Transforming Rural Health: Mobile Health Clinics to Reach More People
Official title: Transforming Rural Health: Strategies for Effective Mobile Health Clinic Deployment
Funded at Sam Houston State University · NIH-11286379 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A researcher team is testing how to better use mobile health clinics in rural Oklahoma to help people access chronic disease care, testing, and vaccines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sam Houston State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Huntsville, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $218,160 |
| NIH project number | 1R21MD021283-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11286379 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Rural residents in Southwest Oklahoma who could benefit from easier access to testing, vaccination, and chronic disease management services.
✕Less likely to help
People outside the rural areas or those not in need of mobile clinic services may see little direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project partners with Oklahoma communities to understand why mobile health clinics aren’t reaching people as much as they could and to make deployment more efficient. It uses surveys and interviews with residents, clinicians, and clinic staff to identify trust, awareness, and access barriers, then crafts communication strategies and service improvements. In parallel, it builds a GIS-based decision-support tool that helps plan where and when clinics should operate to reach those in need in real time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could increase awareness, trust, and use of mobile clinics, improving access to chronic disease care and preventive services in rural areas.
How similar studies have gone: Previous efforts show that targeted outreach and data-driven deployment can improve service uptake, but this approach combines community engagement with GIS planning in a new way.
Where this research is happening
-
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Xuewei — Sam Houston State University
- Study coordinator: Chen, Xuewei
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.