Welcome to The Pulse, a weekly roundup of health-focused news. Each Thursday, we bring you updates on health policy, community surveys, new clinical studies, programs and services in Southwest and Southside Virginia.
Got a tip or story idea? Email me at emily@cardinalnews.org.
Virginia Tech researcher wants to help rural residents manage chronic pain
A Virginia Tech researcher is looking at ways to address gaps in chronic pain management resources for people living in rural areas.
Huaiyang Zhong, assistant professor in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, recently received funding to support research using artificial intelligence methods to learn more about chronic pain.
The goal of the research is to improve pain assessments, identify risks and support better clinical decision-making for older patients in rural communities, according to a press release from Virginia Tech.
The researchers will use artificial intelligence methods to identify information in clinical notes that may include key information about a patient’s pain experience.
He hopes the additional information will help doctors and researchers learn more about how pain evolves, which patients are vulnerable to poor outcomes and how healthcare systems can intervene effectively, according to the release.
“I became interested in chronic pain because it’s incredibly common, but also incredibly complicated,” Zhong said.
“Pain is not just a single diagnosis, and it’s not a number on a scale like a lot of medical diagnoses. Pain itself can affect mobility, mental health, sleep, cognitive functions, and overall quality of life. It’s a multidimensional thing.”
About 36% of adults over the age of 65 in the U.S. report experiencing pain most days or every day, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In rural areas, older adults may struggle to access pain specialists.
Zhong’s grant comes from the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health and totals about $460,000.
Virginians have until Sept. 25 to provide input for new state aging services plan
The Virginia Center on Aging is asking the state’s seniors, caregivers and aging services professionals to respond to a survey that will help inform the next Virginia State Plan for Aging Services.
Every four years, the state must develop a plan for aging services in order to comply with the federal Older Americans Act of 1965.
The state plan provides guidance to improve the independence, health and quality of life for older adults and their caregivers. It also opens up opportunities for Virginia to receive federal funding.
The survey is open until Sept. 25 and is completely anonymous, according to the Virginia Center on Aging. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Virginia Tech receives funding for caregiver research
Virginia Tech received a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support research into families that serve as caregivers for patients with dementia.
The grant totals $249,000, according to a press release from U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem and chairman of the Health Subcommittee
“Dementia not only impacts patients, but family caregivers as well,” Griffith said in the release. “This HHS grant for $249,000 helps Virginia Tech advance research into care for those who struggle with and treat dementia.”
The project will be administered by the Human Development and Family Science Department at Virginia Tech.
