PBRN Periodicals

The Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) Resource Center serves as the operational base for developing new and supporting existing PBRNs in the South Texas region. The primary function of the PBRN Resource Center is to facilitate opportunities for collaboration between UT Health SA investigators and community clinicians. Our Center supports a total of six PBRNs.

The purpose of this newsletter is to provide PBRN study updates, promote cross collaboration, and share resources. Our intended audience includes PBRN directors, IIMS investigators, and IIMS leadership. We hope that you will enjoy this publication and that you will contribute to future news.

Best wishes for 2024,

Inez Cruz, PhD, LMSW

PBRN Resource Center Director

Residency Research Network (RRNet Director)

The IIMS hosted its annual Community Engagement Symposium on December 2, 2023, at the Neighborhood Place in San Antonio, Texas. The event addresses how community-campus partnerships can build trust and cohesion to successfully conduct health research that addresses community priorities. This year’s symposium themed, “Pathways towards Recovery, Empowerment, and Social Inclusion” featured plenary speaking team Linda Cottler, PhD – University of Florida and her community partner, Irvin PeDro Cohen, PhD – Local Initiatives Support Coalition. We also heard from our local UTSA partners and UT Health San Antonio scholars, who shared their work rooted in community engagement. Three posters from our PBRNs were accepted for the research poster fair. The South Texas Oral Health Network presented, “Dental Practitioner Food Insecurity Knowledge and Practice” and “Smokeless Tobacco Practitioner: A South Texas Oral Health Network and National Dental PBRN Short Survey.” The South Texas Psychiatric PBRN shared, “A Scoping Review of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Post-acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) in Children.” Each year the IIMS eagerly welcomes PBRNs that are interested in cross collaborating or presenting their research to participate. Read more about this event here.

We are seeking 2 individuals with professional experience as Community Health Workers (CHWs). These CHWs will be active members who advise our board members on how to develop research studies and education to better respond to the needs of practitioners and patients in South Texas communities. Potential applicants should have 5 years of experience as a state certified CHW (previous experience as a non-certified promotor de salud counts). The time commitment is about 2 hours every other month with a stipend of $50 per meeting.

Board Member Responsibilities Include:

1. Serve a one-year term beginning in February 2024

2. Attend the IIMS Community Engagement Symposium (Nov. 2024) and six virtual board meetings usually scheduled for Mondays at 4pm, but subject to change.

3. Read and review materials prior to meetings and come prepared to discuss agenda topics.

4. Commit to follow up on any action items that are discussed in the meetings.

5. Raise awareness of the IIMS PBRN Resource Center among your networks.

6. Commit to improving the health and well-being of historically marginalized and underserved communities.

For more information go HERE.

The Residency Research Network of Texas (RRNeT) is a PBRN of 12 Family Medicine Residencies throughout the state of Texas, which includes a diverse membership of clinicians such as Family Medicine physicians, Behavioral Health Consultants, and Researchers. We are also geographically diverse, with representatives from urban and rural areas contributing to our broad range of research. RRNeT has spent the last year shaping what our new schedule and research activities will look like. This includes three projects that are at various stages of research. Building from our 2023 efforts, this year we will close out one project, advance analysis of another, and begin a new study.

• In 2018, RRNeT began work on "Understanding how Social Determinants of Health Impact Diabetes Management: An RRNeT Study," referred to as SDoH. The purpose of the study was to better understand the impact of Social Determinants on Diabetes management and determine their association with diabetes outcomes and provider awareness. In June of 2023, RRNeT published “Self-care Perception in Physicians and Patients with Type 2 Diabetes” (Balakrishnan et al) in PRiMER. Another paper, “Diabetes Quality of Life and Chemical Intolerance across Generational Status in a Latino Sample: An RRNeT Study”, has been accepted for 2024 publication.
• "How Family Medicine Physicians Can Demonstrate Accountability: an RRNeT Study" is another study, which began in 2021 and was designed to address how physicians feel they can demonstrate accountability to payers and regulators by exploring performance from the perspectives of practicing family physicians. In 2023, data collection was completed. Coding and analysis will be completed in 2024.
• RRNeT is also developing a new study, which will focus on Telemedicine and its uses in Family Medicine Residencies. This study will be a Quick Poll survey highlighting the history, current use, and possible future use of Telemedicine in the curricula of Family Medicine Residency programs.

STOHN is currently conducting two studies. The first project entitled, "The Frenum Study: Is there an association between the maxillary frenum position and attachment and anterior caries in children aged 6 months - 3 years?" is a cross collaborative study with Dr. Kerins from Texas A&M University and STOHN members. Together the investigative team is studying the association between the maxillary frenum position and attachment with anterior caries among children aged 6 months to 3 years. The study is in the data collection phase, with data being pulled from charts from 4 practices across the state.

The second study entitled "Exploring Dental Practitioners and the South Texas Community Members Attitudes and Behaviors Towards Smokeless Tobacco Use and its Cessation Practices" is being conducted in partnership with the El Bari Community Health Center from San Antonio. Texas. The investigative team is comprised of Drs. Moshtagh Farokhi - School of Dentistry, Rahma Mungia - STOHN Director, and Fozia Ali - El Bari Community Health Center.

This qualitative study is using focus groups to better understand the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors surround smokeless tobacco among patients and providers. Findings will be used to produce culturally tailored educational materials on cessation techniques to reduce smokeless tobacco use. Patient focus groups are still in process, with 18 out of 20 completed. The El Bari Community Health Center was essential for the recruitment of these patient participants. The study team will next focus on practitioner participant recruitment for focus groups. Contact Caitlin Sangdahl - STOHN Research Coordinator at sangdahl@uthscsa.edu if you are interested in potentially serving as a study participant.

STOHN recently accepted two new interns for the Spring 2024 semester. Their names are Zoe Millspaugh and Eden Valenzuela, both undergraduate students from the UTSA Public Health Program. The goal of the STOHN internship is to provide workforce development opportunities for local university students while expanding STOHN's research activities. To date, 42 students from 3+ universities have participated in this program. Furthermore, all of them have participated in manuscript development and/or research presentations.

Having launched in August of 2023, the Supporting Older Adults through Research Network (SOARNet) is a newly established PBRN with a goal of generating practical and timely evidence to enhance the quality and efficacy of older adult health care. SOARNet aims to cultivate a diverse, multi-perspective membership body to include health care providers across areas of specialty. As a community engaged PBRN, SOARNet is leveraging existing and establishing new partnerships with key stakeholders including the end-users of care (older adults and their families), community health workers, and representatives of community-based organizations serving older adults, alongside health care practitioners.

SOARNet will soon launch an intervention study to support practitioners serving older adults in South Texas to build their capacity around the relationship of nutrition and brain health. As the population of South Texas ages, the prevalence of dementia and other cognitive disorders is projected to increase rapidly. With this study, SOARNet will develop a timely and responsive resource for practitioners to equip their patients and families with culturally aligned, practical nutrition-based knowledge for better brain health. SOARNet is currently building their partner member network and welcomes providers who serve the older adult population to complete this enrollment form HERE.

South Texas Psychiatric PBRN (STX-PSYCH-PBRN) is pleased to showcase the work our students contributed to the network this year. The team includes Ojasvie Agnihotri BS, Nicholas Champagne-Aves BS, Mathivarshini Sivachidambaram BS, and Yolanda Crous MD. They worked with Barbara Robles-Ramamurthy MD, Kaitlin Waxler BA, and Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez MD to develop "A Scoping Review of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Post-acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) in Children." The research was shared at the 2023 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Annual Meeting as well as the 2023 IIMS Community Engagement Symposium.

The National Dental PBRN will be launching a new study in 2024 titled “Periodontal Adjunctive Antibiotics in Dental Practice” or PAAS. They hope to recruit periodontists to participate in the PAAS study, a randomized clinical trial assessing the effectiveness of adjunctive antibiotics in treating periodontal disease. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Scaling and Root Planing (SRP) plus adjunctive antibiotics as compared to SRP with a placebo adjunctive for the treatment of generalized stage II-III, grade A-C periodontitis.

The IIMS and the UTSA College for Health, Community, and Policy (HCaP) are seeking proposals for one-year, $5,000 Community Engagement Small Project Grants. This grants program promotes, develops, and expands community-campus research partnerships for the translation of science from basic discovery to clinical practice, to public health benefit. Funds may be used to develop or expand collaborative projects in one or more of these areas:

1. Community-engaged research or assessment
2. Education or training
3. Dissemination of research results, program features, or policy implications

PBRNs are eligible to apply. Previous PBRN awardees include the South Texas Oral Health Network (2017, 2019, and 2022-2023) and the South Texas Psychiatric Network (2015 and 2017).

Applications are due on March 1, 2024, at 5pm. To read more about this grants program, go HERE:

Below is a list of our 2024 PBRN Directors Meetings. Please note that the times and dates are subject to change. Meetings are held online any by invitation only.

• Feb. 5th, 4-5pm
• Apr. 1st, 4-5pm
• Jun. 3rd, 4-5pm
• Aug. 5th, 4-5pm
• Oct. 7th, 4-5pm
• Dec. 2nd, 4-5pm

IIMS PBRN Resource Center

E-mail: iims-ce@uthscsa.edu

Tel.: (210) 562-4087