Research
We advanced innovative
research to improve child
and family health outcomes.
Investigating Novel Methods & Interventions in Primary Care to Reduce Adolescent Suicide
Rates of suicide and suicide attempts among adolescents have risen dramatically in the past decade, particularly among Black and Hispanic youth. Primary care settings are critical for identifying and treating suicidal youth. However, there are challenges to identifying suicide risk and intervening once that risk is identified.
The Enhancing Treatment and Utilization for Depression and Emergent Suicidality (ETUDES) Center is a collaboration between CHOP, the University of Pittsburgh and several other institutions. It focuses on augmenting the capacity of pediatric primary care to identify and manage youth at risk for suicidal behavior, with an emphasis on ensuring that the tools developed are effective and acceptable for youth and families of color.
Dr. Jami Young and the ETUDES team hope to develop implementation-ready tools for providers in primary care that can reduce rates of adolescent suicide and promote health equity.
Celebrating a Lasting Impact on Research & Policy
Rhonda Boyd, PhD, and Marsha Gerdes, PhD, are two esteemed colleagues who for many years have embodied our evidence-to-action model and have served as mentors for team members.
Dr. Gerdes has been a voice for very young children, supporting healthy development during early childhood years through her research with child care settings and early intervention services. Dr. Boyd has led the way on research amid the youth mental health crisis, exploring rising rates of depression and suicide among Black youth, and has contributed to innovative work to address postpartum depression.
Both Dr. Gerdes and Dr. Boyd are trusted collaborators with partners and decision-makers, have shared their expertise at countless tables, have served on state and local committees, and so much more. We are grateful for their steadfast commitment to supporting child health, and they’ve paved the way at PolicyLab as we continue to inform research and policy impacting children during early childhood, as well as youth and caregiver mental health.
Generating High-impact Research
Several PolicyLab team members were recognized this year for their outstanding research contributions. The Pediatric Academic Societies selected an abstract detailing Danielle Cullen, MD, MPH, MSHP, and team’s research on social needs screening in pediatrics to be featured in a pre-annual meeting press release, resulting in news coverage related to this work. PolicyLab Affiliate Trainee Daniela Brissett, MD, received the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine’s Charles E. Irwin, Jr. New Investigator Award for her team’s work with we.R.E.I.G.N exploring the adultification of Black girls and the impact on health outcomes funded by a PolicyLab Community Partnerships in Research Program grant.
PolicyLab is committed to supporting researchers’ efforts to develop and advance cutting-edge research. On the right, you’ll see just a small sample of the many articles published this year in high-impact journals.
From Student to Researcher: Chyanne Reyes
PolicyLab is fortunate to work with many talented students who provide invaluable support to the center, while also building diverse skill sets. Chyanne Reyes, MPH, is a former student who worked with Dr. Jim Guevara’s team on research projects covering a range of topics including maternal health, postpartum depression, health care access, and child developmental health and policy. Chyanne’s time at PolicyLab working on data collection and analysis and gaining critical exposure to the intricacies of research proved invaluable in preparing her for the next step in her career.
Today, Chyanne is a full-time clinical research coordinator within the Case Management/Nursing Department at CHOP. She is currently working on an innovative project that aims to help caregivers of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities plan for the future utilizing a web-based tool.
Chyanne shared that the hands-on research activities she participated in and the complex health issues she witnessed while working at PolicyLab reaffirmed her passion and pursuit for improving maternal and child health outcomes throughout her career.
Promoting Learning & Growth With Our Morning Speaker Series
Each week, PolicyLab hosts our “Morning Speaker Series,” featuring internal and external experts who discuss their research and ongoing projects on a variety of topics including public health, policy, research methods and more. These presentations provide an opportunity to learn from our colleagues and partners. This type of continual growth is foundational to PolicyLab’s mission and facilitates collaboration in our community and beyond.
As part of a special series celebrating PolicyLab’s 15th anniversary, we heard from Rochelle Jackson, founder and director of the Black Women’s Policy Center. She shared details on the priorities and programming of her center, and an example of opportunities for collaboration with strong community partners.
During the “New Faculty Showcase,” those new to the PolicyLab team highlight their innovative research projects. Tina Herrera, MD, MSHP, shared her work on understanding adolescent and young adult HIV prevention services in substance use disorder treatment. Abigail Wilpers, PhD, described her research on enhancing care quality and promoting health equity within maternal-fetal care. And Anireddy Reddy, MD, MSHP, discussed the association between child opportunity and pediatric firearm injury.
Exploring the Future of Telehealth: A Focus on Usage & Equity
Innovative applications of telehealth can address pediatric workforce challenges and improve patient care, especially for youth with special health care needs, families who live far from specialists, and teens seeking behavioral health care. However, PolicyLab research has highlighted reason to be concerned about equity of telehealth access, particularly for families who prefer a language other than English.
In a virtual conversation, we convened pediatricians, researchers, policymakers, and family advocates to discuss ways to create telehealth policies that provide more equitable access to pediatric specialty care for families who have been left behind by the initial wave of telehealth implementation.
We also identified opportunities to further understand when and how telehealth works best for adolescents. In an issue brief, we collaborated with experts from CHOP’s Division of Adolescent Medicine, mHealth Research Affinity Group, and Digital Health Innovation Core to summarize our findings on telehealth usage, views on acceptability, and offer recommendations for creating a policy, payer and provider landscape that supports adolescents’ use of telehealth.
