How do we build better healthcare for an aging world?
Sophomore premed student Rukaya Alhemuzi and Charu Chandra, professor of decision sciences in the College of Business, set out to find answers through UM-Dearborn’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience program, exploring where healthcare infrastructure breaks down — and how to fix it.
Chandra and Alhemuzi have seen older adult family members navigate complicated healthcare systems. Chandra even served as his mom’s primary caregiver for 25 years until she passed away at age 92. He took her to appointments, talked to the doctors, and helped her manage daily living chores and prescriptions.
“During my time as a caregiver, I saw some ways that processes could be improved,” says Chandra. “In the United States, healthcare spending consumes approximately 18% of the national gross domestic product — totaling nearly $6 trillion — yet structural inefficiencies, severe staffing shortages and high 30-day hospital readmission rates continue to plague elder care. I’m not blaming anyone. I know people are working very hard. But it’s important to explore how available resources, like technology, can improve modern healthcare systems to improve the experiences and outcomes of the patient.”
To address this, Chandra wanted to understand global best practices in healthcare. He talked with doctors across the U.S. and around the world about how they administer care. He looked at national healthcare policies. “To look at the challenges we face and see what opportunities for improvement exist, I wanted to define best practices that can be applied universally.”
Given the large scope of work, Chandra contacted the SURE program to connect with a student researcher to assist him.
UM-Dearborn students admitted to the SURE program receive a stipend to conduct research alongside faculty mentors on specialized projects. Over the summer, they gather data, interpret findings and practice presenting their research. In addition, students attend professional development workshops on how to turn these experiences into marketable career skills in their chosen fields and post-undergrad research opportunities.
Alhemuzi, a behavioral and biological sciences major, learned about the SURE program and Chandra’s healthcare-focused project through an online information session about research opportunities at UM-Dearborn. Like Chandra, she wanted to learn how to best provide patient care — and saw how this work could help her and her future patients when she begins working in the medical field.
She says this research is especially important because, worldwide, the population is aging and chronic illnesses are surging. For example, 93% of adults ages 65 and older in the U.S. reported at least one chronic condition, and 78.8% reported multiple chronic conditions. “It’s getting increasingly important that people get connected to the care they need,” she says. “This is universally needed research. This is a problem we are all facing.”
Alhemuzi says her research focused on identifying common healthcare delivery problems. She searched peer-reviewed literature in library databases to identify key research themes, performed data analysis to compare elderly population subsets in the United States to elderly populations in other countries, and gathered macro-level public data from sources such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations and U.S. government healthcare agencies.
Overall, she says research points to healthcare systems needing to shift away from fragmented, disease-centered treatment and to move toward a more person-focused approach that addresses patient needs in a more holistic way: biological, psychological, functional and social.
Common themes that she identified included the need for medical professionals to help prevent physical and mental decline by combining regular health checks, team-based care and solutions beyond prescription drugs; people designing healthcare systems should study what other nations are doing well and incorporate best practices, and aging family members need support from the younger generation.
Chandra, who has an appointment at U-M’s Center for Global Health Equity and volunteers for Corewell Health, said he’s exploring how technology can help with these.
For example, advanced electronic health record systems and artificial intelligence can help streamline diagnostic timelines, like delivering CT scan evaluations in minutes. They can also help primary care doctors and specialists communicate more effectively and efficiently. And automated health apps, along with training on how to use the apps, can remind seniors exactly when to take their medication — taking some of the daily stress off family caregivers and home aides.
Drawing on 25 years in manufacturing, Chandra sees healthcare at an inflection point similar to the 1970s American automotive industry. “I understand it is not exactly the same — cars are not people. But to deliver what patients need in a time- and cost-efficient way, we must apply proven manufacturing principles to streamline hospital supply chains, support care providers like doctors, specialists and aides, and ultimately improve patient outcomes without replacing the essential human element.”
Alhemuzi is grateful for Chandra’s mentorship during the project. “I couldn’t believe I was selected to do research so soon after starting college. I was so excited,” says Alhemuzi. Chandra says the SURE program is designed as a research mentorship, so he wasn’t expecting experience. Instead, Chandra was looking for someone with passion about the topic. “Rukaya had great questions for me about my research and I could see her natural curiosity,” he says. “I’ve found that she’s an excellent student and researcher.”
The aspiring neurologist says this research will guide her in her future career.
"I know I'll just be one physician, but I hope to bring empathy and clear communication to my field and my future team,” Alhemuzi says. “This research project explored issues that need to be addressed in our healthcare systems. What I learned this summer will help me when I become a doctor.”
The SURE Showcase — with nearly 50 projects across the university’s four colleges — will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday in the Renick University Center’s Kochoff Hall.
Article by Sarah Tuxbury
