Overview
As one of the four research priorities at Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College, symptom science and precision health are the focus of many of our faculty. This innovative area of study looks beyond diseases themselves, empowering nurses to work more directly with symptoms, understand why they happen and effectively manage them.
Why Is It One of Our Priorities?
By examining the use of symptom science to assess, manage and treat symptoms of chronic health conditions, our faculty are on the leading edge of nursing research. We believe that more informed decisions produce better outcomes for patients — alleviating pain and discomfort as well as helping patients to better manage their own symptoms in the long run.
In making the study of symptom science and precision health a priority, Goldfarb School of Nursing is looking to the future. Our research typically involves the study of patients who have chronic conditions such as sleep disorders, cancer, HIV, obesity or neurological disorders.
Explore the latest research developments by viewing recent publications and learning about our pioneering interdisciplinary collaborations.
What is Precision Health Care?
According to the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), precision health care, also known as precision medicine, is defined as “an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person.” Like symptom science, advancing this area of nursing research and practice leads to a higher standard of care for patients, who benefit from a more personalized approach to intervention and treatment.
Publications
Publishing research is an important part of advancing nursing science. Learn more about faculty specialties through their latest publications and by visiting individual profile pages.
Judy Frain, PhD, RN (HIV, Sleep Disorders)
• Frain, J.A. (2017): Preparing every nurse to become an HIV nurse. Nurse Education Today, 458, 129-133
• Frain, J., Barton-Burke, M., Bachman, J., Kuei-Hsiang, H., King, M.D., Klebert, M., & Frain, M. (2013). A Comparison of Medication Management Between Older and Younger Adults Living with HIV. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 25(5), 414-426.
• Overton, T., Azad, T., Parker, N., Shaw, D., Frain, J. Spitz, T., & Ances, HB. (2013): The Alzheimer’s disease-8 and Montreal Cognitive Assessment as Screening Tools for Neurocognitive Impairment in HIV-Infected Person. Journal of NeuroVirology, 19(1), 109-116.
• Barton-Burke, M., Carroll, M., Headley, J., & Frain J. (2012). Fatigue and Sleep Disturbances: Symptoms That Cluster and Adversely Affect Quality of Life. Quality of Life: Theory, Research and Practice. C. King & P. Hinds (eds). 3rd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
For additional information, please contact Dr. Judy Frain:
Pamela Newland, PhD, RN (Multiple Sclerosis)
• Newland, P.K., Lunsford, V. & Flach, A. (2017). The Interaction of Fatigue, Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults With Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Cardiovascular Disease. Applied Nursing Research, 33, 49-53.
• Newland, P., Starkweather, A., & Sorenson, M. (2016). Central Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis: A Review of the Literature. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 1-14. doi:10.1080/10790268.2016.1168587.
• Newland, P., Flick, L.H., Xian, H., & Thomas, F.P. (2016). Symptom Co-Occurrences Associated With Smoking Among Individuals With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (MS). International Journal of MS Care, 18, 163-168.
• Newland, P.K., Lorenz, R., Budhathoki, C. & Jensen, M.P. (2015). The Presence of Symptoms With Co-Morbid Conditions in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Clinical Nursing Research, 29. pii:1054773815592817.
For additional information, please contact Dr. Pamela Newland:
Po-Yin Yen, PhD, RN (Arthritis, Informatics)
• Yen P., Lara B., Lopetegui M., Bharat A., Ardoin S., Mathur P., Embi P., & Curtis J.R. (2016). A Time Motion Study Of the “RhEumatoid Arthritis Disease activitY” (READY): A Mobile Application for Rheumatology Patients and Providers. Applied Clinical Informatics, 7(4): 1007-1024.doi: 10.4338/ACI-2016-03-RA-0036.
• Ji X., & Yen P. (2015). Using MEDLINE Elemental Similarity to Assist in the Article Screening Process for Systematic Reviews. JMIR Medical Informatics, 3(3):e28. doi: 10.2196/medinform.3982; PMID: 26323593.
• Lucero, R., Sheehan, B., Yen, P., Tiase, V., Nobile-Hernandez, Velez-Benenson, O., & Bakken, S. (2014). Identifying Consumer’s Needs of Health Information Technology Through an Innovative Participatory Design Approach Among English- and Spanish-Speaking Urban Older Adults. Applied Clinical Informatics, 35(4), 943-57.
• Yen P., Sousa K., & Bakken, S. (2014). Examining Construct and Predictive Validity of the Health-IT Usability Evaluation Scale: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling Results. Journal of American Medical Informatics Association, 21:e241-e248 doi:10.1136/amiajnl-2013-001811 (Nursing Informatics Year in Review 2014).
For additional information, please contact Dr. Po-Yin Yen:
Collaborations
The Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine is collaborating with our researchers to develop a genetic database offering unparalleled insights into the post-treatment symptoms of breast cancer survivors.
By drawing blood, obtaining data on symptoms and following participants for five years, we’re learning which symptoms patients are more at risk for based on their genetics and hope to discover how symptoms change over time. Thanks to this long-term collaboration, Goldfarb School of Nursing is expanding symptom management research and precision healthcare to include this understudied population.
