Charlotte Thomas-Hawkins

Dr. Charlotte Thomas-Hawkins' primary research objectives are to improve the health outcomes of individuals with chronic kidney failure (CKD) or who are at risk for this condition. Specifically, her research interests are targeted at both the patient and the environment in which patients with CKD receive care. Dr. Thomas-Hawkins' program of research is aimed at addressing critical gaps in knowledge regarding 1) the extent to which persons with CKD interpret and self-manage their illness and physical activity, and 2) the effect of the dialysis work environment, staffing models, and processes of care on patient outcomes in outpatient dialysis units. This information will provide the basis for the development and testing of interventions designed to alter illness representations and halt or reverse funtional decline. It will also provides a basis for testing the effects of alternative dialysis models of care on patient outcomes in dialysis work environments.