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DEAN’S MESSAGE WARD ROUNDS NEWS RESEARCH FEATURES ALUMNI NEWS PROGRESS NOTES UPCOMING EVENTS
mortality rate
of these youth
more than
quadruples that
of the general
population.
In-house Data Collection
In November 1995 the project kicked
off with baseline interviews of detained
youth between the ages of 10 and 18
who would eventually form the original
sample of 1,829. Three years later,
Northwestern researchers launched
the fi rst wave of follow-up interviews.
Initially, the study addressed primarily
psychiatric disorders. Over the course
of the project, the focus has changed
as participants have aged and face new
threats to their health and well being.
Including questions on HIV/AIDS risk
behaviors as well as testing for HIV
infection has added to the complexity of
the data collection.
Despite the labor-intensive and costly
challenge of tracking the sample, the
project has outstanding participation
rates, thanks to the commitment of fi eld
staff and participants. Northwestern
Project participants, like others involved
in longitudinal studies, are compensated
for their time. The project achieved a
97.5 percent participation rate at its
3-year follow-up and 87.7 percent for its
11-year follow-up. The study is currently
conducting 12-, 13- and 14-year followup
interviews.
“By the time we complete the next
phase, we will have conducted more
than 17,000 interviews, each of which
includes more than 3,000 variables,”
notes Leah J. Welty, PhD, assistant
professor in preventive medicine and
the project’s lead biostatistician. “The
scope and size of the data allows us to
use innovative statistical techniques to
examine changes over time, both within
individuals and in the population.”
Unlike many large-scale
epidemiologic studies that oſt en farm
out data collection to survey research
companies, the Feinberg School’s investigators
chose to keep the function
in-house. This has allowed the
North western Project to achieve its
exceptional participation rates as well
as handpick and train interviewers
to have greater sensitivity to human
subjects’ issues.
During the past 15 years, attrition
of a violent nature has taken its toll on
the sample now numbering 1,659. “Few
participants withdraw from the study
and relatively few are lost to follow-up,”
remarks Dr. Teplin. “But 102 participants
have died and most from homicide. This
is a shockingly high number given the
age of our participants.” Dr. Teplin and
colleagues detailed this unusual fi nding
in an article in the June 2005 issue of
Pediatrics.
From the beginning, the Northwestern
Project has examined health
disparities in needs and outcomes in a
population that is rarely investigated:
delinquent youth. The research group’s
fi ndings, from both the Northwestern
Project and prior studies, have shaped
public health policy around the country.
Results have been cited in Supreme
Court amicus briefs, congressional
hearings, and Surgeon General
reports. In its next phase, the project
will leverage longitudinal data already
collected and add questions to address
how disproportionate incarceration of
minorities has aff ected their burden in
the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“Many of these youth cycle in and out
of detention centers, jails, and prisons.
No one knows how incarceration aff ects
their cognitive, emotional, and social
development,” says co-investigator Jason
J. Washburn, PhD, director of education
and clinical training in the Division of
Psychology. “Extending this study provides
an unprecedented opportunity to examine
how incarceration infl uences health
trajectories from adolescence to young
adulthood. Ultimately, we expect that
these data will inform policies designed
to address barriers to rehabilitation.”
“
Despite the labor-intensive
and costly challenge of
tracking the sample, the
project has outstanding
participation.
“
by the numbers
1996
year the study began
10-18
age range of interviewees
at beginning of study
1829
number of the original
group of detained youth
1655
number of participants
¡∞ years later
103
number of participants
who have died to date
4x
mortality rate of these youth
compared to the general
population
$10.2
amount of money the study
recently received from nih
Article Title:
President’s
Message
The fall meeting of the medical school’s National Alumni Board
proved to be the liveliest session I’ve had the privilege of attending
during the several years I’ve been involved with the
group. We began a little late as we cheered the Wildcats to a
last-minute football victory over Minnesota. Then a presentation
on the changes in the offi ces of Development, Alumni Relations,
and the Dean generated thoughtful and creative ideas. Bruce
Scharschmidt, president of the Nathan Smith Davis Club,
described the response to a survey of the NAB that identifi ed
opportunities for improved communication and engagement
of Northwestern medical school alumni. Be prepared for more
information about how you can stay connected. In addition to
Alumni Weekend each spring, the following are just a few of the
activities that enable alumni to stay engaged and give back:
Medical school faculty host
dinners (over 50) in their
homes or restaurants of
choice for incoming medical
students during Orientation
Week each year.
Alumni awards include
both NU (Merit) and FSM
(Distinguished Alumnus
Award, Dean’s Award,
Service Award), as well as
the Kenneth Viste Student
Service Recognition
Award to a graduating
senior each year.
Alumni serve as mentors for
fi rst- and second-year students
at luncheon roundtables
during Alumni Weekend,
encouraging students in their
choice of future specialty.
Alumni volunteers all over
the country host fourth-year
medical students traveling
to their areas for residency
interviews.
Alumni contributions to all
medical school funds average
over $2 million annually.
We encourage you to share other ideas to help keep you in touch
with Northwestern. Contact me at dcarr@billingsclinic.org or
Ginny Darakjian at v-darakjian@northwestern.edu.
All the best!
F. Douglas Carr, MD ’78, MMM
President, Alumni Association
Article Title:
Ward Rounds Survey –
Alums Want More Progress Notes!
In the summer 2010 issue of Ward Rounds, readers were asked to
share feedback about the magazine’s content. We also wanted
to know if alumni would access the online-only issues two
times a year and what new elements should be included with
the Web version.
We thank those individuals who took the time to respond. While
overall most are very satisfi ed with the content and quality of the
magazine, there are areas for improvement. We were heartened
to learn that a majority of the respondents would access the online
version of the magazine when a hard copy is unavailable.
With the redesign of the magazine, the timing was optimal to
begin implementing reader suggestions. We encourage you to
continue to tell us how we are doing.
Top 3 Sections Readers Value
1 Progress Notes – Alumni want more news from fellow medical
school graduates. We will devote more space to updates from
alumni and will send more reminders to encourage participation.
2 Alumni News – Readers want to see more alumni profi les. We
will include more variety in our profi les (feature younger graduates
and current residents) and will experiment with shorter pieces.
3 Feature articles – Alumni want more information about medical
students, updates from the dean, and news about community
service and patient-care programs. We will cover more content in
these areas.
Online Access
While some of our respondents fi nd reading longer pieces on a
computer screen diffi cult and less enjoyable, 70 percent said they
would go online to get updates about the medical school when
a print copy of Ward Rounds is unavailable. When asked what
elements would improve their online experience, here’s what
alumni told us…
video
blog posting
audio
If you would like to learn more about the Ward Rounds redesign
and how it will improve the reader experience, see “Ward Rounds
Sports New Design” on page 3.
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