Sruthi Ramesh, MD
Nominated From: University of Colorado
Research Site: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Research Area: Surgical Care
Primary Mentor: Lacey LaGrone, MD, MPH
Research Project
Virtual Communities of Practice in Peru for Surgical Care in Physicians in Resource Variable Settings
Virtual communities of practice (vCoPs) enable healthcare workers to share expertise, collaborate, and seek support, particularly in settings with limited access to specialists. Despite their widespread use, vCoPs remain poorly described in resource-limited contexts. This project aims to characterize vCoP structures and functions, examine how they complement or substitute for formal resources, and identify the gaps they fill in supporting both acute and non-acute care, using thyroid cancer, surgical care for HIV/AIDS patients and road traffic injury treatment as clinical practice scenarios. Using a cross-sectional observational design, semi-structured interviews and anonymous surveys will be conducted with healthcare providers across urban and rural sites. Interviews will explore vCoP scope, membership, and provider experiences with existing guidelines. Surveys will expand these findings to a larger sample, capturing quantitative and qualitative data on usage patterns, barriers, and reliance on alternative resources. By clarifying the role of vCoPs, this study will inform strategies to strengthen collaborative networks and improve equitable healthcare delivery.
Research Significance
Virtual communities of practice (vCoPs) offer a complementary approach to support providers in underserved regions. Literature has already documented their use in the U.S., yet much remains to be learned about how to structure and sustain them effectively. Our proposed project in Peru provides a unique opportunity to study vCoPs in variable resource settings and apply those insights to strengthen models in the U.S. This aligns directly with the Rural Health Transformation Program’s goal of expanding sustainable healthcare access in rural communities. Importantly, the benefits of vCoPs extend beyond rural care. They can enable real-time guidance for providers working in acute or resource-limited environments, including during military operations or active combat. By connecting healthcare workers across distances and resource contexts, vCoPs ensure critical expertise is accessible where it is most needed. By studying and strengthening vCoPs in Peru, this project can generate lessons with direct relevance for improving healthcare access and equity in diverse U.S. settings where traditional resources remain limited.
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