Thank you for joining us!
Global Health Education Day is an exciting opportunity to draw together global health researchers, educators, and students. Led by the Institute for Global Health's Center for Global Health Education, this year's event began with an online poster session where students, trainees, and faculty members presented posters on projects relevant to global health. All posters can be enlarged by clicking the link underneath each image.
Impact of Medication Assisted Pregnancy Termination (MAPT) Training on Resident Confidence, Clinical Knowledge, and Intent to Provide Abortion Care
The overrule of Roe vs Wade on June 24th, 2022 ended the constitutional right to abortion. The resulting fragmentation of the family planning landscape left millions without access to safe reproductive health services. Many states that protect abortion have seen influxes in the number of people seeking care, however, have not seen equal influxes in the number of trained providers. Family physicians are well equipped to fill gaps in abortion care, however recent surveys estimate only 3.0 - 15.3% provide medication assisted pregnancy termination (MAPT). In response to this need, The Northwestern Family Medicine (FM) Residency at Lake Forest has partnered with the ExPAND Mifepristone Learning Collaborative, which advocates for use of MAPT for early pregnancy loss and abortion in primary care settings. This study serves to assess the need and receptiveness of a dedicated MAPT curriculum amongst FM residents at Northwestern and to assess the impact of a MAPT curriculum on clinical knowledge, self-reported confidence, and intent to provide MAPT in future practice.
Presenting author: Alexandra Giedd
Poster 1
Pencil-Point vs. Cutting Spinal Needles: A Cost Analysis
Two types of needles can be used to deliver spinal anesthesia: cutting tip and pencil-point tip. While literature suggests that pencil-point spinal needles are associated with lower rates of post-dural puncture headache (PDPH), severity of PDPH, and decreased need for epidural blood patches (EBP), many providers around the world continue to use cutting needles due to a lack of availability and expense of pencil-point needles. Although the initial purchasing cost of cutting needles is lower, the added cost associated with assessment and treatment of PDPH's may make pencil-point needles more cost effective in the long-run. The goal of this study was to determine which type of spinal needle is preferred from a cost perspective.
Presenting author: Amy Yan
Poster 2
Recommended Functions of Low- and Middle-Income Country Medical Education Departments and Methods to Target and Achieve These: A Scoping Review
Departments of medical education (DMEs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been created in recent years for curriculum reform, faculty training, development of scholarship in teaching and learning, quality assurance, research, and academic support. DMEs, within and across LMICs, show great diversity, experiencing differences in areas of focus, function, operation, and institutional support. To support those involved in growing and establishing these DMEs, we sought to detail the current landscape by answering the research question "What has been published about departments of medical education across regions in Eastern, Central, Southern and West Africa (ECSWA) in the last decade?"
Presenting author: Arthi Kozhumam
Poster 3
Impact of an Ambulatory Pharmacy Team on Hemoglobin A1c and Medication Affordability in Central Region Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx Adults with Diabetes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), racial and ethnic minority groups, including Black/African American (B/AA) and Hispanic/Latinx (HL), and groups with lower socioeconomic status have higher rates of illness and death from diabetes (DM) than Whites. In 2017, B/AA's were 2.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with DM-related end stage renal disease and lower limb amputations. In 2018, HL's were 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanic whites to die from DM. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a widely used and accepted test for the diagnosis of pre-DM and DM and the assessment of glycemic control in patients with DM. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) goal for most adults with DM is a HbA1c of < 7%.
Presenting author: Bridget Dolan
Poster 4
Global Health Education and the Covid-19 Pandemic: Insights from Emergency Medicine Trainees and Partners
The Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on global health education and international partnerships designed to provide experience to trainees. This project sought to better characterize the persistent effects of Covid-19 on various stakeholders: academics, trainees, and partner organizations that facilitate global health rotations. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted between November 2022 and March 2023. Using a snowball sampling pattern, virtual, audio-recorded interviews were conducted with six individuals: two trainees in emergency medicine global health fellowships during the initial Covid-19 pandemic wave, two academic emergency medicine clinicians in leadership positions within global health training programs, and two representatives from organizations that facilitate international rotations for trainees from a variety of specialties.
Presenting author: Cameron Jones
Poster 5
The role of serum glypican-3 as a novel biomarker in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in Lagos, Nigeria
The role of serum glypican-3 as a novel biomarker in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in Lagos, Nigeria. Chinenye U. Nwoko, Emuobor A. Odeghe, Ganiyat K. Oyeleke, Ufuoma C. Salami, Obioma C. Anomneze Abstract Background: Glypican-3, a heparan sulphate proteoglycan that is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue, has been evaluated as a diagnostic biomarker, with conflicting results. The aim of our study was to determine the serum levels of glypican-3 in cases with liver cancer as well as in two categories of controls: subjects with chronic liver disease and apparently healthy subjects. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of glypican-3 with alpha-foetoprotein and determined the usefulness of combining glypican-3 and alpha-foetoprotein in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Presenting author: Chinenye Nwoko
Poster 6
Descriptive Epidemiology of Risk Factors Associated with Cervical Cancer Among HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Women in Nigeria
Descriptive Epidemiology of Risk Factors Associated with Cervical Cancer Among HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Women in Nigeria. Authors: Chuwang J. Nyam, Jonah Musa, Robert L. Murphy, Lifang Hou & Supriya D. Mehta Background Invasive cervical cancer (ICC) is highly prevalent in Nigeria, with an estimated 12,000 diagnosed cases and 8,000 deaths occurring annually. This is largely due to limited access to public health services, insufficient screening and follow-up, and a large HIV-positive population, with Nigeria having the second-highest HIV case burden globally. The objective of the study was to identify the risk factors associated with cervical cancer among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women in Nigeria.
Presenting author: Chuwang J Nyam
Poster 7
Oro-Facial Pathologies in Newly Diagnosed Adults with HIV: A Clinically Diagnostic Disease Severity Predictor in Resource-Limited Settings
Oro- facial pathologies associated with HIV infection have been documented as clinical indicators for early disease detection, disease progression, HIV staging and effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART). This study aimed to assess the pattern of HIV- related oral pathologies and their relationship with immune suppression among adults newly diagnosed with HIV.
Presenting author: Elizabeth Abe
Poster 8
Enhancing Early Identification and Intervention for Pediatric Hearing Loss and Deafness in Ghana through a Comprehensive Postnatal Hearing Screening Program
This review examines the research on hearing loss and deafness screening coverage and systematic challenges in Ghana, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and intervention, and proposes a comprehensive postnatal hearing screening protocol. The recommendations focus on the need for quality, data acquisition, accessibility of services, and stakeholder responsibility with regard to the strategic direction and implementation of an integrative and sustainable program, with the underlying goal of promoting healthcare equality for individuals with hearing loss and/or deafness.
Presenting author: Ellie Tjelmeland
Poster 9
Development and Implementation of a Novel Pediatric Cardiac Urgencies Curriculum for Pediatric Trainees in Tanzania
Pediatric trainees at Bugando Medical Center (BMC) in Mwanza, Tanzania, a high volume tertiary care & training hospital, frequently encounter cardiac-related cases with limited access to both pediatric cardiology specialists and echo technicians. BMC residents estimate that 1-2 bedside focused echocardiograms are performed each day. Through a long-existing bi-directional resident exchange and education program between Lurie Children's Hospital (LCH) and BMC, pediatric cardiology has been identified by BMC as an opportunity for a novel education program.
Presenting author: Emily Kugel
Poster 10
Prevalence and severity of liver disease among adults with newly diagnosed chronic HBV presenting to a tertiary hospital in Lagos, Nigeria.
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is prevalent in Nigeria, and is a major cause of liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. The aim of this study was to describe the severity of liver disease among newly diagnosed CHB infections presenting to a tertiary hospital in Lagos, Nigeria.
Presenting author: Emuobor Odeghe
Poster 11
SEROPREVALENCE OF SARS-CoV-2 AMONG HEALTH CARE WORKERS AT THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITALS IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA.
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are the frontiers in the war against SARS-CoV-2. Infections among HCWs can reduce the workforce and further strain the health systems, especially in low-resource settings. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and determinants of SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Presenting author: Erick Mboya
Poster 12
A Scoping Review of Implementation Studies on Antepartum Preterm Birth Interventions
While recommendations regarding preterm birth are essential to preventing devastating neonatal morbidity and mortality, the variation in research and implementation underscore how health system capacity and systemic factors, such access and quality, greatly influence their ultimate utilization. There are limited systematic or scoping reviews of implementation science studies of antenatal interventions for preterm birth. The purpose of this scoping review is to analyze literature in implementation science that identifies women who ought to be referred to higher levels of care or to skilled birth attendants and ultimately maps the delivery of antenatal preterm birth interventions.
Presenting author: Etoroabasi Ekpe
Poster 13
Diabetes in Bangladesh: review of the WHO/Bangladesh Ministry of health, 2013 national diabetes guidelines to establish a framework for standardized, diabetes care among Medglobal's medical care of Rohingya refugees
The global burden of diabetes continues to grow; by 2030, the incidence of diabetes is estimated to reach 643 million. Most of the increases in diabetes occur in LMIC countries - specifically in Africa and Asia, are due in part to increased consumption of the Westernized diet, decreased physical activity, longer working hours, and reduced sleep. Bangladesh is one of the countries with the highest burden of diabetes in the Southeast Asian region. 75% of Bangladesh's citizens live in rural areas, making access to government health facilities in urban districts difficult. The "Asian phenotype" of diabetes holds true in Bangladesh as in India, Nepal, and China - where the onset of diabetes occurs at a much earlier age from insulin resistance (often from birth), rebound hyperinsulinemia, elevated adiponectin and lipid levels, despite a lower BMI. "...there is a high prevalence of diabetes escalating over time (with) a significant portion of younger adults with diabetes. Age and overweight/obesity are the two most important risk factors for diabetes for all adults, irrespective of sex, residence, educational attainment, and wealth index". Specific to our aim, we are working with Med Global's care of Rohingya refugees.
Presenting author: Gigi Dawood
Poster 14
Examining the Role of Western vs. Non-Western Aid Workers on Refugee Health and Wellbeing: a Case Study from Greece
When addressing the topic of refugee health, a global health practitioner’s ability to provide culturally concordant care is essential. To understand how one’s background influences their ability to build trust with refugees, this study aimed to define narrative themes in the relationship between western versus non-western aid workers and refugees in Greece. As the gateway to Europe from the Middle East, Greece has experienced a mass influx of migrants in the last several years which has resulted in overcrowded camps and insufficient resources. Because of this, care of refugees and asylees falls to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), meaning NGO volunteers have significant impact on the migration experience through Greece.
Presenting author: Grace St. Cyr
Poster 15
Shallow Kinetics Induced by a Metronome (SKIM): A Novel Contactless Respiratory Motion Management in the COVID-19 era
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has been an effective treatment for lung cancer patients, but the COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges for delivering this therapy. Conventional compression approaches, such as using a hard plate or belt, require close patient contact and may increase the risk of viral transmission. Additionally, the use of spirometry with 4DCT for motion management has become more challenging, as the spirometer is a shared device that can potentially transmit the virus from patient to patient. To address these challenges, we have developed a contactless motion management strategy for SBRT called Shallow Kinetics Induced by a Metronome (SKIM). By increasing the patient's breathing rate to induce shallow breathing with the aid of a metronome (a practice tool that produces a steady pulse), our hypothesis is that the motion magnitude of the target may be minimized without physical contact or compression devices.
Presenting author: James J. Sohn
Poster 16
Multidisciplinary Integration of Remote Monitoring of Continuous Glucose Monitors into Primary Care Practice (PCP)
Primary care physicians (PCPs) may have difficulty addressing all acute and chronic patient health concerns especially diabetes during a single office encounter. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is becoming the recognized superior standard of care versus traditional blood glucose and quarterly hemoglobin A1C monitoring and has been shown to have positive outcomes with patients with Type 2 Diabetes including A1C reduction. Many patients do not have access to a personal continuous glucose monitor (CGM) due to insurance and/or pharmacy benefit coverage and out-of-pocket affordability limitations. Professional continuous glucose monitoring (pro-CGM) has the advantage of being billed through a PCP order under the medical benefit vs. the pharmacy benefit.
Presenting author: John Keller
Poster 17
Impact of an Ambulatory Cardiology Pharmacist-Led Medication Adjusted to Target Clinic for Patients with Heart Failure
Literature demonstrates that optimization of guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) reduces hospitalizations and mortality by improving ejection fraction (EF) which is a marker of heart function. Despite these benefits, studies indicate GDMT remains suboptimal. 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA heart failure guidelines recommend HFrEF patients should have their medications optimized with the 4 "pillars of therapy" - beta blockers, renin-angiotensin inhibitors (ACEi/ARB/ARNI), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute (BCVI) West Region (WR) leadership recognized the need to improve current GDMT performance, improve heart function and reduce HF-related ED visits and hospitalizations and implemented a pharmacist-led HF medication titration clinic in November 2021.
Presenting author: Nichole Melody
Poster 18
Nature Rx: Exploring nature as medicine in Humboldt Park to develop a sustainable patient centered outcome program at an FQHC
The Humboldt Park neighborhood is a vibrant, predominantly Latinx and Black community whose members have disproportionately poor health outcomes across many measures. Many strategies exist to improve community health with varying degrees of evidence. The Northwestern McGaw Family Medicine Residency Program at Humboldt Park and the Chicago Park District will explore strategies to use nature as medicine centered in and around the 197-acre Humboldt Park itself to identify and meet the needs of community members. This project will 1) explore the therapeutic potential of, and evidence for, nature as medicine, 2) convene community-based organizations, park officials, service providers and patients to identify existing park-based programs, unmet needs and potential collaborators 3) produce a proposal to develop a specific patient centered outcomes research (PCOR) pilot 4) and develop a framework for lasting community-based research partnership between family medicine residents and patients at the Erie Humboldt Park Clinic. 2.
Presenting author: Saad Siddiqui
Poster 19
From watching to calling: Linking variations in an entertainment-education storyline to calls to a health hotline
Recent decades have witnessed an increase in the popularity of entertainment-education “ also referred to as edutainment or infotainment “ as a global health communication strategy designed to educate an audience and inspire positive changes in attitudes, norms, and behaviors, all the while remaining entertaining and culturally-relevant. Building on social cognitive theory as a framework, entertainment-education uses fictional "transitional" characters to model behavior. This approach is rooted in the notion that audience members can learn vicariously as they "follow the evolution of characters and relationships over time, learn about the backgrounds and skills of characters, and observe the consequences of the decisions they make" (Pappas-DeLuca et al., 2008, p. 488). However, substantial gaps exist in the theoretical and practical understanding of entertainment-education, as studies often fail to account for the ways in which intrinsic message characteristics “ that is, the specific highs and lows of the character journey and the positive and negative consequences they face along the way “ influence subsequent behavior. Rather, the literature tends to focus on the changes in audience outcomes as a result of exposure to the program overall (i.e., pretest-posttest or posttest-only designs, where the "test" constitutes exposure the entire program).
Presenting author: Sapna Suresh
Poster 20
Evaluation of Northwestern's Masters of Science in Global Health
In 2016, the inaugural graduating class received their Master of Science in Global Health degrees from Northwestern University's School of Professional Studies. The program aims to train the next generation of leaders to address emerging global issues and is unique as it exists entirely online and has a practical culminating experience. The practicum was designed to supplement coursework with real-world field experience, build relationships with global partners, and solidify global health as a priority for graduates. In 2022, we evaluated the MSGH program to analyze the MSGH student population and curriculum competencies, assess the achievement of its education and training goals, and examine the program's impact on its graduates.
Presenting author: Sarah Welch
Poster 21
Global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, treatment, and disease burden of tuberculosis (TB): A case report exploring the inter-relationship between TB and COVID-19 infection
In 2020, a sharp decline in the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) was observed in the United States and globally with a mild recovery in 2021. While such phenomenon may be attributed to delayed health-seeking behavior, under-diagnosis of TB, and decreased access to TB-related services related to COVID-19 pandemic, the mechanism and the extent to which coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and disease burden of tuberculosis (TB) remains unclear. The majority of TB cases in the U.S. occur in foreign-born individuals who have lived in the U.S. for many years and are likely the result of reactivation of untreated latent TB. Few studies to date have reported the association between COVID-19 and TB in regards to the severity, outcomes, and susceptibility of one infection to the other. Here, we present a case of tuberculosis with only extrapulmonary findings in a patient with recent COVID-19 infection.
Presenting author: Seong Park
Poster 22
Asthma Characteristics Among Urban and Rural School Children of Mysore, South India
Asthma is one of the most common non-communicable chronic diseases among children in the Indian subcontinent.1 Previous studies of asthma in India report a varied prevalence, ranging from 0.9-15.7%.1-4 However, the recent Global Asthma Network (GAN) study has highlighted a decreasing trend in urban asthma symptoms.5 Genetic, environmental and lifestyle choices influence the development of asthma and related symptoms. The recent decline in prevalence warrants a need to estimate the current burden of asthma and related symptoms in Mysore region, particularly in rural areas.
Presenting author: Shruti Sehgal
Poster 23
Addressing barriers faced by Asian populations in the U.S. to create a culturally relevant kidney and liver transplant access and education program
The Asian population living in America is a diverse group of nationalities, religions, and languages and is the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. Each subgroup holds unique values; however, many of which are not always considered for care and health education. There have been recognizable efforts with health education and access programs to be more relevant to Asians living in the U.S. Specifically in transplant, the evolution of these programs significantly improved the lives of transplant recipients and allowed for more open conversations around organ donation. Notable strides have been made to recognize and reduce the gaps of healthcare inequity faced by the Black and Hispanic communities, some of which can be applied to the Asian population living in the U.S. By understanding and addressing these barriers, it can be used as foundational support to create a transplant education and access program designed for this population.
Presenting author: Swati Goyal
Poster 24
Adding community-engagement tools to teamscience.net: Co-developed decision support to empower stakeholders
The effort to acquire scientific knowledge that has application to real-world settings requires community stakeholders on the research team. To more fully support community-engaged research, we are expanding teamscience.net to include decision support tools designed for community stakeholders to evaluate the merits of entering into a particular community-university research project partnership. Our team includes a diverse advisory board of community stakeholders, technical and creative partners, and university staff. We use an iterative development model that includes five phases: 1) Advisory board determines content areas and scope; 2) University partners generate sample content; 3) Advisory board and university partners workshop content; 4) University partners develop a draft; 5) Advisory board, technical and creative partners, and university partners perform multiple iterations of draft content, progressing from low- to high-fidelity versions.
Presenting author: Tessneem Hasan
Poster 25