Community-Led AI Research to Improve Health Outcomes

Community-Led AI Research to Improve Health Outcomes is sponsored by Wyoming Department of Health (implied through program focus and state-specific context). This funding opportunity focuses on expanding artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) research to enhance health outcomes for diverse populations, with a strong emphasis on Wyoming's rural landscape.

Current Research | ESRN | WIND Current Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Projects The Equality State Research Network (ESRN) is actively supporting innovative, community-driven research initiatives to address health and inclusion challenges for people with disabilities across Wyoming.

Current projects include a collaboration with the Wyoming Health Council and Title X Clinics to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services for people with disabilities in rural areas, using data collected through a community-designed card study.

Another effort, led in partnership with The ARK in Laramie, introduces PhotoVoice—a participatory research method empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities and brain injuries to share their experiences of community inclusion through photography and narrative.

In addition, the Wyoming Home Modification Action Coalition (WYHMAC), a partnership between UW and the Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division, is working to promote safe and supportive housing options that allow older adults to age in place through home modifications and stakeholder education.

These projects, led by faculty and community experts, are supported in part by ESRN’s Partnership Development Awards, which foster relationship-building and project planning to prepare for larger-scale research opportunities.

LEARN MORE ESRN Current Research Membership Past Research ESRN Overview (PDF) Improving Title X Services for People With Disabilities in Rural Wyoming Communities In collaboration with the Wyoming Health Council and Wyoming Title X Clinics, the ESRN organized a Community-Based Participatory Research workgroup to explore how People with Disabilities (PWD) access sexual and reproductive health services delivered at Title X Clinics in Wyoming.

In partnership with Title X Clinic providers, workgroup members developed a card study to estimate the prevalence of PWD seeking sexual and reproductive care. Study findings are used to inform practice improvement strategies to improve access to sexual and reproductive health care in Wyoming communities.

Partnership Development Awards provide funding to support project development where awardees focus on building relationships, identifying key stakeholders, determining research questions that are relevant to the community and how the research can positively impact the community.

This award provides an opportunity for awardee's to prepare for future funding applications including the ESRN Pilot Award and other research The Wyoming Disability Project: Using PhotoVoice to Explore Community Inclusion in Dr. Sandy Leotti , Assistant Professor, UW Division of Social Work; Dr. Michelle Jarman , Associate Professor, UW Disability Studies; Dr. Margaret Holland , Assistant professor, UW Division of Social Work We are currently developing a partnership with the ARK in Laramie to provide a PhotoVoice class to people with disabilities.

PhotoVoice is a research methodology for individuals to express themselves using photographs and captions. It was developed to empower marginalized people to incite community change by having them direct research projects in their communities. The purpose of our project is to use PhotoVoice as a means for people with intellectual disabilities and brain injuries to express their perceptions of what community inclusion means to them.

The PhotoVoice class will culminate in a public exhibit designed to raise awareness and create an open dialogue about living with a disability in Laramie.

Our overarching goals are to deepen our understanding of the conditions and contexts that shape the lives of disabled people in Wyoming, and to inform the development of practices aimed at improving the health and well-being Developing Community Partnerships to Promote Home Modification and Aging in Place Dr. Bernard A.

Steinman , Associate Professor, University of Wyoming Family and Consumer Sciences; Jeff Clark , Manager, Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division; Mark Kelly , Health Program Specialist, Program Manager and Database Assistant with the Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division, Community Living Section; Dr. Catherine Carrico , Clinical Associate Professor and Associate Director, Wyoming Center on Aging Supportive housing options are a cornerstone to aging in place.

Housing options that are adapted with home-modifications (HM) to accommodate the physical limitations associated with aging, can reduce accidents, assist in addressing caregiving needs, and improve a person’s quality of life.

The Wyoming Home Modification Action Coalition (WYHMAC), headed by UW and WDH-AGD, was formed in summer 2021 to provide strong advocacy for and to raise awareness about HMs and their efficacy; to provide training and resources within Wyoming communities that promote development of effective HM; and to conduct quality research to serve as the basis for HM interventions.

We expect to develop closer collaborations between partners and with key stakeholder groups that are focused on achieving common HM/falls prevention goals. We expect the relationship to facilitate development of an informed provider network made up of key stakeholders, including RNs, OTs, and remodelers/contractors.

Pilot Awards provide funding to support the develop and implementation of innovative research that identifies and addresses community health challenges.

Exploring Inclusive Rural Music Education Through a Community-Based Participatory Dr. Crystal Sieger , Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education, University of Wyoming; Lauren Hulit , Music Teacher, Rawlins Elementary K-1 Campus, Carbon County School District No. Dr. Sieger and Ms. Hulit will work together with Rawlins/Carbon County community members to present a series of classes designed to provide a more inclusive music education to students with disabilities.

These interactive classes will focus on multi-sensory learning and will utilize adaptive music technologies to increase engagement. A goal of the research increased understanding within the community, where members are encouraged to be open-minded and to provide input to the researchers regarding their students’ engagement in multi-sensory music learning and the effectiveness of the strategies employed.

Researchers hope to develop a model relationship between the UW music education program and school districts to benefit students with disabilities and to prepare future music educators to better serve their needs. Untapped Potential: Caregivers’ Perspectives of Wyoming Healthcare Services for Patients Dr. Michelle L.

Blakely , Assistant Professor of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, University of Wyoming; Deb Anderson , CPHIMS, Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, HIT/QI Consultant; Dr. Ryan Jackson , Take Care Utah Director, Utah Health Policy Project Our community-participatory research project will use qualitative research methods to identify caregivers’ perspectives of healthcare services including what works, what doesn’t work, as well as recognize areas where improvements can be made.

Barriers and facilitators to effective healthcare interactions will also be explored. We will interview caregivers of Wyoming patients with disabilities to obtain their perspectives of healthcare services. This will provide comprehensive insight of healthcare services for patients with disabilities in our state.

Furthermore, community engagement will allow unique insights and contextualized understanding to be gleaned regarding perceptions of healthcare services from the community members who participate. This research project is being conducted to improve the health and well-being of underserved/disadvantaged Wyoming residents with disabilities.

The results will be used to develop effective strategies to address identified weaknesses/deficiencies and improve the provision of healthcare services in Wyoming for patients with disabilities. The ESRN is currently running three research work groups. These workgroups are focused on the research process for the: ESRN COVID-19 Patient Impact Survey.

ESRN COVID-19 Provider Impact Study. ESRN Vaccine Hesitancy Study. All workgroups are open and any can enroll at any point.

Please email esrn@uwyo. edu for information. Tele-rehabilitation Through Real-time User Interaction and Motion Tracking in 3D Immersive Tele-rehabilitation delivers rehabilitative healthcare remotely to overcome spatial, temporal and economic barriers, helping eliminate health disparities.

The emerging effectiveness of tele-rehabilitation has been seen for patients with orthopedic injuries and survivors from traumatic, degenerative and cardiovascular diseases of the central nerve system (CNS). The current technology for tele-rehabilitation is limited to audio- or video- based interaction without an objective and accurate measure of motor functions.

Such a technological limitation prevents the delivery of precision medicine and largely constrains the efficacy and potential of tele-rehabilitation.

Dr. Qin Zhu Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health, University of Wyoming is conducting a study building an interactive tele-rehab system that is patient-centered with augmented feedback and tele-presence of therapist to assist rehabilitative exercises in both real and virtual environment.

This new paradigm of tele-rehabilitation is expected to increase the patient adherence to therapy and minimize the existing health disparity. Currently, we are reaching out to primary care clinicians, staff, early childhood centers, and other community members who would like to be part of this process of inquiry. Please let us know if you are interested in receiving more information about the Equality State Research Network.

Contact us for more information , or if you would like to become a partner with the network. Project Proposal Submissions for the network Wyoming Institute for Disabilities Toll Free: (888) 989-9463 The University of Wyoming has earned its Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university with the top research universities in the United States.