The NEXT STEPs Conference, held at Regenstrief Institute on September 9-10, 2025, brought together a diverse group of clinical providers and research professionals to share insights and best practices for conducting high-quality nursing home clinical trials.
Kathleen T. Unroe, M.D., MHA, M.S., of Indiana University School of Medicine and Regenstrief, is the principal investigator of the NEXT STEPs study, a five-year, $15.5 million project funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging to establish a national network structure to include more nursing home residents in clinical trials. NEXT STEPs is short for Nursing Home EXplanatory Clinical Trials: Supporting Transformation by Enhancing Partnerships.
“The goal of the NEXT STEPs Network is to increase the number and quality of clinical trials conducted in the nursing home setting,” said Dr. Unroe. “NEXT STEPs is developing multiple tools, resources and opportunities, including grant funding, to support researchers. This conference connected research leaders and multiple other stakeholders to maintain focus on the highest priority activities to impact the care of nursing home residents.”
The conference, “Advancing Evidence, Enhancing Care: Implementing Research Priorities for Nursing Home Transformation,” drew more than 50 participants from across the United States.
The two-day agenda and some of the key presenters included:
Welcome from Dr. Unroe
Core briefings
- Recruitment and Retention Core, Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD, MSW
- Methods, Measures and Data Core, Susan Hickman, PhD
Research priority break-out sessions
- Staffing, Technology, Multimorbidity
- Cognitive, Behavioral, Social Engagement
- Transitions, Acute Decline, Pharmacologic
- Infection, Falls, Pain
- Decision Making, Palliative, Preferences
Additional activities and presentations
- Research Advisory Panel
- Provider and Advocates Panel
- Projects and Training Core
- Methods, Measures & Data Core
- Recruitment and Retention Core
Additional core briefing
Pilots and Training Core, Cari Levy, MD, PhD, CMD
Experiential Learning Program Panel
Regenstrief Institute, Regenstrief Educational Insights and Learning Series (REILS) and
NEXT STEPs Network Conference Keynote:
A look at pragmatic trials in nursing homes through the lens of PRISM, Cathleen Colon-Emeric, M.D. and Dr. Sarah Berry, M.D., MPH: A link to their presentation is here.
Priorities for Year 2
