Journal article
Status of the Clinician Investigator in America: An Essential Healthcare Provider Driving Advances in Cancer Care
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Vol.19(2), pp.122-125
02/01/2021
DOI: 10.6004/jnccn.2020.7685
PMCID: PMC9242430
PMID: 33545684
Abstract
Background: Translation of basic discoveries to clinical care for patients with cancer is a difficult process greatly enabled by physician-trained researchers. Three categories of physicians, with responsibilities spanning from laboratory and preclinical research to direct patient care, are involved in the translational research continuum: physician-scientist (PS), clinician investigator (CI), and academic clinician (AC). Methods: To define how protected time for research efforts is supported, the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) conducted a survey of their member institutions, obtaining 56 responses documenting time spent in research and clinical activities across multiple cancer disciplines, and providing information about funding streams for the different categories of cancer physicians. Results: Responses showed that PSs and ACs are minimally involved in clinical research activities; the driver or clinical research in academic cancer centers is the CI. A significant concern was a lack of stable funding streams for nonbillable clinical research activities, putting the sustainability of the CI in jeopardy. Limited funding was derived from hospital sources, with most support derived from cancer center sources. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of the CI in translational cancer medicine and represents a call to action for institutions and research funding agencies to develop new programs targeted toward CI support to ensure continued progress against cancer.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Status of the Clinician Investigator in America: An Essential Healthcare Provider Driving Advances in Cancer Care
- Creators
- Randall F. Holcombe - Cancer Center of HawaiiClaire F. Verschraegen - The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research InstituteAndrew E. Chapman - Sidney Kimmel Cancer CenterDavid Gaffney - Huntsman Cancer InstituteRichard M. Goldberg - 5WVU Cancer Institute, Morgantown, West Virginia.Ruben A. Mesa - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioMohammed Milhem - University of IowaMartha Mims - Baylor College of MedicineEdith P. Mitchell - Sidney Kimmel Cancer CenterDan Mulkerin - University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer CenterSrinivasan Vijayakumar - University of Mississippi Medical Center
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Vol.19(2), pp.122-125
- Publisher
- Harborside Press
- DOI
- 10.6004/jnccn.2020.7685
- PMID
- 33545684
- PMCID
- PMC9242430
- ISSN
- 1540-1405
- eISSN
- 1540-1413
- Number of pages
- 4
- Grant note
- Physician Clinical Leadership Initiative
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 02/01/2021
- Academic Unit
- Hematology, Oncology, and Blood & Marrow Transplantation; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984359876702771
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