Honors Projects

Abstract

As both a researcher and a college student, I’ve noticed that my peers and I share a common negative sentiment toward scheduling and attending routine doctor’s appointments. There are unique barriers in place for the age demographic; college students encountering the medical system and Primary Care Providers (PCPs) seem to have unique challenges in communication. I released a qualitative, anonymous survey to Bowling Green State University students to gauge opinionated responses on sentiments regarding how they felt about the level of communication between themselves and their provider, how the pediatric switch to a regular doctor impacted their inpatient care, how their parents and themselves were treated in previous clinic experiences, and how insurance coverage (their own or their parent’s) impacted communication with their PCP. A total of 92 respondents provided answers. The level of communication on average was mostly rated well but had a few very positive responses and a few very negative responses. The difficulty of the pediatric switch was an average of a “3” on a scale of 1 (not difficult at all) to 5 (very difficult). The respondents rated that their own experiences and their parent(s)’ experiences in previous clinics heavily impacted their level of communication with their PCP. The pool of respondents overwhelmingly fell under their parental insurance coverage (80%), which could lead them to be hesitant about what they choose to share with their PCP. These results are specific to a rural Ohio pool of undergraduate students, but the results can generalize a larger statement about the communication levels of PCPs and college students. Treatment is inconsistent in clinics, and in order to accommodate this demographic, PCPs need to reevaluate the way they approach college students and their specific needs.

Department

School of Art

Major

Art – BFA in Digital Arts

First Advisor

Sharon Schaeffer

First Advisor Department

Public and Allied Health

Second Advisor

Rachel Immel

Second Advisor Department

School of Art

Third Advisor

Shawna Babula

Third Advisor Department

Honors Program

Publication Date

Winter 12-4-2025

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