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Caroline R. Richardson, M.D.
Associate Professor, Family Medicine
University of Michigan Medical School
caroli@umich.edu
2006-2009 Cohort
Project Title: "Enhancing Adherence by Building E-Communities"

About the Project:

Automated, internet-mediated interventions to support healthy lifestyle change show promise as low cost, convenient and sustainable interventions. However, the effectiveness of such interventions is limited by problems with participant retention. In a randomized controlled trial in people with or at high risk for diabetes or heart disease, Dr. Richardson's team demonstrated that adding online community features to an existing internet-mediated walking program reduces program dropout. Furthermore, participants with low social support at baseline were more likely to read and post messages in the online community and those who were active in the online community accumulated more steps from walking than those who did not use the online community.

Biosketch:

Caroline R. Richardson, M.D. is an Associate Professor in the University of Michigan Medical School Department of Family Medicine, and a practicing family physician. She holds a joint appointment as a Research Scientist at the VA Center for Clinical Management Research, HSR&D Center of Excellence in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is also a Research Scientist with the Institute for Research on Women and Gender.

Dr. Richardson received an undergraduate degree from MIT in Mathematics, and she received her medical degree from Harvard. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and completed a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Fellowship at the University of Michigan.

The main focus of Dr. Richardson's research is on integrating physical activity promotion into routine medical care. She is looking at several aspects of this issue including: objective measurement of physical activity in the primary care setting; development and evaluation of Internet-mediated, pedometer-based walking programs targeting people with chronic illness; and optimization of pedometer-based walking programs by manipulating goal setting and other behavioral strategies. Her Physician Faculty Scholars Program project was entitled "Enhancing Adherence by Building E-Communities."

She is a member of the Society for Teachers of Family Medicine, the North American Primary Care Research Group and the American College of Sports Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice. She is also an executive board member of the Physical Activity Resource Center for Public Health and a former member of the STFM Research Committee.

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