HOBSCOTCH
Home-Based Self-Management and Cognitive Training Changes Lives
HOBSCOTCH was developed by Dr. Barbara Jobst, Dr. Tracie Caller, and a multidisciplinary workgroup at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
For over a decade, Dr. Jobst had been studying the underlying neurophysiological pathways of cognitive impairment. While her research was contributing to a better understanding of the brain, it did nothing to help her patients. Visit after visit, they came to her complaining of memory problems.
Dr. Jobst was dedicated to finding a way to help her patients. Existing programs were not practical or not effective in improving subjective memory perception. With nurse practitioner Karen Secore and epilepsy fellow Dr. Caller, Dr. Jobst began creating HOBSCOTCH.
They also worked with two key collaborators. Dr. Robert Ferguson created the Memory and Attention Adaptation Training (MAAT) program. Dr. Mark Hegel modified Problem Solving Therapy (PST) for primary care implementation. Elements from their work were incorporated into HOBSCOTCH.
This team built a conceptual framework. It received funding for development and testing from the Managing Epilepsy Well (MEW) Network. The MEW Network is part of the Prevention Research Centers project funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
One of the greatest strengths of HOBSCOTCH is that it is patient-centered. It addresses a problem expressed by people with epilepsy, and it does so in a way that empowers and inspires them. The program has brought together a wide variety of stakeholders: patients, families, advocacy groups, and healthcare providers. It serves as a hub, joining people around a central goal of improving the quality of life for people with epilepsy.
I am so glad to finally feel that someone is starting to ‘get it’ when it comes to the situations and circumstances. It’s a warm and comforting feeling and I’m so grateful to have been able to participate.
HOBSCOTCH Participant
Institute establishment
Co-Founder & Director, HOBSCOTCH Institute for Cognitive Health and Well-Being
The HOBSCOTCH Institute for Cognitive Health and Well-Being was founded in June 2020. It is led by Dr. Elaine Kiriakopoulos (Assistant Professor of Neurology and Director of the HOBSCOTCH Institute) and Dr. Barbara Jobst (Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology, Creator of the HOBSCOTCH program). The institute includes:
- Advocates
- Computer scientists
- Nurses
- Physicians
- Psychologists
- Public health researchers
- Social workers
- Statisticians
The multi-skilled nature of our team allows for a collaborative and thoughtful approach. We research and deliver evidence-based epilepsy self-management programming. The institute team is improving and expanding programmatic materials and access. We want to ensure patients who can benefit most from HOBSCOTCH are able to take part in the program.
While research is always ongoing, the program's impact has grown in recent years. Our work includes:
- Providing patient education and provider training
- Growing partnerships with clinical centers and community organizations
- Bringing new technology to program delivery
- Reaching diverse communities
- Bringing together our HOBSCOTCH community
Our central hub and primary team are at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. The network offering HOBSCOTCH continues to grow across North America and beyond.
HOBSCOTCH Success Story from the CDC
The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) has included HOBSCOTCH among its Community Health Success Stories. Read the HOBSCOTCH NCCDPHP Success Story (PDF).