Clinical Research Assistant I, IHT, SM, Hybrid

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:

The entry level Research Assistant I (RA) will support the POINT Study, which is a national study looking at potentially inappropriate Inter-Hospital Transfer (IHT, i.e., when patients are transferred between acute care facilities). Hospital transfer is a common, high-risk care transition where patients are often transferred to receive specialty or higher-level care. By studying "inappropriate" transfers, we aim to be able to better identify which patients do not require transfer, thereby preventing unnecessary high-risk care transitions and improving capacity for tertiary/quaternary care hospitals to care for higher acuity patients. The study is currently in the 2nd year of a total 5-year study. The study involves 16 hospitals across the country, and is making great progress to-date towards its stated goals: Aim 1 of the study has been completed, which defined "inappropriate" hospital transfer by conducting focus groups involving perspectives from key stakeholders involved in IHT, including patients/families, transferring clinicians (i.e., clinicians from hospitals that are transferring patients to another hospital), accepting clinicians (i.e., clinicians from hospitals that accepting patients from another hospital), and hospital leadership from the 16 participating sites. We are now in the second phase of the study where we are using this definition of inappropriate transfer to identify the incidence of, and predictors of potentially inappropriate IHT among a national sample of medical patients across the 16 nationally representative sites. In the final phase of the study, we plan to use these results to develop prediction tools that can ultimately be used to prevent potentially inappropriate transfers and provide these patients with safer alternatives (e.g., tele-consult, expedited outpatient follow up, etc.).

The RA is expected to work within a multidisciplinary and multi-site research team. An RA with a high level of professionalism and strong interpersonal skills is required to provide first-line support for queries from study stakeholders and participants. The RA will possess excellent attention to detail and critical thinking skills. The RA should possess excellent client facing communication skills with physicians and upper-level management.

Specific activities include data collection, data cleaning, analysis, data presentation (e.g., graphs and charts) and assisting with paper writing. Duties will include client interactions on a regular basis. The RA will support all activities associated with the execution of the research plan including Institutional Review Board (IRB) amendments, progress reports to the sponsor, and organizing communication with participants and project staff. The RA will be responsible for the preparation of meeting and conference presentations. The RA will use MS Access, Excel, MaxQDA and REDCap to assist with data collection and analysis. The RA's responsibilities will also include note taking, administrative tasks and literature searches. As this is a multi-site study, organizational and interpersonal skills will be essential. The ideal candidate will have experience working in collaborative team environments and will be comfortable making frequent phone calls to engage with team members at other sites. Strong relationship-building skills and a proactive approach to communication will be essential for this role.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Utilize REDCap and Excel to assist in data collection efforts, database development, and descriptive data analysis.
• Assist with preparation of Institutional Review Board (IRB) documentation and forms for study protocol approvals and amendments. This will involve collaboration with other sites, engagement with the single IRB process.
• Schedule conference calls; prepare agendas and pre-meeting materials
• Coordinate, organize and take minutes for team meetings and focus groups.
• Perform general topic searches and specialized literature database searches. Retrieve journal articles from the Internet or library. Maintain a bibliographic library of supporting material.
• Help with the preparation of talks and presentation materials including PowerPoint slides, tables, and graphs.
• Assist with the preparation and writing of formal research reports and manuscripts for publication in professional journals, including tables and figures, and presentation at national/international conferences.

Sending mail, photocopying, emailing, documenting project work, and other administrative duties as required

• Bachelor's Degree required or higher and an interest in healthcare, data analysis, improvement of healthcare processes, and patient safety.
• Certification in the protection of human research subjects (can be obtained after hire)
• Competency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Experience with data management, including using word processing, spreadsheets, MS Access database software, REDCap, and EndNote preferred.
• Familiarity with videoconference equipment and webinar setup.