Research Projects
Explore highlighted telehealth research projects
Our research focuses on how telehealth can:
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Improve patient outcomes.
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Increase patient access to care, especially in rural or underserved communities.
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Make health care more cost-effective.
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Boost both patient and clinician satisfaction.
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Improve overall quality of care.
See research publications »
Improving Screening and Identification of Developmental Concerns in Infants from Spanish-Speaking Families
Principal Investigator: Meagan Talbott, Ph.D.
Co-Investigators: Kaori Terol, Ph.D., and Aubyn Stahmer, Ph.D.
Funding Agency: UC Davis Children's Hospital Children's Miracle Network Grant
Award: $100,000
Period: July 1, 2025-June 30, 2027
Project Description: Infants with social communication delays are more likely to have later language delays or meet criteria for autism as toddlers. Most studies on early development and identification of autism have only included infants from English-speaking families. This is because most research and clinical tools are only available in English. Our team recently adapted a new telehealth assessment tool for use with Spanish-speaking families, called the Telehealth Evaluation of Development for Infants en Español (TEDI-Es). This project uses the TEDI-Es to better understand the concerns Spanish-speaking caregivers may have about their infants and to evaluate how well the TEDI-Es perform compared to other screening tools.
Leveraging Telehealth to Identify Infants at Elevated Likelihood for Autism in the First Year of Life
Principal Investigator: Meagan Talbott, Ph.D.
Funding Agency: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Award: $3.2 million
Period: Aug. 15, 2023-May 31, 2028
Project Description: This project aims to learn more about the development and outcomes of infants with early developmental concerns via telehealth, and to identify different factors that support families’ participation and satisfaction with telehealth-based assessments.
The Collaborative UC Teleophthalmology Initiative for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening
Principal Investigator: Glenn Yiu, M.D., Ph.D.
Co-Investigators: George Su, M.D., (UCSF Health), Matthew Freeby, M.D., (UCLA Health), and Christine Thorne, M.D., M.P.H., (UC San Diego Health)
Funding Agency: University Office of the President (UCOP) Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI)
Award: $2 million
Period: Jan. 1, 2023-Dec. 31, 2026
Project Description: Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in adults, yet fewer than half of Californians with diabetes receive annual eye screenings, with vulnerable populations most affected. Teleophthalmology programs utilizing retinal imaging in primary care have improved screening rates and identified additional eye diseases. However, technical and financial barriers limit their adoption. The Collaborative UC Teleophthalmology Initiative (CUTI) unites four UC campuses to expand access, address implementation challenges, and build infrastructure for AI-driven research to achieve a 65% screening benchmark and reduce disparities in eye care. The interdisciplinary collaboration includes experts in public health, diabetes care, clinical informatics, implementation science, and ophthalmic imaging at UC Davis Health, UCSF Health, UCLA Health, and UC San Diego Health. The program provides training opportunities for medical and research trainees to utilize implementation science to address a public health problem, study health disparities, collaborate on health services research, and develop system-level solutions for long-term sustainability of teleophthalmology programs.
