Current Projects
Affective Arousal in Web-based Simulation: This study examines galvanic skin conduction and heart rate variability in health care providers as they participate in one of our web-based simulations. Results will help the MGH Academy understanding the basic underpinnings of learning in web-based simulation and will inform further simulation design.
CSAT in Residency: This study looks at the effects of incorporating the Computer Simulation Assessment Tool (CSAT) and debriefing with the chief resident on the confidence and performance of first-year residents in an inpatient unit at MGH. Results will help the MGH Academy understand the uses of CSAT in postgraduate medical education and inform future directions of merging web-based learning with a classroom curriculum.
“Reverse Simulation” to Enhance Informed Consent: This study uses a novel web-based standardized doctor, as opposed to the traditional standardized patient, to learn from providers, patients, and families about how to enhance literature-standard best practices for obtaining informed consent. Data gathered internationally has revealed important consensus and disparities between these key constituents regarding what (and who) should be included in an informed consent conversation.
Theater of War--Outcomes Metrics: The MGH Academy is collaborating with the performance group “Theater of War” to understand the impact of their performances on military and civilian audiences. Theater of War travels around the world performing ancient Greek tragedies, highlighting psychological reactions to war that are still experienced today.
Caring for Veterans and Their Families--Clergy and Providers: It is rare that veterans and their families come directly to a psychiatrist when they are experiencing deployment-related challenges. In fact, data shows that clergy are often first responders. With the guidance of participants at the MGH Academy’s Second Annual Seminar for Clergy and Third Annual Seminar on PTSD and TBI for healthcare providers, this study seeks to deepen understanding of the scope of clergy and provider’s responsibilities and how they provide care to veterans and their families.
Performance Improvement – Implementing the Patient Centered Medical Home: In collaboration with the Lunder-Dineen Health Education Alliance and Maine Quality Counts the MGH Academy is launching a collaborative, state-wide, education dissemination and implementation project to assess and expand upon a Patient Centered Medical Home pilot project. Data from the pilot sites will be used to assess contextual facilitating factors and barriers to scalability of the pilot program. Factors related to cost effectiveness and fidelity of implementation will also be taken into consideration.
Caregiver Burden: This study aims to understand the challenges and benefits of being a caregiver to a family member with a psychiatric illness. With the feedback of participants from our patient and family education programs, as well as expert healthcare providers, the study also explores whether attending a free public education program with presentations by medical experts can help reduce this burden.
Commercial Bias in Continuing Medical Education: The MGH Academy adheres to all ACCME requirements regarding commercial support in education programs and seeks to deepen understanding of what attendees at CME events perceive as commercial influence—even in events that are not commercially funded. By optimizing evaluation forms, the MGH Academy continues to learn from attendees about where they think commercial bias originates, and how they perceive it to appear in a program.
Educational Outreach to Veterans and Their Families: In collaboration with members of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Drs. Rosenbaum, Nierenberg, and Pollack, the MGH Academy received a grant from ACNP to provide web-based learning directly to veterans and their families about post-deployment brain responses. This material, specifically designed for this cohort of veterans and their families, was made available starting in Fall 2011. The collected data will inform future efforts to reach out to these groups and help determine whether these presentations are effective for teaching and changing behavior.
Sequential Learning Model: This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the iterative sequential learning model put forward by the MGH Academy, in which participants attend a live event, complete an online interactive learning module, and test their skills in an online clinical simulation. The online packages are now available in clinical areas including acute interventions for stroke, psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia, cultural competence in treating depression, and the detection of primary sleep disorders.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
1. Goldfarb E, Baer L, Fromson JA, Gorrindo T, Iodice KE, Birnbaum RJ. Attendees’ perception of commercial influence in non-commercially funded CME programs. J Contin Educ Health Prof. In press.
2. Goldfarb E, Fromson JA, Gorrindo T, Birnbaum RJ. Enhancing informed consent best practices: Gaining patient, family, and provider perspectives using reverse simulation. J Med Ethics, 2012 Apr 21. [PubMed]
3. Fromson JA, Sutton-Skinner KM, Gorrindo T, Baer L, Romeo SA, Rieu-Werden ML, Birnbaum RJ. Lack of attention to body mass index during first-time prescribing of second-generation antipsychotic medication to children: A survey study using a clinical vignette. Early Interv Psychiatry, 2012 Jan 8. [PubMed]
4. Gorrindo T, Baer L, Sanders K, Birnbaum R, Fromson J, Sutton-Skinner KM, Romeo SA, Beresin E. Web-based simulation in psychiatry residency training: A pilot study. Acad Psychiatry, 35(4):232-7, July-August 2011. [PubMed]
5. Gorrindo T, Groves JE. Medical eProfessionalism: A tale of two Doctors. J Clin Ethics, 22(2):176-178 Summer 2011. [PubMed]
6. Huffman JC, Petersen T, Baer L, Romeo SA, Sutton-Skinner KM, Fromson JA, Birnbaum, RJ. Outcomes assessment in psychiatric postgraduate medical education: an exploratory study using clinical case vignettes. Acad Psychiatry, 34:445-448, 2010. [PubMed]
7. Huffman JC, Freudenreich O, Romeo SA, Baer L, Sutton-Skinner, KM, Petersen T, Fromson JA, Birnbaum RJ. Assessing clinicians’ management of first episode schizophrenia using clinical case vignettes. Early Interv Psychiatry, 4(1):31-38, 2010. [PubMed]
8. DesRoches CM, Rao SR., Fromson JA, Birnbaum RJ, Iezzoni L, Vogeli C, Campbell EG. Physicians’ perceptions, preparedness for reporting, and experiences related to impaired and incompetent colleagues. JAMA, 304(2):187-193, 2010. [PubMed]
9. Gorrindo T, Brendel D. Avatars, cyber-coaches, and search engines: Internet technology's value in modern psychiatry. Harv Rev Psychiatry, 18:77-9, 2010. [PubMed]
10. Gorrindo T, Groves JE. Crime and hate in virtual worlds: A new playground for the id. Harv Rev Psychiatry, 18:113-8, 2010. [PubMed]
11. Rosenbaum B, Gorrindo T, Patel S, McTigue M, Rodgers SM, Miller BM. Medical student involvement in Website development. Med Teach, 31(7):627-633, 2009. [PubMed]
12. Gorrindo T, Groves JE. Computer simulation and virtual reality in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Acad Psychiatry, 33(5): 413-417, 2009. [PubMed]
13. Huffman JC, Petersen T, Andreotti CF, Baer L, Solway S, Birnbaum RJ. Outcomes measurement in a national multimedia continuing medical education program: challenges and opportunities. CE Meas, 2:50-57, 2008. [CE Meas]
14. Gorrindo T. Groves JE. Web searching for information about physicians. JAMA, 300(2):213-215, 2008. [PubMed]
15. Petersen TJ, Huffman JC, Weiss AP, Blais MA, Andreotti CF, Horwitz MB, Birnbaum RJ. Reach of benchmark psychiatric trial results to community-based providers: a case study of CATIE. J Clin Psychiatry, 69(7):1081-6, 2008. [PubMed]
16. Papakostas GI, Petersen TJ, Perlis RH, Judy AE, Burns AM, Alpert JE, Birnbaum RJ, Fava M. A survey of antidepressant prescribing practices in major depression with comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol, 26:216-8, 2006. [PubMed]
Posters and Presentations
17. Letourneau L, Chisari G, Fromson JA, Goldfarb E, Gorrindo T, Cray C, Grenier N, Hoeppner B, Payne S, Birnbaum RJ. Improving Quality and Team-Based Practice: Using Education to Implement the Patient Centered Medical Home Throughout Maine. Poster accepted for presentation at the 4th Annual AAMC Integrating Quality Meeting. Chicago, IL: June 2012.
18. Gorrindo T, Goldfarb E, Birnbaum RJ. Examining Autonomic Arousal in a Web-Based CME Simulation Activity. Talk accepted for fringe presentation at CME Congress. Toronto, CA: May – June 2012.
19. Gorrindo T, Goldfarb E, Fromson JA, Hoeppner BB, Birnbaum RJ. Mixed Methods Needs Assessment of Interprofessional Preparedness. Poster accepted for presentation at CME Congress. Toronto, CA: May – June 2012.
20. Goldfarb E, Gorrindo T, Masek BJ, Evans KC, Dougherty DD, Hoeppner BB, Fromson JA, Birnbaum RJ. Autonomic Arousal and Emotional Learning in Web-Based Psychiatric Simulation. Poster accepted for presentation at The Mysell Research Colloquium, Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA: March 2012.
21. Goldfarb E, Fromson JA, Gorrindo T, Birnbaum RJ. Enhancing Informed Consent Best Practices: Disseminating Reverse Simulation. Poster accepted for presentation at the 5th Annual NIH Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation. Bethesda, MD: March 2012.
22. Iodice KE, Goldfarb E, Gorrindo T, Baer L, Moody JL, Rieu-Werden ML, Fromson JA, Birnbaum RJ. Patient and Family Panels Enhance Live Continuing Medical Education Programs. Poster accepted for presentation at The Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education Spring Meeting. New York, NY: April 2011.
23. Irwin, L., Fishman, J.A., Rieu-Werden, M.L., Romeo, S.A., Gorrindo, T. & Birnbaum, R.J.. CMS Conditions of Participation: An Interactive Learning Module for Competency Assessment. Poster presented at the UNOS Transplant Management Forum. Denver, Colorado: April 2011.
24. Rieu-Werden ML, Hirsch M, Gorrindo T, Fromson JA, Romeo SA & Birnbaum RJ. Antipsychotic Associated Metabolic Side Effects: Examining Knowledge and Practice Gaps Among Prescribing Clinicians. Poster presented at The Mysell Research Colloquium, Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA: March 2011.
25. Iodice KE, Fromson JA, Donelan K, Campbell EG, Birnbaum RJ. The Returning Veteran: A Case for Collaborative Care. Poster presented at The Mysell Research Colloquium, Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA: March 2011.
26. Goldfarb E, Baer L, Fromson JA, Birnbaum RJ. Examining the Concept and Measurement of Commercial Bias in CME Programs. Poster presented at The Mysell Research Colloquium, Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA: March 2011.
27. Gorrindo T, Goldfarb E, Baer L, Birnbaum RJ, Fromson JA. Web-based Simulation as a Component of Continuing Medical Education: Data from the CSAT Project. Talk presented on panel at the MedBiquitous Annual Conference. Baltimore, MD: March 2011.
28. Goldfarb E, Fromson JA, Baer L, Gorrindo T, Nathif A, Moody JL, Iodice KE, Rieu-Weden ML, Birnbaum RJ. Reverse Simulation: Novel Tool to Implement Informed Consent Methods. Poster presented at the 4th Annual NIH Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation. Bethesda, MD: March 2011.
29. Iodice KE, Rieu-Werden ML, Miller J, Baer L, Houghteling P, Romeo SA, Nathif A, Fromson JA, Birnbaum RJ. Talking about Stigma with Healthcare Providers: A Survey of Parents of Children with Learning and Behavioral Difficulties. Poster presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. New York, NY: October 2010.
30. Rieu-Werden ML, Sutton-Skinner KM, Romeo SA, Fromson JA, Birnbaum RJ. Underutilization of nonpharmacologic interventions for insomnia by healthcare providers. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. New Orleans, LA: May 2010.
31. Romeo SA, Tang H, Jiang R, Yu X, Ma H, Guo Y, Li F, Miller JK, Yeung A, Fromson JA, Birnbaum RJ. Mental health providers’ responses to a clinical case vignette: transcultural diagnostic and treatment differences. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. New Orleans, LA: May 2010.
32. Gorrindo T., Locke S., Romeo S., Sutton-Skinner K., Rieu-Werden M., & Baer L. Development of a web-based simulator to teach improved patient-physician interactions. Poster Presented at The Academy at Harvard Medical School, Medical Education Day. Boston, MA: October 2009.
33. Romeo SA, Sutton-Skinner KM, Petersen T, Sloman S, Baer L, Huffman J, Andreotti CF, Fromson, JA, Birnbaum RJ. Clinical decision-making biases in mental health providers. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. San Francisco, CA: May 2009.
34. Sutton-Skinner KM, Romeo SA, Birnbaum RJ, Petersen TJ, Baer L, Huffman JC. Performance disparities by healthcare provider discipline utilizing a psychiatric clinical case vignette. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association: 2009 May; San Francisco, CA.
35. Romeo S, Sutton-Skinner K, Petersen T, Baer L, Huffman J, Birnbaum RJ, Sloman S. Clinical Decision-Making Biases in Mental Health Providers. Poster Presented at the 2009 Research Day, Harvard Medical School Psychiatry Department. Boston, MA: April 2009.
36. Gorrindo T, Baer L, Fromson JA, Sutton-Skinner KM, Romeo SA, Beresin EV, Sanders KM, Birnbaum RJ. Simulation based assessment of the informed consent process in patients with varying health literacy. Poster presented at: The Mysell Research Colloquium, Harvard Medical School. Boston, MA: August 2009.
37. Gorrindo T, Baer L, Locke S, Fromson JA, Sutton-Skinner KM, Romeo SA, Beresin EV, Sanders KM, Birnbaum RJ. Web-based assessment of physician performance. Poster presented at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement 21st Annual National Forum. Orlando, FL: December 2009.
38. Sutton-Skinner, KM, Romeo, SA, Birnbaum, RJ, Petersen, TJ, Baer, L, & Huffman, JC. Performance disparities by healthcare provider discipline utilizing a psychiatric clinical case vignette. Poster Presented at the Simches Symposium. Boston, MA: May 2009.
39. Romeo S, Sutton-Skinner K, Petersen T, Sloman S, Baer L, Huffman J, Birnbaum RJ. Clinical Decision Making Biases in a Group of Mental Health Providers. Poster Presented at the Simches Symposium. Boston, MA: November 2008.
40. Andreotti CF, Blumenfeld K, Weiss AP, Blais MA, Huffman JC, Birnbaum RJ, Petersen TJ. Perceived needs and barriers to access of mental health information: patient, family member, and provider views. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. Washington, DC: May 2008.
41. Petersen, T, Papakostas G, Lietz A, Andreotti C, Birnbaum RJ, Fava M, Spencer TJ, Wilens T, Biederman J. Impact of FDA Black Box Warning on Clinicians’ Beliefs about the Safety of Antidepressant Usage in Pediatric Patients. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. Washington, DC: May 2008.
42. Petersen TJ, Andreotti CF, Huffman JC, Baer L, Birnbaum RJ. Pilot testing of clinical simulations to enhance psychiatry CME. Poster presented at CME Congress. Vancouver, BC: May 2008.
43. Petersen TJ, Andreotti CF, Huffman JC, Birnbaum RJ, Falk W, Ellison JM. Cholinesterase inhibitors for treatment of Alzheimer ’s disease: physicians’ current knowledge and barriers to use. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. Washington, DC: May 2008.
44. Petersen T, Birnbaum R, Huffman J, Weiss A, Andreotti C. Dynamic Integration of Outcomes Metrics. Workshop Presented at Alliance for Continuing Medical Education 33rd Annual Conference. Orlando, FL: January 2008.
45. Birnbaum R, Weiss A, Petersen T. Educational Outcomes Measures: Structuring Meaningful Data. Workshop Presented at Alliance for Continuing Medical Education 32nd Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ: 2007.
Non Peer-Reviewed Publications
46. Gorrindo T, Groves J. Brave New Worlds:Medical Professionalism in the Digital Era. In: Social Media in Medicine. New Forums Press. In press.
47. Goldfarb E, Gorrindo T. Psychiatry. In: Levine, Bryson, DeMaria, and Schwartz, eds. The Comprehensive Textbook of Healthcare Simulation. Springer Science and Business Media. In press.