Current Studies

Adapting Serious Illness Communication and Care Planning for Community-Dwelling Individuals with Dementia and their Caregivers

Principal Investigator: Joanna Paladino, MD

Study Coordinators: Heily Chavez

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: None

Study Status: Manuscript in progress

Annual Wellness Visits versus GRACE-augmented Annual Wellness Visits for Older Adults with High Needs

Principal Investigator: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH

Co-Investigators: Jennifer Perloff, PhD

Study Coordinator: Benjamin Chen, DPM

Study Sites: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: PCORI

This study aims to investigate whether adding an interprofessional care delivery model that starts with an in-home visit, the Geriatric Resources for the Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE), to structured Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs) improves patient and caregiver outcomes and reduces unwanted hospitalizations.

Study Status: Not recruiting

Anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies: treatment decision making for older adults and their clinicians

Principal Investigator: Sachin J. Shah, MD, MPH

Co-Investigators: Anna Parks, MD, Joanna Paladino, MD, Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH

Study Coordinators: Ayush Thacker

Study Sites: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Interviewing patients and clinicians regarding their knowledge and decision making priorities for starting anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody treatment

Study Status: Actively recruiting

Caring for Caregivers and Persons Living with Dementia Under Home-Based Primary Care

Principal Investigators: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH and Bruce Leff, MD

Co-Investigator: Orla Sheehan, MD

Study Coordinators: Maimouna Sy, Ayush Thacker

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: Retirement Research Foundation

Testing the feasibility of the Dementia Care Quality at Home intervention, adapted from Care Ecosystem and CRESCENT, to the Home-Based Primary Care population of medical centers in Virginia and Hawaii.

Study Status: Actively recruiting

Characterizing Electronic Health Record Documented Serious Illness Conversations for Individuals with Cognitive Impairment

Principal Investigator: Joanna Paladino, MD

Co-Investigators: Sudeshna Das, PhD, Charlotta Lindvall MD, PhD, and Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH

Study Coordinators: Heily Chavez

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: Jack Satter Foundation

Study Status: Collecting data (EHR Review)

Improving Communication and Care for Individuals Affected by Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia

Principal Investigator: Joanna Paladino, MD

Co-Investigator: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH

Study Coordinators: Heily Chavez

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: Jack Satter Foundation

Study Status: Actively recruiting

Longitudinal Impact of Chronic Pain and its Management on Patient-Centered Outcomes in Older Adults

Principal Investigator: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH

Co-Investigator: Lisa LaRowe, PhD

Partners: National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago

Study Coordinators: Sarah Stone, Heily Chavez

Study Sites: N/A (national survey)
Funding Source: National Institute on Aging (NIA)

The proposed investigation will conduct a methodologically rigorous longitudinal study to better understand and address chronic pain in older adults.

Study Status: Actively recruiting

Optimization of Care and Recovery in Older Colorectal Surgery Patients: Implementation Science Approach

Principal Investigator: Sevdenur Cizginer, MD, MPH, AGSF

Study Coordinators: Ferhat Yildiz, MD

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: National Institute of Aging

This three-phase study aims to develop, implement, and test a care transition model for older colorectal surgery patients.

Study Status: Actively recruiting

Pain Medication Use and Discontinuation: Understanding Patient Perspectives and Experiences

Principal Investigator: Lisa LaRowe, PhD

Co-Investigator: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH

Study Coordinators: Sarah Stone and Heily Chavez

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: USDeN

The specific aim/objective of this study is to conduct focus groups to explore older adults’ perspectives regarding biopsychosocial factors that may influence the likelihood of using opioid and nonopioid substances during and following opioid deprescribing

Study Status: Actively recruiting

Palliative Care for Persons with Late-stage Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias and Their Caregivers: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Principal Investigator: Laura Hanson, MD, MPH

Co-Investigators: Chrissy Kistler, MD, MASc & Mark Toles, PHD, RN, FAAN

Site-PIs: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH, Hillary Lum, MD, PhD & Greg Sachs, MD

MGH Study Coordinators: Aniyah Travis, Heily Chavez, Maimouna Sy, & Sarah Stone

Study Sites: UNC-Chapel Hill, MGH, University of Colorado Denver & Indiana University
Funding Source: National Institute on Aging (NIA)

This is a multi-site randomized clinical trial of the ADRD Palliative Care (ADRD-PC) program for persons with late-stage Alzheimer's and related dementias (ADRD) and their family caregivers, triggered during hospitalization. Investigators aim to learn if this program of dementia-specific palliative care, standardized caregiver education, and transitional care is effective to reduce burdensome hospital transfers, improve symptom treatment and control, augment supportive services, and reduce nursing home transitions for patients, and to improve caregiver outcomes of communication, shared decision-making and distress.

Study Status: Actively recruiting

For more information

Palliative Care Intervention (POISE) in Improving Quality of Life in Patients with Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Principal Investigator: Laura Petrillo, MD

Study Coordinator: Roshni Sarathy

Study Sites: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: National Institute on Aging (NIA)

This clinical trial examines a palliative care intervention called patient-centered, optimal integration of survivorship and palliative care (POISE) in improving quality of life in patients with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic).

Study Status: Actively recruiting

Partnering with Patients to Refine LiveWell-HF: a Home-Based Physical Therapy Intervention for Older Adults Hospitalized with Advanced Heart Failure

Principal Investigator: Tamra Keeney, PhD

Study Coordinators: Sarah Stone, Ayush Thacker

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: NIH/NIA

This study aims to create a home-based palliative-rehabilitation program for older adults recently hospitalized for Advanced Heart Failure. The overall goal of the program is to help patients with Advanced Heart Failure live as well as possible despite their often uncertain disease trajectory

Study Status: Actively recruiting

Patient and Caregiver Perceptions of Rehabilitation Needs and Challenges among Older Adults Hospitalized for Advanced Heart Failure

Principal Investigator: Tamra Keeney, PhD, DPT

Co-Investigators: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH & Erin Coglianese, MD

Study Coordinators: Sarah Stone

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: National Palliative Care Research Center

This is a qualitative study that aims to better understand the perceived benefits, unmet needs, and challenges of participating in rehabilitation among older adults who are hospitalized with advanced heart failure (HF). Investigators will conduct semi-structured interviews with patients and care partners to identify themes about the experience of rehabilitation in advanced HF. Those themes will be used to inform the human-centered development of an integrative rehabilitation intervention for this population.

Study Status: Actively recruiting

Practice Certification in Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC)

Principal Investigator: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH and Bruce Leff, MD

Study Coordinators: Naomi Gallopyn

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: John's Hopkins University

Study Status: Conducting focus group interviews

Supporting our Caregivers in ADRD Learning: Reducing Stress for Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia

Principal Investigators: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH and Ana-Maria Vranceanu, PhD

Study Coordinators: Aniyah Travis, Sahana Giridharan, Maimouna Sy

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: National Institute on Aging

Study Status: Actively recruiting

TEND: Toolkit for Experiential Well-Being in Dementia

Principal Investigators: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH and Ana-Maria Vranceanu, PhD

Study Coordinators: Ayush Thacker and Elizabeth Rochon

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Testing the feasibility and usability of a bio-experiential platform (TEND) created by Studio Elsewhere for dementia patients and their caregivers.

Study Status: Actively recruiting

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