Research at Osteopathic Medical Schools A Look to the Future

Jack Blazyk, PhD

>20%

How Do We Compare With Other Health Professions In Research?

Brief History of Research At OU-HCOM

1976

Doors open with 24 students Non-clinical faculty paid by COM but tenured in CAS

1993 1995

Barbara Ross-Lee, DO takes the helm as Dean Office of Research & Grants created Biomedical Sciences Department established Non-clinical faculty select either COM or CAS External funding plummets in COM

1995 2011

Lack of research culture, low external funding Little or no clinical research

2012

$105M gift from Osteopathic Heritage Foundations New leadership at OU-HCOM

NIH Funding at Ohio Medical Schools - FY 2012

AAAS Panel Findings

• • • “Inch deep, mile wide” Hiring practices hinder research Lack of a research strategic plan • • •

BUT

New resources - OHF gift Partnering opportunities New hires, repositioning

AAAS Panel Recommendations

 Identify clinical faculty whose academic time should be increased/protected to engage in research  Ensure that new hires with research expectations have the experience and expertise necessary to succeed  Increase research workload percentage for faculty with successful research programs  Revise faculty P&T guidelines to explicitly define benchmarks for research and scholarship

NIH R01 - NCCAM $2,028,312 (2012-17) RELIEF Study (Researching the Effectiveness of Lumbar Interventions for Enhancing Function) NIH R21 - NIAMS $359,370 (2014-16) Novel Exercise Interventions to Improve Trunk Muscle Function NIH R01 - NIA $1,376,867 (2014-18) Neural Mechanisms of Dynapenia Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (2014-16) Phase 1 and 2 Clinical Trials Sarcopenia

Since the founding of osteopathic medicine in the late 19th century, the profession has gained national acceptance. Today, osteopathic physicians (ie, DOs) are licensed to practice medicine and surgery in all 50 states with the same rights and privileges as physicians who hold MD degrees (ie, MDs). Despite these gains, osteopathic medicine lags far behind not only the MD medical profession but also most other health professions with high research activity and scholarship. In this article we present a sobering self assessment that illustrates the disparity between osteopathic medicine’s contributions to health and medical research compared with our professional colleagues. We offer specific recommendations that constitute a roadmap to recovery, calling for a coordinated strategy involving change both within and among our institutions and change in how our governing accreditation standards are embraced and implemented. By developing a comprehensive research agenda through strategic realignments and investments, the osteopathic medical profession can begin to play a more influential role in shaping the future of medicine.

Schools of Osteopathic Medicine Rank Last in NIH Funding (by Discipline in FY 2011) 800 x

800 x 12 x 2 x

Many Schools of Osteopathic Medicine Have Low Levels of Scholarly Activity

Between 2006 and 2010, COMs averaged <15 publications per year >25% of these publications were never cited by other authors

Many Osteopathic Medical Students Believe Insufficient Research Opportunities and Training Are Available

Half of graduating osteopathic medical students feel that inadequate time is devoted to learning about and doing research More than half of graduating osteopathic physicians chose MD/dual over DO residencies because they “believe better training and educational opportunities [are] available”

COCA Standard Seven Research and Scholarly Activities

7.1

The COM must make contributions to the advancement of knowledge and the development of osteopathic medicine • • • • • through scientific research.

biomedical “bench” research clinical trials patient care research medical educational research health services research

7.2

The COM must show its commitment to research by having a strategic plan for research support, development, and productivity that is linked to faculty adequacy, facilities, outcome goals, and budget.

Strategic Roadmap to Recovery

What Are We Doing At OU-HCOM?

Provide Additional Staffing to Faculty Researchers

•

Two-year salary awards for personnel to enhance competitiveness for external funding

•

Recipients are required to submit external grant proposals to qualify for second year of funding

•

Personnel lines are awarded to newly hired research faculty

•

Personnel are added for faculty mentoring and to staff a human subjects research unit

Personnel Funded by the OHF Vision 2020 Award

8 NIH Grants Funded Totaling $4.3 Million

Primary Care Research Initiatives

•

Develop and grow primary care research

•

Foster a research culture

•

Mentor clinical faculty

•

Finalize a primary care research strategy

Primary Care Research Strategic Plan 2014-2017 MISSION

• • • • To provide a collaborative environment where faculty, students, residents, and community members can: translate science into practice of medicine evaluate innovations to provide the best healthcare understand how to better organize healthcare engage patients, communities, and practices

VISION

To be nationally recognized as a preeminent primary care research institution

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Respect for all people, unwavering adherence to the highest ethical standards, and a deep sense of interdisciplinary collaboration

DEFINITION OF PRIMARY CARE RESEARCH

Primary care research contributes to a better understanding and improvement of primary care practice (Mold & Green, J Fam Pract 2000; 49: 206–8), including methodological research, health care research, clinical research and health systems research. In addition, primary care research provides the opportunity to embrace the voice of the consumer and the community in the design, implementation and interpretation of research.

STRATEGIC AREAS OF FOCUS

1

Primary Care Research Faculty Development & Recruitment

2

Interdisciplinary Collaborative Primary Care Research Teams

3

Infrastructure Development

4

Internal & External Communication

Clinical & Translational Research Unit (CTRU)

•

Oversee centralized resource for clinical trials and studies with human subjects

•

Offer guidance regarding study design

•

Assign CTRU staff for projects

•

Provide administrative oversight for CTRU

Clinical and Translational Research Unit (CTRU) Staff

[Compliments of Dr. Seuss]

Bob Juhasz, DO AOA President

Thank you!

Ken Johnson, DO COCA Chair