News

Zimmerman comments on impact of isolation on nursing home residents during COVID-19 pandemic

Posted on by Sonya Sutton

Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD, a member of the executive committee for the IMPACT Patient and Caregiver Relevant Outcomes Core, was recently quoted in a New York Times opinion piece about the impact of isolation on nursing home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve lost part of the long-term care work force by restricting families,” said Zimmerman,  who is also co-director of the Program on Aging, Disability and Long-Term Care at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the School of Social Work. “Sure, the risk of spreading COVID-19 (or any other infectious disease) is less when visitors are restricted, but the consequence of social detachment may be greater, and this is a serious risk: we’ve known for more than 40 years that isolation increases death.”

Read the full piece at this link.

Congress approves $300 million increase for Alzheimer’s and dementia research funding at the NIH for FY 2021

Posted on by Sonya Sutton

The  fiscal year 2021 omnibus spending bill includes a $300 million increase for Alzheimer’s and dementia research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including $15 million to fund and implement the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (P.L. 115-406), and advances the Improving HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 880/H.R. 1873).

This research funding increase was advocated for by the Alzheimer’s Association, the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) and its nationwide network of dedicated advocates. Spearheaded by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the action demonstrates policymakers’ renewed commitment to advance Alzheimer’s and dementia research.

In addition to enabling new research into Alzheimer’s and all other dementia, the omnibus spending package includes $15 million to fund the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. Passed overwhelmingly in December 2018, the law directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen the public health infrastructure across the country by implementing effective Alzheimer’s interventions focused on public health issues such as increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk, and preventing avoidable hospitalizations.

Medicare has covered care planning for individuals with cognitive impairment, including dementia, since January 2017. However, in the first year, fewer than 1% of seniors living with Alzheimer’s received the care planning benefit. The Improving HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act will give clinicians the knowledge and tools to better help people living with dementia and their families.

In addition to educating clinicians on care planning services available under Medicare, this act requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to report on the barriers to individuals receiving care planning services and how the rate of usage can be increased.

The bipartisan Improving HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act was introduced by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Reps. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.). Since its introduction, AIM advocates grew support for the bill resulting in nearly half of the Senate and over 200 members in the House having cosponsored the legislation.

This announcement is modified from the Alzheimer’s Association press release on December 21, 2020. Read their full release at this link.

Penn Roybal Center announces new funding opportunity with special option for IMPACT co-funding

Posted on by Sonya Sutton

The Penn Roybal Center on Palliative Care in Dementia is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity. Their pilot program seeks to revolutionize the development and testing of behavioral interventions that leverage behavioral economic insights and data science methods to improve palliative care delivery for persons with dementia (PWD) in long-term services and support (LTSS) facilities. Through an innovative partnership with Genesis HealthCare, one of the nation’s largest LTSS companies, successfully funded pilots will be implemented in Genesis HealthCare facilities.

Proposals for Stage IV larger-scale trials may be eligible for co-funding from the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory. Investigators interested in pursuing this option should send a 2-paragraph outline of the proposal and approximate trial duration and budget to Scott Halpern, MD, PhD (shalpern@upenn.edu) no later than January 15, 2021.

Please note the following about the Penn Roybal Center pilot program priorities:

  1. They welcome applications related to the broad themes of palliative care delivery and advance care planning for persons with dementia in LTSS facilities and their family caregivers.
  2. They specifically encourage applications that use methods from the fields of behavioral economics, data science, or both, but the most meritorious applications regardless of methodologic discipline(s) will be funded.
  3. They will only fund applications that include a clinical trial as defined by the NIH (which may be a pilot trial designed to test intervention acceptability, preliminary efficacy, or other early-phase outcomes). Proposals for multi-year awards may include research in the first year using other methods that will provide essential data in direct support of a clinical trial (e.g., testing of feasibility, acceptability, methods of identifying patients, etc), if the proposal includes a clinical trial in later years.

The Penn Roybal Center will distribute up to $200,000 in direct costs for pilot funding this year. Individual applicants may request budgets from $25,000 to $150,000 in direct costs per year, and may propose projects lasting 1 to 3 years (though 3 years will only be considered for large-scale and highly impactful studies). Additionally, proposals for Stage IV larger-scale trials may be eligible for co-funding from the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory, in which case larger budgets may be requested.  Applications are due February 1, 2021 at 5 PM EST.

More information about the Penn Roybal Center on Palliative Care in Dementia pilot program can be found here. 
More information about the pilot program and application process can be found here: PennRoybal-Center-Pilot-Announcement_Year-3-RFA-002.pdf.

Request for Applications to Attend the Annual IMPACT Training Workshop & Retreat (April 7-8, 2021)

Posted on by Erin Luers

The IMPACT Collaboratory will hold its first annual Training Workshop and Retreat, “Building Skills to Conduct Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials for People Living with Dementia (PLWD) and their Care Partners,” on April 7-8, 2021.

We are inviting applications from early to mid-career researchers who seek to develop competence in designing and conducting ePCTs of interventions to improve care for PWLD and their care partners. We anticipate accepting up to 25 participants to attend the workshop.

This virtual 1.5-day workshop and retreat will provide a foundation in practical aspects of designing and conducting ePCTs in AD/ADRD through a combination of panel discussions, small group sessions, and networking opportunities with experts in the field. Workshop modules will focus on healthcare systems, implementation science, and study design.

Participants will gain knowledge in ePCT design and method, problem-solve challenges faced in current or planned projects, and network and engage with the larger community of IMPACT investigators. Throughout the program, special attention will be paid to key considerations in design, implementation, and monitoring ePCTs of PLWD and care partners to ensure health equity.

Successful applicants will be expected to complete selected readings and online training prior to the workshop. Please note that all participants will be expected to attend and participate in the entire 1.5-day IMPACT Collaboratory Training Workshop and Retreat.

Please help to publicize this training program and encourage your investigators and colleagues to apply.

EVENT DETAILS (virtual):
Wednesday, April 7, 2021 from 1:30pm – 4:30pm ET
Thursday, April 8, 2021 from 10:00am – 4:30pm ET

TO APPLY:
For more information and to apply please visit:  https://impactcollaboratory.org/training-workshop

  • Deadline: Friday, January 15, 2021
  • Application: Please submit your online application and your NIH biosketch by January 15, 2021 through our application portal.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Applicants should have an MD, PhD, or equivalent research degree and hold a full-time position at an academic or research organization in the United States.  Although the primary audience is early-career investigators, mid-career applicants who are seeking to change their career path to pursue research on ePCTs in AD/ADRD will be considered. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

SELECTION CRITERIA: Applicants will be selected based on their demonstrated commitment to improving the care of people living with dementia and/or their caregivers through the conduct of ePCTs in health care systems and the potential impact of the workshop on promoting the applicant’s career in this area.

If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please email IMPACTcollaboratory@hsl.harvard.edu

External Funding Opportunities: US Deprescribing Research Network Pilot and Grant Opportunity and Junior Investigator Intensive Program; Hopkins’ Economics of Alzheimer’s Disease & Services (HEADS) Center Pilot Grant

Posted on by Erin Luers

US Deprescribing Research Network Pilot and Grant Opportunity

Application Deadlines: 1/22/21

The US Deprescribing Research Network funds pilot and exploratory studies, grant planning activities, and small collaboration grants. The goals of these grant programs are to support early-stage research in deprescribing that has high potential to develop into future large projects, to catalyze research in areas that are of particular importance to the field, to support junior investigator development, and to promote collaborations that will lead to future research projects.

The Letter of Intent deadline has passed, but it is not required. Application deadline is January 22. See details here

Junior Investigator Intensive Program in Deprescribing Research

The US Deprescribing Research Network (USDeN) seeks applicants for its Junior Investigator Intensive Program in Deprescribing Research.  The program will create a cohort of emerging leaders who are committed to pursuing research training and collaborative opportunities related to deprescribing.

Applications Due:  February 1, 2021

Selected Investigators Notified:  Mid-March, 2021

What is deprescribing research and why is it important?
There is increasing recognition that use of some medication, especially as people get older or more ill, can cause more harm than good. Optimizing medication through targeted deprescribing is a vital part of managing chronic conditions, avoiding adverse effects and improving outcomes. The goals of deprescribing include reducing medication burden and maintaining or improving quality of life. Yet, there is a dearth of strong research evidence to guide clinical practice and inform shared clinical decision-making relevant to deprescribing.

What is the Junior Investigator Intensive Program?
The program has 3 main components.

  1. Scholars will attend a special session at the 2021 US Deprescribing Research Network Annual Meeting (date to be determined) that is focused on career development, networking, and collaborative research opportunities for early-stage investigators interested in deprescribing. *Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this meeting may be held virtually.*
  2. Scholars will attend monthly virtual “works in progress” meetings and other activities over the year that offer a mix of opportunities to get feedback on your research from colleagues and senior researchers and discussion of collaborative research projects in which scholars can participate (and help lead).
  3. Scholars will have access to other aspects of the US Deprescribing Research Network such as attendance at webinars, consultations, and a variety of other resources. Scholars will be expected to attend the virtual USDeN Annual Meeting and most of the monthly web-based meetings during the year.

See full details here.

Application Deadline 2/1/21: Hopkins’ Economics of Alzheimer’s Disease & Services (HEADS) Center Pilot Grant

Pilot Proposal Guidelines (Pilot 2021-2022)
Application Deadline: February 1, 2021 11:59 PM (EST)

The HEADS Center stimulates and coalesces population-based research that identifies, quantifies, and addresses economic and care systems challenges posed by Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD).

We invite applications for pilot grants related to our two themes:
(1) To identify and quantify the range of care needs of persons with ADRD and the economic consequences of ADRD for patients and families.
(2) To examine how the organization, financing, and delivery of services affects accessibility, affordability, quality, and equity of ADRD care.

We expect to award 4 one-year pilot grants of up to $25,000 per award in the coming 2021-2022 cycle. We are particularly interested in supporting promising post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty, but applicants may be of any rank from Johns Hopkins University and external institutions.

Please see the attached RFA and click on the link to our website below for full details and application instructions.
Applicants will be notified of funding decisions on or around April 1, 2021.

More details here:
https://www.jhsph.edu/departments/health-policy-and-management/research-centers-and-institutes/hopkins-economics-of-alzheimers-disease-and-services-center/research-projects/Request%20for%20Applications.html

Vince Mor Featured in New JHF Documentary on ‘What COVID-19 Exposed in Long-Term Care’

Posted on by Sonya Sutton

IMPACT Principal Investigator Vince Mor, PhD is among the experts interviewed for a new documentary from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) which explores the reasons theCOVID-19 pandemic has so severely impacted long-term care (LTC) and nursing facilities across the United States. What COVID-19 Exposed in Long-Term Care analyzes the challenges LTC facilities have faced since the pandemic swept the world early this year, including the blame placed on individual long term care facilities and front-line healthcare workers amidst so many systemic shortcomings.

The 20-minute documentary features commentary from public health professionals from across the United States, including Mor. Public health officials interviewed in the documentary attribute the virus’s severe impact on LTC facilities to the vulnerable health of the residents coupled with years of inadequate funding, lack of infection management resources, and the limited response from health systems and public health authorities.

Increased understanding about how this virus and pandemic impacts LTC facilities, underscore the importance for researchers and healthcare workers to find long-term solutions to the disparities that impact this population. Watch the documentary here to learn more about how this public health crisis is affecting older populations and LTC facilities, and how to help find solutions for the inequities within these populations.

IMPACT Collaboratory receives supplement grant to develop adverse events monitoring system for nursing home populations following COVID-19 vaccination

Posted on by Sonya Sutton

IMPACT Collaboratory Principal Investigator Vincent Mor, PhD will lead a new supplement to the IMPACT funding to study adverse events in nursing home residents who receive the COVID-19 vaccination in real time.

The award to Brown University will be used to design an adverse event monitoring system to identify adverse health impacts after receipt of COVID-19 vaccination by elderly nursing home residents. While there are currently four vaccines in Phase 3 trials in the US, the vaccine trials have rarely included frail, aged subjects with multiple morbidities. For these reasons, and because there is considerable evidence that the immune systems of frail older people are not as responsive as those of the younger people on which vaccines are being tested, careful monitoring of their response to the vaccine will be required. Once a vaccine is approved, it is expected that frail older persons living in congregate settings are in the top priority group for distribution.

This new effort, provides funding for the School to work with Genesis HealthCare (Genesis), one of the nation’s largest post-acute care providers with more than 350 facilities across 25 states. Brown will monitor the occurrence of adverse events following nursing home residents’ receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine in facilities affiliated with Genesis. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Brown and Genesis have been working together to study data and uncover patterns that can be used to develop informed strategies to mitigate the impact of the pandemic in nursing homes.

Mor, lead investigator and professor of health service, policy and practice in the School of Public Health, said “Nursing home residents constitute about 40% of all deaths due to COVID in the nation, but make up less than one half of one percent of the US population. Residents are in desperate need of protection from the virus but no one as sick as a nursing home resident was enrolled in any of the vaccine trials.”

This work is part of the Centers for Disease Control’s effort to establish Vaccine Adverse Event Monitoring Systems, particularly focused on the frail elderly who were not included in the vaccine trials.

Mor added that “We don’t know how frail seniors will react to the vaccine and it will roll out quickly once distribution begins. Under normal circumstances, we would not know until most residents have been vaccinated if the rate of adverse events is higher than expected. Therefore, the ‘real time’ adverse event monitoring system we are establishing cooperatively with the CDC and Genesis is unique and critically important to understand how frail seniors will respond to the vaccines.”

Additional local collaborations in this work include the Rhode Island Quality Institute led by Dr. Neil Sarkar, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, and associate professor of medical science at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

The work is supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award No. U54AG063546. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Modified from the Brown University School of Public Health announcement. Read the full text here.

Call for Nominations to Serve on the Lived Experience Panel for People Living with Dementia and Their Family Members and Care Partners

Posted on by Sonya Sutton

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory, in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association, is seeking nominations to establish a Lived Experience Panel. We are looking for people living with dementia  and those caring for people with dementia to share experiences to help inform the development and testing of interventions to improve dementia care. It is critical to include personal experiences of those living with dementia and care partners to help researchers, professionals, and other stakeholders better understand and prioritize the most urgent needs. Lived Experience Panel will meet quarterly to engage in discussions about methods and strategies for studying non-medication interventions and provide feedback to researchers to improve the quality of life of people living with dementia, their family members, and care partners.

A one-year commitment is requested. Participation will include:

1) training regarding the goals of the Lived Experience Panel

2) four 90-minute meetings (one every 3 months)

3) review of pre-meeting materials

4) evaluation of each meeting soon after it has completed. Meetings will take place over video and/or conference calls

Please share this opportunity with individuals you believe might be good candidates for this panel. To learn more, please visit the Lived Experience Panel page, the Frequently-Asked-Questions and complete the Nomination Form (self-nominations welcome).

Nominations are due by November 17, 2020. 

IMPACT Collaboratory receives 4 NIA COVID-19 Supplement Awards

Posted on by Sonya Sutton

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Imbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory is pleased to announce that the IMPACT community has been awarded 4 NIA COVID-19 Supplements for research efforts in response to the urgent public health needs arising from COVID-19 and it’s devastating impact on people living with dementia, their families and care partners.

Effect of a COVID-Specific Advance Care Planning Intervention on Documentation of Advance Directives and Goals of Care
Principal Investigator: Ellen McCreedy, PhD, MPH, Brown University School of Public Health
Dr. McCreedy and her team will conduct a cluster randomized embedded pragmatic clinical trial (ePCT) by leveraging electronic health records of Bluestone Physician Services to test the effectiveness of a COVID-specific, advance care planning (ACP) intervention on documentation of care preferences among assisted living community (ALC) residents with AD/ADRD from 150 ALCs in 3 states.

Evaluation of a State-wide Effort to Improve COVID-19 Infection Control in Massachusetts Nursing Homes
Principal Investigator: Lewis Lipsitz, MD, Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife
Dr. Lipsitz and his team will evaluate the efficacy of a Massachusetts state-funded strategy to minimize the spread of COVID-19 among older adults and their care providers within Massachusetts NHs using multiple data sources. Efficacy will be measured over the 2-month intervention period among all residents in nursing homes (NHs) across Massachusetts compared to those in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

COVID-19 Serologic Strategies for Skilled Nursing Facilities (CERO)
Principal Investigator: Joshua Chodosh, MD, MSHS, NYU Langone Health
Dr. Chodosh and his team will design and pilot test an intervention that leverages the COVID-19 antibody and PCR status of residents and staff to inform staff-residents care assignments to minimize COVID-19 transmission rates. The team will conduct the study in two New York City facilities with high minority and AD/ADRD representation and compare intervention units using this strategy with those that do not.

Improved Testing for COVID-19 in Skilled Nursing Facilities: IMPACT-C
Principal Investigators: Sarah Berry, MD, MPH, Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew Senior Life; Vince Mor, PhD, Brown University School of Public Health
Drs. Berry and Mor were awarded a supplement to improve COVID-19 testing for underserved and vulnerable populations as part of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative, the RADx Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program. This initiative will leverage the foundation of the IMPACT Collaboratory to establish IMPACT-COVID-19 (IMPACT-C), a collaborative dedicated to developing and evaluating SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies in highly vulnerable residents and health care workers of skilled nursing facilities. IMPACT-C will assemble the organizational, administrative, and expertise components necessary to swiftly conduct a rigorous vaccine trial, when available.