Family & Community Medicine Research Opportunities
Michael Appleman, M.A. Ed.
Investigating Specialty Choice and Practice Outcomes: A Retrospective Evaluation of NEOMED College of Medicine Alumni from 2021-2020.
Primary care physician (PCP) workforce shortages plague the nation and Ohio. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) predict a shortfall of between 20,000 and 50,000 PCPs by 2033. The PCP workforce shortage contributes to social and economic problems, such as higher health care utilization rates, higher health care spending, and lower quality of care. In Ohio, the PCP shortage is as low as 15,000 people to 1 physician. The shortage is exacerbated by geography, as metropolitan areas boast 38.9 physicians per 10,000 population and nonmetropolitan areas report a modest 11.7 physicians per 10,000 population. This study aims to evaluate NEOMED’s contribution to PCP workforce issues, through a retroactive evaluation of alumni specialty choice and eventual practice location. These data will illustrate how many alumni eventually practice general primary care, and the rate which they practice in medically underserved areas (MUAs).
Kristin Baughman, Ph.D.
Factors Associated with Nursing Home COVID-19 Vaccination Rates
Older adults with chronic health conditions are at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 and experiencing complications from the disease, including a higher risk of mortality. Yet, nursing homes have struggled to ensure high vaccination rates among their staff and residents. Ohio ranks 49th with only 74% of their nursing home staff vaccinated. The purpose of this study is to examine factors associated with low Covid-19 vaccination rates in nursing homes. Methods: We plan to conduct a secondary analysis of data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home COVID-19 Public File matched with census data from the zip code area containing the nursing home to explore relationships between socio-demographic variables and vaccination rates. We will focus on the social determinants of health such as median income levels, education levels, rural vs. urban areas, race and ethnicity, and employment status.
Stacey Gardner-Buckshaw, Ph.D., M.P.A.
Primary Care Implementation of MAT for Substance Use Disorder in Northeast Ohio: Post COVID-19 Pandemic – Qualitative Study
Primary care providers (PCPs, including primary care physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners) are frequently the first line care for many patients with opioid use disorders. The IOM has recommended health professions education and training programs should provide educational opportunities in pain assessment and treatment in primary care. To address this critical training need, NEOMED and Metro Health Services collaborated to offer Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) training designed specifically for PCPs. After five years of implementation, a few providers have made suggestions to either (1) expand the training to offer additional content, or (2) design a follow-up training that will help X waivered PCPs achieve an additional 8 hours of training to maintain their credential.
To assist PCPs in the successful incorporation of MAT into all levels of medical education and primary care practice, NEOMED and Metro Health have been offering training sessions since November 2017. The 12-hours of training includes 4 hours of self-directed online MAT training offered by SAMHSA and AAAP, 4 hours in-person MAT and 4 hours supplemental training designed for PCPs. The supplemental training teaches clinicians the significance of opiate use disorders and identification; MAT implementation best practices, and how to converse with patients about MAT; misconceptions about MAT; means to address stigmas associated with MAT; and motivational interviewing. This plan goes beyond the required 8 hours of required MAT for the X waiver and is designed to ensure that PCPs achieve a level of comfort in delivering this type of treatment.
A manuscript describing the initial study was accepted for publication by the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine in November 2022.
This training has been very successful. However, there is opportunity to make it even better. This qualitative study will assess provider training needs and how well our current program is meeting their needs. The information will inform a training expansion and/or a follow-training.
Stacey Gardner-Buckshaw, Ph.D., M.P.A.
Primary Care Implementation of MAT for Substance Use Disorder in Northeast Ohio: Post COVID-19 Pandemic – Quantitative Study
Primary care providers (PCPs, including primary care physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners) are frequently the first line care for many patients with opioid use disorders. The IOM has recommended health professions education and training programs should provide educational opportunities in pain assessment and treatment in primary care. To address this critical training need, NEOMED and Metro Health Services collaborated to offer Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) training designed specifically for PCPs. The recent opioid crisis has created an increased need for addiction treatment.
To assist PCPs in the successful incorporation of MAT into all levels of medical education and primary care practice, NEOMED and Metro Health have been offering training sessions since November 2017. The 12-hours of training includes 4 hours of self-directed online MAT training offered by SAMHSA and AAAP, 4 hours in-person MAT and 4 hours supplemental training designed for PCPs. The supplemental training teaches clinicians the significance of opiate use disorders and identification; MAT implementation best practices, and how to converse with patients about MAT; misconceptions about MAT; means to address stigmas associated with MAT; and motivational interviewing. This plan goes beyond the required 8 hours of required MAT for the X waiver and is designed to ensure that PCPs achieve a level of comfort in delivering this type of treatment.
A manuscript describing the initial study was accepted for publication by the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine in November 2022.
Amy Lee, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.
Training Video on How Healthcare Providers Can Create a Welcoming Environment for Hispanic Patients
e Consortium of Eastern Ohio Master of Public Health program has worked with Rita Aggarwal, co-director of Proyecto RAICES, an organization serving Latinx/Hispanic children and families of Summit County to find out how providers can create a welcoming environment for patients in a healthcare setting. A spring MPH class will create storyboards for video production from this work. The objective for this project is to produce a training video for providers who serve Hispanic populations to provide a welcoming environment. The video will be piloted and evaluated.
CONTACT
Nona Hose
Phone: 330.325.6499
Email: nhose@neomed.edu
These projects are funded by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP).
