General Cardiology Research

Research Overview 

The model of care provided by hospice is crucial due to the limited alternatives for older adults with serious illnesses living at home. Approximately four million adults in the U.S. face challenges accessing office-based care due to frailty, functional impairments, and being home-limited. Home-based medical care, including primary and palliative care, offers a solution for ongoing care in the community setting. Dr. Harrison’s research efforts have focused on developing quality measurements for home-based care, conducting formative qualitative research and stakeholder groups to understand research priorities, and using large datasets to understand the impact of COVID on home-based care. 

Team and Funding 

This body of work was made possible through funding from organizations such as Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), National Institute on Aging (NIA), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and national private foundations such as the Commonwealth Fund and the Retirement Research Foundation that support independent research on healthcare and make grants to improve healthcare practice and policy. 

Research Impact 

Through these projects, Dr. Harrison has defined quality domains for home-based medical care, created tailored quality measures, established a clinical data registry, and launched a National Learning Collaborative for improving home-based medical care. With PCORI support, Dr. Harrison conducted research with homebound older adults and caregivers to develop a research agenda, with a prioritized list of recommendations published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology. 

Key Publications 

A sample of our publications within this research domain is categorized into focus areas: 

Research Overview 

As a former leader within a community-based hospice, Dr. Harrison has dedicated her career to enhancing hospice and palliative care through interdisciplinary approaches. Hospice provides interdisciplinary care to enrollees and families to reduce suffering and support dignity wherever the person calls home. Palliative care is a broader umbrella of care approaches that are relevant at any age and any stage of serious illness. Dr. Harrison’s research evaluates the efficacy of the Medicare Hospice Benefit and its ability to meet the needs of specific groups, such as older adults with dementia.  

Team and Funding 

Dr. Harrison’s research initiatives are collaborative efforts, involving a team of experts from various disciplines. The multi-site qualitative projects have garnered support from prestigious funding bodies, including the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and from NIH’s National Institute of Aging (NIA). 

Research Impact 

The impact of Dr. Harrison’s research is evident in the way it addresses key issues within the hospice care system. By identifying the gaps in Medicare policies and the unique needs of individuals with dementia, her work contributes to shaping more inclusive and effective end-of-life care services. The studies also show the importance of advanced care planning and the ethical challenges faced by hospice staff, providing an evidence-based foundation for improving care delivery and policy formulation. 

Key Publications 

A sample of our publications within this research domain is categorized into focus areas: 

Research Overview

One of the central research domains of the Harrison Network aims to mitigate suffering associated with dementia. An array of qualitative and quantitative studies were carried out to understand needs, support gaps, and identify opportunities to enhance care for individuals with dementia and their care partners. We aim to use these insights to inform interventions that align with Stages 0 and 1 of the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development.

Team and Funding

This initiative was undertaken by a transdisciplinary team and received generous support from the Global Brain Health Institute, Alzheimer Association, and through career development awards from UCSF, NIH/NIA, and the National Palliative Care Research Center.

Research Impact

Our work aims to enhance the care provided to dementia patients in various care settings and throughout all stages of the condition. Our findings have led us to be able to create our Recommendations for Gerineuropalliative Dementia Care across the Disease Continuum:

Shown are recommendations for gerineuropalliative dementia care, based on synthesized qualitative and quantitative research. Most persons living with dementia will need items listed in the “early disease” box addressed before those in the “moderate-to-severe disease” box, but tasks such as assessing goals and priorities will continue to be relevant at all stages. ACP denotes advance care planning, CP care partner, PCP primary care provider, and PLWD person living with dementia.

Key Publications

A sample of our publications within the Dementia research domain is categorized into focus areas: