Trainee Research

The Health Services Research Training Program offers wide range of research topics and many opportunities for collaborating with researchers at the University of Washington and our research partner sites. This rich environment has been used successfully for health services research training over the years. We encourage our students to follow their research passion, and this breadth of research opportunities allows them to do so. The program also aids students by guiding them through the research process, from focusing on a specific research topic to forming an independent research plan. We make these many research opportunities accessible to students by grouping them into 10 core areas:

• Effect of the Health Care System (structure, organization and financing) on Access, Cost, Quality and Outcomes
• Clinical Information Systems
• Measuring and Evaluating Health Outcomes
• Effect of Clinical Care and Technology on Outcomes
• Risk Assessment, Early Detection, and Prevention of Problems
• Public Health Genetics
• Health Promotion and Behavioral Change
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Community Level Research
• Translating Research into Policy and Practice

The guidance of mentors, the role models provided by research team members, and the structure of the curriculum lead trainees through the steps of the research process. Under faculty supervision, all trainees are required to participate in the design and conduct of at least one health services research project, at a level appropriate to their training. Trainees work with their mentors to choose carefully projects which will likely produce scholarly work of the highest quality, and that are suitable for publication upon completion. They also participate as colleagues in faculty research projects, and become socialized in the teamwork of research projects. Because much of our research is community based, trainees learn to form partnerships between the UW and the community.