Grants We Funded
Grant applicants for the 2023 cycle requested a total of nearly $4 million dollars. The PSF Study Section Subcommittees of Basic & Translational Research and Clinical Research evaluated nearly 140 grant applications on the following topics:
The PSF awarded research grants totaling over $1 million dollars to support nearly 30 plastic surgery research proposals.
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
Adherence to Non-Operative Clinical Quality Measures in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Alexander Khouri MD
2023
The Regents of the University of Michigan
Pilot Research Grant
Peripheral Nerve
Project Summary: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common upper extremity disorders. A delay in diagnosis (>12 months of symptoms) and treatment of CTS has been associated with worse outcomes for patients. Multiple clinical quality measures for evaluation and management of CTS were established as a standard of care. Within the current literature, adherence to these clinical quality measures is not studied in the general population, nor is it clear if adherence to specific measures depends on the completion of other quality measures. This project seeks to study these gaps in knowledge by conducting a model that considers compliance with quality care measures for non-operative management and patient characteristics associated with poor adherence. The specific aims of the project are: Aim 1 will evaluate compliance with non-operative measures prior to operative intervention. Our model will establish areas of poor adherence to quality care measures, which can improve referral patterns and enhance patient outcomes. Aim 2 will determine the relationship of clinical quality care markers, identify which markers are more likely to be fulfilled prior to operative management. Lastly, Aim 3 will examine disparities in the prevalence of unmet clinical quality measures for CTS.
Impact Statement: Clinical quality measures for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome standardize care, improve patient outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs. This study aims to identify areas of poor adherence to defined clinical quality measures for the non-operative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome care in the United States. Further, it aims to determine socioeconomic disparities in carpal tunnel syndrome care. By analyzing population claims data, these trends can be elucidated and can be used to optimize patient care and reduce costs. These findings will help inform referring and specialty providers on areas where carpal tunnel syndrome care can be improved.
Dr. Alexander Khouri is a third year Plastic Surgery resident at the University of Michigan. He completed his undergraduate studies from Washington University in St. Louis and medical school at the University of Michigan. He has accrued a broad academic skillset with research ranging from award-funded translational benchwork to outcomes-based clinical studies. Over the course of residency, he has developed a passion for hand surgery and is now committed to pursuing a career in the field under the academic and clinical mentorship of Dr. Kevin Chung. His research interests have transitioned to healthcare policy research related to hand surgery and he is now actively publishing in the field.