The Duke University School of Nursing’s Center for Nursing Research will host its first Summer Institute on Thursday, July 19 and Friday, July 20, 2018.

The 2018 Summer Institute: Methods and Analytics for Symptom Research will support symptom science researchers and analysts to explore advanced techniques for statistical modeling and data analysis. The two-day workshop includes an overview of analytical techniques to explore symptom prevalence, severity and changes across time. It will also feature innovative approaches to mixed methods research designs to emphasize points of integration between qualitative and quantitative data.

“We are thrilled to launch this important research Summer Institute,” says Marilyn Hockenberry, PhD, RN, PNP-BC, FAAN, Bessie Baker Professor of Nursing and associate dean for research affairs. “We hope researchers from across the country join us to explore the latest in methods and analytics for symptom science research. Speakers and attendees will examine a variety of research studies that evaluate symptom trajectories experienced by children and adults with life-threatening illnesses.”

During the Summer Institute, presentations will examine studies that emphasize the most common patient-reported symptom experiences in subjects with heart failure, HIV/AIDS or childhood cancer. Examples will include an overview of each study followed by in-depth exploration of various methods used to examine symptom measures.

“The Summer Institute will equip researchers and analysts with cutting-edge methods and analytics for moving symptom science forward,” says Wei Pan, PhD, associate professor at Duke University School of Nursing.

In addition to Duke, panelists for the Summer Institute will include experts from the New York University College of Dentistry, Boston College’s Connell School of Nursing, University of Arizona School of Nursing and New York University College of Nursing. 

The Summer Institute will also provide:

• A review of research studies that showcase in-depth statistical modeling with innovative data analytics to explore symptom experiences in individuals with chronic illness issues,
• A demonstration of how to integrate phenotypic and biomarker characteristics in symptom measures to provide a multi-dimensional approach to symptom science analysis,
• An exploration of various innovative statistical techniques available to analyze symptoms experiences, and
• An investigation of points of integration between qualitative and quantitative data to explore mixed methods approaches to symptom experiences.

The cost for the Summer Institute is $400 for non-Duke affiliated persons, $75 for students and $100 for Duke affiliated faculty, researchers and analysts.