Summaries of Independent Scientist (K) Awards

Basco, William T., Jr.

Institution: Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
Grant Title: Prescribing Errors in Ambulatory Pediatric Care
Grant Number:  K08 HS15679
Duration: 4 years (2006-2010)
Total Award: $509,800

Project Description: This research will evaluate the frequencies, types, and patterns of ambulatory medication prescribing errors in children.  There are four aims:

1. Validation of a method for imputing weights for determining overdose and underdose for pediatric medications.
2. Define and determine the frequency of ambulatory pediatric prescribing errors.
3. identify provider and patient characteristics associated with pediatric prescribing errors.
4. Evaluate whether electronic medical records that include a prescribing module reduce the rate of pediatric prescribing errors among trainees.

Career Goals: Dr. Basco is a pediatrician and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.  He is a successful medical education researcher and seeks to gain additional research training in pediatric health services research in order to build on his past work of measuring trainee performance.  He will complete the Master of Science in Clinical Research Program during his K training.  Dr. Basco would like to position himself to be an independent researcher helping to transform U.S. medical education by defining educational success using patient-centered outcomes.

Progress to Date: All data for Aim #1 have been collected and a manuscript is being developed.  Three abstracts have been presented on this work.  Dr. Basco has obtained the SC Medicaid data for Aims #2-4 and data analyses has begun.

Future Plans: Dr. Basco will complete data analyses for the LASA study and will request additional diagnostic data from SC Medicaid.  He will continue developing manuscripts for publication and complete his proposed academic work.

Highlights and Specific Accomplishments:

• Has served as Director of the children's Hospital MUSC Hospitalist Program.
• Was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar.
• Reviewer for Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Academic Medicine.
• Reviewer for Ambulatory Pediatrics.
• Editor, MedScape Pediatrics Journal Scan, a monthly review of published articles.
• Promoted to Division Director of General Pediatrics at MUSC, 2008.

K-Generated Publications:

Basco WT Jr, Hletko PJ, West L, Darden PM. Determining the proportion of children too heavy for age appropriate car seats in a practice-based research network. Clinical Pediatrics January 2009; 48:37-43.

Teufel RJ, Basco WT Jr, Simpson KN. Cost-effectiveness of an inpatient influenza immunization assessment and delivery program for pediatric asthmatics. Journal of Hospital Medicine April 2008; 3(2):134-41.

Hletko PJ, Basco WT Jr. Making the most of data collection: Lessons from a practice-based research network. Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association August 2008; 104:186-87.

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