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Timothy Johnson. Urology.
Phone: 404-217-6419
Email: tvjohn2@emory.edu
Institution: Emory University SOM
Location: On Campus (Emory main campus)
Availability: Spring,Summer,Fall
Lab Positions: 4
Project Description: Literacy has become a prerequisite for patient care due to the increased utilization of written screening tools in response to decreased time devoted to personal interaction between patients and doctors. However, low literacy plagues about 90 million Americans. As many as 21% of Americans are estimated to be illiterate and another 27% have impaired literacy skills, an impediment that greatly affects patients health care. Patients with decreased literacy particularly experience difficulty with written screening tools, since the majority are written at the 10th reading level or higher while the average American reads at an 8th or 9th grade level.
Urology and other medical specialties utilize screening tools and symptom scores to identify at-risk patients, provide counseling about invasive treatments, and chart symptom progression for many diseases. In the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), the most commonly used screening tool is the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). The IPSS, designed to be self-administered by patients, is so relied upon that the American Urological Association places the IPSS in its management algorithm for BPH behind only history and physical.
However, our initial research suggests that at most only one-third of patients properly understand the IPSS. This misunderstanding is driven by patients education level, reading level, and even depression state. Our most recent study suggests that depressed patients report significantly higher IPSS scores than non-depressed patients. However, it is unclear from this initial study whether depressed patients have truly more severe BPH symptoms, or misrepresent symptoms similar to nondepressed patients. Undergraduates will participate in a crucial follow-up study to discern these possibilities. Students will interview patients, administer the IPSS and depression surveys, test patients objective BPH symptoms, and follow patient management throughout the summer.
Additional Project Information: Literacy has become a prerequisite for patient care due to the increased utilization of written screening tools in response to decreased time devoted to personal interaction between patients and doctors. However, low literacy plagues about 90 million Americans. As many as 21% of Americans are estimated to be illiterate and another 27% have impaired literacy skills, an impediment that greatly affects patients health care. Patients with decreased literacy particularly experience difficulty with written screening tools, since the majority are written at the 10th reading level or higher while the average American reads at an 8th or 9th grade level.
Urology and other medical specialties utilize screening tools and symptom scores to identify at-risk patients, provide counseling about invasive treatments, and chart symptom progression for many diseases. In the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), the most commonly used screening tool is the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). The IPSS, designed to be self-administered by patients, is so relied upon that the American Urological Association places the IPSS in its management algorithm for BPH behind only history and physical.
However, our initial research suggests that at most only one-third of patients properly understand the IPSS. This misunderstanding is driven by patients education level and reading level. We recently designed a novel electronic version of the IPSS. Preliminary data suggest that this computerized version eliminates patient misunderstanding of the IPSS, eliminating potential problems in patient care associated with patient education and reading level. Undergraduate students will help patients use the electronic-IPSS in a larger, broader student intended for publication in a major urological journal.
Student Requirements: None. Students of all levels are welcome.
Accepts 1st year students? Y
Accepts 2nd year students? Y
Suggested Reading (References):
(1) Johnson TV, Goodman M, Master VA (2007) The efficacy of written screening tools in inner-city hospitals: Literacy-based limitations on patient access to appropriate care. J Urol. 178: 623-9.
(2) Johnson TV, Abbasi AA, Ehrlich SS, Kleris SS, Chirumamilla SL, Schoenberg ED, Owen-Smith A, Goodman M, Master VA (2007) The impact of misunderstanding individual questions of the IPSS. J Urol. In press.
(3) Johnson TV, Abbasi AA, Ehrlich SS, Kleris SS, Chirumamilla SL, Schoenberg ED, Owen-Smith A, Raison CL, Master VA (2007) The impact of depression on the perception of voiding symptoms. Eur Urol. [submitted]
(4) Johnson TV, Abbasi AA, Ehrlich SS, Kleris SS, Chirumamilla SL, Schoenberg ED, Owen-Smith A, Raison CL, Master VA (2007) CAN WE COUNT ON WRITTEN SYMPTOM SCORES? THE IMPACT OF NUMERACY ON THE IPSS.J Urol. [submitted]
(5) Johnson TV, Abbasi AA, Ehrlich SS, Kleris SS, Chirumamilla SL, Schoenberg ED, Owen-Smith A, Raison CL, Master VA (2007) A novel electronic version of the International Prostate Symptom Score. J Urol. [submitted]
Techniques used in this lab: Students will learn the most important skill in medicine: the art of taking a history. Students will also gain confidence in patient interaction while learn common and important urological measurements of BPH. Finally, students will be allowed to scrub into surgery where they will observe surgical techniques.
Additional Comments: Our research aims to address problems of critical importance through simple solutions. While cloning a gene may be exciting, equally important is mitigating the impact of depression or literacy on patient care. This research also happens to be 'soft-fail' research, meaning that even unintended results tend to be publishable. Students will have the opportunity to learn not only clinical techniques, but also the art of publishing scientific data during their summer.
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Gregg Orloff. none.
Phone: 404-727-0308
Email: gorloff@emory.edu
Institution: Emory
Location: Off-campus (but accessible via shuttle, e.g., Grady or VA Hospitals)
Availability: Spring,Summer,Fall
Lab Positions: 2
Project Description: CancerQuest (http://www.cancerquest.org) is an award-winning cancer education project designed to educate and empower cancer patients, caregivers, students and the general public.
We produce content, videos, animations, games, posters and other educational tools.
Students, depending on their interest and skills, could be involved in all aspects of the program including researching, science writing, video creating and editing, graphics, programming, etc.
Student Requirements: Some Biology background and an interest in education/outreach. Computer skills are not necessary but the student must have the desire to learn new programs.
Accepts 1st year students? Y
Accepts 2nd year students? Y
Suggested Reading (References):
(1) Breast Cancer: A Patient's Journey (DVD)
(2) COMPASS: Breast Cancer Edition (DVD)
(3) Gastrostomy Tubes (DVD)
Techniques used in this lab: Science writing, video editing, Flash, HTML (some), Web programming (if interested).
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