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Enhancing Outcomes in Women's Health:
Translating Psychosocial and Behavioral Research into
Primary Care, Community Interventions, and Health Policy
RESCHEDULED DATES: FEBRUARY 21-23, 2002
Accumulating research clearly documents the critical importance of psychosocial and behavioral factors in a number of major chronic diseases and conditions that influence women's lives. Recognition of the importance of these factors has increased over the last decade - largely due to two previous APA conferences on psychosocial and behavioral factors in women's health and related publications. However, translating the research into practice, community interventions, and policy continues to be difficult. To address this issue, our third women's health conference, Enhancing Outcomes in Women's Health: Translating Psychosocial and Behavioral Research into Primary Care, Community Interventions, and Health Policy will focus on the diseases that are today's major killers and causes of disabilities of women, e.g. arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. In addition, depression and critical health behaviors that contribute to these diseases will be examined, e.g. smoking, obesity, and lack of exercise.
The three- (3) day interdisciplinary conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 21-23, 2002. Approximately 800 - 1,000 participants are expected to attend the conference.
Conference Objectives
· Highlight state-of-the-art psychosocial and behavioral research
in women's health;
· Identify evidence-based approaches in women's health that translate psychosocial and behavioral research into primary care, community interventions, and health policy;
· Identify research that critically examines the current systems and structures for health care delivery to women, and models that promote patient-provider communication, support behavior change, and improve service delivery;
· Showcase multi-disciplinary approaches in women's health, particularly those that synthesize psychology and the other social/behavioral sciences, medicine, nursing, and public health;
· Identify clinical and community-based interventions that tailor information to the unique needs of diverse women, including age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, risk status, sexual orientation, marital/relationship status, and rural/urban community context;
· Highlight models that effectively communicate scientific findings in women's health, and their implications for prevention, early detection, and treatment;
· Identify effective psychological and behavioral interventions implemented in women's health care settings that reduce psychological distress, improve quality of life, and improve disease outcomes (e.g., arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases);
· Highlight research that addresses the role of mental health, especially depression, in the risk, onset, course, and outcomes of chronic and life-threatening illnesses affecting women.
The objectives of this conference will be accomplished through invited addresses, special invited presentations, continuing education workshops, paper sessions and symposia and interactive poster sessions selected by a review of abstracts submitted in response to a widely distributed Call For Papers.
Scientific Impact
· Foster multi-disciplinary collaboration between psychologists and other social and behavioral scientists, women's health researchers, clinical providers, mental health providers, educators, health administrators, community outreach workers, and consumers;
· Inform health policy makers, funders, health care administrators, and health writers of cutting-edge psychosocial and behavioral research and the corresponding implications for health care policy, research funding, health care systems, and service delivery to women;
· Improve primary care providers' knowledge and understanding of the importance of psychosocial and behavioral factors in women's health in order to improve treatment of and enhance service delivery to women, and to encourage the incorporation of this knowledge in their daily medical practice.
Conference Outputs
The following products will be developed to enhance outcomes in women's health care:
Models of Multi-disciplinary Collaboration: The conference will showcase models of multi-disciplinary collaboration among women's health researchers, mental health practitioners, clinical providers, educators, community outreach workers, lay health advisors, health administrators, and/or consumers, and encourage multi-disciplinary networking and collaboration.
Publications for Mental Health Practitioners, Physicians, Nurses, and Other Women's Health Professionals: Publications for providers of women's health services regarding the importance of psychosocial and behaviroal factors in women's health will be developed based on research presented at the conference to improve treatment and enhance service delivery to women, for example, articles and supplements in journals across the different disciplines, monographs, and World Wide Web information.
Publications will also present practice models for health care professionals:
· Models for psychologists to incorporate evidence-based strategies for promoting risk communication and informed decisions about women's health issues, e.g. menopause and HRT decisions, adopting health behaviors to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, managing arthritis;
· Models for primary care providers to facilitate comprehensive care in women's health, while addressing psychosocial and behavioral factors which influence women's health practices;
· Models of multi-disciplinary collaboration in women's health, particularly those synthesizing psychology and other social/behavioral sciences, medicine, nursing, and public health.
Continuing Education Workshops: Continuing education workshops will be held in key areas of women's health before and during the conference. If sufficient funds are obtained, these sessions will be videotaped for future use in continuing education for broader audiences.
Consumer Materials: Materials to facilitate informed decision-making about prevention, early detection, and treatment in key areas of women's health will be produced for consumers. Examples of topic areas include arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, smoking, obesity, exercise, and depression.
Qualifications and Experience
The American Psychological Association (APA) is uniquely qualified to convene the Women and Depression Summit. As the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and the world's largest association of psychologists, APA has worked for over 100 years to advance psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting human welfare. Through its four directorates (Science, Education, Practice, and Public Interest) APA has access to a vast array of resources, including world-renowned experts in the field of depression and state-of-the-art research on treatment and prevention. In addition, as one of the largest association publishers of journals, books, monographs and reference materials, APA is uniquely qualified to disseminate the latest information on women and depression to a broad audience, including women's health providers, researchers, policy makers and women consumers.
APA has direct experience with convening special topic meetings as proposed herein. Gwendolyn Keita, PhD, Director of the Women's Programs Office and Associate Executive Director of the Public Interest Directorate, was project director for two highly successful women's health conferences in 1994 and 1996, both of which received widespread media attention. Dr. Keita was also project director for three APA/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conferences on occupational stress and workplace wellness. The APA/NIOSH conferences received widespread media attention and introduced the term "occupational stress" to large numbers of legislators, managers workers, and administrators.
Enhancing Outcomes in Women's Health: Translating Psychosocial and Behavioral Research into Primary Care, Community Interventions, and Health Policy is a relevant and timely conference given the changes which have occurred in the provision of health care services during the last decade. The primary focus on psychosocial and behavioral factors and the true interdisciplinary structure distinguish this conference from other women's health conferences. In an era of increasing cost control measures, collaboration between researchers, clinical providers and community health organizations is crucial. In addition to providing a forum for the presentation of successful and innovative health programs and interventions, this conference will present the opportunity to identify what we know, what works and what more we need to know, -- a valuable contribution toward enhancing women's health outcomes.
For information, contact:
Wesley Baker
Conference Coordinator
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
202-336-6120 (phone)
202-312-6490 (fax)
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