HSR Center for Health Information and Communication (CHIC)
Innovation at Our Center
The vision of the VA HSR Center for Health Information and Communication (CHIC) is to improve Veterans' health through innovative applications of health information and health information systems that serve the population-based and interpersonal needs of patients and clinicians. The CHIC’s mission is to generate knowledge about the design and utility of innovative health information technology approaches to improve the quality and outcomes of care.
Our center has several innovative methods and strengths:
- Expertise in developing patient-reported measures
- Evaluation of self-management interventions
- Innovative Mixed Methods techniques and approaches for studying Health Services Research and Informatics
- Cross-medical center collaboration enables the leveraging of the benefits of collaborative research relationships
- The oldest Human Computer-Interaction (HCI) & Simulation laboratory in existence within the VA system
- Being embedded in VA Medical Center allows for research outside focus areas and translating health services research into effective clinical practice
- A number of our investigators use novel combinations of quantitative and qualitative methods to explore phenomena in health care delivery
Thomas F. Imperiale, M.D.
One of the standout innovations by Dr. Imperiale and his research team is the development of the “Colon Age” model, a novel risk communication tool that translates complex clinical risk factors into a more relatable metric, essentially determining the physiological age of a person’s colon. This approach helps patients better understand their risk and can guide decisions about earlier screening, particularly in individuals under 45 who may not otherwise opt to screen for colon cancer.
Additionally, in collaboration with Exact Sciences, Dr. Imperiale played a pivotal role in developing the Next-Generation Cologuard, an improved stool DNA test that reduces false positives without compromising cancer detection rates. His team also conducted a comprehensive analysis of VA health records to evaluate the impact of statin use (e.g. simvastatin, atorvastatin, lovastatin) on colon cancer survival, finding a consistent reduction in mortality regardless of when statin therapy began (i.e., before or after a colon cancer diagnosis). Additional studies led by Dr. Imperiale include systematic reviews of fecal immunochemical test (FIT) performance across different colon regions and risk profiles, which found that FIT is more effective for detecting left-sided colon lesions. Additionally, incorporating individualized risk factors, such as age, smoking status, BMI (body mass index), and birth sex, further improves screening accuracy.
Johanne Eliacin, Ph.D.
Dr. Eliacin's current project is the Increasing Veterans' Social Engagement and Connectedness (CONNECTED) study, which is a clinical trial testing the effectiveness of a social isolation reduction intervention, also named CONNECTED, in primary care at the Roudebush VAMC and associated VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). During the 8 weeks of the CONNECTED intervention, Veterans work with a trained peer support specialist, who leads a psychoeducational group of up to seven Veterans and meets with Veterans individually. Group sessions meet weekly and are structured around different topics related to social isolation. With a group atmosphere, the intervention aims to create a sense of community and connection. Individual sessions with the peer specialist occur every other week, during which Veterans work with the peer to identify their personal goals related to social isolation and discuss their progress toward reaching their goals. All sessions with the peer are delivered via telehealth. In addition to the sessions, CONNECTED includes a navigation program to help Veterans navigate to social resources in the community and offers opportunities to meet in person with other Veterans from the group.
Maya (Kristin) Story, Ph.D. and Matthew Bair, M.D.
Drs. Maya (Kristin) Story and Matthew Bair currently co-lead the Stepped-Care Intervention of Music and Imagery to Assess Relief (SCIMITAR) trial at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center’s (VAMC) Center for Health Information and Communication (CHIC). SCIMITAR is a study testing the delivery of a telehealth music listening and music imagery therapy intervention to help Veterans with moderate to severe chronic musculoskeletal pain. This study builds on the work from the Feasibility and Acceptability of Music Imagery and Listening Interventions for Analgesia (FAMILIA) trial and the Telehealth Engaged Music for Pain Outcomes (TEMPO) pilot study. Veterans who enroll in SCIMITAR and are randomized to the music therapy group are virtually connected to a certified music therapist who helps them identify ways to manage their pain through music listening and then later have the option to continue with music and imagery. For Veterans who are randomized into the waitlist control group, they continue with their normal care for 6 months and then are provided the opportunity to participate in three music therapy sessions virtually. The TEMPO and FAMILIA studies were successful in testing the feasibility and acceptability of the telehealth music imagery intervention and gained positive feedback from Veterans who participated in the intervention. With a stepped-care model for SCIMITAR that involves first utilizing a lower intensity and less costly treatments and then “stepping up” to a more intensive, costly, and complex treatment, Drs. Story and Bair hope to better understand to what extent music therapy and imagery affect the discomfort, disability, and quality of life of Veterans with chronic pain and thus, build a case for implementing a music and imagery therapy program for Veterans on a larger scale across the VHA.
