Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences were 1) rural adults throughout Michigan to whom we marketed and delivered prevention programming (Aim #4), 2) CTC coalition members, to whom we offered leader training opportunities and collaboratively worked on increasing awareness of prevention programs and reach of rural adults (Aim #1), and 3) healthcare providers and administrators of health-related organizations, to whom we educated about methods for making referrals into evidence-based prevention programs. Changes/Problems:No changes were made from the original goals, objectives, project plans or outcomes. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?There were five leader training courses held for community volunteers and CTC coalition members during this grant. The five courses included one CPSMP leader training course and four CDSMP leader training courses. As a result of course implementation, 55 rural leaders became equipped to teach evidence-based prevention courses in their communities. The project also shared the QR/website health referral system with the larger MSU Extension organization, beyond just the grant-funded programming team. This training looked like screen sharing at team meetings and showing the marketing materials (brochure, postcards) for the referral site and how the online referrals worked with the upcoming class marketing flyer. This encouraged greater use of the referral system and assists with sustainability of the referral process created under this funded effort. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of Aim #1 were provided to CTC coalition leadership in Michigan's UP. These results were used to plan future activities. Overall project results were disseminated to MSU Extension staff during an awards ceremony honoring the project (recipient of the 2023 MSU Extension Institute Team Award), and all MSU Extension health educators via work team meetings. Overall project results have also been disseminated to the scientific community through the preparation of two manuscripts and one poster. All are listed in the products section. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Aim #1: An important first step was to survey CTC coalition members to assessthe need for raisingawareness of prevention programs and making cross-referrals. The survey was distributedin FY2021 with 22 coalition members completing it. Respondents were a mean age of 44.7 years (range: 23-60 years) and had an average of 21.7 months of coalition involvement. Eighty-nine percent (8 of 9) of the coalitions had one or more members complete the survey. Survey results showedthat coalitions could benefit from: 1) greaterknowledge of MSU Extension's programs, 2) increased access to professional development, and 3) expanded reach of people. Based on this input, we decided to emailquarterly promotional program flyers to coalition members. Members could then use the flyers to gain awareness of area programs and distribute the flyers toclientele. By May 2022, the coalition members began receiving the flyers. They continue to receive and distribute the quarterly flyers to this day. We also invited coalition members to attend the leader training courses being implemented viaAim #2. Aim #2: Through this grant, MSU Extension taught leader training courses for the chronic pain self-management program (CPSMP) and the chronic disease self-management program (CDSMP). Both courses consisted of 13 two-hour virtual sessions. We exceeded our goal of implementing two leader training courses by holding fivethrough thisgrant, including one for CPSMPand four for CDSMP. Our first leader training course was held in FY2021 with 12 people. That leader training course was done witha UP tribal substance abuse recovery clinic. In FY2022, we held three leader training coursesfor 31 people and in FY2023 we held a course with 13 people. The total number attendingleader training courses over the grant period was 56. Out of the 56 attendees, 55 (98%) became certified instructors. The one person who didn't become certified was counseled into volunteering in a different way. Aim #3: Initially, we explored many options for an online referral system and chose one system to pilot-test. The system we chose was the Michigan Health Information Network (MiHIN). We also hired a referrals coordinator to manage the pilot. At the launchof the pilot, promotional materials were sent to 357 family medicine and 70 opioid and/or pain clinics within MiHIN's network. While some clinics responded to our information, barriers with using the system precluded them from making patient referrals into programs electronically. Clinics reported that they used MiHIN to make patient referrals to other medical specialists, but the system was not conducive for making referrals to community-based entities. We thentried having clinic staff faxreferrals to us, but they reported that they could not sustain that manually heavy task in their workflow. Alternatively, they saidthey would pass along the program information to patients for them to sign up, if desired. Following that feedback, the project stopped the pilot and switched to a referral system that involved receiving referrals through a QR code and/or web link that either the patient or the provider could use. By May 2022, the new system and revised promotional materials were in place. At the launch of this new system our referrals coordinator sent the updated promotional materials to 240 Federally Qualified Health Centers, 10 health systems, and every MI clinic that offered free health care. A key tool for marketing the new referral system was a quarterly promotional flyer that featured upcoming programs to which referrals could be made. Since May 2022 we have received 271 referrals. Referrals have come from 40 out of the 83 counties in MI, the majority of which are classified through RUCA coding as rural. Out of 271 referrals, 86% were self-referrals, 7% were referrals from healthcare providers and 7% were referrals for a family member or friend. Thirty-six percent of referrals were for the Stress Less with Mindfulness (SLWM) program (n=151), 33% were for CPSMP or CDSMP (n=137), and 30% were for the RELAX: Alternatives to Anger (RELAX) program (n=126). The sum of the program-specific referrals (414) is larger than the total number of referrals (271) because many people were referred into multiple programs. AIM #4: Rural adults received virtual education through the five-week SLWM course, six-week CPSMP and CDSMP series, and four-week RELAX course. Online single classes were held to recruit rural adults into a course series. Our goals were to educate 2,160 rural adults in years 1 and 2 and 770 rural adults in a no-cost extension year (year 3), totaling 2,930 over the three-year period. By the grant's end, we had educated 3,790 unduplicated rural adults, thereby exceeding our goals. Program effectiveness was measured via pre- and post-course online evaluation surveys. Data was collected from 624 rural adults who attended one or more sessions of a course and completed at least the pre-course survey. Across the entire sample, participants primarily identified as women (80.6%), white (92.6%), and college educated (73.7%). Participants' age rangesincluded 18-34 years (23.1%), 35-44 years (17.8%), 45-54 years (17.6%), 55-64 years (18.8%) and 65+ years (22%). Rural adults reported a high degree of acceptability and satisfaction with the online format(see Table 1). Additionally, results indicated significant improvement over the grant period in perceived self-efficacy for implementing non-pharmaceutical pain self-management strategies and the frequency of engaging in stress management activities for all programs (see Table 2). It is also of note that, despite reporting higher levels of pain at the end of the study period (Mpre = 4.53; Mpost = 5.34; z = -2.28, p = .02), the vast majority (86%) of participants in programs directly targeting pain or disease management (CPSMP andCDSMP) reported either no change or a reduction in their use of pain medicine (34% less frequent use, 52% no change, 14% more frequent use; z=-2.29, p=.02).These results suggest that implementation of the prevention programs specified in this grant may have empowered rural adults to use non-pharmacological approaches for pain management; thereby increasing protective factors for preventing opioid misuse. Outcome Tables - Preliminary Results: Table 1 Participant Report of Acceptability and Satisfaction Evaluation Question CPSMP/CDSMP SLWM RELAX Yes No Yes No Yes No Was the technology (Zoom) easy touse? 89.2% 10.8% 100% - 98% 2.1% Would you have preferred more interaction 14.3% 85.7% 21.7% 78.3% 19.1% 80.9% with others in the program? Would you recommend an online course 94.7% 5.3% 100% - 100% - like this to a friend of neighbor Table 2 Results of Pre-Post Comparisons Outcome Pre Post t or Z p M SD M SD CPSMP/CDSMP: Perceived Self-Efficacy 6.80 2.11 7.81 1.59 -4.072a <.001 CPSMP/CDSMP:Freq. of Use of Stress 2.86 2.78 4.07 2.39 -2.848a .003 Management SLWM: Perceived Self-Efficacy 7.06 1.67 9.16 1.20 -5.111a <.001 SLWM:Freq. of Use of Stress 2.73 2.62 4.85 2.61 -2.661a .013 Management RELAX: Perceived Self-Efficacy 7.76 2.19 8.73 1.62 -4.4.39b <.001 RELAX:Freq. of Use of Stress 3.40 4.48 4.33 2.66 -2.701b .007 Management Note: Perceived Self-Efficacy scale 0=Not at all confident to 10=Totally confident; Freq. of Stress Mgmt. is # of times in the past week. at-statistic from Paired Samples T-test bZ-Statistic from Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Contreras, D.A., Eschbach, C.L., Arnetz, J., Dalimonte-Merckling, D.M. Kennedy, L.E. Tiret, H.B. (2023). Exploring Acceptability and Effectiveness of Distance Learning Courses to Teach Rural Residents Non-Pharmacological Coping Strategies, NCFR Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Eschbach, C.L., Contreras, D.A., & Kennedy, L. E. (2022). Three Cooperative Extension Initiatives Funded to Address Michigan's Opioid Crisis. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.921919
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Contreras, D.A., Demitz, C.R, Dalimonte-Merckling, D., Anderson, L., Carter, A., Cudney, A., Derror, T., Feliz-Mottley, Z., Gritter, K.N., Hebert, S., Persing-Wethington, N., Tiret, H., & Williams, E. (2023). Chronic Disease: Action For Post-Pandemic Wellness and Health. Family Relations.
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:We reached rural adults throughout Michigan with opioid misuse prevention education. We also reached coalition members and healthcare providers with grant activities. Changes/Problems:In Aim #1. Progress was halted for a time due to a significant change in CTC leadership at Northcare Network. Goals are carried over to this no-cost extension year. In Aim #3. We discovered that the HIE network chosen to carry out the goals of Aim #3 was not suitable for the project. In late FY22, we switched to a different method for receiving referrals. Plans are moving forward to train referral venues on this new system. Goals for this aim will continue in this no-cost extension year. In Aim #4. We had difficulty matching pre to post surveys from program participants, resultingin a smaller than expected sample size. We are piloting a new method for matching surveys in this no cost extension year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, three leader training courses were implemented in FY22. Two of the courses trained community members to teach Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) courses. The other leader training equipped community members to teach Chronic Pain Self-Management (CPSMP) courses within their local communities. Additionally, MSU Extension educators attended monthly professional development and update sessions on behalf of this grant. The sessions focused on marketing and recruitment to rural residents, course implementation and program evaluation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Data collection was ongoing throughout FY22, so results were not distributed during that time period. In the coming year we plan to distribute results of the survey implemented through Aim #1 to UP communities. We also plan to distribute the statistical findings from the program evaluation data collected during activities associated with Aim #4 through stakeholder reports, grantee meetings, and peer-reviewed journals and conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Plans for Aim #1: Our next step in Aim #1is to use the results of the baseline survey to determine how best to proceed with partnering with CTC coalitions to provide prevention programming within local communities. Initial discussions with coalition leadership have indicated a desire to learn more about MSUE prevention programs and staff, market MSUE prevention programs to CTC coalition clientele, and promote chronic disease and chronic pain self-management program "train-the-trainer" sessions to their local partners. Implementation of these types of activities will help us complete Aim #1 of our grant. Plans for Aim #2: During the no-cost extension year we plan to offer at least oneleader training for either the chronic pain or chronic disease program, based on community need and interest. The train-the-trainer sessions are offered virtually and are free of charge to participants. Plans for Aim #3: Our plan for Aim #3 during this no-cost extension is to heavily promote and train health-related professionals on the new referral program. The referral system can be reached through a QR code and/or a web link. Once on the system, referring entities can learn more about the different prevention programs available to their patients/clientele. They can then make referrals to as many prevention programs as indicated for the patient/client. All programs are free and delivered virtually through either Zoom or phone-based dissemination. Our goal is to receive an estimated 5 referrals per month, totaling to 60 referrals during the no-cost extension year. Plans for Aim #4: In our no-cost extension period we plan to have 7 Extension educators who will teach the evidence-based prevention programs targeted in this grant. The classes will be offered continuously, so program registrants won't need to wait to attend a program. The goal during this no-cost extension period is to reach 770 rural residents with prevention programs. We also plan to track changes in grant-related outcome variables through pre and post surveys administered to rural participants who attend series of classes. Unique Qualtrics links will be provided to each participant through Mail Merge to assist with matching the pre and post survey data. Our plans include making the findings from the program evaluation conducted through this grant widely available through peer-reviewed journals, stakeholder reports and grantee meetings.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Progress Toward Aim 1: In the fall of 2021, we met with the Communities That Care (CTC) coalition coordinators of the eight remaining coalitions in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (UP). The number of UP CTC coalitions was reduced from 15 to 8 coalitions due to budget cuts and staffing constraints. The purpose of this meeting was to introduce the coordinators to the goals of our Rural Health and Safety Education grant and have them review a draft version of a survey assessing baseline perceptions about partnering with Michigan State University Extension (MSUE). The meeting was held on November 1, 2021. At the meeting, participants reviewed and edited the survey to best meet the literacy needs of their coalition members. Once the edits were made and IRB approval was obtained, CTC coalition coordinators distributed the survey among their coalition members. The survey was active until January 31, 2022. In addition to conducting the survey, we also met with the CTC coalition coordinators in February 2022 to talk about evidence-based prevention programs that are available to them and in March 2022 to introduce them to local MSUE educators who are interested in partnering with them to do programming. In April 2022, there was a short pause in activitydue to a change in CTC leadership. Work resumed in July 2022, when the survey results were sent to the new CTC leadership. The survey results indicated that a little more than half of the respondents (55%) were currently partnering with MSUE, 36% had partnered with MSUE in the past and 9% had no previous experience with MSUE. In general, survey respondents felt that such supports as increased knowledge of MSUE programs and staff, increased access to professional development and expanded reach of people in their area would be beneficial to their coalitions. Next steps will be to make specific plans for partnering in the coming year. Progress Toward Aim 2: In FY22, three leader trainingcourses were implemented for local community members. All 3 leader training courses were 13 sessions in length. The sessions were facilitated virtually for 2 hours per session. Participantshad to attend all 13 sessions and successfully complete 2 "practice teaching" assignments to become certified instructors. Two of the courses taught in FY22 equipped community members to teach Chronic DiseaseSelf-Management Programs (CDSMP) and one course equipped them to teach Chronic Pain Self-Management programs. A total of 31 new leaders became certified through these training sessions. Progress Toward Aim 3:At the end of FY21, MSUE contracted with a for-profit health information exchange (HIE) to assist healthcare providers in makingpatient referrals into MSUE's prevention programs by using their Referrals Plus (RP) software. A referrals coordinator was also hired at that time. The referrals coordinatorobtained from the HIE a list of 1,140 medical clinicsusing RP in Michigan and worked with our project team to create a promotional brochure and cover letter to send to potentialreferral partners. We started the promotion by targeting 357 family medicine clinics on the list. While some clinicsresponded to our information, barriers with RP kept them from making the referrals. Next, promotional materials were mailed to 70 opioid and/or pain clinics on the list. Again, none of the clinics were interested in using RP to refer patients into programs, but many said they would pass along the informationto their patients for them to sign up using our website of upcoming classes. After much discussion, it was learned that the RP program added a layer of work for their staff that they could not afford to invest in, particularly during a pandemic. Theyprefer a simple referral system that is easily woven into the clinic's current workflow and doesn't require a great deal of investment in infrastructure changes or staff time.Consequently, we changed to receiving program participant referrals through a QR code and/or simple web link that allows the referring entity to enter the patient's name and contact information without linking them to other protected health information. We are currently distributing the new referral QR code and referral web link to free standing clinics in Michigan. Our referrals coordinator has sent the new referral link to 240 federally qualified health centers, 10 care managers within health systems that didn't have RP and every MI clinic that offers free health care. To date, we have received 8 participant referrals through the new system. Progress Toward Aim 4: In FY22, MSUE Educators continued to implement and evaluate the four evidence-based programs targeted in this grant. At the writing of this report, 2,460 rural residents have been reached with 1 or more of these classes. This is 114% of our grant goal of educating 2,160 rural residents during the two years of the grant. Preliminary data analyseshave been conducted with participants who attended 1 or more sessions of a program series and completed the pre and post surveys for the program (N=400). Preliminary results show statisticallysignificant improvementsin 1) perceived self-efficacy for implementing non-pharmaceutical pain self-management strategiesin all four of the programs and 2) frequency to which they engage in stress management activities in 3 out of the 4 programs. Additionally, reductions in pain medicine intake is statistically significantin1 program and trending toward significance in 2 other programs. Reductions in loneliness is also trending in one of the programs.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:We reached rural adults throughout Michigan with prevention programming. We also reached prevention members and healthcare providers with leader training. Changes/Problems:In Aim #1, distribution of the survey was postponed due to a change in Northcare Network's key personnel. We don't believe this delay will significantly impact the outcomes or impacts projected for Aim #1. In Aim #3, it took a long time (several more months than anticipated) to get a signed contract with the company that has the referral software. The university wanted to check health information exchanges, technology set ups, legal boundaries such as liability and intellectual property rights. We saw a demonstration of the referral system in October 2020 and began the process of purchasing the software as a referral site. It took until June 2021 to execute the contract. The referral software company had organizational changes and staff turnover that contributed to the delay. During the time of this grant, the company transitioned from a non-profit statewide business to a for-profit international company. The university also had several layers of reviews and approvals (from legal counsel to contracts and grants unit) that looked at terms and agreements. These issues delayed the pilot-test of the referral system and wide-spread rollout among healthcare providers in Michigan. Consequently, the number of presentations for healthcare providers we will be able implement has been impacted. Due to these delays, we will now only have time to conduct an estimated 6 to 8 presentations for healthcare providers, instead of the 16 presentations originally projected and the number of referrals will not be as high as the original target of 2200 adults, ages 18+. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. A training was held for all grant funded MSU Extension educators on January 5, 2021. Topics included use of the electronic process for registering participants in prevention classes, determination of rural status among prevention participants, use of grant-related attendance logs and evaluation tools, and monthly reporting of class numbers. Following the January training, monthly training sessions were held for MSU Extension educators and covered such topics as program marketing and recruitment, partnership-building, and participant retention. 2. A PATH train-the-trainer leader workshop began on August 26, 2021, with 12 potential PATH leaders. The course is ongoing until October 7, 2021. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A press release was written and distributed on October 15, 2020. Printed below is the link to the press release. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/msu-research-team-wins-grant-to-help-rural-communities-deal-with-opioid-crisis What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Plans for Aim #1: Plans have been made to introduce the survey to the CTC coalitions at an October 2021 meeting. Survey implementation is expected to begin shortly after the October meeting. Once the baseline survey is completed, the grant executive team will meet to review the results. Agendas for joint MSU Extension and CTC coalition meetings will be developed based upon the degree of familiarity and experience with MSU Extension prevention staff and programs. If the survey results indicate a low level of familiarity and experience between MSU Extension and CTC coalition activities, the meeting agendas will include more time devoted to dissemination of general information about the work of each organization. However, if the evaluation results indicate a high level of familiarity and experience with one another, the joint meeting agendas will have more of a focus on ways to promote and support the work of each organization. This may include such ideas as cross-marketing efforts and co-branding and joint implementation of programs for rural residents and training for coalition members and recovery coaches. The meetings will include discussions and plans for eliminating barriers and strengthening supports for collaborative prevention work. Changes in overall awareness of each organization's prevention programs and use of cross-referrals will be measured through meeting minutes and program enrollment. Plans for Aim #2: The first PATH train-the-trainer leader course will be completed on October 7, 2021. A second virtual PATH train-the-trainer class will be scheduled and promoted for early 2022. This class will also be marketed among recovery coaches and CTC coalition members. For both classes, training enrollment, attendance records, "practice teaching" assessments, and required observations will be collected to document how many trainees are eligible to begin co-instructing education programs. Plans for Aim #3: Use of the MiHIN electronic referral network will be piloted among rural healthcare providers in early fall 2021. Upon completion of a successful pilot, a presentation will be developed, and a continuing medical education (CME) application will be submitted by the end of 2021 to attract attendees to the presentation. In early 2022, use of MiHIN referrals will be widely promoted among healthcare providers reaching rural Michigan residents. Promotion techniques will include broad dissemination of the patient referral marketing brochure, calling and following up with contacts made at clinics, and implementation of presentations for healthcare providers located in the 57 rural counties in Michigan and ten ZIP code areas within non-rural counties. The focus on the location of clinics and healthcare providers will advance project goals to reach rural residents in the state. An estimated 6 to 8 presentations will be delivered online. We will work with CME coordinators to set up and market/ promote the presentations, including calendar and registration process details. The number and type of referrals, along with attendance and CME participation at presentations will document success of expanding the healthcare electronic referral pathway. Plans for Aim #4: We will continue to market, implement, and evaluate the four prevention classes for rural residents in Michigan's 57 rural counties. Evaluation data from the program will be analyzed and project results will be communicated to stakeholders at all levels.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Progress Toward Aim 1: Between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021, three partnership-building and planning meetings were held with Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and Northcare Network staff. Northcare Network coordinates all the Communities That Care (CTC) Coalitions in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. During the meetings, the Rural Health and Safety Education grant goals were reviewed and initial steps for successful completion of the goals were discussed. It was decided that the first step for Aim #1 would be to develop a survey to distribute to CTC coalition members to determine their familiarity with MSU Extension prevention programming and staff, past experiences with MSU Extension and barriers and supports for working with MSU Extension. The survey will be distributed to all members within the 15 CTC coalitions in the Upper Peninsula. The survey will be distributed via the Qualtrics software program. Results of the survey will be used as a baseline measurement of CTC coalition members' familiarity with MSU Extension prevention programs. The survey received IRB approval on July 1, 2021. Distribution of the survey was postponed due to a change in Northcare Network's key personnel. Plans have been made to introduce the survey to the CTC coalitions at an October 2021 meeting. Survey implementation is expected to begin shortly after the October meeting. Progress Toward Aim 2: Two MSU Extension educators attended training in January 2021 to become master trainers for the Personal Action Toward Health (PATH) classes. PATH classes are evidence-based, self-management prevention programs originally developed by Stanford University. They are now administered by the Self-Management Resource Center. Aim 2 of this grant seeks to equip local community members, including recovery coaches and CTC coalition members, to teach chronic disease and chronic pain PATH programs to rural residents. Following receipt of master trainer certification, MSU Extension worked with a tribal substance abuse recovery clinic (Keweenaw Bay Indian Community) in the Upper Peninsula to plan a PATH train-the-trainer leader class. The PATH train-the-trainer leader class started on August 26 with 12 potential PATH leaders in attendance. The classes are being held virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 3:30 pm and will run through October 7, 2021. Participants will need to attend all the 13 virtual class sessions and conduct two practice teaching sessions to become certified PATH leaders. Progress Toward Aim 3: During the first six months of the grant, the Rural Health and Safety Education grant executive team explored several options for development of an electronic menu of programs and referral pathway that rural healthcare providers could use to refer patients into MSU Extension's prevention programs. After careful consideration, a decision was made to contract/subscribe to the Michigan Health Information Network (MiHIN). MiHIN was selected because it is an electronic health information exchange system that is already being utilized by many healthcare providers in Michigan to make patient referrals. It contains an easy-to-use, comprehensive referral and feedback process called "Referrals Plus." MSU Extension is currently in the process of setting up our "Referrals Plus" site where family medicine clinics (physicians and staff) will refer patients to free, online, community-based programs delivered by MSU Extension. In addition to setting up our Referrals Plus site, we have also developed a promotional brochure that provides healthcare providers with a description of the prevention programs to which patients may be referred, web links where more in-depth information about the programs may be accessed, and a general MSU email address where anyone can send patient referrals, regardless of whether they are a MiHIN subscriber. Additionally, we hired a referral coordinator in May 2021 to manage the Referrals Plus software system, create and disseminate marketing products for Referrals Plus among healthcare providers, and monitor the schedule of online programs available. Progress Toward Aim 4: In the fall of 2020, MSU Extension created evaluation tools that measure key program outcomes for the project. The tools include three sets of pre/post tools with standardized scales for use with Chronic Disease and Chronic Pain PATH classes, the Stress Less with Mindfulness menu of programs, and the RELAX: Alternatives to Anger program. The evaluation tools were developed in Qualtrics software and designed to be administered virtually. We also created a consent form and study protocol for the project. All the evaluation materials received approval for use from Michigan State University's IRB on November 6, 2020. Following receipt of IRB approval, we developed an electronic process for program registration that included completion of the evaluation pre-surveys, electronic shared calendars for scheduling of prevention programs and promotional flyers for marketing the programs. By January 2021, MSU Extension educators were marketing, virtually delivering, and evaluating all four programs. Between January 1 and July 31, 2021, MSU Extension staff provided prevention education to 851 rural residents. This is 79% of our grant goal of reaching 1,080 rural residents with prevention programming. Throughout the entire grant period, we held monthly meetings with all programming staff to monitor project progress and work together for best marketing. Additionally, monthly planning meetings were held with the Rural Health and Safety Education grant executive team to provide overall leadership for all grant activities.
Publications
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