A New Paradigm for Treating Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders in Children

John M. Hollier，医学博士，委员会认证的儿科胃肠病学家，是贝勒医学院的助理教授，他寻求获得基本技能和指导研究经验，作为一名利用卫生技术的儿科临床研究人员的独立职业。医学的许多方面都受到服药依从性差、不明智的健康行为和难以获得医疗保健的影响。候选人的职业目标是通过利用当前（例如，移动）和未来技术的潜力来克服这些障碍，作为实现这些努力的工具。功能性腹痛障碍（FAPDs）影响全世界高达20%的学龄儿童（和成人），并与显著的发病率和卫生保健费用相关。高达60%的fapd患儿会出现与成人相似的症状。许多受影响的儿童遭受焦虑和抑郁等社会心理困扰。对这些疾病最有效的治疗（心理干预）对于大多数fapd儿童来说仍然遥不可及。申请人建议改进其创新的移动应用程序（App）原型，该原型设计用于使用公认的技术开发技术为fapd儿科患者远程提供录音引导图像治疗（ARGIT App）。具体目标：1)通过定性访谈，通过患者、护理人员和专家利益相关者的反馈，完善我们的ARGIT应用程序原型的设计、操作和引导意象疗法（GIT）会话内容。2)进行一项实用的、随机的、等待者对照试验，比较GIT治疗与fapd儿童的常规治疗，以评估ARGIT应用程序的疗效，并评估随着时间的推移，这种干预是否会改变心理社会困扰。3)通过定性访谈评估受影响儿童及其照顾者对改进后的ARGIT应用程序的接受程度。Hollier博士组建了一个多学科团队，由受人尊敬的nih资助的导师和合作者组成，他们在移动健康应用程序开发、临床试验方法学、定性研究方法和健康行为改变专家方面拥有各种专业知识。此外，候选人将通过教学课程、研讨会、指导阅读和会议获得额外的技能和培训。通过这项资助获得的科学培训将导致发表论文、数据和经验，使候选人能够获得NIH的资助，并使自己成为一名独立的内科科学家。

John M. Hollier, MD, a board-certified pediatric gastroenterologist, is an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine who seeks to obtain essential skills and mentored research experience for an independent career as a pediatric clinical researcher utilizing health technologies. Many aspects of medicine are affected by poor medication adherence, ill-advised health behaviors, and poor access to medical care. The candidate’s career goal is to conquer these barriers by harnessing the potential of current (e.g., mobile) and future technologies as tools to fulfill these endeavors. Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) affect up to 20% of school-age children (and adults) worldwide and are associated with significant morbidity and health care costs. Up to 60% of children with FAPDs go on to have similar conditions as adults. Many affected children suffer from psychosocial distress like anxiety and depression. The most effective treatment for these disorders (psychological interventions) remains out of reach for most children with FAPDs. The applicant proposes to refine his innovative mobile application (App) prototype designed to remotely deliver audio-recorded guided imagery therapy (ARGIT App) for pediatric patients with FAPDs using accepted technology development techniques. Specific Aims: 1) Refine our ARGIT App prototype’s design, operation, and guided imagery therapy (GIT) session content via patient, caregiver, and expert stakeholders’ feedback by using qualitative interviews 2) Conduct a pragmatic, randomized, waitlist-controlled trial comparing treatment with GIT versus usual care in children with FAPDs to assess the ARGIT App’s efficacy and evaluate whether psychosocial distress is altered as a result of this intervention over time. 3) Assess acceptability of the refined ARGIT App among affected children and their caregivers through qualitative interviews. Dr. Hollier has assembled a multidisciplinary team of esteemed NIH-funded mentors and collaborators with a diverse range of expertise in mobile health App development, clinical trial methodology, qualitative research methods, and health behavior change specialists. In addition, the candidate will acquire additional skills and training through didactic coursework, workshops, directed readings, and conferences. The scientific training obtained through this grant will lead to publications, data, and experience that will enable the candidate to secure NIH funding and establish himself as an independent physician scientist.