JOB DESCRIPTION
Lead Researcher in Social Science
Project overview
The project will provide the knowledge needed to overcome health system barriers to optimal management of hypertension in Malaysia and the Philippines. This is important because it is a major cause of disability and premature death yet is easily detected and treated. Moreover, such knowledge can inform policies to improve management of all chronic diseases. Yet although evidence on its clinical management is universal, to overcome the health systems barriers, especially those faced by the poor, local knowledge is needed. This, in turn, requires local capacity in health systems research and knowledge transfer.
This project brings together all these elements in a partnership between leading research institutions in Malaysia, the Philippines and the UK. The project will use mixed methods to understand barriers to hypertension control faced by low-income households over 12-18 months. We will use innovative open-source mobile technology to capture participant-generated content (video, audio, text, etc.) on their lived experience, coupled with assessment of formal and informal providers. The project will generate analytical and methodological insights of relevance to Malaysia and the Philippines, and the global community, specifically low and middle income countries seeking to implement patient-centred and pro-poor responses to the growing burden of non-communicable disease (NCD).
The project aims to improve management of hypertension in Malaysia and the Philippines and, in doing so, build capacity to mitigate the rapidly increasing health and economic burden of NCD, now disproportionately affecting the poor in those countries. This project focuses on hypertension, first because it is a leading contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other NCD burden, and, second, because it is a “tracer” condition (common, with effective management requiring a broad range of health system building blocks) whose study can reveal wider health system barriers to management of any chronic disorder.
The project has three interlinked objectives:
For the research component in objective 1, the project applies quantitative and qualitative elements to ask: What happens when one is diagnosed with hypertension? What are the pathways and key stages of care? What care/type of provider is accessed and what are the costs at each stage? Are there differences among population groups in seeking, obtaining and adhering to care (socioeconomic, ethnic, rural/urban, marital status) and what explains these (e.g. lack of resources, distance, lack of family support or local facilities). What are the major barriers to continuous access to care and medication?
Quantitative elements include:
Qualitative elements include:
Post-holder duties
This preferably full time or near full time post provides an exciting opportunity for the successful candidate to develop their research portfolio in the area of patient experience and access to care for non-communicable disease. The post-holder will be able to contribute to the design and conduct qualitative research, including data collection, and analysis, as well as lead on writing papers with guidance from the UK collaborator team (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine). The post-holder will be prepared to take a high degree of responsibility for their own work, in return for the flexibility and freedom we offer within the project to develop their own ideas. We will support the successful candidate to achieve her/his academic goals and provide mentoring and guidance where needed. We aim to provide an intellectually challenging environment, with high-quality, stimulating research, which builds theory and improves policy and practice.
The principal work within this post will be to pursue independent, primarily qualitative research, with a specific focus on patient experience and pathways to hypertension care, and the barriers to optimal management of faced by poor and vulnerable households. The research design will involve qualitative interviews, and developing and using a new mobile technology platform to collect longitudinal qualitative data. The post holder will lead or be actively involved in all stages of the research: study design drawing on the relevant theoretical and empirical literature, country situation analysis, seeking ethics approval, analysis, write-up and communication of the research. The post-holder will conduct fieldwork, and train and supervise other team members (e.g. data collectors). This will require periods of time travelling to project sites. Data analysis and drafting journal articles and national and international dissemination jointly with project partners are among key responsibilities of post.
The work will also involve coordinating across other project components, such as the quantitative cohort study of households and individuals living with hypertension and a rapid assessment of providers of hypertension care. The post-holder will also ensure that these components draw on the qualitative study findings. The project also includes opportunities for individual capacity building in qualitative research methods including participatory methods, and in research communication skills and stakeholder engagement (e.g. policy makers, the public).
The appointment is for 3 years covering a substantial part of the project duration. Salary will be Php 50,000.00 per month inclusive of all applicable taxes. The successful candidate will be placed on the scale according to relevant qualifications. The post will be based in Manila/Kuala Lumpur, with frequent travel to project sites.
The post holder will be accountable to Drs. Dans and Palileo-Villanueva at the UP Manila College of Medicine for operational and logistical aspects of the project. S/he will also work closely on technical and broader project deliverables with Drs McKee, Balabanova, Renedo and Palafox at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Applications should be made via email, through lmpalileovillanueva@up.edu.ph. Applications should include a CV and the names and email contacts of 2 referees who can be contacted immediately if shortlisted. Please submit a sample of your academic writing with your application (first authored). This can be a peer-reviewed publication, a PhD chapter or report (more details below). Any queries about the application process may be addressed to Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva, MD, MSc through lmpalileovillanueva@up.edu.ph. Closing date for applications is July 15, 2016. Interviews will be held July 22, 2016.
Specific responsibilities
The post-holder will be responsible for the following tasks, all of which will involve collaboration, frequent exchanges across all project partners, and specifically with the social scientist and the health system researchers at the LSHTM.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential
Desirable
Accountability
The post-holder will be responsible to Drs. Dans and Palileo-Villanueva at the UP Manila College of Medicine, and ultimately to the LSHTM PI Prof.McKee and co-PI, Dr.Balabanova.
Salary and conditions of appointment
The appointment will be for 3 years.
Salary will be Php 50,000.00 per month inclusive of all applicable taxes.
Applications
Applications should consist of:
Applications should be made via email, through lmpalileovillanueva@up.edu.ph.
Only applications in the format outlined in the further particulars will be considered. Closing date for applications is July 27, 2016. Any queries regarding the application process may be addressed to Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva, MD MSc, through lmpalileovillanueva@up.edu.ph.
Potential applicants may contact Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva (lmpalileovillanueva@up.edu.ph) for informal discussion about the post.
Pavilion 1 Room 1317 (Admin Office) & 1322-24 (Faculty Room)
Quirino Avenue Corner Roces Street
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City 1101