Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: Sep 17, 2010

Present: Abby Crocker, Kairn Kelley, Amanda Kennedy, Ben Littenberg, Connie van Eeghen

1. Round Table: No updates noted

2. Abby’s Topic

a. Considering two separate populations: pregnant women prescribed opiates for either substance abuse treatment or pain management; receiving different interventions at FAHC and Dartmouth (methadone and buprenorphine respectively) and the effect on their babies
i. What outcomes are relevant; what other variables are important, e.g. provider/patient relationship regarding the mother; when care began…
ii. Limit the study to outcomes at birth up to discharge (not later in the baby’s life);
1. Consider studying the treatment effects on the baby; a large study on the mothers is wrapping up
2. Consider covariates of the mother’s treatment, that may be different than the baby’s treatment (methadone (treated as outpatient) or morphine)
b. Data: retrospective since 2003; methodology will be based on chart reviews; what and how to measure
i. Examples: time on treatment, serious adverse events, time to wean – which are process measures
ii. Outcome examples: mortality, well child markers (growth), 18 month developmental outcomes (50% of population lost to follow up), pre-natal data, APGAR scores, birth weight, gestational age at birth, head circumference
iii. Following birth: length of stay, neonatal abstinence syndrome score (a semi-continuous measure), adverse events (e.g. seizures)…
iv. Any research requiring consent for access to records can be started now for future use, but not for this study
c. Analysis: the birth related variables related to the abstinence syndrome score, according to what they were given at birth, controlled for what the mother was given for her addiction
d. Develop for the future: possible collaborators, future topics

3. Next Workshop Meeting(s): Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., at Given Courtyard Level 4
a. Sept 24: Kairn’s research topic
b. Oct 1: Rodger’s article on Behavior’s Influence on Medical Conditions (or mixed methods)?
c. Oct 8: Connie’s update on qualitative analysis
d. Future agenda to consider:
i. Rodger: Mixed methods article
ii. Rodger: Unpublished article on the influence of behavior on medical conditions and function-and behavioral interventions with medical issues
iii. Future: Review of different types of journal articles (lit review, case study, original article, letter to editor…), when each is appropriate, tips on planning/writing (Abby)
iv. Future: Informed consent QI: Connie to follow up with Nancy Stalnaker, Alan Rubin will follow up with Alan Wortheimer or Rob McCauly
v. Kairn will ask a librarian to join us for selected issues

4. Fellows document – to be reviewed in the future. We trialed Wednesday meeting times, which started May 5, 2010 and continued until August 25, 2010. We returned to Friday meetings on Sept 3, 2010

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen