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Position Title:            RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Start date:                   January 7^th, 2019

End date:                    March 31, 2019 (possibility of extension)

Location:                    Dalhousie University

Remuneration:          $21.50 to $25.00 per hour

Workload:                  10-15 hours per week (negotiable)

 

Framework for assessing the accuracy of HTA recommendations

 

Research Context

Drug reimbursement decisions are supported by recommendations of HTA bodies in many jurisdictions. HTA bodies rely on human judgment in the appraisal of evidence and their recommendations are not uniform across jurisdictions. There is no established framework for the assessment of accuracy or error of recommendations made by HTA bodies.  The goal of this project is to develop and apply one such framework.

 

Tasks of the Research Assistant

The research assistant will develop an inventory of funding recommendations by several HTA bodies (e.g. pCODR, NICE, PBAC, AOTMiT). They will review public websites of these bodies and identify recommendations made (positive, negative, conditional). The focus will be on oncology and cardiology. Subsequently, the RA will systematically search scientific literature to identify post-recommendation clinical studies of effectiveness or real world effect of therapies in the inventory. The RA will analyze studies and summarize their results. They will then compare recommendations to study results and comment on the 'accuracy' of the recommendation.

 

Qualifications

The following are necessary: A graduate research based degree (or near completion) in a health related social science based discipline (e.g. health services research, health economics, health sociology, etc.). Demonstrated experience with the analysis of clinical literature and health policy related literature. Demonstrated knowledge of HTA policies and uses. Technical skills in modeling for HTA are not required.  The following would be an asset: previous involvement in academic research related to HTA or drug reimbursement policies in general.

 

Expectations

The RA will work as a member of a research team under the supervision of Dr. Wranik. They will be expected to work during specific hours (to be set jointly), in part or wholly during regular business hours. They will be expected to work on the Dalhousie Studley campus. They will attend regular meetings with Dr. Wranik and/or other members of the research team, either bi-weekly or as required by the state of the project.

 

To apply please send a current CV and a cover letter to Dr. W. Dominika Wranik at dwl@dal.ca by January 2, 2019. Only some will be contacted. ​​​

Position Title:            RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Start date:                   January 7^th, 2019

End date:                    March 31, 2019 (possibility of extension)

Location:                    Dalhousie University

Remuneration:          $21.50 to $25.00 per hour

Workload:                  10-15 hours per week (negotiable)

 

Analysis of the impact of patient input on drug reimbursement recommendations

 

Research Context

Drug reimbursement decisions are supported by recommendations of HTA bodies in many jurisdictions. An example of the HTA body in Canada is the pan Canadian Oncology Drug Review. One of the elements of its decision framework is the input provided by patients. Qualitative interviews were conducted with members of HTA committees in Canada, and documents have been collected – there require qualitative analysis, where the goal is to assess the impact that patient submissions have had on deliberations and recommendations. The RA would be working as a second coder, alongside another researcher.

 

Tasks of the Research Assistant

Searches of academic literature for conceptual frameworks used to address the question of decision making, preferably in the policy setting.

 

Qualifications: The following are necessary: A graduate research based degree (or near completion) in a health related social science based discipline (e.g. health services research, health economics, health sociology, etc.). Demonstrated experience with the analysis of health related literature. Demonstrated experience with qualitative research.  Demonstrated experience with grant writing, preferably for CIHR. The following would be an asset: Previous research/ course work related to attitudes toward risk, or making an error. Success with a grant application.

 

Expectations

The RA will work as a member of a research team under the supervision of Dr. Wranik. They will be expected to work during specific hours (to be set jointly), in part or wholly during regular business hours. They will be expected to work on the Dalhousie Studley campus. They will attend regular meetings with Dr. Wranik and/or other members of the research team, either bi-weekly or as required by the state of the project.

 

To apply please send a current CV and a cover letter to Dr. W. Dominika Wranik at dwl@dal.ca by January 2, 2019. Only some will be contacted. ​​

Position Title:            RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Start date:                   January 7^th, 2019

End date:                    March 31, 2019 (possibility of extension)

Location:                    Dalhousie University

Remuneration:          $21.50 to $25.00 per hour

Workload:                  10-15 hours per week (negotiable)

 

Developing a protocol for the measurement of risk attitudes among expert advisory committees in health care

 

Research Context

The use of expert advisory committees is common in many settings, for example in policy making at the European Union level and many of its member states, including health and drug reimbursement policies, but also to support decisions related to grant funding, employment, admission of graduate students, and many other contexts. Expert committees often rely on guidelines or frameworks in the appraisal of their candidate cases, but invariably an element of human judgment is required. If appraisal did not require human judgment, committees would not be needed. In this context, there exists a risk of error in providing the 'wrong' advice. The goal of is develop instruments for the measurement of risk attitudes among expert advisory committees toward the two types of potential error, as well as their risk attitudes in general. The instrument should be sufficiently general to apply to other stakeholders, for purposes of comparison of risk preferences. The instrument will be, in the first instance, designed for application to the drug reimbursement context.

 

Tasks of the Research Assistant

Search academic and grey literature for existing instruments that assess risk attitudes, for example yielding classifications of individuals into risk averse, risk loving or risk neutral. Assessment of each existing instrument in terms of suitability or adaptability to the current project. Assistance with the development of a new instrument to be used in a subsequent study, and validation via a small pilot study. Assistance (extensive) with the development of a funding application to use the instrument in a larger CIHR study.

 

Qualifications: The following are necessary: A graduate research based degree (or near completion) in a health related social science based discipline (e.g. health services research, health economics, health sociology, etc.). Demonstrated experience with the analysis of health related literature. Demonstrated experience with qualitative research.  Demonstrated experience with grant writing, preferably for CIHR. The following would be an asset: Previous research/ course work related to attitudes toward risk, or making an error. Success with a grant application.

 

Expectations

The RA will work as a member of a research team under the supervision of Dr. Wranik. They will be expected to work during specific hours (to be set jointly), in part or wholly during regular business hours. They will be expected to work on the Dalhousie Studley campus. They will attend regular meetings with Dr. Wranik and/or other members of the research team, either bi-weekly or as required by the state of the project.

 

To apply please send a current CV and a cover letter to Dr. W. Dominika Wranik at dwl@dal.ca by January 2, 2019. Only some will be contacted.

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