Harkness Project Title: Who Cares for Older People? Cultural Competency in Caring for Older People in Nursing Homes

Mentors: Edward Wagner, M.D., M.P.H., Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound James Logerfo, M.D., M.P.H., Harborview Medical Center

Placement: Group Health Cooperative, Center for Health Studies

Biography at time of Harkness Fellowship: Ngaire Kerse, a 2002-2003 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice, has her medical degree from the University of Otago, New Zealand, a Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne a Geriatric Medicine fellowship from the University of Pennsylvania, and general practitioner training in the United States, New Zealand and Australia. Her research interests are the care of older people, maximizing potential function to improve well-being and better understanding the complexities of social, economic and health aspects of quality of life for older people. As a senior lecturer in the Department of General Practice and Primary Heath Care her role in educating medical students about primary health care has developed in tandem with a programme of research about older people, the doctor patient relationship and health services research. Kerse is a member of the National Council for the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and has served on various guidelines groups.

Career Activity Since Fellowship

• Professor of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, 2009
• Best research presentation, Australia and New Zealand Falls Prevention conference, 2008
• Distinguished Service Medal, Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, 2007
• Associate Professor of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, 2003

E-Mail: n.kerse@auckland.ac.nz

Harkness-Related Publications

Williamson M, Pirkis J, Pfaff J, Tyson O, Sim M, Kerse N, Lautenschlager N, Stocks N, Almeida O (2007). "Recruiting and retaining GPs and patients in intervention studies: The DEPS-GP project as a case study.” BMC Medical Research Methodology, 7 (1), 42.

Pfaff JJ, Draper B, Pirkis J, Stocks N, Snowdon J, Sim M, Byrne G, Lautenschlager N, Flicker L, Kerse N, Goldney R, Wilson I, Almeida OP (2009). “Medical morbidity and mental health status in a large primary care sample of older Australians: The DEPS-GP Project.” Medical Journal of Australia, 190 (7), S75-S80.

Hughes CM, Roughead E, Kerse N.  “People in Long-Term Care: Contrasting the Policy Approaches of Four Countries,” Healthcare Policy 2008; 3(3).

Crampton P, Kerse N. “Kiwis In America: Reflections on the US Primary Care System,” New Zealand Medical Journal 2004; 117(1192).

Kiata L, Kerse N. “Inter-cultural Residential Care in New Zealand,” Qualitative Health Research 2004; 14:313-327.

Kerse N. “Elder Health: Dementia, a Brief Update,” New Zealand Doctor January 19th 2003.

Mainous III AG, Kerse N, Brock CD, Hughes K, Pruitt C. “Physician Approaches to the Creation of Patient Trust: Evidence the United States and New Zealand,” New Zealand Family Physician 2003; 30:336-341.