Completed WVPBRN Projects
Review of General Practice Coordinated Research Networks
PI: Johann Laangry (Lorraine Univ, France)
Like any medical specialty, family practice benefits from having a dedicated research activity. Being organized as a network can be a valuable feature for clinical research associations. The strengths of such a network are better involvement of its staff, better quality of research projects, and easier data gathering. Although they are present in many countries, research networks are organized in many differing ways. This project reviews characteristics of different research networks that could be a significant help in setting up a network or collaborating with others.
AdoptPOC Evidence Module
PI: Brenda Korte
Improving the health status of rural Americans remains a major challenge in health care delivery. Patients in this setting must overcome many barriers to receive the health care services they need. Technologies that enable testing and monitoring “near the patient” (i.e., point-of-care technologies, including telehealth and mobile health) have the potential to increase access to care and improve outcomes in rural settings. This project proposes to develop an interactive eLearning toolkit to assist rural practices with the identification and evaluation of evidence on POC technologies for purchasing decisions. The toolkit will facilitate presentation of heterogeneous evidence to decision makers and will guide the development of necessary skills in evidence assessment and decision-making.
Colleague Response to A Scoping Review on mHealth in the Clinical Setting
PI: Treah Haggerty, MD, MS; (WVU)
Although the use of mHealth technology is increasing, there remains many physicians who are not comfortable with their patients' use of this technology for health-related information either inside or outside of the clinical setting. This project will be surveying clinical perceptions related to mHealth use in the clinical setting and learn more about provider thoughts about using mHealth in the clinic. Several clinicians with prior mHealth experience or interest were identified and ask to respond to 2 brief questions.
Wellness and Nutrition Curriculum for Family Medicine Residents and Medical Staff
PI: Madison Humerick, MD (Eastern Div)
CEO Small Grants
The purpose of this study is to train Harpers Ferry Family Medicine resident physicians and staff on pertinent nutrition and physical activity information to improve patients’ access to counseling and the nutrition and wellness of the resident physicians and staff. This training serves as the foundation for a system for physicians to start counseling patients on nutrition and physical activity.
TryThis Initiative
Lead: Kate Long; Traci Jarrett, PhD (WVU)
TryThis WV is a statewide grassroots movement to help knock WV off the top of the worse health lists. CEO staff is helping to conduct analysis with the TryThis campaign. Staff has also participated in several TryThis conferences to learn more about the organization and speak more about analysis methods. Survey tools were created by CEO and TryThis staff to evaluate partnership and project impact on communities of WV.
Perceived Barriers to Obesity Management Adherence for adults in Appalachia
PI: Emily Barnes, PhD (WVU)
Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Foundation
The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze perceived barriers to obesity management adherence (healthy diet and regular exercise) for adults in West Virginia family medicine and primary care clinics. The outcomes of this study will fill a knowledge gap related to the unique West Virginian population and its specific challenges to healthy diet and exercise.
Low back Pain Prevalence and Current Treatments in Rural Areas of WV
PI: Brianna Sheppard, PhD (WVU)
This project aims to identify prevalence of low back pain in West Virginia, identify current treatment recommendations for low back pain, and examine whether prevalence and treatments differ between rural and non-rural areas.
Annual Rural Health Conference presentation poster
Moving the needle: Creating and sustaining action-oriented practice-based research partnerships
Lead: Adam Baus, PhD (WVU)
The goal is to inform other researchers how to set up practice-based research partnerships by utilizing collective capacity, creating action-oriented research opportunities and encompassing mutual respect and trust among all of the members
Presented at NAPCRG PBRN Conference 2015
Barriers and interventions to facilitate suicide screening in primary care
PI: Mary LeCloux, PhD (WVU)
WVCTSI Small Grant
The study will examine providers’ perceptions of the practice of providing routine suicide screens in primary care, whether there are barriers to engaging in this practice, as well as potential interventions that might make routine suicide screening more feasible and use that information to develop and implement future primary care screening protocols in WV.
Provider Perception of Demographic/Clinical Characteristics from Rural Patients with Diabetes
PI: Jill Cochran, PhD (WVSOM)
This project compared aspect of the controlled and uncontrolled diabetic's with the providers’ perception of these groups. There was a lot of discrepancy in what the providers thought about each of these groups numerically versus what the data actually presented.
Presented at WV Rural Health 2015
Using the health belief model to identify barriers to influenza vaccination in rural Appalachian high school students
PI: Treah Haggerty, MD, MS (WVU)
The goal of this project is to assess influenza vaccination perceptions of rural high school students in WV. Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) students enrolled classmates in high schools across the state to participate in an online survey assessing perception of the flu vaccine.
Publication submitted
Poster presentation at North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) Annual Meeting,
Colorado Springs, CO. November 2016. (International forum)
Project Better Health
PIs: Melissa Olfert, DRPH (WVU); Mary Ann Maurer, DO (Charleston Div)
WVCTSI CEO Demonstration Project
This project aims to improve healthier eating habits among obese patients in WV by assessing the feasibility of utilizing a mobile app that allows for recording of daily goods consumed and offers immediate suggestions on what food options are best based on what the prior meals had been in the day.
Dual Use of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco
PI: Melissa Blank, PhD (WVU)
National Institute on Drug Abuse RO3
This study aims to assess the behavior of Dual Tobacco Users and find psychology traits to target for succession plans to be implemented in dual tobacco users, leading to a decrease in tobacco use overall.
CHERP (Community Health Education Resource Persons)
PIs: Wayne Miller, PhD (WVSOM); Haylee Heinsburg (WVSOM)
WVCTSI Collaborative Project Award
This project aims to improve patient treatment adherence, decrease emergency room visits, decrease re-admissions, and improve patient profiles and prepare students to conduct community engaged research projects.
Patients outcomes in a rural pulmonary rehabilitation pilot program
PI: Chaffee Tommarello, RT (Cabin Creek)
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation HOPE Award
The aim of this project is to compare patient pulmonary rehabilitation program outcomes between small rural facilities and those previously published findings from large centers in areas of self-reports of well-being, knowledge of chronic lung disease and treatment, and ability to exercise
Pulmonary Rehab Research Brief
Identifying barriers and Facilitators of Food Insecurity Using Photovoice
PI: Haslyn Hunte, PhD (WVU)
WVCTSI CEO Small Grant Award
The project aimed to promote healthier lifestyles among families and individuals requesting food by investigating facilitators and barriers that rural older adults and children experience in acquiring and preparing quality, healthy nutritious foods through the use of Photovoice methodology.
Disseminated to participants via community forums
CERA Survey: PBRN Directors
PI: Treah Haggerty, MD (WVU)
This project was selected to participate in this national survey to identify internal operations within practice-based research networks. The goal was to improve and expand the understanding of PBRNs nationally in order to help set realistic goals for developing networks.
Publication: Haggerty, T, et al. "Family Medicine-Specific Practice-Based Research Network Productivity and Clinical and Translational Science Award Program Affiliation." Southern Medical Journal. 110.4 (2017): 287-292
Presentation at NAPCRG PBRN Conference- July 10, 2016, Bethesda, MD
Transition Program for Special Needs
PI: Jill Cochran, PhD (WVSOM)
This project was able to extract patients that had diagnosis that identified them as special needs. The team was able to demographically analyze the population to see what services they would need as they transitioned into adult care.
Dissemination Poster presentation at WVSOM Mid-Winter CME
Use of the triglyceride to HDL cholesterol ratio for assessing insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese children in rural Appalachia
PI: Kristie Bridges, PhD (WVSOM)
This study evaluated the use of triglycerides to HDL ratio in our pediatric population. They found that this method was helpful in identifying children with metabolic syndrome.
Publication: Bridges, Kristie Grove, et al. "Use of the triglyceride to HDL cholesterol ratio for assessing insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese children in rural Appalachia." Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism 29.2 (2016): 153-156.
Care Coordinating for dual eligible in rural primary care network
PI: Dan Doyle, MD (New River)
The aim of this project was to evaluate impact of care coordination through the use of health coaches for Medicare and Medicaid eligible patients. Improved patient experiences in healthcare by utilizing health coaches to provide additional information and support on a patient-by-patient basis.
Disseminated through CPB Presentation 2015
Publication: Doyle, Daniel, et al. "Improving the Care of Dual Eligible Patients in Rural Federally Qualified Health Centers The Impact of Care Coordinators and Clinical Pharmacists." Journal of primary care & community health 7.2 (2016): 118-121.
CAIPEC – Central Appalachian Interprofessional Pain Education Collaboration
PI: Roberto Cardarelli, MD (UK); Dana King, MD (WVU)
Pfizer Consortium Education and Research in Chronic Pain
Chronic pain management skills delivered to providers by utilizing an evidence-based and inter-professional approach to implement practice changes in regions with high abuse rates and provide resources to clinics to address chronic pain management in patients.
Presentation at the WV Rural Health Association, 2016, Logan, WV
Publication: Cardarelli, R, et al. "Dissemination Approaches to Participating Primary Care Providers in a Quality Improvement Program Addressing Opioid Use in Central Appalachia." Southern Medical Journal, 110.6 (2017): 421-424.
WVPBRN Webinar for result sharing
KY Edu TV: Inside Opioid Addiction – Dr. Elder
Website link
ATV Brain Trauma education
PI: Audis Bethea, MD (CAMC)
The purpose of this study is to examine patient perspectives and baseline education on the decrease mortality rate and hospital costs with increase ATV safety procedures, and find out the best way to reach patients for additional education in order to present to the state legislature to include more safety equipment requirements for adults.
Disseminated poster at the ATRN
West Virginia Primary Care Physicians’ Dietary Counseling & Weight Management Practice Patterns
PI: Melissa Ventura Marra, PhD (WVU)
This project aids in understanding of primary care physician practice patterns which will help us plan future research and improve patient care. Enhanced nutrition counseling in primary care physicians to improve education and skills of the provider in healthcare delivery.
Disseminated as a student presentation – presented to WVPBRN at retreat
The Diabetic rHeART
PI: Paul Chantler, PhD (WVU)
WVCTSI Pilot Grant; Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
The aim is to reduce the prevalence of CVD mortality/morbidity in WV by to delivering a cardiovascular disease intervention to areas in WV to improve health and determine feasibility by examining recruitment and retention, implementation fidelity, and acceptability by assessing provider and patient satisfaction by using a CBPR approach.
The West Virginia-Kentucky Health Research Data Collaborative
PIs: Cecil Pollard (WVU); Mark Dignan (UK)
WVCTSI Pilot Grant
This study will test the feasibility of an integrated patient datamart from primary care partners in West Virginia and Kentucky by addressing challenges surrounding EHR data integrity, quality, and access by multiple stakeholders. WV and KY pilot data to seek additional funding.
Webster County Diabetic Retinopathy Scanning Program
PI: Shannon Sigley, RN (WCMH/Camden)
This project aims to reduce the severity of diabetic retinopathy damage to the vision by early detection and treatment referrals to pilot the implementation of screening devices in rural settings.
Disseminated through Press Release
Local newspaper, CEO newsletter
Presentation at WVPBRN retreat 2014
Developing Interventions for Overweight and Obese Children Using Electronic Health Records
PI: Jill Cochran, PhD (WVSOM)
This project evaluated the demographic of children who met criteria for obesity in our clinic. The demographic description helped us understand our population and plan interventions appropriate for the age gender and location of the obese patient.
Presentation: CPB 2015
Abracadbra: Impact of health media program
PI: Michael Adelman; Arnie Hassen, PhD (WVSOM)
The Abracadabra Project is a PBS program for young children that targets physical activity and nutrition behaviors within the home. This study will provide an evaluation at the individual, family, and media levels.
Understanding BMI in Rural Appalachian; a WVPBRN study
PI: Dana King, MD (WVU)
Disseminated results to the PBRN at 1st retreat.
Follow up done in summer 2016 – Dr. King shared data with planning team Dec 2016
Publication: Treah Haggerty, M. D., et al. "Patient Attitudes toward Weight Related Discussions in Rural Appalachian Primary Care