Past Research Projects

Project Description

To design, produce and test a spine board for its ability to reduce pressure at the sacral region, shoulder, heel, and head. Pressure from laying on a spine board for 60 minutes or more, can cause deep tissue injury, which can eventually result in a pressure ulcer.  For persons with spinal cord injury, pressure injury is a major health-care burden and a negative impact on a patient’s quality of life. To have a spine board that could prevent early pressure ulcer development will reduce the health-care burden from pressure injury.

Key Findings

The average pressures on the new Skin Safe Spine Board were significantly lower than on the standard spine board for the head, shoulders, sacral and heel areas.  

Manuscript is under review at Assistive Technology.

Funding Agency

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research

Principal Investigators

Greg Nemunaitis, MD
Mary Joan Roach, PhD

Project Contact

Mary Joan Roach, MD
[email protected]

 

Project Description

Launched in 2019, the Medicaid Technical Assistance and Policy Program (MEDTAPP) Diabetes Quality Improvement Project (QIP) is the second statewide quality improvement project that is a part of the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s (ODM) Chronic Conditions Quality Collaborative. The Diabetes QIP, funded by the Ohio Department of Medicaid, promotes the use of evidence-based strategies known to improve diabetes management. The aim of the project is for participating primary care practices to increase the percentage of patients with better blood sugar control (hemoglobin A1c <9) by 15% overall and by 20% in Hispanic and African American populations. Information and best practices related to the QIP are shared in monthly interactive webinars referred to as Action Period calls. With coaching from quality improvement guides, the 22 high volume Medicaid primary care practices across multiple health systems in Ohio are testing strategies related to implementing best clinical practices, such as timely follow-up in staff-led diabetes visits, effective treatment, and outreach to patients with elevated sugars. In addition, all six of ODM’s contracted managed care plans are using quality improvement science tools to test payer-based strategies for improving blood sugar control which are under development. 

Key Early Findings (if available)

Blood sugar control improved in 21 practices across the state from 25% of patients with diabetes having an elevated sugar (A1c >9) to 20% having an elevated sugar by project end. Additional information can be found at www.cardi-oh.org/qip.

Principal Investigators

Michael W. Konstan, MD
Shari Bolen MD, MPH 

Co-Investigators (alphabetical listing by last name): 

David Aron, MD, MPH
Joseph DaPrano, MD, FAAP, MACP
Douglas Einstadter, MD, MPH
Rose Gubitosi-Klug, MD, PhD
Siran Koroukian, PhD
Jonathan Lever, MPH, NRP
Thomas Love, PhD
Lolita McDavid, MD 
Adam Perzynski, PhD
Elizabeth Pfoh, PhD
Cristina Sanders, MSN, BA, APRN-CNP
Eileen Seeholzer, MD
Kurt Stange, MD, PhD
Mark Votruba, PhD
Sharon Watts, DNP, FNP-BC, CDE
Other collaborators on this project exist within the other 6 medical schools across Ohio, Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center and Ohio Department of Medicaid.

Project Contact

Cathy Sullivan, MS, RD
[email protected]

Project Description

The Medicaid Technical Assistance and Policy Program (MEDTAPP) Hypertension Quality Improvement Project (QIP) is the first quality improvement project that is a part of the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s (ODM) Chronic Conditions Quality Collaborative. The Hypertension QIP, funded by the Ohio Department of Medicaid, promotes the use of evidence-based strategies known to improve hypertension management. The aims of the project are for participating primary care practices to increase the percentages of patients with controlled hypertension by 15% and African American patients with controlled hypertension by 20%. Information and best practices related to the QIP are shared via monthly interactive webinars, referred to as Action Period calls. With coaching from quality improvement guides, the 8 Wave 1 primary care practices across multiple health systems in Ohio tested strategies related to implementing best clinical practices, such as accurate blood pressure measurement, timely follow-up in staff-led hypertension visits, and effective treatment. In addition, all six of ODM’s contracted managed care plans utilize quality improvement science tools to test payer-based strategies for improving hypertension control, such as facilitation of medication adherence and home blood pressure monitoring. Wave 2 is underway with 13 additional primary care practices.

Key Early Findings (if available)

Principal Investigators

Michael W. Konstan, MD
Shari Bolen. MD, MPH 

Co-Investigators (alphabetical listing by last name)

Douglas Einstadter, MD, MPH
Douglas Gunzler, PhD
Siran Koroukian, PhD
Adam Perzynski, PhD
Jackson T. Wright, Jr., MD, PhD
Other collaborators include Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center and Ohio Department of Medicaid.

Project Contact

Cathy Sullivan, MS, RD
[email protected]

Project Description

Implementing a Peer Mentorship program for persons with traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in the acute hospital stay through community re-integration. It is expected that this project will reduce the anxiety and depression persons with SCI and their families experience initially and provide emotional support that can improve patient’s social psychological well-being .

Funding Agency

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research

Key Early Findings (if available)

None

Principal Investigator

Mary Joan Roach, PhD

Project Contact

Mary Joan Roach, PhD
[email protected]

Project Description

Overview: The goal of our work is to optimize job satisfaction and retention rates, strengthen the primary care workforce and reduce burnout, and recruit new providers to urban underserved primary care sites.

Goals and Objectives: This proposal has 4 specific aims emphasizing content and skills critical to current and future primary care team members that provide care for an underserved population. These aims are:

  1. improving care of the underserved with  training in social, political, economic, cultural, legal and ethical theories with a central focus on reducing health disparities;
  2. improving knowledge and skills in practice transformation  with specific emphasis on (a) quality improvement (QI) training and application of QI methods, (b) leadership training, including the development of a business case for practice transformation, c) improving data literacy of healthcare teams, and (d) patient centered care;
  3. applying the training outlined above by mentoring practice teams, along with their identified primary care champion trainee, to identify, design, implement and evaluate a practice transformation project, and
  4. enhancing teaching skills by providing mentoring of learners to teach the topics outlined above.  

Key Early Findings (if available)

None

Principal Investigators

Aleece Caron, PhD

Co-Investigators 

Christina Antenucci, MD
Nathan Beachy, MD
James Campbell, MD
Cynthia Lord, PA
Adam Perzynski, MD

Project Contact

Aleece Caron, PhD
[email protected]

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