Kara Schick-Makaroff, PhD, MN, BScN, RN
Contact
Professor, Faculty of Nursing
- schickma@ualberta.ca
- Phone
- (780) 492-4338
- Address
-
4-172 Dianne and Irving Kipnes Health Research Academy
11405 87 Ave NWEdmonton ABT6G 1C9
Assoc Dean, Graduate Studies, Faculty of Nursing
- schickma@ualberta.ca
Overview
Area of Study / Keywords
Quality of life; Patient reported outcomes; Kidney disease; Older adults; Qualitative methodologies; Mixed methods research; Research syntheses
About
Degrees:
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alberta (2011-2015)
- PhD (Nursing), University of Victoria (2007-2011)
- MN (Policy & Practice), University of Victoria (2001-2005)
- BScN, University of Saskatchewan (1994-1999)
Awards:
King Charles III Coronation Medal. 2025.
Martha Cook Piper Research Prize, University of Alberta. 2020.
College & Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) Award for Excellence in Research. 2020
Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) / Amgen New Investigator Lectureship Award. TED Talk presented May 2, 2019 at Opening Session of CSN AGM. Title: The known and unknown: Patient-reported outcomes in kidney care: https://www.csnscn.ca/about/csn-new-investigator-lectureship
Nursing Graduate Students’ Association, Prize for Excellence, 2016 & 2017
Can-SOLVE CKD - KRESCENT New Investigator Award (Canadians Seeking Solutions & Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease; Kidney Research Scientist Core Education & National Training Program) for the program of research Electronic patient-reported outcomes in clinical kidney practice (ePRO Kidney). Funding provided by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Kidney Foundation of Canada, and Canadian Society of Nephrology. July 2016-June 2019. ($245,000)
Kidney Foundation of Canada, BC Branch, 2013 Research Award.
KRESCENT (Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training Program), Postdoctoral Fellowship for the project, Health-related quality of life assessment in clinical nephrology nursing practice. Funding provided by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Kidney Foundation of Canada, and Canadian Society of Nephrology. Oct 2011-Sept 2014. ($165,000)
Kidney Foundation of Canada, Allied Health Doctoral Fellowship for the project, Stories of end-stage renal disease: Listening for the unsayable. Sept 2010-Sept 2011. ($58,000)
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Doctoral Fellowship through the project, Re-storying life within life-threatening illness. PI: Dr. Laurene Sheilds. Oct 2007-Aug 2010. ($67,500)
Research
The goal of Dr. Schick-Makaroff’s program of research is to enhance knowledge about use of quality of life assessment and promote equitable person-centred health, in order to improve services for people living at home with chronic and life-limiting illnesses, particularly kidney failure. Simply put: her goal is to have clinicians, administrators and programs look at the information that patients provide and act on that information with patients.
One aspect of quality of life is emotional wellbeing. Canadians receiving dialysis report symptoms of depression and anxiety far exceeding the national average, but this is often overlooked. Schick-Makaroff is leading research and healthcare system change, provincially and nationally, to address emotional wellbeing in dialysis care. Her work is co-led by a Community Advisory Committee made up by people with lived experience to create a culture change and address this gap in care.
CURRENT GRANTS
Principal Investigator / Co-Principal Investigator
Electronic patient-reported outcomes in clinical kidney practice (ePRO Kidney). Schick-Makaroff, K. (PI), Sawatzky, R. (co-PI). Principal Knowledge User and co-PI: Klarenbach, S. Knowledge User: Cuthbertson, L., MacRae, J., Quinn, R., Reintjes, F., Wu, J. Co-Investigator: Cohen, R., Palfreyman, S., Pauly, R. Collaborator: Lee, L., Robles, F., Vitale, G. Partners: Cambian Business Services, Inc; J. Voth & Intogrey Research and Development, Inc. Funded by CIHR, Project Scheme, 1st Live Project. Funding period July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2019. $424,298 from CIHR, plus in-kind contribution from Cambian Business Services, and Intogrey Research and Development Inc. ($587,018)
Patient-reported outcomes in clinical kidney practice (PRO Kidney): A realist synthesis. Schick-Makaroff, K. (PI), Co-Is: Sawatzky, R., Thompson, S., Klarenbach, S. Collaborators: Greenhalgh, J., Robles, F. Funded by Kidney Foundation of Canada, Allied Health Research Grant. Funding period July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018. ($99,998)
Integrating a quality of life assessment and practice support system in home care services for older adults with life-limiting illness and their families. Sawatzky, R. (PI), Co-PIs: Cohen, R., Schick-Makaroff, K., Stajduhar, K. Principal Knowledge User: Hilliard, N., Zetes-Zanatta, L. Knowledge Users: Baxter, S., Brown, S., Carlson, J., Cory, S., Cuthbertson, L., Gerke, J., McLeod, B., Paul, C., Resin, J., Roberts, D., Taylor, C., Williscroft, D., Warneboldt, J. Co-Investigators: Bottorff, J., Bryan, S., Dodek, P., Fraser, K., Gadermann, A., Laforest, E., Parrilla Lozep, M., Reimer-Kirkham, S., Ratner, P., Russell, L., Tsang, H., Santana, M., Whitehurst, D. International Collaborators: Edwards, T., Ewing, G., Grande, G., Öhlén, J. Collaborator: Haskins, J., Kundert, M., Maybees, A., Yau, C., Lok, M. Partners: Fraser Health; Cambian Business Services, Inc; J. Voth & Intogrey Research and Development, Inc. This research is supported by: Geoff Cowman, CARP (Richmond/Delta. www.carp.ca); Barb MacLean, Family Caregivers of British Columbia (www.familycaregiversbc.ca); Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (www.chpca.net); The Canadian Virtual Hospice www.virtualhospice.ca). Funded by CIHR, eHealth Innovation Partnership Program (eHIPP). Funding period Oct 1, 2015 – September 30, 2019. $735,140 from CIHR, plus in-kind contribution from Cambian and Fraser Health Authority. ($1,735,140)
A meta-narrative review of patient- and family-reported experience and outcome measures across transitions of care for frail seniors living at home. Sawatzky, R. (PI), Schick-Makaroff, K. (co-PI) Principal Knowledge User: Cuthbertson, L. Knowledge Users: Hilliard, N., Leeb, K., Mancuso, M., McGregor, M., Taylor, C. Project Experts: Bryan, S., Cohen, R., Dixon, D., Gadermann, A., Russell, L., Stajduhar, K. Collaborator: Wong, G. Funded by CIHR, Knowledge Synthesis. Funding period January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2016. ($100,000)
Co-Investigator
A web application to improve patient-nephrologist communication on hemodialysis rounds. Thompson, S. (PI) Bohm, C. (Co-PI). Co-I's: Schick-Makaroff, K., Bello, A., Courtney, M., Shah, N. Collaborators: Buzinski, R. Funded by Canadians Seeking Solutions & Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD), Triple-I Pilot [CIHR SPOR]. Funding period Sept 1, 2017 – Mar 31 2019. ($50,000)
One App to Rule Them All: Designing an App to Improve Immunosuppression Medication Adherence in Kidney Transplant Recipients. PI: Wen, K. (PI) Foster, B. (Co-PI). Co-I's: Braam, B., Bello, A., Schick-Makaroff, K., Lam, N., Shojai, S. Funded by Canadian Society of Transplantation, T3 Competition, Transformative Thinking in Transplant. Funding period Oct 1, 2017 – May 30, 2019. YouTube video for application: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBjWZstjo3w. Media release: http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/100000-in-grant-funding-awarded-to-support-transformative-thinking-in-transplantation-648218273.html and http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/100-000-in-Grant-Funding-Awarded-to-Support-Transformative-Thinking-in-Transplantation-1001786574. $50,000 from Canadian Society of Transplantation; $72,000 from Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta ($122,000)
Identification of educational needs and determination of what matters to those considering live kidney donation. LaPointe Rudow, D. (PI). Co-I's: Taylor, L., Hays, R., Schick-Makaroff, K. Funded by the International Transplant Nurses Society, Research Grant. Funding period Oct 1, 2016 – Sept 30, 2017. ($2,500 USD)
Strategies to achieve self-sufficiency in kidney transplantation in Canada. Gill, J. (PI) Knowledge User: Appleby, A., Philp, K., Young, K. Co-Investigators: Bienstock, R., Byres, D., Campbell, P., Fortin, M-C., Gill, J., Hoegg, J., Johnston, O., Kim, S.J., Klarenbach, S., Rose, C., Schick-Makaroff, K., Singer, J., Tinckam, K., Unger, D., White, K., Zaltzman, J. Funded by CIHR, Foundation Scheme. Funding period July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2023. $1,254,050 from CIHR, plus in-kind contributions from Canadian Blood Services, British Columbia Transplant Society, Kidney Foundation of Canada, Canadian Society of Transplantation, and Providence Health Care. ($1,679,050)
Living-and-dying with fatal chronic conditions: Understanding narratives of liminality. Sheilds, L. (PI), Molzahn, A., Bruce, A., Schick-Makaroff, K., Clark, A., Borycki, E. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Winter 2013 Operating Grant. 2013-2016. ($349,557)
iPANEL (Impacts of a palliative approach in nursing: Evidence & leadership). Stajduhar, K. (co-PI), Taylor, C. (co-PI), Antifeau, E., Cosgrave, L., Davies, B., Doane, G., Funk, M., Garland, E., Hutchings, D., Lett, J., McLeod, B., Pesut, B., Porterfield, P., Reimer-Kirkham, S., Roberts, D., Sawatzky, R., Schick-Makaroff, K. (Joined as co-I in 2012.) Funded by the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research - British Columbia Nursing Research Initiative, Team Initiative Grant. 2011-2016. ($870,307)
Integrating a quality of life assessment and practice support system in palliative home care. Sawatzky, R. (PI), Cohen, R. (co-PI), Stajduhar, K. (co-PI). Principal Knowledge User: Tayler, C. Co-Investigators: Bottorff, J., Bryan, P., Dodek, P., Gadermann, A., Ratner, P., Reimer-Kirkham, S., Schick-Makaroff, K., Twang, H., Santana, M. International collaborators: Ewing, G., Grande, G., Ohlen, J., Edwands, T. Knowledge Users: Baxter, S., Beveridge, C., Cory, S., Johnson, M., Lee, H., McLeod, B., Warneboldt, J. Trainees: Laforest, E., Wang, S. Funded by Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network, 2014 Catalyst Grant Program. This research is in partnership with: J. Voth & Intogrey Research & Development; Fraser Health; The Canadian Virtual Hospice; and Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. 2015-2016. ($99,983)
Supporting successful implementation of public health interventions: A realist synthesis. MacDonald, M. (PI), Pauly, B. (Co-PI). Principal Knowledge User: Paton, A. Knowledge Users: Buchner, C., Dickenson Smith, K., Lee, V., Martin, C., O'Brian, W., Co-Applicants: Carroll, S., Hancock, R., Kothari, A., Schick-Makaroff, K. Collaborator: Wong, G. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Knowledge Synthesis Spring 2014. 2014-2015. ($100,000)
Integrating quality of life assessments into acute care for older adults with chronic life-limiting illnesses. Sawatzky, R. (PI), Cohen, R. (co-PI), Stajduhar, K. (co-PI). Co-Investigators: Schick-Makaroff, K., Reimer-Kirkham, S., Bottorff, J., Stirling, B., Dodek, P., Gadermann, A., Heyland, D., Kogan, N., Ohlen, J., Tsang, H. Principal Knowledge Users: Taylor, C. Knowledge Users: Cuthbertson, L., Garland, E., Lauck, S., McGladrey, J., McLeod, B., Roberts, D., Tabrizi, S., Hilliard, N., Neufeld, C., Baxter, S., Cory, S. Highly Qualified Personnel: Donald, E., Harding, W., Wolfs, D., Lett, J., Laforest, E. Funded by Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network, 2014 Catalyst Program. ($99,856)
Teaching
Dr. Schick-Makaroff has taught NURS 512 (Quantitative Research), INTD 660/NURS 687 (Advanced Principles and Practice of Qualitative Inquiry), INTD 690 (Knowledge Utilization), and NURS 560/660 (Writing in Grad School).
Whether in a classroom or an alternative setting, she invites students to actively contribute in the co-creation of an environment that fosters curiosity about the focus of our studies.
Featured Publications
Schick-Makaroff, K., Levay, A., Thompson, S., Flynn, R., Sawatzky, R., Thummapol, O., Klarenbach, S., Karimi-Dehkordi, M., & Greenhalgh, J.
The Patient – Patient-Centred Outcomes Research. . 2021 June; Epub ahead of print
Schick-Makaroff, K., Karimi-Dehkordi, M., Cuthbertson, L., Dixon D., Cohen, S. R., Hilliard, N., & Sawatzky, R.
The Gerontologist. 2021 April; 61 (3):e23-e38
Schick-Makaroff, K. & Mharapara, P.
Nephrology Nursing Journal. 2020 September; 47 (5):465-472
Schick-Makaroff, K., & Sawatzky, R.
Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing. 2020 February; 22 (1):75-81
Schick-Makaroff, K., Tate, K., & Molzahn, A.
Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease. 2019 September; 6
Schick-Makaroff, K., & Storch, J.
Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership. 2019 March; 32 (1):60-73
Schick-Makaroff, K., Thummapol, O., Thompson, S., Flynn, R., Karimi-Dehkordi, M., Klarenbach, S., Sawatzky, R., & Greenhalgh, J.
BMC Systematic Review. 2019 January; 8 (20):1-10
Schick-Makaroff, K., Molzahn, A., & Kalfoss, M.
Nephrology Nursing Journal. 2018 July; 45 (4):339-346 & 355
Schick-Makaroff, K., & Molzahn, A.
BMC Health Services Research. 2017 January; 17 (439)
Schick-Makaroff, K., MacDonald, M., Plummer, M., Burgess, J., & Neander, W.
AIMS Public Health. 2016 January; 3 (1):172-215
Schick-Makaroff, K. & Molzahn, A.
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 2015 January; 13 (2)
Schick-Makaroff, K., Storch, J., Pauly, B., & Newton, L.
Nursing Ethics. 2014 January; 21 (6):642-658
Schick-Makaroff, K., & Molzahn, A.
Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease. 2014 January; 1 (22)
Schick-Makaroff, K., Sheilds, L., & Molzahn, A.
Nephrology Nursing Journal. 2013 November; 40 (6):517-526
Schick-Makaroff, K., Sheilds, L., & Molzahn, A.
Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2013 April; 69 (12):2644-2653
Schick-Makaroff, K.
Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2012 July; 69 (2):481-492
Schick-Makaroff, K.
Nephrology Nursing Journal. 2012 January; 39 (1):21-29 & 80