Our Research

The CASI team applies methods from intervention, implementation, population health, and health policy research to close the current gaps in the care of older adults. This research most directly benefits both the current and future aging populations who will require complex care for serious illnesses. However, it will also benefit a broader community of health care providers, researchers, policymakers, patients, and their families.

Current Studies

Function and Symptom Burden among Older Adults Hospitalized for Advanced Heart Failure

Principal Investigator: Tamra Keeney, PhD, DPT

Co-Investigators: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH, Erin Coglianese, MD, Gregory Lewis, MD & Shanaz Sharieff, MBA, MS

Study Coordinators: Sarah Stone, Aniyah Travis & Maimouna Sy

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: N/A

The objective of this study is to better understand the functioning and symptom burden among older adults who are hospitalized with advanced heart failure (HF). Investigators will identify which symptoms have the highest impact on functional limitations and may also examine the associations that exist between cognitive impairment and coping styles on functioning and symptoms.

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, Aniyah Travis, Jessica Ding & Maimouna Sy

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

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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, 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, please see https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04948866

Effect of COVID-19 on Caregivers of Persons with Dementia

Principal Investigator: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH & Karen Donelan, ScD, Brandeis University

Co-Investigators: Sarah Bannon, PhD, Brent Forester, MD, MSc & Lara Traeger, PhD

Study Coordinators: Sophie Guzikowski, Jessica Ding & Maimouna Sy

Study Sites: Brandeis University, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital, Miami Jewish Health
Funding Source: National Institutes of Health (5R01AG050515-04)

The goal of this mixed-methods study is to engage professional/formal (CNAs, LPNs, RNs) and informal/family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) across the care continuum (nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in the community) to study the impact of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of PWD and their caregivers, the caregiving experience, patient behaviors, and work/family relationships.

Study Status: Actively recruiting

Co-developing a Bio-experiential Approach and Intervention to Support the Mental Health and Well-being of Dementia Patients and Their Caregivers at Home

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

Study Coordinators: Maimouna Sy & Elizabeth Rochon

Study Sites: National recruitment from dementia clinics and via IRB-approved ads on social media pages, newsletters, and email lists
Funding Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

This project seeks to form a collaborative effort to bring the emerging field of bio-experiential design to improving the experience of care for those living with dementia and their caregivers at home. This study will be conducted through three qualitative focus groups.

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

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: In preparation

The Mindful and Self-Compassionate Care Program (MASC): Reducing Stress for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia

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

Study Coordinators: Aniyah Travis

Study Sites: National recruitment from dementia caregiver programs and via IRB-approved ads on social media pages, newsletters, and email lists
Funding Source: National Institute on Aging (NIA)

The proposed investigation aims to improve the emotional well-being of caregivers of individuals with dementia through the teaching of meditation, self-compassion and behavioral management skills.

Study Status: Actively Recruiting

Active Organizations

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National Home-based Primary Care Learning Network

Team: Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH, Bruce Leff, MD, Orla Sheehan, MD, Jane Taylor, MBA, MHA, EdD,

Program Managers: Naomi Gallopyn, MS

Partners: Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts General Hospital, UCSF, Home Centered Care Institute, American Academy of Home Care Medicine, The John A. Hartford Foundation & West Health

The National Home-Based Primary Care Learning Network is a national organization dedicated to ensuring that homebound persons receive high-quality, evidence-based medical care in their homes by creating a quality framework and measures for the field and through a coordinated program of quality improvement and applied research.

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National Institute on Aging (NIA) IMbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory

Team: https://impactcollaboratory.org/about-us/who-we-are/

Funding Source: National Institute on Aging (NIA) funded grant (U54AG063546)

The mission of the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is to build the nation’s capacity to conduct pragmatic clinical trials of interventions embedded within health care systems for people living with dementia and their care partners. The IMPACT Collaboratory accomplishes this mission by:

Developing and disseminating best practice research methods
Supporting the design and conduct of pragmatic trials, including pilot studies
Building investigator capacity through training and knowledge generation
Catalyzing collaboration among stakeholders, healthcare providers, and investigators
Ensuring the research includes culturally-tailored interventions and people from diverse and under-represented backgrounds

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Completed Studies

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Frailty, Rehabilitation, and Outcomes Among Older Adults Hospitalized for COVID-19

Principal Investigator: Tamra Keeney, PhD, DPT

Study Coordinators: Jessica Ding & Maimouna Sy

Study Site: Massachusetts General Hospital
Funding Source: N/A

Study Status: Publication under review

Archived Resources

Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC)

Team: https://palliativecareresearch.org/who-we-are

Funding Source: National Institute of Nursing Research (Grant U2CNR014637)

The PCRC's mission is to support the conduct of high quality, effective palliative care clinical research by:

Supporting investigators at all levels of experience in the conduct of clinical studies
Conducting nationally representative, multi-institutional studies that include diverse populations;
Leveraging standardized data elements and a de-identified palliative care study data repository that amplifies the impact of any single study;
Providing methodologic resources, participant access/recruitment, and the expertise of PCRC investigators from multiple disciplines.

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