PRR Project

Summary

The prospective employee is expected to work as an Assistant Professor in the field of Health Technology Assessment. The employee is expected to work in research and teaching activities at the Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS) of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto. In particular, the employee is expected to work on evidence synthesis studies (systematic reviews and meta-analyses), health economic evaluation studies, generation of evidence based on real-world data and patient-reported outcome measures, and guideline development. The employee is expected to have knowledge and experience in doing research and teaching in these fields. In addition, the employee is expected to have a medical background and knowledge and experience in data analysis (including using frequentist and Bayesian methods).MEDCIDS has a relevant research and teaching track record in the Health Technology Assessment field. This is indicated by (i) the high number of systematic reviews and economic evaluation studies published by its members, (ii) the participation of some of its members in funded scientific projects in Health Technology Assessment, (iii) the involvement of some of its members in the GRADE working group and/or in guideline development, (iv) and by the participation in technology transfer and services provision activities (involving public, private, national or international entities – e.g., participation in health technology assessment reports of the Portuguese drug agency or in economic evaluation studies hired by pharmaceutical companies). This research activity is done in close connection with the Associate Laboratory RISE (Health Research Network). In fact, Thematic Line 4 of RISE is fully dedicated to health policy and digital transformation, having as its scope “development and assessment of methods and technologies to improve biomedical sciences and healthcare”.MEDCIDS has also displayed a vibrant teaching activity in the Health Technology Assessment field, with contents on evidence synthesis studies, economic evaluation studies, decision-making and guidelines being one of the cornerstones of the Doctoral Programme in Clinical and Health Services Research and of the Master’s Degree in Evidence and Decision in Health. In addition, these contents are taught in the Health Data Sciences Doctoral Programme (all these programmes are hosted at MEDCIDS). Topics on Health Technology Assessment will also be of key importance to the BSc course in Digital Health and Biomedical Innovation, in particular to its branch of Clinical Research and Innovation Management in Health. Of note, several of the partners of this BSc course correspond to public or private entities with whom MEDCIDS has collaborated in technology transfer or service provision activities. Given this background and the need to further develop research and teaching activities in this field, hiring an Assistant Professor in the Health Technology Assessment area is necessary.