Caring for older African American patients: training clinicians for better end-of-life care
Official title: African American (AA) Communities Speak: Partnering with AAs in the North and South to Train Palliative Care Clinicians to Provide Quality Care
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11175428 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program trains clinicians in Birmingham and the Bronx to have respectful, culturally aware end-of-life and palliative care conversations with older African American patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $645,598 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG078255-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11175428 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older African American adults with serious illness (and their family caregivers) who receive care in Birmingham, AL or the Bronx, NY are the primary candidates to benefit.
✕Less likely to help
Younger people, non‑African American patients, those not facing serious illness, or people living outside the targeted regions may not see direct benefits from this program.
What this research studies
You and other African American community members in Birmingham and the Bronx will help adapt a clinician training program so doctors and nurses learn to honor your experiences and communication preferences. Using community-based participatory research, community members and researchers will co-design training materials and guides focused on goals-of-care conversations and palliative options. The team will pilot the 'Caring for Older African Americans' training with clinicians and gather feedback from patients, families, and community advisors. That feedback will be used to refine the program for wider use to improve how clinicians talk with and care for older African American adults facing serious illness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients may receive clearer, more culturally respectful palliative and hospice conversations and care that better matches their wishes.
How similar studies have gone: A prior proof-of-concept program in rural Southern communities showed promise, but adapting and testing the approach in urban Northern and Southern settings is new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Elk, Ronit — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Elk, Ronit
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.