Essential Strategies for Health Professions Education Research

Welcome!

Welcome to the Essential Strategies for Health Professions Education Research Short Course! We’re excited to have you join us!

Overview

Health professions education research requires skills that bridge clinical expertise, educational theory, and rigorous research methodology. This four-session virtual short course equips health professions education researchers—whether new to the field or looking to refine their approach—with practical strategies for navigating critical stages of the research process. Learn how to work effectively with Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) for educational studies, conduct focused and efficient literature searches, integrate relevant theoretical frameworks into your study design, and collaborate productively with biostatisticians. Through interactive discussions and activities to apply your learning, you will leave with tools to enhance the quality, rigor, and impact of your education research.

Faculty

Course Director: Donna Luff, PhD

Course Faculty:

• Katie Dillon, MLIS: BCH Medical Librarian
• Kristina Dzara, PhD, MMSc: Assistant Dean, Scholarly Teaching and Learning Director, Center for Educator Development, Advancement, and Research (CEDAR), Associate Professor, Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine
• Kathleen Huth MD MMSc: Pediatrician, Complex Care Service, Boston Children’s Hospital, Program Director, Complex Care Fellowship, Co-Director, BCH Academy for Teaching and Educational Innovation and Scholarship
• Jill Manning de Sousa, MPH: IRB Operations Manager, Boston Children’s Hospital
• Susan Kornetsky, MPH: Senior Director, Clinical Research Compliance, Boston Children’s Hospital
• Michael C. Monuteaux, ScD: Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Assistant Director, Biostatistics and Research Design Center, Senior Epidemiologist and Biostatistician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital

Fall 2025 Cohort

You are joined by fellow BCH Academy Scholar Members, Teaching Certificate Members/Recent Graduates, and Health Professions Education Innovation Grant recipients for the first offering of this short course.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this Short Course, you will be able to:

• Identify and apply strategies for navigating common challenges in health professions education research.
• Synthesize scholarly literature to inform study design and interpretation.
• Integrate appropriate theoretical frameworks to guide research questions and design.
• Collaborate more effectively with IRBs, librarians, and biostatisticians to strengthen the quality and rigor of your education research.

Course Logistics

Participants will attend 4 one-hour virtual sessions (see exact dates under Schedule).

Sessions will include:

• A pre-reading to be completed before the session.
• An assignment to be submitted in this course after the session.

All components can be found within each session’s module. You may navigate to the modules using the right-side Content Bar.

Learners will receive personalized feedback on assignments submitted.

Fall 2025 Schedule

In support of improving patient care, Boston Children’s Hospital is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Dietitian
This course has been approved for 4.0 CPEUs. Completion of this RD/DTR profession-specific or IPCE activity awards CPEUs (One IPCE=One CPEU). RDs and DTRs are to select activity type 102 in their activity log. Sphere and Competency selection is at the learner’s discretion.

Nurse
Boston Children’s Hospital designates this activity for 4.0 contact hours for nurses. Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Pharmacy
This activity carries a maximum of 4.0 contact hours. Pharmacists should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physician
Boston Children’s Hospital designates this live activity for a maximum of 4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits ™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity.

Physician Assistants
Boston Children’s Hospital has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credits for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 4.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Psychology
Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibly for the content of the programs. This course has been approved for 4.0 continuing education credits.

Social Work
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Boston Children’s Hospital is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Boston Children’s Hospital maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 4.0 ACE CE continuing education credits.

Disclosure Policy

Boston Children’s Hospital adheres to all ACCME Essential Areas, Standards, and Policies. It is Boston Children’s policy that those who have influenced the content of a CME activity (e.g. planners, faculty, authors, reviewers and others) disclose all relevant financial relationships with commercial entities so that Boston Children’s may identify and resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. These disclosures will be provided in the activity materials along with disclosure of any commercial support received for the activity. Additionally, faculty members have been instructed to disclose any limitations of data and unlabeled or investigational uses of products during their presentations.

The following planners, speakers, and content reviewers, on behalf of themselves and their spouse or partner, have reported no relevant financial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on patients.

The following course faculty have reported no disclosures:

After you review the course site and technical tips below, if you still have questions or need help, please contact BCHacademy@childrens.harvard.edu, or Donna Luff, Course Director, at donna.luff@childrens.harvard.edu.

Donna Luff, PhD
Course Director, CEEI Certificate Program in Foundations of Health Professions Education Research

How do I Access this Course?

Once you are logged in, there are two ways to access this course:

1. Select My Profile at the top of any page. Scroll down to see the list of courses your are enrolled in. Select the link for the BCH Fundamentals of Qualitative Research course.
2. Select Professional Development from the main site menu. Scroll down to select the Fundamentals of Qualitative Research option form the left side page menu. Select the Program Course menu item, the select “Go to Course” in the course tile.

How do I Navigate this Course?

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