Improving Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy
With funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research Judith Erlen studies the effectiveness of a telephone-delivered medication adherence intervention and maintenance program. This randomized controlled trial tests the effect of two different experimental conditions (individualized and structured) compared to usual care/control.
Measurement, Indicators and Improvement of the Quality of Life in Nursing Homes
Howard Degenholtz is developing new measures of quality of life of nursing home residents that can be used for quality improvement or regulatory purposes under a grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
National Estimates of Disability after Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation in the Elderly
In collaboration with Amber Bernato, principal investigator, Howard Degenholtz examines changes in physical disability among elderly ICU survivors over a three-year period with support from the University of Pittsburgh Older Americans Independence Center (Pepper Center).
Pain, Sexual Dysfunction, and Depression in Hemodialysis Patients
Robert Arnold is co-principal investigator for this project funded by the VA Health Services Research and Development Service to assess the impact of a nurse-delivered intervention to decrease pain, sexual dysfunction, and depression in hemodialysis patients.
Strategies to Improve Caregiver Mediated Medication Management of Community Dwelling Patients with Dementia
Principal investigator Judith Erlen is testing the efficacy of a tailored caregiver mediated medication management in-home and telephone delivered intervention designed to decrease medication deficiencies and daily hassles and improve self-reported adherence for caregivers of community dwelling patients with dementia vs. standard education/usual care group of caregivers over time. The study is part of a larger program project grant, Adherence and Health Related Quality of Life: Translation of Interventions (with Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, principal investigator).
Translating an HIV Medication Adherence Intervention: A First Step
Judith Erlen is the co-investigator on this project, funded through the University of Pittsburgh’s Central Research Development Fund, that the feasibility of translating a tested HIV medication adherence intervention into a clinical setting serving patients with HIV. Barriers and facilitators to providing the intervention are examined, as well as the rates of adherence to the delivery and acceptance of this intervention during and between clinic visits.