Laurel Northouse, PhD, RN, FAAN

Laurel Northouse

Professor Emerita
Room 2160 NURS1

University of Michigan School of Nursing
400 North Ingalls Building
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5482

Telephone: (734) 763-0002
Fax: (734) 936-5525

Interests

  • Cancer
  • Caregivers
  • Intervention studies to improve outcomes in cancer patients and family members
  • Translation and dissemination of evidence-based programs of care in oncology
  • Quality of life: predictors of emotional and physical well-being in cancer survivors and their family caregivers

Dr. Northouse is a nurse scientist in the field of cancer research. She has conducted numerous studies that describe the effect of cancer on the family, and developed a model to identify patients and family members at higher risk of developing emotional distress following a diagnosis of cancer.

Since the 1990s, Dr. Northouse has worked on developing and testing a family-based program of care called FOCUS (Family involvement, Optimistic outlook, Coping effectiveness, Uncertainty reduction, Symptom management) for cancer patients and their family caregivers. The program addresses ways to help patients and caregivers communicate effectively, maintain hope, use active coping strategies, obtain information, and manage symptom distress. The FOCUS Program was originally delivered by nurses using a combination of face-to-face home visits and telephone calls. A tailored, web-based version of the FOCUS Program was also developed to help cancer patients and their family caregivers communicate more effectively while managing the demands of cancer. More recently, Northouse and colleagues conducted a series of implementation studies to determine the effect of the FOCUS Program on patient and caregiver outcomes when implemented in various Cancer Support Community affiliates in the U.S. (Michigan, Ohio, California) by agency social workers and family therapists. In 2019, Northouse began collaborating with palliative care researchers in Europe who are comparing outcomes associated with an enhanced nurse-delivered program (FOCUS+) versus an expanded web-delivered program (iFOCUS) in a study funded by the European Union (J. Cohen PI). The study is being conducted with advanced cancer patients and their family caregivers in six countries in Europe (Denmark, Netherlands, England, Ireland, Belgium, and Italy). Northouse is also collaborating with researchers in Australia who are adapting the FOCUS program to address the needs of palliative care patients and their family caregivers in Australia (FOCUSau), with funding from the Australian government (P. Hudson, PI).

Dr. Northouse's research has been funded by the National Institute for Nursing Research, National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research, and the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Current Research Grants and Programs

  • 2023-2026 - C. Kamen, PI. Adapting the FOCUS Program for Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Cancer Patients and Caregivers. R34 Grant from the National Cancer Institute, NIH ($919,113). (L. Northouse, Research Consultant).
  • 2022-2024 - Y. Lin, PI. A Web-based Dyadic Intervention to Manage Psychoneurological Symptoms in Patients with Colorectal Cancer and their Caregivers. Grant from Oncology Nursing Foundation-Research Grant RE03 ($50,000). (L. Northouse, Research Consultant).
  • 2021-2025 - P. Hudson, PI. Improving the Well-being of People with Advanced Cancer and their Family Carers: An Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of an Australian Dyadic Digital Health Intervention (FOCUSau). Grant from Australian Government: National Health and Medical Research Council ($1,095,278.03). (L. Northouse, Research Consultant).
  • 2019-2024 - J. Cohen, PI. Evaluation of Dyadic Psychoeducational Interventions for People with Advanced Cancer and their Informal Caregivers: An International Randomized Controlled Trial (Belgium, England, Ireland, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy). Grant from the European Union (£4,000,000). (L. Northouse, Research Consultant).

Teaching

Prior to achieving emerita faculty status, Dr. Northouse’s primary teaching responsibilities involved courses on research methods and on implementing evidence-based research findings in nursing practice. She taught at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. She gave guest lectures at the UM School of Public Health on topics that pertained to conducting theory-based intervention studies. Dr. Northouse has directed a number of doctoral dissertations and masters research projects on topics related to cancer survivorship, caregiving, family communication, and psychosocial adjustment to chronic illness.

Affiliations / Service

  • Member, National Advisory Board, Cancer Support Community, Cancer Experience Registry: Caregivers (2014-present)
  • Member, Advisory Committee, POLARIS (Predicting Optimal Cancer Rehabilitation and Supportive Care), International Data and Sharing Project, Amsterdam (2014-present)
  • Member, Planning Committee, Caring for Caregivers and Patients: Revisiting the Research and Clinical Priorities for Informal Caregiving. National Cancer Institute and National Institute for Nursing Research (2015)
  • Member, Board of Directors, American Psycho-Oncology Society (2010-2013)
  • Co-Chair, Prostate Advisory Committee, Michigan Department of Community Health, 2006-2013
  • Co-Director, Socio-behavioral Program, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2004-2012
  • Member, Research Priorities Committee, Oncology Nursing Society, 2009-2011
  • Member, National Caregiving Quality Committee, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, 2009-2012

Notable Awards / Honors

  • Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, 1993-present
  • Mara Morgensen Flaherty Award, Oncology Nursing Society, for significant contributions to psychosocial care of people with cancer and their family caregivers, 2012
  • Distinguished Researcher Award, Oncology Nursing Society, for excellence in oncology nursing science, 2013
  • Spirit of Collaboration Award, Michigan Cancer Consortium, State of Michigan for excellent academic-community partnership to improve care for oncology patients and their family caregivers, 2013
  • Harold Burdette Award for Excellence in Research, Walther Cancer Program, Indiana University, for significant contributions to behavioral research with cancer patients and their families, 2013
  • Excellence in Research Award, Sigma Theta Tau, Rho Chapter, 2014

Education

  • PhD (Nursing Research), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1985
  • MSN (Mental Health Nursing), Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 1979
  • MA (Counseling Psychology), Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 1978
  • BSN, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1970

Publication Highlights

  • Van Goethem, V., Dierickx, S., Matthys, O., Northouse, L., Lund, L., Jordan, C., Turola, E., van der Wel., M., Scott, D., Harding, R., Deliens, L., Lapierie, L., DIADIC Team, Hudson, P., De Vleminck, A., D., & Cohen, J. (2023). A self-management psychoeducational eHealth program to support and empower people with advanced cancer and their family caregivers: Development using the scrum methodology. Internet Interventions 33, 100659, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.invent.2023.100659.

  • Song, L., Keyserling, T.C., Chen, R.C., Ma, C., Shenmeng, X., Shieh, K., Fuller, G.P., Nielsen, M., Northouse, L.L., Tan, X., & Rini, C. (2023). Role, race and place: Prostate cancer disparities in patient’s and partners’ health outcomes and psychosocial factors, Cancer Medicine. Apr;12(8):9857-9867 doi: 10.1002/cam4.5646.

  • Wittmann, D., Mehta, A., Bober, S.L., Zhu, Z., Daignault-Newton, S., Dunn, R.L., Braun, T.M., Carter, C., Duby, A., Northouse, L.L., Koontz, B.F., Glode, L.M., Brandon, J., Bangs, R,. McPhail,J., McPhail, S., Arab, L., Paich, K., Skolarus, T. An, L., Nelson, C.J., Saigal,C.S., Chen, R.C., Mulhall, J.P., Hawley, S.T., Hearn, J.W., Spratt, D.E., & Pollack, C.E.(2021). TrueNTH sexual recovery intervention for couples coping with prostate cancer: Randomized controlled trial results. Cancer,  Published online: doi: 10.1002/cncr.34076.

  • Matthys, O., De Vleminck, A., Dierickx, S., Deliens, L., Van Goethem, V., Lapeire, L., Groenvold, M., Lund, L., Arnfeldt, C.M., Sengeloev, L., Pappot, H., Johnsen, A.T., Guerin, S., Larkin, P.J., Jordan, C., Connolly, M.,  D’Alton, P., Costantini, M., DiLeo, S., Guberti, M., Turola, E., van der Heide, A., Witkamp, E., Rietjens, J., van der Wel, M., Brazil, K., Prue, G., Reid, J., Scott, D., Bristowe, K., Harding, R., Normand,C., May, P., Cronin, C., Northouse, L., Hudson, P., & Cohen, J. (2021). Effectiveness of a nurse-delivered (FOCUS+) and a web-based (iFOCUS) psychoeducational intervention for people with advanced cancer and their family caregivers (DIAdIC): study protocol for an international randomized controlled trial. BMC Palliative Care 20:193. Published online, doi.org/10.1186/s12904-021-00895-z.

  • Ellis, K.R., Oh, S., Hecht, H.K., & Northouse, L.L. (2021). Symptom distress and quality of life among Black Americans with cancer and their family caregivers. Psycho-oncology 30 (8)1356-1365. doi: 10.1002/pons.5691 PMID: 33861891.

  • Katapodi, M.C., Ming, C., Northouse, L.L., Duffy, S.A., Duquette, D., Mendelson-Victor, K.E., Milliron, K.J., Merajver, S.D., Dino, I.D., & Janz, N.K. (2020). Genetic testing and surveillance of young breast cancer survivors and blood relatives: A cluster randomized trial. Cancers, published online doi: 10.3390/cancers12092526.

  • Titler, M.G., Shuman, C., Dockham, B., Harris, M, & Northouse, L.L. (2020). Acceptability of FOCUS, a dyadic psycho-educational intervention for people with cancer and their family caregivers delivered using a small group format in the community. Oncology Nursing Forum, 47 (3), 342-351. doi: 10.1188/20.ONF.

  • Northouse, L., Shuman, C., Visovatti, M., Dockham, B., & Titler, M. (2019). FOCUS: A psychoeducational program for cancer patients and their family caregivers, In A.J. Applebaum (Ed). Cancer Caregivers (pp.130-148), New York: Oxford University Press.

  • Dockham, B., Schafenacker, A., Yoon, H., Ronis, D., Kershaw, T., Titler, M. & Northouse, L.L., (2016). Implementation of a psycho-educational program for cancer patients and family caregivers at a Cancer Support Community Affiliate: A pilot effectiveness study. Cancer Nursing, 39, 169-180. doi: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000000311.

  • Northouse, L.L., Schafenacker, A., Barr, K., Yoon, H., Brittain, K., Song, L., Ronis, D. &An, L. (2014). A tailored web-based psycho-educational intervention for cancer patients and their family caregivers. Cancer Nursing, 37, 321-330. doi:10.1097/NCC0000000000000159.

  • Northouse, L.L., Mood, D., Schafenacker, A., Kalemkerian, G., Zalupski, M., LoRusso, P., et al. (2013). Randomized clinical trial of a brief and extensive dyadic intervention for advanced cancer patients and their family caregivers. Psycho-Oncology, 22, 555-563. doi:10.1002/pon.3036.

  • Northouse, L. L., Katapodi, M., Song, L., Zhang, L., Mood, D.W. (2010). Interventions with family caregivers of cancer patients: Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Ca: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 60(5): 317-39. doi:10.3322/caac.20081.

  • Sanda, M.G., Dunn, R.L., Michalski, J., Sandler, H.M., Northouse, L.L., Hembroff, L., Lin, X., Greenfield, T.K., Litwin, M.S., Saigal, C.S., Mahadevan, A., Klein, E., Kibel, A., Pisters, L.L., Kuban, D., Kaplan, I., Wood, D., Ciezki, J., Shah, N., Wei, J.T. (2008). Quality of life and satisfaction with outcome among prostate-cancer survivors. New England Journal of Medicine, 358, 1250-61. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa074311

  • Northouse, L.L., Mood, D.W., Montie, J.E., Sandler, H.M., Forman, J.D., Hussain, M., Pienta, K.J., Smith, D.C., Sanda, M.G., Kershaw, T. (2007) Living with prostate cancer: Patients' and spouses' psychosocial status and quality of life. J Clin Onc, 25, 4171-4177. doi:10.1200/JCO.2006.09.6503.

  •  Northouse, L., Kershaw, T., Mood, D., & Schafenacker, A. (2005). Effects of a family intervention on the quality of life of women with recurrent breast cancer and their family caregivers. Psycho-Oncology, 14, 478-491. doi: 10.1002/pon.871.

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