Monday, September 9, 2013

ISOQoL Webinar: "An Introduction to Response Shift Theory and Methods"

The New Investigators SIG together with the Response Shift SIG has sponsored a webinar entitled: "An introductions to Response Shift Theory and Methods". It will take place on September 18th, 11:00 AM ET.

This webinar is an excellent opportunity for those interested in Response Shift (and we know there are a lot) to find out more about the theory behind response shift and the statistical methods used in identifying the presence of response shift.
So, don't forget to mark the date in your agenda!

For more information on the webinar and registration, visit the ISOQoL web page:
"http://www.isoqol.org/research/online-education", or contact the New Investigators SIG.

Looking forward to some nice discussion on Response Shift following the webinar!

Dear New Investigators, 

Here is a link to an article suggested by Karla Gonzalez. This article provides a helpful look at how to approach career planning, and also includes fresh tips and resources to help those seeking to further develop their career. Enjoy reading! 


The full article can be found here:
http://www.onlinecollege.org/2013/07/08/a-creative-approach-to-career-development/

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

2013-2014 SIG goals



Dear New Investigators,

In June 2013, we submitted the New Investigators’ annual report to the Board of ISOQoL. In this report, we described all the activities of the previous year, and reported our goals for the coming year. We would like to share these goals with you:

1.       Host a webinar on “Response Shift” (in co-operation with the Response Shift SIG).
2.       Host a webinar on “Oral / poster presentations”
3.       Elect the new co-chair for the period November 2013 – November 2015.
4.       Hold New Investigator activities during the ISOQoL conference.
a.       Annual SIG meeting
b.      Tricks of the Trade presentation
c.       Roundtable 
d.      Social event
5.       Plan the activities for the ISOQol 2014 meeting
6.       Maintain and enrich our blog
7.       Promote and raise awareness of ISOQOL and the New Investigator SIG as a resource for those seeking to hire people with expertise in QOL assessment. 

We would be very happy to know of your suggestions on next year's goals for our group.
Katerina & Antonia

Monday, June 24, 2013

Life After Grad School: What Matters and What Doesn’t



Interesting stuff for New Investigators!


(suggested by Marc Jacobs)

Funding Opportunity Announcement – Agency for Health Care Research and Quality


New funding opportunity from AHRQ:

AHRQ Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-13-181.html

Description: The primary purpose of the AHRQ PCOR Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) program is to prepare qualified individuals for careers utilizing complex comparative effectiveness research (CER) methods to clinical and health systems PCOR issues, involving stakeholders, as appropriate, in the design, execution,and dissemination of the research. 

(info sent from Bellinda King-Kallimanis) 

a useful phrase source for academic writers

http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/links.htm
This page has links to sources that will help you improve your academic writing. On this page, see also (on left side bar) the links to the lists of example phrases for describing research methods, results, etc.  Looks very useful!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Reporting of Patient-Reported Outcomes



Dear New Investigators,

Since you are involved in research regarding Patient Reported Outcomes(PROs) and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL), I assume that you are all aware of the relevance of conducting this research. Therefore, I also hope that you are all aware that to forward the field of PROs and HRQL, research needs to be of the highest quality. This necessity not only applies to the design, conduct, and analysis of your study, but also applies to the reporting of your methods and findings. In the end, you want to make sure that your research provides the definitive answer to your specific research question, and you want to make sure that this message is clear and understandable to reviewers and readers alike. 

The ISOQOL Task Force has recently published a PRO extension, containing five additional items on top of the items described in the original CONSORT statement. As result, guideline developers will have a much easier time assessing the quality of the manuscript and thus the quality and relevance of PRO results. In the end, an increase in the quality of PRO reporting will likely result in an increase in the use of PRO data when discussing treatment options with patients.

To help new investigators write an impeccable report of their PRO findings, I have attached several titles of articles that might be of use to you when drafting your manuscript. Many contain tips and checklists that will help you identify which aspects are truly relevant when reporting PRO data. However, not all articles are explicitly related to HRQL outcome reporting, and I am sure that many more articles should be attached to this list as it is hardly exhaustive. 

Therefore, please feel free to update this list. The more information the merrier.

Enjoy!

Best wishes,

Marc Jacobs

 

List of articles
Reporting of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Randomized Trials The CONSORT PRO Extension
Melanie Calvert, PhD, Jane Blazeby, MD, Douglas G. Altman, DSc, Dennis A. Revicki, PhD, David Moher, PhD. Michael D. Brundage, MD

Scientific rigour in psycho-oncology trials: why and how to avoid common statistical errors. Melanie L. Bell, Jake Olivier and Madeleine T. King

Systematic review reveals limitations of studies evaluating health-related quality of life after potentially curative treatment for esophageal cancer. Marc Jacobs • Rhiannon C. Macefield • Jane M. Blazeby • Ida J. Korfage • Mark I. van Berge Henegouwen • Hanneke C. J. M. de Haes • Ellen M. Smets • Mirjam A. G. Sprangers

Analysis and interpretation of health-related quality-of-life data from clinical trials: basic approach of The National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group.
David Osoba, Andrea Bezjak, Michael Brundage, Benny Zee, Dongsheng Tu, Joseph Pater, for the Quality of Life Committee of the NCIC CTG

Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool
http://www.mrc-bsu.cam.ac.uk/cochrane/handbook/chapter_8/table_8_5_a_the_cochrane_collaborations_tool_for_assessing.htm

EQUATOR network for reporting guidelines
http://www.equator-network.org/resource-centre/library-of-health-research-reporting/reporting-guidelines-under-development/