Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Rheumatology Fellowship, Research Year

This letter is to request a Pfizer Independent Grant for Learning and Change support for the rheumatology fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The fellowship takes place within the resources of the Chicago campus of Northwestern University, and in conjunction with Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Jessie Brown Veterans Administration Hospital. Our fellowship in rheumatology prepares individuals for careers in academic clinical or clinical rheumatology. The focus of our program is the development of academic rheumatologists and scientists competent in the treatment and investigation of rheumatic diseases. The fellowship consists of a first year of comprehensive inpatient and ambulatory clinical rheumatology training, followed by a one to two year mentored investigator phase with concurrent ambulatory clinical experience. We seek grant to support the salary of a fellow engaged primarily in their research year, and therefore do not have traditional clinic fellowship support. As more data on diagnostics and therapeutics for rheumatologic diseases arise, there is a need to organize and utilize data captured in the electronic medical record to improve patient outcomes and physician efficiency. Quality measures have been developed for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, but little is yet known about how the implementation of these measures impact patient outcomes. Existing studies suggest that a significant population of patients may not be receiving sufficient care to reduce early disease-induced damage. Our overarching hypothesis is that care coordination through effective data exchange will improve disease outcomes for patients with SLE. For example, screening for prevention of secondary osteoporosis is an important aspect of managing a complex rheumatology patient but may not be highly prioritized within the time constraints of a busy clinical practice. This is an area where the power of medical informatics can be harnessed for qualit