Current Studies

Investigator

Title

Suzanne Leveille, RN, PhD HRCA/Harvard Research Nursing Home Program Project
  Funding: P01 AG04390 (9/1/04-8/31/09)

Study of the course and consequences of musculoskeletal pain in an elderly cohort.
  Health E-Technologies Initiative Grant:  Improving Chronic Disease Care with PatientSite
  Funding: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Randomized controlled trial to test whether educational interventions - directed toward empowering patients and informing physicians and delivered via the secure patient Internet portal PatientSite - can improve the outcomes and satisfaction with care of adult primary care patients with 3 common conditions: chronic pain, depression, and difficulty walking.
Edward Marcantonio, MD, MSc    Donepezil-enhanced Management of Delirium in Aged Hip Fracture Patients
  Funding: R21 AG027549 (9/1/06-8/31/08)

This is a NIH Exploratory/Development Research Grant proposal to enroll 40 hip fracture patients aged 70 and older in a pilot double-masked randomized trial.  All subjects will receive proactive geriatrics consultation and our trial will test whether the addition of donepezil results in enhanced prevention and treatment of delirium symptoms. 
  Caregiver-based Intervention for Persistent Delirium
  Funding: R21 AG026566 (9/15/06-9/14/08)

Pilot randomized trial of a Caregiver-based Intervention for Persistent Delirium (CIPD) to determine the feasibility of performing a caregiver-based health coach mediated intervention in patients with persistent delirium.  To understand caregivers' experience of persistent delirium and to obtain feedback on how to improve our intervention.
  Delirium and Cognitive Decline in Cardiac Surgery Patients
  A prospective observational study enrolling 300 subjects admitted for coronary artery bypass surgery.  Goals are to 1) determine the incidence of postoperative delirium, long-term cognitive decline, and the inter-relationship between the two, 2) to investigate novel biochemical and physical mediators of delirium, and 3) given delirium, to examine factors associated with delirium persistence vs. recovery.
Ellen McCarthy, PhD, MPH Community Elders' End of Life Choices: The Framingham Study
  Study to examine advance care planning and healthcare preferences among community-dwelling elders of the original cohort of the Framingham Heart Study and to determine whether care is consistent with patients' preferences.
  Cancer Care and Outcomes for Disable Medicare Patients
  Funding: R01CA100029

Project to describe cancer diagnoses, treatments, outcomes, and Medicare costs for beneficiaries with disabilities.

  Racial Differences in CAM Use for Common Medical Conditions
  Funding: R03AT002236

Study to better understand use of alternative and complementary medicine for adults with common medical conditions, especially for racial and ethnic minorities and economically disadvantaged individuals.

 Kenneth Mukamal, MD, MPH Moderate Alcohol Use: Preferences and Outcomes
  Survey of medical outpatients regarding alcohol consumption and study to determine the cost-effectiveness of changes in alcohol use using a population-wide, state transition decision analytic model.
  Alcohol and Chronic Disease Among Vulnerable Populations
  Funding: R01 AA011181-06 (9/1/97-3/31/09)

Study of the health effects of alcohol among populations at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
  Cardiovascular Health Study
  Funding: NHLBI

Large Cohort study of cardiovascular and other diseases in older adults.  Dr. Mukamal serves on the Steering Committee which approves all projects and grants that use data from it.
Long Ngo, PhD Effects of Air Pollution and Poverty on Respiratory Health of Vietnamese Children in Ho Chi Minh City
  Funding: Health Effects Institute and Asian Development Bank

First collaborative research project between the government of Vietnam and international collaborators from Hong Kong, Norway, and the United States in the investigation of the effect of pollutants and poverty on respiratory health outcomes.
Russell Phillips, MD Tai Chi Mind-Body Therapy for Chronic Heart Failure
  Funding: R01AT002454 (10/1/04-9/30/08)

Clinical trial to investigate the role of Tai Chi in current heart failure management, further our understanding of the mechanism of action, and provide preliminary analyses of the costs and benefits of treatment.
Mara Schonberg, MD, MPH Benefits and Burdens of Screening Oldest-old Women:  the Case or Mammography
  Funding: 1 K23 AG028584-01A1 (9/30/07-9/29/12)

Project I:
A study of breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes among oldest-old women with breast cancer.

Project II:
A pilot longitudinal observational study to describe the psychological impact and the decision-making process after an abnormal mammogram of oldest-old women compared to younger-old women.
  The Psychological Impact and Decision Making of Older Women after an Abnormal Mammogram
  Funding: T Franklin Williams Scholars Award in Geriatrics (7/1/07-6/30/09)

Pilot longitudinal study of 50 women aged 80 and older and 50 women aged 65-79 to examine the psychological impact and decision-making process of older women after an abnormal mammogram. 
Christina Wee, MD, MPH Race and Health Outcomes Associated with Obesity
  Funding: R01 DK071083 (3/1/06-2/28/10)

Project analyzing large nationally-generalizable secondary data to study the influence of race on obesity's impact on different health outcomes such as mortality, novel cardiovascular risk factors, delays in the diagnosis of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and healthcare expenditures.
  Understanding How Patients Value Bariatric Surgery
  Funding: R01 DK073302-01A2 (8/1/07-6/30/12)

Project I:  Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (ABS) Study.
Racially diverse cohort study of 600 patients recruited from two bariatric centers to examine the perspectives and experiences of patients seriously contemplating weight loss surgery; to assess the long-term health and quality of life outcomes of surgery by measuring health utility over time, and to identify factors that predict greatest value and benefit from surgery.

Project II: Patients' Preferences for Weight and Weight Treatment.
Cross-sectional survey of 500 primary care patients from the community to better understand patients' perceptions, preferences, and value for weight loss and different weight treatments, and identify barriers and factors that influence decision-making that might explain current racial variation in the use of bariatric surgery and other treatments.
  Understanding Patients' Preferences for Approaches to Weight Control
  This series of related studies examines the preferences of primary care patients for different weight control practices and treatment approaches.  Findings from these studies will guide the development of primary care based interventions that address obesity and will help improve the care delivered to patients with and at risk for obesity.

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