Clinical Research Directory

Motivational Interviewing at Intake vs Intake as Usual on Client Engagement in Addiction Treatment

This K23 study is an effectiveness-implementation hybrid type I design to determine the effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing at Intake (MII), relative to intake-as-usual on client engagement and mechanisms of engagement among adults seeking outpatient addiction treatment. We also will obtain personnel feedback on the feasibility of implementing MII into standard practice by having personnel from the addiction treatment study sites complete implementation climate measures before Motivational Interviewing (MI) training and post-clinical trial, as well as an individual interview on implementation feasibility post-trial.

OurSleepKit To Support CPAP Adherence

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a couple-focused mobile health intervention will improve the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the primary treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Participants include newly diagnosed patients with OSA who are candidates for CPAP treatment and their partners. The couples will received supportive information and resources on their mobile devices before CPAP begins and continuing for 6 months into CPAP treatment. Their interaction with the resources is self-paced and the time sent engaging with the information is up to them. Participants will be asked to answer questions independently at five points: before CPAP, and after using CPAP for 1-week, 1-month, 3-months and 6-months. Those questions are about their experience of using CPAP, how the partner is involved in CPAP treatment, and symptoms and quality of life. At the end of the study, some couples may be contacted for a virtual discussion about your experience regarding study participation which lasts approximately 1 hour.

Data Science and Qualitative Research for Decision Support in the HIV Care Cascade

The goal of this study is to determine whether clinical prediction algorithms derived using statistical machine learning methods can be used to improve patient outcomes in large HIV care programs in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere. There are two main questions to be answered. First, can the prediction algorithms accurately identify those who are at risk for (a) missing scheduled clinic visits and/or (b) treatment failure, evidenced by elevated HIV viral load? And second, can the risk predictions be used in a structured way to (a) improve retention in care and/or (b) reduce the number of patients having elevated viral load? Researchers will develop machine learning prediction algorithms, incorporate the risk prediction information into the electronic health record, provide guidance to clinical health workers on use of the point-of-care interface tools that display risk prediction information, and incorporate feedback from clinic staff to modify and co-develop the protocol for using risk predictions for improving patient outcomes. They will then compare the proportion of patients having missed visits and longer-term loss to follow up, and the proportion with elevated viral load, between clinics that use the information from the risk prediction algorithms and those that do not.

Alcohol Misuse Treatment to Patients Newly Diagnosed With Alcohol-related Liver Disease: a Randomized Controlled Trial

To evaluate the efficacy of systematically offering newly diagnosed ALD patients to AUD treatment, in the hepatology clinic, on alcohol abstinence after 6 months. The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled superiority trial with parallel group design, hypothesis blinding and blinded outcome assessment comparing A) a offer to specialized AUD treatment (intervention) and B) standard care (control). Existing observational cohort ALD members will contribute to the control group in addition to the randomized controls. The primary outcome is abstinence throughout the last 30 days assessed 6 months after randomization.

Peer Recovery to Improve Polysubstance Use and Mobile Telemedicine Retention

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a peer-led, brief, behavioral intervention to improve adherence to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and reduce polysubstance use among patients with OUD and polysubstance use in underserved areas. The intervention is based on behavioral activation (BA) and is specifically designed to be implemented by a trained peer recovery specialist. In this hybrid, Type-1 effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial (RCT), the investigators will evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of Peer Activate vs. treatment as usual (TAU) over twelve months.

The Evira Study: Additional Support During Anti-Obesity Treatment

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effect of adding a digi-physical treatment tool as a complement to the local treatment with anti-obesity medication in adolescents with obesity. The main question it aims to answer is: \- Can a combination of a digi-physical treatment tool and anti-obesity medication improve treatment outcomes for patients with obesity compared to patients treated with anti-obesity medications alone? This is a randomized controlled two-arm multicenter study where participants will be randomized to the intervention group (digi-physical treatment+medication) or control group (medication only). Participants will be followed for six months.

The Effects of a Solution-Focused Approach on Psychosocial Adjustment and Treatment Compliance in Individuals Diagnosed With Schizophrenia

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a solution-focused approach-based individual intervention on psychosocial adjustment and treatment adherence in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. The study will be conducted as a randomized controlled trial including 60 clinically stable individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-5 criteria and registered at a Community Mental Health Center affiliated with a university hospital. Participants will be randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=30) and a control group (n=30). The experimental group will receive one individual solution-focused therapy session per week for six weeks. The control group will receive usual care only. Data will be collected using a Personal Information Form, the Psychosocial Adjustment Scale (PSSAS), and the Medication Adherence Scale (MARS).

ALHIV Smartphone Game Study

This is a cluster-randomized controlled trial that aims to conduct comprehensive feasibility testing of a smartphone game in a sample of 120 adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) ages 15-21 in Kisumu, Kenya, to determine whether the game influences behavioral mediators of engagement in care and sexual risk avoidance and reduction (including knowledge, attitudes, behavioral intentions, and self-efficacy).

Interactive vs. Standard Video Education for Improving Outcomes in Hemodialysis Patients

The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if educational videos-especially interactive ones-can help people on dialysis better manage their treatment. Researchers want to answer the following main questions: Can interactive or conventional video-based education help patients better understand and follow their treatment plan? Does this type of education improve patients' ability to control their weight changes between dialysis sessions? Does this type of education improve patients' activation? Is interactive video education more effective than regular (non-interactive) video education? What Will Happen in the Study: Adults on hemodialysis will take part in the study. They will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group A: Will receive 10 interactive educational video sessions (30 minutes each). Group B: Will receive the same videos but in a non-interactive format. Group C (Control Group): Will receive routine education normally given at the dialysis center. Videos will be watched on a web platform. Interactive videos include pop-up questions and scenario-based feedback. All participants will be followed up immediately, 1 month, and 3 months after the program ends. What Participants Will Do: Watch educational videos over several days (totaling 5 hours). Answer questions and engage in follow-up group discussions. Complete surveys about their knowledge, treatment adherence, and health behaviors. Get weighed before and after dialysis sessions to monitor fluid retention. This study aims to improve how dialysis patients manage their condition and to help healthcare providers design better educational tools.

1 Versus 2 Hours Post Meal Glucose Monitoring in Gestational Diabetes on Treatment

A study to compare between 1 and 2 hours post meal blood glucose monitoring in patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus requiring treatment.

TB Treatment Support Tool Interactive Mobile App and Direct Adherence Monitoring on TB Treatment Outcomes

The overall goal of this study is to conduct a Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) to evaluate a tuberculosis treatment support tool (TB-TST), a cellular phone app developed using user-centered design principles and a paper-based drug metabolite urine test strip modified for home use for testing the presence of isoniazid drug metabolites in urine to directly monitor adherence to treatment, to improve treatment outcomes for patients with TB receiving self-administered treatment (SAT). Poor medication adherence to TB regimens, along with challenges in monitoring patients and returning them to treatment, are important contributing factors to poor outcomes and the development of drug resistance. With advances and proliferation of mobile technology platforms, there is substantial interest in the possible use of mobile health (mHealth) interventions to address these challenges. Of the mHealth approaches under investigation for TB adherence monitoring, drug metabolite testing has been identified as the most promising, ethical, and accurate, and the least intrusive and stigmatizing strategy compared to other mobile solutions, yet its potential remains largely unexplored. Additionally, mobile applications (apps) may provide personalized treatment supervision, increase patients' self-management and improve patient-provider communication by offering more advanced functionalities for patient support and monitoring. The existing version of the TB-TST app offers education on TB and its treatment, communication with a care-coordinator, tracks treatment adherence (both by self-reporting and direct metabolite test strip images), self-reports treatment side-effects, and retains patient's "diary" notes. This proposal builds on preliminary work to: 1) Refine the TB-TST intervention based on pilot study findings and apply principles of user-centered design; 2) Evaluate the impact of the TB-TST on treatment outcomes compared to usual care; 3) Assess patient and provider perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to implementation of the TB-TST and synthesize lessons learned with stakeholders and policy makers. Primary outcome will be treatment success. Secondary outcomes will include: treatment default rates, self-reported adherence, technology use and usability. Findings have broader implications not only for TB adherence but disease management more generally and will improve our understanding of how to support patients facing challenging treatment regimens

Improving HIV Adherence Care for Key Populations in India

This study seeks to adapt and pilot test a comprehensive wellness program to address the barriers to engagement in the HIV care continuum among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in India. The content involves an adaptation of the earlier Chetana wellness adherence intervention which was found to successfully improve adherence and viral suppression among mainstream Indian persons living with HIV (PLWH). Based on the initial formative work, the adaptation includes added wellness group content and will be offered in a flexible format. It also uses peer navigators (PN), rather than Master-level counselors, to deliver tailored support at mutually convenient times and places. This PN model has been used successfully by Indian collaborators and in previous research in South Africa to link and retain PLWH in care. The intervention is intended to break the link between stigma and care seeking, which is especially important for key populations (KPs), who must deal with historically hostile legal environments and substantial isolation that further reduces engagement in HIV preventive practices and services . Investigators are conducting this research to address the following aims: 1\) To engage community stakeholders in the adaptation and pilot testing of the Chetana-PN wellness adherence intervention for use with Indian MSM and TGW who are living with HIV and who are newly or insufficiently engaged in care. 2a) To assess in a small randomized control trial (RCT) the acceptability and feasibility of the theoretically-guided, adapted intervention and to obtain preliminary effect size estimations for the impact of the intervention on engagement in care, among MSM and TGW. 2b) To characterize participant and navigator experiences in the Chetana-PN intervention and describe the practices that were most successful at overcoming barriers to care with 25 participants who received the Chetana-PN intervention and the peer navigators. These findings will subsequently be used to inform a future RCT designed to establish the efficacy of this adapted Chetana-PN intervention for sexual minorities in India.

DiAL Health Research Study

The purpose of this study is to conduct a five-arm pilot and feasibility trial in healthy, young individuals without obesity to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of dietary intervention approaches to slow mechanisms of aging.

Genetic Testing and Motivational Counseling for FH

To date, there are highly effective lipid-lowering drugs, the combination of which makes it possible to achieve the target level of LDL-C in most patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). However, the effectiveness of treatment of FH patients strongly depends on adherence to lipid-lowering therapy and to the healthy lifestyle, as well as the detection of the disease and the therapy prescription as early as possible, better in childhood. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of genetic testing and motivational counseling on the effectiveness of treatment and cascade screening in patients with FH.

Improving HIV Testing, Linkage, and Retention in Care for Men Through U=U Messaging

This study will evaluate the impact of U=U messaging and counseling on gaps in the HIV care cascade for men, including testing uptake and ART initiation (Aim 1), achieving viral suppression and retention in care (Aim 2) in two provinces in South Africa. The U=U message communicates the compelling idea that PLHIV who take ART and have an undetectable viral load (\<200 copies/mL) cannot sexually transmit HIV. Additionally, the investigators will conduct a multi-method evaluation to inform future implementation of U=U messaging interventions (Aim 3).

Taiwan Interstitial Lung Disease Multi-center Investigation and Registry

The Taiwan Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Multi-center Investigation and Registry aims to evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease. This prospective observational registry will collect comprehensive clinical data from multiple centers, including epidemiological information, comorbidities, questionnaire results, routine blood tests, biochemical tests, pulmonary function tests, echocardiograms, and cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET), all following a standardized protocol. Key components of the registry include annual HRCT scans, annual CPETs, biobank blood samples, and biannual echocardiograms and pulmonary function tests. The main questions the registry aims to answer are: 1. Differences in all-cause mortality among ILD patients of different etiologies. 2. Differences in the annual risk of acute exacerbation among ILD patients of different etiologies. 3. Effectiveness of current anti-fibrotic drugs in treating IPF and ILD of different etiologies. 4. Predictive ability of HRCT imaging features for mortality risk in ILD patients. 5. Impact of comorbidities on the mortality risk of ILD patients. 6. Predictive ability of biomarkers for disease progression and mortality.

Improving Quality of Life in Older Patients With Frailty and Hematological Cancer Through Geriatric Assessment

The Improve study is a randomized controlled trial investigating the efficacy of adding comprehensive geriatric assessment and treatment to standard of care compared with standard of care in older, frail patients with hematological cancer. The investigators aim to recruit 152 study participants who will be randomized 1:1 to intervention- or control group. Study participants in the intervention group will receive the intervention comprehensive geriatric assessment and treatment integrated in the cancer treatment. Study participants in the control group will receive cancer treatment and evaluation of comorbidity and frailty as is usual standard at Department of Hematology. Primary endpoint is elderly functional Index at 12 weeks.