Dr. E. Gordon Gee President of West Virginia University | West Virginia University
Dr. E. Gordon Gee President of West Virginia University | West Virginia University
Three faculty members from West Virginia University are working to improve rural home care for the chronically ill, backed by a $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research. This funding is among the largest received by WVU's School of Nursing.
The project aims to test an integrated, nurse-led intervention for managing end-stage heart failure and palliative care in family homes across rural areas. Ubolrat “Diu” Piamjariyakul, associate dean for research and principal investigator, stated, “We want to know if there’s a way we can help relieve the suffering for these individuals and how we can support family caregivers.”
Piamjariyakul is joined by colleagues Stephanie Young and Angel Smothers. All three have personal experience as primary caregivers for chronically ill family members. Their goal is to enhance the health and well-being of both patients and their caregivers while reducing depression, anxiety, and managing end-of-life symptoms.
“That’s what drives us to this type of project because we want the result to be meaningful and improve the health of others who have similar experiences,” Piamjariyakul added.
The clinical trial will incorporate volunteer visitors and faith community nurses alongside evidence-based nursing interventions previously proven effective in palliative home care. The volunteers will help reinforce healthcare plans and connect families with local resources.
Smothers noted that lack of access to healthcare in rural West Virginia contributes to poor health outcomes: “In the rural parts of West Virginia, many families can’t connect with health care specialists.”
Young emphasized caregiver burden: “Although caregivers are happy to take care of their loved ones, oftentimes it’s 24/7 work... It’s important to address caregiver burden because when the caregiver is in a better place, health outcomes are better for the patient.”
Collaborating with other university departments such as medicine and public health, researchers aim over four years to improve life quality for patients and track hospitalization rates. They also plan on helping families understand end-of-life care options.
“Because of the personal nature of end-of-life care... Patients should have a say in the type of care they want,” said Piamjariyakul.
Student nurses will participate as research assistants, gaining skills applicable beyond this study.
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