MS

October 2, 2024

Rebecca Sweem

I am pursuing an M.S. in Epidemiology, where I aim to combine my military background and passion about the intersection of science, research, and healthcare to help support Veterans affected by toxic chemical exposures. My journey began with eight rewarding years in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer and then with the Seattle…

October 1, 2024

Transition of Care Readiness Among Adolescents with Chronic Pain Between 2021-2022 in a Nationally Representative Sample

Chronic pain impacts 11-33% of children and will continue into adulthood for over half of them. Transition of pain management to adult care is crucial given high risk of interruption of care which is associated with subsequent poor medical, social, and vocational outcomes. Yet the transition experience for these youth is poorly characterized. We aimed…

Mobility Patterns, Activity Spaces, and Tuberculosis in Nairobi, Kenya

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading infectious causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Annually, over 3 million people develop TB but are not diagnosed and not initiated on treatment. This case-detection gap critically impedes global efforts to end the TB epidemic, as individuals with undiagnosed TB may be contributing to ongoing transmission. Active…

The Impact of the Choosing Wisely Campaign Recommendations on Supplemental Oxygen Management

Passive dissemination of information is commonly used to influence clinical practice. Our objective was to assess whether passive dissemination of the Choosing Wisely Campaign recommendations to reassess hypoxemia before renewing post-discharge supplemental oxygen impacted receipt of oxygen reassessment or oxygen appropriateness. We conducted a cohort study of all patients with inpatient COPD exacerbation at a…

The Diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis Using Screening Detection of Aspergillus Galactomannan After Hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Early detection of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients is crucial and requires early initiation of antifungal therapy. One method that has been suggested as a means for early detection of aspergillosis is serum Aspergillus galactomannan (GM) detection. However, there have been few formal evaluations of the performance of GM screening…

Inequities in access to mental health care at intersections of race/ethnicity, gender identity, and gender modality: An application of Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA)

Transgender populations, and particularly transgender women of color, are burdened by high rates of both mental illness and healthcare avoidance. Despite this, research examining the patterns of non-use of mental healthcare within this community is lacking, and has further suffered due to the difficulty of collecting large, population-based samples of transgender adults in general, and…

Relationship Dynamics and Experiences of Expedited Partner Therapy Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Johannesburg, South Africa

Background: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are disproportionately impacted by sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We evaluated associations between relationship dynamics and expedited partner therapy (EPT) acceptance and delivery, and delivery experiences, among AGYW diagnosed with an STI and participating in a prospective cohort study (ARISE). Setting: Participants attending a research clinic in Johannesburg, South…

Stroke risk associated with atrial fibrillation: a Burden of Proof study.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasingly recognized as a significant predictor for stroke, carrying profound implications for morbidity and mortality globally. This study aims to explore the relationship between AF and stroke incidence and/or stroke mortality (in 30 days) by employing the Burden of Proof methodology. Utilizing a systematic review and meta-analysis of published observational studies…

Evaluation of interfacility transfer patterns among emergency general surgery patients.

Background: Interfacility transfer for emergency general surgery (EGS) is a key strategy for improving access to care. However, low-intensity transfers with short stays and without procedural intervention are linked to increased costs, poor patient and family experience, and poor resource allocation. Clinical and health system characteristics associated with low-intensity transfers among patients with EGS conditions…

The Epidemiology and Causes of Global and Regional Sepsis Mortality in Children Under Five, 1990-2021: A Systematic Analysis

University of Washington Abstract The Epidemiology and Causes of Global and Regional Sepsis Mortality in Children Under Five, 1990–2021: A Systematic Analysis Erin Chung Chair of the Supervisory Committee:Jeffrey Stanaway Health Metrics Sciences Introduction: Despite the significant burden of sepsis in children under five years of age, estimating the global burden of sepsis in this…