Training the Next Generation of CER Investigators
An intensive focus on comparative effectiveness research (CER), while a relatively new area of investigation, is essential to understanding which treatments and therapeutic interventions are actually necessary and for developing strategies aimed at optimizing treatment while eliminating unnecessary costs.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is leading the way not only in research but also in training the next generation of investigators to pursue research in this innovative – and critical – field.
The Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness (CPCE) is helping to lead the way in training physicians in CER. In the fall of 2009 it coordinated the submission of two training grants to the National Institutes of Health to fund the training of pediatric fellows in outcomes, epidemiology, and pharmacoepidemiology research. Both training grants were selected for funding, and in the fall of 2010, the first cohorts of fellows were enrolled in the Pediatric Hospital Epidemiology and Outcomes Research Training Program and the Pediatric Pharmacoepidemiology Training Program.
The Pediatric Hospital Epidemiology and Outcomes Research Training Program is a two-year research fellowship designed to train clinical scientists in research methods used to evaluate quality, safety, and costs in the care of hospitalized children. Through the program’s combination of formal coursework and mentored research projects, trainees will develop expertise in CER, quality measurement, severity adjustment, and economic evaluation as they relate to pediatric hospital care.
The Pediatric Pharmacoepidemiology Training Program is preparing pediatricians to be rigorous, independent, academic investigators able to use the range of approaches available in epidemiology to study the use and effects of medications in pediatric patients. The program provides highly motivated, clinically trained individuals with intensive training in the methods of clinical epidemiology in pediatric populations, including biostatistics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacogenetics.
Together, the national expertise of CPCE investigators, the commitment to advancing innovative areas of investigation, and the programs in place to support further training and mentoring help ensure that CPCE and CHOP Research will continue to lead the way in CER.
