: Candidate: Thus far, my training and research has primarily focused on the application of communication theories to the promotion of organ donation. My short-term goals are to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully complete the proposed research and to conduct theoretically-grounded, translational research in organ donation and transplantation. My long-term career goals are to become an experienced, independent health services researcher devoted to improving the practice of organ donation and transplantation. Career Development Plan: My career development plan combines didactic coursework, professional training, and mentored instruction. Specifically, I propose to earn a Master's in Public Health and participate in training activities to increase my knowledge of and proficiency in public health, research methods, health behavior theory, grant writing, transplantation, and health communication. Research Plan: A major barrier to kidney transplant candidates'pursuit of live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) is lack of communication about LDKT with family. This study proposes the formative research needed to develop and test a communication skills program designed to increase candidates'confidence and ability discussing LDKT with members of their immediate family. Semi-structured interviews are proposed to identify communicative barriers impeding candidates'discussion of LDKT and to inform the development of an instrument assessing candidates'relational communication skill, communication competence, self-efficacy (i.e., confidence), and intent to discuss LDKT with family members. A Community Advisory Board will help design and evaluate a culturally-relevant communication skills program that teaches candidates to discuss LDKT with their immediate families. Finally, a proof of concept test of the program will provide preliminary data on the effects of the communication skills program on candidates'communication competence, self-efficacy, intent to discuss LDKT with family, self-reported LDKT discussion, and the number of family members screened as potential live donors. Research Environment: Virginia Commonwealth University ranks among the top 100 universities in the country in sponsored research. The VCU Medical Center, including the Hume-Lee Transplant Center, is one of the nation's largest academic medical centers.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
5K01HS018113-04
Application #
8420185
Study Section
Health Care Quality and Effectiveness Research (HQER)
Program Officer
Anderson, Kay
Project Start
2010-07-01
Project End
2015-04-30
Budget Start
2013-05-01
Budget End
2014-04-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Virginia Commonwealth University
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
105300446
City
Richmond
State
VA
Country
United States
Zip Code
23298
Traino, Heather M; Nonterah, Camilla W; Gupta, Gaurav et al. (2016) Living Kidney Donors' Information Needs and Preferences. Prog Transplant 26:47-54
Traino, Heather M; Nonterah, Camilla W; Cyrus, John W et al. (2015) Disparities in the completion of steps to kidney transplantation: protocol for a systematic review. BMJ Open 5:e008677
Traino, Heather M (2014) Communication self-efficacy, perceived conversational difficulty, and renal patients' discussions about transplantation. Patient Educ Couns 94:180-6