Fellowship in Outcomes Research and Informatics at Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston
GOAL
The purpose of this two-year fellowship program is to train clinical pharmacists to conduct outcomes research, including quality and safety research. Knowledge and experience will be gained in the use of pharmacy informatics and research tools to evaluate drug therapy outcomes. The fellow will also gain experience in teaching in the field of medical outcomes and pharmacy informatics within the academic setting.
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
The fellowship training program will focus on research, training, education, and experiences related to outcomes research and pharmacy informatics. The fellow will be responsible for designing a research proposal, conducting the research, analyzing the data and preparing and submitting an abstract, manuscript, and presentation of work at a professional or scientific meeting. In addition the fellow will gain experience in teaching in the academic setting in the field of health care outcomes and pharmacy informatics. The teaching experiences will be integrated within the two-year program.
OBJECTIVES FOR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
- Introduce the fellow to new opportunities to conduct research in
relation to pharmacy practice
A basic knowledge of research techniques and applied uses of these techniques will be demonstrated for the fellow; the fellow will also be involved in current aspects of ongoing research projects - Train the fellow in the fundamentals of research
The fundamentals of research practice, especially regarding research on medication safety, will be addressed - Integrate the fellow within the research process
The fellow will actively participate in ongoing research that relates to pharmacy practice. These will include grants that are related to adverse drug events, medication prescribing and patient safety as it relates to pharmacy issues. The fellow will be encouraged to think critically and input his/her opinion regarding the direction of the research projects. As the fellow will be actively engaged in the research process, the insights that the fellow can provide can become instrumental in the research process and lead to educational growth for the fellow. - Build upon drug literature evaluation skills and engage in evidence-based
medicine approaches
Drug information is utilized in all pharmacy practice settings, and research is no exception. The fellow will be directed in the use of information sources both at Brigham and Womens Hospital and in the School of Pharmacy-Boston at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences that relate to the research project. By the introduction and continued use of these tools, the fellow will be well suited for utilization of these tools in the future to enhance the education and development process. The fellow will utilize resources that will enable him/her to provide drug information to persons on the research/risk management teams
The fellow will also lead journal club presentations and other presentations utilizing evidence-based medicine. - Conduct an outcomes research project that will be approved by an
advisory committee comprised of the fellowship program director, faculty
preceptors at Brigham and Womens hospital (BWH) and faculty in the
School of Pharmacy-Boston at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and
Health Sciences
The fellow will be required to develop an interest in research beyond the scope of the rotation, and the fellow will be able to mentor students to further his/her interests in relation to research. - Publish and present results of the research project at a national
meeting
One of the essential tenets of research is being able to conduct research and present the research results to other healthcare professionals. By giving the opportunity to present ongoing results to colleagues, the fellow will gain experience in presenting research findings. - Attend grand rounds and other seminars in order to further enhance
the fellow’s educational experience
Brigham and Womens Hospital, Division of General Medicine & Primary Care is an excellent resource for healthcare research and education. The support that is available offers time to attend grand medical rounds to further this educational goal. Clinicians and other researchers from both inside and outside the institution present interesting topics on a weekly basis, and there are many ongoing lectures that present topical cutting-edge material in a variety of subject areas. These sessions will be used to further enhance the educational process.
The fellow will also be encouraged to attend the Multidisciplinary Seminar Series in the School of Pharmacy-Boston at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy (MCPHS-SOP) and Health Sciences. The fellow will be asked to give one presentation in the Multidisciplinary Seminar series at the College. - Collaborate with other research professionals both on and off site
to expand research experience
Current research projects involve co-researchers at independent sites, and the fellow will be interacting with, and responding to healthcare professionals at these sites. The development of the fellow’s ability to work with others both on and off-site will be strengthened and communications skills will be solidified in this environment. In addition, networking opportunities for the fellow are possible. - The fellow will interact with faculty in both the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The fellow will be encouraged to seek opportunities to collaborate with colleagues who share similar teaching and research interests.
- Integrate the fellow in the process of utilizing computer systems
in the current research project
Brigham Integrated Computing System (BICS) represents a cutting edge, national model for healthcare computing systems. The fellow will have access to this system and a longitudinal medical records system in the ambulatory care setting. These systems are involved in current ongoing research and the fellow will be involved in the development of basic and advanced decision support for the longitudinal medical records system. - Train the fellow in pharmacy informatics at the Division of General
Medicine & Primary Care at Brigham and Womens Hospital. In addition,
the fellow will also be guided by the faculty in the School of Pharmacy-Boston
in teaching in outcomes research, pharmacy informatics and other teaching
activities in the academic setting
Teaching opportunities exist within both the Departments of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The fellow will receive an adjunct teaching appointment in the School of Pharmacy-Boston and will participate in teaching opportunities over the two-year period and will gain experience in the area of course/lecture design, delivery, and assessment.