News

Registration is now open for IMPACT Collaboratory’s 2024 Scientific Conference on Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials (ePCTs) in Dementia

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

The interactive forum features research efforts from IMPACT and the broader research community.  Participants gather to discuss and advance the understanding of ePCTs, review emerging insights and highlight advances in research to improve care for people living with dementia (PLWD).  The hybrid event will be held in Bethesda, MD and via Zoom April 3-4, 2024.  The event is free and open to the public.

Join to experience…

  • discussions about exciting advances in ePCTs to improve the care and health outcomes of PLWD and their care partners,
  • dynamic poster sessions displaying cutting-edge research in dementia care, and
  • opportunities to interact and network with investigators conducting ePCTs in dementia care.

Visit the meeting website to learn more!

Advance registration is free and required for all participants.

In-person registration closes: March 10, 2024

Virtual registration closes: April 4, 2024

Call for abstracts…

Submit an abstract to present your work on topics related to research in dementia and care partners in the event’s poster session.   Notifications of selected abstracts will be sent to investigators on a rolling basis.

Abstract Submission Closes:  March 1, 2024

Allore leads JAMA Internal Medicine series to help clinicians interpret and apply scientific research

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

IMPACT member, Heather Allore, PhD, leads a new series called the Guide to Statistics and Methods created by JAMA Internal Medicine. The Guide is intended to help clinicians understand and interpret scientific, peer-reviewed articles.  The series of articles will avoid unnecessary use of statistical jargon, provide context for the information presented, and provide helpful data visualizations where possible.

The goal is to help readers become educated consumers of medical literature by explaining statistical concepts and methods that influence inference, bias, validity, and generalizability of research findings

Read the full article.

New documentary featuring María Aranda, PhD, MSW, explores the impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on Hispanic and Latino population

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

IMPACT Health Equity Team associate leader María Aranda, PhD, MSW, MPA, LCSW, is featured in, “Our America: Unforgettable,” a new documentary special produced by ABC Owned Television Stations in partnership with ABC News. The program provides insight into what life is like for families facing Alzheimer’s disease and presents the alarming data of the disease through a Hispanic and Latino lens.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, people from Hispanic and Latino populations are 1.5x more likely than non-Hispanic White people to develop Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In this hour-long special, two families share their experiences on caregiving, and experts in the field, including Dr. Aranda, describe the disparities impacting Hispanic and Latino populations in relation to Alzheimer’s disease. They explore questions about why Alzheimer’s disease manifests differently and more frequently in these communities and describe greater inclusion in research and clinical trials as an essential way of answering these questions and improving care.

Learn more about the program and access the full video here or find it streaming on ABC services. Watch the trailer on YouTube. The episode includes close captioning in both Spanish and English.

IMPACT members to present at two-day workshop exploring serious illness care

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

IMPACT members, including multiple principal investigator Vince Mor, PhD, Antonia Bennett, PhD, Kathleen Unroe, MD, and Scott Halpern, MD, PhD are participating in a two-day public workshop organized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, November 2-3, 2023 in Washington DC.

The workshop will explore existing evidence, knowledge gaps and opportunities to advance future research for serious illness care. The workshop is titled “Serious Illness Care Research: Exploring Current Knowledge, Emerging Evidence and Future Directions.”

Presentations and discussions will focus on:

  • Inclusive research approaches to advance health equity in care
  • Safe and effective therapies to address pain and other physical and psychological symptoms
  • Quality measurement for serious illness
  • The integration of behavioral/mental health care into serious illness care, delivery models that address the patient and family needs
  • Opportunities for research coordination and collaboration

View the full agenda and register.

Strong IMPACT presence at GSA Annual Conference begins with Long-term Care Cooperative workshop

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

The IMPACT Collaboratory will have a strong presence at the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting, starting with a workshop by IMPACT multiple principal investigator Vincent Mor, PhD and colleagues.

The workshop entitled “The Long-Term Care Data Cooperative: Leveraging Nursing Home Electronic Health Records for Research,” will be held on the first day of GSA 2023, November 8.

The interactive workshop will enable attendees to learn how the LTC Data Cooperative is generating real-world evidence on treatments and care practices. They will receive access to explore sample data, gain a comprehensive understanding of the core data model, and learn how to request access for research purposes. In addition, interested attendees can apply for one-year "real world data scholars" training grants.

The Long-Term Care Data Cooperative is funded by the National Institute of Aging and aims to improve the quality of care within skilled nursing facilities by compiling the most comprehensive electronic health records data on nursing home residents nationwide.

The full conference will be held November 8-12, 2023, in Tampa, Florida and will include presentations by multiple IMPACT members throughout the conference. Register or learn more about the conference and workshop at gsa2023.org.

New report now available! Voices of the Lived Experience Panel: Health Equity in Dementia Care and Research

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

The 2022-2023 Lived Experience Panel Report Voices of the Lived Experience Panel: Health Equity in Dementia Care and Research, by IMPACT and LEP members including: María P. Aranda, Talha Ali, Willetha Barnette, Bart Brammer, Katie Brandt, Roberta Cruz, Monica Downer, Shekinah Fashaw-Walters, Darrell Foss, Lupita Gutierrez-Parker, Ladson Hinton, Freddye G. James, Gary Epstein-Lubow, Carolyn Malone, Karen O Moss, Katherine D. Peak, Judith S. Rocha, summarizes the overarching themes that emerged during four meetings of the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory’s Lived Experience Panel, the Health Equity Team, and the Engaging Partners Team. The goal of these discussions was to learn about Panel members’ lived experiences and insights related to health equity in dementia care and research practices.

Panel members shared their own experience living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment while others spoke as care partners or proxies. The report documents a conversational process among panelists. Two major concepts emerged. The first is that people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) and their families have different experiences from one another. The second is that there is a need for a broad and inclusive plan to understand and address weaknesses within the systems of care in the United States, which are often fragmented and lack accountability for health equity.

Read the full report.