Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Clinical Research Opportunity

 Dr. Michelle Lightfoot and Dr. Michael Garcia-Roig from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta are seeking an undergraduate student to fill their research assistant position. See details below - please read the description carefully. Only applicants who can fulfill the responsibilities of the position should apply. Please direct any questions to Dr. Lightfoot - mlightfoot@gaurology.com.

From Dr. Lightfoot:

Assessing Health Literacy and Numeracy in the Spina Bifida Population

Poor health literacy and numeracy (the ability to understand and interpret medical information) is associated with adverse outcomes in pediatric chronic disease including poor medication adherence, emergency room utilization, and increased healthcare costs. Targeted interventions for parents or adult patients with limited health literacy improve outcomes such as asthma management and making informed medical decisions. However, the health literacy of patients and parents of children with spina bifida, a congenital condition requiring ongoing multidisciplinary treatment, has not been described. We aim to characterize health literacy in the spina bifida population seeking urologic care using the Newest Vital Sign, a 6-question validated assessment of health literacy and numeracy. 

To continue this ongoing research project, we are seeking a research assistant to administer the Newest Vital Sign survey to parents of children with spina bifida as well as to spina bifida patients aged 10 and older. The research assistant will attend clinic at the Judson Hawk Children's clinic (located on the Scottish Rite Hospital campus in Sandy Springs) 4 half-days per month. Clinic takes place from 8a-12p on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Thursdays of the month, as well as the 2nd Mondays. He or she will be responsible for obtaining verbal consent from families, administering the Newest Vital Sign surveys, and recording the responses in REDCap (a secure online server used for medical research). The ideal student will be self-motivated, have good communication skills, be comfortable interacting with families and providers in clinic, and provide their own transportation to and from the clinic. The expected duration of this project is 3-6 months depending on enrollment. There is no monetary compensation for this project; however, the research assistant will be included as a co-author on any presentations or publications that result from this work.

Interested students should contact the principal investigator, Dr. Michael Garcia-Roig, and the study coordinator, Dr. Michelle Lightfoot, with a resume and statement of interest. We are hoping to fill this position ASAP.

Michael Garcia-Roig: mgarciaroig@gaurology.com
Michelle Lightfoot: mlightfoot@gaurology.com