Position Title: Post-Doctoral Fellowship – Health Economics of Home-Based End-of-Life Care Research
Position Type: Full-time, 37.5 hours/week (1.0FTE)
Term: 1 year contract, with the possibility of extension
Salary: $70,000/yr
Starting Date: May 2023
Job Location: Remote
The Bruyère Research Institute supports investigators who contribute to a better, more responsive health care system that delivers the best care to patients and families. The Institute is a proud partner of Bruyère Continuing Care, the University of Ottawa and others and provides solutions to improve the health and health care of aging and frail Canadians. The Institute’s research focuses primarily on evidence, health system evaluation, brain health, geriatrics and rehabilitation, long-term care and primary care.
A one-year Post-Doctoral Fellowship (with possibility for extension) is available in the “Building system capacity for home visits for patients near the end of life: A mixed methods study” project, under the leadership of Drs. Sarina Isenberg and Amy Hsu. The project is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to engage in health policy and health economic modeling research and advance key objectives of the funded project, including:
1. To evaluate policy levers (i.e., payment incentives) designed to promote palliative home visits and estimate their cost effectiveness from the perspective of a publicly-funded healthcare system. Using population-based health administrative data housed at ICES (formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences), we will:
a. Determine whether past payment incentives in Ontario increased the number of specialist and generalist palliative care physician home visits to Ontarians nearing the end of life (EOL);
b. Assess the cost effectiveness of physician and nurse practitioner home visits to achieve population-level outcomes important to health system planning and patients/caregivers (e.g., the cost or cost savings associated with a death in non-acute care); and
c. Evaluate the financial impact of increasing the reach of palliative home visits in Ontario, at varying proportions of the target population, by applying a budget impact analysis.
Main duties and responsibilities:
· Oversee the execution of the health economics objectives of the grant, as listed above
· Function as a member of the research team through the full period of the appointment as a Post-Doctoral Fellow of the BRI. Responsibilities include:
o Participation in relevant team meetings and discussions
o Meet regularly with Drs. Isenberg and Hsu
· Assist with the supervision of research staff and students
· Support research grant development and submission related to this program of research
Required competencies:
· The fellowship is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada at the time of application
· Completion of a PhD or equivalent in a health-related research discipline. Students currently enrolled in a doctoral program must provide proof of eligibility for completion of all aspects of their work prior to starting the position
· Extensive research experience (>3yrs)
· Demonstrate a strong interest and background in health services research and/or health economics
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their ability to create professional research publications.
· Highly motivated, detail-oriented, analytical and organized individual with the ability to multi-task, prioritize, and meet tight deadlines within a dynamic project environment
· Self-directed and able to effectively work both independently and as part of a team
· Ability to conduct Internet and literature database searches
· Experience using quantitative research software (Stata, SAS, R)
· Skilled at critical thinking to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions
· Skilled at planning and setting priorities
Desired Competencies
· Training in health economics and/or economics
· Past research experience with older adults and/or people receiving palliative care or near end of life
· Strong understanding of healthcare delivery (specifically primary care or home care) in Canada, but preferably Ontario
· Experience working with health administrative data
· Excellent interpersonal skills
This job description is not exhaustive. Additional duties may be added as the project progresses.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit your application package to mmccoy@bruyere.org Attention, Madeline McCoy, Research Coordinator, no later than April 14, 2023.
Your application package should include a cover letter outlining the Fellowship goals and their relevance to the “Building system capacity for home visits for patients near the end of life: A mixed methods study” project, and an up-to-date CV that includes all peer reviewed publications and presentations.
We thank you for your interest in this position, however; only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.
BRI welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.