ADDRESSING METHODOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN PEDIATRIC MEDICATION SAFETY RESEARCH

Univ Of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The safe and effective use of medications in pediatric populations is an important and underdeveloped area of health services research. Although the AHRQ has designated medication safety as a priority research area and children and adolescents as a priority research population, there are limited training opportunities available for researchers who are interested in conducting pediatric medication safety studies. Conferences that focus on pediatric health issues are often focused on improving clinical practice and have minimal content dedicated to medication safety research. Similarly, conferences that focus on patient and medication safety have minimal content dedicated to pediatric populations. Our goal with the PharmSci2016 conference is to address this gap in conference programming and convene an interdisciplinary group of stakeholders in order to discuss state-of-the- art developments in pediatric medication safety research. Our target audience for the conference includes: pediatric health services researchers, clinicians and clinician scientists, pharmacists, health educators, community stakeholders, regulators, payers, and graduate, medical, and professional students interested in pediatric medication safety. Conference activities will encourage networking among conference attendees as we are trying to build a nexus for future research collaborations in this area. Our specific aims for the conference are to: 1) present a forum for discussing state-of-the-art methods and issues in pediatric medication safety research; 2) provide inter-institutional networking opportunities for pediatric medication safety research through collaboration with the Program on Child and Adolescent Health Services Research at the Cecil B. Sheps Center and the North Carolina Translational & Clinical Sciences Institute; and 3) disseminate key findings from the conference via websites, white papers, and social media to help move the field of pediatric medication safety research forward. This conference meets AHRQ's goal to support conferences that further its mission to improve the safety of health care for all Americans and addresses a priority population: children and adolescents. The conference will focus on: 1) research development by addressing practice issues and setting an agenda for future medication safety research; 2) research design and methodology by addressing the major methodological and technical issues related to conducting clinical trials in pediatric populations; and 3) research training and career development by providing opportunities for students and trainees to network with experts in the field.