Congratulations to Cohort 4 on the Completion of Your Studies

Next week, the members of INQRI's fourth cohort of grantees will be presenting their findings during our annual meeting.  You can visit this blog on Tuesday to watch their presentations and submit questions to our teams. 

INQRI Cohort 4

"Nursing's Specific Contributions to Quality Palliative Care within the Context of Interdisciplinary Intensive Care Practice" - Oregon Health & Science University

Very little is known about the relationships between quality palliative nursing care delivered in intensive care units (ICUs) and patient and family outcomes and on how to measure and to improve these outcomes. The purpose of this investigator-initiated study was to examine nursing's specific contributions to quality palliative care provided to patients and their families in the ICU.

"Nursing Intervention to Facilitate Patient Activation for Improved Pain Self Management" - University of California, Davis

This experimental study evaluated an assessment-based counseling intervention to promote successful pain self-management in spine surgery patients. The team evaluated for Return On Investment by measuring outcomes (pain, function and depression) and value to the care delivery system as well as to patients. The team tracked costs to patients (care utilization over and above usual post-surgical care), costs of the intervention and opportunity costs.

"Interdisciplinary Mobility Team Approach to Reduction of Facility-Acquired Pressure Ulcers" - University of Cincinnati

This nurse-led interdisciplinary research team developed a sustainable, system-wide program for pressure ulcer prevention that enhances mobility of long-term care residents. The primary goal, under nursing's leadership, was to reduce LTC facility-acquired pressure ulcer incidence by 50% using a cost-effective innovative program to increase resident active or passive movement.

"SPEACS 2: Improving Patient Communication and Quality Outcomes in the ICU" - University of Pittsburgh

This project examined the value of a nurse-generated and nurse-led innovation by testing the impact of a computer-based nurse communication training and materials program (SPEACS-2) on patient care outcomes: nursing care quality (coma-free days, physical restraint use, pain symptom management, pressure ulcers, patient/family satisfaction with communication), clinical outcomes(ventilator-free days, ICU/hospital days discharge disposition) and cost. The interdisciplinary research team from the University of Pittsburgh includes nurses, physicians, speech-language pathologists and biostatisticians.

"A Diabetes Prevention Program in the Community" - Yale University

This team conducted a randomized clinical trial to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in at-risk adults with a diabetes prevention program provided by visiting nurses in subsidized housing units. They modified a research-based diabetes prevention program; evaluated the preliminary effects of the modified diabetes prevention program provided by visiting nurses; and explored the reach, adoption, implementation, and cost of a diabetes prevention program delivered by visiting nurses to residents in subsidized housing units.

As the teams present live to our guests in Princeton, our blog will host a YouTube video of them presenting to you. Simply visit our blog next Wednesday from 11:15am-12:15pmET and then again from 1:30pm-3:00pmET. You can enter questions in our comments section and we will make sure that the researchers answer.

Also, please follow our meeting conversation on Twitter with hashtag #inqri2011.