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Current Research Projects:

  1. Computerized PAINRelieveIt Protocol for Cancer Pain

  2. Treatment of Psychological Distress Near the End of Life

  3. Cognitive Testing of the Computerized PAINReportIt Program in Adult African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, and European Americans with Sickle Cell Disease or Cancer

  4. Computerized PAINReport and Nursing PAINConsult Protocol

  5. Computerized Symptom Report-Consult for Cancer Patients

  6. Toolkit for Nurturing Excellence at End-of-Life Transition

  7. PAINReportIt Adoption
     

Past Research Projects:

  1. Developing and Testing PAINReport for Nurses and Physicians

Current Research Projects

     

  1. Computerized PAINRelieveIt Protocol for Cancer Pain

    This study is a randomized controlled clinical trial testing effects of an innovative pain assessment tool and consult for health care providers.

    Unrelieved cancer pain is a major health problem. We propose a study testing PAINRelieveIt , a computerized set of tools with pain report scales for patients, decision support for providers, and multimedia education customized to the needs of the individual cancer patient. The NCI-funded study will be a randomized clinical trial in outpatients receiving care from Radiation Oncology at the University of Illinois Cancer Clinic using a pre-test/post-test design to compare effects of usual-care and the computerized tool on pain outcomes. PAINRelieveIt includes electronic versions of valid and reliable scales for pain (PAIN ReportIt), a printed summary of the patient's pain data with decision support for providers to prescribe algorithm-based analgesic therapies (PAINConsultN), and computerized multimedia education customized to address the patient's pain management needs (PainUCope). PAINRelieveIt allows patients to describe their pain using PAINReportIt and touch-screen technology. Answers are automatically stored in an electronic database, which is then used to generate PAINConsultN and PainUCope.

    Funding: National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, 2 RO1 CA081918-06 ($2,404,767). 2003-2007

    Investigators: Investigators: Wilkie, D.J., Mundt, A., Judge, M.K.M., & Zong, S.

     

  2. Treatment of Psychological Distress Near the End of Life

    Abstract: coming soon.

    Funding: Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health ($100,000), awarded to eNURSING llc. 1R43MH070226

    3. Investigators: Brown,K., Wilkie, D.J., & Anderson, J.

     

  3. Cognitive Testing of the Computerized PAINReportIt Program in Adult African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, and European Americans with Sickle Cell Disease or Cancer


    Abstract: The long-term goal of the study is to relieve pain related to sickle cell disease and cancer by using computers to support clinical care processes related to clinicians' assessment of pain. Our recent findings from studies with the general public and cancer patients show that people are able to use computers to report their pain. The previous studies, however, were conducted with a largely Caucasian sample, and it is unclear if the instrument items and instructions are appropriate for African-American and Hispanic minority populations suffering from either sickle cell disease or cancer. Successful use of the computerized pain assessment tool could lead to improved pain relief for the 1.3 million people diagnosed annually with cancer and for the 72,000 Americans living with sickle cell disease, people mainly of African-American, Mediterranean , or Latin American descent. To address this instrumentation problem, we propose a pilot study in which we will conduct 50 cognitive (think-aloud) interviews with patients as they complete PAINReportIt to refine and validate the items that measure the multiple dimensions of sickle cell pain or cancer pain. The specific aim is to determine the meanings attributed to the PAINReportIt items by 25 patients diagnosed with sickle cell disease and 25 patients diagnosed with cancer, all of whom are currently experiencing pain. Based on study findings, we will modify the wording and presentation of the PAINReportIt items and instruction screens for use in our current or pending NIH-funded studies of cancer patients (2 RO1 CA081918-06; 1RO1 CA81918-11-1A; 1RO1 NR009092-01-1A) and people with sickle cell disease (1RO1 HL078536-01A).

    Funding: UIC CON CRRVP, 10, 000. 2004-2005

    4. Investigators: Wilkie, D. J., Ferrans, C., Molokie, R., Mehta, D., & Suarez, M.

     

  4. Computerized PAINReport and Nursing PAINConsult Protocol

    This study is a randomized controlled clinical trial testing effects of an innovative pain assessment tool and consult for health care providers.

    For more than 800,000 Americans each year, unrelieved cancer pain is a major health problem, attributed in part to assessment difficulties and to lack of knowledge about using the analgesics known to be effective for 85% to 95% of cancer patients with pain. As a solution to the unnecessary suffering, we are conducting a randomized clinical trial to compare effects of usual- care in the UW Cancer Center or a protocol of computerized pain assessment (PAINReportIt) and provider decision support (PAINConsultN) on: a) patient outcomes (pain intensity, quality, relief; satisfaction with pain level) in a diverse sample of 200 patients with pain related to bone metastasis; b) provider outcomes (pain documentation; appropriateness of prescribed analgesics; clinic visit length) in a sample of oncology specialists; and c) patient-provider partnership outcomes (patient-centered discussion content during audio-taped clinic visits). Study findings will be used to guide revisions of the computerized pain assessment and provider decision support tool and to plan organizational level implementation of this new technology as an interface with the electronic health care record.

    Funding: National Cancer Institute, 2R01 CA62477, 1999-2004

    5. UIC College of Nursing Investigator: Diana J. Wilkie (PI)
    UW School of Nursing Investigators: Diana Wilkie (PI), Donna Berry
    UW School of Medicine Investigators: Charles Chabal, Stuart Farber

     

  5. Computerized Symptom Report-Consult for Cancer Patients

    This study is a randomized, controlled clinical trial, testing effects of an innovative symptom assessment tool and consult for people living with cancer.

    For more than 1.2 million Americans each year, unrelieved cancer pain and fatigue are major health problems. We are conducting two studies of a computerized tool with symptom report scales and cognitive-behavioral interventions customized to the needs of the individual cancer patient. The first study tests feasibility of the computerized tool. The second study is a randomized clinical trial with pre-test/post-test in 200 patients with cancer to compare effects of usual-care and the computerized tool on symptom resolution and patient-centered communication during clinic visits. The computerized tool includes electronic versions of three valid and reliable scales for pain and fatigue (SymptomReport) and a series of cognitive-behavioral interventions customized for patients based on their responses on the cancer pain and fatigue scales (SymptomConsult). Study findings will be used to guide revisions of the tool and to plan future studies to implement this new cancer-control technology for improved health communications and symptom management.

    Funding: National Cancer Institute, R01 CA81918, 1999-2005

    UIC College of Nursing Investigator: Diana J. Wilkie (PI)
    UW School of Nursing Investigators: Diana J. Wilkie (PI), Donna L. Berry, Anna L. Schwartz
    UW School of Medicine Investigators: Dermot Fitzgibbon, Julie Gralow, Karen Lindsley

    6.  

  6. Toolkit for Nurturing Excellence at End-of-Life Transition


    Most current nursing education programs do not include sufficient preparation about end-of-life care, and both faculty and practicing nurses face constraints such as time and resources in accessing the data they need. One solution to this problem is to distribute information from experts in the end-of-life field via the web or other computer-based technology.

    The Toolkit for Nurturing Excellence at End-of-Life Transition (TNEEL) is an easy-to-access, learner-friendly package of tools for palliative care education that is Windows 95/98- or NT-compatible. TNEEL-NE Version 1.0 is delivered on a CD-ROM and includes audio, video, graphics, PowerPoint presentations, photographs and animations of individuals and families experiencing end-of-life transitions. Educators in academic and clinical settings can use the CD-ROM's content as-packaged, or they may customize and save much of it for use in their own classrooms. It is available in two versions, one for educators in academic and clinical settings and one for self-study by practicing nurses. The program will also be packaged in multimedia self-study modules to enhance application of palliative care concepts.

    Funding: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

    UIC College of Nursing Investigator: Diana J. Wilkie (PI)

    UW School of Nursing Investigators: Diana J. Wilkie (PI), M. Kay M. Judge, Marie-Annette Brown, Sarah E. Shannon
    UW School of Medicine Investigators: Stuart Farber
    Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Institute of Health Professions Investigator: Inge Corless

    Demo: Click here to learn more about TNEEL and to try out the online demo

    7.  

  7. PAINReportIt Adoption

    In this Phase II project, we are assessing the implementation issues and outcomes that follow an agency's adoption of PAINReportIt. PAINReportIt is an interactive software program that enables patients to self-report and simultaneously document their pain using a personal computer with a touch screen monitor. Patient data are stored in an Access database. The program is an extension of the well-known McGill Pain Questionnaire, the gold standard in pain surveys. After completion of the PAINReportIt program, a summary report of the patient's pain is available to patients and to clinicians. The Phase I project utilized focus groups to describe feasibility and patient and provider receptivity regarding PAINReportIt. The Phase II research focuses on the sequelae which occur when an agency adopts PAINReportIt as part of its usual care. The aims of the study are 1) To identify organizational outcomes (implementation issues, information system interface, staff training) related to the adoption of PAINReportIt and 2) To compare the effects of giving or not giving clinicians their patients' PAINReportIt summary on clinician behavior (pain documentation in the medical record and appropriateness of analgesic prescriptions) and on patient outcomes (satisfaction with pain level, pain intensity levels, and pain quality scores).

    Funding: National Institute of Nursing Research, 1R44 NR 04742, 2001-2003

    Investigators: M. Kay M. Judge (PI), Diana J. Wilkie (Co-PI), Shi-Ping Zong

Past Research Projects

     

    Developing and Testing PAINReport for Nurses and Physicians

    This study was a descriptive study using focus groups.

    In Phase I of this Small Business Innovation Research project, the School of Nursing and Nursing Consult, LTD, used focus groups to refine and test the PAINReport tool, an interactive software program for pain assessment. The computerized tool enables patients to self-report and document the location, intensity, quality, and pattern of their pain, using touch-screen technology. The project aims to support time-efficient pain assessment by providers and health care organizations.

    Funding: National Institutes of Nursing Research, 1R43 NR04742, 1999

    Investigators: M. Kay M. Judge (PI), Diana J. Wilkie (Co-PI)

Copyright © 2004, D.J. Wilkie, Last updated - Jan, 2004