Department of Emergency Medicine
University of Cincinnati
Clinical Studies Assistant Job Description

The Clinical Studies Assistant (CSA) is an integral part of the research infrastructure of the Department of Emergency Medicine.  The pre-requisite for the position is undergraduate schooling with an emphasis in biology or science.  The CSA is hired through the University of Cincinnati as a Student Worker. They obtain hospital privileges and maintain requirements of University of Cincinnati Physicians (UCP) for employment.  The CSA is directly supervised by the Research Team Administrative Coordinator, but also the Coordinating Team and Research Directors of the Clinical Trials Center. The CSA is supervised when they are performing their role by the Emergency Medicine Faculty Physicians while on-shift.

• Maintain overall clinical competence by working a mandatory 20 hours / week clinical schedule.
• Attend mandatory CSA monthly meetings.
• Identify, screen, and enroll patients into clinical trials according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria outlined in the research protocol for each trial.
• Be involved in the consent process following TUH and TJH policies and their respective IRB policies.
• Maintain subject confidentiality at all times.
• Maintain clinical competence for each trial by completing trial specific training.
• Attend mandatory scheduled in-service training for trials.
• Collaborate with phlebotomist and nursing staff to obtain research blood samples.
• Follow the Emergency Medicine Clinical Trials Center Standard Operating Procedures for handling and processing research blood samples as stipulated by the research protocol.
• Follow the Emergency Medicine Clinical Trials Center Standard Operating Procedures for handling and storing research blood samples.
• Utilize investigational devices as specified by the research protocols.
• Monitor and maintain investigational device requirements and functionality (i.e. running quality controls, and maintaining temperature log sheets)
• Conduct patient follow-up following the Emergency Medicine Clinical Trials Center Standard Operating Procedures for follow-up.
• Collect patient data from medical records as per the IRB approved research protocol.
• Perform other daily maintenance or tasks as required by the Research Division.

Benefits to becoming a CSA

Our CSA program impacts growth of a new generation of medical and research professionals. The program provides extensive experience for students and young people exploring careers in medicine, clinical research and healthcare. Since 2003, over half of the CSAs have gone on to pursue health related careers and of those in a health-related career, 58% attend medical school. CSA Fellows

Since the inception of the program in 2007, five manuscripts have been accepted for publication and two projects have been presented at national conferences.

CSA Career Trajectories: