Mark Toles, PhD, RN, FAAN

Mark Toles, PhD, RN, FAAN is a professor of nursing with expertise in care of older adults and their caregivers, the quality of care in nursing homes, and support of older adults and their caregivers during transitions in care. His current research focuses transitional care of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) and their caregivers during transitions from skilled nursing facilities to home and other settings of care. He is a co-investigator in efficacy trials of interventions to improve health outcomes of older adults with ADRD and their caregivers and skilled nursing facility patients with osteoporotic fractures. Dr. Toles serves as mentor for graduate students studying care of adults with serious illness.

2019 Fellow, American Academy of Nursing

2016 Practice Change Leader Award, John A. Hartford Foundation/Atlantic Philanthropies

2013 Gordon H. DeFriese Career Development in Aging Research Award

2012 Visiting Scholar, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

2011 Distinguished Dissertation Award, Duke University School of Nursing

2007 Fabulous Fifty Nurses of Hawaii, Awarded by the State of Hawaii

Selected Publications

Toles, M., Kistler, C., Lin, F. C., Lynch, M., Wessell, K., Mitchell, S. L., & Hanson, L. C. (2023). Palliative care for persons with late-stage Alzheimer’s and related dementias and their caregivers: protocol for a randomized clinical trial. BMC Trials, 24(1), 606. doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07614-4

Toles, M., Li, Z., Bankole, A. O., Conklin, J., Vu, T. & Womack, J. (2023). Characteristics of health care interventions in affordable senior housing: A scoping review. Geriatric Nursing (New York, N.Y.), 53:122-9. doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.03.015

Bankole, A.O., Girdwood, T., Leeman, J., Womack, J., & Toles, M. (2023). Identifying unmet needs of older adults transitioning from home health care to independence at home: A qualitative study. Geriatric Nursing (New York, N.Y.), 51, 293-302. Doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.03.015

Toles, M., Preisser, J. S., Colón-Emeric, C., Naylor, M. D., Weinberger, M., Zhang, Y., & Hanson, L. C. (2023). Connect-Home transitional care from skilled nursing facilities to home: A stepped wedge, cluster randomized trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 71(4):1068-80.doi:10.1111/jgs.18218

Toles, M., Leeman, J., McKay, M. H., Covington, J., & Hanson, L. C. (2022). Adapting the Connect-Home transitional care intervention for the unique needs of people with dementia and their caregivers: A feasibility study. Geriatric Nursing (New York, N.Y.), 48, 193-198. doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.09.016

Toles, M., Leeman, J., Gwyther, L., Vu, M., Vu, T., & Hanson, L.C. (2022). Unique Care Needs of People with Dementia and their Caregivers during Transitions from Skilled Nursing Facilities to Home and Assisted Living: A Qualitative Study. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 23(9), 1486-1491. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2022.06.021

Toles, M., Colón-Emeric, C., Moreton, E., Frey, L., Leeman., J. (2021) Quality improvement studies in nursing homes: A scoping review. BMC health services research;21(1):803

Toles, M., Frerichs, A., Leeman, J. (2021). “Implementing transitional care in skilled nursing facilities: Evaluation of a learning collaborative. Geriatric Nursing 42(4): 863-868. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.04.010

Toles, M., Colón-Emeric, C., Hanson, L.C., Naylor, M., Weinberger, M., Covington, J., Preisser, J. (2021). Transitional Care from Skilled Nursing Facilities to Home: Study Protocol for a Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial. BMC Trials 22, 120 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05068-0.

Toles, M. & Barroso, J. (2016) Introduction to Qualitative Research.  In G. LoBiondo-Wood & J. Haber (Eds.), Nursing Research:  Methods and Critical Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice (9th ed.).  St. Louis, MO:  Mosby Elsevier

Toles, M. & Barroso, J. (2016). Qualitative Approaches to Research. In G. LoBiondo-Wood & J. Haber (Eds.), Nursing Research:  Methods and Critical Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice (9th ed.).  St. Louis, MO:  Mosby Elsevier.

Naylor, M.D., Hirschman, K.B., Toles, M., Jarrín, O.F., Shaid, E., Pauly, M.V. (2018). Adaptations of the evidence-based Transitional Care Model in the U.S. Social Science and Medicine. Jul 17;213:28-36. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.07.023. [Epub ahead of print]

Toles, M., Song, M., Li, F.C., and Hanson, L.C. (in press). Perceptions of family decision-makers of nursing home residents with advanced dementia regarding the quality of communication around end of life. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.

Toles, M., Leeman, J., Colon-Emeric, C., Hanson, L.C. (2018). Implementing a Standardized Transition Care Plan in Skilled Nursing Facilities. Journal of Applied Gerontology [epub ahead of print]

Toles, M., Colón-Emeric, C., Naylor, M.D., Asafu-Adjei, J., Hanson, L.C. (2017). Connect-Home: Transitional care of skilled nursing facility patients and their caregivers.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Oct;65(10):2322-2328.

Toles, M., Colón-Emeric, C., Naylor, M.D., Barroso, J. & Anderson, R.A. (2016). Transitional care in skilled nursing facilities: A multiple case study. BMC Health Services Research, 16:186.

Toles, M., Colón-Emeric, C., Asafu-Adjei, J., Moreton, E., Hanson, L.C. (2016). Transitional care of older adults in skilled nursing facilities: A systematic review. Geriatric Nursing, 37(4):296-301.

Toles, M., Anderson, R.A., Massing, M., Naylor, M., Peacock-Hinton, S., Jackson, E., Colón-Emeric, C. (2014). Restarting the cycle: incidence and predictors of acute-care use after nursing home discharge. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62(1), 79-85.

Current

2024–2028 National Institute of Nursing Research (2R01NR017636-05A1). “Transitional Care for Skilled Nursing Facility Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and their Caregivers: a Cluster Randomized Trial.” Role: MPI

2024–2029 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (OFP-2022C3-30363). “Models of Post-Acute Care in Complex Older Adults with Fracture.” Role: Co-I

2020–2025 National Institutes of Health (1R01AG065394-01A1). “Palliative Care for Persons with Late-stage Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias and their Caregivers: a Randomized Clinical Trial.” Role: Co-I

Past (selected)

2020–2022 National Institutes of Health (3R01NR017636-03S1). “Adapting Connect-Home Transitional Care to Fit the Unique Needs of Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias and their Caregivers: A Pilot Study.” Role: PI

2018–2023 National Institutes of Health (1R01NR017636-01). “Connect-Home: Testing the Efficacy of Transitional Care of Patients and Caregivers,” Role: PI

• Quality of care in nursing homes

• Transitional care of older adults and their caregivers

• Implementation science