Research Interests
Health Disparities
Research in health disparities focuses on the prevention and treatment of local urban health problems, with strong interests in behavioral interventions and responses to health disparities caused by cultural and economic discontinuities that result in lack of access or inappropriate/inefficient use of the health care system. Issues of social justice are of special interest including access to and facilitation of informed decision making about organ donation, cultural barriers to early diagnosis and appropriate care, health literacy and the special challenges of disinvested communities.
Health Communication and Decision Making
Promoting effective health communication and informed decision making is a major focus of departmental research. This research examines the patient-physician interface to optimize health care decisions improve health-related behaviors (disease prevention) and optimize treatment adherence. Focus will be on explorations of shared decision-making between consumers and clinicians, use of decision aids by both health care consumers and clinicians, effective communication and informed consent, end-of-life care, and healthy habit counseling. The department also focuses on mass communication campaigns and uses of new technologies to disseminate and educate the public.
Measurement and Psychometrics
The basic tools of social and behavioral sciences research is the reliable and valid observation and measurement of human behaviors. Research focuses on scale development and adaptation including advancing the field and developing innovation methods to capture and quantify qualitative data.
Healthcare Areas of Interest:
- Cancer
- Organ Donation and Transplantation
- Mental Health
- Chronic Disease
