Dr. Tapan Mehta, professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, spoke about improving access to care and health outcomes in rural communities during a Bahar Endowed Lecture at the 25th Annual Rural Health Conference. The conference was hosted by the Institute for Rural Health Research, which is part of the College of Community Health Sciences.
Mehta’s lecture, “Towards Excellence in Primary Care and Rural Health,” focused on research methods designed to fit naturally into everyday doctor visits. He explained that many traditional research studies require extra time and resources that busy clinics, especially those in rural areas, often do not have.
Mehta emphasized real‑world research that can be carried out as part of routine patient care. This approach allows doctors to learn what works best while continuing to see patients, leading to faster improvements in care. He shared examples of appliable digital tools, such as remote patient monitoring, which allows patients to track their health at home and share information with their care team.
Mehta discussed how these tools can help manage chronic conditions like diabetes by giving providers timely information and helping patients stay engaged in their care. He also stressed the importance of community partnerships, noting that involving patients and local communities in shaping research helps ensure programs are practical and meet real needs.
Strong networks that connect clinics, researchers and communities are essential, especially in underserved areas, Mehta said. “These networks make it easier for clinics to participate in research and adopt new care strategies without adding strain to their daily operations.”
Mehta also highlighted the need to train future health care providers and support current clinicians.
“Building a strong primary care workforce is key to improving health outcomes and ensuring long-term access to care in rural communities,” he said.
The David and Natica Bahar Memorial Lecture was established in 1987 by the late Dr. David Bahar in memory of his late wife, Natica Bahar. The lecture promotes the quality and practice of internal medicine at CCHS by supporting a distinguished speaker each year. Bahar was widely known in Tuscaloosa County for his work fighting tuberculosis and served as a clinical professor in internal medicine, as well as a past president of both the Alabama TB Hospital Association and the Alabama Thoracic Society.