Health care-delivery research-training opportunities in gastroenterology and hepatology

TY - JOUR

T1 - Health care-delivery research-training opportunities in gastroenterology and hepatology

AU - Talwalkar, Jayant A.

AU - Oxentenko, Amy S.

AU - Katzka, David A.

N1 - Funding Information: As with traditional biomedical grant funding opportunities, there are also several grant funding opportunities for individuals with postdoctoral training to gain experience in health care–delivery research ( ). For example, AHRQ provides support for a Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08) for clinicians who seek a career in HSR as independent scientists. Candidates are required to have a clinical doctoral degree (eg, MD, DDS) identify a mentor with extensive research experience, and be willing to spend ≥75% of their full-time professional effort conducting research and developing a research career during the award period. Typically, the grant period ranges between 3 and 5 years. More recently, 2 specific mechanisms for training in CER methods have also been issued by AHRQ. The PCOR Mentored Clinical Investigator Award (K08 and K01) are designed to prepare qualified individuals for careers in applying CER methods to clinical and health systems by involving key stakeholders (including patients) in the design, execution, and dissemination of the research. The K01 version of this award is for individuals with research doctoral degrees (eg, PhD, ScD, DrPH), whereas the K08 is designated for individuals with clinical doctoral degrees (eg, MD, DDS). Table 2 20 The VA's Career Development Program also provides a mentor-based research training experience in HSR. Candidates are required to have at least a 5/8 appointment at the VA to qualify for these awards. The Level 1 award is an entry-level career development program open to both MDs and PhDs (below the rank of assistant professor) where review criteria emphasize candidate qualifications, mentorship, and career development plan. Salary support for 75% protected time ≤2 years is provided. The Level 2 award requires candidates (below the rank of associate professor) to specify their career development plans and research project over a 3- to 5-year duration. Salary support for 75% protected time is also available for this award. 19,23 A unique funding mechanism offered through AHRQ is the Mentored Career Enhancement Award in Patient Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) for Mid-Career and Senior Investigators (K18). This award targets established mid-career and senior investigators who are interested in developing new skills in CER methodology and applying these methods to patient-centered outcomes research. Specifically, the research career objectives for successful applicants must focus on issues related to health care delivery within the United States. Eligibility criteria for candidates include an academic rank of associate professor or professor (or their equivalent in nonacademic settings) and a minimum commitment of 6 full-time calendar months (equivalent to 50% of full-time professional effort) over a period ranging from 6 months to 2 years. 20 The VA Career Development Award program also has a funding mechanism for senior VA scientists (at the rank of professor), which provides ≤6 months of salary to learn new research skills including methodologies pertaining to the conduct of health services investigations. 19,23 Navigating the transition from postdoctoral trainee to independent investigator has also been challenging for individuals embarking on a career in health care–delivery research. In turn, the AHRQ offers the PCOR Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00). This funding opportunity targets junior investigators early in their careers to support their development in CER skills and capabilities in conducting patient-centered outcomes research. The K99/R00 award will provide ≤5 years of support, with the initial mentored phase of 2 years designed for candidates to obtain additional training and complete research projects. After the mentored phase, individuals may request ≤3 years of support (the R00 phase) to conduct PCOR research as an independent scientist within a sponsoring institution to which the individual has been recruited or accepted an offer for a tenure-track, full-time assistant professor position (or equivalent). 19,20 The VA Career Development Award program also has a career development trainee to faculty transition award for individuals below the rank of associate professor where salary support for 3 years is provided. 19,23 Grant funding opportunities in health care–delivery research have also been offered by the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Studies (CMS). The research programs at CMS help to develop, test, and implement new health care financing and payment policies. The scope of these activities embraces all areas of health care: Costs, access, quality, service delivery models, and financing and payment approaches. Generally, the extramural research activities at CMS are funded through contracts. 24 As part of the ACA, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation was created to support the development and testing of innovative health care payment and service delivery models to reduce program expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care for those individuals who receive Medicare, Medicaid, or Children's Health Insurance Program benefits. The Innovation Center is currently focused on testing new payment and service delivery models as well as engaging a broad range of stakeholders to develop additional models for testing. 25

PY - 2014/4

Y1 - 2014/4

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896464473&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84896464473&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1053/j.gastro.2014.02.017

DO - 10.1053/j.gastro.2014.02.017

M3 - Article

C2 - 24561232

AN - SCOPUS:84896464473

SN - 0016-5085

VL - 146

SP - 878

EP - 883

JO - Gastroenterology

JF - Gastroenterology

IS - 4

ER -