Welcome to the GME Research Office at DGMC. For many years, residents have had the opportunity to explore and develop research projects facilitated in conjunction with the
Clinical Investigational Facility. Newly established in 2012 as part of the CIF, the GME Research Office has been set up to specifically meet the needs of our residents.
Our Role
Located across from Medical Photography, the GME Research Office acts as a conduit for research and process improvement projects between busy residency program schedules and the CIF. The GME Research Office staff provides support to residents with the aim of facilitating the research process reducing the time to develop and approve projects, facilitating collaboration and increasing awareness. The GME Research Office consists of a Clinical Research Administrator and a Clinical Research Coordinator.
Services
The GME Research staff is available to fully support residents during their residency programs. Training programs:
· "Roadmap for Research": A one-day research workshop aimed at new residents in their first year at DGMC. The workshop provides an overview of research possibilities, requirements and support for either research or process improvement projects during their time at DGMC.
· Resident Research Training: An in-depth, two-week program providing residents with a detailed training framework and group discussion forum which takes residents through the process of developing their project considering all aspects including study design, sample size, recruitment, regulatory requirements, data collection and analysis and publication. The schedule is such that residents attend the program on a full-time basis for the first week and part time during the second week with additional time for independent study.
·
Resident Research Week: Held over the course of one week, this training class incorporates the same key elements as the two week program in a condensed format with a focus on process improvement projects. Residents attend full-time the first day and part-time for the remaining days.
Support services offered include:
· Outline and feasibility assessment - The initial outline is developed towards the end of the resident training programs and can be further developed and assessed for feasibility outside of this time in coordination with the GME Research office.
· Protocol development consultancy - Once an outline has been completed and assessed for feasibility, residents are able to work with the staff of GME Research to develop a protocol.
· Project documentation development - Depending on the type of project some projects will require associated project documentation in addition to the protocol i.e. Informed Consent and Patient Information Sheets for recruiting human subjects.
· Regulatory approvals process assistance - We can assist with obtaining base wide approvals and letters of support and can advise on the necessary documentation to be submitted to the protocol office.
· Funding - Depending on the amount of funding required, GME Research staff can assist with budget development and application for funding.
· Data collection - Within DGMC there are a number of databases GME Research staff can utilize to conduct record reviews and pull data etc.
· Data analysis - GME Research staff has access to statistical analysis programs to compile and run data analysis for residents' research projects.
· Publication - When you are ready to finalize your results, the GME Research staff are available to assist in preparation of your publication.
Resident Research
Each of the residency programs at DGMC has a scholarly component which can be filled by a research or process improvement project.
The GME Research Office with its dedicated staff currently supports residents from several different specialties. Residents as part of the scholarly requirements can choose to explore a research question or process improvement they have identified.
Examples of current projects supported by GME Research include:
· CAC study - Comparing the sensitivity of the Framingham versus CAC scoring system
· BNP Sniper study - Studying the use of Ranolazine to decrease myocardial ischemia
· Impact of standardized transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) order set on patient care study
· Neurological altitude decompression sickness among U-2 pilots: 2002-2009
· Active Duty Sun Protection Exposure and Preventative Practices Study
*The GME Research Office in addition to its primary mission of supporting resident research also works with faculty to develop other research opportunities which can subsequently offer residents additional opportunities to participate in research projects.
Different Types of Research Opportunities
The question you are interested in answering will dictate the type of research project you will do.
· Interventional - Randomized clinical trial: Subjects are randomly placed into comparison groups to test a new therapeutic drug or an already approved product in a currently unlicensed indication.
· Interventional - Non-Randomized clinical trial: Includes most process improvement projects. Subjects are not assigned randomly and either the investigator or patient may choose which treatment group to be placed in.
· Observational - Case-Control: Retrospective in nature, a disease group that received standard of care is compared against a healthy control group to evaluate risk factors.
· Observational - Cohort: One or more disease groups are followed prospectively and evaluated for disease outcomes to determine which risk factors are associated.
· Observational - Cross-Sectional: Descriptive in nature, data is collected at one point in time and does not look to determine risk factors or outcomes.
· Process Improvement: Designed to assess or improve a process, program, or system OR to improve performance as judged by established or accepted standards.
Research at DGMC
The
Clinical Investigational Facility currently supports a wide range of research projects and has over 90 active research and training projects within its portfolio. The CIF has previously participated in the rapid influenza diagnosis studies. Examples of current CIF projects include:
· 5 hour energy drink study;
· Hyperbaric diabetic wound care study;
· Medihoney wound re-generation study;
· Skeletal muscle regeneration in a rat model with CorMatrix® and adipose derived stem cells, and;
· Omega 3 fatty acid for prevention of traumatic brain injury
Residents will find the CIF has the infrastructure, lab, equipment and dedicated staff experience to support all types of research projects. The CIF also has research oversight committees ensuring research projects are in compliance.
Recommended Reading:
"Designing Clinical Research" 2007 Third Edition, Hulley, Cummings, Browner, Grady and Newman (ISBN:
9780781782104)