# Improving Palliative Care Access through Technology (ImPAcTT): A Multi-Component Pilot Study

> **NIH NIH K76** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2020 · $241,714

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY ABSTRACT
This K76 Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging proposes to provide Dr.
Caroline Stephens, a newly promoted Associate Professor in the UCSF School of Nursing, with mentorship
and training in translational qualitative research, implementation science, clinical trials, and leadership
development. The proposed training and support will provide her with the necessary additional skills to become
a transformative interdisciplinary leader in aging and palliative care research who examines and promotes
changes at the junctures of healthcare systems to improve access to palliative care services and supports for hard to reach nursing home (NH) populations. She has assembled an excellent multidisciplinary team of mentors and
scientific advisors with the following areas of expertise: clinical geriatrics and palliative care (Drs. Christine
Ritchie and Sei Lee); implementation science (Drs. C. Ritchie and S. Lee); integrated care delivery models for
frail elders (Dr. C. Ritchie and L. Branagan); measuring and improving health care quality in NHs (Drs. S. Lee,
Charlene Harrington, Joseph Ouslander); developing/evaluating patient-centered technologies, such as telehealth,
for improving care for medically complex older adults (Drs. C. Ritchie and L. Branagan); statistical expertise on
clinical trial design and analysis of complex datasets (Dr. J. Neuhaus); long term care health policy (Dr. C.
Harrington); translational qualitative research methods (Dr. J. Shim); developing, testing and evaluating multi-
component interventions in the NH setting (Dr. J. Ouslander).
Suboptimal communication and lack of access to appropriate and timely palliative care expertise and support
in the NH setting often leads to burdensome transitions, particularly at the end of life. Dr. Stephens' research
will focus on developing, optimizing and pilot-testing a multi-component Improving Access Through
Technology (ImPAcTT) intervention that leverages existing telehealth technologies to provide staff education;
family outreach, engagement and support; care coordination; and resident symptom management and
facilitation of goals-of-care discussion. ImPAcTT employs a secure communications platform that permits multi-
person live video, audio, and text message consultations; real-time document sharing and documentation for
advanced care planning discussions; and remote virtual assessment capabilities. In Aim 1, she will conduct
semi-structured interviews with NH staff, residents and families to explore potential barriers and facilitators to
using telehealth for increasing upstream access to PC expertise, support, and education. In Aim 2, she will
assess the technical feasibility of telehealth to provide NH palliative care education and support, and develop
and refine study protocols with up to 10 NH residents, families and staff. In Aim 3, she will conduct a pilot
implementation trial in 3 NHs to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9987419
- **Project number:** 5K76AG054862-05
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Caroline Stephens
- **Activity code:** K76 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $241,714
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-15 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9987419

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9987419, Improving Palliative Care Access through Technology (ImPAcTT): A Multi-Component Pilot Study (5K76AG054862-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9987419. Licensed CC0.

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