Collaborative Assessment Of Collective Reach And Impact Among INBRE Supported Summer Undergraduate Research Programs Across The United States.

The motivational outcome of undergraduate research experiences is an increasingly common component of STEM education practices. Student benefits associated with these experiences include increased interest and retention in STEM and/or research fields. Across the country, many institutional research activities in twenty-three states and Puerto Rico are supported through the National Institutes of Health's Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Program. INBREs are statewide collaborations of research intensive and primarily undergraduate institutions that are designed to support the biomedical research pipeline as well as faculty research. Most INBREs offer summer undergraduate research experiences to meet their program goals. While the structure and focus of these programs are tailored to state-specific needs, they typically include 10-15 week sessions and many emphasize participation from underrepresented student populations. In summer 2019, eleven INBREs collaborated to explore the collective reach and impact of their summer undergraduate research programs (SURPs). A common set of survey items were identified and added to pre- and/or post-program surveys. These items focused on the reach of the programs (e.g. demographics of participating students) and the impact of the programs on educational goals for students. In total, data from 461 students across 11 states were included in the project. One third of participating students were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups; 28% were first-generation college students and 34% were Pell grant eligible. After the program, 72% of participants reported that they hoped to earn a doctoral-level degree. Our results suggest that INBRE-supported SURPs are successfully reaching underrepresented students and that INBRE-supported students widely anticipate pursuing graduate level study in STEM fields.

The K-INBRE symposium: a 10-institution collaboration to improve undergraduate education.

The Kansas-IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) is an infrastructure-building program funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Undergraduate education, through undergraduate research, is a key component of the program. The K-INBRE network includes 10 higher education institutions in Kansas and northern Oklahoma, with over 1,000 student participants in 16 yr. Since 2003, the K-INBRE has held an annual state-wide research symposium that includes national and regional speakers and provides a forum for undergraduates to give platform and poster presentations. The symposium is well attended by K-INBRE participants and has grown to a size of over 300 participants per year from all 10 K-INBRE schools. Two surveys were distributed to students and mentors to assess the impact of the symposium on student learning. Surveys (153) were distributed to students who participated in K-INBRE from 2013 through 2015 with a 51% response rate. Mentors were surveyed with a response of 111 surveys out of 161. Survey results indicate that students and mentors alike find the symposium to be beneficial and enriching of the student experience. Almost 80% of student respondents indicated that their participation in the symposium fostered appreciation of research. In short, the K-INBRE symposium provides a unique opportunity for students to gain experience in collecting, preparing, and communicating research in a professional environment. The collaborative experience of the annual K-INBRE symposium, the impact it has on student learning, and how it has influenced the research culture at our 10 institutions will be described.

Pediatric Teleneurology: A Model of Epilepsy Care for Rural Populations.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 2.7 million individuals in the United States are affected by epilepsy. It is the fourth most common neurological disorder and affects people of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds. In many rural states, the few pediatric neurologists commonly practice in the metropolitan areas. The inadequate resources present challenges for families residing in rural areas or with limited transportation resources. One remedy for this situation is to deliver pediatric neurology services to rural areas through videoconferencing. METHODS: The University of Kansas Center for Telemedicine and Telehealth has been providing telemedicine consultations in various clinical specialties for 25 years, including mental health and teleneurology. On the basis of the telemedicine models provided at the University of Kansas Center for Telemedicine and Telehealth and other programs, we explain how to provide teleneurology services to rural communities while maintaining high quality care, including direction for assessing need, technology, privacy, administrative and clinical support, credentialing and legality, and sustainability. CONCLUSIONS: We provide a protocol for teleneurology development, outlining examples of needed staff, and measures to ensure a smooth implementation and execution, ending with an example of the current teleneurology clinic provided at the University of Kansas Center for Telemedicine and Telehealth.

Using videoconferencing to provide psychological services to rural children and adolescents: a review and case example.

Children and adolescents living in rural areas have difficulty accessing psychological services due to a lack of psychologists and other behavioral health professionals, especially those with expertise in treating youth. Telepsychology helps bridge this access gap. This article extends evidence supporting videoconferencing for psychological assessment and treatment in adults to support telepsychological treatment for youth. In addition, the basic components needed to begin and sustain a telepsychological practice are explored. Finally, a case example of an adolescent presenting with depression and disordered eating illustrates the practice of, and ethical standards needed for, telepsychology. Future technologies and applications around telepsychology are also discussed.

Assessment of the Impact of the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Program on Undergraduate Participation in Research.

The Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) was established in 2001 and is a network of 10 higher-education institutions in Kansas and northern Oklahoma. The program is funded by the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As part of the program's goal to enhance the research infrastructure in Kansas, a training program was developed to encourage undergraduates to participate in biomedical research. From September 2002 to May 2012, the K-INBRE supported 731 students at 10 institutions. Although 16% of student participants in the program are still undergraduates, 323 of our students have gone into biomedical graduate school or medical school programs. Thirty-seven percent of all the completed students have matriculated into graduate programs and 19% of our completed students went to medical school. Moreover, 12% have gone into other health-related professions. One percent of our students who went into medical school programs are in highly prestigious MD/PhD programs. In the fall of 2011, we surveyed participants from the last 10 years about career choices and the impact of the K-INBRE program on those students. Two hundred twenty-four former and current students responded to the survey with a consensus of high impact of the K-INBRE program on student training, career choices, and perceptions about research.

Experience with telehealth for sleep monitoring and sleep laboratory management.

In 2009, we established a pilot telehealth service to a sleep laboratory in Garden City, Kansas, approximately 600 km from the Kansas University Medical Center. Videoconferencing was used for polysomnography (PSG) study follow-up, patient monitoring and sleep laboratory medical management. It allowed the sleep specialist to treat patients and collaborate with sleep laboratory personnel from a distance without extensive travel. In the first six months the telemedicine clinic was held on six occasions. There were 18 new patient evaluations and four follow up visits. The most common diagnosis was obstructive sleep apnoea. The videoconferencing equipment and the intraoral camera worked well. Interviewing and examining patients via telemedicine was very similar to doing it in-person. Telemedicine was effective for the physician-patient interaction and for visualizing airway structures. Although more research is needed, the use of videoconferencing for sleep study follow-up and laboratory oversight appears very promising.

Telepsychology: research and practice overview.

There are significant workforce shortages for psychologists with expertise in evidence-supported therapies with children, particularly in nonmetropolitan areas. Telepsychology, or psychology services delivered by real-time videoconferencing, helps bridge this access gap. This article first reviews the telepsychology literature and then builds on early telepsychology guidance for the current practice environment. The practicalities of telepsychology implementation and the lessons drawn from the more well-established telepsychiatry practice are described. The authors also provide an update to pioneering interdisciplinary telehealth principles presented a decade ago.