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Jessica Sayles West CV

Medical Instructor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences
Communication Sciences
40 Duke Medicine Circle, Box 3805, Durham, NC 27710
40 Duke Medicine Circle, Yellow Zone Suite 4000, Durham, NC 27710
CV

Overview


Jessica is a medical sociologist who specializes in research on hearing loss, aging, and health disparities over the life course. Jessica’s work has described the “spillover” effects of hearing loss on health outcomes for both individuals and those close to them, as well as sociodemographic disparities in the onset of and life expectancy with hearing loss. Her research, which leverages both population-level data and electronic health record data, has appeared in the Journals of Gerontology, Social Science & Medicine, Ear and Hearing, and other leading journals in medical sociology, hearing, and aging research.

Jessica received a B.A. from the University of Michigan in Social Anthropology (dual Sociology/Anthropology concentration) followed by an M.P.H. in Sociomedical Sciences with a certificate in Public Health Research Methods from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She subsequently received an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology with a focus in Medical Sociology and Demography at Duke University. She then completed an NIA T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Duke University Aging Center under the mentorship of Matthew E. Dupre, Ph.D. (Population Health Sciences) and Sherri L. Smith, Au.D., Ph.D. (Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences).

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Medical Instructor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences · 2023 - Present Communication Sciences, Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences

In the News


Published August 7, 2021
Profiles: Dr. Jessica S. West
Published April 30, 2021
Making the Most of Duke on the Road to the Ph.D.
Published September 24, 2020
Stress Spillover in Marriage Due to Hearing Loss

View All News

Recent Publications


Hearing Screening in Older Adults in Primary Care Clinics: How the Effects of Setting and Provider Encouragement Differ by Patient Sex and Race.

Journal Article Ear Hear · March 2025 OBJECTIVES: Few studies have examined how patient sex or race influence hearing healthcare, which was our study purpose. DESIGN: We performed a secondary analysis using data from a pragmatic clinical trial that examined the effect of provider encouragement ... Full text Link to item Cite

Association Between Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Risks of Early and Recurrent Admissions Among Patients With Newly Diagnosed Heart Failure.

Journal Article Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes · December 2024 BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with greater risks of hospital readmission and mortality among patients with heart failure (HF). However, it is less clear whether socioeconomic disadvantage has an immediate and lasting impact on the ri ... Full text Link to item Cite

Development and Preliminary Validation of Stigma Measures for Care Partners of Persons Who Are d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Journal Article Ear Hear · September 2024 OBJECTIVES: A great deal of literature documents the significant demands, both physical and psychosocial, that care partners experience when providing care to persons with a range of health conditions. There is, however, far less research available on care ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


A Life Course Approach to Identify Risks of Hospitalization in Older Adults with Heart Failure

ResearchCandidate · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2027

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Education, Training & Certifications


Duke University · 2021 Ph.D.
Duke University · 2018 M.A.
Columbia University · 2015 M.P.H.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor · 2012 B.A.