Press Releases
ATLANTA – August 27, 2018 – Professor Barbara Ann Given, Ph.D., MSN, BSN has been honored with the 2019 American Cancer Society Trish Greene Quality of Life Award, a national honor presented to an outstanding investigator in the field of quality of life.
Dr. Given is a distinguished professor and interim associate dean for research at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.
“We are honored to present this award to Dr. Given for her dedication to improving the quality of life care for cancer patients,” said Marion E. Mora, ScD, chair, Trish Greene Quality of Life Award Workgroup, ACS. “It’s through the work of distinguished volunteers like Dr. Given that we can help better the lives of today’s cancer patients, and make significant contributions to achieving excellence in compassionate care.”
The Trish Greene Quality of Life Award recognizes the importance of the contributions of researchers who have devoted a significant portion of their careers to the various areas of quality of life and have accomplished outstanding research that benefits cancer patients and their families. The award honors the life and work of the late Patricia (Trish) Greene, RN, Ph.D., who served in a variety of roles as both a volunteer and staff member throughout her 20-year association with the ACS.
Dr. Given’s research career spans 35 years and her funding as a PI or Co-I totals over $20 million, mostly from the National Institutes of Health and their components. Her extensive research career has focused on oncological research, specifically enhancing and developing strategies for individuals with cancer and their caregivers to manage symptoms and overcome functional limitations. Her research affects the quality of life of patients with cancer and their caregivers on a global scale through the development and implementation of new tools and translation of research to improve symptom management, medication adherence, and reduce symptom severity and burden.
Dr. Given’s oncological research focuses on not just the quality of life of patients, but their caregivers as well. Family caregivers have taken on much of cancer care due to the reduced length of hospital stays. Dr. Given and her team addressed this shift in care by developing and testing a multidimensional instrument to assess reactions of family caregivers. International agencies and research studies now use this tool, the Caregiver Burden Instrument, documenting how to maintain caregiver involvement in assisting patients.
The focus of her most recent NIH study is patient adherence to oral agents—how adherence relates to patient attributes, dosing complexity, cost, and severity of side effects. While targeted oral agents are transforming cancer treatment, barriers still exist before full translation to treatment plans. Her recent multi-site trial confirmed automated phone call reminders helped patient adherence and manage symptoms at home.
Dr. Given is the recipient of numerous national/international awards, including the Ada Sue Hinshaw Award and induction as a Fellow of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society. She has disseminated her work in over 280 publications, two books, 55 book chapters, and 870 presentations. She is a national grant reviewer, and is on the editorial boards of Research in Nursing & Health and Cancer Nursing. Additionally, she has served as chair for 160 thesis committees and been a member or chair of over 30 dissertation committees. Dr. Given continues to be a leader in oncological research and education.
To learn more about the American Cancer Society awards programs, visit cancer.org.