UAB Medical Student Meghna Katta recently presented her research “Identifying Factors Associated with Trust in Telemedicine” at the Tripartite Colorectal Meeting in New Zealand virtually. Katta is mentored by both faculty and trainees within the Department of Surgeryand completed the department’s T35 STREAMS program last summer under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Chu.

Katta’s presentation described several elements at the provider-level that affect patient trust in telemedicine. She concluded that providers and healthcare systems should design and implement interventions that boost interpersonal communication through patience, attentiveness, and transparency.  

“This study is important because telemedicine has the potential to mitigate disparities in surgical care by providing a mechanism to deliver high quality care regardless of factors such as race, geography, or income,” said Katta.

Following her presentation, Katta also received news that she was awarded the AcademyHealth Alice S. Hersh Student Scholarship.

As the winner of the scholarship, Katta will participate in the co-located Health Datapalooza (HDP) & National Health Policy Conference (NHPC). She will receive complimentary registration for the 2022 HDP/NHPC, which will allow her to engage with innovators in health data and transformation as well as health policy.

Katta is delighted to have had the opportunity to present internationally as well as to receive the AcademyHealth scholarship.

“It’s such an honor to present my work to an international audience,” said Katta. “I am grateful to my mentors in the department for their support and am excited to continue this research throughout my time in medical school. I’m also elated to have received the Alice S. Hersh Student Scholarship and to represent UAB at the 2022 HDP/NHPC.”

According to AcademyHealth, the selection committee judged applications based on the applicant’s commitment and potential to contribute to the fields of health services research and health policy.