The overall goal of this revised NIA Academic Career Leadership award is to develop a research program at UAB addressing Advanced Illness and Multimorbidity (AIM), the natural nexus of geriatrics and palliative care. Advanced illness (the state of having a serious, incurable, progressive disease) and multimorbidity (the simultaneous existence of more than one pathophysiologic condition) often co-occur in geriatric patients. Together, AIM impact quality of life for many older adults, often leading to increasing interactions with the health care system, and curtailing independent living and longevity. Increasing attention is being devoted to multimorbidity, but less is known about optimal management of multimorbidity at the end of life. Because the number of older adults experiencing AIM is increasing, better understanding of AIM and interventions to support patients with AfM has the potential to improve care and quality of life for older adults. UAB already has a large pool of talented researchers investigating clinical issues related to specific diseases or geriatric syndromes. A research program interrelating conditions and addressing illness burden related to advanced stage diseases and multimorbidity will fill important gaps in our current understanding of care for older people. To that end, the objectives of the AIM Research Program include the following: 1) To conduct research in Advanced Illness Care to improve processes and outcomes of care for older people, especially those with AIM; 2) To build research capacity in the Schools and Centers at UAB through expansion and integration of academic training in AIM for trainees, junior and transitional faculty; 3) To facilitate long term sustainability of an AIM Research Program that fosters opportunities for faculty development, collaboration and productive research across the University; and to 4) To foster the pedagogical and leadership skills of the proposed Director of the AIM Research Program, Dr. Christine Ritchie.
The AIM Research Program objectives will directly target unmet needs in aging research by addressing cross-cutting and interrelated issues across diseases, geriatric syndromes and settings of care that are highlighted by the experience of advanced illness. Improved understanding of the challenges and solutions to advanced illness care through this interdisciplinary research program will potentially result in profound improvements in both the quality of health care received and experienced by older adults. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Academic/Teacher Award (ATA) (K07)
Project #
1K07AG031779-01A1
Application #
7586918
Study Section
National Institute on Aging Initial Review Group (NIA)
Program Officer
Nayfield, Susan G
Project Start
2008-09-30
Project End
2013-08-31
Budget Start
2008-09-30
Budget End
2009-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$108,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Alabama Birmingham
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
063690705
City
Birmingham
State
AL
Country
United States
Zip Code
35294
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Ritchie, Christine S; Kelley, Amy S; Stijacic Cenzer, Irena et al. (2016) High Levels of Geriatric Palliative Care Needs in Hip Fracture Patients Before the Hip Fracture. J Pain Symptom Manage 52:533-538
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Mgbemena, Okechukwu; Westfall, Andrew O; Ritchie, Christine S et al. (2015) Preliminary outcomes of a pilot physical therapy program for HIV-infected patients with chronic pain. AIDS Care 27:244-7
Merlin, Jessica S; Westfall, Andrew O; Chamot, Eric et al. (2015) Quantitative Evaluation of an Instrument to Identify Chronic Pain in HIV-Infected Individuals. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 31:623-7
Zulman, Donna M; Pal Chee, Christine; Wagner, Todd H et al. (2015) Multimorbidity and healthcare utilisation among high-cost patients in the US Veterans Affairs Health Care System. BMJ Open 5:e007771
Steinman, Michael A; Komaiko, Kiya D R; Fung, Kathy Z et al. (2015) Use of opioids and other analgesics by older adults in the United States, 1999-2010. Pain Med 16:319-27
Merriman, John D; Aouizerat, Bradley E; Cataldo, Janine K et al. (2014) Association between an interleukin 1 receptor, type I promoter polymorphism and self-reported attentional function in women with breast cancer. Cytokine 65:192-201
Kelley, Amy S; Langa, Kenneth M; Smith, Alexander K et al. (2014) Leveraging the health and retirement study to advance palliative care research. J Palliat Med 17:506-11

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