Research

Overview

Identifying and understanding outcomes that are most important to people as they make choices regarding their health conditions over time is an important area of research in measurement, prediction modeling, and implementation science. Building upon methodology and measures from the National Institutes of Health Blueprint Research Initiative of Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems (PROMIS), we focus on the refinement and development of measuring outcomes that are important to the patients to produce evidence for decisions made for prevention, monitoring, and treatment. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) currently uses patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) for monitoring health status and evaluating medical devices.

An important aspect of this line of research is measuring changes in outcomes with time and culture, by comparing changes to the population level to identify normal age-related changes, as opposed to changes that signal impairment over the life course since birth. Through latent variable modeling, we develop and test models to measure and predict on the symptom level, as well as overall condition level, how patients or persons may change with aging and in the presence of other significant life events or cultural influences.

We are currently examining the measurement and interpretation of change scores for well-being as part of quality of life research for older populations as they age in the United States while living with one or more chronic health conditions, including cancer. We are also developing a metric for both university and faculty productivity across the United States that include academic medical centers that move beyond traditional publications in peer-reviewed medical journals, impact factors, and citation indices due to the rising costs of journal subscriptions and paywalls faced by both institutions and individuals, such as patients who want to access results from research that uses taxpayer dollars. To help develop better strategies to end pandemics, we are identifying more sensitive and specific profiles of strategies across countries.

Using big data, which include aggregating data from cohorts, databases, and electronic medical records, we are investigating different interventions and therapies on the population level. In relation to the level of well-being for older adults, we are examining care strategies in national datasets. We are also investigating risk factors and therapies that significantly impact overall health status. Ultimately, this line of research is for translational outcomes through development of digital strategies, such as apps that improve maternal and fetal health in rural areas based on the knowledge, access to, and needs of pregnant mothers.

• Taylor, D., C, Ferguson, H., W, Stevens, M, Kao, S, Yang, F., M, Looney, S. 2020. Does Including Dexmedetomidine Improve Outcomes After Intravenous Sedation for Outpatient Dentoalveolar Surgery?. Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery : official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, 78 (2), 203-213
• Mansour, N., M, Balas, E., A, Yang, F., M, Vernon, M., M. 2020. Prevalence and Prevention of Reproducibility Deficiencies in Life Sciences Research: Large-Scale Meta-Analyses.. Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 26, e922016
• Huang, T., C, Wu, W., T, Chen, Y., C, Yang, F., M, Tsai, W., C, Lee, C., H. 2020. Betel-Quid Chewing, Heart Failure, and Premature Ventricular Contractions in Patients with Cardiopulmonary Symptoms.. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17 (20)
• Fredericksen, R., J, Yang, F., M, Gibbons, L., E, Edwards, T., C, Brown, S, Fitzsimmons, E, Alperovitz-Bichell, K, Godfrey, M, Wang, A, Church, A, Gutierrez, C, Paez, E, Dant, L, Loo, S, Walcott, M, Mugavero, M., J, Mayer, K., H, Mathews, W., C, Patrick, D., L, Crane, P., K, Crane, H., M. 2019. Development and content validation of measures assessing adherence barriers and behaviors for use in clinical care.. Research in social & administrative pharmacy : RSAP, 15 (9), 1168-1176
• Dong, Y, Yang, F., M. 2019. Insomnia symptoms predict both future hypertension and depression.. Preventive medicine, 123, 41-47
• Lee, C., H, Ko, A., M, Yang, F., M, Hung, C., C, Warnakulasuriya, S, Ibrahim, S., O, Zain, R., B, Ko, Y., C. 2018. Association of DSM-5 Betel-Quid Use Disorder With Oral Potentially Malignant Disorder in 6 Betel-Quid Endemic Asian Populations.. JAMA psychiatry, 75 (3), 261-269
• Fredericksen, R., J, Walcott, M, Yang, F., M, Gibbons, L., E, Fitzsimmons, E, Brown, S, Mayer, K., H, Edwards, T., C, Loo, S, Gutierrez, C, Paez, E, Dant, L, Mathews, W., C, Mugavero, M., J, Patrick, D., L, Crane, P., K, Crane, H., M. 2018. Circumstances Surrounding High-risk Sexual Experiences Among Primary Care Patients Living With and Without HIV.. Journal of general internal medicine, 33 (12), 2163-2170
• Yang, F., M, Jones, R., N, Inouye, S., K, Tommet, D, Crane, P., K, Rudolph, J., L, Ngo, L., H, Marcantonio, E., R. 2013. Selecting optimal screening items for delirium: an application of item response theory.. BMC medical research methodology, 13, 8