Research and Mentoring Program in Improving Access to Incontinence Care for Older Adults

项目摘要 K24中期职业研究者奖的申请将促进Alayne Markland博士的指导， 下尿路症状和尿失禁患者导向研究的职业发展. 位于伯明翰的亚拉巴马大学。Markland博士是一位老年病学家和临床研究者 致力于推进膀胱和肠道症状的预防、评估和治疗的证据 为老年妇女和男子。在国家老龄化研究所、国家糖尿病研究所、 消化，肾脏疾病，和退伍军人事务部，她领导一个全国公认的， 以病人为导向的研究计划，强调改善获得护理模式，以及改善 了解与年龄相关的泌尿生殖系统功能障碍的共同风险因素。她的工作重点是 常见的衰老综合征，如抑郁症和功能状态，与下尿路的交叉 症状和失禁。到目前为止，她已经为女性和男性创造了新的护理模式， 临床护理和研究中使用的患者报告结局指标，并为指导国家 和国际下尿路症状和尿失禁治疗指南。她还 成为早期临床研究者的成功导师，这些研究者发表了具有高度影响力的研究， 获得了NIH和VA资助的奖项，并继续改善以患者为导向的研究，重点是 行为干预。 在奖励的支持下，Markland博士计划通过教学法和 重点培训，并继续指导她目前的早期学员，并招募新的学员与 注重来自不同背景的女性受训者。所有学员将获得教育和研究 体验适合他们的职业阶段和兴趣。在奖项的支持下，马克兰博士的研究项目 将通过一项新资助的临床试验得到加强，该试验旨在使用移动的健康平台来提供 行为治疗下尿路症状和失禁护理，这将提供新的 指导学员的机会，合作和未来的资金。新研究1的目的是：确定 基于行为的移动的健康平台改善下尿路症状的机制， 失禁严重程度。新研究2的目的是：定义使用移动的医疗保健的障碍和促进因素 改善下尿路症状和失禁严重程度的技术。新研究3的目的是： 确定未来移动的卫生干预措施的有效、可行的候选组成部分。远景目标 Markland博士的研究和职业生涯有两个方面：1）成为行为治疗的领导者 数字健康平台的干预措施，以及2）提高作为以患者为导向的研究导师的技能- 特别是对妇女和少数族裔学员。通过这个奖项和新的研究提出，博士。 Markland将支持有潜力成为以患者为导向的研究领导者的高质量学员 与衰老和下尿路症状/失禁相关。

PROJECT SUMMARY This application for a K24 Midcareer Investigator Award will promote Dr. Alayne Markland’s mentoring and career development in patient-oriented research on lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dr. Markland is a geriatrician and clinician investigator dedicated to advancing evidence on the prevention, evaluation, and treatment of bladder and bowel symptoms for older women and men. With funding from the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute on Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, she leads a nationally recognized, patient-oriented research program that emphasizes improving access to care models, as well as improving knowledge on shared risk factors underlying aging-associated genitourinary dysfunction. Her work focuses on the intersection of common aging syndromes, such as depression and functional status, with lower urinary tract symptoms and incontinence. To date, she has created new models of care for women and men, improved patient-reported outcome measures used in clinical care and research and provided evidence to guide national and international guidelines on the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms and incontinence. She has also emerged as a successful mentor of early-stage clinical investigators who have published high-impact research, obtained NIH and VA-funded awards, and continues to improve patient-oriented research focused on behavioral interventions. With award support, Dr. Markland plans to expand and refine her mentoring skills through didactics and focused training, and to continue mentoring her current early-stage trainees and recruit new trainees with a focus on female trainees from diverse backgrounds. All trainees will be provided with educational and research experiences tailored to their career stage and interests. With award support, Dr. Markland’s research program will be augmented through a newly funded clinical trial addressing the use of mobile health platforms to deliver behavioral treatments for lower urinary tract symptoms and incontinence care, which will provide new opportunities for mentoring trainees, collaborations, and future funding. The Aim of New Study 1 is: Identify mechanisms by which behaviorally based mobile health platforms improve lower urinary tract symptoms and incontinence severity. The Aim of New Study 2 is: Define barriers and facilitators for using mobile health technology for improving lower urinary tract symptoms and incontinence severity. The Aim of New Study 3 is: Determine effective, feasible candidate components for future mobile health interventions. The long-term goal of Dr. Markland’s research and career is two-fold: 1) to become a leader of behaviorally-based treatment interventions with digital health platforms, and 2) to enhance skills as a mentor of patient-oriented research — particularly for women and minority mentees. Through this award and the new research studied proposed, Dr. Markland will support high-quality mentees with the potential to become leaders in patient-oriented research related to aging and lower urinary tract symptoms/incontinence.