The overall objective of the Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) is to support
Dr. Leigh Ridings as she establishes a research portfolio that develops, rigorously tests, and scales innovative,
cost-efficient, evidence-based health technology resources to improve access and quality of care for trauma-
impacted families, such as those impacted by pediatric traumatic injury (PTI), in real-world settings. PTI is a
public health priority, with nearly 120,000 children requiring hospitalization for injuries each year. PTI is
associated with annual individual and societal costs of $87 billion and elevates risk for posttraumatic stress,
depression, and other health risk consequences that affect quality of life, physical recovery, emotional and
behavioral outcomes, family roles and routines, and academic functioning. Follow-up care for children and
caregivers is critical to support behavioral and emotional recovery, but few trauma centers provide these
services. Cost-effective, sustainable interventions are needed to reduce barriers to care and reach families that
need it most. The current study directly addresses this clinical gap by developing and systematically evaluating
CAARE (Caregivers’ Aid to Accelerate Recovery after pediatric Emergencies), an intervention consisting of
education, self-monitoring, and coping resources for caregivers of young traumatically injured children. Dr.
Ridings has completed Study Aim 1 to conduct usability testing with ~10 caregivers after PTI in preparation for
CAARE pilot testing via an open trial with ~60 caregivers (Aim 2). Aim 3 involves assessment of CAARE
implementation feasibility with families (n~20), trauma center directors (n~15), and program managers (n~15)
and will be conducted following completion of the open trial. Administrative support is needed to ensure study
aims are successfully implemented during the critical life events of childbirth and subsequent primary caretaking
responsibilities. Support from the supplement will be used to hire a research coordinator to manage essential
study tasks including participant recruitment, administering study assessments, participant renumeration,
managing CAARE technology-based components, and managing and tracking participant data. Research
assistant support will promote successful participant recruitment, enrollment, and completion of study aims. The
supplement will also provide the support necessary for Dr. Ridings to maintain focus on dedicated mentorship
and training in the following areas: 1) clinical trial design, implementation, and evaluation; 2) development and
implementation of iterative-design technology-based solutions; 3) implementation science; 4) advanced
statistical training in clinical trials, longitudinal analyses, and qualitative data analysis; and 5) scientific
communication, including grant writing, presentations, and publications. Dr. Ridings is conducting K23 activities
at the Medical University of South Carolina, which is ideally suited for mentored career development in child
traumatic stress research. Administrative support to complete K23 activities will prepare Dr. Ridings to become
an internationally recognized leader in child and family trauma prevention and treatment research.
