With usual apologies for cross-posting and for the length of this email; please find below details of a new vacancy at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter. This is a 3 year fixed term post in the first instance - for further information see contact details below for Dr Stein, Associate Professor Rod Taylor, and Dr Anderson.
Information Specialist
JOB DESCRIPTION
Context
This post will support an established research group at the Medical School that conducts systematic reviews and research syntheses, to inform national and international health policy making on the use of health technologies and treatments.
The Peninsula Technology Assessment Group (PenTAG) was established in 2000 and carries out independent systematic reviews and other evidence syntheses on health care technologies and health programmes. It is part of the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD) (http://www.pcmd.ac.uk/pms/), which has a growing reputation for its high quality health services research. PenTAG is one of a number of active research groups within the School which form the Health Service Research Institute.
Currently we obtain our specialist information support under contract from the University of Southampton. However we are keen to appoint an appropriately skilled professional to work within the team in Exeter. This has been made possible by the Medical School's recent success in obtaining an NHS Cochrane Collaboration Programme Grant (see below).
Peninsula Technology Assessment Group
The Peninsula Technology Assessment Group (PenTAG) (http://www.pms.ac.uk/pentag/), carries out assessments of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of health technologies for national policy-making bodies such as the National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence. From 2007, PenTAG will also be an academic base for systematic reviews of intervention or programme effects for the Cochrane Collaboration Heart Group (NHS Cochrane Collaboration Programme Grant). Each technology assessment project generally requires (i) a systematic review of studies of clinical effects and (ii) a model-based analysis of the cost-effectiveness of a health technology, which also needs to be built on a number of reviews of research evidence.
The Group is also carrying out methodological research into health outcome valuation (with Professor John Brazier, University of Sheffield), meta-ethnography (with Professor Nicky Britten, PCMD) and approaches to decision modelling (Dr Martin Pitt, PenTAG). PenTAG staff are active in the methodological and other activities of InterTASC, the confederation of seven research groups that carry out technology assessment reviews for the NHS HTA Programme and also collaborates with clinicians throughout the South West and academics in other universities.
The PenTAG team is multi-disciplinary, comprising clinical and non-clinical researchers with a wide range of academic backgrounds: public health, respiratory medicine, general practice, medical statistics, health economics, operations research, qualitative health research, psychology, mathematics and computer science. The group is undergoing further expansion in 2007.
Cochrane Collaboration Heart Group programme of reviews
The PCMD grant holders for this collaborative programme of work are Dr Rod Taylor (Associate Professor in Health Services Research) and Drs Ken Stein and Margaret Somerville (PenTAG). We will be updating existing reviews and conducting new systematic reviews and meta-analyses of interventions and programmes for people with heart disease, on behalf of and in cooperation with the Cochrane Collaboration Heart Group (http://www.epi.bris.ac.uk/cochrane/heart.htm). The reviews conducted by PenTAG will focus on public health programmes and prevention for heart disease.
This programme of work is initially for 3 years and will involve working with Dr Taylor, Dr Ken Stein, a full-time research fellow (to be appointed), other members of the Cochrane Collaboration Heart Group (based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), and other reviewers from PenTAG.
The Health Service Research Institute
PenTAG is part of the Health Service Research Institute. The Health Service Research Institute within PCMD brings together several research groups with a diverse range of interests, including Primary Care, Mental Health, Child Health, Health Complexity, Complementary Medicine Research, and Neurology (see: www.pms.ac.uk/pms/research/heaSoc.php)
The PCMD is committed to working in partnership with the NHS in the South West Peninsula and has strong links to the Peninsula NHS R&D Support Unit (RDSU) which has bases in Plymouth, Truro and Exeter. To assist this it has helped to create the South West Peninsula Clinical Research Collaboration (SWPCRC) with a shared goal of increasing excellent clinical research in the southwest (see: http://www.pms.ac.uk/swpcrc).
PMS researchers based in Plymouth and Exeter have a growing reputation in the coordination and analysis of large multi-centre clinical trials, including several major MRC-funded trials, and a formally constituted Clinical Research Methodology Unit has been formed to encourage expansion.
Job Purpose
The job purpose is to provide specialist information support across the full spectrum of research conducted by PenTAG staff, including systematic reviews conducted for the Cochrane Collaboration Heart Group.
The responsibilities of the job will therefore be:
1. To undertake systematic literature searches of medical, health care and other bibliographic databases (including development of effective search strategies, in discussion with research staff).
2. To develop the necessary systems and personal contacts with other library staff for efficiently obtaining publications from external sources such as the Libraries of Universities of Exeter or Plymouth, Exeter Medical Library, and the British Library.
3. To efficiently maintain the resultant databases of references and information sources, in the standard reference management software (e.g. Reference Manager, EndNote) and also an accurate record of searches conducted and documents obtained.
4. To maintain PenTAG's records of our own information resources (journals, books, reports) and our academic outputs.
5. To keep PenTAG staff informed about new books, papers, organisations or other information sources which might be useful to our research or particular research projects
6. To conduct occasional training, or prepare learning resources, for other PenTAG staff (e.g. to support direct access to electronic journals and advanced use of reference management software).
7. To fulfil the six responsibilities described above as necessary for the efficient production of high quality Cochrane Collaboration Heart Group systematic reviews and review updates.
8. To network with information professionals in related Health Technology Assessment groups (e.g. through membership of the InterTASC information specialists subgroup).
9. To maintain the necessary IT and software skills and awareness, through attending training courses and membership of networks, in order to efficiently carry out the above responsibilities.
10. Other appropriate information support and information management activities as agreed with the line managers, and as appropriate to the skills and experience of the successful appointee
Location and base
Exeter is a beautiful cathedral city within easy reach of Dartmoor National Park and the outstanding Devon coastline. London is 2.5 hours by train. The main base for this post will be in new Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry offices on the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust site, approximately 10 minutes walk from the centre of the city, and easily accessible by public transport and Park & Ride routes.
Grade and salary
Starting salary will be on Grade E (£22,332 pa to £28,289 pa), depending on knowledge, skills and experience.
Length of Appointment
The post is available for three years in the first instance, and a less than full-time appointment or job-share may be considered.
Contract
The Contract of Employment will be with the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry and held by the University of Exeter.
Management arrangements
The postholder will be line-managed by Dr. Rob Anderson (Senior Lecturer in Health Economics), but for day-to-day project-related tasks will be accountable to the relevant Project Manager.
Administrative Support and Accommodation
Support for PenTAG work will be available from the PenTAG team administrator. Office accommodation will be provided and may be shared.
Further Information can be obtained from:
Dr. Ken Stein
Director, PenTAG
Noy Scott House
Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital
Barrack Road
Exeter EX2 5DW
Tel: 01392 406972
E-mail: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Assoc. Prof. Rod Taylor
PenTAG
Noy Scott House
Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital
Barrack Road
Exeter EX2 5DW
Tel: 01392 406972
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Dr. Rob Anderson
Senior Lecturer in Health Economics
Noy Scott House
Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital
Barrack Road
Exeter EX2 5DW
Tel: 01392 406967
E-mail: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Information Specialist
Person Specification
Qualification/Experience
Essential/Desirable
Qualifications
Degree/certificate/HND in Information Science/Management or Librarianship or related subject
E
MSc/masters level or higher qualification in Information Science/Management or related subject
D
Skills and Experience
Experience of developing and maintaining databases, including reference management software (e.g. EndNote or Reference Manager)
E
Experience of using electronic bibliographic databases to conduct systematic literature searches
E
Experience or knowledge of methods and sources for identifying and obtaining 'grey literature'
E
Excellent communication and inter-personal skills
E
Good organisational skills
E
Good team worker
E
Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team
E
Ability to work independently and on own initiative
E
Relevant information technology skills
E
Experience of providing specialist information services (including responding to reference enquiries, document supply)
D
Experience of working in an academic environment and/or a health care or health research support
D
Experience of supporting research or policy-making through systematic reviews of the research literature
D
Understanding of evidence-based practice or evidence-based policy making
D
Experience of developing keyword search strategies
D
Good writing skills
D
Paula Younger
Electronic Resources Librarian
Royal Devon & Exeter Foundation Trust
Peninsula Medical School Building
Barrack Road
Exeter
EX2 5DW
Tel: 01392 406729
Fax: 01392 406728
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