Leadership

Background

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As someone who is going to pursue a career in healthcare - participating, executing, and presenting the research will be invaluable to my career. As a student leader within Phi Delta Epsilon, I learned a lot about what the reality of leadership looks like: a multitude of emails, lots of texts, and making tough calls. As someone who generally takes on larger projects I also learned that leadership means setting reasonable targets and managing expectations, many things take considerably more time than expected. 

The initiative that I would undertake would be an extension of the AI/Alexa research I did at ACORN. That program targeted older people and their caregivers for the aid of timely administering and tracking prescription drugs usage. This initiative would target the other side of the age spectrum – children and their parents/caregivers. During my time as a scribe to a pediatrician in Columbia, I’ve become more aware of the potential need for medication reminders and aids for this population. The introduction of the aid has shown initial increases in adherence, and with the more widespread usage, more data may be able to be collected as well. 

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Problem Definition

 

The research would focus on children with chronic but not life-threatening conditions. The initial feasibility study will be done on patients with non-life-threatening conditions. I believe initially targeting children with low-grade ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) I could assess the benefit without the potential of putting any child in harm; targeting a population with other chronic conditions (ie, diabetes, cystic fibrosis) has a greater risk of exacerbating patient conditions. 

The usage of technology such as Alexa/AI-voice activated equipment will be less of a challenge within this population. There will not be the depth of education of the technology, generally, children of school age are very accomplished at using apps and voice command devices. 

 

Problem Solution

Using relationships within the community and affiliated with the University of South Carolina (like Prisma Health) we would try to implement a smart reminder tool that can be accessible to children. This would hopefully develop into a long-term study that would rely on integration with the Department of Health and Environmental Control in South Carolina (DHEC SC) to keep track of the benefits and rates of medication adherence in children, eventually moving towards those with more serious chronic illnesses. 

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Implementation

1. This initiative targets children with chronic conditions and seeing as diagnoses are protected patient information,  we will have participants and their parents opt-in via connections with local pediatricians and flyers hung around buildings and childcare centers. 

2. Fifty families will be chosen based off of screening criteria. 

3. Screen children and families including: 

   1. A child currently prescribed and taking medication for Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder​

   2. Not currently using an adherence aid

   3. Demonstrated need for adherence aids, (missing medication >2 times a week, or taking medication late >3 times a week)

4.  Introduce participants and their families to Amazon Alexa technology, install a smart device in their home with a compatible medication reminder system.

5. Follow up with families about their usage at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months.

6. Bring together a roundtable to discuss possible future directions including pediatricians, advanced pediatric care providers, families from the community, teachers, and even the children themselves. If the impact of the medication was seen as beneficial consider expanding the program to greater than 50 families. 

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