American Cancer Society

Site PI: Rebecca Edwards, DNP, ARNP, Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN

The proposed study is an important step in the process of fully integrating palliative care services across Jamaica’s health institutions and centers. The overarching goal of the study is to determine best avenues to train a multidisciplinary palliative care workforce in Jamaica in order to provide care that will improve quality of life and reduce suffering for the many Jamaicans impacted by late-stage serious illnesses. This study will also foster the ongoing formal relationship between the Schools of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of the West Indies Mona campus.

National Institute of Nursing Research/NIH/DHHS 

Co-PIs: Ronit Elk, PhD & Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN

This study compares a robust, culturally-based Palliative Care Tele-consult program to usual hospital care to determine whether a culturally-based Palliative Care Tele-consult program leads to lower symptom burden (primary aim) and higher patient and caregiver quality of life, care satisfaction, and lower caregiver burden at Day 7 post-consultation, and lower resource use 30-days post-discharge (secondary aim) in hospitalized AA and W older adults with a life-limiting illness.

Supplement to: A Community-Developed, Culturally-Based PC Tele-Consult Program for African American and White Rural Southern Elders with a Life-limiting Illness)

National Institute of Nursing Research/NIH/DHHS 

PI: Shena Gazaway, BSN, MSN, Ph.D.

The goals of this supplement are to explore the cultural values, beliefs and attitudes of rural African American family caregiver participants in the parent randomized trial about serious illness, consideration of treatment options, and determine how these factors influence the decision-making goals of care for their loved one.

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Co-I: Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN

Comparative effectiveness of 2 possible palliative care (PC) models for patients with end-stage liver disease in improving quality of life (QoL) from baseline to 4 months as assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary (FACT-HEP). A sub-study will conduct qualitative interviews with study participants (i.e. patients, caregivers, and clinicians) to determine study impact on practice and patient outcomes.

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Site PI: Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN

This study is a comparative effectiveness trial of early-integrated palliative care delivered via telehealth (via secure teleconference) versus in person. This study will determine whether telemedicine palliative care is equivalent to in-person palliative care in improving patient-reported quality of life.

National Palliative Care Research Center

PI: Erin Currie, MSN, PhD, RN, CPLC

This is a 2-year, multi-site (Children’s of Alabama, Birmingham; Batson Children’s Hospital, Jackson, MS; Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA) focused on pediatric palliative care (PPC) received in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the Deep South. The aim of this study is to (a) describe sociodemographic/racial differences in NICU patients’/parents’ PPC outcomes and (b) explore bereaved parent preferences and needs related to PPC during and following their infant’s hospitalization in the NICU.

Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging (K76)

National Institute on Aging, the American Federation of Aging Research

PI: Anand Sathyan Iyer, MD, MSPH
Co-Mentor: Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN

This award supports early-stage physician and other health professional investigators with a commitment to aging and/or aging-related diseases to advance research and leadership skills in their specialty and in the broader field of aging and geriatrics research. Specifically, this award would support an RCT of geriatric-palliative care following hospitalization for severe exacerbation of COPD.

National Institute of Nursing Research/NIH/DHHS 

PI: Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN

The purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to determine whether a phone-based concurrent palliative care intervention improves advanced heart failure (HF) patient quality of life, depression/anxiety, reduces symptom impact and resource utilization and reduces HF family caregivers’ depression, burden and improves quality of life at 48 weeks after enrollment compared with the usual standard of HF care.   

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic

PI: Lisa Zubkoff, PhD
Co-investigators: Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN, Richard Taylor, DNP, CRNP, APN-BC, J. Nicholas Dionne-Odom, PhD, APRN, ACHPN, FPCN, Maria Pisu, PhD

Compare the effectiveness of virtual learning collaborative (VLC) vs. Technical assistance (TA) on ENABLE program uptake as measured by the proportion of patients at participating NCORP practices who complete the ENABLE program. The long-term goal of this study is two-fold: 1) to generate knowledge about methods to improve the adoption, adaptation, integration, and scalability of evidence-based practices, and 2) to improve the integration of the evidence-based ENABLE EPC program in oncology practices to reduce disparities for patients with advanced cancer who have low access to EPC.

University of Tennessee Health Science Center (Memphis)

PI: Maria Pisu, PhD

The purpose of this study is to determine if increasing awareness and, thus, enhancing positive attitudes about research, prior to recruitment attempts, will increase participation in cancer clinical research among African American (AA) cancer survivors so that recruitment efforts can focus on the most optimal and cost- effective approaches.

Emory University

PI: Sigrid Ladores, PhD, RN, PNP, CNE, FAAN, Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN, Richard Taylor, DNP, CRNP, APN-BC

This is a randomized palliative care intervention study across 5 CF centers in North America (South, Southeast, West and Canada) in which patients with low lung function and some symptom burden will receive an every three month in person and monthly by phone palliative care interventions by palliative care specialists. The control group will receive usual care; in addition, an aim to explore differences in drop-outs and on-enrollees is included.

National Cancer Institute/NIH/DHHS

PI: J. Nicholas Dionne-Odom, PhD, APRN, ACHPN, FPCN

Lay Coach-led Early Palliative Care for Underserved Advanced Cancer Caregivers

This proposed hybrid type I randomized effectiveness-implementation trial will determine whether ENABLE Cornerstone compared to usual care can improve family caregiver (Aim 1) and patient outcomes (Aim 2) and will evaluate implementation costs, cost effectiveness and healthcare utilization (Aim 3), over 24 weeks with 294 family caregivers and their patients with newly-diagnosed advanced cancer.

American Cancer Society

PI: Richard Taylor, DNP, CRNP, APN-BC

The purpose of this award is the support doctoral students in cancer nursing related projects. The project is to study the lifespace mobility in the elderly rural cancer survivor and the factors that lead promote or restrict lifespace mobility in the population. Additionally, this project with assess the impact of lifespace mobility on the cancer survivors quality of life.

PI: Rachel Wells, RN, PhD    

The purpose of this K99/R00 application describes the background and experience of the applicant and her plan to acquire the knowledge and training necessary to become a leading independent clinical investigator in developing and testing early palliative care interventions that optimize the outcomes of underserved individuals living with advanced heart failure (HF). The K99 research aim will be met using interviews with a) underserved persons with advanced HF, b) lay healthcare navigators, and c) palliative care and cardiology clinicians, to modify and refine the content, format and delivery of early palliative care intervention components for the target population. The overall goal during the R00 phase is to conduct an optimization pilot using a 23 factorial design to assess acceptability, feasibility, and potential efficacy of the newly refined UPHOLDS intervention.

Women’s Breast Health Fund

PI: Chao-Hui Sylvia Huang, PhD, MA, Med

The Psychosocial Oncology Training Academy (POTA) is a professional training quality improvement project designed to enhance knowledge and skills of mental health and primary care clinicians providing psychosocial care for breast cancer survivors and co-survivors in the Greater Birmingham area.

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Site PIs: Deborah Ejem, PhD, Raegan Durant, MD, Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN
The overall goal of this research is to determine how race affects the outcomes and experience of advanced care planning (ACP). Study AIM is to compare within each racial subgroup of patients the effectiveness of a structured ACP approach (Respecting Choices) to a patient-guided, self-management approach (Five Wishes) in facilitating formal or informal ACP, including use of advance directives, documented discussions with clinicians, and other written or verbal communication with caregivers about preferences.