Research and Scholarly Activities

In terms of research and scholarly activities, we have had another banner year. The number of published papers is increasing, and more importantly, the impact of our research is increasingly evidenced, measured by the number of citations our publications receive around the globe.

Just as family medicine, our research, covers the entirety of the life span; from children to the elderly. We are also involved in work on chronic diseases, work disabilities and the impact of pain on a person’s ability to live an active life. We have a strong environmental research component, where we address the impact of complex environmental exposures on health and healthcare consumption. Several of our projects concern workforce health, not the least of which is the health and safety of healthcare workers with implications for their own health, but also patients’ safety and outcomes. Our researchers work closely with several healthcare systems in addressing cost, quality, safety, and the challenges of implementing change.

Several of our projects are conducted in close collaborations with our family medicine and federally qualified healthcare center partners, community-based organizations, and local and state health departments. Patients are always active stakeholders and our work addresses healthcare challenges from a population health perspective.

Our faculty are actively involved in medical education research. This work includes studies of factors influencing medical student interest in family medicine; as well as a federally funded career development award, focused on increasing interest in primary care of underserved patients among underserved and rural medical students.