Seavey data advances research in kidney cancer, psychiatric conditions, and other diseases
The thorough care patients receive at the Seavey Clinic’s Executive Health Center has a remarkable side benefit: “above and beyond” data that helps the patient as well as research to find treatments for chronic diseases. “We collect data for patients that goes far beyond what you would get at an average physical,” says Dr. David Roberts, Rollins Director of the Seavey Clinic
Seavey follows all protocols for anonymity, privacy, and consent in making the data available for research purposes.
The John and Mary Brock Diagnostics and Discovery Fund for Patients has provided crucial funds over a 10-year period for the infrastructure necessary to make the data accessible. Such support validates the work Seavey Clinic is doing and positions the clinic to use its resources for the greater good. “With the Brocks’ gifts, we were able to build a machine that works and benefits everyone,” Roberts says.
Roberts cites two examples of how Seavey patient data is being used in research.
Roberts and Dr. Sharon H. Bergquist are working with a urologist from the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center on a renal cell carcinoma study that seeks to determine early indicators of kidney tumors. Understanding these indicators will help identify and treat kidney cancer at an early and curable stage. The urologist has extensive data for patients who have renal tumors, and Seavey data serves as the healthy control group. Roberts believes the research can lead to earlier detection and better screening for this disease.
Another active project involves mining data from the Seavey Clinic’s Special Diagnostic Services Clinic to identify possible associations and predictors of certain psychiatric conditions. A fourth-year medical student published an article based on the data, and the article won the psychiatry department’s writing award. “The data was intentionally set up to be queried and researched, and with that, a fourth-year could work with a department chair and come up with an award-winning paper,” Roberts says. The data helped the student probe this question: How can we use data to predict the likelihood of certain psychiatric or physical diagnoses in complex cases?
To support clinician researchers, the Seavey Clinic added a PhD with extensive experience in research and publishing, as a well as a data analyst. All these initiatives are the tools Seavey doctors use to go beyond excellent patient care and turn their deep curiosity into research.
“A career in practicing medicine should not be a bunch of tasks strung together,” Roberts says. “Practicing medicine should be learning, growing, following your passion, and creating something for the greater good.”
Research project teaches culinary skills while aiming for behavior change
Dr. Sharon H. Bergquist believes we all would be healthier if we learned how to make an outstanding salad dressing – one without the sugar or preservatives found in supermarket brands.
Her latest research project teaches hacks for salad dressing, and how to prepare easy dinners and healthy snacks. Emory Healthy Kitchen, a pilot program, combines culinary skills with yoga and mindfulness. Participants also learn about ethnobotany, how spices help you heal. Through her research, funded by Ardmore Institute of Health, Bergquist hopes to discover the missing piece of wellness: how to instill in people the needed confidence to make lasting changes for the sake of their health.
“This is a brave new world,” she says. “It’s learning how to change behavior.”
Bergquist is beloved by her patients because she asks the right questions and delves into the responses to get to the root of vague symptoms and lingering illnesses. She favors lifestyle changes and natural remedies over pharmaceuticals and procedures.
But what about a patient’s time between office visits? Bergquist sees a lost opportunity. “Healthcare in general doesn’t help people between appointments, or help people work on their goals,” she says. “Most people struggle with how to implement the type of changes we recommend.”
Emory Healthy Kitchen involves 5 Saturdays of hands-on instruction (including demonstrations by chefs and mindfulness-based lunches) and a year of health coaching. Participants fill out a questionnaire and meet four times with a research coordinator for biometric screening.
The curriculum teaches a lifestyle Bergquist lives. The mother of three prepares simple meals from scratch for her family, practices mindfulness, and regularly exercises. She knows the challenge of following a healthy lifestyle in a harried world full of unrealistic expectations.
She hopes the teaching kitchen will inspire participants to adopt permanent changes that lead to better health and fewer doctor visits.
Meanwhile, the data she is capturing is helping her understand the tools people need to achieve wellness. Her research measures more than changes in body composition; she also measures attitudes and engagement in work and life.
“Your everyday habits change the structure of your body,” she says. “And helping people make those changes and realize the benefits is extremely satisfying to me.”