Exposing quality of life and deadly health disparities: Using research to change health care policy
View File(s)
Visitor Statistics
Visits vs Downloads
Visitors - World Map
Top Visiting Countries
Country | Visits |
---|
Top Visiting Cities
City | Visits |
---|
Visits (last 6 months)
Downloads (last 6 months)
Popular Works for Ferrans, Carol Estwing by View
Title | Page Views |
---|
Popular Works for Ferrans, Carol Estwing by Download
Title | Downloads |
---|
View Citations
Citations
Session presented on Friday, July 25, 2014:
At this meeting in Hong Kong, Dr. Carol Ferrans will be inducted into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame of Sigma Theta Tau International. The purpose of this presentation is to trace her research trajectory from its earliest beginnings in quality of life and health disparities, over 30 years, including how she used research findings as a tool to strategically to shape and create changes in healthcare policy and legislation. Since the early 1980s when quality of life was a new concept, she has been an advocate for the voice of the patient in QOL assessment, developing a conceptual framework for QOL and instrument to capture the patient's viewpoint. The Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index (QLI) was introduced in 1985 and since then has been translated into 21 languages and used in 30+ countries, in every continent except Antarctica. To date, 48 published studies provide support for the instrument's reliability and validity, and 27 intervention studies have demonstrated its sensitivity in detecting change in QOL. More than 250 studies using the QLI have been published to date by nurses, physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, and other health care professionals. It is one of the most popular instruments for cardiac rehabilitation and pulmonary rehabilitation programs across the USA. Dr. Ferrans' program of research also has focused on understanding and reducing disparities in cancer. In 1987 Dr. Ferrans conducted one of the earliest comparisons of QOL of African American and white breast cancer survivors, and reported various psychological sequelae of surgery, including significant depression persisting years after treatment. Building on this work, Dr. Ferrans conducted a study with 16 participating institutions across the country, examining the barriers to participation in cancer screening, long-term effects of cancer, and QOL of African American survivors of breast, colon, and prostate cancer. In her next study, Dr. Ferrans examined the factors contributing to late-stage diagnosis of breast cancer in economically disadvantaged African American and Hispanic women. She found that delay in seeking diagnosis of a suspicious breast symptom was twice that previously reported in the literature, and that cultural beliefs and fear were major contributing factors. Next, she developed an instrument that correctly identified cultural beliefs contributing to later stage of breast cancer at diagnosis for African American and Hispanic women. Her team's published findings were cited by the American Cancer Society in their 2011 guidelines for breast cancer screening. Dr. Ferrans then developed a short film on DVD to address these beliefs, which was endorsed by the American Cancer Society. Evaluation of the DVD demonstrated that cultural beliefs could be changed in a single viewing. Dr. Ferrans currently has reached more than 8,500 women with the DVD. Her research and advocacy work culminated in the creation of the Illinois Reducing Breast Cancer Disparities Act, designed to improve access to screening and the quality of mammography throughout Illinois. This work provides a model for the effective dissemination of research findings to create wide-ranging changes in health care and policy.
International Nursing Research Congress, 2014 Theme: Engaging Colleagues: Improving Global Health Outcomes. Held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Items submitted to a conference/event were evaluated/peer-reviewed at the time of abstract submission to the event. No other peer-review was provided prior to submission to the Henderson Repository.
Type | Presentation |
Acquisition | Proxy-submission |
Review Type | None: Event Material, Invited Presentation |
Format | Text-based Document |
Evidence Level | N/A |
Research Approach | N/A |
Keywords | Quality of Life; health disparities; Policies |
Name | 25th International Nursing Research Congress, 2014 |
Host | Sigma Theta Tau International |
Location | Hong Kong |
Date | 2014 |
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subjects.
-
Changing cultural beliefs contributing to breast cancer deaths
Ferrans, Carol Estwing; Willis, Marilyn; Rauscher, Garth (2014-11-17)Session presented on Sunday, July 27, 2014: Purpose: Chicago has one of the largest disparities in breast cancer mortality in the nation, with African American death rates twice that of Caucasians at its peak. Previous ... -
Using clinical insight to propel research and policy
Szanton, Sarah L.This session will draw lessons from a housecalls practice to developing a program of research in improving the lives of older adults. We will address how to pick opportunities, understand challenges, learn from problems ... -
Leading change with action research: Improving quality of life in residential aged care
Penney, Wendy; Martin, Louise Ann; Clinnick, Lisa M. (2013-10-22)Session presented on: Wednesday, July 24, 2013: Purpose: This research developed collaboratively between a regional university in Victoria, Australia and a local rural health service with the goal of improving quality of ... -
Changes in health related quality of life, symptom experience and functional status in ICU survivors
Son, Youn-Jung; Yu, Hye Yon; Ahn, Ji Hun; Park, Youngrye (2016-03-17)Session presented on Thursday, July 23, 2015: Purpose: The purposes of this longitudinal follow-up study were to describe change in symptom experiences, functional status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and to ... -
Factors influencing Korean's adherence to recommended health behaviors for metabolic syndrome in the workplace
Collins, Eileen; Ferrans, Carol; Hong, Oi Saeng; Lauretta, Quinn; Park, Chang Gi; Park, SungwonOur study examined factors influencing adherence to health behaviors recommended by the Seoul government’s metabolic syndrome intervention program in the COVID-19 context. In a sample of 116 participants, our findings ...