Key Objectives:
1) Highlight and discuss the need for a state health department Research/Investigations Workgroup; 2) discuss the expertise (e.g., epidemiologists, biostatisticians, GIS, Institutional Review Board [IRB] staff) needed within such a workgroup to address various topics and concerns; 3) discuss services that can be made available from the workgroup; 4) brainstorm strategies for notifying state and local health department staff of the resources available within the workgroup; and 5) discuss a systematic process for requesting assistance from the workgroup.
Brief Summary:
Local health department epidemiologists are adept at conducting acute (e.g., infectious, food- and water-borne) disease investigations, which they encounter regularly. Less frequent, but just as important to public health, are the studies or investigations of chronic disease issues that may be presented to a local or state health department. These types of studies/investigations often utilize available data from potentially unfamiliar sources (e.g., hospital discharge, registries) requiring data use agreements and IRB determination, complex analyses (e.g., power analysis, small area estimation) using special software (e.g., SAS, ArcGIS), and careful interpretation of results while accounting for limitations in the data. While some local health departments have the resources and expertise needed to address these types of concerns, many do not and could benefit from guidance and assistance from subject matter experts. The Florida Department of Health has recently implemented a Research/Investigations Workgroup at the state office designed to assist local and state epidemiologists and fellows/trainees through the conception, design, analysis, and interpretation of studies/investigations that are more complex than what is handled on a day-to-day basis in department operations. The type and degree of assistance provided by the workgroup is dependent on the request, but would consider several aspects such as disease of concern, data and analysis required, skill level of the requestor, and alignment with the department strategic plan and research agenda. A Research/Investigations Workgroup can streamline the investigation process for local and state epidemiologists, while providing valuable input throughout the process to ensure appropriate methods and interpretation of results. Being aware of and tracking research produced within the department will allow for a more efficient use of resources by eliminating duplication of efforts; promoting collaboration across programs; ensuring appropriate use of datasets and products; and continually moving the research forward by building on findings.