Mentored implementation science research in asthma

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The goal of this K24 Mid-Career Investigator award is to provide resources, training and protected time to strengthen and expand Dr. Michelle Eakin's mentoring program that is focused on patient-oriented implementation science. Asthma is the third leading cause for hospitalization in children and the leading cause of school absenteeism in the US. Children from marginalized backgrounds at increased risk for asthma prevalence and morbidity. Despite a strong evidence-base for the efficacy of asthma care programs in reducing asthma morbidity, little progress has been made implementing and sustaining interventions in at–risk communities. Effective interventions require a multi-level approach, and requires engaging community settings such as schools and Head Start programs. These settings are an ideal location for reaching children given the strong connection to families and trust from communities. However, often these low resource settings have limited staff capacity with high rates of burnout which can lower implementation success. Although limited staffing has been noted as a prominent barrier to implementation, there has been relatively little focus or research on how to adapt to overcome this barrier in community settings to improve implementation success. This K24 will leverage ongoing data collection in two NHLBI funded R level projects to evaluate the role of burnout and burden on implementation of asthma programs in school settings. Dr. Eakin is an ideal candidate to provide mentorship in this area based on her expertise in qualitative methods, implementation science and asthma management programs. Dr. Eakin has a strong and growing record of successful mentorship in implementation science across different settings and populations. This K24 award will allow Dr. Eakin to expand her mentoring skills by including trainees from graduate to post graduate training to evaluate burnout and staff burden as a determinant of implementation success and evaluate change in staff wellbeing throughout the implementation process in low resource high stress educational settings. As part of this award, Dr. Eakin will participate in training activities including one and on meetings with mentors, local workshop on master mentoring and structured curriculums on K-to R transition. Dr. Eakin will refine her skills in qualitative methods with advanced training on rapid qualitative approaches. The scientific goal of this project is to investigate the role of staff burnout on implementation success using staff surveys and qualitative methods. Dr. Eakin's scientific aims and training plan will provide an outstanding environment for training of researchers focused on implementation science in a range of settings.