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 Clinical Core |
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The clinical core is headed by Dr. Steven Albert, PhD, MSPH.
This resource core is divided into 2 subcores:
→ Participant/Recruitment Sub-Core
The goal of the Participant/Recruitment Sub-Core is to ensure and optimize the recruitment and retention of participants for studies of balance and aging. Successful recruitment of older persons for study participation is an essential, core function for our research. Investigators at the University of Pittsburgh have established successful methods for recruiting older adults into a full range of ongoing and completed studies, including large epidemiological cohorts, clinical trials and mechanistic investigations. This collective expertise has developed in an environment of extensive cross-departmental collaboration. This Sub-Core will provide centralized access to this expertise, through a series of recruitment training seminars as well as individual consultation. Additionally, this core will provide information regarding active studies that are available for add-on supplements that include additional participant assessments to extend the hypotheses of the primary study. Most of the large population studies are also accessible for secondary data analysis and for ancillary studies that access stored biologic specimens including DNA. In addition, there are existing, organized recruitment support resources at the University of Pittsburgh, for new studies, each of which has specific strengths for specific types of studies. The Participant/Recruitment Sub-Core will provide consultative direction and efficient access to these resources for new pilot and externally funded studies.
Recruitment:
Staff from the Clinical Core are available to train investigators on recruitment techniques for aging and mobility research.
Please contact the Clinical Core leader, Steve Albert, PhD, MSPH, for more information.
Pepper Registry
Based on the need for assistance with recruitment to Pepper studies, the Clinical Core has established a Participant Registry. The Registry currently includes over 2,000 people age 60+ who researchers can draw upon for studies of mobility and balance. Each year we add additional participants and new measures; also, all participants complete an updated survey yearly, so that information is current. Registry participants receive a newsletter.
As of August 2008, 2001 persons have joined the Registry. The mean age of participants is 74 (range 60 to 98), with two-thirds women. There is a wide range of self-reported mobility and balance ability. Currently, about 12% are members of minority groups. Over 80% have completed follow-up interviews.
The current yearly interview includes sociodemographic measures and self-reports of mobility and balance, physician-reported health conditions, daily symptoms, behavioral risk factors (alcohol, smoking, physical activity), self-rated health, and history of cancer.
Over 25 different studies have made use of Registry participants, with high participation rates. Investigators who contact participants provide updates, which are incorporated into the data system.
For interested participants:
Please contact Jennifer Rush, Pepper Registry recruiter at
1-800-872-3653
Pepper Community Advisory Board
We determined that input from the community would be particularly helpful in the development of recruitment materials. We have established an Advisory Board made up of community representatives (CAB). The CAB has 17 members ranging in age from 35 to 80; including 5 males and 12 females, 3 African Americans and 8 Registry participants. The purpose of the Board is to help inform the community about the Pepper Center, provide feedback on topics for research, and advise on Registry and pilot recruitment. In particular, older Board members will serve as “mystery shoppers” as they themselves are contacted for research. They will assess promotional materials recruitment efforts, treatment of participants, transparency of consent procedures, and related research efforts. Moreover, the Board has agreed to review consent forms and protocol designs for planned studies. We are developing model Frequently Asker Question forms describing the studies to be reviewed by the CAB.
If you are interested in joining our Community Advisory Board please contact Steve Albert, Clinical Core Leader.
Our Community Advisory Board Members:
Steven M. Albert
Jamie Benjamin, MS
Anne Berger
Joe Bonk, MS
Tonia Caruso
Ruth M. Coles
Herbert Ferguson
Larry Gesoff
Nancy Haft, MSW
William D. House
Ida Lampkin
Renee Pekor, MS
Anita Lopatin-Smolover
Albert Smolover
Terence Starz, MD
Stephanie A. Studenski, MD
Molly Vogt, PhD, DrPH
Kathleen Zoldos
→ Assessment/Measurement Sub-Core
The goal of the Assessment/Measurement Sub-Core is to promote a multidisciplinary approach to the assessment of balance in OAIC research studies. Balance is a complex process with multiple contributors and consequences. Researchers studying the causes, consequences and rehabilitation of balance disorders in older adults must use clinical assessment tools to define the sample, characterize factors that affect balance, and measure outcomes. In order to promote comparisons between studies and systematic consideration of important cofactors, investigators need access to well characterized assessment tools. Individual investigators may have expertise in some important domains but need advice and support to include others. The Assessment/Measurement Sub-Core provides access to assessment tools and protocols in relevant physical, psychosocial, cognitive and medical domains through a Library of relevant materials (See list of Documents below). The Sub-Core will maintain and update the Library, provide advice and expertise about selection and interpretation of findings, and offer technical support and staff training for data collection. |
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| Documents |
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Pepper Registry General Information
Password Application Form
Registry Form
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