COVER STORY
Research and Data Responsibilities
In addition to supporting increased administrative, compliance, and managerial duties, some O&P companies are now devoting resources to research and the collection of outcomes measures. “Getting visibility around your business is really important,” says Brandt. “It’s important to record data, mine it, and translate data, so you can use it to implement change,” he says. Toward that end, Ability has a research arm that actively pursues grants and collaborations around new research projects typically have strucdeveloped with universities, research product development and clinical tured timelines and funding for the institutes, and VA and military hospioutcomes. “We have to prove through work,” he explains. “For some projects, tals,” he explains. “We have built quantitative and qualitative data that clinicians may participate in a small the device we provided to the patient is many projects and collaborations with role as a ‘research prosthetist,’ while the academia—and now I can barely keep working for them,” Brandt explains. university takes up with the opporExamining data helps facilities care of procedural tunities,” he says. gain a clearer understanding of both and administraIt’s not just historical trends and forward-looking tive tasks—so the clinicians who trends, which can “help you more Jason Wening, MS, clinician may benefit from discretely understand your business,” CPO, FAAOP devote only a small having a dedicated says Brandt. This data can be used to percentage of his staff member overdetermine where to invest resources or her time” on seeing research and draw referrals. research activities capabilities and To help aid in Ability’s research and will be able to keep up with his or partnerships at Ability—patients endeavors and commitment to her patient load as well. outcomes data, Brandt created a clinical also benefit from participating in Wening also has taken on research the studies, says Kaluf. Research outcome and research director posiresponsibilities as part of his job studies provide “a great opportunity tion, which is held by Brian Kaluf, CP. description at Scheck & Siress. He has to expose our patients to high-quality This position has grown organically been named the facility’s “director of clinical trials from Kaluf’s work clinical values,” a position that was and advanced in patient care created six months ago. Wening plans technology,” he to advance the to transition to the position slowly, says. “When our development of evolving from his previous position of patients have the patient outcomes Brian Kaluf, CP opportunity to give 80 percent patient care and 20 percent measures protomanagerial duties to 100 percent back in the form of cols for certain director of clinical values role in three participating in a types of O&P treatyears. In this new position, Wening will study, it enriches ments. As he began focus less on creating new research their experience—they feel they are analyzing data and performing retroprojects and more on collaborations giving back to their peers,” says Kaluf. spective chart reviews, Kaluf found with other institutions, he explains. The growth of the research sector at that more and more of his time was Wening says the decision to add this Ability has led the management team being dedicated to research endeavors. position at Scheck & Siress was part to offer research internships. “And we He gradually transitioned from fullof a strategic move to address how the provide opportunities for our clinicians time clinical care to full-time research facility could succeed in a value-based to contribute and play an active role responsibilities with clear objectives. health-care community. The goal is to in our research,” Kaluf says. He also Part of Kaluf’s research responsibecome a highly efficient and clinically notes that, for some studies, facilities bilities include fostering partnerships skilled facility to garner good clinical can partner with academia and devote with other research-focused entities. outcomes that help the clinicians do a small portion of a clinician’s time to “The more research we performed, the their jobs better. participating in a study. “University more networking and relationships we 24
AUGUST 2018 | O&P ALMANAC