Dr. Lena Makaroun is a Geriatrician, Core Investigator at the VAPHS Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion and Assistant Professor in the University of Pittsburgh Division of Geriatric Medicine. Dr. Makaroun studies social determinants of health for older adults. Her research interests include improving detection of elder abuse in the healthcare setting and developing evidence-based, multi-disciplinary interventions to improve outcomes for older adults experiencing abuse, neglect and exploitation. Dr. Makaroun collaborates with other investigators from the VAPHS GRECC, the Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia and faculty at the University of Pittsburgh on NIH- and VA HSR&D-funded research studies focused on maintaining independence for older adults with complex medical, functional and cognitive problems and caregiving.
Affiliations:
•Core Investigator, VA Pittsburgh Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion
•Affiliate Investigator, VA Pittsburgh Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center
•Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine of Medicine
B. What are the 3 most important questions that define your research program?
1. How can interdisciplinary healthcare providers improve detection of elder abuse in the healthcare setting?
2. What approaches can healthcare systems take to systematize elder abuse detection, intervention and prevention?
3. How can bioinformatic and prediction analytic approaches that leverage electronic health record data be used to improve elder abuse detection and response?
C. What are five key words that best describe your areas of interest?
1. Elder abuse
2. Quality of life
3. Caregiving
4. Trauma
5. Social determinants of health
D. What are up to 5 technologies, models, methods, analytical approaches or other forms of expertise that characterize your research program?
1. Quantitative health services research
2. Qualitative research
3. Natural language processing
4. Implementation science
