Qualitative Research Assistant, Ade Research Program

Staff - Non Union

Job CategoryNon Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job ProfileNon Union Hourly - Research Assistant /Technician 4

Job TitleQualitative Research Assistant, ADE Research Program

DepartmentHohl Laboratory | Department of Emergency Medicine | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range$31.19 - $36.59 CAD Hourly

Posting End DateMay 21, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

May 26, 2025

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a provincial health mandate.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Organizational Status

The ADE research program is a CIHR-funded research program lead by UBC researcher Dr. Hohl that completes both qualitative and quantitative studies in the field of medication safety, health information technology and substance misuse.

A key project is the implementation, scale-up and sustainability of ActionADE. ActionADE is a software application that enables standardized rapid user-friendly documentation of ADEs by frontline care providers using unambiguous terminology. After integration with other health information systems it will enable communication of ADE information to electronic medical record systems including to PharmaNet, and provide informational continuity about ADEs between care providers and across health sectors. ActionADE has been implemented in nine hospitals at Vancouver Coastal Health. The team is evaluating the effect of communicating ADE information electronically between care providers and across health sectors on health outcomes using a randomized controlled trial design. Qualitative implementation evaluations will be completed in each phase of the research.

In the near future, numerous additional qualitative research projects will be launched related to ActionADE and the ADE research program more broadly to evaluate the health information technology's use for other care providers, patients and in other health settings (e.g., long-term care), and for other aspects of medication safety (e.g., for substance misuse). Additional studies will include qualitative research in substance misuse and in other areas.

Individual projects are overseen by Steering Committees in which patient partners and stakeholder groups participate. Steering Committees include members from the health authorities, the Lower Mainland Consolidated Pharmacy, the Ministry of Health (MoH), the BC Patient Safety and Quality Council and the College of Pharmacists of BC.

Work Performed

• Conducts literature reviews and content analyses
• Supports the development of grant applications, ethics applications, data access applications, and publication materials.
• Helps design qualitative studies and write associated research protocols and interview scripts
• Drafts and reviews documents related to ethics submissions, amendments and renewals as well as hospital approvals.
• Engages with patient care managers, physicians, nurses and pharmacists in clinical areas where qualitative studies are being completed.
• Engages with people with lived/living experience and patient partners
• Verifies and updates study documentation
• Identifies and consents eligible qualitative research study participants
• Conducts qualitative data collection, including ethnographic workplace observations, interviews, focus groups, surveys and questionnaires for ongoing studies.
• Maintains data collection tools and databases for study tracking and data analyses across studies; ensures harmonization of procedures across studies.
• Codes data and performs analyses, identifies emerging themes, interprets data using qualitative research software
• Drafts, reviews and edits manuscripts, abstracts and presentations and lay summaries of research findings for key stakeholder groups and lay press.
• Monitors, assesses, documents and reports to the Principal Investigator, institutional study sponsors and Steering Committees on individual studies at required intervals on the following: study enrolment to find reasons for participant refusal to participate, study progress for barriers and facilitators, and review of protocols for input on clinical resources being impacted by qualitative research activities.
• Identifies emerging themes across individual studies for future qualitative research.
• Ensures study timelines are being met and troubleshoots delays.
• Reports regularly to study investigators on study activities/concerns and progress of research.
• Travels off-site (i.e., to different health authorities, to community pharmacies and to offsite meetings with stakeholders) for research activities.
• Captures qualitative data at different times of the day and days of the week based on project needs
• Ensures qualitative studies are performed according to ethical guidelines and Good Clinical Practice Guidelines (GCP)
• Helps train other qualitative research assistants.
• Monitors and provides weekly updates on the day-to-day progress of qualitative studies to the principal investigator and implementation lead.
• Attends team meetings; takes minutes for meetings as required.
• Helps with scheduling
• Performs other related duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The Qualitative Research Assistant is required to participate in and conduct all work-related activities in an ethical manner and to maintain strict confidentiality where required. Exercising poor judgment and lack of appropriate consultation with other team members can adversely affect the viability and validity of any research project and the research program as a whole. This could compromise the Department's ability to secure funding for future projects, or to engage in multi stakeholder projects in the future.

Exercising poor judgment and lack of appropriate consultation may risk a multi-million dollar investment by CIHR, the Ministry of Health and Vancouver Coastal Health.

Supervision Received

The Qualitative Research Assistant will work under the supervision of the Project Leads and Principal Investigator Dr. Corinne Hohl, Implementation Lead, and will take direction from external consultants. The incumbent will work laterally with other project coordinators and research coordinators. They works with latitude and work is measured in terms of the contribution to the team's achievement of qualitative research objectives.

Supervision Given

The incumbent will be responsible for training and supervising other, junior qualitative research assistants (e.g., volunteers or students).

Minimum Qualifications

Completion of a university degree in a relevant discipline or technical program and a minimum four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Some positions may require a graduate degree.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Masters degree in qualitative research methods is required.

Experience: Minimum of three years experience as qualitative research assistant or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working in a health setting or with health information technology is an asset.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues, and effectively resolve.
• Effective organizational and planning skills.
• Ability to exercise appropriate tact, discretion, confidentiality and good judgment in all matters.
• Ability to work independently with appropriate initiative, as well as effectively with others in a team environment.
• Ability work accurately, and under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to effectively use MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet searches, and NVivo or other qualitative analysis software.
• Knowledge in implementation science, system science, organizational behaviour is an asset.

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