HAP Faculty

$3 million National Institute on Aging grant will provide much-needed support to underserved dementia caregivers

Taylor Thomas — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:11:07 +0000

$3 million National Institute on Aging grant will provide much-needed support to underserved dementia caregivers Taylor Thomas Wed, 10/15/2025 - 09:11

More than 7 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), supported by 12 million unpaid family caregivers whose contributions are valued at $413 billion annually. As the U.S. population continues to age, the number of people with dementia and their caregivers will nearly triple by 2050. Innovative solutions to support family caregivers are urgently needed.

Y. Alicia Hong. Photo provided.

Now, with a $3 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), �鶹��Ƶ digital health intervention researcher Y. Alicia Hong is poised to change that. Hong led an interdisciplinary team to develop the Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers (WECARE) as a culturally tailored, digital health intervention to enhance caregiving skills and improve the well-being of dementia caregivers. The new grant will allow her team to further refine WECARE using artificial intelligence (AI) and evaluate it with a randomized controlled trial.

“WECARE is one of the first personalized digital interventions for dementia caregivers,” said Hong, a professor in the College of Public Health's Department of Health Administration and Policy. "Though it is designed for Chinese American dementia caregivers, it can be adapted for other groups and serve the growing demand for digital support for dementia caregivers in an aging society

The seven-week program will provide participants with informational ADRD multimedia content, quiz games, social networking with other caregivers, personalized feedback, and additional individualized resources. WECARE’s success will be evaluated by measuring the depressive symptoms reported by participants. The project also intends to identify barriers to and facilitators of WECARE’s adoption and long-term use.

This resource comes at a critical time as the aging population grows, and more people with ADRD require caregivers. Additionally, most family caregivers have chronic conditions due to prolonged and intensive dementia caregiving, causing an increased need for resources that sustain the health of family caregivers.

Hong’s grant titled “WECARE: A Personalized Intervention for Underserved Chinese American Dementia Caregivers” will take place from September 2025 to August 2030, for a total of $3,088,427. WECARE is directly responsive to NIA’s priority of effective interventions for ADRD-affected populations.

Hong studies the intersection of health services delivery and consumer informatics. Her work explores chronic care and self-care solutions through innovative digital technologies to improve patient-centered outcomes and enhance health care accessibility. Hong’s research focuses on implementation and dissemination science and leveraging digital technologies to enhance health services delivery.

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Y. Alicia Hong, PhD

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Helping older adults embrace AI and emerging technologies with a National Science Foundation grant

Taylor Thomas — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 16:08:43 +0000

Helping older adults embrace AI and emerging technologies with a National Science Foundation grant Taylor Thomas Fri, 09/26/2025 - 12:08

In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more integrated into our lives, older adults are being left behind. Poor digital literacy is more than being unable to use social media. It increases the risk of poor health outcomes as it may exclude anyone, especially older adults, from finding and using information that sustains and promotes health. With a highly competitive grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), digital technologies researcher, Y. Alicia Hong, is helping older adults keep pace with evolving technology and setting them up for success in the future.

Y. Alicia Hong. Photo provided

“Our project equips older adults to adapt to emerging technologies, such as AI, and become more resilient in a rapidly changing digital landscape,” said Hong, professor in �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Health Administration and Policy.

From online banking to electronic health records like MyChart, people need to interact with digital technology on a daily basis. Hong’s project will incorporate youth, who are more adept with technology, to aid older adults’ skill-building. At senior centers, a youth and an older adult will walk through scenes where they may encounter AI technology. A web platform will guide them to collaboratively develop a digital life story with realistic scenarios with support from AI tools.

"The project seeks to strengthen AI literacy, social connectedness, and resilience among older adults while cultivating responsible AI awareness in youth," Hong said.

Hong will co-design the web-based platform that facilitates intergenerational engagement between youth and older adults in narrative-style storytelling to improve their understanding of digital technologies and AI. They will use multiple AI-based tools, including ChatGPT for script generation, Runway ML for image creation, Eleven Labs for audio, and Descript for editing.

Hong will work alongside the project’s PI, Dr. Yixuan (Janice) Zhang, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at College of William & Mary. Collaboration with a computer scientist will ensure refined evaluations of usability, accessibility, and participants’ ability to use the web-based platform independently, while also taking into consideration cultural sensitivity. Their interprofessional, intercollegiate partnership will optimize resource allocation and program performance.

“We aim to deliver a community-based model for AI literacy that helps older adults confidently and safely use AI, strengthens intergenerational bonds by positioning youth as tech partners, and gives community-based organizations a practical toolkit they can sustain after the grant,” said Zhang, co-PI with Hong. “The award converts a co-designed concept into a tested, transferable, and sustainable platform and program to enhance AI literacy among older adults.”

“The project will inform future programs aimed at underserved groups and foster more inclusive, accessible, and meaningful engagement with emerging technologies,” said Hong.

NSF grants are awarded to researchers whose projects have demonstrated the capacity for advancing research and education across science and engineering. The project entitled “Enhancing AI Literacy and Resilience through Intergenerational Digital Storytelling among Older Adults” is a three-year, $661,478 grant.

As a digital health behavioral interventionist, Hong studies the intersection of health services delivery and consumer informatics. Her work explores chronic care and self-care solutions through innovative digital technologies to improve patient-centered outcomes and enhance health care accessibility. Hong’s research focuses on implementation and dissemination science and leveraging digital technologies to enhance health services delivery.

Powering Artificial Intelligence at George �鶹��Ƶ

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Health administration and policy trailblazing leader P.J. Maddox retires after 30 years at George �鶹��Ƶ

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 13:32:38 +0000

Health administration and policy trailblazing leader P.J. Maddox retires after 30 years at George �鶹��Ƶ Mary Cunningham Fri, 04/04/2025 - 09:32

In This Story

After 30 years of outstanding service to �鶹��Ƶ’s health administration and policy programs, distinguished leader and cherished member of the College of Public Health P.J. Maddox will retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. Maddox, who has served for 20 years as chair of the Department of Health Administration and Policy and is co-director of the Virginia Center for Health Workforce, leaves behind a legacy of unparalleled dedication, innovation, and impact.

P.J. Maddox, PhD, professor and chair, Health Administration and Policy

Maddox's illustrious career at George �鶹��Ƶ has been nothing short of transformative. Starting as an assistant professor in 1995, Maddox oversaw creation and growth, establishing the Office of Health Services Research in the Center for Health Policy and a few years later, the Department of Health Administration and Policy and its many award-winning programs. Under her visionary leadership, the department flourished. P.J. launched innovative programs where she and the faculty have received prestigious accolades.

Dean Melissa Perry expressed her profound gratitude for Maddox's contributions, stating, "Dr. P.J. Maddox has been a beacon of excellence and innovation at �鶹��Ƶ. Her visionary leadership, tireless dedication, and unwavering commitment to advancing health education have left an indelible mark on our institution. Maddox's impact on the College of Public Health and the broader community is immeasurable. She has inspired countless students, faculty, and professionals, and her legacy will continue to guide us for generations to come. P.J., we are deeply grateful for your years of service and wish you all the best in your well-deserved retirement."

Maddox's achievements have been recognized widely. Awards and recognition include being named the 2021 George �鶹��Ƶ Faculty of the Year and the 2025 George �鶹��Ƶ Legacy Award winner, as testament to her legacy through her contributions to the university's mission, values, and growth, shaping the institution in meaningful ways.

Throughout her acclaimed career, Maddox, who holds and Doctor of Education; Master of Science, Nursing; and a Master of Science in Nursing, has made significant contributions to academia. Maddox’s academic career has included numerous peer-reviewed academic papers and book chapters and has been awarded prestigious research grants from organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control, Health Resources and Services Administration, Claude Moore Foundation, Northern Virginia Area Health Education Council, Virginia Joint Commission on Healthcare, U.S. Office of Domestic Preparedness, and National Institutes of Health. Her research has advanced the field of health administration and policy, earning her recognition as one of the Top Health Administration Faculty in the U.S. by Modern Healthcare.

“Where to I begin on my adoration for Dr. P.J. Maddox? P.J. has been a mentor, friend, coach and advisor since I started my master’s program in the late 1990s and is to this very day. Her perspective, passion for education, advancement of our field, community service, and mentorship puts P.J. on a pedestal all by herself. I cannot imagine the �鶹��Ƶ Nation without P.J. in the faculty! Wishing P.J. well on her retirement, thanks for her years of service to our field, the thousands of students she has helped educate, advance and support. Happy retirement my dear friend and know you are in our hearts always!” said David Goldberg, College Advisory Board member; president and CEO, Mon Health System, Davis Health System-Vandalia Northern Region; and MHA alum.

Under Maddox's guidance, the Department of Health Administration and Policy has flourished. A vanguard for online education, she was instrumental in launching the university’s first online program partnership, resulting in the enrollment of over 300 students in the online master's in health administration and MS in Health Informatics programs since 2018. The department has been an early adopter of George �鶹��Ƶ’s efforts to expand access to academic programs, participating in �鶹��Ƶ Advance and Advance Online undergraduate programs, as well as expedited matriculation pathways such as bachelor-to-accelerated masters and articulation pathways with Northern Virginia Community College.

Maddox's vision and leadership established the Department of Health Administration and Policy as a separate entity from the School of Nursing in 2005. Since then, the department has grown from five full-time faculty to 21 faculty and three administrative support staff, with student enrollment increasing by more than 180 percent since 2010. Under her stewardship, the department has developed and implemented six new degree programs, earning accolades such as the Sustainability in Healthcare Management Education award from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) in 2022 and CAHME Herzlinger innovation in education award in 2025.

Her efforts have also led to the launch of the first stand-alone Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics degree in Virginia in 2021 and the reaccreditation of the Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA) by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) with Full Certified Undergraduate Program Status in 2020 for an additional six years.

Maddox, along with Caroline Sutter, established the �鶹��Ƶ Center for the Health Workforce in 2022. In April 2024, the Center received $921,000 in federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and has been featured in several news outlets for addressing the health care worker shortage.

“After decades of visionary leadership, unwavering dedication, and transformative impact, my esteemed co-director of the Center for Health Workforce at �鶹��Ƶ, Dr. PJ Maddox, is retiring from �鶹��Ƶ. With deep admiration and a touch of bittersweet pride, I celebrate her extraordinary contributions not only to the CPH programs she helped to shape, but to the health workforce across Virginia. P.J.’s brilliance, compassion, and pioneering spirit elevated our Center, inspired countless students, and strengthened our mission to advance healthcare talent and innovation. As my partner and mentor, she leaves a legacy woven into the fabric of our community—one that will guide us for years to come. As she embarks on this well-earned next chapter, I wish her joy, discovery, and the same passion she brought to our work every day. Thank you, P.J., for everything,” said Caroline Sutter, co-director of the Center for Health Workforce with Maddox.

Within the College and University, Maddox has held pivotal roles, including professor, assistant and acting dean, program coordinator, director for the Office of Research Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics, coordinator for the Health Systems Management graduate program and director for the Office of Research Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics, assistant dean then acting director of Graduate Health Science Programs, and most recently, and co-acting director of the School of Nursing. Her legacy of excellence and unwavering commitment to the field will continue to guide and inspire future generations.

Maddox's retirement marks the end of an era, but her legacy will continue to inspire and guide us. Her contributions to �鶹��Ƶ and the field of health administration and policy are immeasurable, and her impact will be felt for generations to come. We extend our deepest gratitude for her years of service, dedication, and unwavering commitment to excellence. As she embarks on this new chapter, we wish her all the best in her retirement and future endeavors.

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Interprofessional George �鶹��Ƶ researchers awarded more than $1 million to improve outcomes for patients with depression

Jennifer Pocock — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 18:25:35 +0000

Interprofessional George �鶹��Ƶ researchers awarded more than $1 million to improve outcomes for patients with depression Jennifer Pocock Tue, 12/10/2024 - 13:25

Researchers Farrokh Alemi and Kevin Lybarger receive �鶹��Ƶ’s first Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) award to develop innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, including large language models, for improving antidepressant recommendations.

Farrokh Alemi and Kevin Lybarger

AI will soon receive a dose of empathy with the goal of helping to match people with depression to their best-fit medication. A team led by Farrokh Alemi, a professor in the College of Public Health (CPH), and Kevin Lybarger, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), received $1,049,998 in research funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to continue their work on developing an AI system that helps patients find the right depression medications.

With this funding support, Co-PIs Alemi and Lybarger will hone large language models (LLMs) to address known challenges in AI, including mitigating biases, reducing the potential for inaccurate information, and incorporating an empathetic tone, according to Alemi.

The new study will introduce an innovative way for AI to help patients make medication decisions. The AI system will engage patients in natural-language conversations to collect information about their medical history. The system will draw upon more than 10 million patient experiences with 15 different oral antidepressants and a National Institutes of Health All of Us database, which includes records from more than 80,000 participants with major depressive disorders, to help create a plan that is statistically likely to succeed. Alemi and Lybarger believe this will help alleviate the trial and error that can lead to negative patient outcomes.

The researchers will also introduce a first-of-its-kind patient simulator capable of mimicking various medical, linguistic, and behavioral characteristics. This simulator will be used to test and refine the AI system by simulating diverse patient scenarios, including infrequent but critical events such as suicidal ideation, to ensure the system’s recommendations are safe, culturally sensitive, and empathetic.

“This study was selected for its potential to address a high-priority methodological gap in patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research,” said PCORI Executive Director Nakela L. Cook. “We look forward to following the study’s progress and working with George �鶹��Ƶ to share the results.”

This is the first PCORI-funded study that George �鶹��Ƶ has received. “Depression is a major public health problem and we are excited to see the development of new AI-based decision tools, leveraging the multidisciplinary talents of our college to help tackle it,” said CPH Associate Dean of Research Alison Cuellar.

"This innovative study promises to generate methodologies for using AI for medical decision-support and for empowering patients to make critical health decisions beyond mental health,” says Özlem Uzuner, chair of CEC’s Department of Information Sciences and Technology.

This study is one of the latest funded by PCORI to examine which medical treatments work best, where and when treatment falls flat, and how to address the gaps. These studies deliver results that guide researchers in planning future studies and provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed health and health care decisions.

In This Story

Farrokh Alemi, PhD

Kevin Lybarger

Alison Evans Cuellar, PhD, MBA

Özlem Uzuner

Research at George �鶹��Ƶ

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Online learning expert suggests best practices for promoting academic honesty

Jennifer Pocock — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 17:44:33 +0000

Online learning expert suggests best practices for promoting academic honesty Jennifer Pocock Tue, 08/13/2024 - 13:44

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John Cantiello, PhD, FACHCA

The growing popularity of easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) interfaces has reignited discussions about cheating in academics. Academic dishonesty, however, is a long-standing concern for faculty and a burgeoning area of research for online coursework. Whether cheating is more or less prevalent in remote coursework has been the topic of debate since online coursework went mainstream in the early 2000s. While online learning provides access to education for nontraditional students and in nontraditional circumstances (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), it’s important to ensure that students are authentically learning the material.

John Cantiello. Photo provided

To understand the prevalence of cheating and help teachers address it, John Cantiello, a professor of the Department of Health Administration and Policy, reviewed the existing literature on the topic. In the Journal of Health Administration Education, Cantiello, who was honored last year as an online teacher of distinction by the Stearns Center of Teaching and Learning, reports that many methods for preventing academic dishonesty are effective.

Not everyone agrees on what constitutes “dishonesty,” he points out. While some forms of cheating are clear-cut—having others do assignments or take tests in the place of the student, plagiarism, or copying answers, others are not. Up for debate are the use of tools like artificial intelligence, or consulting publications that, in a professional setting, would be available to them while solving problems.

“This paper illustrates varying results on the frequency of cheating in online, college-level courses,” Cantiello said. “Tools and strategies for preventing academic dishonesty vary in effectiveness, but some show significant success.”

Cantiello examined many different interventions to prevent online academic dishonesty, including frequent discussions on what constitutes cheating and plagiarism (e.g., can they use AI tools in this course?), technology (e.g., biometric hardware and software such as Turnitin or Examity), and varied testing strategies (e.g., limiting testing times, multiple versions of tests, and leaking fake answers online).

He suggests that a combination of strategies is the best way to limit cheating. “A holistic approach to course design that incorporates these elements and includes a variety of learning activities fosters an effective learning environment where academic integrity can be upheld,” Cantiello said. However, he says, more research is needed on how often and in what capacity cheating happens.

“Preventing Academic Dishonesty in Online Courses: Best Practices to Discourage Cheating” was published online in March 2024 in the Journal of Health Administration Education. Renee Hotchkiss Geschke is co-author on the paper.

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College of Public Health receives NIH grant to pilot AI chatbot for African Americans with depression

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:03:05 +0000

College of Public Health receives NIH grant to pilot AI chatbot for African Americans with depression Mary Cunningham Mon, 06/10/2024 - 13:03

In This Story

Farrokh Alemi, PhD

Janusz Wojtusiak, PhD

Kevin Lybarger

As a leader in innovative health solutions, �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) AIM-AHEAD program grant to pilot an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for Black and African Americans with depression. Professor Farrokh Alemi will enhance his first-of-its-kind, evidence-based artificial intelligence tool to address the medication needs of African Americans with depression.

Professor of Health Informatics Farrokh Alemi

The existing AI tool recommends antidepressants for 16,775 general-population patient subgroups, each representing a unique combination of medical history. For each of these subgroups, the current project will analyze the effectiveness and appropriateness of the recommendations for African Americans, using the NIH All of Us database and existing published literature.

To the researchers' knowledge, this is the first research focused on developing and evaluating an antidepressant recommendation system for Black and African American people.

“Antidepressant medications are a first-line treatment for depression; however, a majority of depressed patients do not experience improvement with their first antidepressant. Additionally, minority populations, including Black and African Americans, are not well represented in antidepressant studies, contributing to reduced antidepressant effectiveness in these populations,” said Alemi. “There is a significant need to synthesize available evidence regarding antidepressant effectiveness and provide personalized treatment recommendations, and this project addresses a major gap in the management of Black and African Americans with depression.”

Researchers will develop a Knowledge-enhanced Antidepressant Recommendation Dialogue System (KARDS), which will engage users in a back-and-forth conversation to acquire the patient information needed to identify the appropriate antidepressant medication. The AI will provide the patient with a list of recommended medications, list of the relevant studies, and an explanation for the medication decisions. The system will automatically send the patient’s clinician a brief point-of-care recommendation and explanation, with an option to examine a complete record of the conversation and the supporting evidence.

“Chatbots—or patient-facing dialogue systems like the one we will create—hold transformative potential for the health care sector and are increasingly prominent in psychiatric applications, predominantly through therapy-bot implementations,” said Alemi. “Our chatbot will help improve the detailed, time-consuming, medical history intake process, and provide point-of-care summary and prescription recommendations to the patients’ clinicians. The chatbot will make patients more comfortable because the natural language modality provides an intuitive, empathetic, stigma-free interface.”

Once the AI chatbot is developed, the team will test the dialogue system with Black and African American patients to evaluate system functionality and user preferences. Additionally, the project will train a Black or African American doctoral or master’s student in AI, expanding the available workforce and building the community’s capacity to address AI.

Alemi will lead the research team, which includes Janusz Wojtusiak, a George �鶹��Ƶ professor of Health Informatics and the director of the Machine Learning and Inference Laboratory, and Kevin Lybarger, a George �鶹��Ƶ assistant professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology in the College of Engineering and Computing. All three members have collaborated previously to diagnose COVID at home from presenting symptoms.

The $70,906 grant is part of the NIH’s AIM-AHEAD (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity) program, which aims “to establish mutually beneficial and coordinated partnerships to increase the participation and representation of researchers and communities currently underrepresented in the development of AI/machine learning models and enhance the capabilities of this emerging technology, beginning with electronic health record data.”

Innovate for Good is an ongoing series that examines how George �鶹��Ƶ faculty in the College of Public Health are harnessing technology to improve health outcomes.

If you have stories to share as part of the Innovate for Good series, email Mary Cunningham at mcunni7@gmu.edu.

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Artificial Intelligence

George �鶹��Ƶ researchers harness the power of artificial intelligence to match patients with the most effective antidepressant for their unique needs

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 29 May 2024 19:46:58 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ researchers harness the power of artificial intelligence to match patients with the most effective antidepressant for their unique needs Mary Cunningham Wed, 05/29/2024 - 15:46

Researchers in �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health have leveraged the power of artificial intelligence (AI) analytical models to match a patient’s medical history to the most effective antidepressant, allowing patients to find symptom relief sooner. The free website, MeAgainMeds.com, provides evidence-based recommendations, allowing clinicians and patients to find the optimal antidepressant the first time.

Farrokh Alemi, principal investigator and professor of health informatics at �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health

“Many people with depression must try multiple antidepressants before finding the right one that alleviates their symptoms. Our website reduces the number of medications that patients are asked to try. The system recommends to the patient what has worked for at least 100 other patients with the same exact relevant medical history,” said Farrokh Alemi, principal investigator and professor of health informatics at �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health.

AI helped to simplify the very complex task of making the thousands of guidelines easily accessible to patients and clinicians. The guidelines that researchers created are complicated because of the amount of clinical information that is relevant in prescribing an antidepressant; AI seamlessly simplifies the task.

With AI at its core, MeAgainMeds.com analyzes clinician or patient responses to a few anonymous medical history questions to determine which oral antidepressant would best meet the specific needs. The website does not ask for any personal identifiable information and it does not prescribe medication changes. Patients are advised to visit their primary health care provider for any changes in medication.

In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control reported that more than 13% of adults use antidepressants, and the number has only increased since the pandemic and other epidemics since 2020. This website could help millions of people find relief more quickly.

Alemi and his team analyzed 3,678,082 patients who took 10,221,145 antidepressants. The oral antidepressants analyzed were amitriptyline, bupropion, citalopram, desvenlafaxine, doxepin, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, mirtazapine, nortriptyline, paroxetine, sertraline, trazodone, and venlafaxine. From the data, they created 16,770 subgroups of at least 100 cases, using reactions to prior antidepressants, current medication, history of physical illness, history of mental illness, key procedures, and other information. The subgroups and remission rates drive the AI to produce an evidence-based medication recommendation.

“By matching patients to the subgroups, clinicians can prescribe the medication that works best for people with similar medical history,” said Alemi. The researchers and website recommend that patients who use the site take the information to their clinicians, who will ultimately decide whether to prescribe the recommended medicine.

Alemi and his team tested a protype version of the site in 2023, which they advertised on social media. At that time, 1,500 patients used the website. Their goal is to improve the website and expand its user base. The initial research was funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia and by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The researchers’ most recent paper in a series of papers on response to antidepressants analyzed 2,467 subgroups of patients who had received psychotherapy. “Effectiveness of Antidepressants in Combination with Psychotherapy” was published online in March 2024. Additional authors include Tulay G Soylu from Temple University, and Mary Cannon and Conor McCandless from Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland.

In This Story

Farrokh Alemi, PhD

Discover more Research from the College of Public Health

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�鶹��Ƶ CARES intervention reduces stress and feelings of burden of family caregivers of older adults with dementia

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 29 May 2024 15:50:53 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ CARES intervention reduces stress and feelings of burden of family caregivers of older adults with dementia Mary Cunningham Wed, 05/29/2024 - 11:50

In This Story

Dr. Cathy Tompkins

Gilbert Gimm, PhD, FGSA

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80% of those living with dementia receive informal care from family members or friends. This equates to 16 million family caregivers in the U.S. However, caring for family members with dementia is often associated with increased caregiver burden (which includes emotional, physical, and financial strain), stress, and worse physical health for the caregiver.

Catherine Tompkins, principal investigator, professor of social work, and associate dean of faculty and staff affairs in the College of Public Health.

A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, led by �鶹��Ƶ researchers, found that a 9-week online stress management intervention program for family caregivers reduced burden scores by 15% for 97 family caregivers of older adults living with dementia. The Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers TM, intervention was specifically designed to help family caregivers manage their own stress when caring for older adults living with dementia or a chronic illness

“In this study, we found evidence of a range in average caregiver burden levels based on the dementia severity category of care recipients. The findings show that an online Zoom intervention in a peer group setting can be beneficial for family caregivers of older adults with mild, moderate, or severe dementia,” said Catherine Tompkins, principal investigator, professor of social work, and associate dean of faculty and staff affairs in the College of Public Health.

The intervention provided family caregivers with education and strategies to manage stress when caring for someone living with dementia. Examples of self-care techniques included breathing and meditation; troubleshooting behaviors associated with dementia; and peer-to-peer support within a virtual group setting.

Associate Professor Gilbert Gimm

“Reducing caregiver burden and managing stress are critical to the well-being of families. These findings show that effective stress management interventions for family caregivers can be facilitated through online peer groups,” said Gilbert Gimm, first author and associate professor of health administration and policy.

“�鶹��Ƶ Caregivers Aiming for Resilience, Empowerment, and Support Study: Assessing Family Caregiver Burden Post-Intervention” was published online in April 2024. Co-authors include George �鶹��Ƶ Associate Professor Megumi Inoue, Professor Emily Ihara, �鶹��Ƶ CARES Project Manager Shannon Layman, and Master of Social Work alumna graduate Harveen Pantleay. This study was supported by a grant (#2021048) from the Retirement Research Foundation (RRF).

The study is part of a larger project, entitled �鶹��Ƶ CARES (Caregivers Aiming for Resilience, Empowerment, and Support), that implemented and assessed interventions for family caregivers.

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Tech inefficiencies, piles of (electronic) paperwork, and increased patient volume contribute to burnout of primary care physicians, study finds

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 18:11:13 +0000

Tech inefficiencies, piles of (electronic) paperwork, and increased patient volume contribute to burnout of primary care physicians, study finds Mary Cunningham Tue, 01/30/2024 - 13:11

In This Story

Debora Goetz Goldberg, PhD, MHA, MBA

Burnout is an occupational phenomenon that results from chronic workplace stress, according to the World Health Organization.

Burnout often includes emotional exhaustion, negative feelings or mental distance from one’s job, and a low sense of accomplishment at work. COVID-19 increased feelings of burnout in primary care physicians, and a new study, sought to understand primary care clinicians’ perspectives on burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, the causes of burnout, and strategies to improve clinician well-being.

Debora Goldberg

Inefficiencies of electronic health records systems and high levels of documentation contribute to burnout, according to clinicians participating in a recent study led by Debora Goldberg, associate professor in �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health. Other contributors to burnout included high patient volume, staffing shortages, and expectations for responding to patient emails and telephone calls. Most participants also described the need to work after clinic hours to complete documentation.

“The results of this study provide an in-depth view of participating clinicians’ experiences and perceptions of burnout and other mental health challenges. These viewpoints can improve awareness of the issues and strategies to improve the health and well-being of our clinician workforce,” said Goldberg, the principal investigator.

Most of the suggested strategies to improve clinician well-being were changes at the organizational level and included increasing efforts to improve work-life balance, enhancing the use of team-based care models, optimizing electronic health record functions, providing accessible mental health services, granting additional administrative time to complete documentation, and increasing institutional awareness and recognition of the issues surrounding burnout.

Additionally, clinicians reported experiencing traumatic events during the pandemic and in some cases reported both burnout and depression. The study findings align with previous research that reported primary care physicians indicated dramatic increases in their workload since the beginning of the pandemic and an escalation in staffing issues, both contributing to an increase in burnout and stress among clinicians.

This research was funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Training Program (1 U3NHP45404-01-00), and �鶹��Ƶ College of Public Health Intramural Pilot Study Funding.

“Anxiety, COVID, Burnout and Now Depression”: a Qualitative Study of Primary Care Clinicians’ Perceptions of Burnout” was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine in November 2023. Tulay Soylu from Temple University; Carolyn Faith Hoffman, a �鶹��Ƶ doctoral student; and Rachel E. Kishton and Peter F. Cronholm from the University of Pennsylvania are co-authors.

Topics

coronavirus; covid-19

Research

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Innovate for Good: �鶹��Ƶ Professor continues study of social media intervention for Chinese American caregivers with grant from NIH National Institute on Aging

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:20:01 +0000

Innovate for Good: �鶹��Ƶ Professor continues study of social media intervention for Chinese American caregivers with grant from NIH National Institute on Aging Mary Cunningham Fri, 09/01/2023 - 11:20

As Baby Boomer generation continues to age, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) is increasing. Today, more than six million Americans are living with dementia. Family caregivers of people living with ADRD experience high levels of psychosocial distress, and many of the caregivers themselves are older adults themselves. There is a lack of support for these family caregivers, and Chinese American caregivers face additional challenges in caregiving and self-care due to their immigrant and minority status.

Professor in �鶹��Ƶ's College of Public Health Y. Alicia Hong received a one-year $115,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health—National Institute of Aging Emory Roybal Center to expand her study of a social media intervention for Chinese American caregivers of people with dementia. The interprofessional team will test the Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers (WECARE) intervention program, an app-based personalized behavior intervention, to improve their confidence in caregiving and reduce social-emotional distress.

“Caring for a family member or loved one with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) is challenging and stressful, caregivers often experience negative health outcomes as a result. As American population becomes older and more diverse, more support is needed for family caregivers, but interventions for racial minority caregivers have been limited. WECARE is designed for Chinese American dementia caregivers to enhance their caregiving skills, reduce stress, and improve well-being,” said Hong, the principal investigator.

With a 2021 seed grant from Virginia Center for Aging, Hong and her team first developed the WECARE protocol, which was published in JMIR Aging in June 2022. From there, the team piloted the protocol with 24 Chinese American dementia caregivers. The results from the pilot were published in JMIR Aging in April 2023.

The pilot study indicated WECARE is feasible, acceptable, and effective as a culturally tailored intervention via a social media app. Study participants reported that using the app reduced depressive symptoms and caregivers’ burden. This study informs future research on digital interventions to support dementia caregivers, especially underserved minority caregivers.

Using funding from the National Institute of Aging grant, the team will add more personalized features to WECARE and test it with a larger sample size of participants. Caregivers will learn to apply problem-solving strategies, which can boost self-efficacy and master of caregiving, leading to positive health outcomes for themselves and those they care for. The program will include personalized feedback to reinforce learning, social networking to enhance social support, and location-specific resources.

The research team includes Pramita Bagchi in �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of of Statistics and Jessica Lin in �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Computer Science. Additional consultants on the project include Van Ta Park at the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing, Hae-Ra Han at Johns Hopkins University, and Kate Lu from the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center.

Innovate for Good is an ongoing series that examines how �鶹��Ƶ faculty in the College of Public Health are harnessing technology to improve health outcomes. If you have stories to share as part of the Innovate for Good series, email Mary Cunningham at mcunni7@gmu.edu.

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