Focused Areas of Research
Mental and Behavioral Health |
|
The goal of the Mental and Behavioral Health impact area is to support investigators to pursue research in different areas of mental and behavioral health, including increasing access to, developing, evaluating, and implementing innovative integrated interventions. The support of investigators comes in the form of providing review and consultation on grant applications, IRB protocols, evaluation of risk procedures, training for engaging participants, enacting research study designs, and consulting on difficult patient-facing interventional components. Additional support comes in the form of connecting ADAPT investigators with relevant external groups, including the VISN 6 Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), the Durham VA Mental and Behavioral Health service line, and our operations partners at Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP). The Mental and Behavioral Health impact area is comprised of numerous COIN investigators, research staff, research fellows, and statisticians. The group holds quarterly meetings to address all topics, with as-needed meetings among relevant participants as-needed. |
Function & Independence |
|
The goal of the function and independence impact area is to advance person-centered care strategies that maximize function and independence and improve quality of life (QoL) for aging Veterans and their families. This impact group works together as a team to help investigators develop and improve research applications and funded projects that aim to achieve five objectives. First, to develop and test new care approaches that optimize Veteran function, independence, and QoL. Second, to examine policies and practices that influence caregiver and Veteran QoL. Third, to accelerate scaling and sustainment of evidence-informed programs. Fourth, to develop a national measure of independence/QoL for use in VA (function and life space and home time). Fifth, to pursue equity by increasing the representation of older Veterans in VA research. The core has 20 engaged faculty, comprising of 13 ADAPT investigators, 1 MIRECC investigator, 4 VA investigators (Pittsburgh, Palo-Alto, Bronx, Richmond), 1 OAA Fellow, 1 VA Quality Scholar Fellow. In quarterly meetings the core offers reviews of specific aims, reviews articles in topics of interest and best practices, and hold grant incubator sessions to pursue new programs of research related to function and independence. |
|
Led by Courtney Van Houtven, PhD (Courtney.VanHoutven@va.gov) |
Chronic Disease Delivery Models |
|
The Chronic Disease Delivery Models (TeleFAR 2.0) consists of 33 members (19 PhD-level investigators, 7 Medical Doctors, 5 Master-prepared, and 2 Bachelor-prepared). The TeleFAR group has wide-ranging expertise in research, virtual care, health equity, clinical expertise, and adjunctive care delivery models (e.g., health coaches, community health workers, nurse interventionists, group visits, risk stratification). ADAPT investigators worked together in a telehealth Focused Area of Research team (TeleFAR) and supported 29 intervention studies involving delivery modalities such as VA Video Connect, text messaging, community health workers, and Whole Health coaches. Notably, these and other ADAPT studies have addressed seven of the ten most common chronic conditions treated in VHA: diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, cancer, COPD, CHD, and kidney disease. The vision of TeleFAR is that we will use rigorous qualitative and quantitative scientific methods to identify, implement, and disseminate innovative modes of care delivery, that positively impact health outcomes, for Veterans now and in the future. We will be recognized by Veterans and caregivers, clinicians, VHA administrators, and the wider VHA community as: |
