Alaska Paid Clinical Trials

For the past 20+ years the investigators have focused on addressing two interrelated public health issues, alcohol use disorder (AUD) and suicide in Alaska. There is no greater source of health disparity in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities than that involving AUD and suicide, and no greater necessity in addressing this disparity than the development of sustained, trusting, collaborative, and non-exploitive research relationships with those who historically experienced forced acculturation and exploitation. Yup'ik community leaders have made addressing AUD and suicide among their highest priorities. Working with Yup'ik community members, the investigators developed a multilevel (individual, family, peer, and community) intervention that uses a culturally-based AUD and suicide prevention framework. The Qungasvik (kung-az-vik; a Yup'ik word meaning 'toolbox') intervention is a Yup'ik AN approach to prevention organized and implemented utilizing a local indigenous theory of change and process model to build protective factors against AUD and suicide. The purposes of the proposed research are to: (a) validate results obtained from previous smaller intervention studies aimed at reducing the incidence of AUD and suicide in 12-18 year old Yup'ik Alaska Native (AN) youth; and (b) learn more about the relative importance of the individual, family, peer, and community variables that underscore the Qungasvik intervention. This study will: (a) assess the efficacy of the Qungasvik intervention through a two group community level trial using an interrupted time series design with wait-listed control, and (b) examine mechanisms of change in response to intervention. Specific aims (SA) of the project are to: (SA1) test the Qungasvik intervention efficacy through impact on the ultimate outcome variables of reasons for life and reflective processes on alcohol use consequences, and on suicidal ideation and alcohol use; (SA2) examine the mechanisms of change in response to the Qungasvik intervention through (a) self-report outcome measures of protective factors (b) social network assessment and (c) process evaluation; (SA3) test levels of fidelity of the implementation of the intervention with regard to the Yup'ik indigenous theory-driven intervention model outlined in the Qungasvik manual of operations. Read Less

The investigators have designed a group randomized, multi-level, sustainable stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention trial - "Blood Pressure: Improving Control among Alaska Native People" (BP-ICAN) - that targets blood pressure control among Alaska Native and American Indian people diagnosed with hypertension. Washington State University will assist with design, provides general scientific and clinical consulting, will help guide implementation and conduct statistical analyses. The purpose of the study is to see if monitoring blood pressure at home improves the management of hypertension. Participants will include adults who have a diagnosis of hypertension and have not achieved blood pressure control. During the pandemic, blood pressure control will be assessed during a week long study of home blood pressure readings. This study will include both a control arm (treatment as usual) and an intervention arm. Primary Care Center (PCC) provider teams and associated panels of Alaska Native or American Indian (ANAI) adults will be randomized into the control or intervention arm. The investigators will recruit up to 10 ANAI adults per PCC provider for a total of 324 participants. Intervention participants will receive a home blood pressure monitor (HBPM), upload personal home blood pressure values into a data mall, and be encouraged to communicate with providers and pharmacists about HBPM results using an online electronic health record application, telephone, or other existing clinical processes. HBPM measurements for each intervention arm participant will be provided to provider teams and integrated pharmacists. Control participants will receive care as usual. The investigators will collect data from study participants in both the intervention and control arms over a 12 month period. Participants will meet with investigators at time of consent (baseline), and 3, 6, and 12 months after baseline. At each visit, participants will have blood pressure measured using 3 methods (aneroid sphygmomanometer, automated Omron upper arm cuff device, and automated Omron wrist cuff device), complete surveys, and have height, weight, and arm circumference measured. In-person measures are omitted during the pandemic and only one method of blood pressure measurement is used (upper arm cuff device). Clinical and service utilization information will be electronically queried with participant consent. The investigators will examine whether participants in the intervention arm have better blood pressure control at the end of the 12 month period than participants in the control arm. Read Less

GoCheck has developed and deployed a home-based visual acuity test that may be used in-office or in residence. The test methodology utilizes modified ATS and ETDRS protocols with Sloan optotypes, crowding bars and sophisticated algorithms. The objective of this study is to determine if the results of the GoCheck visual acuity test performed in an office setting correlate to the same testing when implemented in the residence Read Less