Post Doc/Research Associate, Health Care Research in Human Factors/Cognitive Psychology - NU Job ID 16204

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Position: Post Doc/Research Associate, Health Care Research in Human Factors/Cognitive Psychology
NU Job ID: 17549
Classification: Salaried, Exempt
 
Division of General Internal Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine is seeking a candidate to join their growing program of research in the areas of usability, workflow, human computer interaction (HCI), cognitive psychology, medical errors and health information systems(HIT). 

This position will be part of the Chicago Health IT Regional Extension Center, one of 60 Federally funded Extension Centers nationwide assisting primary care providers in the meaningful use of Health IT.   This position will focus on the HCI and cognitive issues involved in the transition from paper to electronic health records in community practices.  This will be a unique and exciting opportunity to gain experience and to contribute the understanding of numerous research areas including, but not limited to, the use of electronic health records, medical errors (especially diagnostic errors), clinical decision-making, electronic communication and other patient safety/health information technology related domain areas.

This position will be part of a large project team in a department with nearly 20 years of collaborative research among our multidisciplinary investigators.  Additionally, we have a long history of collaboration with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, one of the country’s premier academic medical centers and the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, a multispecialty physician practice.  Our research extends from patient experience, to clinical practice and outcomes of care, and to the development of health care policy. We have an established track record of supporting, mentoring and developing outstanding research leaders.  Opportunities will exist for collaboration with the newly formed Division of Biomedical Informatics. This position will also have opportunities to work collaboratively with private sector firms on human factors in HIT and medical devices. 

Qualifications:

Candidates just completing a PhD, as well as those early in a research career, are welcome to apply.  Protected research time will be offered for up to 2 years by which time the candidate will be expected to obtain additional research funding. Expertise in both human computer interaction and cognitive psychology would be ideal.  Experience in usability testing methods a plus.

The General Internal Medicine (GIM) research faculty have over 20 years of experience in studying medical and surgical patient outcomes, quality of care, patient safety, technology assessment, practice guidelines, health communications, health disparities, survey research and medical informatics research.  The four major research themes include: 1) Health Communication, 2) Quality Improvement and Patient Safety in Primary Care, 3) Reducing Disparities for Vulnerable Populations, and 4) Clinical Epidemiology.   GIM is the home of the Health Literacy and Learning Program (HeLP).  The mission of HeLP is to advance the study of limited health literacy and interventions that could improve individual’s ability to obtain, process, and understand basic information needed to make appropriate health decisions. Northwestern is the first institution in the country to link the fields of medicine and education in order to improve how health systems educate patients and families on their health.

The GIM research program occupies approximately 15,000 square feet of contiguous space.  It is adjacent to the 12,000 square feet of space for the faculty and staff of the Institute for Healthcare Studies.   There are 13 research faculty and approximately 75 staff who work in this space.  There are weekly Work in Progress conferences and a weekly health services research seminar series for faculty to present their work.