patient-centered communication improves quality of life

My research focuses on communication across the cancer care continuum–exploring how patients, families, and clinicians exchange information, manage uncertainty, and make decisions regarding hereditary cancer risk in order to create patient-centered, communication-focused, translational tools to improve health outcomes and experiences.

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How to Make Decisions in the Wake of Uncertainty

MY MISSION IS TO EMPOWER PATIENTS TO BETTER ENGAGE WITH CLINICIANS, CLINICIANS TO BETTER COMMUNICATE WITH PATIENTS, AND ACADEMICS TO BETTER TRANSLATE RESEARCH FINDINGS.

committed to patient engagement

Much of my work has examined the health experiences and decisions of men and women at risk for hereditary cancer. For example, in collaboration with Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), my most recent project seeks to provide credible, evidence-based information and guidelines as well as links to clinical trials and supportive services to young women with breast cancer, patients with metastatic breast cancer, their caregivers, community health workers, and clinicians. As a BRCA2-positive patient, I am also committed to patient engagement throughout the research process and translating my research into practice.

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