Publications by authors named "Susan L Schrader"

Introduction: This research investigates the health and health insurance status of South Dakota farmers before the onset of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) health insurance mandate set to begin Jan. 1, 2014.

Methods: After Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, surveys were sent to 1,400 randomly selected rural addresses in nine South Dakota counties.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Interdisciplinary education among health professions has been recommended, and related evaluation can be found in the literature. However questions remain on how effective interdisciplinary education is and what impact it has. The objective of this study was to determine changes in student attitudes and perceptions upon completion of a 5-week interdisciplinary palliative care seminar.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A community survey of Sioux Falls, South Dakota was conducted in 2004 to understand knowledge, attitudes, and preferences about end-of-life (EOL) care and to generate conversations about these topics. Questionnaires were sent to 5,000 randomly selected households, with a return of 1,042 (21%). Most respondents said preparation for EOL is very important, yet far fewer had taken steps to ensure their EOL wishes would be known or met.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The purpose of this research is to explore changes in end-of-life (EOL) attitudes and actions among Sioux Falls, South Dakota, residents between August 2004 and August 2005.

Methods: Questionnaires were sent to 5000 randomly selected Sioux Falls households (2004) and to 10,000 South Dakota households (2005), where a subset from the city allowed researchers to compare Sioux Falls residents' attitudes and actions over time. Data were entered into the computer using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, and bivariate analyses were conducted using Chi Square, where p < or = .

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore end-of-life (EOL) experiences of South Dakotans who had experienced the death of a loved one in the last 5 years.

Methods: A mail questionnaire generated a return of 893 people interested in sharing their experiences about the death of a loved one in the last 5 years. From those respondents, 35 people were randomly selected for this qualitative study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To develop a baseline understanding of attitudes, advance planning, knowledge, and preferences about end-of-life (EOL) care among community-dwelling South Dakotans.

Methods: Surveys were sent to 10,204 randomly selected households in South Dakota in August 2005, resulting in a 24.8% return rate (N = 2533).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: 1) Systematically examine centenarians' perspectives on longevity and living in a nursing home (specifically food and hobby preferences). 2) Contribute to existing knowledge based on autobiographies and longitudinal and cross-sectional studies conducted in other nations and the U.S.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: LifeCircle South Dakota: Partners Improving End-of-Life Care is an interdisciplinary group committed to quality end-of-life care for residents of the state. Strengthening local coalitions and building a collaborative network among palliative care providers were goals of recent educational efforts. This article presents a profile of South Dakota palliative care teams.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Concerns about pain management in South Dakota generated survey research in 2001. Knowledge of and attitudes toward pain management were assessed through a survey of health care professionals, and standards of practice and education efforts in the area of pain management were evaluated by a questionnaire sent to South Dakota health care facilities. Results show gaps in knowledge, attitudes that hamper adequate treatment of acute and chronic pain, and the need for a seamless approach to standards of practice in pain management for health care facilities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Although osteoporosis typically surfaces in later life, peak bone mass attained before age 20 is a key factor in its prevention. However, most American children's diets lack sufficient calcium during the critical growth periods of preadolescence and adolescence to achieve peak bone mass. Better Bones (BB) Buddies is an educational program targeting children ages 9-15 years in an effort to improve their knowledge of bone health and to increase their intake of calcium-rich foods, thereby reducing the risk for osteoporosis later in life.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

While most Americans envision a "good death" as one occurring quickly and painlessly at home surrounded by loved ones, many people do not die in this fashion. Palliative care focuses on holistic treatment of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment, and strives to improve quality of life for patients and families at end-of-life (EOL). This hospital-based study examines the extent to which a palliative care consultant team makes a difference in EOL for patients and families.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF