Talar Markossian, PhD

Dr. Talar Markossian has received funding support through CHOIR twice. Initially, she received funding for the development of a chronic kidney disease (CKD) mobile application to help persons living with CKD collect patient-reported outcomes and document aspects of their care journey. The ancillary funding Dr. Markossian received focused on expanding the focus of the app into the main risk factors of CKD, including hypertension and diabetes. Working with Loyola nephrologist Dr. Holly Kramer, the app aims to provide a platform for patients to communicate with their primary care doctor. The foundations of the app experience are based on behavioral and disease self-management theories with a focus on symptoms management, goal-setting, and patient-provider communication. Although the app is not commercially available, there are future aspirations to integrate the app with health devices and electronic health records.

Can you tell us more about this project?
My funded project focused on chronic kidney disease self-management via the development of a mobile app. Initially we started with chronic kidney disease and then we incorporated patients with diabetes and hypertension, as these are often the main risk factors for CKD. We submitted an NIH grant proposal application to learn about feasibility of implementing the app in clinical practice, including examining adoption, use, facilitators and barriers, and potential effectiveness among all segments of patients. 

Is the app live now?
The app is still in the research phase as it is undergoing usability and feasibility testing. We give the link to the participants and we test aspects of their use and engagement. We also plan to conduct future research on efficacy and effectiveness, as those components are essential to improving care delivery. It’s not the app alone that works. We work with primary care doctors and other stakeholders here at Loyola, and we have their commitment to work with us.

What is your long-term vision then for this project?
Hoping we have interventions that can make self-care more available for everyone. We aim to improve health outcomes among all populations.