NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CLINICAL EXCELLENCE and UNIVERSITY OF YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SCIENCES & CLINICAL EVALUATION INFORMATION SPECIALIST and VISITING FELLOW IN HEALTH INFORMATION Further Particulars Advert The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has entered into an academic partnership with the Department of Health Sciences & Clinical Evaluation at the University of York to facilitate and support two appointments to its appraisal team -- an information specialist and a health services researcher. The information specialist will contribute to the National Institute's appraisal programmes to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of health technologies, in particular by providing expertise in exploiting health information and information technology. In addition he or she will contribute to the research and teaching of the Department. The post holder will devote 80% of his or her time to the National Institute and 20% to the Department. Salary within the range £25,000 to £32,000. Applicants should have a graduate or postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience in library or information science and extensive experience of searching literature, in particular online databases. Familiarity with the resources to support evidence based health care and clinical effectiveness is essential. Experience in computing is highly desirable. Further particulars from Philippa Younas (email [log in to unmask], fax 0207-849-3127, phone 0207-849-3444). To discuss this post informally contact Dr Rod Taylor, Head of Appraisal at the National Institute, on 0171-849-3444 or Professor Ian Russell, Head of Department of Health Sciences, on 01904-434501. CV and letter of application to Dr Rod Taylor at National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 90 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9RZ by 0900 on 6 December. Interviews on the afternoon of Friday 17 December. Nature of appointment The National Institute of Clinical Excellence ('the Institute') has entered into an academic partnership with the Department of Health Sciences & Clinical Evaluation at the University of York ('the Department') to facilitate and support two appointments to its appraisal team - an information specialist and a health services researcher. The post of Information Specialist is available from 1 January 2000, initially for three years and potentially by secondment. It will be extended if the performance of the post holder up to that time is satisfactory to both the Institute and the Department. The post holder will devote 80% of his or her working time to work at the Institute and 20% to the role of Visiting Fellow in Health Information within the Department. The Institute will hold the contract of employment and define the terms of service. Both will accord with the normal practice of the NHS. Salary will be within the range £25,000 to £32,000 (corresponding to University Lecturer B scale). As a member of the Institute the post holder will be responsible to the Head of Appraisal and accountable to the Medical Director. Performance review will follow the Institute's procedures and accord with the normal practice of the NHS. As a member of the Department the post holder will be responsible and accountable to Professor Ian Russell, the current Head of Department. Staff development and appraisal will follow Departmental procedures and accord with the normal practice of the University. National Institute of Clinical Excellence The Institute is a Special Health Authority, which was brought into being on 1 April 1999. Its structure includes a Board with Executive and Non-Executive Members. The Institute plans an establishment of some 22 whole-time equivalent staff. Working with the National Health Service (NHS) the Institute will systematically appraise health interventions. It will offer clear guidance on which treatments work best for patients and which do not. This guidance will support all those in the NHS who make or put into effect the complex decisions about the treatment of individual patients -- including doctors, managers, nurses and other health professionals. Guidance will also be made available to patients and the public. In particular the Institute will provide guidance to the NHS on the use of selected new and established health technologies. The Institute's functions in this context are set out in the Secretary of State's Directions: "to appraise the clinical benefits and the costs of those interventions notified by the Secretary of State and to make recommendations". In response to formal requests from the Department of Health (DH) and the Welsh Assembly the Institute will undertake appraisals of new and established technologies, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices and procedures, diagnostic techniques and health promotion. These appraisals will encompass clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and the wider implications for the NHS. The Institute will assess evidence about clinical benefits in the broadest sense. These will include effects on quality of life (e.g. relief of pain and disability) as well as likely effects on mortality and morbidity. The Institute will also estimate the associated costs. In the light of this evidence the Institute will reach a judgement whether, on balance, to recommend the intervention as a cost-effective use of NHS resources in general, for specific indications, or for defined subgroups of patients. Where there is already an intervention for the condition under review, the Institute will estimate the net effect of the new intervention on both benefits and costs. Appraisal will comprise two stages. First the available evidence (including published scientific literature and evidence submitted by the manufacturers or sponsors of the technology) will be evaluated. This will be carried out either by the Institute's appraisal team or on its behalf by a designated external academic group commissioned via the NHS R&D Health Technology Assessment Programme. Secondly the appraisal team will derive from this evaluation a provisional advice document. The Institute's Appraisal Committee will then advise accordingly on the suitability of the technology for use within the NHS. Thus, to achieve its aims, the Institute requires an appraisal team with a breadth of knowledge and experience of both primary and secondary health services research. The skills needed include biostatistics, health economics, information science and systematic reviewing. Dr Rod Taylor, a biostatistician, has recently been appointed as co-ordinator and head of the appraisal team. University of York The University of York, founded in 1963, has an attractive campus on the outskirts of the city but within easy reach of the historic centre. It has 7000 undergraduate and 2000 postgraduate students. There are plans for steady growth over the next few years. It is a strongly research-oriented institution, with almost all departments rated at 4 or above in the 1996 HEFCE Research Assessment. The University created the Department of Health Sciences and Clinical Evaluation in October 1994 to complement the existing health-oriented activities in the Departments of Psychology, Economics and Social Policy & Social Work, all three of which were rated at 5 or above in the 1996 HEFC Research Assessment. The University also gave the Department a remit to extend the health services research then undertaken within four research units -- the National Health Service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, the Centre for Health Economics, the York Health Economics Consortium, and the Social Policy Research Unit. With the first three of these the Department achieved a grade of 4 in the 1996 Research Assessment. Although the long-term goals of the Department encompass health as much as health care, the medium-term objectives for both teaching and research focus on the National Health Service, whose Research and Development (R&D) Programme dates only from 1991. The Department believes that the substantial potential of the NHS R&D Programme can be exploited only by close adherence to three basic principles - scientific rigour, practical relevance and inter-disciplinary collaboration. To these ends the first five academic appointments comprise two biostatisticians, two health psychologists and one health economist. Twenty-three researchers hold paid appointments in the Department. Seven of these are health professionals. The rest contribute skills in health economics, health information, health psychology, statistics, systematic reviews, and trial co-ordination. The Departmental Secretary and three research secretaries complete the staff. The Department occupies the Donald Irvine Wing of Alcuin College, converted in 1996 to meet its current administrative, research and teaching needs. Since October 1995 the Graduate School in Health Sciences has offered three inter-disciplinary research degrees -- MSc (one year full time or two part time), MPhil (two years full time or four part time) and DPhil (three years full time or six part time). These are designed for students wishing to follow careers that enhance or use the evidence base for health and health care. Following a successful bid to HEFCE led by the Department on behalf of the University, undergraduate teaching began in October 1998 with a full-time BSc in Health Sciences. This course aims to provide students with the academic foundations required to conduct and use research into health and health care by covering material from five 'health sciences' -- economics, epidemiology, health care, psychology and statistics. The Department enjoys close links with the National Health Service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (NHS CRD), in particular with its Information Service. Under the leadership of the Information Manager Julie Glanville, the Information Service provides technical and clerical support, both to NHS CRD staff and to external organisations within the NHS and beyond (including the Institute and the National Co-ordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment). Six information specialists and two support staff underpin the production of systematic reviews and evidence-based guidance by conducting literature searches, finding data and organising document supply. Their external role also includes production of the NHS CRD web site, development and maintenance of access to the free NHS CRD databases, and provision of an enquiry service on clinical effectiveness and economic evaluations. Information Service staff also contribute to information-related training and research. Training focuses on searching the Cochrane Library effectively, exploiting other clinical effectiveness resources, and supporting the process of systematic reviewing. Research focuses on access to information and the design of search strategies. Duties and responsibilities 1 To contribute to the Institute's programme to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of health technologies by providing technical expertise in the effective and timely exploitation of health information and information technology, and assisting in all stages of systematic reviews from scoping the available evidence to final quality assurance. 2 To develop and manage the information systems that support the work of the Institute's appraisal team. 3 To work with the Institute's other groups - guidelines & audit and communication -- to ensure consistency and co-ordination of information systems, including the Institute's web site. 4 To contribute to the development and validation of the evaluation methods used by the Institute's appraisal team. 5 To contribute to the research programme of the Institute's appraisal team into methods of health technology assessment, where appropriate through personal research. 6 To liaise with related groups within the UK, for example those engaged in health technology appraisal or national health information initiatives. 7 To contribute to the research and teaching of the Department through Professor Ian Russell, in particular by contributing to one or more research projects, primary or secondary. This appointment is intended, not only to benefit the University of York, but also to develop the technical expertise of the post holder. 8 To work with the Information Service of the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination through Julie Glanville, in particular by contributing to one or more systematic reviews. This attachment is intended, not only to benefit the University of York, but also to develop the technical expertise of the post holder and the technical capacity of the Institute's appraisal team. 9 To continue his or her own professional development so as to enhance both the skills of the post holder and his or her contribution to the Institute, the Department and the NHS CRD. 10 To pursue all these responsibilities in a collaborative spirit that contributes to the development and maintenance of effective teamwork within both the Institute and the University. Attributes required Essential: 1 a graduate or postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience in library or information science; 2 good skills in, and extensive experience of, literature searching, in particular online databases; 3 good skills in, and broad experience of, information technology including word processing, database management, WWW page production, reference management, data transfer and manipulation, and electronic troubleshooting; 4 the ability and motivation to pay attention to detail; 5 the ability to communicate with users and colleagues, both orally and in writing; 6 the ability to work constructively and flexibly within multi-disciplinary teams, including understanding and patience in assimilating the issues raised by other professions; and 7 the motivation and self-management skills to work without supervision, often under pressure. Highly desirable: 8 experience of working in a library, especially a health or social sciences research library; 9 familiarity with the resources to support evidence based health care and clinical effectiveness; 10 experience of systematic literature reviews and primary research; 11 experience of searching MEDLINE and other health databases; 12 knowledge of reference management software such as Endnote; 13 experience of primary research; and 14 good skills in, and broad experience of, formal presentation. Other information 1 The University of York does not permit smoking within research or teaching accommodation. 2 For an informal discussion of this post please contact either of the undersigned. Rod Taylor Ian Russell Head of Appraisal Head of Department of Health Sciences National Institute for Clinical Excellence University of York Email: [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] Facsimile: 0171-849-3127 01904-434503 Telephone: 0171-849-3444 01904-434501 November 1999 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%