# Leveraging Telehealth to Overcome Research Implementation and Data Collection Challenges in the Era of COVID-19

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · 2021 · $37,790

## Abstract

Project Summary
In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been an unprecedented scale of disruption in
implementation of health research around the world. Health systems, health providers and patients
alike have been negatively impacted by the lockdowns, restrictions to travel, the need for social
distancing, the lack of personal protective equipment among others. Compliance to new requirements
has resulted in protocol adjustments and unexpected expenses in the field research operations. The
administrative supplemental funding request is motivated by our team’s commitment to complete data
collection to achieve a sample size with adequate power for statistical significance. The parent study
protocol required close in-person interactions between research staff and patients during the baseline
enrollment and follow up visits. The baseline enrollment visit involves face-to-face screening for study
eligibility, obtaining written informed consent, clinical assessment, a baseline questionnaire and training
patients in the VDOT intervention arm to use of a smartphone app as part of the trial. The follow-up
involves 3 in-person visits follow up visits at the clinics. To-date, the parent study timeline expires April
30th 2021, yet only 30.6% of the study participants have completed the study. The goal of the
supplement is to modify study implementation protocols to increase use of telehealth to enhance
efficiency, safety and completion of follow up visits. The goal of this project will be accomplished
through the following specific aims.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10395789
- **Project number:** 3R21TW011365-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Juliet Nabbuye Sekandi
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $37,790
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-05-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10395789

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10395789, Leveraging Telehealth to Overcome Research Implementation and Data Collection Challenges in the Era of COVID-19 (3R21TW011365-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10395789. Licensed CC0.

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