Medical and Pharmacy Research Methods Made Easier

Teachers of health care research methods and statistics know that it can be a challenge to engage students in these topics. Frankly, many students of pharmacy and other health care professions view research as a class requirement that they have to endure to get a diploma, rather than what it is—a critically important and rapidly expanding field that will affect nearly every aspect of their futures as practitioners, administrators, clinicians, or any career paths they choose. Health care students and professionals need a good working knowledge of medical and pharmacy research methods—but they’ll understand them only if they are willing to read about them, and most research textbooks are …. well …. boring.

A unique and affordable book on research technique, Health Care Research Done Right, meets the need for practical guidance on research methods—painlessly. Written in a fresh and down-to-earth style by an experienced journal editor and methodologist, the book received an American Medical Writers Association Medical Book Award as the best book for nonphysician health care professionals published in 2012. Previously, the book was named a 2013 finalist in the Indie Book Awards, the largest nonprofit book awards program for independent or self-published authors and publishers. The hallmark of Health Care Research Done Right is its use of engaging and entertaining examples to teach. For example, common mathematical errors in medical and pharmacy research methods are introduced with descriptions of the 1999 explosion of the Mars Climate Orbiter, the retraction of a highly influential Centers for Disease Control Report because of double-counted deaths, and batting averages for the 1941 Red Sox and Yankees including Ted “Splendid Splinter” Williams and “Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio.

Health Care Research Done Right covers “the basics” of research design and analysis and provides a wealth of practical tips on which research designs are most trustworthy; how to assess whether a relationship between a policy and a desired outcome is causal or coincidental; how to determine whether a research report meets standards for credibility and transparency; why sophisticated analyses are “multivariate, not magical;” why health care research methods matter, even to non-researchers; and much more. Suitable for a class on medical or pharmacy research methods, Health Care Research Done Right is also a valuable resource for professionals or students engaged in any health care research process, including a dissertation, independent study, or evaluation of products or services.

With a passion for encouraging researchers to pursue excellence without sacrificing efficiency, author Kathleen Fairman shares vital insights about why health care research methods—seemingly mundane details that are sometimes erroneously dismissed as unimportant—actually matter deeply to the welfare of patients and families served by the medical care system. Readers will benefit greatly from Fairman’s wisdom, grace, and humor—and find that good research methodology can be both practical and fun.

What are your colleagues saying about Health Care Research Done Right?

In our field, a book review task can be a rather dry and tedious affair. Not so for Health Care Research Done Right. … Truly, I curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and thoroughly enjoyed it, cover to cover. The book is appropriate for distinguished researchers as well as graduate students … It’s concisely written and easy to read, including practical examples, key critical points, and checklists. Fairman understands how to make information sing. (Healtheconomics.com)

Fairman is able to take an otherwise dry topic and, through the use of highly relevant examples and anecdotes, make the subject of health care research interesting and entertaining. … The book concludes with a terrific epilogue on the potential consequences of poor quality research. (Professional services liaison, managed care organization)

As Associate Editor of the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy, Kathleen Fairman developed a well-deserved reputation for both demanding excellence in the articles she accepted for publication and for helping authors develop and produce research reports that were excellent. This book reflects that reputation by clearly stating the case for excellence in research and providing a wealth of information and advice about how to produce quality research. (Professor, school of pharmacy)

"Working with health care data is
made easier with the practical and
essential recommendations made
by Kathleen Fairman.”

Health Care Research Done Right

High Quality and Efficiency—You Can Have Both!

Are you a health care researcher or student who is long on objectives but short on time? Do you think that you have to choose between “doing it fast” and “doing it right”? Or do you use health care research information but feel unsure about whether it is accurate? This book was designed with your needs in mind. Written in an entertaining style by an experienced journal editor and methodologist, the book is a wealth of practical tips that one reviewer has called “a unique and welcome breath of fresh air.” Learn how to:

• Plan your research well at the start to avoid problems later in the process

• Organize data files to improve accuracy and
save time

• Avoid common mathematical mistakes

• Use health care claims databases effectively by understanding their strengths and limitations

• Conduct a survey that yields valuable information

• Write a publishable article

• Respond appropriately to peer reviewer comments even when they are incorrect

• Assess the quality of research evidence...
and more!