Oregon Health & Science University
School of Nursing
3455 SW US Veterans Road
Portland, OR
USA 97239
Biographical Sketch: Through a series of qualitative studies, my program of research has focused on describing different patterns of family response to childhood chronic conditions (family management styles). I have been especially interested in exploring the interplay between how family members define and how they manage family life in the context of a child's chronic condition. Understanding different patterns of family management is an essential first step in developing interventions that promote positive outcomes for families and their individual members. Most recently, in collaboration with colleagues at University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University, I have turned my attention to developing a valid and reliable measure of how families manage a child's chronic condition, the Family Management Measure (FaMM). By measuring critical aspects of family management of a child's chronic condition, FaMM will further our ability to generate knowledge of the family context of illness and foster the development of interventions that support optimal functioning and quality of life.