Rural Community Peer Partnerships for Improving Methamphetamine-Associated Heart Failure Screening and Engagement
Principal Investigators
Oregon Health & Sciences University
- Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine
- Head of Addiction Medicine
PEER-HEART Project Aims
The overarching goal of PEER-Heart is to improve screening of MAHF and linkage to evidence-based cardiology care for people who use methamphetamine in rural areas. We leverage existing community-based outreach and research infrastructure and partner with a tertiary care academic center with over 150 admissions for MAHF per year. Community-based peers are trained to implement a screening program for MAHF (questionnaire, point of care BNP, ECG) for clients using methamphetamine. Those who screen positive are randomized to peer facilitated tele-cardiology visits with an urban academic medical center cardiology team versus peer-facilitated community-based cardiology referral. RE-AIM-QuEST implementation framework assesses feasibility, acceptability, and linkage to cardiology care at 6 months (primary outcome). The PEER-Heart study aims to:
Aim 1: Adapt and implement a peer-directed MAHF screening program and assess its feasibility and acceptability for people with methamphetamine use living in rural communities.
Aim 2: Pilot peer-facilitated tele-cardiology care versus peer-facilitated local cardiology referral to improve linkage to cardiology care for clients screening positive for MAHF. Ho: People assigned to peer-facilitated tele-cardiology have greater linkage to cardiology care compared to peer-facilitated referrals to usual care.
Aim 3: Evaluate implementation facilitators and barriers using qualitative interviews with patients, peers, and healthcare workers.
