Behavioral Science

Mitzi M. Schumacher, Ph.D.

(Ohio State University, 1986)

129 Medical Behavioral Science Building
Phone: (859) 323-6075
e-mail: mtzjhns@uky.edu

Research Description

As a psychologist trained in social cognition, Dr. Johnson’s primary research interest is cognitive aging. Specifically, she studies older adult’s decision-making performance and preferences in medical settings.  She is also interested in broader psychosocial issues relevant to health and aging, such as those that confront Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers. Finally, her involvement in medical education and background in research method and design has led to other interests in a variety of research settings and program evaluations.

2011 Accomplishments

Most of Dr. Schumacher’s effort and accomplishments has been in supporting the teaching mission of the department this year.  She began the year by developing Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) 1 videos for teaching communication about sexual histories and telling bad news.  She created the simulated patient cases, supervised the taping of Drs. Katie McKinney and Mark Powers and Ms. Deshana Collette as they interviewed actors simulating patients and editing exemplar clips with notations, organizing the whole into a unified lesson plan.  In addition, she developed a video for seminar discussion of issues concerning death and dying from the perspective of a pediatrics intensive care specialist, Dr. Horacio Zaglul.  These course materials are of sufficient quality that she also submitted the sexual history module to MedEdPortal, the on-line peer-reviewed publishing outlet for medical and dental educational materials.  The module with Dr. Zaglul has also been submitted as a demonstration to the SGEA Annual Conference hosted by UK this spring.  She has ended the year by precepting a small group of first year medical students in ICM.  This year, major effort has also been devoted to teaching dental students.  This year she began assisting Dr. Nash, the course director of CDE 824 Communication in the Dental Health Care Setting, a required course for all second year dental students.  This course is structured much like ICM, so this year she rewriting eight simulated patient cases for use in two small group sessions, a practice lab and a final clinical competency exam; training actors to be simulated patients and supervising the practice lab and final exam; serving as a behavioral science preceptor for two small groups; and initiating the introduction of the electronic medical record to the process of patient interviewing.  She also shared the burden of reviewing eight portfolio entries, a written short answer exam, reflections on the clinical competency exam, and optional “A” projects – all in an electronic format – for 58 second year dental students.  Written feedback for each student on each electronic submission is a substantial commitment.  Dr. Schumacher began the year by preparing a submission on the Girls in Drug Abuse Research project that combined the formative and summative evaluation of the intervention.  She also began data collection on a pilot study supporting a grant submission this year on the effects of terror management on decision making processes.  That data collection is nearly complete and she anticipates a grant submission for the June cycle.  I also served as a consultant for Dr. Kim Stansbury, Eastern Washington State University.  This year also witnessed a new direction in her professional development in that she began to get training in mediation.  She completed an eight-hour Basic Mediation course, a 32-hour Civil Mediation Training course, and the 40 hour Kentucky Mediation training course.  These courses have been building her communication and leadership skills enhancing her teaching and service to the University.   Finally, she received several honors this year.  She was nominated for the university-wide Sarah Bennett Holmes Award and for the COM Faculty Council and she the recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Affiliated Faculty Award of the Gerontology program

Representative Publications  (formerly as Johnson)

Johnson, M.M.S., & Drungle, S.C. (2000). Purchasing over-the-counter medications: The impact of age differences in information processing. Experimental Aging Research, 26, 245-261.

Wackerbarth, S.B., & Johnson, M.M.S. (1999). Predictors of driving cessation, independent living, and power of attorney decisions by dementia patients and caregivers. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 14, 1-6.

Johnson, M.M.S., & Drungle, S.C. (2000).  Purchasing over-the-couonter medications:  The impact of age differences in information processing.  Experimental Aging Research, 26, 245-261.

Stephens, E. & Johnson, M.M.S. (2000).  Dr. Mom and Other Influences on Age Differences in OTC Medication Purchases.  Journal of Applied Gerontology, 19, 441-459.

Berg, C.A., Johnson, M.M.S., Meegan, S.P., Strough, J. (2003).  Collaborative problem-solving interactions in young and old married couples.  Discourse Processes, 35(1), 33-58.

Johnson, M., & Ryan, M. (2002).  Influence of the method of OTC information presentation on older adult decision-making.  Journal of Pharmaceutical Marketing, 15(4).