Research Associates Programs

Frank Illuzzi, MD, FACEP

Keith Bradley, MD

Ryan King, BSEE

Stephanie Carro-Kowalcyk, BA

Chava Freund, BS

Mike Molloy, BS

Sarra Kennedy, MBA

Erika Gardener, BS

Obstacles to Research in the ED $

“I was too busy”

“Not my job”

“All you have to do is this one more, little thing”

24/7

An Answer to Some of the Obstacles to Research

Needed: bright, motivated individuals primary responsibility = research focused experts on the details of the research on-site in the 24/7 ED available in large numbers "free“

= willing to be paid with something besides money

Who did they get for the job?

Think of These Numbers > 1/2

– half the U.S. population goes to an emergency department each year as a patient or visitor

4- average number of hours for an ED visit

500,000– college students and post-bacs interested in medical

school

Research Associates

Pre-health professional students who want: significant research experience

significant clinical experience

a specific role in the ED (vs. just shadowing)

exposure to a diverse patient population

an evaluated patient-care experience

Research AssociatesFunctions

enroll participants in clinical research

demographic and historical information

physical parameters

read scripted informed consent

facilitate the research

“stuff”

Research AssociatesResponsibilities

participate in training and orientation volunteer one 4-hour shift per week per

academic semester receive evaluations by RA Program Staff

– patient interaction skills – follow research protocol– accurate data collection

RA Programs

Benefits

Research is done

effectively, efficiently,

while minimizing impact on clinical care

RAs get clinical exposure and research experience

Advisers have a guaranteed evaluated clinical

experience for their students

Win-Win-Win

Research Associates ProgramProcess

recruit - local colleges during the school year

- nationally for the summer semester

orientation sessions (8 hrs. / weekend day x 2)– basics of clinical research– ethical issues– safety– specifics on data collection for each study

RA Program at St. Vincent’s Medical Center

65,000 patient visit ED

largest ED in largest city in CT

diverse patient population

Level 2 Trauma Center

major teaching affiliate of University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Do RA Programs Work?

Since 1994, ≈ 36,000 participants enrolled

in 22 clinical research studies

by ≈ 900 RAs → research focus:

the emergency department

as a site to facilitate primary care screening

Tobacco Cessation Study 3125 participants enrolled in 21 weeks

54% smoked at some point in their lives– 22% within the preceding 30 days

18% of smokers accepted CT Quitline referral– 38% of those who smoked within preceding 30 days

≈ 50% of all CT Quitline referral s in the state during those weeks

Research Associates at St. V’s

Studies For 2011/2012

Tobacco Cessation Study– 2011 validation, three hospitals in CT– 2012 national, multi-center

Service for Cancer Screenings

Research Associates at St. V’sBecoming a RA

Application: www.RAProgram.org Application fee: $200

– Criminal Background Check– drug testing– health clearance (varicella/chickepox, hepaitis B, TB)– uniform shirts x 2– administrative fee

HPA letter of endorsement (from website)

Research Associates at St. V’s

Shifts chosen according to time application and

payment received !

Summer semesters, 2011 mandatory orientation

Semester 1: Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 5 June

Semester 2: Saturday and Sunday, 24 and 25 June

at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Bridgeport

need more information? ChiefRA@RAProgram.org

Chief RAsResponsibilities

Program Director's assistants

develop their program’s – recruiting, personnel management,

scheduling, website, database management

“first port of call” for line-RAs' on-shift issues

Chief RAs

Opportunities

involved in all stages of the clinical research from concept inception through publication

attend didactic sessions and research meetings of their department of emergency medicine

principal or associate investigators on study(ies)

Jump Start Your Career!

Chief RASuccess

To date:

20 prior CRAs + 5 current CRAs

17 accepted to health professional schools

medical school (13)

dental school, nursing school → DNP,

and a PhD in clinical research (1 each)

7 in the application cycle

National Alliance of Research Associates Programs

(NARAP) RA programs in multiple hospitals around the U.S.

clinical research consortium on the ED

as a site to facilitate primary care screening

tens of thousands of participants enrolled in clinical studies over short time periods

NARAP RA Programs need Chief RAs

NARAP Member Institutions

CT Hartford Hospital/UConn*

Lawrence & Memorial

St. Vincent’s. Bridgeport*

DC Georgetown

MA UMass

MO St. Louis University

NE Creighton University

NJ Hackensack U. Med Center*

NY University of Rochester *

NV University of Nevada*

PA Jefferson*

TN Delta Med Center, Memphis

TX Seton / U Texas, Austin*

VT UVM

WA Pullman Regional

(*Chief Positions filled)

Becoming a Chief RAEligibility

undergraduate degree and pre-req courses done intention = apply to health professional school recommendation of health professions adviser

More Information and Application

www.theNARAP.org

Watch “ER” on TVand guess what it’s like;

Be a Research Associate in the Emergency Department

and know.

So, If You See the Potential …

RA Program at St. Vincent’s

www.RAProgram.org

Chief RA in NARAP hospital

www.theNARAP.org

?