Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research C*

Harvard University (Sch Of Public Hlth), Boston MA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION [unreadable] This proposal is for continued support for a training program in Occupational Health Services Research (OHSR). The program was originally funded in 2001. The training program is a collaboration between the Harvard School of Public Health (Department of Environmental Health, Occupational Health Program and Department of Health Policy and Management), Harvard Medical School Department of Health Care Policy, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School (Occupational and Environmental Health Program and Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research). Collaborating institutions include the Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Liberty Mutual Research Center, and the Workers' Compensation Research Institute. The program is administratively housed within the Harvard NIOSH-sponsored ERC. Dr. David Christiani (Director of the ERC) serves as Program Director of the training program. The program co-directors are Dr. Allard Dembe of UMass Medical School and Dr. Eileen McNeely of the Harvard Occupational Health Program. The other core faculty member is Dr. David Hielstein at the UMass Medical School. Multiple existing supporting and adjunct faculty serve as course lecturers and instructors, student research supervisors and dissertation committee members. [unreadable] [unreadable] The training program leads to doctoral-level degree leading to the Doctor of Science (Sc.D) degree with a concentration in Occupational Health Services. When initially established, a two-year post-doctoral fellowship program was also included. This component to the NIOSH program has been discontinued due to changes in the RFA. The proposal includes an excellent plan for recruiting students into the program. [unreadable] [unreadable] The doctoral curriculum requires 20 credits of work in a major field and 10 credits each in two minor fields. It is not clear what these major and minor fields are and what restrictions are placed on the selection of coursework. Students are provided an example program, but it is not clear to what degree their coursework must conform to this curriculum. Degree requirements include an oral qualifying exam, a proposal defense, and a thesis defense. The thesis must include three publishable papers based on research. A unique research-mentoring program is used to assist students in completing external research projects. It is not clear whether these projects are a required or voluntary component to the curriculum. [unreadable] [unreadable] Program development in the area of OHSR has included the development of a new course (EH281: Occupational Health Care Delivery) and an interdisciplinary discussion group on OHSR in conjunction with similar programs at the University of Washington and The University of Minnesota. The initial proposal for the training grant program included plans to develop 3 courses in OHSR, however this has been abandoned. [unreadable] [unreadable] The proposal includes a plan for program oversight and evaluation. Program goals and objectives are clearly defined and some general measures of success are identified. An annual meeting with an external advisory board has been conducted to help evaluate and direct the program. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]