CLINICAL INVESTIGATION FOR THE CAREER SCIENTIST (CICS)

FCI LECTURE SCHEDULE -2001  CICS COURSE   POTENTIAL MENTORS    EVALUATIONS  LINKS  HOME  UPDATES

Course Objective: The objectives of this advanced core course are to:

1. To broaden the student’s background in scientific writing, health services research and decision analysis and
2. To foster the application of the knowledge gained to the design and analysis of clinical studies and the interpretation of the literature.

Faculty: Baylor Faculty.

Prerequisites/Entry Criteria: Acceptance in the CSTP (CAQ, MS, PhD).

Evaluation/Grading Criteria:

Students will be evaluated on class participation and/or class assignments, and/or a multiple-choice exam. 80% course attendance will be required to take the exam. Passing grade will be >80% and Fail <80%.

Course Credit: 5 credit hours total (48 contact hours)

Course Format: Course consists of 3 modules over ten months (August through May).  For details see proposed CICS Schedule of lectures and Schedule of didactic courses.

Course Description: This is an advanced core course offered by the Clinical Scientist Training Program (CSTP). The course includes three modules reflecting specific areas relevant to a clinical researcher. These modules are:

1. Scientific Writing
2. Clinical Decision Analysis
3. Health Services Research

The details of each module are discussed below.

Module Description: The objective of this module is to prepare students to submit a NIH grant proposal (K-23 application). This module will have 24 contact hr. The module will have a duration of 12 weeks (2 hr/week, August through October). In the first six weeks of this module there will be lecture presentations followed by six weeks of workshop like interactive sessions where the students, the mentors, and selected faculty will discuss and critique the research proposals the students have submitted as their course assignment.

Module Description: The objectives of this module are: 1) to provide an introduction to the principles and applications of decision sciences as they relate to clinical decision making, 2) to introduce students to a method of evaluating diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in order to optimize individualized patient care and maximize clinical output with a fixed amount of resources and 3) to review the basic building blocks of decision analysis (Bayes theorem, test and test-treatment thresholds, tree building, utility measurement, Markov processes and cost-effectiveness). Topics in this module will include: Introduction to Decision Analysis (types of problems amenable to decision analysis, steps in decision analysis), Interpreting Diagnostic Tests (review of Bayes theorem, likelihood ratios, judgment heuristics and biases), Tree Building (standard structures, balancing the tree, single and dual out-comes), Utility Measurements: Techniques and Problems (review of category scaling, time trade-off, standard gamble, framing problems, multi-variate techniques, stability of assessed utilities) and Where do the Probabilities Come From (hazards of expert judgment literature, use of medical claims databases, meta-analysis, differences between rates and proportions, Markov processes, and proportions. The module is for 12 contact hr.

MODULE III: Health Services Research

Module Description: An introduction to the delivery, organization and reimbursement mechanisms in health care. Topics include measurement of health endpoints (costs of care, clinical outcomes, measures of access to care and patient satisfaction), developing survey instruments, issues in cost determination . Application of traditional research designs (e.g. randomized trials), database research, risk-adjustments and the interface between health services research and health policy will be discussed. The module is for 12 contact hours