R01NR021007

Enhancing Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Delivery to Address Social Determinants of Health and Reduce Health Disparities: A Mixed-Methods National Study

More than 80% of adults aged 65 and older in the United States have at least one chronic health condition. Racial and ethnic minorities suffer more. They often lack high quality care and use hospitals and emergency departments (EDs) for routine care. Where minorities reside and receive care contribute to health disparities. They often live in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and social determinants of health (SDOH) lead to disparities. Minorities also get care in low quality healthcare settings.

Health disparities will further widen due to primary care physician shortages. The growing nurse practitioner (NP) workforce can help reduce health disparities as NPs disproportionately care for minorities. Yet, practices employing NPs (i.e., NP practices) are often located in underserved communities and face major structural (e.g., lack of registries) and organizational (e.g., poor care environments) challenges.

The study's overarching aim is to understand ways in which NP practices could be leveraged to address SDOH and reduce health disparities. Building on our prior work, we will conduct the first national mixed-methods study using multilevel models, geographic information system, and a positive-deviance approach to achieve the aims:

Aim 1. Investigate the impact of SDOH (i.e., economic stability, education, built environment, health care access, and social context) on racial and ethnic disparities in quality of care processes (e.g., HbA1c testing for diabetes) and outcomes (i.e., ED use, hospitalizations) among chronically older adults receiving care in NP practices).

Aim 2. Assess the extent to which NP practice attributes (i.e., care environment, structural capabilities) moderate the impact of SDOH on racial and ethnic disparities in quality of care processes and patient outcomes.

Aim 3. Explore barriers and facilitators to addressing SDOH and health disparities in NP practices with varying care environments and structural capabilities.

We will use existing data on neighborhoods and chronically ill Medicare patients cared for by NPs in 2021-2022 in minority- and non-minority serving and integrated NP practices (N=2,400). We will also survey NPs (N=6,960) in these practices on their care environments and structural capabilities using mail and online methods. All data about patients, neighborhoods, NPs, and practices will be merged and analyzed in multilevel models.

We will also identify practices with favorable and unfavorable care environments and structural capabilities and interview NPs and practice managers using positive-deviance methods. We will conduct individual telephone/online interviews with ~50 NPs and ~50 practice managers from practices with favorable attributes and ~35 NPs and ~35 managers from practices with unfavorable attributes. The interviews will be recorded and transcribed for content analysis.

We will identify modifiable factors in practices to address SDOH. In all study aims, we will oversample minority-serving NP practices. Our quantitative and qualitative findings will be triangulated to inform administrators and policymakers seeking ways to leverage NP practices to address SDOH and reduce racial and ethnic health disparities through practice, policy, and neighborhood interventions.

The Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York

NURSES UNDERSTAND THAT IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING MEANS ADDRESSING PEOPLE'S NEEDS IN MULTIPLE SETTINGS, CONTEXTS, AND OVER THE WHOLE LIFE COURSE. SCIENCE SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NURSING RESEARCH (NINR) USES THIS HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUAL AND POPULATION HEALTH AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY. NINR-SUPPORTED RESEARCH PROMOTES HEALTH AND WELL-BEING BY ADDRESSING NEEDS AT MULTIPLE LEVELS INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND SOCIETAL LEVELS AND DEVELOPING TREATMENT AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES THAT ARE RESPONSIVE TO THE REALITY OF PEOPLE'S LIVES. NURSES KNOW PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE TRUST NURSES. PATIENT AND FAMILIES INTERACT WITH NURSES MORE THAN ANY OTHER CLINICIANS. NURSING SCIENCE USES THIS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP TO BETTER UNDERSTAND PATIENTS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES AND THE MANY FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THEIR HEALTH. NURSING SCIENCE SUPPORTED BY NINR USES THIS KNOWLEDGE TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLNESS ACROSS POPULATIONS, HEALTH CARE SETTINGS, AND THE LIFESPAN, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ACHIEVING HEALTH EQUITY. NINR-SUPPORTED SCIENTISTS HAVE DEVELOPED INTERVENTIONS FOR: SUPPORTING PARENTS OF PREMATURE INFANTS, PROMOTING HIV PREVENTION IN UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, IMPROVING TRANSITIONAL CARE LEADING TO BETTER OUTCOMES AND COST-SAVINGS, AND HELPING INNER-CITY CHILDREN MANAGE ASTHMA. NURSING SCIENCE TRANSCENDS THE BOUNDARIES OF DISEASE AND RESEARCH DISCIPLINES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCES OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES LIVING WITH ILLNESS AND TO DEVELOP PERSONALIZED APPROACHES THAT MAXIMIZE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR INDIVIDUALS AT ALL STAGES OF LIFE, ACROSS DIVERSE POPULATIONS AND SETTINGS. NINR-SUPPORTED SCIENCE USES NURSING SCIENCE'S UNIQUE, PATIENT AND COMMUNITY-FOCUSED PERSPECTIVE AND WIDE REACH ACROSS CLINICAL AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS TO ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: THOSE FACTORS THAT ARE AT THE ROOT OF THE INEQUITIES THAT WE SEE, SUCH AS FOOD INSECURITY AND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. NINR RESEARCH EFFORTS IN WELLNESS INVESTIGATE THE KEY BIOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL FACTORS THAT PROMOTE LONG-TERM HEALTH AND HEALTHY BEHAVIORS AND PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF ILLNESS ACROSS HEALTH CONDITIONS, SETTINGS, AND THE LIFESPAN. RESEARCH IN WELLNESS IS ALSO FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING AND TESTING CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND PREVENT ILLNESS IN MINORITY AND UNDERSERVED GROUPS. NINR ALSO SUPPORTS SCIENCE TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN MANAGING ADVANCED, SERIOUS ILLNESS, AND PLANNING FOR END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS. IN ADDITION, NINR PROMOTES TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS THAT ADDRESS A RANGE OF HEALTH CARE CHALLENGES AND FACILITATE THE DELIVERY OF REAL-TIME PERSONALIZED INFORMATION TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AND COMMUNITIES. FINALLY, NINR HAS A LONGSTANDING AND CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF NURSE SCIENTISTS: THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND TEAM MEMBERS WHO WILL CARRY THE FIELD OF NURSING SCIENCE INTO THE FUTURE. IN ORDER TO PREPARE AN INNOVATIVE, DIVERSE, AND TALENTED NEXT GENERATION OF NURSE SCIENTISTS, NINR SUPPORTS A VARIETY OF TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCIENTISTS AND TRAINEES AT ALL CAREER LEVELS, PARTICULARLY THOSE AT AN EARLY CAREER STAGE WHO ARE SO CRITICAL TO SUSTAINING THE FUTURE OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND HIGH QUALITY HEALTH CARE.

93.361 - Nursing Research

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) [HHS - NIH]

New York, New York 100323917 United States

Single Zip Code

Health Services Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01- Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-20-310)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 312% from $758,740 to $3,124,761.