(September 13, 2023) – Two East Tennessee State University researchers are part of
an interprofessional statewide team that will study ways to improve medication adherence
in vulnerable and disadvantaged populations in Memphis, Knoxville and Johnson City.
Dr. KariLynn Dowling-McClay, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice and director
of the Academic Pharmacy Fellowship at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, and Dr.
Hadii Mamudu, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Risk Research with the College
of Public Health, are both collaborators on the project, dubbed the Medication Affordability,
Accessibility and Availability in Care Transitions (Med AAAction) Study.
“The days following a hospital discharge are a high-risk time when people are still
in recovery, trying to manage new treatment plans, and facing many expenses and other
challenges,” said Dowling-McClay. “It is vital that we find new ways of providing
care for individuals with limited resources to help them best manage their chronic
diseases and avoid rehospitalization. Pharmacy teams are well-positioned in our communities
to assist with bridging these gaps in care.”
Med AAAction is led by Dr. Satya Surbhi with the University of Tennessee Health Sciences
Center (UTHSC) and funded through a $3.5 million R01 grant from the National Institute
on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). The study will involve nearly 400 Medicaid and uninsured patients at three
large non-profit health centers in Tennessee, including Regional One Health in Memphis,
UT Medical Center in Knoxville and Ballad Health’s Johnson City Medical Center.
Inpatients at those facilities will be provided with free medications, medication
delivery and care coordination to improve health outcomes and test whether these interventions
improve medication adherence and reduce hospitalizations, emergency room visits and
financial burden on socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
“Vulnerable patients experience major gaps in care after transitions from hospital
to community setting,” said Dr. Surbhi, an assistant professor in the Center for Health
System Improvement in the College of Medicine and director of measurement and reporting
for the Tennessee Population Health Consortium.
“Thus, my long-term goal is to demonstrate the effectiveness of a care transitions
adherence intervention model for vulnerable populations that can be readily adopted
and sustained by health care delivery systems across the U.S.”
ETSU faculty, staff and graduates regularly produce premier research, frequently earning
competitive grants and fellowships.