Current Research Projects
Here is a collection of ongoing research initiatives aimed at improving care for older adults utilizing a comprehensive approach that blends quantitative, qualitative, and implementation science methodologies.
Improving hospice care for older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD)
Project Team
Team: Alexander Smith, MD, MPH, MS, Dan Dohan, PhD, Jennifer James, PhD, MS, MSW, Lauren Hunt, PhD, RN, FNP, Rebecca Sudore, MD
Overview
This 5-year R01-funded study aims to improve hospice and end-of-life care for people with dementia and their families. The project consists of the following three aims:
Aim 1: Understanding Former Caregiver Experiences and Preferences
In this component, we will gather the perspectives of former care partners of persons who died with dementia. Through semi-structured interviews and validated survey measures, we will gather experiences of end-of-life care and bias and generate definitions of high-quality end-of-life care.
Aim 2: Examining Organizational Practices
By conducting organizational case studies, we will document hospice practices and policies that influence care for people with dementia. Drawing from surveys, meeting observations, staff interviews, and document reviews, we aim to uncover systemic facilitators and barriers to dementia care within hospice organizations. These findings will be crucial in understanding the structural factors that contribute to access and quality of care.
Aim 3: Developing Recommendations for Improvement
Through collaboration with care partners, policy makers, and experts in hospice and dementia, the project will generate a prioritized set of recommendations for improving hospice care for people with dementia and their families. Building on the insights gathered from aims 1 and 2, this stage will ensure that the proposed recommendations for practice and policy are informed by both the lived experiences of families impacted by dementia and the systemic challenges identified within hospice organizations. The goal is to bridge the gap between current practices and the diverse needs of people with dementia and care partners.
DEploying High ValuE LOngitudinal Population-Based dAta in Dementia Research (DEVELOP AD Research)
This 5 year P01-funded program project supports a series of projects using large secondary data sets (i.e. National Health and Aging Trends Study, Health and Retirement Study, Medicare Care Beneficiary Survey, Medicare Claims) to understand how serious medical illness and social and economic factors impact outcomes in persons with dementia and their caregivers. The project is a joint endeavor between the UCSF Division of Geriatrics and the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
UCSF Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence (Pepper) Center - Vulnerable Populations Aging Research Core
Dr. Harrison co-directs the UCSF Pepper Center Vulnerable Populations Aging Research Core (VARC) alongside Dr. Rebecca Sudore, to advise investigators one designing and executing primary data collection studies involving older adults.
VARC hosts monthly Office Hours, welcoming all researchers and staff who would like to seek guidance on study design and qualitative/mixed methods analysis.