We are pleased to announce that Salimah H. Meghani, PhD, MBE, CRNP, RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing, has received a highly competitive Challenge Grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) stimulus funding from NIH, National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) for her proposal, “A Novel Approach to Elucidate Mechanisms for Disparity in Cancer Pain Outcomes.”
This research uses a novel technique, Choice-based Conjoint Analysis (CBC), to understand if racial/ethnic subgroups with cancer pain use different mental trade-offs in arriving at pain treatment decisions; have differential preferences for cancer pain treatment; and how stated preferences relate to their actual adherence to pain medications for cancer pain. The study also assesses the temporal stability and predictive validity of CBC utilities in palliative care population. CBC method has implications for generating knowledge about how subgroups of patients make decisions regarding choices such as symptom management, advanced care planning, hospice enrollment, or the use of technologically advanced end-of-life care. Findings will help identify targets sensitive to tailored, patient-centered interventions in improving equity in palliative care outcomes.