11 Oct
Alberta Health Services
Calgary
Have you ever wanted to be a part of improving outcomes for cancer patients in Alberta? Do you have experience as a research assistant? If so, this opportunity in Cancer Care Alberta is for you. As an important part of the project team, the Research and Evaluation Assistant will support various research/evaluation activities undertaken as part of the implementation and execution of the Remote Symptom Monitoring and Management (RESPONd) program funded by Alberta Innovates. The RESPONd study revolves around testing the impact of having patients report their symptoms from home between clinic ambulatory oncology appointments. The patient reported outcomes (PROs) will be monitored by a Registered Nurse (RN)
who will offer direct symptom management supports to these patients virtually. This will require new clinical roles and workflows to be implemented. The study hypothesizes that patients who participate in the RESPONd study will require fewer emergency room visits and unplanned hospital admissions than those who are not in the study. Additionally, having more comprehensive PRO information available in advance will enable care teams to tailor care and proactively allocate clinic time and resources based on patient needs, potentially triaging patients with low symptom burden to alternative visit types that free up time for providers to consult with new patients. This position will work closely with the Scientific Lead, Program Lead, the PRIHS Change Management Consultant and the Research and Evaluation Associate, along with the study RN and clinical teams to support implementation, integration of new processes and workflows, and evaluation of the practice change across all sites involved in the project.
The project aims to implement RESPONd in six clinical settings across CCA.
AHS has invested significant resources into Connect Care, however, without focused work to optimize how this Clinical Information System is used to promote better outcomes for patients and efficiencies in the system, its full benefits will go unrealized. The Remote Symptom Monitoring and Management (RESPONd) project will implement a new workflow where ambulatory cancer patients can report their symptoms from home between clinic visits, so that symptom management can be delivered in a timely manner, promoting better outcomes for the patient and the system. The RESPONd Research and Evaluation Assistant will work closely with other members of the RESPONd Project team to support the implementation,
practice change and evaluation across all sites involved in the project. The position requires general knowledge and experience with research and evaluation methodology, data analysis and reporting, and manuscript writing, with a particular interest in the areas of Quality Improvement, Implementation Science, Digital Health and person-centred Care. The incumbent is expected to work with moderate supervision, think critically and actively, contribute to research/evaluation of the RESPONd project with the view to enhance overall teamwork quality, efficiency and effectiveness. This position may be involved with several aspects of the project at any time. Allocation to each of the major responsibilities and accountabilities will vary from month to month.
Flexibility and willingness to adapt and learn from other leadership and project management styles are critical for success.
Bachelor’s degree from health sciences, social sciences or other related fields with formal training in evaluation design, research methods and data analysis. Ethics related training (HIA, FOIPP, ACES, ARECCI Level One, TCPS). Master’s degree is an asset.
Experience with quantitative and/or qualitative data collection methods and analysis. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, statistical packages and spreadsheet software (e.g. SPSS, SAS, Excel, ACCESS, STATA, Tableau) and/or qualitative research tools (e.g. NVivo). Strong communication skills (oral and written).
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate with team members and quickly adapt to changing project needs.
Minimum of two years’ experience within healthcare-related settings. Progressive experience with research and evaluation design, data collection and analysis. Progressive experience in manuscript writing, development and submission. Research/evaluation experience within healthcare-related settings.
▶️ RESPONd Research and Evaluation Assistant
🖊️ Alberta Health Services
📍 Calgary