General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics Research

Broadly speaking, research within the Division of General Internal Medicine focuses on Healthcare Services and Outcomes, Quality of Patient Care, Chronic Disease management, Healthcare Disparities and Graduate Medical Education. The specific research areas include the following:

  • Quality of delivery and implementation of PREVENTIVE services in specific areas of Cancer screening, Cardiovascular Preventive Care and Diabetes Care.
  • Practice Based Learning and Improvement in Graduate Medical Education
  • Improving the quality of patient care in the Emergency Department
  • Geriatrics research – Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Disparity in Joint Replacement in minorities

INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH THEMES and FUNDING:

Teresa Dolinar, M.D.

VA Cooperative #546-VA Cooperative Studies Program
A Randomized Clinical Trial of Vitamin E and memantine in Alzheimer’s disease
Site PI- Muralidhar Pallaki and Main PI, Dr. Maurice Dysken, Minneapolis VAMC
Annual Costs: Fiscal Year 2008: 63,636
Fiscal Year 2009: 107,644

Susan G. Kirsh, M.D.

Dr. Kirsch’s current research is in aspects of chronic disease management and care delivery of chronic diseases, particularly how to redesign current healthcare systems and settings to improve care delivery. She has recently been working with the VA at a national level to look at diabetes care redesign (inpatient and outpatient) and how to incorporate research into clinical operations.

  • ASPIRE-VA: Coaching veterans to healthy weights and wellness.
    Annual total costs: $367,603
  • RESPECT-Co-PI
    3 year total costs $900,000.00
  • Diabetes Cube-RRP site PI with Ann Arbor HSR and D Dept
    6 months total cost $50,000.00
  • Identifying Who Benefits from Diabetes Shared Medical Appointments
    6 month total cost $50,000.00
  • Evaluation of ICU Hypoglycemia approved funding and to start 10/09
    1 year total cost 75,000.00

David Litaker, MD, PhD

Dr. Litaker’s research focuses on the delivery and implementation of preventive services and primarily deals with factors within the health system and community context that influence the quantity and quality of care provided. His recent work examines the influence of contextual factors such as regional poverty on individuals’ access to health care. In a related study he examines the contribution of the prevalence of insurance through managed care plans to colorectal cancer screening received by Medicare beneficiaries insured under fee-for-service plans. In a separate study Dr. Litaker will attempt to develop new measures of quality for cardiovascular prevention in veterans with diabetes and through another grant he will look to develop an organizational assessment tool that measures capacity for change in primary care practices.

  • IIR-06-091-1 (Litaker, PI)
    VA Health Services Research and Development
    “Summary Measures of Quality for Diabetes Care”
    Annual costs: $225,000
  • VA NRI 05-218-2 (Martin, PI)
    VA Health Services Research & Development Service
    “Effects of patients' models of heart disease on preventive behaviors”
    Annual costs unknown
    Role: Site Principal Investigator (northern Ohio)
  • 1RO1 AG024206-01 (Sudano, PI)
    “Health Effects of Racial Segregation on Aging Adults”
    National Institute of Aging
    Annual costs $200,000
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Litaker, PI)
    “Assessing the Implementation Context: A mixed methods approach”
    Annual costs $43,000

Muralidhar Pallaki, M.D.

  • Site PI for VA cooperative randomized clinical trial in evaluation of use of Vitamin E and memantine in Alzheimer’s disease. Main PI, Dr. Maurice Dysken, Minneapolis VAMC CSP CSP #546
    Annual Costs: Fiscal Year 2008: 63,636
    Fiscal Year 2009: 107,644
  • PI 10/07-present, Vitamin D deficiency and oral supplementation: A Pilot study of Outcomes.

Simran Singh, M.D.

Funded
Women’s Health Minigrant: Women Veterans Preventative Health Registry and Outreach Project
Annual total costs: $25,000

Unfunded

  • Project name: Implementation and Evaluation of a Diabetes Registry-centered Educational Curriculum in an Internal Medicine Resident Clinic: A Multi-faceted Quality Improvement Initiative
  • Project name: Improving Outpatient Safety Through Effective Electronic Communication; collaboration with Houston VAMC

Mamta K. Singh, MD, MS

  • Robert Wood Johnson, Advancing the Science of Quality Improvement, Systems Based Thinking Study. 5% effort, Study Period- 9/1/08-12/31/09
  • Elizabeth Prentiss Grant Foundation, Quality Improvement Education in Undergraduate and Graduate Education, Consultant 10%, 7/1/05-6/30/09
  • Veterans Affair Health Services Research and Development Grant: Developing a Women’s Health Registry, Co- Investigator, 7/1/09-6/31/10, 15% effort in kind.
  • Institute for Healthcare Improvement/ Macy Foundation: Retooling for Quality and Safety: An Initiative of the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation and IHI Open School for Health Professions. Co Principal Investigator: $35,000

Gerald Strauss, PhD

Grant number: 1R01CA127493-01A2

    January 2009-November 2012
    National Institutes of Health / National Cancer Institute.
    Title: Improving urinary continence and quality of life in prostate cancer patients.(PI-Zhang) Total Direct Cost Awarded: $2, 432,753.

Percent Effort: 10% first year; 15% 2010 – 2012.

Anne Tomolo, MD, MPH

Dr. Tomolo’s current research themes include:

  • Graduate Medical Education Curriculum Development and Assessment of competency Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI)
    • Analysis of two years of quantitative and qualitative data in progress
    • New curriculum and assessment tool being applied in the continuum of the three years of residency training in academic year 2009-2010
  • Handoffs in care in the Emergency Department
    • She continues to work with the American College of Emergency Physicians Quality and Safety Workgroup in the analysis of environmental factors impacting handoffs in care
  • Co-PI: VA HSR&D SHP 08-194
    “Developing a PBLI QI Systems Impact Assessment Questionnaire” funded from April through September 2008.(20% effort). Dr. David Aron (PI). Direct cost: $30,000
  • Co-Investigator: VA HSR&D SHP 08-149
    “Identifying Informatics Opportunities to Support Desired Disposition Practices” funded from April through September 2008. (10% effort). Emily S. Patterson, PhD, PI and Joel Tsevat, MD, MPH, Co-PI. Direct cost: $150,000

AY 09-10 Planned Projects:

Carla Harwell, M.D.

Race and Preference for Knee Replacement: A Patient Centered Intervention
#P60 AR054731-02
PITT-MCRC for Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases
Project PI – Said Ibrahim, M.D. , Cleveland Site PI: Carla Harwell, M.D. - 5% Effort
Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh
Annual Costs: $345,578

Vasu Sidagam, M.D. and Rajesh Chandra, M.D. (Co-PIs)

Clinical Protocol CV185036
Tiltle: A Phase 3 Randomized, Double-blind, Parallel-group, Multi-center Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Apixiban for Prophylaxis of Venous Thromboembolism in Acutely Ill Medical Subjects during and following Hospitalization.
Site PI – Teresa Carman, M.D.

Anne Tomolo, MD, MPH

  1. Graduate Medical Education Curriculum Development and Assessment of competency Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI)
    Analysis of two years of quantitative and qualitative data in progress
    Two papers planned:
  • Descriptive piece of mixed-methods used in PBLI assessment tool
  • Description of organizational impact of resident participation in performance improvement projects
  1. Plan to submit for research funding from the VA Education Office in summer or winter of 2010 related to application of curriculum and assessment tool in multiple settings.