YSPH Biostatistics Seminar: “Development and Evaluation of a Digital Health Behavioral Intervention for Detecting and Prevent Elder Mistreatment"

NOTE: BIS 525 students are required to attend in person. Others are invited to attend in person, but may also attend via Zoom.

SPEAKER: Fuad Abujarad, PhD, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Biostatistics (Secondary)

TITLE: “Development and Evaluation of a Digital Health Behavioral Intervention for Detecting and Prevent Elder Mistreatment"

ABSTRACT: Elder Mistreatment (EM) represents a significant public health concern, affecting approximately one in ten older adults. The risk of EM is especially elevated among those with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Compounding this issue is the fact that victims of EM are often unwilling or unable to report their mistreatment.

In response to this challenge, I will outline our adaptation of the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development to create and assess VOICES, a tablet-based digital health intervention. VOICES is designed to screen for and detect potential elder mistreatment. This innovative tool employs digital coaching, interactive multimedia libraries (including graphics, video clips, and animations), and techniques from digital screening. Additionally, it offers a brief psychoeducational intervention aimed at improving the detection of mistreatment among older adults and increasing the likelihood of reporting to social services. My focus will be on the various stages of this digital health intervention's development, as well as the associated clinical trials conducted to evaluate and validate its efficacy and effectiveness.

YSPH values inclusion and access for all participants. If you have questions about accessibility or would like to request an accommodation, please contact Charmila Fernandes at Charmila.fernandes@yale.edu. We will try to provide accommodations requested by October 17, 2024.