Candidate: I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch. My long-term career goal is to establish a funded research program based on standardized functional assessment and outcomes used in post-acute care. To accomplish this goal, I will develop skills to become the leader of an interdisciplinary team. I will complete the following training: 1) Learn how standardized functional data are defined, developed and used in post-acute care; 2) Learn new data science methods and analytical skills; and 3) Engage in scientific and grant writing to advance my career and scientific skills. Mentoring Team: The mentoring team includes Kenneth Ottenbacher, PhD, OTR, (primary mentor) and Yong- Fang Kuo, PhD, (co-mentor). The advisory team includes Anne Deutsch, RN, PhD, CRRN, Trudy Mallinson, PhD, OTR, and Brian Downer, PhD. Dr. Ottenbacher is an occupational therapist, Director of the Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, and an expert in rehabilitation outcomes research. Dr. Kuo is a Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and the Director of Office of Biostatistics with expertise in large data and quantitative methods. Dr. Deutsch is a nurse scientist with expertise in rehabilitation health policy. Dr. Mallinson is an expert in methods related to crosswalk development. Dr. Downer (peer mentor) is PI for a K01 award from the NIA. The mentoring team will guide career development activities and participate in the K01 research. Research Strategy: The goal of the K01 project is to compare standardized functional assessment items (self- care, mobility and cognition) mandated by the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act, to items currently used in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF).
Aim 1 : Examine response patterns between current IRF functional items and the Standardized Patient Assessment Data Elements (SPADE) functional items.
Aim 2. Develop a crosswalk between current IRF and SPADE functional items.
Aim 3 : Using the crosswalk identified in Aim 2, conduct comparative analyses using post-acute care Quality Measures included in the IMPACT Act. Findings from the K01 research will influence service delivery and functional outcomes across post-acute providers. The crosswalk developed in Aim 2 will support longitudinal studies to compare functional outcomes pre- and post- use of SPADE items. The study findings will facilitate the use of standardized outcome measures across post-acute care.
The Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act is standardizing the collection of functional outcome data across post-acute providers. This legislation is revolutionizing how post-acute services are being delivered, evaluated, and reimbursed. The K01 research will improve consumer care and contribute to how the IMPACT Act will influence performance on national quality measures such as hospital readmission and discharge to the community.
