Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: July 24, 2014

Present:  Marianne Burke, Kairn Kelley, Ben Littenberg, Connie van Eeghen

Start Up:

1.                  Discussion: Marianne’s research update

a.       Marianne provided a draft of her study protocol outline.  Some of the questions that were discussed were:

b.      Study design: the choice of a clustered randomized control trial, rather than a pre-post crossover design. 

c.       Identification of the primary outcome, and whether there is any literature based sources for patient self-assessment of the resolution of dermatological problems. 

d.      Secondary measures, including provider use of the knowledge-based resource.

e.       Sample size (an outcome of the primary outcome discussion) and strategies for dealing with the feasibility of patient consent and data collection.  Marianne is going to do more checking on the use of a “Codman Card.”

2.                  Next Workshop Meeting(s): Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., at Given Courtyard South Level 4.   Remember: the first 15 minutes are for checking in with each other.

a.       July 31: Kairn – research update

b.      August 7: Marianne’s literature review with editor comments (no Ben)

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen

Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: July 17, 2014

Present:  Marianne Burke, Juvena Hitt, Kairn Kelley, Rodger Kessler, Ben Littenberg, Connie van Eeghen

Start Up: Ben and Rodger have been invited to a faculty development, 2 day conference at UVM in August.  The focus is big data and there is an opportunity to provide a “flash talk” (5 minutes, 1 slide, and a hook).  Ben may do license data or DARTNet – or both, as an overview, to invite other collaborators to join him.  Rodger has a CCRN data set (similar to DARTNet but not yet merged into it) and/or the SAFETINet data over multiple states.  This is an opportunity to get ideas and meet people.

1.                  Discussion: Rodger’s VIP project

a.       Interest is high in this area.  The Profile could become the assessment tool for the Toolkit that support operationalizing these concepts.

b.      The Profile has 8 domains, each of which is evaluated as an average of the questions that were responded to.  In total, there are 35 questions (elements).

c.       Validation strategies:

                                                  i.      Econometric model: detailed vignettes are developed for standardized scores; the elements are calculated to determine their standards

                                                ii.      A priori declaration that each domain is equally important.  Or, split the four domains that were two domains from the original model.

                                              iii.      Arbitrary ratings for each domain, rating (or ranking) them against each other.

                                              iv.      Gold standard outcome measure, e.g. patient outcome, correlated with VIP scores (this is the  least feasible alternative).

                                                v.      SF36 model: two scores, created from all elements (not domains).  Consider doing a factor analysis. 

1.      Two factors proposed: clinical services and practice characteristics.  Need a couple hundred survey results to conduct the analysis.

d.      Next step: VIP version 1 will not create a single score, but will provide a weighted score at the domain level.  Future versions can move to a weighted domains.

e.       Plan:

                                                  i.      Initial validity testing:

1.      Currently in the field for responses around discriminate validity

2.      Two raters in each site

                                                ii.      Update to version 3 (newly updated 7/17/14)

                                              iii.      New scenarios that are rank ordered and associated with VIP ratings, created around the elements in the eight domains, to be assembled in correspondence with specific VIP outcomes

2.                  Next Workshop Meeting(s): Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., at Given Courtyard South Level 4.   Remember: the first 15 minutes are for checking in with each other.

a.       July 24: Marianne – research update

b.      July 31: Open

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen

New Book by Rodger Kessler

Congratulations to Rodger Kessler, PhD, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, who just had a new book published by Springer:

Handbook of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings

Evidence-Based Assessment and Intervention

Hunter, Christine M., Hunter, Christopher L., Kessler, Rodger (Eds.)

http://www.springer.com/medicine/book/978-0-387-09815-9

Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: July 10, 2014

Present:  Sylvie Frisbie, Juvena Hitt, Kairn Kelley, Rodger Kessler, Ben Littenberg, Connie van Eeghen, Jon van Luling

Start Up: Jill Jemison and Pamela James (support staff for this application) from COM Technology Services.

1.                  Discussion: Research Collaboration Network: “The Commons” http://commons.med.uvm.edu/

a.       This is a document sharing platform, based on SharePoint, with supportive features:

                                                  i.      Calendars (may be more than one) – can be viewed through Outlook but not vice-versa

                                                ii.      Announcements (straight text)

                                              iii.      Subfolders of documents

                                              iv.      Knowledge Bases: wikis for self-publishing that supports links

1.      Includes version control, for back version capture

2.      Links to OneNote, including highlighting, printing (with stylus), and drawing

                                                v.      List tools

                                              vi.      Discussion Boards

                                            vii.      MS Office Suite

b.      Also includes simple surveys, inside the domain (e.g. faculty)

c.       Limited to 100G of storage to start with; may be expanded

d.      REDCap is run through CCTS in the CoM; not sure of future linkage.  This Intranet can hold the data from REDCap but does not replace REDCap.  (Not directly imported at this point.)

e.       Stata’s high speed server is more protected (less ability to provide access); VCHURES is also on the Stata server.  There may be a “window” provided from the Intranet to this server.

f.       The Intranet is NOT the place for PHI; keep it on a more secured server.  More coming in the future.

g.      Security of the files meets the standards set by FAHC (firewalls with “incursion boxes;” development of policies and memoranda of understanding with every investigator)

h.      “Group” Application: patient centered research collaborative with UVM and community members, as well as researchers from other organizations

                                                  i.      Can use non-UVM email addresses

                                                ii.      Set up as a separate account through “Account Request” form

i.        Request: a 3^rd party email application that notifies the users of updates and displays the new discussion/item

2.                  Next Workshop Meeting(s): Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., at Given Courtyard South Level 4.   Remember: the first 15 minutes are for checking in with each other.

a.       July 17: Rodger – Vermont Integrate Profile validation

b.      July 24: Kairn – Lit Review

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen and Sylvie Frisbie

Tim Tourville wins dissertation prize

Timothy Tourville, Ph.D., ATC, research assistant professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, received the 2014 Doctoral Dissertation Award from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Research and Education Foundation. Tim was our first PhD graduate!

http://www.uvm.edu/medicine/?Page=news&storyID=18796&category=comfacul