The prevalence of diabetes in southeastern Appalachian Ohio is 19.9%, nearly double the national average of 10.5%. Here, people are more likely to be diagnosed late, have limited access to healthcare, and lower health literacy. Moreover, people in southeastern Ohio are more likely to be unemployed, food insecure, have lower educational achievement, and limited access to transportation. These social determinants of health (SDoH) contribute to the diabetes disparities observed in the region. One approach to address these disparities is to develop tailored continuing education for healthcare providers. We developed a 3-hour cinematic virtual reality (cine-VR) program to educate providers about diabetes, SDoH, and Appalachian culture. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with providers (age=43.8±11.8 years; 90.0% female; 95.0% white, 20.0% nurses) to explore their experiences with the cine-VR program. Three researchers independently coded the interviews, resolved discrepancies, and agreed on themes. Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: 1) Feeling Like You Are in the Room: Providers commented on the realism of cine-VR. They had access to the whole environment via a 360-degree headset and felt fully immersed in the simulations as if they were in the room with the patient. 2) Empathizing with People’s Stories: Providers identified with the content in the cine-VR, specifically the clothing, cars, houses, and the notion of “taking care of everyone else but yourself.” They understood the patient’s frustrations, disappointments, and competing priorities. 3) Highlighting the Strengths of Appalachia: Providers noted the program’s emphasis on family, caregiving, loyalty, and generosity, and how these cultural values can be utilized in diabetes care. These qualitative findings demonstrate the value of culturally tailored digital storytelling as engaging content for providers to learn about diabetes, SDoH, and Appalachian culture.
E. A. Beverly: None. C. Love: None. M. Love: None.
