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3297 What do early career researchers need? Exploring early career researchers’ learning needs to develop an Emerging Investigator website
- Janice Lynn Gabrilove, Layla Fattah, Fatima Nabizada-Pace, Inga Peter, Alan Moskowitz
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- Journal:
- Journal of Clinical and Translational Science / Volume 3 / Issue s1 / March 2019
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 26 March 2019, p. 77
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Early career researchers at Mount Sinai have access to a wide range of resources and support. It can, however, be challenging for new investigators to know where to find information and who to ask for help. To address this issue, an Emerging Investigators website was conceived to bring together resources, provide educational support and foster a community of early career investigators at Mount Sinai. In order to ensure this resource effectively meets the needs of this cohort of researchers, and to determine the scope and content of the proposed website, a series of focus group interviews were undertaken with early career researchers at various stages of their careers. The aims of these focus groups were to 1) explore the self-perceived challenges faced by early career researchers that could be addressed through education and / or support, 2) explore the self-perceived learning needs of early career researchers that are not currently being addressed at Mount Sinai, 3) determine the website content that early career researchers would find valuable to support them in their development. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A convenience sample of early career researchers at Mount Sinai were contacted for participation (N = 20). A total of 13 participants responded and three focus groups were conducted, one with the KL2 scholars (N=4), one with TL1 postdocs (N=4) and one with PORTAL students (N=5) during Spring 2018. Participants were initially asked to consider the challenges that early career researchers face. They were subsequently asked to consider which of these challenges they thought could be addressed through education or support. Participants were then asked to consider what they wished they knew more about in relation to research knowledge, skills or behaviors. Participants were finally asked to discuss the resources or support they thought would help them to manage the challenges or meet the learning needs they identified. The interview questions were semi-structured to allow the conversation to flow, and to allow the participants to discuss issues of importance to them. At the end of the discussion, participants were asked to rank their top priorities for inclusion in an Emerging Investigators website, up to a maximum of 3 per person. Focus group sessions lasted between 1 and 1.5 hours. All key points were captured by the participants on flip-chart paper and sticky notes. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Interview data was transcribed and thematic analysis was used to identifying patterns or themes within the data. A theoretical thematic analysis was conducted, driven by the specific research questions. Each segment of data that was relevant to the research questions or captured something interesting was coded. These codes were examined and further grouped into six key themes that were consistent across all three focus groups. These themes were categorized as: Mapping the research pathway, Research skills, Personal development, Mentorship, Community of Practice and Opportunities at Mount Sinai. Within each of these themes, more specific codes align directly with learning needs for early career investigators at Mount Sinai. When asked to prioritize topics for inclusion in the website, the pre-doc PORTAL students selected research skills that included statistics, navigating the IRB and writing and publication, as well as mapping the research landscape at Mount Sinai. Both the post-doc TL1s and the KL2s also selected some research skills such as scientific writing and conference presentation, but also prioritized personal development and “soft skills” such as leadership, management, collaborating with others and finding a work-life balance. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The themes articulated by the focus group participants have formed the basis for developing the Emerging Investigators website. Each of the key themes will be reflected in the learning and resources provided on the website. The prioritization of topics differed between groups, reflecting the different stages and levels of experience of these researchers. As a result, the website provides key learning and “top tips” suitable for all levels of early career researchers, but with links to further reading and resources for those at a more advanced level who are interested in learning more. In addition, the reported need for communication, collaboration and social interaction with peers and other researchers across Mount Sinai resulted in the addition of further web-based resources such as a discussion forum, a blog to feature research and provide a sounding board for research efforts, and a calendar of events targeted specifically at early career researchers. The focus groups provided much valued insight to underpin this project and ensure that a valuable resource is created that will meet the needs of early career researchers. The website is currently under development with a view to launch a pilot site in early 2019.
DYNAMICS OF DEVICE INNOVATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSESSING VALUE
- Annetine C. Gelijns, Mark J. Russo, Kimberly N. Hong, Lawrence D. Brown, Deborah D. Ascheim, Alan J. Moskowitz
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- Journal:
- International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care / Volume 29 / Issue 4 / October 2013
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 December 2013, pp. 365-373
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Background: In recent years, there has been growing interest in evaluating the health and economic impact of medical devices. Payers increasingly rely on cost-effectiveness analyses in making their coverage decisions, and are adopting value-based purchasing initiatives. These analytic approaches, however, have been shaped heavily by their use in the pharmaceutical realm, and are ill-adapted to the medical device context.
Methods: This study focuses on the development and evaluation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) to highlight the unique challenges involved in the design and conduct of device trials compared with pharmaceuticals.
Results: Devices are moving targets characterized by a much higher degree of post-introduction innovation and “learning by using” than pharmaceuticals. The cost effectiveness ratio of left ventricular assist devices for destination therapy, for example, decreased from around $600,000 per life year saved based on results from the pivotal trial to around $100,000 within a relatively short time period.
Conclusions: These dynamics pose fundamental challenges to the evaluation enterprise as well as the policy-making world, which this paper addresses.
PROBABILISTIC SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS IN COST-EFFECTIVENESS: An Application from a Study of Vaccination Against Pneumococcal Bacteremia in the Elderly
- William Whang, Jane E. Sisk, Daniel F. Heitjan, Alan J. Moskowitz
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- Journal:
- International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care / Volume 15 / Issue 3 / July 1999
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 July 1999, pp. 563-572
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Objectives: We explore the policy implications of probabilistic sensitivity analysis in cost-effectiveness analysis by applying simulation methods to a decision model.
Methods: We present the multiway sensitivity analysis results of a study of the cost-effectiveness of vaccination against pneumococcal bacteremia in the elderly. We then execute a probabilistic sensitivity analysis of the cost-effectiveness ratio by specifying posterior distributions for the uncertain parameters in our decision analysis model. In order to estimate probability intervals, we rank the numerical values of the simulated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) to take into account preferences along the cost-effectiveness plane.
Results: The 95% probability intervals for the ICER were generally much narrower than the difference between the best case and worst case results from a multiway sensitivity analysis. Although the multiway sensitivity analysis had indicated that, in the worst case, vaccination in the 85 and older age group was not acceptable from a policy standpoint, probabilistic methods indicated that the cost-effectiveness of vaccination was below $50,000 per quality-adjusted life-year in greater than 92% of the simulations and below $100,000 in greater than 95% of the simulations.
Conclusions: Probabilistic methods can supplement multiway sensitivity analyses to provide a more comprehensive picture of the uncertainty associated with cost-effectiveness ratios and thereby inform policy decisions.