This document lists summaries of funded grants for which nurses were the principal investigators. Once a grant is closed and a final report has been filed, the final report is available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).
For information on how to apply for an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) grant, select Funding Opportunities.
The summaries of grants appear in alphabetical order by principal investigator.
Use the alphabetic index that follows to select the first letter of the principal investigator's last name.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Principal Investigator:
Lauren S. Aaronson, M.S.N., R.N.
Institution: University of Michigan
Grant No: R03 HS04440 (Dissertation)
Period: 6/1/81-5/31/82
Title: Outcomes of Hospital Dedicated AIDS Units
Summary: Two discrete models for organizing inpatient AIDS care have emerged as hospitals responded to the AID epidemic; dedicated AIDS units and
scattered-beds located on multi-diagnosis medical units. The degree to which
AIDS care should be rendered in setting that segregate patients from the
medical mainstream continues to be debated. Concerns about quality of care
and patent satisfaction on specialized AIDS units persist. Results are provided
from the first large-scale multi-hospital study of dedicated units. A number of
benefits of dedicated AIDS units are found including higher patient satisfaction,
greater patient preference for care on dedicated units, and lower nurse burnout.
There is no evidence that specialized AIDS units adversely affect care as was
feared early in the epidemic. A major part of our research has been the
evaluation of four methods for measuring severity of illness among AIDS
inpatients. We show that a simple four category scale reflecting nurses'
assessments of patients' need for assistance in basic activities of daily living is
a better predictor of in-hospital mortality than the two more established AIDS
severity of illness measures and CD4 counts. The use of this measure could
facilitate the assessment of the effectiveness of inpatient AIDS interventions.
Availability: NTIS Final Report Accession Number: PB96145487
Principal Investigator: Linda H. Aiken, Ph.D., R.N.
Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Grant No: R01 HS08603 (Research Project)
Period: 2/1/92-9/29/98
Title: Outcomes of Hospital Dedicated AIDS Units
Summary: Two discrete models for organizing inpatient AIDS care have
emerged as hospitals responded to the AID epidemic; dedicated AIDS units and
scattered-beds located on multi-diagnosis medical units. The degree to which
AIDS care should be rendered in setting that segregate patients from the
medical mainstream continues to be debated. Concerns about quality of care
and patent satisfaction on specialized AIDS units persist. Results are provided
from the first large-scale multi-hospital study of dedicated units. A number of
benefits of dedicated AIDS units are found including higher patient satisfaction,
greater patient preference for care on dedicated units, and lower nurse burnout.
There is no evidence that specialized AIDS units adversely affect care as was
feared early in the epidemic. A major part of our research has been the
evaluation of four methods for measuring severity of illness among AIDS
inpatients. We show that a simple four category scale reflecting nurses'
assessments of patients' need for assistance in basic activities of daily living is
a better predictor of in-hospital mortality than the two more established AIDS
severity of illness measures and CD4 counts. The use of this measure could
facilitate the assessment of the effectiveness of inpatient AIDS interventions.
Availability: NTIS Final Report Accession Number: PB96145487
Principal Investigator: Dorothy Baker, M.N., Ph.D.
Institution: Yale University
Grant No: R03 HS06291(Small Research Project)
Period: 8/1/89-7/31/90
Title: Impact of Toileting Dependence on Home Care Charges
Summary: The object of this research was to examine how different subsets of
patients use publicly funded home care services. Identification of those patient
characteristics that are associated with relatively expensive charges for home
care is fundamental to future policies regarding which types of patients are best
served in this setting, and how such care should be reimbursed. The specific
aim of this retrospective cohort study was to compare the public costs incurred
for providing home care services to low income, elderly patients who are
increasingly dependent in toileting relative to those that are independent.
Hypotheses will be tested using analysis of variance and multivariate analysis
to determine if those dependent in toileting generate higher costs of formal
home care and to identify the pattern of use of home call services associated
with increasing levels of disability. This research makes a unique contribution
because extensive patient specific baseline assessment data will be linked with
five years of actual bill files yielding a complete picture of all publicly funded
home care services received by a cohort of community living elders. The nature
of the data thus makes is possible to compare the experience of patients with
increasing dependence in activities of daily living across programs and over
time.
Principle Investigator: Suzanne Bakken, R.N., D.N.Sc.
Institution: Columbia University
Grant Number: R13 HS10976 (Conference)
Period: 9/30/01-9/29/02
Title: AMIA 2001: A Medical Informatics Odyssey
Summary: The goal of this conference is to examine and promote the role of informatics research in enhancing patient safety and preventing medical errors through a specific track on patient safety, and to provide an interactive forum for patient safety and medical informatics experts to discuss common issues. Participants include health care professionals, AMIA's institutional and corporate members who have a strong interest in medical informatics, and health information professionals. In addition to a journal supplement, the proceedings will also be available in CD-ROM. A survey of a sample of the attendees will address the utilization of the Patient Safety Supplement as an information resource.
Principal Investigator: Gail A. Barbosa, M.S., R.N.
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Grant No: R03 HS06930 (Dissertation)
Period: 9/1/91-8/31/93
Title: Life Stress and Pre-term Birth Among Urban Black Women
Summary: This study was conducted to examine the relationship among
negative life events, emotional supports, and length of pregnancy, independent
of other known risks associated with early delivery, Data from 550 low-income,
urban, African American women were collected during pregnancy and after
delivery using questionnaire, personal interview, and clinical data base. Neither
adequacies of emotional support nor the number or severity of negative life
events were related to length of pregnancy, nor were mediated by the control
variables. An unanticipated finding was that women who experienced the death
of a mother or sister (n=11) during the first two trimesters of pregnancy were
15.4 (CI 3.0-79.6) and 4.7 (CI 1.1-18.1) times more likely to experience very
early (<34 weeks) and preterm birth (37 weeks), respectively. For this sample,
the summing of negative events appears to have had little validity in the
measure of stress. The death of a female family member may represent the
attributes of acute stress that directly effect the initiation of early delivery.
Availability: NTIS Final Report Accession Number: PB95236451
Principal Investigator: Marjorie V. Batey, R.N., Ph.D.
Institution: University of Washington
Grant No: R03 HS04336 (Small Research Project)
Period: 9/22/80-9/21/81
Title: Prescribing Practices of Nurse Practitioners
Summary: 401 nurse practitioners (NPs) were identified in five states where
NPs had broad based prescriptive authority but differing levels of autonomy in
their practice sites (AK, WA, OR, ID and NM). The majority of respondents
to Part I of the study were female (92 percent) and 57 percent had nursing education at the
bachelor's and/or master's level. They were primarily employed in clinics
(69 percent) or physician's offices (28 percent), and 39 percent practiced in communities or
>2,500 population. Of those who then kept and returned prescription logs for
Part II of the study, drugs most frequently prescribed were anti-infectives,
hormones, respiratory drugs, analgesics, and cardiovascular drugs because
ferrous (iron) products were included in this classification. No systematic
differences in practices were found that could be attributed to the legal
requirements established for prescriptive authority for NPs. Rather, differences
in prescribing practices were attributable primarily to scope of practice and
presenting health problems
Principal Investigator: Crystal C. Bennett, D.N.Sc., M.N.
Institution: University of California
Grant No: F32 HS00096 (NRSA Award)
Period: 12/1/94 -11/30/97
Title: Intervention for Minority Partners of Persons with AIDS
Summary: The impact of AIDS on the partner of the person with AIDS (PWA)
is profound. Systematic research in the area of coping of low income minority
partners is virtually nonexistent. Minorities are disproportionately affected by
AIDS, therefore, it is important to identify factors which impact coping
(appraisal of threat, self-esteem, sense of coherence, social support), coping
response, and health outcome (emotional distress, somatic complaints, risky
behavior, and quality of life) in minority partners of PWAS. Specific aims were
to investigate: psychosocial predictors of distress [Phase I); and the
effectiveness of a nursing intervention consisting of 1) AIDS and Health
Education; 2) Stress Management; and 3) Coping Enhancement on these factors
(Phase II). A triangulation approach using qualitative and quantitative
instruments were used.
Principal Investigator: Susan J. Bennet, D.S.N.
Institution: Indiana University
Grant No: R03 HS09822 (Small Research Project)
Period: 7/1/98-6/30/00
Title: Comparison of Quality of Life Measures in Heart Failure
Summary: This Investigator is comparing the psychometric properties of two
heart failure-specific quality of life measures, the Chronic Heart Failure
Questionnaire (CHQ) and the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure
Questionnaire (LFHQ). The plan is to evaluate the reliability of the
instruments, compare construct validity, evaluate responsiveness by examining
the minimal clinically important differences in patient survey scores over 26
weeks, and compare face-to-face administration of each instrument with
telephone administration.
Principal Investigator: Judith A. Bernstein, M.S.N.
Institution: Heller School Brandeis University
Grant No: R03 HS08949 (Dissertation)
Period: 9/1/95-5/31/96
Title: Access to Mammography for Older Women of Color
Summary: Older women of color experience an elevated breast cancer mortality
(2.2 times greater for blacks than whites), primarily resulting from late
diagnosis. Improved mammography utilization could prevent thousands of
breast cancer deaths each year. Specific effects of barriers related to minority
status, especially interrelationships among sociodemographic variables and
structural factors, have not been adequately investigated. Two different data
sources were used to assess the mammography usage patterns of a multi-ethnic
sample of older women: (1) a cross-sectional survey, conducted through face
to face interviews in the Emergency Department of an inner-city teaching
hospital, and (2) a Massachusetts Medicare data set including all women 62
years of age or older who claimed any type of medical care from 1992 through
1994. Group differences related to race/ethnicity and age were established, and
three separate domains of (1) individual decision-making and resources, (2)
provider, referral behavior, and (3) institutional access were compared, using
Chi-square measures of association. A model of relative contributions to
utilization was estimated using Nested Logistic Regression.
Availability: NTIS Final Report
Accession Number: PB96198502XSP
Principal Investigator: Mary Blegen, Ph.D.
Institution: University of Iowa
Grant No: R03 HS07402 (Small Research Project)
Period: 9/30/92-3/31/94
Title: Hospital Based Managed Care: Cost and Quality
Summary: The objective of the research project was to determine the effects of
Hospital Based Managed Care (HBMC) on the cost and quality of hospital care.
HBMC is a delivery of care method that involved creating locally derived,
multidisciplinary practice guidelines and identifying key markers of patient
outcomes. Both the guidelines ('critical path') and the outcome markers were
placed on a timeline and patient care followed the content and timing as
described. Variances in care and outcomes were documented. A
quasi-experimental, before-after design was used. All women who delivered by
cesarean section during the 18 months of the study and were cared for in the
maternity unit at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics were included in
the analysis of cost and length of stay (N=381). Of these, 207 completed
questionnaires and interviews regarding quality of care during hospitalization,
and 172 were reached for a post-discharge interview. The major findings were:
Length of stay after surgery decreased 13.5 percent; Cost for care after surgery
decreased 13.1 percent; Patient reports of quality of care increased; Patient reports of
physical recovery did not change.
Availability: NTIS Final Report Accession Number:
PB94206547XSP
Principle Investigator: Catherine Borbas, Ph.D.
Institution: Minneapolis Medical Research Institute
Grant Number: U18 HS11073 (Cooperative Agreement)
Period: 9/30/00-8/31/03
Title: Improving Utilization of Ischemic Stroke Research
Summary: This study will assess the effectiveness of a model for accelerating the use of evidence-based treatment guidelines for acute ischemic stroke in 24 urban and rural hospitals in Minnesota. The investigators from Minneapolis Medical Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Minnesota School of Nursing will test a hospital-based intervention to improve the quality of stroke care.
Principal Investigator: Judith V. Braun, M.S.N., R.N.
Institution: Individual Award
Grant No: R03 HS05644 (Dissertation)
Period: 9/30/86-9/29/87
Title:
Failure to Thrive Aged in the Nursing Home
Summary: The purpose of the longitudinal prospective study was to investigate
the phenomenon of failure to thrive among nursing home aged through the use
of a stratified random sample consisting of failing (n=25) and the use of a
stratified random sample consisting of failing (n=25) and non-failing (n=28)
groups. The time series design included multiple measurements of the
variables (caloric/nutrient intake, body weight, functional ability, cognitive
ability, and depression). Results demonstrated that failing subjects over time
continue to lose weight and decline in both physical and cognitive function;
while non-failing subjects maintained weight and function. In addition, failing
subjects were consistently less physically and cognitively able and more
depressed than non-failing subjects. Both groups consumed inadequate amounts
of calories and other nutrients. Differences between and within groups were
apparent through longitudinal and not cross-sectional analysis.
Availability: NTIS Final
Report Accession Number: PB88233457XSP
Principal Investigator: Carol S. Brewer, Ph.D.
Institution: State University of New York
Grant No: R03 HS09353 (Small Research Project)
Period: 9/30/96-9/29/99
Title: Model of the R.N. Labor Supply in Western New York
Summary: This Hospital Based Managed Care (HBMC) intervention is
designed to increase efficiency by eliminating redundant patient care
components while maintaining effectiveness of care and patient satisfaction
with care. The HBMC intervention consists of a multi-disciplinary
CareMap(tm) that includes key care components and patient problems common
to a specific group of patients, i.e. diagnostic group, and a Nurse Case Manager.
The Nurse Case Manager coordinates a multi-disciplinary team that develops
the CareMap(tm), supervises the implementation of the map, provides staff
education, and monitors patient progress. This research project is a pilot test
of HBMC with C-section patients, preparatory to implementing and testing
HBMC throughout the institution. The population used for the pilot test will
be all patients with C-section, the most commonly performed surgery in the
US. A cohort study, with quasi-comparable groups (N=200), was used to
determine the effects of the intervention on the length of stay, costs, patient
outcomes, and satisfaction. HBMC was be implemented on July 1, 1992, and
two months was allowed for all staff to alter their practice to conform with the
map. The groups that were compared are a control group, patients having
C-sections from January, 1992, through June, 1992; and an experimental group,
patients having C-section from September, 1992 through March, 1993. The
procedures for training nurse case managers, developing and implementing
CareMaps(tm), and assessing the variance from the map will also be evaluated.
Availability: NTIS Final Report Accession Number: PB2000-100276INM
Principle Investigator: Carol S. Brewer, M.S., Ph.D., R.N.
Institution: State University of New York
Grant Number: R01 HS11320 (Regular Research Project)
Period: 8/1/02-7/31/05
Title: Factors Associated with RN Decisions to Work
Summary: The specific aim of this study is to examine factors associated with RN workforce participation behavior. The relationship of RN characteristics, work setting, and labor market region to RN job satisfaction and organizational commitment and ultimately to intention to work and actual work participation will be studied. Intention to work will be measured at time one, and actual work participation will be measured at time two. At time one, we will examine the relationship between these factors and intent to work or not to work as an RN and if the intent is to work, whether part-time or full-time. We will examine the relationships of RN characteristics, work setting, and labor market region to the mediating variables satisfaction and organizational commitment at time one. At time two, we will examine the relationship between these factors and actual work or not work as an RN and if work, whether part-time or full-time. Using data from time one and time two we will examine the relationship between intent to work or not work and actual work or not work, where intent is a causal precursor to actual.
Principle Investigator: Suzanne Broderick, Ph.D., R.N.
Institution: Health Research Inc/NYSDOH
Grant Number: U18 HS13699 (Cooperative Agreement)
Period: 9/30/02-9/29/06
Title: Different Approaches to Information Dissemination
Summary: Proposed is a four-year project aimed at dissemination of evidence-based practices in nursing homes and adult care facilities through provision of training modules. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is joining in partnership with the Research Division of the Hebrew Home for the Aged (RDHHAR), with representatives of the Columbia University Stroud Center and with two national organizations representing nursing homes and adult care facilities (board and care homes), and the state government inspectors responsible for surveillance and quality assurance in these facilities: the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the Association of Health Facilities Survey Agencies (AHFSA). Finally, representatives from the Foundation for Long-Term Care (FLTC), the research arm of the New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (LNYAHSA), a recipient of an AHRQ grant to further develop quality indicators in long-term care, will provide consultation. Representatives from these institutions will form a multi-disciplinary Advisory Group to: (a) identify effective training modules, based on findings from studies completed and published by the NYSDOH Dementia Grants program, AHRQ-funded studies, and from the Columbia University New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) and the Columbia University Geriatric Education Centers (GEC) training programs; (b) evaluate the methods for dissemination of best practices guidelines, including a program to train surveyors in best practice; and (c) disseminate the programs to the facilities that, collectively, are representative of a target population of several million individuals with chronic health and mental disorders.
Principal Investigator: Ardene Brown, Ph.D., R.N.
Institution: Marquette University
Grant No: R13 HS09362 (Conference)
Period: 2/1/97-1/31/99
Title: Healthy People 2000: Taking Action With Children and Families
Summary: The goal of this conference, which was held in March of 1997, was
to bring evidence-based research to an examination of health services and
outcomes for children and adolescents, especially as applied to Medicaid
managed care settings. Research and demonstration projects and community-based model programs were discussed in three symposia: 1) service systems for
children at risk in infancy and early childhood; 2) reducing asthma morbidity
among inner city school-age children; and 3) health promotion and risk
reduction among adolescents. These symposium topics were examined with an
eye toward their applicability to the Wisconsin welfare program, "Wisconsin
Works" (W-2), which was seen as a potential welfare reform model for other
States.
Availability: NTIS Final Report Accession Number: PB99-154460INM
Principle Investigator: Jennifer Brown, M.S.N.
Institution: Virginia Commonwealth University
Grant Number: R03 HS13859 (Small Research Project)
Period: 7/3/03-12/31/03
Title: A Study of ED Psychiatric Consultation Arrangements
Summary: This study explores one type of PES, emergency department psychiatric consultation. The purpose is to examine the degree to which environmental, economic, and quality-related factors determine an emergency department's psychiatric consultation arrangement and how this decision influences service effectiveness. It seeks to answer two questions: 1) What factors lead hospitals to create an in-house psychiatric consultation service, to purchase the services from an outsider, or to not provide the service at all? and 2) Does variation in the consultation arrangement have a significant impact on service outcomes? Transaction cost economics is employed to identify and explain the factors that may influence a hospital's choice of psychiatric consultation arrangement. The general hypotheses are: 1) that arrangement decisions are based on the internal and external environmental characteristics of the transactions; and 2) that the type of consultation arrangement has an impact on service effectiveness.
Principal Investigator: Peter I. Buerhaus, Ph.D., R.N.
Institution: Harvard University
Grant No: R01 HS09958 (Research Project)
Period: 7/1/99-6/30/01
Title: Nurse Staffing and Quality of Care
Summary: The objective of this study is to assess changes in hospital nurse
staffing, and analyze the relationship between hospital staffing and the quality
of patient care over time. This study will: 1) describe changes in hospital nurse
staffing over time; 2) compile a set of adverse nursing-sensitive events and
patient outcomes, and describe changes in the rates at which these outcomes
and events occur over time; 3) determine whether there is a relationship
between the rates of adverse nursing-sensitive events and the level and mix of
nursing and non-nursing personnel in hospitals; and 4) determine whether
changes in nursing levels and mix are associated with increased market
pressures on hospitals or changes in managed care. In order to accomplish
these goals, we will develop a method for adjusting nursing staff levels to
account for changes in case complexity and declining LOS.
Principal Investigator: Lora E. Burke, M.N.
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Grant No: R03 HS08891 (Dissertation)
Period: 8/1/95-7/31/97
Title: Improving Adherence with a Cholesterol Lowering Diet
Summary:
The broad long-term objective of this research program was to
develop and evaluate strategies designed to promote adherence with diets aimed
at cardiovascular health promotion. The primary aim of this study was to
evaluate, in a randomized, controlled trial, the effects of a behavioral
intervention designed to enhance self-efficacy regarding adherence with a
prescribed cholesterol-lowering diet. Self-efficacy is the perception of one's
ability to mobilize motivation and actions to meet specific demands, in this case
to adhere to a diet; therapeutic efficacy is the perception of whether the action
will lead to the desired outcome. It was hypothesized that subjects receiving the
self-efficacy enhancing intervention will, compared with usual care, achieve
greater adherence to diet therapy, report a higher level of self-efficacy
regarding dietary management, and achieve a greater reduction in LDL-C.
Secondary aims included determining whether any trends for gender
differences exist in the primary outcome measures: dietary adherence,
self-efficacy, therapeutic efficacy, and LDL-C.
Principal Investigator: Caroline Burnett, Sc.D., R.N.
Institution: Georgetown University Medical Center
Grant No: R03 HS07406 (Small Research Project)
Period: 9/30/92-9/29/94
Title: Low-Income Minority Women: Barriers to Cancer Screening
Summary: This study identified barriers related to access and use of breast and
cervical cancer screening services as perceived by the low income, uninsured,
minority women (underserved) of the District of Columbia. For example, these
barriers include, but were not limited to, beliefs and attitudes toward cancer,
factors that influence decision making, and factors that may influence future
use of screening services. A sample of 500 women were drawn from
individuals who are participating in the District of Columbia Cancer
Consortium's breast and cervical cancer screening demonstration program.
Subjects completed a questionnaire designed to elicit information concerning
their beliefs and behaviors toward their own participation in breast and cervical
cancer screening services; answer questions relative to decisions concerning
participating in this particular screening opportunity; and, identify factors that
might facilitate or impede their participation in the future. Determination of
associations, if any, between the model of care delivery employed and women's
reported intentions to participate in future screening projects were assessed.