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Label

Core Competency

How Achieved in AHRQTP

  1

Breadth of HIT safety and QI theoretical and conceptual knowledge

Know how to apply alternative theoretical and conceptual models from a range of relevant disciplines to HIT safety and QI research, especially informatics, human factors engineering, engineering psychology, and biostatistics.

A variety of educational units, mentors, research opportunities and course offerings will ensure that trainees receive adequate didactic and experiential knowledge of relevant theoretical and conceptual models and their application. The core and elective curriculum will ensure that each begins their training with a broad knowledge of relevant theories and models.

  2

In-depth disciplinary knowledge and skills

Apply in-depth disciplinary knowledge and skills relevant to HIT safety and QI research.

Because trainees must satisfy all requirements for their specific educational unit, they will acquire in-depth disciplinary knowledge and skills that, when combined with the core AHRQTP courses and research mentoring, will enable them to apply their skills and knowledge to HIT safety and QI research. Through research mentoring, students will learn to apply their expertise to an independent research project.

  3

Application of foundational knowledge to HIT safety and QI

Use knowledge of the structures, performance, quality, policy, and environmental context of health and health care to formulate solutions for healthcare safety and quality problems.

The core of the AHRQTP expects trainees to either have or acquire a basic understanding of the US healthcare system. Courses such as HI 5309: Introduction to Clinical Healthcare offer an introduction for those who enter the program without previous knowledge of the healthcare system. These issues are covered in more depth in more advanced classes and through research projects that will often be done at one of the real-world training sites.

  4

Pose innovative HIT safety and QI questions

Pose innovative and important research questions, informed by systematic reviews of the literature, stakeholder needs, and relevant theoretical and conceptual models.

Systematic literature reviews are required in several of the more advanced classes and for advancement to doctoral candidacy in each of the educational units. By working with their faculty mentors, trainees will learn how to pose innovative and significant research questions prior to advancing to candidacy. Involving stakeholders is a fundamental requirement for human factors engineering (HFE) and is therefore covered in the core HFE class and several of the elective courses. Graduate level classes on scientific and grant proposal writing are also available to trainees and will be required for those who have little relevant experience.

  5

Interventional and observational study designs

Select appropriate interventional (experimental and quasi-experimental) or observational (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) study designs to address specific HIT safety and QI issues.

The core curriculum and elective classes provide students knowledge of and experience with a wide range of interventional and observational study designs. Trainees will also have hands-on exposure to study design via development of their own research project (with the assistance of their mentors).

  6

Primary data collection methods

Know how to collect primary data obtained by survey, qualitative, or mixed methods.

Primary data collection methods are covered in the core and elective classes. For example, the core course on HFE covers both survey and observational data collection techniques, including qualitative and quantitative data collection.

  7

Secondary data acquisition methods

Know how to assemble secondary data from existing public and private sources.

The core QI course ensures that all trainees will have some experience with secondary data acquisition methods. Secondary data acquisition methods are also covered in several available elective courses, including epidemiology, QI, public health informatics, data mining,and  knowledge sharing.

  8

Conceptual models and operational measures

Use a conceptual model to specify study constructs for a HIT safety and QI research question and develop variables that reliably and validly measure these constructs.

The core research design course will give all students some experience in this area. Elective courses and research mentoring will further strengthen this competency. Trainees will also be exposed to examples through seminars and by reading the primary literature in classes.

  9

Implementation of research protocols

Implement research protocols with standardized procedures that ensure reproducibility of the science.

This will be met through the research design core course and through research mentoring of each trainee’s research project.

  10

Responsible Conduct of Research

Ensure the ethical and responsible conduct of research.

All trainees will be required to take a course on the ethical and responsible conduct of research.

  11

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary teams.

Due to the nature of HIT safety and QI research, all trainees will be required to work with a multidisciplinary team of researchers. Mentees will likely join projects of their mentors, and therefore will have the opportunity to observe first-hand how multi-disciplinary teams are managed and led by their mentors. Several of the elective courses also require multidisciplinary team-based projects.

  12

Data analysis

Use appropriate analytical methods to clarify associations between variables and to delineate causal inferences.

Basic competency is met through the core research design and analysis course and the prefoundations requirements of statistical knowledge and skills. Elective courses and the trainee’s research project complete this competency.

  13

Scientific communication

Effectively communicate the findings and implications of health services research through multiple modalities to technical and lay audiences.

The core curriculum requires that each trainee either demonstrate proficiency with scientific writing or take a class in scientific writing. Required presentations at seminars and research conferences will give trainees first-hand experience with oral scientific communication.

  14

Stakeholder collaboration and knowledge translation

Understand the importance of collaborating with policymakers, organizations, and communities to plan, conduct, and translate research into policy and practice.

The importance of stakeholder collaboration and knowledge translation will be emphasized in several of the core courses (such as the course in biomedicine, human factors engineering, and QI) and through research collaboration with our training sites.