Publications by authors named "Teresa Kern"
Objectives: Our study explores the experiences of early career and senior scientists regarding mentorship and career trajectories in tobacco regulatory science (TRS).
Methods: We conducted 22 phone interviews with early career and senior tobacco regulatory scientists from July 2015 to January 2016. All interviews were conducted using a structured interview guide and analyzed using a thematic approach by 2 independent coders.
Background: Appalachian residents have a higher overall cancer burden than the rest of the United States because of the unique features of the region. Treatment delays vary widely within Appalachia, with colorectal cancer patients undergoing median treatment delays of 5 days in Kentucky compared to 9 days for patients in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina combined.
Objective: This study identified the source of this disparity in treatment delay using statistical decomposition techniques.
Purpose: The objective was to examine the impact of regular primary care encounters (PCE) on early breast cancer detection in an Appalachian sample of Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed 2006-2008. Determinants of PCE were investigated and a mediation analysis was conducted where PCE was a mediator to cancer stage.
Methods: A total of 3,589 cases were identified from Appalachian areas in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, and North Carolina, and health care services were examined 2 months to 2 years prior to diagnosis.
Purpose: We describe individual, area, and provider characteristics associated with care patterns for early-stage breast cancer in Appalachian counties of Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Methods: Cases of stages I to III breast cancer from 2006 to 2008 were linked to Medicare claims occurring within 1 year of diagnosis. Rates of guideline-concordant endocrine therapy (n = 1,429), chemotherapy (n = 1,480), and radiation therapy (RT) after breast-conserving surgery were studied; RT was studied in women age ≥ 70 years with stage I estrogen receptor (ER) -positive/progesterone receptor (PR) -positive cancer, for whom RT was optional (n = 1,108), and in all others, for whom RT was guideline concordant (n = 1,422).
Objective: To model the relationship of an area-based measure of a breast cancer screening and geographic area deprivation on the incidence of later stage breast cancer (LSBC) across a diverse region of Appalachia.
Data Source: Central cancer registry data (2006-2008) from three Appalachian states were linked to Medicare claims and census data.
Study Design: Exploratory spatial analysis preceded the statistical model based on negative binomial regression to model predictors and effect modification by geographic subregions.