Research in review [April 1996]

              Research
IN REVIEW
3^=i
GREENSBORO
AREA HEALTH
EDUCATION
CENTER
ISSUE 1(1) APRIL 1996
Editors' Note & Welcome to the premier issue of
Research IN Review. In recent years, the quantity
and types of research conducted at the Mose Cone
Health System (MCHS) have changed significantly.
Research is no longer limited to the AHEC teaching
programs as it was in the past; now many
investigators throughout the hospital system, as well
as many community-based physicians, are involved in
research. From the basic science and quality control
studies done in our laboratories to the clinical trials of
new devices, we are using scientific methodologies to
help ensure quality in both our current and future
health services.
Research in Review has been established to provide
a forum for investigators to disseminate information
about ongoing research activities to the medical and
professional staffs of the hospital. Project reports are
organized by department and supplemented with short
segments on research related issues.
The quest for knowledge through research is
consistent with the hospital's commitment to
providing quality health care and education. Our goal
is that Research inRemew will increase the visibility
and recognition of research in our institution. Thank
you for your interest and support. £a
•*" Please send material for publication to one of the
Editors: Charles Hansen, MA, CCRC, Internal
Medicine Residency Program; Martha Delaney, MA,
& Teresa Rasco, Family Practice Residency Program.
Internal Medicine Residency Program &
NIH Funded AIDS Clinical Trials. In September
1990, a subunit to the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit at
UNC-Chapel Hill was officially established at MCHS
to extend the availability of experimental therapies for
HIV and AIDS to patients in a geographical area not
served by the medical center. Emphasis is placed on
the enrollment of patients typically under-represented
in HIV/AIDS research—females, IV drug users, and
minorities.
The subunit operates as part of the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Hospital's Outpatient Department
and is directed by Timothy W. Lane, MD. Additional
medical support for the subunit is provided by the
program's other infectious disease physicians, John F.
Campbell, MD and Edward N. Robinson, Jr., MD. A
full-time research coordinator, Pam Mentley, RN, a
part-time data manager, Jean Farlow, and a
pharmacist are funded through the NIH-supported
grant to UNC. Funding for the previous years' budget
cycles has totalled $493,234 and the proposed budget
for the current year is $127,594. To date, a total of
92 patients from our area have been enrolled in 1 or
more of the 13 clinical trials made available to them
at the MCHS subunit.
Other Faculty Research Timothy Lane, MD,
Deborah Schoenhoff, MD and Charles Hansen, MA
recently completed a survey of rubella immunity
among US obstetricians. Data from southeastern states
were presented in a poster session at the annual
North Carolina Chapter of the American College of
Physicians meeting in February, 1995, winning the
best research poster award. The key finding that 21%
of the obstetricians in the southeast did not have
documented rubella immunity (positive titer or
documented vaccination) points to a need for more
vigilance in screening and vaccinating susceptible
physicians. Dr. Schoenhoff will present the national
data at the annual meeting of the Society of General
Internal Medicine in Washington, DC in May, 1996
and a manuscript has been submitted for publication.
Access to primary medical care continues to be a
problem in our country, especially for patients insured
by Medicare or Medicaid. Drs. Samuel Cykert and
Rita Layson have conducted a national survey of
internists, family and general practitioners and found
that only 85% of the 1,400 physicians surveyed were
accepting new continuing care patients. Of these
physicians, nearly all accepted patients covered by
private insurance, but only 40% and 70% accepted
those insured by Medicaid and Medicare, respectively.
These data were published in the June issue of the
Journal of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Cykert
comments that any system of health care insurance
that uses a multi-tiered reimbursement strategy will
likely result in reduced access to care for those most
in need of medical services.  <&>