel:
a. scrub nurse,
b. recovery nurse,
c. anaesthesian,
d. Certified Registered Nurse (CRN)Anesthetist
e. Certified Registered Nurse (CRN) Radiology

Medical Tourism
10. What is the prevalence of medical tourism in SA (stats on these kinds of tourists)
a. Compare stats of US vs. EU vs. Africa diaspora
11. Which organizations do this and which ones do non-plastic surgery?

Physical Layout and Facilities
12. What does a typical outpatient surgery center look like (use pictures / sketches)
13. What equipment is required to set up a typical outpatient surgery center
a. What are the costs of each piece of equipment (at a minimum your costing to include OR table, anesthesia machine, waste disposal, sterile equipment, suction devices, ventilator, radiation machine)
b. Who are the suppliers and what are the typical maintenance contracts for these; as well as typical lifespan
14. What are the typical space requirements of setting up such a center (in square meters)

Explain how the use of nursing informatics applies to your department or unit, and how it relates to your quality improvement initiative.

For your Patient Satisfaction Quality Improvement Project, write a 1,400- to 1,750-word report in which you will:
• Explain the types of information technology systems you used to gather data.
o Explain how the use of nursing informatics applies to your department or unit, and how it relates to your quality improvement initiative.
o Evaluate the influence of information technology on patient care.
 Does it improve patient care?
 How much nursing time does technology take away from patient care?
 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of barcoding.
• Analyze which systems contribute to the management and maintenance of change for the organization.
• Analyze the Health and Medicine Division recommendations for integrated information systems (e.g., EpicCare, Cerner, ABELMed, FutureNet, or other system).
• Determine other types of applications of technology, other than the electronic medical record system, to implement the quality improvement project.

Does atheism imply a mythic structure similar to any of the four types discussed there?

Upon reviewing the three clinical vignettes (Lucinda, Robert and Paul) an integrated treatment plan templates, complete an integrated treatment plan on all three clients. Please include the use of natural supports as a way to promote autonomy and independence.
LUCINDA’S STORY
The patient, Lucinda, is a 37-year-old overweight Mexican-American female referred for integrated case management by insurance reviewers specifically looking for patients who use many health services. She came to their attention because a request was being made for approval to remove a gangrenous toe. Lucinda has had numerous procedures, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits in the past 2 years. During the past 12 months, she has filled 32 prescriptions for eight different medications from six independent physicians, one of whom is a diabetic specialist, one a psychiatrist (for diazepam), and one a surgeon (for a pain medication). Three prescribers are primary care physicians. Lucinda has four other physicians who have submitted medical charges for her care in the past year. Her last ad-mission was 2 weeks earlier for 2 days and she has been to the emergency room three times in the last month. During her hospitalization, at that time, she had blood sugar levels of 400+, a gangrenous toe, and a fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Her last HbA1c was 9.2.
ROBERT’S STORY
Robert is a 49-year-old electrician for a large manufacturer who has been identified through the employer’s disability management report. The disability management company at Robert’s worksite notes that he has been on short-term disability for 4 months and would be a candidate for long-term disability soon. Robert’s disability manager, Charlene, is concerned that if Robert is placed on long-term disability, which has more rigorous definitions of what constitutes disability, he will not remain qualified for disability support. Robert would then find it difficult to obtain alternative employment because of his health history. Charlene indicates to her supervisor that Robert has been seen in the emergency room five times in the last 2 months and has been in contact with his personal doctor twice monthly. He is on five medications, all prescribed by his general practitioner, Dr. Couch, who, as a retired surgeon, is supplementing his income doing general practice during a challenging economy.
In addition to chronic lung disease, Robert has a long history of anxiety with panic attacks. There is, however, no mental health professional involved in his care. Since the company’s contracting health plan changed 3 years earlier, Robert has been forced to see Dr. Couch because his old primary care doctor was not in the new health plan network. Dr. Couch is. For three years, Robert’s work performance record has deteriorated. Disability and family leave time tracking indicate that he has taken time off for breathing problems, chest pain, back pain, headaches, anxiety, and flu like episodes. This is, however, the first extended leave that he has taken. Dr. Couch, who signs Robert’s disability forms, projects that he will be permanently disabled according to a discussion he has had with the disability plan’s medical director.
Since his early 20s, Robert has been treated for anxiety disorder with panic attacks, a condition that runs in his family, but has stopped going to a therapist or psychiatrist be-cause he can save out-of-pocket expenses by getting all of his care from Dr. Couch. Robert’s last admission of 2 days was 6 months earlier for chest pain. At that time, oxygen saturation was 91% and FEV1 was 58% of predicted. Despite a normal heart tracing and little other evidence of a cardiac origin for his chest pain, Robert refused to leave the emergency room because he thought he was going to die. He smokes two packs of cigarettes per day.
PAUL’S STORY
Paul is a 13-year-old male with truncus, arteriosis, a congenital heart condition, for which he is currently receiving symptomatic care. The reason for the cardiology clinic visit was to evaluate high levels of fatigue, which significantly affect his ability to attend school. Consistently for the past 9 months, Paul’s oxygen saturation levels have been running between 85% and 89% (pO2 50–55), a dangerously low range, and are slowly becoming progressively worse. His extremities have a blue/purple tint, and there is significant clubbing of his fingers.
Paul has very limited daily activities. He becomes easily fatigued when he goes out, and he has not attended middle school since the beginning of the academic year (nearly 6 months). Despite nonattendance at his school, he receives no tutoring or home schooling and is far behind in the special program provided by his middle school teachers.
Medical management consists of water pills and heart strengthening medications. His cardiologist also recommends the use of oxygen while sleeping. However, Paul is very anxious about wearing an oxygen mask or even nasal prongs. His parents have not followed through to arrange for this and are not pushing him. As a result, Paul has been to the emergency room six times in the last 2 months for water pill adjustments and oxygen supplementation. He has never been admitted to the hospital, though it was encouraged on three occasions.
Paul’s cardiologist recommends cardiac catheterization to determine the status of his heart condition. Paul and his parents, however, are very fearful about his undergoing this procedure. Paul underwent several surgeries during his first few years of life to correct his cardiac defect. Paul’s doctors feel that given the physical deterioration observed in him, he will likely require further corrective surgery. Both parents are fearful that surgery will kill Paul or that it would provide little benefit to their son’s quality of life.

Religions of the West Today.
Atheism is defined as the absence of belief in divine beings. Can atheism be thought of as a religion? Answer this question by applying the ideas discussed in chapter 1 of Religions of the West Today. More specifically, consider the “key elements” of religious practice identified on p. 8 of the text. Does atheism manifest any of these? In what ways? Be specific about the patterns found in religious stories discussed on pp. 16 – 20 of the text. Does atheism imply a mythic structure similar to any of the four types discussed there?