Department of Medicine
Opportunity Sponsor

Cohort studies are a critical component of clinical and translational research. They provide data on the natural history of disease, biobank specimens for translational studies and often provide a framework from which one can recruit for clinical trials. Traditional cohort studies also have many drawbacks. Data collection is often still performed on paper and management is usually centralized at a data-coordinating center with limited ability for interested investigators to obtain transparent, real-time information on data and specimens available for study.

As a recent patient in one of our clinics, I arrived 30 minutes early for a blood draw after being told that was possible, since I had a scheduled a 30 min. meeting with a colleague.  I waited 50 minutes for a late blood draw.  After the blood draw, I then waited another hour  for the appointment.   Keeping the patient informed on approximate time ( like waiting for a delayed airline flight)  The airlines have such an app, why not UCSF?   Scheduled and estimated times would be shown on the patients smartphone app.

Problem Statement: Millions of older adults and their families will face complex medical decisions over the course of advanced illness, yet most are unprepared. Lack of preparation can lead to uninformed choices, receipt of care inconsistent with personal goals, and lack of empowerment during clinical encounters, especially for individuals with limited health literacy.

Co Authors: Kara Bischoff & Sirisha Naranaya

Background:

Advanced care planning documentation is recognized as an important tool allowing patients to direct the type and intensity of medical care they receive. Systematic and educational innovations over the past decade have been effective at increasing the conversations around advanced care planning as well as the numbers of completed advanced care planning documents such as advanced directives (AD) and Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatments (POLSTs).