Becky L. White, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC CH) who has recently completed an MPH. Career Goals: Dr. White's career goal is to become an independently-funded patient-oriented researcher focusing on provider-level behavioral interventions to improve HIV health outcomes and prevent secondary transmission. Career Developmental Plans: Dr. White will obtain advanced research training in advanced quantitative/qualitative methods, health care provider/organizational behavior change theory and scientific writing skills. Her immediate objective is to develop an empirically informed theory- based intervention to enhance HIV screening among primary care physicians in the Southeast. Her long term objective is to develop a comprehensive research program to increase early identification of HIV and prevent secondary spread.
Specific Aims :
The aims of the proposed research are to 1) examine the relationship between a) provider's individual and environmental factors and b) the adoption and adherence to routine screening among NC physicians 2) develop and refine an intervention to enhance HIV screening among NC primary care physicians. Research Methods: She will use quantitative methodology to test her hypothesis and identify barriers and facilitators to HIV screening. She will also use qualitative research methods to inform the development of the intervention to enhance physician screening. Environment: She has access to many resources at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is known for its multi-disciplinary environment. She will work with the UNC Chapel Hill's Communication for Health Applications and Interventions (CHAI ) core, and partner with the physicians in the Sheps Center's Practice Based Research Networks. Mentorships: She will work with mentors and advisors with expertise and experience in behavior change/intervention development (Carol E. Golin MD), primary care physician research methods ( Donald E. Pathman MD MPH), advanced quantitative techniques (Catherine Zimmer) and minority career development (Adaora A. Adimora MD MPH) to integrate her career and research goals. Relevance: The knowledge gained from this training and research program has the potential to identify more HIV-infected patients earlier in health care settings. Furthermore, this proposal fulfills goals of Healthy Peope 2010 and the National HIV/AIDS strategy.
The proposed study will identify salient barriers to and facilitators of HIV screening and examine the relationship between these factors and physician HIV screening practices. This will lead to the creation of a novel intervention to enhancing primary care physician's routine HIV screening practices. Development of this intervention may result in earlier identification of HIV-infected individuals in primary care settings and reduce secondary HIV spread.
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