A Clinician's Roadmap to the Research and Data Acquisition Process Within the Veterans Health System

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Clinical Research Management

Background:

• The North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SG VHS) facilitates research to enhance veteran care.
• Initiating research, particularly concerning older populations, can face significant procedural obstacles.
• Streamlining research processes is crucial for timely advancements in veteran healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and mitigate barriers to starting research on older populations within the NF/SG VHS.
• To develop a clear flowchart guiding clinicians through the research initiation process.
• To improve the efficiency of research protocol submission and publication.

Main Methods:

• Compilation and expert review of a senior care pharmacist's research experiences.
• Utilizing VA data platforms like VINCI (VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure) and the Corporate Data Warehouse.
• Analyzing the impact of navigating institutional research websites on clinician workflow.

Main Results:

• A sequential six-step process was identified for expeditious publication.
• Key steps include VA Institutional Review Board (IRB) Net and local myIRB submissions.
• Successful navigation involves Data Access Request Tracker/VINCI access, workspace setup, cohort specification, data analysis, and manuscript production.

Conclusions:

• A clear, sequential method derived from practical experience can significantly improve research navigation.
• Efficiently managing complex research processes leads to successful outcomes and future patient care impacts.
• The developed flowchart serves as a guide for clinicians to overcome research initiation hurdles.