| Authors: | Mary Olivia Smith, OMS-II Sireen Hilo, OMS-II Dr. Gregory Jacobs, DO, DTM&H, CTropMed, FACEP, FAAEM Ali Abbas Raza, OMS-III Pruthvi Patel, OMS-III |
| Background: |
Ark Dothan, Inc. is a local rehabilitation program for those overcoming addiction, homelessness, or transitioning after incarceration. These groups are shown to be at-risk populations for experiencing health inequities including health literacy gaps. Receiving preventative care and practicing healthy habits can decrease the risks of disability, chronic diseases, and morbidity. |
| Purpose: |
Through monthly presentations and discussions on various health topics, we aim to address these gaps and help the residents prepare for a healthy life after the program. The goal of this project was to increase the residents' knowledge regarding women's health and to encourage practices that can help manage and prevent female-specific health issues. |
| Approach: |
Preventative screenings, birth control, menopause management, osteoporosis, and STD prevention were included. In addition to the seminar information, a breast model was utilized to show examples of abnormalities that can be found with routine preventative self-examinations. Before the presentation, residents were given a survey and asked to rate their knowledge of each topic. Immediately following the presentation, the female residents were surveyed again with the same statements. |
| Conclusion: | There was an overall increase in competency across all seven objectives when comparing the surveys administered before and after. The greatest improvement in perceived competency was for the objective of “I know the symptoms of menopause,” which increased by 76.92%. These results showed that the residents had increased overall competency regarding women’s health. The results warrant future health seminars to increase comprehensive and long-term health literacy and encourage preventative health. |