Author: Manda

IMPACT members to discuss nomenclature in dementia

Posted on by Manda

Penn Memory Center at University of Pennsylvania Health System, is hosting a virtual event with IMPACT’s Jason Karlawish, MD and Angela Taylor, who will discuss the shortcomings and challenges of nomenclature in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Karlawish and Taylor are working to find the answers to questions like:

  • What’s the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?
  • Should we still use the word dementia?
  • Does it make sense to say that a person with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can progress to Alzheimer’s disease?
  • In the term “ADRD,” which stands for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related, does the second “D” stand for “disease,” “disorder,” or “dementia”?

The “Words Matter: Nomenclature in Dementia” event will take place January 18, 2023 at 12 pm ET.

Registration closed.

IMPACT members evaluate the effects of the Tailored Activity Program on dementia-related behaviors in different racial groups

Posted on by Manda

Although nonpharmacological approaches are considered first-line treatments for dementia-related behaviors, it is unclear as to their effectiveness for different racial groups. IMPACT’s Laura Gitlin, PhD, FGSA, FAAN, Nancy Hodgson, PhD, RN, FAAN, Lauren Parker, PhD (2021-2022 IMPACT Faculty Scholar) evaluated the effects of the Tailored Activity Program (TAP) on agitated and aggressive behaviors in Black and White families.

They found that Black families, when compared to White families, derived greater behavioral benefits from TAP for people living with dementia (PLWD) at 3 months despite having less treatment exposure. Additionally, examining differential race effects may enhance precision in using nonpharmacological approaches and promote equity in dementia care for underserved populations.

To read the full article, visit this link.

IMPACT-C publication cited as one of five most interesting articles in health care for 2022

Posted on by Manda

An article published by IMPACT Collaboratory members was included in a list published by Vox of five articles from 2022 that might change how people think about health care.

The journal article, Evaluating the Findings of the IMPACT-C Randomized Clinical Trial to Improve COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage in Skilled Nursing Facilities, was published in JAMA Intern Medicine in January 2022. The article summarized findings of the IMPACT-C trial to improve COVID-19 vaccine coverage in skilled nursing facilities.

The trial utilized a 3-month educational campaign for encouraging vaccination and utilized best practices such as identifying frontline champions and giving small gifts to vaccinated staff. The authors found no significant difference in resident or staff vaccination in facilities that received the vaccine campaign vs usual care.

The study, identified for Vox by David Grabowski at Harvard Medical School, provided insight into more effective policies to increase vaccination rates. The authors suggested future vaccine campaigns should strive to create an organizational culture that addresses concerns of all stakeholders and brings staff and residents together with a common goal of ending the pandemic.

Amy Kelley named deputy director of the National Institute on Aging

Posted on by Manda

Congratulations to Amy Kelley, MD, MSHS, former member of IMPACT’s Patient and Caregiver Relevant Outcomes (PCRO) Core, on her new role as deputy director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA)! In a recent blog post, she shares her priorities for the position and her career arch, including the time she spent partnering with IMPACT.

To read Kelley’s blog post, visit this link.

Now hiring postdoctoral researcher associated in IMPACT’s PCRO Core

Posted on by Manda

A Postdoctoral Research Associate position based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is now available. This full time, temporary position will support new and ongoing research initiatives with members of IMPACT’s Patient Care and Relevant Outcomes Core (PCRO), led by Laura Hanson, MD, MPH. The Research Associate will work on an existing online library of Clinical Outcome Assessments (COAs) relevant to conducting embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) among people living with dementia and their care partners and analyze data from electronic medical records collected as part of the Long-Term Care Data Cooperative to explore methods for operationalizing deprescribing efforts as a patient and caregiver relevant outcome for future pragmatic trials.

Find out more and apply for the position at this link.