Moderated Poster Discussions - T4 Research/Science
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
4:45 pm - 6:15 pm
T4 Research/Science: translation to communities, including population level outcomes research, health informatics.
SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITOR USE REDUCES RISK OF HOSPITALIZATION IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE AND COMORBID DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY: A PROPENSITY- MATCHED STUDY (Cardiology / Cardiovascular Disease)
Megha Girn, BS, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
Heart Disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, affecting millions of adults. Anxiety and depression negatively affect morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic conditions such as heart failure (HF); however, the impact of psychiatric medication treatment on patient outcomes remains limited.
ASSESSING THE EFFICACY AND PULMONARY SIDE EFFECTS OF AMIODARONE FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IN CLINICALLY OBESE VS NON-OBESE PATIENTS (Cardiology / Cardiovascular Disease)
Rohan Sachdeva, University of Toledo College of Medicine
Amiodarone is one of the 1st line medications prescribed for suppression of refractory atrial fibrillation worldwide. Recent work found that amiodarone clearance and distribution is significantly different in clinically obese populations due to the drug’s high lipophilicity, yet current guidelines do not specify how amiodarone administration should differ between obese and non-obese patients. As amiodarone efficacy and toxicity is dependent on cumulative dose and drug accumulation, changes in amiodarone pharmacokinetics in obese populations may alter side-effect and efficacy profiles.
ESCITALOPRAM AND IDIOPATHIC EDEMA IN FEMALES 60 YEARS OR OLDER (Cardiology / Cardiovascular Disease)
Sarah Roehrs, BS, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
Escitalopram is one of the most prescribed antidepressants used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) and general anxiety disorder (GAD). Multiple case reports have noted an association of peripheral edema with escitalopram use among females older than 60 years, with discontinuation of the medication resolving the edema. Peripheral edema is a common finding in primary care and a common reason to refer a patient to cardiology for a cardiac work-up. Although there have been numerous case reports connecting escitalopram use and idiopathic edema in older female patients, there are no large cohort studies researching this association.
CO-DESIGNING DIGITAL ENDPOINTS FOR POST-EXERTIONAL MALAISE: A PWLE-INFORMED FRAMEWORK TO ADVANCE REMOTE MONITORING ACROSS NEUROLOGIC, POST-INFECTIOUS, AND CANCER-RELATED CONDITIONS (Diagnosis or Treatment of a Disease Process or Clinical Syndromes)
Lynn Gerald, PhD, MSPH, Univeristy of Illinois Chicago
Post-exertional malaise (PEM; worsening of physical and cognitive symptoms following routine activity) is a highly burdensome, yet poorly measured phenomenon across multiple conditions, including Long COVID, multiple sclerosis (MS), and cancer survivorship. The existing measures do not capture symptom variability, triggers, and recovery therevy limiting utility as clinical trial endpoints. The NIH PAR-25-170 notice of funding opportunity prioritizes the development of digital health technology (DHT)-derived outcome assessments informed by people with lived experience (PWLE) and applicable across multiple diseases.
ADVANCING HYPERTENSION CONTROL IN MEDICAID THROUGH STATE-ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT HUB (Epidemiology)
Abdallatif Dawoud, MD, University of Toledo
The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) initiated the Quality Improvement (QI) Hub model as a key component of its Medicaid Managed Care Quality Strategy, aiming to address healthcare disparities and improve chronic disease outcomes, specifically targeting hypertension within Medicaid-insured populations. This model aligns with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) National Quality Strategy, emphasizing a collaborative, data-driven approach to enhance healthcare delivery. By leveraging partnerships with six Ohio Colleges of Medicine (CoMs), the QI Hub model integrates academic expertise, managed care organizations (MCOs), and healthcare providers to implement evidence-based practices. The primary objective is to enhance blood pressure (BP) management using the iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework within a sustainable, statewide structure.
EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF SENSORY IMPAIRMENT ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN OLDER U.S. ADULTS (Geriatrics and Aging)
Ringo Leung, BS, The University of Chicago
Pritzker School of Medicine As the U.S. population ages, the number of adults over 65 is projected to rise from 62 million to 84 million by 2054. While individual sensory declines are known to impact health, older adults frequently experience multi-sensory deficits that have compounded, synergistic effects on well-being. However, few studies have explored the long-term associations between these combined sensory impairments and specific dimensions of quality of life (QOL) using nationally representative samples. This study addresses this gap by examining the prevalence of multi-sensory dysfunction and its predictive value for QOL outcomes over a 10-year period.
PRONTO-EYE: USER TESTING OF A RIDESHARE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM TO IMPROVE VISIT ADHERENCE IN MEDICAID PATIENTS WITH DIABETIC RETINOPATHY (Health Disparities / Diversity / Equity / Inclusion / Social Determinants / Ethics)
Sophia Hussain, BA, University of Illinois Chicago
Prompt diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR), the leading cause of preventable vision loss in the U.S., can reduce the risk of visual impairment by up to 90%. Transportation barriers are a major contributor to missed ophthalmology visits and account for 25% or more of missed medical appointments, according to CMS. Although Medicaid offers non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), these services have been reported to be unreliable by users. Using multi-stakeholder input, we adapted two rideshare programs at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health System (UI Health) to develop PRONTO-EYE.
COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES ON FACILITATORS OF AND BARRIERS TO ENGAGEMENT IN DIGITAL HEALTH RESEARCH TO INCREASE HPV VACCINATION IN THE U.S. VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY (Health Disparities / Diversity / Equity / Inclusion / Social Determinants / Ethics)
Ninh Nguyen, BS, Northwestern University
The U.S. Vietnamese community experiences high rates of HPV-related cancers and have low uptake of the HPV vaccine. Although high internet usage among this community suggests that digital health interventions help increase HPV vaccination, gaps remain in understanding how to effectively engage and build trust with U.S. Vietnamese families in digital health trials.
DISAGGREGATING AANHPI HEALTH DATA IN ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS UTILIZING SELF-REPORTED PRIMARY LANGUAGE? (Health Disparities / Diversity / Equity / Inclusion / Social Determinants / Ethics)
Joy Ku, BS, Carle Illinois College of Medicine
The term Asian American (AsA) refers to an extremely heterogeneous group of cultures and communities that has often been treated as a monolith in research and clinical data. Several large-scale studies have attempted to de-aggregate the data, typically labeled as “Asian”, with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (Zhu et al., 2025) and Kaiser Permanente Northern California EHR data (Gordon et al., 2019) demonstrating significant health differences among the various AsA subgroups. Primary language in Epic may serve as a useful proxy for identifying AsA subgroups, but its accuracy and completeness have not been systematically evaluated. Moreover, no established method exists to disaggregate Asian immigrants from U.S.-born Asian Americans within clinical record databases.
NATIONAL PATTERNS OF HAB-RELATED HEALTHCARE ENCOUNTERS AND POST-EXPOSURE SYMPTOM BURDEN IN CHRONIC LOWER RESPIRATORY DISEASE (Cardiology / Cardiovascular Disease)
Maya Girn, BS, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can cause human illness through ingestion, skin contact, and inhalation of aerosolized water droplets. Despite CDC-supported surveillance and voluntary reporting, HAB-associated illness is likely underrecognized, and the national footprint of HAB-related healthcare encounters has not been characterized. Building on our prior work suggesting aerosolization is a common but underrecognized exposure route, we also examined whether patients with chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD) experience greater post-exposure symptom burden.
BEYOND THE CLINIC: FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENTS EMPOWER TEENS USING PREVENTIVE HEALTH MODULES IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED (Health Disparities / Diversity / Equity / Inclusion / Social Determinants / Ethics)
Traci Shiu, BS, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
This project aims to engage family medicine residents in teaching high school students about disease prevention and health promotion to enhance youth health literacy and encourage family-level discussions about wellness. By embedding preventive health education in schools, our project seeks to address gaps in preventive care access that disproportionately affect communities that are medically underserved, where structural and socioeconomic barriers limit engagement in preventive services (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019; NCBI Bookshelf).