Patient Oriented Research in Vulnerable Populations with Skin Disease

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Project Summary/Abstract The overarching goal of this proposal is to improve the care of vulnerable populations with skin disease, including: a) the elderly, and b) racial and ethnic minorities. For elderly patients with skin disease, we will focus on patterns of medication use, to identify unexplained variations that might highlight opportunities for optimal prescribing practices. For racial and ethnic minority patients, we will focus specifically on care patterns and unmet needs of patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). This K24 proposal adds to my current research portfolio by expanding my research focus on the care of vulnerable populations. The mentorship goals of this proposal are aligned with the research aims. The proposed studies provide hands-on research training experiences in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis for mentees, and will produce preliminary data for mentees' K, T, and R applications. This application proposes three incremental studies in my long-term research objective to improve the health of vulnerable populations with skin disease through my own research and through training a diverse group of patient-oriented researchers. The project builds directly on my previous research and leverages existing networks, collaborations and access to leaders in behavioral science and geriatrics, social media and technology. The specific aims of the proposed research are: 1) to determine patterns of care and medication use among elderly patients with skin disease, 2) to better understand patterns of care and medication use by race, ethnicity and gender among patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, and 3) to understand the unmet needs of patients with HS in order to identify opportunities for improving their quality of life (QoL). This research will employ a mixed-methods approach. Aims 1 and 2 will be achieved by analyzing the data from large national datasets, including the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) linked to Medicare and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS). For Aim 3, we will utilize a qualitative approach, conducting focus groups and cognitive interviews with leaders in the HS community. This award will ensure that I have sufficient protected time to fully support my mentees, particularly those from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in medicine. I am dually trained in epidemiology and dermatology and have extensive experience with patient-oriented research in dermatology, enabling me to be a successful mentor for trainees interested in a variety of topics in dermatologic research. The long-term goal of this research is to expand our knowledge on the care of vulnerable populations with skin disease, so that we can improve the quality of life and optimize dermatologic care of these patients. This K24 will give me the opportunity to expand my mentoring and research on these topics and allow me to train the next generation of dermatologic researchers passionate about improving the lives of vulnerable populations.