American Cancer Society

Site PI: Rebecca Edwards, DNP, ARNP, Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN

The proposed study is an important step in the process of fully integrating palliative care services across Jamaica’s health institutions and centers. The overarching goal of the study is to determine best avenues to train a multidisciplinary palliative care workforce in Jamaica in order to provide care that will improve quality of life and reduce suffering for the many Jamaicans impacted by late-stage serious illnesses. This study will also foster the ongoing formal relationship between the Schools of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of the West Indies Mona campus.

National Institute of Nursing Research/NIH/DHHS 

Co-PIs: Ronit Elk, PhD & Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN

This study compares a robust, culturally-based Palliative Care Tele-consult program to usual hospital care to determine whether a culturally-based Palliative Care Tele-consult program leads to lower symptom burden (primary aim) and higher patient and caregiver quality of life, care satisfaction, and lower caregiver burden at Day 7 post-consultation, and lower resource use 30-days post-discharge (secondary aim) in hospitalized AA and W older adults with a life-limiting illness.

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities/NIH/DHHS 

PI: Maria Pisu, PhD

In this study, we will identify current gaps in access to best-evidence surgical gastrointestinal care and develop programs to bridge these gaps and eliminate surgical disparities. We will employ navigator programs and Enhanced Recovery Pathways (ERPs).

National Cancer Centre Singapore

Consultant: Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN
Consultant: J. Nicholas Dionne-Odom, PhD, APRN, ACHPN, FPCN

The purpose of this project is to explore patient, family, and clinicians perspectives on an early palliative care model for cancer in Singapore. Study outcomes will be to develop a culturally-responsive model that can be pilot tested in multiple cancer centers in Singapore.

KPRI Pediatric Research Grant

PI: Emily Johnston, MD, MS

The major goal of this project is to determine disparities and parent priorities for end-of-life care for children with cancer in Alabama through bereaved family interviews and medical record reviews.

National Institute of Nursing Research/NIH/DHHS 

PI: Macy Stockdill, pre-doctoral student
Mentor: Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, FAAN

The purpose of this research study is to identify symptom pattern trajectories in a diverse sample of heart failure patients living in the Southeast.

Conquer Cancer Foundation Career Development Award

Saint Baldrick’s Foundation Career Development Award

PI: Emily Johnston, MD, MS

The major goal of this project is to explore hospice use in children with cancer.  We are obtaining parent and provider perspectives on hospice use for children with cancer, including parent perceptions of home versus hospital death and examining rates of and disparities in hospice use nationally in children with cancer (using Claims data).

Dartmouth College

PI: Gabrielle Rocque, MD

The purpose of this study is to conduct in-depth case studies of cancer centers with higher than average and lower than average rates of these measures in order to understand the beliefs and behaviors of providers that might be associated with the differences, and also to understand their effects on patient and family members' treatment expectations.