PUBLISHED RESEARCH

Dr. Katherine Rafferty has published over 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals.

PARENTS MANAGEMENT OF THEIR CHILD'S COMPLEX CHRONIC CONDITION 

This scholarship focuses on understanding the unique communicative and social challenges experienced by parents with medically complex children. The goal of this scholarship is to improve the quality of pediatric palliative care services by educating providers about parents’ informational and support needs.

Rafferty, K. A., Beck, G. A., & *McGuire, M. (2020). When facing hopeful and hopeless experiences: Using Snyder’s hope theory to understand parents’ caregiving experiences for their medically complex child. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 34(6), 542-549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2020.06.003

Rafferty, K. A., & Beck, G. A. (2020). “You are not alone”: Advice-giving for parents of children living with complex chronic conditions. Health Communication, 35(11), 1386-1395. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2019.1636341

Rafferty, K. A., Nemmers-Bello, S., *Teitz, S. & Lipovac, M. (published online July 8, 2021). Mothers’ support preferences with their chronically ill child’s health care team. Western Journal of Nursing Research. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F01939459211030338

Rafferty, K. A., & *Hutton, K. (2019). When black and white medicine turns gray: Exploring the interplay and meaning of discourses about parenting a child with a complex chronic condition. Qualitative Report, 24(9), 2102-2121. Retrieved from https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol24/iss9/1

Rafferty, K. A., & Hutton, K., & Heller, S. (2019). "I will communicate with you, but let me be in control": Understanding how parents manage private information about their chronically ill children. Health Communication, 34, 100-109. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2017.1384432

Rafferty, K. A., & Sullivan, S. L. (2017). “‘You know the medicine, I know my kid’: Being a parental advocate for children with complex chronic conditions. Health Communication, 32, 1151-1160. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2016.1214221

Rafferty, K. A., & Sahlstein Parcell, E. M. (2016). “Dialectical tensions experienced during pediatric chronic illness: Analyzing art therapy conversations from a relational dialectics perspective.” Journal of Clinical Art Therapy, 3, 21-31. Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/jcat/vol3/iss1/5

COUPLES COMMUNICATION ABOUT END-OF-LIFE CARE PREFERENCES

This scholarship examines middle-aged American married couples and their conversations about end-of-life care preferences. The goal of this scholarship is to identify information gaps and needs as couples traverse these important and time-sensitive conversations.

Lee, J. E., Rafferty, K., Peitz, L., & Bormann, E. (2021). Qualitative Evaluation of a Future Care Planning Program. The Journal of Extension, 58(4), Article 13. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol58/iss4/13

Cramer, E. M., Rafferty, K. A., Priddis, D. (2016). Studying end-of-life conversations between spouses: A qualitative application of problematic integration theory. In B. Flett & M. Gill (Eds.) Sage Research Methods Cases - Health. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

Rafferty, K. A., Cramer, E., & Priddis, D. (2016). Problematic integration and dying wishes: Examining spousal information-seeking about end-of- life care preferences. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 33, 69-76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049909114550675

Rafferty, K. A., Cramer, E., Priddis, D., & Allen, M. (2015). Talking about end-of-life preferences in marriage: Applying the theory of motivated information management. Health Communication, 30, 409-418. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2014.889555

SOCIAL SUPPORT & COPING WITH HEALTH ISSUES

This scholarship studies the experiences of individuals managing different health care experiences. The goal of this scholarship is to better understand how communication, social support, and coping impact one's processing of health, illness, and identity.

Rafferty, K. A., Billig, A. & Mosack, K. E. (2015). Spirituality, religion, and health: The role of communication and appraisals in the coping process for individuals living with chronic illness. Journal of Religion & Health, 54,1870-1885. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-014-9965-5

Mosack, K. E., Rafferty, K. A., Billig, A. K., Wendorf, A. R., Brouwer, A. M., & Stevens, P. (2016). An examination of actor-partner social support effects on HIV-related problems and interpersonal outcomes among a sample of HIV-positive African American dyads. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 22, 196-204. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000060

Rafferty, K. A., & Longbons, T. (2021). #AbortionChangesYou: A case study to understand the communicative tensions in women’s medication abortion narratives. Health Communication, 36(12), 1485-1494. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2020.1770507

Rafferty, K. A., Coffelt, T., & Miller N.* (published online, November 23, 2021). Understanding criteria that predict private health information disclosures between emerging adults & their parents. Western Journal of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2021.1995622