Factors Associated With Surveillance Testing in Individuals With COVID-19 Symptoms During the Last Leg of the Pandemic: Multivariable Regression Analysis.

Background: Rural underserved areas facing health disparities have unequal access to health resources. By the third and fourth waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the United States, COVID-19 testing had reduced, with more reliance on home testing, and those seeking testing were mostly symptomatic.

Objective: This study identifies factors associated with COVID-19 testing among individuals who were symptomatic versus asymptomatic seen at a Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics for Underserved Populations phase 2 (RADx-UP2) testing site in West Virginia.

Novel Strategies to Increase COVID-19 Testing Among Underserved and Vulnerable Populations in West Virginia.

This project addressed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing barriers in rural West Virginia by providing testing enhancements that included (1) a flexible testing staff, (2) mobile testing, (3) essential supplies, and (4) specialized testing in communities of color. A total of 142 775 polymerase chain reaction tests were performed from December 2021 through February 2022; positivity rates were 21% and 17% in clinics and mobile testing venues, respectively. The project results showed that, within a statewide network of health care clinics, administrators quickly identified and distributed enhancements and thus reduced testing barriers.

Amplifying Expertise in Rural West Virginia through Project ECHO: Impactful Partnerships and Community-Engagement.

Background: Limited specialty care access is a major contributor to rural health disparities. Extensions for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) is an innovative training and education strategy to address the need for trained specialty care in rural areas, such as West Virginia (WV). This article describes the successful implementation of ECHO projects in diverse subject areas facilitated by unique partnerships between the WV Clinical and Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI) and its practice partners.

Feasibility of a mHealth Approach to Nutrition Counseling in an Appalachian State.

West Virginia is a rural state with an aging population that may experience barriers to accessing nutritional and lifestyle counseling. This study examined feasibility of an online personalized nutrition tracking application, Good Measures (GM), with patients at seven health care clinics throughout the state. Fourteen healthcare providers and 64 patients 18 years or older with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 and access to the Internet were recruited for this 12-week feasibility study.

Residents' Views on Research and Quality Improvement Training Can Guide Practice-Based Research Network Collaboration.

Background And Objectives: This study was conducted by the West Virginia Practice-Based Research Network Learning Collaborative to assess research activity, confidence, and attitudes toward residency programs' research and quality improvement requirements and inform the integration of the state-wide practice-based research network (PBRN) as mentors to support practice transformation implementation initiatives across various resident training sites in West Virginia.

Methods: This pilot study assessed residents' attitudes regarding (1) research activity, (2) confidence and (3) requirements of their program in research and quality improvement training by using an anonymous survey, administered during regular residency meetings.

Results: Of the 68 residents,representing four DO and MD Family Medicine residency programs in West Virginia, 40 (58.

Dissemination Approaches to Participating Primary Care Providers in a Quality Improvement Program Addressing Opioid Use in Central Appalachia.

Objectives: Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) have been described as new clinical laboratories for primary care research and dissemination. PBRNs, however, have struggled to disseminate research results in a meaningful way to participating providers and clinics.

Methods: The Central Appalachia Inter-Professional Pain Education Collaborative was developed to work with PBRN clinics using quality improvement methods, deliver statewide continuing education activities to address the issue of opioid use in patients with chronic pain, and develop a multimodal mechanism to disseminate project results to clinics and participating providers.