The career development goals of the proposed K18 are twofold: 1) to obtain training, mentorship, and expertise in various facets of person-centered outcome research (PCOR) and comparative effectiveness research (CER) in the context of family care for persons with dementia;and 2) to achieve the necessary level of preparation to create integrated, multi-investigator research efforts and university-based infrastructure based on PCOR and CER. The proposed Career Development Plan will emphasize mentorship and training activities in PCOR and CER including annual attendance at institutes, audited coursework, site visits, and participation in PCOR/CER analysis and dissemination via the University of Minnesota AHRQ Evidence-Based Practice Center. The proposed K18 and the resources it would provide will facilitate the integration of PCOR in various interdisciplinary research and educational initiatives at the University of Minnesota. It is likely different types o support strategies are more helpful for some dementia caregivers than others. To this end, the primary goal of the K18 Research Plan is to determine whether certain intervention approaches can best meet the needs of dementia family caregivers based on outcome (e.g., reduction of caregiver stress, keeping the person with dementia at home, improving the person with dementia's well-being), personal characteristics, and dementia severity.
Specific Aim 1 of the K18 Research Plan will include a comparative effectiveness analysis of available interventions to ascertain the efficacy of these approaches for dementia caregivers differentiated by outcome, key characteristics of the family caregiver and person with dementia, and intervention type.
Specific Aim 2 of the K18 research plan involves the creation of a Community Advisory Board to review and disseminate the results of the Specific Aim 1 CER procedures as well as outline the questions, design, evaluation, and dissemination of a subsequent care planning tool for persons with dementia. Engaging the Community Advisory Board will align a planned care planning tool with the needs of key stakeholders (particularly family caregivers of persons with dementia) and result in a truly person-centered approach to assisting families in need.
It is likely different types of support strategies are more helpful for some dementia caregivers than others. The career development goals of the proposed K18 are to obtain training, mentorship, and expertise in various facets of person-centered outcome research (PCOR) and comparative effectiveness research (CER) in the context of family care giving for persons with dementia. These training activities will achieve the necessary level of preparation to create multi-investigator, collaborative research efforts as well as university-wide infrastructure on PCOR and CER in Alzheimer's disease and long-term care. As part of the proposed Research Plan, the Principal Investigator will conduct a comparative effectiveness analysis of available dementia caregiver interventions and establish a Community Advisory Board to outline the questions, design, evaluation, and dissemination of an eventual care planning tool for persons with dementia that are aligned with the needs of key stakeholders (particularly family caregivers of persons with dementia). The proposed comparative effectiveness and stakeholder engagement plan will result in a truly person-centered approach to assisting families in need.
| Gaugler, Joseph E; Jutkowitz, Eric; Shippee, Tetyana P et al. (2017) Consistency of dementia caregiver intervention classification: an evidence-based synthesis. Int Psychogeriatr 29:19-30 |
| Gaugler, Joseph E; Westra, Bonnie L; Kane, Robert L (2016) Professional discipline and support recommendations for family caregivers of persons with dementia. Int Psychogeriatr 28:1029-40 |
| Gaugler, Joseph E; Reese, Mark; Tanler, Richard (2016) Care to Plan: An Online Tool That Offers Tailored Support to Dementia Caregivers. Gerontologist 56:1161-1174 |
