RESEARCH ASSISTANCE NEEDED

North Texas Nurse Practitioner Members & Followers:

One of our members, Morgan Reimann, who is attending the University of Arizona and completing her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, is requesting your assistance in responding to her capstone project regarding celiac disease diagnosis among NP PCPs.  If you are willing to assist her, please review her abstract below and then follow this link https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9FsWyZGo2sNFI8J to respond to her survey questions.  It should take only 7-10 minutes of your time and you will remain anonymous.  By participating, you would assist one of our members with achieving her educational goals. 

Sincerely,
NTNP Executive Committee

ABSTRACT

INDRODUCTION: Celiac disease (CD), an inflammatory condition of the small bowel, is now recognized as the most common of the autoimmune disorders (Kenrick & Day, 2014). Celiac disease occurs in genetically susceptible individuals and presents with a wide array of symptoms including malabsorption, abdominal bloating, fatigue and skin rashes (Kenrick & Day, 2014). Damage to the intestinal mucosa occurs when wheat (gluten) is ingested due to a release of gluten-specific activated cytotoxic T cells (Catassi & Fasano, 2008). Unfortunately, due to poor awareness among primary care providers (PCPs) this disease remains highly underdiagnosed despite its increasing prevalence (Catassi & Fasano, 2008). Nurse practitioners are frequently the first providers seen for CD symptoms, which puts them in a position to help decrease rates of underdiagnosis through early recognition of symptoms and subsequent diagnostic testing.

METHODS: Aims of this quality improvement project are to examine current practices, experiences and beliefs of nurse practitioners in the primary care setting that influence the screening and diagnosis of CD. As part of the needs assessment, a 26-item survey will be sent out to nurse practitioner primary care providers (NP-PCPs) in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex over a 1-month period. The survey will assess demographic characteristics, attitudes, knowledge, and clinical practices of nurse practitioners as it relates to CD diagnosis. Data were analyzed using Excel spreadsheets.

RESULTS: To follow.

CONCLUSIONS: To follow.