Project Description
Use of Telehealth Technologies for Symptom Management Support for People with Advanced Cancer Living in Rural Communities
The long term goal of this research
is to improve control of physical and emotional symptoms in people with
advanced cancer living in rural communities. The purpose of this junior faculty
career development award is to obtain the necessary training and experience to
become an independent palliative care investigator. The career
development plan focuses on achieving three goals: 1) to develop expertise in
the use of eHealth interventions and rural communities; 2) to conduct clinical
trials of behavioral interventions in palliative care populations; and 3) to be
an independent investigator in the area of eHealth and multi-symptom management.
The purpose of the research plan is to evaluate a symptom self-management
intervention titled OASIS (i.e., Oncology Associated Symptoms and
Individualized Strategies) with patients living in rural Iowa receiving
treatment for advanced cancer. The specific aims are: 1) to evaluate the
feasibility of the OASIS intervention to self-manage symptoms of rural patients
with advanced cancer, including a) recruitment and retention, b) use patterns, c)
usability of each component of the intervention (i.e., the e-visit platform and
the web-application), d) acceptability of the intervention and study (i.e.,
satisfaction, barriers and facilitators to use, burden); and 2) to determine
preliminary effects of the intervention on self-management behaviors and
symptom severity, distress, and interference. To
achieve the career development goals, a comprehensive training plan has been
developed with the guidance and support of an interdisciplinary team of senior
researchers. The plan includes one-on-one mentorship, coursework/workshops,
research consultation, and conference attendance. Preliminary data generated
through this project will directly support a NIH/NINR R-grant or American
Cancer Society Research Scholars Grant application to test the efficacy of the
intervention.
Bio
Stephanie Gilbertson-White PhD, APRN is an Assistant
Professor in the College of Nursing at University of Iowa. Her work focuses on
managing physical and emotional symptoms associated with advanced cancer. She
is interested in both 1) identifying patients most likely to develop
distressing symptoms and 2) improving how patients can self-manage their
symptoms in order to decrease symptom interference with life. She is especially
interested in using eHealth interventions to help patients living in rural areas.
In
addition, Dr. Gilbertson-White provides clinical care as an advanced practice
nurse to patients with advanced cancer in the palliative care clinic at
University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics
and teaches in
the graduate and undergraduate nursing programs at the University of Iowa. She
is a member of the Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association, the Palliative
Care Research Cooperative and will be serving on the AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly
Scientific review committee for the next 2 years.
Email: stephanie-gilbertson-white@uiowa.edu