Research Methods and Measurement Core

Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai, New York NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract: RESEARCH METHODS AND MEASUREMENT CORE The mission of the Mount Sinai Older American Independence Center (MS-OAIC) is to improve independence and quality of life for older adults with serious illness (OASI). In this renewal, we build on the success of the MS-OAIC in supporting scientific innovation in geriatric and palliative care research. Our new Research Methods and Measurement Core consolidates the methods and measurement expertise and activities of our MS-OIAC into one core and expands our infrastructure across four methodologic “hubs”: biostatistics, qualitative research, measurement science, and geospatial analysis to support investigators and projects consistent with the OAIC mission. Our existing Population Research and Methods (RC-PRM) and Measurement, Methods and Analysis cores (RC-MMA) grew substantially in scope during the past 5 years. The RC-PRM employed a multi-pronged approach to support OAIC investigators confronted with methodological and analytic issues that occur in the study of OASI. Activities included a research consultancy program (including consultations regarding latent class growth models, propensity score matching, time series analyses, power calculations, qualitative analysis and coding, use of sample weighting in national survey datasets, and multi-trajectory analysis), research methods training program, and infrastructure development, all with an over-arching theme of supporting rigorous geriatric palliative care research. Our successful collaborations with the Population Database Management and Use core (RC-PDM) in supporting OAIC investigators have resulted in continued success in federal grants focused on the use of large observational and survey datasets, including an NIA-funded Program Project Grant in dementia. Our RC-MMA supported scientists in addressing key measurement challenges in the study of older adults with serious illness, including dementia, through the use of item response theory and differential item functioning to assess the extent to which individuals of different race/ethnicities with the same level of an attribute have a different probability of response. This work resulted in the development of a culturally sensitive measure of palliative care for older Black women with metastatic breast cancer, improvement in measures of burden, stress and allostatic load among caregivers of older Hispanic persons with dementia, and evaluation of a measure of subjective cognitive complaints for detecting mild cognitive impairment in older adults across multiple subgroups. In combining the RC-PRM and RC-MMA and creating a single OAIC consult program we will be able to more efficiently and comprehensively address investigator measurement and analytic needs. To support the work of RC-RMM, we have assembled a cadre of experts, both past consultants and new collaborators, with a broad range of knowledge and expertise to provide consultations and mentorship to OAIC investigators. We have added a new Core co-lead (Intrator) and three new co-investigators (Franzosa, Liu, and Teresi (former core lead of RC-MMA)) who have been integral to our consult program and who will now lead the methodologic hubs. We will expand our training for faculty and masters-trained analysts in observational research methods and add new training and support in qualitative research and geospatial science. The RC-RMM will also provide analytic support to two developmental projects (DPs) and two external projects (EPs). The first DP will be an innovative research methods study to integrate propensity score weighting into quantile regression for the analysis of observational data from population-based, complex surveys (DP-4) and the second will leverage the item bank developed in the measurement core of the current cycle to develop short-from cognitive assessment screening measures (DP-3). RC-RMM support for EPs will encompass examining the impact of varying methods of propensity score matching and weighting in a cohort of older adults with cancer (EP-4), and applying geospatial analysis to better understand disparities in opioid prescribing (EP-5). The RC-RMM specific aims are: 1. To provide rigorous, cutting edge methodological, and analytic support across an expanded range of methodologies to OAIC investigators and developmental and external projects of the MS-OAIC. 2. To apply advanced statistical methodology (latent class analysis, propensity scores, simulation, competing risk analysis) used in other fields but not commonly applied to aging-related research. 3. To support evaluations and validation of measures relevant to geriatric palliative care populations and continue collaborations with other NIA-funded centers in the conduct of research among caregivers to older adults with ADRD, and the Mount Sinai ADRC, including improving measures of burden, stress, allostatic load and cognitive screening. 4. To collaborate closely with the Research Education Component (REC) to provide junior faculty with training and mentorship to advance their knowledge and expertise as they become independent investigators. The RC-RMM will contribute to the success of our OAIC by providing investigators with training, mentoring and consultation required to produce high quality rigorous research to improve the independence and quality of life of older adults with serious illness.