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Graduate Student Researcher
University of Pittsburgh
I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
I am an occupational therapist with over five years of clinical experience, which spans multiple care settings (e.g., acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and primary care). My developing research program focuses on using health services research methods in conjunction with a dedicated Stakeholder Advisory Committee to promote patient-centered care for individuals with cognitive impairments. Given cognitive impairments are highly prevalent in post-acute care (PAC) and often undetected, we must implement sensitive cognitive screening and evaluation tools in this setting to optimize patient outcomes. While evidence supports assessing cognition in post-acute care, preliminary data suggests the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team rarely use standardized cognitive assessments. In my current role as inpatient rehabilitation occupational therapist, I observe how providers become siloed into specific aspects of care delivery. Providers may be aware of cognitive impairments but do not always follow through with formally assessing or documenting cognition for a variety of reasons (e.g., culture that promotes efficiency at the expense of quality). My personal mission that led me to pursue a PhD with Dr. Natalie Leland’s mentorship was to study (a) how the healthcare context influences care delivery and (b) strategies to leverage that knowledge to accelerate the implementation of best evidence into practice.
