Creating a resident-centric rehabilitation research team

Abstract

Background: The 36-month Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) or Physiatry residency provides a number of multidisciplinary clinical experiences. These experiences often translate to novel research questions, which may not be pursued by residents due to several factors, including limited research exposure and uncertainty of how to begin a project. Limited resident participation in clinical researchnegatively affects the growth of Physiatry as a field and medicine as a whole. Thetwo largest Physiatry organizations – the Association of Academic Physiatristsand the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation – participate inthe Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC), seeking to improvethe state of rehabilitation and disability research through fundingopportunities by way of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the NationalInstitute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research(NIDILRR) and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Apaucity of new Physiatry researchers neutralizes these efforts. Results: This paper detailsthe creation of a novel, multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Resident Researchprogram that promotes resident research culture and production. Mirroring ourcollaborative clinical care paradigm, this program integrates facultymentorship, institutional research collaborates (Neuroscience Nursing ResearchCenter, Neuroscience Research Development Office) and departmental resources(Shark Tank competition) to provide resident-centric research support. Conclusions: The resident-centricrehabilitation research team has formed a successful research program that waspiloted from the resident perspective, facilitating academic productivity whilerespecting the clinical responsibilities of the 36-month PM&R residency. Residentresearch trainees are uniquely positioned to become future leaders ofmultidisciplinary and multispecialty collaborative teams, with a focus onpatient function and health outcomes.